i did it!!

i finally conquered the expert level of minesweeper...okay, so that's not very exciting for some of you...but you don't understand. I used to hate that game because, well let's face it, it's kinda a game of chance (well the first part is, until you get a big space open). Anyways, I started playing it on sunday, cuz I thought maybe I could learn to like it...that and the fact that playing minesweeper sounded way better than studying ;) So, today, I finally won! I was soooo excited. Oh yeah, and I'm excited that I only have ONE EXAM LEFT!!!!!

stimulating vitamin D production

The weather is sooooooo beautiful! I was studying outside in my backyard all afternoon. I felt like I was sun-tanning, until Kendra informed me that it wasn't likely that I would get a tan while wearing and hoodie and wrapping myself in a blanket. well, that makes it sound like it was cold outside...it really wasn't...the wind was just a little cool. but once the sun came out, I no longer had the need for the blanket!!

I decided that I'm in an anticipatory (is that a word?) stage of life. I guess every stage of life has a certain element of anticipation to it, but just a different reason to look forward to. Right now (besides looking forward to being done exams), I am looking forward to graduating, getting a job as a nurse, independently supporting myself, travelling, and yes...one day getting married. This topic of anticipation reminds me of somethings I read the other day:

"But we who live by the Spirit eagerly wait to receive by faith the righteousness God has promised to us." (Gal. 5:5)

"How easy it is to slip back into thinking that it's now or never; that if it's not here, it's not at all. The life I prize is coming. The very thing that I am aching for now, missing now, seeking now in other things is exactly what's coming to me. This is how I interpret the promises that seem to be coming through the good and beautiful gifts we have now." (Journey of Desire by John Eldredge)

I was thinking about something Kendra wrote a while back about feeling like God is holding out on us and I realized that I feel that way about my dreams. I felt like God wasn't going to allow me to do all the things that I want to accomplish in my life. But I realized that just because I'm not doing these things right NOW, doesn't mean that it's not coming in my future. I also realized that no matter how many dreams I accomplish on earth, all my dreams and longings will be satisfied when I see Jesus.

little hidden surprises

"I would like a triple skinny, 2/3 decaf, half chocolate, no whip, grande mocha. Oh, yeah. Extra foam. To go."

So today as I was working on an assignment, I had the sudden urge to move my bed to see what was underneath it. (Don't ask...I get wierd urges when I'm trying to procrastinate). So I moved my bed, and I found a CD that had been there since last year, two stuffed animals, my long lost mitten (well, one of them...at least I have a pair now)...a t-shirt, a LOT of dust...and some gross dead bugs (there was even a wasp). These bugs were dried up and made a little crunching noise when I crushed them into a Kleenex. One even turned into dust-like particles. So that's really gross, and I should probably do some Spring cleaning...don't tempt me; I have exams to study for and papers to write. This is generally the time of year when I go on my cleaning binges...but I'm trying to refrain. I can clean once I'm done exams...unfortunately, then I won't want to. Why is cleaning only fun when it's done as a method of procrastination?

Wo ist der Bahnhof?

This is my favourite song right now...you should listen to it...it's a gooder!

Glory Hallelujiah
(OC supertones)

Well the whole world is singin'
And the night sky testifies
But man doesn't understand
His purpose is to glorify...

The stones will by cryin' out
if I shut my mouth
Before they can do it
I wanna beat 'em to it

Jesus here I am,
Coming to you a broken man
We're gonna sing sweet Glory Hallelujiah
I just wanna stand
Get up and shout and raise my hands
we're gonna sing sweet Glory Hallelujiah...

"Sadie Hawkins Dance

...in my khaki pants, there's nothing better. (oh oh oh)
Girls ask the guys, it's always a surprise.
There's nothing better, baby do you like my sweater?"

