Our Path.

    So yesterday was more of a trying day for someone very close to me. I know that almost all of us have our days filled of ups and downs, yesterday just so happened to be a down. But with every trial, we can have a triumph. We need to have these "bad" days to build us back up again, to show us how to be truly thankful for all the blessings we have in our life. Whether those blessings may be friends, family, our jobs, our homes, a kind compliment from someone, getting a loving hug, literally WHATEVER. Whatever brings your happiness and strength to your life. On our bad days we may not see the good in it.

We may ask ourselves, "why is this happening to me?". Many times I feel like it's difficult to find the answer. But today after listening to a new song I downloaded from The Drummond Family, I found a possible answer.

         As I said earlier, I think a great answer to this question is that with every trial, we can have triumph. We will have times that will test our patience, kindness, positivity, and strength. We won't understand why this has happened along our path, but GOD does. He has set a path out for all of us. Our very own, personalized journey through Christ. We need to have the unfailing faith in him to believe in this path, no matter what. People's faith may wane, and I won't be the first to say that this has happened to me, but I always have to remind myself to look at the bigger picture. He leads me, and the path is not always going to be easy. If it was, there would be no change to life! It would become a boring stroll. Don't you want a mix of running, skipping, tripping, falling, but then STANDING UP and walking again? This is what makes each of our lives so interesting. It is what makes life, LIFE!
        So if you are having a tough time with something, turn to Him. Trust me, it will help :)

St. John Trip!

    Holy guacamole!!! This trip was AMAZING! If you have the opportunity, you must go! This past week my 3 girlfriends and I went to St. John (USVI) for our Senior Spring Break Trip. Our last HOORAH before we graduate....in literally less than 2 months.....WOAH. That's a whole nother story.

    So we leave for St. John on March 2nd and stay until the 9th. Flying out of Reagan in D.C., to Miami, then St. Thomas, and then finally a ferry over to St. John! Such a long day of travel, but totally worth it. The house that we stayed at was called the "Pink Inner Tube". Home of a close friend of Holly's with a GORGEOUS view. Look at that!! ---->
God's creations are beautiful!

    Throughout the week we traveled through the island to many of the bays that they have. Maho Bay, Francis Bay, Caneel Bay, Trunk Bay...the list goes on and on! The whole island is only about 9 miles, but the road wind through beautiful terrain and make the drives that much more exciting! We had the opportunity to snorkel and LITERALLY swim with the turtles. :D We also saw sting rays, many fish, coral, and then humming birds, mongoose, and almost a tarantula. Hiking was my absolute favorite part! We hiked through the National Park and did our own hike up Ram head Trail. There were so many places to stop and just take in the beauty. It was so calming and really allowed me to soak in everything that was going on. This is one of the breaks in the trail to see the ocean!  (picture above, to the right).

If you want a great mix of being in the outdoors, more isolate, but still within driving distance to a town, GO HERE. St. John was not "Americanized" or touristy which is great! I would absolutely love to go again.

Hopefully you all had a relaxing, fun break as well!! Make sure to thank God for all your blessings :) I found this last picture on pinterest and I thought it would be a great way to wrap up this post!

Cardiomegaly.

 

