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That is the lovely Orange Beach, Florida, where I am headed in 97 days, with about 10 friends of mine from church.
Spring semester, go by quickly!
xoxo
Monday, February 17, 2014
beach countdown
That is the lovely Orange Beach, Florida, where I am headed in 97 days, with about 10 friends of mine from church.
Spring semester, go by quickly!
xoxo
Saturday, February 15, 2014
love love love
oh this day, this sappiest of days.
I have been struggling lately with the romantic-love culture I was raised in that is so present in the South and seems to be present throughout the rest of the United States.
By romantic-love culture, I mean the culture that has told us women that
you have to find the ONE!
you have to have a thigh gap/long hair/a tiny waist/abs/big hips/big boobs/a tan/great style/a bikini-ready body 24-7-365! or else the ONE may pass you up!
you must go to church and be involved! you must lead small groups, mentor youths, volunteer with children, travel to foreign lands to "make disciples of all nations," and participate in Bible study year-round! or else your heart may not be deeply hidden in the heart of God and you know how the saying goes! the ONE won't be able to find you!
you better save yourself or the ONE will not want you! no one loves a whore!
you must have a variety of interests that you pursue at all times by being awesome at them! possibly be the president of a society or seven! but at least be a member of four or more!
you must be yourself! no matter who that is! no matter if you don't even know! you better start acting as much like yourself as possible because what if you meet the ONE in the grocery?? you never know when he will cross your path!
you better get sexual experience along the way or the ONE will not want you! no one loves a prude!
you should probably have your pinterest account open on a tab in your browser at all times because your wedding should practically already be planned by the time you meet the ONE! but you better not tell him or you'll scare him off!
what? you're feeling sad or worried? oh, well, you should probably stifle those feelings, definitely don't tell your small group about them, what if the ONE is in there?! he's not going to want to marry someone who is sad or worried all the time. or part of the time, for that matter! you'd better be happy! do it! right now! be happy all of the time! and you'd better not tell him you ever feel these ways or are ever susceptible to hormones lest he thinks you're crazy!
you'd better move yourself to New York City or Los Angeles and start your career in magazines, television, movies, or fashion! and you'd better do it quick! girls are doing this every day and you don't want someone else to meet and fall in love with the ONE for you, do you??
...
oh, dear God.
Well, frankly, I hope you interpreted that these things were exaggerated. But at any given time of our lives, we are told a myriad of different things because the ONLY THING that matters, apparently, is finding the ONE who will finally, exasperatedly, marry you. And once you're married, you're set!
amirite ladies??
I am here to say.... nooooooooooo!!!
No to the perfect magazine images of thigh gaps and perfect bums and long hair and photoshopped perkiness!
No to over-stretching ourselves and our time to please a dude we haven't met yet!
No to the over-commercialized presentations of cute, dainty girls with their always-smiling faces, working their dream jobs that are basically the same in every TV show or movie!
No to labels!
No to denial of realness like sadness, worries, anxieties, and stresses!
No to the incessant pressing of society's definition of right and wrong into us at every turn!
No to the definition of closeness to our God being found in how busy we are at church! Only God and I know how close I am to Him, and that is our business.
NO TO THE IDEA OF THE ONE.
I want to decide. I want to decide which things are right for me. And if I am being healthy, legal, and true to myself, who really cares??
The definition of the ONE is that we find the man who will marry us... But maybe the definition of the ONE should be the version of ourselves that we love the most.
When I decided I wanted to get a pixie hair cut, I read some blogs about it and about what to expect, and a common theme in these blogposts was that I will get hit on less, since guys like long hair. You know what happened? I met the most incredible man who loved my hair long and short, because he wasn't looking at my hair, he was looking at my heart. And God didn't stop loving me, either.
When I decided I needed to resolve my anxieties for my sake, not for anyone else, but because I wanted to relax, I got better. And the aforementioned most incredible man? He looks forward to the day he gets to help me relax when I am overly anxious and can't calm down on my own. Seriously, what?! I have never met anyone who treats my anxiety that way. And God was there to cheer me on, too.
When I told him about my sins, he said he loves me. Seriously. And God, who knew I'd commit these sins before I even knew what the word "sin" means, still loves me.
When T & I started dating, I told him I thought he was one cool cat, but that school was still going to come first, because me becoming a nurse is more important to me than anything. [For the record, this is hard for me.] His response? "If you didn't say that, I was going to." And God is still providing the strength I need to make it through, since I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength. (philippians 4:13) Still supporting me. Still loving me.
And the best part of all of this is that I picked these things out for me, not for anyone else! And I love it!
I think T is a guy that thinks I'm interesting enough to want to hang out and find out more. He and I have so much in common it can be spooky, and we are really compatible. So I'm not going to brand him as the ONE for me, because I know that our foundation, connection and commitment to each other are what will make this relationship work and last... Not an arbitrary label, not that I have shoved myself into a tiny, incredibly specific mold that society made for me.
Just me being me, and T being T.
So when it comes to Valentine's Day, my first thought is how grateful I am for the incredible love God has for me, that He laid down His life for me, to save me, just because He wanted His eternity to have me in it. Oh my gosh. I cannot thank Him enough.
