I'm Certified!

My dad had two sisters, Suzanne and Jane.  I take after both of them - I have Suzanne's name (and hopefully some of her gentle spirit) and I'm following in Jane's footsteps by becoming a librarian.  Jane lived nearby when we were growing up, and we always spent at least two weeks out of the year at her house with all the cousins.  Before the week was out, we'd be "driving her crazy," but in a good way.  She said it so often that, when I was a teen, I purchased a key chain for her from a shop at Six Flags - a brass tag that says, "Certified Crazy Person".  After Jane passed away, we found the key chain in her desk with all her loyalty cards on it, and David and Christopher were kind enough to let me keep it.  

Well, I may not be a certified crazy person quite yet, but I'm getting closer to being like my Aunt Jane - I got my letter in the mail saying I have successfully jumped through all the hoops to become an alternatively certified teacher in the state of Oklahoma!  I have an official teacher number and everything (which I have already updated all my applications with.)

Still no leads on the job front. Pretty much everything I've applied for has been filled.  At least on the last one, I got a form letter from a real person, and not just an automatic notification from the online employment system to tell me that the position had been filled.  That's a step up, right? 

In order to move to a regular teaching certificate (from provisional) I have to either complete 12 credit hours of education courses at the college level or complete 180 hours of professional development over the next three years.  In my mind I was going to do the professional development, since in my head there would be no problem finding a job.  Given the current situation, I've begun to explore taking a class next semester to get started on my hours.  So far I've found one in Developmental Psychology that's offered as a night class, but the lady I need to talk to is out of town.  We will see what happens next.  I'd only have to take four courses in the next three years, so there's no big hurry.

While it has been discouraging to not get called for interviews, I'm sure that God's plan is in motion, and there's a reason for it.  As we get closer to the start of school and Gracie gets more anxious about middle school, I think more and more that it is a good thing that I will be at home and not at a job every day.  My challenge is to look ahead at the step that God is illuminating next, and not to be so determined to see the entire path.  I've got to remember that one step is all I need. 

Your word is a lamp for my feet
and a light on my path.  --Psalm 119:105