Career options for mums

Was chatting with a school mum recently.

She lamented the difficulty of finding a job that is close by enough and only during school hours, so she can drop off and pick up her kids and not have to use after-school care.

Can't fault her selection criteria; it's identical to mine.

J goes to kinder next year for three days a week at odd times, which will throw my daily schedule out of whack. It definitely narrows my job hunting and training prospects.

I was looking at an Integration Aide course by Monash Uni starting Feb 2011.

The requirements aren't tough: 8 lessons x 6 hours (9am - 3.30 pm).

The cost is manageable compared to most other courses I have in mind ($950).

Whether I will want to work as an Integration Aide when I've done the course is another issue. Hubby, though, would much rather I do something with greater financial prospects:

• migration agent (course cost: $9600 through ANU College of Law Grad Cert in Migration Law)
  
• conveyancer (course cost: $6350 through Swinburne Uni of Tech TAFE Dip of Financial Services - Conveyancing)
  
• property agent (Brian Mark prefers its prospective agents to do the Agents Rep training through them)
  
• (and the latest) franchise owner.

One factor in favour is that the course is conducted so close by - the uni is using the Civic Centre on Princes Hwy.

All that's missing is to find someone who's happy to ferry J around if her kinder session coincides with a lecture, or babysit her if she's got a kinder-free day but I have a lecture to attend.

Possibilities: the occasional childcare centre on Mossfiel Drive, family day care, my neighbour down the road, various church friends who have volunteered to help out with babysitting when needed.

"Misty" (Awesome Youtube Tutorial)

The Courage to Challenge

From this week's church bulletin:

Dear God,
If I am completely honest with you, for some reason I am reluctant to share my story of faith with others.
Most times I prefer people to catch my faith rather than for them to comprehend it through a conversation with them.
This week I ask Lord that you will use my life as an example but also as an explanation of what you have done in and through me by Jesus Christ.
Help me to trust you to do the work of changing people's lives.
It is not my job to change people, just to challenge them.
Your Holy Spirit working in and through me and on those who you are speaking to through me is the one who makes the difference.

How did my pastor know what lies heavy on my heart this morning?

Last night, I denied the Lord.

I had a non-believing friend over for dinner.

As we were about to tuck in, my husband indicated from across the table that I should lead the prayer of thanksgiving. Everyone bowed their heads, even our guest. I was stunned, thinking my husband must have made a mistake. I frantically gestured to him that we couldn't do that because our guest was not a believer and it would be rude to impose our faith on her. There came a few tense moments as we gestured back and forth, causing an air of uncertainty on my part as to what was the right thing to do, and on the part of the rest. They must have wondered, what was going on? In the end, I said a lame "Tuck in!" and everyone fell to the meal.

But at what cost?

On reflection, I could easily have given thanks the way we usually do at home, and perhaps our guest would have gone along with it, accepting it as the custom of our family.

It would have spoken volumes of our faith.

Especially when there was a plaque on the wall behind me declaring "Christ is the Head of this house, the Unseen Guest at every meal, the Silent Listener to every conversation".

For the sake of courtesy and not wanting to offend, I forfeited the opportunity to give glory to God and to declare my affiliation with pride.

The whole night long, I was mortified over the incident. I asked God's forgiveness for my lack of faithfulness, for fearing men rather than God.

I feel God's quiet rebuke and admonishment but also His generous compassion and forgiveness. In response, there rises in me a determination to rise to His challenge, to share my life and my faith without apology and without fear.

God grant me the ability to stand up for His name from this moment on, so that I will never again sell out Jesus for fear of someone else's opinion.

The Second Song

A new song came to me from God yesterday, Wed 13 Oct 2010.

Two songs in one week! What are the odds? But with God, nothing is impossible.

I had started out by setting myself a challenge to write a song around our home group Bible study theme for the week: A Praying Church.

The study verses - Phil. 4:4-9 and Acts 4:23-31.

The Philippians song, Do Not Be Anxious, was written on 11 Oct and finalized on 12 Oct. Videos and story here.

The Acts song is called The Song of Peter and John.

I was so inspired by the courage and eloquence of Peter and John when hauled before the chief priests, elders and teachers of the law.

Their alleged offence: teaching the people and proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection of the dead.

Two uneducated blue-collar types who had been with Jesus and seen Him crucified and resurrected, going out to share boldly with anyone who would listen.

When asked in whose name they preached, they refused to back down even though they had just come out of jail and were being offered the chance to avoid getting on the wrong side of the law again and to stay below the radar.

