To say that life has been busy is quite an understatement. From May until this past week, life has presented many surprises, both good and bad (all of which I will not mention here). One of my summer residents passed away suddenly so that was very hard for our community to cope with. In general, the healing process has begun, which is a good thing.

From May-August I was able to have an internship in a government capacity so that was very enriching and educational for me. I interned in the Community Development and Department of Planning office at City Hall in my town. I felt like I was taking a hands-on class and was able to learn about thing from SNAP benefits from both the political and non-profit organizational view point, to programs that help youth find alternatives to finding jobs outside of the traditional college path, to block grants and how organizations are funded, to many other things. A whole new world opened up for me and I was very much like a child with big eyes in a toy store.

As of now, I am still in classes and am in the beginning stages of starting my thesis for graduate school. My desire is to do a Case Study on the management practices of Teen Challenge, so we'll see what happens. I am praying for God's favor in this.

Ever since moving to the east coast, I have become a big believer in giving back to the community, all while being the hands and feet of Jesus. I was a part of the Big Brother, Big Sister program for the past year and a half but my little sister entered middle school and is all grown up, without the need for me that she did have. Sooooo....I started thinking and praying about what the Lord might lead me to and the homeless needs in the community kept popping into my brain. I decided that I would see if I could volunteer at a women's shelter but then out of the blew, my church announced that they too felt as though the Lord was prompting our church community to be of some kind of help to those who are homeless within our city. Coincidence, I don't think so! All that to say, I am happy to see what God is going to do with this particular area of need.

Whelp!
If you're ever bored and are dying to read other blogs, I did start a blog for the ladies that live in my dorm and my goal is to update it about once a week. Feel free to drop on by it! http://rdjbailey.wordpress.com/

Until next time!
JGB

Dedicated to my mom

It has been on my mind to dedicate a post to my mom and tonight as I was driving back to my apartment from class, I realized that I don't brag on my mom enough.

I would say that my mom and I are a funny pair. We always find something to put our hands to, she always has bundles of advice for me, and I pride myself in making her laugh about the random encounters with people that I have. We are different, yet I am no doubt her child and she is no doubt my mom.

One of the first memories that I have of the two of us and our excursions is waking up at the crack of dawn to take my brothers to Christian school (and before you home schoolers have a heart attack, my brothers went to Christian school for only one year before going back to being home schooled) and then stopping by the mall to go on, what seemed like, the longest walks of my life. If I recall, I was around 3 or 4 and even back then, I disliked early mornings. So my mom would be walking quite fast to get in her early morning exercise with a small child (being me) lagging behind her saying "mommy, I'm tired....I want to go home". Mom would tell me, "I'll give you orange juice at the end of our walk if you continue with me". Well I was obsessed with orange juice so I agreed with this for a couple weeks. But my mom had to eventually add the gift of a cinnamon roll to the orange juice, and then the merry-go-round to the orange juice and cinnamon roll to keep me walking. But together, we persevered and that has been our story through the years.

My mom has always been good at pushing me just a little out of my comfort zone. This has empowered me to have a voice of my own; to not be fearful to speak up, to do what is right, to believe in myself and the one who created me, and to stand up for what I believe to be true, even if I am the only one. She has also been immaculate at  demonstrating what it means to care for someone in need. I cannot tell you how many deathbeds she has been at, nurturing dear friends through reading the Bible, brushing their hair, fluffing their pillows, etc. I can tell you now that if you are able to have my mom as your confident, friend, and or sister, you have a warrior by your side. She will advocate for you above and beyond the call of duty. She will spend countess hours trying to find resources and people for you to connect with, she will bring joy and laughter to your life, and she will stand by you through thick and thin. I am thankful for her.

"Mom, I am very thankful for you. You dedicated your life to me. From the art lessons, to piano lessons, to soccer and volleyball practice, to driving me to work, to teaching me how to drive, to supporting me in my choices, to excepting me, for me, to loving me despite our disagreements, to intentionally sitting me down and reading through the Psalms many mornings in middle school, to praying in the car every time before leaving our garage, to sending me care packages, to visiting me across the country, to teaching me what it means to be a woman of God, to showing me how to love despite not being loved, to doing my hair, to buying me who knows how many things, to all the many prayers you have prayed, I am truly grateful. Know that I love you very much and forgive me for not always showing it well. Thank you for being my mom and not letting someone else raise me. I am eternally grateful. Your one and only blood daughter,
JGB"

Highrock Church Movement

I had the opportunity to share in the video below about what the Lord is doing in the city of Boston through his children being his hands and feet. Check it out and come visit if you're ever in town. :)

http://vimeo.com/66444990

The Aftermath

Do you remember where you were when 9/11 took place?
I remember waking up to start my school for the day (I was home schooled) and as I was doing my morning rituals of brushing my teeth and getting dressed, I heard the TV on downstairs. I walked down the stairs to see mom watching TV with there being a tower in flames. I thought it was odd that she would be watching TV in the morning (our family would only watch TV in the evening time) and an action film at that. Come to find out, what I was viewing with my mom was not a movie and was the news of terrorist attack.

Fast forward 12 1/2 years...do you remember where you were when 04/15/13 took place? I was in my office working on a project when someone from the security department came and informed my office that bombs had gone off at the Boston Marathon (hours later the public was informed how many people had lost their lives and were injured). Less than 24 hours before that moment, me, my mom, and some of the residents from my dorm had been in that exact place, visiting a historical church in the Boston area. Talk about surreal. Our office began to receive phone calls from concerned parents as to whether or not we knew if their children were at the Boston Marathon because they couldn't get a hold of them. Co-workers and I began to check in with our residents to make sure they were okay. A few days afterwards, Boston and many of the surrounding cities went on lock down and we know how the rest of the story unfolds.

What now?
What do we do?
What is the church called to do?
Do we shout out "hang the terrorist"? Do we wish for the worse for this 19 year old....boy? I mean, come on! He probably had a hand in killing innocent lives, harming over a hundred people, causing fear and unrest for many of the people I live life with, along with others.

The area that I live in has gone back to "normal" as normal goes. Yet there is still an unsettled-ness in my spirit. What of this boys family? How many people are turning their backs on them? How many people are now giving his mother and father "I told you so" advice? How many Christians have walked away from them? How many Christians are condemning them? "Oh that wouldn't happen", you might say. Yet I have been one of those people who has had a family member do legally wrong things and the time where my family needed people, aka, the church, the most, is when the church turned away and gave "solid advice" that did not need to be spoken.

Again I ask you, what are we to do? Prayers are priceless yet could more be done?

Blended

Fingers stroking keys
Musical lyrics filling the air
Soft candle light flickering gently
Dusk turning to night
Firefly's brightening the air
Stars filling the sky

Honeysuckle in my nostrils
Summer breeze filling the room
Voices in the distance
Prayers in my heart

Thoughts in my mind
Hope in my soul
Yet concern in my eyes

Suffering surrounding
Pain so evident
Apathy increasing
God's heart breaking

Fingers no longer stroking keys
Musical lyrics overcome with silence
Smoke replacing the candlelight
With the night resisting dawn
Firefly's in hiding
Clouds  covering the sky

Death in my nostrils
Ice enveloping the outdoors
Voices shouting
Prayers ended
God's people blended

Revival needed
Exercise of words and actions encouraged
One wanted
To be unblended
To be filled
With the Spirit of God
To create a change
To walk narrowly
Yet Humbly
To walk boldly
Yet with grace
To walk in the Power
Yet in love

One wanted to melt the ice
One wanted to live through Christ who gives life
One wanted to bring back life
One wanted to bring back light

One wanted...