Learning alot quickly....

Wow. This semester has been a hoot! It started rough and has only gotten more interesting as the time goes on. We are in Week 6, when is Spring Break again????

Well I have 4 online classes that all have term papers. {Wish I had known this when I was registering} Of all the things I do not do well, writing is the top of the list. Writing "professional style" is bad enough, coupled with the grammatical issues, then add the citation requirements of APA, which I have yet to find a source that covers all the media and that has an example that is easy to follow, well I am still trying to redirect my negative thoughts on this, for now we will just say "and this too shall pass" (and hopefully I will too, the papers that is).

My most challenging class is the Developmental Psychology... (I know it is "supposed" to be easier than abnormal, but.. IT IS NOT!!! also the quizzes are made up by the publisher of the textbook. {Isn't that a conflict of interest??? if not it should be! If we fail this semester we have to retake it next semester and of course there is a NEW textbook next semester by the same publisher!!! Does anyone else see an ethical dilemma?????} HA HA!!! Grade has slipped to a C, and I am so not happy I am not even going to try to pretend to be positive on this one, moving on....

Sociology is a laughable thing from start to finish. I still have no clue what the point, how this class is "organized" {oh.. using that word lately just makes me laugh...} We have articles to read each week and 5! Lecture questions to post a "thread" (like a note, discussing them.- the syllabus said the posts should be about 300 words but there is no minimum. On the discussion board description it just says, "no minimum", guess how many people posted notes about 300 words. YEP! you guessed it. I emailed the instructed for clarification and no response. I continued to post the first two weeks and now have cut back, still getting full credit above the average so we will just keep hoping this trend continues. Also each week we have a discussion question that has to be responded to and it does have to be 1,600 words. Sunday, it took me 2 hours to write this silly thing. I was so tempted to do like Charles would do on his writing assignments. "I do not know what else you want to know". "If you want more information, write me a note about what you want to know". I wrote as much as I could think of. Can I go outside now? I might be able to think of more stuff later. Ummmm. I do not know what else to put here. I have to have one more sentence to make this a paragraph and then I have filled this page that is what you said to do. But, I resisted and figured out something.

The topics have been all over the place and the discussion board is really just everyone posting their assignment and then posting a bunch of comments. "I agree with you", "Society is wacked" {really! Wacked, you are an adult, in a higher education forum and you put wacked in your only sentence??} In most classes you have to write and give sources in (APA style, :YUCK!) but in here they barely post readable threads and trying to follow the logic is well, funny. Our future is beginning to look very bleak.

The last two classes are "core" classes for my major, Counseling and Advocacy. Love the topics and the instructor is one I had last semester and really enjoy her. Some of my classmates not so much. Many people are in school for different reasons and some peoples attitudes and people skills are very different. I am amazed at the "fundamental" educational differences and the number of people that do not write adequately and appropriate for their age and that seem okay with it. It drives me crazy that I cannot write well. I work and work in Word to get all the stupid green and red lines to go away and make sure my writing level is at least an 11th grade level. I use a grammar program to try to improve things when I have time. But at least the writing is somewhat sensible and "most" of the words are right. {HA HA}.

Communication is the biggest part of what we will be doing with our education. If we cannot communicate effectively how are we going to use the knowledge we have stored up, understanding comes by processing the information. To counsel and Advocate you have to be able to communicate with others and for them to be able to understand you.

Another interesting thing is the vast amount of views, beliefs and opinions. Some well thought out (not logically proven or able to be debated, but to the person this is what they believe to be true). Worldviews are amazing, even within the "believers camps" the things people state and use to govern their lives are so amazing. The funniest thing is when you ask them question about the belief or view to try to get a better understanding on what they are saying and they get all disjointed and can't explain it and refuse to clarify or define some of the terms they use to make sure you understand what they mean. Several people talk in broad encompassing terms like "I am a believer" {a believer of what???} of God {which God, can you describe or explain what you believe?} I believe in God the creator {you believe in him, do you have a relationship with Him?} then they start getting testy and repeating themselves, I believe in God...

