Africa the Beautiful Bride

I come to you slightly annoyed this morning. I think I've heard one too many, "no running water in Africa" stories to warrant my mood.

Africa. The dark continent, stuck in a cycle of corruption, slower economic growth and poverty.

Africa. The home of Nelson Mandela, Haile Selassie, Desmond Tutu, Wangari Maathai, Cleopatra, Abraham James Mwangi, Didier Drogba and me.

Africa. Highlands and Oceans. Hills and the Great Rift Valley. Orange dust and sunsets. Strident blue skies and greenest of green parks.

The problem is the rest of the world is stuck on the 1st definition. Most of the people I meet, who don't know me personally, immediately view me with African-colored glasses. The dark Africa...shown by their looks of pity on how I have never seen a running toilet or having water to drink. Stories day after day on the missionary that went to Africa and almost died because "they don't trust African hospitals" and had to, absolutely had to wait to get flown back halfway across the world, people that get off the plane and immediately get greeted by African warlords.or the old classic, "Oh My Gosh You Speak English!!!"

I'm sick of this picture that's being painted.

YOU chose to go to a village in the middle of the jungle, not the city, not the suburbs, the jungle, so the lack of running water in that jungle in Africa that YOU chose to go to is absolutely not a representation of the whole. Another thing, most of Africa gained independence within the last 70 years or so. Kenya for one is 50 years old. Where was your country at 50 years old? Growing pains mark the History of every single country in this world. Dare I say, maybe the cycle of corruption, slower economic growth and poverty is just that. Growing pains. A stumbling child trying to find it's footing.

To clarify, Jesus isn't coming for a washed up, hopeless run-away child, but for a beautiful bride. If you don't see Africa as that...don't come. Quite simple. If you do, you're fighting a losing battle anyway.

Africa doesn't need a bunch of misguided people, ignorant to it's real depth & beauty to land on it's shores to try to save us. Africa, like the rest of the world needs partners. Mutually dependent relationships. Don't let the politicians and media fool you. Most of us, know exactly what we're doing & if you ask us, we can let you in on the plan & who knows, maybe, just maybe, God will let you in on His plan for His Africa.

Confessional Friday

I'm linking up today at A Blonde Ambition because I have plenty of things to confess!

I confess that I can't wear this red lipstick out of the house, it feels a little..."gaudy" to me.

I confess that I doubt I'll ever live alone again. When I get home after a long day what I need the most is to see familiar faces around me!

I confess that I love blog design and might see where that adventure takes me.

I  confess that I'm nervous bout my interviews later this month seeing as it determines a huge chunk of my future!

I confess that I am searching high and low for a leather jacket like this:

Source: coggles.com via Alyssa on Pinterest

And leather leggings like this...

Source: fashforfashion.com via Alyssa on Pinterest

That's it for now. If I bear my heart anymore, I might scare a few people away!

The One About Passport Photos and the Unfairness of the Lens

I went in to renew my passport last week and I got it back this week, (kudos to the immigration department, when my mom applied for our 1st passports 7 years ago, they took months to get back mine took 9 days!) Anyway, I went in with my passport photos I had taken at a studio, because I don't want to live with a bad passport photo like I live with a bad ID photo, (seriously why do ID photos always come out bad?!) shock on me, they had to take new photos at their offices which ended up on the passport.

Now at the studio, I had done my makeup, it was early in the morning so I was fresh and clean, at immigration, I was...not. I got back my passport exactly when I got these new photos taken for my blog by my old faithful friend who I shall forever refer to as Mr. T for his anger issues with me forcing asking him to take photos.

I'll generously share one with you and save the 1 million photos of my face for myself,  :-) why can't my ID, drivers license, and passport look like this?

How Much Is Too Much? AKA The Single Girl Rant

I hit the jackpot of friends and family; in fact I figure the reason I’m not much of a relationship girl is because the world already gave me so many good friends, if I had any more, it would be unfair to the rest of the population.

OK, that’s a load of BS…

What I should say is I love my friends, adore them, they are the best. They are always there for me, they pick me up when I’m down and a few of them would do anything for me – most of the time. However, I’d be lying if I said there’s no down side to having people so invested in my life.

