All summer, I had one goal in my mind, get a job. I woke up every morning and went straight to the computer to look at all the different school districts around and saw what job openings they had. I then spent the rest of my morning emailing principals, filling out applications (I now can fill out a job application in less than 30 minutes. It used to take at least an hour), and printing off resumes to take into schools. I would then eat lunch and begin to look at the sites again to see if any new jobs were posted. Through this process, I ended up having 9 different interviews throughout the summer. I did not get any one of the jobs.
About two weeks ago I became very discouraged. Up until this point I had been positive and upbeat and hopeful I would have job by the time school started. But as the start of school drawed near I began to realize I still didn't have a job, and my outlook started to become very dark.
All summer I had been focused on getting a teaching job. That's most of what I thought about, most of what I did, and it's what I prayed about. I even had my family and friends praying that I would find a job. Last Tuesday I suddenly realized, that my goal (getting a teaching job) may not be God's goal for me. I realized that as well intentioned as my goal was, I had not consulted God in this matter other than to say "Give me a job!" I had completely ignored God in the plans for my life, I didn't ask if I was acting in accordance with His will or plan for my life, I simply thought I knew better. Boy was I wrong.
Over the last week, I've asked God to change my heart, my desire and to help me to just listen to Him. Jeremiah 29:11 'For I know the plans that I have for you' says the Lord, 'plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope.'
Jared and I both have been trying to just sit and listen and have faith that God knows what's best for us. Please pray for us, not that I find a job, but that we are following God's will.
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
Thursday, August 7, 2008
Welcome to X ISD!
Last year I worked for a school district that had a lot of problems. I will neither name the school district(we'll just refer to it as X ISD) nor talk about most of those problems but the most recent problem I heard about I just had to post.
My sister in law, Jenna has been looking for a teaching job just like me. Orginally all my experiences with X ISD had scared her away from applying with them, but since school starts in a few weeks and she still doesn't have a job, she decided to go ahead and apply. She started contacting schools. She was told that all of X ISD is on a hiring freeze. No Schools are allowed to hire anyone unless it's an internal transfer. So it looks like A LOT of schools will be starting the school year without a full staff. I get the feeling it is a budgetary reason they aren't hiring at all, but really, is the teaching staff in a school district the place to save money?
After Jenna told me all of this she asked me "Why would they do that in the summer?" All I could do was laugh and say "Welcome to X ISD!"
My sister in law, Jenna has been looking for a teaching job just like me. Orginally all my experiences with X ISD had scared her away from applying with them, but since school starts in a few weeks and she still doesn't have a job, she decided to go ahead and apply. She started contacting schools. She was told that all of X ISD is on a hiring freeze. No Schools are allowed to hire anyone unless it's an internal transfer. So it looks like A LOT of schools will be starting the school year without a full staff. I get the feeling it is a budgetary reason they aren't hiring at all, but really, is the teaching staff in a school district the place to save money?
After Jenna told me all of this she asked me "Why would they do that in the summer?" All I could do was laugh and say "Welcome to X ISD!"
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
What are the odds?
The other day I came home from the store and my garage door opener didn't work. I figured that the battery had died and it needed a new one. So that night Jared and I opened up the opener and the batter that was in there, was one neither of us had ever seen before. It was about as thick as a AAA but about half as long. The next day Jared went to the battery store and found one just like it. And that's all the opener needed. Problem solved!
Last night, a remote we use to turn on and off a light in our bedroom, stopped working. Again we figured it was the battery. We open it up and it took the exact same kind of battery that the garage door opener took. We thought that was really weird. Not only that they both took the same type of rare battery but that they both died within 2 days of each other. So Luckily Jared had bought two of the rare battery so we popped that in and the remote started working again!
Today when I came home again the garage door opener wouldn't work (I had switched to a different one the other day while Jared was getting the battery) Again it is the battery, and since it's the same type of opener of course it takes the same rare battery!
