Missoula Boys and Girls Club

I started volunteering at the Missoula Boys and Girls Club a few weeks ago. They have an after school program from 330 to 530 and so far I am there two days a week, on Mondays and Fridays. Friday afternoons I learned were strictly movie days, and so after spending a Friday there, one of the other workers there said that I was okay to change days if I wanted. Since the days I picked were occassionaly gym days, I decided I'd swich at least one of those days. I might swing in on a Friday here and there. Who knows.
I have a packet of infornmation about the boys and girls club as well as a wide variety of activities to do with teh children. i don't know of what purpose that serves at this moment because we don't seem to be using any of it. Right now its just doing homework if they want to and then playing on the playground.
Feels more like glorified babysitting. However, on occassion I do read a book with a younger child, and they do enjoy having Alehe in the room. Why, one day a middleschool girl gkot a kick out of Alehe giving them "high five"'s (a modified version of the command , "shake".

A Good "Fit"

Joni and Friends Daily Devotional
September 14, 2008
Dear Tryna,



Jake's Story

Many are the plans in a man's heart, but it is the Lord's purpose that prevails.
--Proverbs 19:21

Our Wheels for the World team arrived in a small town in Poland to distribute 225 wheelchairs and Bibles. Before the day had hardly begun, however, their plans were in shreds. The assigned room was tiny and cramped. But before anyone could come up with a plan B, streams of families with disabled children began pouring through the doors. The place quickly became packed and noisy. Everything was thrown into confusion. "Lord Jesus," the team prayed together, "may your purpose prevail here." Then they went to work greeting families, assessing needs, locating pre-assigned wheelchairs, and sharing the Gospel of Jesus at every opportunity.

The afternoon wore on. A tired father, carrying his little five-year-old disabled boy on his back, finally reached the head of the line. But when he lifted his son into the pre-assigned chair, his shoulders slumped. It didn't fit! "I am so sorry!" our seating specialist exclaimed, "this is the wrong chair." But there were only a few chairs left. Pushing aside several adult chairs, she reached for a child-sized one. But it was highly customized, with side supports-including blue leather backing with "Jake" stitched across the middle. In the end, there was no other choice. It was that chair or nothing. When the father lifted his boy into the new chair, it fit perfectly! An interpreter exclaimed, "It's like it was made for him!"

"By the way, what is your son's name?" someone asked the boy's mother. "Jakob," she replied-and everyone gasped! When an interpreter explained to the boy's mystified parents that "Jake" is the shortened version of Jakob-they, too, cried for joy. The whole family-along with almost sixty others-opened their hearts to receive Jesus that day. The Lord's purpose had prevailed!

*********

If you are struggling today with a plan-gone-haywire in your life, take comfort in Proverbs 19:21. The Lord's purpose will prevail.

Father, help me to see through the strands of my shredded plans that if your purposes are truly my purposes, your heart's desire will prevail.

Blessings,

Joni and Friends

Taken from Pearls of Great Price. Copyright © 2006 by Joni Eareckson Tada. Used by permission. Zondervan Publishing House, Grand Rapids, Michigan 49530



Last year when I first became interested in Joni and Friends Family Camp, I signed up to receive her online devotional. In fact, I have a seperate folder in my email account for the devotonals i receive that hit home, some more than others. This one is no exception.
Trusting God that He will find me a position, albeit work or volunteer, that will be a good "fit".

Divine Encouragement

In the past couple of weeks I have been on the job hunt again, this time with a different agency than one I had been previously working with. VR sent me to see someone over at the WORC center, out of Community Hospital. I did another round of vocational testing to see where my strengths and weaknesses lie. For starters they sent in teh mail two career assesments that I was to do before coming in for a brief meeting and doing two more in their office. Results? NOT what I wanted to hear!!! I scored my highest in secretarial values/interests. I came away from the experience discouraged, confused....

I have been going to both the Saturday night service at CLC as well as Sunday morning's second service. I wanted to check out the Sat. night service to hear the new associate pastor, Jim Hicks. He has spoken in the Sunday morning service a few times and I really enjoyed his preaching. I was able to find a ride from a young woman who frequents chi Alpha. :D I am now able to make it on Sunday mornings too, as one of the Nightingale aides on weekends has enough time scheduled to get me there and back. What is neat, one of them likes going to CLC now, as she had said she was looking for somewhere to go. I got the idea to go to both servicecs, that way I may help oout in the childrens church for something to do adn beause i love children, to beef up the resume' with more experience.

Pastor Hicks talked about wisdom in one of his sermons a few weeks ago, and it just so happened I wasn't there that saturday but I caught it online.
Romans 8:26 -
Partnership with the Holy Spirit
He helps us with our weaknesses
Don't run from your weaknesses
(Paul, I boast in my weaknesses)
Holy Spirit came to him when he was at least trying to do something
God will show up in the circumstances
Holy Spirit is with you
"Go and I will be with you
(Go do what you can find to do)
whatever your hand finds to do, do it. I will be with you
God comes to us at our point of weakness.
Looking beyond our weakness, and to the vastness of God
Dont be afraid of your weaknesses

A few points toward the end really hit home.

Holy Spirit came to him (Paul) whe he was at least trying to do something
I have been frustrated because I thought I knew exactly what God wanted me to do. When the preschool things felt as though it was slipping away, I became discouraged. That may not have been the whole picture. God can work through these little bumps in the road, after all, these may be part of His plan also. Something to prepare me for what's further ahead.
"Go and I will be with you"
(Go do what you can find to do)
whatever your hand finds to do, do it. I will be with you
Looking beyond our weakness, and to the vastness of God


I had been foolishly afraid. Afraid that VR would be steering me in a direction where God did not want me to go. These past couple of days I havae been putting out my resume' with volunteer applications at different places around town. I wrote a post earlier about volunteering @ Community Hospital with Alehe doing pet therapy adn the afternoons, which would work best for me, are already taken. Grrrr. So I have put in volunteer apps. at Easter Seals Growing Place (an inclusive Preschool), Valley Christian School, and will soon be putting one in @ Paxson Elementary and possibly the YMCA. I may even swing by Missoula County Public Schools on Monday and see what they hve available. Now it's up to God to open the doors. Valley Christian might be a bit iffy as there were access issues...stairs! But the principal said he and his staff would pray about what to do with me.

Poor Alehe

I know blogging about not blogging is considered a no-no, but what if it is blogging about not blogging about your pet enough?

After reading a few blogs about people and their servicedogs, I dont feel as though I write enough about Alehe.
Shoot, I don't feel as though I have done enough with her, let alone blogged enough about her. But come powerchair (whenever the heck that is)we'll be in the groove once again. Hopefully I wont kill her in the process.

(Wish I had a picture to go with this post)