Yep. I Did That.

It was two years ago that I returned to the States from a two-week teaching expedition in Morocco. As with any adventure overseas, it was exhausting -the sights, sounds, and new culture in which you find yourself suddenly immersed. I worked with a group of first-graders who spoke French, Arabic, and minimal English. As a summer school course, we brought our first-hand English skills to them. If you didn't get the chance to follow along with my journey, my Africa weblog/picture gallery is here. But here are just a few memories from this trip that come to mind:

I worshipped Jesus Christ in an Islamic mosque.
I perspired like I've never perspired before.
I watched my students eat gummy worms for the first time.
I watched my flat-iron blow up...again.
I was gawked at for my blonde hair.
I ate chicken with cinnamon on it.
I got trapped in an elevator with Ashley and a hysterical Spanish woman.
I got free socks on my trans-atlantic flight.
I learned from 6 year olds.

Experiences like this are not soon forgotten.
Yours?

Baby, Baby!

I'm a little late with this, but some great friends of mine (from many different places) have recently expanded their beautiful families. So without further ado, I'd like to introduce you to my newest blog readers...

Dominic Alberico
Parents: Angelo and Lori Alberico
Long Beach, CA


Ava Smith
Parents: Justin and Ana Smith
Sacramento, CA


Their mommies and daddies are fabulous bloggers...
so stop by and post some congrats!

Trippin.

I've never participated in drug use.
Nor have I been on a drug "trip".
But I imagine it to be a lot like the Johnny Depp version of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.

Now you know what Chris and I did yesterday.
The movie...not the drugs.

That is all.

Saturday with the Angels

I did not make the bed yesterday.

This was not because of principle, but because I was physically incapable of doing so. Thursday night I was afflicted with the worst toothache EVER (those of you who have been tracking with my blog for a while know that this happened last year as well). Anyway, after a night with no sleep, I saw the "emergency dentist". He confirmed that I have a ruptured wisdom tooth, coupled with fluid building up from my sinuses and putting pressure on the nerves. YUK! The temporary solution: lots of drugs. :)

I was happy to get that settled, because I really wanted to be well enough to enjoy the Duluth Air show today...which I did! Chris and I spent the day watching old and new fighter planes, lots of aerobatics, and the good food supplied at such events. The main attraction was an appearance by the U.S. Navy's famed Blue Angels. The weather was beautiful UNTIL, of course, it was time for the final act- then the skies decided to open up on the umbrella-less. We stuck it out as long as possible before our wet clothing told us it was time to go.

Enjoying the sunshine at the Duluth Air Show

The Navy band, tearing it up!

Representin' Sacramento...whuuttttt!

Representin' Duluth....holllllaaa!

We visited the NASA exhibit and...Chris fulfilled his dream of visiting space.

The Blue Angels, all lined up on the runway.

This is what we should have seen...Blue Angels against blue skies. Instead, I saw a bunch of raindrops in my eyes. (Hey...I should make that into a song!)

Calling All Tidy People...

Hello again. Let me preface this posting by saying that I love my husband very much. (I'm sure Chris is getting a little nervous reading this!) I was blessed to gain a man that is generally very tidy...at times, more tidy than me! But there is one point of contention between us- making the bed.

Chris believes making the bed is completely pointless. I know this because it's the same conversation we have every time I ask him to help (which he always does, graciously). His argument is rooted in the fact that no one will SEE the bed (with the exception of us) throughout the day. I've tried to make my case numerous times, but I'm obviously failing to come up with a convincing counterpoint. The following are reasons I've given for this task:

1. Aesthetics. The room feels finished when the bed is made.
2. The hotel-bed feeling you get when you pull the covers back. It's like you're getting into a brand new bed.
3. Straightening the sheets. During the night, especially when the weather is warm, the covers tend to shift and shuffle, as you know. When I get into bed, I don't want to have to find the corners of the sheets, or pull half the duvet from Chris' side. It's too much work.

