Birthday Shout It / Publishing Opportunity / Event Planning

Happy Birthday Gueli!!!! Another year older, another year wiser! My prayer is that God continues to strengthen and keep you as you mature in grace! I can still remember the day you were born! We called the nurses desk at your hospital so often that she was adopted into our family! We waited almost 24 hours for you – and it was well worth it! :-) Enjoy your day hun!

I’m starting to feel really old these days…LOL!

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Last week a friend in a spoken word forum brought a book prospect to our attention that I would like to share with you. 

Firstly, the deadline is May 14th ( I want to put that out there FIRST because I hate when I come across an interesting opportunity and pump myself up to enter, then see that the deadline is loooong gone…sigh) and it’s all about showcasing artisans.

Entitled “Hurricanes: The Anthology”, this project requests entries in poetry, short stories, paintings, sculptures, etc.  I was contemplating the possibility of sending some of my work in, and if you are interested, maybe you should do the same.

I’m not going to write too much about it because there is a lot of information on the website that you are going to have to read through.

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We are ten weeks into 2014 and I’m working on a proposal for a family event.  I’m hoping that I can stay focused today…it IS Wednesday, and I’m pushing through the week with expectations of a positive review. 

We are two days away from the weekend! :-D (That statement gave someone life just now) We can do it!  Blessings to you and yours! And thanks once again for joining me on this journey!

Hands up in confidence, heart full of ambition,

xoxo Jenna

In reflection...

Disclaimer: This entry may not make any sense.
I have been trying to sort out my emotions for a few days...I got some disheartening news and I simply couldn't function.  I didn't realize how deeply I was affected until I tried to edit photos, but couldn't.

Usually, photo editing keeps me focused, in this instance I could only lean on an old friend...one I consider my baby sister.  She is thousands of miles away but it felt like she was right here beside me holding my hand as we sifted through the bittersweet nostalgia of  what we could together.

Today, I spent about an hour at the beach.  It helped me clear my thoughts a bit, but there is still a dull ache. I'm trying to be as optimistic as possible, and I am grateful for people who have given me my space and time.   In my moment of clarity on the beach, I could only exhale breaths of thankfulness.  I didn't want to think of the uncertainty of a person's character.  I didn't want to wonder what others were possibly thinking, or where they are personally headed.  I wanted to get away from the headlines and the hearsay.

When I got back in, I drafted a simple email...and I honestly don't even remember what I wrote...but I felt better.  It's more than some people probably would have done.  I saw it written somewhere: "If you don't say something, the person who needs to hear it won't". And now...all I can do is wait...

I look back and  I realize that there is so much more to life than materialistic things - friendship, family, ministry...those are the most important things to me and I value them.  I am probably willing to put my life on the line for the relationships that I do have.

So, in this my moment of reflection, I guess I must come to the conclusion that this is life.  We can't live it for each other.  We can't live through each other. We must endure with each other's decisions and stand as firmly as we can.   And then I wonder if I have ever cried this much at the loss of life...no one has died, but it feels like I did a little because I expected so much more than this...

 I cried for someone's innocence.  I pray that it was not in vain.

Hands up in surrender , heart full of tears ,

xoxo Jenna

Sharing it with the World!!!

Just popping in to let the world know that I love my husband!!!! :-D  He is my everything and I love him more than air!  I know that I’m not the easiest person to get along with, but he loves me for me and appreciates who I am.  Who could ask for more?

 Happy Valentine’s Day to all of you that celebrate, and if you don’t?  “Carry on smartly” ;-) For years I was in that number of persons who didn’t celebrate for two main reasons: 1) It’s lost its real meaning and 2) It’s a married people thing. (which is it’s real meaning)

I love him so!!!!

 I strongly feel that Valentine’s Day has been overly commercialized – I feel so sorry for men who are pressured into taking whole paychecks to purchase scantily filled baskets to prove to women that they truly do love them.  I believe in tokens of affection, but I don’t think that the gaudiness wrapped in red and white is really important. 

