This one is for Brandy

I found this on a random guys blog today that I ran across on 20sb. I believe in the power or prayer and ask everyone who read this to pray for Brandy and her love.

My name is Brandy. And I have a blog.

And a plea.

I use my blog to showcase the crazy I meet everyday, share the stories of the kids I teach and document my love for tequila, dairy products and the abdominal muscles of Ryan Reynolds. Rarely do I talk about personal issues on my blog- as personal as the dude that I adore (who I actually met through my blog- single ladies, let that be a very good reason to blog, the possibility of meeting someone as wonderful as my man), but I need your help. And it involves my dude.

He’s a guy who made math comics for my class, so they would love learning about addition. He’s the kinda guy who sends my friends gift cards when they are having hard times, who remembers every story I ever told him, who was the first person I celebrated with when I got a teaching job. He’s the guy who sent flowers to me at school- dozens of my favourite pink roses just because he loves me. He’s a guy who has spent a year patiently explaining (and re-explaining) everything there is to know about football during the important games when silence is preferred. He’s made me word puzzles and comics and stayed up late playing Scrabble with me (even though I beat him almost every time). He’s listened to me cry about school and family and jobs. He is everything I never knew I needed and everything I always knew I wanted.

The holidays have hit us hard. He’s recently been told he may have something called multiple myeloma- an incurable cancer, that gives a person an average of five years of continued life. Though this news has came as a shock, he continues to be exactly who has always been- spending his time worrying about me, rather than worrying about himself. He’s the most selfless individual I know- (he stayed late on Christmas Eve to work, so his co-workers could leave early) and a post like this would never be something that he would promote or encourage but when I’m overwhelmed and feeling helpless, the blogging community has always given me tremendous support and comfort, two things I desperately need at this time.

As I write this, the future is uncertain and we aren’t sure what’s happening. He’ll need to see an oncologist soon, to verify what’s going on in his body. My hope is that everyone who reads this think positive thoughts and if you are a person who prays, could you add him to your list? (You can refer to him as ‘brandy’s hot awesome dude’). If you don’t pray, please keep him in your heart.This cancer is only a possibility and I believe that the prayers and positive thoughts of people can make sure it never becomes a reality.

I want to give a big thank you to the blog owner who scraped their original blog plans and graciously put this up. My goal is to get as many people as possible to see and read this post. If you are reading this and want to help, copy and paste my plea into your blog or send a link through twitter, so more people can keep him in their thoughts. I would be so very grateful (even more grateful than I am to my friend who first showed me the picture of Ryan Reynolds on the cover of Entertainment Weekly. If you haven’t seen it, google it. You. Are. Welcome).

I realize this all sounds dramatic, a Lifetime movie in the making- but this is life. Right now. And I’m throwing away any hint of ego and am humbly asking for you to pray or think kind thoughts. If you are able to pass this on, thank you and if you know anything regarding MM- please email me (my email is on my blog). This isn’t a call for sympathy or a plea for pity. It’s just one girl hoping you can think positive thoughts for the person she adores. If my current heartache provides you with anything, let it be with the reminder that life is short, love is unbending and no one knows what could happen next. Maybe it is silly, but I really do believe that positive thoughts can make a huge difference. Thank you for reading this and if you haven’t already? Please tell someone you love them today.

I did.

I Like Old Lady Shoes

So, I've made enough people cry with all these life altering revelations goings on so I want to talk about what I did today! I went shopping! Aha. It made my whole day better because I got some really great old lady shoes. I love these shoes so much that I am wearing them even tho they are a whole size too big. I have blisters already and I've been wearing them a whole 3 hrs... mostly sitting.

And yes I'm going to post a picture:

~*~In love? Yes I know, me too~*~

I really like old lady shoes and Reebok's, the old kind. I don't really know why cause I don't do the whole dress in vintage thing. Maybe in some way I will never let go of the fashion from my HS years. I still have a soft spot for mismatched socks and Dickie's jumpsuits. If you knew me in HS you'd understand...does anyone have some pics of the Dickie's suit?

Anyways, So I went shopping for bathing suits for the upcoming trip to Mexico. And ended up with skinny jeans an incredible sweater, these killer shoes and like 4 bathing suits hahahaha. I am so indecisive I can never make up my mind so VOILA(???) I bought it all. hahaha sry electric bill maybe next time :(

Another reason I am totally stoked about not only my shoes but the whole ensemble... my pimp glasses look really good with this outfit :) For those of you who haven't had some kind of run in with THE glasses then take a look at my profile pic and take note of the unusually large nerdy but yet totally sexxy pimp glasses (with no lenses) and yes they were 3D glasses at some point. ("Hey Chels look I'm playing dress up bahhahaha).

