Thankful Thursday

It's been a while since I did one of these ... probably since last fall (sadly). As I wasn't sleeping this afternoon, I was thinking about the hymn "Count Your Blessings". I was reminded of my principal from Kindergarten, Bro. Godwin. Every Friday morning during chapel, he would lead us in this hymn. I can't exactly remember what he looked like, but I remember his smile and the sheer joy on his face as he'd sing the words to this wonderful hymn. Each week he'd tell us how important it was to thank God for what He's blessed us with. Well, maybe we didn't really sing it every week, but I remember singing it frequently.

Count Your Blessing

When upon life’s billows you are tempest tossed,
When you are discouraged, thinking all is lost,
Count your many blessings, name them one by one,
And it will surprise you what the Lord hath done.

Refrain

Count your blessings,
name them one by one, Count your blessings,
see what God hath done! Count your blessings,
name them one by one,
And it will surprise you what the Lord hath done.

Are you ever burdened with a load of care?
Does the cross seem heavy you are called to bear?
Count your many blessings, every doubt will fly,
And you will keep singing as the days go by.

Refrain

When you look at others with their lands and gold,
Think that Christ has promised you His wealth untold;
Count your many blessings.
Wealth can never buy your reward in heaven,
nor your home on high.

Refrain

So, amid the conflict whether great or small,
Do not be disheartened, God is over all;
Count your many blessings, angels will attend,
Help and comfort give you to your journey’s end.

Refrain

So, here's a small list of things I'm thankful for on this Thursday:

1. Faithful friends
2. Loving parents
3. Marshall
4. Cooler weather - fun times wearing "fall clothes"
5. COFFEE
6. Seeing a baby get well when none of us thought she would (love God's surprises!)
7. Lots of laughing
8. Pretty fall colors appearing
9. Beautiful sunset tonight
10. Schedule change ... I get OFF on Christmas!! :)

Have a WONDERFUL weekend, and let the Holiday Season begin!!

2:30 AM Good Times

Trying to mend a very sore throat before I head back to work tonight, I decided to make some mashed potatoes for my "dinner". (or whatever the 2-3 AM meal is called before crashing for the day) =) I didn't have any real potatoes - besides, that would be way too much work at this time of day - but I did have a package of potato flakes and just enough milk for the recipe. YEA!! I first needed to boil the liquid stuff before I added the flakes and stirred like a mad-woman. (Can you guess where this is headed?!?) Yep . . . I let it completely boil over the side of the pot. Thankfully, I have a glass top stove so the mess was somewhat contained. Unfortunately, milk & water & butter make a LOT of smoke when poured on a really hot burner. OOPS!! I quickly ran around turning on every vent in my apartment and then shut off my alarm so I could open some windows before the smoke detectors went off. Wouldn't that have made me the most popular neighbor in the building?!? =) It only took about 10 minutes for the majority of the smoke to dissipate so I could finish making the mashed potato concoction. So, here I sit in a slightly hazy apartment with a full belly of mashed potatoes and a throat that isn't much better than before the saga ... who knows whether it's the original problem or from smoke inhalation! Perhaps, in the future, I should leave the more complicated cooking (like boiling liquids) to my "pre-midnight" cooking adventures.

As Martha would say, "Good Times." :~)

Redeemed

According to my dictionary, not Webster because I don't have his :), to redeem is to recover ownership of by paying a specific sum.



I've always loved the story of Ruth in the Bible. I'm sure partly due to the fact that it's a beautiful love story, and I'm a SUCKER for a good love story. But even more, I love the fact that it's an allegory for what Christ has done for me and everyone else who trusts in Him. Boaz was Ruth's kinsman redeemer, which basically means that after her husband passed away, he was someone in the family to take her as his wife so that her husband's name could continue. (Yeah, the official Jewish law is quite a bit more complicated than that, but that's the gist.) =) The cool part comes in the New Testament, though. Before Christ came, we were held under the law, which no one could live up to being sinful humans. But, when Jesus died for us, he payed the specific sum for our lives so that we could live in eternity with Him.

Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written: "Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree." He redeemed us in order that the blessing given to Abraham might come to the Gentiles through Christ Jesus, so that by faith we might receive the promise of the Spirit.

Galatians 3:13-14

To be redeemed, all we have to do is come to Him, broken, and accept His gift of life. This fact still amazes me!

