Success??? October 26, 2009

This past weekend, I had a very long and encouraging conversation with a very dear friend of mine about the reality and the expectations of the world on children in today’s society ….most if not all of you reading this blog know that I work with children with special needs, mainly Autism, but none the less….they are a little bit more special than the average person.  They have a joy about life that some of us will NEVER understand or experience…in this most recent conversation, we talked about happiness and true joy in life….why is it that the world tells us that in order to be happy and to have joy, we must be “successful” and make tons of money? Why is the definition of success, money?  You see, not every person in this world is going to make tons of money and most of the ones that do, are miserable.  I know that each and every one of the children that I work with and come into contact with will make it in this world…they may not be successful the way the world thinks they should, but who is to say that driving a garbage truck won’t make someone just as happy as owning a business or being a doctor…..I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that I am going to do what I can to teach children that happiness is only measured within oneself, and what makes you happy, not what the world tells you is happiness.  People may read this and think that I don’t think any of my students will be a doctor or a lawyer….that is ABSOLUTELY NOT TRUE! I want every child (my student or not) to be successful and to experience all that life has to offer whether that means being a doctor or a lawn mower, but lets be honest and real, who knows what a child is going to grow up to be when they are 3, 4, 5 or even 6 years old.  So why, why, why do we place expectations on children to be successful and make a lot of money?  Isn’t that a lot of pressure? As a 26 year old its too much pressure for me to handle! I have a job right now that some people do not see as important or successful because I don’t make a 6 figure income…WRONG….if I don’t fight for my students and teach them all that I can…who will? I’m not trying to be arrogant, there are others that I work with that feel the exact same way, I know that I’m not the only one who loves what I do!   I have hope and I believe that each and every one of the children that I have come into contact with over the last 5 years will experience success that can never be measured or compared to those around them.  The conversation that I was having with my dear friend, reminded me that we need to allow everyone (children and adults alike) to pursue happiness without the pressure and expectation of what the world counts as success….so with that said, I am going to use each and every moment that I am given with my students and those around me to show them happiness and to help them achieve their maximum potential so that they may one day be able to share that success with those around them.

I am, and have worked with, a population of students that most would not choose to, I have been called to these children in a very real and genuine way, and for me, they are the reason I get up in the morning and the reason that I spend each and every day finding new and different ways to teach.  They may never know what an impact they make on my life, and I hope that I have made life even the slightest bit easier for them!

They told me to do it…. October 10, 2009

So…I was sitting here with my roommate Lindsay and bff Jody and they told me that I should blog about….being single….so here goes….why is it that people find it necessary to “hook me up” or to “find me a man” or to take me out for a “crazy night” filled with beer and sex?  Along with that, why is it necessary for Facebook to have a gazillion ads along the side of my homepage for ways to find a mate…is that because I have my status as single on facebook?  Who cares???  I am single and I am okay with it.  I know that in right time, I will find someone and be happy…but for now, why is the pressure there to find someone NOW??  As I sit at work and have lunch table conversations with my co-workers, I am reminded that although they are more experienced in the realm of dating, is that really what I want for myself.  Yeah, I struggle with being single, but I also know that what I have to give someone, it far greater in worth than some drunken night that I am sure to regret.  I don’t want to settle and give up everything that I have believed and hoped for in one night.  They way I look at it, I have lived 26 years without giving up my morals, my standards, my jenn code (thanks jo), and the biggest part of myself that I can only give away one time.  I love the fact that I am able to be so strong in who I am and be okay with the choices that I have made.  I would not trade it for the world…I am not missing out on anything, I promise.  Some days are harder than others and I don’t always understand why….I do understand that I have been given this opportunity to serve and mentor in a way that may not be possible if I were married or in a relationship.  With all that said, I am okay being single and living my life serving a great God….and besides that, I have some of the most amazing, talented, encouraging and crazy best friends in the world….we keep each other in check, we have fun together, and more importantly, they make me love Jesus more and more every day!  There you go Jody and Lindsay…I wrote a blog just for you….for more on this subject, check out Jody’s blog at seekingrecklessabandon.wordpress.com

New to this!! October 8, 2009

Hello everyone, I am starting a blog….mostly because I have a few friends that do it and I think that it would be cool to have something to share with my family and friends…this will be a place where I share my thoughts, my fears, my struggles, my joys, and encouragement!!  I hope that you enjoy this place and get a good laugh or two from the stories I tell and also that you would see the love and grace and truth of who I am in Jesus.  So, for today, I am just trying to figure out this whole blogging thing!!  Stay tuned for more to come!!!