summer + big stuff + a whole heck of a lot of pictures

hey you beautiful humans, you. I'm back! if you remember this post, I said that I would be devoting time to blogging when I got back from my trip to Slovakia. and I fully intend to live up to that. so I'm here to tell you a little bit about everything that has gone on lately and then we'll be moving on to some upcoming topics of conversation here on my little blog.

so some big stuff has happened in this girl's life since I got back from Slovakia on July 20th. crazy, big things. it's really exciting and crazy and God is really working and it's so so good. so I obviously want to share that with you guys.


big thing number ONE: I officially graduated high school. after 15+ years of schooling (yes, 15+), my school days are behind me. I could just cry from happiness. and because my family believes in really celebrating things, they dumped a bag of confetti over my head. (it took me a week to get all that confetti out of my hair!)

big thing number TWO:

I got a job! I actually started on July 31st, and it's been absolutely wonderful. I am working as a bookkeeper for a family friend. he makes cabinets and stuff and I do his computer work and pay the bills and such and it's great. I love it. it's great how God hears our prayers. I was actually praying on my long flight home that I would be able to find another job when I got home and then this presented itself and it's just what I wanted and it's great.

my office (it's in a warehouse without air conditioning and it's dusty from the cabinet-making but i love it)

big thing number THREE: I am just really enjoying life. this summer was a great one.

my best friends (Lawson and Maddie) bought me that. it made me happy.

slovak/romanian/ukranian and american team (more slovakia stuff coming soon!)

we went to a water park and it was AWESOME

my girl Maddie. she's the best

that's my very tall and very awesome friend Gabe (he went to slovakia this year)

late night sonic runs with the kiddos and Moms

so basically my summer was made up of Slovakia + food + milkshakes + sleeping in + sonic runs + church + hanging out with Maddie + Lawson + a Slovakia reunion with some of my American team mates +keeping up with my friends in Europe + reading + working on my novel + LOTS of music. it's been amazing, guys. A-M-A-Z-I-N-G. 

that's basically my life up til now. and obviously, it's great, but just like last year, it was super hard adjusting to life in the States. I miss Slovakia very, very much and can't wait to go back (I'm already making big plans for next year, that I can't wait to tell you about!), but for now, God has me here for a reason and I'm determined to be happy and make the most of it. 

up next on the blog will most likely be some Slovakia recaps. I might not go into as much detail as I did last year (depending on you guys and what you want to know about! let me know!)but still just letting you know how things went. and then we will move on to some other posts, including subjects such as modesty, Harry Potter, music and the like. I'm pretty excited about it. 

but for now, I'm off to work on some posts, and make sure my siblings aren't drowning out in the pool. I hope your weekend is absolutely fantastic and that you enjoy your holiday on Monday! love y'all! 

a guest post from my favorite Amy.

hiii guys! I'm currently sitting on a bed in Nové Zámky! it's awesome to be back and I'm so happy I could cry. anyway. I have a guest post for you guys today because this girl is amazing. she loves Jesus and has a heart for His people. be sure and show her blog some love! talk to ya later! 

//

Hi! My name is Amy, and I blog over at Sweet Home Santa Barbara. I'm so delighted to be guest posting for Jennifer while she's on her mission trip. Can't wait to hear all the stories, and praise God for them when she gets back!

When she asked me if I would guest post, she mentioned that it could be a post I had already written. Off I went, searching through my archives, when I landed on this puppy that was originally published in The Charming Magazine. If you follow me, you know that the Lord recently blessed my socks off by leading me into a relationship with this dream boat: 

I loved rereading this post, and I realized that this advice isn't just for dating. It's for anyone, in any season, and it certainly resonated for me. I hope it blesses you, too!

***

I was the girl who was always looking for a boyfriend. 

The girl who bounced from relationship to relationship, swearing to myself that each man was my future husband. 

I envisioned my future as a young newlywed, always assuming that I would be married in my early twenties. 

Well, here I am, 23 years old and far from marriage. Not even dating anyone currently. 

And you know what? I've learned more about dating in the last year and a half that I've been single, than I ever did in a relationship. 

So coming from someone who likes to learn everything the hard way, I give you my advice on dating:

1. You are enough. 

Yes, you. You are enough. More than enough, even! 

You are wonderful, beautiful, unique, incredible. All on your own. 

