As many of you already know (but some of you may not) in December 2009 I graduated from home school high school....just barely by the skin on my teeth. Just kidding! I really graduated with many flying colors.
Barely a month afterward, I went to OKC to intern at Character First! Education. While there, I learned how to teach children in elementary classes, conduct Bible studies, put together lesson plans, and was given an advanced speech class. I learned how to understand the deeper motives of people, how to respond to them, how to defend my faith, how to witness effectively to all ages, and I spent some time in the field witnessing to others, as well as teaching in the public schools. I taught in an average of 11 classrooms, five days of the week, and 3 Bible clubs a week. It was a truly amazing, and fulfilling experience, one that I am very grateful God put me in.
While at Character First, I grew tremendously in my spiritual life, and the Lord corrected me in some wrong attitudes and decisions that I had made in the past, and He rekindled the fire inside of me to serve Him. Thankfully, that fire has still not dwindled again, and I am still growing in Him everyday. I've grow so fast in such a short time, and I now know if the Lord wants something done, and if we are willing to cooperate and do our part, then NOTHING is impossible. I still have much growing to do, but I am stronger than I was, and am longing to reach out and help others grow as well.
I was at Character First from January 6th till the middle of May. I came home only twice during that time: once for a short two week break at the end of March, and at the beginning of May after a bad accident.
I gained many friends who encourage my growth spiritually, are very close to my heart, but they are all physically so far away. They are now sprinkled all over the United States and the world!
At the beginning of May I accidentally fell down a flight of 12 concrete steps, and damaged my knee slightly. I healed quickly, but I am still suffering a few inconveniences from that fall.
At the beginning of June, I helped with a Christian Girls horse camp for a week. I was the cook, and the Character coach. The girls all said that they loved my cooking. ;) But I was the most proud of them, and I thanked God for Character Training that He gave me when I saw the girls demonstrating and applying the godly character that I had taught them about: Joyfulness.
It is SO amazing to be around your pupils everyday and actually SEE them apply what they have learned! Praise God for the teachers who taught me, and praise Him for those precious girls!
Afterward, I spent the rest of June, and part of July, helping my grandfather on his farm. While there, I was able to continue to spend more personal time with God, and memorize scripture. I got to better know my great- grandmother, and I learned all about the working parts of a combine....or the parts that are not working properly. I found that duck tape WILL fix anything, rattlesnakes are taking over the world, raw wheat is great for an empty stomach (that happens if you forget lunch) and I also learned how to drive a stick shift truck! YAY!
One of the hired hands on my grandfather's farm also used to be in the military and worked as an E.R. So I was able to gain valuable knowledge from him concerning how to tie knots, survive in harsh weather conditions (other than Oklahoma weather), and what to do if someone looses a hand or foot. He has also become a great spiritual mentor for me while I stay at the farm.
In August, I started a Christian Girls Horse club, which took place once every week. It was a success while it lasted. The girls that came learned much about the horses, and was also able to learn more about godly character and how to apply it to their lives. I praise God that it lasted for 3 months! I would have liked it to last longer, but under the circumstances, I am grateful that it lasted that long.
In September, things began to change in my life quite suddenly, and make it quite different. Though, I did not know it at the time, it is going to have a profound impact on my life, but I intend to make the best out of it, and turn it into something that will impact the lives of those around me, to God's glory.
First, my mother's mom, Jackie, and my great aunt Osha moved onto our farm and are now living with us. Jackie raises Thoroughbred horses, and is an AMAZING help around the farm, and they both are such a blessing to me and my family. I love them so much.
However, the big change, started small and sneaked in quietly. Family members had been complaining to me since August that I was ignoring them, and not paying attention to what was going on around me. So, I did my best to become more alert to my surroundings, and moved on.
On a nice September day, I was out walking with the dogs, when they suddenly moved off the road. I could not understand why until I felt heat and vibration on my back. I turned around to find a large dodge truck crawling right behind me with a surprised farmer sitting in it. I had not heard a single thing, and it frightened me badly.
A few days later I informed my mom about it (who nearly had a conniption fit that I had not told her sooner) and we set up an appointment for a hearing test.
