refocusing

As I sit here...doing everything in the world besides my assignment that is due tomorrow, this song comes on the radio, and I'm taken to this place where homework doesn't matter, and only ONE thing does...but then as quickly as I have left this earth I come back to reality with a renewed sense of purpose (which involves me finishing my homework...or perhaps this is just my second wind). And these are the lyrics that are a challenge to me everytime I hear them:

Magnificent Obsession

Steven Curtis Chapman

Lord, You know how much
I want to know so much
In the way of answers and explanations
I have cried and prayed
And still I seem to stay
In the middle of life’s complications
All this pursuing leaves me feeling like I’m chasing down the wind
But now it’s brought me back to You
And I can see again.

This is everything I want
This is everything I need
I want this to be my one consuming passion
Everything my heart desires
Lord, I want it all to be for You, Jesus
Be my magnificent obsession.

So capture my heart again
Take me to depths I’ve never been
Into the riches of Your grace and Your mercy
Return me to the cross
And let me be completely lost
In the wonder of the love
That You’ve shown me
Cut through these chains that tie me down to so many lesser things
Let all my dreams fall to the ground
Until this one remains.

You are everything I want
And You are everything I need
Lord, You are all my heart desires
You are everything to me.

You are everything I want
You are everything I need
I want You to be my one consuming passion
Everything my heart desires
Lord, I want it all to be for You
I want it all to be for You.

"Give thanks to the LORD and proclaim his greatness. Let the whole world know what he has done. Sing to him; yes, sing his praises. Tell everyone about his wonderful deeds. Exult in his holy name; rejoice, you who worship the LORD. Search for the LORD and for his strength; continually seek him. Remember the wonders he has performed, his miracles, and the rulings he has given."
-Psalm 105:1-5

"iiiicecream, is anything more delectable..."

...than ice cream, why even the most respectable eat ice cream. It's wonderful on a summer's afternoon, in June. Ice cream, the recipe's something serious, but ice cream, makes everyone so delirious, that ice cream is certainly worth the trouble that it takes!" (-Anne of Green Gables the musical)

okay, so that probably didn't fit into the metaphor...or maybe it did. We'll leave that for you to decide. I just had that song in my head right now ;)

so between thoughts of ice cream, life, passions (not the show), purpose, love, responsibility, sacrifice, worship, and dreams...I find myself at a place where I realize that I'm far from where I'd like to be...with no idea of where to even begin to point myself in the direction that I want to end up in. Well, I do have ideas...it's just knowing where to start...and actually doing something about it...that's my problem.

I just want to say that I LOVE all my friends!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! you guys are the best! Don't ever forget that!

over and out

I inserted a catheter today!

only on Jake the manequin....but I still did it! It was pretty exciting! I'm learning a whole lot this semester, and my brain hurts already! I have one less class and one less lab this semester, but it feels like more work than last semester for some reason! Maybe because I've actually been doing my readings so far...okay, only for the first 2 days...and I'm already behind, but intending to do something is alot of work...
I was in the hospital on Wednesday and I got to care for 'my' baby...I got to hold her, change diapers, feed her, burp her, check her vitals...she was soooo precious! I wanted to take her home with me!! (But I think that is against hospital policy!)
well, since I've slacked off all evening...it's now time for the books to come out and play...or maybe just come out ;)

why did I come and what did I bring?

You know when you've heard a story over and over again and don't really know how it applies to you, so you start to tune it out anytime it comes up...until one day, someone tells the story in a way you've never heard before, and suddenly it is COMPLETELY relevant! Yeah, that happened to me in church today. You could say I got a little kick in the pants. We're going through the book of John...and today we talked about the temple merchants story (ch2). Well, I grew up hearing that story in Sunday School and always thought, 'those naughty people trying to rip everyone off!' Today I heard a different perspective. This is the point the stuck out in my mind: What if Jesus was not only mad at the merchants, but also the people buying the stuff. See, when God commanded the people to bring sacrifices to the temple, it meant that the people had to raise their own animals and then take their BEST one to the temple by foot (which would've been quite inconvenient with an animal). This was actually a sacrifice to them, it would've cost them time, money, and it would've been quite a hassle. Having merchants at the temple meant that all the people needed to do was show up, bring a little cash (well, probably a lot, cuz they got ripped off), pick out an animal, they bring it over to be sacrificed, and it's all done. Perhaps, Jesus was angry at how lazy the worshippers had become...worship isn't meant to be convenient or easy...it's SUPPOSED to be a sacrifice. It's not about me...It's completely about God. So, why did I go to church today? And what did I bring? Well, honestly, I went cuz it's something I do, and I like to sing and hear Gerry speak. And I brought myself. That sounds like a lazy, self-centered worshipper to me...Time for a change!