Coming to Fruition

NEW BLOG

2010-04-27T07:09:00.006-05:00

My new blog url is: justineblake.wordpress.com The new one will be replacing this Blogspot one, so from now on visit that site instead!

MY Reckless Abandonment

2010-02-21T20:42:00.005-06:00

A few months ago my friend Martha posted a blog entry on "Reckless abandonment" for Jesus. Here's a snippet (directly below, in italics) that speaks so much to me in the place that I am at right now. God is asking me to let go of the tight grasp I have on certain people and things that replace his satisfaction, fulfillment, and joy in my life. I have also included a portion of a devotional entry that spoke the same message to me very recently (further down).

I love that phrase – Reckless Abandonment. I can just feel the freedom saturating those words. In order to abandon things, truly abandon them, there is a wild passion behind it. It is the type of passion that drives crazy people to do the impossible. It is the type of passion that makes people believe that dreams are possible, and that Kingdom can truly come. I have been learning this month, that to truly go to the deeper places of God, we must because people of Reckless Abandonment. There are so many things in this world that are holding us back from the dynamic things of God. How tightly do I hold on to things, and am I willing to break everything at Jesus' feet in order to follow him. As much as I don't want to admit it, abandonment is the message of the Gospels. Every person that Jesus called to follow him had to completely abandon their old life. They didn't just have to leave their past mistakes behind, they were even called to abandon the good, God-given things. This is the place that God has been calling me to this month. A few days ago, I felt God calling me to abandon even more than I already have. At first I was resistant. I kept praying, "God I've given up my family, my home, my bed, what else do you want me to give up?" And yet he called me deeper. I began breaking the things that he was asking me at his feet in a sign of submission and abandonment. Even though it is hard to break the things that you love, it is also the most freeing thing in the world.

"From Center to Circumference," Come Away, My Beloved (Frances J. Roberts)

I ask you not to do, but to be. For whatsoever is of the flesh is flesh; but when you allow My spirit to have FREE COURSE, when you cease to interfere with My moving within you, then those things that shall be accomplished both within and through you will be truly the LIFE OF GOD. For My Spirit is the Spirit of Life, and My Spirit is the motivating power of Divine energy. All else is death. As it is written, “Flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God” (1 Cor. 15:50) Neither can man through any endeavor of his own, however holy his purpose, produce this life, which does not exist apart from the direct activity of the Spirit of God.

For I am with you and I am in you to make you neither barren nor unfruitful. I am in you to give you life, and to give it to you abundantly, yes life without limit. For all I am able to do for you is limited only by My omnipotence and My eternal, everlasting life and power. And to these there are no limits! Lo, I wait to bless you; I wait to give you of My fullness. I delight to do for you, because I love you beyond your power to begin to know. Only drop those things you grasp in your hand, and place your hands in Mine. Only pull your eyes form those things you hold precious, and I will fill them with My glory. Release your affections from all others. Place in My hands those you hold dear. Leave them in My keeping: for so shall your heart be set free to seek Me without distraction. For when I am to you more precious than all else; and when you love Me more than you love any other, THEN shall you know COMPLETE SATISFACTION. Your peace shall flow as a river, and your joy shall overflow as a fountain, and My glory shall be poured out as the fragrant anointing oil upon all your other relationships.

For I do not intend to strip you of earthly ties and joys, but I long to have you give Me the center of your life that My blessing may flow out to the circumference. For My Spirit moves not from the circumference to the center, but from the center to the circumference.

So yield to me your inmost consciousness. Offer Me not some random portion of your affections, but give Me that deepest portion of your heart, yes, that which seems to be your very life itself. In truth it is so. For you yield Me your life only as you offer Me your love. For this reason I have said love is the fulfillment of the law. So give me wholly your heart’s affections, and I will meet your every need.

Seek first the Kingdom of Heaven; set your desires wholly to obtain the riches of God, and all other things shall be freely supplied as the needs arise.

Only be very diligent in the quest, for the enemy always lies in wait that he may through evil device turn you aside. Be not overtaken by his wiles. Set your face like flint. Lay aside every weight and deliberately remove every hindrance. Give yourself to prayer. You have My word, yes, you have My promise, that those who seek shall find. And My promises are sure, and My Word shall never pass away (Matthew 24:35). --Come Away, My Beloved (Frances J. Roberts)

The Cry of a Father's Heart: From Genesis to Revelation

2010-02-15T18:58:00.008-06:00

A friend shared this with me today, it makes me melt. Hopefully it speaks of God's love to you as it does to me.