There's a Christian singing group called Selah that is incredible!! If you've never heard any of their music, I highly recommend that you take a listen. (I promise this will all tie together eventually.) The lead male singer and his wife went through an excruciating experience with their 4th daughter in 2008. About halfway through the pregnancy, they found out that their daughter's condition wasn't compatible with life outside of the womb. To read the full story, you can go to Angie's Blog. One of my good friends told me about the blog in March of last year. I sat down one day, and I literally read the whole story up to that point in one sitting. Let me warn you, though, that you'll need at least one box of tissues to get through it! It was an encouragement to see their walk of faith through this time of unspeakable darkness.

What really hit home with me was how similar their story was to the stories of so many of my families at work. I work on the sickest of the sick babies for a living, and I can't even begin to imagine what goes through the families' minds as they walk that road not knowing if their baby will be alive tomorrow ... or later this afternoon. Some days are awesome, and others are absolutely heart wrenching. Reading through Angie's blog really opened my eyes to some of the thoughts of parents going through this type of tragedy. I will never forget what a mom told a group of us in a class up in DC: "My son may not be your sickest patient, but he's my sickest kid." WOW! What to us, as healthcare professionals, seems normal and everyday is terrifying to the parents. That has stuck with me, and I hope it makes me a better nurse because of it!

Not to be Debbie Downer ... we do have happy endings in the NICU, and we ALL rejoice when the so very sick babies survive and get to go home with their parents!! At the same time, though, not all of our little darlings make it to their earthly home. We see brokenness in our unit - parents and family members at the lowest point of their lives. It is in these times that I wish I was allowed to share more of my faith with these families to let them know there is a Great Healer who can and would love to heal their brokenness while carrying them through this horrible tragedy. Our chaplains do an amazing job with the families at the hospital, and I can never thank them enough! But, they are also limited on what they can say unless the families ask a specific question. Red tape/laws really stink sometimes!!

All this to say, Selah recently released a new cd that has a beautiful song entitled "Unredeemed". Here are the lyrics:

The cruelest world

The coldest heart

The deepest wound

The endless dark

The lonely ache

The burning tears

The bitter nights

The wasted years

Life breaks and falls apart

But we know these are



Places where grace is soon to be so amazing

It may be unfulfilled

It may be unrestored

But when anything that's shattered is laid before the Lord

Just watch and see

It will not be unredeemed



For every choice that led to shame

And all the love that never came

For every vow that someone broke

And every lie that gave up hope

We live in the shadow of the fall

But the cross says these are all



Places where grace is soon to be so amazing

It may be unfulfilled

It may be unrestored

But when anything that's shattered is laid before the Lord

Just watch and see

It will not be unredeemed



Places where grace is soon to be so amazing

It may be unfulfilled

It may be unrestored

But you never know the miracle the Father has in store

Just watch and see

It will not be

Just watch and see

It will not be unredeemed



This song says it all. No matter the circumstance, bring it to Jesus, and He WILL redeem! He takes the shattered pieces of our lives that we lay before Him, and He uses them to bring about His glory. What an encouraging message! I don't know how many times I've listened to this song - sometimes singing along, sometimes praying, sometimes crying - since I bought the cd. And, this isn't the only good song on it! It's really a great time of worship to listen and sing along with all the songs!

I tried to upload it to the list of songs playing on here, but it's not yet available. So, you can click here to hear them sing it. Enjoy! =)

A Collective "Ahhh...."

WOW! What a beautiful day we're having here! It's sun-shiny & cool(er) with a wonderful breeze. It doesn't get much better than this! It makes me just give a happy, contented sigh. :) I woke up this afternoon still tired from a stressful night at work last night, and then I looked outside. Talk about a mood-lifter!! I immediately got ready and went out to run some errands. If I wasn't COMPLETELY out of food here, I would have just gone to the park. But, instead I enjoyed a leisurely drive around town as I picked up some essentials. When I got to the grocery store, I picked up a cup of coffee & a slice of pumpkin bread - another fall favorite! Speaking of, I think it's time to start the 'fall baking rituals' again. This weather makes me just want to bake all kinds of yummies!! I hope you are having a happy, fall Monday! =)

Disappointing Display of Disrespect

Hmmm...It's now 2:30AM, and I'm awake again. Just another perk of working night shift for a year now. Either that, or I took too many naps Wednesday. =) Anyways, that's not what this post is about.

