Stepping on the Floor

Today I stepped onto the floor for the first time! Im sure you all read that and said, "what the heck is she talking about?! She's been walking on floors for 19 years!" Well allow me to clarify. 'Stepping onto the floor' is simply what it is called when you start your shift at the Hospital. That's right! This morning at 0645h I started my first day of practicum working at the Three Hills Hospital! In the days preceding I was super nervous. I was worried I would forget everything I had learned so far, or not feel comfortable... so many things were just circulating in my head. But this morning when I started everything just fell into place, and I can safely say that i absolutely loved every minute of it. The people, the surroundings, smells, noises, everything just fit me in a strange way I cannot describe other then to say that I felt like I was exactly where I was supposed to be.

We started out the morning getting to know where everything was located or kept, then started reading through the clients care plans, etc. to get a better understanding of each of their diagnosis's, and how to better care for each individuals specific needs. Then it was time for breakfast. Since we are starting out in Long-term care we were able to sit at the tables in the dinning rooms with the patients, assist them with feeding, and take the time to start getting to know them.

Right now we are just at the hospital 1-2 days a week for 8 hour shifts, but in a few weeks we will be working there 5 days a week, and having 4 of our own patients which is really exciting... but for now I am okay doing a bit more shadowing just to get more comfortable with how everything is run.

Thanks for all your prayers and support thus far on my Career-Adventure! God is definitely blessing me with amazing teachers, and a wonderful group of girls studying right along side me!

What is Sustaining Grace?

Sustaining Grace is...

NOT GRACE TO BAR WHAT IS NOT BLISS,
NOR FLIGHT FROM ALL DISTRESS, BUT THIS:
THE GRACE THAT ORDERS OUR TROUBLE AND PAIN
AND THEN, IN THE DARKNESS, IS TO SUSTAIN.

-JOHN PIPER
I know that in my life there has been an array of experiences I can think of where at the time I honestly struggled with the 'why would God allow this to happen in my life?" way of thinking. I know I am not the only one to experience trials and follow the same sort of thinking pattern. It doesn't even have to pertain to your life specifically either. Questions such as "Why if God is good does he allow bad things to happen, such as poverty, or diseases such as Cancer or HIV/AIDS?" that seem to effect
large populations of this world can also arise this way of thinking.

Sometimes after periods of time we are able to find a bit of solace in the rough times we had gone through, or even guilt we perhaps experience, through a variety of different ways. One of these ways could possibly be, for example, seeing some reason, big or small, for the experience- some good that can come from it.

I have done exactly this. And though a reason, or a bit of good is comfort for a while, it is never lasting, and the hurt continues to rise. All of this is cause to a lack of my understanding on the Sustaining Grace God offers to us- every single one of us.

A few days ago Kyle emailed me a link to this sermon by John Piper and when i finally had a chance today to sit down and listen to it without distraction, I experienced a remarkable freeing feeling from simply better understanding what Sustaining Grace is.
Re-read the poem John Piper wrote to better clarify this. Isn't that so true?

In his sermon he tells a story of a girl who was in a car crash when she was little, and how if God had not provided her with a doctor in the car behind, with the tools needed to save her life on hand she wouldn't have lived that day. Later on her wedding day, the pastor made a comment on the scars she still had on her neck from the accident and said that her scars were memorials of Gods Sustaining Grace! Reading that made me want to jump up and dance around the room! HOW EXCITING IS IT TO THINK IN THAT PERSPECTIVE?! Sure God could have chosen to stop an accident from even occuring if he could provide all the means for preserving her life-- and you can look on the scars of your life as a constant reminder of something horrible that occurred in your past. OR you can look upon those scars as a beautiful and cherished memory of how God's grace was sustaining. That is not something to feel sorry for yourself about, or guilty about... it is something to sing praises about, dance around your room about... celebrate without hesitation!

This is just a small amout of what John Piper talks about, there is so much exciting things he has to say about this topic, but this particular part was so impactful and exciting to me I just had to share my experience of it. PLEASE check out this sermon, you can read it, listen to it, or both (if you're like me, both helps me to concentrate on it better). Click HERE for the Link... ENJOY! and may God speak to your heart through it as He has done for me.

Bringing Home Baby...

*Our First Photo*

My new Nikon D80 that is : ) For as long as I can remember my two greatest passions have been Writing and Photography, and finally the long awaited day came where I had saved up enough pennies to buy this special treasure. Sadly, other then my Aunts wedding I haven't had much time to turn this bad boy on and go looking for shots, but I am taking advantage of every opportunity I can get my hands on.

In a more long term setting I am hoping to use this ability to make money that can go directly towards mission work, hopefully starting with my next scheduled overseas adventure to India in May on a medical mission trip. We are just beginning preparation for that now so please keep us in your prayers!

Hopefully My Nikon and I will have some new photos for your viewing enjoyment real soon!

What a Beautiful Day for a Wedding

Over Thanksgiving break i was able to return home to be at my Aunt's Wedding. What a Beautiful day! Apart from the perfect weather, decorations, etc. what made this day so special was two amazing people, and their story of how God brought them both through extremely hard trials in their lives, eventually blessing them with the love they now share for each other.

Read at the wedding was Jeremiah 29:11 "'For I know the plans I have for you', declares the Lord. 'They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope'". As was said at the Wedding, this verse has shown itself true in their relationship in such a unique and beautiful way. I have always loved this verse, perhaps for the hope that it does instill,and it was so refreshing to see God working in this way in the lives of two very special people.

Congratulations Dana and Rick! I am so happy for you, you both deserve the utmost happiness and love you have found in each other.

Just a few photos from the wedding here.

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The Beautiful Colours of Fall

I love this time of year, next to winter it has to be one of my favourites. The colours are so beautiful, especially back home. Lucky for me I was able to go home and spend it with family. Here's just a few photos...

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Wahoo for the Guzoo

Last weekend, Kara, Scott, Kyle and I got to visit the local Three Hills Zoo. If you have ever visited Three Hills, something you would not expect to find is a zoo, especially one with such a range of animals... Lions, Tigers and Bears, yes they have it all.After playing with the donkeys and Alpaca's in the petting zoo, we went to the guinea pig cage. You wouldn't think those little guys were hard to catch, but they proved to be just that. After Scott caught the King of the Pigs, we had to get a picture of him and his prize.A first for us all i think was holding a skunk... Flower, what a sweety. She was actually really gentle, and pretty cute : )

After we had all had a turn holding Flower, one of the owners of the Guzoo asked us if we would want to go into the cage where they held one of their lions, and a wolf. I think the general concensis when asked this question would be something like "This man must be insane", but the four of us looked at each other with big grins, and couldn't get Flower back into her cage fast enough. Sure a skunk is cool... but it was time for bigger and more life threatening things.

And of course when asked if we would like to have the lion sit on our lap... we couldn't help but say Heck yes!

The whole time spent there was a lot of fun... it is always a great day when you get the opportunity to do something that you have never done before.

+just a little side note; my computer is currently getting fixed, so posts might get a little behind, as this one did.