You may not know me, but I know everything about you: Psalm 139:1

I know when you sit down and when you rise up: Psalm 139:2

I am familiar with all your ways: Psalm 139:3

Even the very hairs on your head are numbered: Matthew 10:29-31

For you were made in my image: Genesis 1:27

In me you live and move and have your being: Acts 17:28

I knew you even before you were conceived: Jeremiah 1:4-5

I chose you when I planned creation: Ephesians 1:11-12

You were not a mistake, for all your days are written in my book: Psalm 139:15-16

I determined the exact time of your birth and where you would live: Acts 17:26

You are fearfully and wonderfully made: Psalm 139:14

I knit you together in your mother's womb: 139:13

And brought you forth on the day you were born: Psalm 71:6

I have been misrepresented by those who don't know me: 1 John 8:41-44

I am not distant and angry, but am the complete expression of love: 1 John 3:1

Simply because you are my child and I am your father: 1 John 3:1

I offer you more than your earthly father even could: Matthew 7:11

For I am the perfect father: Matthew 5:48

Every good gift that you receive comes from my hand: James 1:17

For I am your provider and I meet all your needs: Matthew 6:31-33

My plan for your future has always been filled with hope: Jeremiah 29:11

Because I love you with an everlasting love: Jeremiah 31:1

My thoughts toward you are countless as the sand on the seashores: Psalm 139: 17-18

And I rejoice over you with singing: Zephaniah 3:17

I will never stop doing good to you: Jeremiah 32:40

For you are my treasured possession: Exodus 19:5

I desire to establish you with all my heart and all my soul: Jeremiah 32:41

And I want to show you great and marvelous things: Jeremiah 33:3

If you seek me with all your heart, you will find me: Deuteronomy 4:29

Delight in me and I will give you the desires of your heart: Psalm 37:4

For it is I who gave you these desires: Philippians 2:13

I am able to do more for you than you could possibly imagine: Ephesians 3:20

For I am your greatest encourager: 2 Thessalonians 2:16-17

I am also the Father who comforts you in all your troubles: 2 Corinthians 1:3-4

When you are brokenhearted, I am close to you: Psalm 34:18

As a shepherd carries a lamb, I have carried you close to my heart: Isaiah 40:11

One day I will wipe away every tear from your eyes: Revelation 21:3-4

I am your Father, and I love you even as I love my son, Jesus: John 17:23

For in Jesus, my love for you is revealed: John 17:26

He is the exact representation of my being: Hebrews 1:3

He came to demonstrate that I am for you, not against you: Romans 8:31

And to tell you that I am not counting your sins: 2 Corinthians 5:18-19

Jesus died so that you and I could be reconciled: 2 Corinthians 5:18-19

Jesus' death was the ultimate expression of my love for you: 1 John 4:10

I gave up everything I loved that I might gain your love: Romans 8:31-32

If you receive the gift of my son Jesus, you receive me: 1 John 2:23

And nothing will ever separate you from my love again: Romans 8:38-39

Come home and I'll throw the biggest party Heaven has ever seen: Luke 15:7

I have always been Father, and will always be Father: Ephesians 3:14-15

My question is...Will you be my child?: John 1:12-13

I am waiting for you: Luke 15:11-32

Don't Worry!

2009-12-17T18:39:00.002-06:00

I didn't fall off the face of the earth! Perhaps by this point (2 1/2 months after my most recent post) my already-small following has abandoned me, or my blog rather. But if there are any of you out there still holding on to that last glimmer of hope...fret no longer. I am going to make it my goal to muster something up during my time off over the holidays. This might be a let-down since this post in itself really doesn't offer much useful information. I don't really know what I'll share with you, perhaps some information about what's going on up in Duluth or else some thoughtful words as I take in new things as a newlywed, recent graduate, new assistant teacher to preschoolers, Duluthian of almost five months, among the many other roles I play.

I kind of miss taking time to write and transcribe thoughts to a readership in an organized fashioned, so this should hold me over for a bit.

Okay, well sister-in-law Lindsey is coming over very soon, I must make haste!

Going with God's Flow

2009-09-24T07:56:00.013-05:00

The past month and a half or so I have been so eager to meet people in Duluth, find a job, get connected and start life with Peter. After about, oh, two weeks, my eagerness started to turn into impatience and restlessness. God knew what he was doing the whole time though and his timing was perfect as usual. After fruitlessly pursuing an AmeriCorps position that was unknowingly already filled and several other jobs, I started to assume that I wasn't going to find work for five years at best (note: exaggeration).

On Monday, however, I found myself searching Craigslist out of desperation and found a posting for an assistant teacher position at Summit School Duluth, an early childhood education center less than ten minutes from our house. I sent an e-mail with my hours of availability and resume and was very pleasantly surprised when I received an e-mail the next evening from the school's director asking if I could make it in for an interview the next morning. Unfortunately, I already had plans to clean, write thank yous and run errands.

Kidding! (You were on the edge of your seat, admit it.) I went in for the interview yesterday late morning and it went really well, but I didn't want to get overconfident. After telling Peter how perfect it sounded and how the interview went he urged me to follow up so the director was aware that I wanted the job if they were interested in hiring me. I e-mailed her several hours after the interview and found out just before bed that she wanted to offer me the job! I start on Monday! What an awesome blessing!