My second thought is: I am so thankful God made me exactly the way I am. And I am even more thankful that He made T the way he is, and that T says to me the opposite of what society says to me... Letting me just be me, no strings attached, and loving me as such.
He really is the most amazing guy I know.
Love you, sugar.
h a p p y v a l e n t i n e ' s d a y !
xoxo
I have been struggling lately with the romantic-love culture I was raised in that is so present in the South and seems to be present throughout the rest of the United States.
By romantic-love culture, I mean the culture that has told us women that
you have to find the ONE!
you have to have a thigh gap/long hair/a tiny waist/abs/big hips/big boobs/a tan/great style/a bikini-ready body 24-7-365! or else the ONE may pass you up!
you must go to church and be involved! you must lead small groups, mentor youths, volunteer with children, travel to foreign lands to "make disciples of all nations," and participate in Bible study year-round! or else your heart may not be deeply hidden in the heart of God and you know how the saying goes! the ONE won't be able to find you!
you better save yourself or the ONE will not want you! no one loves a whore!
you must have a variety of interests that you pursue at all times by being awesome at them! possibly be the president of a society or seven! but at least be a member of four or more!
you must be yourself! no matter who that is! no matter if you don't even know! you better start acting as much like yourself as possible because what if you meet the ONE in the grocery?? you never know when he will cross your path!
you better get sexual experience along the way or the ONE will not want you! no one loves a prude!
you should probably have your pinterest account open on a tab in your browser at all times because your wedding should practically already be planned by the time you meet the ONE! but you better not tell him or you'll scare him off!
what? you're feeling sad or worried? oh, well, you should probably stifle those feelings, definitely don't tell your small group about them, what if the ONE is in there?! he's not going to want to marry someone who is sad or worried all the time. or part of the time, for that matter! you'd better be happy! do it! right now! be happy all of the time! and you'd better not tell him you ever feel these ways or are ever susceptible to hormones lest he thinks you're crazy!
you'd better move yourself to New York City or Los Angeles and start your career in magazines, television, movies, or fashion! and you'd better do it quick! girls are doing this every day and you don't want someone else to meet and fall in love with the ONE for you, do you??
...
oh, dear God.
Well, frankly, I hope you interpreted that these things were exaggerated. But at any given time of our lives, we are told a myriad of different things because the ONLY THING that matters, apparently, is finding the ONE who will finally, exasperatedly, marry you. And once you're married, you're set!
amirite ladies??
I am here to say.... nooooooooooo!!!
No to the perfect magazine images of thigh gaps and perfect bums and long hair and photoshopped perkiness!
No to over-stretching ourselves and our time to please a dude we haven't met yet!
No to the over-commercialized presentations of cute, dainty girls with their always-smiling faces, working their dream jobs that are basically the same in every TV show or movie!
No to labels!
No to denial of realness like sadness, worries, anxieties, and stresses!
No to the incessant pressing of society's definition of right and wrong into us at every turn!
No to the definition of closeness to our God being found in how busy we are at church! Only God and I know how close I am to Him, and that is our business.
NO TO THE IDEA OF THE ONE.
I want to decide. I want to decide which things are right for me. And if I am being healthy, legal, and true to myself, who really cares??
The definition of the ONE is that we find the man who will marry us... But maybe the definition of the ONE should be the version of ourselves that we love the most.
When I decided I wanted to get a pixie hair cut, I read some blogs about it and about what to expect, and a common theme in these blogposts was that I will get hit on less, since guys like long hair. You know what happened? I met the most incredible man who loved my hair long and short, because he wasn't looking at my hair, he was looking at my heart. And God didn't stop loving me, either.
When I decided I needed to resolve my anxieties for my sake, not for anyone else, but because I wanted to relax, I got better. And the aforementioned most incredible man? He looks forward to the day he gets to help me relax when I am overly anxious and can't calm down on my own. Seriously, what?! I have never met anyone who treats my anxiety that way. And God was there to cheer me on, too.
When I told him about my sins, he said he loves me. Seriously. And God, who knew I'd commit these sins before I even knew what the word "sin" means, still loves me.
When T & I started dating, I told him I thought he was one cool cat, but that school was still going to come first, because me becoming a nurse is more important to me than anything. [For the record, this is hard for me.] His response? "If you didn't say that, I was going to." And God is still providing the strength I need to make it through, since I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength. (philippians 4:13) Still supporting me. Still loving me.
And the best part of all of this is that I picked these things out for me, not for anyone else! And I love it!
I think T is a guy that thinks I'm interesting enough to want to hang out and find out more. He and I have so much in common it can be spooky, and we are really compatible. So I'm not going to brand him as the ONE for me, because I know that our foundation, connection and commitment to each other are what will make this relationship work and last... Not an arbitrary label, not that I have shoved myself into a tiny, incredibly specific mold that society made for me.
Just me being me, and T being T.
So when it comes to Valentine's Day, my first thought is how grateful I am for the incredible love God has for me, that He laid down His life for me, to save me, just because He wanted His eternity to have me in it. Oh my gosh. I cannot thank Him enough.
