I thought it was about time to update you on the job search.
First of all...thank you so much for your prayers over the last year. You have no idea how much I appreciate you remembering me and lifting me up to the orchestrator of my life! I am so grateful He has it all under control!
A year ago this week is the one year anniversary of losing my job at the Georgia Baptist Convention. I was shocked, left wondering why I was one of the ones chosen to leave, sad, etc. I loved it there and had made many great friends. BUT I never doubted that God was still in control.
I took a little time off before looking for a job. I had many lunch dates with Harry, got to run around with him to some of his events and visited the mountains of Tennessee and North Carolina a couple of times. I had the privilege of spending a lot of time with a dying friend (which would not have been possible had I been working). This past summer, I spent a lot of time with my sisters, my daughters and granddaughters. Thank you God for my family!
First of all...thank you so much for your prayers over the last year. You have no idea how much I appreciate you remembering me and lifting me up to the orchestrator of my life! I am so grateful He has it all under control!
A year ago this week is the one year anniversary of losing my job at the Georgia Baptist Convention. I was shocked, left wondering why I was one of the ones chosen to leave, sad, etc. I loved it there and had made many great friends. BUT I never doubted that God was still in control.
I took a little time off before looking for a job. I had many lunch dates with Harry, got to run around with him to some of his events and visited the mountains of Tennessee and North Carolina a couple of times. I had the privilege of spending a lot of time with a dying friend (which would not have been possible had I been working). This past summer, I spent a lot of time with my sisters, my daughters and granddaughters. Thank you God for my family!
Last January I began the job search. I targeted churches in the Atlanta area, then moved on to Christian schools. When I searched online or in the newspaper- every time, my search seemed to lean toward the medical profession. Some of you pointed me toward things of a medical nature. I started searching hospitals and doctors offices. I kept seeing openings all around for RN's and I thought, how crazy is that! At one time, about a hundred years ago, I thought that was what I would be when I grew up. But thanks to Chemistry, that thought ended during my senior year of high school. I just didn't "get it". Now, I think I should have hired a tutor or something! I had taken a medical office assistant course (way back when) and worked in a doctor's office for several years. At that time, computers were not used in doctor's offices and certification was not offered. To work in a doctor's office in this day and time, I would probably have to take the course again.
I started looking into taking some kind of medical course; medical office assisting, medical coding, phlebotomist, RN, LPN, when suddenly a course at Clayton State University landed in my lap. A course for Pharmacy Technicians. Harry and I attended the orientation and I signed up.
I had no idea what all is involved in getting a prescription from the little piece of paper, through the window to the pharmacist, into the bottle and back to the patient! But I loved every minute of it! The course refreshed the medical terminology that I had taken 40+ years ago (OK, it wasn't really 100 years ago), and it made me realize that I would LOVE to work in medicine in some way. The course ended a couple of months ago and I have been spending every spare minute studying for the certification exam. I had no idea going into this, how involved calculations were, but I love math and loved the challenge of converting grams, milligrams, micrograms, grains, etc. figuring out how much of a medication should be mixed with another for certain body weights.
The certification exam was scheduled for Friday, October 15th. I had to be at Perimeter Center at 7:30 a.m. BUT in the meantime, several months ago I was offered a job. This came unsolicited! I didn't want to accept. After all, I was now in school but I had been looking for a job for almost 10 months. So I've been working for a property management company in Fayetteville, which is owned by a very nice Christian lady. It's different from anything I've ever done but I've "caught on" and am enjoying it. Only problem, I'm not convinced this is where I'm really supposed to be. After all, why did God have me take this course? Was it just to keep my brain active? That was certainly accomplished! Does He want me to use this new knowledge just for my own family? I sure learned some things that will come in handy. Or am I to actually work in medicine, more specifically drugs, in some capacity? I really don't know!
I am praying about what's next for me. And I will be searching, once again.
As this past Friday morning approached, I began to get a cold. Thursday morning, as I left for work, Harry said he would really like for me not to study on Thursday night. "What!?" This had become part of my life! How could I not study on the day before the exam? I had been burning the candle at both ends! He said, "If anyone deserves to pass the certification, you do! I am so proud of the way you have studied and put everything into this. But you need to relax! You are going to do great but don't study tonight" (He's so sweet!)
During the day Thursday, my cold began to get worse. By Thursday night I was seriously considering canceling and rescheduling. But I had waited too long, anticipated and studied so much, I wanted to get it over with! Harry was right, though, I didn't need to study. I needed to relax. I spent the evening watching TV and went to bed early. But I couldn't sleep because I couldn't quit coughing and I couldn't breathe. I got about three hours sleep, got up at 5:30 and went to Perimeter.
At the testing center I had to get special permission to take Kleenex in with me and cough drops! I had to take both out of their packaging and put a couple of each in my pocket. The exam lasted two hours and when it was over, across the computer screen "Pass" flashed on. I couldn't believe it! Thank you God! I wanted to jump up and down and shout from the mountain top but I hurt all over already, so no jumping! My throat hurt too bad to do any shouting!
I got in the car and we headed to Helen for a Jubalheir concert. I had no business going but Wendy was singing a solo and I was not going to miss it! I found a spot in the choir behind the organ so I could sit when I needed to. For the first part of the concert I stood and sang. I sat for a couple of songs in the middle, stood for another song or two, then I sat down and just listened to the last four or five songs. I don't think I was too noticeable (except when I almost went to sleep and my music folder almost fell out of my lap! Maybe only a few Jubalheir friends saw that)!. I was shivering, aching, still wanting to shout from the mountain top but I couldn't. Sitting there listening to my friends in concert relaxed me more than I have been in months. It was not only soothing to me physically but such a blessing to me spiritually!
