Okay, so I've been inspired by my sister to start my own blog... I don't know how much time I'll actually have for it, but I waste enough time doing other random things, why not do something that my friends and family can read and have some idea of what's going on in my life? I guess realizing that my sister is an hour away and I still rarely have any idea of what's going on in her life made me think that maybe it was a good idea... because if I can barely keep up with her, how can I expect to really keep up with all my friends and family that are all over the US? Exactly. That's what I thought too.
So here I am... trying to figure out how to set up my own blog and avoiding one of the two homework assignments I actually have to do while on my clinical... pathetic huh? I am also sick... I stayed home from my clinical yesterday because I had lost my voice entirely... when I called my CI (clinical instructor) to tell her I didn't think I should come in, I actually couldn't get my voice to work right away.. I was scared she was going to hang up on me! Anyways, for those of you who don't know I am currently on my first of 3 8 week clinicals that I am required to do over the next year. So far I love it. The clinic I'm in is kind of slow but my CI allows me a lot of independence which is very nice. I LOVE not being in the classroom and it is so nice to get my first real taste of what I'll be doing for the rest of whatever... so far I like what I see :)
Thursday, January 29, 2009
Sunday, October 19, 2008
Fall
I love fall; it is definitely my favorite season. The crisp, cool air; a welcome relief from the heat of summer; a tell of the winter that lies ahead. The leaves begin to turn from green to fire engine red, brown, yellow, orange, rust, burgandy, tan, maroon, and mocha. There is no end to God's color palate! Fall is especially beautiful at sunset when the sun is glistening over the trees. I feel as though God is showing us a glimpse of what is to come, of what His world looks like, of what He intended creation to look like. How could anyone look around and not see God?
North Carolina's beauty doesn't hold a candle to Alaska's, even in the fall. But even here God reminds me that there is beauty in change; that under God's plan there is a season for everything. How I wish my life was simpler right now! I long for my childhood days when I would bundle up and go outside to play and then warm up by the fire with a cup of hot cider or cocoa. I feel like most things I do lately are meaningless, a chasing after the wind (can you tell I've been reading in Ecclesiastes?) I clean the house, just for it to get dirty again, I study for a test, just to study for another one, I make dinner, just to need to make more tomorrow, I exercise, just to need to again tomorrow... I could go on and on and on!
Thank god that there are moments that don't seem meaningless! Such as the hour I spend with Sharon, a little girl with hemiplegia helping her do ballet. Or the moment when a friend tells me she feels like God put me in her life. Or the quiet moments I spend with my husband. Or the moments I spend on the phone catching up with friends and family. God gave us these moments to remind us of what is important. In rebellion of all the meaningless things I do, I'm goind to go make some hot cider and make banana bread. :)
North Carolina's beauty doesn't hold a candle to Alaska's, even in the fall. But even here God reminds me that there is beauty in change; that under God's plan there is a season for everything. How I wish my life was simpler right now! I long for my childhood days when I would bundle up and go outside to play and then warm up by the fire with a cup of hot cider or cocoa. I feel like most things I do lately are meaningless, a chasing after the wind (can you tell I've been reading in Ecclesiastes?) I clean the house, just for it to get dirty again, I study for a test, just to study for another one, I make dinner, just to need to make more tomorrow, I exercise, just to need to again tomorrow... I could go on and on and on!
Thank god that there are moments that don't seem meaningless! Such as the hour I spend with Sharon, a little girl with hemiplegia helping her do ballet. Or the moment when a friend tells me she feels like God put me in her life. Or the quiet moments I spend with my husband. Or the moments I spend on the phone catching up with friends and family. God gave us these moments to remind us of what is important. In rebellion of all the meaningless things I do, I'm goind to go make some hot cider and make banana bread. :)
Tuesday, February 19, 2008
Moving right along...
It's that time again! Can you all believe that I've now been in school almost 8 weeks and that I'm already in my second module? I sure can't! It is amazing how quickly time flies by! There is so much I could tell you all and yet I'm having problems forming complete thoughts and sentences (probably the result of massive studying and brain overload) so bear with me!
Lucas & I are settling in here in Elon quite nicely. I have become fast friends with several of the girls in my class and Lucas with many of his coworkers and team mates on his hockey teams (he is now on 2 teams and was just asked to join a third). He comes home with a crazy story almost every day of all the fun things they do at work, he seems so happy and fulfilled in all that he is learning there. I was just thinking the other day how desperate we were for him to find a job in the beginning and how faithful God is to call us to wait for His timing; God knew that Lucas wouldn't have been nearly as happy at the other job as he is at this one. God is good!
