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.)

Facing Disappointment

Pastor Phillips was in Chi Alpha Tuesday night as I am just arriving through the door of the classroom where it's held. I was surprised to see him there. AFter saying an enthusiastic and somewhat surprised "Hi!", I asked "What brings you to Chi Alpha?" (or maybe something more like "What are YOU doing here?" He then told me he was the speaker for tonight. "Yeah!",I exclaim as I pump my fist. Little did I know how much his message and the story he told in closing would affect me.

Two areas of disappointment
circumstances
people

Websters Dictionary definition of disappointment
not as appointed ; not as planned


dissappointed with the way things are going in our life

Acts 7:22 - 29
Moses

He's in trouble with the Egyptians AND the Hebrews
One day he is a somebody, the next - a foreigner
forry years away from what he thought was God's purpose in life
Life is not going as he planned
life is falling apart
situations not working out the way you think they should
goal/purpose - confused
no way out, no answer - nothing is going to change
Can God help me with my dissapointment
YES

Moses is pulled toward his own brethren (me, having a disability myself, being pulled to teach children with disabilties)

He (meaning God) will have to teach me

1) God is in control of every circumstance
He is not controlled by them, He controls them
Power of Christs word holds everything together
Heb 1:3
He orders them according to His plan
Psalm 31 - My times are in Your hands
God is aware of times in my life
This is the da:y that the Lord has made, Let us rejoice and be glad in it - Psalm
whether in prison or Palace
we may not understand everything that comes our way, we can understand His nature and His purpose
Faith/Trust -I believe God and I will trust Him with what is happening in my life. I trust He will be true to His Word

2.) God has a plan for my life - unique and individual for me
He sees things that I go through in a different perspective / viewpoint
See things the way God sees them
God has a better plan than I do
Moses disappointment becomes God's great appointment
God's way became the best way, even when it took forty years to happen
Are there areas of your life where you are disappointed because of circumstances?
Put your trust in Him
God will never fail you
Joseph - dreams about what God is going to do in his life, how God was going to use him
(sold off by brothers, put in prison, falsely accused for trying to rape masters wife, prison again)
In all this Joseph did not lose sight of God
God elevates him in the end
David - kills Goliath
hero at 17
given daughter of the king to wed
lavished with gifts
taken away overnight because Saul becomes jealous adn hunts him down to take his life 17 years
God delivers him and David becomes next king of Israel. David keeps his eyes on God
Daniel lions den

3.) Disappointment in people
Our disappointments = God's great appointments
Moses disappointed in Aaron bis brother for making an idol for the people while Moses is on Mt. Sanai
Elisha and Gehezai - 2Kings 10
Nahman- dip in the river seven times
Acts 15 - Barnabas and the missionary journey (Paul and John-Mark)
Get you eyes on Jesus -Psalm 121:2
Too many times our lives are destroyed by people or circumstances
Quiet ourselves before God -
Paul- He who has begun a good workk in you will carry it on to completion until the day of christ

Story
Jim Cymbala Fresh Faith
Wendy Alvair in Brooklyn
a romantic
dreaming of the day she would marry, raise a houseful of children
a lot harder than it looked - went through two boyfriends
disappointed with life
found a man of her dreams
engaged, planning wedding
fell apart, lonely, wasnt close enough to God to ask for help
experienced the death of her father
fiinally listened, resubmitted her life to Christ
Wendy grew in the Lord , became involved in the church
Desire to marry as strong a ever
Okay God, Where is he
silence
watched many friends get married
30th, 35th bday went by
maybe God's plan didn't include marriage, motherhood
talked to God about her singleness
prayer time = pity party
God "you've taken eyes off Me, and put them on your circumstance"
God is the Source of all happiness
Dark cloud lifted
gave the desire to God on the altar, stopped whining about it
1 year later
(man she met 12 years earlier) this must be something from the enemy
concerned about getting involved with a babe in Christ
He wanted God's will so badly, even if it doesnt include Wendy
37 and finally married
birthed two children
keep seeking God's will
Dont settle for less
Hebrews 10:35 - don't throw away your confidence
Matt 6:33 - Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and all these things will be added to you.

