Early morning thoughts....

If anyone knows me remotely well, they know that I am not (and never have been) a morning person. I typically hate the mornings. I hate waking up early to the point of nausea.

Every once in a great while, however, something in me wakes up early, and just loves it. I truly cannot begin to explain this feeling, because I don't understand it myself. How can someone who so passionately hate mornings, love to get up so early? Ever?

This is once such morning. It is currently 7:26 am, and I have been up for almost two and a half hours. What? Yes, you read that correctly. I woke up around 5:00 this morning, and I didn't have the urge to run to the bathroom and get sick.

I do have an explanation for this madness: I crashed on my aunt's couch around 10:00 last night, and I slept soundly. I often joke that if someone were to look at my sleep schedule, they'd swear I was a rock star. There are often times when I crash and burn on the couch, in my clothes, forgetting to brush my teeth. As gross as that is, doesn't it sound like rock star behavior?

So this morning I have been up reading. I first read 2 Timothy 4 (on my Blackberry) and I bookmarked 2 Timothy 4:18. I don't remember what it says from memory, but it definitely warrants a quick read.

After reading in 2 Timothy and checking my Facebook (and playing games on the internet to pass the time, to my shame), I went and got my novel that I've been reading for the past week. I'm currently reading "Eat Pray Love" by Elizabeth Gilbert. Personally, I think this book has a lot of negative aspects going for it. The author writes it from the first-person perspective (it is about her own life after all), and she tells of how she left her husband, participated in an affair, and has these wild ideas about God (she takes a somewhat pantheistic approach).

Why do I stick with this book? To be quite honest Ms. Gilbert has a compelling literary style, and I love reading about her adventures in foreign lands. I'm currently aching for adventure, and to read about hers are actually kind of inspiring. Which gets to the heart of this post: inspiration.

I'm currently inspired to learn exactly who I am. I want to realize things about myself and keep them locked in a memory bank so I can one day share them with the people in my life that I care about. The other night I made a list of thirty things I know about myself, and I will perhaps post them sometime.

In the meantime, I'm going to end this rambling monologue, and get back to reading until my aunt and my mother wake up. Did I mention I'm in the mountains with my mom visiting family? Can this be an adventure? Definitely. (:

So it might be lame of me to apologize for not posting when I only have two followers, but whatever. Sorry for not posting!

The truth is, I haven't been feeling a burning desire to write anything. Nothing is really changing a bunch in my life. The only change I can think of is that I'm coming off orientation at work. That's a somewhat scary change...nothing to get excited over (insert nervous laughter here).

Maybe I'll have something awesome to write tomorrow. Hope springs eternal (isn't that the phrase?). Until then!

Something cool God did today...

Okay, so just as the title suggests, God did something really cool for me today.

I was summoned for jury duty, and so was one of my best friends. We showed up at the courthouse and waited. Then, we hurried up to wait some more. In the end, neither one of us got picked to sit on the jury for the case. As it so happens, my friend and I have both had crazy busy schedules for a while, and we haven't been able to hang out. Ta-da! We were able to grab lunch at the Mexican restaurant and hang out for a bit today. It was awesome, and it was just what we needed. It's so cool how God looks out for us like that! :)

On a more random note (because that's how my mind works), Mirinda is the best orange soda ever. I first drank it when I was on a missions trip in Guatemala in January, and I looooove it! :) My awesome neighbor got me some the other day, and I just finished drinking it. Yummy, to say the least! :)

I'm getting ready to go to Bible Study, so this is just a little blip into how God is so good to me! Take care, world!

So this is what I'm into....

I'm really into music.

I often will tell people that one of the best things I ever bought was my iPod. It is housed in a lovely case decorated with cherry blossoms and bumblebees that I bought in Myrtle Beach. I have a new pink pair of Skull Candy headphones that can often be seen on top of my head.

When I was little, my parents started me out on vinyl records (retro, I know). I have a deep appreciation for music from the past. I love oldies! Things then progressed to cassette tapes, CDs, and now my iPod. I currently have 2,073 songs on my iPod, and the number is growing all the time. That number doesn't even include all of my CD collection!

Since I'm so big into music, lyrics stick out to me a lot. I've compiled a list of some of my favorites, and I'm pretty excited about it. Maybe someone else will dig some of these!

"People want the truth but never want the scars" -Emery- After The Devil Beats His Wife

"I could follow you to the beginning just to relive the start; maybe then we'd remember to slow down at all of our favorite parts" -Paramore- All I Wanted

"But you're so busy changing the world, just one smile and you could change all of mine" -Jack Johnson- Angel

"Do you think I'm special, do you think I'm nice? Am I bright enough to shine in your spaces?" -OneRepublic- All The Right Moves

"And there were so many fewer questions when stars were still just the holes to heaven" -Jack Johnson- Holes To Heaven

"I knew I wouldn't forget you, and so I went and let you blow my mind" -Train- Hey Soul Sister

There's a bunch more, but these are my faves!!! :)

What is this place?

