Reading the Bible… 20 Times in a Row!!

Bible reading= something I know I should do, need to do, and feel guilty about not doing enough.

I am embarrassed and ashamed to admit that I have been a Christ-follower for over two-thirds of my life and I have never been able to read the Bible in its entirety.  I have tried many times to make Bible reading apart of my daily life, but I have never been able to discipline myself to study it on a regular basis for any length of time.  Sure, I have been in church my whole life and have heard many, many teachings about God and Jesus.  I even went to a Christian college where I took classes like New Testament, Old Testament, Theology, and Evangelism.  I have done Bible studies on my own and with others, and have spent time reading daily devotionals periodically.  So, I have learned a lot, but I know there is so much more that I am missing.  I know that God has so much more waiting for me to learn if I will just open my heart up and take the time to read what is in there!

I also that know it sounds kind of crazy to say that I have actually read so little of something that I hold so close to my heart.  However, I have read and know enough about what it teaches to make me a believer.  I know that it says Jesus came to Earth, lived as a man, died a terrible death, and took my sins away through all of it.  Most importantly, I know that because of this, I am able to and do have a relationship with the God that created the universe.  I know that He really does love me and care about every detail of my life.  I know that His plans are bigger than my own.

Since I am so confident in what I do know about God, I must discipline myself to learn the Bible and  indulge myself in what else He has to teach me through it.

I really do not know why I have such a hard time staying focused on reading the Bible.  I have started from Genesis probably about ten times and have made it all the way into Leviticus a few times.  I have started in Matthew just as many times and have made it to Romans or so.  However, I can never stay disciplined enough to make it through the whole Bible.  Worse, I am quick to forget the details of what I have read when I stop.

Obviously, what I have been trying for years is not working.  When talking to Chris, he said that he has  the same problem.  Actually, he has been doing some research lately about different Bible reading plans and came across an article here that suggests reading one book at a time…20…yes 20… times in a row.

So, he asked me if I was interested in trying this method with him.  He thought I would say no because I would be overwhelmed by that big number.  Actually, I feel the opposite.  It comforts me to think that I only have to focus on doing one book at a time and being able to really learn what it is teaching me.

The article suggests starting with the the shortest book which is Third John and continuing through the New Testament in the order of shortest to longest.

So, Chris and I plan to start this method today.  There is no time limit for how long it takes us, just as long as we stay focused on reading when we can.  We also plan on journaling about what God is teaching us and sharing it with each other.  More importantly, we are praying that God will give both of us a thirst and passion for His word and that through reading it so deeply, He will reveal to us what He wants us to learn.

Do you have a Bible reading plan that works great for you?  Please share with me if you do!

The End of an Era.

Many of you may know that almost a year ago Chris lost his job at the bank where he worked.  Although, we knew that his job may be in jeopardy, it was still somewhat of a stomach-turning surprise when he came home and announced that he didn't have to go to work the next day.  Even though we were in shock, I was still a little bit happy that it actually happened.  Chris hated his job and had been trying to find a new one for years, with no luck.  He was miserable there.  When you spend all day long being miserable you come home and stay miserable because you know that you have to be back at that same miserable place bright and early the next morning.

We had been praying for years that God would open a door for him and get him out of his bank job.  This was our answered prayer, we figured.  Not exactly the way we had hoped, but he was out of his job.  As upsetting as the situation could have been, we both tried to keep a positive attitude about the whole thing, knowing that God does a have plan for our family.

Just six weeks before this happened, we had taken the plunge and put the kids in preschool/daycare three days a week so that I could take a day shift position at my job.  The kids were finally getting in to a good routine and were loving their new school.  Since we had high hopes that Chris would find a job really soon, we decided to keep them there for the time being.

Then right before Lily's third birthday, and just a month after the job loss, we found out that baby #3 was on the way! This news was a bit of a surprise, even to us.  I'm quite sure our families and friends thought we had lost our minds.  Even though the timing was not necessarily what we thought was ideal, we were super excited to add another precious baby to our family.  We knew it would all work out somehow.