Just to prove my point about the pimp~ness:



So, today was a good day. I am in an unusually good mood (gimme a break it does happen...sometimes). Even without the clothes I think I would be in an O.K. mood. probably has something to do with this is my last day of work for 9 days. And haha, get this, my job is paying me for my days off... Imma be sitting on the beach and gettin paid a butt load of money to do it! Bahahaha. LoVe It! *Ketchup* Me and the family are going to Puerto Vallarta, MX for the vay~cay... lots of scuba diving hOpEfUlLy! (insert happy dance here).

Cant wait till lunch. We get treats today since its payday and get to go to Chinese place YES!

So, this is my last post till I get back! I will have alot of totally awesome pictures!!!! :)


Je vous manquerai

Acceptance

Friday I got my acceptance letter from Mercy Ships so its 100% official (insert here a happy dance). I just realized I'm not going to Benin, going to Togo. Togo is the next door neighbor tho so same thing really (I think...wonder if they speak French there too, probably).

I'm more excited today than I have been in a very long time. Even though I am extremely stressed since I leave in a month and a half, I feel like a huge weight has been lifted.

Some days a little doubt likes to enter the back of my head (you know which one I'm talking about). Especially when people say stuff like "wow thats crazzy" or "that takes alot of courage". I kind of feel like ummm hello am I missing something? I guess because I'm not really that scared of anything except the flying part. lol. I dont like to fly. At all.

But, I found this scripture on the Mercy Ships facebook, and it makes me feel better.
And the Lord said, "whom shall I send, and who will go for us?" And I answered, "Here am I, send me." Isaiah 6:8

I like it because it's so simple and says so much. I'm into that kinda thing. But I really like it because God says "whom shall I send, and who will go for us", and theres not like some kind of struggle or an answer, "ill go if..." or "I'll go but...", its just "Here am I, send me." And thats kinda how I felt when I saw the Mercy Ships position open, "well I'm going to Africa to live on a ship". It wasnt a decision that I made, it is a purpose that I knew it was time to fulfill. I didn't think about it and haggle myself to death. I just KNEW its time to go and this is where you are going.

So I don't know how many people actually are going to read this, but FYI we are working on getting a benefit concert together featuring Travis Mitchell (travismitchellmusic.com) So if anyone wants to come then send me an email, Facebook or comment on here and I will get you the details. :) Once we have details to give that is.

Well I guess that is all for now :)

A toi pour la vie!

L'Afrique

So, looks like I'm going to Benin, Africa for 7 months! Wow. Thats a long time. ah. But, this is the reason for my blogging, I will be traveling with Mercy Ships (mercyships.org) as a photojournalist. Hummm nervous, yeupp. I will tryin to update this thing a couple times a week or something and talk about what I see and do and experience :) And I will probably post alot of pictures

Blogging. So I have never had a blog before, I guess the closest thing to a blog that I've written is facebook status updates. Aha! I think this takes practice!

So this whole moving to Africa thing has me really stressed right now as you can imagine. I leave Jan 25 until August 2010. And best part I just found out 2 weeks ago :( oh. When I applied, I applied for a position starting May of 2010. Planning to leave in May was stressin me enough and then they come and say Jan? Oh Lord, what am I doing! Uh.

About me, So I'm 21, mainly a photographer, tho, I have a real job. lol. And a writer? Hummm I guess we will see since I am also the writer on that ship. I bet I figure it out! Hopefully.

I've always known I'd end up in Africa. But thats another post....
The title is L'Afrique because in Benin they speak French so, thats Africa in French FYI.

The last couple of weeks have been insane. Finding out that I need to leave in Jan. My mom and I are trying to get together some fundraisers to raise the money for me to go (its ridic expensive) ugh. Then making list on what I need to bring. For some reason I like to pack.. IDK something about checking list and packing everything into duffel bags and seeing how much you can cram. I dont know really, kinda weird. But I am actually looking forward to my post about what I packed.

Oh and I have to quit smoking :( 28 hours and I've only had 3 cigs. I feel like slapping someone. Driving in Dallas is the worst time of the day tho. I started screamin at some chick on my way to work today, just randomly i dont remember what she did... lols. I also have to learn French in a month. French, extreme stress, airplanes and no cigs... NOT a good combination! :(

Ok so it looks like I hit all the basics, I'm a photographer (and all of a sudden a writer lmao), my name is Joy and I'm moving to Africa for 7 months. I'm terribly excited about this adventure btw!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Have to watch this video: Journey by Jah Cure


Thats it for now!

Un amour