Jitney Life Update 1

If you're following along with the Scripture Memory / Dwell Richly printable, here's the verse for week 10: 

The Lord will watch over your coming & going both now and forevermore. Psalm 121:8 (NIV)

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It's been a while since I've written an update about our lives... so hold onto your seat. Here's the skinny on what's been happening around the Todd Nest the past three weeks (broken up into two posts).

We began constructing a massive chalkboard onto our dining room wall... 

And we finished it just in time for JD's surprise birthday party! JD turned the big 3-0 in February. How did I pull off the surprise? I spoiled all of the little surprises I had for him leading up to the big surprise. I also had lots of friends helping out along the way (i.e. my neighbor Elizabeth who let / helped me cook everything at her house during the ice storm the day before, Julie for making sure the guys got together so that a group of friends could help me set up the party in the house)! 

Unfortunately, the cake was pink but he LOVES Newk's strawberry cake. I couldn't resist. At least I could top it with a few black mustaches to give it some manlihood? We also had a few stacks of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle rub-on tats that the kids were loving (thanks for this recommendation, Katy Jo).

Then we had the snow storm one week later. Huntsville shut down, per the usual. Before you tell us that we're crazy, let me suggest that our town is simply not equipped with the types of machines, cars or tires to drive in the snow that then quickly turns into ice. It was easier to drive around in the 4 feet of snow in Japan than it is to drive in six inches of snow / ice in Huntsville. All that to say, JD and I put on our snow boots, trekked through the trails on the 'mountain' and came back home to hang out with the neighbors later that evening. 

A few neighbors came over and sat with us by the fireplace, hot cocoas in hand, while the kids were secretly building us this snowman (this came after the boys threw snowballs at our windows - all in good fun, right?). 

Then we woke up the next morning and hit the golf course slopes for some sledding...

A couple of weekends ago, JD and I had the opportunity to sell merchandise at the CORE15 youth conference at Summit Crossing. Casey Darnell led worship for the weekend then KB had a concert Saturday night. 

Basically, the concert was super intense and so much fun. Imagine JD, myself, Katy Jo and Matt (all pictured above) jumping up and down, pumping our fists and having a great time... The day after, we learned that we just can't keep up with high schoolers anymore (at least KJ and me can't). We're old and walked around in pain for about three days after that. 

Tune back in Thursday for the rest of the update...

How God Used a Dishwasher to Reveal My Sin

If you're following along with the Scripture Memory / Dwell Richly printable, here's the verse for week 8: 

For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. Galatians 5:13 (ESV)

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This is the moment…

where I can choose to be angry about our dishwasher with standing water or I can choose to be grateful for the fact that we even have a dishwasher

where I can curse the realities of home ownership or I can be grateful for the beautiful home God has given us as shelter and as a place for friends and family to gather in community

where I can choose to get agitated with JD for not pushing a magic button and fixing it within minutes or I can be grateful for a husband who didn’t let it sit there untouched for days, and tries everything within himself to figure out a way to make our dishwasher work so that we don’t have to use our finances to pay someone else to do it

where I can flip out about having a messy kitchen for a day or two or I can be thankful for everything in it and be reminded that messes are necessary so that God can restore order and make us clean

where I can choose to be frustrated about having puddles of water sitting on our kitchen floor or I can choose to be grateful for absorbent towels that I can throw into a working washing machine later tonight

where I can act like a child of selfishness for not being able to watch “my Monday night shows” or I can stand tall as a daughter of righteousness, washed by the blood of the Lamb and remember that it’s more important to support my husband than it is for me to watch “my shows” (plus, it’s not like I can’t stream the shows tomorrow)

where we can be bitter at the fact we’re up late working or we can choose to be grateful for the day of rest we had yesterday and be thankful for a comfy place to lay our heads after a hard day’s work

where I can choose to be a child of darkness, cloaked in sin 
or I can return to the Lord and walk in His light
 

While I’d like to say “I choose to return to the Lord and walk in His light,” it’s a choice that can only be made because of Jesus. It’s certainly not the initial reaction I had last night.

I prayed yesterday morning that God would reveal to me the depths of my sin so that I may have a better understanding of the depths of His grace. [heavy sigh] It didn’t take long before my ‘not such a big deal’ sins came to light. 

But it especially hit me last night as I stood (and tried to help) in the kitchen for two hours, watching my husband work tediously to figure out the source of our dishwasher’s problems. All of the former thoughts above were my legit thoughts. Thoughts of selfishness, ingratitude, anger, impatience. Quickly following, the Spirit convicted me, revealed my sin and reminded me of the response I should have because I am a temple of the living God. He dwells in me, purifying me and reconciling me to Him on a constant basis. 

