new semester, new way of blogging

Nursing- Semester Two

I am bored with my blog posts.  It will now be organized to tell all about my life, instead of just my school-to-career path. Most of what I/we am/are doing these days are objectives for our careers.  This is exactly what has been on my nerves the past several months.  My life is formed so tightly around these objectives--to volunteer at the Pregnancy Crisis Center; to continue well in nursing school; to prepare for the next education step (Masters, CNM); to apply for scholarships and see how else I can lighten our financial load for all of the above, including continuing work on the OB unit at the hospital and working for rent wages; to stress just enough and discipline myself to keep nibbling away at my doula certification.  And it's all to 1 end: Certified Nurse-Midwife who wants to work alongside husband in clinic ministry, anywhere in the world.

And then there are other aspects of my life.  We spend time with my parents.  We attend Sunday morning service (disengaged, I'll add, on my part at least).  We work hard at home.

What does all of this have anything to do with Christ?

• To live is Christ.
• Seek first God's Kingdom and Righteousness.
• Be thankful in everything.
• On these two commands, hang all the law and the prophets: Love God and Love One Another.
• Bear good fruit, His fruit.
• Be like Christ who humbled himself to death on a cross. (humility is the goal here to the greatest extent)
• All things were made by him.  And without him was not anything made that was made.

These are life anchors for me. These are my goals and life pursuits. These are . 

Now, I'll add that I recognize I could do all this at once--do all the things I do AND be living intentionally IN CHRIST.  But I know I'm not there.  I am striving for one thing and my heart knows something deeper.  I don't want my end to be when I'm a midwife with a ministry.  Then what? I want to minister now.  I want to be a meeter of others' needs now.  And I don't want it to just buzz through my hands, but to radiate from my heart. 

Nevertheless, I am IN CHRIST.  This is my immovable position, no matter my condition.  I have faith the Lord will produce this in me and that I am on the right track with knowing what matters most.  Did it matter most that Paul was imprisoned?  No, he landed there, but his heart was right, and that's what God used.  So I am learning to be content with the fact that my life is so American, but I know who God is.  I will trust Him.

How is nursing?  I just started this week.  This semester will be overwhelmingly CLINICAL and way less theory, so I will definitely grow in my nursing skills.  I'm super excited to do an assessment on a child tomorrow in lab.  Don't know what age or who, but that's my idea of fun.

Everything else is basically the same.  I will strive to read more this semester.  I will also pursue confidence in my nursing skills; I actually think competence comes after that. 

My doula certification is going practically nowhere.  Maybe I can sit down soon and get a schedule worked out.  The other thing I'm working on this semester is always having a tight daily schedule. 

Volunteering moved to Thursdays instead of Mondays.  At the hospital as before, there is a lull in my working hours .  That means others are willing to work a lot more and don't want me to cover their shifts...soon they will tire out and then I will be there to get some hours :)  I think January to May is hardworking and then they all want a summer break and holiday breaks.  My time will come.