Observing a Speech Therapy Appointment

This Post has been MONTHS in the making



Since becoming a Para-educator, the usual route of interview and hiring has proven most difficult, I decided to take a different approach.
The employment endeavor has become quite frustrating....to a point where I felt I would be old enough to retire before ever finding *any*thing! Volunteering was taking forever and everyone seems to have enough volunteers anyway.  (Besides, who wants to hire someone with a wheelchair and service dog?)

I found out about working with "G" by word of mouth through my mother. She happened to be taking with his mom at the tennis court and mentioned me wanting to work. "G" needed one on one time outside of school/speech therapy with someone and would I be interested.  Of Course!!!  

Something stretching me out of my comfort zone (as I had been praying for)

 I observed a session of his speech therapy at Community Medical Center.  I really tried hard to remain silent during this time. but caught myself saying an encouraging word here and there or making a comment to his therapist. (I hope I wasn't too disruptive).

My favorite part of the afternoon; His speech therapist pulled out her list of questions to ask while he had a picture in front of him.   His reply ...."Holy. holy smokes! There's a LOT of them!"  I chuckled....I couldn't help myself. But I encouraged him with an "I think you can do it".

Flashcards
V -sound 
WH- questions
CH-sound  (thinks we should work on SH- sound first)

This was interesting, working on the SH- sound.
He used a straw, placing his tongue underneath a straw while he said the word "shoe'. (this helped him with tongue placement. Children with downs syndrome have an enlarged tongue/ and often split palate so their speech is not always clear.

Also working on pronunciation of his 'S' sounds. (as in the word 'Cardinals'
I learned a new term today, called "lateralizing". That's what 'G' does.  When he speaks, often times the air comes out the sides of his mouth rather than the front.





So, academically speaking, the stuff he needed help in just didn't jive for me. Not so much the speech help either, but it is still something we strive to do, even though all we do now is respite, ..... We play his favorite game of all time :YAHTZEE!!!!   I have had to give him pointers. He goes for the same rolls all the time, and it affects his scores, so I tend to beat him a lot.   He IS improving!  He has beat me on occasion, but rarely.  I sometimes have a hard time remembering the rules, its  game I grew up on, but I AM getting older, lol! 
On occasion, he will bring a new game. One of our sessions together, he brought over his Sno Cone machine, and we made sno cones. YUM!   =D

The summer is almost over now, but one thing he enjoys doing is riding his bike. WE talked about going riding , but whether or not that will happen is a mystery to be solved. Life kind of became crazy for all of us.  Some of us having surgery, me falling and injuring my left leg (more than once)

I will share more as we go on   (HE loves to beat me at games, and BOY does he call me on it when I make a mistake or forget something, LOL! ) . 

Be Still (*sigh*)

"Be still and know that I am God"
~Psalm 46:10

ANOTHER appointment with my neuro-surgeon on Monday. Hmph! Not like it's going to reveal anything (please excuse my cynicism).

Headaches, nausea, vomiting. This is what I have dealt with since early teens. Surgery, medications, different pillows, c-pap, elevating the head of the bed. I've tried it. Sure, it works for a little while. Short term solutions.
Over the years I've been steadily losing hope the doctors will ever find a permanent solution.

Upon reading the above verse, a still small voice inside of me promted me to do a search on the phrase "be still"
Exodus 14:14
The LORD will fight for you; you need only to be still.”

Mark 4:39
He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Quiet! Be still!” Then the wind died down and it was completely calm.

Lord, calm this storm inside!

Psalm 83:1 (NKJV)
[ A Song. A Psalm of Asaph. ] Do not keep silent, O God!Do not hold Your peace, And do not be still, O God!
(All I seem to be getting from Him on this particular situation, silence. Lord, what is the lesson here?)



TODAY's DEVOTIONAL
"Be Still" I hear Him softly say
"Be still, lay all aside" (time out!)
He who made the universe stoops down
and gathers up my cares
(I am definately weary.....more like, DONE! Eleven years of college, it oud be nice to use it. To not depend so much on SSI.
"Be still" He chides again
His work begins within my weary soul
"Be patient. In quiet stay.
Listen to me" (Lord, I am listening!....or am I?)

Though pressed on every side
I clear my heart and mind
In timid voice and heart
I lift to Him my praise

How quiet His presence
How healing His words
In hushed awe, I listen
I savor each one

My will He bends (RA's Take My Will)
My heart He sweeps clean
My strength He renews My soul He fills to overflowing (PROMISE)

He teaches through His Word
I heed what He tells me
I stand and give Him praise
Together we go forth to serve

Headaches

Why post about this? I don't know exactly. Writing tends to help me sort through thoughts in my head; whether they be thoughts I wanna remember, such as a great experience I just had, or sorting through emotions of a difficult situation. I guess this is the latter.

