awwwwww!!! wouldn't it be great to BE THERE????

i love camp. i LOVE camp. I. LOVE. CAMP.

ec

eyeshadooooooooooow

RR

I believe that this photo was taken after a train had finally gone by. As you can see, I was pleased that the wait was over. :-)

that-70s-show jackie

see what i mean?

sigh

i know i've already said i don't like church shopping, but let me say it again:

i do NOT like church shopping. i really really really really REALLY wish that i had a church home. sigh.

Please, Lord, guide me to place where I will both fit in and where You want to use me.

and now i will post pictures of whatever. for fun. :-)

One week ago ...

awwww! Minneapolis!

I was driving back to the Cities from South Dakota, and I approached Minneapolis, looking lovely a) because the view of Mpls from 35W North is decently spectacular, b) because I miss the city and was almost HOME (and got to see eir later that night!), c) because it had a weird glow to it from the sunset.

And as the sun lowered ...

coolio

... the pinkish glow became more prominent. And quickly changed to COPPER ...

blazing copper

... a BLAZING copper, as you can maybe tell from this (really bad) photo (taken while flying down the freeway). Doesn't that building look like it is made of glass, reflecting the sunlight?

copper

I wish you could have seen this! I have only seen this maybe one other time where the sunset is JUST RIGHT to make the entire scene GOLD, absolutely washed in gold. Last Friday's was cool. The time before that was BREATHTAKING. ... and kinda eery.

COPPER!

The buildings looked AWESOME, radiantly orange/copper, everywhere you looked. (My pictures do NOT do this scene justice. They were taken from my PHONE.)

bright rearview

Took a snapshot of my rearview mirror. Here's how it captured the brightness of the sunset behind me.

rearview

A moment or so later, as the sun continued to set behind the Mpls skyline.

35W

sunset

... and from the Target parking lot.

(I wish I would have had a really quality camera to take these photos. I wish you could understand what this REALLY looked like!)

HOME

i'm back in MINNESOTA. hooray!!!!

good news that coincides with it:
EIR is back in MINNESOTA! HOORAY!!!!!!!

i will have to post my (poor quality) pictures from driving back into the Cities tonight. i think i have only seen this one other time, where the sun hits everything in such a way that everything turns a crazy copper. the other time was even MORE stunning than earlier tonight, but i will post the pics i have nevertheless. (don't get too excited; the pictures were taken on my PDA.)

love! joy! weekend!

How appropriate!

"Jack's Campers" -- YESSSSS!

I LOVE IT. I feel like we should have a PHCA reunion underneath this sign ... "Jack's Campers" -- I wish the pic were bigger and better. I took this flying 75 mph (legal in SoDak!) on I-90.

An unfinished town

Part of the roads were "paved" with red rocks ...

Now, I don't want to sound like a city slicker (as Kevy thinks I am). Remember, I grew up in KIMBALL, pop. 690.

... but today I went to a town that was so old-school that I felt like I was in some time-stands-still place on earth. The gas pumps were the old kind, where you think Gomer's gonna step outside and fill 'er up for you. Parts of the roads stopped with the tar and started with this red-rock concoction. I don't exactly know how to describe the town so that you can understand what I'm getting at!

Oh little old Mayberry. In South Dakota. :-)

Aw man, you can't read it. But on the back window was written "Kylie's Daddy's Truck" -- AWWWW! 

Check this BRIDGE out! (I did.) 

it was a double-decker bridge!!! LOVE IT! 

I ended up crossing the state line into Nebraska! 

thumbs up, nebraska! 

Watertown, SoDak

beautiful!

This is a gorgeous gazebo in Watertown that I have wanted to go into and FINALLY went up to it yesterday ... it was locked. I took pics.

the sign outside of Estelline HS

BOYS GIRLS

I LOVE THIS HIGH SCHOOL and the students there.

I don't know if you can tell in this pic or not, but on the left and right of the name of the school, there are lighter colored areas that read "BOYS" and "GIRLS" ...

WHAT IN THE WORLD?

"We are a school. We have students. What kind, you ask? Oh, boys and girls."

"We are a school. Do we have restrooms? Yes. Boys and girls."

