Haircut

Normally, I wouldn't be posting about

the fact that I have a new haircut. However, this one

is special. It's significant because I did it myself.

While you and I may know loads of people who

chop their own locks, the last time that I took

a pair of scissors to my head was at the age

of 5. Consequently, I saw a real barber afterwards.

Anyway, I've been in need of a haircut for a few

weeks. There's been split ends, etc. You know the

drill. As of now, my bank funds are a tad low.

Living in Los Angeles, it's hard to find a haircut

that is less than $30 dollars. I wasn't willing to

fork over that kind of cash so easily, so I decided

to embark on a little "experiment".

My sister, Rachel, cuts her own hair for as long as

I can remember and it always looks fabulous. Granted,

her hair is thicker and totally texturally different. My

logic? If she can, so can I. And that's exactly what I did.

I googled a few tips and tricks, took a shower and grabbed

the nearest pair of shears (which happened to be Friskars

scissors). I combed my wet hair out and parted down the

middle. Then, I went to town. I was actually surprised how

much I chopped off. It was somewhere in the market of two

inches. I did a little bit of layering in the front, nothing crazy.

For the first cut, I wanted to keep it simple.

I'm pretty pleased with the result. I can see that it's definitely

easy to get "scissor happy" and keep hacking at it. Thankfully,

I figured out when to cut myself off (pun intended) and put the

shears away. And... voila! I didn't spend any money! Yay!

The moral of the story is this: I cut my own hair. In my

bathroom. With Friskars scissors. It looks presentable.

So... here's the outcome!

Tidal

On another unrelated note, this song has

been in my head for the past few days.

I want to see her in concert again! She's

ama-za-zing.

This song is the music that my heart makes.

"Tidal" - Imogen Heap

Hymn

Jesus shall reign where’er the sun
does his successive journeys run;
His kingdom stretch from shore to shore,
Till moons shall wax and wane no more.

To Him shall endless prayer be made,
and praises throng to crown His head;
His Name like sweet perfume shall rise
with every morning sacrifice.

People and realms of every tongue
dwell on His love with sweetest song;
And infant voices shall proclaim
their early blessings on His Name.

Blessings abound wherever He reigns;
The prisoner leaps to lose his chains;
The weary find eternal rest,
and all the sons of want are blessed.

Let every creature rise and bring
peculiar honors to our King;
Angels descend with songs again,
and earth repeat the loud amen!

Great God, whose universal sway
the known and unknown worlds obey,
Now give the kingdom to Thy Son,
extend His power, exalt His throne.

The scepter well becomes His hands;
All Heav’n submits to His commands;
His justice shall avenge the poor,
and pride and rage prevail no more.

With power He vindicates the just,
and treads th’oppressor in the dust:
His worship and His fear shall last
till hours, and years, and time be past.

(Woah. Love those lyrics. Amen!)

Preview

Here's a little sneak peek at what Enfield

has been working on for the Resolved Conference.

I'm SO stoked! Hooray!

Jesus Shall Reign by ResolvedMusic

God Totally Provides

The Lord has provided so much for me and I am very very very thankful. I originally purchased my registration for Resolved when the tickets first came out, fully intending to go as per usual. I found out that my sister was graduating from high school two weeks beforehand and my parents wanted me to come home for it. I knew that it would be way too expensive for me to fly coast to coast and planned to sell my registration.

Naturally, I was really bummed out about this. It's hard seeing Enfield play every Sunday and knowing that you won't see them at their best! I was ready to give up when the Lord totally provided for me! My dad realized that he had frequent flier miles and was able to get me a FREE roundtrip ticket. Now, I'm beyond thankful. My money that I paid for the conference won't go to waste and I can kick off my summer in an awesome way! Praise the Lord!

(Even if he didn't provide a way for me to go to Resolved, I still would have praised him. My praise is not contingent on "positives". I mean, it's not like I'm a prosperity worshipper. Ya dig?)

Oh, I have a tumblr account and it's super cool. You should visit it!

Travel Plans

So, I officially booked my flights to London and Paris this summer!

I'm so so excited! Well, in case you aren't informed of my plans

for the summer, let me enlighten you!

I'll be studying abroad for the month of August,

in Stratford-Upon-Avon and London with UCLA.

We'll be spending the whole month focusing on

Shakespeare! It's going to be fabulous, as we

study over 8 plays and see them all performed

live.