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?

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)

Stoked!

Last year a friend of mine from Chi Alpha told me about a short term missions opportunity that she was going to do. She then tried to persuade me to do it myself. However, at the time, I didn't think there was a way for me to do it. Finances, things going on with my disability. I really didnt give it much thought. And so we just said...maybe next year.
Well, next year came around and more of the same. My mother and I were even thinking about checking out a spina bifida conference in Arizona. But then Chi Alpha came a few days later, low and behold our Missions Minute just happened to highlight Joni Earikson-Tada's Family Camp. When a video was shown about it, I wept through the entire thing. I think God was trying to tell me something. So at the break in Chi Alpha, I had to get more info. I really felt like this was something I was supposed to do.
I decided I would pray about it for a couple of days before mentioning it. My friend and her mom are going, so we thought it would be cool if we went mother/daugher style. My dad might be talked into going too. But speaking of praying about it beforehand, I think it was only three days before I brought it up that mom and I should do this instead. Besides, I found out later it was only an hour from where my parents live. It didn't take any convincing on my part at all. They thought it would be a great vacation as I haven't had one in a while. Only, I have a strange feeling it could turn into so much more.
So much more because of all the short term missions/ spring break XA trips I took while still a student. So much more because finding and keeping a job has been difficult, if not impossible. So much more because the past year or so has been phyically and emotionally trying. So much more because in seven days time I have had as many people tell me in so many words that they felt God is up to something.
In the meantime, since I had made the decision that I wanted to go, I have been praying almost daily for differnt aspects relating to the camp. Specifically for one instance in which we will be placed with a family and get to do all the different activities with for the duration of the five-day camp (us STM's go a day early for training). Just this morning as I was getting dressed God brought to mind a way to interact and connect by asking their sibling what it was like to have a sibling with a disability - since I have a brother who does not.
I will kill myself if I forget to bring a camera. You can bet there will be plenty of bloggiing about the trip afterwards. My friend and I are getting together tomorrow after church to talk about it.

God Moment III: God is up to Something

It’s been well over a month since I last posted a blog. Wow. With all that has happened, it seems like so much longer.

Looking back now, the proverbial roller coaster started in July, when I was let go from FC. Then the first staph infection hit. I think in the past year all four of us in my immediate family have been hospitalized for something.

Having a horrible time finding another job. I get a myriad of reasons why I am not hired;

JOBS has exhausted all options as far as work in the childcare field. Someone in my internship/job history went so far as to say I was a safety hazard. VR’s next suggestion was to look at secretarial jobs in the school system. Assessment TEN YEARS AGO says I do best with office work. Did I really do eleven years of schooling just to sit in an office? I don’t think so. They gave me the weekend to think about it and then get back to them. That Friday I went to the hospital to treat yet another staph infection. The second time in six months! This time we have no idea where it had gone in, as there was no visible entry wound. Hook me up to IV antibiotics (no PICC Line this time, whoohoo!) and watch the boredom for the next five days. Sick of reading, sick of watching t.v. Meanwhile VR is trying to reach me and we keep missing. Okay, so once I was afraid to pick up the phone because this whole situation is leaving my head spinning and really did not know what to tell people. But when I got out I sucked it up and called, explained why she hadn’t heard from me in almost a week.

VR and JOBS are closing my case (or at least putting it on hold for a few months to see what happens in the volunteer department). Meanwhile I break down crying in our Chi Alpha meeting’s prayer time. God, what ARE You doing?! Quiet times the next day or two really encouraged me.

