On and Off the Wagon

I fell off the map for a while but I'm back. This past week was a blissful week of traveling and visiting friends in far off lands like Illinois and Minnesota. Rose and I jumped in the car and cruised across the map.

But let me start off where I last ended...
Towards the end of April I started getting bored of my daily exercise routine. You may recall that for the past several months I've been engaging in a rather difficult workout program that uses bodyweight to strengthen tone and sculpt. I was seeing major improvement with this workout program combined with my daily dose of AdvoCare but doing 50 variations of push-ups was getting boring. I'd been craving a good run for several weeks (running is something that comes and goes frequently from my life) so one morning after work I spent an hour just running around Denton. It was beautiful at 6:45 in the morning and I remember running through several lovely gardens that lined the sidewalks in various neighborhoods. It is hard, though, to muster the energy to go running after I've worked all night so I set a goal of running once a week. Well, that lasted fine until Rose and I went out of town last week and so for about 10 days I've gone without any exercise at all. Man-oh-man does that take a toll on you. Towards the end of my trip I began feeling so gross and I was literally craving a workout. Thankfully I was able to jump back on the wagon today. It was definitely tough- I've lost some strength- but I already feel better.

Despite missing my workouts last week was a great week. Whenever I get to travel I'm a happy girl and when you add visiting friends into the mix it makes it so much better! Our first destination was Peoria, Illinois to visit my dearest friends, Jessica and Brian, and their two youngins', Liam and Evvi. We always have fun together and whenever I'm around this dear couple I leave feeling inspired and refreshed by their spunky attitudes. This was an especially exciting time to see them because Jessica just started a new job as the Creative Arts Director at Riverside Community Church in Peoria and I was able to see their new house and go to work with Jess one day. She is going to be the bomb.com at this job. Her creativity, leadership, and passion to love the Lord are inspiring and contagious. I'm beyond excited for what God is going to do in and through this family.

As always, it was hard to leave my second family but I was also very excited to head up to Chicago! If you've never been then, man, you've got to get there. We only spent a few hours there but I loved every second of it. First off Rose and I hit up some touristy attractions like the Navy Pier. It was pretty quiet on the pier because huge rain clouds were threatening us but we still were able to enjoy a nice long walk and take in some great views of the city. Next, we headed downtown to Intelligentsia Coffee to meet with some Venture friends. What a wonderful hour we spent just chatting about past and upcoming tours and how awesome it is to know that in any city we have community to connect with. And finally we headed over to Little Italy to see my amazing Kilimanjaro teammate, Tim, and his equally amazing girlfriend, Caitlyn. It had been nearly two years since I'd seen Tim (one of only two teammates that I've not visited with since our trip) so we spent a long while just catching up. Tim and Caitlyn were in the middle of finals and preparing for graduation so I was very thankful that they took time to have dinner with Rose and I. It was wonderful. Like I said, I wish we would have had more time in the city to explore and hang out with friends but our final destination awaited us.



Rose and I on Navy Pier with Chicgo in the background


That night we drove straight through the night and landed in Minneapolis at 5 a.m. We spend 3 days exploring the cities, its many parks and lakes, delicious restaurants, museums, children's theatre, and friends. Some of my favorite people in the world, Paul and Candace along with their two kids, moved from Texas to Minneapolis about a year ago. It was absolutely wonderful catching up with them and sharing life happenings. Also while in Minneapolis I went to the Venture Expeditions offices for some leadership training. It was really awesome to connect with some other trip leaders. We had training on how to drive the fifteen passenger van with a trailer connected. I feel pretty legit now. We had so much fun and I wish I could share it all with you but it would take entirely too long. I would, however, like to share with you my discovery of corn pancakes. This is definitely note-worthy. When you hear 'corn pancakes' you might be thinking cornmeal pancakes, which is what I was anticipating, but I was so very wrong. Corn pancakes are like corn casserole in a pancake form. Literally, these cakes were life changing. I promise you. I can't wait to find a good recipe and try to make them.

Myself, Rose, Lola & Candace at the MN Children's Theatre Co. production of Pippi Longstocking

It's never fun to end a vacation and head back into the 'real world' but I'm absolutely feeling refreshed and excited about all the good times that we had while on the road. I can't wait until next time!