God, WHY?

I am sick and tired of being sick and tired!

I have struggled with headaches/nausea/vomiting for, oh it's gotta be at least off and on twenty years now. It started around the time of Jr. High, give or take a few years. I believe it was just the vomiting at first, and so we saw doctors about my stomach. We then tried countless medications, some working for only a short time before doing nothing, others doing absolutely nothing, still others making me ten times worse. Yikes! The problem just kept getting worse. I believe at one point a doc said something about too much stomach acid. After a swallow test another doc noticed a vein in my neck near my esophagus making swallowing difficult.

I've gone through so many doctors giving one diagnosis after another. One that had me laughing....false pregnancy. ME: "HAHAHAHAHAA! Yeah Right! For NINE YEARS?!"
One doctor suggested it was stress (duh, hello? Did I not mention school (Jr. High, HS, College....disability on top of that?) I went in for a sleep study because it sounded like sleep apnea to one doctor. They first tried a medication that was supposed to put more oxygen through the bloodstream. That one left me with a severe tingly feeling in the left hand, face and lips. Scratch that! (that was rather spooky) I was pulled off of that medication. Enter the evil CPAP machine. Now I know what an elephant feels like! You ever tried one of those awful things? A small mask over the nose that forces air into your sinuses, and if you happen to open your mouth you feel like you are gasping for air! Well, I couldn't keep it on my face for the life of me. Seems after a few weeks, months....I would take it off in the middle of the night and I would not even remember doing it. (Yes, I sleep that hard, just TRY and wake me up! If you suceed.....DUCK and RUN for COVER! lol!!! Just kidding, but it is still not pretty. Just ask my mother)

I have had numerous surgeries to try and aleviate the problem headaches;
Hydrocephalus (water on the brain) and shunt placements, removals, revisions, a repair of a chiari malformation (portion of skull pressing on the brain), clearing of impacted sinuses (impacted with fluid to the point of near rupture), removal of a dermoid tumor (mass of hair, skin and fat from previous surgeries).

The headaches always came back...and with a vengeance!

Muscle relaxers - worked for a short time, as did everything else. I switched medications a few times, finally finding Amitriptylene, a God-send. Or so I thought up until a few weeks ago. Now I am not so sure. Maybe it is working some still, but definately NOT enough! Because of another medication I was taking for a short time, I was cut back to half a tablet becasue the two meds were in the same family and could react. I was nervous about cutting back. But a whole tablet was making me too drowsy, to a point I did not want to wake up in the morning and was tired alllll day.

I was recently switched from Tylenol, which was said to be horrible for my liver, to Ibuprofen. I was taking three Tylenol at a time, sometimes three times a day as two were doing nothing for me (Extra-strength for crying out loud). But doc switched me to Ibuprofen, and that was a bit weird. The first time I took two... I felt good, almost TOO good, lol! It sort of made me nervous. I thought it might have been too much (I just seemed TOO happy, LOL!). Now even two Ibuprofen are not cutting it, and the last time I took them three doses in one day did not help.

One of my doctors in Montana (who is a believer in Christ) said something to me that was a bit settling "it could be a combination of things causing them, therefore it could be a combination of things we try that get rid of them". Still, we have yet to find that combination!

Memory-foam pillow - not the fix I was hoping/praying for but I never sleep without it now!

Some time ago we bought me a bed that allows me to elevate the head and the legs.. Although still not the solution, it seemed to help a little. Though today no matter how high I get my head it makes no difference.

One doctor who operated on me for this problem joked he was going to buy a one-way ticket out of town if he couldnt figure out what was going on with me (he never did either one to my knowledge...but he has since retired).

It's crazy, but the pain is primarily on the right side, though its been known to fluctuate; from temple down back side of head and neck, occasionally entire back side of head, rarely is it both sides of head, but it has happened. Like somebeody kicked me in the head or stabbed me with a knife.

Could it be something up with my stomach that is causing headaches?
Eating? What I eat, when I eat? Time in between dinner and breakfast too far apart? I asked the doctor about my stomach causing headaches and all he said was that it could be possible, nothing more. Hmph!

I have had countless CT scans and MRI's done. Why, the most recent MRI came back negative and I was emotional on the way home. I was frustrated! I just want to be DONE with them! My favoreite phrase "I am sick and tired of being sick and tired!" About this time I remembered RA's song "None Compare' and the line "Can You see me in the valley?" Okay, the first time I heard this song it was right before my move back to California, and it fit a little better.

