The Finish Line Is In Sight

When I was in elementary to high school, I would have to make a daily set of goals for school.  I had a little chart to keep track.  It looked like this, only it had my name on it.

I continued making goal charts in college.  It didn't look just like this, but similar-ish.  Okay, not really, but I do use 3x5 cards, usually pink or purple.


Today I started to think about my life goals (can you tell I'm a goal oriented person?).  Finish school.  Go back to school.  Get married.  Have babies.  Etc.  And whatever.


And here's the clincher: finishing my BSN has become a short term goal.  A short term goal.  Short term.


No longer is my dream of finishing school far out there, or crazy, or inconceivable.  It's right around the corner, but/and I really can't see past May 11th, 2012, graduation day.


"Children in whom was no blemish, but well favoured, and skilful in all wisdom, and cunning in knowledge, and understanding science, and such as had ability in them to stand in the king's palace, and whom they might teach the learning and the tongue of the Chaldeans." Daniel 1:4

A Song On My Heart

I really want to do missions work.  I've gone on three ministry trips.  First to Dallas, TX, next to Lima and Cusco, Peru, and most recently to the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota.  All of which were mostly children's ministry.


I love ministering to people.  I realized on my last trip that just being there to give someone a hug can make an impact on a person's life forever.


I'm not sure where I am to go yet, but when God calls, I will say, Here am I Lord, send me.


This song has been on my heart for a while now.  And I decided to try and capture my heart in a video.  I think it is nearly impossible to do that, especially with my webcam and mic.  But here goes.  We sang this song at the Wednesday night service at the South Dakota Reservation.  Pardon the audio, but I just had to get this out.

"Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said I, Here am I; send me." Isaiah 6:8


As a side note, no one is around to bug me and all I do it play the piano and watch t.v.  Nothing exciting.  But I can sing the same song over and over all day and nobody cares.  I could get used to this.


PPS Got to 4,100 blog views today!!!

Rapture Today?

So everyone is saying today is the rapture.


Wellllllll,  I don't know because Jesus said, "But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only," Matthew 24:36.


But what is that sound I'm hearing...


"In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed." I Corinthians 15:52

Closer Than Ever

60% done with nursing school (3 of 5 semesters, or 6 of 10, so 60%).


This time next year, I will be a college graduate.


This time next year, I won't be able to say, "We didn't get to that yet, so I don't know."


This time next year, I will be studying for the National Council Licensure Examination or the NCLEX.


I don't think I will start the countdown just yet.  But it's coming.


"Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us." Hebrews 12:1

A Reminder To Future Me

I hope that when I'm an old experienced nurse I will still think that all the things I call home to tell my Mother about will still be exciting to me.

I've called home to tell my Mother about giving my first IM injection, RhoGAM.  I get excited at the possibility of giving an injection.  Insulin pen or syringe, heparin, or Lovenox, anything, I like to do it.  And I make sure everyone knows that I got to stick someone with a needle at post conference.  I gave a baby a shot of Vitamin K one time.  He didn't even cry until it was over.

I was beaming after putting a Foley catheter in.  The patient told me I did a good job, "gentle" he said, not like the other nurses.  That's a little weird, but thank you.  I was going really slow to make sure I did everything right.  I just hope that when I'm confident in my procedure that I won't get rushed and forget to be gentle.

That's all the cool stuff that I did that I can think of right now.

Just hoping that the excitement doesn't wear off.

"Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he." Proverbs 29:18

The Photographs

I found a disposable camera in in room a couple of weeks ago.


I took pictures of people.  Sometimes they expected it.  Sometimes not so much.


I've used the camera up and finally remembered to get it developed when I was actually at the store.


KWoww and I were at CVS.


I had to ask the CVS lady where the envelops were to put my camera in.


She tells me she doesn't know.


"Oh wait, I know. Umm, umm, yeah.  They only showed me how to do this once."


Me: "Okay."


"Let me call the manager."


"Uhh.  Nevermind."  I'm thinking, why would I want to leave my precious baby disposable camera in the hands of this lady who doesn't know how to work the machine.


"It's okay, the manager is coming."


"You know, nevermind, I don't need to do it today."


"He's here!  How to you scan a roll?"


He pokes at the computer.  "A lady called earlier saying there were only 4 pictures on her CD she got off a role.  We might have a problem with our machine.  What kind of  roll did she bring in?"


"Nevermind."


"It won't be ready tonight.  It'll be ready tomorrow morning though."


"No."


"What?"

"No.  I don't want it."


The only reason this conversation lasted so long was because KWoww had gotten something she needed to pay for.


Here's the lesson: Show confidence in your photo machine so people will want to develop their photos there.


I'll try and post some pictures if I ever get the photos developed.


"And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth." Genesis 1:26

So There Was This One Time

...when I was at Sam's Club.


It was 2007.  October.  I was buying candy for a thing at the Christian Student Union at NOVA.


I was done shopping and ready to check out, and my Mother left me to go to the bathroom.


I had two big bags of candy.


The old creepy guy in front of me in line said, "That's a lot of candy for one girl."


Me, "That's a lot of coleslaw for one guy."  He had like 5 bags of coleslaw.


Old Creepy Guy, "I have a lot of meat to go with it."


Really, Old Guy, Really?


Eww.


"Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. For he that is dead is freed from sin. Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him." Romans 6:6-8

Do You Want Some Cheese With That Whine?

School's out for summer.


Note that I didn't put an exclamation point at the end of that sentence.  I should be more excited.  I usually put exclamations points on everything.  I send out emails with "Hi everyone!!", just because I'm excitable all the time.


But not today.  I'm a little upset because I'm probably going to get a 92%, a B on this seven point scale my school has, in my favorite class, OB.  I love pregnancy and women's health issues, so I was really excited about this class.  The lecture was amazing.  The teacher was nice and funny.  I thought the clinical was lacking, but you can't have your cake and eat it too; it was fine.  


Here's my beef.  I forgot to turn in notes on my self-evaluation form, so I don't get a quiz grade dropped.  I didn't know that I needed to do this to get a quiz grade dropped.  I really just forgot about putting notes on this self evaluation; we haven't had to do that before for other clinicals.  I got a 100% on all but one quiz.  All. But.  One.


Anyway, the only way I can get an A in this class is to get a 100% on the test I just took.  Praying.  Hoping.  Trying to look on the bright side: I passed.


"Stop whining", I think.  "You're doing well.  Other people are worried about passing this class and all you can think about is how you are going to be a high B instead of an A.  Lame.  Don't be a jerk."


I did fine.


Teachers who say grades don't matter as long as you pass are really old and/or can't remember when they were in nursing school.


And people who tell me, "You're doing well.  You have a good, solid B." are the most annoying ever.  A good solid B!?  That's deserves an exclamation point.  I would prefer a good solid A.


Okay.  I'm done.  It's summer break!!!


"Because thou hast been my help, therefore in the shadow of thy wings will I rejoice." Psalm 63:7

Pet Peeve #5

Let's see if you can guess it.


Okay.  Go.


I like to utilize the automatic can opener.


Patients should utilize a doula more often in the hospital.


Utilize me for APA help.


I'm utilizing the bathroom at the moment.


How do you utilize the words affect and effect?


I'm going to utilize the online portion of this book.


I don't know, it's just a word.  But for some reason it annoys me.  I'll live though.  You could utilize the word use and it make just as much sense if not less confusing.


"Bless them that curse you, and pray for them which despitefully use (utilize) you." Luke 6:28


(First final tomorrow, Med/Surg II.  Prayers appreciated!)