My Two Moms

I can see it now...some of your faces are showing great confusion and awkwardness. Hee hee...

A couple of weeks ago was Mother's Day. I always enjoy this holiday a TON, as I am very close with my mom. I seemed to have inherited most of her quirks and tend to favor her physically. We have always enjoyed the occasional mother-son lunch, full of good conversation and food. She and I both are very emotional creatures (sorry, honey...I cry) and have a penchant for the occasional shopping trip. My mom has given me so much and has helped in countless ways since I moved back to Michiana 4 years ago this month. I LOVE MY MOM!!! Well, back to Mother's Day, I have now the opportunity to celebrate it TWICE!

As many of you know, I am getting married in 47 days (whoo hoo!!!) and I have gained the world's BEST mother-in-law! Donna (as I get to call her) has been so good to Jennifer and I, and she has put in tireless amounts of time and energy in helping us prepare for our big day. Her basement has become our storage unit and testimony to my finace's love of Hobby Lobby and Michael's. :) She is so excited for both of us and what I love most is taht she has adopted me as just another member of the family. It is so important to me (for many reasons which my family and Jennifer know) that I am accepted as a full-fledge "son", not just her daughter's husband.

Both of my moms have shown me a glimpse of what God does for us each day. He loves us as HIS children, not his "in-law". He shows me how much I am made in His image and should be proud to be a child of God. Happy Mother's Day to BOTH of my moms. I can't wait for the day when I get to celebrate THREE moms...hee hee hee...but that's a different post. :)

So long it's been...

WOW! Has it really been 3 months?! Man, I suck at this...

So much has happened - good, great, sad - in the last 3 months. Here's a recap:

*Jennifer and I celebrated 1 year of our souls being connected together. :)

* Jennifer and I spent our first Thanksgiving together. We visited my extended Michigan family and mowed down some great food. Poteca (pronouneced "poh-tea-tsa") wa

s a big hit and didn't do too much damage to my waistline. We

also spent some time with the Gregars enjoying the festivities. Food-related holidays are my favorite! :))

*We had the opportunity to see an IU basketball game fr

om the floor! 2ND ROW FOLKS!! We also got to explore some of downtown Bloomington and visit some neato shops.

* WE GOT ENGAGED ON DECEMBER 23RD! DID I MENTION THAT?! Jennifer does such a great job telling the story so you can read it from her (I tend to garble things and make them sound less fun). I am so pumped to marry her!!!!!!!

* We had a great Christmas! My family hosted Christmas Eve and Jen got to show off her new "present". Christmas Day was an extravaganza hosted by both the Gregars (in the AM) and Seitzs (in the PM). I love present-related holidays, too! :)

* Jennifer got to meet my Arkansas family for the first time and I think had a great time. I am always so happy that she connects well with my family - it is very important to me.

* On a sad note, I lost my Grandpa Passmore on January 12th. He and I didn't have a great relationship and sometimes I feel a lot of regret in that I hadn't seen him in years, but also I take comfort in that I had dealt with my anger and know that he is with Jesus now...at peace. I was so glad to have Jennifer by my side, helping lift me up and allowing me to cry a bit with her.

Such a lot of big events - I feel like I couldn't do them justice. I guess this means I need to do a better job blogging.

God is good and I look forward to what he has in store for me this year.

Thoughts of a 29-er

Hey all!

As I am in the twilight of my twenties, I am come to the conclusion that I should begin to reflect back on all that has happened to me over the last decade. It has been said that one shouldn't look back at where they've been, but begin to look forward at where they're going. Don't get me wrong - I whole-heartedly agree - but I also feel that it is important to see how experiences, both good and bad, have shaped who I am today.

When I entered my twenties nine years ago, I was a fresh-faced college sophomore. I was SOOOO naive. Considering where I am now, I know that I was sheltered and lived a very innocent existence, relatively speaking. I wasn't caring about my future career, marriage, or "aging". I was living the life - hanging out with friends and going to class. My biggest concern was what I would wear to class in order to impress those I thought important. Geez...what a weenie!

Looking back now, I realize that I have been through so much. I have graduated community college, went on for my bachelors, and finally have achieved my master's through much hard work. I dated, got married, and managed to screw up enough to go through a divorce. I have dealt with depression, financial trouble, and weight issues.

Sounds bad, right? Believe it or not, my twenties were not all bad. I have had some great successes, such as my educational achievements. I am also in my sixth year of teaching and I know that is where God has called me to be. I am dating this INCREDIBLE, AWESOME lady who has brought new life to me and has changed how I feel about relationships. My family continues to support me emotionally and gives me help where I need it. Life is treating me well.

In summary, I think that each one of us has to ride this roller coaster called "Life". I wish that we could have nothing but good experiences, but that is just not realistic. I have found that even though there are some rather tricky twists, turns, and loops in our respective roller coasters, you MUST learn to enjoy the ride and let God be your safety bar. See the value in your experiences and no one can upset the ride.

Another School Year

Hello all...

Alas, it has come - a new school year. A year filled with endless possibilities and endless fears. Students are fresh with new ideas and (hopefully) some new resolutions. I love seeing those innocent 6th grade students come in, all scared and apprehensive about what middle school will be like. 7th and 8th grade students show the wide gamut, from sweet former 6th grade kid to know-it-all who can't be told ANYTHING. It's sometimes like watching a three-ring circus unfold before me.