I originally thought it was a part-time position, but I will be working Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. until 5:30 p.m. with Summit's junior kindergarten class (four- and five-year-olds). Before the interview I wasn't sure with which age group the position was available, but I was drawn to the junior kindergarten and kindergarten ages and, as it turns out, that's who I'll be working with! The best part is that the school's curriculum includes French class (French in Duluth? Who would have thought?), art, music, writing, phy ed, library time and, of course, the usual play time, snack time, recess, etc. I have hoped I'd be able to put my four semesters of French to use someday and this will be a great opportunity. I feel very humbled and somewhat undeserving of this awesome job opportunity, but I know that God very much led me to it and that I'll be successful as a loving and encouraging teacher only if I let him work through me.

Another exciting change this week is that last night I met up with a group of six women for our first weekly dinner-and-a-small-group small group. One of my sister-in-law's friends (Marissa) is co-leading it and we are discussing the book Beautiful Womanhood. It's really great to have one definite night a week set aside to just be with women (some younger, some older), have fun, eat dinner and encourage each other in our marriages. Up until this week I hadn't met any of them except Marissa, but I can tell it's going to be a great opportunity to start some strong friendships. I think there is the possibility that a couple/few more women will be there next week, so it will be fun to see who else shows up.

Lastly, we're eager to see some family and friends this weekend and next as:

Natalie comes to visit Duluth this weekend while Peter heads to the Brule for both his first steelheading venture of the season and the last weekend of the stream trout season.
We cheer on Joey for the Andover Huskies' biggest game of the year against Champlin Park.
We celebrate the marriage of former co-worker Mindy and her fiancé Jimmy.
We celebrate my niece Raina's 7th birthday (How is she already 7?).

Okay, that's about all for now. This update covers much of the briefly mentioned topics in the past couple blog posts. Below are a few photos from a day trip Peter and I took last weekend canoeing part of the Brule River in Wisconsin. It was a fun day with sunny, "warm" weather, and we were able to see Cedar Island (my favorite part), an estate built in the late 1800s that was visited by fly-fishing presidents Hoover, Eisenhower and Coolidge. It's really beautiful and still well-kept.

See some of you soon!

Miss Justine (my new name as of Monday)

"Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him." (John 7:38)

JAMmin' with Justine

2009-09-10T15:42:00.010-05:00

Okay, so maybe the title is a little over-the-top, unnecessary even. But I can't help myself, the alliteration makes it just so catchy and, dare I say, punny? Alright, I'm done. I'm still alive and living well in Duluth--if there's even anyone on the other side of this screen to wonder. Time is flying by and autumn is creeping up on us here in the Northland. The colors are already starting to turn colors of bright red, orange and yellow, which, in combination with the crisp morning air, is making me somewhat nostalgic for school. Not so much college school, more so...second grade school.

Anyway, I am really eager for the fall here in Duluth. We already have much planned the next month or so. A weekend visit from best friend and ex-roommate Natalie is not too far off, little brother-in-law Joey's biggest football game of the year, a wedding celebration for my former co-worker Mindy, a visit to brother-in-law John at Michigan Tech in Houghton, MI with sister-in-law Lindsey, a visit from my mother and sister Laura and, of course, Halloween will be here before long. Peter and I were going to try to cheap it and go as Roger Federer and Maria Sharapova, but now I am thinking that might be a) lame and b) cold. We could at least try to pull off Venus and Serena, right? Maybe not. I guess we need to find a reason to dress up first, unless we just plan on trying to blend in with the children.

I am really getting off track here. So the past few weeks are kind of a blur, but they've been enjoyable nonetheless. Near the end of August Peter and I attended his unofficial company picnic. I was caught off guard when Peter's 60-something-year-old computer station buddy asked me whether the food on my plate was compliant with my PKU diet. "Are you supposed to be eating pasta? Doesn't that have protein? There's a lot of fruit for you over there. Maybe there's an insulin-like shot you can take for that, have you looked?" He was certainly a charismatic old man and it was good to finally meet him after all the "talk-up" from Peter. I also made my first batch of homemade jam, which was as successful as my first attempt could be. It tastes really great! I'm not sure if the texture is exactly how it's meant to be, but I'll get more familiar as I get more experience I suppose.

The same weekend I made the jam Peter and I took a short one-night camping trip at Eckbeck Campground near the town of Finland. We did a little hiking in Tettegouche State Park and tried to make a meal before the rain could put out our fire. We cut our stay short because the weather was hindering our enjoyment, but it was still a fun time away from home.

This same weekend my parents also stopped for their first visit to our new place in Duluth. We got lunch with them at Fitgers Brewhouse, visited some of the shops, drove them to Hawk's Ridge lookout (where we were apparently interrupting a very important birdwatching session) and got treats from THE Malt Shop on the Lakewalk. It was really fun to see them and spend time with them. They seemed to really like the area (horrible roads set aside).

