Jesus was Homeless ya know.

 I heard a story awhile ago at serve the city and I had to share...it really made me think. A guy and his wife went for a little vacation and ended up ditching their original plans and served the homeless. They talked with them, spent their gifts on them and ice skated with them..helping some of  them forget about their situation for a minute and enjoy life. I remember when I was working in Puerto Rico we had a mission contact with the homeless shelter...I remember telling the high schoolers that sometimes all they want is to be noticed. No one even notices them, looks them in the eye, gives them any time. People look away when they beg for money and go on with their day pushing that person out of their mind. I am no exception. I find myself doing this sometimes... How awful I feel when I realize it though. Some of them just had some rough times, some are mentally ill, some might be struggling with alcohol, drugs or whatever, but when did a problem like that let me have the right to judge or lose hope in them? No one is hopeless. There is ALWAYS hope.  We are all people and we are called to love everyone. Whether we have a home or not does not make any one better than the next. I was reading Irresistible Revolution (great book) and the author fell in love and became close friends with the many without homes. The author pointed out a very interesting thing...Jesus was homeless....which is True. 'foxes have holes and birds have nests but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.' Many of Jesus' followers invited Him to stay with them as their guest...So ,what can we do?? For one, try to push any judgmental thoughts out of your head... The only thing we should think is How can I serve you? How can I love you? Look at them in the eye....look at them as a little child, homeless, lost, cold, alone. Look at them as God looks at them. Get involved in their lives...serve at soup kitchens, donate your clothes, help them if you know of jobs, shelters, homes... Spend some of your time with them.  Love them. Love them. Love them.


Here are just a couple of homeless shelters and soup kitchens in Lexington!
The Hope Center
Catholic Action Center
Church Under the Bridge
Lighthouse Ministries

 
Galatians 6:14
May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.

missions conference

This weekend I got the chance to attend the medical missions conference in Louisville. I absolutely loved it of course. It's so so nice to be around people that have the same kind of passion. It was so incredible to think of all the missionaries there and all they've done. There were speakers from all over the world. We got to sing Swahili and hear the Bible read in different languages! I probably teared up 90% of the time... I got cold chills just listening to the stories these people had to share. I got to learn more about illnesses around the world as well as how to prepare to go. I also think I have narrowed my search down to a few organizations. 1 place from Honduras 2 places from Africa and 3 places from Haiti. Now I just have to research them a little and pray a lot about them, decide, fund raise, and go. (if that's what God wants) SO excited and scared at the same time! and here is a new song I heard while I was there!

When I look at the stars

* Stars. One of my absolute favorite things to do is to star gaze. Every time I see a sky full of them I can't help but praise the God who made them. They never get old.

Philippians 2:14-16

 ¹⁴ Do everything without grumbling or arguing, ¹⁵ so that you may become blameless and pure, “children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation.” Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky ¹⁶ as you hold firmly to the word of life. And then I will be able to boast on the day of Christ that I did not run or labor in vain.

Lift your eyes and look to the heavens: Who created all these? He who brings out the starry host one by one, and calls them each by name. Because of his great power and mighty strength, not one of them is missing. Isaiah 40:26

YES!!!! UK Basketball!

Kentucky Basketball starts today!!! So excited for the new season!