Connecting the Dots

It wasn't long after I decided to start living my life for the one that gave it to me that my heart was bonded with the hearts of the oppressed. I began to learn and realize that it's no coincidence that I live in a time where 2 million children are exploited for sex every year, or that 1 in 5 women are victim to rape in their lifetime. God knew. He knew that there would be more slaves in 2012 than ever in the course of the trans-Atlantic slave trade. He knew that all of these things would be taking place and so he created me in just the right moment so that I would be ready to fight for his kingdom. I can still remember the day that God told me where I should be dedicating my life. He spoke quit clearly and told me of the poor children and families that struggle and lay hopeless as they are held in bondage. 


Each moment thus far has been a directional line on the map that is my life. God has used creative circumstances and people to help me connect some of the dots but for the last several months I've been the one feeling lost and as if I'm wondering around in circles. I have a burning passion to go and do yet I don't know where to go and what exactly to do. I started thinking that maybe I wasn't meant to do such extravagant work for God. What a lie I was hearing. 


This week God has used a sermon series, a tweet, and a video caption to connect another dot on my map. He is slowly but surely connecting me to people and places that will eventually lead me to where I'm supposed to be. Today I watched a video my International Justice Mission that was very moving but what was even more powerful, to me, was the caption underneath the video. It said, 

"15 years ago, IJM began in response to one massive problem: poor children and 

families around the world desperately needed a defender. "

It's a response. That sentence could have very well said, "15 years ago, Jessica responded to one massive problem: poor children and families around the world desperately needed a defender."  Have you ever encountered something that you swear could have been written just for you? This is my heart. I have to figure out what my response will be and what my mission will be. If I want to do great things for God then I need to attempt great things for God and that is going to require a beautiful relationship with Him, vision, wise partners in my life, and a heart to continuously serve others. 

I'm ready. Let's go. 

He Picked Up the Cross So I'll Pick Up the Cause

Two years ago I stood at the top of Mt. Kilimanjaro in Africa and cried as I realized some of the sweetest people I'd ever met sacrificed a lot to get me there. A few days after that I watched three young boys eat the crumbs from my chip bag that was laying in a trash burn pile. Those two experiences alone shook me to the core and changed my life forever. I realized that the world is full of injustice.

Coming back to my 'reality' was really hard as I made $6 lattes for seemingly ungrateful people while images of poor porters and young children living in incomprehensible poverty consumed my mind. Long before that trip I knew I was called to live a different life and now long after that trip I'm even more convinced that my life can't be about anything besides sacrifice, grace and God's story of justice.

Every year 2 million children are sexually exploited. As a mother, that fact makes my skin crawl. As a human, that fact makes me want to throw up. What if that was my child? What if that was your child? What if that was any child? What difference would it make?

This summer I'll ride my bike with about 20 other passionate individuals from Cincinnati, OH to the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington D.C. to raise awareness for those 2 million children that look just like my own. We will fight spiritually and we will shamelessly ask for money so that we can see this disgusting act of injustice done away with in our lifetime. I want it gone.

What are you going to do about it? Please, fight with me. You can help by praying with me, staying informed, and financially contributing.

This weekend is the International Justice Mission Global Prayer Gathering Online. Join me and thousands of others as we pray this abuse to death.

Keep up on the reality of the situation. International Justice Mission is a great place to stay informed.

Donate to my trip. I can't do this alone. You can be a part of the amazing things that are going to happen as we cycle 500 miles for justice. Any dollar amount will be life changing- not just for you but for people around the world. Donate HERE. Please, be sure to select my name, Jessica Bell- IJM Freedom Tour, from the participant drop down box.

Be bold and believe that you too have the power to inspire positive change in the world. It's time for us to fight together.

Cracked, Bloody and Swollen

Okay, it's the Monday after Easter. Who is regretting eating all of that candy?! I must say, I indulged in my fair share of mini Reese's and Kit-Kats. I think that by buying the miniature ones we are just setting ourselves up for failure. I always think I can eat more because they are small... Then I end up overeating. But this is a new week and I'm back on track with my healthy eating plan.

