Weekly Recap // Studio Happenings, Community & Music

A favorite photo of the week for Psalm 119:10-11 calligraphed by Julie! 

Praying that your week has been filled with a thirst to seek the Almighty and to hide His word in your heart.

This week has been super productive with several custom handlettering orders coming in (all of which, I am incredibly excited about!!! Follow the progress on our Instagram feed), creating designs for a sweet friend's bridal shower, finishing loads of laundry (always a reason to do the Ickey Shuffle, right?) and working in the garden with my sweet husband on the beautiful spring-is-coming-but-not-really days. I've also brainstormed and daydreamed with a few amazing women that have passions for design and hearts for Jesus. What more could you ask for in a community of women? How about Ladies Night at church with Emily Rogers bringing the humor then the "lady who brought the apples," Brandi Whaley, sharing God's truth? (Thanks Caroline T. for sharing this article on FB this week!) Excited to spend an evening with the ladies of Summit tonight! 

Spoiler Alert: You will most likely see a photo on IG of the Cinnamon Roll Waffle and Conecuh Sausage Feast we'll be having tomorrow morning. You know you want to join in on the Saturday Morning action in your own kitchen!

Side note: If you're looking for new music to check out this week, I can't stop listening to Johnnyswim on Spotify and The Hanging Tree by Jennifer Lawrence because I FINALLY saw the Mockingjay Part 1 (we would've went to see it in Japan but it wasn't playing there - what!?). Want to see what we're listening to in the Jitney Studio every day? Click on the Spotify icon below. 

Kyoto, Japan : Southern Higashiyama Part 1 // Scripture Memory: Week 3

If you're following along with the Scripture Memory / Dwell Richly printable, here's the verse for week 3: 

I seek you with all my heart; do not let me stray from your commands. I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you. Psalm 119:10-11 (NIV)

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Southern Higashiyama was one of our favorite parts of Kyoto, coming in at a close second to Arashiyama. Throughout all of our Kyoto sightseeing adventures, we followed the walking tours described in the Lonely Planet Kyoto travel guide (with a few detours, of course). 

One of the many charming walkways through Kyoto.

This was the first geisha we saw walking around town. Please check out her specialty socks that separate the big toe from the other toes and are made just for those shoes. Fun fact about Gion (another district of Kyoto beside S. Higashiyama): You can pay to become a maiko (apprentice geisha) which includes full make-up and a formal kimono.

Kiyomizu-dera entrance

Kiyomizu-dera This Buddhist temple overlooks a Kyoto hillside, supported by 139 15m-high wooden pillars. 

Otowa-no-taki Spring People waited in line for a solid 30 minutes just to get a sip of this sacred water, believed to bestow health and long life. We weren't that patient. 

Jishu-jinja One of the two 'Love Stones'. Visitors attempt to ensure success in love by closing their eyes and walking between the two love stones, a mere 18 meter journey. Several groups of school children were running around so we did our best to touch a stone without losing each other in the mass of yellow hats. 

Chion-In (aka The Big Bell) Making its grand appearance in 1633, this is the largest bell in Japan. We didn't get a chance to see the monks ringing it but it was still fun to see! 

              Do these remind anyone else of Mushu from Mulan?

Kodai-Ji This temple was founded in 1605. The extensive grounds include gardens designed by the famed landscape architect Kobori Enshu, and tea houses designed by the renowned master of tea ceremony, Sen no Rikyu (Lonely Planet). 

Kodai-Ji

Kodai-Ji

Kodai - Ji This may have been the most magical-looking place in Japan that we visited. JD and I stood here for quite a while, soaking in the beauty of this place. 

Ok, so the lady who took the photo above (of us in front of the tiny temple) asked if she could take one of us in front of this stunning maple. We couldn't refuse. Not even this photo captures the sheer vibrancy of the maple season in Kyoto. The foliage was stunning. 

Hebrews 4:12 Free Printable & Scripture Recap

Download Hebrews 4:12 as a free 8 x 10 printable here. 

I don't know about you but I've been feeling highly unmotivated this week. JD has had to pull me out of bed most mornings because my body has felt like a heavy brick. I've been building blanket tents on the couch with warm coffee in my hands non-stop. I'm thankful for the sunshine pouring into the windows today as this week has been awfully dreary and the weather has seemed so sad. I'm also thankful for the fact that even when we're feeling sluggish, God's word is ALIVE and ACTIVE. What a beautiful truth to cling to! 

