At least all that's over.

So much has happened since my last post, but I don't really have time to catch you up at the moment. I finished the semester with a B in both classes. I was happy about that, believe it or not. I'm still working on watching the observation videos to officially be admitted to the ACP program. The month of May has really flown past. I planned to finish the videos and answer the questions before I took the TExES 4-8 Generalist. That didn't happen. I also didn't get to study for the blasted exam like I had planned. I took it yesterday. I studied and prayed all week. I prayed before the test and during the test. I actually feel pretty good about it; I know God didn't bring me this far, only to fail now. My mom always taught me to study like my grade depended on me and pray like it depended on God. If I don't get the required 240 on this test, it would be the first big standardized test on which I didn't score well enough the first time. I should have my results by 5 pm Friday. That means I'll be checking my account all week to see when my score is posted.

Last week, I took a course and am now a certified Youth Mental Health First Aid Instructor. (Paid for by my employer, thankfully!) After I updated my resume last night, I uploaded it to my profiles and decided to check out the latest job postings. I'm glad I did! I applied for a few new jobs. I already know I didn't get one job; thankfully, it was one I didn't really want.

Summer classes start Monday. I'm not positive that I'm ready, but at least the semester will be complete by the 4th of July.

I'm taking a little fun time tonight to watch a movie or two with Paul.

Spring is here!

Sort of. Today is the first day of the Spring semester. Believe it or not, I've been waiting for it. Book vouchers started last Monday, so we went to the university after I got off work Tuesday. I was shocked. For six books, only two of which were available used, my voucher was a grand total of $175.15. One class is web-enhanced, the other is web-only. I sent in my introduction for the web class. Dr. H, the professor of the web-enhanced class, wants us to include a picture with the intro. No problem! As soon as I have Paul take a good one after I get off work tomorrow. I have pictures, with no makeup, from Thanksgiving and Christmas. Since this is for something professional (or at least professional-like) I want to be wearing makeup. And not have a zebra print Snuggie pulled up to my chin. These were my options:

October 2013. I took this one on my phone while I was at work. (I was documenting how well my hair held up throughout the day.)

Thanksgiving 2013

Christmas Eve 2013

January 2014. I had Paul take this for a digital scrapbooking challenge, then I cropped the pic in PicMonkey.

None of these are what I want to portray to my professor and my class. I'll post the one I use, hopefully tomorrow! 

There don't appear to be any reading assignments for this week, but I want to start reading for next week. TTFN - Ta ta for now!

Just be quiet and listen . . .

Those are words I've heard many, many times in my life. Or at least some variation of them. I've heard it from my parents, my sisters, my teachers, my friends, my husband, even my five year old nephew. I'd probably hear them from my pets/babies if they could speak. Most of all, I've heard them from God. I don't hear Him like I hear my family. Like many Christians (Yes, I said the word. If it bothers you, that's your issue, not mine.), I often hear God speak to me through thoughts that seemingly come from nowhere, internal feelings--sometimes peaceful, sometimes anxious--basically when I'm actually taking time to be quiet and listen. I heard Him say this to me this morning during a rather slow time at work. I looked at the payments that will come out of this check. I looked at the prices of the books again. I definitely won't be buying them from the university bookstore, but I will have the money to buy my books. That's great, since I found out tonight in Human Growth and Development that we will have a chapter test each week, beginning next Tuesday.

God definitely answers prayers. This time, He worked pretty quickly. Of course, I would've preferred to have the answer before last night. But, as I often remind myself, He knows the whole plan. And it's perfect. I don't know how many times I've heard somebody say that God didn't answer their prayer. I understand the confusion; I used to think the same thing. As I have grown in my relationship with God, one of the biggest things I've learned is that He always answers the sincere prayer. I asked for God not to let my papaw die. He said "No, I know better." I asked God to bring me the man He had designed to be my husband. He said "Wait. I'll bring him when you're ready." I asked God for a way to get my textbooks. He said "Yes." I just had to slow down, be quiet, and listen to Him. If I'd done that last night, I may have gotten my answer then.

No books? No problem.

My first face to face class this semester has come and gone. It's an educational research class, so you know what that means: RESEARCH! At the end of the semester, I'll be turning in a research proposal. I'm not exactly sure what that means at this point, but I'm guessing I will be writing a proposal for some topic to be researched. I've printed off everything I need for this week in my web-based class, which is about using technology in education. (I'm really pretty excited about this one!) I'll be off and running on it. Tomorrow night is the first meeting of my human growth and development class. (I don't have high expectations; I've had an undergrad class with the same name. How different can it really be? I guess I'll start finding out tomorrow.) This semester will be busy, but definitely doable. Especially since the technology class is only a seven week class.

When I admitted to grad school in 1999, I enrolled in two classes. Due to work, I had the enviable choice of dropping a class or failing it. Since I elected to drop the class, my pace percentage for financial aid was below 67%. By completing all four of my classes this summer, I raised my pace percentage to an acceptable level. What's the problem with that? Summer II ended Friday, August 16. The financial aid hold wasn't removed until Tuesday, August 20. Fall classes started today, Monday, August 26. My financial aid hasn't been approved yet. I don't know if they've even started reviewing it yet. All I know is that a guy from Financial Aid told me that I am in line for review as of the 20th. Oh, I also know that there is currently a peak in financial aid applications. (He told me that, too.) My financial aid will "hopefully" be approved in "the near future". He suggested I check my university email and web for students regularly (which I translated to "daily"), so I can accept the offer and satisfy any requests as soon as possible. I was able to get an emergency tuition loan and sign up for a payment plan, and I have a $500 scholarship this semester, so my tuition is all good for now. My problem is books. I don't just have a lot of extra money after the bills are paid. At the lowest possible prices for used books from amazon.com, the books would cost about $200. Since I don't have a student loan with a refund yet, I can't get a book voucher. Now I get to see how God is going to work out a way for me to have my books in time to complete the first assignments. Oh, yeah, and pass a test over the first five chapters in two weeks.

Have I mentioned that I'm not very patient with things like this? I need to have a plan. I need to have the things I need in advance. Some people are comfortable not having a book on the first day of class. I am not one of them. I was always the nerd that would start reading Chapter 1 before the semester even started. I am pretty anal about my grades. I need to jump right in and start reading the chapters. I am so out of my comfort zone right now.

And I have a feeling that's right where God wants me. He wants me to depend on Him to get my books instead of scheming and finding a way on my own. (My usual MO.) I guess it's just a part of leaving the big fish.