I haven’t exactly had the best track record in relationships, I know that. Believe me, I’ve lived through every hurtful, frustrating experience and as much as I may call my friends and family to console me or pick me up when I’m down and give them the details of what’s happened, they haven’t lived it. They aren’t me, their thought processes and they way they handle stuff isn’t me.

With my history, I get being protective over me, but it’s not the most fun process when every time I tell my family about a guy I’m seeing they’re like, “You know that’s not going anywhere right? Don’t kid yourself.” When they haven’t even met the guy! Or my friends saying, “Are you sure going out on a 1^st date is a good idea?” and when I say “YOLO” or words to that effect, they’re like, “OK if you insist.” I mean what is that?!

Then what happens is I start over-thinking stuff and not enjoying the process because I’m more trying to prove a point to my family/friends that “Hey, I can force this relationship into working” rather than trying to have fun and live my own life, and voila, crash and burn, right out of the gate. I set this undue pressure on myself to have this epic relationship in the first 2 weeks because everybody’s pressuring me to get him to give me a label or I feel like I have to do this that or the other to play in the same field as everyone else in my circle who’s in a committed relationship. (The curse of being the only “single” girl in a group of friends and family!)

Maybe it’s my fault. Maybe I’ve given people too much freedom to speak into my life without really discerning them or knowing or trusting myself enough or having enough spine to know what I’m doing without their feedback. Maybe not calling or texting my friends about everything is part of growing up.

The point is I’m just 22 years old. Not everyone gets to go through the simple journey of falling in love with 1 guy and ending up together for the rest of your lives. My journey’s different. I’m not the 1^stgirl who had to kiss a hundred frogs to find Prince Charming – DISNEY WROTE A FREAKING MOVIE ABOUT IT!!!! 

Look, I don’t know what it’s going to look like when I fall in love for real. I wish I did but I don’t and neither does anybody else. Everyone has an idea of what the person I’ll end up with will look like, so do I…but none of us know for sure. So what do you want me to do in the mean time, lock myself in my room and never go out on dates or give out my phone number? 

Listen, I love my friends and family to bits and I appreciate everything they’ve done for me, but step back a little bit. Don’t feel sorry for me. Don’t tell me I’m doing this wrong or that wrong or that I’m doing something like some pathetic friend of yours who I don’t even know (because hey, you might say it indirectly but it still hurts so stop comparing me to your weird friends!!!). Don’t tell me “You’re so boy crazy, I’ve only had 2 boyfriends and I married the 2^ndone.” That reeeally helps me!!!

If you’re one of my many guy friends, don’t tell me “I’m sorry you’ve been meeting guys who are jerks and I hope you find love soon.” then 5 minutes later do the same thing that you’ve just listened to me complaining about. Hello, maybe it’s not that I’m the unlucky girl who’s been meeting guys who are jerks, judging from your behavior; maybe it’s that most guys ARE jerks. 

If you’re my ex, don’t tell me how great of a girl I am and that I’m a gift from heaven and how some guy will be lucky to have me.

If you’re in a relationship, don’t tell me all these things about what you did right and what I’m doing wrong because the fact of the matter it was just luck, there’s no science behind it and no relationship is as perfect as you make it out to be. 9 times out of 10 I deliberately choose to walk away from a wrong situation because I'd rather be lonely alone than lonely, confused, angry and frustrated by the wrong guy! (Yes, as you keep reminding me I was dumped that one time and it sucked, but I learnt from it and moved on!)

So tonight I’m saying enough is enough. I’m tired of all the well meaning but cruel advice. I’m tired of being fed by people and not allowing myself to listen to my own voice. I’m tired of the same old patterns. I’m tired of being made to feel bad about myself because I’m 22 years old and I’m not married. I AM TWENTY TWO! I’m tired of dreading my birthday because I live in fear that 30 will get here and I really truly do end up an old maid. I’m tired of re-thinking and re-living the past and going through old game tapes to see what I could have done better or plan my strategy for next time. I’m tired of people who keep reminding me of my past mistakes. Mostly, I’m tired of living in fear.

