JOY UNSPEAKABLE....I AM COUNTING ON GOD

So, today is Friday. The beginning of the end. The last weekend before the fall semester starts and it is already getting super busy.

I started my GA work this past week and I also got a couple of my syllabi and am trying to get started working on some readings and summary papers. Every time I get a new syllabus I get nervous. I don't think I have ever done anything as intense as this program is going to be and I really am nervous/anxious/excited/:)!

I got a beautiful little card in the mail today from a dear friend :) She is very encouraging and strong in the Lord. On the card it had a cute picture of a yellow umbrella. Essentially the card said that she could not protect me from the "rain" b/c she did not have a huge yellow umbrella. Rather, she will walk with me in the rain! And then of course there was encouraging words and scripture to follow. It is wonderful to know that people are praying for me.....and I know this sound slightly selfish and self-centered. That is not my intentions. I truely am humbled and blessed to have people around me that care about me and want to support me in prayer. I recognize too that MANY people have been through programs with jobs/kids/and more. I know that there is nothing special about me....

I also know that some people cope with different things in different ways. For whatever reason, unbeknownst to me, this MSW program is nerve wracking to me along with having to work 20 hours and complete internship hours and be a wife etc....some people might not think that is stressful at all and that is okay. Stress is in the eye of the beholder....right? I don't know what I'm saying.

I'm blessed and I'm glad for friends and support, and I'm glad that I have God who is SOOO GOOD and wonderful! I know that He really will help and give me strength through this whirlwind of a time! I am very happy to be going through this program. I really am!!

HERE IS SONG FOR THIS SEMESTER: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3jdkfdClHOM

"Joy unspeakable

that won't go away

And just enough strength

to live for today

So I never have to worry

What tomorrow will bring

'Cause my faith

is on solid rock

I am counting on God

The miracle of Christ in me

Is the mystery that sets me free

I'm nothing like I used to be

So open up your eyes you'll see"

Until next time,

Krystal V.

Praise the Lord Moment!!

Just a quick note of Praise here! The Lord has been SO good to Preston and I. I'm glad that my husband is such a man of God who is patient and strong in his faith.

Anyway, I got another half GA position!! Which is great and it means that my entire schooling will be paid for and I will be getting a larger stipend. AND Preston and I will not be wiped out of savings account by the end of May! :) We are SO excited, and I'm a bit nervous because it does add an extra 10 hours to my week. I am trusting in God's leadership and He did open this door for us. I know that HE will give me strength to preserver in this year. Below is such a beautiful verse:

I am a blessed woman of God. I pray that I continue to follow His voice and live a fruitful life!

God is good....all the time....

:) Krystal

4.0 and counting....or rambling

So, summer classes are finished. I completed the 2 courses both with an A, which is nice. I think those were probably the easiest classes i will have so I must be grateful for the good grades.

Now I have about two weeks before the fall starts and I'm trying to make the most of it and get things done. Right now I'm working on some sewing projects. I'm beginning by making some purses for my little sis-in-laws. I'm worried b/c they are getting older and I don't know that they

will really like homemade purses anymore. This one of the ones I have made:

All of them will be different shapes/sizes/colors etc. So, we'll see. The next project will be a group project with the older sister in laws. We are going to try to make a wall hanging for our

parents/in-laws. Again, we'll see how that works out. It is nice to sew when I have people to sew for. I would like to get better at sewing clothes but I'm just not very confident in that and I hate making mistakes because I feel wasteful! I also made this card holder for my sis-in-law...I thought it was a cute pattern and I wanted to try it out. I think it turned out to look okay!

Anyway, I really look forward to the day when I'm a stay at home mom. Now I catch glimpses of what is to come. If I were not in school I would have started up a small garden this year...which I will definitely do when I'm done with school next season or so. At some point, when we do not live in city limits, I would love to have our own goats to get fresh goats milk which we LOVE...and then I would have enough to make other things from the goats milk. Just being a mother is something I look forward to very much. I can only image that having children is 100 times more fulfilling than the way I feel about having my cats :) hehehe

Something that slightly concerns me is getting them into a sleep routine. I know that children who have a routine tend to be calmer and feel more secure. So, I have just finished reading this book:

I really liked the way that it put things. It allows for a mom not to worry about the first 4-6 weeks and just enjoy being with the baby and being a mom...and then after about 4-6 wks is when training begins. However, the author does allow for some flexibility in the schedule. She mentions that parent's do not need to adjust their lives for the baby but rather the baby needs to learn how to live within the families normal routine.

Also, the author talks about crying....and she says that there is no learning that goes on after 5 minutes of crying. So, she does not advocate for a child to cry themselves to sleep...which mak

es me happy. I just feel like doing that would go against my motherly nature to comfort my child. Anyway, it is a great book with good rules but not so strict that it is overwhelming to me. Again, we'll see what happens.

One more thing before my rambling stops. This week at work someone brought an ice cream bar...which was really cool and super unhealthy! But on the bar there were mini bananas...which I thought were neat and I had never seen before.

The End.

Part Time, Full Time, Anytime?

GOOOD News!

I did a GA position. It is part time. Which means that I have to work for them, they pay half of my tuition, and I get a small stipend. Which is so very wonderful and I praise the Lord. That also means that I will need to look for something else part time (really part time part time)...just a few hours a week to help out some. However, I think things will be good.

So in the fall it now looks like my time will be spent with 5 classes, 16 hours internship, 10 hours GA, hopefully another 10 hour PT job, sometime for studying, sometime to continue on my work out regiment, time to eat and breath, and time for family. Will there be time for sleep? I hope!

