Praying believing...?

I went to my aunt's church, Grace Fellowship, this past Sunday. The worship was just incredible (Revelation song, The More I Seek You... but not just the songs, it was the way they were delivered and how big the Lord showed up) and then we started to pray. The preacher asked for an old man to come to the front and we laid hands on him and prayed for him. He has been having pain in his back that radiates down one arm and one leg, and the doctors can't find out what's wrong, so are unable to effectively treat his pain. Some people around me spoke in tongues, some asked for healing in this man's life, and I stood there and asked for the Lord's will to be done... because it would be tragic to ask so confidently for healing and that not be in the Lord's plan, right? Wrong. I realized in that moment (Lindsey... you and I talk about this ALL the time)... that praying believing comes with desiring a specific, God-honoring outcome. For a long time, I was scared to pray with a specific outcome in mind because I didn't want to pray for the wrong thing and then get it (weird, huh). But, I think that if we are in the word and walking closely with Him, our desires will line up with His desires, and praying for the wrong thing is not something to worry about. So I think I'll be more bold now. I'm sorry it took so long, Jesus.

Nursing

Well, I forgot that I have a blog again. How can I stop this vicious cycle of remembering and then forgetting (when it comes to blogs)?! Sometimes remembering things are fun... like when you remember you hid your favorite candy somewhere (haven't done that since I had siblings in the house), or found money in your wallet AFTER you left the vending machine thinking you should start to carry cash in your wallet... actually that's not fun, that's just remembering... anyways...

My life is so busy lately! Nursing school is SO much fun, but time consuming. I love having those, "AH HAH!" moments, and I have numerous "ah hah" moments every day because I have a body and I experience things that I learn in class!! I love it so much. However... when it comes to loving school, actual patient care (clinical) trumps all. There is just something beautiful about the combination of being a woman, seeing a dying/hurting person, knowing how to meet that need, meeting it, and then seeing their reaction that gives me an immense amount of joy. It makes the poop, the vomit, the pus, the sputum, the blood, and the urine smells all worth it.

Maybe I experience what custodians experience... and hair dressers... and nail ladies... and moms. We get to see people at their worst, identify their need, and make them healthy and beautiful.

And can I say... in a weird way, in some circumstances, people at their "worst" are actually at their most beautiful. For example(s)... when girls don't wear makeup. When the "tough one" cries. When God's people break over their sin. Or take it from Matthew 5...

3Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

4Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.

5Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.

6Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.

7Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.

8Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.

9Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God.

10Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Soon As You Can by Dierks Bentley

When a man wants to be with a woman

There ain't no way of gettin' there too fast

When you know who you wanna spend

The rest of your life with

You wanna start the rest of your life

As soon as you can

Into The Wild

If you are a human, PLEASEEEEEEE go see the movie Into The Wild.

"After graduating from Emory University in 1992, top student and athlete Christopher McCandless abandoned his possessions, gave his entire $24,000 savings account to charity, and hitchhiked to Alaska to live in the wilderness. Along the way, Christopher encounters a series of characters who shape his life" (plot summary from a website).

Yes, I just cited in a blog. Anyways... this is not the kind of movie you can anticipate. It absolutely tugs your heart strings. No sex, little language, no gore, no drugs... just a little guy with a huge, hippie heart. It's raw, real, and heavy. It is the best movie I have ever seen in my LIFE. I have never cried so hard or had such a deep conversation afterwards. It made me question. It made me think. It made me love.

A Good Steal

This is from Lindsey's blog :) and I fell in love with it. This article describes me to a TEE, minus his opinion on gun control.

"So, when I seriously look at the Bible’s whole value system then apply it to the political parties today, I find that in my view the Democrats are a bit more Biblical than the Republicans. Sure, I dislike the secularists and anti-religion folk in my party and I’ll do what I can to beat them back into the bushes. But when I go into the voting booth and vote for a Democrat it is not in spite of my faith but because of it."

Worth your time... http://www.drurywriting.com/keith/democ.htm

Hermit Me

I used to live inside a shell,

But until now I couldn't tell.

Surroundings always stayed the same,

None to lose and none to gain.

I took no chance, buried my head,

Everything I knew was fed.

The food made me grow and grow

My shell kept getting tighter, though.

My shell became too tight and cracked 

I saw the light and turned my back.

The crack grew to the other side

I knew I could no longer hide.

I crawled into this strange new world

The old world that I knew unfurled.

Some things I knew were strengthened here

Some things I knew became unclear.

This new place that I found was more

It didn't feed me anymore.

At first I ate off others' plates

And soon realized my "moocher" state.

I wanted to find food on my own

But soon found that I'd be alone.

In solitude I found my strength

And took myself to brand new lengths.

Now I am a happy crab

Escaped the shell I used to have

I'll try some on to fit for size

Until I find one I call mine.

Although it fits me for today,

I'll always grow, so never stay.

For if you never eat you'll find

You'll surely shrivel up and die.

Food in teeth.

So, today I got home from a 5-hour day at school, only to find a piece of food in my teeth. I thought to myself, "Crap. Who all has seen this today? Where they grossed out by me? Why didn't I notice?! This just ruined every conversation I had today! Dangit!!" Then I thought to myself, how in-depth is my train of thought when someone else has something in their teeth? Really, it never goes beyond either "I think I'll tell them now" or "I'm not going to interrupt." I never characterize the person as gross. I never think about seeing that piece of food in someone else's teeth beyond the moment. It doesn't impair my listening skills. There are many things in life I can apply this concept to.