Book Review-Restless

One of the challenges on my 30 by 30 list, is to read a new Christian book each month.   Friday evening I went to Mardels and found this book at the suggestion of the young man working.  And I must say oh my Lord it was a great choice.  Restless is written by Jennie Allen, and the tag line is BECAUSE YOU WERE MADE FOR MORE.  My first thought when the kid suggested the book was you don't know me like that.  Then I opened page 1 and I couldn't put the  book down.   I'm a quarter of the way through the book and its already challenging me to pursue my call to ministry, more than what I am currently.  I highly suggest this book to anyone who is dealing with a restless spirit.  It challenges you to live every day with purpose.  The point I have loved the most is how Jennie Allen highlights over and over again that our ministry isn't always going to be that of Joyce Meyers or Beth Moore, and sometimes not even that of missionaries in Haiti.  Sometimes God's plan for the season that you are in is to be a faithful mother, wife, student, or even Mcdonalds worker.

I recently had to make a grown up decision to not move to Australia.  For the last year my life has been consumed with fulfilling that plan, and I knew God was in the decision to move.  Then life happened, and plans changed.  I've had a hard time living with that decision and accepting that this was all in God's plan.  It has hurt my pride, my focus, and confused me more than anything. All of sudden every insecurity and fear that God was done with me overcame me.  It even took me over a month to say it out loud.  Afraid of what my peers would think, and afraid of what my haters would say.  Through this study I was reminded of Joseph, it took him 15 years to fulfill the vision that God put in his heart.  I know that he was probably confused throughout that entire time.  God never says its going to be smooth sailing, he just says trust in me and be faithful to me and I will fulfill that purpose in you.  One time I spent the day in jail, for a ticket this was the hardest almost 24 hours of my life.  All I did was complain to God the entire time I was there.  I have been betrayed by friends and hurt by those that I loved and I never once thought that maybe this was in God's plan.  The thing about Joseph is he still kept living even through being betrayed by his brothers, thrown in a pit, sold into slavery, and in being imprisoned.  He still used his God given gifts in every day life.   

I leave you with this, there is a quote in the book that says, "We start running the race we were meant to run, and then we realize after mile five that we have accidentally signed up for a marathon." Although I thought the plan was finish school at Hillsong and then start doing ministry. I am changing to embracing my role in my day to day life, and living every day with purpose.  Looking for opportunities to serve the Lord with whole hearted, and be the JoAnna that God created me to be. 

-JSqd

30 by 30

Yesterday was the last birthday of my twenties, and boy has time flew by.  It seems just like yesterday I was having my 16th birthday party.  Everyone gives me a hard time of being sad because it's only 30. But I haven't fulfilled everything that I thought that I would fulfill in my 20's.   So I decided to make this the best last year as a 20 something absolutely fabulous. I plan on entering my 30's with a whole new attitude.  I compiled a list of random things that I wanted to do while I was in my twenties, no particular importance and some are new things.  I will be updating on what is exactly going on throughout the next year.

-JSqsd

Blessed is SHE

I found this verse a few months ago while on a Pinterest binge.  Don't judge me you know we all have those nights when you can't fall asleep so you obsessively stroll through Pinterest, pinning everything under the sky, because who knows one day you may need to know how to use a Ziploc bag as an iPad holder.  Any ways back to the verse.  I have been a Christian for 17 years now, and I have been in church my entire life.  How is this the first time that I have read this verse? I never remember learning this in Sunday School, bible study or even in discipleship classes.  Maybe because if I read it before I would have disregarded it, as one of those verses that are over used to the point that we disrespect the beauty behind them, like John 3:16 or Philippians 4:13.  Or maybe I heard it and it just didn't appeal to my life at that time.  Well for whatever reason, I stopped mid binge when I saw this verse.

I knew a few months after I accepted Christ, that I was called in to ministry of some sort. And when I was 16, I knew that youth ministry was where my heart was.  However I continually run from that call, I get distracted by the things of this world, rather it is success, lack of faith, and sometimes down right selfishness.  For many years I have felt like I take two steps forward in life, only to take 10 steps back.  I forget about the support that God has placed around me, and forget that he wants me to remain faithful through trials. I forget what God says in Deuteronomy 31:6 that He will never leave you nor forsake you.  Most importantly I forget that God's ways are higher, and his thoughts are higher, so I may not understand what's going on but I still shouldn't loose faith.

Every now in then God gives us little reminders.  We just have to get our SELF out of the way, and let Him do his thing. I believe that this verse was a reminder for me, he knew the trials I was headed into and he knew that I needed a word from him.

My challenge for everyone is that no matter what is going on in your life, remember the promises that God has promised to fulfill in you.  Your situation may not seem like God favors you, but remember he is never there to hurt you, he is only love you to fullness.

-JSqd

Two Texas Beauties & My Borrowed Camera

Photography makes me weak at the knees.  I’ve been crushing on him for a few years now.  The last few years it has been a huge part of my life.  However when I decided to move to attend Hillsong, I put at hold on my love affair with photography.  I sold my camera, and other photo equipment in December.  However when I decided to wait until July I started booking photo shoots again, luckily for me the store I sold my camera allows me to rent it out whenever I need it. Last weekend I went for a short visit to Texas to take senior pics of two beautiful ladies.  Really I just use any excuse to see my niece and nephew.  When I upgraded my camera, to the 5D Mark ii, I sold my Canon Rebel to my sister in law.  So I was able to use this when I visited.

