For the past month I have been on call for the McNay's, who are pregnant with their second child, in case they go into labor at night. If it happens, the plan is for me to get "the call" and come straight over to be there for their 19 month old, Hadleigh, while they head to Piedmont Hospital. I would then be there when Hadleigh gets up and I would fed her breakfast, etc then call the Washburn's to get her and then I would go to class or MARR or supervision or whatever.
The funny thing is, I've totally forgotten that I was on call until last Wed. I realized suddenly that Ami was due on the 27th and so ON ANY NIGHT she could call. Whoops. Good thing I didn't leave my phone in the car. Ami does have a backup though, Laura, which is GREAT just in case.
Friday night both Laura and I and a bunch of people were at Nathan's house watching a movie. When it was over I noticed my phone was beeping to tell me I had a message. Suddenly I had a sinking feeling and checked the "missed call" to find out it was indeed Ami McNay. Laura had a message too. In a panic we listened to it thinking that Hadleigh was either awakened from her slumber and not happy at the hospital with them or I don't know, left there?? Who knows-we weren't thinking rationally. Luckily it was Ami saying that she had tried cod liver oil and having contractions so she just wanted to give a warning. Whew. So when I went home that night I packed a bag so I could be ready.
I woke up yesterday morning and no phone call. No baby then. Ami called around 10:30, really restless with trying to wait for so long. Being the supportive friend I am I suggested we go for a walk in my neighborhood complete with a ton of hills to see if we could further propel baby girl "Fred" from the safety of the womb. No dice. Ami and Dave were at church today with "Fred" still inside.
Oh, and I found out that I am only on call on weekends and Laura is during the week, so I am now off the hook hopefully indefinitely. Because we are all really wanting that baby to come before Friday!!
Then I will finally find out the name too. "Fred" is just what they've been calling her for now (I'm sure all of you are now relieved to know that) and I've done a great job of guessing names but wrong thus far. I'm sure it's going to be something awesome though!! We're all pumped to meet her face-to-face.
Sunday, October 28, 2007
Thursday, October 25, 2007
Some truth for today
Part of my group supervision class on Thursday is for each of us to take turns doing a case presentation, where we have to get more extensive info together about a client we're seeing, play 15 minutes of tape from our session, and do a devotional that relates to the client and therapeutic process.
Last week my friend Alison did hers and she shared a neat verse that works so well for counseling but really just anyone needing encouragement for change in their lives. It was Ephesians 4:23-24, and she read it in the New Living Translation. Here it is:
"Instead, there must be a spiritual renewal of your thoughts and attitudes. You must display a new nature because you are a new person, created in God's likeness- righteous, holy, and true."
To me, those verses instill hope for those who are seeking to follow God but still get caught in old ways of thinking and behaving. Which goes to one of the things I love about counseling so much. It's the most humbling profession. Just when I really want my client to change and experience resistance in that process, is when I see how I do that so much in my own life, with God and others.
To quote one of my professors, "counseling is just helping one beggar helping another beggar to find food." They just might be farther ahead or at a different place in the journey.
Last week my friend Alison did hers and she shared a neat verse that works so well for counseling but really just anyone needing encouragement for change in their lives. It was Ephesians 4:23-24, and she read it in the New Living Translation. Here it is:
"Instead, there must be a spiritual renewal of your thoughts and attitudes. You must display a new nature because you are a new person, created in God's likeness- righteous, holy, and true."
To me, those verses instill hope for those who are seeking to follow God but still get caught in old ways of thinking and behaving. Which goes to one of the things I love about counseling so much. It's the most humbling profession. Just when I really want my client to change and experience resistance in that process, is when I see how I do that so much in my own life, with God and others.
To quote one of my professors, "counseling is just helping one beggar helping another beggar to find food." They just might be farther ahead or at a different place in the journey.
I've noticed
Other people who don't live in Georgia may not know this, but in our state we're under major drought. Supposedly we will run out of water in 90 days. I don't know how this could possibly be true, but maybe it is, because our governor has been on the news blaming the Chattahoochie River and the state of Alabama for stealing our water. Now I don't know about you but I've been to the river and Alabama, and I don't want to be drinking any water out of either....