Weeks passed and turned into months.  Chris applied for job after job, after job.  Nothing.  He rarely even had an interview.  He had a few promising leads, but none of them turned into anything.

I began to fear that he would never get a job, really.

I just did not understand it sometimes.  He has a degree, is smart, and communicates well.  Why wasn't anyone hiring him?!

He even had "connections".  He had an interview that a totally awesome friend, Kelly, had helped him get in October.  He thought it went great.  We both had such high hopes that this would be the job!  But, he did not get it.

As the months passed, sometimes he was depressed over the situation, sometimes I was.  We both tried to stay positive, but it was hard sometimes.  I knew deep down that God did have a plan, but it sure was hard being patient to find out what it was.

In the fall, we decided the time had come to take the kids out of school to save some money.  Chris became Mr. Mom as I worked full-time.

This was one of the many blessings that came out of our situation.  Chris was able to have bonding time with both kids that he would have never had the opportunity to have while working full-time.

I have to say though, I was jealous sometimes.  He was getting the opportunity to be a stay at home dad and I had longed to be a stay at home mom for a long, long time.

We had to deal with new challenges as a married couple that we had never had to deal with before.  It was really hard sometimes.  Really hard.

Finally, in February something truly miraculous happened.  I almost didn't want to believe it happened because I didn't want to get my hopes up once again.  Chris received an email from the lady that he had interviewed with in October.  She said she was hiring again.  Apparently he interviewed well enough for her to remember him and wanted him to interview again!

So on February 22 he went to interview.  I sat at home, 39 weeks and 5 days pregnant, anxiously awaiting a phone call from him.  When the phone rang, I timidly answered and asked him how it went. He happily announced that he was offered the job!!!

I can't even express what I was feeling at that moment!  It was the strangest sense of relief, yet at the same time a feeling that only my faith in God can explain.  Amidst the frustration I had felt time and time again in those ten months of uncertainty in our family, I always knew deep down that God would open a door when the timing was right.  So, in a way, I completely expected Chris to announce that he got the job.

It just so happened that God decided to bless us doubly that day.  Later that night we went to the hospital so my labor could be induced.  Our third sweet baby, Ellyson Grace, was born shortly after midnight the next day!!

What a day for our family!  Two major life events, a job loss and a new pregnancy, both which started in May of last year, both the root of a mirage of emotions, came to an end all within a fourteen hour period!

So, with that, there was the end of what seemed like an era for our family.

I can't even express how much God took care of us, as He always does, during those months.  Our marriage is now stronger than ever before and our faith in God is even stronger!

It even worked out perfect that Chris didn't start his new job until three weeks later, so he was able to stay home with me after the baby was born.

He has now been working for a couple of weeks and is loving his job so much!  We know that he is exactly where God wants him and that is so exciting!

We are so grateful to you Kelly for helping him get this job.  If you are reading this, please know you are awesome and we love you!

Oh Baby!!

Well, Chris and I recently announced that Baby #3 is on the way!  Although, we are both very knowledgable about where babies come from and knew that it could happen, for some reason we were both a little surprised that it actually did.  It seemed so surreal that I actually took FIVE pregnancy tests!!  (That's a record for me, and I will admit that I've always been pretty obsessed with them!)

So, we are both really happy and excited about this little blessing that God has given us!

I admit though, that due to our current circumstances, I was nervous to tell anyone.  I almost felt like a teenager that might get in trouble!

Yes, there are many, many unknowns in our family's future.  There would be anyway though.  This news just adds a bit of extra excitement to the mix.

There are so many questions I would like to have answered right this minute, but I know that everything will unfold in God's timing, not mine.

What seems most pressing to me is Chris' job situation.  He still is waiting on God to open the right door.  I know it will happen soon.  I am actually being quite patient as of late about it.  When God answers this prayer, it will give us a better idea of what to do about my job situation.  It doesn't make much sense for me to continue working full-time if this means paying for three kids to go to daycare.  If you know how much that costs a month, you would completely agree with me.