So what was wrong with the dishwasher? We're not entirely sure. JD completely disassembled the inside, only to find that nothing is broken or blocking the filter, sump, etc. He put it all back together again, ran a cycle and it ran perfectly. Once again, we were faced with the choice of being super upset about time wasted and a faulty dishwasher issue or we can laugh it off and be super grateful that all is well, we don't have to pay a mechanic, and praise God for taking care of us. 

Thirty

Happy THIRTIETH birthday to this handsome guy:

Your hunger for adventure is enthralling and captivating. With everything you do, you work at it with all of your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men. Because of that, countless men and women are continuously blessed by what the Lord does in and through you. Your laughter is joyous and resounding. I seriously can't get enough of it. You have the 'humble confidence' thing down to a tee. You challenge me on a daily basis: to think more analytically, to articulate my beliefs and opinions more clearly and to strive for success more wholeheartedly. You're silly, mysterious, unpredictable and I love communicating with you via our secret languages. 

When I asked you about your thoughts on turning thirty and about all of your successes in life leading up to it, you said, "All of my greatest accomplishments in life are only by grace." 

It is an honor to be your bride. It is a joy to love you and to follow you as you follow Christ in building our family. 

I love living life with you, J.D. Todd.

P.S. We're well on our way to completing our dining room feature wall! Only a few more frames to build then we'll post the whole process / finished product. Thanks for spending the last day of your 29th year helping me to build this, lovey.

Kyoto, Japan : Northwest Kyoto // the Golden Pavilion

The Golden Pavilion (or Kinkaku-ji) was extraordinary. Don’t be deceived by the photos… This site was PACKED! The pavilion is surrounded by a serene body of water so it’s fairly easy to get a fantastic photo. Plus, if you stand at the fence and put up your blinders, it’s almost as if you have the place to yourself. Almost. 

Even the maples were breathtaking here. You're basically walking under a canopy of autumn, if there were such a thing. 

Remember reading about the students who would stop and ask us questions for their English class then give us a gift thanking us for our time? Most of the groups asked us at this site. I still can't get over their yellow hats. So stinkin' cute.

Don't forget to Like and vote for my designs on the Minted challenge here.

Kyoto, Japan : Arashiyama

If you're following along with the Scripture Memory / Dwell Richly printable, here's the verse for week 6: 

But when one turns to the Lord, the veil is removed. Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. 2 Corinthians 3:16-17 (ESV)

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The bus was packed from S. Higashiyama to Arashiyama. We were lucky enough to get window seats. A small group of high school girls stood beside us and overheard JD and I talking in English. “Oh! You speak English?” Thus began the delightful thirty-minute conversation we shared where we discussed Japan, America and our interests. They snapped a quick group selfie with us before their stop then waved goodbye to us through the window. It's amazing how interested and willing they were to speak with us in English. They recognized it as an opportunity to practice a new language with new people rather than fear it. The Japanese are incomparable in their hospitality.

The ride into Arashiyama is exhilarating. I wasn’t able to take photos but it’s an image we will (hopefully) never forget. A river flowed along the road with autumn trees lining the Japanese mountains. I could sit there for hours taking in the beauty. 

We planned on starting at the Bamboo Forest but we accidentally passed by the entrance. When we finally stopped to get directions, we turned back around and started the day off with a coffee break instead. The Bamboo Forest entrance is a little hidden but we finally found it near the north gate of Tenryu-ji. 

We’re also pretty certain we missed most of the forest. Don’t get me wrong, we saw a LOT of bamboo (and it was awesome) but the path we took lasted less than .5 mile. It was a rough morning for the Todd Navigation Duo. We quickly found our way out of the forest and headed toward Jojakko-ji, a temple perched on top of a mossy knoll. The photo below isn't great quality but I LOVED how the moss covered the gate's roof. Nature's inspiration at its best. 

We stopped for a fancy bowl of noodles at Komichi and were not disappointed. This is one place we would definitely eat at again.

We continued walking, searching for a bus station and ended up here:

In other words, we had nowhere else to go. We hiked up to another road and waved down a taxi that drove us to Kinkaku-ji (aka: the Golden Pavilion - we'll post about this next).

Between the hills and long distances, there was a lot of walking this day. So much that I thought I wasn’t going to be able to get out of bed the next morning. Even my Crossfit, buff-of-a-husband was a little sore. Our navigation skills failed at the end of the route when we couldn’t find the correct bus or hail a taxi. If you take this route, I wish we could give you better advice but we ended up walking another solid mile before finding transportation back home. By the time we finally got back to the house, we were filled with nothing but laughter. 

