How should I say this?

R-E-S-P-E-C-T....

2009-08-26T19:09:00.002-04:00

This is nothing new. There is nothing new under the sun. I have just noticed this a lot lately...

There is such a lack of respect. Everywhere. I don't mean so much the "respect your elders" type of respect, but straight up common courtesy, sensitivity, and kindness. There are several situations lately that I have either witnessed or been a part of that have just boiled my blood. And this isn't a blog to harp on individuals at all, but rather a common thread of disrespect that has become acceptable.

Yes, its is irritating to be inconvenienced. However, that doesn't entitle anyone to be hurtful or cruel. What ever happened to tenderness?
And how about sensitivity... thinking before you speak. We have no idea why people act the way they do. No one can know the inner turmoil/joy/whatever that is going on in another person's heart. And if I did know the whole story, I bet I would have worded things differently.
I think disrespect is why I hate it when people interrupt, or talk on their cell phones in inappropriate places. Things like that are pretty much a big, "I really don't care about you, or what you have to say." We talked about "presence" a lot in nursing school; proper body language to let someone know that you are really concerned and they have your attention. What a precious gift... your attention. It's so respectful and honoring. I see so little of it given freely (and I am so guilty).
And then there is respect by honoring people's commitments... time, money, whatever. I think this is one of the hardest, and I think it is because it often requires sacrifice or compromise on my part.

I am totally guilty of flying off a short fuse from time to time (ok, really a lot more often than that... especially internally). And So this whole subject is irritating to me because I hate seeing it and because I do it.

I think it really all boils back down to love your neighbor. The kindness that overflows from a heart that is first loved by Him. I yearn for that in my own life, and to experience it from others. ...For He has set eternity in our hearts; we were not made for here.

Take time. slow it down. Let others experience Christ through your respect for them.

Love God, Love People... It's All You Really Need

2009-08-20T00:01:00.006-04:00

I haven't blogged in an age...

Summer 09 has been absolutely amazing. I can't say enough about how much blessing God has poured into my life...

I have a great job focused entirely around helping people, and I feel like its exactly what I'm supposed to be doing.

On May 8th I went on a blind date... that lasted 6 1/2 hours. That has turned into me dating a godly, encouraging, wonderful guy whose love for coffee, England, and youth ministry is only outweighed by his love for the Lord. I am so proud to be his girlfriend. :)

I share a house with one of my friends & our two dogs,

I get to serve with the gifts God has given me on a regular basis,

And my community of friends that I love so so much is growing.

...God definitely knows how to give good things to those He loves.

So I'm a night nurse now. And it's true what they say... I am tired all the time, but not tired enough to actually sleep. Or I'm tired when I really need to be awake. Like right now.

I have a serious love/hate relationship with night shift. The work environment is great, but the patients are sleeping 75% of the time and I really don't feel like I'm making that much of a difference. Most notably at change of shift when the patients aren't really sad to see me go, cause they don't know me. Whatever. It's not about me though, and I think thats been a good reality check.

But then there's days when I get the opportunity to be a major part of someone's healing process. Those days are worth a thousand mundane nights.

For example, a few weeks ago I had my first patient death. It rocked me a lot more than I expected or realized at the time. I had a very big responsibility that day to save her death, not her life. I had gotten to know her over a couple days and she did not want to live. She was old, and very sick. It was a huge struggle to get a DNR/AND (do not resuscitate/allow natural death) order and she was going down hill quickly. Long story short, she passed just over an hour after I got the order. Way too close for my comfort. But for the last 30 minutes of her life, I sat with her, held her hand, and talked to her until she was gone. And she had nothing. She took nothing with her. (Duh) But it made me think about stuff. Looking at death happen right in front of you will do that to you I guess. But its a huge reminder of how temporary everything is. And again, the only thing she wanted in her last hours was people. She wanted someone with her.

Then, last night I had the opportunity to sit with a man for 45 minutes just so he didn't have to be alone. He was having two major procedures (brain and heart surgery) and he was so scared. He asked if I would just sit with him and hold his hand. I got to pray with him too. It's pretty incredible to sit with a grown man, well into his years, as tears are streaming down his face. He just kept saying "I just want to live a little longer." It kindof brings everything in life down to reality. We are just people who need love. The perfect love of Christ, and the imperfect although wonderful love of the people He has put in our lives.

In all this, I feel like such a bad steward of both money and time. Things/stuff/belongings are so meaningless. And we spend so much time working to get more things and it doesn't matter. We don't live anywhere near where the church originally was; selling our belongings just to give to each as he had need. Can you imagine?? Freely giving because you are so filled with the love of Christ that you can't help it? What must that be like?

And then there's stewardship of time... Nothing else matters on this earth more than loving other people. Jesus said it. The only thing greater is to love God. But the way I spend my time doesn't reflect that. I feel like so often we fill our lives to the point where we are too busy to build significant relationships. Or we don't ever let ourselves be vulnerable enough to develop them in the first place. That guy in the hospital loved the Lord, and he was so very vulnerable. I don't know that I could ever ask a stranger to sit with me because I was scared or lonely. And certainly not so I could open up my fears to them. It's hard enough to ask someone I'm close to for that. And why is that? It's frustrating. The guy at the hospital said He could see Christ in me. Probably cause it was all Him that allowed me to even do that, and really its easier when I can just say "its my job." Why can't I be like that all the time? I think thats the way we were intended to be with each other. Both vulnerable and available. Wouldn't that be nice...

It's all very simple, but its an impossible simple demand. Love God, and love others. Thank you Jesus for the cross... cause I am so incapable of all of this, but the Holy Spirit is alive and moving and capable.

I didn't really mean to ramble on about that for so long. But sometimes (most of the time) I process stuff better by writing it all out. Hopefully it'll make you think too.

Summer 2009... I feel like I've grown up. Ha, sounds stupid. I have a job now with responsibilities that are real. And middle schoolers now were born when I was in middle school... It's fun though, and exciting too. It's a pretty defined beginning of a new chapter. And I'm so glad for the way God has orchestrated my life cause the past two years have stripped me down to the point where I realized that I can't do anything on my own. And I wouldn't want to start my life as a real-live adult thinking I could. Anyways, I'm excited :)

Honor

2009-05-11T01:40:00.002-04:00

I was sitting in the gym service at church Sunday morning, and I felt like the Holy Spirit gave me another Truth... I may have blogged this before, but I have been absolutely amazed at the pieces of Truth the Holy Spirit has lead me to over the past year. I get so impatient and frustrated that I can't have the whole Truth now, but how amazing is God that He knows I wouldn't be able to handle that in my earthly mindset? So anyways, we were praying in confession this morning and I began with the usual "Lord, please forgive me for..." and immediately, and out of nowhere, a question popped in my head, "Are you more concerned about yourself than honoring your Savior?" and it wasn't an oppressive guilt question. It was more of a peace... which is weird and kindof hard to explain but I thought about my motives for asking for forgiveness. Am I striving for God's glory or self righteousness? I don't feel like I intentionally aim for self righteousness, but I know I tend to focus more on being "good" than on honoring Christ. I'm sure that on the outside, it doesnt really look all that different. But Christ is not concerned about how I look on the outside. He is concerned with matters of the heart. And where is my heart? I pray that it's focused on honoring Christ rather than trying to clean myself enough to present to Christ. That's what the cross is for. So honor the cross and the One who died for you so you don't have to be good enough.