A relationship isn't meant to add to what's missing in your life, you are meant to add to the strength of the relationship. And in order to add to the relationship, you have to know your own worth. 

Do you know your own worth? Do you know that you are fearfully and wonderfully made by the Creator of the universe? Do you know that the King of kings is passionate about having a relationship with you? 

Once you understand that you are enough on your own, your relationship will no longer be a means of validity or self assurance. It will instead, be a wonderful way for you to contribute your strengths to something bigger than yourself.

2. What do you want?

What are you looking for in a significant other? What are you not looking for in a significant other?

It's incredibly important to establish thisbefore getting involved in dating. Once you find yourself with feelings for a person, you'll be amazed at how much you are willing to overlook.

We all have so many unique qualities. We have many strengths, and we also have weaknesses. It's not a bad thing to be specific about what you are looking for in a relationship. It's a good thing!

Make a list of strengths that you want in a significant other. Make a list of deal breakers. And remind yourself of that list when you start dating people. 

 It may take time to find a person who fits what you're looking for, but it will be worth the wait!

3. Talk, talk, talk.

You've heard it before, I'm sure. It's all about communication. And you want to open those doors as soon as possible. It might be easy to keep things surface level for a bit there, but sooner or later you will face challenging things in your relationship. And you will have to talk about them. 

Talk about the future. If all goes well, that future will include both of you. So where do you see yourself living? Do you want to have kids? If so, how many? 

I'm not saying whip out these serious topics on the first date, but sometime before walking down the aisle is preferable. 

And while on the topic of communication, talk about your feelings. Did something happen that made you upset? Talk about it. 

I will be the first to raise my hand and say that I dread confrontation. But a good communication system is key to developing a strong relationship. So time to talk it out!

4. It's not a competition.

"You are not in competition with your friends."

That advice was given to me not too long ago, and I think it's some of the best dating advice I've ever been given. 

Even though it has nothing to do with a dating relationship, it has everything to do with human nature, in general. We live in a world that tells us we are all competing for the same things. We're competing for the best jobs, the best houses, the best bodies, and the list goes on and on. 

Dating is not a competition. There is no right or wrong timeline involved. Take the pressure off yourself, and realize that everyone's love story is going to look different. The goal is the same for all of us: a happy ending. But we are notcompeting with one another to get there. 

Let go of that competitive nature, and enjoy the fact that we are all walking through this journey together. Laugh over your dating mishaps with your friends, and celebrate with each other as you enter different seasons. 

5. Have fun!

Relationships are not supposed to be stressful. At some points, of course you will encounter stressful moments. But your relationship should not be consistently causing you stress, like mine used to. 

Relax! Remember that you are enough on your own, and trust that things will work out as they're supposed to. 

Once you've both confirmed that this relationship is what you want, rest assured that communicating will carry you through the hard stuff. 

Enjoy your relationship! Remember thatit's not a competition, and just have fun getting to know one another. 

Dating can be stressful, but it can also be fun. Focus on the fun. 

And last but not least, make sure that you enjoy this season! Because it won't last forever :)

Sweet Home Santa Barbara

this is a good story. you should read it.

let me tell you a story (about a man named Jed...)

once upon a time I stayed up until 2:30 a.m. on March 8th, 2014 in order to finish a short story. the story was called, quite simply, "jackson and june." (no capital letters were used in this story cause it was late and the words came way too fast).

jackson and june is the story of a boy and girl who spend the summer together in a small town called Camden. jackson is funny, sweet, kind, polite, everything you would expect a perfect boy to be. june is sweet, pretty, and likes coffee, books and wildflowers. in the end, you find out that june is mute, but for the entire story, all you know is that they swim and read books and have a jolly good time together.

this short story is different from anything I've ever written because there's so much that isn't told. I never really describe the characters physical features, or tell you anything about their backgrounds; and at the end of the story, you are left wondering what ever happens to them. but oddly, its the best one I've ever written.