And, perhaps the most convincing argument:
4. While I was making the bed the other day, a spider came crawling across the sheets. I know it's disgusting, but had I never made the bed, I never would have disrupted this spider's environment. He could have very well camped out there all day. I DID make the mistake of letting Chris in on this information. The remainder of the night was riddled with Chris' paranoia..."Is there a spider on me?" "I feel like there are spiders all over me." "Let's check the sheets one more time." I promised, next time, I would keep that information to myself. :)

I think I've done a pretty good job, but there has to be more logic behind making the bed in the morning. Please help a sista out.

Do YOU make the bed? If so, WHY!?

Welcome to our Home!

Hello fine friends! It's summertime in Duluth and absolutely BEAUTIFUL, so let your visiting commence! We have a guest room all ready for you! I know, I know, the chances of us having a steady stream of visitors is slim, so I thought I'd bring our home to you! Since we've been working hard on getting it furnished and fixed up, I thought I'd give you a little tour.

This is the front of our house. It was yellow and green until a couple of weeks ago. We have yet to paint the screen, but it looks FAR better now! We are in the process of staining the front deck. And the deck is awesome for grilling and entertaining!

Our living room is a cozy place to unwind...usually watching FOX News.

We purchased this bookshelf with some of our wedding gift money, and we love it. It's a great central place for our computer and to display some of our favorite pictures.

The dining room is right around the corner. We will be upgrading our little table soon. And, you can see our "forest-y" backyard through the window. SO pretty in the winter, and very green at this time of year!

One of the first things we did in the house was paint the kitchen and dining room (it used to be a stark hospital-grey color). It made a BIG difference, and goes great with our wine racks!

The guest room- where you shall stay when you visit. It's just like a bed and breakfast...without the breakfast :) I take that back...if you come visit, you'll get breakfast.

The Master Bedroom now has window treatments, and all of our Pottery Barn bedding is being put to use! We love it!

This is Chris' "man basement". It houses all of his furniture (which you can see is quite monochromatic!) and is the coolest place in the house...great in the summer, not so great in the winter!

Jamie Recommends...

1. Seattle's Best Coffee- Cinnabon. Ok, so I've been passing on the 'Bucks and the 'Bou in order to pinch some pennies, so I needed to find a substitute that would satiate my girly coffee tastes. And boy did I find it! Now I can have as much coffee as I want during the day, and I'm not throwing money down the drain! (Although, Liana, if I lived in So Cal, I would definitely be stopping by Starbucks for one of your new sweet treats!) Mmmm....I can smell my coffee brewing now...

2. Get working internet service. Yesterday, I was so frustrated with ours that I avoided the computer altogether. That means today, I have about 50 blog feeds to read. Plus, it really puts a damper in my internet backgammon fetish.

3. Wear a sweater to the grocery store. This is the first thought that runs through my head every time I enter the doors. You'd think I'd get a clue, but, NOPE! I forget EVERY time. It makes cruising the frozen food aisle really unpleasant. On the other hand, it does contribute to an expedient shopping experience!

4. Revisit the film Far and Away. You remember the one...Tom and Nicole, back in the day. It's a good date night movie. Who doesn't like a great soundtrack by John Williams? AND, it is guaranteed to make you speak with an Irish accent for a couple days. *warning: this may drive your husband crazy.*

5. Watch the homerun derby with your significant other. Even if you aren't a baseball fan, it's pretty entertaining. If you can't sit and watch, at least be in the same room as your man. The giggling and hollering is even more entertaining than the event. Bonus: Chris was pleased that a Minnesota Twin took home the victory title.

I shall bestow more wisdom on you later. Until then, do you have any recommends to add?

The Itasca Legacy

As I was documenting our Fourth of July weekend, I included some pictures of Chris and I at Lake Itasca. Chris' mom mentioned that she had some pictures of the kids at the very same place when they were small. So, of course, I asked her to send them to me and...well....they are just too cute not to share. :)






That's Chris (far left), Eric, Carrie and Brian.
And, BONUS...Chris' mom as a child with her siblings (Marcia is in the middle, back)

Name it and Claim it.

