Soul Rapists

Are you or have you encountered a Soul Rapist? If you have lived at all, i'm sure your answer to this question is yes.

Now joining me on this blog is a dear friend, the one and only stunning Niecie Jones.
[Cue Applause]

We will partner write this post to give you the best portrayal of Soul Rapists possible so that if you know or are one, you can take action Immediately to rid yourself of such evils this world has produced.

Let us give you a clear definition of what is meant by 'Soul Rapist' as we understand this may be a foreign term to all 3 of you reading.

Soul Rapist (Hereon referred to as SR): An individual that is the Devil's spawn, or having relation thereof. Someone heartless. Somebody that rapes the soul of another knowingly or unknowingly (because lets be honest they know exactly what they are doing don't play games with me) for selfish personal gratification to any certain degree that would seem pleasing. Raping the soul includes but is not limited to: manipulation, use and abuse, wear and tear, having your cake and eating it too, demeaning others or keeping them wrapped around your finger ruthlessly without a speck of shame- even with shame, this individual is still doing it.

Situations in which you know one is being soul raped: sudden loss of soul. random or not so random texts from exes asking for any form of favor. one being at the beckon call of another unwillingly. Romantic interests who are ambiguous about relationship stati. Dropping plans for somebody. Being disconnected from what is going on because one is too consumed with the manipulations of the soul rapist.

**pause***
lets talk about exes for a second...
they are called an EX for a reason!! EX EX EX EX OUT OF YOUR LIFE!!!!! GONE! DONE! FINI! SEVER THE TIES! you do not 'hang' with exes. Maybe after a few months. But to properly heal and get over the break up adequately, time and space a part are desperately needed, or no resolution will be found. Time. and. space. APART. Completely separate. For longer than two weeks. Get. Over. It. Not occasionally walk me to class here, or bring me ice cream there, or one or two texts, maybe an email or facebook wall post... you can survive without them so why all the little excuses to see them? Excuses. That is exactly what they are. Your life will go on whether they are in it or not, so decide what you want and then go with it, stick to it, and stop screwin around.

SSRR (Steps to Soul Rape Recovery) Like all good recovery programs, we will provide you with 12 clinically proven steps* to overcome such a tragedy if you are one of the many victims of SR.

1. Admit it. No more denial our dear friends. Face it, you have been attacked and now its time to get your life back.

2.Find God.

3. Stop denying it. Don't get it twisted, this is not the same as step one. You are more than likely to have relapsed by this point and justified away your personal SR. This is a problem and its time to get help.

4. Flee. Get thee hence!!! Avoid the SR. Do not have any form of contact whether it be by phone message or twitter post or anything in between- be done with that person. Realize that you deserve better in life and stop torturing yourself. You are in a harmful situation. If you were in a burning building and the exit was completely clear, would you not run toward it? Well we are telling you now- Run friends run!!!!

5-10. Don't dwell. Re focus your chi and chase what is important in life. Turn away from the SR and toward a more happy productive lifestyle. Fill your life with positive influences and surround yourself with those that will treat you better.

11. Allow yourself to inhale your own awesomeness. See what you deserve which is the best. Work on the raising of your self esteem to chase only those things which will bring you the greatest joy in life. Be free!

12. Call Jerica and Niecie to report your progress and pay a small sum for our services of changing your life around :)

Let us tell you something- the one LEAST interested has the MOST control. That is why they call it being 'whipped'.


*Note: These in no way have been actually clinically proven.

Because I Am A Queen

Indie Arie said it best when she said:

Sometimes I shave my legs and sometimes I don't Sometimes I comb my hair and sometimes I won't Depending on how the wind blows I might even paint my toes It really just depends on whatever feels good in my soul

I'm not the average girl from your video And I ain't built like a supermodel But I learned to love myself unconditionally Because I am a queen I'm not the average girl from your video My worth is not determined by the price of my clothes No matter what I'm wearing I will always be The [miss jerica bree]

When I look in the mirror and the only one there is me Every freckle on my face is where it's supposed to be And I know my creator didn't make no mistakes on me My feet my thighs my lips my eyes I'm loving what I see

Am I less of a lady if I don't wear pantyhose My mama said a lady ain't what she wears but what she knows But I've drawn the conclusion It's all an illusion Confusion's the name of the game A misconception a vast deception, Something's got to change

Don't be offended this is all my opinion Ain't nothing that I'm saying law This is a true confession Of a life-learned lesson I was sent here to share with y'all So get in where you fit in Go on and shine Clear your mind Now's the time Put your salt on the shelf Go on and love yourself 'Cause everything's gonna be alright

Keep your fancy drink and your expensive minks I don't need that to have a good time Keep your expensive cars And your caviar All's I need is my guitar Keep your cristal and your pistol I'd rather have a pretty piece of crystal Don't need your silicone I prefer my own What god gave me is just fine.