If you do find yourself indulging in too much candy or junk food too often and you're ready to break those bad eating cycles, or if you're just ready to take your wellness to the next level, then seriously you guys have to try some of these AdvoCare products. Two things I can recommend right off the bat to fight off those candy cravings: Omega-3s and Amino Acids. In all honesty, you can get supplements anywhere but I trust AdvoCare's products because they are made with real food and not some chemically manufactured junk. When you're putting things into your body you want to know what you're using and use the best stuff- trust me, it's worth it.

Rose stayed at my moms last night because I had to come back to Red Oak to do some work at The Cup. We are getting ready to order our new guest roast, Avoca. They grow and roast their beans in Ft. Worth and I have heard amazing things about them. I'm really excited to have their coffee at The Cup in a few weeks. Have I mentioned how much I love my job?!

The lip gloss that ruined my life...again. 

Okay, so, I'm a girl and that means I love having glossy lips. Sadly though I'm allergic to chapstick and lip gloss. I've yet to figure out what exact ingredient it is that hates me so much but the result is always the same- cracked, bloody and swollen lips. Not pretty. Well, several weeks ago I bought one of those really popular EOS lip balm pods thinking that the outcome might be different because it's made with natural ingredients. I knew better than to use too much all at once so I was sparingly applying the balm about once a week. Well, suddenly I found myself using more and more and before I knew it I was on the road to destruction. I told myself to stop because I could feel the tingle in my lips that always leads to the outbreak but I couldn't overcome my infatuation with having glossy lips. Needless to say I'm writing this today with cracked, bloody, and swollen lips. A friend of mine suggested putting honey on them and oddly enough it's working wonders. I'll report back tomorrow to let you know how I'm healing.

Tonight was wonderful because I went to dinner with one of my best friends, Crystal. She is like a sister to me. I just love her amazing spirit and fun-loving attitude. Every time we are together I'm blessed. We went to Zen Sushi for half-priced sushi night and then walked around the Bishop Arts District. We ended up at Bolsa Mercado where we sipped ginger lattes. I'm not a huge fan of ginger (even though I know it's super good for you) but let me tell you how amazing this ginger syrup was! Bolsa makes it in house by simply boiling down ginger roots and mixing it with a simple syrup. I might have to try that. It was really amazing!

Do you have a favorite latte flavor?

"Do you not know I have had diarrhea since Easters?"

My favorite movie is Nacho Libre. Hence, the title of this post. That movie never gets old. It's literally funny every time I see it.

Man, today was such a good day! Easter at The Oaks Fellowship was phenomenal. For those that don't know, I'm the manager at The Cup which is the coffee shop at The Oaks. This is the best job ever! I get to work with the best volunteers and I also get to drink all the coffee I want! Today was such a great day to serve because we got to see so many new faces. My volunteers were so amazing today. Gosh, I'm such a happy gal.


My mom cooked the best Sunday/Easter dinner today. Chicken cacciatore is what we indulged in (I skipped the chicken)  and it was so yummy!

Rose, Grandma Joyce, Mom

Also, HELLO! It's was Easter! Jesus Christ died viciously on the the cross, was buried, and came back to life so that I could be saved. It's hard to grasp but I've spent a lot of today trying to let that sink in. Although we should be celebrating this daily I think it's good to have this one day each year as a little wake up. In the last week I also realized how burdened my heart has been for the folks that only come to church on this one day every year. I pray that in the midst of whatever they are going through their hearts were captured and they were able to see Christ for who he is. 

As soon as I got home from church this afternoon it started raining so that botched my plans for an Easter egg hunt with Rose. While she was dying eggs with my mom I snuck to the back of the house to hide her basket and leave a trail of eggs. As soon as I dropped the last egg Rose turned around so I jumped up and yelled, "Look what I found! The Easter Bunny came while we weren't watching!" I'm not sure if I've seen her as excited as she was when she saw that trail of eggs. Although it wasn't as grandiose as I would have liked it to be it was really fun. She had a huge Reese's Peanut Butter Egg, a chocolate bunny, a dollar, a quarter, and two DVDs. Lucky little gal!

We really did have a great day celebrating the resurrection of Christ. What a glorious gift he has given us!

What is your favorite kind of candy to buy on Easter? 

Happy Easter, y'all! 

A Recap

On Friday I went with Rose and her pre-k class to see Disney on Ice at the American Airlines Center in Dallas. It was fun to watch all of these little four and five year olds in awe of the actors skating around on ice. I'll admit, I was expecting a much better performance but I guess the kids know no difference. Anyway, it was a fun way to kick off the weekend.