Jessica Lyn Curry RN, BSN

2009-04-15T20:17:00.002-04:00

This is my first blog as a Registered Nurse. :)

I passed NCLEX (yay!) on April 8th. And thanks so my amazing Dad, I received my license within 24 hours (usually takes 3-4 weeks).

Let me just say that my dad is amazing. I know lots of people say that, but my dad deserves to have his name plastered on some huge, public thing that says "this guy is amazing!" Too bad I can't afford a billboard.... so I'll blog it. :)

In the middle of everything going on with my nursing boards (NCLEX), he lost his job. But he didn't take a moment away from fighting for me. He could have done a million other things, but he took his time to get in touch with the right people to get my test date asap. And on my test day he made me a huge breakfast, and when I left he sent out a mass text to let everyone know to start praying. Then he got on his knees for THREE HOURS to pray for me while I was taking the test. What's more, he didnt know how to pray for me specifically, so he got my NCLEX review book and prayed through it.

My dad is incredible.

So now I start work at Piedmont Hospital on Monday, April 20th. I am a real live nurse. Finally. :)

I'm taking advantage of my last week, relaxing as much as possible. Currently listening to Oren Lavie and blogging/journalling. While tax day doesn't really help, it has been a great week so far and I have a lot to look forward to: LOST, princess night, The Bricks, T-Mac, Becky's wedding, and Garrett's show.

much love

jlcRN ;)

The God Of Israel Is Still God Today

2009-03-19T16:06:00.005-04:00

So lately I have been reading in the Old Testament, and I’ve seen for the first time the power of God consistently in the people of Israel. So I have been reminding myself that the God of Israel is still the same God today; the same power, the same provision, the same mercy, etc. HOWEVER that doesn’t mean that I actually live in that freedom.

This is one example of that awesome God…

If you happen to have read my last blog, you know the situation with my nursing boards. Basically, I have been waiting for a number from the government to schedule my exam. Monday was the 30^th business day since they posted my application for my Authorization to Test (ATT) number. They said it would take between 25 and 30 business days to complete. At 3:45pm on the 30^th business day, I still had not heard anything so I gave the Georgia State Board of Nursing (GBON) a call. When the woman on the phone looked up my file, she said everything had been completed on March 4^th, but they were still waiting on an official transcript from my school. (Side-note – I had called the GBON on the 6^th and they said I called too early…)

Now, just so you know, an official transcript as to be in a sealed envelope. I requested an official transcript in January and received a sealed envelope in return, and sent it off with my application. When the GBON opened that letter, it was my transcript request form with an “account on hold” stamp on it. Mercer never bothered to say, “Oh, by the way, you might want to open that sealed envelope because its contents are not what you expected/requested.” I asked the GBON how that affected the application process, and I was told it would take 7-10 business days to post the new transcript and then 10-15 business days to update my application. So we were looking at another 25 BUSINESS days until I could schedule my boards. This is after already waiting 40 BUSINESS days since I sent in the application (10 business to post my app and then 30 more business days of processing).

Needless to say, Monday was not a good day. My dad called several state representatives and the dean of my nursing school because there was really no way for me to know that I was supposed to open that letter to see that it was not my transcript.

Tuesday, I went to school to get another transcript and fax it to the GBON. The student that worked in the registrar’s office was rude, but the registrar herself was very kind and helpful. She said that she was very willing to fax and mail the GBON with my transcript, but there was still a hold on my account. I went to the office of student accounts and they said my balance was $0, but Student Affairs had put a hold on my account. SO I walked over to Student Affairs and talked to the Assistant Director. Apparently I ordered a nametag at the beginning of the fall semester & never picked it up. A $5 nametag. She apologized all over herself because she forgot to tell me she put my account on hold because she was so busy with graduation. You would think that when tuition is $20,000/year they could absorb a $5 expense.

SO that was the trouble of the beginning of this week….

THEN this morning I received a phone call at 9:15am from an unknown number. Normally, I would not have answered (or been awake), but I was and I did. It was a woman from the GBON saying that she had completed my application and I just needed to pay the testing center so she could authorize me to test. So I paid the testing center, and then called her back. She said I was authorized, and I needed to contact the testing center for my ATT. She gave me a phone number, but it was wrong. I found out how to contact them though, and made the call. At this point I really thought I was going to get my ATT. After answering some questions, the representative for the testing center said I could expect my number in 3-4 WEEKS!!! I couldn’t believe it, but at the same time, I could because of everything else that has happened. I asked if there was any way to get it sooner, and the man suggested I call back in 1-2 weeks.

So I was back where I started, although thankful that the GBON didn’t take 25 business days. I figured 3-4 weeks after 25 business days would have given me a massive coronary.

I was looking up NCLEX review courses online at this point and sent an email to one of the programs to get more information. I received an email very shortly after that, and assuming it was the review course information, I checked it. The subject line read: NCLEX Authorization to Test.

My heart jumped into my throat… or maybe it was my stomach…

I was very apprehensive, so I told myself it was probably just an email saying that they had received my application. When I opened it, sure enough, it was my ATT. I can’t even explain all the emotions running through my head at that point. All I could think was that I had just experienced a real miracle.

I immediately registered for NCLEX and I will be taking it April 8^th at 2:00pm; the earliest test date in Georgia. Then I started sending out the news via text. Bill Rogers called me back almost immediately and said that at Jhi staff prayer that morning they were praying for Bricks volunteers. When my name came up, Bill specifically prayed that I would receive my number. Their meeting was at 10am. I received my number at 10:04am.

Let me give you a timeline of events:

-9:15am: GBON phone call

-9:29am: Payment to Pearson Testing Center

-9:38am: Phone call to Pearson Testing Center

-10:04am: received ATT

-10:06am: registered for NCLEX

I was told I would receive my number in 3-4 weeks and I received it in 35 minutes. Two totally separate entities had to act in the absolute fastest way possible… and totally out of protocol.

