Into the swing of things.

Life has been really busy as of late. Busier than I expected, to be quite honest. Maybe I'll be able to give a better evaluation of the year when I feel like I've got more time...but I wanted to say that I'm still alive. That's a plus.

I'm learning new things every day...growing...and still seeing painfully obvious truths about myself that I need to change if I wish to graduate/make it through this year, academically. It's hard balancing everything and I have to admit that I'm not doing as well as I want to be this year. And I'm only taking 13 hours! Oy. It's just the first month of school, I keep telling myself...

Things learned senior year thus far:

Life is tough. Friends are amazing. God is still good. Even when I make stupid mistakes...

I'm learning a lot about mistakes--or just the fact that, newsflash, humans aren't perfect. It's frustrating but also pretty freeing. Maybe I'll talk about that later? I don't know. 

Hasta la vista,

Jessica

"We can do no great things, only small things with great love."

This week has turned out to be one of the best of the summer. It's sort of odd because it was pretty ordinary.

In the last week I:
-found out that I can move back August 17. I'm leaving the 15th and spending time with fam in Indiana.
-have been doing a lot of email correspondance for the GG.
-learned who the new adviser is for the GG
-spent quality time with Rachel, MNU's newspaper editor, and it was great to catch up.
-interviewed MNU's chaplain and got a new book [for free!], it's really good so far.
-learned my grade for the summer class I took.
-found out that I can drop a 7:30 am class. A-MAZING. I'm SO not a morning person.
-got my box from the CCCU with all my supplies for being a Best Semester Alumni Ambassador. woot.
-was asked to be a judge for ONU's Marketing office's "Most Interesting Olivetian" competition.
--
So, that's my week. A whole lot of excitement. And I didn't even have to leave my house for much of it. Before this summer, I probably wouldn't have seen it as interesting.
I think that the biggest thing I've learned since May is the importance of being content where you are. It's something I struggle with sometimes...if you know me well you might say that I'm restless.

This summer staying put has been out of financial necessity (gas prices+no regular job). And it has had its low points...especially not being able to see people and do things. Being stuck someplace has a way of making you a little upset and bitter, but I felt like this summer was the way it was for a reason--God is teaching me to find my contentness in Him, no matter the circumstance.

This reminds me of what Paul says in Phillipians 4:11-13. I like the Message version.

"I've learned by now to be quite content whatever my circumstances. I'm just as happy with little as with much, with much as with little. I've found the recipe for being happy whether full or hungry, hands full or hands empty. Whatever I have, wherever I am, I can make it through anything in the One who makes me who I am."

Mamma Mia...Here I go again

Hello. It's been awhile. Nothing much has happened since I've written last--just working at the post office and at the newspaper. All the articles I've been working on will be wrapped up tomorrow. Woot. Then life will be boring again.

Wednesday I've got an election worker training course and Aug. 5 I'll be working the election. That is pretty exciting. I'm sort of saddened that there is a new JoCo Election Commissioner. In high school, I volunteered to work the '04 primary and presidential elections and the woman who led the training sessions--Connie Schmidt--was a really nice lady. I actually interviewed her for one of my first newspaper stories. It was cool to do a story outside of school and act as and be treated like a professional journalist.

Otherwise...I'm just waiting around for August. Then all the really exciting things are happening: my 21st birthday (the 6th), friends from MNU returning to the area, going to Indiana to visit family and then going to school and starting a new year. I'll be seeing friends from last year and meeting loads of new freshman.

This is my last year. It's simultaneously weird and scary and exciting.

"My fourth quarter pipe dreams are seeming more and more worth fighting for."

I got my rhetoric grade in this week. A-. I about keeled over when I saw that. It means a lot--I made the Dean's List for Spring, then. And my GPA didn't plummet any further. Fall, as I've mentioned, was a blip on my academic record. The work I've put into all my spring courses really paid off. So, if I continue to work hard next semester, I might be able to pull off a higher graduation honors level.

But anyways.

I've been feeling very artsy lately. I want to create something...but then I get frustrated in not knowing what. My old-fashioned camera is beckoning. Perhaps I should go out and take pictures. I miss that, a lot. Hm.

Lately, I've been thinking maybe I'm interested in doing radio journalism. I'm going to audit a class in radio announcing this fall so I can learn an audio editing program.

It's funny, I came to Olivet to specialize in print journalism. More and more I'm wanting to diversify, though! It all started with going into that nonlinear video editing class. Next I'm taking TV news. And now I'm venturing into radio. What can I say...media, in one form or another, is my calling.

It all is appealing, exciting and interesting to me. I love my major and minor and while other majors might interest me too, this definitely has enough variety to keep me occupied. :)

Whew.

Media theory...is done. This is good. I can go back to reading for fun.

My movie theater job[/s-I applied at another place within the chain] really failed to materialize. So I'm just hanging around home. I've honestly gotten used to it...it's less bad than it was at the beginning of the summer.

I'm working at the post office again, and that's been pretty sweet. I got my first decent paycheck today, so that's uber exciting. That will be paying for gas to get back to Olivet and books. Woo!

Now that media theory is over I can focus my attention on the 6 stories I have due for the fair edition of the newspaper. Yes. 6. It'll be fun, I just need to start them. They were assigned back at the beginning of the month, but deadline isn't until July 21. I'm psyched to get some writing in this summer. New clips are something I can always use.

This is the summer of the odd job. My other odd job is working the election in August. It's a bit over $100 for a day, and it's super easy...not bad at all. I'm definitely going to try to work in the election this year in Bourbonnais, if I can.

Oh school...I'm def ready to be back at Olivet. Classes. Friends. The GlimmerGlass...! It's going to be a challenge to be exec editor, but I'm really looking forward to all the things we can do to improve...and new fun internet things we can add. That's what I'd like to see improve. :)

But anyways. I should go to bed...I went to bed at 3:30 last night and woke up at 8...not fun.
Goodnight!
Jess

Yawn.

So...life...is boring. But, some good things are going on. I've been able to see friends marry. I've been picking up hours at the post office for the past two weeks. I've been getting back into the Word. I've been running more. I've been living online a lot less--I've cut back on AIM and have stopped posting on another blog daily.

I'm seeing room for improvement and taking all this time on my hands and figuring maybe I can put it to good use.

I started Media Theory last week. I wish I had taken it last Fall...it seems like a subject that would be better studied with group discussion. Shoot. Oh well. Three more tests and a research paper.

While it's not fun being at home all the time...maybe it's for the best, financially. Currently, I am still completely and utterly broke. The movie theater never called me back to come in and sign things. I'm calling tomorrow.

Hm.
So...that's all, I guess...
Goodnight.

Stop the press...

WalMart is out. I'll be working at my first job, the movie theater, this summer. On top of freelancing for a newspaper and MNU. My boss at MNU said he has a few more dates for me, so that is good, I guess. As long as that doesn't conflict with the job at the theater.

Media Theory starts Monday...I think. I've been skimming the book and I'm really excited about it.

Still haven't heard anything on my rhetoric grade. Hopefully I will soon, but I'm not counting on it.

And, I'm going to yet another wedding (third of the season) tomorrow, in Omaha. It'll be a nice drive.

Anywho. Beyond that life is pretty unexciting. I'm taking up jogging. And researching online journalism. That's it though. I'm so ready to have a regular job and paychecks...then I won't feel like such a bump on a log.