This past weekend Peter and I headed down to Minneapolis for the first time since the wedding and visited his parents for a day, went to the State Fair with Natalie and Joe and stayed at their new place, visited Hope and made some wedding gift exchanges. Oh, and we made a quick stop at Ikea to pick up chairs for our kitchen nook. Complete chaos (move-in weekend for the U of M). Those are the major events for us over the past month, but there have been so many other new, exciting, fun and, yes, challenging things that we've been experiencing. It's a slow transition to a new area and we are eager to get even more connected and meet more people. And of course, staying optimistic about the job search is sometimes tough. But there's something waiting for me and I've finally decided it might not be such a bad thing to get a temporary job at a coffee shop or someplace in town for the time being. I'd get to meet people at least and everyone gets really excited when they hear we are new to Duluth.

Since this entry has become extremely long, I'm going to stop where I am at. Hopefully this keeps some of you up-to-date with what we're up to. I do hope to include more thought-provoking stuff here soon, it's hard to take the time to document all the little things that happen throughout the week or anything I feel like writing. Lastly, "little things" has become one of those overused and sometimes obscure phrases for me as of recent. My goal is to use it less and be more specific in my speech.

To be continued... (cliff hanger)

Meet the Blakes

2009-08-19T10:46:00.041-05:00

Peter and I are finally married and getting settled down in Duluth after our honeymoon in Bayfield, Wisconsin. Because we're a few hours from most of our family and friends, I thought I'd share some pictures and short tidbits to give some insight into our new life we're sharing together. Now that the honeymoon has been over for almost two weeks (not quite), Peter's been back working and I've been trying to organize and settle things into our house (having a completely wide open schedule makes it hard to get motivated, strangely enough), work on shower and wedding thank yous, as well as look for a job. We're also trying to get connected with the Duluth community so we can establish a social circle (?). In the meantime, it's been really nice having Peter's brother and sister-in-law so close (although John just went back to school in Michigan this past weekend). So, first off, here's a link to the Flickr site where our wedding photos are posted. As of now, they aren't all posted, but take a look if you want, people keep asking about them. Below are some additional photos from our honeymoon. More to come on our new life in the Northland. On a sidenote, I think I'm already developing a thicker Minnesota accent. "Ya!" seems to become a bigger part of my vocabulary every day here.

First, you must meet the newest member of our family: Diane. She is the GPS "navigator" that accompanied us on our honeymoon and now guides me through the unfamiliar streets of Duluth. Peter and I immediately developed a bittersweet relationship with Diane, as she almost always accurately leads us to where we want to go but often in an overly persistent, almost bossy, manner. We're learning to love her for her faults though, because we would literally be lost without her.

This is my first time having to sign "Justine Blake," on the second full day of our honeymoon, before we set out on a kayaking day trip out to the sea caves on the South Shore. It was beautiful, but windy day, so the trip back to shore was a little slow-moving. Definitely worth it though!

Getting ready to leave shore. There's Peter with our teal kayak. He makes that wet suit look good, huh?

I think we were about to paddle through an arch in this picture. Our guide tried to boost everyone's self-esteem by giving enthusiastic encouragement and praise.

On the ferry out to Madeline Island to do some tandem biking (our team-building exercise for the day), exploring and eating. We walked around, biked out to Big Bay State Park, biked back, got some cheese curds and drinks and decided to head back to Bayfield for dinner where there were more restaurants to choose from.

Big Bay State Park. Great view from a little lookout at the entrance of the campground.

Our last night of the trip, we decided to go camping. It was hard to find an open campground that we liked, so we drove back on a very long and extremely bumpy road to find ourselves near the top of the sea caves. We pitched our tent near where we parked the car and had a five-minute walk to the lookout over Lake Superior and the distant North Shore horizon.

The view below our little lookout. Very cool and peaceful.

We went berry picking our last day in Bayfield, so we could store some blueberries and raspberries for jam, baking & eating back home.

That's a little bit of what we've been up to the past few weeks, or through the honeymoon anyway. More posts to come, but not necessarily all "life updates."

2009-07-30T08:44:00.004-05:00

I thought I would share something I read today:

It isn't the thing you do, dear,

It's the thing you leave undone,

That gives you the bitter heartache

At the setting of the sun;

The tender word unspoken,

The letter you did not write,

The flower you might have sent, dear,

Are your haunting ghosts at night.

The stone you might have lifted

Out of your brother's way,

The bit of heartfelt counsel

You were hurried too much to say;

The loving touch of the hand, dear,

The gentle and winsome tone,

That you had no time or thought for,

With troubles enough of your own.

These little acts of kindness,

So easily out of mind,

These chances to be angels,

Which even mortals find--

They come in night of silence

To take away the grief

When hope is faint and feeble

And a drought has stopped belief.

For life is all too short, dear.

And sorrow is all too great,

To allow our slow compassion

That tarries until too late.

And it's not the thing you do, dear,

It's the thing you leave undone,

That gives you the bitter heartache,

At the setting of the sun.