My second thought is: I am so thankful God made me exactly the way I am. And I am even more thankful that He made T the way he is, and that T says to me the opposite of what society says to me... Letting me just be me, no strings attached, and loving me as such.
He really is the most amazing guy I know.
Love you, sugar.
h a p p y v a l e n t i n e ' s d a y !
xoxo
Thursday, February 13, 2014
prayerful, thoughtful considerations
my friends,
I have been thinking a lot about this blog, and how terrible I am at writing posts. The fact of the matter is, I am imperfect, and I set too high of a goal for myself. This semester of nursing school is much busier than I thought it would be. A blog post a day is too much for me.
So the blog is going to change.
He has redeemed my soul from going down into the pit, and my life shall look upon the light.
Job 33:28
Behold, God is my helper; the Lord is the upholder of my life.
Psalm 54:4
Because your steadfast love is better than life, my lips will praise you.
Psalm 63:3
I am so imperfect, y'all, so completely imperfect.
I secretly, selfishly hoped this blog would be a reflection of a great life, a prayerful one, that without more specific details could be inspiring and bring more people to God. But that is not what the Bible says, of course, I knew this. The Bible talks about making disciples by being honest and real, revealing both the good and bad in my life. It does not talk about making disciples by bragging about how wonderful your faith is... which I, basically, had hoped to do. How selfish of me, how ridiculous of me to think I could do that.
So this blog is going to become a standard-type blog about my life. My ups and downs. My hopes and dreams. My slow but perfectly-timed discovery of God's plan for my life. Musings, things that strike my heart, the mundane realities of my life. But that is all I have to offer: my life and myself.
You can expect a new blog post once a week, possibly more if it's a light week of schoolwork or summertime.
I do hope you'll be back, my friend. I hope you come back many times.
I will continue to pray for things, and you can continue to let me know if you have prayer requests. I will still pray, of course.
You are a blessing for reading this and for joining me on this journey of revealing myself. And I am grateful for you.
xoxo
I have been thinking a lot about this blog, and how terrible I am at writing posts. The fact of the matter is, I am imperfect, and I set too high of a goal for myself. This semester of nursing school is much busier than I thought it would be. A blog post a day is too much for me.
So the blog is going to change.
He has redeemed my soul from going down into the pit, and my life shall look upon the light.
Job 33:28
Behold, God is my helper; the Lord is the upholder of my life.
Psalm 54:4
Because your steadfast love is better than life, my lips will praise you.
Psalm 63:3
I am so imperfect, y'all, so completely imperfect.
I secretly, selfishly hoped this blog would be a reflection of a great life, a prayerful one, that without more specific details could be inspiring and bring more people to God. But that is not what the Bible says, of course, I knew this. The Bible talks about making disciples by being honest and real, revealing both the good and bad in my life. It does not talk about making disciples by bragging about how wonderful your faith is... which I, basically, had hoped to do. How selfish of me, how ridiculous of me to think I could do that.
So this blog is going to become a standard-type blog about my life. My ups and downs. My hopes and dreams. My slow but perfectly-timed discovery of God's plan for my life. Musings, things that strike my heart, the mundane realities of my life. But that is all I have to offer: my life and myself.
You can expect a new blog post once a week, possibly more if it's a light week of schoolwork or summertime.
I do hope you'll be back, my friend. I hope you come back many times.
I will continue to pray for things, and you can continue to let me know if you have prayer requests. I will still pray, of course.
You are a blessing for reading this and for joining me on this journey of revealing myself. And I am grateful for you.
xoxo
Friday, January 24, 2014
friday, friday, everyone get down- oh, Lord, I can't even do it.
hello, friendship
I'm super glad you stopped by :) I finally got the nerve to post the link to this lil blog on facebook and I got a lot more views! Woohoo! I sure hope you come back again.
Today was absolutely crazy, weather-wise. So many schools in south Louisiana were closed, and many of the bridges in the New Orleans area were closed. I fear a dangerous wreck occurred around the corner from my apartment building. Yikes.
so I'm gonna lift up my school community tonight...
wonderful Heavenly Father,
I am so thankful for today. It has been ridiculous, weather-wise, but I can't imagine today going by any other way. I couldn't be more thankful for the opportunities this dreary and icy Friday afforded me, both the ones I took and the ones I didn't, and I am thankful. Most of all, I am thankful that You walked through today with me. You didn't have to choose me, but You did. And You didn't have to give me today, but You did. God, I am so thankful. So thankful.
hey, thanks for LSUHSC and what it does for the people of New Orleans. I am so grateful to be a part of this community. I lift up everyone involved here: let they all be safe in the icy weather going on. Let the crazy, unimaginable decisions required by the administration on a daily basis be easily concluded and peacefully attained. I pray the students learn how to be good ambassadors of health and wellness so that we can spread this knowledge, in the form of care, throughout the world... wherever our feet land.
Thank You for letting me go to school here. I'm really looking forward to becoming a nurse next year, and I wouldn't be able to do this if it weren't for you.