Thank you to everyone who has sent texts and emails this week about how God has spoken to you through this verse. If you missed my Facebook post this week, read it here:

As I was writing out Hebrews 4:12 this morning, I asked God if He could really affect people's lives with the verse this week from the scripture memory resource. "I know Your Word is alive and active, sharper than any double-edged sword, but how is that going to carry people through a tough week?" Hello!? What more do you need to carry you through the week? When everything is crumbling around you, the Word of God is STILL 'alive and active; it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.' That is a beautiful promise, a promise we can surely cling to.

Within an hour, two friends messaged me saying how much they've been clinging to Hebrews 4:12. One friend said, "It is empowering and comforting to know that God's word can see right through my 'tough' exterior and evaluates my heart. When others may misinterpret my intentions, He is refining me and loves the deepest parts. Good words to know by hear." I'm thankful for encouraging friends and I'm thankful for the One who hears me, in even my most naive moments, and still chooses to show me grace and truth at every corner.

Dwell Richly Update: I seriously can't get enough of Lindsey S.'s chalkboard memory verses! Loving that they are memorizing the verses as a family each week! PS: Sending infinite and GIGANTIC Happy Birthday Wishes to you today!!!! 

Amy G. posted the AMP version of Hebrews 4:12 this week. The details and descriptions are so good:
For the Word that God speaks is alive and full of power [making it active, operative, energizing, and effective]; it is sharper than any two-edged sword, penetrating to the dividing line of the breath of life (soul) and the [immortal] spirit, and of joints and marrow [of the deepest parts of our nature], exposing and sifting and analyzing and judging the very thoughts and purposes of the heart.

If you'd like to join us in memorizing scripture this year, download the free Dwell Richly scripture memory resource for 2015 here. Post photos and status updates about how you're memorizing scripture and/or how God is speaking to you through the verses on IG, Facebook and Twitter using #dwellrichly and #scripturememory.

Kyoto, Japan : We Were Giants // Scripture Memory: Week 2

If you're following along with the Scripture Memory / Dwell Richly printable, here's the verse for week 2: 

For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. Hebrews 4:12 (NIV)

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We spent our first week in Japan journeying through the temples and alleyways of the beautiful Kyoto. The maples were stunning and the weather was fantastic. Aside from cherry blossom season, autumn (early Nov) is the prime time to visit Japan because of the fall foliage and dry / mild weather. This also means that this is one of the busiest tourist seasons of the year... which also means we had a difficult time finding lodging (as we can only book our hotel room a couple of weeks in advance). Even though the entire town of Kyoto was 99% booked by the time we were able to make reservations, JD ended up finding a lovely Japanese townhouse on VRBO.com located in southern Higashiyama. 

Kyoto Tip: If you're looking for somewhere to stay in Kyoto, we definitely recommend the S. Higashiyama area, moreso than downtown Kyoto. We walked to most tourist places (while sneaking through charming alleyways) or rode the subway to the other areas of town. It is quiet and centrally-located.

The townhouse was an adventure in itself. Think Kung-fu Panda mixed with a little Mulan. Let me tell you, Japan is not built for tall people (see photo of JD the Giant, he's not even on his tippy-toes). The doorways were no taller than 6' in our living accommodations and most temples. The stairs were super steep and narrow (treacherous to walk down when you're wearing your house slippers). And JD may or may not have almost punched through the paper door when he was sleeping one night too. The whole trip: We both felt super large and clumsy. We were giants.

This townhouse had two tatami bedrooms (where you sleep on a thin mattress on the floor) and one bedroom with two twin western beds. And by western bed, I mean a frame with a boxspring. We grabbed four tatami mats, placed them over the boxsprings and actually slept quite comfortably! The shower and tub were a little odd. We may have also broken off the holder for the shower handle (Clumsy Giants, I tell ya!). Apparently, you're supposed to stand on the bathroom floor, shut the door and shower in the room as if the whole room was a shower. But we didn't know that sooo we took showers while standing in the 3' deep tub. The toilet seat was heated (major bonus!) but be careful not to sit too long because your bum will get roasted (according to the warning labels on the lid). They also had a fantastic kitchen but we hardly used it since we wanted to try the local cuisine (and had trouble finding a grocery store). We cleaned laundry using the washer-and-dryer-in-one machine, which we thought was genius until we finished our first load. We searched convenient stores for lint brushes then spent the next few hours brushing the lint off our clothes. In all seriousness though, the place, overall, was really cool (you can look through the slideshow below). 

