better late than never, right?

i went to Auburn to visit my new "nephew"
so stinkin' precious-1st time i've almost cried seeing a baby for the 1st time...


i had a birthday-with the girls at Sekisui, yumm...

Memorial Day, my sister and bro-in-law came in from VA for about 24 hrs. it was so good to see her after over a year!


with our Granny


me and my mom-a reminder of the Lord's grace in my life!


sisters

things I'm loving right now

Essie Delicacy-so pretty and light for summer


Voluspa Goji and Tarocco orange candle-your house will smell good for days


all around fantastic sandals from GAP


shocking I know, but this is a J.Crew dress. I have it in Navy.
Happy Birthday to me!

and now for the thing I'm loving the most these days:

SLEEP!

a day on the 9th

I really wanted to be able to put into words what my days look like. but it was just impossible. my day starts at 5:00 and I don't get back home till 19:30. almost everything in between is a blur. some days are better than others, some days I actually get 10 minutes to stand still.

everyday I realize more and more how blessed I am to have this opportunity. I get to learn new stuff and see new procedures every day. it should really help me not only getting in to nursing school but once I start clinicals. I see stuff everyday that a lot of nurses never see.

but there are bad times too, our patients are really really sick. on the elevator the other day people were laughing about how many stops it takes to get to the 9th floor. and one of the nurses was telling someone that the 9th floor is the worst place in the hospital. her reasoning was totally false, and I kinda laughed. but it's neat to see how the Lord has placed me in what I think is the best place in the hospital, learning about the type of nursing that I want to do, and there are so many who don't want to ever step foot in a trauma/burn unit.

a couple of things stick out in my time so far:
1. never ever under any circumstances get on a motorcycle. when things go bad there's not a lot that can be done.
2. people in generally good health heal much faster after trauma and leave the hospital much faster.

on my 2nd day I watched someone die, I was standing there helpless with nothing to do but pray. which I know is exactly where the Lord wanted me. I know He can work miracles, and I know I will get to see it happen. but please pray for me as a light in the darkness and peace in the storm!
and also, as I begin applying for nursing school-I would love to stay where I am because of the learning opportunities I have here, but I want to be where He wants me. so I need wisdom!

the GREAT exchange

"This is that mystery which is rich in divine grace to sinners: wherein by a wonderful exchange our sins are no longer ours but Christ's, and the righteousness of Christ not Christ's but ours. He has emptied himself of his righteousness that he might clothe us with it and fill us with it; and he has taken our evils upon himself that he might deliver us from them."
Martin Luther

not what you hoped they'd be

wow...



Pray
by Kendall Payne

I will pray for you now, for you have been my faithful friends
While the road we walk is difficult indeed
I couldn't not ask for more than what you've already been
Only that you would say these prayers for me
May your heart break enough that compassion enters in
May your strength all be spent upon the weak
All the castles and crowns you build and place upon your head
May they all fall, come crashing down around your feet
May you find every step to be harder than the last
So your character grows greater every stride
May your company be of humble insignificance
May your weakness be your only source of pride
What you do unto others may it all be done to you
May you meet the One who made us
And see Him smile when life is through
May your blessings be many but not what you hoped they'd be
And when you look upon the broken
May mercy show you what you could not see
May you never be sure of any plans you desire
But you'd learn to trust the plan He has for you
May your passions be tried and tested in the holy fire
May you fight with all your life for what is true
I have prayed for you now all my dear and faithful friends
But what I wish is more than I could eever speak
As the way wanders on I'll long to see you once again
Until then, would you pray these prayers for me?
Oh, that you would pray for me

ummm...

Two things I ask of you; deny them not to me before I die: Remove far from me falsehood and lying; give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with the food that is needful for me, lest I be full and deny you and say, "Who is the Lord?" or lest I be poor and steal and profane the name of my God.
Proverbs 30.7-9

week 1

well...week one of the rest of my life is almost over. and i'm thankful for this week and all that i've learned and seen.

1. apparently my new employer is often referred to as the University that Ate Birmingham
2. it spans about 15 blocks, so as you can imagine, i'll be doing lots of walking
3. to get to work in the morning i drive 23 blocks east, and then take a bus 14 blocks back west. to get home i do the same, just in the opposite direction
4. i have learned a lot about how to take care of patients and all the rules that of health care
5. on our tour of the hospital today we visited the helipad. a helicopter was coming in for a trauma and we got to see it all happen. don't get me wrong, it's not that i want anyone to be hurt bad enough to have that happen, but it was one of the coolest things i've ever seen
6. everything i've learned has increased my resolve and i'm more than ready to be done with school and be able to move forward in my career
7. pray for me as i move forward with classes and start applying to nursing schools-for wisdom and that the Lord would give me favor in their eyes!

making progress

I've been reading The Pilgrim's Progress. I'm just finishing it up. And look back on the story a few things come to mind:

1. This spiritual battle is real. And it's going on around us ALL THE TIME. I think I would live my life differently if I were more aware of the reality of what is going on in the spiritual realm.