Matthew 25: 14 - 30
Parable of the Talents
15To one he gave five talents of money, to another two talents, and to another one talent, each according to his ability.
20The man who had received the five talents brought the other five. 'Master,' he said, 'you entrusted me with five talents. See, I have gained five more.' 21"His master replied, 'Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master's happiness!'
2 Chronicles 20
Jehoshaphat Defeats Moab and Ammon
12 … For we have no power to face this vast army that is attacking us. We do not know what to do, but our eyes are upon you."
15 He said: "Listen, King Jehoshaphat and all who live in Judah and Jerusalem! This is what the LORD says to you: 'Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army. For the battle is not yours, but God's.

No sooner than I come home from the hospital the second time and things heat up at the XA Girls’ house.
Suddenly my house is no longer going to be run as it once was. (years ago they were really happy with the way things were going, telling me how much they really liked who was in charge of it). For a few days I didn’t even know if I wanted to be a part of it after that weekend.

Since the job hunt is going nowhere fast, and I am in the meantime going stir crazy because of it, I decided that I would take a different route; volunteering. One of my job prospects was for Easter Seals, and although they would not hire me as paid staff, they still really wanted me, even if it as just as a volunteer. I ‘m looking into that and they call me back a few weeks later. The teacher that I would have worked with had quit. They did not feel comfortable bringing in two newbies at the same time. They still want me, however, I have been put on hold. AUGH!

In the meantime, Since Head Start didn’t think I had enough experience to be hired when I applied, I recently put in a volunteer application and should be hearing from them hopefully soon. I may just give them a call this week myself. It was suggested a while ago that I volunteer at both places, that way I have a better chance at encountering open doors of opportunity should they arise. Now, I would kill to work at HS.

At church a week ago Sunday, our pastor started a series on “When You Don‘t Understand God‘s Plan”. Perfect for the past few weeks I’ve had. I am really into it. At en point in the service is a meet and greet time where we have a few minutes to find people we don’t know and introduce ourselves, talk to people we haven’t seen in a while, and chat over coffee and donuts (for me its tea and donuts). I talked with a woman whom always finds Alehe and I to see how we’re doing. I told her briefly of my situation and we prayed together. It was her comment to me after wards that really struck me. “God is up to something”. I had been trying to believe that because of all that was going on, God had to be doing something. Even if it was just drawing me closer to Him.

XA Devo

So this post is extremely late. So many things to do...so little time.

XA 20 ‘til - My Journey Thru College
12-4-07
For weeks I have been thinking of what to share.
Feeling like I should somehow relate it to college
“What can I encourage students with? Especially now that I am no longer a student.
Relying on God to give me the words His saying “wait “
Forgot about it for a week
Megan calls me -”Oh Crap!”
Just like me doing things the night before their due! (some things never change!!!).
2 hours working on a topic-I thought I had it…three times
Boy has this been a lesson in and of itself.
(Okay God, you said wait…and now look where its got me!”)
Finally go excited at this idea - Thank You Jesus!
I think I now know why I had a headache for a week (I laughed when the thought occurred to me) God is good.

Show of hands - first year, last year
11 years and two degrees later!

Charles Kingsley - Have thy tools ready, God will find thee work

A quote I have on my mouse pad. This quote both got me through college, and is getting me through the finding of a job

My journey thru college and now trying to find a job
“Your not cut out for college” VR and DSS
Discouraged from attending UM
Major in Business Management with a minor in Music
Changing majors God knows how many times!
Pulling out for almost two years for health reasons.

All things work together - Romans 8:28
I know the plans I have for you declares the Lord - Jeremiah 29:11
Coming home from a retreat - God “Don’t be afraid to dream”

Facing discouragement
Bridges
Excuses - not enough experience
kids allergic to dogs or afraid of dogs

FORT COURAGE experience.
God - tell me what you desire in a job. See what I can do”.

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.

