Archive for August, 2008

CASTING CROWNS…is coming!

August 29, 2008 · Filed under Good times, Inspiration, Spiritual · Tagged , ,

Glad these last two last days of work are history! The hospital has been very quiet the last couple of weeks and the 12 hour shifts seem like eternity! I guess the Drs. just aren’t in the admitting-patients mood. Although even when the census is down, none of the nursing staff is required to not work or sent home, sometimes one of us RN’s will leave early or split a shift. Afterall, there is no need for three RN’s to take care of ONE patient! (…usually anyway!) Today, I came home about 3:30 pm. And then I went for a loooong bike ride in the warm sunshine. There wasn’t much wind at all so it was very nice.

Tomorrow, Serena and I are looking forward to going to the Casting Crowns Concert with some friends from our church!!! It is not very often that Christian bands come our way…so we jump at the chance to go. They have some really great songs like Voice of Truth, Praise You in This Storm, and East to West. But by far, I think my all time favorite is Who Am I. Here’s a youtube video that is just pretty amazing…listen to the words of the song…so so true!

Who Am I by Casting Crowns

 

 

I hear something…ah, IT’S RAINING!!! Thank you Lord for the rain! And thank you for who I am in You!

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Lunch today…

August 25, 2008 · Filed under Life in general · Tagged ,

I tried a new recipe for lunch today. It is called Sausage Taco Bake…and even if I do say so myself, it was yummy! Dad thought it was pretty good too and it was incredibly easy. Along with the casserole, we had green beans and some cantelope from our garden.

the ingredients…

cooking in the oven

yummy!

This evening I sat outside for a little while, working on my laptop…and of course I had my faithful friend!

That was my exciting day! =D

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Praise the Lord!

August 25, 2008 · Filed under Inspiration, Life in general, Spiritual · Tagged , , , , ,

I awoke to the sound of rain this morning (about 8:00 am…yea, I was going to get up earlier but…the doze on my alarm was too tempting!) and it was indeed music to my ears! After working out downstairs, I sat outside on the porch for a short while with Lady, enjoying the sound of the rain pattering on the ground. Lady dislikes storms or rain and tries to get me to let her come in the house by whimpering at the door. And, yes, I caved in for a short while and let her sit right inside the house on the rug…but just for a few minutes and then she had to go back outside on the porch. And although the rain has ceased for now, it is still hazy outside and the scent of rain is still hanging in the air. Dad reports that we got almost 3/4 of an inch of rain. Praise the Lord indeed!

With the rain, I’m glad I can just stay at home today. Serena was mentioning that she wished she could do the same. But she has to teach some quilting classes in Dodge this afternoon and evening…so she will be leaving shortly. Today would actually be a really good day to do some cooking and baking…we’ll see what I can come up with. 😉 I also need to practice piano sometime today, call a friend who is moving from Texas to Oregon (yea…looooong road trip!), and check into some ideas for Kid’s Club this fall. Dad was planning to get out and spray the fields this morning before the wind picked up…but I think his plans changed a little due to the rain! He’s not complaining though. I imagine he’ll be in the house most of the day. Right now, he’s sitting on the couch doing some Bible studying.

I was reading Psalm 112 & 113 this morning during my time with the Lord. I am to praise the Lord “…from the rising of the sun to it’s going down…” Why? Because He is worthy of my praise and adoration. Because there is NO ONE like the Lord my God. Because He gave me the gift of eternal life.  Because He created the beauty of the heavens and the earth. Because He is omniscient, omnipresent, unchanging, and all-powerful! Because He gives me joy in the morning. Because He encourages and comforts me. Because He commands that I obey Him…for it is only then that I will be truly happy. Because He disciplines and corrects me when I am wrong. Because He NEVER stops loving me. Praise the Lord!!!

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Song of the Shepherd

August 24, 2008 · Filed under Inspiration, Spiritual · Tagged ,

 

Psalm 23 (NKJV)

The LORD is my shepherd;
I shall not want.
He makes me to lie down in green pastures;
He leads me beside the still waters.
He restores my soul;
He leads me in the paths of righteousness
For His name’s sake.