We all know the story that Valentine’s Day is spun from, and I salute St. Valentine for restoring the sanctity of marriage in his era. The men and women who were wedded by him must have been a rare breed – circumstances were mounted against them, and they probably didn’t have the luxuries that we lavish upon ourselves in the celebration of marriage these days.

I believe that a person’s TRUE Valentine is their marriage partner – and so, every year, my husband and I go out of our way to put an extra bit of love in our day as we celebrate with others all over the world.

So, as I prepare for ministry this evening, I just wanted to pop in and tell you guys to enjoy your day.  We would normally make an extra special dinner and eat in, but we have been invited to the opening service of Grace Evangelical Ministry’s Women’s Conference and we get to bask in the love of the couples there as we fellowship.

Hands up in affection, heart full of possibilities,

xoxo Jenna

All Hail the Queen (Conch)!!!!

One word: Conch (pronounced Konk…and we use that word in another context too… “to violently hit a person…preferably in the head eg. “Watch me ‘konk’ you” or “Watch out before that coconut ‘konks’ you!”) But SERIOUSLY….let’s talk CONCH…

"Shells on the Wharf" J. Christina Photography (c)2014

Maybe it’s because I’ve been craving this mollusk (YES! A really huge TASTY snail) for at least a week now…I have changed its presentation in my head from cracked (beaten, floured and fried), to frittered (placed in a batter and fried….something similar to hush puppies), to scorched (scored and seasoned with herbs and orange juice etc…maybe raw…maybe grilled…sigh)…and then I’ve really been thinking of a conch salad (raw and cut into manageable pieces with lemon juice, orange juice and  herbs like onion, sweet pepper, celery etc.) Yeah…I’m leaning more toward the salad because I can FINALLY try the tropical conch salad that is all the rage these days.  

Atropical conch salad would be prepared normally, but fruits such as strawberries and pineapples are added…this variation on the salad is a skill that has been honed by another family island and is becoming a big hit here…a hit that I haven’t tried yet.  And I’m not feeling pressured in any way, I think I’m a bit old school, and it isn’t just with my food…

• ·         Am I the only one who gets peeved when they realize that the Microsoft Word program now starts you up in the Calibri font? I’m a Times New Roman type gal…and I feel weird writing in a different font…

• ·         Do you think I’m going to be one of those older people who INSIST on calling establishments by their previous names? Eg. Telecoms (pronounced Telecalms by my grandparents) ---> BaTelCo (our generation) ---> BTC(…the sidekick must be the only person who calls it BTC in our home)…well I call it BTC when something goes wrong (does that count?)…they have this slogan that goes “BTC dun done it again” (BTC has done it again!) and it’s supposed to be a GOOD thing, (especially when they are mentioning how they have upgraded a cell phone package etc.)

See what I mean?!  (Let’s get back on topic though…)

I’m craving conch…

Known as an aphrodisiac for generations, the Strombus Gigas (Queen Conch), a simple, one-toed delicacy (sounds weird huh? LOL…but it has one nail that it uses to slowly pull itself across the ocean floor as it eats) is a staple in our diet and can be prepared in countless ways (I cannot complain).

So until I actually get it, in ‘some way, shape, or form’ I will dream about the many tantalizing ways I can prepare it, and OF COURSE nag my husband as subtly as I can until he craves it too (I think I will teach you guys how to do that in my next blog post, so stay tuned!) Ha!

Hands up in enthusiasm , heart full of schemes,

xoxo Jenna

SPEAK Tonight!!!!

Today, I’m preparing myself to visit and minister at SPEAK.  I’m trying not to do anything at all today as I get ready for ministry, which is no easy feat for a person like me who has to constantly be doing something to feel sane! 

I’m soliciting you guys for prayer and positive energy (you CAN solicit online right? LOL!) as we step onto the ‘battlefield’.  I take what I do very seriously, and because I see it as ministry (sharing the agenda of a government that is not of this world) and I know that there is protocol that I must follow.