"We are a school. We don't know what else to put on this sign. Boys and girls."

Just some ideas. ;-)

finally, the haircut pics ...

HAIRCUT!

see, it's short? there's another pic below. like the dramatic lighting? it was LAST sunday morning, waiting for des to pick me up for church. haha.

it does not, however, always look like this. it kind of decides each day what it wants to look like. today was a lot swoopier, but i am not in favor of the swoopiness.

whatdya think?

haircut! 

so much

i've got lots goin' on right now. thoughts racing in my mind, activities impending, packing to be done, decisions and dinner to make, clothes to fold ... sigh.

i am speaking in two -- count 'em, TWO -- chapels this upcoming week. i am less nervous than before, but still.

i miss people. eir will be home on friday, HOORAY!

i REALLY miss some people.

i do not like anxiety. it wastes so much time and burns up so much enjoyment. would i be the same person/have the same personality if i had less anxiety? i would be MORE of the person God desires me to be, huh? Lord Jesus, deliver me from meaningless worry and anxious trepidations.

"When my anxious thoughts multiply within me, Your consolations delight my soul." Psalm 94:19

Thank You, Father.

the road

travel is going well so far. i love meeting wonderful teenagers!

i also love seeing my campers at college fairs.

i also love YOU.

my haircut ...

ok, so this is mandy moore ...

mandy moore

this haircut is the inspiration for mine. i will post a pic of MY haircut as soon as i'm able. the cord i need to dump pics onto my computer is back in my office ... and i am in sioux falls ... again.

i like mine. it seems even shorter than mandy's, actually.

what a DAY. for anyone else? thank you, eir, for being a voice of sanity.

love,
jackie lea

homecoming

we lost. in OT. oh well.

after our football games, we have this thing called "5th Quarter" where Coach Talley and other coaches and the players can all speak and encourage each other and acknowledge the Lord, and it is SO COOL. when they are done, the fb team sings "Mighty Warrior." makes me proud to be a part of Northwestern College.

i hacked my hair off this afternoon. i think i like it though.

going to church with des tomorrow; i'm excited! church shopping is ... good, and difficult, and kinda thrilling, as I look for a place that matches the one in my head ... and one where God wants to use me. i DO miss the NBCC youth group though. i am excited to visit them, once i find a new church. until then, it might be too hard. sigh.

so, there's the story, morning glory. my blog ... for jackie hemmer, southern, and dro. and me.

love!

friday night

wow, what a week!

first of all, i'm not so good at keeping up this blog thing, huh? i can only see my posts when i'm using internet explorer, and at home, i use firefox, so ... annoying. nevermind.

my week.

mon-tues-wed: college fairs

wed night: i went to the youth group of one of my favorite students. her name is caitlin, and she's the junior that megan and i took to applebees during our lifelight weekend. it was really great to see caitlin, heather, and bafo -- and to meet some fun new peeps too!

thurs morn: spoke at Sioux Falls Christian HS. GLORY TO YOU, FATHER GOD. it went well. i hope that it really spoke to the high schoolers; one of the teachers thanked me and said she was changing an afternoon class around because of the message. so that's cool. maybe the entire message was all just intended for that one teacher. hmmm.

rest of thurs: high schools and back home ...

when i got home, i felt SO SICK, like pukey-sick. don't worry, i didn't puke. of COURSE i didn't puke; i almost never do. one time in the last twelve years or so.

anyway, woke up this morning feeling just fine! phew!

work was crazy, lots to get done when you're just in the office one day a week!

BUT GET THIS:

into my cubical walks ... TRACY RENEE LAIR! what in the WORLD! she's in town for the Desiring God conference. if you don't know, trace was my college roomie, and she and her husband bry live out in Illinois. i had no idea that i was going to see her today. it was SOOOO GREAT, i almost cried! i sound sappy.

i also go to see bry. and veronique and her baby joshua lee. SO SO SO SO SO ADORABLE.

tonight i watched a movie with trix. nice to just unwind. then talked about speaking in tongues with trix and linds. then etc. i like my roomies a lot.

thank you for listening and goodnight.

back in SuFu ...

and i need to FOCUS and practice my chapel message. it's hard to get down to business, ya know?

sigh.

yikes, thinking about it makes me nervous. i'd better go work on it.