-Adelaide Proctor

Forgiveness

2009-06-02T18:42:00.003-05:00

Surprise! Two blogs in two consecutive days! I just read a column on the website of RELEVANT Magazine (thanks Krista!) that was really, for lack of a better word, awesome. It's about resentment and forgiveness, but since my words can't really do it justice just read it here. You won't regret it!

Justine, are you alive?

2009-06-01T20:49:00.002-05:00

Yes. I am. You might wonder where I've been and what I've been up to the last three or so weeks--the last blog post was a real cliff hanger, huh? No, not really. Well, first of all, I am finished with my web design class so I think it's time to give this blog a little content makeover. I guess in short all I can say is there's going to be a wide variety of stuff on here and I probably won't be very consistent with what or how often I post. Anyway, here's a little list of what I've been up to since I last wrote:

Finished finals (somewhat anticlimactic, but still exciting)
Went to Duluth in search of a house (and found one--amazing!) with Peter, camped
GRADUATED (much-needed closure after the uneventful finals week)
Spent some time with my parents and took care of some wedding planning
Started working at good old Power Process
Started packing some stuff up in preparation for moving
Spent time with Peter after he returned from his BWCA trip
Embarked on the difficult but rewarding challenge of living 2 1/2 hours away from Peter as he starts work in Duluth
Celebrated my 22nd birthday and first "reunion" with Peter (prematurely) AND my nephew's high school graduation in Rochester

This is just a short summary, but in general it's been busy and fun and challenging and exciting...I'm trying to take it all in.

charity:water

2009-05-11T18:38:00.011-05:00

Through a fellow Tweeter I found out about a non-profit called charity:water. Well, first I should give my brother credit for telling me about it awhile back. BUT, just the other day I finally explored the site a little more in-depth. In their "photos+media" section they share stories and photos documenting their efforts to provide developing countries with clean water. My favorites are the accounts from Honduras and Rwanda. Also, a couple of other organizations I've been wanting to share are Kingdom Vision International and Same World Same Chance. They both prove that a little inspiration can go a long way, and that the effort to reach out to just one person or community in need can turn into something much bigger that creates awareness and impacts the lives of many.

On a slightly unrelated note, I would like to provide a post-graduation plan update. We are officially moving to Duluth (not La Crosse)! From now through the summer I will be on the hunt for a job fitting to my interests and expertise-it's exciting to see everything start to come together. However, my last few days on campus (one more final project to go until graduation commencement on Sunday) have me feeling quite sentimental. I'm going to take in as much University of Minnesota as I can these next two days, then I'm off to Duluth for camping and house/apartment searching. A crazy week lies ahead. And many blessings!

Global Citizens Network's new site

2009-05-03T21:04:00.005-05:00

I recently decided to visit the website of the non-profit organization I interned at last summer (Global Citizens Network) to see if there was anything new and interesting going on. I was so pleasantly surprised to see a revamped site. It is much more fresh, eye-catching and easy to navigate and I know they had been wanting to renovate it for a long time. I swear this (very short) blog entry isn't intended to be advertorial content, I just thought it would be a way for everyone to learn a little more about my interests and experiences while admiring GCN's edgy new site.

I really like to shoot people (with a camera)!

2009-04-16T16:13:00.020-05:00

I don't have any photos from the conservatory (or anywhere else, for that matter) yet, but I found a few from my freshman year photography projects that I had scanned to my computer:

Life DOES go on after graduation

2009-04-15T13:28:00.008-05:00

Four weeks and four days until I officially graduate. Despite a wedding date set for August 1, job plans and a living location for my fiancé and I remained undetermined up until just last week. Peter will be moving down to La Crosse to start working at the beginning of the summer and I will move in just after the wedding in August. And we have scheduled some house/apartment showings for next weekend--it's amazing how quickly everything can fall into place and life can take you into a completely new direction! A couple weeks ago I expressed interest in a non-profit organization near La Crosse (actually in Winona), named Project FINE. Based on their mission and the job description, it seems to be a great fit! I would be able to combine all of my interests and skills in this one job! I am going to apply and see what happens from there. Life is crazy with the semester's end approaching, so pardon that I haven't been the most devout blogger recently. On a bit of a sidenote, I have made use of my camera (on a visit to the Marjorie McNeely Conservatory last weekend), however, I have a bit of learning to do. Pictures yet to come.

Need magazine

2009-04-02T13:25:00.006-05:00

While I'm on the topic of photography, check out Minneapolis-based Need magazine. The publication relies heavily on the use of photography to tell stories of domestic and global humanitarian efforts. Click here to access features and multimedia stories from their most recent issue. Photo (below) courtesy of Need magazine, needmagazine.com.

