Life as I know it

Since I've last been on here, I've spent 2 1/2 months in the New Orleans area, staying with my boss, I came back home to train some more with my other boss, and now in 1 1/2 weeks I will FINALLY be out on my own!  This job sure has been an adventure, that's for sure.  I do enjoy getting up to go to work everyday, though.  I really can't complain about my job.  It's not perfect, but what job is?

It always seems like I'm so super focused on my career.  But I am ready to switch my focus to my social/love life.  But, seriously, how do you do that when you don't have many close friends and the ones you do have are married?  And my best friend's idea of hanging out is me going over to her house, eating supper with her, her husband, & her little girl, and watching tv.  I love spending time with them, but I'm tired of just sitting around, doing nothing all the time.  And what's even harder is that I'm not the type to go to bars or anything, so I don't know what I want to go out & do, I just know I want to get out of the house.  I need to get out, meet people.  But how do you do that?  I mean, I'm not going to meet my future husband by sitting around my house or my friend's house.  I'm just stuck in a rut--I'm not going to go out by myself to meet people, but I don't have anyone to go out anywhere with me, everyone I'm around has their own family & significant others. Any ideas on how to get out of this rut??

Log 1; Saturn Vue 0

Life has gotten crazy, and I haven't had much time to post on here.

 I'm pretty sure crazy stuff only happens to me.  Friday I was driving on a 4 lane divided highway and in front of me a log truck had turned except one of the logs was sticking way out away from the truck and still in the lane I was driving straight in, and there was a car in the lane beside me.  So I made the choice to hit the log instead of the car.  And here's the result..
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Yes, that is part of the log, wedged all up underneath my hood.  I am not sure how bad all the damage is yet.  Hopefully the adjuster from the insurance company will let me know something soon.  Good news is that I wasn't hurt at all, and I have a rental car.

Where I am

In 2010 when I started Nurse Practitioner school, I imagined in October of 2012, I'd be settled into an amazing NP job in family practice, or ideally in pediatrics, in the Jackson area.  Even in August, September, October 2011, this was the goal I was working toward.  As my job search continued & job opportunities were looking slim, I decided that I was supposed to move back home & work in that area.

  So, I started seeing myself working in Meridian or the surrounding area, still in family practice with hopes of pediatrics.  The job search continued...with flashes of promising ideas here & there that always fell through.  By this point I was so confused.  Maybe what I had planned all along had been completely wrong, maybe I'm supposed to be somewhere else in the state of MS or maybe a different state entirely.

So, grudgingly, I began searching for jobs all over MS and even in other southwestern states.  Finally at the end of August 2012 I had a VERY promising option back towards the Jackson, MS area in PEDIATRICS....and then kind of out of the blue it, too, fell through.  I was very heartbroken & discouraged.

 And then one day, shortly after that I was looking on craigslist (of all places), under their job page for Meridian where I found an ad for a NP with an interest in dermatology.  Not that I was particularly interested in dermatology, but I wanted to explore ALL my options.  I sent my resume in & I got an interview with the doctor & she basically gave me the job right there.  As I'm starting to learn more about dermatology, the more I'm interested.

 So now in October 2012, I am just starting my first NP job in the Meridian area, in dermatology.  And now I can see, that even though I'm nowhere near where I thought I'd be...I'm exactly where God had planned for me!

Are you ready for some FOOTBALL??

I am a HUGE football fan.  Not the biggest one out there, but I'm up there.  So why not write about football?  I spend my Sunday afternoons glued to the TV typically watching one of my many teams.  Sometimes Saturdays too, depending what games are on.  I'm not going to analyze teams or games or anything, don't worry.

I guess my love for football started when I was 10.  My older sister was in the high school band so we went to the games every week to watch her & as I was sitting there with my daddy, who was really into the games, I began to watch with him and ask him questions about the game.  By the time she graduated, I was in high school & in the band.  I was one of the only Color Guard girls who sat and intensely watched the games.  In high school, I started watching more & more college football & NFL.  Now, I'm completely addicted!

On Saturdays, if the MSU (Mississippi State University) game is televised I do what I can to arrange to be home so I can watch it.  And Sundays after I get home from church, I turn on the games and pretty much settle in for a complete evening of football; watching the Green Bay Packers, the New York Giants, & the Denver Broncos. Sometimes I watch the New York Jets...but I'm really waiting for them to start Tebow before I watch!

Working!

Yesterday was the first day I actually did any training for my new job.  It was only for a few hours, but I am so thankful it was because I was still so overwhelmed by it all!  There is so much to learn, but I'm really excited about some of the things I'll be able to do once I'm all trained.  Right now, it still hasn't really sank in that I'm really & truly employed again. That I'm actually going to be getting a paycheck at the end of this month.  SO EXCITING!   I've been waiting for this for so long, I truly appreciate being employed & I hope that this has taught me to never take that for granted!  Short post, I know.

Creativity

I have always been the kind of person that would much rather buy a gift for a baby shower or wedding shower that shows a lot of thought.  Like something I made or a gift basket that is personalized for that person.   And when money is tight, those kinds of gifts aren't just fun, they become even more practical because typically you can get away with doing them for much less than buying a gift.  

So today, I thought I'd share a couple of things that I've made for myself or for others.  

Scrabble tile coasters.  I made these for my sister who just got married a couple of weeks ago.  Her last name is now Webb, so I worked that into each one. 

Change jar I made for my sister for Christmas.

Jewelry holder I made for myself out of a block of wood.  

This sign was at the door of the church when my sister got married.  

T-shirts I made for my sister and her new hubby!  

In Him, I have hope

I was doing my Bible study this morning in 1 Peter, and one passage really stuck out to me.  It was 1 Peter 3:15-17, which says, "But in your hearts revere Jesus Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander. For it is better, if it is God's will, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil."

As Christians, we are called to always be ready to share Christ with others; to share what He has done in our lives. To tell others why we always have hope in Him. But, we shouldn't do this in judgment or condemnation. By that I mean the "turn or burn" theory of bringing salvation to others.  All that does is attempt to "scare" people into believing in God.  A true relationship with God doesn't involve fear.  It revolves around love.  His love for us; our love for others. For that reason, we should share His love with love. 

In today's world, Christians are stereotyped as judgmental & hypocritical. These two things should never truly describe a follower of Christ, because after all; He was neither. And isn't our goal to be Christlike?  He never threatened people with Hell to get them to believe in Him; He loved them, plain and simple.