Thoughts on Future Employment

It's supposed to be 106 degree's today, so I am relaxing in my room with the fan on full blast. I have done a lot of reading (a favorite past-time), and unfortunately a whole lot of nothing on the computer. Earlier in the day I decided to listen to a CD from Mark Drake. I think I listened to two. It was nice sitting back and doing nothing while listening, something I need to do more often (Usually I do two things at once).

Later in the day something that SB asked me in a conversation about work hit me and then I felt compelled to really sit down and do, seriously. Which made me think of a statement I heard on the radio yesterday. Something about how God knows what we want even before we ask, but yet still wants us to bring it to Him. I lay on my bed and really give to God what my ideal employment situation would be. I could say this situation with FCCC was the beginning since I really didn't give it much thought when I took the job in the first place.

What AM I looking for
Co-workers who are friendly toward me, supportive of me being there
accessible for a wheelchair AND service dog
driving distance/ later rather than earlier start time (getting up at 6:30a.m. for a 9:00a.m. start time is rough, but I got used to it)
Inclusive (teaching children with and without disabilities in the same classroom)
Here in Montana if that's where God still wants me
(I'm sure more stufff will come to me later)

This last one has been on my mind a lot this past week sicne being let go, and frankly, it kinda scares me. So far I have no desire to go anywhere else to look for work other than here in Missoula, Montana. I have a church here, I have friends here, doctors, a gym... The thought of starting all over, makes me want to throw-up. I am having a hard time telling God that I will go anywhere He wants me to.

I love Montana.

Excuses Excuses! (UPDATED)

...and the saga continues.

So I was supposed to have my JOBS appointement a few days ago and somehow screwed it up. I had a seperate JOBS appointment than the one I had today with both JOBS and VR. Life is becoming wa-a-y too complicated these days.

After I hung up the phone with JOBS inquiring why I wasnt at the original appointment, I received an e-mail from Katie Mize, CCI Graduate Program Coordinator for the Northwest region. I had asked if there was a possibility of her contacting a few prostpective employers as well as JOBS to educate them on servicedogs in the workplace. Here was her response

I'll be happy to contact the 3 places you've listed and find out what their
concerns are and will try to educate them. I will contact them first thing next
week. Have you had a chance to contact the IAADP? They would be a great resource
for you as well.

And so I did. I sent off an e-mail to the IAADP (International Association of Assistance Dog Partners) explaining my situation. I don't know what kind of response I expected from them, but surely I didnt expect a five page response! Here is most of it.

Dear Tryna:

I thought I recalled your name from a CCI Newsletter....then when I visited your blog and read about the call to CCI regarding this employment issue, I knew my memory was still working pretty good...

I think it is great that you went to school and got a degree and you now want to work in a field you are qualified for.

I sure don't want Life to be any harder for you than it already is, but I don't have good news.
Or to put it another way.....I don't have a definite law that you can cite and win automatic acceptance of your service dog in the workplace, unless you live in one of the few states that legislated access in the workplace. In most states, the business lobby has resisted the passage of such an amendment to the old access laws if they catch wind of it.

It just is not cut and dried when it comes to employment.
The courts have decided that EACH case asking for a service dog as a reasonable accommodation of a disability in the workplace under the ADA has to be decided on its own merits. It is sometimes a struggle for a disabled person to win on this score.
It took the paraplegic doctor on our board three years and $250,000 in attorney fees to get a decision that she could bring her dog to work at a VA hospital in federal court. It was a good decision, but the outcome she hoped for, that it would clear the way for all others.....it did not happen. The judge reaffirmed it has to be a balancing act of the rights of business and rights of an employee. The good news for Chris Branson is the jury sympathized with her and the judge was on her side and looked for ways to legally justify her decision [ I read the judge's decision several times before writing the articles on our website to ensure I was giving out accurate information, then ran it past Chris's lawyer before publishing them at her request ]

There are a few states where the state law, as I mentioned above, does grant access in places in employment to someone with a guide, hearing or service dog that meets the state statutes ......one may require certification, for example, but that is no problem in your case. You are a wheelchair user with a CCI certified service dog, so you will have a much easier time than someone with a psychiatric disability or diabetes or epilepsy.

