Tuesday, January 29, 2008

Too Busy To Post

I haven't had time to post lately, I have been swamped with reading and studying. The nursing program is definitely living up to it's reputation of being "tough". It also requires a lot of critical thinking skills that I'm not sure I have enough of just yet. I am hoping that those skills will come easier as I learn more.

Please pray for me! I know this is where I belong, and Satan has sent a lot of people to me who are trying to discourage me from this profession. As hard as this program is it would be easy to give up if discouraged enough. Please pray that God will send encouragement my way to counteract Satan. I don't think I will give up, I just think that it will hurt my confidence.

I hope you have time to "be" with your family. You take for granted the time you spend with them until you don't get that time anymore!!!!

Have a great, glorious, and blessed day!

Monday, January 21, 2008

Prayer Requests

I have a few prayer requests: Someone I love dearly doesn't have a saving relationship with Jesus Christ. There may be an opportunity for this person to go to church where they can hear God's word. Please pray that this happens and that this person will be saved!

Also pray for a dear friend who is having heart and kidney problems. He has been battling this problem for over a year and he is getting worse. Please pray that he doesn't suffer but live out the time he has left with his family.

And finally, we have some fairly new friends that live in our neighborhood who are searching for another church home. They are going through some things and I know in my heart that the people in my church can show them the love and respect and that "family feeling" that they are looking for and need. They are good people and it would be really great to have them in our church. They came last night and then we went out to eat together and talked about our church. It was a great time of fellowship! I think they may come back Wednesday!

Have a great, glorious, and blessed day!

Tuesday, January 15, 2008

God Worked It Out

I shouldn't be amazed, but I am. Something I had been worrying about and praying about, God took care of just like that. Isn't God wonderfully amazing?

Monday, January 14, 2008

First Day of Nursing School

Well all I can say is so far, so good. I was given a lot of information in one day, but they say they are taking things slow for us the first few weeks, so I'm happy about that. I do have homework for tomorrow though :( I have to be at school every day at 8AM until we start clinicals. Once I start clinicals I will have one day that I won't have to be in class until 2:00 PM.

Anatomy 2 was interesting, we have already started in there as well and I have to start reading the chapter over the endocrine system for Wednesday. I also had to go buy even more stuff for nursing and Anatomy. I had to purchase an online course that we need in nursing for $126, then I had to purchase a lab coat (used at Wagoner's) and goggles and gloves for dissecting a cat. I have to buy the cat next week at another $85 but if I get a lab partner or two, we can split that cost. After it's all said and done, I will only get back around $600 in 6 weeks when they hand out FA checks, and I will need that for gas money. I had over $1500 in financial aid, but that is all I will have left.

I'm going to have to borrow $200 from somebody for uniforms. It's crazy ... I don't know how people can afford school without financial aid ... It's expensive! I just thank God for financial aid!!!

Friday, January 11, 2008

God - Hello - It's Me Again

Stanley and I are still recovering from that awful cold/flu/bug (whatever it is), and now the kids are starting to get it. That really stinks too because I start school on Monday so they don't have much time to feel bad and get over it.

That's bad I know, as a parent I know my kids should come after Stanley, but in nursing school you can't miss any class time, and especially the first week. Now don't get me wrong, if one of them was really bad (emergency situation), I would miss in a heart beat, but a cold? No sorry, they will have to be shipped to grandpa's house instead.

I truly believe God called me to be a nurse. So I have to give my all and get it done. I remember this time last year I had sinus surgery and the day after surgery I was in class. People couldn't believe it. God made sure I was able, I didn't have any pain, and even though I was tired and wanted to sleep, he gave me the energy to get through nurse aide training - which I have to have in order to start the nursing program.

God has just paved the way for me to be a nurse! I prayed about it and prayed about it before I signed up for classes, and I even argued with him a little bit because I wasn't sure after all these years of baby talk and raising kids if I was smart enough to get in. Then after a prayer and listening to Charles Stanley, I decided to take a nap, and that is when God spoke to me. He told me the verse ASK-SEEK-KNOCK, and so I prayed again and told Him that I was going to step out on faith and trust Him that if I was to be a nurse, He would open all the doors, and HE HAS!

