sometimes it means going after it

have you ever wondered how to get that ever-so-saught-after-cheese? you know the one that will satisfy your belly's hunger while also tasting delicious?  i do.  put on your helmet and tuck in your tail, folks.

this picture speaks.

really, it makes me laugh and for the moment that's what i need.

i have been working really hard lately on certain patients that need a lot of extra assistance.  don't get me wrong, i love my job.  i've just learned the hardest way possible (fatigue/exhaustion) when to call it a day and to say, tomorrow will be.

so, today, as i sit in panera (taking my rare lunch while my phone charges), it catches my eye when an old man passes by outside with a little bag on his shoulder says "one person can make a difference." you're thinking, "hannah! really? this is so cheesy. he's probably be through rehab or cancer or something.  stop being so sentimental." but... here's what's going on inside my head, "those arduous hours that i've spent the past couple weeks, after-hours with patients, unclogging tubes in person, unclogging tubes over the phone, texting how to unclog tubes, talking about diarrhea, constipation and every other normally uncomfortable bodily movements, hearing one of my pts might pass away after days of working to do all i can...those days i might actually make a difference."

there are so many stories.  i've got to become a better story-teller.  it's kind of something chase makes fun of me about...haha.  i try to let the story be interesting in itself.

here i am reminded of all the parables and stories that Jesus told.  obviously, i do not hold his story, however i want to remember that He is the model for the perfect story- the one of His life.

as Easter, so quickly approaches (Hello, April!), i just want to remind you that there is a story to life.  one life can make a difference.  how will yours?

thank you for giving me a chance

i heard these few words three times today.

"thank you for giving me a chance."

the ladies who told me this didn't know that their chances were my chance.

my chance to:
trust in the One who gave me a chance
the One who saved me from myself, fear, death

a chance to learn my earthly life is worthless when not spent on heavenly things

tomorrow is my last day at work--- i don't really see it as the finale, however, i know things will never be the same.  hearing these ladies say thank you today really didn't settle in with me until i got home tonight.  obviously, i'm a lot nicer than the last lady (haha).  no, but really, i have grown more spiritually in the last 2 years through my career than ever before.  how?  i don't know all the reasons why, however, i know i took a large step towards the unknown in agreeing to take care of 110 residents, managing 15 staff, and handling the communication matters with many healthcare professionals and family members that i've never worked with/around before.  it's been a struggle.  a joy.  a stretch at times when i felt like breaking.  a joy. tears and sleeplessness.  a joy.

We have so much to learn in laboring and suffering for Jesus Christ.  In 1st Timothy, Paul writes to Timothy regarding good servants of Jesus.   Verses 4:10-11