One option [ perhaps a drastic one] might be to interview for jobs in one of those states, as then you would definitely have the law on your side, state as well as federal. It would mean relocation.

(The last thing I want to do, I love where i live, my house, the people in it!)

It is fairly easy for a school teacher with a guide dog to get the Department of Justice to go to bat for them. I have printed at least two articles about victories in cases where a person was turned down for a job as she had a guide dog and obtained monetary compensation after the DOJ settled the case on her behalf. It has not been so easy or cut and dried for those of us with other kinds of disabilities.

I know MacDonalds settled with a boy who had CP and a service dog, for an undisclosed amount in 1994, as we discussed the case at that conference. His parents and he sued when they refused to let him bring his service dog from a program to work with him behind the counter. It did not let him keep the job, though.

Another option, instead of moving to a state like Nevada, is to file an ADA complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.

You might also approach the Human Rights Commission in your state, filing a complaint. They nearly always decide in favor of the disabled person with a service animal.

IAADP has heard from two teachers who are fighting service dog discrimination in the schoolplace in California.....as principals refuse to let them bring their service dog to work. One is a school teacher who has an owner trained dog for psychiatric support and a mobility issue, if memory serves me correctly. She is only citing the mobility issue, as she was worried the psychiatric part might cost her the job. At first the school agreed the dog could come part time. Then it evolved into a long series of incidents, like sending administrators to observe her teaching with the dog in the classroom and writing up reports that she believes amounted to harassment, so the case partly concerns that, which clouds the service dog accommodation issue a bit. Our President, Ed Eames, plans to testify for her if it goes to trial. The case has been dragged out for two years or more. These things take a long time when it goes to the lawsuit stage.

(Hello? I want to work before I am elligble to retire!)

Other schools around the USA have no problem with it, as long as it is a trained, certified service dog. They believe the law compels them to grant access.

I know of one in Flint where the Paws With A Cause service dog has free run of the school, was almost the school mascot..... which was a challenge for a student of mine, age fourteen, who wanted to bring a service dog she trained and certified through the program I volunteer my training skills to, to that school. I worked with the pair for a year and Danielle achieved an awesome level of control over Angel. It worked out fine in the end, as the teacher did start supervising the dog better and Danielle's dog, Angel, after graduation, was thankfully willing and able to totally ignore the other dog while "on duty." They are quite a team.
Fortunately in Michigan, access to public schools and universities is guaranteed under the state access law. The school education supervisor for disabled students for some reason tried to bar my student from bringing her service dog to school and got the school bus company to join her, on the first day of school, but when our program wrote a letter and I sent a copy of the state law to the school principal, he caved in and he carried enough authority to overrule the school bus administrator. Danielle is now in her first year of high school and doing great.
I imagine teachers could use that same law. I don't know if it covers nursery schools or daycare centers for children, as it is an old law. But I wonder about your state law? You might want to read the part carefully that cites places where service dog teams have access rights. If it does not specify daycare or childcare centers, it does not mean that they are not included.....it just makes it much more black and white if it is specifically mentioned.

I received a newspaper article about a gym which runs a nursery for the children of mothers who took an exercise class there, just like bowling alleys do for ladies leagues. The gym denied the mother's demand to have the service dog in the nursery unsupervised with a little boy is autistic. The DOJ was consulted and told the gym that they had to allow the service dog in the nursery. ( I think that was an asinine decision, as an autistic toddler can't handle a big service dog by himself. The mother wanted the dog there to "keep the child calm." She demanded "his rights.")
If the DOJ will go to bat for a child being allowed to bring his service dog into a nursery school which he can't handle and untrained staff can't handle.......what about a teacher like yourself who has a much more highly trained dog whom you can handle? I would use that article if I were you.....in getting their attention if you submit an ADA complaint.
I would hope they would take an interest in your plight, but can't guarantee it.

