Let's be honest...

I am horrible at wrapping gifts. It's like being back in kindergarten. I cannot princess up an inatimate object if photography depended on it. If wrapping presents were an art, mine would definately be abstract and absolutely make no sense to the observer.

Sundance Shorts...

WASTE LAND Official Trailer from Almega Projects on Vimeo.

This is a super interesting doc that was filmed over about three years. This artist Vik Muniz went from Brooklyn to his native Brazil where is found the world's largest garbage dump located close to Rio De Janero. Designated self pickers "catadores" are who the story revolve around. The initial intent was to "paint" the catadores with garbage which revolved into photographic images of themselves out of garbage.

Obselidia - trailer from Zak Mulligan on Vimeo.

AND this just looks like an interesting short and beautiful cinematography. These are both films that were in the Sundance film festival. Two very different but interesting on the same level to me.

The season of waiting..

For the last year, I have lived in Camas, Washington. I invested time building a community of a house and building relationship with the kids I do YoungLife with. I have been called to camas, for such a time as this, yes and I've been thankful for it. Camas has been my own little oasis, my home away from what I've known as home. I've been disconnected from the civilization of Portland and I knew that if I went back early, it would be like going back into the desert that would only dry my soul.

So I've been obedient. I wasn't going to leave until I was released. I wasn't sure how that would all work out, the process of being released...until a week ago.

Now the back story before I get into the present story. I have hated Portland my whole life. It was the place I grew up, the place I have the worst memories of, it was the place I left when I could but it was also the place I came back to and missed when I left. About two months ago, I was at Solid Rock Church and heard a sermon on callings, dreams and desires. John Mark said, "If you want to see change in the government, move to Washington DC, grow your kids up there and change the government. If you want to see change in the film industry, move to LA, grow your family there and change the inudstry." So I was hit by a thought, 'What am I really passionate about? What do I want to see change?'....Prostitution, sex trafficking....Portland was just deemed 'Pornland' because it was ranking higher than Las Vegas in child sex trafficking. I looked around the congregation at Solid Rock and words were spoken over me. "Jenna, you are called to the very place you hate, the very place you will face your fears."

And it will become family.

So in the last two months, graduating nursing school, more opportunities have come up to be able to see change in this city, in this gnarley industry of trafficking.

Last week, having an incredible conversation with my housemate, one of my best friends and my area director for YoungLife, Erin. There came a conclusion that it was time for me to go back to Portland. My heart is there and my passion for the lost is different than YoungLife....far different. So Portland it is, the new adventure starting in January I'm praying for. I have no idea what to expect; where to begin but I have peace.

It's just right.

TED.

This is a TED video....These are incredibly inspiring and if you have the time, this is a sweet one.

Two of my favorite things...

Banksy:: It was thru this picture that I was introduced to the innovative pieces by the street artist named Banksy 4 years ago. What he produces is incredible, full of color, emotion, bringing cement to life. My favorite thing about this piece is if you look closely you'll see in writing to the right of the girl, "There is always hope." If you haven't seen the documentary, "Exit through the gift shop," it's rad split about street artists with Banksy being one of the key focuses.
__________________________________________________________________________

Halfway through my first year at Hillsong Church in Australia this artist came to play at one of our church services. She was rather awkward with long frizzy hair but with a joy that could capture an audience. She walked with a maturity and sang with confidence. I automatically had admiration for her in the first moments of hearing her gorgeous voice. At that time she was a best selling artist in New Zealand and was on her way to be a best seller in Australia. -------> Brooke Fraser. This vid is her new single off her album, Flags.



AND she will be in Portland, DECEMBER 7th!!

And so it seams we are hemmed together...

We are knitted together with seams and intricate threads. Starting out as a simple thread, rolled into a thousand circles until we can call ourselves ready to be sewn. Ready to be threaded and zigzagged, backstitched and slightly thrown together. We become outfitted with odd lines and bright colors. We complement eachother with our neons and greens to find we still need more...

I was sitting on my deck tonight thinking................................................just thinking. I have a massive test tomorrow for nursing school that I have been testing for and retesting for. It's in 6 hours and here I am....sleepless. So my thoughts left me with no conclusion of sleep but thinking about this blog. I have big vision for most things in my life and to have a vision for a blog just seemed silly to me; to give myself a direction for a blog......wha??

I started this because I'm about to start a new direction in my life and in that leaving the old as I take on the new. So the question I have pondered what really is new to me?

FREEDOM.

In the last year, I have found myself in a new freedom. A new being of myself; shaped and molded into an experience of what I see as truly beautiful. We all have our different opinions about what freedom is, and being such a vague word, I can't do more to define that. Freedom is a journey you find for yourself.

In saying this, it becomes a direction of my blog. The things I love, the art I'm captured by, the music I find myself wrapped into, the fears I find in my flawed but purified self. This...on a simple page by an average brunette with big dreams will be apart of my journey.