How many of us today, if asked to pipe down on our personal beliefs and values and to stay low, would dare openly challenge the authorities?

My song is based on two particular verses:
¹²Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved."

"Judge for yourselves whether it is right in God's sight to obey you rather than God. ²⁰For we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard."

Strong words spoken by strong men.

Enjoy...

Song of Peter and John

Lyrics: Acts 4:12, 19-20

Composer: Serena Low (as given by The Songwriter on 13 Oct 2010)

Verse
Salvation is found in no one else
There is no other name
Under heaven given to men

Salvation is found in no one else
There is no other name
By which we must be saved

Chorus
Judge for yourselves whether it is right in God's eyes
To obey man rather than God
For we cannot help
Speaking of what we have seen and heard
There is no other name
There is no other name
By which we're saved

A New Song

It's been 24 years since I last wrote a song.

I was very active in songwriting between Sec 2 and Sec 4 at RGS. Took part in the National Songwriting Competition for Schools and RGS Night, had my own singing group (The Amateurs!) and even won a couple of awards. Writing songs was fun, and a great way to channel some of that adolescent angst.

Then...it stopped in JC. No songs came. The inspiration just dried up. I told myself that God giveth, and God had taken away ('blessed be the Lord' was a bit harder to admit though).

Over the years, I've kept up with the piano at a recreational level, playing for church and for pleasure. I enjoy some Kevin Kern-esque moments and what some friends call tinkling (the ivories).

Then yesterday, it happened.

Just like that, the flow started.

I was reflecting on Philippians 4: 4-9 (because it was the study verse for our group bible study) and wondering if there was a way to put some of the words to music.

And this is what He gave me.

Praise be to God the creator and author of all things good!

DO NOT BE ANXIOUS

Lyrics: Philippians 4:6-7 (NIV)

Music: Serena Low (as given by The Songwriter on 11 Oct 2010)

Verse

Do not be anxious about anything
Do not be anxious but in everything
By prayer and petition
With thanksgiving
Present your requests to God

Chorus

And the peace of God
And the peace of God
That surpasses all understanding
Will keep your hearts
Will keep your minds
In Jesus, in Jesus

Verse

Do not be anxious about anything
Do not be anxious but in everything
By prayer and petition
With thanksgiving
Present your requests to God

Chorus

And the peace of God
And the peace of God
That surpasses all understanding
Will keep your hearts
Will keep your minds
In Jesus, in Jesus

Repeat chorus

Amen

Amen

Amen

Amen

About the song

The song starts on a minor key (to reflect the listener's current discouraged state), builds up energy at the bridge (when the writer suggests how we can handle our anxieties), then rings out triumphantly in a major key at the chorus, loops back to the verse and chorus, repeats the chorus and ends in a four-fold Amen inspired by the ending of Benediction (The Lord Whom We Love) as sung by Budak Pantai (my fave SG acapella group) on their Budakumentary album.

Here's the short version, which was the fruit of the first day's work...



And here's the full version, which was created today!

Doing nothing with my law degree?

Took Beth along to visit with an artist friend today.

She was impressed by the studio at the back, by our friend's numerous paintings which made her home a veritable art gallery, and by her treasure trove of Little Red Riding Hood stories.

I was touched by the stories behind how the paintings came to be.

Towards the end of our visit, our friend asked what were my career plans. Had I, for instance, considered what was required for me to become a solicitor or legal assistant?

This was rather confronting for me, as I had just had to articulate and defend myself on the same subject last evening at the church's newcomers' tea. One of our pastor's break-the-ice activities was for each person to talk about our past and current careers.

It is not that I have nothing to say on the subject. It is just that doing it exposes me once more to my fears, insecurities, self-doubt and lack of confidence. I feel the enormous weight of my law degree and eleven years of work experience and how it must (might) look to outsiders who for various reasons may conclude that I should/should not return to fulltime work.

It is not that I stand on one side or the other of the SAHM fence. I struggle all the time with self-identity and financial concerns. Who am I when I'm not being a mother and wife? Is this all I can do with my talent, time and skills?

If only there was money to be made every time I write an article or blog post or tell someone about the organic products I use, my life would be perfect.

"All the things I could do/If I had a little money/It's a rich man's world"

The reality is that whether I choose coaching or writing or the law, it's all about high-touch marketing, putting yourself out there, being visible and making an impact.

None of which I'm good at.