Please don't get me wrong - I truly LOVE what I do. I feel it is my mission field and the very fact I am employed in a a struggling economy is a blessing in and of itself. All I am asking is that you all pray for teachers. No, we don't lay around all summer and yes, we definitely have a hard task in front of us. Send a nice card or e-mail to a teacher you know...it will brighten their day. TRUST ME!

Until next time,

Josh :)

Facial Hair

Dear readers,

It has been a while since I last posted a blog, but as you know from my last entry this has been a CRAZY time for me with grad school wrapping up. I have been feeling bad I couldn't blog as much, as there are lots of things to blog about. :)

This particular idea came to me as I looked at my laptop's desktop picture. It is a picture of me with my nephew. After staring aimlessly at myself (sounds narcissistic right?) I began to think that I have had this particular facial hair look since my senior year of high school - 10 years ago! Then I wondered, "Is it time for a change of pace?" I mean, REALLY, is it getting old? I tend to be rather complacent and enjoy have some continuity to my life (with bits of spontaneity here and there), so change sometimes doesn't come easy for me.

So...here's the deal. I am posting a poll to see my loyal readers thoughts: is this look getting old or does it work for me? What should I do next - shave it off and be barefaced or grow the thing into a beard? I am putting faith that you all have my best facial interests at heart. so don't let me down!

Happy blogging!
Josh

Long Time, No Blog

Dear fine blog followers:

I apologize profusely for my long absence from blogging. Life has been so incedibly busy, so let me give you a run-down of my life the last month or so:

First off, I have been working hard for the last couple summers on my master's degree at Western Michigan University. I have worked on a couple week long workshops and am now bogged down in coursework to finish my degree this summer. In fact, I actually walked through graduation this past Saturday. It felt slightly anti-climactic to walk through commencement, knowing full well I had a course load of classes the Tuesday afterwards. Nevertheless, I am so overwhelmed with what has been accomplished and how I had thought for a long time I would not get this far. It was also a great privilege to have my girl, Jennifer, to attend and support me in this chapter of my life. She is so awesome.

Also, previous to all of this, I had road-tripped back from Las Vegas with my parents. It was SOOOO hard saying goodbye to my family back West. My nephew was the hardest to leave, as he kept saying, "I wanna go with Papa, Grandma, and Uncle Josh in the purple car!" Tears flowed freely from him, Papa, Grandma, and me for about an hour after leaving Vegas. Yes, I cried. No, I am not afraid to admit it! Any way, we travelled 3 days back, seeing some of the greatest country around - mountains (with snow), forests, plains, and big cities. I had a good time with the 'rents, but I have come to the conclusion that 3 days is the MAX any adult child can travel with his/her parents. Maybe I should research this phenomenon...hmm....I don't think so!

For you blogging afficionados, I hope to get back to regular blogging toward the end of July. Keep me in your prayers as I work through this LAST summer of study.

Until next blog,

Josh :)

Josh and Jennifer's Excellent LA Adventure

Well...I know its been awhile coming, but alas, another update!

As most of you reading this already know, we were in Vegas visiting my brother and his family. Well, as a side trip, we decided to make a jaunt to LA to see some of Jen's old hangouts and meet her LA family and friends. I, being the good sport that I am, felt that it would be an adventure (especially since I have NEVER driven in or to LA).

Our trip into LA was pretty uneventful...mostly desert and some traffic. We did make a stop in Barstow, CA for my virgin experience with In N Out, a burger joint only found in CA and NV (and maybe AZ?). To be sure I was not quite able to know what to expect. I was pleasantly suprised to find out that this franchise is owned and operated by Christians, so all their cups and burger wrappers have bible verse references printed on the outsides. NEATO! The food too was awesome and I really enjoyed my first In N Out experience.

Back to LA...once in LA, we stopped in Westwood to check out UCLA, as they have a pretty good music program that I am checking into for a potential PhD program. We walked around the campus aimlessly, showing how touristy we are -- Ha Ha! Once finished there, we worked our way through West Hollywood (or WeHo as Jennifer has told me it is known as to locals), proudly displaying their gay pride...I could've lived without that portion. Originally we intended to stop in Hollywood to explore, but with traffic being crazy and no parking available ANYWHERE, we just drove through and caught a few sights as we went by. Finally we arrived in Burbank, Jen's CA hometown. We dined at California Pizza Kitchen --highly recommend the Teriyaki Ginger Dumplings-- and checked out some local stores. What a great downtown!! For the night we stayed with Bob and Marilyn, Jennifer's LA parents. They have a gorgeous house and are currently finishing up renovating their home. It was fun to watch Jennifer freak out at all the changes, esp. the pool. Ha! Anyway, I was able to sleep looking out at the pool and absorbing the ambiance.

In the morning, I was introduced to Village Church in Burbank. After an awesome Sunday School lesson about parenting and raising children to pass on faith and a great church service, we met up with another friend for lunch. We went to a local Cuban restaurant, which made me nervous, as it is hard for me to try new things sometimes. I was pleasantly suprised at the awesome array of food. This place had some of the best food, as well as some kick-butt desserts. Their cakes are absolutely awesome. You name it - they make it. Wow!

Any way, we finally took off back to the LV. I was very happy to have taken this journey with Jennifer. It helped me to put faces with names and get points of reference for people in her life. It just makes me so glad to have her in my life and to see how people see her beauty as well.

Well...it is awfully late for me and I am tired of writing. Sorry...more will be happening tomorrow!

Josh