Plus, as much as I do enjoy working dayshift, I miss my babies so much!!  Especially my baby boy.  It is so hard on the days that I work because most of the time I don't even see him.  He is asleep when I leave in the morning and in bed before I get home at night.  Ok, pity party done.  I really am thankful that God has provided me with full time work during our current situation.

So many more questions, both little and big, are left to be answered.  Is Caleb going to be ready for a big bed so he can share a room with Lily?  How am I going to go anywhere by myself with a 3 year old, 1 year old, and a newborn!!!!???!!  What kind of vehicle are we going to be able to get (and afford) to fit three car seats???  If I take Lily out of her current preschool/daycare where will she go?  Will I homeschool?  Will I really be tired for the next 10 years?  How will I meet the needs of all three at the same time?  I could go on and on and on with the things I think about.  I know though, I just need to take a deep breath and know that all of these things will work out just fine on their own.

So, I will do just that.

And, of course say a prayer and trust that God still has a plan and this is just the next part!

I'm ready for this adventure. (I hope!)

I Need More Than a Band-Aid

Each day over the last eight years that I have been a nurse, before I get out of the car to walk into the hospital I say a prayer.  I basically ask God to give me wisdom and judgement, intuition from Him, to help me pay attention to vital signs, notice if my patient's condition changes, call the doctor when I need to, don't forget to do anything or say anything that I need to, and most importantly as far as my patient's are concerned- please God NO CODES!!!  For those of you who do not work in a hospital, this is just me asking God to keep my patient's alive, heart beating, and breathing while they are under my care (unless of course, they have "permission" to die from having a Do Not Resuscitate order).

I also like to ask God to please keep my family safe through the day.  

Frequently, my job presents me with the task of dealing with challenging people.  This includes my patients, their families, and occasionally my coworkers.  Some time ago, I realized that having to handle situations with these people on a daily basis was making me have a really bad attitude about my work.  After dwelling in it for a long time with little improvement in my attitude, I began to add a new part to my pre-work prayer.

I began asking God to help me see these people through His eyes and love them the way He does.  I ask God each day to please not let me say anything hurtful about anyone.  I really, truly do not want to do this.  I do not want to be a mean person.  I want to be nice to everyone.  I even realize that when I open my mouth, I am ultimately making myself look bad.  Most importantly though, I know that when I do make these comments, I am not reflecting that I am a Christ follower in any way, shape, or form.  

But, I do it anyway.

Why is this such a struggle for me?  Some say that when people say bad things about others it is because it makes them feel better about themselves.  I know that is not why I do it, because it sure does make me feel like crap after I say it.   I know that I do easily get wrapped in to negative conversations sometimes.  That is such an easy way to just let words fly out of my mouth.  Why do I want anyone else to hear those bitter words though?  Words that I would never say directly to that person.  Words that I am ashamed of. 

But, I do it anyway.

I recently asked God, Why?  Why do I ask you to not let me say these words and I still do?

He woke me in the middle of the night with the answer.  It is really quite simple.  

If He were to simply help me not say those words, that would just be putting a bandaid on the real problem.  And, this problem needs much more than a bandaid.  It needs a heart transplant.

The real problem is my heart.  Where is my heart for God?  I can't ask God to help me love these people like He loves them, if I am not loving God the way I want to, need to, and have been called to.

So, I now know what is the ultimate solution to my problem.  I kind of knew it before, but for reasons I don't understand, I have been pretending like everything was okay between God and me.   

I know I have not been surrendering everything to Him.  I have not been giving Him my whole heart.  

When I do this, I know that more than just my problem of having a big mouth will be solved.  

I don't know why it is so hard to give it all to God.  I certainly trust God.  But, I distance myself from Him sometimes.  

I pray that I don't do this anymore.  I pray that I give Him my whole heart and make Him my first love.  When I do this, I won't have to worry about saying things that I shouldn't say, because I won't be thinking them!!!  That is the amazing part of all this.  When you surrender everything to God and give Him your heart, you will truly love others the way He does!!  When you love others the way He does, you see them much differently than before.  You even love those that you already love differently.  You love your friend, your husband or wife, and your children in a new way!  When God is your first love, you love your other loves even more! 