After my program is over, my friend Sonya and I

are traveling to Paris for a week. She's in my

French classes, so it'll be great to brush up and

soak in the Parisian culture! I can't even begin to

tell you how excited I am!

I'm so thankful because I got a really good deal

from STA Travel. I even got a $50 off coupon

from UCLA. That really helped defray some

costs, like my traveler's insurance. Praise the Lord.

There is so much to look forward to!

Today

Yeah, I'm having a little bit of a "slower" day.

It seems like some of my emotions come in waves

these days. They used to be constant. Now, it's

every once in a while. For that, I'm thankful.

But it doesn't feel so good when those

waves come. Today.... Today is one of those

days. I stop to pause and think a little bit.

I realize that I miss the way that things

used to be. And I realize that all of these

things in my life are changing, that

specific things about my past aren't a part

of this big wide future that's opening up for me.

While I'm so happy about what is to come,

there's a bit of a bitter taste still in my mouth.

All I know is that I cannot stay still, I cannot dwell

in the past. All I have is what is ahead of me. I look

out of my window and I see the blue sky and green

trees. I feel the sunshine on my shoulders and hear

the laughter of my friends. I realize that I'm learning

to be happy again. My darkness is lifting. That makes

me so encouraged and thankful. Today is a sad

celebration. Today is good and I can feel it getting

better.

Ingrid Michaelson

Oh My Goodness.

Yesterday was probably one of the best concert experiences EVER.

That's a bold statement, I realize but I'm not kidding

As you may (or may not) know, I'm a really big fan of

Ingrid Michaelson. I've always loved her musical style

and lyrics. She's a mix of indie, folk, and pop.

I saw her over spring break and was really really

impressed. After the concert, I decided to sign up

for her email list, in case she ever came to LA.

About a month ago, I got an email specially inviting

fans to one of her secret shows! The venue was at

Hotel Cafe, a really really small one that only holds

about 100-125 people. I immediately bought four

tickets. I'm glad that I did, because the show sold

out in TWO hours. Amazing.

The concert itself was awesome. She did the whole

thing solo, which was incredible. She was able to interact

with her fans and crack some jokes. She played some of

her favorite songs. I even got to request one! But my

favorite part was at the end of the night, where I actually

got to meet her! I was so excited, my heart was pounding

so hard! I brought a copy of my "Everybody" CD and she

signed it. I even took a few pictures with her too!

She was so sweet and kind. I told her that I was learning

to play the ukulele and as I walked past her to leave, she

called out and said "Good luck with your uke!" She's so

down to earth and loves her fans! I'm so blessed and

thankful that I was able to share this experience with

some really cool ladies who fully appreciated Ingrid!

This definitely was a night to remember!

Back in the Saddle

Oops. Too many social media outlets and I'm instantly a bad blogger. Sorry to all of my two readers, I haven't been very consistent. Well, things have been a little... crazy... at the casa de la Jessica. There's papers, tests, studying, etc. The list could go on for days. Take it from me, my days are FULL. Just consult my iCal. It's ear-marked and highlighted all over.

So... That's not really an adequate update. So, I'll share some exciting news with you. I know, my two readers... you have such privileges! Here goes my news...

I may be moving to France for a year after I graduate.

...what?

I'm serious. There's a program that the French government has that allows American post-grads to work in elementary/high schools for a year. You teach the kiddos English. They pay you, you work 12 hours a week. It's a pretty sweet gig. I've been toying with the idea of taking a year off between my undergrad and my graduate pursuit. This seems like a really fun and educational option. I'll be making money, living in France, getting a better mastery of the language, and hanging out with les enfants!

So that being said, please pray for me! I'm currently researching missionaries in France. I'm hoping that I'll be placed in a really good location. (i.e: Paris or Provence) I'd really like to be able to serve/hang out with missionaries over there. After all, I only work at the school 12 hours a week. I'll be having a lot of time on my hands.

I've suggested this idea to my parents, who are thrilled. They really think that a year off will be good for me. I'll be able to clear my head and be refreshed for grad school. I'll also open up my career options, with a proficiency in the French language.

My only issues are this:

- finding a good church that can keep me accountable.

- finding cheap and safe housing, wherever I am assigned.

Big news? I thought so. Please pray for me!