Saturday, December 24, 2011

Christmas Eve Post

this post never got finished....or posted. i'll post it anyway.


Well, two months ago was my last post. I couldn't even think about the ole' blog for being so busy. Now, i kinda wish that i did so i wouldn't feel like i was "behind" on sharing my life. haha! Nursing school for second semester ended. The Lord allowed me to complete two classes this semester. I am going to have to repeat one class...pharmacology. It took a turn for the worst around test 3 and never got better. Sad! I enjoyed the class though and I am thankful for being able to repeat it. They could have not allowed me to take it again, so I am happy that they said yes. It was a neat experience. Of course I cried, and I think I'm still in a little bit of denial that Court and I are actually separated in this whole nursing thing. She will move on, and I will stay back. But through it all, the Lord truly sustained me...in more way that one. ha! I'm such a dork. But really, I couldn't deny that this is His sovereign plan for me to not graduate in 2012. This was never his plan B, like it's my plan B. He's got me, and for that I'm thankful. I would have never have met the people in this class if I had not had to join them. I pray that the Lord uses me among the people that I will now graduate with. I was talking with my friend, Luke, one night. Luke is probably the most encouraging person that I've ever met. he's a good one. He shared with me how thankful He was for the mindset that we are able to have with school. As we're walking through college, constantly stressed out that we are going to ruin our lives by making one bad grade, we can step back and truly thank God for loving us through it all. He loves me when I think my GPA matters more. He loves me when I put school first. He loves me through it all. I'm so thankful for His grace, His plans, and His sovereignty over my life. God truly gives me peace in every situation. I can't imagine my life without my Savior.



Thursday, October 20, 2011

nursing school: part II

Remember that post down there that said i was going to study for THREE TESTS IN ONE WEEK. well, that week is over. I had never been so happy to see a Wednesday at noon so much in my entire life. 


The week started off with my psych test on Monday. oh, poor, neglected psych class. I really could be making A's in this class if I just studied it a little more...or was a better guesser. But really, it's the class that i cram for...a good ole' 85 was delivered to me for this test grade. I've come to the conclusion that psych nursing is absolutely not for me. I'm not very therapeutic, and i really want to share Jesus with them up front and open. I don't like feeling held back. I bet Paul would have shared the gospel with his psych clients....and the instructors. I wanna be like Paul. But anyways, I've had two tests for this class. My average is around an 83 or 84 i think. I've had two clinicals as well. They've been okay. I really have had good clients. The one today gave me a pretty good story about why he was there. We will soon start discussing schizophrenia, and i'm pretty excited. 


Wednesday brought about pharmacology test 2 and OB test 2. I needed to make an 82 on my OB test, and pharm is just a really hard class in general. I studied for days for both of them. God really has had to talk to me about school this semester. Not sure if i ever said it here, but i wanted to quit. for real, wanted.to.quit. then i went off and saught Godly counsel and was told no. psh. So, I studied a whole lot for OB and a lot for pharm. The Lord gave me an 83 for pharm and an 84 for OB. I could try to tell you every single answer and that I left the tests feeling like a million bucks, but that would be a big fat lie. So, I'll just tell you that I prayed about every 3rd question that God would guide my pencil to the right bubble. He's really smart :) I've only had one OB clinical because there was a schedule mix up. So, I still have two more (L&D and NICU). woohoo!! 


So, THREE B's!! Praise the LORD! 


School has been hard. Well, it was really hard in the beginning. We have three classes instead of two this semester, and I got super overwhelmed...and you could tell it, all over my face! acne is real cute. So I decided to glorify God through my school work...who would have ever thought to do that. I had to change my priorities and know that this is where he has me..because it is. I got in the nursing program on the first try. I made it through first semester. I enjoy taking care of people. It's all because God put me where I am...I just didn't want to believe it. Could I have quit nursing school, chose another major, not chose another major and still glorify God? yes. But would that be perseverance and satisfaction? no. 
dummbbbbb jessica. dumb dumb. Praise the Lord of direction and the Vinson's!


There is a baby in Melinda, Sarah, and Lauren's tummy!! That's exciting news that I haven't shared yet. I'll read this post again in three years and the babies will be toddlers, and then i'll feel really old. 


You know what? I wish i posted pictures on here. poo. 


