The Second Childhood; Season of Change and Transition

As many of you know I have been volunteering with a program that is involved with visiting elderly individuals to provide some socializing and activity. Doing this provides the person with some company and can really improve their lives. And for me, I think it is benefiting just as much. I have learned a lot about what it is like to transition into this time of life and the various challenges. As a nursing student we looked a lot at development and including this later stage. It has really encouraged my thinking about this.

I was visiting dear friend yesterday and my boyfriend kindly joined since they had both met several times before. We were chatting about how he was travelling and was preparing to go away. My friend mentioned how he to was preparing but to go a different place, heaven. It amazed me how he was so calm and content with saying that. He has gone through much change recently and I have watched him become more dependent on other people.

The whole reason this though process has come about was due to talking to another lady who was taking the aqua fit class. We discussing such transition and she put it as the "second childhood". And I do see it that way. As we progress older we once again become independent on other people, like a child depends on the parents. The difference is that this elderly people have many many years to their name, of experience, independence, and their own offerings of support. What this wonderful lady reminded me of and reaffirmed was the importance of seeking wisdom from such people.

As working as a future nurse (with the understanding that not all can or will want to) is to ask and seek wisdom from such people. As these individuals face that transition from independence to dependence it is important to remember that their minds are full of wisdom and stories and adventures if someone is there to listen. I hope as a nurse and nursing student that I can gain small pieces of wisdom and remind these wonderful people that they do have something to offer.

I AM DONE....kinda

So as of last Thursday I completed my first of four years of nursing. It was such a relief. Having my two hardest exams side by side resulted in a three hrs of sleep between them and A LOT of studying. Due to exams the blog has been paused to the side but now I thought I would give a small update on life.

The reason that the "kinda" had to be inserted on the end was because I am going to complete an online course this summer- its an introduction to world religions. I am actually rather excited for it because their is a lot of reading which can be done outside and no Internet is required for the most part. I have to do I think 2 research papers, which are probably going to kill me but hey! I think the knowledge that I will get out of this will really help me have a better understanding of the differences between the different religions. It will also be a very big change from nursing.

With exams being done and no pressing deadlines I was able to enjoy a weekend in Sudbury. We headed up the Friday, the day after my last exam and while I was in Sudbury I was able to book off work and stay an extra day. So I spent the weekend stress free, watch way to much TV and enjoyed some good laughs. I am so grateful that I had that time up there, with no computer to just sit and relax and enjoy people's company.

This week though is back to cleaning packing and making a very long list of everything that needs to get done. Fortunately this work leaves me rather satisfied and I get to move around a far bit so that is much more enjoyable then sitting for 12 hrs. I think I am going to get a crack-a-lacking!
To do list here I come!

Where did my socks go?

Today is one of those days were I asked that question because God just blew my socks off.
This is why....

Ever since grade 3 I have been called to be a missionary. I forget my calling between grade 4-12 and was reminded of it during my grade 12 summer when I was sent off to Poland with a team to lead an English camp. There, God restored my broken heart and reminded me of what I was supposed to do with my life.

Every once and a while since then I have the little creeper; Satan,  who decides to wiggle into my mind and makes me second guess if this is really what I am supposed to do, and each time he comes God decides to kick him out and! blows my socks off. Over the past few days this creeper has decide to see if he can squeeze into my head once again and I doubt for a moment. So as I was planning my Sunday school lesson the main passage that we were working on was Matthew 26:18-20: The Great Commission. In that moment God was like nope, here is the command that I have given u.
TO ALL NATIONS!

wow.

I was then challenged by the last question that I have to ask my kids tomorrow at church at, What are you going to do to tell others about the good news? Sometimes I wonder how I am going to do it in another country when I have so much struggle doing it here. I was faced with the challenge of sharing the gospel to people around me who do not know, here where I am.

So with my new socks on and a prayer tucked away I am hoping to be brave enough to take on the mission he has called me to now and and later too!

Bambo Decor

So I have trying to finish this project pretty much sense september but I have finally gotten the motivation to go out by the stones I needed. It happened to be my lucky day because I found some neat ones at the dollar store along with a rather plain but pretty vase.

The bambo is actually from Africa's mount Oku. I brought it down the mountain (small... very very small) with me on our day trip while I in Cameroon. This bambo was the same bambo that I was holding when I had near death experience #2.


This near death experience occured due to slippery mud and a machete. We and most of the team was walking down the mountain and one of our friends from our oku class joined us. He was walking behind me with a machete in his hand and I think a long piece of bambo then the two hear combined. So I started falling and then I think he started falling and when we had bothed finished falling. My head was between his leads and the machete over my head.






To make this is was rather easy.
1. Go to Africa, climb a mountain get bambo
2. Get a friend to cut it half and smooth some edges
3. fit it in the suitcase
4. buy vase and stones
5. put bambo in vase.
6. Layer stones
7. Find a cool spot to do it!

Enjoy! :D

It's Perfect, He's Perfect

I was sitting up in the guard chair with one swimmer in the pool the Thursday before Good Friday. The marked day when my Saviour died for me and so many other people. I was thinking of "How did one sacrifice save 1x10^x (x>1)  people? I,  for so often, understood in math that both sides must equal each other but 1≠ 1x10^x so how does this possibly work? One could say that because God is God he can defy mathematics and yes that is true, Jesus walked though walls which cancels out (I think) most of physics but I also know that my God is a logical, reasonable God. So what was my conclusion? Well 30minutes in a guard chair got me to one.

This is my logic.
When something is perfect, nothing can be changed, added or replaced. Jesus was perfect, he was the perfect sacrifice. And since he was perfect that meant that there was no other replacement, nothing could be changed or added or made better, he was it. So yes he may defy logical standards but at the same time He was the only answer. The only value that made sense.

It's Perfect

He's perfect

I am grateful that God all along knew the perfect value, had the equation all sorted out, understood every part and every piece. I am thankful that my small feeble mind can take a small bit into the iceburg of who Jesus is and what he has done.

Front Line

There are times in our lives when we feel helpless.  Always receiving help and never giving. You feel like you are on the front line of attack and are unable to help those around you because of the problems of your own. The people that are helping you might often say "I am with you each step of the way" or "I've got your back" or "I am supporting you, I am standing behind you". These people are your back up, your support group.

So now picture this, you are standing before this giant and you feel helpless. This giant can be a big test, a family divorce, a death, or simply an impossible task. For many of us we know that in these times we are supposed to look to God and let him be our strength, but how do we do that when we feel helpless, on the front line? Those people are your back up, they are the ones that you can run towards knowing that they will offer assistance. So now you are again standing before this giant, with all your support in back, hoping and praying that you can face this fear.

Although you may be thinking how can you repay those who stood behind you once the fight is over, lets make it clear that you already have. Volunteered or voluntold you were at the front taking all the shots, while we were behind making sure that you do not fall down. While you were facing this head on and could see every blow, we were standing behind you making sure that you did not fall down. And while you could feel very pain, we were standing behind you.

So you may think that you are not doing anything for us in all reality you are. You are on the front lines, you are the one who has stepped up to the plate to face the gaint. You are the one showing the world who God really is and what he can and will do. You are the example to the world. You are the on the front line and we are behind.

For a good friend who inspired me to write this for her.

She stood there and we stood behind her.