LOVE!

sodak

my travel season officially began today.

i am in mitchell, south dakota. i drove by the corn palace tonight. you are probably jealous.

you should be.

love,
jack

ugh

i am SUCH a procrastinator. awful.

i really ought to work on my chapel message, but it just hasn't happened yet. please, Father, use me this fall to share YOUR MESSAGE with highschoolers. i pray that it is YOUR desire that i am sharing this way. please protect me from being a nervous wreck all fall. be glorified. amen, hallelujah.

family

i love mine.

they are so funny, and they love Jesus. what a joy to be a Sommers girl.

on my way to owatonna ...

I am in the backseat of trixie's car right now, and sami is talking about this long dream she had, and I am posting through my phone.

we are en route to bec's bridal shower. how odd.

I am feeling very overwhelmed lately (sooooo busy with travel planning ... and I need to prepare a chapel message for this fall ... five set up so far ... i'm nervous.), but at the same time as being overwhelmed, I feel I am learning GOOD, GOOD things about grace, trust, and freedom.

i'm too busy. I look forward to time alone while traveling. oh the life of ... me.

i don't think blogger is working

or is it?

monday monday

yay for ashlee and for wentworth miller. sigh.

i like my job. a lot. it's kind of overwhelming right now, with planning my fall travel, but i will survive.

did i already say that i am reading "TrueFaced"? it's great -- i'm excited to read more. it's about having your motive come from TRUSTING God instead of PLEASING God. The idea is that if our main motive is to please God we will never be good enough; we will try and try and perform as best we can, but we cannot be "good enough." But if our motive is TRUSTING God ... that is PLEASING to Him! If we reside in the Room of Grace and live out of Who God Says That I Am, we will start living differently. I'll probably share more eventually. Chew on that and tell me what you think.

Love love.
Jack

and dora too

thank you, dro, for reading my blog.

another good day. i took a really long nap (3 hours) , which is GOOD. but i wake up feeling guilty and panicky. i'm better now, thank you.

haha. this should be yet another good week! coffee with ashlee tomorrow, shopping with trix on wednesday, sodak club meeting on thursday, tq coming over friday, bec's shower on saturday, trying out first free with whit on sunday. oofda.

love!
jackie lea

a great weekend, only half over

YES. good, good weekend. here's the play-by-play.

after work on friday, des and i went to the AWESOME new(ish) Dunn Bros. on Fairview, got free drinks, and talked for HOURS. yay!

i came home, and karin had invited many people over. we hung out; the boys wrestled; we played Four on a Couch; COLLEEN HAMMOND CAME OVER. Woot woot.

Then I had an AMAZING experience with some of the roomies ... SOOOOO FUNNY. just know that four of us were sitting on the kitchen floor, DYING of laughter. karin, liz, carol ... that was AWESOME. (and Jamin just kept playing! LOVE IT!)

Then we watched a movie, but I went to bed before it was done.

TODAY ...
we had Football Frenzy on campus, so I helped with that and stayed for the FB game, which the Eagles WON. Good work, boys.

Went to Jimmy John's with Kimmie and Trix, and when we got there, there were three tables of people and I knew peeps at every one, so i visited for a bit.

Came home, watched 13 Going on 30. Again. Good movie.

Going to church in the morning with Whit. AND going to bed early tonight ... it's only 8:37, and I'm gonna go crawl into bed and read for a while then get some much-needed rest.

One more good thing: Haley Rhoades said to me today, "I'm jealous that you get coffee with Des. I want to get coffee with you too!" How cute is that. Reminds me that I'm getting coffee with Ashlee on Monday. Yay for friends.

Hello to Jackie H. and to the Southern Invasion, the two people who will read this. Please know that I love you both and that I had a great weekend; I hope yours were wonderful too!

ooooh ... i like my life!

it's fun.

today was pretty crazy-hectic at work. i have a wonderful new co-worker (nohemi/naomi), and it was Club Day (yay SoDakers! I'm the advisor for the South Dakota club, hee hee, love it love it), and I'm planning my fall travel (like trying to put together a jigsaw puzzle).

