Jail or free-wheeling inbreeding

Wowza! Iris posted some great shots of the concert last night. I love Coldplay. I now love them even more. They did a great job of making a huge arena feel small. They just simply were fabulous.

*sigh*

Factoids:

1. 2: amount of weeks until we go see Nickel Creek

2. 1 1/2: days until I have an apartment of my own (for now)

3. 2 1/2: months until the wedding

4. 0: the miraculous amount of dollars I somehow came out owing on my MRI (I thought I had to meet a deductable)

5. 1 billion: the amount of times I have wished that violence was justifiable against Jack Chick.

Have a great weekend, ours will be very busy!

Some points of interest from my week:

1. Perdue's heart is in the right place. His brain is not. (I had a nice 4 day weekend though).

2. "Freaks and Geeks" is one of the best shows that ever came on television. Go out and buy the DVD set of the entire series. It's well worth the money. Thank you, Jana. You have given me great wisdom in this regard.

3. My MRI has revealed that "there is nothing wrong" with my knee. Now, the technician didn't appreciate my response of, "well then, why does it always hurt?" Apparently that's not her area of expertise. So she's referring me to the orthopaeieaedic doctor (Couldn't remember the spelling, didn't feel like looking it up). At least now I can exercise and not worry.

4. Watch "My Name is Earl" tonight at 9 on NBC. You won't be sorry.


That's the bulk of the interesting things I have to share today. Stay tuned for my next entry, "Something more interesting than last week."

The leave of absence is over. I wish it had been a leave of absinthe though. That would have proven to be much more interesting.

Life is good. Wedding plans are making me nuts. So are my eighth graders. Teaching can sometimes make a person reconsider her views on abortion. (that was a joke, a distasteful one to be sure).

It's only a week and a half until I move into Casa de Wildeboer. I'm still working on the name. I briefly considered "The Love Shack", but I thought it would gross you all out.

On second thought, forget you all. I hereby dub it "The Love Shack", only I'm going with Matt's ethnic heritage and calling it De liefde hut. It would also be cool if I called it дом любви (Dom lyubvi). That's Russian, in case you couldn't figure it out.

I will quit insulting your intelligence now. Now I will insult your face. Ugly faced blog reader. *Blech*

Maybe I did take a leave of absinthe. And maybe I did...

Incidentally, doesn't the child in the picture look like she could belong to Matt and me? She would if we kidnapped her anyway...

I guess I proved my grandmother wrong... Ah, life is good...

Another "regifted moment" (thank you 99x)


Monday, May 17, 2004


"jennifer, if you don't stop being so silly and giggling all the time and being loud, no one will ever take you seriously, and no one will ever want to marry you. "

them's fightin' words.

but i heard them last week from a beloved extended family member. stung me a little. in fact, it stung me a lot. i took them to heart for a day or two. i really had to think it over. my reaction right off the bat was "well, maturity is not determined by behavior, or vice versa. the difference between myself and the adults who have corn cobs stuck up their butts is not 'maturity' it's the presence of a corn cob."

and then i reconsidered, then i re-reconsidered. i'm pretty set that the way i am is the way God made me. why would i want to change that? i'm capable of adapting to norms when necessary, but why be like that all the time? it's not me. if psalms is correct, and i'm "fearfully and wonderfully made" then wouldn't that include my inclination to laughter and joviality? i think so.

in my career, the kids take me seriously. my administrators definitely take me seriously (and have expressed that they will miss me greatly when i leave for the ukraine). there are a few teachers who have a bit of disdain for my methods, but, again, we're separated by that whole corn cob thing. :)

and as far as finding a husband, you know what, if i'm having a laughter filled life, which i enjoy and make the most of... if that scares off or does away with the possibility of finding a husband (which if those butt-cob people are the types looking for me, they can stay away!) then what have i lost? i hope every wrinkle i gain, every sore stomach muscle i have, is derived from hearty and genuine laughter. i hope that my facial muscles are strong from smiling. i hope i am always able to see the humor in every situation. i hope i can always cope with joy. and if that bugs anyone else, and they're not up for joining in, i hope they find someone else to bother! :)

Kiddos, here's an oldie, from the first month I ever blogged. I enjoyed it.

also, pray, MRI scheduled for tuesday.

