"There is no need to feel alone when life is hard, and there is no need to walk alone when life is great... God is always there. Don’t allow your idea of ‘good’ to be affected by money or success or accomplishments in the world eyes. Live for God alone."

-Hillary Triemstra

The classic question "How are you doing?". Sometimes asked out of politeness, others simply as a greeting (not really conscious of the statement) and then there are others who are in genuine concern and interest. These are the people who really care about how you are and what is going on in your life. A while back I was talking to a friend who I had not had a chance to really talk to in a while and I ask her the question of "how are you doing?"

She answered; I am good because God is good.  

I was reading the blog that I got this quote from and it brought me back to what my friend had said. No matter what is going on God is there and God is Good and because of that she could say I am good. I think often times I find myself so caught up in the mundane things of life I fail to realized what God is doing in the midst of it and fail to look at the big picture. I so easily forget that he is sitting beside me and wanting me to give my frustrations, my joys and my sorrows to Him.

As exam time is coming around and the stress of marks and simply the desire to be complete can often block the view of the Big Picture. I am being challenged to stop during the midst of the chaos and remember that in the middle of my day God is still good, and is still looking out for me. This time is extremely stressful so it will not always be easy to say to say that all is good because I know that I that I will not feel this way. But I do hope that I can rely on him for the peace that only he can offer. So as I approach the home stretch (23 days left) I hope to make to effort to remember in the middle of my days knowing God is good.

Doctor! Doctor!

The following are comments from doctors as recorded on patient charts.
Becoming a Nurse and all I thought some of them were kinda funny, I wonder if I'll ever see anything like this.... I know I should not hope for that but... I secretely do :)

• "Patient has chest pain if she lies on her left side for over a year."
• "On the 2nd day the knee was better and on the 3rd day it disappeared completely."
• "The patient has been depressed ever since she began seeing me in 1993."
• "Discharge status: Alive but without permission."
• "Healthy appearing decrepit 69 year-old male, mentally alert but forgetful."
• "The patient refused an autopsy."
• "The patient has no past history of suicides."
• "Patient has left his white blood cells at another hospital."
• "Patient's past medical history has been remarkably insignificant with only a 40 pound weight gain in the past three days."
• "Patient had waffles for breakfast and anorexia for lunch."
• "She has had no rigors or shaking chills, but her husband states she was very hot in bed last night."
• "She is numb from her toes down."
• "While in the ER, she was examined, X-rated and sent home."
• "The skin was moist and dry."
• "Occasional, constant, infrequent headaches."
• "Patient was alert and unresponsive."
• "She stated that she had been constipated for most of her life, until she got a divorce."
• "I saw your patient today, who is still under our car for physical therapy."
• "The patient was to have a bowel resection. However, he took a job as a stockbroker instead."
• "Patient has two teenage children but no other abnormalities."
• "Skin: Somewhat pale but present."
• "Patient was seen in consultation by Dr. Blank, who felt we should sit on the abdomen, and I agree."
• "By the time he was admitted, his rapid heart stopped, and he was feeling better."
• "The patient was in his usual state of good health until his airplane ran out of gas and crashed."
• "When she fainted, her eyes rolled around the room."
• "Patient was released to outpatient department without dressing."
• "The patient will need disposition, and therefore we will get Dr. Blank to dispose of him."
• "The patient expired on the floor uneventfully."

Retrieved from StumbleUpoon a while back :P

Complaining... and what God says about it

So I have this class my first year of my four years of nursing called Introduction to Psychology and has become my least favourite, more like most hated class I have ever taken (other then grade 12 English). I have been complaining about it and so have all my friends, something that I thought of recently though was what Paul wrote to the Philippians, he told them do everything without grumbling (complaining) or arguing (Phil 2:14). So guess who needs an attitude adjustment! I do! It amazes me and frightens me how easily I can fall into sin.

The next vs (15) is kind of interesting too
 so that you may become blameless and pure, “children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation.”
The reason that we are not to complain is to be blameless and pure. I think that makes sense. A person does not complain to the other person's face of what they are doing wrong, complaining often turns into gossiping and is gossiping to a certain extent. We are putting down what people have been trying to do. I am putting down McMaster and the professor and my Tutor by constantly complaining about them.
then it goes on so that we are not part of a warped and crooked world.

In all reality this course is
a. 4 months long
b. I have to take in once and never again
c. Although the mark does remain on my record it does not define me of who I am or what I am capable of.

On the other side of things I
a. have to ability to learn about this information
b. discover that i am blessed that there are people who like neuroscience because I can not stand it
c. its almost done (and was almost done from the start)

Its crazy how 4 months seems like forever but in the scheme of things is not all that long, yet time can pass so slowly but so fast. I think what it means when we get trapped in this warped and crooked generation, we fail to realize who God is and where we are. Things do not last forever but we can get trapped and think that they do. We can wrap our thinking into that this is the worst thing ever and can not get through it but when it all reality all we have to do is look to Christ and he can help make us through.

