My morning...

I spent about 5 or 10 minutes this morning trying to teach Miss Kitty to clap. It didn't work...and now she's just annoyed with me.

52 days

In the book of Nehemiah, it took 52 days to rebuild the wall.

What has happened in your life in the last 52 days? Have you built a wall? Have you built a bridge? Have you knocked over a wall that should have never been built in the first place? Have you restored a friendship? Have you drawn closer to God? Have you allowed Him to work in your life instead of trying to do it yourself?

52 days...God can do so much in such a short time.

So the wall was finished on the twenty-fifth day of Elul, in fifty-two days. And it happened, when all our enemies heard of it, and all the nations around us saw these things , that they were very disheartened in their own eyes; for they perceived that this work was done by our God. - Nehemiah 6:15-16

Sometimes Veggie Tales says it best.

His Cheeseburger

He said to her "I'd like a cheeseburger."
"And I might like a milkshake as well."
She said to him "I can't get you either"
He said "Isn't this burger bell?"
She said "Yes it is but we're closed now."
"But we open tomorrow at ten."
He said "I am extremely hungry!"
"But I guess I can wait until then!"

Cuz you're his cheeseburger
His yummy cheeseburger
He'll wait for you. Ya!
He'll wait for you.
Oh, you are his cheeseburger
His tasty cheeseburger
He'll wait for you
Oh, he will wait for you.

He stayed at the drive-thru till sunrise
He may have dozed off once or twice
When he spotted a billboard for Denny's
Bacon and eggs for half price!
How could he resist such an offer?
He really needed something to munch
Cheeseburger, please do not get angry
He'll eat and be back here for lunch!

Cuz you're his cheeseburger
His precious cheeseburger
Be back for you.
He'll be back for you.
Won't be so long, cheeseburger
Oh, lovely cheeseburger
Be back for you
Oh, he'll be back for you.

Cuz he loves you cheeseburger with all his heart
And there's nothin' gonna tear you two apart
And if the world suddenly ran out of cheese,
He would get down on his hands and knees
To see if someone accidently dropped some cheese in the dirt
And he would wash it off for you
Wipe it off for you
Clean that dirty cheese off just for you!

You are his cheese ... burrrr ... grrrrr!

It's a 2 (or 3) cups of coffee kind of day.

I'm on my second cup of coffee. My coffee maker brews directly into to-go cups, so usually I only make one cup of coffee (or hot tea) each morning. I brew it and either enjoy it while I finish getting ready or take it with me up to school. Well, today is already a two cup day. When I was making coffee, I actually just went ahead and brewed into two to-go cups. I finished one at home and am now on my second.

I'm tired, but it's not a bitter tired. It's a peaceful tired. I couldn't go to sleep last night, and I actually woke up several times during the night, which is completely abnormal for me. But I wasn't awake because I was anxiously worrying about something...I had praises on my lips. Every time I woke up...I woke up singing.

Forever God is faithful.
Forever God is strong.
Forever God is with us.
Forever.

O Lord, You are my God.
I will exalt You,
I will praise Your name,
For You have done wonderful things;
Your counsels of old are faithfulness and truth.
- Isaiah 25:1

Update

So evidently the expiration date on ranch dressing is just a suggestion...I'm fine. Yay!

I'm a little scared...

I rarely eat ranch dressing. I prefer to make my own salad dressing, but at the moment, I'm out of a few ingredients, so when I made my dinner tonight I decided to go for the ranch. I pulled the ranch out of the fridge...oh good, just enough. I proceeded to make my salad and douse it with dressing. My salad tasted fine, but as I was putting the bottle of ranch in the trash (after I finished eating) I realized that...ummm...yeah, it expired in February 2006. I'm not exactly sure what eating salad dressing that expired a year ago will do to me. I feel fine...so far.

;o)

I went to Target last night. While I was there I bought water guns. I'm not really sure why, but be prepared...you might just get wet.

Small group evaluation day...

In the past, I've always dreaded evaluation day. It's not that I've received low marks...the comments are usually something like knowledgeable, dependable, hard-worker. These are all good traits to have...but I've always left feeling...well, I can't exactly put it into words.

I've changed a lot during medical school. No...not really my personality. I still love to have fun and be playful. I love cheesy jokes. I love to give people a hard time...all in fun, of course. But the way I view myself has changed. I've become less self conscious and more self-assured. I've learned to accept my imperfections. I've learned to rely ever more on God and less and less on me. I've learned to accept compliments. I've learned to receive service from others.

And then today came...and I was blown away by what my small group facilitators had to say. They still said that I was knowledgeable and dependable and hard-working, but they also told me about the leader I had become...that the group looked to me for guidance, encouragement, and criticism...that I understood that professionalism and fun can co-exist...and that they looked forward to working with my in the next couple of years.

They, of course, said a lot more...but I can't tell you everything. I'm smiling today. I'm smiling because God is changing me and growing me into the person I've longed to be. My prayer is that when people look to me that they won't actually see me...they will see Him, but He is using me, and I know that He will continue.

...He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Jesus Christ. - Philippians 1:6

A new title

One of the lecturers today gave everyone in my class a new title.

We are...(drum roll, please)...tadpole doctors.

Confession

I try to put God in a box, but He never fits. He always breaks free and amazes me with how far He'll go to make His glory known.

Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us. -- Ephesians 3:20

It's that time again.

Did you know that just 3 teaspoons of blood can save a baby's life?

Imagine what a pint can do.

Commit for life. Give blood.

Me??? Really???

"Me, a princess?"
"You are the legal heir."
"I never lead anyone."
"We will help you to be a princess, to rule. If you refuse to accept the throne then the kingdom will cease to exist as we know it."
-- The Princess Diaries

Leading...wow...that's such a scary thought. For much of my life, I stayed away from positions were I was required to lead. I've held many positions in clubs and organizations, but I've never been the president. I'm usually the behind the scenes worker who prefers that no one really notices what I've done.