I think you should also consult the Job Accommodations Network, which has federal funding. It is supposed to help employers understand ADA. They have been on the side of persons with a service animal .....if you make it clear that your dog is not a pet needed for comfort but a working service dog.

One thing you need to do is come up with a List of Tasks the dog can perform for you in the workplace.....instead of saying you don't need her and she just stays under a table all day long, if you want to convince a potential employer, the DOJ or anyone else that your service dog is a NEEDED accommodation of your disability to which you are entitled by LAW.
You need to think up some much better reasons why you need that dog with you in the workplace......than the fact she will go on a food binge at home due to separation anxiety. This is something my first service dog would do if I left him home alone. He once went into an old purse and ate a roll of lifesavers.

There is piece of testimony that the judges found significant in the federal court of appeals in the Ninth District that eventually paved the way for assistance dogs to be able to travel to Hawaii without going through the quarantine. Since then, was used in a court case where a hospital tried to bar access for a service dog to the patient's room. I also read it in a newspaper article regarding why guide dogs need access to the plane cabin in the U.K.. It seems to be an effective way to discuss the separation problem. The position that those who have assistance dogs take is that " an assistance dog regards separation from his partner as a punishment."

One can go on to say ( and it has been said) that if a team is separated on a plane flight by putting the dog in cargo, the dog will be so distressed by the experience, he is likely to be unable to work when reunited with the partner. While it is true the dog's tasks may not be needed on the plane, his ability to work is certainly of crucial importance to a guide dog user or wheelchair user once the disabled person gets off the plane, as the disabled person relies on that dog for mobility once the team disembarks. So this is another argument you can use....the negative psychological impact of the separation on your service dog's ability to function as a service dog, and thus your ability to be able to live independently as possible, when you come home from work.

You need to think creatively about it, if you want to convince an employer that having your service dog would be a reasonable accommodation of your disability. Come up with a few well chosen examples.

If you say the dog can retrieve dropped items, the employer will say they can assign someone to pick up things for you. That is what the disability ed supervisor said about my student's desire to have her service dog assist her in school.
Does your dog sometimes assist you in the restroom to manage more independently? ( retrieving, balance support for a transfer, shutting the rest room door by tugging on a strap which you find very difficult or impossible to reach from your wheelchair once inside, for example?)
My paraplegic student would sometimes drop supplies and she was mortified and did not want to have call out for help and draw the attention of other girls in the bathroom to this personal hygiene need, ....so having her service dog there to retrieve the item took care of the problem, preserving her privacy and dignity. ( that is how I put it in the letter to the school principal ).

I have to get to other work now......I will be glad to look over a list if you make one up and send it. I will give it some thought and perhaps be able to help with some ideas or suggested wording.

Please don't give up, ....I think you can make a good case for having your service dog there.
When they talk about allergies, one thing to consider is countering with information about how therapeutic it could be for the children to have the dog there.....that she will have a calming effect on the children, or help them learn better self control and so forth.
You might discuss how public libraries are eager to have therapy dogs come in for a reading program, where the children read aloud to the dogs, [ which has caught on like wildfire ].....as it has been proven to boost the child's reading ability. It raises their confidence as the dog is an uncritical audience. It makes reading aloud fun, instead of boring practice where teachers or parents criticize the child's pronunciation of words.....so the child is more apt to try it instead of resist it out of shyness or fear of failure.
I have a friend who gives classes on why you shouldn't take drugs or alcohol etc. to schoolchildren; also classes in anger management to teenagers and to abused kids etc. She has worked up a presentation around, "If A Dog Were Your Teacher"......some really clever ways to incorporate the dog into her lectures. Perhaps you might do the same....work the dog into a five minute lesson on Manners or "No Fighting" or "Sharing" or whatever it is people in your profession teach little ones.
I suggest you also look into what therapy dogs do for children in different settings, why they are used, what benefits arise from it, .....make a list, as some of the same benefits could be pointed out to your prospective employer.
Does CCI have a list as to why their skilled companions are valuable....e.g. the therapeutic benefits of such a placement? They have certainly researched it.....you might be able to use some of their wording in educating a prospective employer on the advantages of having a service dog in their center.
Perhaps the dog will even become a selling point for hiring you.
Keep going to interviews....you are BOUND to find a dog lover out there who will be delighted to meet your service dog.