The verse that I have been thinking about over and over through this is Philippians 4:6-7 "Do not fret or have anxiety about anything, but in every circumstance and in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, continue to make your wants known to God. And God's peace shall be yours, that tranquil state of a soul assured of its salvation through Christ, and so fearing nothing from God and being content with its earthly lot of whatever sort that is, that peace which transcends all understanding shall garrison and mount guard over your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus." (amplified version)

If I had remembered that, and trusted God in all of this, I would have been saved from all the anxiety I have experienced. He knew what he was going to do all along. But this has really made me look at EVERYTHING in my life... Anything that I am uncertain about, worried about, etc... I don't need to be! All I need to do is tell God what I want, thank him for what I have, and REST in the TRUTH that He is going to take care of me. Romans 8:28 echos that.

His peace will MOUNT GUARD from lies and worry over my heart... THAT is AMAZING!!!

UPDATE

2009-03-14T10:25:00.002-04:00

It's a rainy Saturday morning, and normally I would be working at the mall. Today I'm not. I am laying in bed in my PJs cuddling with Marley & my Mac catching up on my friends blogs. Then I realize that I have not blogged lately.

This is mostly due to the fact that I have a sick obesession with journalling so most of my thoughts are kept to myself (as they really should be). But here is an update on my life in 09 so far.

First of all, to update my NCLEX (nursing boards) situation... I applied for the boards in the middle of January due to some unforeseen bills I had to pay to my school. ($500 in fees, really?). The Secretary of State's office did not post my application until February 2nd. I didnt really think much of it because I assumed since I was applying later that the rush of applications would have subsided and my application process would be shortened.

Wrong.

It is now March 14th and after 2 months of waiting I still have no ATT. The ATT is an "authorization to test." It's a number that I need to sign up for my NCLEX. Thank you government for keeping my life in limbo. Trust me, I have flooded their office with phone calls to no avail. Word is I should have my number by the 16th, but this is also the third date that they promised me so I'm not holding my breath. Meanwhile, I think everyone else has taken and passed their boards.

In the meantime..... I have been working at Sunglass Hut in Phipps Plaza. It's a great job, and a absolutely love the people I work with. However, this economy has not been so great lately (really?) and so payroll has been cut and I'm not working there as often. My manager, Dasha has been awesome though and is giving me more hours than she probably should. Needless to say, part time retail doesnt really cut it so I have to find someone to move into my apartment (takers?).

On the brighter side...

I still lead worship at Perimeter Church. (LOVE it!) Right now the church is kindof low on worship leaders staff-wise so our team has been leading a lot of services in the Main. We are normally in the 1045 service in the gym. So I've been leading 3 services a weekend the past 2 weeks and we are scheduled for a few more. Its absolutely exhausting and absolutely wonderful. :) I love the team and the opportunity.

Music-wise I have tried to get a little bit more serious about the goals I have. I love music (who doesn't, really?) and I am surrounded by such rich resources. Aside from the fact that 98% of my friends are extremely talented in the arena, I can take voice lessons from Raab Stevenson who is Justin Timberlake's background vocalist & tour vocal coach (both the justified/stripped tour & futuresex/lovesounds). And then there is Derek, one of my mentors, who has played guitar with countless amazing people and has so much to teach. So yeah I decided I would be a fool not to take advantage of all of that. Right now, with no job, I can't afford the lessons, but I will be able to soon. So in the meantime I have been trying to (read:trying) write songs. It's really intimidating, especially asking for help, but I'm trying to just suck it up and do it. Realizing that I will suck in the beginning.

Outside of music and sunglasses, I don't do much. I've been hanging with the Junior High at Perimeter every Friday night, and I have my discipleship group. But yeah... just taking advantage of down time by grabbing coffee and such with old and new friends. It's hard to study when there is no test date, but I've been making some pretty solid attempts.

Basically on any given night you can find me at the local starbucks or taco mac :)

So for those of you who care.... thats been my life as of late. For those of you who didnt... ha youre a sucker for reading my mundanity (did I just make up that word?).

Hope

2009-02-05T22:44:00.004-05:00

So I haven't blogged in a while... maybe its because I have been filling the pages of my journal at an abnormally fast rate....

Life has been a huge roller coaster lately... and not really the normal up and down kind. The roller coaster has remained in the quintessential plummet. Its something people like to call a "season of life" when they are trying to be reassuring. I've been saying that to myself a lot lately.

The only reason I'm publicly blogging about this is because I KNOW that I'm not the only one in this boat. I may have very different things going on, but I know for a fact that life is just not good right now for a lot of people.

I was driving home from work today and I was stopped at a red light. The people all around me looked so miserable in their cars, just sitting alone. And I know its not some ridiculously profound thing, but it made me think about how many people there really are, and how everyone has crap going on. I wondered if the people sitting around me had hope. It's so easy for me to get caught up in self pity and worry and all the anxiety that comes with that and forget the hope that I have. "Take heart, I have overcome the world..." It doesn't make everything go away, but its awesome to have hope. To know that the God of the universe remembers me, that he knows each one of my tears. Not a single thought or worry or sigh of mine goes by unnoticed.

What if I didn't know that? What if all I had was what this world has to offer. There are so many people like that. So many people that don't know Jesus. And other people that know him, but believe He is just a law-giver to be obeyed by doing the "right thing." And then He just becomes one more burden to be fulfilled. It's amazing to me that I so easily forget the hope I have in the love from Him. That even in death I have victory... and I'd say death is pretty much the worst situation.

Let's face it, we aren't starving kids in Africa, but the pain I feel is still very very real. And the stuff we are going through has very real implications on our lives. Randy Schlichting once said that everything is spiritual. I really believe that. Satan is highly intelligent. He attacks those he fears the most. He does so in a way that doesn't bring fame to his name, it makes you think it's all your fault. To keep you from the Truth because he fears you. He isn't looking for fame, he is looking to incapacitate the Kingdom of God. And I am telling you, I feel pretty incapacitated. But to know the Truth is to have freedom from all that... to have hope. It is a battle. There is a reason the Bible talks about the full ARMOR of God. And Truth is right there in the middle, holding up your pants.

I was not made for here. That has become very clear to me. And I struggle with being inviting when I really don't even want to wake up in the morning. I'm human. I'm not saying that the pain shouldn't hurt and you should skip around all day long like some fake-o. But I am saying there is hope, and that.... that brings real joy. This world is not a friendly place. "Take heart, I have overcome the world..."

Goodbye 2008

2009-01-01T21:33:00.002-05:00

The new year is always a big deal, even though the transpiring of December 31st to January 1st is no different than July 10th to July 11th. But either way its making me reflect, as many of you may have done also.

