Scrubs

So I realized that I hadn't posted any pictures of me in my nursing school uniform! I apologize for my tardiness in this matter...but I suppose the following pictures are on Facebook as well. Nevertheless, for those of you who are curious, we wear the lovely brown scrubs which you will gaze upon in a few moments. I think they are quite hideous cute, but I suppose they could be much worse. One day I will be able to wear ones that I really like. However, for now I am thankful simply to be able to get clinical experience while I wear them! 

my clinical group fall term (sorry for the bad quality)

one of my clinical groups winter term

Ok...I'm back to studying. Have a good week!

surrender

"For I am the Lord your God, who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you." Isaiah 41:13

surrender

Lord, I give up my own plans and purposes,
all my own desires, hopes and ambitions, 
and I accept Thy will for my life.
I give up myself, my life, my all,
utterly to Thee, to be Thine forever.
I hand over to Thy keeping all of my friendships;
all the people whom I love are to take second place in my heart.
Fill me now and seal me with Thy Spirit.
Work out Thy whole will in my life at any cost,
for to me to live is Christ. Amen.

-Betty Scott

things that made my day

Things that have made my day today:

lunchables

tea in a teacup

a duck paddling through the "moat" around Chemeketa's new building 8!

sunshine

curling up on my couch

Tomorrow is my first clinical rotation (i.e. first shift) at Salem Hospital's OB/mother baby unit! I'm very excited and hope to see some super duper cool stuff (like a birth!!!)...but we'll see what happens. Here's  hoping!

P.S. No that is not my couch, but I wish I had a room with a couch like it. Maybe one day...

Your consolations delight my soul

"When my anxious thoughts multiply within me, Your consolations delight my soul" Psalm 94:19

Lord, today I feel lonely and there are so many things on my mind. You are the only one who can give me peace and comfort. Thank you for your love towards me no matter what I might do. I pray that you would fill me with peace today. I rest in your love. Amen.

How Interesting!!! (part 4)

1) hypertension (aka high blood pressure) is the second leading cause of kidney failure
2) smoking is the number one cause of preventable death and disease among women
3) the act of swallowing requires 6 cranial nerves plus 25 facial and oral muscles
4) testicular cancer is one of the most curable forms of cancer
5) breast milk is considered living tissue because it contains almost as many live cells as blood

...who knew!

To number our days

"So teach us to number our days, that we may present to You a heart of wisdom. Do return, O LORD; how long will it be?....O satisfy us in the morning with Your lovingkindness, that we may sing for joy and be glad all our days. Make us glad according to the days You have afflicted us, and the years we have seen evil. Let your work appear to Your servants and Your majesty to their children. Let the favor of the Lord our God be upon us; and confirm for us the work of our hands; Yes, confirm the work of our hands."

Psalm 90:12-17

wait.

I can be so dense sometimes. The last few months I have been begging God to show me his will because I have felt very confused and lost. There are so many uncertain things in my life and all I wanted was to have a little clue as to what he wanted me to be doing and be preparing for. The funny thing is that He answered my requests very soon after I asked...I just didn't realize it. I wanted an answer like "go here" or "do this," but just like God, he answered with the unexpected and so it went right over my head. I continued to beg for an answer, and all the while He continued to gently whisper His answer in my ear.

Finally last night after an hour and a half or so of conversation and crying with my wonderful daddy at The Golden Crown (amazing chinese!), it finally sunk in. The answer that had been there all along was:

wait.

Pure and simple. Yet that is of course one of the things in life that I am terrible at. It is something I honestly don't understand fully. It seems like such a waste of precious time and such an energy-sapper. But...it is the Lord's command to me. And that should be enough.

This afternoon I looked up several verses on 'waiting' and was surprised to see that many of those verses had already been either underlined, boxed, or highlighted by me in the last few months!!! Clearly, God has been speaking to me all along. My favorite of the ones I looked up is Psalm 27:14:

"Wait for the Lord; be strong and let your heart take courage; yes, wait for the Lord."

I love how this verse has the word "wait" in it twice...so perfect for my dense self.

"Lord, teach me how to wait. Help me understand what it means to wait. I know you have a plan for my life. I pray that as I wait, I can bring glory to your name. Amen."

Pure Joy!

I am currently sitting on the couch in my livingroom which is right by the front window. Rain is pouring outside. And...I couldn't be happier! I love the sound of the rain (when I'm inside) and since I have nowhere to go, I am totally enjoying it. I know, I know, most people are praying for sunshine, and I am too, but I also love the rain.

I have been on a journey lately of self-realization. I am nowhere near to the end of it, but I am learning so many things about myself. It is so freeing! So it is nice to be able to sit in a dark room by myself and think. I treasure moments like this (they don't happen very often!). Just as the earth is drinking in the rain, I am drinking in the truths God is revealing in my life and I am thrilled to say that I am enjoying it. Some days I feel as though I am drowning, but it is all based on perspective. My prayer over the past few months has been to experience pure joy, no matter life's circumstances. And today, I have it! I feel incredibly humbled and blessed that my prayer has been answered. I have no idea what lies ahead, but I am excited for the adventure.