Tuesday, December 8, 2009

I'm Just Sayin Guest Blog by Jena Morrow

Guest Blogger Jena Morrow is a client of Diana's and has a book titled, Hollow coming out with Moody Publishers in May 2010 that can be pre ordered on Amazon right now.

Welcome Jena:


What I've Learned in 2009 . . .

Posted: 22 Nov 2009 01:02 PM PST

Jeans are neither my enemy nor my friend. Jeans are not meant to change my body shape, minimize my butt, or make me taller. Their sole purpose on earth is to prevent nakedness from the waist down. Period.

Perhaps the reason so many of my friends are turned off by church is because church people have done a crummy job of representing a holy God to a hurting world. And perhaps my new year’s resolution should have more to do with remedying that than with eating less carbs.

Fact: Sometimes mediocre writers get published. Fact #2: Sometimes amazingly talented writers remain overlooked by the publishing world. Fact #3: both of these things kinda stink.

It is perfectly acceptable to be 33 years old and single. Heck, it’s even okay to be 33 years old and be happy with being single. It’s also acceptable to completely change one’s mind about that, and I will be sure to keep you posted.

Drama is conflict, and conflict is necessary to good storytelling. And, as much as I have lived my life to avoid conflict at all costs, being a writer will eventually force me to embrace it.

God is more than able to open doors that no man can open, and He delights in using the foolish things (and people) of the world to humble the wise.

No matter how much of a grammar and punctuation rock star you think you are, a good editor will show you the error of your ways.

Harboring unforgiveness is like drinking poison and then waiting for the other person to die.

Kids hear and absorb everything their parents do and say. Everything.

I talk too much. I need to do something about that. I’m sure there’s a reason why God gave us all two ears and only one mouth.

Noodles must be added to homemade chicken noodle soup last.

None of us have it all together. Especially not the people who look as though they do.

People who say they don’t care what people think about them are usually desperate to have other people think they don’t care what people think about them.

When you write a memoir, always change first names to protect the innocent. Because, chances are, by the time your book is released, you will have come back into contact with every single person whom you wrote about. (Thanks, Facebook!)

Some cats like veggie burgers, celery, soy milk, and coffee. (Or, at least one does. )

For as long as Liberty is alive and living in my home, I will never again be allowed to lay on my right side. She is a left-sided cat. Period.

Imitrex doesn’t work for my headaches. Zomig doesn’t work for my headaches. Advil Migraine no longer works for my headaches. Five Hour Energy works like magic for my headaches. Live and learn.

Even if your friend has been dead for five years, you will still have moments where you completely forget this and you’ll reach for your phone to call her when a certain song comes on over the speakers in Applebee’s.

Sometimes words are overrated. It’s impossible to say the wrong thing when you simply hug someone instead of saying anything at all.

There is no joy equal to the feeling of taking someone by the hand and walking them toward Jesus. Evangelism doesn’t mean what I thought it meant. It means doing life the way Jesus did it, with boldness, tenderness, and authenticity, and presenting the truth in love. The “ministry of reconciliation” is for every believer, even those of us who have been scared to death of it.

I do not like beer, dark chocolate, or bleu cheese – and I probably never will.

I will probably never again be a coloratura soprano or a size one. And I’ll just have to deal.

Sometimes kindness shocks the heck outta people. We’ve learned not to expect it. Kindness goes further (farther? Ack!) now than it ever did, because it so obviously sets us apart from a hostile society.

And probably the MOST important thing I have learned in 2009: I still have a lot to learn.

www.jenamorrow.blogspot.com/

6 comments:

Jeanette Levellie said...

Jena: I loved this when I first saw it on your blog and I still love it. You are one wise lady!

Jen
Audience of ONE

Jill said...

Love this! Cool degree of acceptance and recognition. I especially lik ejeans preventing nakedness from the waist down!

Also good to just be reminded about grammar & punctuation errors... no matter how hard you try...

ANd, yeah, sometimes mediocre authors ink the deal while great wordsmiths remain undiscovered... Sigh.

Cheers, Jill

Renee said...

What a blessing! There is absolute truth in what you said, especially about the jeans. ;)

Caroline said...

Jena, and I've learned you don't have to be 100 years old to know a lot of wisdom. From the mouth of babes and all that stuff. loved your blog. Thanks.

Jena said...

Thanks to all of you! I must say, though, that any wisdom I have earned in my 33 years has come from making big mistakes and taking hard falls early on in life. Hey, I'm not one to do anything lightly. ;-)

Thanks for letting me share! Now . . . what have all of YOU learned this year?

sanjeet said...

. I especially lik ejeans preventing nakedness from the waist down!

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