I'm really thinking beyond 2008 itself becuase 2007 is finding its way into my thoughts. I am watching the Passion 07 DVD, which happened exactly 2 years ago. I am thinking about my mindset two years ago and the journey I have been on since then and the only word that comes to mind is RESCUE.

Read Colossians 1, specifically verses 10-14.

10And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, 11being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and joyfully 12giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light. 13For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, 14in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

There is nothing in me that I can claim brought me from where I was 2, 3, 4+ years ago to the place where I am today. And that place is not a place above anyone or anything, but a place of perspective and clarity.

And there are no words or deep thoughts for me to put here. All I want to do or say here is that I am nothing, and Christ is everything. And for some reason He chose me and that is all that matters.

Jeremiah Thomas Curry

2008-11-05T02:27:00.001-05:00

Victoria had her baby this morning!!!!!!

Jeremiah Thomas was born at 11:17am weighing 7 lbs 1 oz. He is perfect, healthy, and ADORABLE!!!

Mommy Victoria is doing very well too, and I'm so proud of her! :)

Just Some Thoughts

2008-10-26T16:05:00.003-04:00

This is probably going to turn into rambling... but its ok cause i love typing on my new mac :)

Its Sunday. I'm sitting at Starbucks after a morning of leading worship and then hanging out with good friends. And I really have two thoughts on my heart.

The first is that Satan is a tricky tricky horrible being. And im not saying that because my life sucks, because it absolutely does not. I am saying that because this morning was very difficult for me as a led worship. And that has kindof been a running them the past few Sundays. Its not for lack of want, or lack of preparation, or lack of care. I just feel like I get attacked Sunday mornings. And usually its not until after practice, although some mornings it has been from the first note. But heres how it usually goes.... I get up and get to church and I'm feeling great and ready to sing and we get through practice and everything is still good and then about 10 minutes before we go on stage my mind cannot focus. I start thinking about the most RANDOM stuff. For example, this morning AS I was singing, I started thinking about laundry. And then it was basketball. Who does that? laundry and basketball and we were singing about the eternal glory of God. It's so frustrating. I want to worship well and then laundry pops into my head. Its been i think 4 Sundays now that this has happened. I have tried getting away, being still for a moment, and nothing seems to be a quick fix. Oh, and it all goes away after the service is over. of course. I'm just irritated.

The second thought is one much more universal, and I have been thinking about it a lot lately. But this morning I was catching up with an old friend and Facebook came up in conversation, and she said she didn't have a Facebook because it was overwhelming her in an unhealthy way. It pretty much nailed a point into the ground that I have been considering. Not that I am going to delete my FB account, but here it is... I think its great that facebook, and other internet/phone technologies have made it so easy to connect and share things. BUT it definitely does not come without its cons. We have become way too available. Its really not natural to be able to find out so much about people without actually talking to them, or being around them, or even living in the same state. It's made us both lazy and impatient. It has brought expectations on us that I think are unnaturally straining. And its made us a rude culture.

I think that it makes it too easy to avoid people. I am a pretty shy person when it comes down to it. Sure, I'm open with people I know well, but it takes a lot of effort for me to initiate a conversation with someone. Some of you have heard me say that my very favorite thing in this whole world to do is sit with people and just be there, listening, sitting in silence, whatever. SO i say that to say I don't need an excuse to not call someone up and see how they are doing, cause i'll take it. And thats what things like facebook, myspace, blogging (HA! irony...) and the like do. I think about someone, and instead of giving them a call, I "facebook stalk" them. And 99% of the time it ends there. Now, if someone is engaged, moving, getting a new job, etc I'll probably leave them a message. Then in maybe 0.001% of the cases I'll call someone. Scratch that. I'll text them. Less commitment there... I don't have to know if they would rather not talk. And I think that stems from a fear that is just a whole other can of worms not opened here. So there is that point... it keeps us (me) lazy.

Another thing is it hikes up our expectations. And this is the reason why when I worked a desk job, blackberrys were my LEAST favorite thing. It used to be that you called someone and they would call you back when you had a moment to talk to them. Or you would send a letter and receive a response in 4-7 days. And that was totally fine. However, now with texting and emailing the response time is expected to be immediate. And when it's not the first reaction is something like anger, frustration, fear, rejection... depending on the situation. Maybe I'm speaking in extremes, but i am trying to make a point so its ok. I am not the kind of person that likes to be available 24 hours a day to 100% of the population that has my contact information. Now, I do love my friends and spending time with them, so I am very thankful for this technology when it comes to being available for them. But sometimes I miss the freedom of leaving all contact at home. Yes, I could just leave my cell phone, but realistically we all know that wont happen. Plus the expectation for me to be available is still there and I can't help that. So that is point number two, it makes people too available.

Another thought I had is linked to my very strongest, most irritating pet-peeve. Now, if you know me well, I would bet that you already know what I am going to say. I HATE interrupting. I absolutely hate it. And it does not have to be interrupting me. I hate hearing other people getting interrupted. It just makes my skin crawl because it is so stinking disrespectful. There are kinds of interrupting, mind you... there is the natural interruption in conversation that everyone does (totally ok), and then there is straight up im-not-listening-to-you-and-i-dont-care-what-you-have-to-say interruption. Now this point is linked to this pet-peeve because people tend to forget that taking a call/text during a conversation is just as bad. Let me be the first to say that I am so guilty of this and i know it and I'm not here to point fingers, I'm just rambling on a thought. But I really really don't like it when I am hanging out with someone, especially one-on-one and they are consistently texting other people, or talking to other people on the phone, etc. There are always exceptions to the rules, and calls/texts you have to take. and then when you are with a friend you are ultra comfortable with sometimes its mutually ok. But I think everyone can relate to that person that just seems like they would rather be somewhere else with someone else. And the worst is when someone MAKES a call that they really don't need to make while you are hanging out with them. I have gone shopping with someone before and they were literally calling other people entire time. ENTIRE time. really? thats just not cool. If you absolutely need to make a call, you let the other person know that you need to make a phone call and you keep it brief. It seems like common sense. And then there's the classic talking on the cell phone at the cash register. Thats bad too. People are so disconnected to their surroundings sometimes, I swear. So there is point number three... it gives rude people and opportunity to carry out their rudeness, and makes otherwise polite people rude because its just accepted now.

So there is my rambling. I love my mac :) haha! But like I said... there is no particular situation that made me want to write about this. I am not harboring any anger against anyone, so dont think that. I just like to write.

Happy day to you.

It's Been a While

2008-10-22T23:35:00.001-04:00

I should have known online blogging wasn't my forte. I'm in love with my leather bound journal, writing in a room that smells of rich mahogany. ;)

So I have a new computer now. Its a mac. I love it. I definitely have the growing pains of switching from a PC to the awesomeness. I got the 2.0 ghz new mac. I dont even know if ghz is right... all i care about is i love it and it works for me. His name is Macster. or Lappy. or Macsterlappy.

