Hobbitsees

Richard Armitage. Need I say more?

"What do you mean? Do you wish me a good morning or mean that it is a good morning whether I want it to be or not or that you feel good this morning or that it is a morning to be good on?"- Gandalf

"All of them at once." - Bilbo Baggins

New Favorite

Relatively clean entertainment (with the ladylike and *in my opinion, authentic hipster* Angela Lansbury).
Discovered on a rainy afternoon with time on my hands.
Also discovered that my mom loved this show in her single days!
Ladies and Gentlemen, "Murder, She Wrote."

Thoughts on Nursing

Christmas Glow

My favorite. Every year.
~having all of the lights out except for twinkly ones that are put up for Jesus' birthday.

Tis the see'son

#itstradition
#eggnogtruffles
#datewithmom:)

Made it!

#onesemesterdown
#bythegraceofGod

Post from a Pupa

Image courtesy of biology.knoji.com

I was asked to describe the overall experience of my first semester of nursing school.
As much as I like to think that I am a writer, I am truly at a loss for the words to describe the experience(s) that have been this semester.

Transformation is the first word that comes to mind.

And what portrays transformation more than God's divine illustration of a butterfly?

This image is a butterfly pupa. Several, actually.
Some are just starting their process of turning into a butterfly, called molting.
"Green", I believe is the term for these newbies in the back.
Some have flown away from their cocoon, having no need for the white shells they left behind.
The one front and center, though, is in the thick of it.

What a pupa has to go through to become a butterfly is, well... Unimaginable. Awkward. Unpleasant.

I wonder if pupae dream about flying in freedom as a butterfly one day, while their entire body structure is bent and broken and grown and put together to perform completely new things.

Because I have "matured" past the stage of believing in talking/thinking animals, I highly doubt this.
It is a nice thought.

But then, pupae don't have to consistently make choices in moving towards butterflydom.
It just happens to them.

For us humans, to make an analogy, our transformation is much more complex.

My current journey is my transformation into a nurse.
And you (on this blog or in real life) are seeing me in my pupa stage. (Talk about humbling.)

Every day there are choices that need to be made to this end. Choosing to study. Choosing to sleep. Choosing to bear another's burden. Choosing to rest in my heart. Choosing to walk into a situation despite fear. Choosing to embrace responsibility.

I couldn't imagine taking each step, making each choice, without a vision for the future.

There is one semester under my belt (well, there will be after this week).
The past three months have been full of experiences, assignments, and considerations of the magnitude of the profession (such a small word to encompass such a profound role) I am training to join.

I think differently. My schedule is more full. My appreciation for being human is greater. My gratitude to Christ and dependency on Him has grown.

These changes may be subtle, but they are real.

I continue to be in the pupa phase of my transformation, but I am much less like a larva.

Only, unlike the insect, God has been good enough to give me a vision for the future. A hope for completion. A goal for the future.

And it is this hope (in knowing Him more and becoming a practicing nurse one day) that sustains me each day that I'm wrestling through the transformation process that is nursing school.

When you let a 5-year-old play games on your phone...

#pinkcamo

The Terrible Lie...

"As soon as the snake saw his chance, he slithered silently up to Eve. 'Does God really love you?' the serpent whispered. 'If He does, why won't He let you eat the nice, juicy, delicious fruit? Poor you, perhaps God doesn't want you to be happy.'... And a terrible lie came into the world..." ~Sally Lloyd Jones, The Jesus Story Book Bible

Party On.

Whenever I see the leaves of fall on the ground, it seems to me that there was a party that I missed out on.

Yet, I still have my own personal celebration walking through the leftover confetti sprinkling the ground in shades of gold and red!

Today's occasion for celebration:

~it's Fall and God has been faithful all through this season, and will be into the next!

~there is no condemnation for me! I am free an loved! (Romans 8:1)

~the blessing of 3 extra hours due to a cancelled class! (Amid my rejoicing, praying for my unwell professor.)

Peace~

image courtesy of flicker.com

Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. ~Heb 13:8

Tidings of Comfort & ...

#windowsdonthavespellcheck
#resolved!

When I stumble and I sin...

"When I stumble and I sin, condemnation pressing in,
I will stand on ev'ry promise of Your Word.
You are faithful to forgive that in freedom I might live,
So I stand on ev'ry promise of Your Word.
Guilt to innocence restored,
You remember sins no more—
So I'll stand on ev'ry promise of Your Word."