Your Scripture Memory Photos from the Week

What a joy it has been focusing on Colossians 3:16 with y'all this week! Whether you've been learning it by yourself or joining together with your family to learn it, thank you for sharing your photos. It's been super encouraging reading about the ways you're hiding God's Word in your heart. Please check out the amazing different ways everyone has been memorizing the verse this week:

via @katyjomcdaniel // @juliehardin // @artsyabel // Caroline T. // @amegivens // Lindsey S. // @jitneysjourneys

Loving my new #dailyagenda from #jitneysjourneys and the supplemental guide to #scripturememory! It has rekindled my love for scripture journaling and has me filling up the pages this week. - Lyndsay A. {@artsyabel}

Didn't realize how much writing out a verse helped me to memorize it! I found myself quoting the one I memorized last week in a conversation without thinking about it. Is anyone else using the notes section as a journal? I'm writing a sweet memory down from each day in that spot. Will be fun to look through at the end of the year. - Caroline T.

In 2014, I wanted to see my faith grow exponentially. I prayed fearless prayers with the expectation of seeing God show up. I wasn't always great at it, and I'm definitely still growing. However, I can boldly say that I believe and trust him more than I did. In 2015, I want to KNOW His word. I want his word to have its home in my heart and mind! - Amy G. {@amegivens}

Our house is working on memorizing scripture! I used the translation that is found in our oldest son's bible so that it would be easier for our boys to remember. - Lindsey S.

We hope this is an encouragement to you and your family to memorize scripture together this year! If you haven't downloaded the free scripture memory printable, find it here. Have a fantastic weekend!

Japan // Scripture Memory: Week 1

Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God.
Colossians 3:16 (ESV)

Today marks Week 1 of the scripture memory resource (download it here). Join us as we memorize verses this month focusing on the importance of knowing scripture and the effects that flow from it. Whether you use index cards, jot it in your journal, or write it on your mirror, share how you're learning the verses by posting photos on Instagram and Facebook with #dwellrichly and #scripturememory. I will re-post tagged photos on the blog Friday. If the Lord speaks to you in any way through this process, we'd love to hear about that too (and share on the blog if you'll let us). Most importantly, we pray this journey is exciting, challenging, and refreshing for you. Here we go! 

In other news, I realize that I haven't even posted about our trip to Japan!! Not even once! I really dropped the ball on that. We were there from early Nov. to mid-Dec. and it became, hands-down, one of our top favorite places. The people were incredibly kind and generous. The cities we visited in the country were absolutely stunning. The noodles were delicious (we didn't venture out a whole lot in the food realm). And the last week we were there, it was freezing. Literally, it snowed more than 2.5 FEET of snow in the last week. We've never seen anything like it. Did we play in the snow? Absolutely. We fell back into every large pile of snow we could find and even filmed the process. I'm sure several of the Japanese people, as kind as they were, thought to themselves, "Foolish Americans. They must be from the South." 

As for the photo above: First off, don't you LOVE those hats?? Too stinkin' cute. At almost every temple or garden we visited, groups of young students would approach us and ask if they could speak to us in English (the teacher would stand back a few feet). They would ask us questions about ourselves: "What is your name?", "Where are you from?" Then they would pull out a pamphlet they made to show us popular cities and attractions in Japan. Finally, they gave us a small gift (such as origami) and asked if they could take a photo with us as the teacher quickly approached with camera in hand. What a perfect way to practice English! Can't wait to share more of our Japanese adventures with y'all soon!

Have a lovely Monday.

2015 Scripture Memory // Dwell Richly // Free Printable PDF

Download the free 2015 Scripture Memory printable here.

"Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God. (Colossians 3:16)" If you've been reading our blog throughout the past year or know me in real life, you know that I've been obsessed with this verse. Paul stresses the importance of scripture memory, to not only memorize God's Word, but to walk with Christ and encourage others with His Word.

The continuing of this verse encourages a deep level of intimacy within the believers' community... teach one another, admonish one another in all wisdom; sing together; be thankful together in your hearts to God. We need community. We need one another. It's the desire that God has created within us. When we first dwell in Christ, His love is an outpour - an overflow - into our communities. We are called to let the words of Christ dwell in us richly as a life-giving command for ourselves but also as a life-giving command for others. His words dwell in us and in return, pour out from our lips as truth to another as a form of accountability, love, wisdom and worship.

This is dwelling.

This is community.

This is worship.

an excerpt from Dwell (March 6, 2014)

So let's join in community together and memorize God's Word this year! We are so thrilled to release this free printable of 52 scripture memory verses for 2015. While this printable was created to supplement the Jitney's Journeys 2015 Daily Agenda, we encourage anyone and everyone to use this as a resource for scripture memory.

Format
While you are welcome to use this printable however you'd like, here's what we had in mind when designing it: Each weekly verse begins on a Monday; therefore, week 1 begins on January 5. The theme for each month has been built to interrupt you from typical monthly rhythms (i.e. "freedom" is in February instead of July and "gratitude" is in April instead of November).

This resource was designed to help you dive into scripture. Don't stop at memorizing the verses; meditate on them and ask God to speak to you through them. Seek opportunities to encourage other believers throughout the week by speaking the truths you're learning.