As Relient K serenades me, I'm getting ready for my final demonstration...it's a scary thing...I'm already preparing myself for the fact that I'll probably have to go back a second time...but that's not a good attitude. I just want to get it over with...Now!!...I realized that I'm impatient. I just hope I don't get any bandaging or wound care...that stuff makes me nervous. But I'll probably get that...Cuz I think they're out to get us ;) okay, maybe not...but they did say they would test us on our weakest areas. So pretty much they ARE out to get us...but for our own good...and for the good of our future patients.

just four you

Well, I've been tagged, so now I'm it...here's my life in a nutshell:

FOUR JOBS I'VE HAD:
1. Paper Girl...that's right, the plan was to take over the town...but it never got further than delivering papers ;)
2. Farrowing Assistant (aka working in a pig barn with beautiful piglets being born every day!!!)
3. cashier at IGA...twice (i quit, and then went back)
4. Health Care Aid at a nursing home

FOUR MOVIES/SHOWS I'VE BEEN ADDICTED TO:
1. Amazing Race: the best show in the world...one day I'll be on it!
2. CSI...(Las Vegas version)
3. Jeopardy...when Ken Jennings was on
4. and yes, I admit....the Bachelor

FOUR PLACES I'VE LIVED:
1. well, I don't think I've lived in that many places, but I've lived here
2. with my parents
3. and prov
4. and since I don't have a fourth one, I'll make this one up: on a cruise ship in the caribbean

FOUR COUNTRIES I WOULD LIKE TO VISIT:
1. I don't know if I can narrow it down to four...Italy
2. Ukraine
3. Poland
4. Australia

FOUR POPULAR FALSE ASSUMPTIONS ABOUT ME:
1. that I'm always happy
2. that I'm always innocent...but some people know the truth ;)
3. that i'm shy and reserved....HA!
4. that I never get angry

FOUR PEOPLE I LOOK LIKE
1. my mother
2. the girl from princess diaries (so I've been told)
3. myself...I hope
4. I don't know...I could imagine that I look like Jennifer Aniston...but that might be stretching the truth

FOUR THINGS (I HOPE) TO DO BEFORE I DIE:
1. sooooo many things: travel all around the world
2. Learn Polish
3. learn how to dance
4. go to a vikings game

PEOPLE I TAG NEXT:
1. Kendra
2. Holly...cuz you never post anything anymore...jk
3. Cherise
4. Phil

what I want to do right NOW!

no words could sum this up into a short, catchy, yet suitable title...

"Oh, I feel that my heart is broken. This is such an unromantic affliction. The girls in books lose their hair in fevers or sell it to get money for some good deed, and I'm sure I wouldn't mind losing my hair in some such fashion half so much. But there is nothing comforting in having your hair cut off because you've dyed it a dreadful color, is there? I'm going to weep all the time you're cutting it off, if it won't interfere. It seems such a tragic thing." -Anne of Green Gables

I think that I can almost empathize with Anne now. And before you jump to conclusions: No, I did not dye my hair a "dreadful color"...and no, I have not chopped my hair off. But I sure thought I would have to today. It's kind of funny to me now...but not funny enough to write it out for all to read yet.

This weekend was very eventful...On friday I went to see a movie with Kendra and a friend from Prov. On saturday a bunch of us went out for brunch and to the planetarium where we learned about Mars and some guy who studied the Grand Canyon....and I'm still wondering how that all ties in together. Then we went to the mall and shopped....it was a looooong day. But oh so fun! Then today...well I got myself in a 'hairy' situation...and then I went to church which was super amazing!! And I decided that once I'm sick of nursing I want to be a kindergarten teacher.

interesting...

"Contentment is not freedom from desire, but freedom of desire. Being content is not pretending that everything is the way you wish it would be; it is not acting as though you have no wishes. Rather, it is no longer being ruled by your desires. The fact is, at this point in our journey, we have only three options: (1) to be alive and thirsty, (2) to be dead, or (3) to be addicted. There are no other choices. Most of the world lives in addiction; most of the church has chosen deadness. The Christian is called to the life of holy longing." (John Eldredge The Journey of Desire).

The Answer to The Ultimate Question Of Life, the Universe and Everything

= 42!!
If only it were that simple. Today, me and my roomies had a good chat the meaning of life...There are so many different factors and angles and perspectives...
One thing we talked about was heaven, and the misconception that many non-believers (as well as believers) have about what it's really like. People often think it'll be a place where we'll play harps and eat bagels with cream-cheese. To be honest, that sounds kind of boring to me...for one, I'd rather learn to play the drumset, and I don't even like cream-cheese. This reminded me of the book I'm reading now 'the Journey of Desire' by John Eldredge. He writes:

"Nearly every Christian I have spoken with has some idea that eternity is an unending church service. After all, the Bible says that the saints 'worship God in heaven,' and without giving it much more thought we have settled on an image of the never-ending sing-along in the sky, one great hymn after another, forever and ever, amen. And our heart sinks. Forever and ever? That's it? That's the good news? And then we sigh and feel guilty that we are not more 'spiritual'."

