Many things have been on my mind lately. As of my last post, I had returned to substituting but the jobs have been intermittent. I'm hoping they will start to pick up real soon so I can be back to full time work again.

I've known that substituting wasn't going to generate enough income for me. I considered a second job- either working for a store or possibly tutoring. I've also been wanting to donate some of my time for tutoring as well. I decided to talk to a few folks at church about these things and it seems the answers all came in one day.

After asking my pastors about anyone looking for employees, I stopped at the Halloween display. It advertised a pumpkin painting/carving contest- which as most of you know is right up my alley. Our church's event director told me a little about it and I told her about my desire for a second job, possibly tutoring. As it turns out, my church was looking for someone to volunteer to teach faith-based science lessons. I was directed to our Sunday School director and she told me about it. I've looked over the curriculum and I think it is something I can do.

Despite not having any leads from church, I went home and felt pretty happy. Later that day, I get a call from a local retail store looking to set up a job interview! Suffice it to say it took all week but I got hired as a cashier. I'm surprised at the pay rate they are offering as well- I thought it would be much less. I can expect to 28-35 hours a week and can increase based upon request and need. I'm looking forward to it.

Things are looking up and I cannot deny God's influence in the week's events. Even before all this went down, I decided I was going to tithe, no matter what. I figured out how to make it work in mind and in my budget. I think once I figured it out, God sent me a little help my way. Thank you!

It's been a rough summer, but I'm a substitute once again and I am still living in Western NY.

I worked an unpleasant summer job while continuously applying for teaching positions. It wasn't until the end did the unpleasantnesses get fired or quit, however that did not help my mood when it came to finding a teaching job. I've realized that doing this all online is not working for me(because it hasn't). That said, I have decided to change tactics.

I have been given information that I have since learned is not true. For example, the idea that school districts are going to hand me a job simply because I am educated in NYS is a fallacy. Also, the idea that applying for a teaching job is vastly different from applying for any other type of job is also a fallacy.

What I need to do is to make contacts where I want to work and show up in person. My plan for the next few months is to work as much as possible, save up as much as possible, and when the education job fairs start in the spring, I will be making several trips to VA and NC and apply in person.

I will also spend these months honing my interview skills and make sure my resume/cover letters are immaculate. It's going to be a rough ride but God never said life was going to be easy. Wish me luck!