Author Archives: Jenilee

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the dress

It’s my favorite question to ask the bride when we meet for the first time.

“Have you found the dress yet?”

And then, her eyes light up and a smile creeps across her face as she describes in explicit detail the gown she will wear. Somewhere in the fog of detail, her and I forget we’re meeting in the studio to supposedly discuss photography packages. Instead, we’re both caught up in a steady stream of lace, ruffles, pearls and satin.

Months later, I’ll find myself stowed away in her dressing room with a camera in hand, capturing giggles from bridesmaids and picture-perfect curls being formed. And then my favorite long-awaited moment comes. She slips one leg into the mess of fabric. The gown is pulled up and laced tightly, she’s adorned in simple jewels and she turns to take in her reflection for the very first time.

And for one brief moment, the room goes still. I forget about my camera, and we all sigh in unison. The vision before us can only be described as breathtaking. It doesn’t matter how many weddings we shoot, or how many brides I meet – the moment she first appears in all her anticipated glory is nothing short of epic.

And the moment always reminds me of that upcoming wedding hosted by God himself in which all of humanity has been invited. A wedding which will make the Royal Wedding look like child’s play. Christ is the groom and we, the body of believers, are His bride.

The cotton candy colored sky and the white-topped mountains are only a foreshadowing of God’s glory and creativity, which will reach its peak with the wedding feast ushering in a new heaven and new earth.

The wedding attendees will be clothed in special garments. Like any typical girl, I’ve already begun thinking about what I will arrive wearing. My dress won’t be self-made or even purchased from a famed boutique, because it could never, ever be good enough. The way I live my life on earth will determine the beauty of my future dress, and as Isaiah writes, “all our righteous acts are like filthy rags.” Isaiah’s defines filthy rags as menstrual garments– how ridiculous to think about showing off a used tampon! In the same way, it’s ludicrous to assume that any of my “good deeds” could impress a holy God. For my sins far outweigh any good I have done.

However, God Himself will provide a garment for me, which will be unequalled! “I am overwhelmed with joy in the LORD my God! For he has dressed me with the clothing of salvation and draped me in a robe of righteousness. I am like a bridegroom in his wedding suit or a bride with her jewels.” (Isa. 61:10)

I won’t be able to enter heaven without my special wedding garment, this robe of righteousness. Only God can give me the glorious robe; it’s a free gift. And I’ve already accepted it. Have you?

“But when the king came in to see the guests, he noticed a man there who was not wearing wedding clothes. He asked, ‘How did you get in here without wedding clothes, friend?’ The man was speechless. “Then the king told the attendants, ‘Tie him hand and foot, and throw him outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’” Matt. 22:11-13

*Picture courtesy of Jeff Mullikin Photography

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2.14

Today is Valentine’s Day; a day that will no doubt begin with a groan from those whose Facebook status still reads single.

And yet…

220,000 men will drop to one knee with that life-changing question

180 million valentine cards will be exchanged

196 million roses will be purchased

And, if that hasn’t convinced you that love is in the air-

11,000 children will be conceived today!

Valentine’s Day is a reason to celebrate. Because, five months into my new marriage, I’m still in love with Jeff Mullikin.

So, I give you, 14 more reasons why I love him on this famous 14th day of February:

14. Because when I am sick, he insists on coming with me to the doctor.

13. Because he somehow always knows where to find my phone when it’s lost.

12. Because I love the way my 2 year-old niece adores him and affectionately calls him, “Deff”

11. Because he still tells me I’m beautiful.

10. Because he SPOILS our dog. 

9. Because he actually rode a roller coaster for me at Silver Dollar City this winter.

8. Because he always talks to me with kindness. He never raises his voice at me.

7. BECAUSE HE’S SO HANDSOME!

6. Because I love working with him.

5. Because he won’t watch a Chief’s game without his jersey on – even if he’s all alone.

4. Because he still opens my doors (unless it’s freezing and I’ve already ran straight for the car!)

3. Because he shoveled the snow off the sidewalk last night before my friends came over without even telling me. 

2. Because he named his flag football team, “Tebow Time”

1. Because he now introduces me as “his wife”!!!

Happy Valentine’s Day Jeff! I love you!