Anyway, I called a recruit last night who lives in Chicago and the first thing she said was "so do you guys have like water?" It was hilarious. I told her I just cleaned the house and ran the dishwasher so it was looking good at least for that night.
It is kind of weird though. In Kenya people just used this group spicket near their huts and that's all the water they had. At our house in Kenya we ran out of water sometimes but then just took less showers.
Can you run out of water in America? I'm sure. But it's funny how disconnected I feel, especially since I don't have plants to water and I already don't shower every day. And gosh darn it, I'm still good looking! So we'll see what happens. we need to just keep praying for rain!
Anyway, I called a recruit last night who lives in Chicago and the first thing she said was "so do you guys have like water?" It was hilarious. I told her I just cleaned the house and ran the dishwasher so it was looking good at least for that night.
It is kind of weird though. In Kenya people just used this group spicket near their huts and that's all the water they had. At our house in Kenya we ran out of water sometimes but then just took less showers.
Can you run out of water in America? I'm sure. But it's funny how disconnected I feel, especially since I don't have plants to water and I already don't shower every day. And gosh darn it, I'm still good looking! So we'll see what happens. we need to just keep praying for rain!
Another episode of things I learn from MARR
For the past two weeks I have been sitting in on a different primary group in the afternoons with a different counselor. The primary groups are smaller, with only about 3-4 guys in them as compared to about 10-15, and they are usually more like group therapy/process times where their counselor can go more in depth into their lives.
Since I started at MARR last May, I've been sitting in with my supervisor's group in the afternoons. But it's been time to change so I can see how other counselors do it.
The counselor I'm with now knows A TON about AA and the 12-steps. He has the best sayings and I've learned more and more about the disease model of addiction from him. It's been really cool.
Here's a couple of sights/sayings I've gotten from him this week:
"What is the alcoholic's favorite drink?" More
"What is the definition of mental obsession?" When one thought overrides all other thoughts
"What is the definition of resentment?" "Re" means to do something again, and "sentment" means to have a feeling about something, so "resentment" means to have ill-feelings over and over again
How do you manage decision making in recovery? RAAF- Resist, Analyze, Admit, Forgive
What is the best movie example of the 9th step? Billy Madison, when he makes amends with his high school friend, and he takes Billy off his hit list.
Since I started at MARR last May, I've been sitting in with my supervisor's group in the afternoons. But it's been time to change so I can see how other counselors do it.
The counselor I'm with now knows A TON about AA and the 12-steps. He has the best sayings and I've learned more and more about the disease model of addiction from him. It's been really cool.
Here's a couple of sights/sayings I've gotten from him this week:
"What is the alcoholic's favorite drink?" More
"What is the definition of mental obsession?" When one thought overrides all other thoughts
"What is the definition of resentment?" "Re" means to do something again, and "sentment" means to have a feeling about something, so "resentment" means to have ill-feelings over and over again
How do you manage decision making in recovery? RAAF- Resist, Analyze, Admit, Forgive
What is the best movie example of the 9th step? Billy Madison, when he makes amends with his high school friend, and he takes Billy off his hit list.
What in the heck is that?
I might be procrastinating from homework of doom, but alas, I miss the blog so I am writing on it dangit!
I've noticed that whenever you move into a new place, no matter how much you prepare, plan, and research the house that you're about to live in, there's always unexpected and bothersome twists. In the apt I lived in Sandy Springs, it was the occasional gunshot and random fire alarms. In Graceland, it was living with a door to the outside in my room and hearing every single rock and leaf rub against the door which sounded EXACTLY like a mass murderer attempting to break in would, I'm sure.