Share
How do you memorize scripture? Index cards? Writing it in the Dwell Richly section of your 2015 Daily Agenda? Or maybe you write out the verse as you practice your new love of calligraphy? Share with others how you memorize scripture by posting photos on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter using #dwellrichly and #scripturememory. We'd love to see what you're doing too so follow us and tag us @jitneysjourneys.

Download
Here it is!! Download the 2015 Scripture Memory Printable PDF here. As much as I hate to make this disclaimer, past situations force me to request it: Please be considerate of our Terms of Use located on the second page. Thank you!

2015 Daily Agenda
On a lighter note, have received your 2015 Daily Agenda yet? Purchase it from our Etsy Shop here!

New to the blog?
Start here. Get instant updates by following us on Instagram and liking Jitney's Journeys on Facebook.

Other Resources
4OnePurpose.com and SheReadsTruth.com are two of my favorite studies going on right now. If you're not currently involved in a study, check these out!

A Belated Merry Christmas & Happy Early New Year to You and Yours // 2014 Christmas Postcard

It may be a few days late but Merry Christmas & Happy New Year from Jitney's Journeys!!

To keep in theme with our travel photos for the past few years on our Christmas cards, we wanted to use a photo from our trip to Japan (Nov. - mid-Dec) this year which means I had to design it, order it and get them shipped to our house all before we returned home (don't you just love the conveniency of the Internet??). We took this beaut when venturing through Kyoto. The initial plan was to address the cards between our return to Huntsville and our travel plans to see family but I came down with the flu. It was awful. Awful, I say! But thanks to an amazing husband who bought lots of take-out and kept a steady supply of saltines, Gatorade and soup, coupled with Tamiflu, I was well by the end of the week... just in time to leave for my parents' house. Needless to say, we were late getting our postcards out this year. But it's okay... next year we'll get them out in time! (Pretty sure I said that last year too, though.)

This Christmas was a little different than normal. It's been a tough year for my family (I may share more about it later) but one thing is for sure... This Christmas we celebrated the most precious gifts of all: Salvation, Redemption, Family and New Beginnings. In the last two weeks, I've had more heart-to-hearts than I've had in a while. Talks where we poured our hearts out to each other, encouraged each other with Truth and prayed for one another. After seeing what's He's done this year, I'm so thrilled to see what God's going to do in 2015!

What about you? How was your Christmas? What are you looking forward to in 2015?

2015 Daily Agenda // Hourly Planner & Monthly Calendar

It's not too late to start planning the new year! There have been a number of obstacles we've hit since we announced our plans for the 2015 Agenda in October but they are finally in stock and ready for purchase. {cue the party hats, kazoos and "celebrate good times, come on!"}

Order them from our Etsy site here!

Thanks to your input on the Agenda Cover Design Giveaway, we decided to offer both the geometric and floral cover designs. Both have been selling at steady speeds. What would we do without y'all?

Special Features & Contents of the Agenda:

• Dwell Richly: Inspired by Colossians 3:16, "Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly," we added this as a section for you to write in weekly scripture memory or things to be praying about. My current goal and goal for 2015 is to be more intentional... in memorizing scripture and praying for people. We hope you'll use it in the same way. [side note: We will share resources for different studies and ways to "dwell richly" throughout the 2015 year.]
• By the Hour: Each page is one full day beginning at 6 am and ending at 9 pm. Fill in appointments, dinner dates, play dates, school schedules, or things to do (or to get done by that time). 

• Today's Top Five: Set goals for yourself and feel awesome when you get to check it off your list for the day. Julie, one of our fabulous JCT members, likes to write in her Top 5 at the end of the day for the next day. (i.e. She'll write in her Top 5 for Tuesday at the end of the day Monday. That way, she can go into the office Tuesday morning and tackle it all without having to take time Tuesday morning to list out the goals for the day.)

• The Feather: We couldn't help but sneak the feather logo design onto a few spreads including the holiday placeholders.

Dimensions: 6" x 8.5" x 1" (thickness)

Mama E's Recipes // A Fantastic Family Cookbook

Filled with charm, wit and flavor, Mama E's Recipes [from the Heart of the Family] will tickle your tastebuds and warm your heart. From inspirational stories, quotes, and scripture, to appetizers, vegetables, meats, beverages, and desserts, this cookbook speaks sweetly of past generations and will be cherished in our family for generations to come. 

Words cannot express how proud I am of my mom for beginning and finishing such an amazing endeavor! Give one (or a few) as Christmas gifts and keep one for yourself. You can purchase the cookbook here: http://www.yvetteadams.com/market-place/