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ready to pop!

My mom asked me to throw a baby shower for my sister-in-law, Audrey, and I was definitely up to the task! I spent quite a bit of time on Pinterest brainstorming, which brought out a crafty side in myself that I NEVER knew I had! (Definitely helps that my husband went to art school!) Here’s a quick look:

I decided on a Noah’s Ark theme for the baby shower. I had trouble locating a great book on the classic biblical story, but finally found a pop-up book at Barnes & Noble.

I found the wooden Noah’s Ark at Hobby Lobby and painted it with acrylic paint. I spray painted the clothes pins and thankfully, the animals were already pre-painted. I hung the animals on twine with the pins and spread them across the bar headed into the ark!

The blue, bubble bath punch was a huge hit! I got the recipe here and added a few rubber duckies to make it appear like a baby’s bath. Not only was it cute, but also very tasty!

Audrey has Lily’s name spelled out in letters on her pink wall, so I thought I would go ahead and make those same letters for Justin’s room. I purchased the wooden letters from Hobby Lobby, spray painted them navy blue, stenciled on the baby blue polka dots and added the ribbed with a hot glue gun.

It’s not a party without Gigi’s cupcakes! These were there mini cupcakes in the wedding cake flavor, but they added blue sprinkles for the baby boy shower theme.

To go along with the Noah’s Ark theme, my friend, Shelley, made these beautiful animal sugar cookies! Shelley does incredible work (including my wedding cake in Florida) and I saw most of the women leaving with an extra cookie to take home to their men!

My husband, Jeff, designed these cards for me! The responses were very humorous, but the majority of mom’s reminded Audrey that the house can wait and to have fun with the new baby because they grow SO fast!

Audrey is due to give birth to a baby boy, Justin Jay, in March and we are all very excited!

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just another day’s work

Well, we have officially worked our first bridal show! Today, we hosted a booth at the Perfect Wedding Guide bridal show at Union Station. It was a blast! We handed out 500 bags of Topsy’s popcorn with our brochures and booked four weddings at our booth! I am SO blessed to be in a position to help my husband with his business. He is such an incredible, worthy man and I would run to the end of the earth for him. We prayed for God’s blessing on the way to the show, and He definitely delivered! It was five hours of non-stop standing and talking, but it was worth it! I look forward to the day when I can use my gifts in the ministry again, but in the meantime I adore helping Jeff and being faithful with what God continues to give us. 

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undeserved attention

Last night I dropped $150.

As I sat in that black, nylon salon chair, enduring two hours of beauty treatment on my hair, I couldn’t help but stifle a giggle. All around me, women were having their hair highlighted, cut, straightened, blown dry and teased. And for one small instant, I found it all absolutely…hilarious.

Why? Because every month, I spend money on something that is dead. That’s right. By the time each one of my 120,000+ hairs  emerge from under my scalp they’re already dead. Lifeless. In that moment, it just seemed so silly that women give so much attention, not to mention cash, to something without vitality.

After my chuckle, I started pondering about all the undeserving things I give attention to.

I’ve been thinking for, well two weeks now, about new year’s resolutions because 2012 is a big year for me. In the fall of 2010 my previous marriage fell apart, I lost my dream job and many close relationships. It took an entire year to heal; a complete year to put my life back together and pick up the pieces. This year, 2012, is a fresh start – with my new wonderful husband at my side and endless possibilities before us. It’s a blank page.

Besides working out more, eating healthier and running a marathon (okay, maybe not that last one), this year I want to resolve to stop giving attention to that which is dead and gone. Paul wrote in Philippians 3, “I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I press on”.

There have been times I have screwed things up in my life. There’s been times that life just threw me a disastrous curve ball. I failed history in college…twice. My first marriage ended in divorce. The church building my dad pastored at for 15 years foreclosed. All of those things happened and more. But you know what? Those things – those faults and misfortunes, they’re dead and gone now.

