Well here I am on a Saturday morning working at the shelter since we are short staffed for the weekend. The kids are still in bed so another staff member and I get to spend the morning playing around on the internet and watching TV. Yeah, my job is pretty difficult :)
Anyways, my friends Jennifer and Annie came in to visit me last night, which is incredibly exciting! They braved the 12 hour drive through such scenic states as Missouri and Oklahoma just to see me...yes they are amazing friends. But anyways, I got to take them downtown OKC which for those of you who may doubt the thrill factor of Oklahoma, is actually a pretty fun and happening place. There were even fireworks going off last night!!!!And everyone who knows me understands how obsessed I am with fireworks! Im enthralled by them. Yes, I know Im a nerd, but thats one of the reasons Justin wanted to take me to Disney World for our honeymoon; so we can see fireworks every night while we are there. We even made special arrangements at our resort so that we can see the fireworks from our hotel room balcony! Yes, it should be pretty sweet...

Alrighty...I know that its been almost a month since my last post and for that my faithful readers I am sorry. But you wouldnt understand how difficult it is to keep up your posts when you have limited access to the internet. So here I am at work at 7 in the morning ( the kids arent up yet) posting.
So yeah. My job. Well I am now the shelter coordinator for a youth shelter here in Oklahoma City! However, this week the director of the shelter had a medical emergency and has been bedrest for the past week, so because of this; I am also the acting director of the shelter for now! Talk about crazy! I mean technically all the staff has to report to me! What a whopping load of responsbility just coming out from college! Anyways, I love it so far. The kids are great. Their stories make me want to cry. Most days I come home stressed. But all in all, this has been an amazing learning experience. Oh, and did I mention that I now also have to prepare the meals for the shelter? Yeah, the cook quit this week too.
Well anyways guys...I gotta run. Kids are getting up.
I will write soon!

Im now an Okie!

Well, I made it. I moved to Oklahoma City a week ago. Im settled into my apartment , got a job that I think Im going to love and it seems that God is working everything out wonderfully. I wont lie it is still an adjustment for me having no friends around except for Justin. But he has been amazing...cooking me dinner and checking my closets before I go to bed each night just to make the transistion smoother. We also have discovered some awesome asian restaurants here that I cant wait to check out. On Monday we had Thai, tonight sushi, and tomorrow vietnamese! Who knew that Oklahoma could be diverse?

Moving...

Hey the next week and a half will be crazy since i am moving to OKC in just 8 days! So please excuse the lack of posts during this time. I will let you know how everything is once I have settled into my new place. Those of you that are here in Illinois, I will miss you all terribly, but look forward to your visits :) Please keep praying that I find a job and that God gives me patience in the meantime. Talk to you all soon!

Stranded in Oklahoma!

Okay, so im supposed to be coming home to Illinois today, but unfortunately my car broke down in Miami, Ok on my drive down to OKC Sunday night and is still not fixed. It looks like there is some significant damage to the trasmission, which means I could be stuck here forever! Okay so maybe that is a slight exaggeration...but anyways my sister and I hitched a ride with a man who had a trailer on the back of his suburban and towed us to OKC. Yes, thats right we drove 3 hours in a car with a complete stranger! I know how bad that sounds, but under the circumstances we felt we didnt have alot of other choices and "Bob" wasnt too scary. ( However I must say my parents werent too happy when they heard about this ) Luckily God blessed us with some very helpful and kind people along our journey and we safely made it to Justins' apartment here. Now we are just waiting to hear when the car will be fixed.
On a more positive note, I have had 2 job interviews and 1 more today since Ive been here. Those both went really well, and I also put down the deposit on an apartment and now have an address in Oklahoma City! YAY! So although things arent going as I imagined, things are working out in the end. I think God may be trying to teach me a lesson on patience and waiting on HIS time. The past couple days have been difficult for me because I have felt as though I have had no control over what was going on in my life. Im stucked in another state and have to rely completely on the kindness of others and that is something i am not accustomed to. I like to do things for myself. So maybe my trust in God isnt as strong as I think and I have been trusting too much in myself to plan out my life. Maybe this is Gods way of saying "hold on, Jess....just remember who's in control here".

