un-expectations.

so this morning i was thinking of winnie the pooh. and how (a) he was, when it comes down to it, quite a silly old bear and how he (b) he spontaneously made up words. perhaps like un-expectations. so today, this word is dedicated to good ol' winnie the pooh.

the word, taken by itself, probably could be misunderstood. like unkempt. or unconditional. or unruly. i could have called it mis-expectations. like mistake. or miserable. but alas, i did not. and un-expectations is what we are left with.

it is kind of like things completely unexpected...but future tense.

speaking of un-expectations, God has sure handed me a fair share lately. surprises. blessings. stress. stress. (did i mention stress?). and reminders of the incredible blessings of relationships (one in particular, actually).

surprises. did i mention how much i love phone calls? jon called me TWO DAYS IN A ROW :) which made me smile. a lot. and made me miss him. again. a lot. and i made sugar cookies yesterday afternoon. the surprise part of my baking experience was that they tasted like cornbread. don't quite know how that happened because i don't remember adding anything that actually had corn in it. but nonetheless, it was quite a shock to my tastebuds when i went to take a bit of sugar cookie and instead got a mouthful of cornbread-tasting goodness. AND i get to go home on saturday. which is 5 days away, in case you were wondering. and although my trip home isn't exactly a surprise (being that i know it is coming), i am thinking that God probably has a few surprises up His sleeves :)

blessings. wow. too many to count. i am reminded during this season each year. how lucky i am. how blessed i am. how much i don't deserve anything that i have. i've been listening to financial podcasts a lot. and have been constantly reminded that everything--every thing--belongs to God. and He is generous enough to let me use some of it, just for a little while. my education. my finances. my exercise schedule. my knowledge. my breath, even. and since it is His--all of it--He can take it away at any time. privledges. hopes. stuff. but the coolest thing is that, more times than not, He doesn't. He loves us enough to bless us. beyond our wildest imagination.

stress. school has officially taken over my life. and my brain. yesterday was the first time in a long time that i actually wondered what it would feel like if i hit my head against the wall. but God is giving me perspective--again. He probably gets tired of giving it to me so often. really tired of it. but these exams are just one set. in my entire life. just two days. of my entire life. i can't even remember most of my exams from undergrad. and again, i probably won't even remember this set in a few months either. i am just praying (really hard!) that God infuses my brain with knowledge and opens it up to a sponge-like state so it can absorb anything and everything that my eyes run across.

relationships. i've been smiling quite a bit the last couple days. probably cuz jon called. and probably cuz i got to talk to him for more than 5 minutes. yup. talk. like i would say something and he would respond. it is an amazing thing, actually. apparently that is what people use telephones for--hmm...who knew?? but other than being able to talk to him, our 'contact' was an incredible reminder of how much he means to me :) God has blessed me more than i ever dreamed. and for that i am eternally grateful. and as our paths continue to be paved by the Almighty paver-dude, my biggest prayer is for prepared hearts. for God's will. for God's plans--not ours. for God's hand in our lives and in our relationship.

so yeah. there are lots of un-expectations. surprises. love. grades. that boy. snow, maybe? not to mention a handful of blessings.

here's a shout out....

...to dr. a.t. still.

he was a genius.

yesterday in OPP we were working on myofacial release (where you move the 'layer' of tissue over muscles/nerves/arteries that is slightly dysfunctional & can cause lots of problems) and counterstrain (putting muscles in their relaxed positions to 'reset' them).

and guess what!??!

my TMJ is gone today.

it is amazing. for the first time in like 6 months (or more), no teeth clenching, no headaches, nothing :)

gosh i like that dr. still. he deserves a shout out today :)

so very {un}predictable

it is days like this--days where i shock myself with surprise emotion, days where i am overcome with "what if's" and "how comes"--that i am reminded how very {un}predictable life is. it is days like this that i am reminded how God controls this world. at His leisure. with us at the mercy of His pleasing. and it is days like this that i wish that i would have popped out of the womb with an instruction booklet and "how to do life" manual clutched in each hand.

But alas, i did not (probably to the relief of my mother).

i found myself crying today over tributes to friends lost to drunk drivers. over songs. over words, even. i could chalk it all up to stress, but i know there is something else there--something undefinable and un...grasp-able.

and so i found myself thinking. about how life throws so many curve balls. about my all-too-often selfish focus. about the man that Jesus was--and how incredible it would have been to know him. and i found myself thinking about just how fortunate i am. to have parents that love me. to have support and encouragement. to have my mom as my bestest girlfriend. and jon as my bestest boyfriend. to have my sisters as a spunky and refreshing support system. to havve lou as an incredible example of what a Godly man looks like. to have alec's energy & innocence. and a car to drive. and health. and a cozy bed to sleep in. and this crazy education. i was even thinking how fortunate i am to have lived past age 6--and each day after that. most of the worlds children die before they ever get to write their age as double digits, you know.

and so today i'm looking at life as a big box of surprises. and yeah, it'd be nice to have that "how to do life" manual. and i'd sure like instructions on some things--especially in light of what i'm learning at school these days.