 

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil;
For You are with me;
Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.
You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;
You anoint my head with oil;
My cup runs over.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
All the days of my life;
And I will dwell in the house of the LORD
Forever.

 

I am just an ordinary sheep in desperate need of an extraordinary Shepherd. One who guides me step by step in life as I wonder aimlessly. One who fulfills my every need at every moment. One who gives me a sense of peace and comfort, even amidst the most difficult circumstances. One who encourages me and lifts my spirits when nothing seems to be going ‘right.’ One who helps me make the hard choices so that I stay on the straight and narrow path. One who takes away all my fears and never leaves me. One who has made me to be royalty. One whose “goodness and mercy” never runs dry. One who has given to me eternal life. There is only One that can satisfy such needs. That ONE is Jesus Christ Himself. He is all of this and so much more. Sheep without a shepherd cannot survive; nor can I without my Savior.

 

 

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A day in my life…

August 20, 2008 · Filed under Life in general, Random · Tagged , ,

Praise the Lord! We have gotten some significant rain the past couple of weeks…and the weather has been very nice and cool. That has been a welcome change, especially for August which is usually unbearably hot, dry, and windy. Although with the rain comes mud on my car, meaning I have to wash it much more often…but I’m not gonna complain. I’d still rather have the rain.

Here’s a run down of my busy day today:

4:30 am – push doze on my cell phone alarm several times…

5:00 am – finally rise and shine to the wonderful song “Good Morning Beautiful” on my cell phone alarm

5:15 am – work out lifting weights and using the elliptical (while on the elliptical, I finished reading a book by Mark A. Tabb, Song of the Shepherd.)

6:30 am – cool down time, feed Lady and Skittles, walk around outside in the fresh calm morning air and give Lady some attention, hop on my laptop to check my email and facebook, eat breakfast (and…take my vitamins!)

7:00 am – shower and get ready for the day (you know…put my make-up on and do my hair)

8:00 am – spend some time in the Word of God and prayer

8:20 am – practice piano

9:30 am – chat with Dad for a few minutes then leave for Dodge, after dropping some letters off in the mailbox

10:00 am – dentist appointment for a routine cleaning (no cavities…YEA!!!)

11:00 am – piano lessons with my wonderful teacher, Kay Lynn

12:00 pm – piano lessons are over but Kay Lynn and I chatted a while…

12:20 pm – shopping in Maurices at the mall (found some shorts and a cute top that were on sale plus I had a $5 off coupon…WHAT A STEAL!!!)

1:00 pm – car appointment at Lopp Motors for a routine oil change…that was actually looooong overdue…and while I was waiting on my car, I was texting all of my friends on my cell!

2:10 pm – talked to one of our neighbors, who wants me to babysit her two adorable little boys Friday evening…YEA!!! 😀

2:15 pm – to Hobby Lobby to pick up a couple of ‘Happy Anniversary’ cards

2:45 pm – stopped by the Chevy dealership and spent all my money!! j/k…well, not quite yet anyway. My 2009 Chevy Cobalt is going to be ordered and should arrive in about 6 weeks. I’m SUPER excited…but I wish it were going to be here sooner. 😦

3:20 pm – listen to country music on the radio as I drive home 😉

3:40 pm – change into some scrubbier (is that a word?) clothes and visit with Serena a short while

4:00 pm – gas up my car and wash it so that it actually looks blue again, and not brown

5:10 pm – visit with a friend from Meade on the phone

5:30 pm – eat supper and watch the news

6:10 pm – take Dad’s ‘new’ pickup for a test drive! Serena even tagged along. Dad just bought a 1998 Ford to use on the farm…it is quite an improvement from his 1985 Dodge. Lady even approves of it! 😉

6:30 pm – Serena and I started talking about Skittles and her kitten…and somehow that led to guys…and camp…and I don’t really remember what else!?!

7:15 pm – rode my bike down the road about 5 miles…it was nice and calm and cool

8:00 pm – shower again…after sweating from the bike ride

8:45 pm – family devotions and discussions

9:30 pm – writing on this blog of mine while watching a movie, “Somewhere Tomorrow”

…to come, 11:00 pm – ::go to bed::  🙂

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“…in His time.”

