At the end of a long day...

...there are few things more incredible than getting a care package in the mail.  I'll post more about that when I'm not in the middle of three shifts in a row at work, but wanted to post a quick, "Thank you!!!" on here.  Happy Monday!

Traffic and Sunsets

Two weeks ago I came to the realization that I may have lived in Los Angeles too long.  I had gotten off of work at 4:30 pm (rather than my usual 7:00 pm), and found that the freeway was not moving.  Not even a little.  In fact it took me a good 30 minutes just to get to the on ramp, which is only a few blocks from the hospital.  As I took in the brake lights and smog, and simultaneously began to feel my left leg complaining from the constant in and out of the clutch, I decided I couldn't take it any more.  I simply couldn't fathom sitting on the freeway for another 90 minutes.  So, I instead made a spontaneous trip to the beach.  It's really not that far from where I work to the beach.  One hospital I work at is within walking distance (and I so enjoy walking there on my lunch break!), but even the other one is much less than 90 minutes from the ocean.  So I quickly put on my left turn indicator and eased back into the traffic which was actually moving.  As a result of my spontaneity, I had the incredible opportunity of sitting on the boardwalk and feeling the ocean breeze on my face while I read a book I've been wanting to read for a while.  And as the sun began to set over the ocean I sat there completely in awe of God and His creation, and the words to the wonderful hymn "How Great Thou Art" came to mind.

 O Lord my God, when I in awesome wonder

Consider all the works Thy hands have made,

I see the stars, I hear the rolling thunder, 

Thy pow'r thru-out the universe displayed!

Then sings my soul, my Savior God, to Thee:

How great Thou art, how great Thou art! 

Then sings my soul, my Savior God, to Thee:

 How great Thou art, how great Thou art!

So, did this:

beat this?

I think so, but maybe I've just been living in Los Angeles too long...;o)

Inspiration and Burnt Chocolate Chip Cookies

Webster defines being inspired as, "outstanding or brilliant in a way or to a degree suggestive of divine inspiration."  I define inspiration as those bursts of energy and ideas which inevitably come to me after the clock has dinged twelve times to remind me that we are officially entering the a.m. and the beginning of a new day.  In this case, I was inspired to blog.  I have been remiss in my blogging for quite a while now (as in a trip to my blog last week revealed pumpkins as the header...) so why I felt the need to finally catch up while most sane people are sleeping we may never know.  But here I am, so if you're reading this early Friday morning please know that I do plan to edit after getting some sleep.:o)

Much has happened since I last blogged in...yes, October.  Apparently the big news back then was that I was approaching midterms.  I have since survived those midterms, two quarters, and have made it into my last three quarter of nursing school.  God is so good!

As you can probably tell from the picture above the big news right now is that my sister and brother-in-law are expecting a baby and that in a few months I'll be an aunt!  Wow.  Those nine months really fly by.  Especially when I don't get around to making the announcement until she's in her 7th month.:o)  I actually can't remember if I knew about the baby by the time I last blogged, but if I did I had been sworn to secrecy.  Whenever I get into trouble with Justin now, he reminds me that he has the power to have their little girl call me Auntie Em.  Apparently if I'd seen the Wizard of Oz his threat would have more of an impact...

In case you've forgotten who I am, or at least what I look like, here is a recent picture.  Justin's brother Micah took quite a few pictures at our Easter celebration last weekend.  The picture above started out as a picture of the caramel apple pie I had made.  Then suddenly I was in the picture.  And then it was supposed to look candid or something to that effect.  And by the time everyone had contributed their assistance in setting up the picture, it appeared as if I was "removing the pie from the oven" with my bare hands.  Ah photography.:o)

What a blessing each of these sweet girls are!  Sarah and my parents were here for Easter which was such a treat.  They're now back up in Northern California, but the other two I saw today.  Kate came over to Justin and Rebecca's condo and cut our hair.  I can't tell you how wonderful it is to have a home salon where I feel 100% comfortable asking my hairdresser to make changes if I want them.  Plus, she'll work for free or Starbucks.  Even with their expensive coffee, it's hard to beat that price at a salon!:o)

Before that Becky helped me with plans for her upcoming baby shower so that I wouldn't be too overwhelmed.  I've tried explaining to her that the guest of honor is not expected to contribute in any way, but I can't deny that I've appreciated her input and creativity.  Perhaps in the next couple of years I'll get around to posting some pictures from that event.;o)  And then I in turn thanked her for her assistance using up the last of her butter in a batch of burnt chocolate chip cookies.  I really dislike burning cookies.  It's just such a waste of perfectly yummy cookie dough!

