Knowing your Limits

I am a little sad today...okay...I am a lot sad. (Bad grammar helps cheer me.)

First, let me bring you up to speed. I received my license a few weeks ago and have been waiting, waiting, and waiting for "the call."

Well, last night I got it. My case worker called (whom I have never actually spoken to) and wanted to set up a time to come visit. Then it happened.

She uttered the long awaited words, "We have a placement in mind for you."

(Pause for a jig).

She began to share a few details about a teenage girl that needed a home. My heart began to drop. My caseworker wasn't even giving background details, but I immediately knew from the diagnosis that the child had experienced some tough stuff!

The internal wrestling match began and continues. I don't even need a definite decision until next Friday, but I think I already have one which brings me back to sad.

My heart says, "Go for it!"

My head says, "Stop."

If I leave my emotions out of it and ask myself the question, "Can you accomplish the necessary aspects of life and still offer this child what they need?," the more I start to worry that I can't. This child will need constant attention and discipline, a schedule like none other, and an emotional rock as a parent.

I can already hear some of you asking, "Well, isn't that what every child needs?"

To you I say, "Multiply the normal attention and discipline by 100 and you have this kiddo."

I am worried that I can't help this poor girl at this point in life. I feel like I am giving up on a child I have never met. I have already stayed awake at night worrying what will become of her if I don't at least try. I am not in this for easy, right? I signed up knowing that the chances of "normal" are minute.

Of course, you hear how hard it is to watch them walk or be carried away!

No one told me how hard it would be to do the walking.

In reality, I have to remember that I am limited. I cannot be the rescuer to every child. Oh, how I long to be, but it is not my job. Christ alone is the Saviour of this child. Jeremiah 29:11 is good for her too! He already has a plan for her young life. Plans for a future. Plans full of hope! And that is my comfort today. I am limited, but God is not.

What was I thinking? Part One

There are a variety of responses one receives when they share their intentions to become a foster parent. Add that you are going to be a SINGLE foster parent and people can really start twitching.

The most common response is a list of questions or exclamations. "Wow! I could never do that!" followed by "How are you going to be able to give them up?" Bring on the questions! The fact is that foster parenting is my favorite topic! I could talk for hours about it. If you have any questions post them as a comment and I will do my best to respond! For now I will attempt to address some of the responses I have encountered.

"Wow! I could never do that!" - Yes, you could. I am not an emotional superhero nor do I have some kind of heart made of metal to block the emotions of watching a child I have loved and called my own return to their biological family. It's quite the opposite. I am simply too sensitive not to do something about the thousands of children in need of a safe place to call home while their parents sort through their own brokeness. I am not trying to imply that you are not sensitive if you are not adopting or fostering! For me it has simply become harder to choose NOT to foster than to choose to act in a tangible way. Everyone has a niche (1 Cor. 12:12-20) and this happens to be mine. If God called you to foster you could do it too!

"How are you going to be able to give them up?" - Honestly? I don't know! There are some aspects of fostering that I will not be able to explain until I experience them. Reunification with the biological family is just one of those. I do know that I agree with the goal of fostering: reuniting children with their primary family if at all possible. Will I always agree with the system and the decisions it makes? NO! It makes me unbelievably disheartened to think that some of the kiddos that come through my home will return to less than reliable homes and will likely return to care or experience more trauma. I will most likely cry when they leave. I will miss them like crazy. And the reality is that I will question if I can handle the heartache any more. Ready for the positive side? I get to love a little soul that is hurting. That alone far outweighs the negative for me. I will have the opportunity to be a small part of reuniting a family. Just thinking about that possibility makes me smile.

Love Makes Us Family

A few months ago an old dream began to surface yet again. This time I allowed it to linger in my heart long enough to think it might actually be possible. It began a long time ago when I was introduced to a book in the Elizabeth Gail Series by Hilda Stahl. Libby was a young girl that grew up in the foster care system. She was shuffled from home to home, abused and neglected in
almost every placement. That is until she was placed with the Johnson's. There she learned about Jesus and the unconditional love He and His followers offer. She learned of redemption in horrible circumstances. She learned that she was chosen.

I don't know how many times I read those books. There were twenty-one in the whole series and usually I would finish the last one and start over at the beginning. I would write little notes to my parents and put them on their pillows asking if we could adopt. I even used scripture to back me up!