I'm planning to speak in several Christian school chapels, and I have two set up so far. I LOVE the opportunity to get to share this way, but I also get really nervous until I'm up there. Sigh. Coolio.

i like northwestern, eir, caribou, desiree wood, south dakota, roomies, my house, books, and JESUS.

the end. for now.

look at me go!

making it a habit ... and maybe someday i will share valuable things on here.

tonight i went to northwestern bookstores and grabbed "TrueFaced" and sat down there to read it even though i have already purchased it online. It's a book about being REAL and taking off the masks that we wear, and it almost made me cry twice in the store. As I said to eir, "Maybe I'm sappier than your average bear." But anyway -- it is a scary book to read because it makes me feel like I should be sharing more of myself with others. It is scary, but I REPEAT, "Freedom begets freedom." I am learning it more and more, I feel.

So I bought that copy. I will give the other copy to eir.

I am going to go read more now ... scaaaaaaaaaaaaaaared!

swing of things

Trying to become a blogger again ...

Today was pretty great. Good, productive day at work; then tonight I heard Tyler Burkum perform at Barley John's. Went with Whit. Saw Derek Ahlberg, Alex and Phil Hicks, Torrey Burkum, among others. Interesting. And awkward. Well.

Nevermind.

Oh stories stories stories. Saw Whit's new apartment; it is HUGE. Unreal. HUUUUUGE. Very cool. I want to read books over there.

That's all for today, folks. I know I am a disappointment when it comes to blogging. I'll keep trying.

Kind of Interesting ...

A-Z about me

A-Age: 24, aaaaaaaalmost 25
B-Bed size: Itty bitty twin
C-Chore you hate: What chore DON'T I hate?! Bathroom floor's the worst. Disgusting.
D-Dessert you love: CHOCOLATE!
E-Essential start your day item: The Word of God
F-Favorite actor(s): Haha, I don't know. Wents?
G-Gold or Silver: Silver.
H-Height: 5'2"
I-Instruments you play: trumpet ... but not lately!
J-Job title: Senior Admissions Counselor
K-Keeping track of your day: My own brain typically, but lately I've relied more on my planner
L-Living arrangements: Living in the Lodge, a beautiful huge house, with Tricia, Kimmie, Lindsey, Carolyn, Liz, Karin, and JJ. It is AWESOME.
M-Mom's name: Ronda
N-Not liking right now: mmmm ... not sure. I'm feeling pretty okay right now.
O-Overnight hospital stay other than birth: nope.
Q-Quote you like: "Freedom begets freedom."
R-Right or left handed: Right
S-Siblings: Kristin and Kevin/Vinny
T-Time you woke up today: 10:20, but that's because it's Labor Day
U-Unique habit: hmmm ... lots probably. Trichotillomania. Does that count? :-)
V-Vegetable you hate: cooked carrots. I like carrots, but not cooked. GROSS.
W-Worst habit: Tricho?
X-X-rays you've had: Busted up my elbow two separate times.
Y-Yummy food you can make: Yeah, not my specialty. Eeek.
Z-Zodiac sign: Capricorn

Saturday

I know that no one is reading this. I am just trying to get back into blogging mode before I scream, "COME LOOK AT MY BLOG, EVERYONE!"

Clearly I am not there yet. I am not even sure I do want to blog again. I want to share my thoughts and stories and insights, but blogging seems so overwhelming sometimes. Maybe it's just me, with my so-often-overwhelmedness.

It's Saturday morning, and Megan and I will soon head out to the music festival and try to gather as many prospective students' names as possible. I hope I am geared up enough. It is going to be LOUD, and my voice is already going ...

Love!

SuFu

I'm in Sioux Falls right now ... it's good to be here. I like Sioux Falls. I like knowing my way around enough that when Caitlin called, I could figure out where Applebees was. I liked eating with Caitlin and Megan.

Megan Weber is awesome. Such a lovely blessing to get to spend the weekend with her here.

Lifelight starts tomorrow!!!

Over a year later ...

I think I might start blogging again. Is there anyone still out there?