Jennifer Favourites …
May 23, 2011
Does being blind take away a good deal of the excitement of foreign travel?
I choose for it not to! I start enjoying travel long before I leave home. I love to research a place I am visiting–learn it’s history, culture and trivia! I will even read about architecture before hand so when I actually visit a structure, I can see it in my mind’s eye. If I learn a lot before I arrive, I experience more when I get there!
What is your favourite thing to do when you have some free time?
Strangely, if I have free time and my home is a mess, first thing I do is clean! Then, my favourite thing to do is relax with an audio book, coffee, dark chocolate with a candle lit and Chopin playing in the background.
What is your favourite food?
Okay, I admit it…cheese pizza, dark chocolate and raw veggies!
What are you currently reading? And what are your favorite books other than the Bible
I’m a big fan of dead authors! I love classic lit. Henry James, Jane Austen and CS Lewis are some of my most loved. Right now I am reading a living author though “The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society” by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows
We know you travel a lot. How do you manage to stay in different hotel rooms all the time?
I keep pretty strict habits no matter where I am–I never use drawers, toiletries sit to the left of the sink, I plug my electronics in the bathroom to charge…creature of habit! I wish that prevented the occasional bumps and bruises but it doesn’t. I just try to slow down and remember I am blind!
How did you come to be so keen on coffee? Do you have a special coffee machine (the kind that makes espresso) at home? What is your favourite blend?
I didn’t sip my first cup of coffee until I was forty and I haven’t stopped since! I have a Keurig coffee maker and my favourite blend for it is Dark Magic. At Starbucks,Verona is my favorite blend. Actually, I would almost be just as happy with an IV Drip of coffee rather than having to brew it!
What are your favorite movies and TV programmes or do you not watch these things?
I’m an American Idol junkie! Other than that, I listen to NPR shows like, “All Things Considered” and “Fresh Air.”
Who has been the greatest spiritual influence on you?
My most intimate influence has been my Dad. He taught me about Christ and He acted like Him. He is meek, wise, patient and committed. His knowledge and love for Scripture impacted me greatly and he’s a great story teller from whom I’ve learned a lot. My other strong influence, I call her a “hero for my heart” is Joni Erikson Tada. Her joy, perseverance, and honesty inspire me.
Is there a scripture that’s been key to your life?
2 Corinthians 4:16-18 has been a guiding verse for me for years. It inspires and grounds me because it keeps the hard stuff of life in perspective.
“Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day. For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal.”
What do you always carry in your handbag?
LIPSTICK! Without it, I have no visible lips! Also, chocolate, Advil and usually a water bottle!
What are the 5 most important things on your ‘To Do’ list?
- Clean out my in-box
- Help Connor with homework
- Figure out what I will make for dinner
- Get on the treadmill
- That’s quite enough, thank you!
What do you most appreciate about your life?
That God gave me a curious mind and easy to work with hair! I’m truly grateful for a loyal husband and a stable family and loyal friends who I feel accepted by.
Who’s your favorite Bible character?
Eleazar, one of David’s mighty men in 2 Samuel 23:9-10. He inspires me to stand firm, cling to The Sword and watch God bring victory into my life.
What makes you smile?
I love to laugh at comedians! I smile when I’m proud of a friend or playing with our dog Lucy.
Your favourite…
- Smell? Leather
- Sound? Wind rustling leaves in the trees and birds singing
- Dessert? Crème Brulee
- Technology you couldn’t live without? My Talking Computer (or coffeemaker, it’s a toss up!
May 25, 2011 at 2:23 pm
I attended the Beauty for Ashes conference at New Life Church SA and I loved listening to you. Your story and inspiration touched me on so many different levels, thank you for that