I took the entrance exam and then signed up for classes on the same day. Two classes I dreaded and was most scared of, I passed with A's. I had the opportunity (along with my Eng 101 professor) to share my faith with someone who was lost and needed some direction and love in her life. I haven't seen her since my first semester, but I pray that she is doing better than she was, and hopefully has found Jesus.

I was scared to apply for the nursing program because so many people don't make it in. I prayed that if it was God's will for me to be a nurse, that I would get in, and I did. See if we put our trust in Him, He will see us through things that we never dreamed we would get through.

I have to keep that faith now. The nursing program is tough. I will not see my family that much starting Monday. I won't be able to watch TV most times, because I will need to be studying. But that's OK. I know God will take care of everything. It won't be easy, but it will be worth it!

I will be making more than Stanley does after I graduate. The first year I could make up to $15,000-$20,000 more than he does. Believe me, that will help us a lot. We will be able to buy everything we need and tithe too!

I don't need to be rich, I have never been rich, and to be honest, I thank God for that. Being rich changes people. I see people now who aren't rich, but think that they have to have the best of everything, fancy houses, fancy clothes, lots of jewelry. Charging to credit cards, getting in debt. I'm not big on those things. I like to look nice, but I won't spend a lot of money doing it. I pray that never changes about me.

I have blathered on and on ... Please pray for my kids to feel better and not get as bad as Stanley and I got. None of us need to miss school/work! Stanley had to take two vacation days last week because he was so sick.

Have a great,glorious, and blessed day!

Thursday, January 10, 2008

Making Changes

I know, everyone tries to make a resolution to change something in the new year. I suppose I'm no different. I have started a diet with the help of Slim Fast. I'm not necessarily using the diet the way they recommend (just yet), but I have lowered my calories to 1700 based on their suggestion, and right now I'm trying to lose 22 lbs, also by their suggestion. Once I reach that goal I will work toward losing more.

Their website has all the tools you need to keep track of the food you eat, how much water you drink, and there is a weekly weigh in so you have to hold yourself accountable. Next week I will actually start drinking the shakes since I will be at school early in the mornings and won't have time to eat beforehand.

We have also been having family devotionals. We have had 5 devotionals out of the 10 days so far this year. We don't do them on Wednesday or Sunday though, since we hear the word at church anyway. So we haven't really missed that much, mainly over the weekend when we were feeling really bad.

Pray for us and these changes. Pray that we continue to do family devotionals and that I can lose some weight (for health and confidence). Have a great, glorious, and blessed day!

Wednesday, January 9, 2008

It's My Blog - I'll Cry If I Want To

I think I'm getting better, and then I start feeling worse ... Will this cold/flu/bug ever go away?

One minute I want Barack to win the primary, the next I want Hillary ... I'm torn between the two. George W. Bush has ruined any respect I had for Republican politicians. John MC Cain doesn't seem to be that bad, but that's what we thought about George W. Bush too.

My best friend said she was going to buy me a shirt that reads: "Who would Jesus bomb?" She asked me if I would wear it, I said of course I would.

I know I'm supposed to love everyone, and honestly I do, but some people really get on my nerves, and some more than others. I'm sure I get on people's nerves as well, so I guess it all works out eh?

Out of my four kids, one brought home straight A's, two brought home several F's, and the other brought home D's. Mom is the homework "go-to" person, and mom hasn't had time because she has had her own, but they should be able to do better than that. Needless to say, three are grounded until they show me proof of C's or above. I took cell phones, mp3 players, TV, and their PlayStation. They can't have company and they can't go anywhere. Mom is UPSET!

I'm tired of being broke all the time. Living paycheck to paycheck really stinks! I would post our income and bills, but you would FREAK out! Let's just say one income (and a small income at that) and 6 people in the home = close to poverty line. We have had so much money going out this past couple of months, that I haven't been able to get my uniforms for school which only cost about $200. I just pray that income taxes come in before I need them, or God intervenes and works a miracle.

