Internship!--Almost Settling for Less Than God's Best

Part of my degree program is a semester long counseling internship. I am set to start mine this summer. I am so excited that I will be interning at Catholic Charities. (I know, I know, but like 60% of the employees are Baptists and its an amazing organization with a great reputation!) About a month ago, it dawned on me that I had one month to determine where I was going to do my internship. I had assumed I would just do it at the counseling center on campus because I wanted to work with kids, and I could not get any other suggestions of places to work with kids. After a Wednesday morning Bible study with my wonderful girlfriends, I was convicted that I was taking the "lazy" way out by not pursuing an internship elsewhere. I was settling for less than God's best. (not that anything is wrong with doing an internship at the campus counseling center, I just began to feel that God had something else planned.) SO, I freaked out on the phone to both my parents and my husband, got a list of recommended sites from the campus counseling center, and started researching those sites online. I found two places that offered opportunities to work with children using play therapy. So I called and e-mailed hoping that someone would call me back. Literally the minute I got off the phone with my dad after worrying over my lack of preparation for this, one of the places called me back. She told me to pick up an application, fill it out, and then call her to set up an interview. I immediately did all of this, but she I did not get a return call for an interview for TWO WEEKS! While I was waiting on the first lady to call me back, the second lady e-mailed me. I thought well great, at least one of them wants to meet me. So I set up an interview to meet with this lady. After this interview got set up, the first lady called to set up an interview. So then I had TWO interviews set up for the week before my letter of intent was due to the school. Any of you who know me know that I do not operate that close to deadlines. Ideally, I would have liked to have this handled a month ago, but for some reason it snuck up on me. Anyways, I attended the interview with lady #1, and we got along quite well. She offered me the internship, but they did not have a play therapist on staff although they had a play therapy room. I left thinking that would be a good place to do the internship but hoping that the second place would offer a little bit more. My interview at the second place was great. They have 2 play therapists on staff who would be willing to help me. I would have 1-on-1 supervision once a week. They are moving into a new facility next month featuring two state of the art play therapy rooms! I WAS SOLD! Thankfully, she offered me the internship and I took it! I told mom, I don't know why I worry about how God is gonna work stuff out. He NEVER ceases to amaze me with his provisions that are so much better than mine!! So I start in May! YAY!

It snowed...a LOT!

So I finally got to experience some snow!! We had record-breaking snow fall in Fort Worth yesterday. School was canceled both yesterday and today! Fun times! Here are some shots Michael and I took this morning. The snowman's name is Fred and he is peaking inside our window. Yes we know he's a little deformed.

I know I haven't blogged in a really long time. I'm pretty sure my only two readers at this point are my mom and Brother Sammy. Seeing as my mom is in Vancouver on a mission trip, I'll probably only have one person read this post! Be sure the leave a comment if you read. It might inspire me to attempt to update more often.

So...a break down of whats been going on since August. Well, one more semester of graduate school is behind me. That officially puts me past the half-way mark. The Fall came and went rather uneventfully. I managed to attend THREE MSU football games this season! Mom and Dad were sweet enough to surprise me while I was at a Counseling Conference in Nashville and take me to the Vanderbilt game! Michael and I made it home for the first and last game of the season! I just want everyone to know that we won all three games I attended, so it might be beneficial for y'all to fly me in next season. I'm just sayin'...you could take turns!

So Christmas was super exciting! We found out that the Burks family is going to grow by one! Yes, Stephen has procreated! Watch out world!!! We are all ecstatic awaiting BB's arrival. So far Ashley is doing great--no morning sickness just tired. BB is the size of an avacado this week. Not sure if its a big or small avacado, but we do know its an ACTIVE one. At the last appointment, BB wouldn't sit still long enough for the doctor the check his heartbeat. I thought, we've got another little Stephen in there!!!

So as of now, I've started another semester taking 15 hours. Michael is busy with tax season and studying for the CPA. We're just trucking along. Dad recently had rotator cuff surgery but got an A+ at this last appointment for his progress in recovery. Mom is on a mission trip in Vancouver, Canada at the Olympics working with "More Than Gold". And MSU has beaten TSUN (That School Up North) in all regular season football and basketball games this school year. Life's pretty good.

Love y'all!!!