sponsored by : sunshine

i'd like to thank the glorious sunny weather this weekend for the enjoyable relaxation, the time spent with friends, the much-needed outdoor time..... and last but not least....

this picture.


















enjoy it while it lasts today.... word on the street is that rain is making a comeback tomorrow =/

evening randomness

*the sunny weather yesterday & today truly made this weekend all-the-better... being indoors was kicked to the curb as an option for how to spend my time (if i had a choice)

*i wish i was in San Diego with the youth on their mission trip... oh CA, how i miss you (sometimes)

*frisbee "tournament" today... played a couple high-energy games, then went for an epic catch in game 3 and jacked up my right thumb. woo hoo! crazy-swollen.. jammed.. hopefully not broken. swollen thumbs up!

*watch this video (Will Ferrell crashing the set of a talk show lol)

*Adam and Bealer are currently jamming to some No Doubt via Rock Band. I shall join them soon, since the vocals don't require usage of my thumb =)

*I realize the hypocrisy in being inside watching friends play a video game.. after just stating how lame being indoors was with such nice weather..... but calm down, I was outside from 2 until 7ish. Boo yah!

*also watch this video (this guy beatboxes the "in the jungle, the mighty jungle" song)

*got my Busch pass today!! I'm extremely excited to go soon... I miss riding the coasters, after going without a pass last summer. who's comin with me??

*back to Adam & Bealer // now they're playing a Spongebob song on Rock Band (!!!)

*my stomach just made a noise, and I'm pretty sure it's pleading for Wawa. time to persuade the guys to put down the guitar & drumsticks, and venture outwards for some deliciousness.

bite my tongue

the tongue..... such a small but powerful part of us. the topic of the night in my small group was, as you may have guessed, on our words.

James 3:8-10
"But no human being can subdue the tongue; it is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. With it we bless the Lord and Father, and with it we curse people made in God’s image. From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. These things should not be so, my brothers and sisters."

it's always a recurring topic... because it's such an important one. you may have better control over what you say, or maybe you're a hothead who has no filter when you speak... lashing out at others with verbal attacks. words hurt, whether you realize it or not. mere words can tear friends apart... even families. churches crumble and split over words. but in the same light, words can bring people together. form a tighter bond between friends. strengthen relationships & marriages. uplift people going through a rough patch. bring joy & utter happiness to anybody you encounter. it's all in how you use that unruly tongue of yours, which can only be tamed & controlled with God's help.

it's especially hard knowing if/when you should speak up in terms of confrontation and/or accountability with friends. do you have the right motives? are you doing so for their benefit? how will they react?

for me.. personally.. i always have a million things on my mind, and it's particularly hard to filter out the negative/selfish/unnecessary words when i'm trying to talk sense to someone... and being able to choose those uplifting/positive things to say, and not the rest. it doesn't help that i'm not the best at confrontation, in the first place... but i'm getting better at it.

my old habits of worrying/overthinking also sneak back around & overwhelm me when I least expect it, and that can ultimately effect my words.... and I hate it. for all the joy & positivity I surround myself with, it's very frustrating to let such ridiculous & insignificant junk to take over & determine my moods & how my day goes.

in closing, this song came to mind during the discussion... yet again, much respect for Relient K & their amazing lyrics

"Sometimes I say things that
I wish that I could take back
Then the smartest thing to say is to tell myself

To keep quiet, quiet
Don't let it all come undone
Cause if I dare open my mouth
It'll just be to bite my tongue
Yeah, I gotta keep quiet, quiet
And listen to your voice
Because the power of your words
Can repair all that I've destroyed

And when I finally do
Let it come from you
The peace of understanding grips my soul
You're the reason I've
Found meaning in this life
So I'll swallow up my pride and give you control
Give it to you"

it's about time

I had been following this for awhile.... but had forgotten in recent weeks to keep up with any developments.... so read the good news below


"Monday, March 9, marked the day Governor Tim Kaine of Virginia signed legislation banning smoking in Virginia's bars and restaurants. Identical House and Senate bills HB1703 and SB1105 will ban smoking in nearly all of Virginia's restaurants, allowing exceptions for private clubs and restaurants with a designated smoking room that is physically separated and independently ventilated from non-smoking dining areas.

The ban, which goes into effect on December 1, 2009, includes strong protections for both workers and patrons. Proprietors cannot require wait or bus staff to work in any area of the restaurant where smoking may be permitted. Additionally, restaurants that choose to have a separated structure for smoking must ensure that at least one public entrance to the restaurant is in a smoke-free area. Local health departments will inspect for compliance with the smoking prohibitions when completing other routine inspections."


I don't know about you... but for me, that's very exciting. I hate smelling like cigarrette smoke after being in a restaurant, or even having to walk through it to get anywhere. I realize alot of people won't be too particularly happy when this goes into effect in December... but hey, tough cookies. I'm a fan of clean(er) oxygen.. in fact, if smoke-free oxygen were a sports team, I'd be a cheerleader for that team. Poms poms, choreographed cheers, cheesy smiles... the works.

Now please excuse me while I cough, due to 2nd-hand smoke exposure.

c'mon get happy

I love life.. and look forward to everyday, sometimes more... sometimes less. BUT! I cannot help but be excited for April to come.... because I've been sick 3 TIMES in March. That's ridiculous... but hey, I came out of the triple-threat o' sickness

Regardless... back to loving life. Here's a quote I just stumbled upon..

"When I was 5 years old, my mom always told me that happiness was the key to life. When I went to school, they asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up. I wrote down “happy.” They told me I didn’t understand the assignment and I told them they didn’t understand life."
-unknown author

There's such back-to-basics wisdom in that, whether it's a legit quote from a child or not. I love it.. and I love having that mindset with how I tackle each day.

( m e a n w h i l e )

Anybody else hear that mysterious sonic boom about an hour ago? I assumed it was Langley-AFB-related... and nearby.. but apparently it was heard all around the peninsula and even in Maryland. A meteorite? Aliens?? A really epic high-five???

Time will tell....

childhood throwback

"Where The Wild Things" has been made into a movie! I remember reading this book when I was just a mini J-Holla..... and it definitely added to the imaginative crazy-random fun I had as a child (and still do... haha)

Here's the teaser trailer for the movie (bummer.. it doesnt come out until Oct 16th)

sweeeeet victory

This clip came to mind today, from back when I used to watch Spongebob all the time..... and it's still one of my fave cartoon moments ever. Really, though... only watch the first minute & a half to get the true feel, because I think this clip was extended & re-used the footage to fit the whole song in.

Anyways, enough talky-talky... more watchy-watchy



p.s. - twitter.com/jakeholla (follow me if you're a fellow twitter fool)