Too often these days people sell themselves short or thrive aimlessly on skin deep insecurities. Its time to embrace our flaws and proactively pursue a happier lifestyle. I was raised by a strong, confident single mother who instilled these truths in me. "Nobody can love you until you love yourself" she would tell me. It is so true because even if somebody does love you, you won't be able to feel it until you find yourself worthy of such. Now Confidence is tricky because it often gets mixed up with pride. And humility often gets mixed up with insecurity. But there is a balance to be found, and you'll be glad to hear that i've seen it done. But until then... Fake it til you make it. But don't be fake. When you finally learn to love yourself, it will show. And this pursuit is worth everything. Being humble And confident is the ultimate goal. Being cocky is titled in psychology as inferiority overcompensation. And it means just what it says- you are trying to make up for your insecurities but end up going overboard. Some signs: Always needing attention, being uncomfortable in silence or alone, having to be the loudest one in the room, too much make-up, swearing or putting others down, and not being able to laugh at yourself etc. (No James, i'm not self conscious).

The opposite to that is taking the counterfeit humility and becoming a doormat. The key is to think you are GREAT, but not GREATER than others. You should think you are wonderful and love yourself, but its when you start placing yourself above others that you have gone too far. When someone tells you you're awesome at something, take it in and say thank you! but don't use it to fill your empty glass, humbly add it to your full one and cherish every drop. I believe that is the key. I have a friend Emily, and she gave out compliments like it was her job. And people would often say... 'yeah whatever' or 'haha i don't think so' or 'stop it' and she would literally get mad at them and say 'Why don't you agree that you are awesome?' God didn't make second-string individuals. Elder Broadhead feels the same way. He willingly dishes flattering comments, and expects you to take them graciously and not play the 'oh thats not true' game.

Is it a constant battle, and will it always be? Absolutely. But I encourage you to never quit fighting. There will be ups and downs, eb and flow, but its only when you give up that you lose.

Like everyone, i've had my thin days...

and my less than thin days...

My cute days...

And my not so cute days...

But its about happiness and the pursuit thereof. If you stop peddling, you'll stop moving, so we must always be seeking a love for life and ourselves. We should constantly be improving ourselves and keeping up our appearance, but if you don't have a heart to match then its useless. I could rattle off half a dozen of my own insecurities, but your God is where your heart is, and i know my God goes far beyond looks. Its about being healthy, seeking a fit body and balanced eating, looking your best, but not depending on such external factors to bring you happiness. If you do, i'm afraid your insecurities will always outrun you. I am Jerica Bree, and I am awesome and have been my whole life thanks to the wonderful people around me, the struggles i've overcome, the progress i've made, and the God that made me. Just because others or you yourself don't always see it doesn't mean its not there. Ask God, he'll tell ya.

*Because I am a Queen*

Risk Management, This is Jerica

So I have a really intense post coming up... but its not quite ready for posting. So until then- I've been needing to do a blog about my job!
I work for Brigham Young University Risk Management. (Used to be Risk Management and Safety, but then we dropped the 'and safety'. It was colossal.)
I have worked here for almost two years now. It was my first college job, and a blessing at that. Most people have no clue what Risk Management is. Honestly- i didn't either until i worked here. I won't bore you to death- but here's an overview. We have Safety Officers and Insurance people. Our safety officers handle things like gas leaks, or safety regulations on campus. Our insurance people do Workers Comp and any BYU accidents. Our better half is Environmental Management (previously referred to as Chemicals Management, another colossal name change). But they are in a completely different building. Here, we do asbestos and lab safety/radiation, all kinds of training, etc. We have the greatest guys here. Some of the smartest men/scientists on the planet that just about cried when i told them i almost failed Physical Science. The Fire Marshall is also in our department. He's great and always plays pranks on me or chases me around with a fire extinguisher. And all the lovely ladies that work here... are incredible!

