Date Night

I called my grandparents in Alabama on Thanksgiving to check on them and extend Thanksgiving day greetings. At one point in the conversation, my granddad asked if I had anyone special in my life yet. I replied, "No, sir. Legally and morally, Lewis and I are still married even though we have been separated over a year." My grandfather was thinking about NyCee and Tyler and does not want a lot of men around them. I reassured him that was NOT an option. I will not parade different men in and out of my children's lives.

But it started me thinking about an actual date. If in fact I were to go on a date what would I do? I have an idea! I would invite him over to help me wash, dry, iron and fold the pile of laundry that just keeps growing!


The clothes on the chair are clean. The clothes on the couch are clean and in three piles. Each pile represents me, NyCee and Tyler. The pile of clothes on the floor has yet to make it to the washing machine. Oh, did I mention the clothes on the couch are from last week's laundry day?Now, if I could just find the time to iron and fold them, I would be happy has a little lark.

So my idea of a date night: dinner and laundry. Heck, I am willing to forego dinner if he would just help with the laundry.

God's Promise

As I exited the parking lot this evening after work, I saw this rainbow in the sky. Immediately, I began to think of all the promises God has made to His children. Those promises are made available through the blood of Jesus Christ.

How appropriate for the rainbow to appear the day before Thanksgiving? It reminded me of all the things for which I am thankful and that God never forgets His promises. Tomorrow can always better than today if you expect it to be.


"For all the promises of God in Him are Yes, and in Him Amen, to the glory of God through us."

2 Cor 1:20

Pearly Whites

Tyler's bottom two teeth have finally broken through. I was amazed when I noticed his teeth coming in so soon. His doctor stated that 6 months is the average age when babies start teething. NyCee didn't get teeth until she was close to 9 months old, I think.

Anyway, like his sister, he attempted to bite me one time while nursing. I think all babies try it. But like I stated, it was one time and he has not tried it again.

He loves to show off his little teeth by smiling and cooing. When he smiles, you can really see his dimples.

Progressive Blessings

Well, today marks my second week of working full-time. As I was thinking about my journey these past few months, I realized that a progression of blessings occurred every 30 days since moving back to Phoenix.

08/18: Moved to Phoenix,

09/18: Starting working my week end part-time job,

10/20: Began training as a school bus driver,

11/18: Began working full-time job,

12/18: I will have a Master of Business Administration Degree.

Isn't that awesome? I have truly come to believe that it is all in how you perceive a situation. For example: the news reported the unemployment rate is up to 6%. Now initially, that appears to be unpleasant news. However, considering that is taking into account the entire country, that means 94% of the population is gainfully employed or sustaining themselves.

I used that example because your perception will shape your reality.

Last year this time I didn't know which way was up. My husband and I separated, I learned I was pregnant with Tyler, I had to live with my parents (in the frozen tundra of Michigan) and collect state assistance, I loss my home, credit, possessions, etc. But today, I do not look at my life through those eyes. Today, I have beautiful healthy children, on the verge of having two college degrees, an opportunity to pursue a PhD, two jobs that I enjoy (when there are people who can not get one job), I live where I want to live, I have a church home that I love, friends, family, a fully furnished home, no debt, a vehicle with no car payment. My God! I am so blessed. And actually I just learned that my employer offers a 75% discount off of tuition for a doctoral program. The problem is that my program is not offered. But I can get another Master's degree, if I so choose, for free!

My heartfelt prayer to God is that my journey will help someone else reach his/her destiny. It was hard some times. But God brought me through it. I am a much better mother, friend, employee, daughter, Christian because of my journey.


"Consider it a sheer gift, friends, when tests and challenges come at you from all sides. You know that under pressure, your faith-life is forced into the open and shows its true colors. So don't try to get out of anything prematurely. Let it do its work so you become mature and well-developed, not deficient in any way."
James 1:2-4 The Message

Whew, it's Friday

Well, my first week of work was FABULOUS! On my second day, I conducted an investigation! HA! Everyone was amazed that I was able to complete this task. Why, I do not know? I conducted investigations for several years with my employer in Atlanta so it was like riding a bike. Once you learn it, you never forget how.

My manager commented that she could tell from my mannerisms that I have experience in this area. Good thing I didn't lie in the interview! HA!

So far, I really like the job and the people. Unfortunately, I do not like the team I am assigned to as they are sort of stand-offish. My telephone hasn't been installed yet and one of the programs I need has to be installed by IT. But other than that, my week has been very good. The best part: my computer is chained to my desk so I will never bring work home!

