Many of you know about my friend Steve, a man who is unlike any I've ever met. He is truly an inspiration and an amazing man, who breathes because of his hero...and mine, Kari.

This weekend, Steve & 150 other Kari's Klimbers climbed in honor of a beautiful 17-year-old girl who was much wiser than her years. In the 10 years Steve has been climbing he's raised over $250,000 to benefit lung research and through it all, has kept Kari's memory alive.

I will admit, I was a bit sad when I realized I would miss this huge 10 year milestone. I yearned to be with Steve, his family, Kari's family & our friends to celebrate Kari's life. My heart ached a little this weekend, knowing what a celebration I was missing.

Ironically, I found this post from eons ago. I wrote about the 2008 Hustle I was going to miss, and I thought I'd share a bit with y'all today:
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Why do I Climb? 

(Nov. 6, 2007)

It was February 2005.  Four friends and I piled and squeezed into a little Volvo to make our first official trip to Hustle up the Hancock. After five excruciating hours, we pulled into the apartment building's turn-a-about shortly after 10:00PM.  Awaiting for us was were two shadowed figures shivering in the dark. 

As we unfolded from the car we were hugged by those two complete strangers. I can't tell you what I was exactly feeling, as I was just so happy to be out of the car, but I do remember having a sense of warmth..and not just from the hugs! :)

***Those two figures were Steve and his wife Laura***

That first visit to Chicago will be one I will forever remember. It was a beginning and an end for me.  I was able to let go of the pain, and able to smile about the old memories and make new ones too!

I've made it an initiative to trek that 300 miles to Chicago every blustery February since...and why? Do I truly enjoy climbing 94 flights of stairs with 3000 people, in a hallway that is only 3 butt's wide?  Do I really enjoy getting up at 5:00am that Sunday morning to wait in line for check in?  Do I honestly love getting climbers cough every year and missing a day or two of work because I get sick every year?  No, not really.  So, why do I climb?......

......I must admit...I have been struggling this past week, as I did not sign up for The Hustle this year.  It was a tough decision (one that was made easier when the site to sign up crashed)!  I remember last year thinking to myself "I'm not sure if I want to climb next year" but in the back of my mind I knew I would. The reasons, do not really matter much, but yet I still struggled, knowing I wasn't going to fulfill the reasons I climb!

After praying long and hard last week I realized that I can rewrite why I climb to:

I do what I do...

- To honor a dear friend's memory  -I don't really need to climb a huge building to honor Kari's memory.  I honor her memory every time I post on RevieHope and every other time I speak about organ donation!

- To feel close to that friend one time each year  -I realized I don't need to hustle up a skyscraper to feel close to her.  It wasn't really ever climbing that made me feel close...it was the memories with you, Steve!

- To honor a new friend, and his dreams  -This was a tough one, because I could sense the disappointment, but I know that if I would have never met you, Steve, I would have never become so passionate about organ donation.  I know that what I do for My Angel Foundation and for IADN honors your dreams, or at least I hope I do!

- To show myself...I really am in good shape  -Well, it looks like Laura (Steve's wife) and I will be signing up for a 10k this summer!

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I feel like a lot of what I wrote 5 years ago completely applies to how I felt this Hustle season!


Although I was 800+ miles away, I was there. I was there as Kari's sister, a bunch of her friends & volleyball teammates took on "the Beast." I was there when Steve took his first big breath at the bottom and the big sigh of relief as he crossed the finish line. I was there at the top cheering with Kari's mom, watching what an impact her daughter had, and still has, on this world. 


I was there because I was thinking about each of you that day, and knew that as you crossed that finish line and conquered the Hancock that you all smiled and thought of a girl so loved and remembered by so many.

I am so proud of you Kari's Klimbers!

Peace to you all!

~JennMarie

PS. Laura, we never did do a 10k! ;)

Hustle 2007
Kate (my sis), Steve (AKA: Lungs), Devon, & Me

This week I had the joy of watching a dear friend's little guy for a few hours. J-man is one of those little guys who makes you smile and wonder how can one little boy be so cute!