* Now let me tell you about what I do. I am the Insurance Assistant. I handle pre-accident insurance. For instance, if somebody wants to come onto campus to either cater, do concessions, have an activity etc. they have to be approved by me. The other side is if people are leaving campus- a film shoot or field trip or rafting trip etc. I give them proof of insurance to give to the place they are going. That is the bulk of my job, but i do lots of other things like answer the phones, help with insurance policies and handle general department tasks. I love my job! Insurance isn't exactly the most thrilling thing in the world... but i seriously work with the greatest people on the planet. It is worth every second. This job has been just as much a part of college as my schooling has. And I have finally worked my way to the point where I know the trade and am very familiar with the whole department. I may be leaving before i graduate, though, due to career demands. But until then i will love every moment and remain a proud Risk Management employee. :)

As the days go

Yesterday i....

*went to taco bell for lunch as usual and was way bummed that the guy i flirt with who knows my name and order wasn't working. i decided to retaliate by telling them my name was "Bree". Yes i know... i'm a class A rebel. And Another consequence of him not being there: i ordered the wrong thing. thanks taco bell guy for leaving me hanging yesterday. i thought we had something.

*people watched. I sat outside and ate my incorrect taco bell order while passing judgments of those walking by. As a psychologist in training- i thrive on this. Some of the things i saw... a couple making out. They looked about 12. But then i glanced the other direction and saw this guy with a girl holding each of his hands- one his daughter, one his wife. Made my day.

*had a near death experience. Dang bird dove straight toward my face and made a last minute smart alec swoop upward to avoid taking me out.

*avoided talking to people i recognized. Looked away. I never do this... but i was tired and these were people from random classes. I also debated whether i really in fact knew some of them. For some reason- everyone looks familiar to me. Kinda weird.

*gave out millions of tickets. (read previous blog for details). But most of these were honor code based. Put some clothes on people.

*thought about boys... Like you didn't see that one coming.

*had my headphones in with chill songs playing so my life could have some background music.

*explored my insecurities and thought about what makes a guy and girl go together or be each others 'types'.

*feared motherhood for the first time in my life. and as i saw a prego lady go by, i touched my stomach and sighed as i thought about losing my perfectly sculpted 4 pack (slight exaggeration).

*asked myself why i was thinking about motherhood when i never resolved the previous issue of why some certain guys just aren't that into me.

*wondered how in the world Nephi survived seeing our times. i bet the ipod really sent him for a loop.

*got a voicemail from the one and only mama jones, after 5 blank texts from her. she told me about my lover niecie going in for surgery (who took it like a champ).

*planned a budget for the first time. most of you probably just passed out.

*wished my lunch hour was longer, but didn't wanna leave cute tess in the office to answer the demon phones she so terribly despises.

*had missionaries come ask me for referrals, and realized i don't know a single non member in provo. If you do happen to be Not a member of the lds church, please visit mormon.org :)

*laughed at myself as i wrote funny things in my journal like: "i felt like i was floating. okay that was gay." or "my life gets a ticket!" or "when i tell people i'm a psych major, they suddenly think i can instantly read their minds and analyze their every move... so i go with it." (don't get me wrong... thats partially true ;)

*analyzed people. told ya.

*got stood up for dinner. jk. hannah banana awesome woman got called into work. i can't wait to re-sched.

*found where i'm going to live next fall and finally felt good about it. can't wait to move to orem and live in a gorgeous condo with my talli hottie.

*talked to smelly anne. realized we don't talk enough and that i miss her.

*opened an email to lou and completely forget the pending question i was emailing her about.

*wondered if nik was still alive. do all engaged people fall off the face of the earth??

*met up with my ma at gramp's place. shared some tears and laughter.

*found out hill got back with her boyfriend. i'm happy for her :)

*had to tell lizzy i can't go to the wedding dinner because its the last day of classes and my professors are ruthless.

*listened to country. it made me happy.

*got a text i didn't want and didn't get a text i wanted to.

Today i...

~Had a repeat at taco bell. Except this time i ordered the right thing.

~Considered going by "Bree"... thoughts?

~Wondered if i'm too old to change my name.

~Thought about boys...

~Asked myself why i'm in the computer lab blogging during my lunch hour instead of enjoying the sunshine with my $.99 chicken burrito...

Peace.