Fast forward to this November 2012. A college friend announced her family's intention to adopt from Bulgaria. Immediately I began to ponder the possibility of being a foster parent. I even started researching requirements and agencies. Finally I attended an orientation meeting just to have more information. Before I left that meeting I filled out an initial application. A week later the "big" application was in my mailbox and I was assigned a home assessor. Absolute craziness ensued! I filled out the application, met with Paula, had a background check, and received more paperwork. This was all before Thanksgiving!

 

At Thanksgiving I announced my intentions to my family and sought their advice and support. (And also accidentally posted it on FaceBook through a support group's page that didn't have privacy settings as high as mine!) I also spoke with my closest friends and a few other people "in the trenches" just to confirm that my current support group would hold true. And of course they did!

 

So where am I in the process now? Well, after Saturday I will be six classes away from finishing the pre-service requirements (there are 12) and Wednesday Paula is coming to my house for the first home study interview. The end seems so far away and yet so close. When I started this process I thought it would be at least six months before I finished the classes and that the home study was far out. As with most things in life, there is still a lot of uncertainty. I have come pretty far, but I haven't finished yet and there is still a possibility that it will not work out. I suppose Paula could come Wednesday and see the dust on my ceiling fans or find out that on most days there are dishes in my sink. (Neither of which will be present by Wednesday. Oh, no! I just had a flashback to dorm life and white glove room checks!)

All in all, I am excited about the upcoming changes and challenges, but trying to stay a little detached in case it doesn't happen. I am just so thrilled that I have reached the home study portion of this process that I had to share! You are welcome to join me as I journey on.

 

 

The Perfect Ending

I was attempting to write a paper this evening.....

The Integration of Psychology and Theology.....da da dum.

At this point in the class I can give you the five models of integration, which happen to be Enemy, Spies, Colonialists, Neutral Party, and Allies (from David N. Entwistle's viewpoint). These five models can be placed in three categories: Antagonists, Intermediate, Integrative.

Entwistle believes that before one can effectively integrate psychology and theology one must have a Christian worldview. This worldview is based upon the foundational truths of creation, the Fall, redemption, and consummation. Stop. Consummation.

I know all about creation. I have been able to tell that story since kindergarten.

The Fall. Yep, got that one covered. It goes with the story of creation.

Redemption. I have a hard time comprehending the concept in its entirety, but I am thankful we don't have to understand all of God to be His child.

Consummation. I was introduced to the word at the Creation Museum, and I know essentially that it refers to the resurrection and return of Christ.

I looked it up. Do you know what the word consummation means according to the Microsoft Works Word Processor dictionary? Very first definition...allow me....perfect ending: the bringing of something to a satisfying conclusion, or the final satisfying completion or achievement of something

In every fairytale we are promised one and as a human in this fallen world, I long for perfect endings. Sometimes my perfect endings are simple.

I want my checkbook to balance.
I want to go to bed early.
I want my car to run without a noise.
I want my class to walk down a hall quietly, just once.
Simple everyday things.

Other times my perfect endings require a little more.
I want every child to know a parent's love.
I want all the hurt to stop.
I want war and destruction to cease.
I want my faith to overcome my doubt.

I have been told, "Life's not a fairytale. We don't always get a perfect ending." The Fall effects us and causes us to sin, but God, through His consummation, redeems us and provides the perfect ending for our humanity.

22 Everybody dies in Adam; everybody comes alive in Christ. 23 But we have to wait our turn: Christ is first, then those with him at his Coming, 24 the grand consummation when, after crushing the opposition, he hands over his kingdom to God the Father. 25 He won't let up until the last enemy is down - 26 and the very last enemy is death! 27 As the psalmist said, "He laid them low, one and all; he walked all over them." When Scripture says that "he walked all over them," it's obvious that he couldn't at the same time be walked on. 28 When everything and everyone is finally under God's rule, the Son will step down, taking his place with everyone else, showing that God's rule is absolutely comprehensive - a perfect ending!---The Message


As I wrote the last sentence in my paper tonight I smiled knowing, that despite my humanity, I am gonna get my "perfect ending."


Entwistle, David N. (2010) Integration of psychology and theology, Cascade Books: Eugene, OR.