Patriotism in church

I just wanted to post a question that i know has been discussed on others blogs but I wanted to hear some input from you guys about it. What role do you all believe the church should have in patriotic celebrations? With tomorrow being Memorial Day, I know that many churches spent today having patriotic services. Although I definitely believe that we should take time to honor our veterans and those who sacrificed thier lives while serving in military, Im concerned that some churches may be chalking up patriotism as a required godly trait. In some Christian circles, I think that criticizing the U.S. government is considered equally as serious as blasphemy. This is something that I was thinking about in church today and I would love to hear your comments.

A Flawed System

Okay so last night a couple of my friends and I went to the drive-in and saw the movie "The Longest Yard". Now i know there have been several bad reviews out there about this flick but we thought it was hilarious and unexpectedly inspirational. I then watched the movie "The Hurricane" today which for those who arent familar with it, is a true story about a man who was wrongly convicted for murder and sat in prison for over 30 years. If you have not seen this movie I highly recommend you watch it. It shines a light on all the corruption and discrimination that exists within our criminal justice system . I had watched it before but yet it stills gives me an uneasy, sickening feeling throughout the entire movie. It makes me so infuriated that such injustices still occur and that there are probably many more innocent individuals in our prisons. Yet because they are labeled "criminals" they are ignored. No one wants to spend the time to plead thier case, especially if they have already been through court proceedings. It doesnt matter if that individual didnt have a credible court defender or that he had a racist panel of jurors. We need to remember that criminals are people too and do everything we can to ensure that every individual is given the right to fair trial and that justice is served to everyone. Of course this is impossible because humans run the systems that govern our courts and humans are flawed themselves. However, that doesnt mean we quit striving for it.

going to Ok next week!

So I've had advancements in my job search and Im headed to Oklahoma city next week for a couple of interviews and to check out some apartments! Isnt that exciting? I cant wait to see how God brings everything together in His timing. I need to remember that because I do tend to stress very easily. But anyways I'll keep everyone updated as to what happens. Please pray for me and that God will give me the discernment and wisdom needed to make good decisions in the upcoming weeks.

Blood diamonds

Since my engagement ring is not the typical diamond but a ruby instead, I have had to explain to several individuals recently what blood diamonds were. To state in simpler terms I found an article that states at least 10 reasons why you shouldnt purchase diamonds. Although this doesnt go into great detail about the history of blood diamonds in Africa it does illustrate how the diamond industry (DeBeers) brainwashed western culture. Without further ado, here is the article.

