Sometimes you have to got through bad first

Sometimes you have to go through the bad before you can get to the good. I have a couple of job opportunities available to me right now. I have an organization just about ready to offer me a position. It is just waiting on some finger printing I am doing today. I have another organization who has told me I am a strong candidate and who is currently doing a reference check on me to decide. I have a third organization that interviewed me a few weeks back for another position but felt I was over qualified for that position and now wants to interview me for another position. It's all too surreal to know that I am taken care of. My husband's, soon to be ex-husband's financial responsibility to me will soon be up and at that point I should have a job and be able to take care of myself. It is exciting to be able to take care of myself after 5 years of an education (first a bachelors and then pretty much straight into a masters degree). I can't wait to be able to make my own financial decisions without having to kick and scream to be filled in or to know what is going on with money. It is nice to feel like I have some control of the decisions I make for my life. I am also at peace to know that God is in control and is taking care of me.

Relationships with unbelievers

Kim, in Canada, this is especially for you. I was reading in my personal devotions yesterday about relationships with unbelievers. I was reading in 1 Corinthians 7 or 8 about how if one person is in a relationship with someone who is not a believer that the unbeliever is sanctified by the believer. What does that mean? Does that mean the unbeliever is now saved through the believer or is their action protected by the believer's grace? What jumped out at me the most is the key word sanctified and the result of sanctification. If anyone has thoughts please feel free to expound on this a little more for the little less knowledged. Thanks.

Coming Home

It is nice to be home in New York again. I have had the opportunity to spend time with my family, namely my cousin. It has been great helping him move and get situated in his new apartment at grad school. I am so proud of what he is doing. I should probably tell him. It has also been nice with my Aunt and Uncle out of town. It is like I have my own house again. I have been cleaning, renting videos I like, and just not being worried about things that I think others would be worried about. I am starting my life over but I have family to spend time with and essentially be my guaranteed friends, who for the most part understand me and speak the same culture. I can be a little sarcastic/joker without people becoming overly offended by anything I said. Employment is slowly working its way. I have a 2nd interview tomorrow for a Mental Health Group Home working with the mentally disabled. This is an okay job. I would be paid hourly and have some mixed up hours. I also have a 1st interview with Hillside of Agencies. This is a salaried position basically being a preventative counselor. I intercept a family and help the parents develop parenting skills to prevent their children from being taken from them by Child protective services. This is an ideal job for me. I refuse to do counseling to children because I am too afraid I would get mad at the parents for messing up the kids. Well, this is an opportunity for me to work with the parents to help them not mess up the kids. It is also the better paying job including a paid cell phone, laptop, and a milage stipend. I am trusting God to put me in the best position. I hope it is the second one. Not just because of the pay but also because I feel God's putting me in a position to work with families. My ultimate goal is to work with families to help them to be more functional and to make a life better for themselves. Hillside would be a good start to do that. For all of you who pray, please pray for me as I do those interviews tomorrow. If I have good news I am sure I will blog it. Signing off.

Faith in People

I love what I do. I work with people assisting them to empower themselves and others around them. I enjoy showing people that they are worthwhile individuals who deserve respect. People can choose to be as healthy and well rounded as they desire. The nice thing is they have the right to make that choice. Can you imagine a culture in which the family career is your career or the social status is dictated by your family and their history? I know I would not like that. I know I always wanted to do better than what I was raised with and I always believed my mother wanted better for me and my siblings as well. I have always wanted to make a difference and to help people to break through their dysfunction and to make a healthier and better life decisions for themselves. Don't get me wrong, people in general are still going to have problems however I like being a part of their life to help show them and guide them to a better life or better choices. I believe that despite our inherent bad nature that people overall work to do what is right and good. I believe that all individuals are capable but must foster that motivation for themselves. I believe their are a number of people who foster that healthy motivation for themselves and I applaud them for their life time development.