I'm not saying that I am there yet, but I now know what I need to do.  I just need to give God my heart, and let Him do the rest.  

God Has a Plan, I Just Know It!!

The past couple of months have been quite a whirlwind for our family.  At the end of March, I changed my work schedule to work 3 twelve hour day shifts a week instead of such crazy evening/night/weekend hours that I had been doing for so long in order to be part-time.  This was a huge change for our family because it meant the kids would start going to daycare/preschool during the day and I would be going from working 24 hours a week up to 36.  I know that I had been quite spoiled for the past couple of years by having the opportunity to only work part-time.  The time came though that I was looking for a more "normal" schedule so when the opportunity opened to move to day shift I took it.  Thankfully, for the most part, the kids have adjusted wonderfully and everything is going great with preschool.  Poor Caleb has been hit pretty hard with the daycare germs, but hopefully with summer here he will start to feel better and stay healthy soon.

About a week or so into me switching my schedule Chris and I did something that we had been talking about doing for quite some time.  We invested in the online version of Dave Ramsey's Financial Peace University.  We quickly discovered that we had been living in denial for quite some time about our financial situation.  We had been living above our means and using those emergency credit cards for things that weren't so emergent…  We knew that we had to start being proactive about getting our finances under control.  So, I decided to start working extra so that we could get some bills paid off and be on the road to financial success.  I worked 48 hours a week for the whole next month (which is a lot for my wimpy, little self!!).  This along with downgrading our smart phones, downgrading our TV to the most basic of services, and proactively taking steps to cut out other things actually helped us meet our monthly budget nicely.  We also put tithing back at the top of the budget, instead of at the bottom where we regretfully had placed it over the last several years.  

So, things were looking positive and we were starting to feel pretty good about the whole financial mess we had gotten ourselves into.  Then, one Monday afternoon I come home to Chris telling me that he had good news and bad news.  The good news was that he is now available to help me clean the house.  The bad news is he will be home because he no longer has a job…  

I actually was somewhat relieved when he said this.  You see, Chris had been very unhappy in his job for quite some time and had been praying for a long time for God to open up a new door.  He never had any dreams of being a loan officer at a bank.  He went to school to be a history teacher.  Right after college we decided to get married and unfortunately, getting a teacher licensure (to actually be able to teach) kind of got pushed to the back burner.  So, the first "real" job opportunity that opened up happened to be at the bank. It sounded good at the time, so he took it.  However, things started getting rough over the last couple of years when the bank started placing unrealistic goals upon him and he just wasn't able to meet them.  I knew how much he hated going to work and spending such a huge chunk of his life doing something that he resented and was not passionate about at all.  There were even times that I begged him to quit because I thought it would be better for him to work at Starbucks than to go to a job he hated so much everyday.  

So, now it has been almost a month since Chris has been out of work.  I know that God has something big planned for him.  About the same time I went to day shift (before the job loss), Chris had quite a spiritual awakening with God.  In fact, he is more on fire for God now than I have ever seen him.  He knows that he wants to do something purposeful with his life and is praying so hard that God will lead him exactly where He wants him.   He desperately wants to be used to show other's the love of God!!  

Looking back, I know God was preparing us for this huge change of life.  I am so fortunate to have taken my full time position at work just in time.  Furthermore, I thank God so much to have a job that allows me to work as much as I need to.  If we had not started Dave Ramsey's program when we did and made those changes to our budget, we would be really struggling right now.  God knew what was about to happen and prepared us!!!  God has also given me strength to continue to work lots of overtime so I can make up the difference until Chris finds that special job God has waiting for him.

I admit that I have felt overwhelmed and a little stressed and depressed about the situation a few times.  But, then I remember that God is in control.  I cannot let myself underestimate God!  He has a plan for our family.  I have absolutely no idea what it is right now and that is a little scary.  But, I know that God has bigger thoughts than I can wrap my head around, so I need to just sit back and trust Him.  I am so excited to see what God has in store for our family!!  Please pray that God will let us see clearly what to do and where to go!