I learned a valuable lesson this week...it is almost impossible for a 2 year old to sit still for more than 5 minutes. His attention went from trucks, to tortuously playing xylophones, to hide-in-seek, to "catch me Miss Jenn," to lunch, to reading, to running again. I soon was utterly exhausted, out of breath and was running out of ideas fast.

I asked J-man if he wanted to go play the piano, and a huge grin spread across his chubby cheeks and he excitedly said "YES!" After a 2 minute serenade he crawled off the piano bench said, "you play...I dance!" 

This little blonde boy then taught me another great lesson that day. As I made up horrible songs and tried playing kid songs from 20 years ago he spun in circles, giggled, and ran from one end of the room to the other. After doing some pretty wicked twirls, he looked directly at me, threw his tiny arms in the air and said "THIS IS AWESOME!!!" and pattered off giggling.

It didn't last long, maybe 10 minutes or so, but we both were laughing so hard I bet both our sides hurt. Afterward I thought about what a simple moment in life that was. I didn't do anything grand for this little boy. I didn't give him some huge gift with flashing lights or cool sound effects. I didn't take him to Disney World. I just gave him my attention and a bit of my heart.

J-man made me think about my life and how sometimes the most simple, and really truly silly moments are honestly the best!

When was the last time you did something so fun and honestly silly that you looked at who you were with and thought to yourself or even said, "This is awesome!"....even if it was as ridiculous as making up silly songs for a toddler?


Joy to you my friends!
~JennMarie

“Kids: they dance before they learn there is anything that isn't music” 

~William Edgar Stafford

(photo source)

"Joy delights in joy." ~William Shakespeare

I've been brainstorming ideas for a name & purpose for this blog. I wanted something simple, but meaningful and it came to me 2 weeks ago during a Bible study by Beth Moore on the Book of James.


In James 1:2, James wrote the following: "Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds."


Joy in the original Greek script is χαρά or "Chara!" (pronounced= khä-rä')



This New Year I decided to try to focus on the many blessings in my life. Have you ever written them down? No serious...it's really an eye-opening experience to do. I know a lot of people, me included, who sometimes think "It's one thing after another! I get over one hill just to see another one...even bigger!" 


When I made my list of blessings though, it truly opened my eyes, and heart to see how God has used "tough times" and turned them into blessings.


So now you see, I had to name my blog "JOY" because that's what I crave to find each day in both the big and small things.  


I wish you, my friends, pure joy or "chara" today and always.


~JennMarie

"When you wish joy, you wish them peace, love prosperity, happiness...all the good things."

~ Maya Angelou

It's been over 6 months since I've posted last. No, it doesn't mean that my life was uneventful. It's just the opposite actually. I will post about it in the future, but I've had life changing moments over the last few months.

Anyways...

I haven't posted because I honestly do not feel like what I say has any clout in the millions of other voices out there. Like I said back in July, why would anyone read let alone care about what I think/write? I follow so many bloggers who have much more interesting lives, one being The Gypsy Mama, who has definitely had a much more traveled life, if not interesting life than I. Gypsy Mama's post today truly hit a chord in my heart.

It got me thinking about my purposes for writing/blogging. Additionally, I read somewhere recently that it doesn't matter how many views, readers, followers, tags you may have....you should do it for yourself.

I do need that creative outlet, music and writing/reading are my two great loves (well, and of course my dear husband). So I may not be profound like Maya Angelou, but I will write for me, for my friends and family who care, and for my Lord who has blessed me beyond belief!

~JennMarie

Courage is being scared to death... and saddling up anyway.  ~John Wayne

Two weeks ago I was able to visit my sister's new stomping grounds, Austin, TX. She is venturing out into the world with a new calling. My Mom, Kate and I spent a lovely weekend seeing the sites and enjoying the beautiful 104 degree weather! <insert sarcasm >

On Sunday we attended the church Kate was assigned to. I think we were all nervous. Kate, for making good impressions; Mom, for knowing the impending departure mere hours in the future; and me...wishing I could keep her under my big sister wings just a little bit longer.


We pulled into the parking lot and walked through the front doors. Not seconds later, a young lady with a friendly face and eyes that showed a huge heart came up and introduced herself to us. She took us on a tour of the small, but welcoming church, and introduced us to each soul we came upon.