I'm going to Snowbird this weekend to help with the marriage retreat there! I'm really excited. I'm pretty sad that I'm missing the Fox Fever Run here, and I kinda wish i was going to be here for that instead. But, when I think about all of the marriages that i will get to see and pray over makes me a little giddy inside. I love the marriages modeled at swo, so i'm really excited for a bunch of married people to see those marriages too. 


I'm really excited for december. if anyone ever asks me to do anything, i tell them i will in december. it's going to be a busy month. man. (I LOVE CHRISTMAS!! it just makes me giddy inside to think about it.) yay for a friendship with jordan gray!! i've missed the girl for real. i love that she is in newnan and i'm a little jealous that she is. ok ok. maybe a lot jealous. but i'm sad that i haven't been able to see her as much. DECEMBER, jojo!!

alright, i gotta stop. this is my second blog post in one day. just call me michele hendrix. 




discipline.

Discipline from the Lord is never something that I dream about. Disappointing the One that created me doesn't bring me much happiness, and in all honesty, I do it quite often, you know, everyday. One thing that discipleship with Trish taught me was to be real. I hide my sin from others a lot less, because I've learned that pretending I don't struggle with sin is just ignorant. When I read in Romans, "For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out," I cringe. How stinking frustrating to live in this world...to live in a world that is wretched...to live in a world that was created perfectly..and be in a constant war. Sometimes, it gets weary and the word hopeless comes to mind for a moment. But then we get to chapter eight of romans and the Word says, "There is therefore no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus." WOAH! I don't deserve it. I didn't deserve the most perfect and precious only son of God to come to this world and take away my ugly. I don't deserve to have my rebellion, disobedience, and all of my sin to be completely covered and given the name HOLY! This restored relationship is everything. The God of the universe made a way for me to be His daughter. He thought I was worth it. He loves me unconditionally. He loves me when I hit the snooze button in the morning instead of popping out of bed, bright-eyed and bushy tailed to study His word. He loves me when I am selfish. He loves me when I think more about my future than the work that He has given me now. He loves me, and I appreciate the discipline. Because He loves me, I'll appreciate that small voice in the quiet morning telling me to get over it and get up. I'll be responsible and study one of the best gifts He ever gave us. I'll stop thinking of myself, and sacrifice my wants. I'll do my best to follow His will, even if He has to kick me the whole way down this path. I'll forget my future because I'm responsible for today. I'm thankful for the Spirit...that lives inside of me (the same one that raised Jesus from the dead). I'm thankful for the discipline. I'll be responsible and live my life completely enslaved to Christ....because he has put his spirit in me, and named me daughter, an heir.(Rom8:12). His GLORY is worth it all. I will never suffer here as much Christ suffered for me there on that cross. So, though I may not understand my actions when the flesh appears, I will strive hard to glorify my Father...and I will gladly pray for discipline, that I may be more like my Jesus. 


I pray that I may have the wisdom of Mary when the Lord chooses to use me. "Behold, I am a servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word." Such submission is what I strive for. 

Friday, September 23, 2011

:(

you always hurt when a great friend hurts...wishing i was a little bit more north right now!!


today was my first OB clinical. court and i both were in postpartum. it was so scary going into it because we didn't know which floor we were going to be on, but the day went really smoothly! So thankful for the Lord calming my fear. 


this coming up week holds studying for, yet again, THREE TESTS! here we go! Hoping to make good grades on them all! :)

Monday, September 19, 2011

sister.


My parents never gave me a sister. I probably begged at one point, but i think i liked being the baby. I was so much younger than my brothers that they just thought i was just precious, and hey, being the baby girl has it's advantages! But, I did ask my brother for a sister. he provided. Being a sister-in-law is special to me :) I love Danielle and I can't imagine her not being a Booher. so much that it's really hard for me to ever add the "in-law" behind her title. she's great and i'm happy that she has been in my life for 7 years now. I can't wait until all of this nursing school crazy is behind me and i am able to spend more time with them! I would ask my other brother for a sister, but he would promptly respond, "i do what i want." :) I think he told me once that he wouldn't get married until he was at least 30....3 years away!!! 

So, all of that being said, I asked the One who really makes people for a sister. I prayed so long for someone who would be my very best friend. Someone that I would feel like I had known forever and would be just like a biological sister without all of the hissy fits. Little did I know, God had that already figured out. who.would.have.thunk.it? Courtlynd and I have been friends since 2002. We met at school. At the time, we were in 6th grade. OH MY, HOW WE HAVE CHANGED. ha! We have all of the notes that we wrote each other throughout middle and high school. they are REALLY funny to go back and read. oh man, we talked in code words a lot, so sometimes, we don't even know what they mean. and then, just in general what we talked about is different. SO thankful for Christ and the evidence of the Holy Spirit in our lives and sanctification taking place! 