I'm the FIRST to admit that I'm NOT a political person. Case in point: About two years ago (while living in the DC area), I was sitting in Reagan National Airport waiting to come back to Texas. I was reading my book & minding my own business when this guy sitting by me nudged me & said, "Isn't that John McCain sitting over there?" Sitting about 5 feet from where we were was a familiar looking man, but I said, "I don't think so." And I continued to read my book. In my defense :), I didn't really think someone important would be sitting in an airport like the rest of us, AND the election hadn't really kicked off so much. (I know, I know ... I still should have recognized him!) So, a minute or two passes, and this guy next to me said it again. He asked me if I'd take his picture shaking the man's hand. A little irritated at this point that he wouldn't leave me alone, I agreed. I was secretly thinking that he was about to make a fool of himself by asking this poor man for his picture. Well, guess who the fool was! Turns out that John McCain actually did have to sit in the airport like the rest of us. Now do you believe me that I'm not a political person?!? :)

Well, tonight I watched President Obama's speech on health care reform. Obviously, being a health care worker, this subject is pretty important to me. I didn't vote for Obama, and I don't agree with most his policies that I know of, but I listened tonight to hear his proposal. It's the first of his speeches that I've watched. I have to say that I was disappointed in the disrespect that was shown by the Republicans - particularly the one who yelled out "liar" during the speech. What happened to taking the high road in a disagreement? Has ALL maturity left our government completely? I know ... very naive of me to think that people in government would act their age. I listened to the nationalized insurance proposal, and I honestly don't believe that this "best of both worlds utopia" plan is even possible. But, all that aside, he is the President of the United States of America, and as such deserves a certain amount of respect. God allowed him to have this office for the next four years. Because of this, I'm committed to pray for him. I respect the Office of the President, and I was disappointed that some of our elected officials disrespected it tonight. No matter what happens with all of this, we can have confidence that God is still in control.

"being confident of this, that He who began a good work in you

will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus."

-Philippians 1:6

"Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever."

-Hebrews 13:8

I'm now stepping off of my soapbox . . . =) Have a wonderful weekend!!

Seems like it's been a while . . .

And it really has! It's been a full, exciting, fun, busy, stressful, happy, (add your own adjective, and it will probably apply!) couple of months. I'll try to catch up:

Fathers' Day weekend, I was excited to be off of work so that I could go to my parents' & visit with everyone. They were hosting a cookout for the dads that Saturday night, so I got to see two grandpas and other relatives - not to mention getting to spend some quality time with my own dad! Here, he's displaying a set of cuff links. There's a funny story behind these...

For Christmas, dad asked for a new, white dress shirt. (a Christmas 'staple') Well, wanting to get him what he asked for, I went out in search of a nice shirt. I was excited to find one for a great price AND in his size, so I grabbed it and ran to the cash register. As I was checking out, the sales associate asked if I would be needing any cuff links that day. In my head, I was thinking, "What a strange thing to ask someone!" Audibly, though, I just smiled and said, "No, thank you." (In my defense, I work night shift and am sleep deprived most days. So, I often miss putting 2 & 2 together to come up with 4!) =) I'm sure you see where this is going. Christmas morning, he opens the shirt and says, "Great! I'll have a shirt to wear with my cuff links." Hmmm...again with mentioning cuff links? Then he explained to me that the shirt required them. I guess the sales associate wasn't so strange for asking me that after all!! A few months later, as dad's birthday & Fathers' Day were approaching, he told me that he didn't have his cuff links anymore. So ... Happy Fathers' Day to you! Here's part 2 of your Christmas gift! =) (hooray for the special kid!) It was a fun weekend.

While I was home, my dad noticed that my car had been hit & had a nice dent in the rear. He asked when that had happened, and I had NO idea. Good times. So, I got to have a rental car for a couple of weeks while Roony (my car) had some work done. The back looks as good as new, so that made me very happy! Also during this time, my long awaited furniture arrived!!!! It is BEAUTIFUL and exactly what I wanted. The man in charge of the delivery was just laughing at me because I was SO EXCITED with each piece that was brought in. There may have been a little squealing and clapping, but I'm proud to say that the jumping up & down while squealing & clapping was contained until they were gone! :-) At one point, he looked at me and asked if this was my "first big girl bedroom furniture". I asked him, "Is it obvious?" I was just so happy to see the right stuff in perfect condition sitting in my apartment! It took a lot for this to happen.

