Ch-ch-changes

Everyone's life post-college brings with it a number of changes and hardships. I feel like the Lord has brought me through some rough patches this past month and a half and is continuing to provide strength and wisdom every day.

I was blessed to know that I had a job post-graduation. My job search was practically effortless (Dr. Seybold sent psychology majors the information, the recruiter came on campus to interview...all I had to do was sign up for the interview and show up for it!) and I officially had the job a few months prior to graduation (granted that I did in fact graduate ;) I am very blessed. But the changes and transitions I had to make after graduation were still pretty difficult.

I work for Northwestern Human Services in Lyndora (Butler), PA, or NHS for short. I work as a TSS (therapeutic staff support) (yeah, I know..lots of acronyms..) part of the time and at the office in a program called Stepping Stones part of the time. I work with children with special needs; most of the kids have autism. For the TSS / wrap-around part of my job, I go a client's home to work with him on goals that have been developed for his particular needs. A person with a master's level degree called a BSC (more acronyms..), or behavioral specialist consultant (I think.) develops a treatment plan for each child that needs wrap-around services. The TSS's job (me) is to implement the treatment plan via behavioral techniques. Essentially, it's behavioral therapy for children who need it. Stepping Stones is a program M-F, for children ages 3-13 who have special needs (mostly autism). We make up a schedule each day, which usually consists of free play, circle time, library, sensory time, games, and structured group activities. I work with a great group of staff and I love working with the kids. Every single day is different, and every single day is challenging. I ask God for the strength and wisdom only He can provide to get through each day.

At the beginning, it was hard to adjust to a new job, especially one that was so stressful and unpredictable. Children are hard to work with in general...but children with special needs takes extra patience and effort. Not only is the job emotionally stressful, but it involves a lot of data-taking and paperwork. We have to track each child's progress at every session (both at Stepping Stones and during TSS hours)- circling, tallying, and timing, taking down notes...it's hard to do WHILE trying to work with the kids,.. and over a month ago, I was still trying to get into the swing of things at NHS.

Take all that, plus the fact that Dan had just left for Nashville for the whole summer, and I was not getting along with my family and wanted to move out more than anything (and at the same time, not being a good example and light for them as I constantly blew up and fought with them), I broke down and was very lost and afraid and needed the Lord more than ever. I felt alone, completely alone...and not secure in anything. I've been learning (mostly with my heart, cause we all know this with our minds) that being secure in Christ is the only way to get through and rise above hardship.

I will write about my new home in my next blog entry, and what's happened since I've been crying out to God for direction, peace, and strength. God is so good!!