After a full day of poor navigation but breathtaking sites, there’s no other reaction you can have. 

twenty7

I apologize for the lateness in the week, but f you're following along with the Scripture Memory / Dwell Richly printable, here's the verse for week 5:

But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it – he will be blessed in what he does. James 1:25 (NIV) 

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I was hoping to have an amazing post ready for today that would blow your mind and motivate you to no end. But that didn't happen. [today is my 27th birthday - whoop whoop!]

The past week or so, I've been working super hard trying to get art pieces and some of our travel photography ready for the Three Cheers! Minted x West Elm's 3rd Art Challenge. It's the first challenge I've entered (thanks for the encouragement, Ashley O.) and entering a Minted challenge was one of my top goals for the year. Since I've gotten to the point where I set my goals for the year on my birthday rather than New Year's (procrastination has gotten the best of me), I'd say I'm knocking them out pretty well so far. ;) 

You can help! Click on the 'Minted | Vote for Me' button to the right or here and vote on some of my entries. Be careful though, Minted can warp you in and before you know it, you've voted on 99 pieces and saved at least 110 to your wishlist. All in good fun, right? 

JD and I will be picking up my new annual Moleskine tonight so be on the lookout for the real twenty7 post coming soon! (The Moleskine helps me to collect my thoughts.)

And, because I know you've missed reading about Japan this week, I can't leave you hanging... Here's one of our favorite souvenirs from the trip: A manga artist from the Kyoto International Manga Museum drew / painted / manga-nized this canvas for us. It's currently hanging on our travel wall and we just can't get enough of it. 

Kyoto, Japan : Southern Higashiyama Part 2 // Scripture Memory: Week 4

If you're following along with the Scripture Memory / Dwell Richly printable, here's the verse for week 4: 

All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. 2 Timothy 3:16-17 (NIV)

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The lovely foliage and views in Southern Higashiyama in Kyoto, Japan.

Welcome to the second part of S. Higashiyama. I'm not gonna lie, we actually have no idea what this temple is called. It's been around for hundreds of years, so surely someone can tell us what it is, right? 

How we ended up here: Remember how I said 'we followed the walking tours described in the Lonely Planet Kyoto travel guide (with a few detours, of course)'? Well, this was one of those detours. JD found a path at the top of the cemetery behind Chion-In that led to the woods (it sounds a lot creepier than it really was). So we follow this path with no clue of where it's leading us. Halfway up, I try to coerce JD to turn around but lo-and-behold, someone is walking down the mountain and persuades us to keep going up because there are some amazing views (beginning to sound like the blowhole detour in Hawaii, right?). We keep trekking up and see this amazing temple... with a chainlink fence surrounding it. It took us a solid thirty minutes before we could find the entrance. But we did. And it was well worth it. 

This is also where a lady told me I was pronouncing "Arigatou" and "Kyoto" incorrectly. [The link will pull up the video we made at this location. Please disregard the knappy hair and the horrific pronunciations (it was only the first day! I promise it got better with time.)]

#jitneysjourneys

Higashiyama New construction at the front of the temple.

Higashiyama The massive platform where you can look out onto the city of Kyoto.

What did you eat? This was typically one of the first questions people asked us when we returned. Answer: Noodles. Lots and lots of noodles. 

Kasagi-Ya It took us a few laps up and down the street before we found this dessert place suggested by the Lonely Planet guide. Also, well worth it. We drank our fair share of hot tea and enjoyed a couple of interesting desserts . Please take notice of JD's giant hands holding the tiny, delicate tea pot. Once again, we were giants. 

Omen Kodai-Ji These were some of the best udon noodles we had on the entire trip; and trust me, we had a lot of udon noodles. They have a list of suggestions when making your noodles. If you go to Kyoto, you must eat here. 

Omen Kodai-Ji The udon noodle setup, complete with vegetables, sesame seeds and kinpira. And, of course, warm washcloths to wash your hands. The Japanese are super clean. We loved it.

Issen Yoshoku This happened. If you've talked to us about our trip in person, you've heard the story of the mannequin. Well, here she is! The story: We walk into this restaurant and notice a mannequin sitting at every table. The waitress then takes us to an empty 10-person picnic style table (except for the mannequin) and motions for JD and me to sit on the same side as each other and to scoot in close to the mannequin. This was potentially one of the most awkward, yet enjoyable, meals we've ever had. We could not stop laughing. JD was a huge fan of their okonomiyaki, which is a mix between a thin pancake and a crepe filled with meat, seafood and veggies. Don't you want to dine with a mannequin now?

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.