The City Harmonic - Manifesto (OFFICIAL)

Heard this song on K-Love today and fell in love with it. The City Harmonics are quickly rising on my favorite artist list!!!

Music Challenge

I like listening to the radio, for some reason I find the radio a lot more enjoyable at times than just listening to cd's or my ipod. Recently I've been listening to only Christian music, and have all the radios that I use (mostly just my car, and radio in my bathroom) set to K-Love. Every morning as I'm getting ready for work or school I find myself excited to turn on the radio and listen to some good Christian music as a way to get my day started off right. On top of that K-Love shares awesome stories of ministry from churches all over the world as a part of there morning news segment, and I love that they are trying to focus on some good things happening in the world because our news stations are so negatively focused these days. Anyway, I've found that just listening to Christian music has had a huge impact on my life, even though it seems so insignificant Here are some awesome things I've noticed

1. I'm singing Christian lyrics throughout my day and a lot of the lyrics are great reminders that I need to always be aware of what I say and how I act, and that God is always with me when I start to feel lonely or empty.

2. I get through my days with a lot more happiness. Before, I looked at a lot of my days and dreaded them before they even began because I would be gone 12+ hours straight. By the time those days ended I would be so unhappy that I didn't feel like talking, or even trying to act happy. Now, even though those days are still long, I'm smiling at the end of them and I've engaged in a lot of meaningful conversations with some unlikely people including a fellow social work student from China, and 2 men who knew very little English but wanted to know why Americans don't ask "how do you do" very much (because in their country they were told to always ask other people "how do you do"). It seems like a simple conversation but by the end I could just feel that i had made their day because I think a lot of times people just ignore them since they don't speak very good English and it's hard to understand if you don't take the time to listen.

3. My desire to listen to other music that does not Glorify God has gone down quite a bit. There are those few songs I still like to listen to (mostly Etta James, and Rascal Flatts) but I try to limit it as much as possible because I realized it was infiltrating my life and making me act and say things that were contradicting to my faith and walk with Christ.

So friends, I'd like to challenge you, try listening to only Christian Music (doesn't matter if it's on cd's, ipod, and the radio) for 10 days, and see how your life changes.

In the words of Jaci Valesquez (OLD SCHOOL!!!): We can make a difference, we can make a change, we can make the world a better place.

No Mo Chemo

A lot of people think it's weird that I love to work with kids who have cancer, and there are days I think I'm crazy too...trust me it's never fun to see how toxic chemo takes a toll on the body in such a short amount of time. And then there's days like I had today, where you get to tell a 6 year old "No Mo Chemo" the look on their face makes everything worth it. Days get even better when patients come back just to say hello, and they are successfully in remission you realize that it's not all sad and gloomy.

There are several things you can do to help support kids with chronic illnesses and one is non profit and takes just some time volunteering to help make blankets (Kylee they would love you if you sewed a blanket or two). The blankets are a part of Project Linus and there are chapters all over the nation. I've been thinking for my birthday this year that instead of presents I'd love for people to donate money or time to Project Linus, make a wish, or the National Children's Cancer society because they need all the volunteers, prayers, and donations they can get. Here is the link to project linus, please take some time to read about it and if you can, get involved!
projectlinus.org

Gravity

My friend Kylee's post got me thinking about good songs, and for some reason the song "Gravity" by Shawn McDonald has played on pandora twice tonight, and the lyrics seem fit life perfectly. As a christian, I always want to be close to God and keep him at the center of my life, but the gravity of "life" pulls me down and makes me cry a lot because sadness seems to be so prominent in today's culture and while sadness is a good thing, as Christians we have to remember that sadness is temporary if we are Christians because someday we will be eternally happy with Jesus Christ.

The ways of this world are grabbing a hold
Won't let me go, won't let me fly by
It’s taking it's toll down on my soul
‘Cause I know what I need in my life
Don't let me lose my sight of You
Don't let me lose my sight

Chorus:
I don't want to fall away from You
Gravity is pulling me on down
I don't want to fall away from You
Gravity is pulling me to the ground

This world keeps making me cry
But I'm going to try, going to try to fly, gotta fly high
Don't want to give into the sin, want to stay in you ‘til the end
Don't want to lose my sight of You
Don't want to lose my sight

Chorus

I want to fly
Into the sky
Turn my back on this whole world and
Leave it all behind
This place is not my home
It's got nothing for me
Only leaves me with emptiness
And tears in my eyes

Chorus

Being a social worker, and job hunting

Social work gets a bad reputation no doubt. We are called "baby snatchers" and many other mean names I dare not mention on this blog. People who aren't in the profession don't understand that social work is centered around love and connecting people to one another through resources. The picture above represents the true meaning of social work, its' about love and connection and putting smiles on everyone from babies to senior citizens. Most times we don't get recognized and that's ok, we knew it was going to happen. But if you know a social worker tell them thank you for all the work they do. It's likely that they are overworked, underpaid, and stressed to the max due to their workload, yet they continue to do the job because it's what they love.

I'm beginning the job hunt and application process and I am lucky to have picked an area of the social work profession that is growing. There are many job opportunities out there in states and cities that I love and could imagine living in. But becoming an adult I've realized that taking a job has strings attached. You have to pack, move, find a place to live, learn your way around a new city, become involved in the community, establish yourself as a resident at the post-office and a whole host of other places including websites, the bank, and the DMV. At the same time the time to relocate is now. When I don't have a husband, or kids to think about. I'd love to stay in NC for a few years but I can't limit myself and in some sense i'm ready to move on. I thought NC was the place I could see myself living but it's almost like it was just meant to be this chapter in my life. The bridge to grad school and then grad school itself. Once i graduate that chapter will be closed and NC won't have the same appeal or opportunities that I have been blessed with for the past two years. So I've broadened my horizons. I'm looking for jobs in any state (well besides Alaska, and Hawaii). This is my one chance to live life. If it means moving to Texas I'm for it. If it means moving back to Michigan I'll be ok with that too (it's of course not my first choice) because it means it's God's will for my life and I want t follow his will.

I am hoping that those who read this will begin to think of social work in a new light, and if you feel so inclined lifting me up in prayer as I begin the job hunt. It's rough in this economy but I know God will provide and I'd love it if you would join me in praying that he provides and shows me the next step in on my journey through life.

2011

Happy New Year All! I'm back from cold Michigan and watching the Capital One Bowl game. I hope everyone had a safe and happy Holiday season. 2011 has a lot in store for me this year I can feel it...and I hope a great job is one of the things in store because I graduate and want to do what i love. I hope reunite with friends this year as well that's a huge goal of mine, so I hope i see a ton of you this year whether it's on a vacation or at a wedding.

HAPPY 2011

5 months away

5 months from today I will have my masters degree!!!!

Hard to believe that I have less than 6 months to go. It feels like I just started.

I finished up my fall semester today, despite troubles outside of the classroom (car trouble, printer malfunction) and it is such a rewarding feeling to know that my hard work paid off and I made it to the end. There were times in October when I couldn't see the light at the end of the tunnel. But, I persevered and here I am, one semester away from graduation.

It snowed here the other day and some of it is still on the ground, and it's been unseasonably cold, makes curling up with a cup of hot cocoa and a blanket sound amazing. Can't do that just yet though, still have a few days at field, a few days of taking kids to school, a trip to Panera and a trip to the cheesecake factory before i can stay home and do nothing. What happened to my carefree days?????