The Good Ole' Days

First things first, I AM POSTING FROM MY OWN HOME! Yay! We have internet!
Okay, I am done.

Last weekend a dear friend, Jenny, came for a visit. We were roommates the last year in college and the good times just rolled! From late night chats to walrus impersonations we had a blast! One of my favorite times was making pancakes and breakfast parties. In honor of this tradition......

 I usually make the pancakes. Fun, fun! This time we decided to add blueberries.

 I am getting hungry.

 And the winner is.....!

 I did the cookin', who's cleanin'?

I didn't take pictures of us because....well.....it was morning! It would not have been good!

Just Thinking....

(I found this post and it was a soft reminder. One day I just might finish it.)

There are so many good and wonderful thoughts that I have been mulling on lately. This post will most likely be random and not a bit organized, but....oh, well!

I have been faced with a few very blatant reminders of how "different" a Christian's worldview is from a secular worldview as of late. How we see situations and circumstances are just the opposite in most cases.

My apartment is not, nor will it probably ever be, a mansion in the world's eye, but my Father is building me a dwelling in a place that no mind can imagine.

My checkbook can be balanced without a calculator, but my Father owns the cattle on a thousand hills.

My chosen profession will not put my name in lights or on a billboard, but my Father knows my name and it is written on the palm of His hands.

 

I Love Thanksgiving

I love Thanksgiving. It is the one time of the year that our family gets together with no real expectations. No one has scrambled to find that perfect gift for the gift exchange. No argument over who gets the kids in that morning. Everyone is invited, family members, friends, or enemies. No hurry for families to scurry over to the in-laws because we are already together. There is laughter in every room. The cousins play card games, uncles cheer for their favorite sports team while the aunts discuss Black Friday tactics with store ads scattered over the floor. Christmas music plays in the background with the occasional group joining in at the top of their lungs. Food lines the counter, table, stove, and kerosine heater.

But my favorite part this year was sitting at the table, sharing. My brother had arranged the tables and chairs in "normal" fashion and you could see everyone. We all stood behind our chairs and gave thanks before heading to the dining room to fill our plates. The TV was turned off and we all just talked. My aunt started a new tradition this year by naming one thing she was thankful for this season. Everyone took a turn. Jokes and stories were shared. We laughed. Grandma cried as she shared that she had decided to give her heart to Jesus. This lasted all day. I love Thanksgiving.

(Did you think I was kidding about food on the kerosine heater?)

Update One

Summer.... (just a few details.)

-Moved off campus into a beautiful third floor loft apt. (I love it!)
-Acquired a new roommate.

(The following is a hodge-podge of events that occurred in no particular order).
-Babysitting fiasco: In short, a mother left her child alone. I got to talk to a nice detective with my new roommate and the vice president of GBS. LOL (It wasn't funny at the time. I was scared, but think about a 30 minute car ride to the police station with Bro. Miles and Brittany).

-Totaled car: I was on my way back from Wal-Mart when a Nissan, going very fast, rammed the back of my car and fled the scene. (How do I know it was a Nissan? Oh, that's because he hit me so hard he left the emblem in my bumper. Too bad it wasn't his license plate number!) Funny part of this story was that I had forgotten my cell phone so the policeman had to take me home......I had just come from visiting my parents and hadn't taken my clean laundry up yet. So picture me in a cop car with two baskets and a trashbag full of laundry in the backseat.

-Brittany tried to do sit-ups in my already lame desk chair. She broke it and fell flat on our kitchen floor.

-We "missed our exit" on the way to Cinci Mills and ended up driving down an exit that was under construction. Hilarious! Not safe, but funny.

-Brittany tried to be thrifty with her laundry and let it air dry on the fire escape. Result? Laundry all over the backyard and Dr. Farmer's backyard. Oh, let's not forget the tree. One shirt didn't make it to the ground. The nice cable guy got it with his ladder.

-We went to the Kroger in Bellevue. Saw a mouse run down the aisle, shopped, got out to discover a flat tire on Brittany's car that has no jack or spare.

-I consumed a whole Chinese meal in a movie theatre without detection.