2011-12 SCHEDULE

Date	Opponent / Event	Location	Time / Result
10/14/11	Big Blue Madness #	Lexington, Ky.	NTS
10/26/11	Blue-White Scrimmage #	Lexington, Ky.	7:00 p.m. ET
11/02/11	vs. Transylvania #	Lexington, Ky.	7:00 p.m. ET
11/07/11	vs. Morehouse #	Lexington, Ky.	7:00 p.m. ET
Basketball Hall of Fame Tip-Off Tournament
11/11/11	vs. Marist	Lexington, Ky.	7:00 p.m. ET
State Farm Champions Classic
11/15/11	vs. Kansas	New York, N.Y.	9:00 p.m. ET
Basketball Hall of Fame Tip-Off Tournament
11/19/11	vs. Penn State	Uncasville, Conn.	12:00 p.m. ET
11/20/11	Old Dominion/South Florida	Uncasville, Conn.	12:00 p.m. ET
11/23/11	vs. Radford	Lexington, Ky.	7:00 p.m. ET
11/26/11	vs. Portland	Lexington, Ky.	7:00 p.m. ET
Big East/SEC Challenge
12/01/11	vs. St. John's	Lexington, Ky.	7:30 p.m. ET
12/03/11	vs. North Carolina	Lexington, Ky.	12:00 p.m. ET
12/10/11	at Indiana	Bloomington, Ind.	5:15 p.m. ET
12/17/11	vs. Chattanooga	Lexington, Ky.	8:00 p.m. ET
12/20/11	vs. Samford	Lexington, Ky.	7:00 p.m. ET
12/22/11	vs. Loyola (Md)	Lexington, Ky.	1:00 p.m. ET
12/28/11	vs. Lamar	Lexington, Ky.	8:30 p.m. ET
12/31/11	vs. Louisville	Lexington, Ky.	12:00 p.m. ET
01/03/12	vs. Arkansas-Little Rock	Louisville, Ky.	7:00 p.m. ET
01/07/12	vs. South Carolina *	Lexington, Ky.	4:00 p.m. ET
01/11/12	at Auburn *	Auburn, Ala.	8:00 p.m. ET
01/14/12	at Tennessee *	Knoxville, Tenn.	12:00 p.m. ET
01/17/12	vs. Arkansas *	Lexington, Ky.	9:00 p.m. ET
01/21/12	vs. Alabama *	Lexington, Ky.	12:00 p.m. ET
01/24/12	at Georgia *	Athens, Ga.	9:00 p.m. ET
01/28/12	at LSU *	Baton Rouge, La.	4:00 p.m. ET
01/31/12	vs. Tennessee *	Lexington, Ky.	7:00 p.m. ET
02/04/12	at South Carolina *	Columbia, S.C.	6:00 p.m. ET
02/07/12	vs. Florida *	Lexington, Ky.	7:00 p.m. ET
ESPN College GameDay
02/11/12	at Vanderbilt *	Nashville, Tenn.	9:00 p.m. ET
02/18/12	vs. Ole Miss *	Lexington, Ky.	4:00 p.m. ET
02/21/12	at Mississippi State *	Starkville, Miss.	9:00 p.m. ET
02/25/12	vs. Vanderbilt *	Lexington, Ky.	12:00 p.m. ET
03/01/12	vs. Georgia *	Lexington, Ky.	9:00 p.m. ET
03/04/12	at Florida *	Gainesville, Fla.	12:00 p.m. ET

Dance!!! Teach me how to Dougie!

Ha. time to learn how to Dougie!!! my friends and I have tried to learn this and can't seem to get it...however I have found the perfect (funny/lame) video to help! haha

Dance!!!! Salsa!!

Whenever there's music on I can't help but to move to it! I love to dance! Now I am not coordinated, technical or good really haha..but that does not stop me!!  
We're fools whether we dance or not, so we might as well dance. ~Japanese Proverb
Nobody cares if you can't dance well. Just get up and dance. ~Dave Barry
  Dance like no one is watching!!!!

First to "master" is the Salsa.  I really LOVE latin dances so this is perfect to start out with. I think I'm going to see if mister Shane will do this with me. :) I can't wait! We're going to be experts soon!(I'll let ya know how it goes)

things to work on...The Bible

I have a book...no...a love letter written for me that I don't know like I want to. I am ashamed of how little I know actually. At church last Sunday our preacher was talking about Philippians and went into all of this historical detail...I loved it! I felt like I could really understand what was written so much better and differently once I knew more about the book. soooo I really I want to study this love letter; I want to imagine myself in the stories, I want to have the words written in my heart and mind. I want to be able to think of a verse for every situation I'm in and I want to grow closer to God.  I'm going to read through it and try to write thoughts on what I'm learning I guess....if you have any opinions or things a certain verse or book does for you share it!!!