Thursday, January 08, 2004

so last evening i had a very productive and encouraging conversation with a dear friend of mine. she is a natural verbal affirmer. i was just bragging on her to someone else (not to her, oddly enough, b/c i struggle with an inability to successfully exercise verbal affirmation)... but i was saying that i really want to grow to be more like her and follow her example.

sincerity is a big part of surrender. it's hard to make oneself vulnerable enough to tell someone (without a hint of sarcasm) how much you appreciate and need them. at least it is for me. i always worry that if i open myself up to share those thoughts with a person, that he or she will in turn either turn a deaf ear and not appreciate my putting myself "on the line" (yes, that's absurd, but it's how i feel--like somehow they will understand my need for them to get how hard it is for me... whatever!) or that he or she will not reciprocate (and i fear that b/c i'm selfish and want a return for my investment). both of these "issues" (man, i hate that word.. it's so overused and generalized now) are a problem with the surrender of self.

in order to be sincere, you just have to give up your right to be offended, give up your right to be affirmed and give up your right to receive anything from it. this is so hard to walk out, but i've been praying for God to teach me how. the fact is, we have no rights. as an american from the "land of the free" it's hard to really grasp that, but the fact remains that the only right we have is the right to die.

if only we could all really get that into our spirits, i know we would all be a lot less petty, there would be less drama, and feelings would be hurt so much less frequently. the problem is, we don't live in a vacuum or a sterile test environment where this is easy. we live in a sin contaminated world. so it's really easy to refocus on our rights because that's what we've been taught in our culture here in the states.

it makes me wonder if christians from communist or socialist countries have an easier time surrendering their lives. forget that even, what about certain cultures in africa or asia (regardless of political affiliation) who view the rights of the group as being of more importance than those of the individual. it's this curiosity that sparks my interest in missions. this, i believe is one of the reasons why people in other countries tend to be so hungry for God when they are introduced to Him.

Food for thought.
~Jennifer~

Matt just wrote me a song. It goes:

Jennifer . . .
I didn't know when-ifer . . .
I'd ever find a girl like you.
[8 bar musical interlude]
[wailing guitar solo]
[vamp]
[chorus x2]

(c) 2005 Wrathbot Music/Sparrow Records

Man, all I know is that one day when I'm married to a rock star, you all will be sorry you missed out!!!

Now for something completely different...

Ok, I'm taking a brief hiatus from the blogging world. We'll call it "the end of season one." The boxed set will include director's commentary and behind the scenes footage. It will be released Spring, 2006.

Now, my old blogs will be shown as reruns in syndication (I think technically that might mean being posted on a different blog than that from which they originated, but potato, potahto...)

Anywho, I'm going to post some of my old (and rather interesting) posts from back before everyone and his or her brother read blogs (and prior to my allowing comments). I think it's healthy and wise to look back at where you have been. It reminds you of where to head from here, and where not to head...

For now, I bid you adieu!

So, today, after months of not having health insurance and holding off on going to the doc until I did, so that I wouldn't be considered as having a "pre-exisiting condition", I am finally going to the doctor about my knee.

If you go back and look in the archives from Ukraine, you will find a funny story about outhouses and falling down a hill, etc. Well, that funny story has been hurting me since last year. I'm a little worried that I'll need surgery, but I will do anything at this point so that my knee will work normally.

I also have noticed what I think to be a pinched nerve in my back. It's very sore to the touch and stays that way, occasionally shooting sharp pains through my back and down my arm and making my fingers tingle. Yeah, I think I'm falling apart!

Anyhow, if you all get a moment, say a little prayer for me. It would be awesome if things were easily handled and surgery were unnecessary. :)

I will post some really good lyrics I heard recently. The new Nickel Creek cd is very different from their old stuff, but I like it. One of the songs on there really touched me. I've been feeling a lot like this in recent months. I haven't lost my faith and place in ministry, but I just feel unsure at times about the purpose of it all. It's a lot like trying to lead someone, yet not really being sure of the directions yourself. I think they put it in a way that makes more sense.

This song from it is called "Doubting Thomas"

What will be left when I've drawn my last breath
Besides the folks I've met and the folks who've known me
Will I discover a soul-saving love
Or just the dirt above and below me

I'm a doubting Thomas
I took a promise
But I do not feel safe
Oh me of little faith

Sometimes I pray for a slap in the face
Then I beg to be spared cause I'm a coward
If there's a master of death
I bet he's holding his breath
As I show the blind and tell the deaf about his power

I'm a doubting Thomas
I can't keep my promises
Cause I don't know what's safe
Oh me of little faith

Can I be used to help others find truth
When I'm scared I'll find proof that it's a lie
Can I be led down a trail dropping bread crumbs
That prove I'm not ready to die

Please give me time to decipher the signs
Please forgive me for time that I've wasted

I'm a doubting Thomas
I'll take your promise
You've always kept me safe
Oh me of little faith

Wedding Haiku
By: Jennifer Gainer

I am very glad.

Matt wonderful. I love him.

Wedding, be over.






I am not a fan of the wedding planning activities. I just want to be married.


Also, Michaels is my favorite store for so many reasons.


I am happy. :)

Since my mother has forbidden me to cut my luxurious locks before the wedding, I found an alternative make-over activity.

Temporary hair color.

Yeah, it comes out in 8-10 shampoos, so it will be long-gone by December.

I personally think I look hot as a flame-haired diva. :)