Update

Hello everyone! Well, I don't have any new pictures to post yet

but I thought I would give you update about my

life and near future. Right now, I have 3 days of classes left

and then exams begin- yikes! Needless to say, this weekend

will be filled with books and study guides and note cards.

The joys of the end of the year! lol Please pray for me as

most of my exams count for a large part of my grades.

I can't believe this year is coming to a close and I'll soon

be half way done with my undergraduate degree. Yet

another yikes moment! I have had such a wonderful

experience in college and learned and grown so much.

It's been amazing. I've also met 2 more wonderful

best friends- Lisa and Tracy. We were all 3 randomly placed

together as roommates last year and we've become almost

inseparable. We're constantly laughing and having fun

as well as encouraging one another and giving each

other advice. With us, 3 is perfect company,

not a crowd. I know that we'll be lifelong friends

and we're considering living together after we graduate too.

We'll see what the future brings. I've also been throwing

around the idea of getting my masters' of science in

nursing after I get a few years of experience in the hopsital

and then teaching as a nursing professor. The idea hit

me when I was tutoring one of my friends that's taking

a freshman level nursing course and she loved how I explained

everything. She suggested that I become a professor some day,

and it got me thinking about how I wanted to be a teacher when

I was growing up. Like I said, we'll see what the future brings.

God's plans for me are greater than any I can imagine! (Eph 3:20)

Next year, Lisa is going to be my roommate again and Tracy

is living near us too. We're going to be be in the "quads" again,

which are more apartment style living, with a kitchen and living

room area. I'm getting a little nervous about nursing school

next year because I know it gets harder and harder with time.

Right now, I have clinicals every Monday.

On Sunday, I go to the hospital after church to get my

patient assignment and write down all of his/her information

from the chart. Then, I have to write a profile to be ready to

turn in Monday morning when I get to the hospital at 6:45 am.

The profile includes the basics of the patient's care,

the patient's history, all medication information,

3 nursing care plans, and a patho report of the patient's diagnosis.

It ends up being around 20 pages long and takes hours

to write, but we have to know everything about

our patient and the potential problems and complications

they could face. This Sun/Mon is my last clinical experience this

year! But next year I'll have clinicals on Mondays and Fridays.

I'm taking OB nursing, Medical-Surgical Nursing, Pharmacology,

and Philosophy courses. Until then, I plan to enjoy a summer

of no homework. :) This year, I'll be working as a camp nurse

at the YMCA day camp, where I've been a counselor the

past 2 years. I'm also working on getting a part time job too,

as my tuititon payments are only getting worse as the

economy goes down. I'm blessed to have a job opportunity for

here in Lynchburg next year as well. A family

that I baby-sat for is looking for child care from 3:30-6 when

their daughter gets home from school. I should be able to work

several afternoons a week for them during the school year.

It's been amazing to see how God is providing

for me, with job opportunities as well as strength in my life daily.

As I was getting ready for my first clinical this semester,

I found a verse that I love. It's written on a notecard in the

pocket of my scrubs: "...Do you have the gift of helping others?

Do it with all the strength and energy that God supplies.

Then everything you do will bring glory to God through

Jesus Christ. All glory and power to him forever

and ever! Amen." -1st Peter 4:11, NLT