August 10, 2008 · Filed under Inspiration, Spiritual · Tagged , ,

“…in His time.” These three simple yet profound words have been ringing in my head all day. Why? Well yes, we chanted the words of this song during church this morning. But I think that recently God has been *trying* to impress something on me too. A very difficult and sad situation has arisen in my life this Summer and it has seemed to only get worse and more complicated as time has gone on. I’ve struggled with feelings of anger, disappointment, despair, regret, loss, rejection, and discouragement. I’ve wondered why God has allowed this. I can’t see any good in it. And I so desperately want to be able to step in and completely change the entire situation.  But I can’t. I want to be the super-hero and save the day. But I can’t. God has been showing me He is in control and I am not. He knows the situation far better than I do. He is the only real Super-Hero and the only One Who can intervene. BUT…He will do so “in His time.” God is teaching me to surrender this to Him, to lay it down at His feet. to realize that there is absolutely nothing I can do but pray, and to trust Him. TRUST HIM…yes! I know I can trust Him…completely. 100%.  But that head knowledge must also become heart knowledge. I’m reminded of Isaiah 55:8-9 ~

“‘For My thoughts are not your thoughts,
      Nor are your ways My ways,’ says the LORD. 
       ‘For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
      So are My ways higher than your ways,
      And My thoughts than your thoughts.'”

Indeed…so true! And I am soooo glad that His ways and thoughts are higher than my own. Even though I can’t see the light at the end of the tunnel…yet, God is trustable. He knows the future. He has a purpose, a plan, that is perfect and will be beautiful…”in His time.”

“In His time, in His time,

He makes all things beautiful, in His time.

Lord, please show me everyday,

As You’re teaching me Your way,

That You do just what You say, in Your time.

In Your time, in Your time,

You make all things beautiful, in Your time.

Lord, my life to You I bring,

May each song I have to sing,

Be to You a lovely thing, in Your time.”

Aren’t those words astoundingly beautiful!? They have been to me a comfort and a shimmer of joy in the midst of what seems to be a never ending saga. And so…I can sleep tonight knowing and believing that my great God can turn even the most awful nightmare into something good and beautiful “…in His time.”

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Biking and driving

August 9, 2008 · Filed under Life in general, Random · Tagged , , ,

I am off work this weekend…yea!! And although I haven’t done anything extremely exciting and don’t have anything exceptionally thrilling planned, sometimes the mundane days are the best. I met a friend from work for lunch and a chat in Dodge today then made a quick trip to the mall and bought some new Skechers. They were on sale and I’ve been in need of some new running shoes for a while. 😉 When I returned home, I found Dad snoozing on the couch in the living room (I don’t even think he heard me come home…) and Serena downstaires sewing (of course!). After checking my email and facebook, I was itching to get outside so I started riding my bike down our country road. It was warm, yes, but I didn’t really realize how steaming HOT it really was…until I hit main street Ensign, just five miles from home! =D Nothing very exciting was happening in Ensign except that the bank sign read 98 degrees. Okay…so now I have to go another five miles to get back home and I’m already literally drenched in sweat and my mouth is screaming for water. Or…I could call Dad, tell him how really stupid I was to ride my bike this far in the heat, and have him come pick me up. I voted to ride my bike another five miles (probably another not-so-wise decision). At first it wasn’t too bad…until I had to exert a lot of effort to go up the hill in addition to battling the wind. Another sore choice…I should have gone the other direction so I would have had the wind helping to push me back home. I was counting down the miles and FINALLY I hit the corner of a mile from home…suddenly, I had a new burst of energy! It was downhill from here! Passed the neighbor’s house and a few moments later, parked my bike in the garage, walked into the house, and as I grabbed my water bottle out of the fridge, Dad says, “a little warm isn’t it?” To which I replied, “yea…a little TOO warm!” After chugging down a liter of cold water, I flopped into the glider in the living room, and just sat there for a short while in a daze I think. The bike ride actually felt really good (now that I was home!) and even the baking hot sweating thirsty feeling I liked. But most of all it was worth an hour of my time because…I got a good tan! 😉

This afternoon, I chatted with my little sister on the phone a while. Hadn’t talked to her for about a week. She is loving the ritzy uptown life in Alabama and is really enjoying her internship with the Southern Living Corporation. Hummm…we’re contemplating taking a family road trip out there in October or November. I think it would be a lot of fun and Dad’s even willing to leave the farm for a few days! 😉 But of course, it would probably have to be after wheat planting and milo harvest.