The majority of my classmates are so nice and everyone has an attitude of genuine concern and helpfullness; everyone wants to see everyone succeed! I made a fast friend with another girl named Rachel (they are just abounding in my life!) who will hopefully be coming with me in June 2009 for a clinical rotation at the Alaska Native Hospital. It will probably be a long time before we know if we get to go, but we are hopeful! I was also nominated class activity coordinator (not sure what that means, but I think basically I get to plan class events, which should be fun!)
Classes themselves are really interesting and informative, my favorite being anatomy. The more I learn about the human body and the way God created us, the more I truly understand Luke 19 where Jesus tells the Pharisees that if His disciples don't share the word that the very stones will cry out. Every time I look at the inner workings of my donor I swear his systems cry out "I was made by a wonderful God!" How could anyone who has been given the gift of looking into the complexities of the human body not believe that there is a creator who made us? We are fearfully and wonderfully made... it is fascinating and I am constantly in awe!
Speaking of God and his awesomeness, Lucas and I have finally decided on a church. Believe it or not, it was the very first one we went to just a couple of blocks down the street. It's a relatively large church but not as large as Changepoint, which I think will actually be a good thing; it will be harder for us to get lost! In fact, we had our taxes done yesterday and the lady who did our taxes goes to our church! I am excited to get plugged in and belong to a church body again!
Well folks, I will close for now.... if anyone has time to write, I would love to hear from you all!
Lucas & I are settling in here in Elon quite nicely. I have become fast friends with several of the girls in my class and Lucas with many of his coworkers and team mates on his hockey teams (he is now on 2 teams and was just asked to join a third). He comes home with a crazy story almost every day of all the fun things they do at work, he seems so happy and fulfilled in all that he is learning there. I was just thinking the other day how desperate we were for him to find a job in the beginning and how faithful God is to call us to wait for His timing; God knew that Lucas wouldn't have been nearly as happy at the other job as he is at this one. God is good!
The majority of my classmates are so nice and everyone has an attitude of genuine concern and helpfullness; everyone wants to see everyone succeed! I made a fast friend with another girl named Rachel (they are just abounding in my life!) who will hopefully be coming with me in June 2009 for a clinical rotation at the Alaska Native Hospital. It will probably be a long time before we know if we get to go, but we are hopeful! I was also nominated class activity coordinator (not sure what that means, but I think basically I get to plan class events, which should be fun!)
Classes themselves are really interesting and informative, my favorite being anatomy. The more I learn about the human body and the way God created us, the more I truly understand Luke 19 where Jesus tells the Pharisees that if His disciples don't share the word that the very stones will cry out. Every time I look at the inner workings of my donor I swear his systems cry out "I was made by a wonderful God!" How could anyone who has been given the gift of looking into the complexities of the human body not believe that there is a creator who made us? We are fearfully and wonderfully made... it is fascinating and I am constantly in awe!
Speaking of God and his awesomeness, Lucas and I have finally decided on a church. Believe it or not, it was the very first one we went to just a couple of blocks down the street. It's a relatively large church but not as large as Changepoint, which I think will actually be a good thing; it will be harder for us to get lost! In fact, we had our taxes done yesterday and the lady who did our taxes goes to our church! I am excited to get plugged in and belong to a church body again!
Well folks, I will close for now.... if anyone has time to write, I would love to hear from you all!
Friday, January 11, 2008
Conclusion of week 1
Having completed my first week of physical therapy school I am overwhelmed with many thoughts, feelings, and emotions. I find myself already sleep deprived, loaded down with school work, and rediscovering my love for coffee. There is something, however, deeply satisfying and peaceful about knowing that you are in the right place; that God has brought you to this point for a purpose and that it is not some random mistake. I have already made many friends and I'm sure will continue to make more. Everyone in my class is extremely friendly and welcoming.
I am actually a mini celebrity here on campus, as I am the first student to have ever come from Alaska. It is really kind of bizarre; like being famous for having brown hair... just something that has always been a part of who I am. It is exciting though, because I get to bring a different perspective and experiences that many in my class, especially the "Southerners" don't have. Classes are engaging and thought provoking and all the teachers have a genuine interest in each student's success; I have never been on a campus that is so student focused. Another interesting and fun aspect of my class is that over 50% are married, all young, so hopefully that will make it easier for Lucas & I to find some couples we can connect with and get to know better.
In other news, Lucas has found a club hockey team to play on and has his first game tomorrow evening! We are excited! We have also found a church that we are going to try out for a couple of months to see how it fits. It is located in Greensboro, about 30 minutes away and has a very large "young married" crowd. Worship is kind of lacking in my opinion, and since I sing, that is something I think I may struggle with. However, they are searching for a new worship pastor so that may get better and they also have a choir, so I may get involved to meet that need.
