Jenna is traveling by bus from Jacksonville, FL to Oklahoma City to visit her grandparents after completing an 8-week summer program. She reflects on her life-shaping summer, including weeks spent at a program called JAX STP where she grew closer to God. Key moments included giving up aspects of her identity, committing to reading the Bible daily, re-evaluating her dating relationship, and experiencing God's peace after a breakup. She feels surrounded by God's family and reminded of his promises.

1. JAX STP
I sleepily gaze at my reflection on the rain-streaked bus window. Looking beyond,
I recline in my seat and admire the beauty of the lush green plains of southern
Kansas, a vast difference from the palm tree lined coasts of Jacksonville FL I’ve
been accustomed to for the past 8 weeks. I’m about $100 dollars poorer and
traveling via Greyhound bus down to visit my Grandparents’ new home in OKC.
So far I’ve made two passenger friends; Kylie whom is headed down to Mexico
City for a week long missions trip to minister to Latina women and Michele, a
Micro Biology Major, who attempted to get me connected to the bus internet.
With no luck and no Netflix, I’ve decided to take this time to write a reflection of
my life shaping summer 2016.

2. Week 1 Christ the Center:
I arrived at the University of North Florida, not knowing a single soul but within the first week, I was quickly
adopted into a team of 4 other college girls form across the Midwest. Kyla, Megan, Susan, and Amy, our team leader, met
with me 1 on 1 the first Monday and continued to invest time with me every Monday for the continuation of the summer. In
getting to know me, she inquired about my rings. If you’ve ever caught a glimpse of my hands, you’ll notice the plethora of
silver rings. 7 to be exact. I wear, but not all simultaneously, not only because I love all things sparkly but because of what
each represents: my purity and desire to one day be married, my sisters, my heart to travel to the
nations, my home in Virginia, my love of style and art, my faith/relationship with Jesus, and my family.
As if 7 rings weren’t enough bling, I purchased an 8
th
ring when I arrived in FL, a seashell crafted by a
local artist to represent my love of beaches and this summer. After explaining my ring’s significance,
Amy shared a similar hand illustration: explaining our palm is Jesus our foundation and center, whom
gives and takes away. The fingers, like my rings, represents different aspects/branches of our lives, and
the thumb, our faith, that touches every finger and when bunched in a fist is the first finger we must
open and give to God.
I’ll admit I came into my summer at JAX with my hands in a fist, believing I was “alright” in my faith and that all
other “fingers/rings” in my life were mine to keep. Then I read John 15:1-3, “I’m the Real Vine and my father is the farmer. He
cuts off every branch off me that doesn’t bear grapes. And every branch that is grape-bearing he prunes back so it’ll bear
even more.” I asked God to trim back the branches that had no fruit but more importantly to trim the ones that were fruit
bearing, pleading him to completely strip me of any greater desires than him. And boy did he do some trimming.
Wrapping up that week 1, I flew home to celebrate my younger sister’s Moriah’s high school graduation. Shortly
after arriving, my parents announced we were selling our home of six years and leaving VA, that and my two sisters were
moving to Texas and the other to OKC. What!?! After a brief and bittersweet celebration, on the plane ride back to JAX, I
watched VA disappear on the horizon and gave my “Home in VA” and “my sisters” rings to God as he pruned back two of my
branches. He comforted me with the verse “Don’t you realize that there are yet other villages where I have to tell the
message of God’s kingdom, that this is the work God sent me to do?” Luke 4:43 I realized VA and living with my family had
been my home and a huge season of my life, but it’s no longer the place God had me. He’d called me to JAX and I was
excited to see how over the next 7 weeks he’d reveal what was next for me in Florida.
Moriah’s Graduation DInner

3. Week 2 Identity in Christ:
ID week was crucial. Sense the day I was born, my whole has felt like a quest to answer
the question “who am I?” This week and throughout the remainder of the summer God
continued to remind me I’m His Daughter. Me?! A daughter of the King?! A Princess?! I’d had it
wrong all this time. I’ve loved working in retail and majoring in fashion, especially the
combination of both learning and gaining experience at Anthropologie this summer.
Unfortunately, both my major and work place, brought out an inward struggle. I’d started to
take my identity from my clothes and appearance, and let materialistic things define me.
However, the crown God has placed on my blonde hair, isn’t made of materialistic jewels, but a
gold wreath of wildflowers that sparkles in rays of sunshine. “Instead of looking at the
fashions, walk out into fields and look at the wildflowers. They never primp or shop but have
you ever seen color and design quite like it?” Matthew 6:28 “Wear the counsel like flowers in
your hair…” Proverbs 1:9 I gave the “style and art” ring to God because my clothes, job/career,
and appearance do not define me. Week 2 solidified me in my identity in his love, reminded
me I’m his daughter and that “You’re beautiful with God’s beauty, Beautiful inside and out!”
Luke 1:28
Instagram post for Anthropologie