Well as counselors our beliefs are not the biggest concern, our focus is on what the client thinks, feels and believes. Many issues are quite hard to discuss without bringing religion, culture, personal responsibility into the discussion. A persons views have a big impact on their behavior (or depending on the theories you believe in they do) and depending on which therapeutic model you plan on using you need to explore these views with the client. Having a common understanding and usage of terms is crucial to really assessing what the client feels and thinks and therefore does. Bad behaviors usually stem from a confict in thinking or from bad or "stinking thinking" as the AA model calls it. When the truth is distorted or reduced in anyway it become very cloudy and things start getting out of order fast, this is usually when the bad choices and behaviors usually emerge. And then things quickly progress into a pattern and develop into habits, which are ingrained into our minds and become cycles of thinking and behavior that we can pass onto our children.

One of the tracable problems that have resulted in our culture and societies downward value and ethics spiral is the transition away from God, the creator and Jesus Christ his son who was sent here to redeem mankind from the sin and the rise of humanistic and personal power and rights. There are so many rights and laws that nothing makes since anymore because every step you take you violate someones rights, but yet you have a right to walk around so it becomes a free for all and everyone is out for themselves. This is not how we were designed to be, it is not about furthering ourselves, we were created to have a relationship with God, like Adam and Eve did before the fall. And when our "fleshy" human desires conflict with our designed desire to know God and to follow Him we begin to have a "break down" Spiritually, which effects our Mental/psychological and our physical body. If we want to problem solve we need to be able to identify the issue, and inorder to do that we have to have a set and fixed standard and definition to be able to assess the problem.

There are not spectrums and degrees in God's measurement system there is right and wrong, good and bad, sin and righteousness. When things are truthful and assessed in light of these truthes everything is clear and simple, black and white. But, as humans we love to dance in the gray areas. We want to merge and compromise and vaguely define things so that it is less harsh and less condemning. Everything has to be considered case by case and the judgments are not lasting what was yesterday may not be the same today. It is very scary and sad to see the conditioning of becoming completely tolerant of everything and having to encourage everyones individual views and beliefs regardless of their delusional and deceptive elements which will ultimately harm the person, but yet we cannot judge, advise or impose values or beliefs on someone.

In most of our social issues, it is well documented and frequently stated that education is the first step in empowering and making changes. Awareness is one of the top goals of counseling and advocacy. How can you be aware of something if we do not have an identifiable standard and definition of things? Seems like we are doing more unlearning and being conditioned than we are learning solid truths. We are learning to blur the line between right and wrong so that more people will not feel the twinge of regret or remorse for poor behavior and choices. If you do not accept responsibility for your actions you do not usually accept the power to make changes either and that is more limiting than obeying some rules and submitting to authority.

The Truth will set us Free! Christ said, "I am the Truth and the Life" wished they taught this in my classes it would change alot and make us more equip to help those that come to us for answers and in need of guidance and direction. We could "refer" them to Jesus, that would be what is best for the client. Providing them information should not be restricted and legislated against. The client could still choose to not utilize God, but at least they were given all their options and were provided the best therapy if only they would accept. I can understand not being able to "witness" to a nonbeliever, but when someone declares they are a believer but is not following the teachings of the bible, that could very much be part of their conflict. Assessing their spiritual symptoms and referring them to a clergy person would allow them to explore those deceptive or incorrect spiritual thoughts or behaviors that need to be repented of and reconnecting with God could be exact what the Doctor ordered.

"Why my thoughts aren't so clear" (Godsmack)

Tonight driving home I heard this song and just busted out laughing, this so explains how I feel lately. "Hazing clouds rain on my head/Empty thoughts fill my ears/Find my shade by the moonlight/why are my thoughts so unclear".

Not the snakebite part, that cracked me up, I even see a snake on the TV and I get ill and shreek, EWEEEEw!!! so the chance of me being bit, well that is just funny. But, thinking about how a snake bit would be a slow progressing effect, and then things get fuzzy and you feel like you are disconnected and get irritated because stuff just does not make sense. I have read this stupid psychology 3 times and cannot tell you what I reading about, AND I AM WRITING NOTES!! this is so not cool at my age. I have had to call several people back that I have talked to today because I was driving and could not write down anything. So embarrassing and such a pain, some are understanding/supportive, others just keep "You worry too much". I know they mean well but, I am really tired of hearing it and why is being responsible so much trouble, maybe if a few people worried more, well that is not nice but it is true!!

