A few of you know I need prayer for something these days.  I want you to know how blessed and thankful I feel having you for friends.  God bless you richly and be with you always.

Today I went to a new church that’s right around the corner from where I live, so close I could easily walk there.  It’s fairly small, non-denominational, charismatic, has good worship music, and sweet loving people.  The sermon was part drama part talk… based in scripture and clear.  The pastor greets people before and after service and is very kind.

Maybe I’ll go next week too.

Love to all,
Gerrie

My daughter got married Saturday. Her fiance has a huge family, and so some of them came. Her cousins and their parents (my ex in-laws) came, and of course her brothers and their families and Dennis and I came. Here is a picture of her little family:

Sunday Dennis and I went to the San Diego Zoo. I’d never been there, and we took the bus tour. We got there in the morning and so the animals were somewhat active. We left at lunchtime when it started to get hot.

Today is catch-up day before I go back to work (at school).

Hope you all have had a great weekend!

Love to all,
Gerrie

The district I am in uses Mac computers. So I got one. They want teachers to use technology as much as they can, and since I don’t have my own room but will move among 3 rooms, I decided to get a mac laptop. I need to know how to do things on a Mac so when I’m doing something on the computer in class, I’m not “learning how” in front of the kids. I have ideas for using videos and things from You Tube, for example.

Today I figured out how to make my old printer work with it (downloaded & installed a driver), configured my email account for it, played with recording software, and just have been getting familiar with it. In another district I had to use macs and there were some things I liked and some things I hated. But my son-in-law to be showed me all the cool things you can do with a Mac, so I think it will be better now.

Tomorrow is teacher meetings all day, then school starts Tuesday. I’m excited and nervous both. But I’m very happy to have this job!

Time for bed now.

Love to all,
Gerrie

For a few months now I’ve been writing about my job hunt.   At last count, I had been accepted for a job I didn’t want, but hoping to be hired for a job teaching sign language at a a high school before I sign papers for the other job.

While we were in Germany I corresponded with people from both jobs.  As late in the game as I could do it, I reluctantly said yes to the job I’d been offered because it wasn’t for sure the ASL teaching job would work out (they had to double check to see if they could legally hire me with the credential I have).  This “last choice” job was something I am NOT qualified for (they are desperate), it would mean a cut in pay (because of not having the proper credential), a long commute, AND also driving to schools an hour away to take courses toward a DHH (deaf & hard of hearing) credential, not to mention paying tuition.

I got back from Germany last  Friday, and called HR on Monday to set up a time when I would come and sign papers.  They didn’t  seem to know school was starting Wednesday, and the “only available appointment” would be Friday the 17th.  So I thought, oh well, their problem, and just maybe this will buy some time.

In the meantime I was in touch with the people at the high school where I could teach ASL, and they were still trying to work out the credential problem.  The district credential specialist got back from her vacation on Thursday, but she thought the job involved teaching deaf kids and said it requires a DHH credential.  The lady trying to work out the situation wasn’t satisfied, it didn’t sound right to her.  But she wasn’t sure she could get it resolved before I had to sign papers at 9 am Friday, and in fact it didn’t look very likely.

Thursday night I was really upset about it, and Dennis corrected me (rightly) about my attitude.  He said I should be grateful I had a job at all, that I should be dancing in the street instead of having the blues about a job I “couldn’t  have”. He said the kids needed me and that I’m very compassionate and kind and would do good there. He was right, and I had to go to God and apologize for not being thankful. 

Dennis also said, however, that I should help research on the California Teachers Commission website to find out what credenial someone teaching ASL to hearing kids would need. He said you sometimes have to “make opportunities for yourself”. I found exactly what I needed and emailed it to the lady who wanted to hire me.

God is very gracious and merciful; the next morning something kind of miraculous happened.

I left the house at 8:20 am to drive down to the county offices to sign papers at 9, figuring that was it, and I would make the most of it.  I prayed earlier that morning about the situation asking God to work out the financial situation (my house needs a couple of major repairs), that He is my husband and homeowner, and please just work it out.

I didn’t even make it to the end of my street — the cell phone rang, and it was the superintendent of the district I hoped would hire me.  He was calling to officially offer me the job of teaching ASL and RSP (my credential fits that) at the high school!  I said OF COURSE I’ll take it!  He said someone would call me to have me come down and sign papers TODAY.

