A different time...a different place...

Have you ever wished that you were born in a different era? I know it's kind of random, but really, there are so many great periods in history.

Sometimes I imagine myself in a mobster family. I have closets full of pretty twenties-style dresses complete with shoes, hats, and jewelry. There are tommy guns and just the whole excitement of the prohibition era and doing something illegal.

Other times I think back to the Medieval times. Bathing wasn't too frequent, but castles were plentiful...or at least in my imagination they were. There were grand feasts and dungeons and jousting to win the heart of a fair maiden.

Or maybe I'm Anne Oakley or a Southern belle living on a plantation during the Civil War or a nurse on the front lines during WWI or...so many others.

Adventure...adventure is what I want.

What time period do you dream about?

Topic-less

Hmmm...so I really have nothing to post today. I've thought about a lot of things today, but none of the topics are interesting enough to blog about.

Topic anyone????

100 things about me

One of my friends inspired me by making a list of 100 things about herself. So...here's my attempt.

1. I love my iPOD.
2. I didn't change out of my pajamas on Saturday.
3. I TP'd my 7th grade history teacher's house.
4. I want to be a great doctor.
5. I like to teach.
6. I love medicine.
7. I really want to teach clinical medicine.
8. I cry very easily...especially if I feel comfortable with you.
9. I feel strong when I run.
10. I secretly hate my freckles.
11. I like my eyes.
12. I never wanted a cat, but now I can't imagine life without Miss Kitty.
13. I don't like brussel sprouts.
14. My favorite meal is breakfast.
15. I love tea...cold and hot.
16. I love coffee (good coffee), too.
17. I crave creamy jalapeno sauce from Chuy's.
18. This year feels weird since I'm not working the holidays.
19. My couch is one of the best investments I ever made.
20. I don't feel 27.
21. I can't believe I already have a 401K.
22. I couldn't handle not working, so I have a work study job.
23. I missed the babies, so I volunteer in two nurseries.
24. I try to be funny...most of the time I'm not.
25. I like to encourage others, but I don't know if I'm good at it.
26. I want someone to tell me I'm beautiful.
27. I want to go back to Romania.
28. I miss London.
29. Sometimes I wish I could do the whole college experience again.
30. I love shoes.
31. I'm beginning to love shopping for clothes.
32. I spend a lot of time day-dreaming in Jeanine-land.
33. I should probably spend more time in Realitopia.
34. I still miss my papa. He passed away when I was 12.
35. I find it difficult to stand up for myself but easy to stand up for others.
36. I should be studying right now.
37. I was the starting catcher on the 1st place little league softball team for 3 years in a row.
38. I have never dyed my hair.
39. I have had my jaw surgically broken and wired shut.
40. I have been told that I might have cancer, twice. Fortunately, I didn't either time.
41. I don't have my gallbladder.
42. I love to dance.
43. I love to sing in my car with my cell phone earpiece in. It makes me feel like a rockstar.
44. Sometimes I need to be alone.
45. Sometimes I don't.
46. I'd like to be married some day.
47. Writing in multiple colors makes me happy.
48. I like to make my own cards...birthday, Christmas, etc.
49. I fall more in love with Jesus every day.
50. My last speeding ticket was for going 24 mph over.
51. My friend Keri has known me since I was 6 and loves me anyway.
52. I hate "fakeness."
53. I love real flowers.
54. I often buy myself flowers.
55. I like barbeque sauce.
56. I like ketchup more.
57. I ran cross country in high school. I wasn't good at it.
58. I was on the math team in middle school.
59. I cried when I got my first B.
60. I did a cartwheel when I got a C+ in college.
61. I talk too much.
62. I am not perfect.
63. I miss my cousin, Sharon. She passed away when I was 20.
64. Fort William, Scotland is the most beautiful place I've ever been.
65. Self-centeredness is something I struggle with...a lot.
66. Sometimes I act like jerk.
67. I love to journal.
68. Refinishing furniture is therapeutic.
69. I prefer dark chocolate to milk chocolate.
70. I like berries...blueberries, gooseberries, blackberries, raspberries, strawberries.
71. Fun socks make me happy.
72. I feel naked when my toenails aren't painted.
73. I love random voicemail messages from friends.
74. I like making new friends who feel like you've known them forever.
75. I like "Friends" reruns. There is an episode for every situation.
76. I am training for my first marathon.
77. I am a vegetarian.
78. I don't know that I want to be.
79. Trains are a fabulous way to travel
80. Lipgloss is the best thing ever.
81. Shopping for electronics is a lot more fun than actually using them.
82. I want to save the world.
83. I don't know how.
84. Museums fascinate me.
85. Parks are a little piece of heaven on earth.
86. I really didn't mind working nights.
87. People think I'm smarter than I am.
88. That scares me because one day they might realize the truth.
89. My plants are still alive.
90. I have never gone sky-diving, but I want to.
91. I like wearing fancy shirts with jeans.
92. Wearing pearls with jeans makes me feel fancy.
93. Wearing heels with jeans makes me feel sassy...err...another word.
94. I pay $14 to get my haircut.
95. Ann Taylor is my favorite store.
96. Target comes in a close second.
97. I love my apartment, even with it's problems.
98. I am thankful for my friends who aren't afraid to be real.
99. I wish I could play the guitar.
100. I firmly believe that God knows what He's doing far better than I do.