A friend of mine sent me an email this morning about Hot chocolate which I loved. I shared it with others because it really spoke to me with how broke we are right now, and how I have been feeling about myself lately. I seem to go up and down like a yo-yo with my weight. I lose 5-10lbs then gain 15-20lbs right back. It is driving me insane. But I know that for the most part, I am a really sweet person who would do anything for anybody. I don't seem to make friends as easy as I did in school, I think because I am more blunt about certain things than I use to be (a trait I have slowly inherited from my deceased father), but you can ask all of my friends how good of a friend I am ... I give my all in my relationships, often times getting hurt, stabbed in the back, and heartbroken in the process.

Well I'm done whining and crying for now ... have a great, glorious, and blessed day!

Tuesday, January 8, 2008

I'm Sick Of The Lies

Spreading through email are several claims that Barack Obama won't say the Pledge Of Allegiance, that he was sworn into office by placing his hand on the Koran/Quran instead of the Bible, and that he is a Muslim pretending to be Church of Christ.

LINKS ARE WORKING PROPERLY NOW!

>>Snopes.com - Pledge of Allegiance Claim

>>Snopes.com - Quran/Koran Claim -read the whole page, a case of mistaken identity

>>Snopes.com - Hand Over Heart Claim - watch senate videos at the bottom<<

>>Snopes.com -Trinity/Church Of Christ Claim<<

I said several years ago that Barack would run for President, and everyone thought I was crazy. I also said that I wasn't sure Hillary could win. I'm not sure if I like the fact that what I said seems to happening before my very eyes. I like Barack Obama and I like Hillary. John Edwards supports the whole gay marriage thing, so he is out of the question (IMHO). I do not like it though, that people can stoop so low as to lie about someone being Muslim and say they are "a terrorist trying to be president". Especially with September 11th forever in our minds.

Attack someones views, what they stand for, but don't stoop so low as to scare people into thinking they would be voting for the anti-Christ OK? That just upsets me. Besides, if any of our presidential nominees are the "anti-Christ", there is nothing we can do about it anyway, God is the one in control and it is all written down in the BIBLE!

My wish is that whether Barack or Hillary wins the primary, the other one will end up as VP...now that would be cool!

Have a great, glorious, and blessed day!

Monday, January 7, 2008

More This & That

Stanley has been sick for a while now, I started getting it on Wednesday, sniffling and such. Over the weekend I started feeling pretty bad. We missed church Sunday morning because we felt so bad. We had the alarm set, but we must have turned it off and slept longer because we didn't get out of bed until after 1PM and then we laid around on the couch. We would have missed last night but I needed to get my paper for TeamKid. Ended up, it wasn't there, but that's ok.

I have no energy, all I want to do is sleep. I feel like I have a tad of motion sickness, and my head feels like it's going to explode. Generic mucinex is helping with sinus and congestion. I just pray I get over this soon. I start nursing school in exactly one week and what's left of freedom and relaxation will be spent nursing whatever it is I have.

I have got to force myself to clean out my van this week. The carpet needs to be cleaned. the windows need to be cleaned. It has been neglected and I want it cleaned out and ready for a new semester of school. Though with gas prices rising, I may have to buy a tiny gas saving car since I will be going to school 5 days a week for the next 4 months-2 years. Gas was costing me $60-$80 a week only going to school two days a week, so I'm scared of what it will cost going 5 days.

Have a great. glorious, and blessed day!

Friday, January 4, 2008

Sticker Shock

I went to school today to get my nursing books ... OH MY GOODNESS! ***$715.72*** for 9 nursing books!!! That's just the half of it though, these books weigh 45 lbs. If you add the Anatomy book, I have 50 lbs of books to carry!!! Put it all in my rolling backpack and it is over 60 lbs. I also got my stethoscope and bag of medical supplies that I will need to practice with. I will need back surgery by the end of nursing school, it's ridiculous!

I am excited though I have to say! I used to love playing doctor/nurse when I was a kid, now I get to do for real and I think that is so cool! God is amazing, he has gotten me through three semesters of prerequisite classes, and on January 14th, I will start my first day of nursing classes! Thank you God for seeing me through this far, and I pray that you will be with me, guiding me, and helping me during the next two years.