-I was mistaken for Brittany's mother! Now that is funny. Brittany is trying on shoes and claims that she doesn't know if they are too big or not. I give my opinion, but it didn't satisfy so she turns to ask a lady walking by. The nice lady asks where her foot ends and then looks at me and asks "Is she done growing?" HAHAHAHAHA

Focus

I originally had an extremely long post of the "exciting" life I have led so far in 2009, but as I neared the end I found myself slightly focusing inward and asking myself, "Why me?" I deleted it so as not to have a public record of my self-centeredness, but also because as I typed I heard the voice of a rather mean, heartless, and painfully honest friend...."What is your focus?" Just to be transparent, this has been a rather difficult task. It seems as though I have been hit from every side so far this year and I find myself looking up from the bottom of the barrel often. I am learning, albeit ever so slowly, that I can not be in control of my circumstances, but I can be in control of my focus. Am I feeding at the bottom of the barrel or looking up and expecting to see my Father reaching down to pull me up?

Which brings me to another lesson...What can I expect from my Heavenly Father? Do I expect to see Him working things for my good? Do I expect Him to be consistent with His track record?

Illustration #1, as pointed out by my "mean" friend: I baby-sit a genius. His name is Vipul. Though he is very intelligent, he is only three. At times I find myself stressed because he will refuse to complete a task when I know he is fully capable. Yet many times I have watched him attack a job with vigor only to learn that it is beyond his ability. Usually I watch him for a few minutes and chuckle to myself, then hold out my hand and offer assistance. It is a joy to help him. How much more would my Father stretch His loving arms out to offer hope, comfort, healing, and ultimately His kind assistance? I can expect Him to be consistent and stand by His record and do it again, and again, and again!

Illustration #2, 3rd Grade Bible Lesson on John 3:16: This morning Mrs. B introduced the lesson in a rather unique way. She started out calling the students to attention for a game called the "rhythm game." Pad your legs twice, clap hands twice, snap each finger once. On the first snap say your name, second snap a friend's name, continue until someone misses the beat or says the wrong name. After practicing for a few rounds she changed the name of the game and added a different aspect. "We are going to call this game Life and when you mess up it is a sin. Sin must be punished!" Mrs. B pulled out a long roll of what looked like bulletin board paper. She took a marker and wrote punishment. "When you mess up the rhythm or miss a name you will be punished."

The game started again and you could see the concern and concentration of the students. They were really trying not to mess up out of fear of getting swatted by the rolled up paper. The first student to break the rhythm looked like she was getting ready to pass out. As Mrs. B went toward the small girl, she suddenly turned and LIGHTLY swatted another student. This went on for several turns. Each time the same student was swatted. The class questioned the fairness of this method, but Mrs. B continued without a word. Finally the class was called to attention and a explanation was given. John 3:16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth on Him should not parish but have everlasting life! The children were so upset at the injustice of one person getting swatted, but the point was driven home and you could see the lights come on

I sat in the back of the room at my desk as tears formed and flowed. I can expect my Father to come through with a solution to the problem. I can expect Him to love me when I feel unlovable and ugly inside, He has already proven it true.

One more lesson I am learning. Most of my life the verse stating that "the truth will set you free" referred to lying. Always tell the truth, it keeps you out of trouble. While telling the truth is a great thing and requirement by God, there is more to this verse. Knowing the truth will set you free. When my mind runs about wildly with doubts and fears, the truth will set me free. The truth is God is faithful, God is available, God is CONSISTENT, God is God and I should let Him be. Knowing the truth will set me free.

The Twins Are Here!!!!

The family I work with finally had their twins Wednesday! It has been crazy. I'll post a few pics from my cell but let me warn you the high quality my astound you.

Vishal

Vimal

Pretty sure I spelled the names WRONG but I will figure it out soon! I haven't gotten to hold them yet because I have been at home with the big brother Vipul. I quickly snapped these pics when I dropped him off at the hopsital after work. More high quality pictures to follow.

The "Confederates" (Written as a freshman in college)

The soldiers gathered around the colonel swiftly and quietly. Plans must be made; for the enemy lie in wait on the other side of the valley. Every year about the same season the enemy came haunt the surrounding woods and forests. It had become quite an annoyance to the inhabitants.

"Quiet!" Colonel said as loudly and demanding as was possible under the circumstances. "The element of surprise is of the utmost importance. There is no way that we will win the battle if we are announcing our arrival!"