I now officially have a theme verse of Introduction of Psychology

Philippians 1:14-15

Do everything without complaining or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation

Counting Time that's Past

"Just because you've been dating for a couple months doesn't mean you're in love and are going to get married" -anonomous

Its an interesting thought in all reality. How to go about dating, courting or whatever, is different for all people, some being friends first, becoming friends through dating or something in between. This friend of mine has been dating her man for more then several years now and I have much respect for her. When I look at them, (just to make clear I am not a creeper and do not see them all that often) I find myself admiring the fact that after dating for so long the still have maintained good boundaries and still have a firm grasp on what it means to be friends, best friends.

I think often times people lose sight of that, what in means to be friends with the people they are in relationship's with. They get so caught up in the mushy gushy that they forget to do "friend" things. I am not really talking about anything specific but its just interesting to think about. Maybe its in the fact that people become so infatuated with the idea that now that they are in a relationship both can become more intimate physically. Yes this is something that comes along with dating but I do not think it should be the primary concern. I think the goal of dating is to learn more about the PERSON. Who they are, what they don't and don't like and my favourite; learning to read them, becoming so familiar that can recognize non verbal cues and know if and what is one their mind.

If the focus was rather to learn more about that person, to encourage them and stand behind them I think the relationship would grow in a much deeper and unique way. It is also a really good way to find out if you are actually compatable with this person. I was talking to another friend and she got it right when she said "I don't think love is enough. You have to be compatable with the person." If you fail to have similar goals and dreams and hobbies then that relationship is built upon nothing more then mushy goo and when fights and trias come they won't have anything to stand on. But if you are heading in the same direction then you can spur each other on, and encourage and correct when you notice one falling away from the path that will lead to the goal.

I have come to observe several couples who have managed to understand what this means and it encourages me that I can find the same. I am glad to have people such as these who I can look to examples as well as look to Christ to give ultimate wisdom on such subjects.

I am grateful.

Ahh... Much Better

Cold water never tastes better then right after you have gone for a long run. It's the "ahh..." moment that makes all that effort worth while and you have the feel good moment. Sometimes when I get into the word I have that same moment. That feel good moment to simply be excited about what you have just completed.

Today was definitely one of those days. I was able to talk with my mentor the previous day and she is always really encouraging and inspiring to me. She suggested me to go to Psalm 62 and to reflect and pray through the Psalm. So I spent some time today doing just that. Reading and Praying through the Psalm. It was as if reading through that was like taking that drink of cold water. Refreshing and satisfying and was exactly what I was craving.

Due to a combination of things I had decided to put bible reading on the back seat and stuck to writing out some prayers and journaling. Now I do think that those things are important but  I had neglected to actually open up the bible and open a door for God to communicate to me.
It's actually a really neat thing, to pray through a piece of scripture. The first time I did it was actually with my mentor at a retreat that we were at. Its neat, meditating on the scripture and understanding what it means but then using that as your prayer. I would not say that it is any more "effective" no I do not think that is the right word. It's just neat to say the same words of love to the God who loves us more then we could ever do.

I hope that you have the same refreshing experience of opening Gods word.
Letting Him pour over you His fresh, cool, cleansing water.

Life has Up's and Down's--God is a straight Line

So this is kind of an update since I have not written for a while. These past few weeks has been have up and downs to say the least, from carrying other friends burdens, to having crazy midterm weeks and not really having a reading break, its been a hard time.
I have decided that after basically not doing homework for two nights, I think this was more of a normal relaxing week then reading week was. So I took my reading week this week, which was rather nice considering what had occurred.
The frustrating that comes with relaxing is my immune system has finally kicked into gear, the means I am sick. Never a good thing when school is still occurring.

In the midst of all this craziness I have been to observe a few things that have really encouraged me to keep going. I was talking to a few people about how they we so upset that either they have not been getting the marks that they need or that they have not been looking the same way that they once did. Many of these people have based themselves on these things, either their appearance, marks or anything else. Don't get me wrong, I definitely have found my self falling into that trap. Basing myself on something that will eventually fade away or unpredictable.

Recently though I have been thinking a lot of about my identity and how it is actually in Christ. So at the end of the day, no matter how frustrated I get with my marks, my looks or even what my body is doing I can know that

GOD HAS STAYED THE SAME

and that in Him I can find myself.

I hope that other people can do the same, go to him and find themselves in the one who stays the same. That way rather then going to bed at night and wondering what is going on I can go to bed knowing that God is good and someway somehow I can and will get through this. Praise him!