Good news all around

I am having a great week. Maybe the best since I lost my job in July.

On Monday I signed on to the TExES teaching test site to find that my score for my Language Arts and Reading Grades 4-8 was finally posted. I freaked out I got 256 out of 300 and only needed 240 to pass!!! I then called the A+ Teaching program, where I am getting my Alternative Certificate, and got my acceptance letter into the program. I am now 100 % eligible to teach middle and junior high language arts. I have now applied in two school districts for three open positions.

Tuesday I went on an interview for a part-time weekend position at Bath and Body Works. I was one of the only people there dressed like I was going to an interview. I gave great answers to the group interview questions and I felt good about getting the job. Within an hour of my interview I got a phone call from my old co-worker Tammy that the manager had called her and asked for a reference! OK so now for the best part. I got a phone call yesterday that I have gotten the job and start THIS Sunday! I know that means missing one Sunday of church, but they promised not to schedule me until after 2 pm from now on.

Last night I meet with Karl Broom from Chapelwood UMC in Houston, Yes there are two chapelwoods in the same conference. We have been working on my resume and finished last night. It looks great and sounds even better. So for now my prayer is that with all the hard work we did that I will get a full time position as a teacher, councilor, or at a non-profit.

Bluegrass in Autumn

Blue Ridge Mountains in North Carolina

As person who has always loved the seasons, all four of them, I have begun to realize how much I loved Autumn. I grew up for most of my life in the North East either in Danvers, MA or Horseheads, NY. These are two place where Autumn is huge. The trees become these majestic colors, the wind blows cooler, and you start feeling like the harvest is all around you. Everyone starts to pull out their winter clothing and you start to see people with long sleve shirts, sweetters, and coats. You may even get to see a little snow starting in October.

My family then moved to Apex, NC when I was 13. I still got some of the parts of Autumn I loved: trees changing colors, seeing people dressed more warmly, and the wind did blow a little cooler (just not a cool as in the North East). The harvest part was not really there though. Even in a small town and going to a church that had a harvest festival it was not the same. No one was supprized when I decided to go to the NC mountians for college. The colors on the trees were vibrent and majestic like those of the North East, the tempture and winds were cooler, people really did bring out their winter cloths, and the harvest was very special in Mars Hill. Western NC had come very special tradations of harvest festivals, hymn singings, and bluegrass festivals in Autimn. I came to love bluegrass while I was there. It reminded me that Fall really had come. The the leaves would change, the days would grow shorter and cooler, and that soon I would be celebrating Thanksgiving and the birth of Jesus Christ with my family and friends.

After college I made sure to make a trip to the mountains of NC or GA while I was at Candler. I made sure to do things that reminded me of the beauty of Autumn, like going to see Nickle Creek with Steven and Stacy. This year is different though. I have no colorful mountains to go to, the weather is still in the mid to high 80's, people are wearing summer cloths still, and it does not feel like harvest. So last night I pulled up bluegrass music, Allison Krause and Nickle Creek, and spent time just listening to what feels like Autumn to me. I just hope that through this Texas Autumn I will find ways to remember what comes next and what has always been the most important to me; Giving thanks with my friends and family and in a few months celebrating the birth of my lord and savior, Jesus Christ.

What has your heart??

My friend and interim singles minister at Tallowood, Michelle, sent me and the other members of the singles minister this question last night. The strange thing was I had been thinking about this very questions that whole day.

What has my heart? Where is my heart guiding me? What makes my heart feel full and happy?


Over the past two weeks I have become involved in two job ministries in the Houston area. One is called Between Job Ministries (BJM) and is a network to help us find jobs and support while people are between jobs. The other is JET ministry. The JET ministry does have one support group that starts tomorrow, but I am using them for resume services and well just job counseling. This brings me to my question What has my heart?

In the last two months I have been applying to any and every job I even have the smallest qualifications for. It is only now that I am realizing that just any job will not lead to happiness in my life. I want to help others. My passion is counseling people through different parts of their lives. In order to be truly happy I know that I must be in a position where I am helping others. My heart is with people who are down on their luck, abused, trying to find themselves, and just people who need someone to listen.