Is this the thorn in the flesh Paul was talking about? I wonder.
Why do I feel He is being so silent to my pleas for relief?!
I want to work. But who is going to hire someone who cannot get up beore 8am and is feeling miserable every morning? So I search for afternoon programs working with children, or volunteer in classrooms only a few days a week, setting my own time schedule.

Lord, I am done!

The Rivers Edge........Part 2

'All God's promises are "Yes!" and "Amen!" All God's promises are true'......okay, we didn't exactly sing this song on Sunday, but it is stuck in my head as I type this.
Gods promises, the phrase has been haunting me for quite some time. What are they? What are they for me, specifically? Sunday's sermon just happened to be a confimatoin that God knows whats going on in this big head of mine, and I believe it's just the beginning.

Come into the presence of God with a willing heart, and receive what He has for you that day

Heirs to the Promise

Believe what God says about you and the promises that God has made to you
A promise made gives hope, confidence, an expectation of the fulfillment of that promise in your life
When God makes a prommise, there is nothing in Heaven or on earth that can ever come up that God says He cannot keep that promise. Hope and expectancy God will do what He says He is going to do!
He cannot force you to believe Him
You must first believe that His promises are for you in order to walk in them with hope, confidence, and expectancy
Galatians 3:6-9
Abraham - father of faith, believed God and took God at His word
Even when it did not make sense in the natural, even when it was uncomfortable, and even when it wasn't very popular.
"I'm gonna believe You God".
Genesis 22:15-18
Abraham and Issac
(my leaving Montana for California?)
God - "Give it to me, see what I can do in you". (my dreams for the future)
Sometimes the most valuable things is what's holding us back from the promises of God being released in our lives.
Abraham said 'Yes" to God
trusted God with everything he had

Romans 4:20-21

(obedience)
.....that what He had promised, He was also able to perform
God promised certain events would happen in the future. Abraham simply believed God
hugest obstacles of our life believe God for what He will say and will do
Holy Spirit = Promise keeper, Promise Helper
Gal. 3:16 - To Abraham and his seed (us, the body of Christ) were the pronmises made.
(Abrahamic Promises)
These promises were not in the natural
made to those who would put their trust in Christ
We have the promise of Abraham if we put our trust in Christ
Galatians 3:13-14 (Faith)
Christ came to not only save us fromredeem somethign but to giove us somethign as well
If we were just saved, that is something to rejoice about, if we were just redeemed that is something to get excited about
There are some promises that He has layed out in my life, that if I would just grab hold of those promises and begin to walk in the confidence, hope,and expectancy that He can do what He says He can do in my life......
*** God ~ "Watch how I'll build you to be used in God's kingdom"
Crazy enough to believe God....Do what He says, leave the results up to God
God loves that kind of heart
Galatians 4:1-8
Holy Spirit -Helps me to fulfill all God has called me to do
No limits in my life
Do it His way
view yourself properly
live your life out in that manner, as a child of God
Gal. 4:1
I can get stuck walking and talking like a slave
Living as a child of promise
Grace - Gods sovereign divine abiltiy to get the job done on our behalf when we can't do it
No one can earn the promises
Grace through faith
I have the capability to be righteous, to be holy because of what Christ has done on the cross for me
New Identity in Christ
Do your best, God will do the rest
confidence, hope, expectation
Romans 4:13
8:14-17
Genesis 22
Ephesians 3:6, 20-21
Titus 3:4-7
Hebrews 6:13-14;17-18
God cannot make a promise to His seed that He is not willing, able and capable to fulfill. Belive God, be fully convinced
James 2:5 - poor of this world rich in faith
If God says he is going to do it, He will fulfill it
Believe God
Galatians 22:15-18
Abraham was blessed
The earthly stuff is secondary, not the primary stuff, the primary stuff is tbe spiritual side of posessing the gates of the enemy. this taking ground that which the enemy has stolen, this 'taking back'.
6 to the 22nd power - the multiplication God wants to do in our life, in the spiritual realm
simple obedience to His voice
Have I put limits on God?
Ephesians 3:20-21
Why do we put limits on a limitless God?
Is there any enemy too great for us?
confidence, hope, expectancy we have the promises of God. The gates (authority) of Hell shall not prevail, victory is ours
Matthew 16:18-19
I can hold myself back
The devil is fearful that I might get ahold of this
The devil wants to bring doubt and disbelief
I want to start acting, walking, talking like it
Church is about giving my life away, I don't know what it looks like
(Book of Acts)
confindence, hope, expectancy
If thats the way they did it Lord, than I want it in my life
Amm I feeling defeated, do I keep judging myself at this refrence point of trying to live under the law?
How do I view my Heavenly Father? As a taskmaster, ready to slap your hand at the slightest infraction
I can never measure up, be the Christian God wants me to be, do what he asks me to dolosing the joy of the Lord of your life
Grace of God
God has promises for me to live out, things for me to do
GOd is going to work on my behalf
My reference point, God's work on the cross, his blod shed for me
God calls us to go forward. QUIT GOING BACK!

