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elybee's LiveJournal:
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| Tuesday, February 26th, 2008 | | 6:40 pm |
I have a JOB!!!! It was official this morning. Community Home Care and Hospice in Greenville called and offered me a position as Chaplain and Volunteer Coordinator. I start my orientation on Monday and start at the office on Tuesday morning. Current Mood:  excited | | Wednesday, May 23rd, 2007 | | 1:19 pm |
update So, I have completed the classroom part of my Doctorate, though I am continuing to see counseling clients in Burlington (only drive 1x per week now!!!!). I have completed my Chaplain residency, too. I am looking for a job and trying to keep busy. I interviewed for a hospice position back at the beginning of January and found out today that I did not get the job. Not sure I really wanted the job, but I didn't want to be turned down, either. Part of the problem is the ordination catch-22 that I am in. The way the Lutheran process is designed, even though I have completed my degree and am 'approved' I cannot be ordained until I have a call. It is unusual, but possible, to have a 1st call outside of a congregation. In order to have a specialized ministry 1st call, I must have a position, the Bishop must go to the Council of Bishops and ask for their approval (they meet and vote 2x per year, Feb and Oct). If the Council of Bishops approves, then the synod can extend a call and I can be ordained and work in a specialized ministry field. With this scenario, no matter when I get a job the earliest I can possibly get ordained is late October. Most organizations, however, require a person to be 'endorsed by the church body' which in the Lutheran church means ordained. One of the assistants to the Bishop is writing a letter for me explaining the situation, hopefully this will help in future situations. I don't like not having something meaningful to do. Days full of nothing other than random errands get old. I am busy with my parent's anniversary party this week, getting things together and prepped, but I am not looking forward to next week when that will be concluded and my grandmother will be staying with us. I have put in an application at the grocery store and I am planning to head to the mall later to apply for a few positions there. Not my ideal choice of work, but right now I just need a job. Current Mood:  frustrated | | Tuesday, January 16th, 2007 | | 4:17 pm |
musings It has been a while since I have really posted, and a lot has happened. I said goodbye to my grandmother on Dec 29th as she passed away 6 and a half years after a massive stroke that has prevented her from walking or speaking. The funeral was nice, though it was hard for me to really appreciate it as I was suffering with Kidney stones and a kidney infection. That all began on the 29th, as well, while my father and I were at the funeral home making arrangements. Matt and I spent the majority of the day at the emergency room waiting for pain killers and any relief possible. All said and done, the stone passed on Monday (1st), I ad a follow up with the doctor on Tuesday(2nd) and she admitted me to the hospital for IV antibiotics and fluids. I was in the hospital until Thursday. I am slowly getting back into the swing of things. On a completely different note, I am in conversation with a church (near Charlotte) who is looking for a second pastor. The initial paperwork that I received looks good, the things that they name as important align with things that I find important. I look forward to beginning the actual interview process with the congregation and learning more about them. I am really nervous, though. It seems that the longer I spend between the end of seminary and the potential for a call, the more nervous I get and the less competent I feel. I get to the point that I am no longer sure how well I can articulate my sense of call. I fear that I will jump at a chance for a call in a congregation that fits 'better than the others' instead of waiting for a congregation that feels 'right' based entirely on timing. If I do not have a call, or if I am not in a process that is going well by late spring, I will need to go through a reapproval process involving an in-depth essay and interviews. I'd really like to avoid this, but I don't want to take whatever is available just because I don't feel like I have time to wait. The chaplain and counseling training continue to go well, but I'm not sure how it will all fit together with work in a congregation or not. I know I don't have to figure everything out today, but it feels like I should know more than I do. Current Mood:  thoughtful | | Thursday, December 21st, 2006 | | 3:56 pm |
| | Sunday, September 24th, 2006 | | 9:34 pm |
