Since adoption has moved for the forefront of my mind, I’ve
been a planning machine. I hate long range planning but with such a goal, it
has become more palatable. Each time I'm exhausted and ready to slip, I see a face in my head and am reminded that this hardship is temporary and will be oh-so-worth it.
There are a few goals that I have, and if I’m intentional
and expectant, I will conquer them by December 2013:
1) Pay off all debts.
2) Finish my coursework
and 1500 hours toward becoming a Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA). The exam will be a different story....
3) Begin the paperwork
for adoption.
So, feel free to keep those things top in your prayer list, on your mind, in the midst of your karma-sending, whatever it is that you do.
I’m continuing to pad the adoption fund with money gained
through recycling and a monthly deposit. My first priority is debt repayment as
everything else hinges on that. I’m learning to budget better. I’m enrolled in Dave Ramsey’s Financial Peace University,
which was a gift of good timing through NewSong Church. If I really buckle
down, repayment by December 2013 is a possibility. If I don’t make it for some
reason, I should be paid off within a very short time after that date.
Most of you know I work 4 10-hour days with children with
disabilities. By Thursday night, I’m burnt toast. I’ve now added Fridays. The
extra hours will be beneficial in two ways. For one, they provide the hours to
go toward my required 1500 hours. Secondly, all of a “second paycheck” goes
toward debt repayment. That makes it easy—no budgeting, no questions, straight
to the account.
Why add a new stress or obligation (BCBA) to an already-full
and overflowing plate? I want to be better in serving the families and children
with whom I work. Professionals tend to be either Speech or ABA, and since they
are so intertwined, I’d love to be both. It would also put me in a handful of
people who have these certifications or licensures. Because I already have a
M.A. in a related field, I can take 5 additional classes (which I’m doing
online through the University of North Texas) and get 1500 supervised hours of
experience in behavior-related work. What is a BCBA? Find out here.
So, if you see me at any time within the next months up to
December 2013, I apologize ahead of time for being the walking dead. My memory
is already shot. I’m narcoleptic—I’m asleep as soon as I sit down, sometimes
before I can roll over and hit the sleep timer.
I’m so thankful for those of you who continue to support me
and my dreams of adoption. Please feel free to direct any comments or words of
encouragement to the comments section of the blog. One day, I’ll turn this blog
into a book for “Shorty.”
At an Easter brunch with the MOM’s group, we had several
stations to show thanks, prayer, etc. One activity was to write a word or draw
a picture of something that you are thankful for on a rock. Here’s mine:
A passage and verse in particular came to mind:
“I waited patiently for the Lord; he turned to me and heard
my cry. He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire, he set my
feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand. He put a new song in my
mouth, a hymn of praise. Many will see and fear and put their trust in the
Lord.” Psalm 40:1-3.
As David, who wrote this, knew: Waiting is hard but blessings follow.
You guys are my rock.
Thank you, thank you, thank you,
Danielle