I've been really thinking lately about how much the two of us are changing and how much i love it. We understand that it's the work of Christ in our lives that makes us love each other the way that we do. I can't imagine my life without a girl friend to sit and chat with about Jesus....nursing school (haha)...etc. But, down to the real point of this whole post is the change that is happening in us concerning all things domestic, missions, Godly womanhood, careers, wife/mother stuff, and probably more. You just never think that you are ever really going to grow up, ya know? I mean, when we were 11, we used to say that we were NEVER really going to be 20! We probably didn't even think we would know each other 9 years later. It has been SO NEAT to see, though. 

I think the funniest change is Court's love for frying. I never thought she would be the one to bread something and stick it in a pan. I mean, ANYTHING! She's always been the baker, but fryer? She just likes to cook. It makes me happy to see. I'm excited to watch her feed her family one day. She also makes her own washing detergent these days, and hangs her clothes on a line in the backyard sometimes. She's also SUPER thrifty and likes to find a good bargain. I love seeing her desire to hold babies. you know, "practice." i love to see her grab jack...considering he is bigger than she is. it's funny. she likes to be crafty and decorate.
I like to clean things. anything and everything. my new love is vacuuming. although, the Lord has not provided me with a love of dusting...i suppose i'll pray about it.. :) I'm learning to cook. Some things come easier than others. I enjoy the babies! I like to watch them grow and I like to watch them with their family. I'm excited about being a mom and encouraged by the women that have allowed me to watch them be moms. It's just a part of growing in Godly womanhood....so encouraged by the moms that have not made discipline a complete private matter, but have allowed me to listen in on correcting their children, in the LORD. so cool. so thankful for that picture in scripture. I like to organize things and make them look cute. 
We wanna get married more than we want to be super-duper independent workin' women! We're excited about nursing some days, don't get me wrong, but just the thought about being a wife sounds cool. We're not naive to think that our lives are going to be perfect from our wedding day on...but we were created to be helpmates (obviously, we were ultimately created to glorify God, and take the gospel to all of the nation, and to love people..), and we're excited about the thought of being one of those. I'm excited that she gets to go first...someone great snatched her up! :) We talk about possibly homeschooling our kids, and what a wonderful experience discipling our bambinos is going to be. We talk about submitting to our husbands, and how we are going to have to hold each other accountable to not get feisty over the little things! haha. We talk about "what if our husbands drag us overseas to plant a church in the middle of the desert." <
I think one of my most favorite things to do is talk about now, though. Which is so fun too, because these are the single years! Because more than likely, we are going to have to learn a new balance within the next few years. So doing ministry now, discipleship now, community now, and friendship now looks different that it will in a few years. I'm thankful that we don't have to be married to be Godly women. Especially for me, considering who knows when this girl is going to be anything but single. "Jesus is my boyfriend!" HAHA! oh boy, have i ever blogged about how much i hate that phrase? oh, i do. that could possibly be a "pet peeve" of mine. but really, SO thankful for being right where God has me! :) I'm thankful that we haven't forgotten to talk about the present. 

I'll stop going on and on. I just wanted to remember what we talked about at age 20. It's funny! So crazy how we mature and grow. I mean, I'm glad that we aren't talking about...whatever middleschoolers talk about. That'd just be weird!

I'm just happy that God gave me a sister named C.Moore, who hates writing the letter s, giving the capital I a top and bottom, and dotting eyes. 


PS. at the moment, i'm reading "Recovering Biblical Manhood and Womanhood" by Piper and Grudem. It's kinda text-booky, but I'm enjoying just reading through it. slowly. 

also, SovHope's launch day was sunday. I AM SO EXCITED ABOUT MY CHURCH!!!

Saturday, September 17, 2011

goodness.

You also, be patient. Establish your heart, for the coming of the LORD. 
James 5:8


ESTABLISH YOUR HEART.
"Let your faith be firm, your practice of what is good, constant, and continued, and your resolutions for God and heaven fixed, in spite of all suffering or temptations." 


!!!!!!!!!


He disciples us for our good, that we may share His Holiness!
Hebrews 12:10b


SHARE HIS HOLINESS!! what a wonderful gift from the Father. 