Doh! So, I just called my mother to ask if she was going to be working or not on Tuesday. She answered that she was off and I asked if my brother had returned the vacuum cleaner because I will need it on Tuesday. Again, she answers. Then she asks me to hang on a minute. I wait. She tells me that Dad is doing his Malawi presentation on the 15th of October. I tell her that Dad had already mentioned it to me. She responds "Oh, ok. That's all I was calling for. Bye" And she hangs up. I stare at the phone, slightly confused. Current Mood:  confused | | Sunday, August 20th, 2006 | | 8:21 am |
"You'll find me at the feet of Jesus" Around 2:30 this morning I was called to a patients room because she had died. The family was on the way. When the family arrived they shared this statement with me-- a favorite saying of hers. "You'll find me at the feet of Jesus." What must it be to have so much assurance, that death is seen as opportunity instead of ending. Another patient told me she had been watching the angels watch her, but that it wasn't quite her time yet. The visions and statements of those close to death are always an education. Current Mood: thoughtful | | Saturday, August 19th, 2006 | | 8:53 pm |
On Call-- so far so good One of the biggest problems with doing the CPE residency AND the D.Min. in pastoral counseling at ARMC is that each program has required 24 hour on-calls. For these on call we must remain at the hospital for 24 hours and we are responsible for any and all order requests and pages. This week I was on call Wednesday and am on call again today. So far the pager has not given me any trouble, but I know that I will not sleep well. I never do when I am on call half expecting to be awakened by the pager for a tragic even in someone's life. As a result of doing the 2 programs together, I am responsible for 3 24-hour on calls each month. After I complete these, if I work more they are applied as credit to my tuition at a rate of $150/24 hour period. So, tonight I sit here with a quiet pager, hoping that it does not go off. I hope this for myself, but I also hope this for all the patients and families whose tragedy would be the reason for the page. Current Mood:  hopeful | | Friday, August 18th, 2006 | | 12:21 pm |
And it has been turned in
Hooray! I have finished my final evaluation for my 1st unit of CPE. Since this ia a residency, it consists of 4 units and during each unit we have a series of written assignments. At the beginning we design 'learning goals' for ourselves that we are to work on throughout the unit. Each week throughout the unit we write reflections of our experiences from the week and we write verbatims of visits that we have made in our clinical areas. At mid-unit we write an evaluation of ourselves and our experiences and of our peers (thats the wort part) and we discuss the peer evaluations together. As the unit concludes we write a final evaluation, again including a peer evaluation. In the peer evaluation section we name a strength and a 'growing edge' (not a strength) for each peer. Next Friday we will be discussing our peer evaluations. Next Wednesday I meet with my supervisor to discuss my final evaluation, won't that be fun *rolls eyes*. I will think about that next week, though. For today, however, my evaluation is finished! And turned in a full 4 1/2 hours ahead of the deadline. And I still have time to visit people in the hospital-- especially my special care babies.
Only 3 more units to go. Again, that thought is for another day. Right now I am just feeling good about being finished with this.
Current Mood: accomplished | | Tuesday, August 15th, 2006 | | 10:07 am |
Moving Day Today I am moving again. And I have everything packed and ready to go. This time I am moving Greensboro. I am moving into Matt's grandparents condo while it is on the market. This turns out to be a good situation for all of us-- Matt's dad doesn't have to travel back and forth checking on the condo, and I don't have to stay at my parents (sharing a bathroom with my sister). Not to mention that my commute time will be a great deal less. In fact, one of my classmates lives in a neighborhood directly across the street, so carpooling suddenly becomes an option. At least gas prices have come down a bit, too bad $2.70 seems like cheap gas, but it helps when I have an hour commute each day. This week my sister is on a "get discovered cruise" with the modeling class she took and the talent management group that they work with. Supposedly there will be rea talent agents on the boat handing out cards and information. What gets me, though, is that if an agent gives their card to my sister, my sister has to write her information on the back and then turn it in to the talent management group. Wouldn't want anyone bypassing the talent management group so they don't get their cut. At least she doesn't have big ideas about making it rich and famous on this cruise, she doesn't want to change schools or leave her friends (too bad we can't get her to leave her boyfriend). She is just hoping to get a commercial or two, and mom is just wanting to have her pay off this 'opportunity'. Last night at band practice, I got a good laugh when the director asked where my boyfriend was this week since he had played with us last week. Uh, that would have been Nicki's 15 year old boyfriend--- only slightly illegal. At least the other folks in the band knew better and could explain when I was laughing so hard I couldn't talk! Current Mood:  amused | | Tuesday, August 1st, 2006 | | 6:18 pm |
