An excerpt from my Personal Theory Paper

15 page Personal Theory Paper due in November. Having to contemplate my motivations for wanting to become a school counselor is a fantastic idea though. It's a good thing to remember why we do what we do (you can apply this to any area).

Here is a little excerpt.

Through this summer my ideas have changed. It is not just about helping people. Help in some ways can be a weak and vague word. I will try to concretely explain what I mean by help. I am really talking about assistance. I am thinking more about working with people. Being there for them and talking to them. Spreading and sharing crucial information with people who are in need. I am meaning being a part of the community that is the backbone of so many systems. Of course I cannot be all things to all people, but you know what, I can be some things to as many people as come my way. I am the one who can use these two years and then take what I become and go out into the world ready to try and work hard and sometimes fail but always having the spirit to get back up. I know but a very small part of what lies out there as far as my future career. Yet, I have this transformative hope that assures me that I will be ready to do my best. I am going to expect the best from others but no matter what they will know that they are getting the very best of me. That they are interacting with the Sabrina who looks at each day as a new opportunity. Who wants to see positive growth in others and who is expecting positive growth in herself.  

Walking in a Reading Wonderland Part 2

I'm back, just like I promised. I have another book for you today and I personally love it (actually I love them!). If you did not know, my all time, over the top, favorite book ever is Pride and Prejudice. I sometimes even think about naming my fictional future daughter Elizabeth.

Anyways, for the P&P lover my choice today is a retelling of this timeless classic that gives more insight into the mind and life of Mr. Darcy. This trilogy by Pamela Aidan is called the Fitzwilliam Darcy Gentleman Series. It's a trilogy and really you can read book 1 and 3 without missing anything from book 2.

I love both Book 1- An Assembly such as This

AND

Book 3- These Three Remain                                                                                                         

        

These books have the ring of Jane Austen that I just love but give some of the details that the orginal just did not cover. In a land of about a million P&P rewrites these two books stand out from the crowd and are worth the time and money:)

I made this!

My little Wordle was SOOOO fun to make. I got the idea from this blog, but I couldn't get that website to work so I did my own search. Be sure I will be visiting this amazing website again! I mean you can do SO much with this!!!!

Walking in a READING wonderland....Part 1

My blog header is not just a random line of four words. I figured when I started this that I would probably talk and write about Teaching (then I became a student again), Reading, Cooking, and Learning.

As I look back though, I don't have many entries about Reading. That has to be fixed now! I love reading, I read all the time. So in the spirit of my favorite holiday (which is coming round the mountain real quick like) I decided to post a few  entries about what I have been reading. Maybe you have been looking for a book. Maybe you just want to see what I have been reading (not likely;)

My first book choice is HEAVY. It is a life changing, great read but it deals with racism and really all the isms, oppression, and power. It's called Privilege, Power, and Difference by Allan Johnson.

I am a part of Book Club for my Counseling Seminar class and this is what we are reading. Like I mentioned it is not light, it is not breezy but it is packed with powerful truth and great insight into systems of power.

It dares to delve  into issues of privilege and how many of us use it daily with detrimental effects on others. My personal copy is all marked up with notes and highlights. I will say that you do have to be ready to read this book because it presents some difficult yet real issues that shape our daily living.

Come back soon for Part 2 of Sabrina's Reading Wonderland.....I will showcase a lighter read next time:)

Quiet Much?

Who knows where I get the titles for my blog entries:)

Question 1: Do you like quiet? Better yet do you actually enjoy some quiet peaceful time. Let's face it....there is just not much peace to be found right in the middle of a lot of noise and chatter.

Question 2: Do you like alone time? Do you need and crave some time where you spend time with yourself?

If you ask me these things I would answer YES to both! That is not true for everyone though and that's fine. Here is my case for quiet and escape.

 As I keep growing up the world expects more from me. More of my emotions, definitely more of my time, just more. I enjoy talking and people..... but don't you ever just need quiet (be honest)? Time to hear a cricket chirp, or hear the wind blow through the leaves. Time to not talk. Time to hear nothing. These times are becoming even more precious as our world runs haywire with technology. Tvs in EVERY room. Ipods ALWAYS plugged in and turned up in our ears. (Don't get me started on Ipod zombies who walk around constantly with the music so loud that they can't hear the calls of friends or the pleas for help from strangers!) Sorry....

