Amberella’s blog

This past month our church became the proud owners of a Strip Club.  The Dream Club/Red Slipper was a place of drug abuse, prostitution and violence.  Two years ago the club was shut down due to building code violations (that's right, nothing to due with illegal drug activity, thank-you bureaucracy!).  After making some repairs, the owner of what was now called the Red Slipper, Red, was going to court to get his liquor license back, so he can reopen his club. 

Our church, had been keeping an eye on this and so we went out in force.  We showed up to every hearing he had to keep this place from coming back into our community.  We were successful and by going we developed a relationship with Red.  Through that relationship we were able to talk to him about buying the property.  Last month, we were finally able to close. 

On Saturday, we had a meeting with two other churches and members of our community.  We all stood in the parking lot outside the building and we worshiped and prayed.  We prayed that God would use this building in our community as a place of hope and healing.  It is amazing to think that a place that was a center of violence and corruption in our community will soon be a place of peace.  This is a beautiful picture of why we do what we do. 

Our hopes for the building are that we would not only meet there as a church, but that it would be a 7 day a week building.  We hope to have a center that is built with our community in mind.

"Trust in the Lord and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture...do not fret when evil men succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes...for evil me will be cut off, but those who hope in the Lord will inherit the land." (Psalm 37)

Here's the link to a news paper article about Saturday:

http://www.thestarpress.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=%2F20090308%2FNEWS01%2F903080341

Ever since I started my master's degree I've been thinking that I might get my PhD some day.  Recently, I stumbled upon International Psychology.  I have been developing an interest in multicultural psychology and bringing counseling to people who need it, but do not have access to it.  If you want more information, you can go here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_psychology

So, I've been learning more and more about international psychology and I discovered that there are very few schools in the US that offer it as a PhD concentration.  One of the schools is The Chicago School of Professional Psychology, in Chicago (obviously) and I contacted them for information last week and they called me yesterday.  Now, I am totally pumped!  The school sounds amazing!!  It's really everything I am looking for, the school is looking to open up centers all over the world and to couple with other universities.  They also have a lot of grass roots initiatives going on in the city of Chicago.  These things would really help me get hands on experience working with all kind of cultures. There are so many areas that a person can go into with this kind of a degree. 

So what does this mean for the Blooms?  Possibly that we will be moving to Chicago in a little over a year.  Crazy!  It's hard to think about leaving our neighborhood and our church community. But it would be an amazing opportunity to study at the Chicago School and go down a professional road that I really think I could enjoy and do well in.  Although, Matt and I have not been doing any preventing as far as children goes and if I am going to continue my education even further, I don't know what that means for having kids.  We'll probably want to hold off on the kids, at least until we get ourselves settled in Chicago or decide we're not moving. 

So, the Blooms have some major decisions to make!  I'll try to keep everyone posted on our progress.

Things seem to be going better this semester.  I'm a month in and I feel much better about my choice for graduate school.  I think that some of that has to do with the fact that I have a different prof for every class.  It really helps to have variety in life.  Dr. Unorganized is definitely more bearable in small doses.  I'm turning in my first paper today so we'll see if he can manage to hold onto it this time.

One good thing about this semester is that I actually get to do some counseling.  I am co-leading a group for undergraduate students.  We've only had two sessions, but I am beginning to enjoy it.  I think it is a good introduction to what it will be like as a counselor and give me so practice and some confidence for when I start individual counseling.  It's the perfect beginning really, because I have a co-leader who is amazing as what he does and group counseling is all about the group members learning from group members.  So I feel very little pressure on myself to have something to say or to come up with good questions because that is what the other group members are for.  My practicum starts this summer so I am very excited to get whatever practice I can. 

Another big help for me is only taking three classes.  I can't believe the difference.  I feel like I hardly have any homework to do.  I've been able to pick up a few extra shifts at work here and there, so that's been helpful for us financially. 

All in all, this semester seems to be going much better the last.  Hopefully, nothing happens to make me change my mind about that, because I discovered recently that you are only allowed to transfer 9 credits toward you graduate studies.  After this semester I will have 30 credits which is half way and I will not be starting over!