"For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."  Jeremiah 29:11

What God Taught Me While Putting on My Make-up This Morning

Nearly every morning we all wake up about 7:00 or so.  Well, I say that, but what I really mean is Lily wakes up, then wakes the rest of us up at 7:00 or so…  Anyway, while Chris is getting ready for work, I take the kids downstairs and we eat breakfast and hang out awhile until Caleb is ready to take his morning nap.  As soon as he goes down, I rush to jump in the shower and get myself and Lily ready for the day before he wakes up.  Sometimes I get lucky and he takes a nice long nap and I have plenty of time to get things done.  Sometimes, though he wakes up while I am still getting ready.  I normally stop what I am doing and go straight to get him up because I don't like to hear him cry.   The problem is that this normally doesn't really solve my problem because Caleb apparently is not too amused by sitting on the floor and watching me put on my make-up and dry my hair.  Unimpressed by the little toys I hand him to play with, he usually continues to fuss and just wants me to pick him up and hold him.

So, this morning as soon as I finished in the shower I heard him fussing in his crib.  I still had quite a bit left to do to finish getting ready including putting on my make-up, doing my hair, and getting dressed.  I knew that it would take me twice as long to get those things done with him up and fussing on the floor.  I would feel like I had to stop every other minute to make him happy.  So, I made the decision to just let him stay in the crib and fuss until I was done.  I knew that I would be able to accomplish my goal much more efficiently this way.  So, as I was listening to him cry, my heart was breaking.  I just hated it.  But, I knew that even though he was crying, he really would be ok.  I knew that these tears were temporary and I had to just let him cry so that my bigger goal could be accomplished.  I knew he didn't understand that I was not just letting him cry for the heck of it, but I knew I needed to remain focused on my bigger goal.  I still love him SO much and still heard every cry for help, even though I was letting him be sad for a few minutes.  As I was thinking all of this, that is when I heard God talking to me.  My eyes opened to the realization that sometimes God does the same exact thing with us as our Father, but in much bigger situations.

He also has an ultimate goal.  He loves us SO much, but He knows that sometimes He just has to let us cry to Him while He is working on His bigger plans.  He still hears our every cry and it breaks His heart. But, He knows we WILL be ok in the end.  If He wants to accomplish His goal, sometimes He has to let us endure things are we just don't plain understand.  In the end though, He will come to us, pick us up, wipe our tears away, and pour out more love than we could ever imagine!!

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future."  Jeremiah 29:11

As always, please share with others if you feel led to do so!

Love like Jesus

I recently posted this on Facebook, but thought I should post it on here as well.  I know I need it as a constant reminder.  As I've learned over the past two and a half years, raising babies is hard work!  It takes lots of patience, smiles, hugs, and encouragement.  You often have to provide all of these with little sleep, little "me" time, and a lot of times in the midst of chaos.  Sometimes I feel like I say the word "NO" a million times in one day.  This makes me sad and I try my best to find other ways to correct that are more encouraging.  The days can be long, but I know the years are short.  Time is flying by and I only hope and pray that I am able to teach my sweet babies what is really important in life- to love Jesus and to love others like Jesus does.  I know the rest will fall into place if we do this.  Of course, as I teach them, I must pray that God will continue to teach this to me daily as well.


As I go though each day, my beautiful, precious, smart, and loving two year old is always right by my side. I love having her follow me around, nudge me for my attention, and watch everything I do as she is learning about life. Her little personality brings entertainment to every situation. She brings more joy than I could have ever imagined to my life. Sometimes though, I can't help but think, "I love her so much, but she is driving me nuts!!!" Tonight as she was stomping on the pictures I was attempting to place in frames and pulling the wrapping paper across the kitchen floor, I started to lose my patience. I regret to say that I allow this to happen far too often. As I started to fuss at her, I heard God whisper to me one of my favorite Bible passages. This was read aloud at my wedding and I try to make sure I always remember it in my marriage. Now, I ask God to help me always keep these words very close to my heart as I try my best to show these precious little ones what love really is each day.