I was just thinking about RA's tagline on his website. Part of a song he wrote.....~ "Holding back the flood you'll find a rainbow." Hmmmmmm. Now I can't wait to listen. There are messages in this series, I may just have to keep following along online.

ELEVATE ~ Helping All God's Children Reach for the Son

ELEVATE ~ Helping All God's Children Reach for the Son, is Shadow Mountain Community Church's newest ministry for children with disabilties and other special needs. A division of Mountain High Children's Ministries, it had been the church's idea for over a year now to get this mew ministry up and running, and today was finally our first trial run. We will hold one more next week before our official start date in June. This week we were scheduled to have four to six children, and we only had two. Next week we hope to have more, with the intent of one day having a full classroom. Today we had young elementary students. It will eventually serve children from ages four to eighteen.
Last year about this time I had arrived early to church one Sunday morning to see the church activities being flashed up on the screen just before service started. My mother caught the slide before I did, and she told me about the special needs ministry that was looking for volunteers. The following Sunday as the slides were being shown before service and during announcements, the same slide flashed on the screen and this time I spotted it.
Now don't ask me what the sermon was about that particular Sunday, my mind was on other things; like "where could God be going with this?". I mean, all this trouble finding a job and He gives me exactly what I want only teaching on Sunday mornings?
Though I was excited through the first couple of staff meetings, (I took notes like a crazy woman), after staff meeting one evening a few weeks ago I started having my doubts when we discussed the mornings routine. "Maybe this isn't what I thought it would be". But I quickly shook that outta my head. Something compelled me to go forward. Today was our first day and I have to say I really....really enjoyed it! It went by so fast let's just see if I can remember it all. Ha!
Only two children came for our initial 'ramp-up' or first trial run prior to the kick-off in June. We fully expected a few more. Our morning consisted of twenty minutes of each activity, music, game/puzzle time, story, gross motor time, snack,.... oh what else am I forgetting. For some activities we transitioned to another room right next door. Our story for today was on the creation, and how God created us because He loves us so much. It was great to hear one child whom ansered when you asked her a question about the story. The fact that she understood was precious. And to hear them shake their instruments at music time or get into the words or the music was great.
One activity was rolling, bouncing or tossing a giant rubber ball, basically a ball that is normally used for pilates. Children seemed to enjoy this. The young boy I teamed up with would point to who he wanted the ball to go to next, and smile. At one point he gave me a thumbs up.
A bit more happenedc this morning , but these were the parts worth writing about. I already cannot wait to see what next Sunday brings. You can bet I will post it here.

The Church of the Open Door

Revelation 3:7 - 13
(really only touched on vs 7-8)

The Church of the Open Door (Opportunity)
(the faithful church)

The POWER of an open door (faith)
Rev. 3:8 ; IICor. 2:12 ; Col. 4:2-3 ; Acts 14:27
God is the one who opens doors, pray for the doors to be opened

The PRODUCER of an open door
Rev. 3:7 ~ the one who is Holy, True
He opens, He closes
The One who is holy
Rev. 3:7 ; 1 Peter 1:15
The One who is true
Rev. 3:7 (Genuine)

The PERMANENCE of an open door
Rev. 3:7 ; 1:18 ; Isaiah 22:22
NO man can shut
NO man can open
......but God
"Lord God, help me see the open doors for witness today".

The PROBLEM with an open door
Opportunities are often disguised as problems
missed open door
I may not have seen an open door if the door was not closed
Opportunities are time sensitive
sometimes they don't come at convenient times
Opportunities are often tested by opposition
1Cor. 16:8-9
usually territory held by the enemy
Best evidence we have it is the will of God
Opportunities are usually missed because of fear
Rev. 3:8 ; IICor. 12:9 ; Gen. 11:4
I cannot do this on my own strength
(His strength is made perfect in weakness)
If God opens a door, He'll help you walk through it

Eph. 5:15 - 17
.....making the most of every opportunity

ON YOUR OWN
God ordained opportunities
Gen. 12:1-9
Esther 4 &5
Luke 18:18 - 30
John 4: 1 - 26
Acts 9:10-17
Acts 16:6-10

Open doors rarely come to us at a time when we are prepared to walk through them. Many times, we are so caught up in attending to our normal every day lives that we are a little disrupted when a truly miraculous and extraordinary moment presents itself. How has God interrupted your life in a miraculous or extraordinary way? How was His timing?
Moving to Montan when I thought I had life figured out
teaching sunday school
meeting RA
moving to CA
Skyline to Shadow Mountain when I thought I was being led to Skyline and mom said she'd go where I wanted to )
teaching Sunday school Special Needs ministry

There may be inner resistance to where God is leading you
(me falling in love with Skyline church, mom and dad going to Shadow Mountain and because I don't drive having to go there instead. Me wanting to go back to Skyline, but then the Special Needs ministry popped up.)