Like a yo-yo, I am back at my parent's again So, it turned out that I was allergic to the apartment that I had moved into with a friend. It started with some congestion, but it turned into asthma problems and other stuff. I have moved back to my parents' house now. I spent most of July in Raleigh-- I hung out with the cat while Matt and Elliot were in Canada. Since I moved back to my parents house yesterday, I am living in a sauna. My mother changed the thermostat last night (under protest) to 84 degrees, so when I got home today my sister was miserable and the living room thermometer was pegged at 90 degrees. The thermostat has now been set to a more agreeable temperature and the house is slowly becoming bearable. Current Mood:  hot | | Monday, May 1st, 2006 | | 9:26 pm |
Day 1 Following the first day of my CPE residency, I am exhausted. I spent the day being oriented to the new program and the other participants and meeting the staff on my floors. I am assigned to Mother/Baby, Ob/Gyn, Peds, Special Care Nursery, and Same Day Surgery. Thanks to the sme day surgery, it looks like I will be needing to arrive at the hospital earlier than 8:30am report if I am going to actually see anyone, since by lunch the place is pretty well cleared out. This will be interesting, though, since this hospital is so different from the hospital where I did my original CPE work. I have gone from a county hospital with trauma center in a fairly large city to a small community hospital, with no trauma center, which is surrounded by larger hospitals. Thanks to serving on-call, I have begun to make the shift in my expectations, but it was interesting, today, to tour the Peds floor and discover that there was only 1 patient in the unit. I am looking forward to this program. It will go hand in hand with my doctorate and will hopefully allow me to serve in specialized ministry situations. I am excited but exhausted, so I will attempt to go to bed early tonight. Matt is in California (again), I dropped him off at the airport this morning on my way to Burlington. The good news, though, was that I didn't have to get up or leave any earlier than usual, plus, the drive from Raleigh to Burlington is so much more pleasant than the drive from Winston-Salem. (not to mention the joys of not having to share the bathroom with my 14 year old sister) I can't wait to move. Current Mood:  exhausted | | Thursday, April 27th, 2006 | | 9:33 pm |
I'm Moving!!!! Hooray! I am moving to Durham at the end of May/the beginning of June. Since I am beginning a Chaplain Residency in Burlington in May, and I am sick of my living situation and my commute, I decided it was time to move. I am moving in with a classmate, which should be interesting, but the rent is unbeatable (since its just half). I will be living near South Pointe Mall which meets my #1 requirement of easy access to I-40, and my commute is cut in half. Current Mood: excited | | Monday, April 17th, 2006 | | 8:46 am |
Easter
Happy Easter everyone! | | Sunday, April 9th, 2006 | | 7:44 am |
Palm Sunday Here begins one of my favorite ( and least favorite) weeks in the church year. This morning the band will play in the church yard and the congregation will sing the Hosanna! We will celebrate Christ's entry into Jerusalem then will continue through the accounts of the entire week, pausing with Christ in the garden and the upper room. The Moravian service is truly a service of Palm Sunday pomp and celebration while the Lutherans (an others) have moved to a service that begins with the pomp of Palm Sunday and continues quickly to the introspection of the Passion before the conclusion of the service. Both have their strengths, though I enjoy concluding the service with pomp and celebration in the churchyard, knowing that, all too soon, we will be faced with the recollections of the Gospel writers as they each tell their experience of the passion. Which account is correct? Does it matter? The important pieces remain, and we all well know that no two people, even those standing side by side will recount an event in the same way. I enjoy placing the readings together and twining them into a narrative. It is Palm Sunday, a day of joy colored with the sadness and hope of the coming week. Ely's Day: *** Get Nicki moving 8:30 am - Handbell Practine (I learned last night of 4 more bells that I will be playing this morning) 10:30 am - Band Prelude in the church yard 11:00 am - Worship, including singing in the choir and playing handbels and playing in the band as the congregation processes to the church yard waving palm branches 7:00 pm - Band Prelude in the church yard 7:30 pm - 1st Holy Week Reading service, including playing handbells Current Mood: contemplativeCurrent Music: All Glory Laud and Honor | | Friday, April 7th, 2006 | | 12:56 pm |