Annie Griffiths Belt really packs a punch

2009-04-01T22:11:00.011-05:00

Tonight in web design a girl referred us to the website of her favorite photographer so we could check out the use of Flash on her site's home page. Well, hopefully my fellow classmate doesn't mind, but I think Annie Griffiths Belt is now my favorite photographer too. Or maybe her photographs just rekindled a passion of mine that I gave up on sophomore year after dropping my art minor. While I still think photography would have been an impractical academic focus, I have lately been finding myself longing to pick up the hobby again . When I took photography my freshman year, I found myself really drawn to shooting people and capturing their personality or emotion, creating little snapshots into their lives. Now that I am about to graduate with a major in journalism and a minor in American studies, I find myself also drawn to writing about and learning about people and culture. I definitely see a trend and I don't want to give up on something I am so inspired by. A couple of years ago I received a new digital SLR (assuming I was going to stick with the minor in photography) and shamefully haven't been making much use of it, or as much as I should be anyway. It seems so high-tech compared to the 35 mm film camera I used for my course freshman year, so learning how to use it has seemed a daunting task. It's time I stop taking for granted the amazing gift I received and act on this seemingly abiding interest in photography.

You should really visit the link to her site above! Her images are separated into four categories--travel, nature, documentary and global (how perfect). I really don't have the words to explain how pumped up I get looking at these, but they make me weak in the knees almost. If I were not sitting on a bed typing this, I would probably be lying on the floor due to my inability to stand. Therefore, probably not typing this. Yeah, it's that intense. The best part is that she graduated from the University of Minnesota and works for National Geographic (as a photographer, of course). There is nothing more I can say at this moment.

Day Trip to La Crosse

2009-03-30T09:08:00.019-05:00

Good Monday morning to you. My professor canceled class this morning, so I thought I would stop by the library to work on some homework before my next class. And by work on homework I mean blog. I guess I'll pick up where I left off last time and fill you in on how the end of the semester is starting to unfold. On Friday, Peter and I drove down to La Crosse for an interview he had with an engineering firm and spent the remainder of our day doing a little exploring. We ended up not having time to go for a hike, but we drove around some of the nearby neighborhoods and stopped downtown for dinner. Before we even arrived at the restaurant/bar (my mind is drawing a blank on the name but it doesn't really matter), I was very pleased to discover that parking in a ramp downtown La Crosse was FREE! Aside from that, everyone we encountered was extremely friendly--in a genuine way--and our waitress was very accommodating when I custom ordered nacho fries (fries with nacho toppings). I am not feeling very motivated to elaborate though so, in short, the area is beautiful, the town is quaint, the people are friendly and there's a lot to do and many ways to keep active! The best part, however, is that I found an organization looking to hire a full-time immigrant orientation coordinator through AmeriCorps. The non-profit helps immigrants and refugees become integrated into the community by providing interpreters/translators and offering education opportunities and other services to help them become self-sufficient. I'll leave it at that for now, because I'm not sure where it will lead just yet. I'll update with more specific information on the organization and other job-related info. Or maybe something else completely unrelated and more exciting. In the meantime, I'll be attending to my studies.

Photos courtesy of: KayPoe, kaypoe.the-webplace.com

Graduation is looming

2009-03-25T20:40:00.010-05:00

Today I attended what is called GradFest at the student union on campus. It's basically an information fair for all students who are graduating from undergrad or grad school in the spring, inclusive of exit interviews for student loans/financial aid and cap and gown pick-up. And there were free cupcakes. But my sole purpose for going was to pick up my cap and gown because, yes, I decided I will walk. At first I only decided to attend my commencement ceremony to please my parents because I know it will mean a lot to them, but then I remembered how at the end of each semester the workload just dwindles slowly until I'm suddenly done. Sometimes it's kind of anticlimactic because classes end, then I slowly make my way to freedom as I finish each paper or exam throughout finals week. I think at the end of this semester I need a little more closure. I need to be able to recollect a concrete instance when I officially finished college. Otherwise I might forget it happened at all! Only kidding. But it has gone by very fast, so I'm trying to enjoy it while I have it. I'm sure in a few years I'll fondly reflect upon mornings spent in 83-year-old David Noble's class talking about how he delivered milk to Albert Einstein and his aunt Justine (who, unlike me, has very dark hair--something he likes to frequently mention), or practicing ballet midday, or nostalgically admiring the old buildings in the mall area (which I get made fun of for often), or conning my web design teacher to cancel class so we can go out for pizza and watch the men's basketball game. Yes, these are memories I will cherish. But I am excited for what lies ahead as well. I'll keep you updated as my end-of-semester/post-graduation plans continue to fall into place.

On a sidenote

2009-03-21T19:30:00.009-05:00

I would like to confess that I just Googled the term "s'mOreo" to verify that I am actually the creator of this very clever name but, alas, I am not. Hopefully the fact that I can be so upfront with you will counteract my lack of originality. Or you could just pretend like you never read this entry.

One last thing: I have successfully been able to steer clear of chocolate milk. My brain is well-pleased.

S'mOreos--with an extra helping of love, please!

2009-03-21T18:11:00.012-05:00

Once every month a group from Ham Lake's Horizons Community Church heads down to Minneapolis to serve locals on East Franklin in the Ventura Village neighborhood. Teens from Horizons' youth group and a couple of leaders collaborate with the pastor and other volunteers from a nearby church to organize a clothing drive, serve food, treats and drinks and offer company and prayer for anyone.