Isaiah 46:18-19 reads,
“Forget the former things; 
   do not dwell on the past. 
See, I am doing a new thing! 
   Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? 
I am making a way in the wilderness 
   and streams in the wasteland.”

God rejoices in producing water in the desert. The desert of your past; the wasteland of my past. 2012 is about watering that which still lives, and cutting away those things that are dead. No more regrets.

As for my hair? Well, I don’t think I can do without my highlights just yet. Or maybe ever.

For more on this topic, some great blogs:

One Word 2012: BURN by Matt Price

The past by Jon Acuff

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christmas blessings

James 1:17 reads, “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights”.

This Christmas especially, far more than any before it, I felt joy and incredible peace. For this holiday is not about simple packages under a tree, but it’s about a Savior who has given us the greatest gift, free of charge. Christmas is about the people who fill our lives with love. So I thank Jesus for the incredible blessing of FAMILY in my life.

My precious nieces and nephew

My precious nieces and nephew!

Papa took us all to Silver Dollar City in Branson

My mom and my sister

Mom is excited about her new son-in-law!

But they were not excited about roller coaster!

The Newsome's (minus one)

Roller coaster ridin' buddies

Mastered his leggo set in no time!

The littliest one...

Turning Jeff into a prince!

For the future 'Justin Jay'

Isn't she lovely?!

Jeremy & Christian

I'll let Santa decide...

Beautiful AND pregnant!

Dad decided we needed a new family photo!

so be good for goodness sake...

time for Jeff to open his gifts!

My very own record player!

Christmas at the Mullikin's

Mother & son

I can't get enough of baby Merritt!

Santa's little helper

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after

My dad is a pastor, so I’ve heard a lot of sermons. I’ve heard sermons that motivate, sermons that convict, sermons that I’ve sworn were written and preached straight to me. And then there have been those sermons that have lulled me to sleep. It seems I’ve heard it all.

And yet, here I found myself sitting in a group with only 10 others, absolutely transfixed; as if hearing a sermon for the very first time.

The speaker was a man named Marvin. He dressed in shabby clothes and was missing a few teeth. Neither eloquent nor educated, however his words were like a knife to the soul. As I listened, it occurred to me that instead of a speaker’s level of education, perhaps it’s the amount of suffering he has endured which gives him and his words credibility.

Marvin is living with Aids. 

Along with a few dozen other patients he stays at the Hope Care Aids home. Last year, after hearing about the good news of Jesus Christ, Marvin gave his life to the Lord and became a Christian. Almost instantly his best friend at Hope Care, Larry, lost his fight to with Aids and passed away. It was a dark time for Marvin. And again, several weeks ago Marvin lost another friend at Hope Care to the disease.

“After my second friend died, I started to get depressed again and thought, Oh no, am I going to have to deal with this again? But, then God showed me a verse that gave me the strength I desperately needed.”

Marvin read 1 Peter 5:10 to us, which says, “And the God of all grace…after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast.”

Marvin will struggle with the hurt and reality of death, but the struggle won’t last forever.

In that moment, I wanted to pen a note with this verse and send it back in time to myself in 2010: Jen, I know you feel like you’re dying right now. But, keep holding on. The suffering won’t last forever. Restoration will come. 

Time seemed to stand still; Marvin and the others froze. I looked over at my husband, and realized how happy I am. How blessed I am. How far I’d come from the dark dungeons of August 2010.

Last week, I spoke with a friend who is struggling with a broken marriage and threats of divorce. She said, “Sometimes it feels as if this will never end; that I cannot make it through.” To her and to others who bind arms with us in struggles, this is the message of hope.

That God has a plan for restoration. 

The ironic part is, I was at Hope Care Aids home to minister to Marvin and the other patients. I was there to “give back” during the Christmas season after being challenged by our Christmas reading plan. But, I was the one who left encourage. I was the one who was ministered to. I left with a full heart.

This Christmas, don’t forget about those in need. Here are some easy ways to give, without even having to leave your computer screen:

1. Hello Somebody: a ministry existing to help educate and feed children and to break the cycle of poverty and hunger. You can make a financial donation or purchase a stylish watch which will help buy Christmas gifts for street children in Rwanda.

