Look What They Give Us In Nursing School.

Anyone want a shot?

Ok, so we haven't practiced those yet, but we're getting there.

This week we're working on basic patient care return demonstrations. I feel like I'm in CNA class all over again. There's nothing better than laying in bed while a group of people are standing around you, practicing range of motion, turning you, positioning you, "diapering" you, putting you on a bedpan, helping you from the bed to the wheelchair, etc. We have to practice on each other and check each other off. I've gotten to know several of my fellow student nurses very well through this. :o) It's been such a fun week.

I can't wait to do wound care on real people. Dummies' wounds aren't very exciting. I can't wait to do my very first wound debridement. Clinicals start in 2 weeks!
I love nursing school.

I have a job now. I start on Friday. Since my CNA license is for the state of Illinois, I can't work as one here in Kansas. I have to take the exam here first, which I've applied to take. The thing is, I probably won't get it until November because of the long pending process.
By that time, I will have almost completed first semester and can start applying for a Nurse Tech position in a hospital. I don't know if it's really worth applying as a CNA, but I'm doing it anyway. In the meantime I'll be working 1 or 2 days a week(depending on my school load) as a Ward Aid in a nursing/rehab center. I'll pretty much just be doing odd jobs, like filing, stocking nursing supplies, etc. But it's something and much better than working around food in a restaurant or something. Blegh.

Week 3: complete.

Little Faith.

Well, tomorrow begins week 3 of nursing school.

This week has been a trying week for me. I've had the biggest load of homework and I've been sick. I can't remember the last time I've been that sick. I had a fever 2 nights and my body ached for 3 days. I was on antipyretics(aka tylenol and motrin) and they didn't work. I felt so terrible those 2 nights, I seriously prayed that God would either help me feel better or let me die. Well, He did help me feel better. I went to school each of the following mornings. I just felt tired and achy, but not feverish.
Anyway, that put me behind on my homework and that stressed me out even more. And I missed home and my family and my friends.

But I'm better now. This weekend has been kind of boring. I'm tired of reading and studying. I've been trying to follow Lizzie's instructions and take breaks and make some time for myself so I don't become a psychostudyholic. She said reading my Bible doesn't count, I have to do something else. So I watched Mansfield Park with Grandma on Saturday night. That's one of my favorite movies and Grandma really enjoyed it, too. Yesterday after church, I finished the book I started reading last month. Sad, I know. Today I baked cookies and went out for lunch with my cousin Candace.

Other than that, my life is currently a boring, sad existence consisting mostly of school and homework. I have to say though, I'm looking forward to starting again tomorrow.

Here's a cool story.

I'm on a tight budget. I have some money for future tuition payments, gas to get to and from school and church, and some extra in case of an emergency. Not much for anything else.
I've made some commitments to financially support some ministries. I also have a sponsor child. Well, as time passes and my bank account is getting smaller, and I don't have a job, I was starting to worry. I didn't think I was going to have money to support my ministries.

Then, at church last Sunday, the message happened to be on giving. I was reminded that tithing and giving to support the Church(in the bigger sense-the body of believers) was a spiritual realm. We ask God how much he wants us to give, then we trust him, even if we don't know how we're going to get by. And we're not just giving to give. We don't plant seeds not expecting anything to grow from them. We don't give to God not expecting Him to use it for His glory.

He read this verse, Malachi 3:10 "Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this," says the Lord Almighty, "and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour so much blessing that you will not have enough room for it."

Ouch. Of course I felt convicted. I wasn't trusting God to provide for me, much less for these ministries. So I prayed. And started writing checks. It's gut wrenching to write checks and not know where you're going to get the money to pay for everything. Gulp. But I'm not going to worry-I'm trusting God.

Then today I was checking my balance. I was suddenly $500+ richer. What?! Well, apparently, my previous place of employment paid me some vacation hours a couple weeks late. I thought they had given it to me already. Is that cool, or what?

I think God is trying to show me that He's way bigger than I give Him credit for sometimes. He's pretty amazing.