I am moving right on through Leadership in Nursing school. I have 3 shifts left in the ED. One of those I will do Friday, and the last two I will do next week. I will be done on Halloween. I turned in my Senior Project Proposal today. It was 32 pages long. Longest paper I have ever written. Can I just tell you that I am so glad that is over? Now all I have to do is implement it. Oh and hope that I passed.

Speaking of the ED... I have been struggling with what to apply for in my residency because I am not so sure the ED is the best fit for me. Not at that hospital. So I have been putting off this application like nobody's business; praying like crazy that God would give me some direction. And of course, He did. I met with my nursing school mentor and prayed about it and talked to my professor and several other people and I have decided to apply for the Cardiovascular residency as my first choice. I will still apply for the ED because I am good at it, and if I have to struggle through certain things, I will. BUT I am just thankful that God didn't just give me a small nudge in a particular direction, but he actually gave me excitement too. I think I would be really happy in Cardiovascular care. I love the heart. I get it. I could tell you how it works in my sleep.

SO my residency application is as follows: Cardiovascular, Emergency Service, Labor & Delivery.

In other news....

Socky stopped walking today. I knew in my head that he is super super old, but i have this great tendency to overlook things i don't want to think about. The end of his life is one of those things.

Right now I have placed myself so that I can keep my eye on him and make sure he is still breathing. I'll spare all the nasty details of his deterioration over the past few days. Its been so hard to watch. We want him to die peacefully at home. And he really doesn't seem to be in pain, but rather lethargic. Daddy and I have started carrying him around in a towel like a hammock. He looks so old and sickly. Not that he has been super chipper these last few years, but he is showing every day of his 17 and 2/3 years. His birthday is February 3rd, 1992. I dont think I have known any person outside my family for that long. In fact, I know I haven't.

I watched him come into this world. In my closet when I was 6 years old. I don't want to see him leave it.

Ugh it just sucks.

If you dont want to kill your pet....

2008-09-17T19:21:00.002-04:00

So Marley has been scratching rather often lately, and I have a new flea and tick gel for him. So I decided to give it to him today.
One hour later he was running around the apartment like a crazy person, and I figured he just needed to go out. SO I took him out and he was going even more crazy and foaming at the mouth. everywhere. When I came inside, I looked at his bed and it was SOAKING wet. Not normal. So I called the vet and told them everything that was going on, and they asked me what brand of flea & tick stuff I was using. When I told them I used Sergeant's Gold they said that I needed to bathe him with dishsoap immediately. So I did.
I googled it (of course) and apparently this is a very common side effect of Sergeants, and the next thing to happen to the pet it seizures. Needless to say, Marley has been on 1:1 care this evening and I am NOT happy with it at all. There is no warning on the box. And now everything in my apartment is covered in drool. Plus my poor dog is going nuts-o.

I need to blog STAT

2008-09-12T20:39:00.002-04:00

I have been in the ED (working) for the last 2 days. Two 12's back to back is pretty fun, but I am exhausted!!! I started 6 IV's today! only one of them (my first of the day) was unsuccessful. The other 5 went perfectly. I did a bunch of blood draws and shots too. So basically I stuck lots o people with needles! yay! :) We also had a code. Its nice to get the experience with those, but I don't like the part where the family comes in. I wish I could do something to help them but you really cant do anything, and its hard to be around and make the environment favorable for them. Be with...
I'm getting lots of confidence and I really love the department. I apply for my residency there in less than a month! Crazy!!!!

This week was pretty insane. I had a paper, a seminar to teach, and 24 hours in the ED. Plus fun life stuff on top of that. I havent gotten much sleep thats for sure. Its only 8:30 and I'm thinking of getting to bed.
The paper wasnt terrible, and my seminar went really well, which I was pretty excited about considering I was freaking out up to the morning of. Now those are both behind me and I can focus on senior project. Classes are going well. I can't believe its already September!!! We had our graduation meeting this week... It's official... I'm graduating DECEMBER 11TH at 1:00PM!!!!!! yaaaaaaaaaay!!!! :) Then I get to go back to school for NCLEX reviews. ha! So the real celebration will be the day I get those test results, which will be in late January cause I won't even take it till January sometime. boo.

I'm getting pretty excited about songwriting. I'm no good at it, but it's something I have wanted to do for a long time. RVK gave me a mini theory lesson this week, which was fun! Right now I feel like I will never ever get it, but we'll see. Sometimes I wonder what like would be like if I had stayed in the music program at Southern. Obviously it was not for me, but I still ponder these things.

I still have no computer. I do have an awesome roommate that lets me use her computer :) My mac is waiting for me at the Apple store. I can hear it calling my name. I just have to go get it. 2 weeks.....

ok i cant even stay awake to put thoughts down. goodnight

True Life: I'm a Student Nurse in the ED

2008-09-05T18:25:00.002-04:00

Today was my first day in the ED. I was pretty nervous about it to say the least. I have not been in an acute care situation involving adults in almost a year. Our program starts with 3 semesters of Med/Surg and then moves on to Peds, OB, mental, and community health. So I had not been in a hospital in 4 months and had not taken care of a medical patient in 10 months. A little rusty to say the least.
I woke up at 5:30 this morning, and got to the hospital at 6:45. I had no idea what my preceptor looked like, or how to get to the ED without going in the main entrance. So first silly move of the day, I walk into the hospital and right back out the the parking lot into the main ER door, where all the patients come in. I definitely looked like the new kid. Luckily, my hospital is awesome and the people are really nice. So one of the CP's (techs) took me to the break room and introduced me to my preceptor.
All the ED nurses meet in the morning to get their assignment for the day. The ED is broken into areas. Red is critical care, yellow is acute, green is CDU (clinical decision unit), and blue is fast track. My nurse and I were the only ones in CDU today. We had a shorter shift (7-3) and the CDU is not a high acuity area. We had about 5 patients at a time. Honestly, I felt like it was a med/surg floor. It is kind of nice to be the one there assessing the pt off the bat, not knowing what is going on with them. However, with Grady down the street, our acuity level doesn't get that high. It sounds morbid, but I would like to get as much experience as possible, you know?
I like my preceptor a lot. She is very approachable and kind. I don't think I will pick up any of her nuances though because I don't care for the way she does a lot of things like taking report and charting. But I do feel like she can answer my questions and give me experience. That's all that really matters. And there are other nurses there that I can learn from too. Even the CPs have a lot to teach, and they are more than willing to do it.

