I have waited 5 long years to type this next sentence:
Hi, my name is Carrie Jenkins, and I am a Board Certified Music Therapist.
That's right, you read it! I am a MT-BC! Wooooo!!!! I took the CBMT exam today at 1:30. It was supposed to last 3 hours, but I'm a fast test taker and got done in about an hour and 45 minutes. I was freaking out the entire time! The test was RIDICULOUS! It's all multiple choice, but each questions is its own paragraph, and each individual answer option is its own paragraph. Ugh...but I survived! And now I am board certified. It's silly to think how much it means to write those four letters and a hyphen after my name. 5 years of school summed up into 4 letter. Good times. So to give you a little update on my life...
I will be graduating next weekend! Crazy! I will have my Bachelor of Music Therapy degree. And what does one do after they get done with school? That's right, more school! I have applied to the Master of Music Therapy program here at good ole Drury and will be starting in the fall. I debated on whether to do an online Masters program or to come back to Drury, but after looking everything over, Drury is the place for me!
I have been going back and forth on what I should do about employment for the upcoming year. I applied to TouchPoint Autism Services here in Springfield a couple weeks back. But throughout the application process, I wasn't feeling too hot about the potential job. After looking at the time commitment they want on top of being a full-time Masters student, the travel requirements, documentation, etc., this job seems like it will just consume me and wear me down. I don't want to have a job that completely exhausts me at the end of the day, leaving no time or motivation to focus on my classes. But then comes along another opportunity...
My music therapy professor informed me of a Graduate Assistant position for the MMT program. The girl that was thinking about taking it decided to back down and keep her clinical hours (in the long run it was better for her). This position does not offer a stipend or salary, but it pays half tuition. Plus there is a lot less travel required, and I would get my own office in the music department! It's not official yet, but I'm 98% sure I will be taking this position. I filled out all the paperwork today. Now I just have to make sure I am actually accepted into the Masters program...and then figure out how to tell the other job I'm not interested anymore. :-P
And what's the moral of this story? GOD IS GOOD! I have been hoping and praying that I am indeed on the right path. I cannot tell you how many times I have prayed "God, it's in your hands now. If you want this for me, make it happen. If not, then give me the patience to take the right road." I think I am on the right track again.
Well, that's about all I have for now. I gotta go plan on how I'm going to celebrate! Until next time!
~Carrie Jenkins, MT-BC
Me
Wednesday, May 5, 2010
Monday, April 19, 2010
On the Move
As promised a couple weeks ago, I finally have pics of my new apartment! But before showing you those, I would like you to see my final visions of the Jackson apartment.
I would like to mention that I HATE PACKING. I loathe it entirely. This was what my apartment looked like for about 2 days. I packed as much as I could before mom and dad came down with the U-Haul.
Well, we finally got everything packed, loaded, and moved to Springfield. And now, for your viewing pleasure, pics of Laura's and my new apartment!
Laura's bathroom...just as you come in the front door to the right.
The living room. Of course Walter has already taken over.
Another shot of the living room. The loveseat and mirror are courtesy of Scottie & Allyce Johnson. We put a slipcover over the loveseat so it would match better.
The kitchen/dining area. The "wall art" are actually curtains. We use it to tie together the dining area with the living room.
1st view of my bedroom. I have a big girl bed now! Yep...it's a king. :-)
2nd view of my bedroom.
My bathroom
Laura's bedroom. She's still in the process of moving everything over from the dorm.
Laura's closet...it's stupid huge.
Well, that's about it! Hope you've enjoyed my little virtual tour! After about 3 weeks, this place is finally starting to look and feel like home.
D-Now 2010
Man, this last week and a half has flown by! I went home a couple Thursdays ago. I led worship at church that Sunday. The next full week was dedicated to helping mom out around the house. Monday I did random errands...Tuesday we worked in the yard all day...Wednesday I cleaned the house...Thursday we went to Springfield for the day to see Laura's play. Then the weekend rolled around...
This weekend we had D-Now at our church. It's like a weekend retreat/huge worship weekend for the youth group. Everyone is split up into groups of 4-8 people and goes to host homes. There they are led by college students and go through a curriculum based on the theme for the weekend. This year's theme was "Revealed." Aaron Rodgers was the guest speaker. The Dave Hassell Band led worship. These guys were amazing. Aaron did an excellent job telling ridiculous stories and making everyone laugh while at the same time being able to tie these stories into the message he wanted to bring that night.
I had the priviledge of leading half of the 9th grade girls along with my friend Melanie. We stayed at my house. These girls were awesome. There were some crazy moments, but they knew when to calm it down and focus on the important issues. Oh and if you're looking for any pics from the weekend, don't worry. One of my girls took 500 photos...500 photos in 2 days!