Econ-Atrocity Bulletin:
Ten Reasons Why You Should Never Accept a Diamond Ring from Anyone, Under Any Circumstances, Even If They Really Want to Give You One (2/14/02) y Liz Stanton, CPE Staff Economist
1. You've Been Psychologically Conditioned To Want a Diamond
The diamond engagement ring is a 63-year-old invention of N.W.Ayer advertising agency. The De Beers diamond cartel contracted N.W.Ayer to create a demand for what are, essentially, useless hunks of rock.
2. Diamonds are Priced Well Above Their Value
The De Beers cartel has systematically held diamond prices at levels far greater than their abundance would generate under anything even remotely resembling perfect competition. All diamonds not already under its control are bought by the cartel, and then the De Beers cartel carefully managed world diamond supply in order to keep prices steadily high.
3. Diamonds Have No Resale or Investment Value
Any diamond that you buy or receive will indeed be yours forever: De Beers’ advertising deliberately brain-washed women not to sell; the steady price is a tool to prevent speculation in diamonds; and no dealer will buy a diamond from you. You can only sell it at a diamond purchasing center or a pawn shop where you will receive a tiny fraction of its original "value."
4. Diamond Miners are Disproportionately Exposed to HIV/AIDS
Many diamond mining camps enforce all-male, no-family rules. Men contract HIV/AIDS from camp sex-workers, while women married to miners have no access to employment, no income outside of their husbands and no bargaining power for negotiating safe sex, and thus are at extremely high risk of contracting HIV.
5. Open-Pit Diamond Mines Pose Environmental Threats
Diamond mines are open pits where salts, heavy minerals, organisms, oil, and chemicals from mining equipment freely leach into ground-water, endangering people in nearby mining camps and villages, as well as downstream plants and animals.
6. Diamond Mine-Owners Violate Indigenous People's Rights
Diamond mines in Australia, Canada, India and many countries in Africa are situated on lands traditionally associated with indigenous peoples. Many of these communities have been displaced, while others remain, often at great cost to their health, livelihoods and traditional cultures.
7. Slave Laborers Cut and Polish Diamonds
More than one-half of the world's diamonds are processed in India where many of the cutters and polishers are bonded child laborers. Bonded children work to pay off the debts of their relatives, often unsuccessfully. When they reach adulthood their debt is passed on to their younger siblings or to their own children.
8. Conflict Diamonds Fund Civil Wars in Africa
There is no reliable way to insure that your diamond was not mined or stolen by government or rebel military forces in order to finance civil conflict. Conflict diamonds are traded either for guns or for cash to pay and feed soldiers.
9. Diamond Wars are Fought Using Child Warriors
Many diamond producing governments and rebel forces use children as soldiers, laborers in military camps, and sex slaves. Child soldiers are given drugs to overcome their fear and reluctance to participate in atrocities.
10. Small Arms Trade is Intimately Related to Diamond Smuggling
Illicit diamonds inflame the clandestine trade of small arms. There are 500 billion small arms in the world today which are used to kill 500,000 people annually, the vast majority of whom are non-combatants.

My engagement story..

I promised to write more details of how Justin proposed, and now that things have settled down, I have a little more time to do so.
As most of you all know, our relationship has been a long distance relationship from the very beginning. So anyways, last Wednesday ( May 11th) Justin flew into Bloomington to be here for my graduation from ISU on Friday. However on Thursday we drove to downtown Chicago to eat at this gourmet Mexican restaurant we had been wanting to go to. Its called Frontera Grill and if you are ever in the Chicago area, you should definitely check it out! http://fronterakitchens.com/ It was amazing! (I also wanted to point out that I successfully parallel parked in downtown Chicago, which for anyone who knows me, this is a huge feat!)
Okay, so after a great lunch in Chicago, we drove to the Indiana Dunes, which is the beach area of Lake Michigan. Its actually very beautiful, and for anyone who lives in the land-locked portion of the United States its our version of the beach since Lake Michigan is so large and spans into the horizon. It also one of the places we went on Justin's first visit to Illinois this time last year.
So anyways it was kind of chilly on the beach, so we took a couple of blankets, found an area overlooking the lake watching the waves roll in with the chicago skyline faintly in the distance, and cuddled while having the beach completely to ourselves. We had been talking for awhile and all of a sudden the sun started coming out from under a cloud, making the moment picture perfect. I truly was thinking at this time, this is just beautiful. "Im with the man I love in such a perfect place" when Justin leaned over and said "I want to spend the rest of our lives together, will you marry me? My heart stopped, b/c I was so taken off guard that I immediately said "Are you serious?" He kind of smiled then got up on his knee, and took the ring out of his wallet. At this point, I realized he was serious and i think I said yes as he put the ring on my finger! Some of what happened is a blur since I was still in shock at the time.
That night we drove home, called some friends and told my parents. I also talked to his mom on the phone who welcomed me into the family, which i thought was incredibly sweet. The next day I graduated from college and on Saturday was my open house which became an engagement/graduation party, so all the family got to meet Justin and see my ring. Needless to say, its been a whirlwind of emotions the past week and a half and it has finally sunk in that Im getting married! Yeah for me! I couldnt be happier!

you can comment now...