It means (and I told him I would gladly do this) I have to take a major state exam to prove competency in ASL, and also I have to pursue a single subject credential.  I can do that credential at virtually any university or college, unlike the DHH credential which is offered at only 3 places in southern California (none close to me).  This is an “investment” because it never hurts to have two credentials, and teacher pay is always based on how much education he/she has.

Yesterday at 3:30 I went to the district office to sign papers.  Contingent on fingerprinting results (no problem), I am officially hired to teach at a high school 15 or 20 minutes’ drive from here!

It’s full circle in a way.  When I interpreted for a counselor in the CA dept of vocational rehabilitation, we used to visit this school to help deaf graduating seniors transition to college, training, or work.  This counselor is still a friend, and his wife works at this school.  When we’d go visit, and he would be talking to the deaf students, I would sit and talk to the DHH coordinator about teaching, etc., and this is the lady who went to bat for hiring me.  The counselor had told me to call her, to see if there was an opening, and when I called (a couple of months ago) she said they were looking for an ASL teacher.

Her name is Julie.  She also told me she’s happy to have me because I can not only teach sign and help with RSP classes, but that I can also help mentor the interpreters who work there.  So I will be useful:)  Just  pray I can get the class discipline thing down:):):)

Thanks to all who prayed with and for me in this.  Praise God for His grace and provision so I can write about how He answered our prayers and hopefully encourage others by it.

To those who need a job, don’t give up, God will provide.  He has done this for me so many times through all these years since my divorce and even before that, and I’m just “one of the kids” like you.  To everyone, please do keep praying for those of our little community who need provision, such as ideaguy’s wife Allison.  Pray also that he gets lots of school speaking engagements and that he can sell his book.  This is for “food on the family table”!

God bless you all, and the kids especially as we get ready to go back to school.

Love, Gerrie

It’s taken a few days to regroup and recover from jet lag, and to think before I write.  We had a wonderful trip and a wonderful time visiting my brother and Germany, and even Austria.  It’s good to be home but I miss my brother, and we both hope we can get together next year here or there.

My brother and Dennis hit it off, and so we had a really good time.  Frank (my brother) and his wife Sabine had to work most days, so we rented a car and took a couple of little trips on our own.  Sabine loaned us her GPS navigator and we switched it to English — wow, what a lifesaver!  Sabine loves to cook and is wonderful at it.

They live on the outskirts of a town called Langenzenn, and Sabine took us around one afternoon after she got home from work.  One afternoon Dennis and I drove to a town called Rotenburg on the Tauber, which is a small town surrounded by a medieval wall and guard towers.

On Saturday my brother took the day off and we went to Nuremburg, where they showed us around the main part of the city.  On Sunday we went to a town called Keilheim, to ride a boat on the Danube River.  The Strauss waltz “the Blue Danube” comes to mind?  It’s not blue, it’s green!  But it’s beautiful.  Near Keilheim is one of the oldest monastery-breweries in Germany, from the 6th century A.D.

It’s really beautiful, not dirty, and lots of people were along the shoreline, and children were playing in the water.  After the boatride Dennis and I went down and touched the water just for fun.

Keilheim is a very quaint town

There is even a building with David and Goliath on its side:

Then after half the boat ride we ate outside at the monastery restaurant:

Here is a picture of Dennis & me on the boat:

Then on Sunday we went to Munich.  We had a wonderful time and met with Sabine’s cousin and her husband.  They are very nice people!  For brunch we had my favorite, weisswurst (white sausage) and pretzels!  Soft pretzels are originally from Germany and many restaurants serve them instead of bread or biscuits.  When they’re fresh they’re out of this world.  After that, Dennis and I left the family and drove down to Salzburg, Austria.

Saltzburg is known for being Mozart’s birthplace, the annual Music Festival, and for the Sound of Music (because the outside shots were filmed in and around it).  We had planned to stay one day but fell in love with it so we stayed for two.  We took two tours, the “Sound of Music tour” (4 hours) and the city tour by van and boat.  Then we walked around Old Salzburg and took a cable car up to the fortress.

This above is an area of old Saltzburg.  The music festival and Mozart’s house are there, as well as extraordinary churches and fountains.

This above is a man-made lake with the back view of the house where some of the Sound of Music was filmed.  Remember the children falling out of the boat as they got close to the back of the house?  This is the lake they were in, and the house you see was used for the “back” of the Von Trapp house.

