thankful thursdays {5}

Oh, what a full week this has been!

{both in busyness and abundance}

It seems like it has been forever since last thursday!
here are my updates for project: cultivate thankfulness this week...

the spatula I find hidden in my mail box every time Steph comes to visit
"I can tell that you like me in your eyes..." - quote from my 5-year old cancer patient
incredibly raw conversations with my small group girls
therapy dogs... pretty sure I get more excited than the kids do
having a crazy flashback to africa after hearing a Lecrae song
i was (only) caught sleep walking twice this week
big life lessons from the book of Revelation
a phone call from my daddy, just to let me know he loves me.
no exams this week (yay!)
my new friend that prays like a beat poet (and he doesn't even realize it)
walking in on the goonies having a miley cyrus roast (while watching this movie)
taking care of some gnarly wounds on the burn unit
incredible neighbors that mow our lawn every week for FREE
watching this amazing goal/getting blasted with confetti at the RSL game
it (still) feels like summer here in good ole utah
a new season of The Office... what would I do without this show?
somehow getting everything done, even when it seems impossible
the truth found in the lyrics of this beautiful song
the shuttle driver who went out of her way to take me right to my car after a 14 hour day at the hospital... my sore feet were so happy!

"We lift up our eyes, lift up our eyes
You’re the Giver of Life..."
{from You Alone Can Rescue, by Matt Redman}

so, so true.
it was just one of those weeks
where I felt like I tasted this God-given life.

thankful thursdays {4}

happy thursday to all you bright red cords readers!

i hope that this thursday is full of joy and blessing and thankfulness for you!
amidst both victories and a few failures,
there are so many things I can be thankful for in the past 7 days.
Without further ado, the weekly list...

using a "q" word (that wasn't followed by a "u") in a scrabble game
my cohort at school... so attached to our (not so)little group of 70
praying for a "paul-sized" miracle at 10:00 every night
acing a test that I felt completely unprepared for
a sweet friday with my bestie (including free Jamba Juice + new bibles)
trying out fun new recipes... yum!
getting to sleep in on saturday morning
a little trip down to provo to see rachel & jeff
the guy at the grocery store who always wears weird hats & is so cheery
first stage IV pressure ulcer dressing change all by myself (& I didn't even pass out)
laughing until my face hurt at stupid cartoons with michy
having an in-house paper editor (love living with an english grad)
cafe rio + late night study sesh with allie
the head ache I've had for the past week (finally) went away
rain... enough said

what about you?
take a look around and give thanks for what you see...
{if you wait to join in, link back here/post a comment so we can all enjoy the read}

oh, and good news... tomorrow is FRIDAY! holla!

thankful thursdays {3}

"Let your roots grow down into him,
and let your lives be built on him.
Then your faith will grow strong in the truth
you were taught, and you will overflow with
thankfulness."
- Colossians 2:7

a few things I was thankful for this week...

the charming little avenue's street fair
mom's minnesota wild rice soup
an awesome time of communion at the mount
finally tackling the heaping piles of laundry on my floor
a much-procrastinated project submitted with 5 minutes to spare
catching up with wrands over froyo
the blessing of working with the family support center again this year
seeing so much goodness in the people of salt lake
one of the greatest clinical days. ever.
my little sister. always such an inspiration to me.
god's affirmation with tough decisions
coffee... and lots of it!
getting to know the students at my new job.
leading an amazing Cru study group. going through this book.
reading another super challenging book & loving it.

hope you have a blessed thursday!

Bell

one of my patients finished his last round of chemotherapy today.
tears were streaming down my face
as he proudly made his way to the center of the unit.
all the nurses gathered around and celebrated with a sweet little song.
then this bald little 8-year old cancer survivor ran to the
Bell of Hope hanging on the wall - the plaque next to it read,

“Ring this bell three times well, the toll to clearly say…my treatment's done, this course is run, and I am on my way.”

with a grin on his face, he rang that bell for a solid 3 minutes.
it was one of the most beautiful sounds i have ever heard.
after he was done having his little bell party,
we walked him out to his car
and sent him on his way
to being a normal 8-year old little boy,
to a new {cancer free} adventure

hands down one of the most incredible moments of nursing school thus far.
my heart is SO full today.

{p.s. the picture above is not mine, it's from here}

decisions, decisions...

this is what my brain has been feeling like lately.
most of it has to do with my
capstone decision

for those of you who don't know,
capstone is my chosen focus/specialty in nursing school.
i have to declare my choice and put in my application
by next week and it is driving me crazy!
i know it's weird that i still
am not sure what i want to do by my 5th year,
but there are just too many things i'm interested in

{Here are my options}
Public Health
School Nursing
Clinic Nursing
Emergency Room
Operating Room
Post Anesthesia Care Unit
Same Day Surgery
Labor & Delivery
Maternity
New Born Intensive Care Unit
Rehab
Telemetry
Orthopedics
Neurology
Oncology
Psychiatry
Surg Trauma
Surg Transplant
Cardiovascular
Coronary ICU
Neuro Science ICU
Respiratory ICU
Trauma ICU
Thoracic ICU
Burn Trauma ICU
Cath Lab
Pediatrics
Resource
Rapid Treatment Unit
Internal Medicine
Progressive Care Unit
Intermediate Care Unit


that's a lot of options, people.
the problem is not so much finding one i like.
i pretty much like everything.
so... what to pick?

time to get on my face and do some serious praying.

thankful thursdays {2}

Here are some highlights from the past week
in my little project on growing gratitude:

a long weekend
an amazing last-minute camping adventure
showering after said camping trip
beautiful friends that keep me grounded
getting hired at an incredible new JOB!
god's beauty displayed in his creation
two healthy knees. two!
keeping balance between work and play
surviving my first exam of the semester
long chats with a beloved old friend
s'mores with Reese's
a heartbreaking day in the emergency room
finishing a great book
long awaited honesty
getting caught in a rain storm
2 Corinthians 4:6-7
mint tea
Phil Wickham
the new house chore chart

what a blessed week!

Praying that God gives you the eyes to see
His abundant blessings in your everyday lives!
Go ahead and share if you'd like!

red rock country

as promised, here are a few pics
from my weekend in red rock country.
it was such a blast...
wishing i was still there
instead of studying for my peds exam.
anyway, hope you enjoy the beauty of UTAH as much as i do!