The hearing test, a couple of weeks later, showed I was 60% deaf in my left ear. My right ear appeared normal, other than for some slight loss in the lower tones. We did not know why I was suffering such loss.
We were scheduled for another appointment further away with a more advanced ear doctor in December.
During the months, my family began to notice that my hearing was getting progressively worse.
A dear friend, and ex-room mate, of mine from Character first came to visit me for a week. Those were amazing days!
Thanksgiving was a special, and very nice day with my family, but I noticed that it was very quiet from what I was used to.
Finally December rolled around and we went to a hearing specialist in E. city. He did some simple hearing tests on me, all of which were very negative. Again, nothing appeared wrong with my ears, but everything was strangely silent. No ringing, no headaches, no sinus infections...NOTHING.
So the kind doctor did a more advanced hearing test on me a week later. The results were very difficult for me and my mother to take. I was now 70% deaf. My left ear was almost completely deaf, and my right was now severe.
Again, no explanations as to why or how this could be. It just was happening for no apparent reason.
'Research shows that 70% of all Sudden Hearing Loss cases are unexplainable: they don't know why they are happening or what has caused them. Only 50% of those are treatable with steroids.'
So my family and I don't suppose that we will ever know the WHY: we will never understand why I am loosing my hearing. But we are making the most out of this experience. My mom was able to witness to the doctors as she waited for me in testing. My family has learned that, not only must I give them my complete attention when they speak to me, but they must also give me theirs. Our sign language is improving (I learned it when I was 10 years old as a second language, but got very little chance to practice it), and we also found that I read lips very well. We joke about it a lot as a family, and most people barely notice I have this...... 'handicap'.
I am considering getting a puppy and training it myself as a hearing dog. I am still trying to adjust to not being able to hear things, and I am trying to savor those things that I do hear and thank God for them.
This is a very big change in my life, but I am taking it with God's grace, and I am leaning on Him because I know that He has a special plan for me in the future.
So that is the basic details of what went on in my life in 2010. I thank God that 2010 was such a good year, and I am looking forward to what He has waiting for me in this year of 2011!
God bless each of you this year. May His hand guide you and His right hand hold you! (Psalm 139:10)
Barely a month afterward, I went to OKC to intern at Character First! Education. While there, I learned how to teach children in elementary classes, conduct Bible studies, put together lesson plans, and was given an advanced speech class. I learned how to understand the deeper motives of people, how to respond to them, how to defend my faith, how to witness effectively to all ages, and I spent some time in the field witnessing to others, as well as teaching in the public schools. I taught in an average of 11 classrooms, five days of the week, and 3 Bible clubs a week. It was a truly amazing, and fulfilling experience, one that I am very grateful God put me in.
While at Character First, I grew tremendously in my spiritual life, and the Lord corrected me in some wrong attitudes and decisions that I had made in the past, and He rekindled the fire inside of me to serve Him. Thankfully, that fire has still not dwindled again, and I am still growing in Him everyday. I've grow so fast in such a short time, and I now know if the Lord wants something done, and if we are willing to cooperate and do our part, then NOTHING is impossible. I still have much growing to do, but I am stronger than I was, and am longing to reach out and help others grow as well.
I was at Character First from January 6th till the middle of May. I came home only twice during that time: once for a short two week break at the end of March, and at the beginning of May after a bad accident.
I gained many friends who encourage my growth spiritually, are very close to my heart, but they are all physically so far away. They are now sprinkled all over the United States and the world!
At the beginning of May I accidentally fell down a flight of 12 concrete steps, and damaged my knee slightly. I healed quickly, but I am still suffering a few inconveniences from that fall.
At the beginning of June, I helped with a Christian Girls horse camp for a week. I was the cook, and the Character coach. The girls all said that they loved my cooking. ;) But I was the most proud of them, and I thanked God for Character Training that He gave me when I saw the girls demonstrating and applying the godly character that I had taught them about: Joyfulness.
It is SO amazing to be around your pupils everyday and actually SEE them apply what they have learned! Praise God for the teachers who taught me, and praise Him for those precious girls!