Thankful for the transforming work of scripture. 

Friday, September 9, 2011

I wanna talk about Jesus.

i wanna spend time with old women, 
                        then i wanna spend time with young women. 

Monday, September 5, 2011

quick thoughts!

Just a few quick thoughts before i get back to studying:
  • i've got some killer acne on my face. it's the kind that hurts. i'm not really sure what's causing it and my face wash is doing nothing for me. boo. 
  • i've been studying all day with a few short breaks. it's been good. i've been enjoying it, actually, until now. 
  • i've had the urge to clean my room and vacuum all day...those urges only come whenever i'm studying. 
  • Lily Carolina Wallace was born today, and that makes me happy. I'm so excited for John and Amy. They are going to be such wonderful parents. I love them so. 
  • I'm finishing up chapter 4 in James. Only one more chapter and then I'm on to Luke!! I even ordered the MacArthur commentary today. It was probably the highlight of my day. I'm thankful for the desire to read God's Word. 
  • I want to be more Jesus...that's why I chose one of the Gospels to study next. So much we say that we want to be like the best person who ever lived, but we have no idea what He was really like. I'll be reading Acts along side my study in Luke.....since they go together and everything. PLUS, i'm a part of Sovereign Hope now....and I need to know what the NT church looks like if i'm going to be a part of a NT church. 
  • I miss all of my friends that go to Liberty. Some days I desire to be there much more than i desire to be here. 
  • My discipler is leaving me. 2 years and out! I'm so thankful for her and how she taught me about being a woman of God. He really placed her here right in His timing. Now, i get to go to Indiana!! woot. 
  • I'm planning this big road trip for Spring Break of next year. It mayyyyyyy not really work as well as i want too. i may be splitting this trip up. 
  • I get to see Kaitlin and Tim and Tyler on October 7th!!! and for that, i am excited. 
  • I REALLY LOVE GUNGOR. that's all. it's just a good band.
  • I've been doing the 17 day diet since August 22nd. I've lost 8 pounds so far. i like those results enough that i'll keep doing it!
  • Josh G asked me to be a part of some sort of Tuesday night kids bible study at a local church that Second supports, even though i will no longer be a member of Second. I'm praying about it right now. It sounds splendid, and excited that he thought to ask me. 
  • Oh discipleship, it crosses my mind frequently. I'm excited for the little lady who will one day ask me to disciple her....even praying for her now!
  • I'm pretty thankful (not nearly enough) for really not having a life during this whole nursing school thing. It has to be super hard for those with families to care for and bills to pay. Sometimes, i feel a little spoiled. 
  • I'm SUPER thankful for Courtlynd. She's a good friend. real good friend. 
  • For the past two years at this time, i've been getting ready to depart to Brazil. So thankful for those experiences. I think about Alenquer a good bit and wonder what is going on in that small town in the Amazon. So much has changed since we left there 2 years ago....praying for God to correct all that is going on in the church that we built. 
Back to studying about the pregnant woman! First test is on Wednesday! Your prayers are greatly appreciated. 

Sunday, August 28, 2011

:(

i think i hate nursing school. 


update: maybe i just hate it most of the time. 

Saturday, August 27, 2011

sometimes...

i look at all of my nursing books...
             .......and then i just sit there.


i have no idea where to start or what to pick up first. 




All the glory goes to God; 'cause this girl has NO clue what she is doing. 
                                                               ... and i think i'm okay with that.

Saturday, August 20, 2011

hello there again, mr. blog :)

Well, it's been far too long since i have done this. Blogging over the summer was just impossible. I didn't want to spend my weekends blogging. I'd rather spend time with friends, catch up with people here and there, reside in God's Word, or mostly SLEEP. My summer was the best I've ever had. I'll never regret the time I spent at SWO. I'm sure i'll share bits and pieces here and there. I wish that I could sit down and write one big gigantic post, and i guess it could happen within the next month or so. but so much happened and i don't really even know how to describe it. 