The battery we had to use was the one at the top of the picture. It's an A23.
So within 3 days we had 3 remotes die and all 3 of them took the same kind of rare battery! Jared figured out the odds of this happening and we should win the lottery multiple times before this happens again!
Last night, a remote we use to turn on and off a light in our bedroom, stopped working. Again we figured it was the battery. We open it up and it took the exact same kind of battery that the garage door opener took. We thought that was really weird. Not only that they both took the same type of rare battery but that they both died within 2 days of each other. So Luckily Jared had bought two of the rare battery so we popped that in and the remote started working again!
Today when I came home again the garage door opener wouldn't work (I had switched to a different one the other day while Jared was getting the battery) Again it is the battery, and since it's the same type of opener of course it takes the same rare battery!
The battery we had to use was the one at the top of the picture. It's an A23.
So within 3 days we had 3 remotes die and all 3 of them took the same kind of rare battery! Jared figured out the odds of this happening and we should win the lottery multiple times before this happens again!
Friday, June 13, 2008
Flooding
I was born and raised in Cedar Rapids. It's the town where all my childhood friends and I would ride our bikes around the neighborhood, play secret agent and spy on the neighbors. It's the town where I played countless basketball and softball games, where I set city records in track, and where I gave my heart to the Lord.
Today, as I look at the pictures and videos online of the massive flooding happening in my hometown. I feel part of my heart is devestated. The parks that I played in as a girl and went on picnic dates in in high school, is completely underwater. The YMCA's I learned to play basketball in are being destroyed. Even the roads I was so careful to follow the speed limits on because there were always cops there are under many feet of water. My beloved library that I spent countless hours in as a girl and an adult is closed as the water creeps up higher and higher on the windows.
The flooding in Cedar Rapids is just a horrible sight to watch. Jared keeps asking me why they didn't do something to prevent it. I keep telling him that no matter what precautions they took, it was going to happen, because this was so massive and so powerful there was no way to stop it.
I was there for the floods of '93 which up until now seemed pretty bad. People were still talking about those floods when I moved away a year ago. But '93 seems like a kidde pool compared to the ocean of a problem that Cedar Rapids is facing now.
Please pray for Cedar Rapids. http://www.gazetteonline.com
Today, as I look at the pictures and videos online of the massive flooding happening in my hometown. I feel part of my heart is devestated. The parks that I played in as a girl and went on picnic dates in in high school, is completely underwater. The YMCA's I learned to play basketball in are being destroyed. Even the roads I was so careful to follow the speed limits on because there were always cops there are under many feet of water. My beloved library that I spent countless hours in as a girl and an adult is closed as the water creeps up higher and higher on the windows.
The flooding in Cedar Rapids is just a horrible sight to watch. Jared keeps asking me why they didn't do something to prevent it. I keep telling him that no matter what precautions they took, it was going to happen, because this was so massive and so powerful there was no way to stop it.
I was there for the floods of '93 which up until now seemed pretty bad. People were still talking about those floods when I moved away a year ago. But '93 seems like a kidde pool compared to the ocean of a problem that Cedar Rapids is facing now.
Please pray for Cedar Rapids. http://www.gazetteonline.com
Monday, June 2, 2008
Making an Effort
Since I made my last post so late at night I realize that I left off a couple of points.
First I forgot to acknowledge that God gave me the most wonderful best friend in my Husband, Jared. He is amazing and wonderful and helps me keep a clear and not one sided view of things. I have learned lately that I have lately seemed to become a very selfish and self centered person. (as I'm learning from Beth Moore, even when you're thinking negatively about yourself, your still thinking about YOU.) Jared and God (during quiet times) have been helping me with this and helping to remind me how to be selfless and to be a good friend again.
Another thing that they have been reminding me of lately is that I am a very shy introverted person by nature. Because of this, it is harder not only for me to get to know other people, but for them to get to know me. Jared is so wise and has been encouraging me for a few months now to get out of my comfort zone and be the one to call the girls and ask to do things or just to talk.
