Thoughts from RevJ: Week 2 Assignment

Saturday, January 19, 2013

Week 2 Assignment

When I first entered the MSEC at Walden my desire was to work with adults in the EC field through teaching students, consulting, social work, or teaching parents in seminars or courses.

Here are three agencies I would love to be a part of in an employment or volunteer status that appeals to me and the reasons I chose them:

• Christian Family Ministries: Center for Women and Children – “Lamb’s Fold Center for Women and Children serves homeless and abused women and children by providing them with community-based supportive housing, personalized recovery services, and assisting them to achieve self-sufficiency” (Christian Family Ministries, 2012).

• Will County Health Department and Community Health Center – “The Youth Services Program offers a comprehensive array of services that includes psychiatry, individual, family and group therapy, crisis intervention, outreach, case management, parenting classes, respite services, substance abuse assessment and treatment, and referral and linkage services to other needed resources and programs. The program concentrates its efforts on underserved individuals including public aid recipients and low income families” (Will County Health Department and Community Health Center, 2006).

• Joliet Junior College (JUCO) – The college specializes in serving students of all ages, backgrounds, and economic status. I graduated from JUCO after leaving the military and appreciate the schools diligence in working with the community. The school is well known and has accomplished many awards in the culinary arts and nursing disciplines. However, the early childhood courses have tremendously grown from four classes since I attended in the late 1980s.

In order to work in each of these positions (as volunteer or employed), I would have to put to use all of the information learned in the MSEC. I would further need to continue to join or create communities of practice in order to stay abreast of organizational, community, and educational concerns in the field. A personal skill that I need to work on is nonviolent communications. I don’t want to be offensive in any form to those who I want to serve.

References

Christian Family Ministries: Center for Women and Children, 2012. Retrieved from http://www.lambsfold.org/.

Will County Health Department and Community Health Center, 2006. Retrieved from http://www.willcountyhealth.org/en/do.jsp?id=73.

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RELATIONSHIP REFLECTION

John Donne (1572-1631) said '...no man is an island...'. Human beings require relationships as we matriculate through life. However significant to us, we need other beings. Even if one went out and lived from the elements around no other humans, that individual would need some other beings to live. Further more, we are born because people came together and when we pass on someone will handle our remains and effects. Relationships of every kind (family, social, professional, religious, romantic) require efforts and maintence from the parties involved.

Some Personal Relationships

I live in a (penthouse type) apartment with a friend of mine I became acquainted with at church. After a painful divorce and left with large mortgage payments, I asked this 'nice' lady from church if she wanted a roommate. She had gone on a weekend trip and while gone her apartment was broken into and everything taken or destroyed (even her clothes). When I sold the house, we continued to be roommates. It has been 11 years now. Although we spend our social time with a seperate group of friends, we are still very close. This relationship has grown as we continue to help each other in any way we can. Denise would give me the shirt off of her back if asked. I would have to think about it if the tables were turned. :-D

I have a best friend named Tonya. She knows me better than my own blood sisters and brothers. We became very close friends after she lost her newborn son as she and her husband held him together. Because of our friendship many have tried to explain it by giving us nicknames such as, Mary and Martha, Paul and Silas, Jonathon and David. The one that stuck is Salt and Pepper. Someone said we bring spice to every situation. Guess who is salt. We minister together. We cry together. We travel together. I have sat in the hospital as she battled illness. She has verbally fought for me. We council each other. We pray for each other. We even feel when the other one is upset or sick. Our friendship is very rare. One author called a friendship like ours, soul-friends. Because of our friendship, we both have grown as a result of our friendship spiritually, emotionally, and cognitively. We even have clothes alike that we bought without the presence of each other. I couldn't make this up.

Both of these relationships are important to me and can be challenging at times. As a friend to both, sometimes I must overlook my thoughts or feelings on an idea or event in order to make the other comfortable or happy. For instance, at our national church conventions I want to talk to everyone I can on the first day. Tonya feels she has all week to see people so she goes to the room while we are on a recess. Every year we fight over which we are doing, meeting and greeting or going to the room. I recently learned that something from her childhood was the reason she didn't like meeting and greeting. I wouldn't have known this without communicating or observing my friend.

Denise and I are partners financially because we split the bills or take responsibilty of certain bills. This must be done through collaboration. Tonya and I are partners financially, spiritually, and professionally. Since becoming friends we have incorporated 2 nonprofit companies, started a women's annual conference, become Bible college professors and board members, as well as an international ministering team.

Learning to compromise in order to accomplish tasks with my friends has given me experience when working with my customers as an administrater of a day care. However, the knowledge I have aquired through these relationships will also give me experience as an EC professional working with children and their parents. As with the friendships when I had to disgard my desires in order to help them, I have the understanding that I must understand that my desires are not always the best as I collaborate with others.