Joy's big test

With Hyrum away at college and the other kids much older, Joy has been pondering what more she wants to do. 

Joy: "The one thing that was really clear to my mind one day was a timeline of my life. I had focused on being a mom for something like 20 years, and I probably had about 20 more years of feeling really good and being able to do some good. If that was what I had left, what was I going to do with it?"

One of her big desires has been to serve. So she volunteered to be a temple worker in the Dallas temple Fridays and reached out to a local counseling center. She has been volunteering there with whatever odds and ends they needed help with ... while preparing to join them as a counselor!

~~~Wavy flashback~~~

The first night we met

22 years ago, Joy was a graduate student at Edinboro University, PA (now PennWest University) getting a masters degree in counseling. She got her degree with a concentration in career counseling at the beginning of May 2005, and we married just 3 weeks later. She opted to stay home from the beginning so she could prepare our home for the children we hoped for and now have.

In the intervening time, she has kept her membership active in the big counselor associations. That has included taking continuing education credits, studying family counseling, and spending several years studying new counseling techniques. This was in preparation for the day she might want or need to make more professional use of her degree. And that day is here!

~~~End of wavy flashback~~~

Since we got back from DisneyWorld, Joy has been increasingly focused on preparing for the major National Counseling Exam. The last time she took it was 20+ years ago right after spending two years of classwork studying. It was the culmination of her masters degree. Now she's going after it without the help of teachers or fellow students. During the last month, she spent 30-40 hours a week in fulltime study mode.

Joy: "I feel like Heavenly Father has helped me as I have tried to find the best way to study for the test for me. Even as I've made my note cards, everytime I felt the test coming closer and I felt to stress out about it, I've been able to quickly get ways to adjust my studying so it wouldn't be as stressful and I would be able to understand the material better."

"A tender mercy came a week ago Friday when my supervisor at the temple decided to let me stay home because of the expected bad weather, and I felt like I really needed the time to study. I wouldn't have asked for the time off, but I was thankful when it was offered."

The test is this Tuesday!

When she passes, she will join the Compassionate Counseling Center across from the high school as a counselor a couple days a week (the only days they're open). The women there all love Joy - naturally! - and have been very cheering and encouraging, helping to pave the way for her to move forward with this. It will be volunteer work to serve the community, and we are all excited for her to accomplish this dream and move forward.

Joy: "I'm really looking forward to being done with the test!"

Good luck, Joy!