He goes on to describe what the Kingdom of God is really like:

"Look at the evidence; watch what happens to people as they are touched by the Kingdom of God through Jesus...The disabled jump to their feet and start doing a jig. The deaf go out and buy themselves stereo equipment. The blind are headed to the movies. The dead are not at all dead anymore, but very much alive. They show up for dinner. In other words, human brokenness in all its forms is healed. The kingdom of God brings restoration. Life is restored to what it was meant to be."

And this is just a taste of the beauty and greatness of heaven...a place where we will be immersed in the glory of the Lord. We will finally see Him. And we will be in a place where every good thing will no longer be perverted, as they are here on earth. Instead it will be as God created it to be, like it was in the beginning in Paradise...before the Fall....who knows, maybe there will be bagels with cream-cheese for those who like that kind of thing ;)

TL + GA + OR + JT = a great time!

Okay, so JT isn't an accepted nursing abbreviation...(it actually stands for Josh Turner)....but I had to throw that in there. So I was in the OR today, and got to watch a Tubal Ligation (a woman getting her tubes tied)...and they had the radio going and what was playing? Good old country music!! I tell ya, I felt right at home! It was a fun time...It's amazing what they can all do! I'm still amazed!
But enough of that...I need to work now...I'll tell you the details another time...if you really want to know ;)

keefurb

first day back at school: catching up with people with dark tans....*jealous face*....and the realization starts to kick in that yes, deadlines are a big deal....and I have more than a few looming this week. well, I have a day off tomorrow...it'll all get done...
in words of good old Keith Urban (who's singing to me right now) "life's for living child, can't you see. these are the days we will remember, and these are the times that won't come again. the highest of flames becomes an ember. you gotta live them while you can."
and sometimes i guess we have to do things the hard way...

Falsch-hawk Fritz

Well, Valentines Day was fun...picking out flowers for the male customers who were doing their last minute shopping and didn't know what to get their girlfriends....I have to laugh every time! Then there was the making of sturdy men (like Falsch-hawk Fritz, and Suspender Stefan)! Great times! The week is half over, and I'm left to wonder when I'm ever going to get my homework done? Well, I suppose I could do some now instead of fooling around on the computer of mine...okay, off I go...hope you had a great v-day! 

"The greatest discovery in the universe...

...is the greatest love in the universe - God's Love" (-Max Lucado)
With Valentine's day around the corner, I've been thinking about love and not just romantic love. I think Valentine's day should be more than celebrating romantic love...it should be a celebration of every kind of love whether it be between an acqaintance, a bosom friend, your family, your significant other, and of course, you and God (it's like "Rye-ah", "Ah-havah", and "Doad" love)...Sorry I don't know how to spell those words.

So it's home time now... it should be exciting...I get to work, see my family, have a blood test, do homework, go skiing, and hopefully go to Prov sometime in between. It'll be nice to have some "time off".

3 times a bridesmaid, never a bride...

...unless you're a bridesmaid 7 times...so the legend goes. But they also say 'all good things three times'...except in German (and I don't know how that goes exactly).
On the wedding topic: It was super fun, beautiful and very Holly-and-Phil-ish. I decided that I want my wedding to be very me-and-whoever-ish. Since I don't know who 'whoever' is...I guess I can't plan yet....like I have time for that!
Right now I'm listening to a song that Marce sent me, called "I can't wait"...wow, what a great song! It talks about how we are the Bride of Christ and Jesus is the Groom. It talks about how we are engaged to him. The chorus says: "I can't wait for our wedding day to come. Let me see your face, let me feel your arms of love." Having had the opportunity this past year, to be with 3 very special brides as they prepared for their wedding day, I've seen the excitment and the glow of a bride when the day FINALLY arrives...and that's how we should be with Jesus. Longing, like a bride for her groom, for him to come. Wow, what a beautiful picture of love and commitment.

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!