Some of the scariest times I can remember have been when I've led...whether it's leading someone to Christ or leading a Bible study. It scares me, but at the same time, I can look back and see that those were the times when I leaned even more on God. Yes, I was the "leader," but I allowed Him to lead me.

As Christians, as children of God, as partakers in the inheritance of the saints (Colossians 1:12), we are called to lead. I am not so prideful as to believe that if I choose not to lead that God's kingdom will cease to exist. He is the same yesterday, today, and forever. He always has been, and He always will be. However, as His children, we have been granted the privilege to lead. He has showered upon us the privilege of showing Him to others. So let's embrace it. Wrap your arms around the command we've been given:

Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit - Matthew 28:19.

Obeying this will look different for each of us. Some of may start discipling...some may begin leading a bible study...some may just strike up a conversation with a co-worker or classmate about Christ...whatever you do, do it for the glory of the Lord and allow Him to lead you as you lead others.

...and other randomness

Several people have asked me why I left home teams so early last night. I'll admit that I just kind of snuck out. The truth is that I was in so much pain that I thought I was going to burst into tears, which is exactly what I would have done if anyone had asked me, "How are you?" Many of you know that I've injured my hip. I'm under a physician's care and everything. (Oh...and for any who are wondering, I talked to my ortho again and he was able to set me up with physical therapy for free through his free clinic...yay! What a blessing!) Anyway, yesterday, my hip popped while I was doing something rather benign...I don't remember what it was. From there my normally dull hip pain turned into excruciatingly sharp hip pain. Being stubborn and all, I still had my mind set on going to home teams...we're studying the names of God!!! Next time I need to remember that really bad hip pain = staying home.

On another note...I feel pretty today. Also, I'm using my Zoloft pen...it just makes me happy.

A good-luck wish!

The soccer team I play on is in a tournament this weekend. Actually, we are first seeded in the tournament. I am so proud of everyone on my team. Good luck!

:o)

Something fun happened today. It made me smile.

I need help.

No...not that kind. I love cheesy jokes but am running out of material.

I have the classic, "What do you call cheese that isn't yours?" "Nach-yo cheese!"
Then there's "Why do seagulls live by the sea?" "If they lived by the bay, they'd be bagels."

And also, "Why was the little boy dressed in wrapping paper?" "Because his mother told him to live in the present."

Can anyone help? Will you lend me your cheesy joke?

Faithful

I miss running. At first I thought I missed it just because of the beautiful weather we've been having the past couple of weeks or maybe even because it's something that I've been told not to do (yes, I am a bit stubborn), but now I've realized that neither of those are the case. I miss running because I miss the time with God. Running for me was a time of worship. I'd lace up my shoes, hook up my iPOD, and set out. As I ran, I'd sing...I'd pray...sometimes I'd turn the music off and just listen. Some runs would end with tears streaming down my face. Some runs would end with a smile. All of my runs ended with me knowing that God had met me and that I am truly loved.

I have noticed some changes since I haven't been able to run. My quiet times are longer, and I have a deeper longing to just kneel at His feet. I can no longer run to meet God, but God is still faithful to meet with me.

Church camp memory...

Grin again gang get gung ho about Jesus
Smile sweetly Suzie and you'll send Satan sadly away...ay...ay...ay
Buck up brother Bill because a bunch of bitter boys became a bunch of better boys behind a big, big smile.
Grin again gang get gung ho about Jesus

His mercies are new every morning.

The beautiful weather we've been having makes me want to go outside and bask in the sunshine as it kisses my face and I breathe in the fresh scent of the newness of the day.

Through the Lord's mercies we are not consumed,
Because His compassions fail not.
They are new every morning;
Great is Your faithfulness.
"The Lord is my portion," says my soul,
"Therefore I hope in Him!"
-- Lamentations 3:22-24

An opportunity to learn

Never regard study as a duty, but as the enviable opportunity to learn. - Albert Einstein

Fighting for joy

At the end of my last post, I wrote that I find my joy in Christ. This is true...now. For so many years, it wasn't. I believed in Christ and His saving grace, but I didn't find my joy there. I had to learn to fight for joy. There's definitely a reason God didn't send me to medical school until I was 26.

Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life. - 1 Timothy 6:12

So, how do we know that fighting for joy is a good fight? John Piper outlines 5 parameters for us.

1. It is a good fight because the enemy of our joy is evil. The enemy is unbelief, and the satanic forces behind it, and the sins that come from it.

2. It is a good fight because we are not left to our own strength in the fight. When a child of God fights for joy in God, God himself is the one behind that struggle, giving the will and the power to defeat the enemy of joy. We are not left to ourselves to sustain the joy of faith. God fights for us and in us.

3. It is a good fight because it is not a struggle to carry a burden, but a struggle to let a burden be carried for us. The fight for joy is a struggle to trust God with the burdens of life. It's a fight for hope and peace and joy, which are all threatened by unbelief and doubt about God's promises.

4. The fight of faith is good because it does not involve self-exaltations but self-humbling. It's a way of saying that we are weak and desperately need the mercy of God. We do not like to say, "Apart from Christ I can do nothing - I cannot even rejoice," (John 15:5). But the very essence of faith is the admission of our sinful helplessness in the quest for eternal joy, and looking away from ourselves to God through Christ for the help and the joy that is in Him alone.

5. The fight for joy is good because by it God is greatly glorified. Fighting against all alien joy shows that we know the infinite worth of God.

My prayer is that you would find your joy in Him and Him alone and that you would fight for joy with every fiber of your being. Fight the good fight.