Can you offer the interviewer with any reassurance that the parents will be in favor of having a service dog in the nursery school, once someone explains the advantages to them?....( when you did your internship, how did the parents react to having a service dog at the child care center? Do you have someone who could write a letter for you, about how the parents LOVED having your dog there, how well the children responded to her presence? And how well trained and unobtrusive the dog was, in the classroom setting. This could be a valuable asset)

During an interview, you could emphasize the dog has received special training to work in a nursery school environment [ well, she did have to learn to hold a Down Stay for hours at a time, right ? And to tolerate little ones wanting to pet her.....and to ignore them as she works, retrieving something you drop,.....to ignore them while they eat a snack instead of trying to steal the food out of their hands.....etcetera, while you went through your internship or volunteer work at one, for you have described to me how she handles such an environment....and I'm sure I could go on with additional examples, if need be.


Hope this is helpful

best wishes,
Joan

It sounds like I have my work cut out for me.

Excuses Excuses!

I think I figured out one of the reasons I am gaining weight. I eat when I am stressed, frustrated, or just plain flat out bored. This post has to do with stress/frustration.

So a few days ago I talked with one of the workers at the YMCA where I go to swim. I had filled out a volunteer application for the daycare and hadn't heard back from them. Their excuse was that some of the children had allergies to dogs. or fears. I was just like okay, whatever. But then I received a call this morning that just jerked my chain.

My J.O.B.S person called me this afternoon and talked with me about Fort Courage. I thoght I was to work for them over thanksgiving and never heard anything. Before I knew it, Thansgiving had passed before I realized no call. Anyway, they called to see if I would work for them, but I would have to either leave Alehe at home or put her in another room. (pretty much the same lame excuse as the Y

Hearing this, I started to think about my day without her. I could leave her at home, she really doesnt do much when she was even in the interships; I just had her lay down under a table somewhere. But having her by my side for as long as I have, it would get to the both of us. She does not do well if she cannot see me (I can't even go to the bathroom without her whining at the door!). See previous post 'Alehe's in Trouble'.

After the second excuse, somethign dawned on me. Of all my years working with children, I have NEVER encountered something like that. No one has complained "Oh I have allergies, can you put her somewhere" or " I am afraid of dogs, please leave her at home". Not even with a child!!!

I called CCI a short time later and explained the situation. Under the ADA (Americans with Disabilties Act) a place of employment needs to make 'reasonable accomodations". Now I am nto exactly sure what that means, but I do know that leaving her in another room or at home is not considered reasonable.

People love her for crying out loud!

Fort Courage Update II

I called Fort Courage yet again on Monday Afternoon. After the initial interview, I as told he would call by Friday. Well, Friday came adn went, and Saturday and Sunday...I finally decided to call again Monday. He told me he'd call Tuesday as he was waiting on a few more interview. Somethign happened with the two he was supose to have and had to reschedule.Tuesday came and went and I didnt realize I had no phonecall until 9pm Tuesday night. So I called Wednesday. He really liked the fact that I interned with CoTeah preschool on the University campus. We worked it out that he would call me as a substitute teachers aide and fill in when other aides go on vacation or what not. Hey, it's a start.
Well, today I received a call from my J.O.B.S person and she said the main decision was due to the fact that my cellphone rang during the interview. CRAP! I could have SWORN I turned it off! Ah well, I have a few more places to call about sub positions. One of them is in Head Start yet again. This time it's a different contact person from the last interview I had with them. Different building too. I will finish up my Missoula County Public School application for yet another aide position with them.