If you made it all the way to the end...congratulations!

What do I want for Christmas?

Now that Thanksgiving has ended, the questioning has started. What do I want for Christmas? Well, here it is...

I want a hippopotamus for Christmas
Only a hippopotamus will do
Don't want a doll, no dinky Tinker Toy
I want a hippopotamus to play with and enjoy

I want a hippopotamus for Christmas
I don't think Santa Claus will mind, do you?
He won't have to use our dirty chimney flue
Just bring him through the front door,
that's the easy thing to do

I can see me now on Christmas morning,
creeping down the stairs
Oh what joy and what surprise
when I open up my eyes
to see a hippo hero standing there

I want a hippopotamus for Christmas
Only a hippopotamus will do
No crocodiles, no rhinoceroses
I only like hippopotamuses
And hippopotamuses like me too

Mom says the hippo would eat me up, but then
Teacher says a hippo is a vegeterian

There's lots of room for him in our two-car garage
I'd feed him there and wash him there and give him his massage

I can see me now on Christmas morning,
creeping down the stairs
Oh what joy and what surprise
when I open up my eyes
to see a hippo hero standing there

I want a hippopotamus for Christmas
Only a hippopotamus will do
No crocodiles or rhinoceroseses
I only like hippopotamuseses
And hippopotamuses like me too!

-- John Rox

So I think my natural hair color might be blonde...

A couple weeks ago, people witnessed me grab the handle of a pan that just came out of the oven. I burned all my fingers on that hand.

And now, I just took cookies out of the oven, and as I was taking them off the cookie sheet, without even thinking, I grabbed the pan with my hand.

Ouch!

I'm beginning to think that I might have issues with my left hand.

Miss Kitty fell off the bed last night!

Miss Kitty usually sleeps at the foot of my bed, and last night, she totally fell off the bed. I thought cats were supposed to have amazing balance. I don't think she landed on her feet either. She looked all dazed and confused when she hit the floor. It took her a minute to realize that she was okay and could jump back onto the bed.

Yes, I'm amused by the little things.

Frightening!

On Sunday night, I had one of the most frightening experiences of my life. Seriously...I freaked and panicked and all of those such things. I would write about the experience, but people would have nightmares. The experience has definitely given me nightmares.

God knows you.

"Before I formed you in the womb I knew you;
Before you were born I sanctified you;
I ordained you a prophet to the nations"
- Jeremiah 1:5

God knows you. He planned you. He sees you as valuable and has a purpose for your life.

I don't get it.

Last night a car alarm was going off in Target's parking lot. The car wasn't actually a car but a mini-van. Seriouly, why does a mini-van need an alarm? Who would want to steal a mini-van? I don't get it.

Ummm...if you have a mini-van or if your dream car is a mini-van, I'm sorry. I'm really not trying to be mean.

I met someone new last night.

Normally, I run outside. I've always claimed that I have a fear of falling off of treadmills, but I decided that maybe they're not so bad after Saturday's little 'spill.' Besides, I wanted to watch Gilmore Girls and run, and I couldn't decide which I wanted to do more. Alas, I came up with the idea of going to the gym and running on the treadmill while watching Gilmore Girls. All my problems were solved.

I made it to the gym, hooked in my headphones, turned the TV to the CW, and started up the treadmill to settle into a nice 6 mph pace (yes, I realize it's not lightening speed).

About ten minutes later, I noticed her. There was a confidence about her. Each foot fall was sure. Her leg muscles grew more powerful with each stride. Her quadriceps exploded into definition with each step. With each breath, I could tell that she was cleansing herself. It was as if each new breath gave her new life. The muscles in her arms and shoulders showed themselves with each swing. Her jaw was soft, and the look on her face was one of determination. She was ready. She was prepared. She was strong.

And then it hit me...I was looking into a mirror.

So often I think of myself as weak, but with Christ, my strength doesn't matter because His is more than enough.

And He said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness." Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ's sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
-- 2 Corinthians 12:9-10

Prematurity Awareness Month

November is Prematurity Awareness Month.

To visit the March of Dimes website, click here.

A documentary

Thin

Tomorrow night (Tuesday) at 8 PM, HBO will begin showing a documentary. The subject matter is very close to my heart. Above is a link to HBO's website about the documentary.

Medical school is interfering with my ability to take drugs!

No...not that kind. I'm talking about the legal, over-the-counter kind. Now, everytime I pop a couple of Tylenol, I think about my liver and how I'm damaging my zone 1 hepatocytes. When I take Advil, I worry about my kidneys...Advil inhibits prostaglandin synthesis which means that the arterioles in my kidneys aren't able to dilate as they normally would, so I'm decreasing my renal blood flow and glomerular filtration rate. Yeah...I just want to take something to get rid of the aches and pains.