4. Week 3 The Word of God:
“Instead you thrill to God’s word and chew on Scripture day and night. You’re a tree
replanted in Eden, bearing fresh fruit every month, never dropping a leaf always in blossom”
Psalm 1:2-3 I’ve never been a huge reader. I’d rather be living a story, drawing/painting a
picture, rather than reading one. I’ve always timed my times with God, mentally checking it off
my “TO DO” list, and I’ve never been truly excited about reading God’s word, until this
summer. I found that what does get me excited about reading God’s word was drawing the
images/visions he’s always given me onto the pages of my Bible. I feel God has given me the
artistic ability to interpret his words into pictures in order to make his truths brighter and
fade-out the lies of this world. He’s given me the illustration of a deeply rooted tree and as I go
to him he shows me truth through his word and pictures so I remember, live out, and thrive.
God took my “faith and relationship” ring and gave me a new vision of how I could relate with
him as the creator who created me to create. Now, my Bible is no longer just a book, but a
sketch/coloring book! Ever sense week 3, I’ve woken up excited for the picture, song, and truth
God is going to reveal to me in my time with him!

5. Week 4 Relationships:
During this week and as a daughter of Christ, I investigated my role as a woman in
Christ’s community. Living with a team with four other girls and in a dorm complex with 150
other college students could’ve made me feel insignificant, but God has given many women,
including me, the incredible capacity for relationships, sharing our hearts, and gifts with
others. I discovered my role on Team Phoenix was in decorating our room to feel like home,
bringing my pictures and message “abridged” Bible into our bible studies, and winning others
over by initiating and planning costumes and surprises. My role in our community was to bring
people together get them involved in swing dancing, singing a song, or making them laugh. My
over all role as a woman is still a work-in-progress, but I believe God has called me and will
continue to fulfill my desire to befriend and encourage my girl friends through art and style.
When I discovered my role as a woman in Christ’s community right now, I knew I was not ready
to fill the role of a life-long cheerleader of a husband yet. I’d been idolizing/in love with the
idea of a wedding, but I’d been basing the end goal my long-distance relationship, coveting,
and fantasizing on an unrealistic future, instead of understanding the long-term, exclusivity,
and sacrifices of marriage. After this conclusion, I asked my “partner in crime” if we could take
a fast and ask God if he still wanted us to date, what our roles and relationship looked like in
God’s community in this stage of our lives. As we wrapped up week 4 and I began this time of
re-evaluating my dating relationship, God started to reveal that my desires for relationships
and to fill a role comes from my desire for God himself. If I wanted a deeper relationship with
Jesus himself I had to be in single pursuit of the Prince of Wholeness, it was then I re-
committed my “purity and desire to be married” ring to God. “One thing only is essential, and
she has chosen it- it’s the main course, and won’t be taken from her.” Luke 10:41
Team Star
Phoenix drawing
Social media dress-
up at Team social

6. Week 5 Faith, Prayer, and God’s Promises:
My parents came to visit me down in JAX where my dad spoke at the parent’s weekend
brunch and led a reflection activity with the team leaders. I got
to show them my world and I’m pretty sure we ate at all the
Tex-Mex restaurants Jacksonville had to offer. With their
presence and guidance, I was able to make a tough but God-led
decision “That’s the kind of decision I’m asking you to make…”
Luke 12:58 and asked my boy-friend if we could take a step back
to friendship. Going back to square one was hard because we’d
spent and lost. What was even harder for me to believe was the
beautiful truth that broken-up me was a better me. In my
brokenness and loss, I found incredible peace, peace that
surpassed understanding. After letting one relationship go I
felt I was able to fully invest in so many other relationships at
JAX. I dug deep into the Word, not merely to find a quick remedy, but with a desire to know
more about the the lover of my soul, “Yes, when you get serious about finding me and want it
more than anything else, I’ll make sure you won’t be
disappointed. God’s Decree.” Jeremiah 29:13-14 Another one of
my ring’s symbolism was changed from just “family” to “Christ’s
family.” After breaking up, I’d feared loneness, but was
completely surrounded by God’s peace, my parents, and the
community of believers, friends, and family at the STP. As week
5 finished, any other doubts disappeared when God reminded
me of his promises: “If God gives such attention to the
wildflowers, most of them never even seen, don’t you think
he’ll attend to you, take pride in you, do his best for you?” Luke
12:28
Parents weekend