I was single for an entire year of my life. I’m at a place where I know myself and what I want pretty well. I WILL STILL MAKE MISTAKES because I’m a girl and I believe in love and romance and I’m in love with being in love and I give people chances when I shouldn’t, but that doesn’t make me a failure. With all the crap I’ve gone through, closing my heart off and becoming filled with bitterness and resentment, that’s what will make me a failure! The fact that I can still hope and love is a miracle. 

Last January (2012) I asked God once again to mend my broken heart, because I’d been through so much all I could see were shattered pieces, and He showed me my heart put back together, at first with ugly cracks in between and still looking shattered, but He worked on it until it was perfectly formed and beautiful. That’s what He’s been doing in me for the past year. 

So don’t worry about me dating 1 guy or 100 till I find my “one” because all I can do is love. That’s what I was created to do. To love and hopefully find the person who’ll love me back the way I deserve. I choose not to be broken because I loved and wasn’t loved back in return. Do Heaven’s resources run out just because I “wasted” love on somebody who ended up breaking my heart? I’ll shed a few tears and that’s normal, but I won’t break. He already put me back together nothing can tear me apart again. 

Again, I love my friends and family, but I think from this year, I’m taking things slow and keeping things between me and God for a while.

xx

Jo

It’s Okay

I jokingly told my mom how January feels like Monday morning when the alarm rings and you can’t imagine it being the weekend again. I was a little worried with all the demands that would come with this month, figuring out the whole year. Can someone maybe write a self-help book on that?

I’ve spent the last week at my sister’s house babysitting my 2 y/o nephew since my sister was in the hospital delivering my new niece. So the whole week has been changing poopy diapers, running to the potty barely in time to avoid any “wee-wee” incidents, singing the Jake and the Neverland pirates and Spongebob theme songs, trying to make cleaning look fun so the kid would join me when I had to get stuff in order-dishes, floors, tickle fights, cuddles, dancing on the floor and so on and so on. Motherhood is tough; you have to be on 24/7. Everybody dreams of being able to be a stay-at-home mom, but after this week…ummm…:-/

Today’s Saturday and my sister just got back from the hospital, and I’m in the bedroom in a crying mess and blogging. Man, I’m just so emotional. I don’t know if it’s the new baby finally getting home and it hitting me that my nephew isn’t the baby anymore or just relieved that these months have ended so successfully, or what.

Then there’s just all this other stuff going on where, I wanna be the best at everything I do. I want to be the best daughter and save my mom money by finding cheap deals for my tuition/fees. I want to be the best sister and the best aunt to my nephew. I want to be the best girlfriend (whenever God decides to bless this single girl with a good boyfriend), I want to be the best worship leader, I want to be the best friend, I want to be the best Christian, and I want to be the best girl. WTH?! Who can live up to all of that? Yet, when I fail at one of them, I get stressed and emotionally charged.

You know how Oprah and these self-help gurus keep saying, “center yourself”, “find your own space and focus on your mantra”, or, “take time off and recharge” or other such rhetoric, I NEED TO KEEP REMINDING MYSELF OF THE SAME THING! 

Hopefully yelling at myself like this will work?

Xx

Jo

Re-Vamp

So you might have noticed the blogs got a little make-over? The word that's been ringing in my mind the past few days is re-vamp. Change is firmly in the air, for the blog, for me, for my life.

There's a hunger stirring deep in my soul for something more. I don't know what it is, I suppose right now, maybe I don't need to, maybe I just have an entire overhaul and in that process, I'll figure out what it is.

Two things that have already changed;

1. My devotional/quiet time, I think after waking up earlier consistently for a week, I can say it's become a habit. I read somewhere that you should read the Word of God until you pant for it, so far I'm loving it, I really need to do it. I'm so desperate for more of God. I feel like there's so much more and I'm barely scratching the surface. Especially since I'm serving this in church this month, (Worship Team + Mizizi). Man, I NEED MORE. I'm so tired of the ordinary, going to church, sitting around for an hour saying hi to a couple of people and coming back home! I want it to be different, I have such hopes and expectations and I'm s desperate for them to be met, do you feel me? I need more!
2. Ha, FINALLY quit Facebook. Wah, I feel like for the most part I'm so done with keeping up with strangers lives when you've never had a conversation. I mostly used it for photos anyway and now I have this blog, I can just braindump over here. Even Twitter is definitely going next. All I want/need is this blog. I definitely still want a place to write and release thoughts or whatever, but I always feel this pressure of "this is going to be on someone's timeline, people might not like it" but here, if you've sought me out, you must like my thoughts, so I can write it.