I am tired of school. I always get like this near the end of the quarter. Plus, these last two classes are areas that do not interest me. Nor do I understand 1/2 of the assignments. I really do not care about the grades. I just want to be done.

Well, I have to hit the books to complete this week's assignments. Please continue to pray for me as I have three weeks of school remaining beginning Monday. I CAN DO IT!!!!!!!!

My First Day

I reported for work this morning and it was a very good day. Everyone is so nice and friendly. They even appear to enjoy their jobs.

I was very comfortable today. I did not have those awkward first day moments. The environment is so neat and clean. My desk is very comfortable and every one in the office as a view from his/her desk. The company designed the buiding and interior layout to provide a gorgeous view no matter where the desk is located. This is the view from my desk:



I do not like the work hours of 8-5p. I am assigned to the region covering the midwest, south and north east. Therefore, I have to work until 5p to accomodate for the time difference. I was driving like a mad woman trying to get to the daycare before 6p. I really do not want to switch the kids to another facility as they are very comfortable there. I will try to find an alternate route to get there in about 30 minutes.

All in all, it was a great first day. Also, everything is online. The company seems to work hard at maintaining a level of excellence to ensure things function as they ought.

Nana Ida Comes to Town

NyCee and Tyler enjoyed a visit from Nana Ida. She came to town on Saturday night and will be leaving tomorrow. She had an opportunity to visit our church and just relax. (Which is something she really needed to do.)

Unfortunately, we were unable to do much because I had to work this weekend and have to work tomorrow-YAY! But we just enjoyed each other's company. I think she enjoyed the 80 degree weather more than anything seeing as how it is snowing in Michigan.

Next time she visits, we will not have so much going on at one time and she will be able to do more sight seeing.

Nursery Rhyme Shuffle

While in the bathtub, NyCee began singing various nursery rhymes. The only problem is that she combined several verses into one song. For example:

"Old McDonald had a farm. E I E I O. And down came the rain and washed the spider out."

"Ring around the rosey, shake it all about. Left foot out. Hokey turn yourself around."

"A B C D E F G. H I J K what you are? Up above the world so high for the bible tells me so. Little ones to Him belong, they are weak but He is strong."

At the end of her concert, she said, "Mommy, Ta-Dah! Good Stuff!"

On Pins and Needles....

Okay, so I am still waiting for a response regarding my interview for the Employee Relations Consultant position. Here's the latest update:

I have received two calls from the company conducting the background check. The first call was for my birth date. The second call was for a fax of my degree. Then on Friday, a representative from the company called and advised that I am a candidate for the position they are waiting for my background check to clear. She also needed additional information about my former employer.

As I was typing this entry, the phone rang and she offered me the job with the salary higher than what I expected. GOD IS GOOD ALL THE TIME!!!!!!!

"God can do anything, you know—far more than you could ever imagine or guess or request in your wildest dreams! He does it not by pushing us around but by working within us, his Spirit deeply and gently within us." Ephesians 3:20 The Message

Take it by force

In an effort to wean Tyler off of breast milk, I only allow him to nurse at night. Even on the weekends when we are at home. However, I guess he does not like that idea. He was on my lap playing when he grabbed my shirt with enough force to lift himself up and attempted to begin nursing through my shirt!

He is a strong little boy!

A Ghetto Moment

You know you are having a ghetto moment when you put your child in the bathtub in preparation for bedtime, look in the dresser drawer to retrieve a pair of underwear only to discover that none are clean.

While you had the good sense to start the load of laundry containing the underwear earlier that evening, you did not account for drying time. Therefore, you used the hair blow dryer to dry a pair panties so that your 2 year old daughter will not go to bed commando. Definitely a ghetto moment.

As a side thought, wouldn't the phrase, "A pair of panties" be an oxymoron? I mean technically, the letter "a" is singluar and "pair" is plural. Therefore, "a pair of panties" is an oxymoron.

:~P (Sticking out my tongue)

Today's Oxymoron

The state of Arizona requires that all school buses be equipped with a heating system. But air conditioning is optional.

Really?!?!?!?!?

Picasso

My pastor has been teaching a series titled, "Does the Mind Matter?" This picture of NyCee is a perfect example of the context of the message. He teaches that if you are predominantly left-brained, then you should exercise the right-brain and vice versa.

NyCee is obviously tapping into her creative side (right-brain) by building a sculpture of Cheetos on top of a peanut butter sandwich.