Well now you're pretty much caught up on my life, or at least as much of it as I'm feeling up to typing out at 12:30 am.  I look forward to (intermittently) sharing fun memories and how God's been working in my life as I finish up my last year of nursing school!

If you have to take a midterm...

Pajamas and hot chocolate is the way to go.:o)  Aren't online tests the most amazing invention?

Two midterms and one 70 questions "quiz" down.

One midterm next Tuesday.

 By God's grace, another round of midterms is almost behind me.:o)

It's raining here today...

and I was given the day off from work.  So that means,

cinnamon vanilla candles

trying out a new oatmeal chocolate chip cookie recipe (yummy and warm!)

sweaters

studying and listening to classical music

and just enjoying the much needed rain!

Speaking of Undeserved Blessings...

Over the last couple of weeks I have been eating really well.  A little too well maybe. Which is part of the reason why all recent pictures have been of my surroundings, and not of me.:o)

Last week I made Mexican Rice Casserole (recipe complements of my wonderful friend Kristen!).  She made it for Rebecca and I when we were in Seattle and we really enjoyed it.  It was a big hit here as well, and we finished off all leftovers last night.:o)

I had a really fun time making it, but right about the time I finished I began to remember why I typically try to clean up as I go along.

Thankfully my aunt was out working in the yard for most of the time, and by the time she came in she said, "Wow!  It smells delicious and the kitchen looks great.":o)

Then last Sunday Rebecca and I had our first "official" Sunday Sister Afternoon.  (We'll come up with a better name eventually.:o)  We made yummy banana muffins and then topped them with some cream cheese frosting and fall sprinkles.  Nutritious and delicious!;o)  Then we sat on her couches and talked, laughed, and ate our muffins while sipping chai tea.  Did I mention this was the absolute highlight of my week???

And last, but not necessarily least, I made scones yesterday.  I got out of my psych clinical early and came home ready to bake before going to a friend's high school play.  This particular baking adventure may not sound overly significant, but it was.  For whatever reason I've always been intimidated by scones.  They just seemed too challenging to attempt.  It turns out (like many things in my life) all the apprehension was for nothing.  They were incredibly easy, and delicious.  We had them with breakfast this morning, and the consensus was that they are a keeper.  What has the cooler weather inspired you to bake recently? 

Undeserved Blessings

I have frequently referred to the exciting and surprising joys which fill my life as "unexpected blessings," and without a doubt they are.  Last night, however, I was challenged to reclassify them as something else: "undeserved blessings."  At the recommendation of my wise older sister, I decided to attend a children's ministry Biblestudy which meets on Friday nights.  One of the couples who lead the study are close friends of my sister and brother-in-law, and I have enjoyed getting to know them as well.  The group has been reading through "A Simple Christianity" by John MacArthur, and last night they discussed a chapter titled "In the Likeness of Men."  I've known (I think) since before I could talk that Jesus is the Son of God, and that He came to earth as a man to die on the cross for the sins of the world.  In spite of this knowledge, I rarely pause to reflect on how much He gave up to come or the sinfulness and unworthiness of the humans He came to save.

The leader pointed out that His overwhelming and incredibly undeserved gift should alter the way in which we live our lives as Christians.  The fact that Jesus gave up the comforts of Heaven and His face-to-face relationship with the Father to come to earth and die, should radically change our worldview and force us to reconsider what we "deserve."  The word deserve is defined as to "be worthy or deserving."  Psalm 103:8-12 says:

     "The Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love.  He will not always accuse,

     nor will he harbor his anger forever; he does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to 

     our iniquities.  For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him;

     as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us." (emphasis mine)

The reality is that we deserve death (Romans 6:23).  We deserve eternal punishment, and are instead given eternal life.  God sent His Son to die an unimaginable and horrific death on the cross so that we might spend eternity in Heaven with Him, and all we must do to receive this free gift is place our trust in Jesus Christ (John 3:16).  So the next time I'm tempted to respond with "righteous" indignation toward the person who has dared to pull into the gas station slot I "deserved" because I was there first, I pray that I will remember that I am a sinner who actually deserves death and was instead given life, and that this remembrance will allow me to smile graciously and settle back into my seat.  The God of the universe saved me from what I deserve.  And I can wait.