We spent Friday night at Wendy's and I slept like a baby! No coughing, no breathing problems. Saturday was filled with Emily's birthday party at Build-a-Bear. No way was I missing that! She and her little friends were so cute! Wendy, Anna Kaye and their little friend Joseph (who they were babysitting for the weekend) went home from the party with us. Then at 5:30 we met up with Kelly and her family (including Scott's mother Sharon, my sister Bug (Kathleen) and her husband Tom, my sister Bit (Susan) and my daddy. We celebrated Harry's birthday (September), Daddy's 86th (this past Tuesday), Emily's (Friday), Wendy's (Nov. 18th) and Bit's (Nov 8th). Joey (Wendy's husband) couldn't make it due to business and Bill (Bit's husband) had to work. But it's hard to get this crowd together all at one time, so we went ahead with our plans, without them. (We will be celebrating with Wendy and her family again closer to her official birthday)
I slept good again last night. So thankful the coughing fits are only during the day! But I am just so worn out, I stayed home from church today. Wendy, Anna Kaye and Joseph went home this morning right after Harry left for church and I have been doing nothing today (between coughs)!
I started looking into taking some kind of medical course; medical office assisting, medical coding, phlebotomist, RN, LPN, when suddenly a course at Clayton State University landed in my lap. A course for Pharmacy Technicians. Harry and I attended the orientation and I signed up.
I had no idea what all is involved in getting a prescription from the little piece of paper, through the window to the pharmacist, into the bottle and back to the patient! But I loved every minute of it! The course refreshed the medical terminology that I had taken 40+ years ago (OK, it wasn't really 100 years ago), and it made me realize that I would LOVE to work in medicine in some way. The course ended a couple of months ago and I have been spending every spare minute studying for the certification exam. I had no idea going into this, how involved calculations were, but I love math and loved the challenge of converting grams, milligrams, micrograms, grains, etc. figuring out how much of a medication should be mixed with another for certain body weights.
The certification exam was scheduled for Friday, October 15th. I had to be at Perimeter Center at 7:30 a.m. BUT in the meantime, several months ago I was offered a job. This came unsolicited! I didn't want to accept. After all, I was now in school but I had been looking for a job for almost 10 months. So I've been working for a property management company in Fayetteville, which is owned by a very nice Christian lady. It's different from anything I've ever done but I've "caught on" and am enjoying it. Only problem, I'm not convinced this is where I'm really supposed to be. After all, why did God have me take this course? Was it just to keep my brain active? That was certainly accomplished! Does He want me to use this new knowledge just for my own family? I sure learned some things that will come in handy. Or am I to actually work in medicine, more specifically drugs, in some capacity? I really don't know!
I am praying about what's next for me. And I will be searching, once again.
As this past Friday morning approached, I began to get a cold. Thursday morning, as I left for work, Harry said he would really like for me not to study on Thursday night. "What!?" This had become part of my life! How could I not study on the day before the exam? I had been burning the candle at both ends! He said, "If anyone deserves to pass the certification, you do! I am so proud of the way you have studied and put everything into this. But you need to relax! You are going to do great but don't study tonight" (He's so sweet!)
During the day Thursday, my cold began to get worse. By Thursday night I was seriously considering canceling and rescheduling. But I had waited too long, anticipated and studied so much, I wanted to get it over with! Harry was right, though, I didn't need to study. I needed to relax. I spent the evening watching TV and went to bed early. But I couldn't sleep because I couldn't quit coughing and I couldn't breathe. I got about three hours sleep, got up at 5:30 and went to Perimeter.
At the testing center I had to get special permission to take Kleenex in with me and cough drops! I had to take both out of their packaging and put a couple of each in my pocket. The exam lasted two hours and when it was over, across the computer screen "Pass" flashed on. I couldn't believe it! Thank you God! I wanted to jump up and down and shout from the mountain top but I hurt all over already, so no jumping! My throat hurt too bad to do any shouting!
I got in the car and we headed to Helen for a Jubalheir concert. I had no business going but Wendy was singing a solo and I was not going to miss it! I found a spot in the choir behind the organ so I could sit when I needed to. For the first part of the concert I stood and sang. I sat for a couple of songs in the middle, stood for another song or two, then I sat down and just listened to the last four or five songs. I don't think I was too noticeable (except when I almost went to sleep and my music folder almost fell out of my lap! Maybe only a few Jubalheir friends saw that)!. I was shivering, aching, still wanting to shout from the mountain top but I couldn't. Sitting there listening to my friends in concert relaxed me more than I have been in months. It was not only soothing to me physically but such a blessing to me spiritually!
We spent Friday night at Wendy's and I slept like a baby! No coughing, no breathing problems. Saturday was filled with Emily's birthday party at Build-a-Bear. No way was I missing that! She and her little friends were so cute! Wendy, Anna Kaye and their little friend Joseph (who they were babysitting for the weekend) went home from the party with us. Then at 5:30 we met up with Kelly and her family (including Scott's mother Sharon, my sister Bug (Kathleen) and her husband Tom, my sister Bit (Susan) and my daddy. We celebrated Harry's birthday (September), Daddy's 86th (this past Tuesday), Emily's (Friday), Wendy's (Nov. 18th) and Bit's (Nov 8th). Joey (Wendy's husband) couldn't make it due to business and Bill (Bit's husband) had to work. But it's hard to get this crowd together all at one time, so we went ahead with our plans, without them. (We will be celebrating with Wendy and her family again closer to her official birthday)
I slept good again last night. So thankful the coughing fits are only during the day! But I am just so worn out, I stayed home from church today. Wendy, Anna Kaye and Joseph went home this morning right after Harry left for church and I have been doing nothing today (between coughs)!