Reflections

That was the title of my high school yearbook my senior year. I pulled it out last night. It's odd..in the past couple of weeks, I've found out that two people I know now are friends with people that went to my high school. Actually, it's a little scary. With some of the people, I just know who they are or some little tidbit about their life. It's one of those things where they were older so I never had classes with them, but I knew who they were. More than likely...they don't know me. However, one person really does know me. We had many, many classes together from junior high forward. We weren't really friends, but when you spend that much time with someone it's hard not to know that person on some level. Yeah, so I was awkward in high school. I know I'm awkward now, but imagine my current awkwardness times like a million. Yeah, that was me in high school.

By the way...check out Kairos.

Transparency

How much transparency is appropriate for a blog? When does sharing become "too much information"? When are the ramblings of my heart too much for others to read...or are they ever? At church, we talk about authentic fellowship, but I think at our cores, many of us are scared for people to see our true hearts. Is that what makes me hesitant to be completely transparent? Ryan Riley's blog was titled "Panes of Glass - In Pursuit of Transparency." That's where I want to be...not in Ryan's blog...but in pursuit of transparency.

I'm so confused...

So, I've spent the last hour or so replying back to emails...some recent...and some regarding questions asked weeks ago. :} I'm sorry...I'm sometimes slow to respond.

Anyway, I just realized that at the end of most of the emails I typed "Have a wonderful Wednesday!" There's just one problem with that...it's not Wednesday. It's Thursday.

Yes, it's okay to laugh at me.

Places I like...

I've lived in Galveston for about 16 months now, and I've found many places I like in Galveston, Houston, and even in between. I've listed 16 (one for each month) of the places in no particular order. However, I've just listed them by the address, so you'll have to figure out the name of the location. And yes, I've been to each place at least once...some many, many times.

1. 6128 Broadway St. Galveston, Texas 77551
2. 628 14th Street Galveston, Texas 77550
3. 6411 Fannin Houston, Texas 77030 - helipad
4. 211 University Blvd. Galveston, Texas 77551 - 2nd floor
5. 4747 San Felipe Houston, Texas 77056
6. 19305 Gulf Freeway Webster, Texas 77598
7. 501 Crawford Houston, Texas 77002
8. 6001 Fannin Houston, Texas 77030
9. 6501 Memorial Drive Houston, Texas 77001
10. 500 Baybrook Mall Friendswood, Texas 77546
11. 7401 Katy Freeway Houston, Texas 77024
12. 4400 Avenue N #30 Galveston, Texas 77550
13. 307 Westheimer Rd Houston, Texas 77006
14. 3515 Broadway St. Galveston, Texas 77550
15. 2800 Post Oak Blvd. Houston, Texas 77056
16. Seawall Blvd. Galveston, Texas

Where are some of the places you like to go?

Kids are great.

I was in the elevator with about a dozen first or second graders this morning and overheard a fun conversation.

Girl 1: I really want a pet to love, but I'm allergic to dogs and cats.

Girl 2: (picture a light bulb going off over her head) I've got it...you should get a fish.

Bull Riding

Well, I did it! I rode the mechanical bull at the Hoedown.

I'm not feeling very girly today :(

Since the weather is cooler and I was giving tours this morning, I donned pants, a sweater, and flats, but now, I just feel frumpy (although a professional frumpy). However, for whatever reason, my eyes are bright green today. Yay!

Oh...and I bought new pens, and I love them. They are the greatest, and they make me smile!

I love babies...part deux!

I just came back from the newborn nursery. Seriously...I love babies. I love the way they smell...the way they just fit in my arms. I love how peaceful they look when they are sleeping and how active they can be when they are awake. I love how just placing your hand on their head is sometimes all the reassurance they need to calm down and go back to sleep. I realize I still have just over 2 and a half years of medical school left, but I cannot imagine finishing and not working with babies.

"You Are Not Your Own"

This came from today's reading from My Utmost For His Highest.

Do you not know that . . . you are not your own? —1 Corinthians 6:19

There is no such thing as a private life, or a place to hide in this world, for a man or woman who is intimately aware of and shares in the sufferings of Jesus Christ. God divides the private life of His saints and makes it a highway for the world on one hand and for Himself on the other. No human being can stand that unless he is identified with Jesus Christ. We are not sanctified for ourselves. We are called into intimacy with the gospel, and things happen that appear to have nothing to do with us. But God is getting us into fellowship with Himself. Let Him have His way. If you refuse, you will be of no value to God in His redemptive work in the world, but will be a hindrance and a stumbling block.

The first thing God does is get us grounded on strong reality and truth. He does this until our cares for ourselves individually have been brought into submission to His way for the purpose of His redemption. Why shouldn’t we experience heartbreak? Through those doorways God is opening up ways of fellowship with His Son. Most of us collapse at the first grip of pain. We sit down at the door of God’s purpose and enter a slow death through self-pity. And all the so-called Christian sympathy of others helps us to our deathbed. But God will not. He comes with the grip of the pierced hand of His Son, as if to say, "Enter into fellowship with Me; arise and shine." If God can accomplish His purposes in this world through a broken heart, then why not thank Him for breaking yours?

FYI

I don't like to be threatened. It leaves me feeling anxious.