I will be getting my degree from IWU, so now I just have to make the best of it!

Ginger sister issued a challenge to come up with you top ten favorite albums asking: What are your top ten?
What do you always return to, no matter what?

I'll do her one better and tell you the reasons why I always return to them.

My top ten are probably (in no particular order):
1. Trumpet Child - Over the Rhine ~ I keep coming back to this album because it's just really good.  Lots of well written (both musically and lyrically) songs with a lot of heart.  Plus they're really fun to sing along with!
2. Living with Ghosts - Patty Griffin ~ This is the album I listen to when I need to feel empowered.  There's no one like Patty to make a girl feel like she can do anything she sets her mind to! 
3. Speakeasy - Stavesacre ~ Although I am not as die hard of a fan as a used to be (3 concerts in one weekend), I still continually return to this album.  I love the combination of great lyrics with powerful music.  Also Gold and Silver is really fun to sing harmony to.
4. Ohio - Over the Rhine ~ I really could probably put every Over the Rhine Album on this list, but these two are definitely the ones I listen to most often.  This one I listen to for a lot of the same reasons as the other album, they really are just darn good!
5. America IV - Johnny Cash ~ I love me some Johnny Cash and it doesn't get better then listening to him sing Dirt and Desperado.  Love it!
6. Extraordinary Machine - Fiona Apple ~Also a girl power album!  Fiona is very creative, in this album especially.  I really just love it.
7. Has Been - William Shatner ~ That's right, I have a spoken word album and I listen to it all the time!  I am a huge closet Shatner fan, if you've seen the first season of Bosten Legal then you know why.  I Think he is a comic genius and this album and he did with Ben Folds Five proves it.  He also has a deep and dark side, who knew!
8. Free At Last - DC Talk ~ This was the first album I ever bought with my own money and I still know all the raps.  It really takes me back and deep down I still like it.
9. Toxicity - System of the Down ~ I still can't believe anyone can sing like he does, I have to keep listening to make sure, plus the first song helped me to memorize a bunch of facts and statistics about drug addiction and jail time.
10. The Essential Billy Joel Disc 2 - Billy Joel ~ Disc 2 and only disc 2.  For some reason I don't like young Billy Joel.  The original reason I started listening to this album was because Uptown Girl was the song we heard most often on our (Amanda, Mark and some other people) on our trip to Senegal.  Now I also can't live without For the Longest Time and Goodnight Saigon.

This was easier then I thought, mostly because I don't own all that many albums.  Most of what I listen to is burned on a mix or on Pandora.  If I had any Beatles albums (I just have a mix) it would be up there.  Coldplay Rush of Blood to the Head is also a close contender.  

I finally finished it and it only took me 6 months (granted I wasn't working on it the whole time).  I made this quilt for my neice Stance (Constance) for Christmas (originally it was for her birthday).  I am pretty excited about how it turned out.  I made a few mistakes, but nothing major and I learned a lot.  I enjoyed myself and will probably be making more.  Here are some pictures:

January-

-Started at BSU pursuing School counseling

-Got really, really, really sick

February-

-Spent Superbowl weekend with good friends

-Really, really, really sick, again!

-Finally remember how to be a student

-Got a job at Home Health Agency

March-

-Remembered why i had gotten out of nursing

-Found out I was not accepted to BSU

-Started looking at other Grad prograrms

-Matt's Grandma passed away

-Get really, really, really sick, again!

April-

-Breanna visits BSU and LOVES it!

-Watch Matt's play in Ithica, NY

-Best camping experience of my life

-Think that I am covered in a skin fungus and feel discusting

May-

-Find out that it's not a fungus, but a virus...still feel gross

-Join gospel choir, have a blast

-Discover a love for gardening

-Help parents paint kitchen, more fun!

-Matt gets interviewed in local paper

-Start quilting

-Have birthday, but no party :(

-Start at YOC and like it.

