so who remembers that I have a blog???

update?
sure.

-nursing school is a beast and it's really hard.
-nathan and i are doing as well as can be expected, given the distance and busy school circumstances.
-i've moved out of the csf house and i live alone for the first time in my life.

other than that, i've just been living my life. today i was pondering what kind of message we as believers are supposed to take from life. from persecutions and murders of christ's missionaries all over the world, from our economy, from these times that are on the cusp of change....

i've realized that the bible will never change, despite all of the chaos and turmoil around each and every one of us, God has provided and will always provide. even if it isn't in the way we originally thought.

he loves me and he's sending me. everything else will pan out in the end, because i believe in his plan for my life.

just a quick note...

i just returned to bloomington from the Christian Fellowship retreat that was this weekend. it was a very good experience for me, and i feel a little more prepared to spend a month in the beautiful and fascinating city of New Orleans later this year.

the retreat focused on response to people in tough situations, God's heart for the cities, and God's heart for the poor all over the world. it made blood:water mission more real to me, and made me feel that the things i do in bloomington are more well worth it, even when i don't always see all of the benefits. my heart is also filled with excitement about the pourhouse cafe and all that we have the ability to do for the city of bloomington.

another blessing that came from this retreat is that i had the opportunity to see nathan and meet several of the people from campus house that he spends regular time with. that was very encouraging, because i really enjoyed myself with them.

anyway, i think i should go finish my paper. if you need somewhere else to go after this, check some of this stuff out:

joelhamernick.blogspot.com--our speaker's blog
bloodwatermission.com--blood:water
sunshinegospel.org--sunshine gospel ministries in chicago, il
indianadreamteam.org--indiana dream team in gosport, in
efcakatrinaproject.com--information on restoration in new orleans, la
thepourhousecafe.com--pourhouse cafe, my new employer in bloomington

I know it's been forever....

And a lot of things have changed.

Nathan and I got engaged on December 21, 2007!!!! I was so surprised, but I am very excited that all of this is real.

I just hope we can continue to challenge each other and grow through our loooong engagement. Be looking for an invitation for a Spring 2010 wedding and keep us in your prayers. :D

Also, my first semester of nursing school went better than expected. I finished very well, and I am looking forward to new classes that start tomorrow. I got back to Bloomington yesterday, and my break was awesome. I hope that the future is this good :)

I'm still unpacking (slowly) and getting used to our new room since Hannah moved out.

I know this is a really short update, so if you want to hear more about how life's going, you should call. We'll get a cup of coffee or something. :)

so nursing school is really hard. it's like everything is second nature to our professors, and then they make you feel stupid when you can't do it right the first time. and they tell you not to read every word in the books, but that a ton of your test questions could come out of there, so don't miss anything. and we talk more about academia and politics and why nurses don't get paid as well as they should more than we talk about patient care...and i failed a quiz yesterday, which mimics the NCLEX (nursing boards), but i'm still trying to figure out why they want to test us like NCLEX 2 1/2 years before we take it.

and having a social/house life and a school life and a church life and a boyfriend/family life is KILLING me. after turning 21 last week, i have decided that going out the majority of the nights in a week is not a good idea, even though i'm never getting drunk.

but YAY because i got in, right?

anyway, i have some homework to do because it's saturday. but hopefully i'll get to take my little sister for csf out to starbucks and see some chelser today. :D

i'm sorry.



forgive me.



do whatever you need to do with me.




that applies to whoever needs it right now, God or otherwise.




(first day of nursing school/my 21st birthdday is tomorrow. should be an interesting day.)

i have just been accepted to the nursing program here at IU Bloomington. this is a really big accomplishment for me--i have been trying to get into this school for 2 years and i have finally made it.

i just need to praise god so much for blessing me with my house (csf) and with all of the amazing people that i have met this past year at school---to already add to all of the awesome and supportive people from back home.

i am still on cloud 9, hopefully this feeling lasts until graduation, which is 3 years away.

i am realizing my dreams, and that they can come true if i trust god and his will for my life!!!

i just want to say thank you to anyone who has ever said a prayer for this on my behalf, encouraged me or supported me during the last two years! you guys are awesome and such a blessing to my life!!!

one more cool thing, and then i'll let you go:

my first day of nursing school is on my 21st birthday!!!! i can't wait!!!

love you all