Temporary Hiatus

Hey guys. 

This is just a post to inform you all that I'll be taking a wee bit of a blog/facebook/twitter hiatus until June 15th. 

Why? Well, I have finals. June 15 is my last one. This is my last-two-weeks-of-semester ritual. I have a friend change the password to my most accessed personal websites in order that I focus and study for all my tests. It is super effective and a really really good idea for someone who is as social and extroverted as I am. 

That being said, if you need to contact me or want to send me love - 

call me or email me. 

jessicahaldeman@gmail.com

See you on the other side! 

An Explanation

So I feel that I owe all of you bloggers out there an explanation for my latest hiatus. The past weekend, I was working like a crazy lady, doing the flowers for my friend Jeanette's wedding. It was SUCH a great day and she looked BEAUTIFUL. Wonderful. Just wonderful. Well, during the week - I decided to puke up buckets and buckets. We don't know what it is, but food poisoning seems to be the running contender. Never fear, I am recovered. Ick. 

Anyway, I thought I'd just take this opportunity to ramble a little bit. I've been thinking a lot lately about the transience and transparency of life. If you think about it, we're never really conscious. And by conscious, I mean actualized. Think about when you were in middle school or some awkward place in your past. You were "fully engaged". You were "present". You were "with it". Now, where are you? Are you fully engaged with your younger self? Of course not. Perhaps being actualized never really happens because we are constantly subject to the whims of time. We never really have time to be realized. Life is so transient. It moves, It never stops. I, You, We are always in some sort of flux. There really is no stability here in Earth, if that makes any sense. In the words of the poet Robert Frost, "Nothing gold can stay". 

So naturally, I've been trying to apply this concept to my life now. And everybody knows that hindsight is 20/20 vision. But is it really? There are plenty of things in my past that I look back on but some situations and emotions still don't make much sense to me. But maybe I just need more life experience before I can look back and actually make some sort of sense to it. I don't know. Sometimes, we attack problems that really are so much bigger than we are. I think that's my problem. I think that I am so much bigger than my body will allow. Honestly, I just forget who I really am and succumb to this ideal that i've created . (sigh) 

I've got to learn to stop doing that. 

Music Recommendation:

Slovo - "Whisper"

Confession

Okay, confession time. I have an intense love for Celine Dion that I cannot explain. I listened to her song on the radio yesterday and have had this craving to listen to her "Let's Talk About Love" album. So today, I definitely indulged. There's nothing like a good rousing chorus of "Love is on the Way" to lift the spirits during a dull and dreary day. Anyway, I thought I'd put a little video in here so that you can enjoy... 

Weekend Events

So... this week/end has been quite eventful. 

Thursday - Saw Angels & Demons. Entertaining but not quite the blockbuster that I was expecting. Gotta love Catholic intrigue. 

Friday - Picked my brother up at the train station. Went to GOC for summer session. It was full of laughs and warm, loving fellowship.

Saturday - Met my new roomie, Grace. Saw my apartment for next year. (Way bigger than I thought!) Took John around UCLA campus. Went to CityWalk. Watched a cheesy movie. 

(Gasps for breath)

Yeah, this weekend has been action packed. 

This next week/weekend are going to be even more insane. So stay tuned for what I hope are interesting posts! I just need to make it through this week!! 

Quasi-famous (for a day)

I honestly have to say that today was one of the most fun days this semester. I was apart of the Ellen Degeneres show as an audience member. I went with my lovely friends MG, Mengning, and Jeanette. (Thanks for inviting me, Jeanette!) It was super fun and energetic, they kept the audience dancing and laughing the entire time. But I have to say, the highlight of the show was the performance of Kelly Clarkson! She sang two songs: "Since You've Been Gone" and "I Do Not Hook Up". Honestly, she is great live. As a bonus, the audience got a free copy of her new CD that she is/was promoting. Score. Another highlight: Ellen waved at me. Yes, I'll say it again. She waved at me in response to my overexcited arm movements during a lull in the show. It was fantastic. I would have taken pictures, but cameras of any kind were strictly forbidden. Since I wanted to avoid a lawsuit or a smack-down from a 250 lb security guard, I kept my shutter-bugging tendencies under wraps. But the point is that I had a great time and danced a TON. Now, I'm off to reality and back to school work. (sigh.)

Joanna Newsom

Joanna Newsom is not a musician for the faint of heart. Her voice is... well... special. Oddly enough, she's one of my favorite artists because I just love how quirky and weird her music can be. I also love the fact that she is a classically trained harpist that decided to break all the rules. I decided to post a video because I just think that people should appreciate music that isn't on the hot 100 list. You can only listen  to so many Lady Gaga songs before your ears begin to bleed. Anyway, I really hope that you like her and that you can appreciate the fact that she's not a product of the pop culture machine.

Inroduction

Well, I don't really know why I decided to post a public blog. I have a private one - that only a few people read and that isn't updated with any specific frequency. So in the interest of self promotion (?) and general blog-ness, I decided to create one that all the world can see. As far as a goal of this website, I don't really have one. I figure that I can just update whatever I want whenever I want. 

In my life right now, I'm being taught so many painful lessons about the sovereignty and faithfulness of the Lord. I wish that it was easier to trust Him. Currently, He is leading me thorough some very emotional challenges that make me feel so weary! But if God is who He claims to be, and I know that He is, I have full confidence in his  ability to draw me through this and to mold me. I love basking in the knowledge that my Savior is a good God and a loving father. But honestly, it saddens me to realize that I don't trust this perfect Father or submit to his plans easily. I always learn things the hard way, so it seems. I read the book "Trusting God" by Jerry Bridges last semester and was really challenged at how much I lack basic trust. I was actually considering re-reading it after my semester is over. It's one of those things that I always seem to come back to. I'm just sooo thankful that the Lord is who he claims to be, and that he imparts mercy to my wicked and oblivious heart. 

Well, that seems to be enough for an introduction. Keep your eyes peeled for a new post sometime in the near future! 

Music Recommendation:

"How Will He Find Me" - Deb Talan