(no subject)
Welp, we're just a little past the halfway point in Lent and I must say, this has been the most rewarding, self-conscious Lenten season the past 24 years of my being. I've taken a lot of time and effort to seek out what I really need and want to do in my life, being more mindful of my wants, needs and of course what I am called to do. I may have a degree in music ed. I may want to do a million things before I....I don't know. I can't quite finish that last sentence eloquently because life is so unpredictable. As much as I don't know right now...I know that I am seeking help from people who have gone or are going through similar things as I and that it is ok to not have a situated place or vocation in life if you're unsure of what your calling is or what you want to do. As long as you continue to search and reflect, I think you'll inevitably move in the right direction, even if it is with blind faith.
Some things...
- I applied for my 5-year teaching license today. Who knows if this will be worth anything to me by the next school year...since a lot can happen (or not happen) between now and then. I don't know if I would thrive in the public education system. There is a lot to fight for and a lot to balance...but I know (yet maybe not fully understand due to lack of experience) that this is true for many career paths. Years back while in college, I used to think that I made this decision for this degree and that would be my career. No questions asked. I think differently now...especially if there is an inkling in one's heart that they may be better off using their talents more fruitfully in a different environment or different career, then some decision has got to be made. Both my parents changed careers, and as long as I do something I find meaningful to other people and makes me happy, feeling like I'm doing this truly for God, then...YEAH!
- Went to confession yesterday for the first time since high school. Humbling experience to say the least and the priest was very gracious. I wanted to make it very worthwhile. There is something to be said for admitting your shortcomings and wrongdoings to someone who won't judge you in any way, but will only pray for you and pray to God to absolve your sins. I can make excuses for my faults and just keep things under the surface, which explains why I haven't gone for so long. Admitting it to another person though and saying these things out loud makes a huge difference. I don't have a good enough excuse for not having gone for so long.
- Still enjoy working at Caribou and working with a lot of the people there. My boss is great, too. I know that I can be certainly okay with working here at least for the time being, maybe another year or two...or three. If I need to make ends meet, then this is what I can do. I still like making swirly lattes!
- Given my "still searching" mentality for what to do with life in general...I've been looking online A LOT for things along these lines. I still have it in the back of my mind to get Suzuki certified at some point. I think it's too late at this point to get into any summer program, but will continue to look into it if I don't land a teaching job by the next school year. I've gone through the Suzuki method from age 6 to 15/16 and it's been very rewarding. My past violin teachers have been great and I could definitely see myself teaching in this outlet. I had a couple of violin students in my last years in college...but I was honestly not feeling worthy enough at that point to teach in that area, a lot due to when I learned under this method, I was so young so it was and still is hard to relate to my own experience and how I learned when I was that age. I was not as metacognitively aware at that young age to understand how I learned violin and musical concepts, which can put me at a disadvantage in trying to teach it (sorry for the big words...just took the PLT and am getting it out of my system). SO, I would really like to go through the training and certification to have another career outlet to do something I probably would really enjoy doing...and to gain insight relating to how I learned violin in the very initial stages many years ago.
- Alright, so I've been getting back into the CYA (Cathedral Young Adults) group a lot more now, now that I don't work full-time. It's been a blessing. I've talked with a lot of people with a lot of insight and experience on many things, not just on the subject of our faith, but a lot of life's trials and tribulations. Anyway, this Lent they've had a Lenten Lecture series on the parts of the mass. Wow, there's a lot that I was not taught in 13 years of Catholic schooling, especially last week when the subject of the lecture was on the Transubstantiation part of the mass. WOW I couldn't even come close to trying to rehash the concepts and theology behind that oh-so-important part of the mass, part of the Catholic faith. It blew my mind. It's just great learning more about the Catholic faith and I feel so blessed when I reach these pivotal points that make sense to me. If you really think about it, many of us Catholics have a truly inherent, sincere "gut" faith. We know our own personal relationship to what we believe, what it means to us as it relates to our lives...but that aspect can be enriched exponentially if we reach out and take the time to investigate the mysteries of our faith. Even when we reach points of discovery, we can even further encounter new mysteries of our faith that we never would have thought about before, had we not taken the initial steps to embark on our own theological discoveries as it relates to what we claim we believe, believe with our "guts". "Gut" faith can be enriched by "theological" faith.
So, as mentioned before, I've been doing a lot of searching online. I never thought I would've done this even just a year ago, but I was browsing through masters degree programs in catholic studies/theology. I talked with a guy in the young adult group who is currently in the masters program of catholic studies at St. Thomas, and he's felt it's been very rewarding, regardless of what type of career path it sets for you. Even though it doesn't have a particular profession tied to its completion, something like this looks really attractive to me. If I'm further compelled to seriously consider applying for a program, it would be somewhere in this direction and/or in the direction of religious education. I already have an education degree, and teaching in this content area would be something that could also be rewarding.
Man...thinking about all this now and trying to fit this into the initial stages of career discernment during the beginning of college, seems like I would've had limited options at Eau Claire. I was not at a level where I would even consider changing majors, first and foremost, and if I were to even tinker with the idea of a religious studies route, Eau Claire didn't have a whole lot to offer in that category. That's ok, though. I have no regrets in choosing the degree that I have now. I met so many great people who I won't forget and I appreciated the value of so many of the classes I took (even some of the gen. ed. stuff). My interest was music, and an appreciation for the education component came along the way, and I'm glad I went that route.