What about time by yourself? Now I am a single lady with limited (insert no) dating experience so that is of course going to affect how I see things. I HAVE to have ME time. I love people, I have a blessed collection of friends and family....but people are people and at some point I need to escape. It's nothing fancy...just the split second decision to say no to an invite and take myself out to eat. Just the random silencing of my ringing cell phone so that I can sit in the quiet and THINK. It's some good stuff this me time. I feel like I know myself pretty well because I allow myself to know myself. Of course I am still growing and will be growing until I take my last breath. However you can live a whole life and only get to know yourself when sickness comes, or you are about to pass on. No way for me!

This week get some quiet. This week get some time with you. Enjoy both because they are tremendous blessings!!

Memory Verses

During tough times especially I turn to Scripture. The toughest time of my life taught me to turn to Scripture daily. It was an elemnt of life that kept me whole and brightened my perspective.

When I was younger Memory Verses were the "it" thing in Sunday School....I think they still are:) Here are some of my grown up Memory Verses that have been blessings.

".... Shall we indeed accept good from God, and shall we not accept adversity?” In all this Job did not sin with his lips." Job 2:10

"From the end of the earth I will cry to You, When my heart is overwhelmed; Lead me to the rock that is higher than I. " Psalms 61:2


"A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings forth evil. For out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks." Luke 6:45

100 Posts!

Good Grief this is my 100th Post. Happy Anniversary to me:)

I do enjoy going back and reading my little blog and seeing how the life of Sabrina is a pretty wonderful thing.

To counteract my post last week on things I Don't Like, May I present......

Things that I DO Like:)

A fabulous, skinny, crescent moon that reminds me that God's works are many and beautiful.

Cool weather and the look of leaves that are changing from vibrant green to firey yellow, orange and red.

"Me time" to step back to my center

Friends far and near, I love them all:)

BOOKS!!! I love to read.

This wonderful mix of seasons between now and New Year's 2011!!!!

People who get my "picky eating"

Delicious, decedent, delightful desserts!!!!

Music (praise and worship songs, old school tunes, etc.)

All TV shows on cakes, cupcakes and sweets...YUM:)

Me Crafting

I am in a crafty mood. Thankfully there are all types of crafting to be done in the Fall and Winter:)

First up are these Glitter Pumpkins! Check them out here. I am going to the Pumpkin Patch next week and these will hopefully by my weekend craft project. SO cute:)

Next I want to start collecting old T-shirts for a T-shirt quilt. I LOVE the idea and though I am not a seamstress I found this website that might be the answer to my wish! Maybe it will be my Christmas gift to myself:)

The weekend is almost here everyone!!

I don't like it when....

I have a gross man cough ( I currently have one that creeps up on me unexpectantly!)

I burn toast and have the fire alarm go off before 9am!

I procrastinate and go eat out instead of the needed grocery shopping

I wash the laundry but never get around to folding it

I feel a little lonely (it is natural)

I have to swallow HUGE pills on the path to killing this cold (YUCK!!!)

I don't do a good job of saving money (le sighhhhh)

People make a list of things they don't like ( hahaha...I am just in that type of mood at the moment!)

As soon as I kick this cold I will hopefully hop back on the happy train and have a list of things I actually like:)

I Fell!

I am on such a wonderful weekend but I had to take time to share this.

This weekend I have been facing some fears and I am proud of myself! Here is how the story goes....

I have never been brave around water...not ever really. As I grew older I would take a step forward and about 8 mental steps back. Back and forth I went but mainly I had huge mental blocks about being in water where I could not touch the bottom! I will just say that swimming and water activities have never been my thing.

Then comes this weekend. One amazing part of meeting new people is you get a chance to change and tweak little things about you. They get to know you at a new point, which is nice. Once people know you for a while they don't always challenge you anymore. You are just you, which is also OK. All that to say, I got a chance today to be braver than I have been in a while.

I swam in a lake!
I rode on a jet ski!!
I went tubing by being pulled behind a jet ski AND.......
I fell off twice!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Here is what I learned. And it has taken me 25 years to get it. It is OK to fall off. Did you hear that Sabrina. It is OK to fall off. I went under but I surfaced. I was scared but I was not in paralyzing panic.  There are so many applications and implications for this. I will let you draw them for yourselves.

I am just so happy because in my life I have been very scared of falling, of being surprised, of unplanned, sudden things. And I learned today that you survive. How you fall is a part of the process. Today I feel so fearless, like being 25 is just this amazing experience and I love it!!