You hide and withdrawl and people get upset you are not sharing with them, you share with them and well, you should just jamm to cool songs like this :)..(dumm, dumm, dumm mmma LOVE THOSE DRUMS!!!!--I want the rockband drumset, but Charles wants guitar hero :), oh well maybe for my birthday... When you see or talk to Chris feel free to "Advocate" for me. ha ha ha!..

I love the beat to this song!!! It would be an awesome club song (My old dancing buddies, ha ha... OH, the memories and HUGE praises for no camera phones or youtube back then, this could definitely inspired a table/bar top train! ha ha ha!!)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nw2iipzHl3w


Oh!!! I found another cool song by this group, Godsmack "Serenity" it is good too, not as much of a beat song but cool lyrics..
SERENITY by Godsmack
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6q1JsXN9DtU

Ever wondered what the sky looks like at 5 AM!

Well, being that I was awake and the dog was dancing around I got up, to let her out and checked to see how much longer I had to "get to sleep" before the morning would be shining through the window to end another sleepless night. To my surprise, the MOON! was still out at 5 A.M. and it was worth grabbing the camera for....

It's the little things that make the biggest impressions! God said that he would make two lights to rule over the sky by day and by night and man.. He meant it, you can still see the moon sometimes in the sky when the sun first comes up. He says we are never alone, and we aren't.

He says He works all things to the good of those who love Him (Romans 8:28) and he does, unfortunately some people (hmm...) take a little longer in accepting that His ways are the straighter paths and that He will finish what He started and He WILL complete it without faultering.

I have spent some time in 1 Corinthians and like these verses for my medical/health worries.

I like these verses because I think they answer the questions about medical and health problems being inflicted on a person as a punishment or to flush out sin. Everyone has different takes and interpretations on things but, My God does not punish like that, and if He is using a bad situation to "purify" or "teach" you something He is guiding you and talking you through it. I read these scriptures right off the page. I have had these in my notes several times and just recently someone gave them to me again. (CONFIRMATION!!! Love it :)

I Corinthians 4:4-5 For I am conscious of nothing against myself, yet I am not by this acquitted; but the one who examines me is the Lord. (5) therefore do not go on passing judgment before the time, but wait until the Lord comes who will both bring to LIGHT the things hidden in the darkness and disclose the motives of men's hearts; and then each man's praise will come to him from God.

Pray and God will answer you, but be still and quiet, He does not yell and He will not fight you on your decisions. Wisdom is not for the faint of heart, nor is it a quick and easy bulletin, but if you seek it, God will provide it.

The Medical Update...................................................................................................................

Well, today is the big day today I am having the EEG and next week the memory testing. (WHOA HOO!!!!) then they will determine if it is another issue more age appropriate (oh, my this is when the prayers came in handy!! AGE APPROPRIATE!! I AM NOT EVEN 40! YET!!!!!)or if my problems are Adult ADD (that is a real diagnosis!!!! {LOL} because I am being diagnosed as an adult).

Well, whatever comes will come...(I am actually not stressing about it, have not said a whole lot and tried not to think about it, tried to renew and declutter the brain but it is not as easy as decluttering a room)

I just wish we could get on with things and I might be able to stay on task and complete a thought without pulling muscles doing so. I have struggled and finally came out of the denial (pitty party) about 6 months ago. It wasn't until my forgetting things and obcessively worrying about forgetting things and writing everything down was stressing others out, OOPS!!, and then it just became a joke, "Well at least I am good at worrying, I have alot of practice" :).

Will update when the information comes in probably not for 2 weeks.. Oh, the patience thing again! ha ha.

Happy 17th Wedding Anniversary

Dearest Christopher,

Today we are celebrating our 17th wedding anniversary. (WHOA HOO!!!). It has definitely been an interesting journey. We have both learned and grown alot and we have taught and share with each other some life changing events. Through the years we have also shared an amazing life with our son, who later this month will be a t--ee--n--a---g---e--r!!!!. And we have introduced him and helped him grow in our faith with Jesus Christ. So despite some trials and alittle stress I think we have shared a pretty amazing life together so far. Thanks for the lessons and the joys and the memories to fill my computer files with these little trinkets of my love. I hope you enjoy the show, this is your life!.

Love,
Mrs. Dorothy A. Wiggins, wife of 17 years (and prior to marriage, girlfriend for 3 1/2 years :)!, {the truth has set us free to relish in all of our time together}.

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