I had a conversation the other day about the prosperity gospel, and this post again reminded me of the topic, so I thought I'd use the weekend to lay out my opinion (after all, who checks blogs on the weekend?). The Prosperity Gospel (also referred to as "name it and claim it") is the idea that God will reward us for our extravagant giving. It's a literal interpretation of John 10:10, "I have come that they might have life, and might have life more abundantly," in favor of our material well-being as a gift from the Lord.

As much as I want to unload on how ridiculous I think this is, I won't. It's just too obvious to me, and I think you can see that as well. The gospel never promises us a cushy, comfy life...even if we are obedient givers. There is no "law of reciprocity" with the God who gives and takes away. Just as we can't anticipate a Christmas gift from a friend, we can't expect God to lavish us with wealth for our obedience. That sounds more like the "power of positive thinking" doctrine of the Church of Scientology, Religious Science, or "The Secret".

What IF God calls us to be poor? Does that mean we aren't "giving" enough? Does that mean we are not in God's favor? I don't believe that God wants every Christian to be living on the streets, but He does want us to be responsible and generous with our resources. We ALL live abundant lives...we live in America. But I'd argue that "abundant" living, according to the scriptures, has nothing to do with wealth. After all, doesn't God delight in our sacrifices? When it's not easy? Doesn't He promise time and again that He will be with us, even as we walk through the valley of the shadow of death?

John Piper is a badass. And by badass, I mean awesome. I've seen him speak and read several of his books, and he does NOT fool around with this kind of theology. His passion is evident in this clip:


I'm looking forward to my treasure in Heaven.

Observations: Bedtime.

There was a time when I could stay awake during an entire episode of Conan O'Brien.
That time has passed.
I hardly see the other side of 10 o'clock anymore.
That's because I've adapted to Chris' sleep schedule. And work calls for early mornings! (As it soon will for me, too!)

We frequently read from our devotional book before we go to bed. Bobby and Rachel gave this one to us for our wedding, and we've been enjoying the intriguing conversations that it leads into. It refocuses us on the higher purpose for our marriage.

The weather outside has been perfect (low 80s), which means our house (which lacks air-conditioning) has been very comfortable for sleep. Opening the windows at night creates the most wonderful breeze. There is little reason for me mentioning this, other than to rub it in for you CALIFORNIA folks, melting in the 110 degree heat. That's right, now it's MY turn to gloat! Muuuaaah haha!

Observations: Morning.

A cool breeze entered the room to awaken me.
I laid and listened to the sound of rain on the leaves.
My husband gave me a gentle hug, and I thought...
...this is one of those perfect moments.

Thank you, Lord, for giving us glimpses of heaven.

Have you seen heaven lately?

God Bless the U.S.A.

Gotta love the fourth. Chris took a couple extra days off, which made our Fourth of July weekend nearly as long as our honeymoon! We ditched Duluth in favor of Chris' family's lake cabin, where the fam would be hanging out. The Stavenger boat made it's debut appearance in the boat parade this year...rocking Lee Greenwood's "God Bless the USA" made us an instant hit. Plus, no one could match our energy :)

Chris was our trusty driver. Doesn't he look EXCITED!?

We joined many other boats on the lake...this is just a few.

Brianna and Carrie were festive adornments for the front of the boat.

In the afternoon, we took the boat out for some water skiing. I won't tell you how I did, but Chris looked great! That is, until he busted up his elbow on the boat (see post below). Everyone was looking forward to the fireworks in the evening, which Chris lit off the dock. A spectacular showing, especially with the multitudes of fireworks exploding around the lake.

Ah, my little pyromaniac :)

The light show is amplified by the reflections on the lake.

The weather cooperated beautifully...lots of time out in the water and room for some intense rounds of croquet and bocce ball!

Alissa kickin' tail.

Chris and Marcus having fun in the sun.

Cousin Chris, Carrie, Alissa and Brianna hang out on the dock.

As a "bonus", Chris took me on a day trip to Lake Itasca, which is where the Mississippi River begins. It was a great date...we had lunch, then got our feet wet, walking across the headwaters. Only about 15 feet across- it's hard to believe that little stream becomes a raging river!

Chris proudly crosses the headwaters, with Lake Itasca in the background.

Standing in the Mississippi.