The Bible!!!

“a bible that’s falling apart usually belongs to someone who isn’t”.-Charles Spurgeon

work

So I've been a nurse for about 8 months now and it still feels like I just started! I feel so young and inadequate. There are times when I'm not sure if I even picked the right career. why am I doing this?! I wonder. This job can be crazy stressful. You have the potential of really hurting someone if you are not always paying attention...and I guess I knew this when I decided to be a nurse but it never really hit me until I had my own patients that depended on ME for their care. SCARY.  I have to stick babies with needles, give nasty medicine, wake kids and parents up all night. I have to hear bad news, see families that don't care, and see some of the worst things people do to the innocent. I get yelled at by doctors, by other nurses, by families, and by every other service in the hospital. I have hundreds of things to do and very little/rushed time to do them. This is hard. There are days I feel like crying...sometimes I feel like giving up. and no one seems to understand. I've thought about going back to school to study something different. Maybe one day I will but I think for now this is what I am supposed to be doing. I found this poster I made my first semester of nursing school and I wrote some of the reasons I chose to do this in the first place. Hard work  equals helping others was one of the things I wrote. I chose to do this crazy stressful and challenging job to help others.
I learn something new every time I work...which is kind of cool. It's NEVER boring or predictable. It always makes me smile when I'm holding a baby and think..."this is my job to hold a baby!" I get to meet some pretty wonderful and resilient kids. I hear good news, see miracles, and watch kids go home. I'm able to be someone's advocate during a vulnerable time. I am constantly amazed at the strength my patients have.

I guess every job will have it's ups and downs right? When I look back at the points I have felt most overwhelmed I realize that I had forgotten why I'm doing what I'm doing. I forget that I'm not really the one in charge but God is. I forget that these are people that are scared and sick...this is not just another day at work it is an important day in some person's life.  I'm sure there will be many times in this career that I feel completely overwhelmed. But if I just remember EVERY single day I go into work...the reason I am there and the things those patients are going through, I think I can do this. If I give my worries and stresses and inadequacies to God....I think I can do this. If I go to work excited, happy, positive and in a great mood...If I keep my dream of doing medical missions in sight... If I continue to learn and grow and stand up for myself and my kiddos...I think I can do this.   Just pray for me!!!

babies!

Marriage

I just came back from a beautiful wedding this weekend. The bride and groom are amazing and great examples of people ready for that huge leap into marriage.  For the past month at church I have heard about having healthy relationships and ending the series with something like this, was perfect. I honestly think people take things to lightly when it comes to marriage...and the relationships that precede it. The promises they make at the alter are often broken in just a few short years when things get tough and they both realize it's not some fairy tale every day. Sometimes, I think people get wrapped up in wanting to plan some pretty wedding or keeping up with all their other friends that are married, that they can easily forget to plan for what's beyond that one day. I mean...have you ever really thought about what marriage means?!...you leave your father and mother and become ONE, that's some big stuff there. So how do you find that person God wants you with????  In the series, my preacher answered that with this----you become the person the person you're looking for is looking for. Crazy sounding but so true. If you're a partier, you'll probably end up finding another partier. If you want someone with a good relationship with God, you first have to have that good relationship. It makes sense right? I guess it starts with becoming the true you, the you God created you to be and giving your heart to Him before giving it to anyone else. You have to find comfort and contentment in God alone, because no man/woman will be able to fill certain parts of your heart. When you're able to love yourself along with the One that made you, giving yourself to someone else...becoming one with them....can become a lot less complicated and make some sense...(if you've got God's love in you..just imagine the love you'll be able to give to others!) . Do I think it will be easy? No. I think it takes work...every day. There are things out there that want to break a God thing up, that say it's okay to look at that man/woman or cheat or go to that club or email your ex or go to that website or work all the time...or whatever it may be. It's not okay. A thought becomes a desire which becomes something you try to fulfill. ....okay I'm rambling so I'll end. Here are some quick points I remember from the sermons that I think are very useful. 