There are more photos in my photo blog, so I’ll just show you one more here:

Of course McDonald’s is everywhere, and of course they have an old-world sign out front!  We also found a Starbuck’s in Nuremburg:)  there are none in Salzburg but we hear Vienna has several!

We had a wonderful time, Dennis was always kind and considerate, and we had a GREAT time with my brother’s family.  He isn’t a Christian, but he’s a very sweet, wonderful guy.  My niece is studying for her confirmation in the Lutheran church and likes religion classes.  So who knows what the Lord will do in their lives?

My job is still up in the air, and hopefully I’ll know something tomorrow.

Love and blessings to all, Gerrie

Well, there isn’t really any news about the job front.  The job teaching sign language at the high school does look promising, but the bottom line there is that the principal needs permission to hire me, because it’s ADDING staff, not replacing staff.  So please pray for that?

As for the job teaching deaf kids for the county, the principal who interviewed me said he was going to recommend to Human Resources that they do hire me, and that I’d hear from them…I’ve heard nothing and it’s been nearly two weeks.

So I wait. I’ve given the high school people my email address and travel phone numbers so they can contact me if necessary.  My brother has internet of course:)

Tomorrow very early in the morning, we leave for Germany.  I wouldn’t have done it except that we found tickets for about half the price of what we were finding (I have savings), a job does look promising, and like Dennis says, it’s a “good distraction”.  We fly to Detroit then on to Frankfurt, Germany, where my sister in law and her dad will pick us up — we’ll stay with my brother (I’m excited that Dennis & my brother and his family will get to meet each other). 

So today I’m doing laundry, packing, and errands, etc. 

I’m not too sure how much I can be on Xanga, probably not much, while I’m gone.  But please know I’m praying for many of you (xGodfatherx take heart, Proudmom87, Xangpastor, Ideaguy, Jimmish, etc.), and that won’t stop just because I’m somewhere else!

We come home August 10th.

Love to all, Gerrie

Thank you for the comments and prayers.  Things aren’t what I expected, but some good things are coming out of it,too.  The teacher I was hoping to work with wants to keep corresponding, so it’s as thought I’ve “lost” a job but “gained a friend”.  And that is nice.

I called the program specialist at the high school, and she has set up an interview for this coming Monday at 3 pm.  I’ve also been applying online for other jobs, and have an interview for one of them on Tuesday at 3 pm.  My prayer for Monday is not just that it will go well (I’d LOVE teaching sign language!), but that the principal of the school could also be there so we don’t need two interviews; I’m leaving for Germany and the program specialist is also going out of town on July 31, so it will help if we can speed up this process (assuming I’d get the job, that is).  It would be wonderful to leave for Germany with a contract signed.

Pastor Phil and Dennis both have said that God knows about these jobs and so it might be that I’ve been “saved” from things I don’t know about the job I so much wanted.  So although I was upset for a day, my trust is truly in God’s wisdom and providing for me.

Now to some food for thought.  I’m on a mailing list for daily devotionals, and some of them are pretty meaty.  Today’s was about I Peter 3:7.

“Husbands in the same way be considerate as you live with your wives, and
treat them with respect as the weaker partner and as heirs with you of the
gracious gift of life, so that nothing will hinder your prayers.”  I Peter
3:7 

The “equation” in this verse made a light go off in my head.  I have heard lots and lots of sermons telling wives to submit to their husbands, and several sermons about husbands honoring their wives as the “weaker vessel”.  I’d even heard mention of us being “heirs together.”  But I never noticed that how you treat each other in marriage can actually hinder your prayers!

I was married for 23 years to someone who I now know never really respected me; he was abusive and selfish to the whole family. When I told him he didn’t respect me he said he did…but actions speak louderr than words.  But God was merciful and did take care of us.

The devotional also tied in verses 1 to 6 of the same chapter, and showed how both aspects of the submission-respect requirement are really being like Christ.  Jesus submitted to the Father in His willingness to go to the cross for us (“not my will but your will,” He said.)  And husbands loving their wives is imitating Christ loving the Church so much he died for her (as it says in Ephesians 5).

The article further mentioned that the urge to “be right” and win an argument isn’t worth risking that your prayers be hindered! The article said, “It reminds us that Christ did no wrong, he committed no sin (so much for the
“but I’m right argument”).  It is a hard thing to get over right and wrong.  The
rubbing it in, the high and lofty places we put ourselves in, but would you
allow being right to close the door on your prayers?”