but i guess that is part of the beauty of life. all the "what ifs" and "how comes". the emotions that surprise me...and make me thankful. because really, when it comes down to it, that is part of the beauty of knowing Christ--knowing that all really is so very {un}predictable...and knowing the One that makes it so.

reflection.

it isn't too often that i just lay in bed and think. but, whether it be my distracted psyche or misplaced mindset, i lately have found myself cozied up in between my sheets more often than ever before.

i can't quite pinpoint what it is, either. i know i am distracted. school seems to be a huge wet blanket that i can't quite get out from underneath. sometimes i feel like lewisburg is a cage--and that there is no escape from here. i don't know, really. i've just been uninspired lately. to read. to study. to socialize. to grow and learn and challenge myself.

it is a little disheartening, to be honest. i am not exactly sure what i was expecting when i signed up for all of this.....but it isn't panning out the way i thought it would. God has gotten ahold of my priorities and entirely realigned them, often making me question how things will work out in the end. i don't dare doubt my being here--God moved me across the country himself practically--but i do have a severe tendency to worry about the future.

perhpas--and i am hoping--that this is just a rutt. that christmas will be a nice recalibration. and i'll be back to my old self again in no time.

God is working now. i can't feel it at the moment, but i know He is. i just have to be patient enough to see the results.

who me?

so i was looking at old posts today. some of that writing stuff was pretty good! and i think to myself...there is no way i could have written that. so i just decided (about 30 seconds ago), that medical school has zapped my brain of all writing abilities. too bad, too. cuz i really enjoyed it.

perhaps i'll do something crazy this summer. like write a book.

any ideas on the subject? i'm wide open :)

sleep.

you know, i will admit that i am one lucky enough to not have much trouble sleeping. sure, i've had my fair share of nights where neither sheep nor happy thoughts lull me towards dreamland, but those nights are typically few and far between.

but lately that has been every night. i haven't slept well for a couple weeks now. and quite frankly, it is a little annoying, you know? i get all cozy in my bed--complete with 2 sweatshirts, flannel pants, my fleece sleeping hat, and warm socks--and then i lay there. for HOURS. i last saw the clock last night around 2:30. and i get up at 6:30. no big deal...i don't need much sleep. but honestly! i have to learn during the day...and apparently brains don't function well on 4 hours of sleep.

in fact, two people told me i looked like i was high today. perhaps the bloodshot eyes, dark racoonish circles, and general unkempt look gave me away. or perhaps i just haven't slept for days.

in all actuality, i think this is all God's idea. i know jon isn't sleeping much these days. and i think it is God's funny sense of humor that wants to connect us in our vastly different environments. so i just lay there. thinking about how jon probably isn't sleeping. and occassionally counting sheep. or spots on the ceiling. and (this is where it really gets fun) sometimes, when i am especially bored, i try to name all the muscles in the body.

fun, yeah?

heart.

it has been awhile. wayyy too long, actually since i last posted. and to be totally honest, i lost my username and password for awhile--THAT is how long is has been. but i am still here, still alive, still workin' away at life as it is thrown my way each day.

God has really been doing some cool things in my heart lately. you know that song by shawn groves?? the one about your heart being a 'house' that God comes in and remodels, throwing away all the junk and replacing it with unexpected things that you treasure much much more?

Welcome to this heart of mine
I've buried under prideful vines
Grown to hide the mess I've made
Inside of me
Come decorate, Lord
Open up the creaking door
And walk upon the dusty floor
Scrape away the guilty stains
Until no sin or shame remain
Spread Your love upon the walls
And occupy the empty halls
Until the man I am has faded
No more doors are barricaded
{Chorus}
Take a seat, pull up a chair
Forgive me for the disrepair
And the souvenirs from floor to ceiling
Gathered on my search for meaning
Every closet's filled with clutter
Messes yet to be discovered
I'm overwhelmed, I understand
I can't make this place all that You can

Lately I've been convicted of my Earthly tendencies. For things. For success. For respect from my colleagues and peers. For wealth. For temporary-ness. Maybe it is because I feel so isolated here. And I waste time on the internet, falling hook, line, and sinker for the cons of the do-their-job-well advertising companies that falsely tempt me into believing that i can't be whole or complete or happy until i have their product, and then another, and then another.

i recently listened to a sermon by Pastor Tim Lucas of Liquid Church, somewhere in NJ. The sermon series was titled "Money, Debt, & the Bible." In short, it was awesome. He talked about how we got to where we are today. That the average home in the 1950s, when people reported that they were generally most happy, was the size of today's 3-car garage. That we have moved from a society of purely "I need" (think pilgrims and food) to "I want" (look in the mirror). That we have largely fallen prey to a culture of vultures...to a culture where values and morals have been replaced by secular virtues and materialism.

i really don't want to be part of it. sometimes i seriously feel like moving to Africa. inspired by the story of Jim Eliot, i want my life to stand for something beyond myself, something out of this world.

"Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."