In the meantime I'm still praying and hoping

Fort Courage Update

I had my interview with Fort Courage today. I have to say it went rather well. Not nearly as nervous as I was for previous interviews. The man's name who did the interview was Keitel (pronounced kay-tell) No idea what nationality, coudn't even guess.

I arrived almost fourty-five minutes early. The entire interview process took fifteen minutes max (was that a good thing or a bad thing?). I expected a lot more questions. I can't even remember what he asked really; he asked about my discipline philosophy, AND I gave examples. He ven asked what I felt were my strengths (the hardest question for me to answer really).

If I get the job I would be working from 2pm - 6pm Monday through Friday. I would be in the two and three year old classroom. He may have an opening in the preschool and we discussed my preference for preschool, but I told him I would work wherever he needed me.

I was told I would definately hear back by sometime Friday. He had a stack of resume's to go through, he even had four more interviews that day, I was his first today.

Finally, An Interview with Fort Courage!!!

So I have to remind myself...calling them myself if they have not called me yet is a good thing, it shows my interest in the position.

I called Fort Courage Childcare yesterday and they still had a stack of applications to go through (this is encouraging, yet it makes me nervous too). I was able to set up an interviesw with the gentlman (his name I still cant get straight, its rather unusual) for Wednesday at 2pm.

I fell in love with the facility. Fully accessible, nice big rooms, however the doors do not have automatic buttons :( I still have yet to see outside play areas.

I refuse to get nervous. I keep telling myself I can do it, as does my job coach.

If I get it, which I hope I do, I would be working M - F from 2pm to 6pm, in the two and three year old classroom.

Turned Down Yet Again

Judy Walker from the YMCA called me on Tuesday when I was in Idaho with mom and dad. Once again I didn't get the job. I failed to ask just exatly why I didn't get it, but something tells me it was the experience thing again. It didn't bum me out too bad as daycare is not the ideal place I would like to be, but at least it's a start.

J.O.B.S. was very encouraging when I called them shortly afterward. So that made me feel good. We are going to set up a time to do more interview practice soon.

I am crossing my fingers as I still have yet to hear from Fort Courage. I don't expect to hear anything until Thursday or Friday.

Interview with the YMCA

These things go so fast, I can scarcely remember what happens when I get out of there! Anyway, today was the interview for the YMCA daycare. When I first came in, Judy Walker (whom I spoke with on the phone) led me to Jason Shearer's office (the gentleman who gave the interview). Problem was, she didn't remember there was an elevator (and I was told she worked there for six years!) I immediately thought "oh great, another wasted trip". But now that I think about it, it was just his office that was upstairs and not the daycare facility itself.

I wasn't really nervous at first, that is until he asked me a question I, for the life of me, could not think of an answer for. I then panicked because I read in a handout that it is best not to give the answer "I don't know" to a question. But what happens if you really don't know? I feel like I should have though. A few questions he asked I had the perfect answer in my head, and nothing like it came out the mouth. The latter half of the interview and the anxiety really set in. He started asking me questions that started with "What would you do if...?"I swear, interview practice with J.O.B.S. has gone wa-a-ay better than the actual thing! I just have to keep reminding myself that I have only done two in my life and I will (even if it kills me!) get better!
After I then had an opportunity to ask a few questions, and have a tour of the facility I would be working in. The room is twice what my internship were. There are separate areas for babies toddlers and older children. They did ask me what ages I would prefer to work with. I said three - five and then thought to myself "I'm really okay with any age, yet I haven't changed to many diapers in my lifetime". It was said that at least 100 children come through those doors every day (Holy Cow!) They have a limit of two hours children are allowed to be left there.

I should have a phone call by the end of the week. Same with Fort Courage, only FC will be for the initial interview