    So I thought this title was very fitting! Recently there has been so many GREAT things happening, and it's all thanks to the big Man upstairs.MY HEART IS BIG WITH LOVE. I spoke of this in my last post, but I am growing more in my faith everyday. Letting Christ into my heart more and more is absolutely incredible. I have always been a Christian and truly believed in Christ, but this past year has really renewed my relationship with him. I have so many things to thank Him for and I just want to spread my joy to others. Show them that they are loved SO MUCH by the Lord.
   This weekend at church, Pastor Keith spoke more just about that! His message was titled, "Planting Seeds of Righteousness". PERFECT! We have received such great love from the Lord, so it is our duty to show others that love and invite them to become brothers and sisters of God with us. I know that not everyone is as big as a Jesus lover as me, and that's totally fine! :) so don't get freaked out from my blog haha. Everyone can have their own religion, faith, spiritual journey...whatever you want to call it! That's what makes it so interesting!
Pastor Keith spoke about 4 actions regarding "planting the seeds":
     1. The need to tell others that you are a follower of Jesus....well, I think you all can see that already :) haha. (Romans 1:16)
              "I am not ashamed of the Gospel"
     2. The need to pray for others to become followers of Jesus. (Ephesians 1: 17-18)
               "I hope the eyes of your heart may be enlightened"
     3. The need to invite others to become followers. (Ephesians 3: 7-8)
     4. The need to trust God to call others to become followers.
I think this is such an incredible message! I have become more of a follower of Jesus, and I still have a lot of growing to do.  But I didnt' want to keep my religion parked in the background anymore. I am so happy, happier than I have been in a while and I truly believe it is because I have made Christ more of a focus in my life.

Alright. That's my message with that :) In other news, I was able to see my best friend Heather this past weekend!!!!!!!!! We first met back in Fall 2009, when we became pledges of Alpha Phi Omega, our co-ed, community service fraternity. We were in the Alpha Xi pledge class that became known as the ManiAX (maniacs!). And we pretty much were :) Her and I just radiate the same attitude. Honestly, sometimes I'm not sure how we keep breathing because we laugh SO MUCH! She has seen me grow first hand here at JMU and we have been through so much together. She is my sister in Christ. Such a blessing. This picture is just a little insight into the goofy-ness that is Heather and Kaitlyn. Yep. We went to a Disney party dressed up as Flounder and Sebastian. Just putting this out there now...this is DEFINITELY happening again next year.
So my message to you all is just truly evaluate the friendships that you have. Make sure that you both are giving to each other and really bring each other up. You should be learning from one another and be able to share the trials and triumphs of your life. Friends are people who you can put your faith in. They keep you going :)

My last message for this blog is an update on the book I'm reading. It's called, "When God Writes Your Love Story" by Eric and Leslie Ludy. It just speaks to having a God-scripted relationship. Whether you are single, kinda in a relationship, in a serious one, or even married, this book applies to all. It has really practical advice that I can't get enough of! One of the pages that I wanted to share I just read last night, it goes as follows:
     "Jesus himself gave us the key to unlocking the treasure chest where the sheet music to the 'sweeter sont' is held. Remember how I said earlier that something better is out there when it comes to love, but we'll find it in a very unexpected place? Well, the unexpected place is God Himself. We have to be willing to become vulnerable to trust Him if we wish to find security and satifaction in Him. We have to be willing to let go of what little we have to gain the great riches and supreme happiness He offers. And we have to let Him have the helm is we wish to hear the sweeter song. The 'something better' is found in emptying yourlsef, surrendering to His lead, letting go of your life an all you hold dear, and entrusing everything to Him. Because in doing that, you will be tenderly embraced by the sweetest Musician in all the universe and receive your own personal concert".

That last line continues to play in my mind. If you trust in the Lord, he will give you the path he has set out for you, you will get your own personal concert. I just love that! I mean that's what happened with me...I really thought  I was going to be the old lady with 9 cats. Alone. But He brought me a wonderful man among with other wondeful blessings. There is a higher power up there working on you and you may not even realize it!

So count your blessings, be kind to those around you, share the love, and just be happy!

Awake My Soul.

     Today has been beyond wonderful! Actually, these past few days have been beyond wonderful. I've really taken some time to prioritize my life and see where I want to grow. I know that my first place of focus for growth is my spiritual life. The sermon I heard today at church fit PERFECTLY with what I have been feeling and questioning lately. All my life I have been brought up as a Catholic, but since I left home and went off to college, I have struggled finding a church that I felt connected with. I fell away from my journey with Christ and seemed to go dormant spiritually. I was still religious, in the sense that i had my personal prayers and would attend mass from time to time when I was home in town...but that was absolutely not enough. There was SO much that I was missing out on, and it's so sad that I didn't realize it.