Anyways, I have a confession to make. I hate crying in public. I cannot stand it. I avoid it at all costs. When I cry my eyes get all red, my face gets all blotchy, and I snot everywhere. It's not a pretty sight, and I try my darndest not to let other people see me cry. But alas, I was very unsuccessful this weekend. Saturday night's worship hit me hard. I was completely broken. It was a combination of things...I hadn't experienced a good, deep, meaningful worship time in a long time. And I just felt very convicted about not really living authentically for God; it's so easy to just get caught up in the motions, saying the right things, doing the right thing, but not really meaning it...
Needless to say, I started tearing up during one of the songs. I thought to myself "Keep it together! Don't cry in front of all these people! You can cry in the comfort and solidarity of your room tonight." But then we got into small groups to pray. I took my girls to the side and started the prayer. All I could get out was three words: "God, you're amazing." And then the floodgates opened. I just stood there and cried for a good 30 seconds. I can't remember the last time I cried so much in a public place. Oh, but it was a good cry. I needed it. Being able to just completely let go, take down all the barriers, and just live in the moment with all emotions out in the open was amazing. So I choked out the rest of my prayer and listened to the other girls. And then we sang some more...and I cried some more. I had forgotten how important it is to just sit and listen sometimes. I'm a music major, which is both a blessing and a curse. I can get so caught up in the musical aspect and technicality of things that I forget what I'm really there for. But that night I sat...I listened...I soaked it all in...and it was great.
Whew! That was a lot of typing! But I really wanted to share it all; not just for me to remember later, but for anyone who reads this too, as a reminder to LET GO and let God reveal himself. Stop making the relationship a routine. Be willing to just stop and listen.
Anyway, to sum things up, this weekend was awesome. There wasn't a lot of drama between all of the students. The college group did awesome leading the small group discussions. Scottie and Kevin did an awesome job putting all the technical stuff together. The host homes and food were amazing. It was just overall a great success! Possibly the best D-Now I've been to.
And now I'm off to bed. Hope everyone's had a good week! Hopefully I'll be able to get into more of a routine in the near future. Until next time!
This weekend we had D-Now at our church. It's like a weekend retreat/huge worship weekend for the youth group. Everyone is split up into groups of 4-8 people and goes to host homes. There they are led by college students and go through a curriculum based on the theme for the weekend. This year's theme was "Revealed." Aaron Rodgers was the guest speaker. The Dave Hassell Band led worship. These guys were amazing. Aaron did an excellent job telling ridiculous stories and making everyone laugh while at the same time being able to tie these stories into the message he wanted to bring that night.
I had the priviledge of leading half of the 9th grade girls along with my friend Melanie. We stayed at my house. These girls were awesome. There were some crazy moments, but they knew when to calm it down and focus on the important issues. Oh and if you're looking for any pics from the weekend, don't worry. One of my girls took 500 photos...500 photos in 2 days!
Anyways, I have a confession to make. I hate crying in public. I cannot stand it. I avoid it at all costs. When I cry my eyes get all red, my face gets all blotchy, and I snot everywhere. It's not a pretty sight, and I try my darndest not to let other people see me cry. But alas, I was very unsuccessful this weekend. Saturday night's worship hit me hard. I was completely broken. It was a combination of things...I hadn't experienced a good, deep, meaningful worship time in a long time. And I just felt very convicted about not really living authentically for God; it's so easy to just get caught up in the motions, saying the right things, doing the right thing, but not really meaning it...
Needless to say, I started tearing up during one of the songs. I thought to myself "Keep it together! Don't cry in front of all these people! You can cry in the comfort and solidarity of your room tonight." But then we got into small groups to pray. I took my girls to the side and started the prayer. All I could get out was three words: "God, you're amazing." And then the floodgates opened. I just stood there and cried for a good 30 seconds. I can't remember the last time I cried so much in a public place. Oh, but it was a good cry. I needed it. Being able to just completely let go, take down all the barriers, and just live in the moment with all emotions out in the open was amazing. So I choked out the rest of my prayer and listened to the other girls. And then we sang some more...and I cried some more. I had forgotten how important it is to just sit and listen sometimes. I'm a music major, which is both a blessing and a curse. I can get so caught up in the musical aspect and technicality of things that I forget what I'm really there for. But that night I sat...I listened...I soaked it all in...and it was great.
Whew! That was a lot of typing! But I really wanted to share it all; not just for me to remember later, but for anyone who reads this too, as a reminder to LET GO and let God reveal himself. Stop making the relationship a routine. Be willing to just stop and listen.