For the women--- treat your man like a man. He is a leader. Support Him. submit to Him.

For the men---stand up for your woman. Love her like Christ loves the Church. treat her with respect.

For the couple--- God first...always.  prepare before hand. Know each other. Fight for each other every day. Sacrifice. Serve. encourage. Hold each other accountable. Challenge each other to grow. LOVE (1st Corinthians 13...substitute your name in where Love is and be like that) and remember they are a Child of the most High God.



Hopefully, when you think you've found that special one you'll be able to see that you are able to worship and serve God better together than alone...and that it's not all about flowers and dresses but something deeper. something rooted in a promise that can never be broken.

Allelujah, thine the glory

The meaning of Allelujah, Hallelujah--->>
The word stems from the standard Hebrew word, Halleluya, which loosely translates to mean “Praise God.”


I love this song...I love that it speaks about praising God in hardships, in loss, in disease,  ...He is the Hope, He is the glory. and we are only revived...refreshed, made anew, brought back to life/with new vigor and spirit through Him!  :)

Things to work on....be healthier

Alright, so I have lots of stuff I need to work on with myself so here's to the beginning...here's to my account of working on them. Enjoy. It's never to late to learn something or try something or to do something different!!


1. Lose weight, exercise, eat healthier (be healthier)
- This has been on my resolution list for about 15 years, no kidding. I do admit that my past failed attempts are quite embarrassing... but once again I'm going to try at it again!!! This is how it usually goes for me. Day 1.  I get super excited and motivated, set a crazy goal of losing an unhealthy amount of weight in an unhealthy amount of time, cut out all food I love, and plan on exercising 5 hours a day every day. Day 2. I begin...after the last cookie from the cookie jar of course....I work out and am pumped. Day 3. I am tired, I continue working out but it's with no enthusiasm. Day 4...I think I'll take a rest...maybe I can have some ice cream, I just ran a mile so that will make up for it. Day 5. uggh. I have to work later, I'm tired... How bout I start this again later??! I never see any results anyway!!!

....haha. okay, so that's kinda how it goes. Sometimes I make it for a few weeks, sometimes even a couple of months. But somewhere I fall off the track and get back into my bad habits then feel guilty and disappointed in myself for failing...again. You'd think after all these failed attempts I'd learn something, but I never did. I would just switch up the diet or the time frame. dumb.

Anyway, instead of continuing to beat myself up about it I'll start over....again. and how you ask?!  This time I'm going to try and make my goal more realistic. maybe just lose 5 pounds in a couple of months first. Maybe just increase my workout time to one more day or 30 more minutes. Maybe just buy all fresh, non-processed things. Maybe I can just have a goal of feeling better and forget about the number on the scale and on my pants. It's going to take dedication and hard work...it will not be easy and happen automatically (which I have to CONSTANTLY remind myself). It really is all in my mind, it's a test of will power and determination and continuing through the hard times...ha...sounds like I'm about to go fight in some war or something... I guess it's easy really. I choose to do it every day or I choose not to. There are no excuses.
I will not give up and I really don't want this to be on my resolution list for 15 more years!!! I don't want to stop when I'm tired. I want to stop when I'm done.:)

Christmas!!!

I know it's a little early to post stuff about Christmas but I found this video and didn't want to lose it. It is one of the cutest things ever! and I guess it's never too early to celebrate the birth of our Savior anyway right?! :) ENJOY

anyway

“People are often unreasonable and self-centered, forgive them anyway. If you are kind, people may accuse you of ulterior motives, be kind anyway. If you are honest, people may cheat you, be honest anyway. If you find happiness, people may be jealous, be happy anyway. The good you do today may be forgotten tomorrow, do good anyway. Give the world the best you have and it may never be enough, give your best anyway. For you see, in the end, it is between you and God. It was never between you and them anyway” - Mother Teresa

hmmm