I love you greatly.
amen
[xoxo]
I'm super glad you stopped by :) I finally got the nerve to post the link to this lil blog on facebook and I got a lot more views! Woohoo! I sure hope you come back again.
Today was absolutely crazy, weather-wise. So many schools in south Louisiana were closed, and many of the bridges in the New Orleans area were closed. I fear a dangerous wreck occurred around the corner from my apartment building. Yikes.
so I'm gonna lift up my school community tonight...
wonderful Heavenly Father,
I am so thankful for today. It has been ridiculous, weather-wise, but I can't imagine today going by any other way. I couldn't be more thankful for the opportunities this dreary and icy Friday afforded me, both the ones I took and the ones I didn't, and I am thankful. Most of all, I am thankful that You walked through today with me. You didn't have to choose me, but You did. And You didn't have to give me today, but You did. God, I am so thankful. So thankful.
hey, thanks for LSUHSC and what it does for the people of New Orleans. I am so grateful to be a part of this community. I lift up everyone involved here: let they all be safe in the icy weather going on. Let the crazy, unimaginable decisions required by the administration on a daily basis be easily concluded and peacefully attained. I pray the students learn how to be good ambassadors of health and wellness so that we can spread this knowledge, in the form of care, throughout the world... wherever our feet land.
Thank You for letting me go to school here. I'm really looking forward to becoming a nurse next year, and I wouldn't be able to do this if it weren't for you.
I love you greatly.
amen
[xoxo]
Thursday, January 23, 2014
t.h.u.r.s.d.a.y.
thursday, my love, my favorite day of the week
I have always loved a Thursday. It really means the week is on the way to being over. Tomorrow really is Friday, the weekend just a day after that. And ever since I started college, it always meant the potential for a long weekend. Just one more day of the week to get through before that blessed break we call the weekend.
My weekly schedule is currently opposite of the standard: my weekend is the middle of the week these days! I am taking clinical courses about an hour from my apartment in the city, near where family and friends live, so I spend the middle of the week away from the city and with my family and friends. It is strange, especially because I don't want to be spending my weekends studying all day, but at some point I have to study!
So, off we go, then.
My wonderful, Heavenly Father,
Thank you so much for this week in clinical. It has been a wonderful experience of watching babies come into the world. I do wish I was able to do more, but I know those opportunities will come in time. I am so happy to be helping babies be born. I am so glad You brought me to this place.
I am praying for my church community again this morning. St Timothy is such a wonderful place. I love that we spent our 20-somethings group talking about how much we love shift and the people that make it up. I could not be more blessed to have found such an amazing community of people to live life with. It sure is going to be hard to stay connected to them, and feeling connected to them, while I live in New Orleans and they aren't here and I'm not there (isn't spontaneity the spice of friendships?), but I pray our friendships persevere. I pray the closesness doesn't fade. I also pray for each of these wonderful people, and I pray we continue to be friends for a very long time.
Thank you so much for STUMC and Shift, God. Thank you for being so awesome as to bring these things into my life. I know this summer would have been so much more awful without being a part of this group of people. Thank you, God.
I love you so much. Thank you for everything.
In Your name I pray, amen.
[xoxo]
I have always loved a Thursday. It really means the week is on the way to being over. Tomorrow really is Friday, the weekend just a day after that. And ever since I started college, it always meant the potential for a long weekend. Just one more day of the week to get through before that blessed break we call the weekend.
My weekly schedule is currently opposite of the standard: my weekend is the middle of the week these days! I am taking clinical courses about an hour from my apartment in the city, near where family and friends live, so I spend the middle of the week away from the city and with my family and friends. It is strange, especially because I don't want to be spending my weekends studying all day, but at some point I have to study!
So, off we go, then.
My wonderful, Heavenly Father,
Thank you so much for this week in clinical. It has been a wonderful experience of watching babies come into the world. I do wish I was able to do more, but I know those opportunities will come in time. I am so happy to be helping babies be born. I am so glad You brought me to this place.
I am praying for my church community again this morning. St Timothy is such a wonderful place. I love that we spent our 20-somethings group talking about how much we love shift and the people that make it up. I could not be more blessed to have found such an amazing community of people to live life with. It sure is going to be hard to stay connected to them, and feeling connected to them, while I live in New Orleans and they aren't here and I'm not there (isn't spontaneity the spice of friendships?), but I pray our friendships persevere. I pray the closesness doesn't fade. I also pray for each of these wonderful people, and I pray we continue to be friends for a very long time.
Thank you so much for STUMC and Shift, God. Thank you for being so awesome as to bring these things into my life. I know this summer would have been so much more awful without being a part of this group of people. Thank you, God.
I love you so much. Thank you for everything.
In Your name I pray, amen.
[xoxo]
Wednesday, January 22, 2014
wwweeedddnnneeesssdddaaayyy...
oh Wednesday, I love you.
So many times in my past you have meant something special to me, whether that was high school youth group (Fusion, what what!), Wesley chapel, or just the preparations for the end of the week. It truly is the turning point of the week, oftentimes a point of reflection or stress as we prepare for those end-of-week deadlines. It's the beginning of the end, truly. I like this about Wednesdays. Always a day of preparation.