I was lucky enough to get July 4th off this year! After sleeping for a while, (I worked the night of the 3rd) Marshall and I went to a carnival in downtown Fort Worth that he had read about online. It was pretty fun. They had huge pieces of cardboard & plastic that we could use to ride down a big hill. It was like sledding . . . but on grass when it's hot outside. =) We did this for a while. It was fun and challenging. The challenging part was trying to dodge all the little kids climbing the hill we were sledding down. Good times! We walked around for a while, and then had our picnic while we waited for the fireworks to start. And, I don't use the term "waited" loosely! The fireworks were to start once the baseball game finished. Well, that game went LONG, and the fireworks didn't get started until around 11:30!! They were well worth the wait, though. Beautiful, and not too loud for the most part. There were a couple that made me jump, but it was fun. It was a fun evening celebrating our Great Nation's freedom!!

Next thing I knew, it was my birthday weekend. I'd requested days off and made trades with people at work so that I could have several days off at that time. I think I ended up being off 5 or 6 days!! WHOOP!! :) Friday night, Marshall took me to dinner & surprised me with a bouquet of tulips and a dozen long stem, white roses! WOW!! When we got back to my apartment, my parents had arrived in from Tyler, and we got to visit with them a little while. Saturday morning, I met my parents for breakfast at IHOP. YUMMY pancakes!! =) We went to Target to get a couple things that they had forgotten to pack. What better way to start my birthday?!? IHOP & Target!! We came back to my apartment, and I put them to work . . . hanging heavy stuff on my walls. :~) That evening, Amy & Ronnie joined us for supper. It was a great time joking around with each other. After we finished eating, we went to see the musical "Little Shop of Horrors" in downtown Fort Worth. I love the music in it! I've always been a sucker for tight harmonies, and this performance was NOT a disappointment!! They did a phenomenal job. =) I had a spectacular birthday! Mom & Dad went home Sunday evening after we went to church, had a big lunch, and all had a nice Sunday afternoon nap. What an amazing weekend!!

A couple weeks later, we went to visit Sam and his foster parents. I don't think I've been out there since before Christmas, and WOW!, what a difference 7-8 months can make!! =) A couple of years ago, he started trying to talk & babble. Then, he got really sick, and that was the end of talking. Recently, though, he's just come alive with words, and it was so precious to hear that sweet little (sometimes "growly") voice! Honestly, it made me get a little teary at one point. He's such a miracle, and God has given us so much more time than we ever thought we'd have to enjoy Sam. I'm so grateful that I get to watch him grow up, and I praise God for providing such incredible foster parents! What a privilege to be able to sit back and watch God perform miracle after miracle!!

My Papa Art had his 80th birthday last week, and his party was last Saturday night at my parents' house. We went out there Saturday evening for the celebration. It was so much fun to visit with everyone again - especially since some of my cousins who I haven't seen in close to a year (or more?) were able to come. I didn't get my camera out because my dad was snapping pictures. So, I don't have any to post yet. We came back to the DFW area Sunday night after a day of playing in Tyler with my parents.

Yesterday, I met a good friend of mine & her 2 boys for lunch. We used to do stuff together all the time, but with the hour + commute between our homes now, we don't get to see each other much anymore. It was so much fun to catch up with her and play with the boys for a few hours this afternoon!! After lunch, we went to the Rangers' Ballpark & took the tour. It was a lot of fun, and we got to go in places that I'd never get to see otherwise.

Rangers' Locker Room

View from the dugout

Great president & lover of baseball!!

So, that's my life for the past two months in a nut shell. (Anyone else having an "Austin Powers" flashback?!?)

I hope you have a wonderful day!!

A Work in Progress

Well, it's been 2 weeks since I moved to my new apartment, and I'm still not completely unpacked. This is unusual for me. I DO NOT like to live with boxes & clutter, so I'm usually unpacked & settled within the 1st week. This move has been a little different since I'm working full time nights and since some of my furniture hasn't arrived yet. It's been promised by the end of this month, and I'm really hoping that they come through with this latest "guarantee". Until then, I'm learning to deal with the clutter - or at least to avert my eyes from the piles. :) By the way, I LOVE my new place!!!! It's very nice and doesn't seem to have the problems my old place had. I've uploaded a few pictures of the uncluttered & decorated areas. It's been a lot of fun to decorate. This is definitely my favorite part of moving! Hopefully I'll be able to post some "completed apartment" pictures in the next few weeks. :)

Baseball Paraphernalia (seems to be growing with time) :)
Musical Jazz Cats (look closely)

Bookshelf in hallway

Office/Craft Room (Aggie Shrine) :)

Dining Area (with easel ready for painting from Dad)

Living room