1 Corinthians 13

1 If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. 3 If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing.

4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

8 Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. 9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part, 10 but when completeness comes, what is in part disappears. 11 When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me. 12 For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.

13 And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.

Nursing School Drop Out?!…..Yes, I almost was!

Recently, I had the rare opportunity to thank someone that played a rather large role in my decision to actually complete nursing school and become a nurse.  It all came about thanks to Centra starting the new Living Well program and my blood pressure being a whopping 122/80 when I was seven months pregnant.  Due to this sign that apparently my health was in imminent danger, I was forced to return for a follow up health screening after my sweet boy was born.  The day of my appointment, I begrudgingly woke up early enough to go to the hospital, get my weight and blood pressure checked along with handing over a couple of tubes of blood and return home before Chris left for work.  When I got there I was talking to the nice nurse practitioner (who for the record, also really didn't understand why I needed a follow up visit) about my life in general.  We were talking about having small children and she asked me what my schedule is like.  I told her that right now I am able to work part time in the evenings and some weekends.  She seemed so excited for me that I am able to spend so much time with my children while they are so young.  I told her how fortunate I am to be a nurse and have a flexible schedule.  We glamoured over how wonderful it was for a few minutes and then preceded with my exam.  As I was talking to her, I knew she looked familiar, but couldn't really place where I knew her from.  On my way out the door, I caught a glance at her name tag.  It said Cathy Kay.  It dawned on me that she used to be a professor at Liberty in the nursing department when I first started out in school.  Not only was she a professor, but she was my first college advisor!  I was thinking that it is cool that she is doing this now and went on my way out the door to leave the hospital and go face the day.

On my way home, I started reminiscing about those days that seem so long ago and that lovely freshman year of college I trudged myself through.  I got to thinking about the (I believe one and only) day I went in to see Mrs. Kay at the end of my first semester.  It was time to get advice on my schedule for next semester.  At the time, I had fought and kicked my way through Anatomy and Physiology I and had been warned at least 100 times by my scary professors and exhausted upperclassmen that it only gets worse.  So I marched right in Mrs. Kay's office and proclaimed that I really didn't need advice on what classes to take to get into the nursing program because I was quitting.  I told her I had come up with a plan to go to school to be a dental hygienist like my wonderful Aunt Mari-jo.  I had my mind made up and I was not going to let anyone change it.  The idea of being a dental hygienist had all A's in my book- good money, good hours, and I like teeth for the most part.  I figured it would be perfect for me and I could learn everything I needed to know about the mouth, finish school in less time, and probably start off making better money.  Well, Mrs. Kay just sat back and listened to my spill about my future plans and didn't say too much at first.  I was thinking I won her over, maybe she wants to be a dental hygienist too!?  Maybe we can go to school together?! Then she calmly told me my idea was good, but do I really want to go into something where I basically do one thing everyday for the rest of my life?  She said she knew I didn't want to continue right now, but at least think about the TONS of options that come along with being a Registered Nurse, especially with my Bachelor's degree.  She spit out a ton of options that probably included everything from being an ICU nurse to a home health nurse to a mental health nurse.  I said thanks so much, but my mind was still made up.

So, I left that day and to be honest I do not know when I changed my mind back and decided to stick to nursing, but I do know for a fact that what she said that day really did have an impact on my decision to stick with it.  Looking back now, I know that God was right there in that room telling her what to say to me.

So, as I was driving home that morning and remembering all this, it dawned on me that I just had a conversation with this same special lady about how wonderful my schedule is all because I'm a NURSE!!!!!!

Oh my!  How God works in so many ways!!  I was so excited and wanted to share this with her that I almost called her when I got home.  I was afraid she would think I was completely crazy so I decided to wait until my next follow up visit (yes, I had to go back again to go over my new lab work….).  So last week, I finally made it back to her office and after I received the great news that my health is good, I told her my story.  Of course, this was over 10 years ago and she had no idea who I was (nor did I expect her to), but I could tell by the look on her face how much it meant to her that I came back to tell her how much she influenced my life!  What a happy moment between two people who are basically strangers, but God brought together to celebrate how He is at work every day in our lives!!