Anyway, as always whatever else I do, you'll be the first to know.

xo

Jo

My School

This is my last official semester. I guess I’m getting nostalgic, and lazy too because dragging my butt to class is a huge challenge for me right now! (Mom if you’re reading this, I always go to class, I’ve never skipped!)

Anyway, I often say transferring to City Campus was the best choice I’ve ever made. I’ve talked before about how going to my particular school wasn’t exactly my choice, as in I’d already gone for orientation at the school I wanted to go to and all f a sudden, my family’s like, “don’t go here go there”. I’m responsible for choosing to be influenced - this isn’t a blame post!

Anyway, I hated, HATED, my old campus. It was HUGE and the walk from the gate to class was like 20 minutes. My class had like 200, maybe more people so the scrum-down that happened when people practically stampeded over each other to find a good seat was ridiculous. It was a 2 hour trip from my house. The buses/mats to that place were mostly old, rusty, smelly and badly driven at least at the stage where I used to go to. Well, you get the idea, I didn’t have a lot of love for the place.

I got used to it a little by 2^nd year, plus I got to move out to a great little apartment which I loved and it made life a LOT easier.

Beginning this year though, I got the chance to transfer to a new Campus. This is in the city center, a great building, and fewer students, like 1 15-50 max class size, better or at least closer administration, 30 minutes from home, great class schedule…

The quality of my life changed drastically, I’m a hundred times happier here. I’m so grateful to God for that, and grateful I can finally say, “I love my school!”

xo

Jo

Let's Just Take A Minute...

Contemporary Family Room design by Detroit Interior Designer Jeffrey King Interiors

AMEN GOD, AMEN!

Natural Hair

I am 100% African. No British colonialist blood somewhere in my family line. As such, I have 100% African hair.

In High School, I had this Straight kit thing going on, you know where you straighten your hair then you have to use gel to style it. After High School, I still hadn’t figured out the whole hair thing, (blame 4 years of boarding school where you went to the salon once in 3 months) So, I had this experience one time back at Strath Uni, my friends and I were walking on campus heading to class and we saw another guy who used to be my friend back then. This guy was bi-racial and had great hair, so when we passed him, this so-called friend of mine that I was walking with said, “Joanne, even [can’t remember his name] has better hair than you”

Can you believe that?!

Of course I laughed it off, but I got home and cried like a baby! Then I angrily wiped the tears away and went to my mom’s room and searched her stash for a weave! Got my hair done THE NEXT DAY! Let’s just say, that girl hasn’t commented on my hair since!

Since then I alternate between weaves, braids, straighteners (not straight kit, never ever!) but, I don’t know, maybe it’s the whole growing into my own thing, but I’m liking keeping my hair natural. I wore the curly afro a while ago and felt great.

Who knows, maybe next year this will be a permanent thing?

xo

Jo

Summer Days

This is how I’ve been spending my free mornings J

#Relaxation

xo

Jo

Venting

So, life hasn't been peachy lately...before I got sick last week, I had a groove going on. My life was kinda settled, I knew what I wanted to do, I knew where I was going, what I was hoping for, I knew what to do when I was down and how to pick myself up again, I was on a roll with my God-life - Bible reading plan, prayer, I was settled.

Then I was under the weather and now that I've recovered, I'm just lost all over again. It's not just about getting sick but also with the fact that this is my last official semester of college...it's a huge thing, I'm at the end of the line.

Being a last-born, especially being so far apart from my brother and sister and being my mom's "retirement baby", it's a life of guilt. My sister was talking to me about maybe not doing my Masters until I get a job, which is a valid point, but I think one thing that she doesn't need to worry about is taking me on a guilt trip. My life is all guilt...