I remember when I used this camera all I did is complain about the equipment I used, and how no one would take me serious with tis camera.  But it was this camera that made me enough money to afford my big kid camera.  So often we want to hurry through seasons, of our life. God has something that he wants to teach us in every season although it isn’t always fun.  Looking back on this time, it made me a better photographer.  It made me truly learn how to use all the dials on the camera, and prepared me for using my big kid camera.  Here are a few images from our shoot this weekend, I hope you enjoy.

-Jsqd

And lastly this one because my niece would kill me if I didn't post one with her in it. 

Juicing

                                 

November of last year I came across a movie on Netflix, that intrigued my mind.  It was Fat Sick andNearly Dead by Joe Cross. It detailed his journey of a 60 day juice fast. During that time he was able to cure a chronic disease, and lose close to 80lbs.  Although I haven’t been successful with completing my personal juice fast, I have been able to add juices to my daily life.  I have struggled with asthma for as long as I can remember, and I also have at least one yearly big sickness. Sometimes its breathing treatments at the ER, and sometimes its sinus infections that make me want to stick my head in the freezer for extended amounts of time.

This year I began adding fresh juice into my life, and I started to notice that throughout the weather ups and downs I only caught one small but, and I was able to go the entire winter season without one breathing treatment.  Today I am going to give my juice recipe, that I use on a daily basis.

1 Cucumber

1 Lemon

1 Green Apple

1in of Ginger

5-6 leaves of Kale

1 cup of Spinach

Voila instant yumminess

I use organic fruits & vegetables that way I don’t have to peel them, I am kinda lazy like that. A couple of pointers would be, use a juicer not a blender, Nutribullet, Ninja, or Vitamix. These are all completely different than a juicer. I use the Breville Juice Fountain Plus, and I love it.  I used a cheap juicer when I first started, and it lasted all of 1 use. So try to get a quality juicer, at a reasonable price. Also I find that I like the juice better if I eat it within a hour of making it, however that's not always convenient so you can make it and save it in the fridge in mason jars for 48 hrs.  

This has pretty much been my morning meal.  I discovered these bars this weekend at Whole Foods, and holy cow they are amazing. They taste kinda like a healthy Eileen's Monster Cookie.  Plus they are local, and I am all about supporting local business. They are actually made down by the OKC Farmers Market.  It also doesn't hurt that the guys from KiZE were in Whole Foods and they aren't too bad on the eyes.

Alright, deuces for now. Tomorrow I will doing a Fashion Friday special. Talking about natural hair. 

-JSqd

My Call My Heart My Life

Welcome to my little spot on the Internet. I know, I know I said I would be blogging again starting on Monday, but life happened. So Wednesday and Monday are pretty close together if  you ask me.

The name of the blog is pretty much explains itself, but just to clarify read below.

My Call- To help a generation of young women to see themselves as Christ sees them, to inspire them to be true Proverbs 31 women, and to challenge them to leave their mark on this world.

My heart- My Lord, my family, my girls, and photography has my heart.  My relationship with my Savior has been eventful to say the least, but HIS constant grace for my stupidity has strengthened our relationship.  My #1 will always be the Lord, and serving his will.  I would be nothing without my family, they affirm me, push me, and call me on my crap.  God placed me in a wonderful ministry in South OKC, and gave me a group of young ladies who I love dearly. Lastly photography is my way to express my love for God's beautiful creation.

My Life- All the craziness that makes me, whether it be my natural hair journey, juicing, my d.i.y. attempts, or my obsession with my boo Kenzie Da Dawg.

A little about me:
I am a lover of people, and adventures, photographer, youth leader, a comfortable shoe addict, die hard Thunder fan(I might shank you if you talk about my boys), soon to be Hillsong College Student(yep that's Australia y'all), new Yankee's fan, fairy Godmother to three little delinquents, Aunt to two kids who grow incredibly to quick but bring me so much joy. But most importantly I am in love affair, with the CREATOR of all things. Although I am fumbling through this thing called life, I strive to seek GOD'S will in every decision.

My current life verse:
Luke 1:45- "Blessed is she who has believed that the LORD would fulfill his promises to HER." I hope this blog serves as a place of inspiration, and a call to live for more.

My current obsession:
Classen curve juice at Whole Foods(pineapple puree, carrot juice, apple juice, and ginger), and yoga pants.

What I am looking forward to right now:
Australia, duh!!!

-JoAnna Johnson aka jsqd

What is beauty?

What is your definition of beauty? A few months back, I was enlisted to take the photos for my church directory. One of my favorite things about photography is for a moment you get to turn into a counselor, and help a person with their physical insecurities. I know that sounds weird, but it so true. When a person steps in front of your camera walls immediately go up, from the way a person holds their mouth, to the way they cross their arms. And when it comes to women, we just take it to a different level, we tug at our shirts, pouf our hair, and check our makeup a million times. That day every single woman, from age 8-80 made a comment about the way that they looked while the photo was being taken. What's sad is the ease in the way that it came off our tongues. Why is it that it has became second nature that we second guess our beauty? I don't know how many times have I looked in the mirror and thought this is as good as it gets. When my heart truly breaks is hearing my girls make a statement regarding the way they look. If I don't model confidence in my beauty, how can I expect them to model it. I know this is an argument that will continue for years to come, but why not allow yourself to feel beautiful. Everyone always talks about photoshopped images on the cover of magazines, and models with false beauty being the problem. The reality is the world's standard of beauty is always going to be there. Our job is to BE CONFIDENT WOMEN, in return we will build CONFIDENT GIRLS. So the question I ask, is women how do you see yourself? -Jsqd