We had Rose's birthday party at the park on Saturday and several of her friends came. It was Word World themed so the kiddos made cute little word picture frames and had delish cake that was decorate with the Word World animals. Instead of getting gifts from all of her friends we asked them to bring books that could be donated to a children's center. Reading is one of Rose's favorite things to do so we are very excited to be able to share that privilege with other kids. I'll post pictures soon.

Enter Monday... It was a typical day in the neighborhood with work and Rose going to school. My workout was killer- it almost made me throw up. It was set of 17 reps with 30 seconds on and 10 seconds rest. I was feeling rather strong so I completed it twice through... then I started getting nauseous. I had to rest for a while before I could get up and start dinner.

At the beginning of the year I decided that I wanted to pursue a vegetarian diet. There were a few specific reasons that I wanted to do this but basically it all boils down to the purity of it. When I started the AdvoCare 24 Day Challenge at the beginning March, and my new workout routine, I found that I was craving protein like crazy! I definitely didn't anticipate that happening. I felt like I was eating my weight in beans and hummus and although I was adding alternate sources of protein to my diet I just couldn't get my fill. So, after about a week and half into the challenge I decided it was best that I added meat back into my diet until the end of the 24 days. Well, I feel AMAZING after the challenge and I have figured out how to satisfy that protein need so I am beginning again with my vegetarian diet. All that to say; I made the most delicious vegetable stir fry on Monday night. It was so easy and so yummy! And Rose loved it too, which I was pleased to see. I'll definitely be making it again soon.


Have you ever given up certain type of food? 

Good Conversations

Rose was an hour late for school today because I fell asleep and didn't hear the alarm go off but otherwise it was another gorgeous day in Denton town! I absolutely love this time of year. If I could, I would be outside all day long. Maybe I should take a blanket to the park tomorrow and just sleep there. How glorious!

Oh my goodness, even though I cut my workout short yesterday I am so sore today! My legs!! But I powered through and completed todays workout which was 100 high knees, 100 lunge kicks (50 on each leg) using weight, 100 more high knees, 100 squats using weight, 100 MORE high knees (by this time I thought my muscles were going to burst through my skin because they were burning so bad!), 25 straight abs sit-ups, 50 V abs (25 on each side), and 25 bicycle abs. Wowza. I felt amazing afterwards...kind of like I might fall over when I walked...but I had a great sense of accomplishment. I've also noticed some nice toning happening thanks to all of these workouts and thanks to the Amino Acid supplement I'm taking. It's ridiculously wonderful!

I was definitely feeling thankful for the small things today, like conversations. For the last year and half that I've lived in Denton I've had my head buried in school work and haven't had much time to reach out and make friends. The last three months have been great because not only have I friended a couple moms that have girls in Rose's ballet class but I've also found a great small group. I'm telling you; if you don't have a community of people to fellowship with then you're missing out. Tonight at homegroup we were studying Galatians 3 and I was completely encouraged while talking about the freedom that we have in Christ. I'm thankful that my hope isn't found in a set of rules that I have to follow but instead it's found in a God who has invited me to be part of His chosen people. Breaking out into small discussion groups was such a blessing as well. I was able to verbalize a lot of the things that I've been thinking lately and it felt so good! It's nice to get thoughts out of your head and out into the open. I also loved hearing exciting things and prayer needs from the other girls.

Mayne! Today was the bomb.com

It's my last night at work for the week and i am so thrilled. I only work four nights a week but they always seem like such long weeks. At least tonight I can catch up on New Girl which is my new FAVORITE show. I don't think i've ever laughed so hard at a television show. This is my favorite clip:

 Suppress the Jess... I can relate to that.

A Mediocre Day With Some Amazing Chicken

I almost made it out for a run this morning. The weather was so perfect but by the time I got home I just did not have the energy to change clothes and get out of the house again. There were two things that I knew would happen as a result of either going running or not going running. I knew that if I went running I would not do the strength workout that was scheduled for today. I also knew that if I didn't go running I would regret it. It was a double edged sword. But alas, my bed was so comfortable when I climbed in :) Rose didn't have to be at school until 10:00 this morning so I got a couple extra hours of snooze time in. That's a big deal for me considering I average only 4-5 hours of sleep a day during the work week.