I had a thought today as I was walking through the hospital. We were walking through the cath lab, which primarily consists of men around retirement age. There were 4 men in the hallway waiting to be transported back to their rooms. This is a scenario that I have seen many times, but for some reason today I had an overwhelming thought: it doesn't matter who you are or what you do, we all experience some pretty difficult stuff sometimes that we have little (or no) control over. The cardiac cath lab is where people go to get imaging of the arteries around their heart. It's where people find out they need a stent, or quadruple bypass surgery. And it doesn't matter if you are a mayor, a trash man, famous, etc. I saw men there that looked like successful businessmen, and others looked like they would walk back out onto the streets when they were discharged. It makes the pursuit of fame and money so ridiculous to me. What does it all matter anyways? At the end of the day, you are still a person with limited time. And if you don't have your health, all the money and fame dissolves into meaninglessness pretty quickly.

I wish people would pursue their health as adamantly as they pursue wealth. It just makes more sense.

I Believe You're My Healer

2008-08-24T20:03:00.002-04:00

So I don't know if y'all heard about the worship song fraud, but for those of you who don't know, here's the deal:

Michael Guglielmucci is a pastor in Australia that wrote a song called Healer that was sung at the last Hillsong conference. From what I have read, he led the song at the conference with a nasal cannula (the oxygen delivery device that goes in your nose). The song is even on the newest Hillsong album, and it sounds like its the version that he led.
It came out last week that the guy is a total fruad. He has been faking cancer for two years, and his own wife had no idea.

So I was thinking about this over the past few days, feeling pretty disappointed cause it's a good song, I have the CD and feeling like its now ruined for me. But then I think about the fact that there is still truth in the words. And I've also been thinking about people who write worship songs. I have written a couple in my day (not saying they are any good, ha!), and I may not have faked cancer, but I'm no saint. And I know that any worship leader would tell you the same thing; there is no claim to holiness that comes with writing worship. And even when the song is written with dishonesty, God can turn it around and use it for good and His glory. This goes with any ministry. I can think of a couple ministries off the top of my head that are not so hot behind the scenes, but God still works through them. Its at least made me think twice about being judgmental.
Now, I'm not saying that this dude is ok in his fraudulence. But what I am saying is that the song still speaks the truth. God is our Healer. And he heals a lot more than just disease. He heals a deceptive heart too.

These are the words:

Verse:
You hold my every moment
You calm my raging seas
You walk with me through fire
And heal all my disease

Pre-Chorus:
I trust in You
I trust in You

Chorus:
I believe You're my Healer
I believe You are all I need
I believe You're my Portion
I believe You're more than enough for me
Jesus You're all I need

Bridge:
Nothing is impossible for You
Nothing is impossible for You
Nothing is impossible for You
You hold my world in Your hands

Emergency Room... Here I Come!!

2008-08-20T20:35:00.000-04:00

So I forget that when I say I am in the ER most people think that is a bad thing. It NOT a bad thing for me!

I went back to serious school today. It was the first day of Leadership and Role Practicum, which is so crazy to me because I can't believe I am finally here. I feel like a senior in high school again. Ha! I remember thinking when I started nursing school that the seniors were so smart and it would take me forever to learn all that stuff. Now I'm here and I can tell you I don't feel that smart. I mean, I have worked VERY hard the past two years. I chose nursing school over EVERYTHING. But I feel sooo unprepared to get into nursing for real. I think I will be carrying around my Med/Surg book for a while, catching as many pages as possible in my free time. My NCLEX book will be around some too. Maybe I should give them names... Suggestions?? :)

Way back in April we signed up for our Role Practicum, which is the clinical rotation for our last semester. We are put on a unit in the hospital and given a preceptor, and clinical is one on one work with a nurse (awesome). So they said they would try to give us what we wanted, but no promises. I put ER, Labor & Delivery, and Oncology as my top three. We got our assignments today and not only did I get my top choice (ER) I did NOT get put on weekends, which most people in my group did. I am so very thankful!!! I asked my clinical instructor if I could do a couple night shifts to see what its like, and she said it wouldn't be a problem. I will probably start working nights, but I want to make sure I don't hate it and that I can physically handle the time shifting. I think I can do it, and it doesn't hurt that it pays more.

I had another great day at the church! My lesson went especially well today, followed by some hanging out in Derek's room, and then with Mallori. We worked on the panels for the gym service. It's really Mal's brain child and I get to be a little worker bee for her. :) We had a good time taking pictures and eating Taco Bell. :) I love hanging out at the church. Its such a solace, and the people there are great. The majority of my good memories happened at Perimeter, or with people that I met at Perimeter. God has blessed me way beyond what I could ever say.

PS I have decided that I will not put pictures up on my blog because a) I am way too lazy to figure it out and b) I put so many pictures on facebook its nauseating. So If you ever want to see pictures, go there.

Bck to School

2008-08-18T22:02:00.000-04:00

Today was my first day back to Georgia Baptist since summer classesIt wasn't bad at all considering the fact that I woke up 20 minutes before my class started. cool. Marley kept me up ALL NIGHT for no good reason. He never does that! Anyways, Beth woke me up cause she is awesome and I made it on time (yay!).
Today's class is called Emergency Nursing (i think) and I'm so excited about it! First of all it is taught by one of my favorite professors (If you have ever heard me say DFO, she is the one who coined the term for me). Second of all, she said everyone gets an A. Third of all, she said every person that has taken that class in 10 years has passed the NCLEX (boards) on their first try. And if that wasn't enough... I'm actually really looking forward to learning the material! Its EKG interpretation, trauma response, triage, intubation, codes, etc... blood and guts here I come ;)

As much as I hate the idea of going back to school after an amazing summer, I am glad its GBCN I am going back to. Today was a good day. I saw a lot of friends, class was great, I learned about caring for people. It gets me excited about nursing. Then I went around and said hello to my favorite professors. I remembered how lucky I am that I have professors that know me well and care about me as a student and a person. We had free lunch on the quad, which I took full advantage of. All around a great afternoon at good old Mercer.

Beth and I cleaned up the apartment today too. Its almost 100% complete. I am taking tomorrow to get totally prepared for my REAL class on wednesday... I talked to a professor today that said night shift clinicals were all over the place this semester... Its going to get interesting.

T minus 16 hours...

2008-08-15T03:10:00.000-04:00

Krys & Justin are getting married in 16 hours and 20 minutes. I should NOT be awake :)

I went to bed at 10pm (who does that??) and now at 3:10am I am wide awake. Cool. I probably woke up about half an hour ago and then finally decided that hey, I should blog. :)
I can't believe 8/15 is finally here!! Time flies by so fast... I still remember when we were wondering if Justin was ever going to get to propose. Tomorrow (today) is going to be a lot of fun. :) Watch out for thriller.... its going to be super interesting!!