This is a picture of the kind of marriage I hope to have.  Serving the Lord with a husband that is easy to submit to, because I know he loves and respects me, and daily reflecting the character and love of Christ to each other, our children,  and everyone we meet.  That’s what I want to be when I grow up :)

There are other things that can hinder prayer (like not forgiving someone), but this one was new to me, and I thought I’d share it.  We want to be close to our Father and be able to bear our hearts to Him and know He listens, don’t we?

Love to all, Gerrie

Well, the Burbank job didn’t work out.  I just found out today that the principal decided to rearrange faculty she has, to fill the position.  It’s nothing unusual, I’ve seen it done before, and it saves the district money.

Yesterday I had a phone interview.  On a lark I applied for a job with Los Angeles County teaching deaf children even though I don’t have the credential for it.  I noticed there were a lot of jobs posted for this, so I figured maybe they’d  have trouble filling them all, and since I do sign, I thought, maybe they’d be just desperate and I’d be desperate and we’d work something out.

I got a call last week from a principal who happens to know the wife of the rehab counselor I used to interpret for.  He got my application, and yesterday I did the phone interview.  An hour later he called me to say that he was going to recommend to their Human Resources that they hire me for the job.

Again, I don’t have the credential for it, and would have to go back to school to get it, and it would take a lot of work and travel (and money) to do it. 

The counselor I worked for urged me to call the program specialist where his wife teaches.  He and I used to go there to serve high school student clients (state voc. rehab) as they graduated, to help them transition from high school to college or work.  I got to know this program specialist, all while I was going to school and thinking of becoming a teacher.

I called her, and she was so happy to hear from me because they are looking for someone to teach American Sign Language as a foreign language at the high school. She said it would be a simple thing to hire me because she (and one of the teachers, the counselor’s wife) knows me and knows I”m dependable, and that I CAN sign, etc.

At the time I told her of the Burbank job, and she said well, call me if that doesn’t work out.  So today I did.  She’s going to check with someone (wasn’t clear who it was) at work to see about me coming to talk to them next week.  This might work out, and i’d like it better than working for the county (they have more severely disabled kids in their classes).

It seemed so “clear” that the other job was to work out.  But now I have no idea where I’ll end up for sure.  I’m hoping it’s the high school ASL teaching, although it would mean needing to get the discipline down (although I’m told high school can be better than middle school).  The commute would be very easy, and the pay would be higher.

On another note, Dennis and I were talking about going to Germany to visit my brother.  But we weren’t going to do it unless I had a good chance of getting a job or got one…but, we miraculously found tickets for half the price of what they were just a day before, so we’re going.  That means both of us are going for the price of just one ticket two days ago!  We leave July 31 and come back Aug. 10.  That is SUCH a blessing!  It will be an actual vacation and Dennis will get to meet my brother and his family.  We will stay at my brother’s house of course.

Thank you for praying, I’m sure God will provide.  I’m really really disappointed, I really wanted this job.  I cried.  But I’ll be ok I’m sure.  He provided last year, and I’m sure He will this year.

Love to all, Gerrie

Today was the second day of Summer School.  This job is like Heaven compared to the job I just ended at the middle school!  These children are so sweet (mentally retarded or autistic 5th & 6th grade), the aides are competent, helpful, kind, knowledgeable and respectful.  The daily schedule is up to me to choose except that we go swimming every day!  Curriculum is easy because the purpose is to maintain their skills, not introduce new ones.  I’ve decided to do music every day, too, which is a lot of fun.  The aides told me they don’t get much music during the school year, so I think we “have” to do it!

Last week’s interviews were almost fun!  The first one was at a school about 2 blocks from where Dennis works (which excites him, he says we could have lunch together every day:).  The principal and 3 teachers were very nice and easy to talk to, and the job is for a Special Day Class of 3rd, 4th, and 5th graders.

The second was not an interview, but just a “chat” with the principal at a school across town from where Dennis works, close to where he used to live.  That is the job co-teaching a 5th grade class mixture of deaf and hard-of-hearing students.

The hiring process for this job is a multiple-step one.  First we have a meeting with an instructional specialist who is deaf, probably next week.  After that would be an actual interview, with several people involved, including the deaf teacher I’d be working with.  I hope and pray this all goes smoothly, it feels like it would be my niche.