It's so weird to be an adult with a full time job!

I've been thinking about this place that I'm in for a while now. I'm done with school, I'm working full time in the career I've been trained for...it's actually a weird place to be in. All I have done with my life is prepare, prepare, prepare. Go through public school to prepare for college. Go to college to prepare for a career. Go, go, go. Do, do, do.

And here I am: 21 years old, a job, no school, living at home with Mom and Dad, and single. Now don't get me wrong, I'm not hating on anything here. I like living at home (most of the time). It saves me money, and I get along with my parents just fine. Single is okay, because I'm waiting for the one God wants for me. Things are actually pretty good, right?

Sort of. This is where the weird part comes in. Up until this point in my life, everything has changed and then changed some more. It was a change when I first entered my first relationship and had to get used to sharing so much of my time with another person. It was a change when that relationship failed and I realized that dating wasn't how I wanted to live my life. It was a change to graduate high school and go to college, and it was a change to go from an English major at a four-year university to being a nursing student at a community college. It was a change to graduate nursing school and start the career I had been training for.

Here I am on the other side of it all. I look back at all the growing I did as a person. It never seemed to end! And now? Now I feel stagnant. Now I feel like the changing is at a standstill and I'm just waiting.........for what? For Prince Charming to come and sweep me off my feet? For some kind of adventure that God has in store for me but I have no idea what it is? Both of these things would be great, but there is no sight of them happening right now. I would love to go on an awesome adventure with God (like when I went on a mission trip to Guatemala). I love to experience new things. It would be really awesome to meet the guy God has picked for me and be able to undertake a change in my personal life.

I'm not sure when God's timing will bring these types of adventures into my life. Patience is not one of my best characteristics, but I'm trying. I have to remind myself that God's timing is perfect, no matter how restless I become.

Here's some advice for anyone who is in college (or even high school): enjoy all the changes. Life is ever-changing and it is beautiful. But sometimes, there are times when life feels stagnant and void of changing and you have to just deal with it.

So here I am, trying to deal with it with my God. It is my prayer that I would learn something (or many things) in this time and that it would not just be an emo time for me to whine about how grass is greener on the other side.

Happy Labor Day!

From My Journal...

Hey blog world!

Today I got to go to my church for the first time in two weeks. I missed everything about church desperately. My church family, Communion, fellowship meal, worship, everything. I was very happy to be where my heart yearned to be.

My pastor had special plans for this morning's service. There was going to be a special time of prayer and healing. This is pretty different from our normal service routine, and it kind of took me back to my Four-Square background. I was stoked to see how God was going to move.

What I'm about to write is actually taken from what I wrote in my journal during that special time of prayer and healing today. It shows what I was feeling in my heart and who knows, it might help someone. It will at least give you a glimpse as to how I felt.

"This morning at church, we're having a time of prayer and healing. It is beautiful to see members of my church family walking forward to get prayer for. My prayer for them is that they would receive the healing they seek.


As people went forward, I prayed quietly in my seat. I prayed God would give me discipline in my faith. I prayed that He wouldn't let me forget Him during work. I also prayed for my ♥future husband♥. God knows what I need in a man even if I don't."


Okay so that was really personal for me to share, but I'm real. I'm not going to sugarcoat my feelings just to put them out there. Tons of people from church went up and got prayed for this morning, and it was really awesome. I look forward to more awesome times at my church as I learn and grow in Christ.

Mexican Soccer Game

I like to experience new things. Tonight, I experienced something new and felt inspired to write about it.

My next door neighbors are from Mexico. They truly are what neighbors are supposed to be: friendly, kind, and fun to hang out with. The family consists of a father and mother and three daughters ages twelve, ten, and three.

Abel, the father, loves soccer very much. He loves to watch it and above all else, play it. He has been after me for months to come watch one of his recreational games. Usually I always have something else going on, but tonight I was free.

The park that the game was taking place at is just down the street from me (we live in a very small town). When I got to the park I couldn't believe how many people were there, and more were showing up by the minute! All Mexicans. I was the only pale person there, and I could tell that my presence there was out of the norm for them.

