LORD, remind me today that the two places I am dead and cannot control are the past and future. Strengthen me; do not allow fear to cripple me today. May I love others the way you love me.
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i miss those rolls :(
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"If God is a DJ
Life is a dance floor,
Love is the rhythm
You are the music" -
Hey, Elliot.
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life:
There are, of course, many ways to honor our best and brightest: monuments, bridges, highways, and, in New Jersey, rest stops.
But surely no recognition provides more satisfaction than knowing that, even after you’re gone, people will still be heading to their local watering hole and asking for you by name…
A Shirley Temple (also known as a Grenadine Lemonade) is a non-alcoholic mixed drink that was originally made with ginger ale, orange juice, and grenadine, though today it more commonly uses seltzer, Sprite, or 7up. There are many creation stories for this drink, but it’s most commonly said to have been concocted by a bartender at Chasen’s in Beverly Hills for then underage film star Shirley Temple in the 1930s, who received a special Academy Award in 1935 when she was only six.
(see more — People With Drinks Named After Them)
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I miss my best friend.
PS: I love that crooked smile. ;)
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It’s no doubt that my life has been challenging and continues to be…
…months of it.
But, I am surprisingly hopeful after a solid conversation with my best friend Jayme yesterday. I’m also feeling a slight, minuscule amount of refreshment after some solid worship at church this morning.
I know times are tough, not only for me, but for so many of my friends. It’s hard not to minimize their problems because “there’s no way on earth you could be going through what I am going through.”
False.
Everyone is dealing with tough stuff.
My hope is that once December 16 rolls around, a lot of this angst will melt away. Hopefully.
I’m trying to praise God in the good times and bad. I told Jayme this yesterday—it’s funny how the one thing I need the most (the Lord) is what I resist the most.
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I’ve been doing some thinking lately about life, death, and everything in between.
Life:
In the final semester of nursing school, nursing students complete what is called a Senior Practicum. Essentially, this is where a student works 72 hours in the area of his/her choice. I requested to be put on the Labor and Delivery floor for my Practicum. I seriously love the gift of life. I think it is the most amazing, beautiful, and heartwarming thing—the birth of a child. I witnessed plenty of births in my mere 72 hours of experience, and every time I was still blown away in amazement (I also cried a lot). This is one of God’s greatest gifts: new life, literally and spiritually.
Death:
In August, I started Heaven is For Real and couldn’t put it down. I read that thing in three days. If you haven’t read the book, I don’t want to ruin it for you. But just to give you an idea, the story is told by Todd Burpo, the father of Colton Burpo. Four-year-old Colton became very sick after his appendix ruptured and spent time in heaven.
The stuff in that book gave me plenty of food for thought. I mostly thought, “Well, what if that book is actually true?” (I questioned fabrication). Assuming it was, I then wondered what it really was like to be in heaven. I’d think about it for a little while, but then my tiny brain would get overwhelmed, so I’d have to think about something mindless like cute puppies or Gain laundry detergent.
When I do think about heaven, I think about how amazing it will be. I have a lot of peace and hope. I bet it will be the most awesome thing to worship God in heaven. A picture was included of what Colton says Jesus looks like. The picture was drawn by a little girl who experienced a similar situation. Both Colton and this little girl agree that this picture of Jesus’ face is what they remember him to look like. Chills, people. Chills. I stared at this little girl’s illustration of Jesus’ face for a long time. I’ll never know until I get to heaven, but their stories are truly amazing.
Everything In Between:
When I think about my life here on earth, I realize how short my time is. God may only plan for me to live to be 22, not 92. I’m constantly reminded of my great need to take life one day at a time, because the next day is not guaranteed. I’ll admit, this final semester of nursing school has been all things challenging and my ability to take everything one day at a time has never been needed more (or harder to do).
Some days I wake up wondering how I will make it through the day. The Lord’s carried me through every single one of them, whether or not I have wanted his help.
Life’s been tough lately. But I know with every season there is a purpose, and from that comes a great lesson in life.
I continue to challenge myself to be focused on there here and now, not the past or future. The past is dead and the future is unknown, so why would I waste my time dwelling in things that are beyond my control?
Everything in between is all we have on earth. Make the most of every moment of every day. I don’t always, but when I do, I am overcome with such fulfillment and ease.
Make it count.
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Nursing school.
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- 1 bottle of Mucinex: $10
- 2 bottles of DayQuil: $12
- 2 bottles of NyQuil: $12
- 3 visits to student health: $45
- Minutes spent waiting in student health: 120
- 1 chest xray: $55
- 2 inhalers: $350
- 2 months of sickness: frustrating
- 1 month of laughing, then subsequently wheezing: painful
Going for a run for the first time in ages today and not feeling like I am going to die: priceless.
There are some things money can’t buy and it’s called health.
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life:
Learning to Walk Again — Afghan shepherd Shirwali, left, who lost his right leg after stepping on a land mine, practices using his prosthesis next to other kids at the International Committee of the Red Cross orthopedic center in Kabul on Sunday.
see more — The Children of Afghanistan
My heart breaks, but I am so happy they have these resources available so a bit of normalcy can be obtained in their lives.