Immediately the rustling and whispering of the soldiers ceased. All of their attention was focused on their seemingly invincible leader. He had been in the thick of the battles for many years now and deserved the honor and respect due someone of his position.

Colonel had a grim outlook on life. His parents were killed in a battle when he was very young. Because of their premature death Colonel had no siblings. He grew up alone and it had made him hard. This was a quality much needed in the service. His anger at the foe for killing his parents stayed with through the years. It had festered a hatred for the enemy deep within. Despite the hard trails that life had brought him the colonel stood tall and handsome with tufts of chest hair protruding in every which direction. He had a demanding presence about him.

"We need to plan for the adversaries. The same plan that we use every season is good. They fall for it every time. Prancer, you run directly through the field. Run fast or they might have half a chance to shoot. Blitzen, you stand behind that clump of bushes on the east side of the battlefield. Make sure your chest and sides are well hidden. Don't give them a clear shot. The rest of you split into groups. Group One scatter yourselves over by Blitzen. Groups Two quietly work your way over to where Prancer will exit the field and enter the forest again. Your job is to help distract in case of an emergency. Alright, each of you have a job. Let's do it!"

As the colonel finished his analysis of the procedure, the members of the Confederacy dispersed to their assigned positions.

Once again, the deer would win against the dull-witted human.


*Remember I wrote this as freshman. All grammar and plot critiques will be ignored. lol
** Inspired by my brother's many "almost" stories during deer season.

And how does that make you feel?

As I sit at my computer on this dark, dismal day a poem came to mind. I hope it warms your heart as it did mine.

Homework! Oh, Homework!
I hate you! You stink!
I wish I could wash you away in the sink,
if only a bomb
would explode you to bits.
Homework! Oh, homework!
You're giving me fits.

I'd rather take baths
with a man-eating shark,
or wrestle a lion
alone in the dark,
eat spinach and liver,
pet ten porcupines,
than tackle the homework,
my teacher assigns.

Homework! Oh, homework!
you're last on my list,
I simple can't see
why you even exist,
if you just disappeared
it would tickle me pink.
Homework! Oh, homework!
I hate you! You stink!

Expertly written by Jack Prelutsky

Kaiden Wesley

Almost 3 1/2 months ago Ethan Michael received a little brother. I have yet to hold the little guy that I named, but the Lord is helping me deal with that!

At Last....

I will spare you the reasons and excuses for not blogging.

My life is currently very full of school and work. I did so much homework over Thanksgiving break that my mother banned me from it for an evening. My father responded with, "You yell at her if she doesn't and you yell if she does!" I laughed.

Work. Really it is not hard. I love working for this particular family. I babysit for a 3 1/2 year old named Vipul. The kid is a genius. He loves to read! This afternoon I gave him a book, one of those golden series books, and he read it to me! I am going to test him, but I am pretty sure this kid is on a 1st or 2nd grade reading level! The picture is of him at the computer with his reading glasses.

Vipulisms:
Oh, Tarter Sauce! (Working on a table leg with a plastic screwdriver and it doesn't go his way)

Come on...don't be shy...you can do it...TURN GREEN! (After I expressed my frustrations at a slow stop light.)

I will buy you a 2nd car. (He thinks everyone should have two.) I have at least $100!

Highlights

Just a few quick highlights of my life.

Another school year has started and so far it has turned into a rather light semester. Another big plus is the fact that I no longer live in the girls' dorm. I have two room mates and we rein terror on campus from our campus apartment. It is great. Bittersweet though. Bitter because it signifies the end of a chapter in my life. Sweet because it signifies the beginning of another. I am so very excited about what God has planned for me.

I work off campus too. My three year old charge is amazing. I love hanging out with him.

The electricity was out for a week so the school shut down. It was beautiful (for those of us that were FORCED to find lodging elsewhere! lol) I am very ready to go back to campus though. I am pretty much a home body and I love the comfort of my own room and my routine.

Lots has happened and I even have pictures for some of the events. For example, the night Lauren and I got locked, the demolition of the guest bathroom, Vipul, and pictures of the new edition to my "sister's" family-Kaiden. But for now I am going to end this very unorganized post! The sentence structure and grammatical errors are the result of my exhaustion after a church spaghetti dinner. Until next time.....