I had joined them once before with Kay, my fiancé's mother, in November and was excited to be able to get out on such a nice day and do it again. Today we served them hot dogs, chips, kool-aid and cookies AND we roasted marshmallows and were able to make a few s'mores before the graham crackers ran out. Since it was so nice out we were able to play with some of the kids who were just enjoying the food and company. It was really fun to just hang out with all the little kids and talk to all the different people who stopped by. My favorite parts were tracing (and getting traced by) some of the little girls with chalk on the sidewalk, roasting countless marshmallows for one little girl who seemed to keep giving hers away to other people and hoola hooping with a couple of kids.

It was refreshing to feel a sense of community with so many strangers. Even though we go there to help other people somehow or another, this time I really felt like the people I met had so much to offer me. There's something about the way any kid can be so joyful and excited about the smallest things every day that gets me inspired and just as excited about life. The good company and fun activities really cheered me up and was a really enjoyable way to spend a warm sunny Saturday at the end of my spring break. Plus, I learned from one of the little girls that putting a roasted marshmallow in the middle of an Oreo is a delicious alternative to s'mores. Very useful information, especially for someone who has developed a profound love for Oreos within the last year! I tried to take pictures but my battery died while we were there, so I'll have to wait to see if Kay will share hers with me. I'll add them as soon as I get them though.

Saturday night "open mic"

2009-03-14T21:36:00.007-05:00

No, you aren't going crazy...I AM writing two entries in one day. This one, however, won't be of much substance. I just feel like babbling as I watch Forrest Gump, plus maybe this will compensate for my lack of attentiveness to Coming to Fruition over the past couple weeks. After going to the International Women's Day Fair I finished some laundry and springified my room, blogged, read and grocery shopped. Just for clarification, "springifying" my room entails removing the plastic coverings from my windows. Assuming that we will not experience the wrath of subzero temperatures again this winter, I thought it would be nice to be able to open my shades and let some sunlight in. Grocery shopping--one of my favorite things to do--was extra gratifying tonight because I didn't have many other obligations and was able to take my time and enjoy it. I decided to indulge in purchasing one of those little bottles of chocolate milk, even though it meant consuming a day's worth of protein in one sitting (I will sleep well tonight, no doubt). After the first drink, however, I found myself thinking, "Hm, this chocolate milk tastes a little weird. I taste the sweetness of the chocolate, but the milk itself tastes a little off, a bit sour maybe." Then I stopped and realized the thoughts going through my head. Had I indulged in chocolate milk a time or two too many in the past few weeks that I am now able to discern when milk is sour? Shame on me. I vow to replace chocolate milk with extra low-protein milk from here on out. For those of you who don't know, I have a metabolic disorder that requires me to limit my protein intake because I can't metabolize the amino acid phenylalanine. So each day I can consume about 8g of protein--the equivalent of about 2 tablespoons of peanut butter.

So, I guess to wrap this up: Having sunlight in my room is really uplifting and has me really pumped up for spring and the busyness that awaits me in the following months. I'll let you know how the no-chocolate-milk thing goes.

International Women's Day Fair

2009-03-14T17:37:00.007-05:00

It has been forever since I've blogged! I need to get back on track here, especially since it's spring break and I have a bit of free time on my hands. So, yes, it is spring break. And what did I do today? I spent my time working on an assignment for my social work class, of all things. How very dedicated I am to my studies. Only kidding. Anyway, I attended the International Women's Day Fair event (at the student union on campus), on which we have to write a response paper. Some of the booths I enjoyed visiting were Books for Africa, American Refugee Committee, Resources for the Enrichment of African Lives (REAL) and UNFPA. There was also a lady at a table for an organization that I can't remember (I'm sure she would appreciate that, right?) who was fun to talk to. She asked a little bit about my major and what I wanted to do after college. I told her about the website I'm making for this class and this blog and she seemed pretty excited that I am striving to generate viewers and readers with a sense of my personality as much as my academic and professional achievements. I enjoyed her genuine interest in getting to know a little bit about one of the booth's many passersby. There was also a Girl Scouts booth, which I enjoyed very much because, yes, free samples were offered! I am a sucker for cookies.

That's all I have for today, even considering the long break since my last post. I will be a more committed blogger this week, though, for my many devout readers out there. Well, maybe just my brother reads this. Either way, stay tuned.

Serving others selflessly?

2009-03-01T20:22:00.020-06:00

My brain seems to be moving a little slower than usual this weekend, but bear with me. I think I've caught a bit of that spring fever that seems to be going around lately. Anyway, I'm not sure if I made it clear in my first entry but this blog was created for a web design class I am currently enrolled in. The website I am creating will be a web resume/writing portfolio site, and one of the requirements is to create a blog and write posts for it regularly (I have come to find that it's growing on me). When brainstorming ideas for the project this is the objective/executive summary that the concept of my site was based on:

"The purpose of my site will be to provide potential employers with an online-format resume/portfolio that is original and reflective of my education and areas of concentration, working experience, as well as my passions and character. Although aptitude is important in any area of work, I believe that the backbone of a 'successful' and fulfilling career is a passionate heart and eagerness to serve others in some way. My intent is to use my web resume to market myself in a way that highlights my skills, but even more so emphasizes this attitude and the traits and gifts I possess that will foster positive professional and personal relationships."