(Matthew 6: 19-21)

i guess i have to ask myself: is my heart in the right place? am i here, in school, for the right reasons? am i continually striving to look past myself, my selfish desires, and into the heart of God. and each day, when i close my eyes, can i hear God whisper in my ear, "Well done, my faithful servant."

i think i have some work to do.

life. leaves.

fall is here. 20 degree nights are here. and foggy mornings, too.

but autumn means winter which means home which means spring is coming which means jon will be closer which means anatomy will be over which means all of these things make jlyn happy.

i haven't been good about posting. but life (i.e., studying) always seems to get in the way. except today. because today i caught a case of the homework-blues. yes, again. too often these days. feeling like i need a break, a breather. i am beginning to feel trapped here. like i can't leave without guilt. like i don't really have a reason to leave, even if just for the day.

school is not excessively overwhelming all the time. at times, yes, it is more overwhelming than i ever expected it to be. but, then again, i didn't really have many expectations. and school, right now, is my life. i have to keep remembering that. i am blessed to be here alone--without the distractions of people i care about. and other than my cell phone & the internet, i am pretty much cut off from the rest of the world. no TV. no radio. no inlet to the craziness that this world is becoming.

and speaking of craziness...God has definitely reminded me this past week that i am not in control. of anything, really. i like to think that i am. i like to think that i can fill in my calendar and things will go as planned; that i can dream and my thoughts will magically gain physicality to become reality. but they don't...and they can't.

i can't control life. i don't own people. i can't plan. i don't know much about anything in comparison to God. and it is humbling. to know that i am not in control. to know that someone, someone much bigger and better and bolder than me is. someone who cares about me, who wants to give me what my heart desires; someone who loves me and who lived--and died--for me.

it is liberating--and at the same time completely scary--that there is a God who knows everything about me. now. yesterday. tomorrow.

will hunting.

no. not the movie. not like good will hunting. just will hunting. you know, searching, seeking, wanting, needing, and hopefully finding God's will.

it has been hard lately. to confess. to take time away from my daily chug to seek and to search. its been hard because i find myself putting in half the effort...making excuses...and tricking my heart into believing that i am really listening to what God is trying to tell me. when, in fact, i am not.

i think it is one of my temptations--to alter my state of thinking to the point where i can't decipher between the voice of the One who is speaking and the things that are all-to-often leading. its a mean trick satan plays--speaking in your ear while God is working on your heart. because guess what? i learned in anatomy that they are connected. and needless to say, no matter how hard you try to listen to God from your heart, satan always seems to sneak his way into conscious thought--constantly trying to alter God's message.

but the coolest thing, as i found out tonight, is that satan--being a bit inept--isn't BIG enough, GREAT enough, GLORIOUS enough to speak in other ways. he finds his comfy place--for me it is in my ear (for you, it might be in your eyes--him tempting you with what you physically see)--and sticks to it. doesn't change. doesn't move. but God can move. and God can change. and God can speak in many many different ways. sometimes He uses other people. sometimes He uses billboards or commercials or books or nail files (personal experience) or words. and (dare say) sometimes He even uses His word. and that is just what he did tonight.

as if my previous post wasn't indicative enough, i have been struggling a bit lately with my future. my 'type-A' tendencies tends to get ahold of me sometimes. i make lists. i fill out calendars. i brainstorm about time and dates and opportunities. i try to plan my life out. and then i stick to the plan i haphazardly throw together. it is disastrous sometimes. so i have been trying lately to just let go and let God. let God take control...of my lists (although i will still admit to making them), my calendars, my dreams and plans and dates and timeline. and He has--as much as i have let Him.

the purpose of my doing all this has been, primarily, in a fervent attempt to better follow His will for my life. all the while thinking that His will is something to be followed. i do best thinking about God sitting down at the beginning of time, pulling out a file with my name on it, and filling out the calendar for my life (similar to what i do when i haphazardly fill out my own...except God's calendar wouldn't be haphazard). in other words, i've always strived to seek God's will for me thinking that it was something to be sought-after, something He has to offer me, something He wants me to follow.

So here's what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him. Don't become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You'll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you. --Romans 12:1-2

that line that i bolded and redded and italicized? that line is equivalent to this one in the NIV:

Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—

his good, pleasing and perfect will. --Romans 12:2(b)

so....the point of all this is that tonight God spoke to me. to my heart. and i couldn't hear anything thing satan was screaming in my ears. in fact, i still can't hear satan. it was like a lightbulb went on tonight. and it is SO cool.

God's will for my life isn't something to be sought or followed. it isn't something that He is just waiting to give to me. it is quite the opposite, in fact. God's will for my life is something He wants from me. something i have to offer him. i, little lousy me, have something to offer the Creator of the universe! and it is only through prayer, through searching and seeking and stopping my daily chug to actually find, that God will speak to my heart and reveal what it is He wants from me. i just have to be willing to give it to Him. and that, my friends, is the next hardest part.

what is He telling you to offer?

and.

balance isn't "either/or". balance is "and". --unknown

i was just wasting time on the internet. nothing new for me. except today has been an extreme case of the i-don't-want-to-do-my-homework-blues. sometimes it hits really hard. and i get, well, blue.