~ Keith & Kristyn Getty, "Every Promise of Your Word"

Fainaigue

#Lordkeepmefromprocrastination

By the Mercy of God and Nutella

scraping the sides for every last spoonful, image courtesy of Hannah H

Homestretch

It's getting near the end of the semester. (I know this because my calendar says I have 16 days left, and because I am coming to the end of this semester's jar of hazelnut goodness.)
I find myself easily feeling unmotivated and/or overwhelmed.
If you were a fly on the wall in the one of our nursing classrooms hearing everyone's mumblings, you would quickly realize that I'm not alone.
This week's been great; I guess Thanksgiving break is still working its magic.
The week leading up to the much-needed week off for thankfulness, was a very different story.

Last Week

I was scrambling, trying to finish assignments and stuff every necessary bit of information into my brain as quickly as possible.
The volume of assignments, combined with my procrastinating tendencies, resulted in stress filled days and long nights.
By the time I reached my last quiz for the week, I literally felt hopeless.
I found myself talking to my Lord, "God, could you please sustain me through this one? Even just passing at this point would be great."
I knew that I could have managed my time better, and that I deserved to reap what I sowed. And I felt intimidated to ask God for a blessing I knew that I didn't really deserve.

That's when it hit me...

I realized that whenever I pray I am asking for something I do not deserve.
I realized that even in being able to approach a HOLY God, I am living in a relationship that I would have been completely cut off from if Christ had not died for me to remove the sin that separated me from Him.
I learned that this is what He meant by grace.

He asks me to cast all of my burdens upon Him "because He cares for me", not "because I earned a right for them to be taken away" (1 Peter 5:7).
By the mercy of God, I did better on that quiz than I have on others that I actually felt prepared for.
The questions that were asked happened to be from what I had reviewed (which was not as much as I should have), and what we discussed in class.

"Yet this I call to mind
    and therefore I have hope: 

Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed,
    for His compassions never fail.

They are new every morning;
    great is Your faithfulness."

                ~Lamentations 3:21-23

Did you know?

That it is ALWAYS midnight somewhere in the world?
("The part of the planet directly facing the sun is always 12:00 noon. The part of the planet directly opposite the planet is always 24:00 hrs", according to a kind soul on Yahoo answers.)
Do you realize what that means?!
God's compassions and mercies are always being renewed! On the continuum of time, a new morning is always beginning.
Indeed, we have received grace upon grace (John 1:16).

Image courtesy of Shutterstock.com

Finishing Well

I'm off to finish a study guide. And a paper. And another paper. And a group project. And a presentation. And a quiz. And another quiz...
These last two weeks are filled to the brim, but I know God will prove Himself faithful. Again. As always.

He even was so good as to bless me with a roommate who knows just what will help to get me through!

 

Image courtesy of Hannah H, additional jar of Nutella courtesy of the best roommate ever.

Anticipation

#theresnoplacelikehome

I will glory in my Redeemer

Lyrics by Steve & Vikki Cook, Sovereign Grace Worship

My favorite stanza of the hymn, "I Will Glory in My Redeemer".

This picture was taken in the desert near my house. 

(Yes, there is beauty all over creation.)

Made this for an assignment~ just thought I'd share.

Toward the Sounds of Chaos: Meeting Needs & Disaster Response

The picture of these marines running toward disaster makes me tremble. My first reactions to seeing this were exceeding gratefulness for the sacrifices of our military and relief that it isn't my job to run towards that smoke. At least I thought it wasn't my job.

Why Me?

I most definitely am not a marine, but I most definitely am a follower of Christ. 

As such, I am called to embrace need: to run towards smoke, mess, hurt, and brokenness.(Which is exactly what Christ did when He made me His.)

Though I often limit my calling in life to sleeping in, browsing Pinterest, drinking coffee, studying, and pretending that people who experience excruciating need do not exist, God has greater, eternal purposes for those who are His in this world.

"As believers in Jesus, we are not afraid or overwhelmed by need."
~Milton Vincent

Reality Check: I am studying to be a nurse- a profession whose legacy is service. I am signing up to meet needs!

Image Courtesy of stmarysannapolis.org

BGR Disaster Response Training

Image courtsey of vimeo.com

This past week, I had the awesome opportunity to complete training in international disaster response for health care professionals by the Baptist Global Response organization (baptistglobalresponse.com). This organization completes many projects each year that meet long term and short term needs and shine the light of the gospel. (Video: Who is BGR?)