I do get slightly nervous thinking about all the ways my time will be filled come the end of August. I have good support and friends. My professor told us that we will all look back at the year and think "how did we manage all that we just did"....but we'll do it....we'll make it....from August to May = 9 months!

ALSO......my in-laws just gave Preston and I our Christmas present early -- season passes to Dollywood that will be fun to use. In fact, we are going to use them this Friday to start off! I'm really excited. That will be nice to have come mid fall/winter when both of us could use a break from schooling. I have very kind and thoughtful in-laws.

I'm a blessed woman.

:) Krystal

Yikes!

Yikes! Today is the first day of July and I still do not have a GA. That is probably the greatest stresser in my life right now...PTL! I suppose life is good! All experiences are learning ones...right? :)

I finished up my first class last night and I believe that I only missed 1 point on everything - meaning I got a 99 in the class. Of course that class was the easiest class we will have this year. Next class starts July 12th - Psychopathology....another Yikes! However, I've gotten to know a few girls in class and I know that we can help each other out to study and such. Plus, Preston is SO smart and it's helpful to talk over things with him.

Also, now that I'm back in school I can utilize the CPA (gym). I've been able to go at least two days a week for the last few days...not a whole lot...but it has been super nice. I really enjoy working out at the gym. It is a great stress reliever. I'm able to put on some music and relax! And it helps increase my energy level. I am grateful! Of course, that last time I did not stretch appropriately and now I have some pain in my shins...Yikes!

Life is good....I still need a darn GA!!!!!!!! I did interview yesterday for one and it looks promising...but others have looked promising and nothing has come of them. If you are the praying type (and you even read this) please pray!

Alrighty then...peace out....

KJV

Oh Victory in Jesus

my Savior forever

He sought me and bought me

with His redeeming love

Becoming A Manager....BAM!!

Well....classes started on Monday...it is now Friday morning. Wow. It has already proven to mess with my life a little. School is just so much more work....I mean grad school seems to be so much more work than undergrad. Class is much more discussion based and all of our grades are on papers. So, there is a lot of reading to do and I have a paper due every week...plus discussions for online and articles for classes...etc...BUT life is SOOO good and God is GREAT!

I'm excited about what I am learning and it all fits in with what I experience in my work life too. I can already see how it will help me be a better social worker and improve the way I look at my clients...plus just improve my character as a person. It does feel a little strange to be back in a school setting.

I still need a graduate assistantship which cause a bit of stress for me. I have been turned down by five already and I have two apps still out. Plus, we have to make decisions about our finance...by internship in the spring semester will have a small stipend with it too; therefore, we might look into a Tuition Scholarship instead of a GA...but those are just decisions we have to make.

Preston is very good to me and he is so supportive. I do not get home on Mondays and Wednesday until 9:00 or later, and then on Tuesday and Thursday I have to do more work than I used to. So, I made two big casserole type dishes and we have been eating off those all week. :) I usually try to make something different every night and then we have leftovers on the weekend. But, it has just not worked out like that. I think tonight I will make something for dinner.

All of this causes me to become a better manager of my time. When do I work out? When can I cook dinner? Oh I have to take care of the cats and I'm still working? What about that paper due? Our house!! Will I ever clean it? Ok...so it's not that crazy yet. One class for the summer does require work but I do have time for things and so far I've stayed on top of my assignments enough to where I should be able to relax a LITTLE on the weekend...specifically I don't want to have to worry about school on Sundays! And really this summer is just a taste of what life will be like come August. In August I will be taking 5 grad course...that's 15 hours of grad classes...a full case load for grad school is 9!! Plus, I will have a 16 hour internship...and I will have hours to do for the GA or TA. CRAZY! But hey...it's just for one year...I'm gonna graduate in May -- that's not that far away!

I'm glad I'm doing this program. The Lord has opened this door for us and we are walking through it with FAITH, and it's a fun adventure. I'm trusting that the Lord has plans for me having an MSW...or maybe He has plans for the experiences and growth that will come through the MSW program. God is good and His plans are perfect. So trusting I will do.

:) Krystal V

"Trust and obey

for there's no other way

to be happy in Jesus

but to trust and obey."

Ode to Darlene...GA...and the Shack

Today was a success and a joy. I worked, was able to ride with the music blasting and the windows down, had a nice bike ride with hubby, and most recently mowed the yard...oh, and signed up for my fall semester classes. :)

Darlene Constantine is the Executive Aid for the social work department for the MSW program. She is SO good at her job. She is super friendly and always willing to help us with anything. She also works fast and got all the permits ready for us students to sign up for fall classes. AND, she is quick to respond to emails! THANKS DARLENE (not that you will see this thanks...but I will thank you in person later).

Also, I got a phone call from one department about a GA position, and we are planning to have a face to face meeting (interview) on Tuesday morning. Praise the Lord for that. We'll see how things turn out!

And ~ FYI ~ Right now Preston and I are "reading"/listening to the audio of the book "SHACK". It is really good and I would recommend it with hesitancy. I know that there is a lot of controversy around this book...but there is A LOT OF TRUTH in it too. The book is making me think outside of my little box. God is SO much more than I realize and there is SO much to having a deep, inner, and real communion with GOD! If you are looking for a summer read check out the Shack...by William P. Young

Hope everyone is able to enjoy their weekend!

:) KJV

Blessed Assurance Jesus is mine