i've really been struggling lately with the idea of balance. not so much for now. i feel balanced now. i go to school, do the homework i should (minus the days when i have the homework-blues), sometimes call myself social, and i try my best to prioritize the relationships that matter to me most. so no, not so much balance for now. but balance for the future.

the prospect of being balanced seems, at times, so daunting. now is one of those times. thinking about time management, money management, life management...it all is a bit too overwhelming a bit too often.

and yet it is exciting.

i am trying to get a group started at school. it will be a resource group for women in medicine. i will try to bring in guest speakers to talk about un-said issues that i know almost every woman who has committed herself to medicine has struggled with. children. family. marriage. finances. time. day-care. balance. so far, i've gotten an amazing response. there was even a class-wide email sent out that encouraged all the men to attend...i am excited to see what becomes of it.

most of the time, i am up for challenges. especially when i feel like God is pushing me along...wanting me to try to ride my bike without my 'training wheel' buffer in case i find myself off-balance. and i think there is one challenge in particular that he is slowly unscrewing the training wheels for. it is a big one....a life-changing one for sure. a challenge that will require incredible dedication, extreme prayers, and ultimate understanding. as time goes on, i am getting more comfortable with the idea. and getting more confident that God will provide the wisdom & patience necessary to find balance in the midst of it all.

time...

.... is flying by. totally flying. i can't believe i have been here for 5 weeks. while time has the illusion of being sluggishly slow @ times, hindsight tells me otherwise.

and it has been quite a journey already. my excitement about being here has worn off slightly. school has taken its toll. i don't leap out of bed in the morning when my alarm goes off @ 5:55 a.m. like i did just 2 weeks ago. i show up to class with sleep lines on my face. my daily dose of chai is barely keeping me awake. the anatomy lab has lost its allure. the amount of material i have to learn is slowly piling up like the trash in shel silverstein's 'sarah synthia sylvia stout would not take the garbage out'.

and, in short, i am overwhelmed.

I'm not saying that I have this all together, that I have it made.

But I am well on my way, reaching out for Christ, who has so wondrously reached out for me. Friends, don't get me wrong: By no means do I count myself an expert in all of this, but I've got my eye on the goal, where God is beckoning us onward—to Jesus. I'm off and running, and I'm not turning back.

(Phil. 3:12-14, The Message)

lately i've been distracted. by the temptation to lose sight of my goal...to get caught up in my dislike of the biochemical mechanisms, molecular pathways, and immunological systems...to take my eyes off the prize at the end. i do, after all, only have 2 years of this intense book-learning stuff. by the temptation to doubt the presence of God here, in my life, in my here-and-now. it is easy to stick my nose in a book...or on the internet...or on my pillow, for that matter, and forget that it truly is a miracle that i am here. deep down i've always wanted this to happen...but never ever imagined it actually would. i've been distracted by the potential for the future....by my own tendency to become preoccupied with subjects that are better left to curiosity--and to God. i tend to dwell on those things; they consume me...my thoughts, my mind...my habit of 'planning'.

and amidst my studying and searching and planning, i have been reminded in the last week that everything in life happens at just the right time, as long as it is GOD'S TIME and not my own.

so that is my prayer.
to hear God speak because He has definitely gotten my attention with His silence lately.
to keep my eyes set ahead because my tendency toward distraction is driving me off course. to trust that God will iron out all the wrinkles and worries i have for my future because i have to remember that He only wants the best for my life.
to remember that this life is not about me. God gave me the job to love people. to love and respect and share His joy with people. that is all. and as long as i do that with all my heart, God will smile.

and just as Rick Warren said, "The smile of God is the goal of your life."

good goal Rick, good goal.

breath.

take one for me, will you? a breath, i mean. i feel like i haven't had enough lately. or too many--not quite sure which one.

we had our first big exam this morning. thirty questions. i studied for SO long. i finally had to decide yesterday that i had reached the point where i needed to be fully confident in my knowledge base. but after the tests today, maybe i should have buried my head a little deeper in the books. it wasn't that i didn't know the information....it was that i just couldn't connect it. i know how important this stuff is. and to be totally honest, maybe it is just the new pressure of this huge responsibility that is sucking the energy out of me.

so, in short, i am not feeling good about my test results. definitely not confident in the fact that i did well . i just know that i did. and that will have to be good enough. i have to keep in mind that God--in His Divine plan--has already accounted for many many many many mistakes, mishaps, and mess-ups. i have to remember that as long as i do my very best, He'll work with that. i think that just the simple fact of me being here--having this opportunity is a testament to His networking and door-opening skills.

i have a looonnnggg road ahead of me. and right now, i can't even imagine the end. totally feeling overwhelmed. i have a TON of reading to do...a LOT of studying to get done...and even MORE to learn. and i am finding it harder and harder to focus when all this seems like so much and its relevance seems like so little. but i'll keep chugging away. because God wants me here--i know that much is true. and i'll get through my reading--from the closest book you see to the one farthest away (i found that if i line them right in the middle of my floor, anytime i need to get anywhere in my little cottage i end up tripping over them....subtle reminders of what needs to get done). and i'll try my best to stay positive about it--because i am well aware that not everyone gets this opportunity. and i will pray for motivation, because i really need some right now. and i will hope that the end of this road comes sooner than later.

