Where in the world is Jennifer Major??

Let's recap, shall we?

First, after 2 weeks in Ontario with family, I came home and did this.

Awesome. Just AWESOME.

No. I have NO IDEA how it happened. But the x-rays showed NOTHING. So the doc said, "it's either a stress fracture, or aggressive arthritis."

Because I needed that.

Now, normally, I'd just rest it. 

But I had to prepare for...wait for it...

...a 3 1/2 week trek from Vancouver (to see my parents) then to Dallas.

I must say, the fromage et crackeres selection on the flight from San Francisco to Dallas was rathath lovely...or was it Seattle to San Francisco?

Okay, whatever...the cheese was good!

I did have to force the chocolate down...

In Dallas, I attended the annual American Christian Fiction Writer's conference known as ACFW 2015.

There was a "zone breakfast" where people in the different ACFW zones could meet, greet and eat. The lovely Rose Dee from Australia brought all of us "Beyond the Borders" peeps this gorgeous flower arrangement!

Ahhhh, the joy of hanging out with friends who understand the writer's mind and crazy world!!

Gabrielle and Lisa...

Shelli...

Cathy...

Some...uhhh...random people who spontaneously broke into bad chorus line work...and some who stayed all mature-y and stuff.

Things were, exciting, stressful, full-out and finally, on the last night?

 Things got POSH.

VERY posh!!

Like, SUPER ULTRA POSH!!!

I wore a GOWN!

There's moi, with my absolutely adorable and fabulous room mate, Shelli Littleton.

Isn't she a stunner? 

Once the non-stop ACFW was over, sniff, Shelli drove me to Love Field and I hopped on a Southwest flight to Albuquerque, where I met up with my partner in crime, Robyn Peters, and then after a night of SLEEP, we headed out to Jamestown, New Mexico.

Remember that ball gown?

Yeah, well....

Here's me in my pajamas, shorts, a hoodie, in awe of the sunrise.

Hey, Robyn? Care to go on a wee hike?

Here we are, loopy after surviving the Canyon de Chelly White House Ruins hike.

Where? 

The Navajo homeland. 

Then, when it all got to be 'too much fun', as my niece used to say...

...at night, we'd watch the sky...wow. Just, wow.

For 5 wonderful days, our hosts Ted and Evie Charles took us hither and yon across New Mexico and Arizona.

We even met royalty!!

Miss Navajo Nation 2015, Alyson Shirley.

  

  

   

THAT? Is the view from their deck on the only two story hogan in all of New Mexico.

And this place? Robyn and I christened it Canyon de Charles. WOW. And it's in their backyard!!!

On our last night, Robyn, Ted, Evie and I enjoyed a cook out!!

Now? Ted and Evie are in their big hogan, probably enjoying the peace and quiet. ;)

Robyn is back in California.

All the ACFW friends are home, too.

I'm back in Albuquerque. Alone in a hotel room, catching up on work, then off to see some friends. 

Tomorrow it's Santa Fe and a few museums.

Tuesday, friends and maybe another museum, and edits!

Wednesday, back to Dallas, and then more research!

Oh my, I should remember to enjoy the heat, since Fall has his hit from whence I came.

Enjoy the photos, and see you soon.

Why?

Ohhhhhh, something special is coming!! 

The last verses of Job...

Have you ever wanted to change your name to Job and just give up?

Just turf it all and go live in a box and be left alone because, well, life has sucked you dry and what's the point anyway?

All the hurt just keeps piling on and along the way, life just changed the definition of "all" to "some with more on the way".

And where is God? Where is a respite? Where is a moment of mercy when the sky is falling, the earth is crumbling, and there seems to be no hope in sight?
While my life is not like that, I know that some of my friends do live in that Job-zone.

Job was a man who loved God. If you know your Bible, God allowed the enemy to destroy Job's world. I do not understand WHY or HOW this happened, but through it all, Job stayed faithful.

Lately, while my life has been great, a few things have nudged me too hard. 

And then over the weekend, my left ankle started to HURT. 

I went to the ER last night. 

They did x-rays.

Apparently, there's either a stress fracture, or a bout of "agitated arthritis" in there. Whatever it is, it HURTS.

Pitypartypitypartypityparty.

I have a 3 week trip coming up and it includes a very important conference and a research trip to New Mexico, and then one in Texas.

But, umm, Lord? I'm in pain down here...

This morning, I read the very last verse of Job. I read the verses before then end, but this is what it said at the

very end:

 "And then he died, an old man who lived a long life."

Not "he was bitter to the end" or "he did curse God and die, and what a buzzkill" or even "Job died alone and miserable".

It tells us that he lived a long life. That his family was important to him. He even left an inheritance to his daughters. Which, yeah, was a huge deal in those days.

But, despite all that happened to him, he lived. 

Not, endured.

Not, survived.

Not, crawled to the edge and jumped off.

With what God restored to him, Job lived.

I need to remember to live through this minor bout of nothing serious, and not dwell on the ways to endure the drama.
To count my blessings, which are many.
To be a good steward of what God has given me and not dwell on what I don't have.
To be thankful, to live thankfully.
To live!!

So, sore feet or not, onward and upward.

www.weheartit.com

I'll see you all in a few weeks!

And then? I have a HUGE announcement!!!

Annnnnnnnd we're back!!

I went on vacation with my family...to here...

Then here...The Ontario Camp for the Deaf. My husband's parents are both deaf, and we go to 'family camp' every August.

 Ditched the family for a day, to go meet up with my friend Cathy West. Whereupon my arrival, we did this...

It was ROUGH.

Especially when we got up from the lovely recliners and realized our butts were SOAKED.

Apparently, it had rained...the day before.

Who cares? It was a fabulous visit!!

Back at Deaf Camp...

Husbands who like to cook??

 We were spoiled!!!

And we did stuff like this...

Ahhhhh...and now? 

Back to the real world.