A Giant Leap of Faith ---

There was a flier in Sunday's church bulletin. Upon reading it during our meet and greet I immediately filled it out without giving it a second thought. At the conclusion of second service I went straight to the imformation booth to turn it in. Leaving the sanctuary and heading to my van I thought to myself, "What did I just do!?"
I had just signed up to be a teacher in KidZone, Christian Life Center's children's Sunday school. It is set up so there are more than one teacher in a classroom, and so teachers rotate on who would give the lesson for each week. A lesson for November would be in the mail shortly. I am so excited!
Noel called me on my cellphone as I was leaving Wal Mart. I only had a few things I needed to pick up. She and I are in christmas choir rehearsals together and she has heard me talk about my job woes and my enthusiasm for working with young children. I had marked on the sheet of paper the spot for the intern, and she persuaded me to forgo the internship part and be a lead teacher instead. I tried to start out as a helper and work my way into the lead teacher, but she felt this was a God thing of my getting involved and her thinking of me. I decided to take a giant leap of faith and accepted the challenge.
What is God up to, if anything, I am beginning wonder. The job prospects in the secular jobmarket are proving to be futile (although I haven't given up hope just yet). Even some of the volunteer opporunities have been limited it seems although I am volunteering now at the Missoula Boys and Girls club (it's okay, not a blast, but it's okay). What is interesting is while at chi Alpha one evening we had a Missoinary speak that night and on the table were books to give away. The Title? "Out of the Comfort Zone".
My first teaching experience ever was shortly after moving to Montana, when both my mother and I were talked into becomeing Missionettes teachers. That was when I felt lead to pursue it as a profession. Then I became involved in a fourth/fifth grade classroom grading papers, helping with seatwork, and prep work for some of those lessons. I became even more interested in education.
I became interested in doing therapy dog work with Alehe, and that didn't even last very long. I think I went to the hospital maybe twice, if even that. There was just no room for me at the time I thought it would be most convenient.
I couldn't help but wonder if God is not more involved in this trouble with finding work, paid or otherwise, and if He isn't preparing me for something else. Would gettin involved in KidZone have come up had I not gotten involved in either Community Hospital's Pet therapy program or Boys and Girls Club?


Now I've got a Carman Song stuck in my head -
Taking a step, taking a step of faith
Walking out on, the Promises God made
Taking a giant, leap in the air
Stepping out on nothing to find something there
Telling the doubt to wait (echo: wait wait wait)
Taking a step of faith

God, renewing my confidence in teaching young children?

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.

Me, Missions?

God is up to something --- still.

So, lately I haven't been able to find work, volunteer or otherwise. Yes, even HS called to tell me they have plenty of volunteers so there are no openings. It has discouraged me to the point where I wasn't even sure I was supposed to be in Montana any longer.

Surely with all that has happened the past six months, God has to be up to something. I still wish He would tell me! Apparently God gets a kick out of giving us partial details, pure torture!

So it was recently the start of a new semester for UM students. A few weeks into it our XA group announced bible Studies. Ocean's Deep sounded like an excellent one and it was meeting at our house, however, it was at the same time I go to the YMCA to work out. That night, I received an invite to the Misssions bible study from La Roha. Weeks earlier, I had been thinking a lot about an opportunity I could have had had I not moved to Montana. That dream had been haunting me again, and I wasn't sure why. After years in school, I finally felt like Preschool was where I was supposed to be. Could God be leading me in a totally new direction, using the preschool experience to get me to this point? (It was on the radio program or somewnhere I learned that God could take away the very thing He gave me).

I just looked online at volunteer opportunites and ran across one for community Hospital. Singing or visiting patients with an anuimal (in this case, i wold bring Alehe). I'll check more into it on Wednesday as there is a career fair at the Hilton.

In other news, someone came up to me during prayer at Chi Alpha and said she felt like she was to pray for Alehe. Her comment to me was, "You'll have her for a long time".