so thanks for your prayers. for your positive thoughts. for your encouragement and support. but most of all, for your prayers.

profound.

you know when you read something and it just hits you...like a brick wall, or bullet train, or meteor from Mars?? you know what i'm talkin' about??

i read something like that today. it was a rare moment--a break from my textbooks (which, by the way, seem to magically be multiplying). i picked up "Blue Like Jazz", by Donald Miller. and this is what i read (and prepare yourself, it is kind of long...):

For a very long time, I could not understand why some people have no trouble accepting the grace of God while other experience immense difficulty. I counted myself as one of the ones who had trouble. I would hear about grace, read about grace, and even sing about grace, but accepting grace is an action I could not understand. It seemed wrong to me not to have to pay for my sin, not to freel guilty about it or kick myself around. MOre than that, grace did not seem like the thing I was looking for. It was too easy. I wanted to feel as though I earned my forgiveness, as though God and I were buddies doing favors for each other.
Enlightenment came in an unexpected place: a grocery store. I was on my way over Mount Hood to spend some time in the high desert with a few friends. I was driving alone and decided to stop in at Safeway to pick up some provisions for the weekend. While standing in line at the checkout counter, the lady in front of me pulled out food stamps to pay for her groceries. I had never seen food stamps before. They were more colorful than I imagined and looked more like money than stamps. It was obvious as she unfolded the currency the she, I, and the checkout girl were quite uncomfortable with the interaction. I wished there was something I could do. I wished I could pay for her groceries myself, but to do so would have been to cause a greater scence. The checkout girl quickly performed her job, signing and verifying a few documents, then filed the lady through the line. The woman never lifted her head as she organized her bags of groceries and set them into her cart. She walked away from the checkout stand in the sort of stiff movements a person uses when they know they are being watched.
On the drive over the mountain that afternoon, I realized that it was not the woman who should be pitied, it was me. Somehow I had come to believe that becuase a person is in need, they are candidates for sympathy, not just charity. It was not that I wanted to buy her groceries, the government was already doing that. I wanted to buy her dignity. And yet, by judging her, I was the one taking her dignity away. ...
Rick (the author's friend) says that I will love God becuase he first loved me. I will obey God because I love God. But if I cannot accept God's love, I cannot love Him in return, and I cannot obey Him. Self-discipline will never make us feel righteous or clean; accepting God's love will. The ability to accept God's unconditional grace and ferocious love is all the fuel we need to obey Him in return. Accepting God's kindness and free love is something the devil does not want us to do. If we hear, in our inner ear, a voice saying we are failures, we are losers, we will never amount to anything, this is the voice of Satan trying to convince the bride that the groom does not love her. This is not the voice of God. God woos us with kindness, He changes our character with the passion of His love." From Blue Like Jazz, by Donald Miller, p. 83-84, 86

heaven.

oh man. i got a little piece of heaven here today. and bbbooooyyyy was it nice. rain + chai + being outside on my porch in the middle of the storm = me very happy :) (even though i was doing homework).

this past week went by SOOOOO s....l....o....w....l....y...... by wednesday i though it had to be friday...then when friday came, i couldn't actually believe it was here. and speaking of friday, i went to the "first cut party" thrown for the freshmen. it was in a cow pasture out in the country. and, with my great luck, i managed to step in a giant pile of cow poo with flip-flops on. it was slimey....gross. but despite the little bit of the party i took home with me on my feet, i also took home a bit of optimism--about the people here, about the community here; about the fact that i am thinking that i chose the right place--or, rather, the right place chose me.

and on a more scholastic note, we started anatomy last week. and starting anatomy means we started in the cadaver lab. and there has been quite a bit that has happened since our first day of lab on tuesday:

i have decided to (temporarily) take a subbatical from eating red meat and crackers in my soup as a result of my (awesome) observations in the lab. the red meat looks just like human muscle and the crackers-in-soup heavily resemble adipose tissue. too much for me.

my emotions have been on a roller coaster--perhaps coming to grips with the fact that i am working on dissecting someone's grandma has gotten under my skin--or theirs (yes, pun was intended).

and we, as first year students, got "the talk". you know the one that you always hear phantom whispers of in medical school?? the talk that tells us we must dissociate--we must, from this point on, throw our emotions by the way-side when situations arise where human emotionality is not welcome. people are depending on us, on our stoic grace and our knowledge base, to successfully support, treat, and hopefully heal themselves and those they love. emotionality has its place in the comfort of life outside of doctor-hood, they told us; but seldom does it find itself comfortable within the profession.

and, as a result of this talk, i've had to re-evaluate myself, my own desires, and my future profession. and quite frankly, i disagree with them. yes, there is a place for emotion. and although medical professionals are supposed to be strong and courageous and knowedgble, they are also people. people who chose a hectic lifestyle of dedication to their patients, their communities, the greater world of healing arts because it moved something inside of them, it attracted their hearts and stimulated their minds to actively pursue health in others. and because they are people, who happen to be doctors, if a situation arises where human emotionality is stirred enough to flow out from the depths of its storage place, i say let it loose--let the tears and joy and sorrow and excitement and refreshment and disappointment and tradgedy and grace flow freely.