oops, I didn't mean to stop posting! now that a month has passed with no posting, I guess I have some updating to do. - my leg is better!-- not back to normal, but I am walking on it and am allowed to drive and ride my bike and everything! Its great to be back on my feet again, but there are times that I forget to be careful and a wrong move highlights how weak it still really is. - I have been accepted into a CPE (Clinical Pastoral Education) residency program at the hospital in Burlington NC where I am doing my Doctoral work currently. This is an exciting opportunity and the synod (actually the assistant to the Bishop) is being supportive. Maybe, with my credentials when I complete this year-long program and my doctorate, the church will allow me to go directly into specialized ministry (chaplaincy/counseling) instead of requiring the 3 years in a parish. I begin the program May 1st, and will be at the hospital Monday Wednesday and Friday each week and will be completing my counseling hours on Thursdays. - with my leg out of the cast and brace, and with permission to move it, I will begin teaching swim lessons again in May. I might even get to teach a mother/baby class (my favorite) or two if I'm lucky. The Y had a group last month and had to talk an instructor into teaching it because I am the only one who actually wants to teach it. - as I will be in Burlington 4 days a week instead of just 1, beginning in May, I have begun looking at apartments with plans to move before the end of the summer. The challenge, at this point, is finding something close o Burlington, but not too close, as I want a bit of space from my clients. One of my doctoral classmates lives in Durham and is looking for a roommate, so I should be hearing from her before the end of the month concerning that possibility. - my mother had minor surgery on her thumb (she had 'trigger finger') last Thursday, so we spent the day at the hospital. SHe thought she was going to work on Friday until the doctor told her "NO!". (I had been trying to tell her that all week, but she didn't listen to me). Saturday we did yard work, though, and it was humorous to see us out there-- me with a bum leg and mom with a bum hand. We planted a butterfly garden, though, so that should be fun through the summer. - my 10-year High School reunion is coming up in May. I now have a very specific goal for looking really good. It should be fun, though, to see people and get a chance to visit a bit. The reunion will be during the afternoon at a local restaurant/brewery. Should be entertaining. So, there are the high points of the last month (most actually within the last couple weeks). Things have been busy, but good busy. Things are going really well for me, and I think the church synod is finally on board with helping me achieve my goals. Current Mood:  optimistic | | Wednesday, February 22nd, 2006 | | 6:54 pm |
Really Long Day Once again, Wednesday has come and taken its toll on me. The counseling class work and the afternoon with my clients is academically and emotionally draining. I decided to take my own advice and tell my mother how something she said made me feel. She had the audacity to deny saying it, then to say it must have been a long time ago when she said it (last week), then to say she didn't really mean it and that she was just lashing out at me because she can't fix everything. Argh. Why did I even bother? Current Mood: frustrated | | Monday, February 13th, 2006 | | 10:20 pm |
I'm Free
No more cast!!! I had my cast removed today and am very excited. Instead, I now have a large brace and am still immobilized. Currently, I am looking forward to sitting in a bathtub and being able to shave! It has been a long 2 months of showers with my leg in a bag!
Current Mood: itchy | | Saturday, February 11th, 2006 | | 12:21 pm |
SNOW ITS SNOWING!!! Right now, it is snowing outside! Too bad I can't go play in it, but still, its really pretty. SNOW! SNOW! SNOW! SNOW! Current Mood:  ecstaticCurrent Music: Mulan | | Thursday, February 9th, 2006 | | 4:52 pm |
Ring Ring Phone call from the synod office this morning (before the snow melted, even). They are sending my name and information out to another congregation. Maybe and call? Maybe a job? Maybe a reason (and paycheck) so I can move out of mom and dad's house? Current Mood: optimistic | | 8:40 am |
SNOW So, I got up this morning and noticed that the ground outside looked different than usual through the sheer curtain in the bathroom. When I pulled it aside to look, I discovered SNOW! Well, you people up north probably wouldn't actually call it snow since you can still see grass poking up here and there, but in NC, even the 'light dusting' is notable! At least it finally looks like winter out there. Too bad we went to the mountains the wrong week, this would have been better ski weather for my day and sister. Oh well, SNOW SNOW SNOW (too bad I can't go outside and play) Current Mood: excited |
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elybee's journal