Either job would be wonderful, I think, so I hope something in this district works out.  The interview I had the week before (or was it Tuesday last week? Can’t remember) wasn’t as good; the principal and one other person were very formal, and I was uncomfortable.

In the meantime I will still look on the teacher job website where openings are posted, and do whatever it takes to keep looking!

Thank you for the prayers.  I get concerned about some of you when I read your posts (Spiritual Battlefield, Proudmom87, AngelAware, Jimmish (of course he’s in Mexico!), Xangpastor,  Ideaguy, xGodfatherx, Anniemockingbird, the Ledsomes, and too many others to mention) and I pray for you when I read, and even other times as I’m talking to God.  I think we are a community when we mutually subscribe to each other, and it’s great comfort to know we have support, and important to give each other support.

The Bible says “the prayers of a righteous man are effectual” (I might have misquoted a bit), which means God really hears us as we lift each other to the throne of Heaven to focus our Father’s attention on a brother or sister in need.  I also think it’s good to get our minds off ourselves and get out of the “woe is me” department.

Anyway, just sharing some thoughts.  Have a wonderful evening and rest-of-week!

Love to all, Gerrie

The theme of this week is so serious it’s been on my mind to write something else today.  Someone told me about a friend of hers who sometimes tells God jokes.  I know it sounds silly, but on the other hand, if God is your best Friend, why not tell Him jokes?  We tell him our troubles, we tell him someone else’s troubles,  we talk to Him about the world’s troubles (at least I do) and we thank him for what he’s given us and we beg Him to send Jesus back soon.  Maybe He enjoys hearing funny stuff once in a while.

God does have a sense of humor.  Look at the behavior of some creatures on this planet, and you’ll see what I mean.  Look at the funny, silly stuff WE sometimes do!

I’ve always loved elephant jokes.  I know they’re dumb.  What I love about them is their innocence, their simplicity.  Their cuteness.

How do you tell an elephant is in your refrigerator?  You can smell the peanuts on his breath.

How do you tell an elephant WAS in your refrigerator?  By the footprints in the jello.

Why do elephants paint their toenails red?  So they can hide in cherry trees.

Why do elephants have flat feet?  From jumping out of cherry trees.

Some of you will hate me for this, but I also like some blonde jokes.  Now don’t get me wrong.  My daughter and one son are blonde-headed, so I’m NOT implying that blondes are dumb by liking these jokes.  The ones I’ve gotten in email that are clean, I like for the same reason I like elephant jokes.  The simplicity and cuteness of them.  But here’s a turnaround is fair play one:

Why are blonde jokes so short?  So brunettes can remember them.

How do you amuse a blonde for hours?  By writing “Please turn over” on both sides of a piece of paper and giving it to her.

Here’s a little longer one:

A blonde quickly went out to her mail box, looked in it, closed the door of the box, and went back in the house. A few minutes later she repeated this process by checking her mail again.

She did this five more times, and her neighbor that was watching her commented: “You must be expecting a very important letter today the way you keep looking into that mail box.”

The blonde answered, “No, I am working on my computer, and it keeps telling me that I have mail.”

I know, it’s silly.  And instead of blonde, you could insert any kind of person… 

So the other night I while was praying  I told God a couple of jokes.  It felt good to do that.  If we really want a good relationship with God, I think we should share with him some of the more “mundane” silly stuff of life, too. 

It might be silly to share with God something that happened in our day, because we know “He already saw it happen.”  But the Bible says He knows what we’re going to ask even before we ask it, so we might as well share the other stuff besides our “requests”.

Makes me wonder if anything funny ever happens in Heaven.  It makes sense, doesn’t it?  He made us, and we’re pretty funny sometimes.  Maybe angels are funny sometimes.  Maybe there’s an angel equivalent of a little kid saying something funny that we all love the story to retell again and again.

Just thought I’d throw out some food for thought that wasn’t quite as serious.  I’ve heard that there are brilliant scientists that make a hobby out of designing houses and furniture for an imaginary 2-dimensional world.  So even people with master’s degrees can like elephant jokes or blonde jokes:)  Some knock-knock jokes are good too:)

Love to all,

Gerrie

P.S. if you want more elephant jokes, you can do a search on the internet.  I found some on a British site called  http://www.azkidsnet.com/elephant.htm .   They’re all good clean fun.

Edit on 4/13:  Justonehummingbird shared a silly cute joke, so I decided to put this invitation for more of you to share a silly thing, too.  As a break from all the serious stuff!