I loved working with all of the girls this summer. It was a lot of fun and exciting to talk about the Gospel so much. It was exciting just to be in that setting. I didn't feel like I had time to talk about much else so there was never the issue of, "we'll just talk about it later." I had a week with these precious girls. Out of nine weeks, i only have one that was REALLY hard. It was just a week of struggling with the Lord over a lot of different things. I think that I was tired myself, but I really just struggled with the leadership that brought the girls. That's just hard in general. Its tough when you knew they were going home...but knew that they weren't going home to sound doctrine or teaching. I loved the time that I had with the girls though. 
I'm excited about staying in touch with some campers though. Some are easier than others. Most of the churches I worked with are in GA. I asked for that so that I could try and visit them. It was just a good summer. I can't wait for next summer, if that is where the Lord has me. It may even be where He has my parents as well :) That will be something awesome. 


Well, Adam was right when he told the "old jessica" goodbye. The Lord has changed me even more. I keep seeing differences. I was also wrong when i told him, "no lifelong friends." I cherish and thank God for the other staff members. It was a wonderful summer of REAL relationships. I learned a ton from the sermons that were presented and the full time staff. It was a summer of intense discipleship.
I miss my swo family a lot. but they are all over the place. 


I started nursing school once again. Semester 2 of 4. I struggled with this. I left SWO wondering if nursing was even for me. I've gotten to where I am trusting in Him. Whether this works out or not, I know that my God is sufficient. I know that there are other things that I could do. I don't know....it's not that i don't WANT my nursing degree. and it's not that i don't still love it. It's just that it's not a NEED. I don't need to be a nurse to glorify my Father. I'm trusting in His guidance. The semester started off well. I know it's going to be harder. I'll be taking pharmacology, OB, and psych. I've heard that pharm and ob are pretty stinking hard. I'm a little frustrated at the moment at how foggy my picture of this semester is. there is a lot to do, study, turn in, etc and i don't feel like it was laid out wonderfully for us. It'll take a little adjusting. 


My parents are preferring me to not to go back to work at Truetts. All last semester I only worked on Saturdays. That is all i would be able to work this semester, and it really never allowed me anytime to rest. I'm not saying that I need rest, and i didn't ask for them to support me even more. But my parents are wonderful. I struggled with feeling a little irresponsible by not having a job. But this will allow me even more study time. I won't explain how...but i'll just be able to manage my time better. They are so great. They really didn't have to allow me to only babysit this semester. I can't thank them enough for supporting me like they do. 


It was a little hard adjusting back into life here. I was excited to get back to SovHope, friends, and family. It has taken me 3 weeks to get back into the swing of things. The first week it was MORE of the physical aspect. I was VERY used to getting 4-5 hours of sleep a night. I got back home and was sleeping 8-9 and it was killing me. I just didn't feel good, I was getting a lot of headaches, and then i was just tired all of the time. It wasn't rest i was getting. I, also, was very used to being busy all day. So having a slowed paced day was weird. and then i was used to eating 3 meals a day, at the same time everyday. All of this just really made me feel yuck the first week i was back. But that is starting to get a lot better. I'm getting headaches a good bit. I still think that is just from the sleep schedule, but i'll get over it. I'm getting back in with the friends. I never realized how much Courtlynd and Jess make me LAUGH. belly laugh. I laughed a lot this summer. BUT court and jesse can make me laugh so hard that i cry. and that is just such a good feeling. HAHA! makes me laugh thinking about it. So yea, I spent a week with them and Courts family at the beach. that was good. So now i'm back here and starting to hang out with people more. I got really lonely at first, because at SWO, you are hanging out with people until 1am and you are NEVER alone. I mean, you have to try really hard to get awayyyyy. But here, I have this what now feels like a HUGE room and no one living with me upstairs. SO anyways, i was looking forward to getting back to community here (and I LOVE my community here, and i'm SO THANKFUL for it) but i didn't realize how much i loved living with everyone there. That was a weird adjustment. I'm somewhat back into the way things here work. I still miss 24/7 ministry. a lot. 