Here is what did happen during my workout: I was planning to do a pyramid style workout today that consisted of push-ups using an equalizer, side lunges holding weight, step over squats using an equalizer and weight, and kick lunges using weight; a total of 330 reps. The repetitions were boring me out of my mind today. By the time I got halfway through I wanted to to quit not so much because it was hard but because I was so so bored. So I decided that on days when I'm scheduled to to pyramid style workouts (which is usually Tuesdays and Thursdays) I'm only going to do half of the workout but I'm also going to add in a run... and I will go for a run! ;)

Today was a fairly mediocre day but I did make some amazing lime-infused, honey-crusted chicken. I meant to take a picture of my own but I was already eating it by the time I remembered : /

Picture borrowed from theenchantedcook.blogspot.com

I think that chicken can be so bland (unless it's fried) but this was really awesome. I wish I would have been able to grill it but cooking it on the stove was a good substitute. It was so good that I decided to take it for lunch at work. Yum! If you like things that taste good then I highly recommend this.

Well, I carried on with my lesson in staying faithful in every season today. Part two of this study was really good because it talks about leaning on God in our success so that we can lean on him in our difficultly. I think that as we mature in our relationship with God this does get easier but not without a constant reminder. The hard days are harder when I 'forget' that God is with me and that he is my steady rock. Yesterday's thoughts took me through the early years of King David's life and today I'm looking at the years he spent experiencing earthly fame and success. I could write paragraphs about the specific verses that I love in the book of 1 Samuel but instead I think you should go read it for yourself and have your world rocked.

I know that God's timing is perfect. I know this. Nevertheless when God makes that perfect timing evident in my life I am completely blown away.

The Small Days

I got a little behind on my posts towards the end of the week so I'll start where I left off....

The wedding was wonderful. It was so simple and stylish (as I knew it would be) and you could definitely feel the love in the air.

Here is a picture of the sweet couple, Jacob and Kalli. They are super cool.

And I know you're dying to know which dress I wore... it was the red one ;)

Myself, Brandie, and Megan 

I also got to catch up with one of my best friends, Janelle, this weekend. We don't see each other that often but when we do get together it's like no time has past. I just love that girl. She will also be getting married soon! I'm so excited for her. 

Today was such an amazingly beautiful day. It was so sunny and warm outside but sadly I had to spend most of the day sleeping since I work overnight. I did get outside for a good workout this afternoon after I picked Rose up from school. I skipped my workout on Thursday and Friday and I never workout on the weekends so getting back into it was bit rough today.  I know I'll be sore tomorrow but I kind of love that. Although I love the workout plan that I'm on I am starting to realize that I really miss doing cardio, like running. It's hard to find time to fit in a run unless I do it at 6 am when I get off work but I might try that out tomorrow morning...

It's only Monday and I've already been challenged spiritually this week! Gotta love that! It's really exciting when God puts a vision in your mind and plants a seed in your heart that gets your fired up about doing work for His kingdom. What's not exciting is the waiting period. I just always assumed that after college things would fall into place, a job would open up, I'd be led to serve in a unique way and in a unique place. I never thought that several months after graduation I'd still be working overnight as a hotel operator. I mean, give me a break! Well, this weekend I was reading a lesson on learning faithfulness in every season. The lesson focused on King David but more specifically it focused on his time prior to becoming king. God told him he was going to be king when we was like 17 years old. So for twenty years he waited, knowing what was in store for him, but not knowing when it would come to fruition. Honestly, part of me starts to freak out when I think that I may have to wait twenty years to see what God has for me but then I remind myself that he is a faithful God and will bless me in my journey. Here are some of the major points from the lesson:

1) When we are faithful in small beginnings, the Lord begins to release some of his promises concerning our destiny. David, as a young boy, probably expected to be a shepherd for the rest of his life but he was faithful in his duties everyday. 

2) The small days are for a reason. We can use the small days to grow in our intimacy with God. Matthew 25:21says, "Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things." 

3) This is a place where we learn to find satisfaction not in what God has for us but in God himself. When you find your identity in God alone you will learn to live in peace, with the absence of striving. 

4) This is a place to discover that your success comes not from what you do but from who you are in God. (I struggle with this one big time!) Our greatest success is being loved by God and being a lover of God. Nothing else can define us in eternity. 