Like I said in my first entry, I am not sure what profession specifically I am called to, but I do know that I want to help someone along the way somehow or another. The cool thing is that everyone does this in their own way with their own unique personalities and talents in whatever field of work they are in.

So I guess I'll get to the point of my entry (I just wanted to clarify what this blog is for, because I wasn't very descriptive in the first one). While I do want to somehow positively contribute to the well-being of others in my work after college, I want to try to be conscious of my underlying motives. Basically, I want to serve others for the genuine sake of helping them or contributing something good (regardless of how small that contribution might be) to their lives. Because humans are intrinsically selfish, it's hard to do something without subconsciously considering how it might affect oneself or without the expectation of getting commended for a job well done. My hope is to try to have as much self awareness as possible and help others without expecting to always see the fruits of my labor. I'll obviously fail at this from time to time, but I hope that as I mature and grow throughout life it will be easier to give without constantly needing something in return. I read something recently that got me thinking about this, and today a sermon at church reminded me of it:

"One ironic aspect of selfishness is that even generous actions can be selfish if the motive is to gain bragging rights or receive a reward. If you do even a good thing to deceitfully manipulate [someone], you are still being selfish. The bottom line is that you either make decisions out of love for others or love for yourself."

A Bible verse shortly followed this passage also:

"Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves" (Philippians 2:3).

Hopefully this post doesn't sound negative at all to anyone reading. I think the previous words are meant to encourage us to love one another wholeheartedly, no strings attached. It's exciting to know we are able to serve others without our own desires interfering. Challenging, yes, but exciting.

American Refugee Committee

2009-02-24T08:56:00.017-06:00

Yesterday I interviewed the public affairs manager of the American Refugee Committee (ARC) for an assignment in my social work class. ARC's mission--which I pulled from their website-- is to: [...] provide opportunities and expertise to refugees, displaced people and host communities. [They] help people survive conflict and crisis and help rebuild lives of dignity, health, security and self-sufficiency. ARC is committed to the delivery of programs that ensure measurable quality and lasting impact for the people [they] serve.

Based on my experience interning for a non-profit organization, I expected ARC to consist of a small building with a small staff struggling to keep up with all the busyness. But actually, this was not the case. Yes they are certainly busy, but they seem efficient and organized (not to mention passionate) as well. ARC is comprised of about 2,000 employees. They are headquartered in Minneapolis, but also have a small staff (of 7 I think?) based in Washington DC in addition to the staff members distributed throughout the countries/regions they serve--Darfur, Liberia, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, Pakistan, Sudan, Uganda and Thailand. Through various programs, ARC addresses communities' needs such as primary health care, reproductive health care, water and sanitation services, gender-based prevention and violence, skills training and small business development, microloans, community reconciliation, among other things. The aid they offer varies based on the circumstances and individual "requirements" of each community.

After talking to Therese Gales (the public affairs manager of ARC), I left with mixed feelings. I felt both inspired and discouraged because ARC is a well-established non-governmental organization that is contributing greatly to refugee communities yet there still seems to be so much that needs to be done. It proves that it really does take a lot of people, communities and organizations to work together in order to make a difference--however, every contribution and effort is significant. If the children in that photo above (courtesy of ARC's website, of course) aren't enough to motivate you to think about and pray for this cause, I don't know what will.

What does Justine have to say that is so blog-worthy?

2009-02-19T21:10:00.010-06:00

I am officially writing my first blog entry. I haven't been able to decide what the range of topics will be, but mainly I will focus on the goings-on in my life as I transition from college to the real world. I will focus on both the personal and professional aspects of life because, personally, I don't think the two should be completely separate. But I won't get too personal, so don't stop reading now.

So where should I start? I am a journalism major, American studies minor and will be graduating in the spring. I am not sure how journalism-focused my job will be upon graduation, but I do know that whatever I do I want to serve others. I believe that in order to positively impact the lives of others you have to interact with them on a personal level; you have to have a genuine passion to get to know them, what they're all about, what their hopes, dreams and talents are and how you can bring out the the character in them that will help them touch others' lives in the same way. To me, it's all about relationships. I think you could lose everything in life that is physical, or material rather, but still feel joyful, fulfilled and hopeful if you love others selflessly. You get what you give, right? So if you give love, you'll get love. It's not always the easiest thing to do, but it seems to be a worthy effort anyway.

Well, this might not be the most eloquent blog entry, but it's a start. Next time I'll have more exciting content to share (maybe). So brace yourself. I have a lot of thoughts, it's just a matter of transcribing them in a coherent manner.