   But there is nothing I can do about that now :) Luckily, God has led me back to see his grace. He has re-awakened my journey with him. But I know that he sent a certain person to me to help me with this transition, my loving boyfriend Andrew. He is such a man of God and without him I would not be where I am right now. Andrew has brought me back to church, to singing, and even trying new things like Bible study! I can't get enough of it :) My desire is to always be open to the Lord. Be here on earth to do his word, to shine his light. To learn from him and seek more. He has blessed me in so many different ways....it gets overwhelming thinking of it all. Even in my struggles, He has been the light to bring me back. To bring me friends. To bring me Andrew. To bring me new experiences, new revelations, a renewal in my devotion.

                                                    
                                                           My soul has been awakened.

   And this is just February! It's so exciting to think of where my path is going to keep leading me. My second place of focus of growth is my nursing life. Here I am, about to complete my last week of clinicals and then BOOM, spring break. And then BOOM again, CAPSTONE!! For those who are unfamiliar, for my "Capstone Project", I get assigned to a specific unit and preceptor where I will work a regular RN's schedule (3 12 hour shifts/week) and learn as much as possible! And guess what?!? I literally just got my placement.....like I literally just opened the email now :D haha. I will be working on the PACU (post-anesthesia care unit) at RMH!!!!! WHOOP WHOOP! Can we all see that I'm excited? This is exactly what I don't want to loose. My excitement, my passion, my joy. I want to truly love my job and just thrive in it. I believe God has led me down this career path for this purpose and more. So I can't wait to go in and rock it as much as I can! My danskos won't know what's coming :)
Btw, these are what danskos look like: Yes I know, granny, but COMFY. You all don't even know!

     My last place of focus for growth is my personal life. I know that I thrive on doing community service, it literally makes my heart smile. Just recently I started working with Overcoming Barriers through JMU. I worked with them last semester, assisting the special needs classroom at Skyline Middle School, but now I work with a program called "Builders and Bulldozers". IT'S AWESOME! We have the wonderful opportunity to work with young kids, with or without disabilities, and just play tons of games! Color, bounce around, run around, whatever makes them happy! My mentee is the CUTEST of CUTE. Seriously. 2 years old and so full of life. I am blessed to work with her. She is my reminder that every day is a blessing and we need to enjoy life. Laugh a little, cry a little, hug a little. It will all make you smile in the end :)
   So here I am, typing out my post and getting everything ready for my last day of Women's Health clinical tomorrow. I hope that everyone had a wonderful Sunday! (thank the Lord for your blessings :) )

P.S.: I am starting to read a new book! It's called When God writes your love story, by Eric and Leslie Ludy. It seems great so far....the first 10 pages. haha. I will keep you updated!
  

Joyful Heart.

    So I just had a deep conversation with my boyfriend. We tend to have these a lot because we both are such strong communicators. If you think I talk alot, well you are up for a big surprise. Andrew is basically a boy version of me :) and that's one of the many reasons why I love him so much! He is such a strong man of God, having lead me back to my roots, I have shown him so much of me. He continually brings me up, being the constant in my life. I truly believe having been friends first really makes our relationship that much better.

   We first met back in Fall of 2010 during our JMU Orientation retreat. We were both ANTs (Assisting New Transfer students) for JMU's orientation program. For those who are familiar with JMU's orientation program, we were basically the OPAs for transfers :), and it was BEYOND wonderful. Having literally spent a whole week+ together on campus living in Wampler hall, doing bonding activities, and spending time together outside of the group, we really got to know each other quickly. I never felt so comfortable with a guy like that, EVER. Going to be real honest now, he is the first person that I've ever seriously dated. That is someting so special. I truly believe that God intertwined our paths for a purpose. We have gone through so much together already I am so excited to see what happens in our future.