So this week I'm going to focus my energy on becoming more intimate with my God and training myself to use every moment as a moment to glorify Him. I am a lover of the Lord and that has defined who I am and where I'm going.

A Day Behind

Well I'm a day behind. I don't have internet at my house so unless I get to a coffee shop on my days off of work I have a hard time posting. And I just couldn't find the time to go sit at a coffee shop yesterday. PLUS, the one I really like to go to requires that you purchase something if you're going to use the internet, you can't just freeload like you're at Starbucks, and since I'm doing Blood:Water Mission's 40 Days of Water I didn't want to make a purchase. So, here we are... A day behind. But that's okay. 

I'm in the process of completing a month long total body workout routine that uses body weight to add resistance. Yesterdays plan looked pretty intense as I've moved into using the more difficult workout outline. It consisted of a lot of walking pushups, jumping things, burpees (shoot me) and abs. I'll go ahead and be honest... I skipped it. It was so cold and rainy outside I just couldn't bring myself to going out. Oh well... Like I said, A day behind.  

I joined in on my first team leader call for the Venture Expeditions trip I'm co-leading this summer. We are raising money for International Justice Mission and riding our bikes 509 miles from Cincinnati, Oh to Washington D.C. Stepping into the planning process of the trip is so exciting. I love meeting my teammates via Facebook. I have a game that I like to play; I try and figure out their personality quirks as we communicate over the web. Then, when I actually meet them in person several months later I compare what I thought to reality. It's fun. The thing I love about people is that they always have a surprise for you in regards to who they actually are, and because Venture attracts some of the coolest people that I've ever met, I can't wait to see how my team surprises me! 

So, I'm going to a wedding... This particular wedding has been on my mind for a few weeks because I'm stressing over what I'm going to wear. I'm not normally like this. I can usually be found in some jeans and my Chacos and if I have to dress up, well, I'll just pull some dress out of the closet. But this is a different wedding...It's Kali and Jacob's wedding. They were hipster before it was cool to be hipsters. They invented the term hipster yet they are oblivious to how they have impacted the world. It's sure to be the Etsy wedding of the season so I have to be on my A-game. You never know if you might end up in a reception picture. So, I traveled the long distance to the mall yesterday to find something to wear. I don't like the mall because it signifies everything I stand against but I knew that I had to do it if I stood any chance of fitting in at this wedding. (<---- I know that that statement is contradicting.) Anyway, I went to H&M because their clothes are cute and inexpensive. I tried on so many dresses. I finally got it narrowed down to two... We shall see which one I end up wearing. 

Can you find Rose in each of the pictures? She had fun with all the clothes. She really likes when I get dressed up but unfortunately for her that doesn't happen very often. 

Do you like getting dressed up? What is your favorite piece of clothing?  

Wellness

Today is day 21 of my AdvoCare 24 Day Challenge. The 24 days takes you through an herbal cleanse and energy boost. I promise you I haven't felt this good in a long time. I'm typically really aware of how I am feeling and what my body is telling me so when I started the challenge it was really easy for me to note the changes that were taking place. Almost instantly I had a higher metabolism, more energy, a better appetite, and my previously incurable palette for sugar and simple carbs has vanished thanks to these amazing Omega-3s! It's crazy what can happen when you put the right nutrients in your body. Also, I started a new workout program that has taken me on a journey of total body workouts five days a week. It's been amazing. I feel like I'm 24....!

What doesn't feel so good though is my back, hips, and knees. I've had to modify a lot of my workouts to eliminate much of the bending and jumping. It just kills my knees. My back; well, there isn't really anything I can do that helps that. The constant pain is just something I've learned to live with. But today it was just too much so I decided to go to the chiropractor. I love going to have adjustments for several reasons: 1) It really helps with the pain 2) I like the noise that bones make when they pop 3) My chiropractor is SO cool. Sadly though, because I had let so much time pass between my adjustments (over a year) the Doc had a lot of work to do and now I'm really sore. I'll go back next week for a follow up and hopefully some of my pain will begin to go away.