patients see the doctor side in humans through diagnosis and the human side in doctors through emotions. i think my patients deserve to see the whole me.

official.

well. it is official. i am a medical student.

hold on, let me say it again. i am a medical student.

nope. still not sinking in.

i kind of feel like i am at summer camp. in my little cottage, with a rental car i happen to be driving around, constantly introducing myself to people as "hi, my name is ____. i am from ____. in undergrad i studied _____. i hope to specialize in ____." fill in the blanks as you choose.

it is feeling more comfortable here today. lots more comfortable, actually. i still don't know many people, but i fully realize that it will just take time to make connections---and i am cherishing my reflective, alone time right now. had class this morning--we got a new 'patient'. and believe it or not, it was actually fun. so fun. we talked. we contemplated. we tried to put puzzle pieces together to come up with a diagnosis. and then we researched. and in the meantime we learned. and that is what it is all about: working together toward a common goal. and i think it is pretty cool that the goal just happens to be making someone else's quality of life better. :)

the beginning.

well. i am here. in lewisburg. and while i never thought this day would come, it has come--and gone. quickly--way too quickly, it seems right now.

but i am here. sitting at my desk. while my chicken is cooking for dinner. one full day--the first day--of orientation behind me. and many unremembered names later, i am confident--but nonetheless apprehensive--that THIS is where God wants me.

and yes, i was that nerdy this morning that i took a picture of myself on my first day of school. it was like big-kid first grade all over again.

it is comfortable here. the people are nice. my little cottage is cozy. it is quiet and hot (which i love) and rainy and thunderstormy. and there are no bugs, except spiders in my bathtub. and apples are $3.99 per pound (a foreign USD amount to me, living forever before in Washington state where apples are abundant). and my landlords are really nice. and i have a roof and food and bounds of knowledge awaiting my learning.

we talked today in orientation about changes. the change coming here. the change that needs to take place in personal spending habits. and perhaps most importantly the emotional change that will take place in all of us (us being the first year students) by the years end. and as much as i am scared for that change--how it will affect me personally, my relationships, my outlook on life, i am trusting that God will change me as well...for the better.

and guess what God did for me today already?? he introduced me, completely randomly, to 2 other christians! how cool is that?? out of the almost-200 students that were at orientation today, i met 2 wonderful girls that both turned out to be christians. so church buddies, here i come :)

His fingerprints continue to pop up in the most unexpected places. in notes from home. in blessings of waived late fees. in hard working companies who really care about their customers. in early flights and cheap books and new beginnings. yes, God really is in everything....you just have to look hard enough to find Him.

the middle of nowhere.

well okay. not quite the middle of nowhere--and it didn't matter that it was nowhere because someone was there--someone pretty special :) but it was quite a trip--quite a saga, actually--to get to the middle of nowhere. and by the time i finally got there, i had never been so happy to be in the middle of nowhere in my entire life.

it all started on tuesday. i drove to spokane to visit beth and adorable not-so-baby-anymore jessa. we went downtown...had lots of fun together. then went shopping with amy, which was also fun. AND amy and derek cooked me dinner--they are like star chefs or something...it was really good :) and then after a bit of laughing and talking (moreso me than amy), we finally fell asleep.

and good thing, too, because my flight came early in the morning. and amy was kind enough to drop me off at the airport...and i checked in at the southwest counter.

my flight from spokane to oakland took off on time and was pretty smooth--as far as i can remember....although i can't remember much because i was asleep and i woke up with my mouth wide open more than once.

once i arrived in oakland, i just happen to walk far enough to find my gate, which wasn't posted yet because i had such a long layover. much to my dismay, a starbucks--which i felt i desparately needed--was no where in sight....so i took a seat in what i thought would be an isolated corner. not at all the case. i had a family come sit by me with what appeared to be 4 little girls, who all looked exactly like one another....they turned out to be 2 girls and 2 boys--slightly resembling Hanson (remember them??). and on top of the shock factor from this family of quadruplets who were of 2 different sexes, the mom laid the youngest one (less than 2 years old) on her lap--totally horizontal--and whipped out her boob in the middle of the airport and stretched it down to about where her knee/the baby's mouth was to nurse. weird.

i got up to get lunch (which was 1/2 of a disgusting burrito) and sat back down a few seats away from where i was sitting before. and luck would have it that i sat down next to a girl--on her cell phone--that was talking about condoms and how she had just found out, the night before, that she was pregnant and she didn't remember who the father was. quite a umm....colorful conversation.

so i finally boarded the 45-minute-delayed plane headed to st. louis. it was full flight. little did i know that we had to stop in phoenix to drop off & pick up other passengers. but because the plane was delayed, they didn't want to stop and take another hour to refuel. so we took off from phoenix with just enough fuel to make it to st. louis.

