New Orleans...

Jazz and things, pretty good coffee for a nonportland city. 

This is downtown, right by the mississippi. I loved the french influence on the buildings.

Off to New York! 

-je

friends in strange places

As I walked through the Dallas airport, me and my guitar I smiled as I head banjo music. Gotta love Texas.  As it got louder I was delighted to find a classic old man, in overalls, flag tie and hat smiling at everyone who walked past. 

He caught my eye and with that sparkle that people have only when they have really lived. 

“Hey there missy, that there your g-tar? Come on over here and show me what you can do.”

I have been asked the play a million times and have never obliged  but for some reason today I considered it.  What the heck, why not? I walked over to him. I had time to kill and this man looked like he had some stories.

After a  hacked up blue grass version of Amazing grace and Tis so sweet to trust in Jesus he looked at  me and said. 

“you got time to see something?” 

Bingo. 

He bought out a book, tattered and what looked like something from a movie...a few times I looked around for a camera to see if this guy was for real. I open the worn pages to find black and white images of him as a little boy, with his “daddy”. I smirked at the wobbly written letters of a 6 year old. “Dear daddy, how are the boys? I miss you, and need your help with my homework.Come home soon.” 

It was a story of a boy and his father in WW2.

“I always was looking forward to the day when my dad could help me with my homework. I was always counting the days until my daddy could come home. But, missy, he never did. He died when I was 7 years old.”

I asked him why he played, “I come here every Thursday to say thank you to the troops, I surely do thank them. People here do not say thank you enough to those fellows. The good Lord said come here and make people smile. So here I am.” 

That he did.  I sat there next to him and watched. People would come over. He asked how the day had been, “where ya’ll from now? Oh my, that must be a nice place.” Some lingered, some kept walking. All smiled. He went on and on playing that twangie song and singing with his hat and and smiling and blessing and winking  and stomping and loving being on that stool.

This man in the Dallas airport is effective. The staff loved him. The troops saw his grateful heart. The tired mom was encouraged as he cared and asked about the baby. The dear old lady was thought of as he brought her napkins for a spill and played her request from years past. 

I saw some of Jesus today. And I loved it. 

good bye country liven... for a bit anyway

I love not know exactly what will happen, who I will meet, what my camera and I will see.... 

and 

I am quite excited about this little ditty. It will start with a girls conference in Louisiana. Going from New Orleans, to New York, to  Baltimore to DC.  

So for now good bye to country living and hello to hostels, cookouts, sweet tea, boiled peanuts? Buses and some stinking AWESOME photography locations.  

Stay tuned and much love

                                                                                                                                 -jocelyn elise 

The paul and timothy guys

4 guys from my church who aspire to be like Paul and Timothy. 

They desire to challange and equip others. 

How can one do that? 

A conference. A Paul and Timothy Conference. 

www.paulandtimothy.com

As you can see...we had a blast! 

robs

-je

Eingstrum Wedding

TRUE BLUE

I am getting good at goodbyes. Feels like every time I turn around I am saying farewell to a friend. 

I had to say a forever goodbye to True Blue, my suitcase today. 

True Blue has stuck with me over the past 4 years living through consistent travel including but not limited to. Texas, Indiana, Virginia, Tennessee , Taiwan, Cambodia, California, Washington, Nevada, Georgia, Hawaii and all over Portland when I was “homeless”. 

When I arrived in Cambodia true blue was not there. I was 10 hours up what looked like a river bed in a jungle village, sure I would not see that suitcase again. Yet, 5 days after I arrived along came a beat up pick up truck carrying my dear True Blue covered in red dirt, smashed, tattered but holding its own. I had never been more excited to see True Blue...the local clothing was a bit short for me....

True Blue stuck with me through the thousands of “how long ya staying” jokes, the “my gosh what is in this thing?” remarks. Watched with me as the the many people who picked us up from the airports eyes got big as they thought about just how true blue was going to fit in the car. There where some tight fits but we always made it. Somehow. 

Today I tried to pack true blue again, but he could not do it. He is just too old, too may miles, too may airports and trunks, too may smashing, to many times of me sitting--or jumping to get that thing ziped. 

See ya good buddy, thanks for (mostly) showing up on the converter belt, thanks for keeping my shoes so nice. Thanks for rolling behind me though many cities and countries. 

I will miss you. 

ps
if you ever packed True Blue in your trunk, car or lifted it into something, carried it, rolled it or otherwise True Blue and I say thanks very much. It was fun.