Oh glorious God,
Thank you for this Wednesday, this incredibly busy but fulfilling Wednesday. I am so glad You have blessed me with it. Thank You so much for finally getting me to the OB rotation, it makes me glad every day, I am so blessed. Thank You, God.
Today I am praying for New Orleans. Oh God, this wonderful city. I am so thankful every day for the chance You gave me to live and learn here. I am so happy that it is such a cool place, God. It's so interesting, everyone here is so interesting and has amazing stories to tell. I love it.
God, please keep New Orleans safe. There is a risk to living here, as we all saw in 2005, and I know You have the power to keep that from happening again. I lift up everyone who calls New Orleans home, whether or not they actually live here. May they all be coming back to You.
Lastly, thank You for the physical city itself.. I am so floored by the magical union of naturalism and industrialism here, the beauty in the balance of these two things that we live in. It is amazing, God, such a cool place. I am grateful.
love you,
K
[xoxo]
So many times in my past you have meant something special to me, whether that was high school youth group (Fusion, what what!), Wesley chapel, or just the preparations for the end of the week. It truly is the turning point of the week, oftentimes a point of reflection or stress as we prepare for those end-of-week deadlines. It's the beginning of the end, truly. I like this about Wednesdays. Always a day of preparation.
Oh glorious God,
Thank you for this Wednesday, this incredibly busy but fulfilling Wednesday. I am so glad You have blessed me with it. Thank You so much for finally getting me to the OB rotation, it makes me glad every day, I am so blessed. Thank You, God.
Today I am praying for New Orleans. Oh God, this wonderful city. I am so thankful every day for the chance You gave me to live and learn here. I am so happy that it is such a cool place, God. It's so interesting, everyone here is so interesting and has amazing stories to tell. I love it.
God, please keep New Orleans safe. There is a risk to living here, as we all saw in 2005, and I know You have the power to keep that from happening again. I lift up everyone who calls New Orleans home, whether or not they actually live here. May they all be coming back to You.
Lastly, thank You for the physical city itself.. I am so floored by the magical union of naturalism and industrialism here, the beauty in the balance of these two things that we live in. It is amazing, God, such a cool place. I am grateful.
love you,
K
[xoxo]
Tuesday, January 21, 2014
tuesday tuesday tuesday
hey y'all
I hope you're having a delightful Tuesday! What a super dull day of the week, but very necessary, I believe.
And God said, "Let there be an expanse in the midst of the waters, and let it separate the waters from the waters." And God made the expanse and separated the waters that were under the expanse from the waters that were above the expanse. And it was so. And God called the expanse Heaven. And there was evening and there was morning, the second day.
Genesis 1:6-8 (ESV)
I love the English Standard Version because I love the verbiage. I really like the way the words are written out. It is translated from original writings, but in more of today's language than the King James Version. Definitely one of my top favorite translations.
Anyway, onwards to today's prayer...
My glorious Father,
Thank you so much for this Tuesday. Thank You for the opportunity to help women become mothers today, God, I am so grateful for that. Thank You for supplying the means necessary for me to shadow a clinical nurse practitioner tomorrow- I am very excited to do so!
So since it's Tuesday I want to pray for the United States. Goodness God, there is so much going on here politically. Gay rights, abortion, TSA observing text messages and emails and other communications, already the talk of who is running for President in 2016, the issues over the Navy Seals that died overseas in August 2012... Oh Lord, the list does continue. I find it so hard to decide where I stand on these topics so that I can vote consciously and be a good citizen, thankfully, votes are far between these days so there isn't a lot of pressure. So I just want to pray to vote and act the way You want me to. I know there are Christians all over America praying for the state of the Union and I pray we all act to keep America in Your hands.
I lift up our President and his Cabinet, the House, the Senate, the Supreme Court, and every other person holding office in government at any level, in any state, in any parish/county/city throughout America. We are looking to our leadership to represent and support us, and though money often seems to have a louder voice these days, I pray that they remember what their job is. And no matter what is coming for this nation, God, please be with us.
In Your name I pray, amen.
[xoxo]
I hope you're having a delightful Tuesday! What a super dull day of the week, but very necessary, I believe.
And God said, "Let there be an expanse in the midst of the waters, and let it separate the waters from the waters." And God made the expanse and separated the waters that were under the expanse from the waters that were above the expanse. And it was so. And God called the expanse Heaven. And there was evening and there was morning, the second day.
Genesis 1:6-8 (ESV)
I love the English Standard Version because I love the verbiage. I really like the way the words are written out. It is translated from original writings, but in more of today's language than the King James Version. Definitely one of my top favorite translations.
Anyway, onwards to today's prayer...
My glorious Father,
Thank you so much for this Tuesday. Thank You for the opportunity to help women become mothers today, God, I am so grateful for that. Thank You for supplying the means necessary for me to shadow a clinical nurse practitioner tomorrow- I am very excited to do so!