I go back to school on Monday. I don't know how I feel about that. I am excited to get back into things and begin my last semester of nursing school (unreal). But by the same token, this has been such an amazing summer. I have loved every adventure, and all the time I have been spending with amazing people... It's been nice to be carefree for this past month. No papers looming, no studying to be done. However, I think I proved to myself this summer that adventures can be had with all those things pending. still... This is officially my last day of summer vacation forever. That's a weird thought.
I think God made me a nurse for tons of reasons, but to pick out one today I would say that it is because I could not handle the 9-5. I've done it in the past and I think if I did it forever I would go nuts-o. I'm not your conventional business woman that can sit at a desk and do desky stuff. Thank God for those of you who can, but I need to move around. :) And I dont think I could work every day of the week either. Nursing is going to be super tough (and super great) but I wont let it be my whole life, just a big (important) part of it. But ultimately, I am a nurse so I can be Jessica on my off days.

There is a quote in a book that I read recently that may have sparked this shift in my life from being a super nerd (yeah i definitely was/am) spending all my time studying at Starbucks, to really valuing my time spent with others, realizing its importance. It's about the heart of a woman...

"We love adventures, but we do not want the adventure merely for adventure's sake but for what it requires of us for others. We don't want to be alone in it; we want to be in it with others. We were made in the image of a perfect relationship, we are relational to the core of our beings and filled with a desire for transcendent purpose."

I love going back in my journal and seeing huge gaps in days followed by an entry that says: "Sorry, I have been way too busy enjoying life to write about it." :) God is good. Everything from Taco Mac, BA-BBQs, 722, 722 when it didn't actually happen, marshmEllows, fireworks, leading worship, to the island and all the craziness involved, writing songs, hanging out at the church, coffee talks, countless movies, weddings galore, meals on wheels, media day, to saving Betty, jumping in the lake, going to see shows, Egyptian ratscrew, learning poker, the three habaneros, you tube videos, moving into a new place, bowling, downtown Decatur, midnight swimming, just hanging out.... I could go on. And the best part about all of it has been the people.

So thank you to all of my dear friends, and here's to countless more adventures. :)

Whispers Through YouTube

2008-08-12T13:58:00.001-04:00

Why do bad things happen to good people?

This is probably the most commonly posed question I get when faith, religion, christianity, etc. is discussed. Often there is a very apologetic, theologically based answer involved. This is the answer I usually gave, in all my expanse of theological knowledge (ha). I would point to Romans 3 saying that no one is actually good so the question is flawed in and of itself. Blah blah blah. But does that touch the heart of someone who is hurting? No. It's almost always a pretty conceited answer. "I know theology better than you, obviously..." However true, is that the best way to answer the question? Perhaps. Its most assuredly a truth that needs to be understood. But I think that maybe there is a better way to go about it.

These thoughts came to me today as I was updating facebook. My favorite skit of all time is the rendition of Lifehouse's Everything. I was posting the video rather than the link on my profile (busy day, i know...) and I watched it again. That 5 minute skit speaks to my soul. For those of you who haven't seen it, check it out. Its on my facebook profile under posted items. :)
As I was watching the video (for prolly the 100th time) I was still so deeply moved at the redemption found in Christ. It captures so much in 5 minutes that I have experienced and could never put to words. Maybe its because I am more of a visual person than a word person, but I feel like I saw the love of God in a new light that was backed by the truth of the Bible. The Holy Spirit whispers through any means necessary. :)

So back to what I was saying about bad things happening to good people... I think that in life we become jaded. We live day-to-day as believers and followers and the majesty of God gets lost in our jobs, classes, adventures, etc. Not that we always become something to be detested, but lukewarm (which is worse). And then every now and then we do wander that far. Looking back at my life experiences I see how I tried to fill my life with a bunch of crap. Just like the girl in the video. I was absorbed with the things of this world and God took a serious back seat to the point where He was totally unrecognizable in my life. And not that I went out and killed someone and that was the bad thing, but bad things happen when God is pretty much riding on the exhaust pipe.
When I think about who I was before then I see this pretty standard "church girl" that thought she had a pretty good grasp on theology, loved the church, served with her gifts, was confident in God's love, and felt like she had it all together. Even looking back at the type of verses I underlined in my Bible... all were about worship and love and la la la. But I seemed to always breeze by the verses about redemption. "Yeah Yeah Yeah.... Christ died on the cross and redeemed us from our sin." I knew I was a sinner, but I didn't feel a pressing need for Grace because I was a pretty "good" Christian. So I played the part and said I was a sinner in need of Grace when in my heart I felt like I at least deserved it a little.
So why do bad things happen to good people? I would say that people who think they are good are blessed to know that they are not. Bad things really do hurt and have consequences and its not easy to be in a bad thing thinking that God allowed it to happen, or even caused it. But looking back on my life specifically I am so thankful for everything that has ever happened to me. Because I pretty much rejected God for a period in my life, He has shown me just a little better how amazing His grace is. How absolutely ridiculous it is that I can even have a little of it, let alone it all. So I would say its because of God's perfection and GRACE that bad things happen to "good" people. He not only redeems us from our sin, but from our self-righteousness, allowing us to experience what life is like outside of the lukewarm.

I think that these same experiences reveal truth of the Word too. Like I said before, I used to really focus on verses about worship and love and all the light-fluffiness of the gospel. Since I have really loved the verses about redemption and God's faithfulness to His people. "In Your unfailing love you will lead the people you have redeemed. In Your strength You will guide them to Your holy dwelling." (Ex. 15:13) In Psalm 89 Ethan goes from declaring God's glory to lamenting all the struggles he is experiencing and pretty much telling God off, but he ends it with "Praise be to the Lord forever!" Talk about someone who is going through some bad stuff. But he writes the most beautiful words of worship. What would Ethan, or more notably David, have been like had he not experienced the things he had?

Just one more mystery of God's perfect plan.

Materialism is the air at Phipps

2008-08-08T10:52:00.000-04:00

So this shouldnt be long, but I had a thought yesterday. (ha, yes just one) ;)

I work at Sunglass Hut in Phipps Plaza. Next door is Coach, across the hall is Tiffany & Co., you get the idea. I have been working there for almost 2 years now and its a great job, but every now and then I feel like the depravity of man is screaming from Phipps' rooftops. Yesterday was one of those days. No big incident happened, but in the subtleties of the people I talked to I could see so much greed and materialism. Like the rat that keeps going after heroin till it kills him. People walk into my store wide-eyed talking about how they NEED a new pair of Chanel's because their old pair is almost 2 years old. Drop $500. Or they make an off-handed comment about the quality of Prada vs. Dolce & Gabanna and all I can think about is that quality is not what you are after, you want a giant sparkly DG on the side of your head so people will think you are better off.
Then occasionally I will have a conversation with one of these people and there is emptiness. They are on their second or third marriage, or their spouses are cheating on them and they know it but its ok cause they are doing the same thing, or they are in so much debt they cant breathe but whats another $600. Its just sad and I feel like there is not a whole lot I can do about it.