7. Week 6 Selfless Living:
As we started week 6, my parents drove back to VA, our
program directors left to have their baby back in Kansas, and were
replaced by staff shepherds, Tom and Linda. My dear friend Mandy
and I were enjoying our gluten and dairy free banana pancakes one
morning when I first met them, whom apparently knew exactly knew
who I was. They’d met my parents several times and even my sister at
the Ozark Mountain Encounter STP, where Tom had led a round pen
demonstration with horses. He described how each horse he’d
worked had a different issue, hesitation, or handicap they had to over
come, by putting and releasing pressure on them to get each horse to
participate in the activity. As soon as the horse would obey, Tom
would reward them with freedom from the pressure he had to put on
them. I related most with the palomino horse, not only because she
had blonde hair, she was sweet and enthusiastic, but also would
refuse to let Tom approach one side of her. After our conversation I
asked myself what side of me was I afraid of letting God approach?
God revealed that I was unwilling to give him my future plans for fear
of the unknown and that I’d be “settling” for his plan. As soon as I
gave him my plans he released the pressure and gave me freedom to
be excited for what was to come. On my last bus ride to work at
Anthropologie the bus driver (Buck), one other passenger (Brittany),
and I shared a prayer and committed each other’s unknown futures to
God. It was a moment I’ll treasure forever; joined hand in hand with
complete strangers, on a bus, just passing through with various
destinations but with the same faiths in a God whom guides us, is the
best companion, and ultimate destination on our journeys. Sense
week 6 I’ve had to continue to surrender my life and plans to God, and
as I do my actions and overall, my future becomes less about me and
more of how God is using me to serve others.
Mandy my fellow G & D
free friend
palomino horse
Live by faith, not
by sight

8. Week 7 The Great Commission:
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, and teaching them to obey everything I have
commanded you.” Matthew 28:19-20. Go! I love this word! As a missionary kid, my whole life
has been every two years to pack up and go where ever God called my family, which I believe is
the source of my bohemian passion to travel and discover new places. “What comes next is very
important: I am sending what my Father promised to you, so STAY here in the city until he
arrives, until you’re equipped with power from on high.” Luke 24:45-49 STAY. My wander lust
heart cringes at the sound of this word “STAY”, but as we studied and heard about unreached
nations through Wycliffe Bible Translators and other sources I realized that God was drawing
me overseas but also to stay, wait, not right now, and no where specific yet. During week 7 I
discovered God’s great commission on my life was not an overseas mission right now but a
mission to reach out where he’s placed me in KC. I surrendered my “heart to travel to the
nations” ring over to him realizing the nations for now are my campus. I need to finish my
degree in Fashion Merchandising in the spring of 2017, and while studying fashion my mission
is to inform and encourage people to discover their unique style and buy
clothes conscientious of the nation their sourced from, quality, and environmental impact.

9. Week 8 Back to Campus:
With my summer wrapping up and handing
over all my rings the last to go was giving my
“summer” ring to God. While I could’ve spent my
summer overseas visiting friends or home in VA
one last time, I’d followed God’s prompting to
“invest my summer in deepening my relationship
with him down in JAX. “He said, ‘That’s what I
mean: Risk your life and get more than you ever
dreamed of. Play it safe and end up holding the
bag.” Luke 19:26 God gave me the picture of Winnie
the Pooh’s treasured “HUNNY” pots, he typically
buries and looses them. I feared my summer of
growth would be lost like a buried honey pot, faded
in a note book, and gather dust on a shelf. I wanted
not just to walk away from this summer changed
but to double or triple the investment I’d made with
my summer by re-investing it, retaining, and
applying what God had done in my life and heart
over the summer back on campus and in the work
place this fall. Throughout the last week of JAX
God reminded me that his love for him was
relational not locational, and he the same God
who guided, provided, brought, met, and grew me
in Florida would be traveling back to Kansas with
me. “And surely I am with you always, to the very
end of the age.” Matthew 28:20.
Team Phoenix “Inside Out” dress-up
for Team Theme Prom
Church Group at
at the Church of
Eleven 22

10. God came with me on the 7-hour bus ride and as I spent a couple days with my grandparents and sisters in
OKC. As we headed back to Kansas City to pick up my parents from the airport we got in a small car wreck, God
protected and provided for us as no one was injured and instead of a small now un-drivable car, a spacious “soccer
mom” mid-sized car that had plenty of room for my sister’s, I’s, and my parents stuff to move out West and in with
my grandparents. Once we picked up my parents, I made it to my job interview, was able to introduce the whole
family to Tim and Martha, whom I’ll be living with this year, and we went out to dinner to celebrate my Birthday.
I’m continuing to drag out my birthday over this week as we spend it with my Aunts and Uncles in Nebraska. Next
week, we’re taking a week-long family vacation in Springfield MO until I head back to JCCC full time and part-
time work for the fall semester. Summer is not over, God is here and is never done growing me. I’m going to soak
up these last weeks, continue to reflect, and spend time with my family and Him. “Daughter, you took a risk in
trusting me, now you’re healed and whole. Live well, live blessed.” Luke 8:48
Jamin’ in the common area at UNF
Popsicles with
Clarissa in ST
Augustine
Team Team Phoenix
at Treaty Tree
Team Phoenix at
Final Banquet
Team Phoenix while I was home in VA
JAX LANDING
Last night praise and
worship
Universal
Studios/Theme Park
Nation dress-up at
Wycliffe
Entire Program (150 mid-west
students) at a sand castle competition