This past week has been a tough one. I'll share a weakness...time management. I down right STINK at managing my time. I mean, i guess i'm getting better at it. I suppose it's my "fly by the seat of my pants" mentality. although, i LOVE a schedule. Those two don't work together. Maybe something is wrong with me. But anyway, getting back to putting school at a high priority has been an adjustment. I know I need to glorify God through my schoolwork. But i want to pursue personal holiness, grow in the Lord, disciple, fellowship with other believers, share the gospel through relationships....and THEN i want to do school. Not to mention all of the other worldly things that i want to throw in there. and even just girly things that i was MADE to like and do. Sometimes, I just feel like school gets in the way, and i need to embrace this season of my life and thank God for where He has put me. I'm excited about building relationships with my clinical group and other students. I'm thankful for Christ's love coming through Court and I...and the encouragement that comes from other students being thankful for it and noticing it. But sometimes, I just don't want to do life how America (any many other countries) do life. But you know, God appointed my birth to be here. So i need to live with, I suppose. But back to my tough week. The Lord is disciplining me. He's showing me selfishness that I never saw in my heart. and it hurts. I can feel the battle between my flesh and the Spirit. This morning, I even woke up angry. And i didn't even know why!! Well, it was because I had a headache...but it was just a "mad at the world" kind of feeling. and THEN i was mad that i was mad. That's just not me....and it's surely not Christ!! So anyhoo, I found rest in my savior, prayed for whatever was trying to control my day to leave and went about my way. Praise God for the ability to cast my cares on Him. But yes, I'm thankful for the testing. How fitting that i've been studying James all summer. 


The other day in class, my teacher talked about a nurse who was married to a pastor and had 11 kids. The whole class started snickering or saying ooo, no way, or oh my.  Courtlynd looked over to me and said, "well, that's gonna be your life." It made me laugh. I don't know if God has those exact three things in store or not, but i'd be okay with it. haha!


So here I am...learning more and more about being a daughter of God and what Godly womanhood looks like. What the "radicals" look like. I'm thankful for the Holy Spirit, and how He won't get out of me. I'm thankful for a filter. I'm thankful that Mercy triumphs over judgement. I'm thankful for a desire to follow the command to take the Gospel to the ends of the earth, and I'm thankful for a church that is going to teach me how to do that and then send me out. I'm praying that God continues to show me His will for me to glorify Him in everything I do. I'm praying that He teaches me how to live for today, instead of worrying about tomorrow. I'm praying that I honor the Lord through nursing school, that i LOVE my fellow classmates like He does, and that I not hide the thing I live for from them. I pray that Christ consumes my every thought and that what He did for me dictates how I live this life that God has given me. 


Time to study some Nursing. 


Romans 11. 
how I long to remember this always. 



Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways!
 “For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who has been his counselor?” 
“Or who has given a gift to him that he might be repaid?”

 For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen.

Monday, June 6, 2011

hehe.

I was going to blog about week two of staff training and week one with campers yesterday...but then i went puddle jumping. Maybe next weekend :) Week 2 campers come TODAY! so excited :) I'm praising Jesus for all He has already promised to do this week.

Sunday, May 22, 2011

Week One

Snowbird feels like home already.
I  haven't had any sad moments or feelings of regret. I just love being here, and I'm so thankful to God for choosing me to be here this summer. I'm so happy that Lauren, Adam, John, Amy, and Jen told me to come here. I'm glad that I listened to them.
I'm in love with my small group. There are seven of us now. We might start calling it "medium group." :) Their names are Moose, Morris, Kaitlin, Anne, Logan, and Jacey. Wonderful ladies! Actually, I haven't met Jacey yet. She'll be here later. But i just assume she's wonderful as well. Our first night together, we shared our testimony. It was such a sweet time, and I loved getting to know them.
I'm still reading through Romans, and taking little rabbit holes through the gospel. Rob Conti taught us about counseling students and sharing the gospel the other day. It was so challenging. I've never had to think so much in my life. I'm so thankful for the spirit and the fact that He'll be there with me while i'm sharing with students. I'm excited about how exciting the gospel is. It's not a boring story. It's an absolutely amazing truth that dictates my life. I can't wait to share that with all of the students that i'm going to talk to. Brody told us the other day that we are held responsible for all that we tell students. It kinda freaked me out. Although, it really encouraged me to stay grounded in God's word even through the sleep deprivation. Ultimately, I'm just really encouraged and excited, and I really don't know how to put it in words very well.


I've been readying a book by "I, Isaac, take thee Rebekah" a lot today. It's by Ravi Zacharias. It's a realllyyy good book. I'll talk more about it whenever I finish it.


OH! i showered today. i called it my elaborate shower. ahh. it was just so good. To go from showering everyday, to showering maybe every other day...this girl has felt GROSS. Although i've been in the lake. that counts right?!!? mhmm. it does. 


<3

Tuesday, May 17, 2011

Small Group.

I met my small group tonight. We talked for three hours....about REALLY good stuff. I'm superrrrrr excited about it!! :)


This feels like Winter Retreat...It's just going to last a lot longer. woot!

i love swo.