I know God is working on my heart and teaching me how to be good friend again. Since I began making a little more effort I do feel like I have been becoming closer to some of the girls in my Bible Study. Sometimes God just has to gently say, "If you weren't so wrapped up in yourself, you'd see all the great things I have for you right here."
First I forgot to acknowledge that God gave me the most wonderful best friend in my Husband, Jared. He is amazing and wonderful and helps me keep a clear and not one sided view of things. I have learned lately that I have lately seemed to become a very selfish and self centered person. (as I'm learning from Beth Moore, even when you're thinking negatively about yourself, your still thinking about YOU.) Jared and God (during quiet times) have been helping me with this and helping to remind me how to be selfless and to be a good friend again.
Another thing that they have been reminding me of lately is that I am a very shy introverted person by nature. Because of this, it is harder not only for me to get to know other people, but for them to get to know me. Jared is so wise and has been encouraging me for a few months now to get out of my comfort zone and be the one to call the girls and ask to do things or just to talk.
I know God is working on my heart and teaching me how to be good friend again. Since I began making a little more effort I do feel like I have been becoming closer to some of the girls in my Bible Study. Sometimes God just has to gently say, "If you weren't so wrapped up in yourself, you'd see all the great things I have for you right here."
Sunday, June 1, 2008
Friends
Friends are such an important part of everyone's life. They are the people you lean on, you ask for advice and even just have a great time with. They are there for you when you're far away from your family, or are having problems with family. They're there for you when you get a job or a promotion, or when you get fired, or have trouble with your boss. They are there when you just need someone to listen, or a shoulder to cry on.
I say all of this because lately I have learned just how important friends are to me. In high school I had my good friends, Allison, Emily and Jill. We shared the same interests, and were involved in the same activities. I considered them my best friends. Looking back, I never shared anything especially deep with them, part of that was probably I was still young and figuring out what my own desires, morals and ambitions were. But I'm still so thankful for that group of girls.
My first day of college is where I met Kirstie, who I still considered my closest and best friend (even though we live 1500 miles apart). Kirstie and I never had a stage where we were really just friends, we became best friends right away. Kirstie was always the first one I ran to with both problems and excitement. We would spend hours taking walks around campus talking, staying up late watching movies, walking home from Target in the dark, (an activity neither of us would recommend). Even today with me living in Texas and her living in Minnesota, the moment we hear each other's voice on the phone, we pick up right where we left off the last time we talked. She is truly the most amazing friend in the world.
There was one time in college when Kirstie couldn't be there for me because she travelled to England for the semester (lucky girl!) And ironically it was the one semester I needed a best friend the most. I had gone through a horrible break up right before classes started, and God knew I needed someone, so he brought Megan into my life. She and I had never met before that 1st day of Block 2 (all Bethel Education majors know what Block 2 is like) but from that moment she was there for me, and became a great friend. She is still a wonderful friend to me.
I have had other good friends through the years that I have always been able to count on, and whom I love very much, Melody, Debbie, Sarah and especially my sister Lindsay.
When Jared and I moved to Texas, our number 1 priority was finding good Christian friends. We knew how important friendship would be for us. We found a great church and a great lifegroup to join right away. They even had a Bible studies that we could join right away. I want to state at this point that I love this group of girls very much. They are all very nice friendly, welcoming, and honestly I've never met a group that is so good about never talking bad about people or saying anything bad behind anyone's back. I respect them all so much. But I've never had a harder time trying to fit in, or find people to really connect with. I have been part of this group for about 9 months now, and I am just now starting to feel comfortable calling some of these girls on the phone. Although they've always invited me to things and make me feel welcome, most of them have been such good friends for so long that I feel like they don't have room for any more good friends.