Anyway, to sum things up, this weekend was awesome. There wasn't a lot of drama between all of the students. The college group did awesome leading the small group discussions. Scottie and Kevin did an awesome job putting all the technical stuff together. The host homes and food were amazing. It was just overall a great success! Possibly the best D-Now I've been to.
And now I'm off to bed. Hope everyone's had a good week! Hopefully I'll be able to get into more of a routine in the near future. Until next time!
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
Here, There, and Everywhere!
So it's been awhile since my last post. I've been extremely busy the past few weeks. While I'm waiting for my laundry to get done, I'll give a little update of my life!
I moved out of my apartment in Jackson last Wednesday. We made an overnight pit-stop in Fayetteville to pick up Laura's stuff from the house, then moved everything to Springfield. I spent the night in a different bed every night for a week, but we are finally all moved in to the new apartment! All Laura and I have left are to hang up the rest of the art work and pictures. But we got a new washer & dryer, reported all the maintenance problems, and have the internet set up. It's a really nice apartment. I'll post pictures of it when we get it all perfect.
Well, I'm finished with my undergratuate curriculum. I had meetings this week with my professors about my internship experience and the upcoming Masters program. Everything seems to be in the works! In the next few weeks I plan to take the music therapy board certification exam and the MAT. Woo for tests...(note the sarcasm).
I had my first real job interview today! A friend that I went to school with told me about a possible part-time opening at the place she works at in Springfield. I e-mailed my resume and they told me to come by. I wasn't quite expecting it to be an interview today...I just though I was coming by to see the facilities, meet people, and schedule a formal interview time. But surprise, surprise! I ended up filling out an application and having an interview! The lady said she would be e-mailing me in the near future to set up a time for a teleconference with another music therapist from the company. That's a good sign, right?
Sooooo....if everything goes like I hope, starting this fall, I will be taking classes in the morning and doing music therapy sessions in the afternoon. I'm a big kid now! And I thought I'd have some down time. :-P
Well that's about it for now. Apartment pics will be up in a week or so! I'm packing up to head back to Fayetteville for a bit. Until next time!
I moved out of my apartment in Jackson last Wednesday. We made an overnight pit-stop in Fayetteville to pick up Laura's stuff from the house, then moved everything to Springfield. I spent the night in a different bed every night for a week, but we are finally all moved in to the new apartment! All Laura and I have left are to hang up the rest of the art work and pictures. But we got a new washer & dryer, reported all the maintenance problems, and have the internet set up. It's a really nice apartment. I'll post pictures of it when we get it all perfect.
Well, I'm finished with my undergratuate curriculum. I had meetings this week with my professors about my internship experience and the upcoming Masters program. Everything seems to be in the works! In the next few weeks I plan to take the music therapy board certification exam and the MAT. Woo for tests...(note the sarcasm).
I had my first real job interview today! A friend that I went to school with told me about a possible part-time opening at the place she works at in Springfield. I e-mailed my resume and they told me to come by. I wasn't quite expecting it to be an interview today...I just though I was coming by to see the facilities, meet people, and schedule a formal interview time. But surprise, surprise! I ended up filling out an application and having an interview! The lady said she would be e-mailing me in the near future to set up a time for a teleconference with another music therapist from the company. That's a good sign, right?
Sooooo....if everything goes like I hope, starting this fall, I will be taking classes in the morning and doing music therapy sessions in the afternoon. I'm a big kid now! And I thought I'd have some down time. :-P
Well that's about it for now. Apartment pics will be up in a week or so! I'm packing up to head back to Fayetteville for a bit. Until next time!
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
It Finally Happened...
I'm done! I can't believe I am actually saying those words...I'm done! I'm done, I'm done, I'm done! I finished my last day of internship today! Do you know what this means?! I am done with my undergrad!!! All that's left to do is walk in May! I still cannot believe it...it is so surreal!
When I first moved to Jackson, I thought "This is going to take forever! 6 months cannot go by fast enough." But now here I am, at the end of the 6 months, and it's impossilbe for it to be over. Now I have one week left in Tennessee. And what am I going to do? Chill...relax...sleep in...whatever I want! Of course I'll pack, but probably not until the beginning of next week.
I gotta say, there were some rough patches along the way. Sessions didn't go as planned, I was asked to do things that nowhere near applied to my internship, etc. But overall it was a great experience. I made some great friends and learned a lot.
Now I'm ready to move on to the next phase. I pack up here the 31st, make a stop at home, and head up to Springfield to move into my new apartment! I'll be living with my sister...partay! After I get everything mostly moved in, I'll head home for Easter. Then it's back to Springfield for a few days to see all my friends and hopefully get some things done. I have to take the MAT and the board certification exam in the near future. Oh I also have to apply for the Master's program at Drury. So I'll still be a little busy!