June-

-Katie Joy comes into the world for 15 hours

-Attend first funeral for an infant

-Watch flower and garden grow

-Finish applications to grad programs

July-

-Go camping with family

-Breanna comes for a visit

-Get great haircut

-Accepted to IWU

-Matt visits Josh in CA

-Start having serious money shortages

August-

-Matt starts job at Sallie Mae

-Have a few crazy weeks a work!

-Sign up for classes

September-

-Start classes

-Find $500 cash on doorstep!

-Start finance class at church

October-

-Matt starts at AT&T

-Kyle turns 21!

-Take a mini vacation with Abby

-Something very exciting happens!! (no, I'm not pregnant)

-Got off anxiety meds and freaked out for a bit, but got back to normal.

November-

-Cut hair really short, don't really like it

-Start getting very frustrated with IWU (see previous post)

-Host Thanksgiving and almost kill Kyle with cat dander

-Started a yoga class and enjoyed it and the physical benefits

December-

-See the Lion King and love it!

-Finish classes and get 2 A's and 2 A-'s

-Visit Jozette!!

-Work 3 holidays

-Have a great time with family on both sides (even if it wasn't long)

-Get a sewing machine!

Overall, it's been a good year.  Althought it started out with a lot of sickness, hopefully this year will not begin that way!

As my semester comes to an end I find myself reflecting on the past few months.  I took 4 classes this semester and had two professors.  We'll call them Dr. Disorganized and Dr. Unapproachable.  At the beginning of the semester, I was very excited to be getting started on my Master's degree.  I was excited to learn a lot and get to know the professors that would inspire me to greatness :). 

All was well until I began to realize that Dr. Unapproachable was some what standoffish and very set in her ways.  When asked if I could email her an assignment because I didn't want to drive 45 minutes both ways just to drop it off, I could tell that she felt like she should say yes, but she made it clear that she really didn't want me to.  So I went out of my way to get the assignment done early so I could turn it in.  That I could deal with.  What became harder to deal with was the way that instead of teaching she read off of the power point (something I could myself) and that she tried to force us into discussion.  The reason that she had to force the class into discussion was that she always seemed displeased with our answers.  I wanted to suggest that she just tell us what she thought because there was no point in putting us through "discussion" if she already knew the answers.  Happily the discussion sections of class did get better as she seemed to let go of a little control and allow us to think freely without feeling the need to tell us why what we thought was wrong.  But unfortunately, by then the damage had already been done, so most discussion consisted of me and a few other people (who also were confident enough stand under such scrutiny) giving our opinions and a lot of long awkward silences. 

Then we started handing in assignments.  It was a struggle to get anything concrete out of her about what she wanted our assignments to include.  What we did get out of her was vague and unhelpful in most cases.  So each paper and presentation was wrought with anxiety over getting an F because we didn't do at all what she wanted.  Happily, I got my grades back and did very well on all my assignments, but unfortunately not everyone in my class was so lucky.  Thus due to her class I have been give the title of "the smart girl", which is fine, because I am pretty smart ;).  However, this title requires that I receive censure anytime I complain about an assignment or test or seek to commiserate with my fellow students.  This title also means that I automatically get placed in the position of leader in any group projects which means that I am in charge of putting together group papers.  Group papers that take me 12 hours to put together because people in my group cannot write a complete sentence, which makes me feel as though I am much smarter then my classmates.  It's a vicious cycle really.  Especially because, while I've never been seen as stupid, there have always been people in my life who were smarter which lifted the burden of "smart girl" from my shoulders.  I digress.

Another thing about Dr. Unapproachable is that every time I went to her office to ask her a question I got the distinct feeling that she wanted me out.  She made me nervous and when I'm nervous I talk quickly and in great detail.  The more I talked the more I felt she wanted me to leave.  Yet at the same time she wanted to appear as though she was available.  It really is pretty weird.

