“Only the Word is the answer to rightly reading the world.
Because The Word has nail-scarred hands that cup our face close, wipe away the tears running down. The Word has eyes to look deep into our brimming ache, and whisper, “I know. I know.”
The passion on the page is a Person, and the lens I wear of the Word is not abstract idea but the eyes of the God-Man who came and knows the pain.” -Ann Voskamp
soft evening glow and wild black eyed susans
time with those wonderful people who feel like family 
random trip to the beach with dear people
I make it a tradition to wake up early at least one morning of every beach trip to drink in the sunrise (especially if I
happen to be on the east coast), and since this trip consisted of only one morning, Bethy and I were out there bright and
early. I think this is my favorite of the pics I got that morning. The trail of birds makes me happy
her beauty…inside and out
Bethy taught me how to make lights look like stars in the dark!
This is going to make night photography more fun
The other day, I walked into a room at the Hospital and one of my patients was sitting in bed reading the Bible. She was an older black lady with one of those awesome wraps on her head. Her son was sitting in the chair beside the bed and her daughter (or maybe niece) was sitting at the foot of the bed. There was an air of comfortable tolerance in the room. You know when you’re family and love each other a lot but make fun of each other just cuz? It was like that. They included me here and there and even talked about me in the third person in a way that wasn’t insulting at all. In the course of things I saw she was reading Deuteronomy. It struck me a bit interesting because I’ve never voluntarily read that book. I probably sound super unspiritual admitting that, but there it is. 
It always felt a bit dry to me…lots of rules and commands. It wouldn’t have been something I’d read in a Hospital stay for sure. I had expected something comforting like Psalms…
I commented on it. She launched into a very short sermon about the importance of the Old Testament and how people seem to focus so much on the New one. She said something about it being the foundation and how God gave it to us for a reason so it must be worth reading and learning from. And just as important as the NT. I agreed with her and I decided I was going to read that particular book. For real this time. I asked God to teach me stuff as I read and it feels like I’m reading it for the first time. And discovering so much!
those days with Trina *happy sigh*
I used my tripod to do a photoshoot for the first time ever. It worked wonderfully!
that look on her face and the gift of a friendly butterfly
I might like dragonflies almost as much as butterflies..:)
my very first HDR pic. I’m quite proud of it!
more HDR fun
Some of the things I’ve noticed as I read this wonderful book are:
1) God commands things so that we can be blessed.
I’d go so far as to say ALL of his commands to us and to the children of Israel were for the sole purpose of blessing us and them, of protecting us from evil, and to bring us good things. He says it over and over in this book. “Hear therefore, O Israel, and observe to do it; that it may be well with thee, and that ye may increase mightily as the Lord God of thy fathers hath promised thee…” (6:3) “Oh that there were such a heart in them, that they would fear me, and keep all my commandments always, that it might be well with them, and with their children forever!” (5:29). Do you hear the longing? The underlying frustration? It makes me ache inside. I want that heart…to obey… I want to believe that in every command is wrapped up a blessing.
2) God is very jealous. Possessive. He wants us to be set apart.
“For thou art a holy people unto the Lord thy God: the Lord thy God hath chosen thee to be a special people unto himself, above all people that are upon the face of the earth. The Lord did not set his love upon you, nor choose, you because ye were more in number than any people; for ye were the fewest of all people. But because the Lord loved you, and because he would keep the oath which he had sworn unto your fathers, hath the Lord brought you out with a mighty hand, and redeemed you out of the house of bondmen…” (7:6-8) I take that to mean, it’s not because of us…it’s all because of him. Who he is. His glorious, amazing, wonderful self. (Aaaah! I love him! :’)
3) Serving other gods makes God angry.
I know, this is a no-brainer. But…I didn’t know the consequences he required of those who served other gods…”If a family member or thy friend which is as thine own soul (bff…dear, life-time best friend) entice thee secretly saying, Let us go and serve other gods…thou shalt not consent unto him, nor hearken unto him; neither shall thine eye pity im, neither shalt thou spare, neither shalt thou conceal him: but thou shalt surely kill him; thine hand shall be first upon him to put him to death and afterward the hand of all the people.” (13:6-9) My eyes got huge as I read that. God doesn’t change, right? So somewhere in him…inside all that mercy and grace…his heart still burns with the feelings that caused this ruthless command. Maybe things are a lot more black and white than I thought they were. It’s making me think…
lacy queen anne’s lace (i’m falling in love with this flower)
fishy yumminess
endless cinnamon rolls
little girls on swings
pudgy legs
My first day as an RN and my badge to prove it 
proof!
new scrub tops with butterflies (this one is from Lacey)
I’m doing RN stuff now. Tomorrow will be the end of the second week of working with a preceptor. I love Amanda! She’s an amazing teacher…so patient. And she lets me try new things. I give close to 100 meds a day (it feels like anyway) and lots of injections and IV stuff. I’m learning so much. The biggest thing I’ve learned so far is THERE’S SO MUCH MORE TO LEARN! I have such a long way to go. Sometimes I feel utterly and hopelessly lost and ignorant and I get overwhelmed…but at the same time, I’m enjoying myself so much because I know this is all part of the process and every time I go back I come away having learned loads of things. So…progress is happening…but you may pray for me if you think about it.
I had my first confrontation with a doctor today. Doctors scare me. They’re so knowledgeable and they can be a bit abrupt. I practically quake. I know the next thing coming out of my mouth will reveal my complete ignorance…(yes, yes, it’s basically pride, huh?). So I don’t speak much. Phones make me nervous. I’ve come a long way in four years…back then, I hated talking on the phone and would only do it with a few very close people. And this confrontation I was talking about? It was over the phone. I had to page the Doctor then wait for him to call. I was basically choking with nervousness but I managed to sound relatively calm and got my questions out and had some clarifications to go over…and he was kind and it went wonderfully! Maybe doctors aren’t so scary after all.
I’m realizing that there are a lot more politics in medicine than I’d wanted to believe through nursing school. I hate that part. It makes for frustrated nurses and moments when you feel almost outraged at the things you have to go through and the paperwork you have to fill out (again and again)…I hope I can always remember why I became a nurse and be able to do all that’s required and still take good care of my patients.
butterflies (of course)
the dying and the beauty
I was supposed to work a 12 today and my preceptor
wasn’t needed after 3 so we got to go home!! I got so much
accomplished (including this post) and had so much fun with my
extra 4 hours…God is so nice to me.
When Hil sends me pics of the girlies
Anika being Mama’s little helper (I hope I’m half as good a mom as Hil is someday!)
Ani made Maya be the baby. This cracked me up.
Her smile is the perfect way to end this post
me