ANYWAY...on to my original story....

last night, I was at Chick-fil-a  my home away from home, with Jessie, Holly and Abby, (sister and two best friends). Holly stepped up to the counter to place her order and I stood to her left, at a different register. when the guy at Holly's register spoke to her, I thought to myself, "oh my gosh, he has jackson's voice! that's how I hear it in my head!" so I looked over at this guy and blinked several times because he LOOKED just like jackson, and as he took Holly's order, he WAS jackson. his mannerisms, the grin, everything. it was him.

at this point I'm like 'whoa! so crazy that he looks and talks like him!' and then I placed my order (#5 eight count with a large cherry coke, in case you wondered) and as the girl made my cherry coke, I looked over at the guy and happened to see his name tag for the first time...

the end.

just kidding. his name was jackson. at this point, my whole world flipped upside down. I legit freaked out on the inside and took my cherry coke and food. I walked over to Holly, Abby and Jessie and just said, "that dude is Jackson! from jackson and june! it's him!!!" they (all having read the story) turned and looked at him (subtly of course) and were like "omg it totally is!"

basically my mind was completely blown. and it still is. a dude I thought I had completely made up is now working at the Chick-fil-a in my town. it's scary. my sister who is infinitely braver than me had the guts to go up to the counter and ask Jackson for his picture because, (as she told him after he was like "ummm whyyyyyy?")," my sister wrote a story about a guy and you are the guy. name, looks, everything. you are him!"

through much peer pressure they made me talk to him, because "this might never happen again! you HAVE to talk to him!!" and I went to the counter to "get a refill" and managed to say "so are you new here?" and he said "I am new here" (insert Jackson's adorable grin here) and I said, "I thought so. I'm in here a lot and I usually notice new people" (insert one more grin). then I thanked him for my refill and he said "my pleasure" with one more grin for good measure.

I was so done with everything at this point. I'm pretty sure I was lame to be with after that, because my mind was so boggled that I literally just kept saying "what the heck? he's real! oh my gosh!!" over and over again. sorry Abby, Holly and Jessie.

anyway. that is the story of how, on June 27th, I met one of my story characters in a chick-fil-a in Beaufort, South Carolina. still not exactly sure how the heck it happened, but it did and even though it's really freaky, it's pretty darn cool.

and sorry random chick-fil-a dude named jackson for probably freaking you out by taking your picture and asking you questions and being weird. thanks for being cool about it!

happy weekend friends!

hi!!

hi friends!

so it's been 3678162 years since I blogged and I have 0 excuses.

now that we've gotten that out of the way...I do miss y'all and your comments and all that, and I fully intend to get back into it. I'm working on a couple of posts right now (3 drafts) that will hopefully go up next week. hopefully. don't shoot me if it doesn't happen though!

as a little catch-up:

I leave in only 19 days for Slovakia! the excitement is real, y'all. I cannot wait. it's gonna be epic, and of course I'll tell you all about it when I return. in the mean time, if you like, you can follow me on Instagram (cause that's what the cool kids do) and then you'll see lots of pictures of what's going on in my little life. (IG-jennifernoel94)

that's where you'll find me. i post cool stuff. 

I've been working and reading and stuff lately + I did VBS two weeks in a row. (youth one week and kids the next). that was great fun. we have some best friends (guys. they're legit the best) who invited us to their vbs' so that's where we did that. although...at the end of the two weeks, I was so tired I swore I would never get up early again.

some of my favorite people on earth <3

       
I am finally graduating high school in December. or at least that's when I'm getting my diploma anyway. I only have to complete two more courses and I'll be finished. but...I'll be taking my sweet time on those last two courses because, hello, I have a social life. just kidding.

I'm too cool. hehehe.

after I get back from Slovakia, I'm gonna devote my time to four things: blogging, finishing my novel and eating-sleeping. because eating and sleeping are my favorite things. :)

okay that's all for now. love you all and I'll be back soon!

have a lovely weekend!

summer missions trips

It's been over a year since I sat in a room with a man who I had only met once before and shook his hand. That meeting led to me taking paperwork to fill out, which led to letters being written and sent out to family and friends, which led to checks coming in. Those checks led me to climb on a airplane for the first time ever and travel to a country that I had previously never heard of. All because of one 45 minute meeting. That meeting changed my life.

The trip to Slovakia was definitely life-changing, and this summer, I have been given the opportunity to go back. I jumped at it. I knew right away that I wanted to go back and be with those people again, doing Jesus’ work and loving on the kids in camp.

But, after I go to Slovakia, from July 9-20, I get to do something totally amazing: I get to go to Romania from July 23-August 3. We’ll be in a city called Cluj-Napoca, and doing a teen camp. It’ll be different from the camp in Slovakia, where it's mostly children. To say I’m excited would be a huge understatement. I cannot wait to visit a new country, meet new people and see how God works.