2. Throughout the story there are places the pilgrim stops to rest, places the Prince of pilgrims created for that purpose. But there are also places that he is told he should never stop or be tempted to rest, these places are created by the enemy to trick him into a slumber that he would never awake from. He needs the guide to tell him when it is okay to rest, and when he needs to keep moving forward.

3. All the characters are named by the chief character strength or fault. I wonder what my pilgrim name would be?

A couple of my favorite quotes (these both come from Part II of the story):

...but I am resolved to keep in the good way, to run when I can, to walk when I cannot run, and creep when I cannot walk; yet to keep my face toward Zion. My journey may be long and toilsome and my mind and body weak; yet my heart is set on that fair City at the end of the way, beyond the river that has no bridge.

I see myself now at the end of my journey; my toilsome days are over. I am going to see the head that was crowned with thorns and the face that was spit upon for me. I have been living by hearsay and faith, but now I am going where I shall live by sight, and I shall be with Him in whose company I delight. I have loved to hear Him spoken of, and wherever I would see His footprints on the sand of time, there I delighted to walk. His name has been to me a precious treasure-sweeter than all perfumes. His voice I rejoice to hear, and His face to me exceeds all beauty in earth and sky. His Word I have used as food for my soul and for antidote against my faltering. He has kept me back from my iniquities, and He has held me fast. Yes, my steps He has strengthened in His way.

part 4 of in my heart i'm still a dancer

76. Just after posting part 3, I had my very first wreck and my car was totaled. Thankfully, no one was hurt and it wasn't my fault.
77. Thanks to number 76, I am now the proud owner of a new-er car.
78. For the first time in my life, I am not afraid to follow my dreams. No matter how scary it may be.
79. I prefer my sweet potato casserole with brown sugar and nuts.
80. Tomorrow I will eat my first Lebanese food in exactly 5 years. I am overjoyed. There's some fattouche and a schwarma calling my name!
81. I wear a retainer most nights for TMJ. I started this habit in Africa when I put a whole in one of my teeth from grinding them at night. Something about a civil war made my life a little stressful then.
82. On Monday I will start my 10th new job in two years.
83. My new job is a Patient Care Technician in the Trauma/Burn ICU at UAB Hospital. If I end up in nursing school at UAB, hopefully this job will last a while.
84. Not long after Part 3, I also had my very first case of food poisoning. I may never eat fish tacos again.
85. I also recently participated in my very first Ash Wednesday and Maundy Thursday services.
86. I recently read an article about milk that totally freaked me out. I am now on a mission to eat as much organic and locally grown or raised food as I can. It will be a learning experience for sure.
87. I am thinking of applying to nursing school in the great state of TX or CA. Why not?
88. When I get stressed I don't eat. Quite the opposite of most people.
89. And if given the choice between sleeping or eating, I'll always choose sleep.
90. I can't study while its still daylight outside. It must be hereditary cause my sister is the same way.
91. Speaking of my sister, in May I will see her for the first time in over a year.
92. I had to buy scrubs for my new job. They came in the mail today. As I suspected, I am not cute in scrubs.
93. I took an entomology class in college. Complete with bug collection. I did great on the tests, but flat out failed my bug collection. Ever since having to collect bugs I am terrified of any bug that flies.
94. I also took a Mammalogy class where I had to skin and stuff a rat. Yes folks...as much as I wish it wasn't, its true.
95. Other than being overseas for 2 years, J.Crew is the job I've had the longest. 1 yr and 8 months.
96. I'm not a jewelery person, but I have one necklace that I wear every single day. It has a pendant in the shape of Africa. It's a constant reminder of what the Lord did...and opens doors of conversation almost every day.
97. I sometimes find myself reading blogs of people I don't know. I'm not sure how I end up there or why, but I find it intriguing.
98. I also read a lot of recipe blogs. A LOT. I'm not really sure why since I never cook any of the recipes. But a girl can dream.
99. My 31st birthday is coming up very soon-so far I feel like it will be harder than 30.
100. I love you all and appreciate your friendship more than you'll ever know!

if the world were a village

I saw this on the Tom's website recently and thought it was worth sharing. Apparently the statistics come from a book "If the World Were a Village" by David Smith.

if the world were a village of 100 people...

1 has AIDS
3 are slaves
14 are illiterate
20 are malnourished
23 drink polluted water
25 have no shelter
30 are unemployed
33 have no electricity
40 have no shoes
45 live on less than $2 a day
48 have no sanitation
56 have parasites