So since it's Tuesday I want to pray for the United States. Goodness God, there is so much going on here politically. Gay rights, abortion, TSA observing text messages and emails and other communications, already the talk of who is running for President in 2016, the issues over the Navy Seals that died overseas in August 2012... Oh Lord, the list does continue. I find it so hard to decide where I stand on these topics so that I can vote consciously and be a good citizen, thankfully, votes are far between these days so there isn't a lot of pressure. So I just want to pray to vote and act the way You want me to. I know there are Christians all over America praying for the state of the Union and I pray we all act to keep America in Your hands.
I lift up our President and his Cabinet, the House, the Senate, the Supreme Court, and every other person holding office in government at any level, in any state, in any parish/county/city throughout America. We are looking to our leadership to represent and support us, and though money often seems to have a louder voice these days, I pray that they remember what their job is. And no matter what is coming for this nation, God, please be with us.
In Your name I pray, amen.
[xoxo]
Monday, January 20, 2014
delayed prayers
Goodness gracious, y'all, I am terrible at this, apparently.
friday | saturday | sunday | monday
school | family & friends | me | world
my Heavenly Father,
Thank You for another day, I am so grateful for it. It is so beautiful outside and I get to spend the day with my mom and see my dad, sister, T, and close friends (S, and hopefully J, L and A) all within today. And tomorrow I work the labor & delivery rotation in the new family unit.... Oh goodness, God, what glory! I can't wait to be a part of Your magic, and hopefully help these new families feel Your love throughout the painful process of fulfilling Your promise to Eve. :-| but I know You will be with me and with us in every new creation, since You're in the creating business, and I know You will help make the transition very smooth.
My God, I lift up my LSUHSC community to You again today, hoping and praying that the lives of everyone associated are blessed by You. That You bring to us all Your glory and hope and love and grace, so that we can pass it on to everyone we care for and help care for in the New Orleans area. There is a great power and responsibility in knowing how to take care of someone, and I pray for all of us who are being blessed with that... May we all be wise, conscientious, and never run short on grace.
I want to pray for my family and friends, too, God. I am so grateful for them. J did such a wonderful job at the Shift service yesterday, I just love her heart so much. What a blessing it is to know her and to witness Your love through her. I also want to pray for M, who is making big plans for her future. I worry about her a lot, even though she sometimes annoys me, and just want her to be happy. I hope she doesn't forget how much You love her. Lastly, God, thank you for those (T especially) who love me for me and push me towards my dreams without a second glance. This environment of love I've found myself in is unreal. I am so blessed by it, God, and I know You orchestrated it. Please help me make sure I give as much love back out into the world.
I also want to pray for my schedule, my commitment to my classes, and my commitment to becoming an RN. I know this is the path You want me on, God... I know it the way you know about a good melon. ;-) I love being in the hospital setting, God, but I am acting too much like I am taking a class and not enough like I am a nurse. I must be more like a nurse when I'm in clinical, God. If I don't, I fear I will come off as lazy or lackadaisical to my clinical teachers, who may or may not see the promise of a great nurse in me. I know it's there, and I know You know it's there... I just want to make sure it comes out so I can have a promise of a great future ahead in nursing, Ya know? I worry a lot about the future, God, but what's most important is now. I am trusting You with what's coming, I'm giving that up right now, even if I pick it back up in a little while I pray You remind me that You've got this and that I don't need to carry it. Ah, what a blessing that is... I can breathe a sigh of relief at the thought.
Lastly, I'm praying for that big blue world out there, God. It is big, blue, scary and intimidating, but most of all it is Yours. I pray that Your will is done out here, my Lord of all. I can't imagine my life without You and many people are out in the world doing exactly that. They are brave, God, and I boldly pray You are able to get them back and close to Your heart. I boldly pray for my fellow Christians who are out seeking to get those close to Your heart... may they stay near to You as they are out being Your hands & feet. And just like J said in shift yesterday, the Christian life is the atypical. I know so many people whose lives are typical, but the atypical always catches the attention of someone else. It is how You love. I pray for that in my own life, God, and I pray for my fellow Christians (especially my friends and family, with whom we walk this path) to be atypical. Let us be daring, bold, and genuine, God. Let us move about the earth with boldness & a genuine spirit. Let us be Yours in this world, God. Let us be only Yours.
What glory is this, my Lord.
love, K
[xoxo]
friday | saturday | sunday | monday
school | family & friends | me | world
my Heavenly Father,
Thank You for another day, I am so grateful for it. It is so beautiful outside and I get to spend the day with my mom and see my dad, sister, T, and close friends (S, and hopefully J, L and A) all within today. And tomorrow I work the labor & delivery rotation in the new family unit.... Oh goodness, God, what glory! I can't wait to be a part of Your magic, and hopefully help these new families feel Your love throughout the painful process of fulfilling Your promise to Eve. :-| but I know You will be with me and with us in every new creation, since You're in the creating business, and I know You will help make the transition very smooth.
My God, I lift up my LSUHSC community to You again today, hoping and praying that the lives of everyone associated are blessed by You. That You bring to us all Your glory and hope and love and grace, so that we can pass it on to everyone we care for and help care for in the New Orleans area. There is a great power and responsibility in knowing how to take care of someone, and I pray for all of us who are being blessed with that... May we all be wise, conscientious, and never run short on grace.