When I was younger it was feeling guilty about not living up to the example my siblings set in school, the pressure to always perform, then it was the pressure to go to the school they wanted and do the course they wanted, then it's the pressure to make my mom proud, live up to my siblings, time and time again, I feel guilty for not living up to them, guilty for moving out and leaving my mom alone, guilty for looking for a job and having no idea where to begin, guilty that I drive a car and my siblings didn't, guilty every single time my mom puts cash in my bank account, pressure and guilt. It's worse because, you're the baby of the family, everyone treats you like a baby, when you act out,  everyone jumps down your throat. Whether it's calling someone else to "report my behavior" and telling them to "have a talk with me" or the constant lectures on ways that I'm not good enough, or ways that I'm a disappointment or ways that I'm taking advantage of my mom...ARGH! Guilt that I get annoyed when every single conversation with my mom revolves around them, hello, I have a life too! Add to the guilt and pressure, it's the disconnect, everybody else is at a different phase of life than I am. And the intimidation, the whole people can pour into my life, but the moment I give an opinion or try to say where I'm coming from, I'm defensive or attacking or rude and again, there's a phone call to report my behavior or a rude text which of course I cant reply to because then I'm rude and defensive and the "no wonder your life went the way it did" line.

Anyway, I have the option of posting this or not, but I choose to post it, not as a poor me downer post, but as a way to put down how I felt at this point of my life...to understand my kid when they go through this, hopefully to laugh about it in a couple of years at a family reunion, like, "how dramatic was I?"

Ventfully Yours
Jo

Hello, Goodbye

I know I haven't been posting much recently, but that's becasue I've been setting up my diet & fitness blog slash, the blog that attempts to keep me accoutnable to my weight loss and fitness goals, say HELLO to;

Clean, Lean, Mean, Happy Raha

Please feel free to head over there to check it out :-)

Other than that, I'm good, reading a lot, learning a lot, got my hair done. Now I have long curly locks, with a little bit of bbrown highlights, I love it. Pictures soon.

We opened school this week, classes start on Monday, really I have no idea how I'm going to say GOODBYE to these two:

via

via

 

 

Please don't judge me, but, I am so addicted to these two! I'd even consider take evening classes so I don't miss them, no lie! Especially Pasion de Gavilanes, seriously, I would take that DVD instead of an engagement ring j/k. Seriously, I don't even watch TV, let alone Telenovelas, but these two are CLASSICS!

Apart from that, I'm good. More updates later. Hope your all OK.

xx
Jo

You Are All I Need

I've really been considering the implication of these words recently; we sing it all the time in worship, when we're praying, that's what a lot of people say, but what does it mean?

I have a lot of stuff that's going on in my life, dreams for my future, things that I need or maybe desperately want {I may or may not be thinking about a new phone as I write his :-)} but the aim of Christianity, salvation, is to get filled up by and content with God and God alone.

Last night I was reading Nehemiah which is where we're at with the One Year Bible reading plan, and I was just thinking, the only "Bible" guys in the Old Testament had was the Book of Moses, which is basically where the commandments were kept. We, on the other hand have hundreds of stories, thousands of promises, page after page of how God's shown his love over the centuries, yet those guys had such a rich relationship, they lived it, they experienced God every single day and I think that's what we're aiming for.

We might have the "playbook", know what pitfalls to avoid, know what promise to quote at every situation. Countless of self-help books centered around the Bible, yet what we live in isn't "it". I'm saved, millions of people are saved, but there's no way I can compare my life with John or Peter or Paul or all those other guys from the early Church. My life has been changed, so what? I mean, those guys would literally walk under a light and their shadow would heal people. They were leaking God everywhere they went.

Yes I have all this stuff that I want and desperately desire, dreams for how I want my life to go, but I also don't want to miss out on that authentic encounter that's changed people's lives all across the world. Look at Kim Walker-Smith or Steffany Frizzell or people who've left their homes to be missionaries in desolate places. Doctors inventing new techniques to heal, geeks coming up with new ways to communicate :-) People whose lives are just the picture of going wherever God asks them to go. People who hear and follow the heartbeat of God. I feel like those guys know what heaven is, they live it daily and isn't that the point of getting saved in the first place. My life has been changed, so what?