And now I'm going to enjoy a big glass of chocolate milk. I wish everyone a happy week. Keep enjoying this beautiful weather! Happy Spring! Hopefully I'll see you in the near future! :-D
When I first moved to Jackson, I thought "This is going to take forever! 6 months cannot go by fast enough." But now here I am, at the end of the 6 months, and it's impossilbe for it to be over. Now I have one week left in Tennessee. And what am I going to do? Chill...relax...sleep in...whatever I want! Of course I'll pack, but probably not until the beginning of next week.
I gotta say, there were some rough patches along the way. Sessions didn't go as planned, I was asked to do things that nowhere near applied to my internship, etc. But overall it was a great experience. I made some great friends and learned a lot.
Now I'm ready to move on to the next phase. I pack up here the 31st, make a stop at home, and head up to Springfield to move into my new apartment! I'll be living with my sister...partay! After I get everything mostly moved in, I'll head home for Easter. Then it's back to Springfield for a few days to see all my friends and hopefully get some things done. I have to take the MAT and the board certification exam in the near future. Oh I also have to apply for the Master's program at Drury. So I'll still be a little busy!
And now I'm going to enjoy a big glass of chocolate milk. I wish everyone a happy week. Keep enjoying this beautiful weather! Happy Spring! Hopefully I'll see you in the near future! :-D
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
A Few Minor Changes...The Count Down Begins!
As you may or may not have noticed, I completely changed my blog! Thanks to the genius that is Kyle David Vanderburg, I got a crash course in html editing and tweeked my new template just the way I liked it. So here it is! You'll have to let me know what you think!
I was sitting at my dining room table eating some mac 'n cheese (yes, I'm 8 years old tonight) and said to myself "Oh my goodness self! You only have 2 weeks of internship left! This is crazy!" Looking back, I have done a lot over the past 6 months. And I thought about telling you all about it...but seeing as you are probably not interested in the music therapy-related stuff, I thought I would share some of the more random things I have learned...
I was sitting at my dining room table eating some mac 'n cheese (yes, I'm 8 years old tonight) and said to myself "Oh my goodness self! You only have 2 weeks of internship left! This is crazy!" Looking back, I have done a lot over the past 6 months. And I thought about telling you all about it...but seeing as you are probably not interested in the music therapy-related stuff, I thought I would share some of the more random things I have learned...
- Always be on guard, because you never know when you are going to be attacked by a paper airplane.
- Fudge making/packaging is REQUIRED at least 2 times during internship.
- Napkins are not meant to look like crab rangoon, unless you attend a STAR Center fundraiser.
- Always look busy, even if you aren't. That way you won't be asked to do as much.
- No matter how stupid something may seem, make the best of it. Because you won't be there for long, and you will soon leave some awesome people behind.
Hope you enjoyed this ramble! I'm off to get ready for church now. Until next time...keep loving this beautiful weather!
Monday, March 8, 2010
Ramble On My Wayward Son
I realized I haven't posted in a few weeks, so I thought it was time for a little update of my life! So sit back, relax, and get ready to read a whole lotta nothin!
Turns out, I only have 2 and a half weeks left of my internship! CRAZY!!! It seems like it has taken forever, but then I look back and realize it flew by. My last day of work should be the 24th of this month, and then I move out on the 31st. Having that week to pack will be good. I hate packing...hate...abhor...loathe entirely. But I'm almost done! I have really enjoyed the internship. I learned a lot, got both positive and constructive criticism, really enjoyed working with the majority of my clients, and made some really good friends at the STAR Center. However I will not miss Jackson. If you like to shop and eat out, this place is for you...but seeing as I have no money, this place is not for me. I'm ready to get back to MO to be closer to home and see some of my buddies again!
Next ramble! I got to make a trip home this weekend! I used the excuse of needing to get boxes to validate the 6 hour trip. I got 4 boxes...ha! Anyway, it was good to go home. I spent time with my familia. When I got back Andy, Padre and I went out to Chili's. We spent way too much money and ate way too much food. And there was a ridiculous amount of high school kids there! And they were the annoying kind...bleh. Saturday I did a little shopping with mom. I got lots of nice Clinique stuff (BTW it's bonus time again!) and we did some much needed clothes shopping for Andy. I also hung out with some friends at Common Grounds, saw a movie, and went to church. Oh and I got my oil changed! That little place in Farmington is awesome. Overall it was a good weekend.