In the townhouse, during the fall season at least, it's been the dropping of the acorns on my deck. I have never encountered this before, but if anyone else has, please let me know. It's very intriguing. My windows in my room face the pond, my deck, and this big tree that towards over the deck. It's really beautiful. However, with the change in season, the tree has been dropping huge acorns which land on the wooden deck with a loud BANG. If they hit the adorondak chairs or my grill, the bang is even louder. It sounds like someone is throwing rocks off my roof. And it happens about every 10-15 min.
Besides scaring the poop out of my cat and preventing me from falling asleep, it's been bearable. I've thought of really practical solutions like laying a big blanket on the deck to cushion the fall for the acorns or shaking the tree really hard for a few minutes to see if all of them will fall off.
I'll let you know if I think of anything else equally brilliant....
I've noticed that whenever you move into a new place, no matter how much you prepare, plan, and research the house that you're about to live in, there's always unexpected and bothersome twists. In the apt I lived in Sandy Springs, it was the occasional gunshot and random fire alarms. In Graceland, it was living with a door to the outside in my room and hearing every single rock and leaf rub against the door which sounded EXACTLY like a mass murderer attempting to break in would, I'm sure.
In the townhouse, during the fall season at least, it's been the dropping of the acorns on my deck. I have never encountered this before, but if anyone else has, please let me know. It's very intriguing. My windows in my room face the pond, my deck, and this big tree that towards over the deck. It's really beautiful. However, with the change in season, the tree has been dropping huge acorns which land on the wooden deck with a loud BANG. If they hit the adorondak chairs or my grill, the bang is even louder. It sounds like someone is throwing rocks off my roof. And it happens about every 10-15 min.
Besides scaring the poop out of my cat and preventing me from falling asleep, it's been bearable. I've thought of really practical solutions like laying a big blanket on the deck to cushion the fall for the acorns or shaking the tree really hard for a few minutes to see if all of them will fall off.
I'll let you know if I think of anything else equally brilliant....
Wednesday, October 10, 2007
Please bear with me
Hello you faithful view who still try to read my blog! I know I haven't written anything in a while. I would like to ask prayer for myself this month. I have a lot going on, mostly with school assignments that all seem to be due this month. I'm also getting my community presentation out of the way (graduation requirement) by speaking at my church's youth group on Sunday about boundaries. I've never spoken to youth before, although working in addictions is kind of like working with youth sometimes. So yes, I could use prayer. And any scripture you'd like to email me that has to do with ohhh like strength and patience and peace and stuff would be welcomed with open arms!!
Here are a couple of highlights though from the past few weeks that I would have loved to write whole blogs about:
-having a birthday dinner at Brio (picture above) which included the best salmon I've ever had!!
-visiting with my aunt Sherrie who was here last Tues/Wed for business. She's the second family member from the Rausch side to see my house, and I was really excited!! We got to hang out and have dinner at Brickstore Pub which is always a great place to unwind and ice cream at Jake's. Basically, she pretty much got the bomb Atlanta experience between me and Brickstore.
-I got a really fantastic surprise for my birthday about a week ago which was from my sister-in-law Shannon. She is a scrapbooker, and she created for me a whole mini-scrapbook of pictures from each of my birthdays from childhood. What a treasure!!! I didn't even try to hold back the tears when I opened it and realized what it was.
-I've got 10 more homeless packs ready to hand out!! This time I included a pack of oatmeal. I don't know if that's practical, but I thought, why not. Healthy, and different.
-I attended a Christian leadership Conference called Catalyst, which was phenomenal. I wished it would have fallen on a different week (I had to miss two classes, my internship, and supervision, but it gave me class credit I needed). But I got the CD's and will review them in Dec when my semester is over!!
-I've been able to sit in on two couples therapy sessions at my internship, which I really loved, and participate in Operation Mobilization's missionary assessment by doing four psych interviews. I loved that too and both experiences have allowed me to grow tremendously as a counselor.
-I got a flat tire today, but the good thing is that it happened at my internship, so since I work with mostly men, it was no problem finding someone to help me! And I made it to a mechanic near my school who took the nail out and fixed it in a jiffy so I only missed half class.
Well, that's it. I've got to work on my boundaries talk. Later!
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