As excited as I am to be here I do miss home. I miss the mountains, the snow, and the crisp clean air. I miss terminology such as "the lower 48", "snow machine", and "cart" instead of "buggy". And most of all, I miss all of you! We are so blessed to have so many friends and family, and we love and miss all of you dearly! Please know that I think of you often and that you are in my thoughts and prayers.
Love and warm wishes,
Rachel
I am actually a mini celebrity here on campus, as I am the first student to have ever come from Alaska. It is really kind of bizarre; like being famous for having brown hair... just something that has always been a part of who I am. It is exciting though, because I get to bring a different perspective and experiences that many in my class, especially the "Southerners" don't have. Classes are engaging and thought provoking and all the teachers have a genuine interest in each student's success; I have never been on a campus that is so student focused. Another interesting and fun aspect of my class is that over 50% are married, all young, so hopefully that will make it easier for Lucas & I to find some couples we can connect with and get to know better.
In other news, Lucas has found a club hockey team to play on and has his first game tomorrow evening! We are excited! We have also found a church that we are going to try out for a couple of months to see how it fits. It is located in Greensboro, about 30 minutes away and has a very large "young married" crowd. Worship is kind of lacking in my opinion, and since I sing, that is something I think I may struggle with. However, they are searching for a new worship pastor so that may get better and they also have a choir, so I may get involved to meet that need.
As excited as I am to be here I do miss home. I miss the mountains, the snow, and the crisp clean air. I miss terminology such as "the lower 48", "snow machine", and "cart" instead of "buggy". And most of all, I miss all of you! We are so blessed to have so many friends and family, and we love and miss all of you dearly! Please know that I think of you often and that you are in my thoughts and prayers.
Love and warm wishes,
Rachel
Wednesday, November 28, 2007
An apparently desperate need for a lesson in faith
Moving is hard.
Never in my life have I felt so utterly alone. Logically, I know that there are friends and family who care for Lucas and I immensely.... but most of them are thousands of miles away.
Lucas still has not found a job and we are slowly watching our savings dwindle away with my tuition due soon and Christmas right around the corner. Why is it that faith and money tend to be so closely related? I hate money and the feelings of necessity and want that it evokes in me... and yet I love the feeling of comfort and security that it brings. Security, of course, is an illusion. God giveth and He taketh away and He is the one who ultimately provides what we need. I know these things... so why is it so hard to trust Him to provide a job and the finances that we will need to make a life here?
I know that our being here was ordained by Him. I was accepted into the program here at Elon, my top choice, and the first and only school that I applied to, with little effort. We also found a house to rent only 4 blocks from campus, after I had been heartbroken at the thought of renting an apartment for the next 3 years. I don't believe in coincidence; I believe that our steps are ordered aright by God. So if I believe and KNOW these things... WHY is it so hard?
I have come to the conclusion that I apparently desperately need a lesson in faith. It is so easy to trust Him and love Him when things are cushy and going the way we want them to. It however, is not easy when they are not. So here I am... praying and pleading that God will provide what He always has and that I will learn to trust and depend on Him when our bank account is empty as well as when it is full; when we have friends and when we do not; and when the sun is shining and when it is not.
"There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven: a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot, a time to kill and a time to heal, a time to tear down and a time to build, a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance, a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them, a time to embrace and a time to refrain, a time to search and a time to give up, a time to keep and a time to throw away, a time tear and a time to mend, a time to be silent and a time to speak, a time to love and a time to hate, a time for war and a time for peace." ~Ecclesiastes 3:1-8
Never in my life have I felt so utterly alone. Logically, I know that there are friends and family who care for Lucas and I immensely.... but most of them are thousands of miles away.
Lucas still has not found a job and we are slowly watching our savings dwindle away with my tuition due soon and Christmas right around the corner. Why is it that faith and money tend to be so closely related? I hate money and the feelings of necessity and want that it evokes in me... and yet I love the feeling of comfort and security that it brings. Security, of course, is an illusion. God giveth and He taketh away and He is the one who ultimately provides what we need. I know these things... so why is it so hard to trust Him to provide a job and the finances that we will need to make a life here?
I know that our being here was ordained by Him. I was accepted into the program here at Elon, my top choice, and the first and only school that I applied to, with little effort. We also found a house to rent only 4 blocks from campus, after I had been heartbroken at the thought of renting an apartment for the next 3 years. I don't believe in coincidence; I believe that our steps are ordered aright by God. So if I believe and KNOW these things... WHY is it so hard?