I want to pray for my family and friends, too, God. I am so grateful for them. J did such a wonderful job at the Shift service yesterday, I just love her heart so much. What a blessing it is to know her and to witness Your love through her. I also want to pray for M, who is making big plans for her future. I worry about her a lot, even though she sometimes annoys me, and just want her to be happy. I hope she doesn't forget how much You love her. Lastly, God, thank you for those (T especially) who love me for me and push me towards my dreams without a second glance. This environment of love I've found myself in is unreal. I am so blessed by it, God, and I know You orchestrated it. Please help me make sure I give as much love back out into the world.
I also want to pray for my schedule, my commitment to my classes, and my commitment to becoming an RN. I know this is the path You want me on, God... I know it the way you know about a good melon. ;-) I love being in the hospital setting, God, but I am acting too much like I am taking a class and not enough like I am a nurse. I must be more like a nurse when I'm in clinical, God. If I don't, I fear I will come off as lazy or lackadaisical to my clinical teachers, who may or may not see the promise of a great nurse in me. I know it's there, and I know You know it's there... I just want to make sure it comes out so I can have a promise of a great future ahead in nursing, Ya know? I worry a lot about the future, God, but what's most important is now. I am trusting You with what's coming, I'm giving that up right now, even if I pick it back up in a little while I pray You remind me that You've got this and that I don't need to carry it. Ah, what a blessing that is... I can breathe a sigh of relief at the thought.
Lastly, I'm praying for that big blue world out there, God. It is big, blue, scary and intimidating, but most of all it is Yours. I pray that Your will is done out here, my Lord of all. I can't imagine my life without You and many people are out in the world doing exactly that. They are brave, God, and I boldly pray You are able to get them back and close to Your heart. I boldly pray for my fellow Christians who are out seeking to get those close to Your heart... may they stay near to You as they are out being Your hands & feet. And just like J said in shift yesterday, the Christian life is the atypical. I know so many people whose lives are typical, but the atypical always catches the attention of someone else. It is how You love. I pray for that in my own life, God, and I pray for my fellow Christians (especially my friends and family, with whom we walk this path) to be atypical. Let us be daring, bold, and genuine, God. Let us move about the earth with boldness & a genuine spirit. Let us be Yours in this world, God. Let us be only Yours.
What glory is this, my Lord.
love, K
[xoxo]
Thursday, January 16, 2014
so. behind. on. prayers.
oh my gosh y'all, this resolution is so much trickier to manage than I anticipated. This week in clinical was crazy, trying to figure out how to manage my schedule on the northshore with all my things in the city. What to bring, what to leave... Y'all. It made a total mess of my schedule. I can't exactly say I'm looking forward to living out of a suitcase for half a week, every week, for the next 4 weeks. But I am looking forward to every day in the labor & delivery unit and helping more women become mommas and taking care of the littlest babies I have ever seen... I love.
So... We're off!
monday, tuesday, wednesday, thursday
world, united states, greater new orleans, church community
My beautiful and glorious Heavenly Father,
What a week it has been, God. It has been so wonderful being in a labor & delivery unit. I can't wait to see how the rest of this rotation goes and be even more involved in the most amazing, but most everyday, of miracles. I am so honored You brought me to this place and I ask for Your continued grace and an openness do mind and spirit as I learn how to be an L&D nurse.
First and foremost, my God, I want to pray for the world. And not the world that I know, my short-reaching, nearsighted, few-hundred-thousand-populated-at-most tiny portion of the world, but the whole actual world. With all the heartbeats You're counting and all the breaths You're allowing. Blessings that we don't even know, God, too great are they for our minds to comprehend, but is all in a moment's work for Your heart. I pray for every soul on this Earth, God. I know You have placed all of us here for a reason and purpose, and I pray that these purposes are realized and the glory comes back to You. Your heart must break a million times a day for all the heartbreak You witness. I am so sorry for our imperfections.
I want to pray for my country, God, the good ol USofA. God, I love my country. I love what was scribed into our foundation so many years ago. I feel incredibly blessed to live here. I am so thankful You allowed me to be born in and be a citizen of. I thank You, God. We live in a state of constant turmoil here God, and it can be hard. Legalities and repression and bullying and indecision and greed can oftentimes seem our rulers here. Please hold us and watch over us, God. We're a bit of a mess. And I know everything gets better when You're a part of it, so I pray that happens here.
For New Orleans and the surrounding communities and suburbs, God, please take us into Your knowing and loving hands. I am blessed to live in an area where I can comfortably be myself, but I know many here are uncomfortable, and I know many others feel not just uncomfortable but repressed and struck down. I pray these feelings are lifted. I pray for more love to be abundant in this great city. I pray for those who are without warm coats, food, and homes to find those things, God. I pray for all of us to find the love in our hearts and share it among ourselves in the New Orleans cityscape. I remain unconvinced that there is anywhere more interesting, and rich with history, that one can live in the United States. Thank You for blessing me with the opportunity to live and learn and work and love in this great city.