The worship service began, we settled into our seats and began to relax a little. As Pastor Pete, who happens to be from the great state of Iowa, began his message on courage the three of us kept smiling at each other...knowing how timely this message was for our family.


He said something that has been tugging on my heart since, "Complacency and courage are incompatible." 

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It is easy to be brave from a safe distance.  ~Aesop

Complacency is the easy way out, right? Yet, courage just seems like so much work sometimes.


It's so easy to sweep things under the rug and not have a crucial conversation with a friend.

“In the end, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends.” Martin Luther King Jr., “The Trumpet of Conscience”, 1967

Or it's easier to stay in a career or a job you are comfortable in than to try something more challenging or something you might love!

"The will to win, the desire to succeed, the urge to reach your full potential... these are the keys that will unlock the door to personal excellence."  ~Confucius

Then there's the tough one, that many of us are uncomfortable with...witnessing to others.

"Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit." ~Matthew 28:19

Some struggle with meeting new people and making new friends.

"Don’t make friends who are comfortable to be with. Make friends who will force you to lever yourself up." ~Thomas J. Watson

"If you go looking for a friend, you’re going to find they’re very scarce. If you go out to be a friend, you’ll find them everywhere." ~Zig Ziglar

Then there's those who avoid new things altogether. Whether it is change in general or doing something crazy like skydiving! 

"You'll always miss 100% of the shots you don't take." ~Wayne Gretzky

"Never be afraid to try something new. Remember, amateurs built the ark. Professionals built the Titanic." ~Dave Barry

"You gain strength, courage, and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face. You must do the thing which you think you cannot do." ~Eleanor Roosevelt

Where are we being nudged in our lives to have more courage?

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As we said our goodbyes that Sunday, to both Kate and her new friends, I admired her strength, her determination, and her calmness. A sense of peace came over me as a new friend to Kate approached me, and said, "Don't worry...we'll take good care of her!"


This past Sunday, as my husband and I were driving back to Texas after a short trip to Iowa the last thing I felt was courageous. As tears streamed down my cheeks, I called my sister and told her how weak I felt for sobbing as our families grew smaller in the distance. She said, "Jenn, tears are not a sign of weakness...they are a sign of emotion...and emotion is okay!" 


Thanks for the words of wisdom and affirmation Kate, you are one of the most courageous people I know!

 ~Jenn Marie

Why should I blog? No, seriously...I've been thinking about this a lot lately! What do I have to say that someone will find worthwhile to read?

I follow quite a few blogs. Most of them are personal friends who are talented in so many ways that make me extremely envious. 

For instance there's my cousin, a full time super mom who runs a business, raises 3 kids, has a successful marriage and seems to have fun while doing it. Or, my witty neighbor, a budding novelist who blogs about everything from her adventures at Walmart, to diaper duty with her small son, to childhood memories. Or two of my friends from high school who are both so creative it's nauseating! One is a Julia Child/ Martha Stewart combination, and the other is teacher who just happens to be a talented photographer on the side. Mind you, they both are full time mothers and wives! Seriously!?!? 

Then you have the thought provoking type. Like my friend that blogs about a lot of theological stuff, which sometimes is over my head! His zest for Christ is so contagious and I find it so interesting and refreshing to learn from him! Or there's one of my favorite profs from grad school. He happens to also be a published author, a project management consultant, a keynote speaker, AND an awesome family man! His blog is peppered with everything from discussions and advice on project management to his life experiences! Or there's my sister's blog. She's been posting about her transition from Corporate America to her calling in the Church! Her posts have been pretty profound lately...not to mention she has the cute puppy posts going for her too! 

Then you've got the inspirational bloggers! I actually use to write for one, and loved it! The stories are so heartfelt and so raw, and the battles that people shared were both heartbreaking and encouraging.

Finally, there's the baby bloggers! Seriously, who can compete with cute babies and all the adorable things they do and say!?

I don't think I lead an inspirational life, I don't have a cute dog, I can't sew or give you crafty ideas, (I struggled to get a "C" in home economics y'all!) my cooking skills are none to brag about, I have no cute kid to woo you over, nor am I a vast pool of professional experience and knowledge! 

So, what do I blog about then?!  

No clue, but here we go..........