Interesting

Job Stuff

Nehemiah 4 and 5
1 When Sanballat heard that we were rebuilding the wall, he became angry and was greatly incensed. He ridiculed the Jews, 2 and in the presence of his associates and the army of Samaria, he said, "What are those feeble Jews doing? Will they restore their wall? Will they offer sacrifices? Will they finish in a day? Can they bring the stones back to life from those heaps of rubble—burned as they are?"
3 Tobiah the Ammonite, who was at his side, said, "What they are building—if even a fox climbed up on it, he would break down their wall of stones!"
4 Hear us, O our God, for we are despised. Turn their insults back on their own heads. Give them over as plunder in a land of captivity. 5 Do not cover up their guilt or blot out their sins from your sight, for they have thrown insults in the face of the builders.
6 So we rebuilt the wall till all of it reached half its height, for the people worked with all their heart.
7 But when Sanballat, Tobiah, the Arabs, the Ammonites and the men of Ashdod heard that the repairs to Jerusalem's walls had gone ahead and that the gaps were being closed, they were very angry. 8 They all plotted together to come and fight against Jerusalem and stir up trouble against it. 9 But we prayed to our God and posted a guard day and night to meet this threat.
10 Meanwhile, the people in Judah said, "The strength of the laborers is giving out, and there is so much rubble that we cannot rebuild the wall."
11 Also our enemies said, "Before they know it or see us, we will be right there among them and will kill them and put an end to the work."
12 Then the Jews who lived near them came and told us ten times over, "Wherever you turn, they will attack us."
13 Therefore I stationed some of the people behind the lowest points of the wall at the exposed places, posting them by families, with their swords, spears and bows. 14 After I looked things over, I stood up and said to the nobles, the officials and the rest of the people, "Don't be afraid of them. Remember the Lord, who is great and awesome, and fight for your brothers, your sons and your daughters, your wives and your homes."
15 When our enemies heard that we were aware of their plot and that God had frustrated it, we all returned to the wall, each to his own work.
16 From that day on, half of my men did the work, while the other half were equipped with spears, shields, bows and armor. The officers posted themselves behind all the people of Judah 17 who were building the wall. Those who carried materials did their work with one hand and held a weapon in the other, 18 and each of the builders wore his sword at his side as he worked. But the man who sounded the trumpet stayed with me.
19 Then I said to the nobles, the officials and the rest of the people, "The work is extensive and spread out, and we are widely separated from each other along the wall. 20 Wherever you hear the sound of the trumpet, join us there. Our God will fight for us!"

21 So we continued the work with half the men holding spears, from the first light of dawn till the stars came out. 22 At that time I also said to the people, "Have every man and his helper stay inside Jerusalem at night, so they can serve us as guards by night and workmen by day." 23 Neither I nor my brothers nor my men nor the guards with me took off our clothes; each had his weapon, even when he went for water.
Nehemiah 5
Nehemiah Helps the Poor
1 Now the men and their wives raised a great outcry against their Jewish brothers. 2 Some were saying, "We and our sons and daughters are numerous; in order for us to eat and stay alive, we must get grain."
3 Others were saying, "We are mortgaging our fields, our vineyards and our homes to get grain during the famine."
4 Still others were saying, "We have had to borrow money to pay the king's tax on our fields and vineyards. 5 Although we are of the same flesh and blood as our countrymen and though our sons are as good as theirs, yet we have to subject our sons and daughters to slavery. Some of our daughters have already been enslaved, but we are powerless, because our fields and our vineyards belong to others."
6 When I heard their outcry and these charges, I was very angry. 7 I pondered them in my mind and then accused the nobles and officials. I told them, "You are exacting usury from your own countrymen!" So I called together a large meeting to deal with them 8 and said: "As far as possible, we have bought back our Jewish brothers who were sold to the Gentiles. Now you are selling your brothers, only for them to be sold back to us!" They kept quiet, because they could find nothing to say.
9 So I continued, "What you are doing is not right. Shouldn't you walk in the fear of our God to avoid the reproach of our Gentile enemies? 10 I and my brothers and my men are also lending the people money and grain. But let the exacting of usury stop! 11 Give back to them immediately their fields, vineyards, olive groves and houses, and also the usury you are charging them—the hundredth part of the money, grain, new wine and oil."
12 "We will give it back," they said. "And we will not demand anything more from them. We will do as you say."
Then I summoned the priests and made the nobles and officials take an oath to do what they had promised. 13 I also shook out the folds of my robe and said, "In this way may God shake out of his house and possessions every man who does not keep this promise. So may such a man be shaken out and emptied!"
At this the whole assembly said, "Amen," and praised the LORD. And the people did as they had promised.
14 Moreover, from the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes, when I was appointed to be their governor in the land of Judah, until his thirty-second year—twelve years—neither I nor my brothers ate the food allotted to the governor. 15 But the earlier governors—those preceding me—placed a heavy burden on the people and took forty shekels of silver from them in addition to food and wine. Their assistants also lorded it over the people. But out of reverence for God I did not act like that. 16 Instead, I devoted myself to the work on this wall. All my men were assembled there for the work; we did not acquire any land.
17 Furthermore, a hundred and fifty Jews and officials ate at my table, as well as those who came to us from the surrounding nations. 18 Each day one ox, six choice sheep and some poultry were prepared for me, and every ten days an abundant supply of wine of all kinds. In spite of all this, I never demanded the food allotted to the governor, because the demands were heavy on these people.
19 Remember me with favor, O my God, for all I have done for these people.