Still, discontentment over the normal or lack of "the normal" fills my heart. I let all this "stuff" keep me up at night, yet in a year or 10 years, none of it will matter! I worry, I fret, I get anxious, I stress over this stuff. It may be o.k., it may be valid - worrying over stuff God's legitimately placed in my heart, but if I'm honest, it mostly isn't. I take on the burden of worrying about whether I'm missing out on this or that, or whether I should go after this or that like I'm the author of my life. 

I'm not content with Christ alone and this bothers me. I'm lost, I'm rambling, but I hope that somebody out there gets what I mean. Most importantly, I pray and hope God gets what I mean. 

xx
Jo

As My Blog Gets Older, So Do I

Having this blog is incredible because I get to see all the transitions I've gone through in my life in the past 2 years. I know it's weird, but I feel like blogging is God's gift to me in a lot of ways.

Ahh, God.

I look back at where my blog/life was at my 1st post, and where it is now, and my heart just races with fear because I absolutely don't want to go back to being who I was back then. My life was a mess! I was battling depression, I was dating these random people, I was just so unhappy.

Right now, I'm the happiest I've been in a while.  I like to think that I've changed, and I'm this newly evolved version of myself, but really, I haven't changed all that much. I'm still the silly Jo, with all the craziness, corny jokes and high expectations of romance and all the stupid stuff I see on TV. I'm still the Jo who'll light up with a text and get bummed without one. I'm still the Jo who at the end of the day will need to crawl back into God's arms when the rug is pulled out from under her, such is the world :-) In all these things, I'll have this blog to look back on and I think that's pretty awesome.

So, what about you guys, do you think you've changed much as your blog has gotten older? Are you still the same person you were when you started? I'd love to here from you.

xx

Jo

That Post About Confusing Feelings

Wow it has been a roller coaster of a weekend. A really great weekend, but a roller-coaster none the less...this is how I feel right now...

Source: imgfave.com via ANaRaQuELCaStRo on Pinterest

Couple of things I've learnt:

1. I am weak!!!!!!!!!!!
2. Feelings are like energy, they can't be destroyed they're just converted from one type to another. You can bury them deep deep down, but in the end they just come bursting out...ha!

Source: i.imgur.com via Syndi on Pinterest

3. Luckily though, we can, {or at least we're supposed to be able to} control our feelings. I don't have much success in that, but I'll put this up anyway :-)

Source: charginglife.com via Priscilla on Pinterest

4. Despite (3) above, I wish my feelings were more like this...

Source: h4te.tumblr.com via Sultane on Pinterest

Anyways, all this to say, I have nothing to say about this weekend...I just need to breathe!!!

xx
Jo

Blogger 411 Link Up...Get to Know Me!

I love a good link up and this was so fun. So, if you want to know a little about me (as if I haven’t shared enough!) read on, and join the link up, so I can get to know you!

1. How long have you been blogging and what got you started on blogging? Has your blog changed?

I’ve been blogging for a little more than 1½ years. I got started because I like writing and I was going through a lot of changes in my life and felt like it’d be cool to look back in a couple of years and see all the crazy thoughts I had. My blog has changed a lot, as have I. In the beginning, it was a little more business and reflective and serious, I think now I’m more open, more silly, more me. Plus, there’s a lot more of a Christian vibe this year.

2. Did you go to college? If so, where and what did you study?

I started off in Strathmore doing my CPA’s and now I’m finishing up at Kenyatta doing Marketing, graduating mid-late next year God willing.

3. Where have you travelled?

I was born and raised and still live in Nairobi, Kenya. I’ve left the country once to Ethiopia when I was teeny tiny, other than that, I’ve travelled a little on school trips and what not, to Mombasa most recently and Rift Valley when I was a kid.

4. If you won the lottery, what would be the first thing you would buy?

A plane ticket to Redding, California and a cheap apartment so I can go to Bethel School of Supernatural Ministry :-‘)

5. What are your three biggest pet peeves?

People who cough or sneeze without covering their mouth

People who invade personal space, stand too close when talking or touch my face (NO!)