Afterward, I spent the rest of June, and part of July, helping my grandfather on his farm. While there, I was able to continue to spend more personal time with God, and memorize scripture. I got to better know my great- grandmother, and I learned all about the working parts of a combine....or the parts that are not working properly. I found that duck tape WILL fix anything, rattlesnakes are taking over the world, raw wheat is great for an empty stomach (that happens if you forget lunch) and I also learned how to drive a stick shift truck! YAY!
One of the hired hands on my grandfather's farm also used to be in the military and worked as an E.R. So I was able to gain valuable knowledge from him concerning how to tie knots, survive in harsh weather conditions (other than Oklahoma weather), and what to do if someone looses a hand or foot. He has also become a great spiritual mentor for me while I stay at the farm.
In August, I started a Christian Girls Horse club, which took place once every week. It was a success while it lasted. The girls that came learned much about the horses, and was also able to learn more about godly character and how to apply it to their lives. I praise God that it lasted for 3 months! I would have liked it to last longer, but under the circumstances, I am grateful that it lasted that long.
In September, things began to change in my life quite suddenly, and make it quite different. Though, I did not know it at the time, it is going to have a profound impact on my life, but I intend to make the best out of it, and turn it into something that will impact the lives of those around me, to God's glory.
First, my mother's mom, Jackie, and my great aunt Osha moved onto our farm and are now living with us. Jackie raises Thoroughbred horses, and is an AMAZING help around the farm, and they both are such a blessing to me and my family. I love them so much.
However, the big change, started small and sneaked in quietly. Family members had been complaining to me since August that I was ignoring them, and not paying attention to what was going on around me. So, I did my best to become more alert to my surroundings, and moved on.
On a nice September day, I was out walking with the dogs, when they suddenly moved off the road. I could not understand why until I felt heat and vibration on my back. I turned around to find a large dodge truck crawling right behind me with a surprised farmer sitting in it. I had not heard a single thing, and it frightened me badly.
A few days later I informed my mom about it (who nearly had a conniption fit that I had not told her sooner) and we set up an appointment for a hearing test.
The hearing test, a couple of weeks later, showed I was 60% deaf in my left ear. My right ear appeared normal, other than for some slight loss in the lower tones. We did not know why I was suffering such loss.
We were scheduled for another appointment further away with a more advanced ear doctor in December.
During the months, my family began to notice that my hearing was getting progressively worse.
A dear friend, and ex-room mate, of mine from Character first came to visit me for a week. Those were amazing days!
Thanksgiving was a special, and very nice day with my family, but I noticed that it was very quiet from what I was used to.
Finally December rolled around and we went to a hearing specialist in E. city. He did some simple hearing tests on me, all of which were very negative. Again, nothing appeared wrong with my ears, but everything was strangely silent. No ringing, no headaches, no sinus infections...NOTHING.
So the kind doctor did a more advanced hearing test on me a week later. The results were very difficult for me and my mother to take. I was now 70% deaf. My left ear was almost completely deaf, and my right was now severe.
Again, no explanations as to why or how this could be. It just was happening for no apparent reason.
'Research shows that 70% of all Sudden Hearing Loss cases are unexplainable: they don't know why they are happening or what has caused them. Only 50% of those are treatable with steroids.'
So my family and I don't suppose that we will ever know the WHY: we will never understand why I am loosing my hearing. But we are making the most out of this experience. My mom was able to witness to the doctors as she waited for me in testing. My family has learned that, not only must I give them my complete attention when they speak to me, but they must also give me theirs. Our sign language is improving (I learned it when I was 10 years old as a second language, but got very little chance to practice it), and we also found that I read lips very well. We joke about it a lot as a family, and most people barely notice I have this...... 'handicap'.
I am considering getting a puppy and training it myself as a hearing dog. I am still trying to adjust to not being able to hear things, and I am trying to savor those things that I do hear and thank God for them.
This is a very big change in my life, but I am taking it with God's grace, and I am leaning on Him because I know that He has a special plan for me in the future.
So that is the basic details of what went on in my life in 2010. I thank God that 2010 was such a good year, and I am looking forward to what He has waiting for me in this year of 2011!
God bless each of you this year. May His hand guide you and His right hand hold you! (Psalm 139:10)
You are a blessing from God and your faith in Him gives those around you witness, thank you for being "You in God's Light"
ReplyDeleteBlessings,
Granny J