Information

[FurBaby_Mom]

Like I said in my other post, I just finished an amazing book about Hannah and Samuel, the Biblical characters. It got me thinking.Have you ever felt "called"? Called to a profession or called to do something that you wouldn't ordinarily do?

[dianagirly]

Well my bag of chocolates were calling me tonight and I ate almost every single one!hahahaI'm not sure I would say I was "called" to be a stay at home mom but I never thought I would be. I was very ambitious and wanted to have a career. I did want children too but never knew that I would be completely fulfilled by being home with them all day every day. I will probably still have a career one day, as long as my children and husband always come first. So it may not be a "calling" but for me- there is nothing greater in this life that I could be doing.

[Queen Mum]

I will say that there have been times I have had strong desires to do something that I might now otherwise do interacting with someone else. 

I have no idea what someone else might call it - but I'll follow through on that because I realized that there must be a reason for it to be so strong a feeling.

[imwickedwitch]

I do believe I was called to my profession.  I have a Master's Degree in Special ED and at any time could have gone to work for the school district and not only made 46,000 a year to start but had summers off and retirement and medical.  Instead I feel like the children in our community desparately need a place where they can be creative without judgement and build their confidence and self-esteem while learning to work with others and accept them for who they are.   The theatre is a place where this can happen and some of the kids we have would be lost without it.  Some of them are not into sports or maybe they are not as successful academically, or they have emotional, social, and/or physical difficulties.  Whatever the need, drama is incredible therapy.  It's been 13 years and there have been some tough times and times when I thought I just couldn't keep doing it.  But over the last year, we have finally come into our own and are reaching literally thousands of people through our workshop programs at the theatre and our outreach program into the school district.  We have been blessed with a wonderful new development director and next year looks good financially....patience and sacrefice pays off.  I may even get within 10,000 of that school distrcit pay figure this coming fiscal year.  Good thing because DD will go to college in four years! LOL

[PopPop]

Becky, I thank GOD for people like you every day.  Having the 2 grandbabies with Autism , I understand the sacrifice you have made and the difference you make everyday in lives like theirs.  I love the effort you make (all special ed teachers do) to reach each and every one of these students whatever way works and I know 2 of them that have to be reached in 2 different ways.  I hope you get compensated using a scale of what you are worth to the lives of those who would not have a chance in heck of living in our so-called normal society.Thank you

[ShellyBob]

Becky is amazing, I can tell you that first hand.  I have seen what she puts into the theatre, and I don't know how she does it!  The kids she reaches out to, and the blessing she is to the community is a wonderful thing to see.  I'm proud that she is my baby sis.  She is an awesome person!Shelly 

[PopPop]

Becky Could I move closer to you?  That says alot since I hate how cold it gets there.  I have a brother, sil and nephew who live in Rock Springs. I'm originally from the Denver area.I have a Calling, given to me my MY LORD.  It was an assignment to bring these boys up with a knowledge of HIM and how much HE loves us and what HE has in store for us.  See my DD and SIL are athiests, So the children have no other one in their lives who is a Believer.  Also I know the Lord knew about the Autism and gave me the means to stay home all day with them (with help).

[baltoscrapper]

I definately feel "moved" to do things. To help certain people.  Not in my job, but in the rest of my life. I feel "drawn" to certain people and things and area's where I think I am meant to be.

[imwickedwitch]

Tears in my eyes here, Shell.  I love you too!Sure Pop Pop!  Come on out!  What with global warming and all we may not be as cold in the future ( just a joke!!!  that's a whole nuther debate thread) We had an autistic student in our older class last fall in The Dracula Rock Show.  He was really good on stage!  I have another student with Aspergers who just took a scene design class with me and she did pretty darn well considering it was an all day class for two days.  She'll be back for Aristocats this spring. Balto, I totally believe we are drawn to people.  I love this line from Wicked the musical:  "I've heard it said that people come into our lives for a reason, bringing something we must learn and we are led to those who help us most to grow.  If we let them and we help them in return." 

[PopPop]

I totally believe certain people are put in our lives to learn from or to teach.  Becky my oldest GS is 5 and can watch a movie or show once and can perform the part perfectly. He uses the same inflections and everything.  Too bad, he has no idea what it is about and you can't let him be interupted.  In autism it is called  Scripting.  The youngest is 3 and although he has the same dx as brother we feel he will be moved into to the Aspergers dx.  Most drs won't do it until about 6 or 8.

[Judes]

 I have always felt called to be the best wife and mother I can be.  I try to provide a quiet, calm, safe, nurturing environment for both my children and DH so they can recharge from their hectic day's work.  If I could I would probably go do some other career thing, too, but, this is where I am planted for the time being.

[naney1952]

I do feel I always had a calling to be a teacher but most of my life I worked in a different field....now after 31 years of working I was drawn to teaching.....elementary school only.....I love teaching the young children and a lot people have said I have a gift for that. I'm so glad I finally listened to that calling.  

[gonecamping]

 When my youngest son was 3 he was diagnosed with PDD-NOS which is an autism spectrum disorder. I was devasted. At the time I as doing daycare so I was home with him. I started learning everything I could about autism spectrum disorders. When he started school (kindergarten) I was in school with him alot because he struggled and the school would't give him support that first year. I was there so much they started asking me to sub for other aides when they were sick. That led to a job working 1:1 with another autistic student who was attending the school. 1 thing led to another and before I knew it I was an aide in a self-contained program for emotionally disturbed children. I really feel like that is my calling. I moved to a different town several hours away and went to work for a middle school woking with special ed kids but I missed the work with autistic and ED kids. When a job opened up for an assistant in a classroom similar to the one I worked in before I jumped at it. To me its the best job in the world. Alot of people ask me how I can do it all day at work (dealing with behaviors) and then come home to a kid with behavior issues. My son is now 15 and is considered aspergers with adhd and ocd. My response is how could I not do it? I truly believe this is where God wants me to be. I understand these kids and where they are coming from. We have autistic kids and Ed kids in my class right now, yes its stressful when they are having meltdowns, or when we have to restrain a kid because of dangerous behavior, but when that light goes off in a kids eyes and they learn how to manage their behavior and are successful enough to be back in mainstream education, WOW! I consider myself blessed to have the privelege to be a part of these kids lives.