Inappropriate messages on Facebook that come with a friend request (like, "you’re hot accept my request")

6. What is your favorite movie?

The Avengers!!!!!!!!!

7. What is your drink of choice?

I’ve become a huge water girl, other than that, fresh juice or Del Monte.

8. What is something you enjoy to do in your “me-time”?

Watch movies or catch up with TV in bed after a long hot shower, with some delicious food.

9. If you could have a $10,000 shopping spree to one store, which store would it be?

That’s about 850,000/= Practically, I’d “Muthurwa” it all and re-sell it for a ton of money. But for the sake of this, I’d do the Identity -  EnkaRasha - Mr. Price - Woolworths tour.

10. Share with us an embarrassing moment of your past or present?

Dancing on stage in High School and my costume top slipping off showing some major side boob in front of the entire school and teachers, including my make chemistry and math teachers…that’s my go-to embarrassing moment, nothing has ever beat that.

11. What day would you love to relive again?

The first time I ever swam in the Ocean. It’s a great memory, I was with a bunch of people I loved and called my friends, I was in love, and I felt incredibly safe and happy. We ate fried potatoes {viazi karai}on the beach, we took pictures as the sun was setting and the moon was rising. Had a party and took loads more pictures back at one of our hotel rooms. The one and only great memory I have from that whole season of my life. Loved that day!

12. If your life was turned into a movie, what actor would play you?

Troian Bellisario who plays Spencer on Pretty Little Liars…she can do smart, edgy, mysterious and type-A and she knows a thing or two about falling for the wrong guys, but appreciating the right guy when he comes along.

13. What are the jobs you had in high school/college/the early years?

High school kids don’t get jobs in this part of the world…school is pretty intense, no long holidays. My first job was interning at a major company brewing the best beer in the world for a couple of months after my 2^nd year of college. It was a customer service/marketing job.

14. Show us a picture from your High School or college

clubbing 1st year of college, hugely embarrassing!!!!

15. If you could travel anywhere in the world, all expenses paid, where would you go?

Again, Redding, to go to BSSM.

16. Show us the most current picture of you or your family of anything of meaning to you

thought a more innocent picture of me would erase the image of the first :-)

17. Where do you see your life 5 years from now?

Married. In love. Working at a great culture-defining church. Leading a worship team. Taking the world for Jesus with my hubby. Hanging out with my family (siblings) as much as possible. Hanging out with my bff’s as much as possible.

xx

Jo

Let's Play Catch-Up

Apparently numbered lists are my thing now, so bear with me :-)

1. I am just in love with my nephew, He's the sweetest baby, {well not baby anymore, toddler} there has ever been in the world. He has an easy laugh that's just  too cute for words. Then, he'd come up to me and rub his tiny hand on my face or just grab my face and give me a hug or a kiss and call me "Auntie Amla" ...ah! Sweetest kid in the world I tell ya!

2. Heard about this woman here in Kenya who found out her kid's photos are being used by a stranger who's acting like they are her kids. When this woman confronted her, the psycho refused to take the pics down! Really making me nervous to put pictures up, but ha! Too late, anyway, I think I'm going to pause photos until I watermark them. I won't stop posting them...no way I'm derailing my life for a few weirdos!!!!

3. Really felt ADORED by God yeaterday at Church. Remember Saturday I'd been feeling down? Well, I get to Church on Sunday, and guess what?! The Worship Team played Brian Johnson's/Bethel Music's "Your Love Never Fails" OMGosh! It was AMAZING! The band like knocked that one way out of the park! They mashed it up with "Our God Is an Awesome God"! I was just like, God orchestrated that whole thing for me! Yeah the band rehearsed and played it, but God let it happen for me. It was AMAZING! I'm still reeling. Feeling absolutely LOVED! I hope I get to sing that when my month on stage comes!

Afterward, another great thing I loved in Church was this kid from Greenhouse (Kids' Church) who was being interviewed...man, I want a son like that! He was like, I cant even describe it...he was such a leader, he knew God, he was eloquent and confident and he prayed like a champ. Great kid, he must have some crazy proud parents!