it wasn't until about 70 miles out of st. louis that the problems began. there were 'big thunderstorms' in the city, as they were explained to us and we weren't allowed to land until they cleared. so there we were.....low on fuel, flying around in circles "on hold" from the control tower waiting for clearance to land in st. louis. i was freaking out.

but lucky us, we DID get clearance from the control tower in st. louis just in time because the captain said that we had 'just enough' fuel to make it back to the airport. and i didn't quite believe that there was a big thunderstorm....until we got a little closer and i saw the most incredible lightening storm that i have ever seen in my life....and funny thing was that we were flying right through it...in a metal airplane. again, i was freaking out.

well, we landed. and right when i turned on my cell phone, jon called. bad news....he couldn't come pick me up. which actually, i was thinking, was okay because my flight got in really late and we wouldn't have gotten back to where he was until really late....and with him getting up at 3 a.m. everyday, it wouldn't have been good for him either. i was fine...(remember i am sitting on the plane thinking this)...i'd just get a hotel room or rent a car and drive to where he was.

but that is where the problems began. i got off the airplane and noticed that wow! the st. louis airport was much smaller than i expected. WRONG. the entire main terminal of the airport had NO electricity. the pretty lightening storm we watched from the sky in our metal airplane had knocked it out...and left another 500,000 people without electricity.

and WRONG again. there was a big baseball game in st. louis that day and every hotel was overbooked. and WRONG again. i had to be 25 yeras old to rent a car from the company that wouldn't cost me an arm and leg. and WRONG again....the soonest flight that left to Fort Leonard Wood was thursday at noon (and it being wednesday, i was thinking it would be a loooonnngggg wait in the airport without electricity).

so i was stranded. no hotel. no car. no jon. no plane. no electricity. pretty much just me. and my suitcase (which almost didn't arrive either).

luckily, my mom came to the rescue. some nice people came and picked up me, let me stay at their house (they were trustworthy, don't worry) and took me to the bus station in the morning.

and on the way to the bus station the next morning, there were trees down, signs broken in half, roofs off buildings, and cars swerved into the medians along the freeway. CRAZY. crazy that of all the days to visit st. louis, i chose the one that marked one of the biggest storms in history. and crazy that my plane flew right into the storm. and crazy that we were almost out of fuel. and crazy that God totally provided and protected, despite the crazy circumstances (protected me, protected jon from driving...the list goes on).

onto my 6-hour adventure on the bus: was scared more for my stuff than myself in the bus station. sat next to a smelly smelly boy for all 6 hours of what was supposed to be a 2 hour bus ride. stopped to get gas 5 times but couldn't get it until 1 exit before my stop because the electricity hadn't only affected the st. louis area, but had also knocked out the gas pumps for miles and miles.

and finally got to Fort Leonard Wood. and like i said before, i had NEVER been so happy to be in the middle of nowhere in my life. :)

changing seasons

you know, i never really thought about life as seasons. until now. until now when changes happen...when there is summer and spring and autumn and winter--each season unique in every sense of the word. and although i can't quite discern which season of life i am in now, i know one thing for sure: it is changing.

and just like the change from winter to spring brings new life, new breath, new excitement, so too does this seasonal change. it is big. it is not yet as comfortable as the last seasons have been...but i am trusting that it will become more comfortable with time, with space, with experience.

because really when you think about it, that is what life is all about: experience. experiencing every good thing that God created...experiencing life to the fullest, filling your senses with awe and your eyes with wonder; filling your heart with hope and your life with Divine purpose--and inspiring others to do the same. as much as i hesitate to admit it, this life--my life--doesn't belong to me. it belongs to someone much greater, much more powerful, much more loving than i can even comprehend. and beyond pursuing the dreams, desires, and wishes He has planted in my heart at the very core of my being, He has also left me great responsibility. He has given me a mission....to share the awe and wonder and hope and purpose and inspiration that i have been blessed with.

and lately i have't been doing a good job of it. and with the forecast of my crazy busy schedule the next few years, it is hard for me to think that there will be time for that ultimately important assignment. so i am praying--with all that i have, all that i am--that i can find time, make time, cherish time doing His holy work. be it in the grocery store or through a few dollars with a thousand miles' distance...opportunities always exist. i just have to open my eyes wide enough and spill out my heart enough to see them in the midst of changing seasons.

too much time.

Wow. After all this time has passed, I know one thing for sure: I definitely do NOT win the blogger-of-the-year award. It has been waaayyy too long since I last updated this—and although life seems to have come to somewhat of a standstill, SO much has happened in the past month.

Where to start…

Got back from Maui at the end of May. After a whirlwind finals week and graduation weekend, it was wonderful to have a bit of time to just sit…to lounge…to just be. And it was an immense blessing to spend quality time with my wacky family.