For to this end 3we both labor and suffer reproach, because we trust in the living God, iwho is the Savior of all men, especially of those who believe. 11 These things command and teach.
~~~
it's about the hope generated in us through Christ.  i am thankful for that hope.  it's the only thing that these ladies saw as i gave them a chance.

thank you Lord for being my hope.

Monday news.

I worked so hard today. It seemed. Haha. Now I sit, rather...lay, and feel like not moving the rest of the evening. Amie understands. I turned down a run to rest. It's gotta be a long day when that happens. ;) on another note, the mavs won! 105-95!! Woot. I tried getting chase up to jump around after the gAme... Haha. You might guess what happened next. (he didn't, just laughed at me) that's ok; he was jumping up and down on the inside.

I realized something today:
I need to sleep more.
rest. Really rest. In His love. Since returning from vacation, my mind has been spinning. Even when I don't mean to. Again, I'm reminded "give thanks to the Lord, for He is good, His love endures forever..." Ps 136 His love is the only thing I desire resting in. Continually. Forever. I pray you are captured by His love tonight. Forevermore. Amen.

Top ten for Tuesday

Follow a blog called the blue hour. He linked an idea that I liked from here glee farm and I liked it, so here's my Tuesday top 10.

1. A rainy spring day. Kind of a sleepy start, and my residents complained of being cold, but it was the first day in a while that I didn't sweat while running around all over the building.

2. I accomplished more than expected today and can only give thanks to the Lord for the strength I had to get through it.

3. Reflecting on my Monday and then today... I am happy to say tomorrows gotta be even better :)

4. Laughing with my coworkers about all the funny stories of missing teeth, bowel movements, and food allergies to broccoli and Brussel sprouts. Right!

5. Talking to Sarah about future plans :) oh how blessed I am to have a sister. In medicine.

6. Pandora - Misty Edwards radio

7. Perspectives reading- what's better than reading of God's love for his nations?!

8. My chase. His outlook to life. His unending patience with me and how thankful I am for him.

9. Lovely j crew spring April 2011 edition hanging out in my mailbox for me after work :)

10. Easy dinner (yes, chase there is such a phrase)

favourites

today is tuesday. one day after monday. {most people's least favourite day.} 3.5 until friday. :) {my new favourite day.} so i reflect. sit in my favourite-purple-velvet chair at starbucks (you know the one that's near the window, not the bathroom, so i can see the sky and not the person coming out...akward), drinking my favourite drink and thinking about life.  in the midst, Christ's love surrounds me and reminds me that favourites are temporary...His life and work are permanent.

i spent a significant amount of time last night with one of my dear special friends.  we talked of love, time, family, life, death, the Lord, worship, free time, quiet moments, and the entire time i was at peace with the things going on in my life.  we got to laugh and share life together.  i truly enjoyed every moment.

reflecting on that time i spent, i had a favourite friend sitting next to me while my favourite manicurist/pedicurist gave me a pedicure ....one of my favourite treats after pay day...a favourite day for almost anyone.  as humans, we form favourites to things (days, drinks, food, hobbies, shows, clothes, friends, etc), however, my recent thoughts have deepened about this matter.  why do i do this so often... and is it what i want to do? answer 1: it's human nature to classify things and answer 2: it's just fun, why care, hannah?  well, i ponder the thought of lessening my favourites and opening myself up to more to what the Lord may be doing in other ways that may at first interfere or be "unfavored" by me.

my ideas:
1. time with friend     vs     with acquaintance i may share Christ with
                                            
2. eating favored foods                   eating new healthier foods
(aka cookies, coffee, etc)       vs     (kale, grains, green tea, etc)


3. less $ on hobbies      vs       more $ on giving 

i tell my friends all the time, "try this/that! it's my favourite." "go here/there...they're excellent."
but, i want to change my ways.  don't get me wrong, we'll have the natural favourites that just are what they are...but give it some thought...  what favourite things are worth re-analyzing?  which ones may be limiting you from growing as a person, or worse... sharing Christ with those longing for Him?

conversations in my world

i overheard a funny conversation at work today.
the picture: two older (btw lovely) ladies in the ladies' room, washing their hands, and looking at themselves in the mirrors before they walk out the door.
lady a: every time i look in the mirror, i hope to feel inspired.
lady b: every time i look in the mirror, i am thankful i can see my face.
ladies: hahaha.

i couldn't help but giggle. i have no idea what lady a meant, but i sure was thankful for hearing lady b's reply. it reminded me...
some things are worth being thankful for- even if it means our vision is still intact.  i am learning a lot from my residents.

sometimes i think back to all of the conversations that i've had. some of them encouraging, some challenging, and a few--- well, a few that i wouldn't want to do-over.  however, i am truly grateful for the Spirit and His way in me.  i am reminded everyday of wisdom.  i sit sometimes and pray, let not these words be mine, but be full of You and your ways.  have Your way in me.

i pray for you, my friends, that you'd allow the Lord to change your life.  in turn, it takes a change of mind, too. His ways truly are higher than ours. (Isaiah 55:9) Oh and the great depths of his wisdom and knowledge (Rom 11:33)...

found here

happy spring lovelies.

rest. inspiration. **

it's been an amazing past few days.  love having the time just to relax and not do anything.  this past weekend, i was able to share some time with chase, my family and chase's family sunday night.  family time.  ahhh. wonderful.  and ps. i ate pizza.  and it was delicioso.

i've also been pinning a lot. on pinterest.  i've mentioned to you before in other posts.  it's greatness.  while chase does his 'work' - aka creating code to make his computer do his work for him, i peruse beautiful pictures like the following:

via here

via here

i believe also via here

** beautiful ** 

origin...?

via anthropologie

i need to get better at saving my original sources.  (noted)

hope you are all having a fabulous week sofar. 

interesting weather here in texas. 

sunny yesterday. chilly and overcast today.  when will my garden grow? 

(i guess i need to plant things first) :)

truly inspired from several things happening.

thankful.

remember stirrup pants?

do you remember stirrup pants??  80's thing, i think.  however, they're back!  i've got proof.  my residents wear them.  at least 2 of them do. ...so they're back. :) seeing them wearing them today made me smile.  and i needed to smile.