4. Hung out today with the nerd and another friend of mine. We surfed, exchanged some movies and went to eat at the newly refurbished Galitos at Union Towers. Wah, that grilled chicken from Galitos is crazy good! They had this offer for 1/4 Chicken, Fries and Pepsi for 300/- I think it's normally 460/- Glad I got that because we are probably never going to see that again!

5. Fearless starts the day after tomorrow! Yippee!

6. Spiderman opens this weekend! Ah!!!!!!

xx
Jo

Brain Dump

1. Just saw a guy who used to flirt with me, whom I haven't seen in over a year...the first thing he says to me is, "Wow, you've got a little pooch there, you've been eating well, enjoying life, huh?" He really didn't say it in a mean vindictive way, he's actually a sweet kid, but the fact that he said it SUCKS!!!

2. A street kid broke off the panel of my cars' back window, seriously, you guys talk about "the ghetto" and "skid row" you DO NOT know street kids until you're driving on that Kariokor/Ngara road. They will strip down your car looking you dead in the eye and you cant do a thing about it...AAARRGHHH!!! {Please note that Nairobi is a very safe place, I just happened to be in the wrong side of town and I'm just venting}

3. In relation to #1 above, I have indeed gained like 3kgs (6 pounds) in the last year since I moved back home (blaming mama's good eats here hehehe) and yes, I am concerned. Oh yeah and it's all gone to my face and a pretty significant muffin top situation. Guys, we have to do something!

4. I'm really excited to be in Worship Team. I really feel like I'm where God wants me to be. It's a total God thing and it's amazing to feel and know that - not really looking forward to the pressures of rehearsal or leading in front of 1000 people, but God'll handle that.

5. I haven't gone out on a date date for almost 6 months and I really don't want to. I mean, obviously, a part of me does but, not really...kinda liking the lack of stress in that department. A guy friend of mine tried to start up something and I said "Thanks" acted oblivious and walked away. This is the 1st thing I've ever committed to...a year for just me and making sure I'm ready for my amazing guy. Right now commitment would mean, not living my dreams when right now for the 1st time I'm doing what Joanne wants to do, I'm already on that road. Once I'm ready though, I'll be ready.

6. Being home alone in a big house sucks royally its quiet and echoey :-/ Really staying on guard with myself this week, not doing anything that'll set me off, I want this to be a great relaxing, non-emotional week, since I have no one to cry with if I watch sad movies. There'll be a lot of blogging, blog re-designs, Pinteresting and visiting my nephew.

7. God's been showing me this week, that He wants to be our dad...Abba-Daddy...I shouldn't be afraid of Him, or how He'll react to me. He isn't intimidated by mistakes...and really, when I mess up, do I really think God was on the edge of His seat not knowing what's coming next? Do I really think a dad would turn away in disgust? He's more determined to bless me than I am to impress Him. He's more into being in a relationship with me than I am with Him. He's more determined for me to be a success than I am. That's how I'd be with my kids and that's how God is with me.



xx
Jo

M.I.A

I can't believe I haven't posted for a week, and I was getting so good at posting daily! Apparently, that's been going around in the bloggy-verse and it finally caught up with me.

I hope you stick around though and check back for updates starting tomorrow, for now, be sure to check out my archives for some good stories.

Love you guys!


xx
Jo

White Dress and Heels

I’m not really a dressy person, I’m more of a jeans girl. I wore skirts all the way through primary school. I was in boarding school in High School and wore skirts for another 4 years straight. I went to a private university with a strict  dress code, so again, it was mostly skirts and loose trousers, finally got a chance to wear jeans when I moved to my public university. So, I’m partial to jeans and flats; if I’m feeling more dressy, maybe skinny jeans and heels.

 

Going to church, personally, I can’t exactly be comfortable jumping up and down at worship time or walking around saying hi to people all across the campus in a dress and heels, but I did make an exception a couple of weeks ago:

 

My mom’s friend and her daughter run a home-shopping business/boutique and they brought over some clothes for us to try. So this is one of three dresses I bought. I like it, except for the fact that it creases easily, I like it.

The last time I wore this was to our New Years’ service, then the weather got hot after January and I retired it. Now that it’s cooling down, I thought it was time I brought it out of retirement.

 xx

Jo