Update Part Two

Meet Morris the Taurus. lol

One of my main goals this summer was to buy a car. I have been without transportation for the better half of two years. This has become a great trial so I set out to remedy it.

I began shopping a few weeks ago and found this great car. I loved it, shopping for it, that is. My favorite part was negogiating with the car's salesman. He thought he was going to give me a run for my money, but I had done my homework and made him work hard to GET my money! As of last Saturday I am the proud manager of a 2007 Ford Taurus. What!? A family car, you may ask. Hey, it's a car. I am not going to get picky. When it came right down to it I just wanted a car that started when I turned the key and was reliable enough to get me from point A to B.

Update Part One

I keep meaning to blog, but I don't know where to start. I think it will be easier for my small brain to achieve my blogging goal if I organize my thoughts chronologically.

"Long-Long Time Ago"

After my origami flower bouquet I attempted yet another homemade gift. Brandy (see candy bouquet post) went on to bigger and better things and no longer works in our office. As a goodbye gift I found a really cool idea...chocolate covered fortune cookies! Donning gloves and armed with toothpicks, tweezers, and a fingernail file a co-worker and I pried all the fortunes out of the cookies. Allow me to digress...all the fortunes were pretty much the same. It varied between maybe three different fortunes. Anyway, we had people in the office write their own messages and stuffed the cookies. You maybe thinking, Jo, that must have taken forever. You're right it did. We had to be really careful because the cookies would break easily. The unstuffing and restuffing (I know that these are not words, but they are fun) was completed at work and I took them home to finish. The end result was amazing. We made 31 with revised messages so that for the next month at her new job she would have a message from one of us. We ate the leftover 94 cookies ourselves.

She left on a Friday and that day after work I took a road trip! Thursday I remembered that Mode Camp was in progress. A friend of mine had asked me to come so I took her up on it. It turned out to be one of the best weekends of my summer. Mode Camp is a quaint little place in Illinois about three hours from my parents home. Campers stay in small cabins that may or may not have a sink with running water or air conditioning. I am not sure about every cabin, but I got the impression that not all of them had these commodities. As far as I know none of them had a private bathroom or showers. Every one used the main bathrooms that turned out to be outhouses. It was a shock, but they were the cleanest bathrooms I have seen at any camp!

We have all heard about camp food. Worry no more. Everything was homemade and served to you at your table by the young people. In the mornings after breakfast, people volunteered to snap the green beans, peel potatoes, and help the cooks in any other way possible. In the afternoons everyone would gather in the shade to chat and just spend time with each other. Topics ranged from school to child rearing and from cooking to ants. Over all, it was the most relaxing weekend of the summer. It seemed like all pressure was off. It was a weekend to "come just as you are." I could go on forever about a wonderful little place in Illinois and the remarkable people I met there, but I will spare you.

"Long Time Ago"

VBS. Enough said. I had no intention of participating in this annual event because by the time I got off work and traveled home it had already started and I was afriad my patience would be to far gone to deal with children. One night, however, I decided to drop by. After sneaking into the sanctuary conviction set deeply in my heart. There was probably 60-70 children and maybe five able adults! An older lady in our church was getting beat up in the second row by a 3 year old, one of the young people had five girls crawling all over her, and my aunt was holding down the boys side rather unsuccessfully. To the best of my knowledge we have always had plenty of help for VBS. I have no clue what happened this year, but they were definitely short staffed. I attended the rest of the week.

VBS was different in many ways. In the past we have had very well behaved, calm children that were easily corraled and organized. This year, not so much. It didn't bother me that they misbehaved, didn't sit still, or loudly announced their dislike for the story. It was the hurt, anger, bitterness, and other emotions that you could see in their eyes that got to me. I know that it all sounds cliche, but it was the first time it has effected me so much. One little girl who was about 4 or 5 sat in my lap most of the time and just wanted to be held. She looked at me one time and called me mommy. I corrected her by saying something to the effect of, "Oh silly, I am not Mommy" and giving her a big hug. She looked up at me with big brown eyes and asked,

"Then who are you?"

"I am Ms. Kim. Do you miss Mommy? Where is Mommy?" I fully expected her to say that she was at home. I just wanted to reassure her that she would see her mother soon and in a more familar place.