Decisions, Decisions, Decisions

The interview process for the Employee Relations Consultant position is complete. Initially, I didn't think that I wanted the position because I was content to work two jobs for now. Even though I will still work the part-time job at my church on Saturday nights, I really want the position. It is an opportunity to develop my knowledge and exercise my decision making abilities while advancing my career.

The panel interview consisted of three (3) individuals currently serving in different roles in the company but each began their careers in the role for which I applied. Next was a writing sample issuing a disciplinary letter for an individual whose attendance record continued to decline. (In theory, this should have been a breeze but it has been over two years (2) since I have actually written one of these letters. I had to pull the information out of my subconscious!) Finally, I met with the director. She was a very nice lady. A little spacey. She reminded me of my former VP. She advised that background checks must be completed before an offer of employment is presented as the company does not extend offers contingent on the clearance of background checks. Collectively, the initial phone interview, the first-face-to-face with the two Employee Relations Managers (one of whom left the room during the interview and returned when it ended), the panel interview, and the interview with the director, will determine if an offer is extended.

That about sums up my afternoon yesterday. Additionally, I scheduled an interview for Monday with a different company but after much thought, I have decided to cancel the meeting. The company is over 40 minutes away, one way. Further, the position does not offer any growth opportunity.

So, here I am again: waiting..............................

The Lord is my Shepard. I shall not want. Psalm 23: 1

Rounds 3 and 4

I received a call today to continue in the interview process for the Employee Relations Consultant position.

Tomorrow, I will interview with a panel and then move on to meet the director.

"If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him."
James 1:5 NKJV

Again, I wait...

Well, I had my interview today for the Employee Relations Consultant position. I think that it went well. I was much more relaxed and the questions were straight forward rather than behaviorial based. There was one scenrio that I had to read and give my opinion of how I would handle the situation.

The environment was warm and inviting and I actually felt comfortable while waiting. The office is about 20 minutes from my house but I can take the surface streets to avoid traffic. The downside is the hours are 8a-5p Monday thru Friday. I would rather work 7a-4p so that I can have a little more time in the evenings. But that is a minor issue.

While in that interview, I received a voice mail message about another position. When I spoke with the manager of that company later that afternoon, he scheduled an interview with me for Thursday (which I will be re-scheduling due to a conflict.) It is reassuring to know that God has this all under control. I am blessed with two really great part-time jobs that do not conflict with one another nor do they tire me out. I would really like to get the job I interviewed for today. I could see myself working there. That company will help me fill in the gaps in my resume which will lead to my director or vp position.

But for now, once again, I wait...............


13 [What, what would have become of me] had I not believed that I would see the Lord's goodness in the land of the living!

14 Wait and hope for and expect the Lord; be brave and of good courage and let your heart be stout and enduring. Yes, wait for and hope for and expect the Lord.
Psalm 27:13-14

Preparation

Lean on, trust in, and be confident in the Lord with all your heart and mind and do not rely on your own insight or understanding.
Proverbs 3:5

My interview for the Employee Relations Consultant position is tomorrow at 2:00pm. Unlike my interview with Target, I have not prepared at all. I have not spent hours researching the company or various types of interviewing techniques. In fact, the only preparation has been prayer and deciding what suit to wear. Because I have relied on God for to meet EVERY need, I am okay with whatever happens tomorrow. I have salary and work hours requirements that must be met. If the company is not willing to meet those two conditions, then I will continue to wait on the Lord-plain and simple.

On a lighter note, it was a beautiful day Saturday. So I opened the door to the balcony and put the screen door in place. Today, as I prepared to go to the balcony to put a load of clothing in the washing machine, I opened the door and walked right in to the screen door.

Heck of a Week

"If God gives such attention to the appearance of wildflowers—most of which are never even seen—don't you think he'll attend to you, take pride in you, do his best for you? What I'm trying to do here is to get you to relax, to not be so preoccupied with getting, so you can respond to God's giving. People who don't know God and the way he works fuss over these things, but you know both God and how he works. Steep your life in God-reality, God-initiative, God-provisions. Don't worry about missing out. You'll find all your everyday human concerns will be met. Matthew 6:30-33 The Message

I began my new job on Monday and this has been a long week. As I sit here writing a blog entry, instead of working on my ECON Excel project, I was just thinking about how truly blessed I am.