next thing that made me smile was during a meeting with one of my residents and their family, they asked if the optometrist would come to see her...our response was yes, she can or she can go out to see a specific one if she has one in mind..."why?" we asked.  the resident proceeded to lay her little frames on the table in front of them and they were definitely the most bent/out of shape frames i'd ever seen.  totally don't know how they were even staying on her little face.  anywho...she was positive about it. said, "well i just know i don't wanna fix em.  i need em to see.  i'll probably make them worse, if i try to bend them back."

sometimes i hear about BMs.  well, let's just confirm that i hear about them a lot.  it's definitely part of nutritional practice to assess constipation or diarrhea...but wowza...the elderly are not shy about talking about their BMs.  color, textures, how often, or not... i overheard the conversation at the lunch table the other day...two ladies, mid-lunch, talking about the meds they use to resolve their issues.  quite hilarious.  i laughed inside, and then thought to myself, "what will i talk about when i'm 85 years old?"  hope that my friends will kick me and tell me to talk about my garden instead. :P

on another note- i've been perusing www.pinterest.com (go check it out...you have to sign up...maybe get placed on a waiting list these days...but totally worth it if you enjoy photography and find inspiration that way)

Found this quote by Lewis:  I love that we were created for another world...why we live like this is our home, is beyond me.  Thank you, Christ, for making this possible. :)

 

so true...picture found via here
also lyrics from the fray

Hope you'll smile when you realize we just made it through hump day.  Hope the rest of the week is even better. ** 

I know I can't wait for my lovely weekend to arrive. yea!

Life is simple

Life is simple. I learned something on valentine's day from my Chase. It went something like this 'life is simple...' he had a wonderfully eloquent unplanned saying that I can't think of at the moment but it meant so much to me.
Why do we clutter our minds with the unnecessary things?
So basically he stopped me in my tracks by specifically calling me out in my perfectionism without even knowing it. (insert i like it when we can be brutally honest with each other and leave the conversation sharpened)

Life is simple.

I know there are hard times.
I live in them, too.
I work with them.
However, I rely on them to make that simple life... well honorable and pleasing to Him.

I lost one of my favourite people tonight. Sudden. Difficult. Incomprehensible.
She was amazing. Aunt Jenn, you are loved more than you ever realized on this earth. But now you are in heaven...no pain, tears or struggle....(so sad i won't get to read your personally sent blog replies to my inbox)
Life is so hard, yet leaning on the words that Jesus once said, 'I am the way and the truth and the Life.'

He is Life. I've made my life so much more complicated. earning a living, the wining and dining of life, trying to fit in to whatever circle you're trying to be a part of, proving something to someone ... These things are far from Life.

I learned something on Valentine's Day.
It's challenging to live the simple life when the pattern and natural tendency is to complicate it. Relax may be to some of you a dirty word; to others a word of freedom. To me, the simplicity to life begins with freedom. I was promised it long ago. You were too. Accept Him as Life.

a few finds

the past couple weekends, i've been perfecting the art of relaxing.  taking time to just do nothing.  sit, read, drink coffee, watch a movie or two...browse the blogging world, and enjoy this wonderful season and its true purpose. jesus. :) his birth... and everything He is.

i'd like to share a few finds that i believe you can find joy in as well.  let me know what you think...if anything pulls on your heart or inspires you, i want to hear.

~ A wonderfully silly blog about a lady and her passions for baking and everything in between. http://www.dessertsforbreakfast.com/

~Every time I read her blog, I giggle.  http://www.joythebaker.com/

~Quite simply the best online tool for creating invitations and online cards.

http://www.paperlesspost.com/

anthro find. open. flip. read. flip. read. dream. repeat.

~happiness is... (shannon eileen's inspiration blog)

my favourite posts: rustic decor, playing cards, feeling

~currently reading...

recommended by the ever-so-wonderful, kate rudd.

sparkly glass walls

Healing Begins

Mike Donehey/Jason Ingram/Jeff Owen

So you thought you had to keep this up

All the work that you do so we think that you're good

And you can't believe it’s not enough

All the walls you built up are just glass on the outside

So let them fall down

There’s freedom waiting in the sound

When you let your walls fall to the ground

We’re here now

This is where the healing begins

This is where the healing starts

When you come to where you're broken within

The light meets the dark

The light meets the dark

Afraid to let your secrets out

Everything that you hide could come crashing through the door now

But too scared to face all your fear

So you hide but you find that the shame won't disappear

Sparks will fly as grace collides

With the dark inside of us

So please don't fight this coming light

Let this blood come cover us

His blood can cover us

...

Ever need healing? Yes, a broken leg, arm, or skin tear from crashing your bike or running it into a parked car (this might of happened to me...just saying) might need healing; but what about heart healing? I find it amazing that God knows about how paper thin our hearts can be sometimes. He knows the little things that tear us apart...and the big things ...those that may completely wipe us out. In 10th Ave North's CD (big fan, btw)- Healing Begins is track #1. I have no idea why they put it first (true, it has the words to the title of the album in it), but I find hope in track one dealing with healing...I need healing at the beginning. Before I go anywhere with the Lord, He has to heal me. Why is it that we think something has to be broken to be healed...most of the time, broken things come looking new. ie:

Walls. Texas is notorious for foundation repairs. Hairline cracks occur and we homeowners, putty and paint over them. Not healing the crack, but fixin' it.

China. Same thing happens in foodservice with China and glassware. How often to goblets, coffee cups, and bowls get used and obtain hairline cracks?

In the song, the guys, write:

All the walls you built up are just glass on the outside
So let them fall down
There’s freedom waiting in the sound
When you let your walls fall to the ground

Don't know what my glass walls really look like, but I know they're custom built, sparkling from how many times I have used Windex on them, and thick. :)) It's ridiculous really. The whole idea of having these walls that people can see through...

So I crashed mine. Last night.

I suggest a breaking point for everyone. The sound of it all hitting the ground really is something to Praise Him for - and then, healing begins.

He's waiting right there. Never changing. Just there. Ready to pick you up and carry you on. Without sparkly walls up anymore. (there were streaks anyway- I'm glad there gone, it really is better when the walls are removed.)