I have come to the conclusion that I apparently desperately need a lesson in faith. It is so easy to trust Him and love Him when things are cushy and going the way we want them to. It however, is not easy when they are not. So here I am... praying and pleading that God will provide what He always has and that I will learn to trust and depend on Him when our bank account is empty as well as when it is full; when we have friends and when we do not; and when the sun is shining and when it is not.
"There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven: a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot, a time to kill and a time to heal, a time to tear down and a time to build, a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance, a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them, a time to embrace and a time to refrain, a time to search and a time to give up, a time to keep and a time to throw away, a time tear and a time to mend, a time to be silent and a time to speak, a time to love and a time to hate, a time for war and a time for peace." ~Ecclesiastes 3:1-8
Wednesday, October 31, 2007
Car trouble in NC
Hello friends and family!
Can you believe we have already been gone a whole week?!?! We can scarcely believe it ourselves. Time has absolutely flown! Things have definitely not worked out exactly as we had envisioned, but God has obviously been with us every step of the way.
We arrived last Monday night and immediately found a car on craigslist that we were interested in. It was a really cute convertable Mustang with great gas mileage for a great price. So we called the gentleman who was selling it and arranged a meeting for the next day. For Lucas; it was love at first sight... for me, it was love at first price. :) So we gave the man some money to hold the car for us and set about trying to actually get at our money, which has proven to be very difficult as there are absolutely no WellsFargo banks anywhere near here. After a lot of hassle we finally secured a way to transfer to our new bank account and we were able to get the car!
So as we're purchasing the car the seller tells Lucas that he'll be taking his license plate off the car (what?!?!) Okay.... so he says that we have to go to the plate office and apply for a new license plate for the car. So the seller drives the car to the office, proceeds to remove his plate and leaves us there to get a new plate. So in North Carolina before you can get a plate you have to have proof of insurance.... so now we're sitting in the office trying to secure insurance for our new car. Once that's done, we bring our proof to the window and then we are informed that we cannont get a plate because neither Lucas nor I have a NC driver's license. (Are you kidding me?) So then we call the DMV and speak to a very nice lady who proceeds to tell us that we have to become NC residents so that we can get a NC driver's license so that we can get a license plate so that we can drive our new car. I think it would be easier to buy a 2 headed giraffe.
After much debate with the nice lady, we come to the conclusion that because I am going to be a student in NC that I would be able to get a NC resident card, only after I had proved that I would be living in NC (via proof of my lease) and that should be sufficient to get the plate for our car. Now if only we could locate my SS card... as that was lost in the move, we are now waiting for that to come in the mail so that we can drive our new car. Aren't you glad you've never had to buy a car in NC?!?!
Aside from that total mishap, things have been going really well... we took our roadtrip up through Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, and Ohio. We went to a Penguins game on Thursday and had a really good time even though they lost. :( And on Friday we went to Ohio to go to Cedar Point and ride roller coasters! We rode one that went 127mph on only lasted 17 seconds because it was so fast.... SO much fun! And then on Sunday we went to Busch Gardens in Williamsburg, VA and rode more rollercoasters! I could tell you stories about the travel lodge in VA though.... beware! Talk about a nasty hole in the wall....
Speaking of hole in the wall, Lucas and I cleaned out the fireplace today in our new house. It had been blocked off for who knows how long and when we opened it up there were beer cans, bottles, cobwebs and a skeleton of a dead bird! GROSS!!! Despite the fact that our new house has A LOT of work to be done on it, we are really excited and think it will be really cute when it is all done. As we finish things I will post before and after photos!
Hope all of y'all are doing well! We love you and miss you and would love to hear from you!
Can you believe we have already been gone a whole week?!?! We can scarcely believe it ourselves. Time has absolutely flown! Things have definitely not worked out exactly as we had envisioned, but God has obviously been with us every step of the way.
We arrived last Monday night and immediately found a car on craigslist that we were interested in. It was a really cute convertable Mustang with great gas mileage for a great price. So we called the gentleman who was selling it and arranged a meeting for the next day. For Lucas; it was love at first sight... for me, it was love at first price. :) So we gave the man some money to hold the car for us and set about trying to actually get at our money, which has proven to be very difficult as there are absolutely no WellsFargo banks anywhere near here. After a lot of hassle we finally secured a way to transfer to our new bank account and we were able to get the car!