Random movie reivew! This weekend I saw Alice in Wonderland with mom, Andy, and the lovely Allyce Johnson. I thought it only fitting to take Allyce to see Alice...ha! I really liked it. There's a little twist on the story plot from the original, which makes it interesting. But I shant tell you what it is! It is definitely not kid friendly though! But this is only to be expected, because it is Tim Burton...and creepy crazy Johnny Depp...mmmmmm. But if you are a fan of Tim Burton, multiple personality Johnny Depp, and Danny Elfman music, this is the movie for you! I think all of us that went were pleased.
Final ramble! This weekend I got to feast upon many fabulous food items. At Chili's I had the trio sampler appetizer thing. I got chicken crispers, southwest eggrolls, and spinach dip. All were quite tasty. I later learned that the plastic Chili's to-go containers are not microwavable...oops! Saturday I got to feast upon the beauty that is Flying Burrito. It is pretty much customary that when I come into town my family goes there with the Johnsons. I cannot describe the magnificence that is Burrito. It's like God himself woke up one morning and said "Today, I wish to bestow upon the world a small sliver of heaven in the form of a plethora of greatness surrounded by a tortilla." And it was so. The final awesome meal of my weekend was Sunday lunch. My mommy made brisket with the FANTASMO gravy, mashed potatoes, corn casserole, and rolls. To...die...for. I got to bring back leftovers and will be feasting upon them for lunch today...mmmmmm.
Well I think that is all my rambling for now. Hope you enjoyed! And now I shall leave you with this sassy picture of myself taken at the STAR Center Dinner & Dance a couple weeks ago. Enjoy this beautiful weather!!! I will be back home for the Easters!
Turns out, I only have 2 and a half weeks left of my internship! CRAZY!!! It seems like it has taken forever, but then I look back and realize it flew by. My last day of work should be the 24th of this month, and then I move out on the 31st. Having that week to pack will be good. I hate packing...hate...abhor...loathe entirely. But I'm almost done! I have really enjoyed the internship. I learned a lot, got both positive and constructive criticism, really enjoyed working with the majority of my clients, and made some really good friends at the STAR Center. However I will not miss Jackson. If you like to shop and eat out, this place is for you...but seeing as I have no money, this place is not for me. I'm ready to get back to MO to be closer to home and see some of my buddies again!
Next ramble! I got to make a trip home this weekend! I used the excuse of needing to get boxes to validate the 6 hour trip. I got 4 boxes...ha! Anyway, it was good to go home. I spent time with my familia. When I got back Andy, Padre and I went out to Chili's. We spent way too much money and ate way too much food. And there was a ridiculous amount of high school kids there! And they were the annoying kind...bleh. Saturday I did a little shopping with mom. I got lots of nice Clinique stuff (BTW it's bonus time again!) and we did some much needed clothes shopping for Andy. I also hung out with some friends at Common Grounds, saw a movie, and went to church. Oh and I got my oil changed! That little place in Farmington is awesome. Overall it was a good weekend.
Random movie reivew! This weekend I saw Alice in Wonderland with mom, Andy, and the lovely Allyce Johnson. I thought it only fitting to take Allyce to see Alice...ha! I really liked it. There's a little twist on the story plot from the original, which makes it interesting. But I shant tell you what it is! It is definitely not kid friendly though! But this is only to be expected, because it is Tim Burton...and creepy crazy Johnny Depp...mmmmmm. But if you are a fan of Tim Burton, multiple personality Johnny Depp, and Danny Elfman music, this is the movie for you! I think all of us that went were pleased.
Final ramble! This weekend I got to feast upon many fabulous food items. At Chili's I had the trio sampler appetizer thing. I got chicken crispers, southwest eggrolls, and spinach dip. All were quite tasty. I later learned that the plastic Chili's to-go containers are not microwavable...oops! Saturday I got to feast upon the beauty that is Flying Burrito. It is pretty much customary that when I come into town my family goes there with the Johnsons. I cannot describe the magnificence that is Burrito. It's like God himself woke up one morning and said "Today, I wish to bestow upon the world a small sliver of heaven in the form of a plethora of greatness surrounded by a tortilla." And it was so. The final awesome meal of my weekend was Sunday lunch. My mommy made brisket with the FANTASMO gravy, mashed potatoes, corn casserole, and rolls. To...die...for. I got to bring back leftovers and will be feasting upon them for lunch today...mmmmmm.
Well I think that is all my rambling for now. Hope you enjoyed! And now I shall leave you with this sassy picture of myself taken at the STAR Center Dinner & Dance a couple weeks ago. Enjoy this beautiful weather!!! I will be back home for the Easters!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)