"...as it is my eager expectation and hope that I will not be at all ashamed, but that with full courage now as always Christ will be honored in my body..." Phil. 1:20


Yesterday was my first day here. It wasn't a bit awkward.....really really really good day. I'm encouraged. I didn't know any of my roommates/small group. But i met most of them yesterday. I'm thinking it's going to be a good time! 

Today we train for On-Campus Recs....which for me is the snack shack. Maybe i'll learn to fold t-shirts and organize candy bars! 


Sunday, May 15, 2011

Wednesday, May 11, 2011

sooooo close.

It's been an exciting week! 


Friday, I took my last final of my first semester of nursing school. I ended up with a B and a C this semester. I didn't lie when I said that nursing school was tough. I am thankful for my passing grades. I'll work harder next semester, I suppose, but I learned a LOT this semester. That was really exciting news! :)
What else was really exciting news is that my GPA only dropped by .03 points!! So no worries about losing the HOPE Scholarship yet. I pray that day never comes. I also got to spend some time with Celeste and Jaimie, which was a sweet time..and ashley time friday night. all super fun. 


Saturday was my day to celebrate Courtlynd's birthday. We went to target, and then to Chow Baby in ATL...Where a lot of our friends were, ready to say "SURPRISE." She had no idea. It made me really happy. Somehow I pulled off her cousin from KY coming down. No idea how that worked out. But that was a BIG surprise. She had a great night. It was a lot of fun. And as always, chow baby was DELICIOUS. << i found out the other day that court HATES when i say delicious. good to know.


Sunday was a fun mother's day and then church plant. I'm really loving going through "What is a Healthy Church Member;" It's an easy read, yet convicting and full of goodnesss. The group prayed over Colten, Luke, and I. Made a tear come in my eye. I love those people. It was an extremely special time for me. Colten and Luke leave for Honduras (I think) on Thursday. I pray that they have a wonderful time and that God sends them gospel sharing opportunities left and right. I'm sure It'll be a huge encouragement for Colten's grandma. She is a missionary there. So if nothing else, I feel like them being an encouragement to her would be absolutely fantastic. 


Monday was discipleship and Rachel time. It was my last time with Trish until August. Mondays will be weird without it. I love her so much. I love how she has just taken me under her wing and taught me. The whole Cobb family is precious to me. I thank Jesus for bringing them to Second. 
Rachel colored my hair burgundy and orange. It's so cool. I like it a lot. I was nervous at first...but i trust raerae with my life so i remained calmed. haha! Here is a picture of it:
Rachel took some pictures of me for some "pray for booher" postcards that I'll be sending out. this is one of them. I've never had my picture taken before...like to be serious and stuff. I felt like the biggest doof that ever lived. but it was FUN! 
and then last night Will and Dave came over to watch Tangled. Funny night :)


Today was "Moms and Meredith Day." At Second, I was really close to a bunch of moms and a bunch of kids. I was starting to get close to a lot of youth girls when God chose a different path for me. I LOVE these Moms. Michele has the picture of us. It was a little different than my other two times at Michele's house because we invited the whole gang. It was a PRECIOUS time. I loved all of the kids crawling and running everywhere and then all of the ladies just gabbin! haha. Towards the end of our time together, we all gathered in the blue room for them to pray for me and my summer...all of the moms and meredith, and all of the kids. SIX women and FIVE kids prayed for me during that sweet time. I could be wrong about the five kids. It may have been four kids. Can't remember. I started crying when Meredith started praying (she was 2nd),  I got it back together while Trish was praying (she was 4th), and then I started crying again when precious Ash, Campbell, Landon, and Hanna prayed for me. I love these kids. They were the most precious prayers. They prayed that I would use every opportunity given to me to share the gospel and to make it through all of the hard times when I got tired. So innocent. So sweet. I've been so overwhelmed by people praying for me. It's such a great time. Ever since our winter retreat on prayer, I have seriously valued it so much more. Adam mentioned how many times we say, "all i can do is pray for so and so..." but that is the MOST IMPORTANT thing that we can do. That's the BEST thing we can do. Ahhh good times :) PLUS, Baby Ruth was there. And i've said it before, ANYTHING that includes sweet "boof" is PERFECT. 


Tonight ended with movie time with Court and Jess. i like them. 


:) Greattt week so far. 

Wednesday, May 4, 2011

May the fourth be with you.