Headed to Spokane to see my favorite dude just two days after I got back. We spent the week with his parents. And in addition to me learning more about just how awesome he is, I learned invaluable lessons about his family—daily interactions, conversation pieces, stories from the past. It was awesome. I met his cute grandma…we had a picnic…we went to dinner…got in the hot tub…pretty fun week with a pretty cool guy

We headed back to Richland just in time for Tayte’s birthday party. It was a one heckuva crazy time, I’ll tell ya’. She wanted a hotel room…I set up a scavenger hunt…and then about 6 more teenagers than we expected ended up spending the night. highlights from the evening:
Korryn accidentally kicks her shoe of the hotel room deck. Her and two other girls have to go searching for it in the darkness right outside someone else’s hotel room window.
My mom makes a bet with one of the girls who didn’t have a swimsuit that she would get in the pool with her clothes on if the girl did as well. The girl got in with her clothes on. My mom decided she didn’t need hers (well…except for her tanktop and underear). Best part was that the pool was exposed, via a wall of windows, to the main hallway of the lobby…AND that Jon Pritchard was also swimming with us. (I think he might be scarred for life).
Tayte and her friends get in trouble by a mean lady next door who said they were being too loud. And instead of accepting the fact that they were, in fact, being loud….they decided to make this oh-so-mean lady the topic of conversation the remainder of the night.
Jon played guitar for a herd of teenage fans. Probably his first concert debut (?). I think that the pictures explain it all…yup…they loved him
During the scavenger hunt (which was in none other than Super WalMart), the girls all had to come back out to the car before they could open each new clue. We thought it’d be funny to keep moving the car so they’d have to run around the entire monstrous parking lot. They weren’t too happy with our decision….Jon and I thought it was hilarious!!

I was lucky enough to spend the following week with Jon-- that is like two weeks straight, in case you were wondering!! (and it was awesome!) but, inevitably, the sad day came where we had to say goodbye. And holy cow it was sad. Sad…but necessary.

Pretty crazy that we’ve come to this time in our life where God is sending each of us off—in our own unique ways in order to fulfill His ultimate purpose for our lives. And you know…I never expected it to be easy—and I know in my heart that it will totally be worth it—but it is turning out to be much more challenging than I had originally anticipated.

It seems like just yesterday that I was dreaming about medical school. And today, I don’t feel like I’ve woken up yet. And it just blows my mind that everything seems to happen at once: leaving friends, moving away from family, departing from everything familiar and comfortable. But despite all the uncertainty, the apprehension, and the extreme anxiety I am feeling at the moment, I am also feeling excessively blessed, totally loved, and amazingly comforted by the fact that I know this separation is necessary.

After an awesome two weeks with Jon, he took off for Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri and I headed to San Antonio, Texas to spend a week at Canyon Lake and see the Alamo and the famous Riverwalk

And from Texas, it was on to West Virginia to (mmm…deep breath) move me in!!! I feel SO incredibly blessed that I had the opportunity to visit in advance. I got a private tour of the campus, got to know one of my professors, moved in (almost completely) to my cute little house (that I love, by the way), spent some time in the incredibly beautiful landscape of the Appalachians, and mentally geared up for school (although I do have a ways to go).

i got back from WV and went to Allison’s bridal shower. I can’t believe her wedding is in 8 days!!! CRAZY!!!

Two days later I was in Yakima visiting my Dad. It was a good visit—and God definitely had his hand in my time there.

Onto a family reunion in Yakima, then to Camp Ghormley tagging along with my family as the medical team for a few days. Mt. Rainier was the next destination—enjoying the immensity of God’s creation and getting friendly reminders of how small I am

And what is on the plate next?? Just being home. And I am fully planning on soaking up each and every second of it!!!!!

(UGGHH!!! picture uploads aren't currently working. bedtime for me. i'll try again tomorrow)

sand.sun.surf.salutations.

still here. still in maui. and still baking myself daily. pretty great, if you ask me.

but also ready to come home. ready to go through my stuff (TLC Clean Sweep style...will be SUPER fun...planning on have SELL/KEEP/TOSS piles and everything). ready to see jon again. ready to see little puff-ball again. ready to eat a big fatty popsicle. ready to just lay on my huge beanbag and soak in being home.

excited for hugs. for new scrapbooking stuff i am planning on getting when i'm in spokane (jon...you can come with me...it could be fun--wink wink). excited for life on the mainland. cuz guess what!?! it is different than here.

really praying about mission work. God planted a seed in my heart about 8 years ago...and its been steadily growing since then. itching to get to school...excited to learn about the human body (but still coveting prayers for motivation). ready to use my hands and heart to help those in need.......

all in all: i am just thankful today. reality is sinking in that i am done at GU. that i am moving across the country. that i am turning a new page. and i'm excited to read what is on it. excited for trips this summer. excited to move in to my cute little guest house. excited to see what adventures God has in store for me; becuase guess what!?! i am SURE there are plenty.

praying for motivation. for wisdom and discernment. for purity and a continually guarded heart. for honesty and optimism. and for time and confidence: in relationships, in repairing relationships, in maintaining friendships, in spending intimate time with the Creator of the Universe.

it still blows my mind that i can do that. that i can sit down and talk to the One who made every living thing on this Earth. the One who handcrafted each blade of grass and sprinkles each raindrop in precisely the spot He chooses. the One who raises mountains and hugs orphans...the One who has enough time to throw galaxies into place and listen to my heart. WOW.

and on a totally new note....WOW are these beautiful women i have the privledge of calling my sisters....