Dr. Unorganized had a completely different personality.  He is a genuinely nice guy who I whole heartedly believe wants me to succeed as a counselor.  At least that is what he is like as the Dean of the program.  As a professor, it's a different story.  He is still the same genuinely nice, caring person.  The difference is that he is incredibly unorganized.  I had him for three classes this semester.  Anyone who has been in higher education knows that that is far too much to have any one professor during a semester.  I need variety in my life.  Anyway, it is unfortunate that genuine caring for your students does not make you a good teacher.  If it did Dr. Unorganized would have been the best.  As it was, he was not only unorganized, but unclear and boring (the cardinal sin of teaching!).  The one good thing about his classes where that I managed to get a lot of homework completed during his lectures.  It was really too bad that he lost most of those assignments.  He lost four of my assignments this semester.  I had to resubmit them and three of them I have yet to receive back.  I spoke with him yesterday about the possibility of getting them back before the end of the semester and I'm not optimistic.  His disorganization would not have bothered me as much as it did if it did not make my life more stressful as a result.  He wasted my time, often, and if there is one thing that I have no patience for it is people who waste my time, especially time that I am paying for.

Another thing that was very interesting about classes this semester is all the praying.  Both Dr. Unorganized and Dr. Unapproachable prayed before each class.  I really didn't have a problem with it at first, but then they started taking prayer requests.  Which I also didn't have a problem with at first, but then, prayer time started going longer and longer into class time.  I agree that prayer is important, but I am also paying to get an education and when it takes us 30 to 45 minutes to get to what I am paying for...I'm not happy.  I am not paying for a prayer group.  I am also not paying to hear about the horribly sinful people who work with you at Walmart or about your brother's, sister' cousin who is in rehab.  Sometimes there were genuine, serious requests people brought up and I felt for them, but their requests were belittled by all of the others that came after.  Overall, I felt that it was just another way to shove Christianity down my throat and I didn't really understand it until I did my first evaluation for my class.  Two questions stuck out to me: Was your professor's Christian faith clear and This class helped me to grow spiritually.  Now I understand that this is one of the ways that they are trying to ensure I have an opportunity to be spiritual in each class.  Praying before class is an easy answer to spirituality.  How else do you bring spirituality to Research class?  Firstly, I think that this suggests a narrow view of spirituality and second it forces things that are not inherently spiritual to be spiritual, which if you have known me for long, you know I hate over spiritualizing anything.  If something does not led itself to spirituality are we really doing anyone any favors by forcing it?  Or are we afraid that if we don't constantly announce our faith that people won't know?  Or is spirituality so natural for people other then me that it's not forcing and it makes sense to them?  I really don't know. 

Which brings me to another problem I've had this semester.  I am liberal, both politically and spiritually.  Going into this semester I mostly kept my opinions to myself.  I did not want to judge or be judged before I had the opportunity to get to know people personally.  I'm glad that I did that, in a way.  But on the other hand it gave people the opportunity to assume that my silence meant agreement.  Thus, when people began to get to know me better, there were a lot of surprised looks and even a little shock.  (this was especially true when it got out that I was voting for Obama)  The reactions I got worried me.  We are studying to be counselors, counselors aren't supposed to be judgemental or show shock or make people feel bad about what they believe.  We are supposed to respect people and accept them as they are.  I wonder how well some of my classmates will be able to do that. 

The two hot button issues this semester were...wait for it...abortion and homosexuality (shocking, I know).  We actually spent an entire class discussing how we would "deal" with a same sex couple coming to us for relationship counseling.  Personally, especially with my counselor hat on, this is a non-issue.  My goal is to help my clients get to where they want to be, not to where I think they need to be.  Therefore, if a couple, any couple, came to me wanted to make their relationship better, I'd help.  And when I said this to my class (because I was called on to speak, I wanted to keep my mouth shut), I got a lot of blank stares.  Even my professor seemed surprised.  Luckily, I was able to keep about of any debates about abortion, because I'm pretty sure that my position that Christians are wasting their time trying to fight legislation, when they could be building relationships with the women who are getting abortions and adopting unwanted children, would have also gotten me some interesting looks.