This big chunk of scripture really hit home with me today. I came home from an appointment not sure what to feel as I refused to give in to discouragement. This job search is not going well.
I am looking everywhere; Online, newspaper, through JOBS...Am I kidding myself not looking outside Missoula or Montana?

I am now looking into places to volunteer. Volunteering somwwhere, I can be the first one they consider when a paid position comes available. Funny how looking into paid positions somewhere and they give various excuses as to why they cant hire me, but when I look at volunteer work....All of a sudden they cant wait to have us (Alehe and I)!

I would look outside of preschool, outised of education...but wht else is there that I could od? I never had work experience outsiode of education. Okay wait, one internship (tht was a waste of my time) and a volunteer pet grooming position both years ago.

I've Got Another Job Interview!

SJ from Jobs just called me a few minutes ago a\nd said she hax just set up a job interview with Cuddle Bugs daycare/preschool. She was so excited abot it she had to call me on her cell phone rather than wait to call me from her office when she returned.

I have driven by that place numerous times going to FC, the doctor, etc., and it didn't look accessible as there was a giant step. But I was assured that there was a cement ramp in the back of the building.

Driving by it all the time I had this feeling that it would be cool to work there, just becaus eI liked the name so mjuch. SJ has a good feelign abotu the place. She liked the people who worked there.

OH YES, and they were fine with me bringing Alehe. YAY!


UPDATE:
The interview went better than expected. I was hardly nervous at all(I guess thsi seminar is helping :)). The place looks relatively small from the outside, but like my house, once you go inside you are amazed at the space. She asked me maybe four main questions adn a bit of info about previous experience. She even said it looked like I had a lot of experience from my resume (most people are discouraged by the lack of experience i have had). I shall hear back within the week.

Meanwhile, we are looking into a few more options.

Two Sticks and Three Rocks

This is what I found when I cleaned out my backpack today. That'll teach me to leave my backpack open when I'm around the two-year-olds at recess.

Adventures in Preschool VII - God's Plans and Venting

Proverbs 16:9

In his heart a man plans his course, but the Lord determines his steps.

Okay, so nothing about venting in the Bible, but just bear with me for a minute.

So what is this? Two days in a row the Holy Spirit speaks to me about my life's direction (see myspace page abtou this post). He must be up to something. At least, after today, I hope He is. I had a great time with the kiddo's today. A few frustrating instances, but when you are around two through five-year-olds, it's to be expected. I think it was mostly the heat getting to me too.

Shortly after returning home from work, I received a phone call from J.O.B.S, Job Opportunity Based Services. My counselor from jobs called to tell me that my boss thinks I am doing an excellent job, yet there there were a few instances where I could have handled them much better than I did. I thought I handled them well myself, and one instance, I think the one he was talking about, I did NOT see the kid's bloody nose. In the classroom with the children I do a great job, but ut on the playground we have not just uor class but two s and three's. A KLOT of children to watch, andI think it gets a bit overwhelming for me. Especially when I see children doign things they are not supposed to and an adult is standing nearby not doing a freakin' thing. I end upo be ing the one racing across the playground to tell the child(ren) to stop.

So I received a call from mom and really, its not about the stuff on the playground, but that my co-workers were just not that supoortive of me being there. There are a lot of awesome things I do in the preschool, even my boss thinks so, but getting the others to see that...

So it's back to the job hunting again. It's a major bummer as I am going to miss all the children, especially a select fews that stole my heart.

Funny moment though, out on the playgroudn I had a prescholer come up to me and tell me"You know what, water makes your tongue sing!" LOL I love them!

Adventures in Preschool VI :T-shirt Sayings

I cannot believe how many preschoolers in my class come to school with the cutest and most hilarious sayings on their shirts.