Now I'm not saying that everyone who shops at Phipps is a bottomless vessel of greed, and I have most definitely fallen into materialisms trap. Its just an epidemic that I see most greatly in that place. And from time to time I see it very clearly and my heart hurts for those people because I know whats really satisfying , I've experienced it, and its not your Prada sunglasses.

Settled and Satisfied

2008-08-05T23:38:00.000-04:00

I am typing from my new room in my new apartment that i LOVE. My room is 98% complete and i am very excited about it. however, I could not have done it without my sisters, my mom, Ryan Gibadlo, Stephanie Cole, Matt Abshire, Kylie, & Krys. God has blessed me with amazing friends and family, but more on that later. Kylie and I went shopping today and I bought a new desk cause someone stole the other one right off the sidewalk. cool. I wasn't going to use it anyways, but my sister might have. You just cant trust people anymore.
Our apartment is full of color :) My room is somewhat of a country theme with blue walls, red curtains and khaki/distressed-white accents. It makes me feel very at home. My bathroom is more of the same theme with brown instead of red. Our living area is painted an eggplant color with soon-to-be chocolate walls in the front hall. It goes well with our green and yellow chairs :) The kitchen is still a disaster, but we will get there. WE consists of myself and longtime friend, Beth DeLong. I am SO excited to be living with her, although technically we live further apart now than we did sophomore year of college when she was across the hall. :) She is awesome and we have already had some pretty cool adventures here. I mean, aside from moving things up 3 flights of stairs... ;) I came home yesterday to Kylie and Jeff and Toby (the pup). They brought over dinner, they were kind enough to let me crash in on. :) I love walking into my apartment and seeing some of my dearest friends just hanging around.

This morning Beth woke me up and we ate breakfast together, and we ate dinner together too. so fun :) In between I went shopping with Ky, as previously mentioned. It was an awesome day with my twin and original roomie. :) We went bargain hunting all over town and got some good stuff for our apartments.

Other things, I have been thinking alot about my life this summer. Just looking back on what God is doing and has done, and all the grace He has given me. I honestly and truly am far better than i deserve. I was talking to my mom today telling her how I just feel so healthy. It's really beyond a sense of increased happiness. I feel lighter; my heart is not heavy. I've looked around me and seen all these amazing things that God has given me in my life. An amazing family that I have no idea what I would do without, friends both old and new that fill my day to day life with adventures that i enjoy so much, a church full of loving people and opportunities to serve my God, and a really REALLY great dog. :) I could not ask for more (breaking into song at this point...) ;) And its all because of my great King and Savior who lifted me and has set my feet on a rock and given me a FIRM place to stand. My heart is satisfied and it is honestly so. Its hard to put it all into words but the feeling is just great. :) All glory to GOD because if you know me, I obviously could not have done this.

Moving & Other Things

2008-07-25T23:30:00.000-04:00

I should be packing and cleaning, but I'm going to BLOG instead.

I am moving in less than one week. To be exact, I am moving in 5 days. I have so much to do its ridiculous!!! I am absolutely determined to get everything moved in to my new place and DONE by the 2nd. That gives me 4 days. Do not plan on seeing me outside of my apartment, or wearing anything other than an old t-shirt and possibly covered in paint. Anyone willing/wanting to help I will buy you dinner!!!!

I have been playing guitar a lot more lately. I wish I had kept up with it, but now is better than never! I've solicited the brain power of Brian to get some of my thoughts into songs. So far the venture is going well! Mainly because I write about 7% and he writes the other 93%. :) HA some of us are just better at certain things than others.

I'm a little freaked out that school will be starting for the last time in a little over 2 weeks. I have no idea what this semester is going to look like, but I do know that its going to be hard core. period. Did I mention I have not set foot in a hospital since April?? Yeah....

I have had LOTS of really fun adventures in the last few weeks. God has RICHLY blessed my life this summer. Not just in day to day things, but in my heart. My soul is satisfied as with the richest of foods. Its one of those feelings you read about, and its always cliche. But then you experience it in your life and the words you used to overlook come to life and you realize how hard it is to capture in a sentence or two. Hence the cliche. I hope I don't ever forget this, and how I got here.

Well I really should get to those walls, they arent going to paint themselves.

This could be in vain...

2008-07-15T18:15:00.000-04:00

Ok so enough of my friends have started blogging on a regular basis (Kylie) so I thought I might give it a shot.
Let' see what happens, shall we?

Where I am right now:
I have 2 more days of school left. Meaning I have a final on Thursday that I could care less about. It's community health. I would much rather be in the hospital poking people with needles. ;) I start in the ER (hopefully) in a little over a month. And I have to apply for my CAREER in October, which is not that far away. I at least know what hospital I will be working at (Piedmont), so that is out of the way. Praise God! I am hoping for ER, but I am also applying to Labor & Delivery, Oncology, and possibly one other floor, which is still up in the air. I'm really not too keen on ICU, and Med/Surg would probably make me want to kill myself. We will see, I may just stick with the aforementioned three. I also will probably start with night nursing. I have heard that is ideal. I'm going to need some advice on sleeping schedules though. Luckily, the good Lord blessed me with the ability to fall asleep at any time and in any situation. :)

I am really excited about life right now. I have been hanging out with some pretty cool people, y'all know who you are. ;) I will be back in discipleship in about a month with said cool people. Also, I am back at leading worship at Perimeter. Its not an every week thing, but just the opportunity to be serving again brings me more joy than I can tell you. I am moving in with an old friend, Beth DeLong, in about 2 weeks. We will be living off good old Briarcliff road. The same area of Atlanta that I have been living in the past 4 years. Its absolutely incredible to me that I have been living in the city that long, by the way. Anyways, our apartment is going to kick some pretty large butt, so you should visit.

I'm still working at Sole Mio (sunglass hut) for the time being. I will probably work through the year and then its off to real life at Piedmont.
Marley (my dog) is doing great. People always ask and I never know what to say. He is a dog, his life pretty much consists of eating, pooping, and chewing. I love him.

Other things to look forward to for the remainder of 2008:
My nephew should be arriving to planet earth around the last week of November. Due date is 11/26, but I'm convinced that means nothing. I'm excited!!! His name is Jeremiah Thomas. I will call him Jerry. Victoria says I am Aunt Satan. ;)

So thats about it for entry #1.