I am going into an environment where I have no control over the content of the material that the other artists will share, the music being played, or the atmosphere being cultivated.   I am determined to go in with everything I need wrapped up in my spirit.

This event, is truly gearing us up for our (Pen & Tongue’s) own event “Words Unplugged”.  We look forward to having members from SPEAK there with us at Life Worship Centre because it’s exciting to be able to collaborate with different groups…the energy is crazy!  But I must keep the MAIN purpose of interaction at the forefront…and THAT is why I have to prepare myself.

It’s not about sounding great, or getting positive feedback on your flow…it’s about planting positive seeds, encouraging and motivating others, and giving them hope and peace that they have possibly been searching everywhere else for…it’s about letting someone out there know that there is truly ‘nothing new under the sun’ and you don’t have to struggle on your own in shame or sorrow…but someone else has ‘been there and done that’ and is bold enough to not only SAY so, but show you that you really don’t have to stay there. It is evangelism.

People ask all the time why Christian artists go to secular concerts/functions/events and I can say now that it’s because we know that we must reach out to people who are trying to fill the void by attending these performances and meeting them where they are.  So if I only plant ONE seed of positivity tonight, or if I only water ONE plant of faith, or even so, if I only gather one sheave of wheat in this whitened field, then I know that what I stand for is not in vain.

I am willing to be that light in the darkness for the person who is afraid of the dark.

I am J. Reign.

Hands up in faithfulness, heart full of reconciliation,

xoxo  Jenna

Bush Medicine: Cerasee

Believed to have medicinal properties, our traditions are steeped (pun intended) in the knowledge of bush medicines, and you have persons who would try their hand at cultural tinctures before seeking prescribed relief. 

 Years ago, the modern conveniences of doctors were non-existent –there were instances of practicing doctors who travelled through islands, spending anywhere from days to years in any given location.  The scarcity of doctors caused many Bahamians to learn and practice what we know as ‘bush medicine’.

In this day and time it is an honor to have relatives who are old enough to remember and recognize medicinal plants and their value to society. Some of the legacy has faded with time, while there are certain remedies that will never pass away – one of them is the usage of Cerasee.

Momordica Charantia (Bitter Melon) - Simply called "Cerasee" or “Bitters” (and pronounced by some

as ‘bittis’) it is a green vine that blooms with delicate yellow flowers. It can be found ‘running’ on fences and is defined by its bristly orange orbs (that hold fleshy red seeds) and its wide, flat five-fingered leaves.  

It can be used as greens, prepared for meals, and in some places, it is a well loved, chilled beverage! Here in The Bahamas, we experience Cerasee during cold and flu season even though it is known to  purify the blood, sooth skin, and stabilize blood sugar (among so many other things). We have been known to run in the opposite direction as children when we simply smelt the bitter warmth that emanated from kitchens - and some people would confess that they still do so!

The catch to Cerasee is the fact that you must drink it while it is still hot and  unsweetened – as a matter of fact, there is nothing that you can put into the mixture to ‘better’ the flavor. (We have been there and done that…all you can do is suck on a quartered orange piece and pretend that the bad taste in your mouth never happened).

This is what Cerasee Looks like when you are REALLY sick!

I know of friends who were made to drink this concoction every week…I considered that child abuse then, but now I am contemplating doing the same with the sidekick – collectively, he’s been out of school during this weird season for about two weeks now! I’m thinking of preparing it two ways from now on – ‘the emergency steep’ and the ‘day-to-day steep’.  The emergency steep is what I discussed here – boiling and drinking straight away (with maybe a squeeze of lime and a pinch of salt), but the day-to-day is simply placing the fresh vine in a cup of water and allowing it to ‘work itself out’ and, at the end of the day, you have a glass of Cerasee-infused water (something like that we should only need once per week).

I would suggest that before you seek to implement ‘bush medicines’ in your diet that you consult with  your physician -especially during pregnancy or if you are taking medication etc.

Hands up in reminiscence, heart full of accomplishment,

xoxo Jenna