Welp, I'm done for now. Full House is on. Gotta watch it.
Later.
Some things...
- I applied for my 5-year teaching license today. Who knows if this will be worth anything to me by the next school year...since a lot can happen (or not happen) between now and then. I don't know if I would thrive in the public education system. There is a lot to fight for and a lot to balance...but I know (yet maybe not fully understand due to lack of experience) that this is true for many career paths. Years back while in college, I used to think that I made this decision for this degree and that would be my career. No questions asked. I think differently now...especially if there is an inkling in one's heart that they may be better off using their talents more fruitfully in a different environment or different career, then some decision has got to be made. Both my parents changed careers, and as long as I do something I find meaningful to other people and makes me happy, feeling like I'm doing this truly for God, then...YEAH!
- Went to confession yesterday for the first time since high school. Humbling experience to say the least and the priest was very gracious. I wanted to make it very worthwhile. There is something to be said for admitting your shortcomings and wrongdoings to someone who won't judge you in any way, but will only pray for you and pray to God to absolve your sins. I can make excuses for my faults and just keep things under the surface, which explains why I haven't gone for so long. Admitting it to another person though and saying these things out loud makes a huge difference. I don't have a good enough excuse for not having gone for so long.
- Still enjoy working at Caribou and working with a lot of the people there. My boss is great, too. I know that I can be certainly okay with working here at least for the time being, maybe another year or two...or three. If I need to make ends meet, then this is what I can do. I still like making swirly lattes!
- Given my "still searching" mentality for what to do with life in general...I've been looking online A LOT for things along these lines. I still have it in the back of my mind to get Suzuki certified at some point. I think it's too late at this point to get into any summer program, but will continue to look into it if I don't land a teaching job by the next school year. I've gone through the Suzuki method from age 6 to 15/16 and it's been very rewarding. My past violin teachers have been great and I could definitely see myself teaching in this outlet. I had a couple of violin students in my last years in college...but I was honestly not feeling worthy enough at that point to teach in that area, a lot due to when I learned under this method, I was so young so it was and still is hard to relate to my own experience and how I learned when I was that age. I was not as metacognitively aware at that young age to understand how I learned violin and musical concepts, which can put me at a disadvantage in trying to teach it (sorry for the big words...just took the PLT and am getting it out of my system). SO, I would really like to go through the training and certification to have another career outlet to do something I probably would really enjoy doing...and to gain insight relating to how I learned violin in the very initial stages many years ago.
- Alright, so I've been getting back into the CYA (Cathedral Young Adults) group a lot more now, now that I don't work full-time. It's been a blessing. I've talked with a lot of people with a lot of insight and experience on many things, not just on the subject of our faith, but a lot of life's trials and tribulations. Anyway, this Lent they've had a Lenten Lecture series on the parts of the mass. Wow, there's a lot that I was not taught in 13 years of Catholic schooling, especially last week when the subject of the lecture was on the Transubstantiation part of the mass. WOW I couldn't even come close to trying to rehash the concepts and theology behind that oh-so-important part of the mass, part of the Catholic faith. It blew my mind. It's just great learning more about the Catholic faith and I feel so blessed when I reach these pivotal points that make sense to me. If you really think about it, many of us Catholics have a truly inherent, sincere "gut" faith. We know our own personal relationship to what we believe, what it means to us as it relates to our lives...but that aspect can be enriched exponentially if we reach out and take the time to investigate the mysteries of our faith. Even when we reach points of discovery, we can even further encounter new mysteries of our faith that we never would have thought about before, had we not taken the initial steps to embark on our own theological discoveries as it relates to what we claim we believe, believe with our "guts". "Gut" faith can be enriched by "theological" faith.
So, as mentioned before, I've been doing a lot of searching online. I never thought I would've done this even just a year ago, but I was browsing through masters degree programs in catholic studies/theology. I talked with a guy in the young adult group who is currently in the masters program of catholic studies at St. Thomas, and he's felt it's been very rewarding, regardless of what type of career path it sets for you. Even though it doesn't have a particular profession tied to its completion, something like this looks really attractive to me. If I'm further compelled to seriously consider applying for a program, it would be somewhere in this direction and/or in the direction of religious education. I already have an education degree, and teaching in this content area would be something that could also be rewarding.
Man...thinking about all this now and trying to fit this into the initial stages of career discernment during the beginning of college, seems like I would've had limited options at Eau Claire. I was not at a level where I would even consider changing majors, first and foremost, and if I were to even tinker with the idea of a religious studies route, Eau Claire didn't have a whole lot to offer in that category. That's ok, though. I have no regrets in choosing the degree that I have now. I met so many great people who I won't forget and I appreciated the value of so many of the classes I took (even some of the gen. ed. stuff). My interest was music, and an appreciation for the education component came along the way, and I'm glad I went that route.
Welp, I'm done for now. Full House is on. Gotta watch it.
Later.