Ahhh. love that little saying. i probably love it as much as Joshy loves the "two peanuts walked into a bar, one was assaulted" joke.....as much as Jesse loves the "hey, how many people do you think are dead in that cemetary....all of them" joke...and as much as adam loves the Fun-Gi joke. just sayin'


I really just wanted to write a blog about "May the fourth be with you."
But while I'm here, I'll tell you a new little gift that nursing school has given me. Test Anxiety. Nice, right? So sweet. I really am loving it. :(


I'd really love for it to go away. I understand that God is in complete control. I understand that I am to do my best, and then just waltz right in there, and take the test all for His glory. But I don't think I'll ever feel like I studied enough. I'm not sure. I just do the best thing that I can do, pray for peace. 


For now, I'll go read my study guide one more time, wipe my silly tears of nervousness, and go to bed. I just can't wait for Friday to get here! I'm so happy that Snowbird doesn't have weekly exams...on paper!

Romans #7

My favorite Romans study thus far! I'm a fan of Abraham.


Romans 4:13-25
May 25-30,2011

13 For the promise to Abraham and his offspring that he would be heir of the world did not come through the law but through the righteousness of faith. 14 For if it is the adherents of the law who are to be the heirs, faith is null and the promise is void.
·       Abraham had hope in the promise that God had given to him. God promised Abraham a son, and even when it seemed unlikely that he would be given the offspring that he and Sarah were promised, he had faith and hope.
·       So, he was not given a son through the law, it was through the righteousness of faith.
·       In Genesis, it says that he was given “the land,” not the world….but the Messiah came through him.
·       Law and Promise are in different categories. Abraham is an heir, therefore he was promised this. The law is void. Yet, the promise is still in tact.
15 For the law brings wrath, but where there is no law there is no transgression.
·       Humans are not able to keep the law…so it brings wrath.
·       Transgression is a deliberate trespass.
·       Transgression provokes God’s wrath.
·       So, no law: no transgression.
16 That is why it depends on faith, in order that the promise may rest on grace and be guaranteed to all his offspring—not only to the adherent of the law but also to the one who shares the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all,
·       Grace gives and faith takes.
·       God’s gift of his son is nothing but gracious, and the only way we can respond is through faith.
17 as it is written, “I have made you the father of many nations”—in the presence of the God in whom he believed, who gives life to the dead and calls into existence the things that do not exist.
·       Abraham was justified by faith. His works, circumcision, and law were not what brought him justification.
·       Gen 17:5
·       He is our universal father.
18 In hope he believed against hope, that he should become the father of many nations, as he had been told, “So shall your offspring be.”
·       Abraham had a hope in what he could not see. He trusted the promise.
·       We are to have the same hope in our Lord Jesus returning again. We can’t see it happening, but we know we were promised it.
19 He did not weaken in faith when he considered his own body, which was as good as dead (since he was about a hundred years old), or when he considered the barrenness of Sarah's womb.
·       Faith goes beyond reason. It is reasonable to trust the Trustworthy!!!
·       Abraham did not consider his circumstance too great for His God. He was confident in what was promised to him.
·       Abraham had confidence in his Lord. He knew that he could NOT have a child with Sarah out of his own power. He understood that he was too old.
20 No distrust made him waver concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God, 21 fully convinced that God was able to do what he had promised.
·       Abraham glorified God by letting God be God.
·       Even when God told him to sacrifice his only son, Isaac, He trusted. His faith was not in his circumstance.
·       While he could have turned from God, he disciplined and strengthen himself.
22 That is why his faith was “counted to him as righteousness.”
·       He believed God’s promise.
23 But the words “it was counted to him” were not written for his sake alone, 24 but for ours also. It will be counted to us who believe in him who raised from the dead Jesus our Lord,
25 who was delivered up for our trespasses and raised for our justification.
·       Abraham’s justification by faith was not a unique or special way to inherit salvation. It was the way that God planned it.
·       This passage is to teach. It’s not just a story about a man named Abraham that we can’t follow.
·       And the God that we are to trust and have faith in is not only the God of Abraham, or Isaac, or Jacob, but he is the God of Jesus Christ who cleansed us from our sins and made justification available to us!
·       We have no excuse for unbelief. 

Sunday, May 1, 2011

things i still need for camp:

  • sheets for my bed
  • egg crate for my bed
  • notebook
  • more basketball shorts
  • garlic pills
just didn't want to forget.... :)