Another thing that really surprised me about my classmates is that I am one of the older students.  Granted, I'm only a few years older, but I have also had more life experiences.  I was looking forward to gleaning from people with more life experience than me. 

All that to get to this point, I don't know if I like the program.  And I don't know if I want to try applying to Ball State again.  I'm not sure if the hassle of trying to get my classes transfered again is worth it.  Especially since I'll be halfway through the program after spring semester.  So, the jury is still out, I'm giving this place another semester to impress me.  I have two new profs next semester, maybe they will be better. 

In a way, I feel like this experience is good for me.  I've held some anger towards conservative Christianity in the past and this school is forcing me to face it head on.  Which in turn will help me to become a more accepting and well rounded counselor.  And I'm not one for giving up when things get challenging, especially when that challenge could help me become a better person.  

Any thoughts that will help me in my deliberations would be welcome.

The answers that no one guessed are in blue! 

(so I'm working hard on procrastinating and this is a fun way to do it!)

The Rules:
1. Pick 30 of your favorite movies. (these aren't necessarily my all time fave's but they'll do)
2. Find a quote from each movie.
3. Post them here for everyone to guess.

NO CHEATING.  Guess what you know, don't wikiquote them.

1. Love, Actually. You have this problem? Yeah -- of course you did you saucy minx.

2. The Departed.  "I'm waiting for you to make your move"

              "If that thing moves, I'm going to shot it!"

3. Blood Diamond.  In America, it's bling bling, but out here it's bling bang.

4. When Harry Met Sally. Waiter, there is too much pepper in my paprikash

5. The Truman Show. Cue the sun!

6. Pretty in Pink.  His name is Blane? Oh! That's a major appliance, that's not a name!

7. Labrynth.  "Did you say 'hello'?"

         "No, I said 'ello, but hello's close enough."

8. Best In Show.  People say 'oh but he's so much older than you' and you know what, I'm the one having to push him away. We have so much in common, we both love soup and snow peas, we love the outdoors, and talking and not talking. We could not talk or talk forever and still find things to not talk about.

9. Old School.  I'll be in the neighborhood later on, and I was wondering if maybe you wanted to get some frozen yogurt, or perhaps a whole meal of food, if that would be agreeable. Damnit.

10. Little Women.  Advertisements. One periwinkle sash belonging to Mr. N. Winkle has been abscondated from the wash line... which gentlemen desires any reports leading to its recovery.

11. Zoolander.  They're break-dance fighting.

12. Hotel Rowanda  I think if people see this footage, they'll say Oh, my God, that's horrible. And then they'll go on eating their dinners.

13. While You Were Sleeping. I've had a really lousy Christmas, you've just managed to kill my New Year's, if you come back on Easter- you can burn down my apartment.

14. Jerry McGuire  I LOVE BLACK PEOPLE!

15. The Princess Bride. All right. Where is the poison? The battle of wits has begun. It ends when you decide and we both drink, and find out who is right... and who is dead. 

16.  Bad Boys 2.  Dan Marino should definitely buy this car. Well not this one, cause I'm gonna fuck this one up. But he should get one just like it.

17. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. Search the skies if you must, Minister, but now I think I'll have a nice cup of tea, or a large brandy. Oh, and executioner, your services are no longer required. Thank you.

18. Robin Hood (Disney). Praise the Lord and pass the tax rebate!

19. Pride and Prejudice. And of all this I might have been mistress.

20. Life is Beautiful.  You can lose all your points for any one of three things. One: If you cry. Two: If you ask to see your mother. Three: If you're hungry and ask for a snack! Forget it!

21. Becoming Jane.  Good God. There's writing on both sides of those pages.

22. Batman Begins. You have learned to bury your guilt with anger. I will teach you to confront it, and to face the truth. You know how to fight six men. We can teach you how to engage six hundred. You know how to disappear. We can teach you to become truly invisible.

23. Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day. “I'm afraid I walked in on your guest in his state of nature. I fear that I have outraged his sense of propriety.”
                “Oh no, Phil doesn't have one of those.”