I do all my own stunts
I tried to be good, but I got bored
If you think I'm cute, you should see my grandpa
I'm definately up to something
I didnt do it, you didnt see me do it, I wanna speak to my grandpa
(seen on the t-shirt of a two-year-old) Warning: Two-year-old

Fort Courage - Finished my first week

So I called Alehe's trainer at CCI and talked to her about what to do. One of the options was to put Alehe in another room, however, there wasnt a room available for that. It was up to me if I wanted to leave her at home or not. I seriously thought CCI would frown upon my leaving her, since it meant she wouldnt be doing much for me. I feel bad the she doesn't do much now that I am done with school, and I was excited about taking her to work with me. But her trainer was fuill of ideas to keep Alehe entertained while I was gone. I decided to give it a try.
The morning of my first day of work, I gathered together a few of Alehe's toys that I could find. One of the ideas her trainer gave was to fill her kong with peanut butter, this way she would be busy for quite some time. My aide even suggested a toy that spills out treats but that Alehe would have to work at to get to them.
For the time being, I just left various toys scatterd throughout the house for her to easily find. This seemed to be okay. My aide came to get me from work that afternoon and low and behold, Alehe was in the van. I got in the van and was smothered with dog kisses. My aide said that after I left she stayed and played with Alehe a few minutes to get her mind off off my being away. Alehe did great.
The rest of the evening I was home, Alehe was extremely clingy.

Fort Courage Childcare - The Begginning

Tuesday the sixth of March, I signed all the paperwork to officially become a Fort Courage employee. My first day on the job - exactly one week later. I thought the week would never come to an end!

The day was rather interesting. I felt a majority of the four hours I worked was spent outside. When I arrived, children were in free play. I made sure the children weren't rough-housing with the play equipment as to hurt themselves or destroy the toys. I then watched as they did learning centers (they had a different name for it, but I can't remember). At the table I sat near, the children had the letter y cut out of construction paper and glued different colors of yarn. Wow children use a lot of glue!

Then it was outside time for an hour at least. One child, TJ, was hanging with me the entire four hours I was there. He kept trying to tickle me. Cute, but annoying after a while. But he was great. Every time I turned around...there was TJ.

I wheeled around the perimeter of the playground (kept having to dodge children and their trikes). And then sometimes gave up and wheeled on the grass. Not too hard, until I became stuck at one point trying to get from the grass back to the pavement, and had to be rescued by my boss...how embarrassing.

When we came back inside, children had lunch. then it was back outside for another hour! Good grief I need a nap! Children had fun when co-workers blew bubbles, and the children all chased after them.

Inside once again, it was time for a story. But first, my boss called me into his office...scary, the whole time I'm thinking, "Oh no, what'd I do!" It was then that he mentioned the co-worker going home because of allergies. Around that same time I was looking for my ride, that never bothered to show. I think I might have had some confusion with that. I don't know. So I called for backup, who wasn't very happy but did it anyway. Then I received a call, my voice lesson was cancelled.

My day didn't end very well.


So the majority of this afternoon and evening I have been a bit emotional. I just got a job I really enjoyed, fell in liove with teh HUGE faciltiy...adn now I dont know what to do. Mass confusion whether to leave Alehe at home or what. I called her trainer and have yet to hear back.

Dear Lord, Help Me NOW!

Substitute Noon Duty Aide

So the past couple of weeks (it seems like months already!) my computer has been on the fritz. Thanks to Cuchillo for helping me resuscitate it. Man! One doesn't realize just how much one spends on the computer until one goes without it for weeks. I was sick of reading, sick of watching t.v.....and going out of my mind!

I GOT A JOB!!! :)
On the twenty-third of January, I started working as a substitute noon duty aide. This means I monitor the children at lunchtime and recess, and help clean up the lunchroom as best as I can. I have actually offered to wipe tables on a few occasions. While it is not my dream job as of yet, I don't mind it really. This is just until I can find a more permanent position in a preschool classroom, meanwhile it gets me experience working with children. After the first day, I wan't crazy about the job. I wouldn't allow myself to make a judgemebnt just yet, and sure enough it's not hal0f bad. Sure, I do a lot of just sittting around watching when I am used to getting involved in childrens play. One co-worker talked to me after one day sa I had a group of chikldren around me fawning over Alehe. She didn't think I was watching the playground as I should have been. What she didn't understand was that I was making a sweep of the playground with my eyes every minute or so, AS I was talking with the children. At Paxson Elementary, Alehe was a hit with the children. I had a lot of children commenting about the dogs they have at home, or their gramma's dog. With some, I asked about their dogs at home or what not. One child commented about her dog losing a tooth, "But we don't get any money for it."
I had children asking me if I go to church, children asking me if I would come back and when I was. One little girl walks by me as the bell rings and tells me "You're beautiful", of which I was on cloud nine for the rest of the day. I was even able to use my knowledge of American Sign Language with two girls at one of the schoools. Awesome experience (I did have to sign to tehm to "go slow").

February first, I received my very first paycheck...$37.00