You know, it was obvious in so many ways that God wanted me to go to Slovakia last summer. So obvious that no one questioned it. This summer, because I’m going to Slovakia and Romania, the price was super high, and there were some doubts on if it was a wise thing to do. If it was worth other people’s money for me to go. So, I prayed about it, and God wouldn’t let me say that I wasn’t going to either place, but what he did make clear was that I could pay for some of this trip myself. That’s what I intend to do, but I’ll be honest, the trip isn’t cheap. For me to go to Slovakia and Romania, it will cost $4,000.00. That’s a lot. I’m going to pay at least $1,400.00 of that myself, which leaves $2,600 to raise. The deadline for the money to come in is June 30th. Last year, I needed $2,400.00 and God provided that through 32 people. And, if you were one of those 32 people, thank you for your help in spreading Jesus’ name around the world. You blessed many people through your support. I trust God. Nothing is impossible with him.

More than the money, though, I need the prayers. I will be away from home for 23 days. That means putting my own personal preferences on the backburner. It means working in a camp with kids who speak a different language and who test your patience sometimes. It's loving on kids who don’t get that love anywhere else. It’s sharing with people who just need Jesus. And it's simply not easy. When Jesus gave us the great commission, he didn't promise that it would be, he just commanded us to spread his name.

So pray for me, friends. Lord knows I’ll need it. Pray that I’ll be equipped for every good deed.

If you are interested in supporting me financially, you can send me a check. (Email me for an address!) Make the checks payable to Community Bible Church of Beaufort, and you can put “Jennifer Mole-missions” on the memo line or if you would rather use paypal, email me! And if you have any questions at all, please email me at betterthatway@gmail.com. I’d love to hear from you.

love you, friends. 

“"For ‘everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.’ How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, ‘How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!’” (Romans 10:13-15)

Obama, politics, government, and other things i know nothing about...

"First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus..." (1 Timothy 2:1-5)

"Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God." (Romans 13:1)

this post has been a long time coming. I honestly have put off writing it for months. but I guess it's time to write it now. 

if there is one thing in the world that I would classify as my biggest pet peeve it would be this:

when "Christians" trash-talk the government, president, Washington...etc...

why is that okay? why is it okay to slam Obama? why is it okay to continually share articles trash-talking the government? why is it okay to say horrible things about another human being? why? 

see, it is in our nature to think that we are better than everyone else. ever since the beginning, we have this thought that we are so lofty and know best and just have it all figured out. (news flash, people, you aren't as smart you think you are...) because we think that we're so great, we think its okay to trash talk other people...

it's not okay. 

in the book of Mark, the Pharisees wanted Jesus to basically slam the taxes Caesar had placed on them. this is what happened...
"And they sent to Him some of the Pharisees and some of the Herodians, to trap Him in His talk. And they came and said to him, 'Teacher we know that you are true and do not care about anyone's opinion. For you are not swayed by appearances, but truly teach the way of God. Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not? Should we pay them, or should we not?' But knowing their hypocrisy, He said to them, 'Why put me to the test? Bring me a denarius and let me look at it.' And they brought one. And He said to them, "Whose likeness and inscription is this?' They said to him, 'Caesar's.' So Jesus said to them, 'Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's.' And they marveled at Him." (Mark 12:13-17)

Jesus just blew them out of the water. He doesn't talk about how much the taxes are. He doesn't talk about how much He hates having to pay taxes. He doesn't say that its unfair. He doesn't call Caesar names. He just pays the taxes. He says, "give to the government what belongs to them and give to God what is His." Jesus paid taxes even though He is the Son of God, and He did it without comment.

of all the people on earth, it would've been okay for Jesus to say something negative about the government. He is king over everything. and yet, He says nothing.

I'm not saying that I think Obama is a good president. I don't claim to know anything about politics. I sin, too. I'd just like it if my Christian friends would take an extended absence from their job of trash-talking the president/government. maybe even a permanent absence....

please remember that the prayers we offer for our leadership are good and pleasing in the sight of God and Jesus. next time you're feeling like posting something negative about the government, maybe think about that, and say a prayer instead. you just might feel better afterward.

a little hello

I'm at home with a family who've been suffering from a slight stomach virus. I didn't get it so I'm happy about that. fingers crossed that I stay well.

anyway. I have some blog posts brewing in my head that will be up sooner or later but just wanted to pop in and say hi and show you some pictures. hope you're doing well. 

have a lovely week, friend.