The following are some key things that I took away from the discussion...

The Christian and Disaster Relief

- the model that Jesus set for His followers is sharing truth SIMULTANEOUSLY with meeting needs
- disaster relief presents unique opportunities for adding credibility to the ministry of missionaries in other countries 
- disaster relief opens doors that would otherwise be closed to the message of the gospel (ie-restricted areas)
 

Worldview & Cultural Considerations  

- Keep in mind of the culture's perception of you (rich outsider, expert, etc.).
- Is the culture "hot" (relational, feeling oriented) or "cold" (individualistic, task-oriented)?
- Am I seeking to meet needs, as defined by that particular culture/community/individual?
- How does this culture view what has happened?  
- I am NOT "mighty mouse"... the end-all/be-all in saving the day.

Image courtesy of reviewstl.com

See also~
"My Own Little World" (Song: by Matthew West)
Embracing Need (Romans 12:13)  (Sermon: Milton Vincent)
Shalom for People Living with Aids  (Video: BGR supported clinic in India)
ReliefWeb (reliable information about disasters worldwide)
Sphere Project (internationally recognized standards for humanitarian response in critical sectors)

Twas the night before clinical...

Twas the night before clinical, I lay in my apartment,

 the alarm clock was ticking, sleep would be an achievement.

In my bed blinking, I closed my eyes as I dared,

Anticipating tomorrow: this first day would be quite an affair.

My alarm's ring was prompt; I rolled right out of bed,

expectations for the day ran all through my head.

Quick cup of coffee- nope, don’t have the time,

(you see, being late is a professional crime.)

Timely arrival in the early morning light,

our brigade of spick n’ span uniforms must’ve been quite a sight.

After a quick time of briefing, we set off through the halls;

Ready to respond as we would be called.

Creativity is a mantra of the nursing profession,

(as our assigned place was occupied, we made a cession).

Onto a new floor, we started our hunt,
familiarizing ourselves with where things are put.

Representing our school, professors, and selves,

we sought to be adept, not ransacking the shelves.

At the end of our time, (what we accomplished)

was the facility confidence that we had established.

No need to be anxious, I learned once again;
each day brings new mercies from my Savior and Friend.

My God goes with me, (behind and before);
I can’t wait to see what next week has in store.

image courtesy of nicecliparts.com

Time is of the Essence: How to Deal With Procrastination

Photo Credit: Hannah Harman

If you’re like me you know that procrastination tastes like coffee and junk food sometime after midnight.
It feels like winning an Olympic event, as you suddenly crank out in an hour what you had been trying to do for a week.

It looks like running to class in sweat pants because you ran out of time to leave early and to get ready.

Procrastination is kind of a joke and often is seen as a part of the college experience; It doesn’t have the stigma of other destructive habits.

Reality

People don’t talk about the agony of grabbing hold of each minute that is slipping away, the exhaustion as assignments turn into incoherent words and numbers, or the hopelessness of knowing that it is physically impossible to complete a task on time.

Procrastination is really laziness. It compromises standards of excellence.

It steals precious time and holds uncompleted tasks over its prisoners’ heads.

Diligence is the opposite of laziness.

In his book, “Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life”, Donald Whitney quoted Elisabeth Elliot as saying,

“…in fact freedom is not the opposite [of discipline], but the final reward, of discipline.”

It is freedom to take on a demanding task in manageable increments.

It is freedom to complete a task on time.

It is freedom to know you did your best.

It is freedom to be able to say that something is already done.

How to Avoid Procrastination:

 

1. Be organized so you can prioritize.

2. Do hard things first.

 (“All hard work brings a profit, but mere talk leads only to poverty.” Proverbs 14:23)
3. Avoid a;sldkfj syndrome.

 (Being bored, distracted, and unproductive. Google it.)
4. Rely on Christ.

(“For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline.” 2 Timothy 1:7)

My Journey 

Nike says we can just do it. 

Maybe some people can.

For me, though, it’s not been that easy.

I procrastinate less than I used to, but it’s been a long road of God’s grace and teaching.

I’ve learned that He has called us to greater things than wasting time.

And He has set us free from all sin, including laziness.

“Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is.” Ephesians 5:15-17

 

 A blog series by C.J. Mahaney called “Biblical Productivity” has helped me see what the Bible says about how I use time and make priorities. It also addresses procrastination.

 Here’s a link: Free Biblical Productivity Series (ebook)