Alrighty...so for the last couple months or so, I have felt as though no one really reads my blog, or its just incredibly boring b/c i never have any comments. However, I was informed last night that I had settings on my page that restricted those who can comment on my site. So ive adjusted those settings and now anyone should be able to comment. Let me know if this is the case..

IM ENGAGED! I will write more details later, but just wanted everyone to know how happy I am :)

Count your blessings

This afternoon at a student apartment building near the campus of ISU (Illinois State Univ) a fire broke out and completely destroyed the building, leaving over 80 college students without a place to stay. Apparently the fire started in the 3rd floor of the building and eventually caused the entire building to collapse. Although no one was injured, the students living there lost EVERYTHING, all on the weekend before finals. I cant even imagine...losing pictures, clothing, computers, textbooks, basic toiletries, etc... It seems as though it takes times like these for us to finally remember to count our blessings and then reach out to others.

Challenge from my professor

You are a woman,
of wisdom, courage, strength
compassion and creativity....
Go forth with the
fire of confidence
in your heart.
Kindle it with care &
never let it's brillant flame go out.

You are now a social worker!!!
Regardless of what direction you go
professionally from here...
that is the core of who you are.

Why am I so sappy?

So in the past, I would have never considered myself an emotional girl, but lately I think I've just become a sentimental mush. With graduation only 2 weeks away, and knowing that in about a month I will be moving away, I guess the realization that Im actually leaving is finally setting in. This week our department had a graduation dinner to honor all the seniors and they were talking about moving on to the next phase of our lives, and I just couldnt help but feel a sort of sadness as I looked at the classmates I may never see again. Then yesterday I had an end of the year evaluation with my professor and field instructor, and they were saying such complimentary things about me, and how much they would miss me, and again I became emotional. To top all things off, today when I was doing home visits, I stopped by the apartment of one of my old clients and she had just had a baby 6 days ago, so I got to sit down with her, visit and hold a week old baby...and of course I went to mush. I've put so much heart into the people that I work with and I will miss them so much...
However, dont get me wrong...Im very excited about entering into the next phase of my life. I know it will hold many adventures and joyful experiences, I just think that its normal to feel a sort of loss when change is about to happen. But I dont know...maybe Im experiencing so many varied emotions right now that Im not even making any sense...

Procrastinating as always.....

So I am still working on my paper that is due tomorrow morning...well i guess i should say is due in a few hours. But my neck and back are hurting and i cant really think...so i think im going to call it a night and get up early in the morning to finish working on it...Oh the joys of college life! Why do I always procrastinate?

Why is it that when i have the most to do that I lack any motivation to get it done? For the past 2 1/2 hours I have been sitting in front of my computer trying to work on 1 of 3 projects due next week, and how much do I have done? Well, approximately 3 sentences! What is my problem...all i really want to do is just go to bed and sleep through the next 3 weeks until graduation. That way everything will magically get done on its own and i wont have to worry about it...If only that was the case...life would be so much more enjoyable...

a sad, sad day

well, what a sad day. my illini lost and the college basketball season is over. I actually was pretty emotional watching the highlight reels from the season...so sad...but what a great season for our boys...I think i will still be upset for a few days but....Luckily I get to see my boyfriend in 3 days, (its been 2 months) and He always makes things better :) Yeah for that!

I-L-L-I-N-I

For those who doubted the Illini's ability...well they somehow made it to the NCAA Championship GAME with a clear, decisive victory over Louisville today. Some unexpected yet amazing performances by Rev. Roger Powell, Jack Ingram, and Nick Smith as well as the usual greatness by the famous starters! Good luck to Michigan State as they take on UNC in the next game... We look forward to seeing you on the court again on Monday :)

A sad day..

Well Michael Schiavo finally got what he wanted, his wife died this morning. This man is a murderer and completely disgusts me. What a sad day for this family and for our country..