About my blog

This blog is intended to be an account of my adventures while serving with Dwell in Denver. Allow me to make some disclaimers first.

• I've never been a writer. I was a music major in college, I spent a lot of time practicing, not writing.I make sense in my head, but not necessarily on paper. I will most likely compose most of my blogs while running and then attempt to recreate them in a post upon return.



• I have a dog, Hawkeye. He's adorable and I'm practically obsessed with him. There will be lots of pictures of him, lots of stories about him and even a blog or two through his eyes. And I don't even feel bad about that! I got him from a rescue shelter in August, 2010. I think he is a yorkshire terrier and most likely came from a puppy mill. He didn't really know how to be a dog and we've made great progress over the past year. He does very well as a Toto to my Dorothy. :)
  
  
  
  


• I also love the Iowa Hawkeyes. I'm an Iowa girl, through and through. I am very excited about the mountains and all that Colorado has to offer. However, I will never forsake my love for the Hawks. :)



• I don't have a "blogging voice" yet. I'd love to be like Joy the Baker, but I'm not. I'm Johanna. This blog will be an exploration in that and hopefully I'll eventually settle in a style. But until then, well, good luck. :)



• I think in list style. You may have noticed this already.

The name of my blog comes from a song. I will leave you with the lyrics:

All will be well, and all will be well, all manner of things will be well.

Our Lord said that all would be well
All manner of things would be well.

All will be well, and all will be well, all manner of things will be well.

With all the sadness wrought in this world,
The good shall always prevail.

All will be well, and all will be well, all manner of things will be well.

In all the doubts that shroud simple truths,
We pray for the wisdom of God.

All will be well, and all will be well, all manner of things will be well.

Give us the faith to trust in your love
When things are concealed from our view.

All will be well, and all will be well, all manner of things will be well.

Our faith is firm and stands on the Word,
The Word that endures for all time.

All will be well, and all will be well, all manner of things will be well.

And so we pray to trust in the hope
That all manner of things shall be well.

All will be well, and all will be well, all manner of things will be well.

Text: Julian of Norwich, The Revelation of Divine Love; adapted by Steven C. Warner
(All Will Be Well, #98 in Sing the Journey)

And so it begins

Hi! My Name is Johanna and I'm the Program Director at Crooked Creek in Iowa. I only get to say this for 3 more months before I have to find a new way to introduce myself. Starting September 1, I will be living and volunteering in Denver, Colorado with Dwell. (Dwell is a program of DOOR Network. You can read more about it here.)

Many of the details of my life in three months are still very foggy. Where will I be working? Where will I live? What are my housemates like? What will daily life be like? I don't have answers for any of these questions yet, but I'm still excited.

I'm excited to meet the people behind the names and Facebook pages of my housemates.
I'm excited to dive into a new means of service and bring hope to a struggling place.
I'm excited to be in the mountains. MOUNTAINS!!
I'm excited for a new adventure.

I've always wanted to do a year of voluntary service. It's always been something that the people-who-know do. My older cousins, fellow church members, the cool college kids that seem to get it. I always wanted to fit into that category. I've always had plans to do this too. After high school? (missed that one.) Maybe I'll take a year off in college? (whoops! missed that one too.) It's OK, I'll go after college. I'll go to far away Africa and commit to service for 3 years! (Actually, I ended up 45 minutes from home.) So now is the time. I'm tired of saying "someday" and have declared, "TODAY!" Every step in the application process and preparation process has been a bold declaration of "TODAY!" Today is the day that I stop making plans and start doing them. And I'm excited. Very excited. :)