"HERE 1475 FT ABOVE THE OCEAN THE MIGHTY MISSISSIPPI BEGINS TO FLOW ON IT'S WINDING WAY 2552 MILES TO THE GULF OF MEXICO."


Most of our family left the lake on Monday morning. We stuck around an extra day, but the arrival of some thunderstorms put a damper on our water activity! As soon as the clouds cleared, Chris tried his hand at some fishing. Number of fish caught: zero. But it sure was pretty!



This year, I'm thankful we were able to enjoy this country in all of it's serenity and natural beauty. It really is "God's country".

My Poor Husband.

Th pictures below are the aftermath of Chris' slip off the back of the boat. It's been exciting watching the bruise change colors and grow from day to day...blech. I have to give him some credit. Had I been the one to accidentally concentrate all of my body weight on one elbow, I probably wouldn't have been such a trooper. We're just thankful for no broken bones!

Bruise Day 3

Bruise Day 4

Show him some love. :)

Formula for a Perfect Vacation

Gorgeous weather.
Beautiful lake.
Fridge full of soda. (That's right...SODA.)
Rummikub.
Burgers.
Lee Greenwood.
Fireworks.
Tubing.
Internet Backgammon. (ok...you don't really need vacation for this one...)
A good book.
Bonfire.
Fruit salsa.
FAMILY.

Updating my Blog List

Hi friends! Welcome back.

I was scrolling down my sidebar and realizing how many of my friends either DON'T blog, or neglect their blog so much they might as well not even have one. On the other hand, some of you are diligent bloggers with great things to say and interesting things to read. I don't want YOU, shining stars, to get lost in the shuffle! Therefore, I'm doing some overdue "spring cleaning". If you find that your blog has disappeared from my list, well...you'd better grovel to me to get it listed again. And I want to see action, people. When you start blogging again, well, then we'll talk :)

I'm also adding some fun blogs to the list, one of which is already a favorite of MANY bloggers...if you haven't read Stuff Christians Like, make it a top priority this holiday weekend. I nearly pee my pants laughing. Nearly.

Once in a While, You Gotta Purge.

Hi friends!
I apologize now for the length of this post. Seeing as we are leaving tonight for vacation, I thought I'd get all the latest news "out there" for you to feed on until we return on Tuesday. This, therefore, is one of those "butterfly thoughts" postings...I'll attempt to catch some of them for you.

Abandoning Ship

I told you a while back that I had started a book by Jodi Piccoult called Picture Perfect. I read 3/4 of the way through that mess, and made the painful decision to stop reading. I just didn't care about it...and it was making reading more of a chore. (Lesson learned: stick to books that have been personally recommended.) I replaced that book with one that has come HIGHLY recommended by more people than I can count, Redeeming Love, by Francine Rivers. I'm sure I'll finish that one this weekend, as I'm already halfway through it. THIS one has kept my attention!

On The Church Front
Chris and I may have finally found a church here in Duluth. It seems to be energetic and growing...so much so that they are building a brand-new facility VERY close to our house! Not only is it an exciting prospect for fellowship and spiritual growth, but it's convenient, too! More on that fun stuff later.

Annoyances
I broke my fingernail in a horrible place...right below the nail line. That means it's too far down for me to cut it. And it's been snagging on EVERYTHING!!! I have resorted to a full-time band-aid.

Flowers are A-Bloomin'
Since Chris moved in to this house in the fall, none of the plants in the garden were visible. So it's been fun watching to see which plants bloom around the house! We have some day lilies on the side of porch, some climbing roses on the trellis, lots of rhubarb in the back, and several herb bushes. Neither one of us are gardeners (thanks to the rain lately, they've been properly watered!) so when we come home to a new plant in bloom, it's a pleasant surprise!

Speaking of our House...
It is now a new color! Gone is the yellow and green of yesteryear- now it's sporting some cool neutrals: taupe with black shutters. It looks really great...we just have to paint our green screen door to match. And Chris has been hard at work on staining the deck. I'll be posting pictures of that soon :)

There are several more things I could write here, but I figure that gives me some more blog material for the future. I hope you all thoroughly enjoy your holiday weekend! We'll be relaxing at one of Minnesota's 10,000 lakes :)

Welcome to the Club, Old Man.