2. Operation Christmas child: a ministry of Samaritan’s purse which gives shoe boxes filled with Christmas gifts to needy children. Donate $7 to help with shipping boxes or $35 online to fill and ship a box.

3. Operation Warmth: Make a financial contribution to help provide a warm coat to a needy child.

Question: What did you do to give back this Christmas season?

 

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miracle of life

Today, my sister-in-law, Kristen, gave birth to a beautiful baby boy named Merritt Vance. Is there any greater miracle than that of life itself? When I held him, every detail – his almost invisible eyelashes, his upturned nose, his miniature fingernails – all seemed so…perfect. One moment the world continued to turn without him and the next moment he was here!

The Psalmist writes, “You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed.” (139:16)

Somewhere, in the massive library of heaven, God has now authored a book entitled, “Merritt”. The book holds every day of his priceless life. The pages foretell of the day he will take his first step, the day he will learn to ride a bike and the day he will hold his own baby. But for now, we will all just enjoy the miracle of…

day one.

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bringing back Christmas

I absolutely adore this time of the year. A side of me that I’ve never seen before has been slowly appearing. In the kitchen, I’ve evolved into a woman that is learning to cook and bake. In the living room, I finally mastered the Christmas tree decorations without begging my sister to come over and fix it. I’ve taken time to press the pause button on life and enjoy driving down a street intoxicated with Christmas lights.

But, what I love most about this time of year is remembering the origin and focus of Christmas; the miracle of it all. I’m a hopeless sucker for a good story and the real story of Christmas; well, it’s the greatest tale of all. Jesus’ coming is a story spun of suspense, love, sacrifice, drama and fulfilled promises.

As the November page is ripped from the calendar and the month of snow and gifts arrive, we will celebrate the advent season. I never really knew what advent meant, did you? Advent comes from the Latin word adventus meaning arrival or coming. For the four weeks leading up to Christmas, the advent season celebrates the coming of the Savior and Messiah. Advent is about resetting Jesus as the center of our lives.

I found this awesome Christmas reading plan on Cissie Graham Lynch‘s blog, and I want to pay it forward to all of you. The reading plan comes from You Version; an easily readable 24-day plan leading up to Christmas Eve. Each daily reading is followed by some thought-provoking questions.

Jeff and I started the plan this evening and really enjoyed discussing the questions afterwards! I’m excited to wake up early on Christmas morning not just to give Jeff his gifts, but to have Jesus at the center of my holiday.

Dec 1: Luke 2:21-40

Dec 2: Matthew 1

Dec 3: Luke 2:1-20

Dec 4: Mark 9:33-37

Dec 5: Matthew 4:12-17,  Isaiah 9:1-3, Matt 5:14-16

Dec 6: Acts 20:35, 1 John 4:10

Dec 7: Exodus 25

Dec 8: Matthew 25:31-46

Dec 9: Isaiah 9:6-7, Revelation 19:1-16, 1 Timothy 6:11-16

Dec 10: Matthew 1:22-23, Isaiah 7:10-15, John 1:14

Dec 11: Genesis 1, Isaiah 1:18, Psalm 51:1-10

Dec 12: Revelation 2:1-5, 1 John 3:1-3

Dec 13: Psalm 150

Dec 14: Acts 15:22-31

Dec 15: Luke 1, Jeremiah 32:17

Dec 16: Matthew 2:1-12

Dec 17: Galatians 4:1-7

Dec 18:Isaiah 58, Matthew 6:16-18

Dec 19: Luke 11:1-13

Dec 20: John 1

Dec 21: John 21:25

Dec 22: Psalm 100

Dec 23: Matthew 25

Dec 24: John 3:16

Dec 25: Luke 1:26-56, Matthew 1:18-25, Luke 2:1-40

P.S. Jeff says he’s never heard of stringing popcorn garland on the Christmas tree. Tell me I’m not the only one who did this growing up!!?