I've always been really interested in health and wellness so as I proceed with my daily blogging I will probably be spending a lot of time talking about those two topics. When a person takes charge of their health I think that something so amazing happens inside of them and I love to witness it. I love watching people develop into characters that work hard, struggle, and sweat to physically accomplish something that they never thought they could. I'm toying with the idea of becoming a personal trainer. I need to do some research on it but I think I would really enjoy it.

What do you enjoy helping people accomplish? 

Reformatting (Life and the Blog)

As always, I'm evaluating and reevaluating my quality of life. I find it humbling and extremely healthy to continuously search for ways to grow, deepen, and make life more meaningful.

I recently graduated from college and with that came a change in the pace of my life. Now, four months after accepting that diploma I'm beginning to figure out what it is like to not live life a million miles a minute and slowly but surely I'm beginning to accept that lifestyle. I am also realizing that my creativity, as important as it is to my spirituality and health, has dwindled down to a nearly nonexistent state now that I am not in the midst of artistic projects.

As I process the way my life currently is versus how I desire it to be many emotions flood my heart and many ideas consume my mind. With that, I will begin the tedious process of reformatting many areas of my life. It will be a slow process, as I want these changes to be permanent and not just emotion-filled and short lived.

Additionally, I will be reformatting my blog. I started this as a creative and intentional outlet to live my life differently. I struggled, from day one, on what I really wanted this to be used for; social justice, my adventures, likes dislikes, etc. I know now, at least for the time being, that I need this blog to be about me. I'll be challenging myself to post five days a week. Most of my posts will be about daily experiences like my creative projects, Rose, my nutritional endeavors, work, adventures, and anything else I may feel like sharing that day. My hope is that through my journey you'll be inspired to live differently and to challenge yourself in new and creative ways.

What do you do to challenge yourself on a daily basis?

Venture Local: Spotlight on Dallas

In case you missed it, here is a little Q&A I did with Venture Expeditions (ventureexpeditions.org) about the power of joining with your community to make a difference across the globe. Enjoy!

Q & A with Jessica Bell, Venture alumnus and Venture Local participant in Dallas.

Explain some of the ways that your community has engaged in God’s story of justice through Venture:

The Dallas community has really embraced Venture and has been able to use the organization as a way to act.

Some of the ways our community gets involved is by hosting the Southern Ride:Well team each year. We love making them feel appreciated each summer when they role through our church, The Oaks, by doing things like cooking for them, getting to know them, taking them to the doctor, and setting up a day of pampering with relaxing yoga and massages.

My favorite thing about Ride:Well being in town is having the Art Benefit. Members from the church and surrounding community have donated hundreds of pieces of art to be auctioned and sold on behalf of Ride:Well. It’s a fun night of art, music, and community. Last year we were able to raise $5,000 to put towards clean water projects in Africa. It is always a beautiful week.

We also have a coffee shop, The Cup, whose motto is ‘Benefit the World, Discover The Cup.’ Its main purpose is to raise money and awareness for Venture’s projects. The Cup is run by volunteers within our church, several of whom are Venture alumni, but all of whom want to see the injustices of this world radically overcome.

And last year our community started Run Free Dallas– an initiative to encourage people to live out the Venture motto in their local areas. On our first run we had some 60+ people all wearing Run Free shirts running through Dallas and making a difference.

What are some of the results of that engagement?

It has been so neat to watch people realize that God can and will use anybody to make a difference in the world. Families have pledged to make activities like the Water Walk a family affair, people are volunteering their weekdays and weekends to run the coffee shop, and so many individuals have signed up with Venture to climb mountains, ride their bikes around the country, and run in local races. It’s been really exciting to see this movement go from “something the young adults do” to something that the church does. When you see a 60-year-old couple carrying a couple gallons of water and a mom walking in the heat with her kids so that they can try to understand what people in other parts of the world are experiencing, you know that God is doing something in your community.

How has engaging in Venture locally been different than engaging through a cycling or hiking tour?

For our very first Run Free Dallas event we had around 60 individuals run anywhere from a 5k to a full marathon while wearing matching Run Free shirts. This Venture local activity was so inspiring because we were doing it with people that we see every week. While cycling or hiking with a team of people that you’ve just met and going through the bonding experience is priceless, there is something so fulfilling about partnering with your pastors, your friends, and the people you see on the other side of the church every Sunday to free slaves. You get the true feeling that you’re walking hand in hand with your community and together you’re fighting for people you’ll never know.