Guess who got their AARP card in the mail yesterday? That's right...my dear (and apparently OLD) husband! He was a bit perplexed and offended. This, of course, gave me the opportunity to laugh hysterically at the guy. But don't feel bad for him...I received the same ridicule when I received MY card quite a while ago.

I put it the same place I put my "Promise Keepers" membership card in the name of "Mr. Jamie Petersen"...

I Have Some Catching Up To Do!

I'm a little hesitant to reveal more movies that I haven't seen, since on a previous blog I received angry comments from some of you "Breakfast Club" and "Braveheart" lovers! But I couldn't resist making my way through the American Film Industry's new "Top 100 films of all time" list. They are divided into 10 categories, with 10 films per category (sorry for underestimating your math skills, there). I thought I'd share my results with you...

Animated- I've seen all 10. What can I say!? I like a good cartoon. :)
Romantic Comedy- only 2. TWO!! I thought I would own this category! Coincidentally, they both feature Meg Ryan.
Westerns- Zero. Although, if I count all the times I've walked through the living room while my dad was watching them, I could probably piece one together.
Sports- One. I really like "Remember the Titans", but that didn't make the list.
Mystery- Zero. Not my genre.
Fantasy- an unexpected SIX thanks to classics like "The Wizard of Oz".
Sci-Fi- Three. And that was more than I thought.
Gangster- Zero. I can think of a billion things I'd rather do than watch one of these.
Courtroom Drama- One. And it's on my top 10 movies of all time list!
Epic- Five. I'll never let go, Jack. I'll never let go.

There you have it.
28 out of 100.
I'm glad I had a better percentage on my driver's exam!

Country Roads, Take Me Home...

Hi Everyone!
Sorry about the little hiatis in my writing...I'll explain that later.
Right now, I'm basking in the afterglow of my victorious driver's exam.

Oh yes, Minnesota. If you're going to make me take a trillion exams to get my life in order here, I'm going to kick butt on all of them. Just you wait.

It's starting to feel like "home".

Oh, How The Years Go By...

Anyone else have that Amy Grant song in their head now?
Meh- it's probably just me.

Well, today marks the THREE YEAR ANNIVERSARY of "Songs of the Closet"! Some of you have been following along since the very beginning, back at jamiebella.blog.com (sorry about the brunette phase). I'm so grateful that you've followed me from Northern Cal to the L.A. life, from Southern Cal to the Northland, from church to church, gig to gig, singlehood to marriage and all the exciting stuff in between! It's humbling to know that so many of you are tracking with me, even from so far away. And I love sharing my life with you! The party continues.

In honor of this occasion, I'll copy my first public post for you. Some of you wonder where the title "Songs of the Closet" came from. This explains it:

June 25th, 2005
Hi Friends and Family!

Though I have NO IDEA what I'm doing, I thought I'd give the BLOG thing a try. Any way to stay in touch with you all is worth a try, right?

Most of you know that I recently became a resident of Southern California. I've been enjoying the cool weather (yes, 85 is cool compared to the valley heat) and the plethora of things to do! I'm staying with good friend Suzanne for the time being. Since I am a big fan of paychecks, my primary goal right now is to keep them coming. Therefore, my time is consumed by JOB HUNTING! I can't wait to report back what God has made available to me, and I'm calling on all of you to PRAY! This has been a very trying time for me...I feel Satan's breath of discouragement often. BUT God is GOOD and He is Victorious. To the degree this phase in life has been challenging, it has been GROWTH like I've never experienced. Praise be to God!

Songs from the Closet...I have gone from leading worship weekly on stage to playing the keyboard set up in my closet (which I will hereafter refer to as my "music studio"). I've had some beautiful moments with Him...the most important audience I have. It's the greatest gig ever!

Please, please leave a comment if you are breezing by!

Jamie

All right...now it's your turn. Lurkers, friends, family...let me know you're out there, and maybe I'll keep this blog thing going! :)