So as we're purchasing the car the seller tells Lucas that he'll be taking his license plate off the car (what?!?!) Okay.... so he says that we have to go to the plate office and apply for a new license plate for the car. So the seller drives the car to the office, proceeds to remove his plate and leaves us there to get a new plate. So in North Carolina before you can get a plate you have to have proof of insurance.... so now we're sitting in the office trying to secure insurance for our new car. Once that's done, we bring our proof to the window and then we are informed that we cannont get a plate because neither Lucas nor I have a NC driver's license. (Are you kidding me?) So then we call the DMV and speak to a very nice lady who proceeds to tell us that we have to become NC residents so that we can get a NC driver's license so that we can get a license plate so that we can drive our new car. I think it would be easier to buy a 2 headed giraffe.
After much debate with the nice lady, we come to the conclusion that because I am going to be a student in NC that I would be able to get a NC resident card, only after I had proved that I would be living in NC (via proof of my lease) and that should be sufficient to get the plate for our car. Now if only we could locate my SS card... as that was lost in the move, we are now waiting for that to come in the mail so that we can drive our new car. Aren't you glad you've never had to buy a car in NC?!?!
Aside from that total mishap, things have been going really well... we took our roadtrip up through Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, and Ohio. We went to a Penguins game on Thursday and had a really good time even though they lost. :( And on Friday we went to Ohio to go to Cedar Point and ride roller coasters! We rode one that went 127mph on only lasted 17 seconds because it was so fast.... SO much fun! And then on Sunday we went to Busch Gardens in Williamsburg, VA and rode more rollercoasters! I could tell you stories about the travel lodge in VA though.... beware! Talk about a nasty hole in the wall....
Speaking of hole in the wall, Lucas and I cleaned out the fireplace today in our new house. It had been blocked off for who knows how long and when we opened it up there were beer cans, bottles, cobwebs and a skeleton of a dead bird! GROSS!!! Despite the fact that our new house has A LOT of work to be done on it, we are really excited and think it will be really cute when it is all done. As we finish things I will post before and after photos!
Hope all of y'all are doing well! We love you and miss you and would love to hear from you!
Sunday, October 14, 2007
Big Changes
Hello friends and family!
As most of you are probably aware, Lucas and I ship out to NC very soon! One week from today to be exact. We are very excited, but also very nervous as we were both raised in the state and have never left home. If you think of us in the upcoming months, please pray that we will adjust well, make friends, find a great church, and that we lean on God for His strength and provision. For those of you whom I haven't spoken to in a very long time, I am on my way to physical therapy school (a three year program), which will start in early January. I will be attending a private school called Elon University and when at long last I finally graduate, I will be a doctor of physical therapy. We are fortunate enough to have already signed a lease on a quaint 2 bedroom house only a couple of blocks from campus. It is what one might call a "fixer upper" but the monthly rent and location couldn't be better! So we are very excited to move in and get settled. I will try to remember to send pictures. Once Lucas and I get to NC we are going to take a road trip up to Pittsburgh to watch a hockey game (go Penguins!) and then we are going to 2 amusement parks, one in Ohio called Cedar Point, that just happens to be one of the biggest amusement parks in the world (I'm super excited, can you tell?), and then down to VA to hit up the Busch Gardens in Williamsburg. This little vacation should be just what we need to recharge the batteries before we buckle down to all the practicalities of actually moving in. Well... that's about all there is to tell at the moment.
For those of you that we are leaving... we love you and will miss you very much and will do our best to keep in touch... you'd better do the same!
And for those of you that we are moving closer to... we are excited to see you and get to spend some quality time with you!
As most of you are probably aware, Lucas and I ship out to NC very soon! One week from today to be exact. We are very excited, but also very nervous as we were both raised in the state and have never left home. If you think of us in the upcoming months, please pray that we will adjust well, make friends, find a great church, and that we lean on God for His strength and provision. For those of you whom I haven't spoken to in a very long time, I am on my way to physical therapy school (a three year program), which will start in early January. I will be attending a private school called Elon University and when at long last I finally graduate, I will be a doctor of physical therapy. We are fortunate enough to have already signed a lease on a quaint 2 bedroom house only a couple of blocks from campus. It is what one might call a "fixer upper" but the monthly rent and location couldn't be better! So we are very excited to move in and get settled. I will try to remember to send pictures. Once Lucas and I get to NC we are going to take a road trip up to Pittsburgh to watch a hockey game (go Penguins!) and then we are going to 2 amusement parks, one in Ohio called Cedar Point, that just happens to be one of the biggest amusement parks in the world (I'm super excited, can you tell?), and then down to VA to hit up the Busch Gardens in Williamsburg. This little vacation should be just what we need to recharge the batteries before we buckle down to all the practicalities of actually moving in. Well... that's about all there is to tell at the moment.
For those of you that we are leaving... we love you and will miss you very much and will do our best to keep in touch... you'd better do the same!
And for those of you that we are moving closer to... we are excited to see you and get to spend some quality time with you!
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