   
     We talk about keeping Christ at the center of our relationship and we really believe that if we do that it will naturally bring us closer together. And it surely has. Andrew and I go to bible study together on Friday's and then celebrate the Lord together on Sundays. But even beyond that, we have been able to share scripture and speak about our personal journey with Christ on a daily basis. It's incredible to see how much I have grown with the Lord just throughout this past year, and Andrew is such a strong part of that. We have such strong faith together. I am so joyful beyond words...this is where my screen name came from!

   I have a joyful heart. Through the Lord. Through my friends. Through my family. Through my loving boyfriend Andrew. Through my actions. Through my passions.

  The Lord is always with me, AND YOU. He will guide us to where we need to go. And even if we don't understand why things happen to us, why we must suffer through the dark times, just remember this: The Lord gives us hope. He will show us the light.

Romans 5:3-6:  Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that sufferieng produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured out nto our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has ben given to us. 

Day Three.

      I WAS FINALLY ABLE TO SEE A VAGINAL BIRTH. Now, I know this is not what people normally want to read when they first pull up a page....but all my fellow nursing students out there, you KNOW my excitement right now. I. Saw. A. Baby. Being. Born. I thought I wouldn't have the opportunity since I already completed my day on the Labor and Delivery Unit, but God provided! I have never seen anything so incredible. The mother was SO strong, to be honest, she actually made the whole thing look pretty.....even though it's TOTALLY NOT. gosh. still can't believe it.

      I know that I myself want to have a vaginal birth when I have kids.... A longggg time from now. haha. But just to see all the newborn infants was just too freakin' cute. I was able to feed babies that were just 2 days old. That was such a blessing. To see the love that these parents have for their children and to think about what lies ahead for them...it is going to be such a wonderful journey :)
  
     As nurses seeing that joy in our patients or even creating that joy in down times is one of the best parts of our job! We have the opportunity to work in so many different areas of healthcare with so many different types of patients. So lucky! Like I said last time, "our fingerprints never fade from the lives we touch". So keep that in mind, always!

   So excited to see what will come next! (P.S. 22 days til spring break everyone!)

Day Two.

   WOW. such. a. long. day.

   sitting here finally getting a chance to write is SO refreshing. (especially since I just watched 2 episodes of Grey's Anatomy). Now what young nursing student doesn't like that show?? come one now.

    I just wanted to write today to reflect on such a large avenue of nursing. Home Health. Having gone through one clinical day with my designated Home Health nurse, the biggest thing I would say to her is KUDOS TO YOU!!! When one hears you say "I'm going to be a nurse" they typically think the ones that you see in the hospital. But we BEST not forgot about the ladies and gents in the outfield. Getting our patients directly post-discharge, having to drive alllll over the place (and I REALLY mean all over the place) to see multiple patients from 8-5...man it just sounds tiring. And seeing it first hand, I can't believe that is a "normal" day for them.
    They are looking out for their patients, their spouses, children, family, friends, crazy dogs, BUGS, gosh the list could go on and on! Unfortunately they get what's leftover from leaving the hospital. Continually reminding and teaching patients of what and what not to do. Making sure they are healing properly. Taking into account their socio-economic stressors and seeing if they can manage everything. Talk about stressed! So little time with so much to do. I think this can serve as a great reminder to myself, future RNs, and current RNs to take everything into consideration. These patients may see us as their number one support. They may look to us for all the knowledge becasue even though their nurse in the hospital explained to them 10,000 times what their medications were and how to take them, they still are confused. And that's okay! We need to show them that that's okay :) Our job is to give them that teaching, serve as a mentor, be their guide in their healing process. It can be such a draining job, but who doesn't feel so fulfilled after they hear someone say "Thank You"?
Now, we allll know that not every patient is going to be kind or thankful, but look at the bigger picture. If we weren't there helping them, they would be much worse off.
    So look to the Big Man in the sky and thank him! Thank him for the opportunity to work directly with these patients. We have the DAILY opportunity to make a difference in someone's life. Big or small, it doesn't matter. God sees the light that we can bring to them and that is one of the most beautiful things.

So I will leave you with a favorite quote of mine:

            "Our fingerprints never fade from the lives we touch".

Just another day in my danskos :)