While grocery shopping alone (the kids were at daycare) and singing and dancing up and down the aisles, I received a call to schedule a face-to-face interview next week for a position as an Employee Relations Consultant with a fairly prominent company here in the Valley of the Sun. Lately, I have had more calls about jobs "than a little bit" (that is phrase I learned from my cousin while living in Atlanta.- HA!) But why have the interviews starting pouring in? Because I followed Jesus' advice in Matthew 6:33. I stopped seeking for a job and started seeking after Him. All my needs and wants are met.

The kids have adjusted to their daycare very well. I knew that NyCee would be okay but Tyler took a couple of days to grow accustom to the new arrangement. But working this week has afforded me the opportunity to really stop and think about a full-time job. Right now, I get off at 2:00p and by the time I pick up the kids, get home, cook dinner, read stories, give baths, and goodnight kisses at 7:30p, I am pooped. My job is only 10 minutes away and the kids daycare is down the street from my job (about 5-6 mins). After all of that, I have to sit down at my computer and attempt to complete my school assignments before 10:00p so that I can shower and get some sleep. So now, I am trying to figure out if a full-time job is worth all of that right now.

So that was the "WAHOO" part of my week. The "boy that sucks" part is that I failed one part of my CDL exam so I have to return to the MVD (Motor Vehicle Division) next Friday and retake it. It was a four part exam and I failed the one part by one question. ALWAYS GO WITH YOUR FIRST THOUGHT! But it's okay. I will zip thru it next time.

Back to the excel project.....


But when He, the Spirit of Truth (the Truth-giving Spirit) comes, He will guide you into all the Truth (the whole, full Truth). For He will not speak His own message [on His own authority]; but He will tell whatever He hears [from the Father; He will give the message that has been given to Him], and He will announce and declare to you the things that are to come [that will happen in the future]. John 16:13 Amplified Bible

Faith Walk

Moving to Phoenix, this time around, was truly a walk of faith. I knew in my heart that moving was the right thing to do. It just took a WHOLE LOTTA faith to actually do it seeing as how I didn't have job, no job prospects (other than substitute teaching which I really did NOT want to do), no interviews lined up-nothing. I packed up my kids and moved on faith.

Now, some people thought that I was being "Flighty Dayna" and just flying by the seat of my pants. I promise, that this time, I put a lot of thought and prayer into this decision.

Since moving, I have had seven, yes, seven job interviews. Two of which came this week. Now, given the current state of the economy, I consider that a true blessing from God. When I didn't get the job two weeks ago, I was bummed out because I thought that I "needed" a full time job to take care of me and my children. Wrong! What I needed to do was stretch my faith and remember that God feeds the birds surely He will take care of us (Matthew 6:26-31).

I have received blessing after blessing. All my bills are paid in full and on time. Remember, I just started working on 09/18 and 10/20 respectively.Financial blessings have come to me to meet that need. Yesterday, I received a call about a full time position and had a phone interview. I am not really interested in the position but I do not pass up opportunities to brush up on my interviewing skills. Today, while in training, my phone rang and it was another company calling to conduct a phone interview. Again, I am not interested in the position but will seize the opportunity for a face-to-face interview if one is offered.

I am not interested because my current situation works very well for me. I work one part-time job Monday-Friday (2 hours in the morning and 2 hours in the afternoon) and my other part-time job on Saturday nights. The kids are in daycare all day and I have time to complete my schoolwork during my down time. This opens up my evenings for rest and time with the kids. Actual quality time with them. And if by the time I complete my doctoral program, NyCee will be in Kindergarten thereby reducing my daycare cost.

One of the pastors at my church teaches, "Short term pain reaps long term rewards." What am I saying? It would be better for me to stay at my part-time job (for which I am receiving state retirement points and matching 401k benefits) and complete my doctoral program rather than take a full-time job for $40k and drive myself mad trying to be superwoman. Yes, in the short term, I will be on a strict budget. But the long term reward is worth it!

I just think about how awesome God is to have even opened the doors of employment opportunities. It just reminds me that He has everything under control. But I had to do my part which was act on my faith.

The Flutist

For the past several days, NyCee has been walking around the house playing her "flute." Which of course are highlighters clipped together. What amazed me is: 1. she actually knows the colors of each highlighter. She said, "Look Mommy. Pink, orange, yellow. I play the flute." And then she starts to hum a little tune. The second thing is that she is recalling an episode of Dora the Explorer. She can nearly replay the entire episode out loud. The little tune that she hums is what Dora hummed while playing her flute.

NyCee even uses Spanish words, in the correct context, on several occasions. That little girl is so smart. I was thinking that next year I will get her involved in some sort of activity. Either playing an instrument or sports. I think I want to get her involved in swimming or gymnastics.