I thank God so much for the many people in my life that have influenced me in so many ways- both in big and seemingly little ways.  My family, my friends- thank you all so much for always supporting me in my sometimes crazy ideas.  And Aunt Mari-jo- if you are reading this- thank you for always being there for me and for being an awesome dental hygienist!!!  It takes special people to look inside other people's mouths all day long and keep their teeth nice and clean.  Although, I still think it would be cool to be a dental hygienist, I guess God knew that I would be happier doing the nursing thing.

What kind of cool stuff has God done in your life like this?!  Leave me a comment and tell me all about it!

Blessings

With it being a new year, I could spend an hour writing about my trials and tribulations, the ups and downs of my many endeavors I pursue, but right now I just want to take a minute and write about how I am feeling so incredibly blessed. I thank God for so many things each day, yet I feel like I could never thank Him enough for giving me so much! My health, my family, my job, and most importantly my salvation! I am so rich!!! I thank Him for hearing my prayers, for listening to me complain, whine, and fuss for absolutely no good reason- but loving me anyway! I thank Him for knowing what is good for me even when I don't really think so. I thank Him for teaching me how to love everyday. I thank Him for teaching me to love my patients at work the way He loves them, just because I asked this of Him! I thank Him for letting me wake up each day so I can see the beauty He has created! Today I know this for sure- His grace is enough!

Back to Business

Well, it has been a long time since I first started this blog. Since then A LOT has changed in my life. Most notable, is our new addition to our family, Caleb John, who was born in July of this year! He is now three months old and I fall more in love with him each day. Lily is loving being a big sister and loves to hug and kiss over Caleb all day long. Life is definitely different going from having one baby to having a wild toddler and a new baby! Even though it is challenging sometimes, Chris and I both are learning and growing as parents all the time and trying to remember to relax and just have fun.

As I said in my original and only other post on this blog (I know, I didn't get too far in the blogging world), the purpose of this blog is to help me hold myself accountable to those things that I believe in and am passionate about. I tend to get really get passionate about something, but then find myself taken aback by everyday life and am unable to continue to grow in whatever it is. I feel so strongly about things like eating the right foods, exercising, taking steps to know my God more, etc, etc., but I never seem to get to where I want to be. So again, I invite whoever is interested, to follow me along on my life's journey. Hopefully, accountability will help me along the way. I know I can't be perfect in every area, but hopefully I will be more likely to keep striving for what I want- health!!! - in all areas.

I know that if I am every going to be truly healthy and happy I must put my God as my first priority. So, I guess before I start working on the other many areas in my life, I need to take steps to deepen my relationship with God. I will be the first to admit that while I feel fairly good about my prayer time, I really struggle with making daily devotions and Bible reading a priority. I have a tendency to end up feeling like it is homework and I have a teacher standing over me forcing me to do it. This is not what I feel growing closer to God should feel like. So I think I need to explore ways to still learn about God through Bible reading, but not feel forced to do it. I want to not be able to wait to do it! I pray that I will truly thirst for it!! So I guess this my first "blossom endeavor." If you have any tips on ways I can get past this struggle, please let me know- or even better just pray for me! I am going to try to post on here several times a week and keep you updated on how I am doing as I strive to be as healthy as possible :o)

My New Blog!!!

Welcome to my new blog!! I am really looking forward to writing about what is going on in my life. I'm basically going to use this blog to try to keep myself accountable to the things in life that I believe in. Whether it be God, eating right, exercising, trying to be a good mom even though I'm new at it, taking care of the Earth, or whatever I am trying to do the "right" way. Maybe if I have an audience I will do a little better at all these things, lol. Feel free to follow and comment to help me out in whatever way you think. I like to consider myself to be very open minded and enjoy hearing different perspectives on any given issue. Happy Reading!!!!