Happy Easter (sorry it's a day late)

He is risen! He is my Lord and Savior. By His grace I have been saved. I believe in Him. I will serve Him. I am grateful for all He has done for me. In His name, Jesus Christ, Amen

Needing and Being Needed Others

So I've been thinking about an idea for a few days. In a book I'm reading it has been talking about how what people want out of life is to be needed. To be wanted by those around them. This is also stated on Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs as well. It's the third tier, the need for "Love and Belonging."

So here is what I've been really pondering with this. When someone dies you feel a great loss. It is deep and it is very real. And the more you need someone the greater the loss you feel. I also personally feel a bit of selfishness is involved, at least for me. I feel like the loss is greater when I consider how much they needed or would have needed me. I feel the loss most acutely at times when I feel I need or would have been needed by the person I've lost.

I was once asked by a good friend if the pain of losing someone fades, if it stops hurting. I have thought a lot about this question. I think I can say from my own experience that it never fades completely. I still cry in grief at my loss. But I think what still hurts is the longing and the loss. You never regain or replace what you lost, not in this life. Your needs that that person met and the way they met them cannot be replaced. Your feelings of being wanted and needed by someone else cannot be met by someone else the way they were by the one you lost. So I think the answer is no, not in this life, it never fully fades, or stops "hurting" because the loss never is filled. It can't be until you are reunited in the next life with the one lost and once again your need for them and their need for you is met.

My life continues after I lose someone because others need me, and I need them. Life continues though the grief or loss is never truly over. And truly, I wouldn't ever want it to end. I want to continue to need those I've lost till we meet again and I want (or perhaps it's that I need) them to need me in return.

Just some food for thought.

Be Happy With What You've Got

This video expresses something I've been thinking about lately. I need to be grateful for all the amazing things around us. I spend to much of my time fretting over what I want and think I need to be happy, like having the internet work on an airplane :) When if I'd just take a moment and think, 'Wow, I have an apartment with lights powered by electricity! No candles!' If I keep in mind all the amazing things I have is there even a reason to be unhappy? or do I have every reason to be happy and content?

Just some food for thought :)

Katie Jean

Who I Want to Be When I Grow Up

What was your first job and how did you get it?
        My first job was at Papa Murphy's Take and Bake Pizza. My mom herd they were hiring and I went and turned in my application and got the job. I knew a gril that worked there though that the Manager liked so that was a help.

How did you decide what field to enter?
        I'm not sure why I decided I wanted to become a teacher. I think I just liked my teachers and thought it would be great to do what they did

Did your parents influence your approach to work or your choice of career?
        My parents have always taught me to have a good work ethic. They also have taught me the value of Education, I think that influenced my choice :)

Just a note, I'm going into Special Education on an Elementary level :)

School Years

NaBloPoMo - Day Three

Did your siblings attend the same school? How many grades above or below them were you?
           I remember Adam taking me home from William Penn. Adam is three years above me in school Brian is three years below me so I saw him a little in grade school as well.

Did you like school?
          Yes, I've always enjoyed learning. I liked some things about school more then others. I liked the teachers and friends I saw everyday and I enjoyed learning new things.

What subject were you best at in school?
          I always said reading, though that was the subject I struggled with the most. I did well in Social Studies.

What did you want to be when you grew up?
          I wanted to be a writer first, then an editor so I could write books on the side. Then in Jr. High I set my sights on becoming a teacher. I've changed back and forth between what I wanted to teach always teacher ever since.

Early School

Day Two (a day late) of NaBloPoMo.

What Elementary did you go to?
       I went to:
           Denver Elementary? (can't remember the name for sure) for first grade
           Draper Elementary for second grade
           William Penn Elementary for third grade
           Vally View Elementary for forth through sixth

How did you get to school? How far was it?
        I walked, it was only 6 blocks away, next to our church

What subjects did you like and which ones didn’t you like?
            I loved reading, I said it was my favorite even though it was the one I struggled with the most. I've never liked math.

Who were your best friends? Tell what you can about them.
             Melcome, He was my friend at William Penn. He was African American. I don't remember much
more then that about him. Marie Andrus was my best friend from 4th grade on. We're still friends today.

Elementary was good and bad. I remember the teasing and hard times but I also remember learning loving the classes and my teachers.

Let's Start at the Very Beginning, a Very Good Place to Start

Day One - My Name and Birth

What is your full name and why were you named it? Were you named after somebody else?

Katherine Jean Christensen

My Grandma's, Arda Jean and Donna Jean :)
Did you have a nickname as you were growing up? If you did, what was it and why did they call you that? 

Katie, KatieKate, Fred, Gorgie... the list goes on and they were all different depending on who was calling me them

Have you had other nicknames as an adult?

Katie, Tate, Red Eyes (from our secret spy ring in Jr High) and Kat
What do family members call you now?

Katie or Kathrine
Where were you born and when?

I was born in Salt Lake, July 1991

What color was your hair as a young child and then as an adult?

I think my hair has stayed the same, Red, though it has lightened and darkened over time
What color are your eyes?

Blue

I would attach a cute story here about my birth but I don't know one... I know I was the first and I think only baby my Grandma Bevan ever saw born, and I know when I was born my Mamma Sherri said she had Neapolitan children, William is Vanilla (Blond), Adam is Chocolate (Brown) and I am Strawberry (Red).

There you go! Day one of Blogging Month complete!!

Cheers!