24. Tommy Boy. “Does this suit make me look fat?” 

                “No, your face does.”

25.  The Mask of Zorro. “Do you surrender?”
                 “Never, but I may scream.”
        “I understand. Sometimes I have that effect.”

26. The Fellowship of the Ring “I don't think he knows about second breakfast”

                “What about elevenses? Luncheon? Afternoon tea? Dinner? Supper? He knows about them, doesn't he?”

    “I wouldn't count on it.”

27. Milo and Otis.  Just let your heart lead and your feet will follow, and we'll bound and leap like a gentle breeze. Bound and leap like a zephyr set free. Bound, and, of course, leap.

28. Hitch. Lean in, place your hand on the small of her back, say it in her ear like a secret. But watch your hand placement, too high says, 'I just wanna be friends,' too low says, 'I just wanna grab some ass.'

29. The Emperor's New Groove. Oh, he's doing his own theme music? Big, dumb and tone deaf. I am so glad I was unconscious for all of this.

30. Borat.  My mustache still tastes of your testicles.

I got my hair cut yesterday and really didn't like it, but I held out that it was because of the wait my hairdresser styled it and I was right!  I like it much better this morning.  Let me know what you think!  I am eager for comment, please feel free to be honest because I still don't know if I will keep it this way once it starts to grow.  Here are some pictures:

Haircut 011

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Haircut 016

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I am starting to feel incredibly overwhelmed with school and work.  Up until this week, I had been working on Tuesdays and Saturdays.  That left my days off (without classes) as Friday and Sunday.  The problem with this was that on Friday my week had ended and I found myself very unmotivated to do my homework and instead spending my time cleaning and grocery shopping and other things around the house.  This isn't necessarily a bad thing, but it means that since I worked and Saturday and didn't tend to get a lot of homework done, Sunday was my homework day and with church and football and Kyle being over, I usually didn't get much done.  Which meant that I had to do all my homework in the mornings before I went to class which didn't give me much time to work on anything.  This method has been stressing me out so much that I decided that I needed a change.  So now I'm working on Friday instead of Tuesday.  Hopefully, this will mean that I get more homework done mid-week so that I don't have so much to do over the weekend. 

Even though I have been so stress and had feel like I haven't been able to spend much time on my homework and studying and reading I still managed to get the highest score in my class on a test that I thought I failed.  Yes, I am one of those annoying types who stresses out after a test only to find out that I got an A.  Oops!  Although, it was my first test with the prof so I think it's ok.  I'm not stressing over my other two tests. :)

Matt is doing well, he is suddenly very facinated by cell phones (or devices as he had to call them) and likes to tell me all the cool things they can do.  Also, we get some pretty sweet discounts on AT&T services which we're really excited to take advantage of.  He's in his last week of training this week and then he'll be on the floor next week.  He's a little nervous about it because there's so much to know about phones and plans and things that he's a little overwelmed, but I'm sure that he'll be great once he gets the hang of it. 

In other, weirder, news we have been having a crazy amout of wildlife around our house for innercity Muncie.  Granted we are surrounded by vacant houses so that may have something to do with it, but over the past week I've seen, tons of squarrles, one of whom is named Stanley, he burries acorns outside of the window in our office so I see him a lot while working on homework.  We now have a yard cat that lives in our backyard and terrorizes our indoor cats.  (we don't actaully feed Yard Cat, she/he just adopted us).  We also had a raccoon rudely inturrupt Kyle's birthday party.  And yesterday I saw a family a rabbits in our yard. 

Here's a picture of Kyle at his Birthday party at our house (we had a cookout) and no, there was not alcohol, he just looks like that...

Also included, it a picture of the coals that Kyle stacked up really high after a challange from Matt.  This was before we called Dad to find out what we are doing wrong and Matt discovering that there was an air vent that was closed on the base (it went much better after opening that!).  The black picture with the eyes is the raccoon that interupted our party.  He didn't get too close, but he was loud!  We also had a bonfire, but no pictures of that.