"In jail." came the little reply. I sat there stunned and feeling very ridiculous for being so naive. I did the only thing I could think to do, I gave her a big hug and said,"You call me anything you want!"

From this point on I saw the children so differently. As I looked at the little people around me I saw beyond their behavior and saw more of the hurt. Because of my chosen profession I am being trained to see more than the surface, but it never ceases to amaze and shame me how many times God has to remind me that there is more than the exterior.

Odds and Ends

Some an instrument,

Some a brush,

But me?

Just about anything will do!

(I was paid $20 bucks to "decorate!" I am going into the wrong profession)

Another birthday occurred among the office staff this week. Her gift from me? A money plant! I fold paper and money to create flowers and wala (sp?)

A random pic of Kelly with the biggest chip in the bag. Seriously I did not zoom in!

Yeeppiii! I can post pictures now. Get ready. Here they come!

Remember my job in Michigan? Well, I worked a couple of weeks in Cincinnati for them and one week in Michigan. Bless their hearts, the house they were going to buy was taking longer than they thought so they were living in a hotel. I ended up going back to Cinci and then to my parents home and getting another job at a staffing agency. To the left is a picture of Lauren, the youngest charge. I know she looks adorable, but she was certainly a hand full. She kept telling me she didn't like me because I put her in timeout too much, but her dad called this morning and said she was really missing me. She needs a time0ut for lying to me! lol

My new job title is Administrative Assistant at Pro Resources Staffing. It has been a long standing joke in the library at school that when I answer the phone my voice inflection changes. Apparently I act sweeter than I am. hehe So a few summers ago I needed a job, but no one would hire me for just the summer. I finally thought of applying at a temp agency. When I talked to them on the phone they fell for my "voice trick" and hired me directly to work for them as the front desk receptionist. To make a long story short...I am working there again. I love it.

I have found a new talent. Several months ago almost a year maybe a friend's brother was killed. I couldn't afford a flower arrangement and I didn't think he would really want flowers. So I thought, Hey, he loves Reese cups...let's make a "flower" arrangement with them. So that is how it got started. Yesterday my new talent was put to use again when we celebrated a co-worker's b-day.

Below is the birthday girl! Brandy takes care of all the unemployment and workman's comp. claims in our office. Last Sunday was her b-day, but we were so busy that we had to put off her celebration until yesterday. The little nerd (meant in the nicest way possible) is leaving for bigger and better things soon. We will miss her. :(

Meet Ginger and Emma. They were adopted by my brother and sister-in-law a few weeks ago. Both are female so we call them The Ladies. What makes me laugh is that when talking to the crazy things Justin and Kelly refer to themselves as Mom and Dad, my parents are Grandma and Grandpa. So that makes me Aunt Jo! Well, guys meet my two furry twin nieces. Weird.

Just because I am proud of this fact....I wrote this blog backwards. When I tried to upload a picture it kept placing it above instead of below the other pics so I decided to post the one I wanted last first. Aww, who cares?! I was too excited that I could finally post pictures.

Martyr's Song

Martyr's Song

Sing O son of Zion

Shout O child of mine

Rejoice with all your heart and soul and mind

For you are finally home

I’ve been waiting to dance with you

In fields full of colors you’ve never seen

I’ve been waiting to show you beauty

You never dreamed that’s always been in you

I’ve been waiting to see you tremble as you’re embraced

By a world saturated with my love

I’ve been waiting for the day when at last I get to say

My child you are finally home

Sing O son of Zion

Shout O child of mine

Rejoice with all your heart and soul and mind

For you are finally home

I’ve been waiting to watch you realize

What all your longing was for

I’ve been waiting to show you the thread of grace

That ran through all your pain

I’ve been waiting to let you drink the water of which

Your greatest joy on earth was just a taste

I’ve been waiting for the day when at last I get to say

My child you are finally home

Sing O son of Zion

Shout O child of mine

Rejoice with all your heart and soul and mind

Sing O daughter of Zion

Cry out O child of mine

Dance with all the strength that you can find

For you are finally home

Every tear you cried dried in the palm of my hand

Every lonely hour was by my side

Every loved one lost, every river crossed

Every moment, every hour was pointing to this day

Longing for this day…

Written by Todd Agnew

'nough said.