Time is flying by!

I'm sitting here realizing I am just 13 months away from college graduation (again!). The difference between last time and this time is 6 years, 2 kids, a mortgage payment, and a usable degree!

And, as easy as it is to dream about how life will, in the very near future, not require that I spend hours on the computer writing papers about syphilis, pregnancy-induced hypertension, and the benefits of breastfeeding, I am thankful that God has put where I am for this time.

I have been asked if I ever regretted not getting a nursing degree the first time around. The answer is a resounding, "NO!" God put me at Central Michigan University (which does not even HAVE a nursing program) for many reasons; He used that time in my life to mold me into the person I am today. God knew that being at CMU, involved with InterVarsity Christian Fellowship, and attending our church there were important for me and Luke and our first two years of marriage. I grew in my faith more during that time in my life than any other time (although I still continue to grow and seek!). The friendships I made from that time are the most dear to me, even though we've all been separated for the last 6 years.

Was I even ready to be a nurse at 22? I could've done the job well, but I am going to be a better nurse at 29 because I have experienced pain. I know the pain of having a scary pregnancy; the pain of seeing your baby extremely ill; and the pain of being a patient. I will be able to better empathize with my patients and their families.I have a maturity (hey, no laughing at that part!) that I didn't have at 22.

And the main reason I wasn't ready at 22? Because God hadn't completely broken me and molded me to make me ready. He knew that, for me to be used as His instrument, I needed to be transformed. That transformation process has been painful! Going through the trials, especially when it came to Mandy, HURT. I don't ever want to go through them again, but I am able to see how God used them to make me who I am today.

I don't even know if this blog makes sense; a lot of it is random ramblings that have been inside my heart for awhile. I know that, as exciting as the future is, nothing beats the present. Hearing Kayla laugh her big belly laugh and hearing Mandy read (yes, she can READ!) me Bible stories is amazing. Seeing Luke love our little girls makes me love him all the more.

So, I'm extremely thankful!!