Not having a good friend here in Texas has been hard on me. During the fall semester there were so many times when I'd had a hard day at work (everyday) I wished that I'd had a friend that I could have just stopped over and talked about my day. I know in Iowa I did that a lot with Sarah, and Lindsay, and I did that every day in college with Kirstie, and Megan everyday my senior year.
I have been praying about this matter for some time, and I know that God will bring me more friends, and will create some very close friends for me, but for now I need to pray for the patience to wait for that time.
I say all of this because lately I have learned just how important friends are to me. In high school I had my good friends, Allison, Emily and Jill. We shared the same interests, and were involved in the same activities. I considered them my best friends. Looking back, I never shared anything especially deep with them, part of that was probably I was still young and figuring out what my own desires, morals and ambitions were. But I'm still so thankful for that group of girls.
My first day of college is where I met Kirstie, who I still considered my closest and best friend (even though we live 1500 miles apart). Kirstie and I never had a stage where we were really just friends, we became best friends right away. Kirstie was always the first one I ran to with both problems and excitement. We would spend hours taking walks around campus talking, staying up late watching movies, walking home from Target in the dark, (an activity neither of us would recommend). Even today with me living in Texas and her living in Minnesota, the moment we hear each other's voice on the phone, we pick up right where we left off the last time we talked. She is truly the most amazing friend in the world.
There was one time in college when Kirstie couldn't be there for me because she travelled to England for the semester (lucky girl!) And ironically it was the one semester I needed a best friend the most. I had gone through a horrible break up right before classes started, and God knew I needed someone, so he brought Megan into my life. She and I had never met before that 1st day of Block 2 (all Bethel Education majors know what Block 2 is like) but from that moment she was there for me, and became a great friend. She is still a wonderful friend to me.
I have had other good friends through the years that I have always been able to count on, and whom I love very much, Melody, Debbie, Sarah and especially my sister Lindsay.
When Jared and I moved to Texas, our number 1 priority was finding good Christian friends. We knew how important friendship would be for us. We found a great church and a great lifegroup to join right away. They even had a Bible studies that we could join right away. I want to state at this point that I love this group of girls very much. They are all very nice friendly, welcoming, and honestly I've never met a group that is so good about never talking bad about people or saying anything bad behind anyone's back. I respect them all so much. But I've never had a harder time trying to fit in, or find people to really connect with. I have been part of this group for about 9 months now, and I am just now starting to feel comfortable calling some of these girls on the phone. Although they've always invited me to things and make me feel welcome, most of them have been such good friends for so long that I feel like they don't have room for any more good friends.
Not having a good friend here in Texas has been hard on me. During the fall semester there were so many times when I'd had a hard day at work (everyday) I wished that I'd had a friend that I could have just stopped over and talked about my day. I know in Iowa I did that a lot with Sarah, and Lindsay, and I did that every day in college with Kirstie, and Megan everyday my senior year.
I have been praying about this matter for some time, and I know that God will bring me more friends, and will create some very close friends for me, but for now I need to pray for the patience to wait for that time.
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
Growing Families
In the past 6 months 3 of my good friends have announced that they are pregnant. This adds to the 4 other good friends that already have children. Each time in the past that I have been told by a friend that they are pregnant, I immediately feel overwhelming joy for the woman and her husband, but a few minutes later a tiny feeling of jealousy and sadness would creep in. Don't misunderstand me, I'm so happy for my friends that God is blessing them with the little miracle growing inside them, but I felt sad because I wonder, 'when will it be my turn?'
Lately I have been praying that God take some of my desire and jealousy away so that I can concentrate on teaching, and the other things God wants for Jared and I before we have children. And when my most recent friend announced she was pregnant, I was nothing but happy for her. I waited for the sadness and it never came. God has made me content in my current life.
Looking around at everything now, I know that life will never be the same once children enter the picture, and I love our life right now. God has reminded me that I need to be happy and content with what He provides for me.
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