Lastly, my God, I return to You with prayers for my church community. It is far-reaching in this town and I love that so many people are a part of it. I know we have been blessed with amazing pastors and staff. It is really easy to see Your hand in the church, blessing it, allowing Your love to shine through it and working through it for the members of the community and New Orleans proper. I am so thankful for this community and what it means to me. I pray Your love never leaves it. I pray we always know Your presence and seek it. I am so thankful for STUMC, God. Thank You for it in my life.
Thank You again for what this week has meant to me and what is yet to come in it, God. Keep me near You, drawing ever nearer into Your presence and grace. Oh, God, I love you.
In Your most glorious name I pray, amen.
[y'all have a wonderful Thursday now... more regular prayers are on their way.]
[xoxo]
Sunday, January 12, 2014
saturday loves & sunday selfie
hello friendship.
Today has already been an eventful day and it's only 0840. I was borderline sick for a couple of days but I think it really settled in overnight. Sore throat, stuffy nose, whole nine yards. Boo.
Well anyway, enough about me. More about my family and friends, for whom I'll be praying today. (FYI, in prayers like today's, I'm only going to use the first initial of his or her first name.)
My glorious Heavenly Father,
Thank you for giving me a new day to wake up to this morning. Thanks for the glory I find in everyday little things, that remind me just how perfectly you created our world. I also love that You placed the people in my life that You did. I know everyone is here for a reason, and it am very thankful. I am so humbled by Your forethought that we would need companionship and that You have fulfilled this need in my life in various ways, but consistently, from day 1. Lord, You are gracious and glorious and amazing. Thank You so much, God.
I'm praying for the hearts of those closest to me this morning. I am so happy You decided to bring them into my life.
On Sunday...
I apologize for the delay, I was working on praying for my family and friends, and I couldn't figure out what to say. Though I pray for them frequently, I found hesitation when I was trying to figure out what to say when they might read it. Felt a little awkward. I'm just going to power through it, though. I will also add today's prayer at the bottom of the continuation of yesterday's.
Anyway...
God, I'm sorry for interrupting yesterday's prayer. I'm going to finish it now.
Thank you for my friends and family who are closest to me, and everyone who is in my life, for that matter. You know what is on their hearts and minds today. You know what is worrying them, what is a celebration to them. I pray You are with them, all of them, in those joys and concerns that are on their heart. I am just so thankful for them, God. I am so thankful for them. And I hope they know this.
I'd also like to lift up the concerns that are on my heart this Sunday... I am stressing about school, about gas money for driving to and from clinical, about how and when I will get all my schoolwork done, and about making the right choices. You know what's on my heart, my God. You know all my stresses, and best of all, You know how they're going to turn out. I am so grateful for that, God. I'm so grateful that You're here with me now and with me in the future.
I would also like to say a special request: please help me to completely let go of the past and let it stay there. God, I'm grateful for my past and for what it's meant to me in my present. It has brought me exactly to this point of my life, but boy am I grateful it's in the past. I pray it stays there. I pray I leave it there. Nothing matters more to me than my present (since that's the only time I truly have), and I want to invest in my present. I can't invest in my past, because it's passed. I just want to live and love in today. Please direct my focus to that, God. Please help me leave it where it belongs.
Lord, I love you forever, I am so thankful for You in my life. Thank you for what prayer is and what it means to me.
love, K
[xoxo]
On Sunday...
I apologize for the delay, I was working on praying for my family and friends, and I couldn't figure out what to say. Though I pray for them frequently, I found hesitation when I was trying to figure out what to say when they might read it. Felt a little awkward. I'm just going to power through it, though. I will also add today's prayer at the bottom of the continuation of yesterday's.
Anyway...
God, I'm sorry for interrupting yesterday's prayer. I'm going to finish it now.
Thank you for my friends and family who are closest to me, and everyone who is in my life, for that matter. You know what is on their hearts and minds today. You know what is worrying them, what is a celebration to them. I pray You are with them, all of them, in those joys and concerns that are on their heart. I am just so thankful for them, God. I am so thankful for them. And I hope they know this.
I'd also like to lift up the concerns that are on my heart this Sunday... I am stressing about school, about gas money for driving to and from clinical, about how and when I will get all my schoolwork done, and about making the right choices. You know what's on my heart, my God. You know all my stresses, and best of all, You know how they're going to turn out. I am so grateful for that, God. I'm so grateful that You're here with me now and with me in the future.
I would also like to say a special request: please help me to completely let go of the past and let it stay there. God, I'm grateful for my past and for what it's meant to me in my present. It has brought me exactly to this point of my life, but boy am I grateful it's in the past. I pray it stays there. I pray I leave it there. Nothing matters more to me than my present (since that's the only time I truly have), and I want to invest in my present. I can't invest in my past, because it's passed. I just want to live and love in today. Please direct my focus to that, God. Please help me leave it where it belongs.
Lord, I love you forever, I am so thankful for You in my life. Thank you for what prayer is and what it means to me.
love, K
[xoxo]
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