Now I’m getting real serious about buying a new car. I know, I know, I’ve been thinking about it all Summer but it seems I’ve been gone so much that I kinda put it on the back burner for a while. Since I’ve done a lot of looking and researching on the net, I’m ready to hit the car lots and do some test driving! Oh yeah!!! Here’s what my options look like at this point: (A) the Honda Civic, (B) the Pontiac G5, (C) the Mitsubishi Eclipse (D) the Hyundai Tiburon, and (E) the Chevy Colbert. I really like the looks and style of the Mitsubishi and Hyundai the best…but the nearest dealership is three hours away. The Honda Civic is probably the cheapest and gets the best gas mileage but I think I’ve ruled it out because it lacks a few features that I want. So…I’m thinking that it is ultimately going to be between the Chevy and the Pontiac. I’ve actually fallen in love with the NEW ’09 Mazda RX-8…that is one sweet hot car!!! Check it out…it is totally AWESOME! But…unfortunately, it doesn’t do very well on gas and is a few thousand dollars out of my price range! Guess I’ll have to fall in love with something else! 😉

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Colorado, road trips, kittens, and pix!

August 5, 2008 · Filed under Good times, Travel · Tagged , , , ,

Oh my goodness! It has indeed been almost a week since I’ve been back from my trip to Colorado. Hannah, Katrina, and I once again made some fun memories and shared lots of giggles and random moments! Late night chats, movie and popcorn nights, looooong walks through Old Town, ice cream and coffee shops, and Estes Park adventures including the magic gumball machine, t-shirts, and some special cards for that ‘special someone’ (Katrina…Hannah…only you know!!) were just a few of the great times. And how could I forget the Ladybug puppet with 6 fingers, the “JOYRIDE” limo, the episodes of trying on hats (from cowgirls to city slickers…!), the candy shop, the bear poop and moose droppings, and the green love bug! 😉

Although the drive to colorful Colorado could have been much more eventful and fun had I a passenger, I enjoyed the use of my cell phone much of the way along with tuning into some country music. 😉 I’m beginning to love loooong road trips (yes, I know, CO isn’t all that long…only 7 hours) but I’d much rather hop in the car and hit the road then catch a plane. Speaking of road trips, I’m thinking…hoping…that maybe Dad and Serena and I will take a little journey out to Birmingham, AL sometime this fall. That is of course where my little sister is living and I think it would be so much fun…even the 19 hour drive! Living on a farm and being the daughter of a farmer, traveling and family vacations are not always very feasible nor do they seem to happen very often. But if we can work around the cattle and wheat planting, then it looks like Alabama might just be a real possibility. YAY!!

After getting back from Colorado last Wednesday evening, I jumped right into 4 days of work…Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. It was actually very good to get back…I realize how much I miss my co-workers when I’m gone. They are SOOOO much fun! And believe it or not, they told me a whole bunch of lies of how much they have missed me during the month of July while I was gone at camp and Colorado! he he! I have been gone a great deal and so I’m ready to just stay at home and work for a little while anyway. Thursday and Friday proved to be quite busy, but the weekend brought a little bit of relief and during a few of the down times, I enjoyed visiting with some of my patients and their families…some of whom I’ve gotten to know quite well over the past few years. 😉 That’s what I love about a small-town hospital!

Oh, and I should mention that Skittles had her kittens July 23rd. I’m certainly glad that she waited until we were back from camp. She had 5 kittens but we lost all of them within the first week except the little black one. He seems to still be doing well and growing rapidly despite the fact that Skittles lacks some major mothering skills! Here’s a few pics of the darling balls of fur…

…and of course pictures from Colorado…!

Colorado and friends

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