Yesterday I had two meetings that helped me figure this out. One was a counseling session at BJM with Gail, an encourager. Gail and I talked over what was going on and where I could be happy with a job. We talked about teaching, ministry, counseling, and social work. He gave me a few numbers to call and try to make contacts. The second meeting was last night with Karl, from JET. Karl is helping me revamp my resume into a functional/chronological resume. The ones I have now is just chronological and kind of boring. It does not high light my gifts and talents. Karl and I spent two hours talking over where I want and need to go from here. Where is my heart at? was the big question of the night. Now I have figured out that my hear is in counseling people. This for me could be as a hospital chaplain, pastoral councilor, teacher, councilor, advocate at a non-profit, or a social worker.

Now I just have to convince someone that I do have the gifts I have and trust in God that person will give me a job or pass me on to someone who will.

Single Again

So this weekend was a bunch of really had stuff. Friday I saw a post about Chapelwood's add for a new youth leader. I wanted to puck, laugh, and cry. It was not a very truthful add about the church and it made me quite sad.

Saturday I spent the day studying and then had a double date with my roommate Erin her fiance Matt and Skyler. After that Skyler and I took off to do a few things he needed to do and then planed on heading back to his place to watch a move. We did make it back to his place, but never watched the movie. We talked and he told me that he is not sure he can be with me because he is not over his ex. I got upset and cried. Then we just spent the night in each others arms. Yesterday we decided that right now he needs us to just be friends. So I am single again.

Sad and Happy times

Over the past week I have been kind of going through some changes. I found out that I had hurt my ankle worse than I had thought. I thought sprained but it was torn ligament. NO FUN. I got to talk with my pastor about my past and what my spiritual life is like right now. The result of this was figuring out that I still need to work some on forgiving everything that has happened in the past few months.

Ok so here is the happy news. I had a long conversation with my friend Skyler on Friday night and we decided to date. We spent the weekend talking more and today I helped him move into a new apartment. I could not lift much because of my ankle, but we had a good time. In helping with the move I meet his best friends, dad, brother, and mom. It was an interesting day.

Another goodbye

So my mom called today at 7:30am to tell me that Bear (Barrette) had died. She was in the shower and saw him walk out of her bed room, then heard a loud thump, and my grandfather yelled for her. She raced to get cloths on and my brother even broke the rules and ran out of his room to get to Bear (Dave has H1N1). They checked for a heart beat and there was none. Bear is now at NC State veterinary school for an autopsy.

The strange thing about all of this is I have know something bad was coming. Over the past week I have just not felt myself. This weekend I started having dreams where Bear would come and talk to me. He wanted me back in NC. Now I know why I had this dream.

Bear was almost 10 years old. He was the second litter of pupps my family ever had. I remember holding him when he was a new born and talking to him about how he was our little Barrette. Over the year he became so loving and strong. Being only truly happy when everyone was home, which was not often since I was in college and seminary. He was truly a very very special dog.

Back to the Beginning

This past week has been full of new beginnings for me. I did not pass my teachers test by 15 points. So back to studying I go. However, I am not too upset. I talked to many of my teacher friends and they told me they did not pass the first time they took the test. I cannot retake the Social Studies test until November, so I am studying for Language Arts.

I took a big step these past two weeks. I decided after talking to my friend Thomas to go to a Baptist church here in Texas. I was convinced that I would dislike it, but I love it. The pastor is an amazing, intellectual, and spiritual person. He used Anne Lamont two weeks ago and this week used John Wesley as sermon illustrations. How odd is this???? I also have been doing things with the singles group and love being around the people at Tallowood. After thinking and praying about things I decided to ask the pastor about women and ordination. He had been informed of my situation by my new friend Michelle, a fellow seminary graduate, single woman, and head of prayer ministries. He straight out told me I will be the first woman ever ordained at Tallowood and he is looking forward to my joining.

Thus I am back to the beginning. I started my ministry in the SBC in NC and now I am thinking about going Baptist again. My problem is I still support lgbtq people and I am not sure how the church will feel about this. I am meeting with the pastor later this week to talk about my feelings.