I sat under a canopy with my neighbor Norma with her friend and Norma's three-year-old Yasmin in my lap. Norma is a phenomenal cook, and she was selling some of her tamales to the crowd. She also sold Powerade and homemade creamsicles from coolers. The question on everyone's lips was, "How much?" to which Norma would reply, "Un dollar." She was used to this; I've seen her sell food to a similar sized crowd at their church before. Throughout the game business trickled down, but it never completely stopped. It was a good business day for Norma, I think.

The game itself was amazing to watch. I'll be honest, I have never watched a soccer game before (I'm not really into sports that much). Twenty-two Mexican men ran around with elaborate, purposeful movements while the spectators watched on. The ball would arc over the field in the midst of pivots and whirls from the players. Spectators close to the fields would yell suggestions to their favorite team players in Spanish. Further away from the field, women clustered together while their small children would play close by. Toddlers would burst into tears and I could understand their mothers telling them to be quiet. Looking back at the game, a player could be seen trying to get around another player and falling to the ground, or a player having to retrieve the ball from out-of-bounds. Then a goal would be made and Norma and her friend would cheer for Abel's team.

It was so interesting to watch everyone having so much fun. Latin culture continues to enthrall me, and I love that I get to see what it's like first-hand. From Norma's homemade food to the colorful soccer jerseys, I had a really good time tonight!

Home Again...

Okay, so I'm home from Nags Head. I'd rather be back at Nags Head, but that's life, right?

We did some new stuff at the beach this year. We went to the Graveyard of the Atlantic Museum on Hatteras Island. They had some very cool pirate exhibits, along with some really cool relics from shipwrecks. We also went to Oregon Inlet, where I climbed around on some rocks, found live hermit crabs in perfect conch shells, and cut my foot on some mussels. It was a lot of fun to see so much wildlife in it's natural habitat. We also learned about fulgurite, which is what really happens to sand when lightening strikes it (contrary to what Sweet Home Alabama will tell you).

Sadly enough, we did have to return home. This also means a return to work, household responsibilities, and everyday worries and troubles. It's this last category that is prompting me to trust God like I never have before. I endeavor to be real all the time; usually I'm real whether I want to be or not. So I'm going to be real now: I worry about a lot of stuff that I shouldn't, considering that they're "nothing" problems. I create problems before they really exist. I worry about being a nurse, knowing enough about nursing and being competent, diseases and germs, finding "The One", ect. ect. These are "nothing" problems. Granted, they seem very real to me and I feel affected by them, but there are people out there who have life and death problems, and they have to deal with that stuff! I need to focus my energies on being productive, serving God and others, and being a light in dark places.

Once again, I don't think anyone reads this. I'm a little iffy on whether or not I want to post the link anywhere. It helps to type out what I feel, and that's enough for now.

In Him, until next time,
Jess

Mi Vida Loca

Crazy how life can get so busy! I almost forgot I started this blog!

So I've been working all the time now, which is good. I've been learning a lot, and hopefully I'll learn a whole lot more. It's funny how you can be trained in a field and still feel like you know so little.

So it hasn't helped my life be any easier considering I've had bronchitis. Yuck! I think I got it from my neighbor. She's the most adorable three-year-old you'll ever see.

Last Friday, my brother-from-another-mother Dave and I went canoeing. It was a blast!!! We saw a HUGE snapping turtle surface for air, a small water snake, a bunch of turtles on a log, and a dead catfish. Cool stuff to see! I have to say that the snapping turtle was great to see. I would estimate that he was 1'4" in diameter. The only other one I've seen that big has been in an aquarium, and it's just not the same as seeing one in its natural habitat.

After canoeing, we joined my parents who were fishing from the bank. My mom caught a pike which was pretty exciting, considering she had never caught one before. I had never seen a pike, but they're really awesome because they have teeth. He was a feisty little sucker! I picked up my dad's pole and put it in the water, and amazingly enough, I caught a catfish! He weighed almost a pound, and put up quite the fight. I LOVE catching catfish, because they're so elusive to me. I've only caught two in my lifetime, so I was really excited!

Later today, we're leaving for Nags Head, NC. That is my most favorite place on earth! I LOVE going there! I'm so excited. I'm actually kind of taking my parents, which is also cool because it gives me a change to kind of treat them as nice as they've treated me over the years. Hopefully I won't forget my blog, and I'll post some stuff about our trip!

Until next time, much love!

My Bucket List

I (like many others) have a list of things that I wish to experience before I die. My bucket list is unique to me, and it is something that I'm rather proud of. Here is my bucket list (only the things I have not accomplished):

1. See Paramore live.
2. Learn to SCUBA dive.
3. Learn to surf.
4. Gaze at the stars for an hour.
5. Get a tattoo from Kat Von D.
6. Go to Hawaii.
7. Go to Europe.
8. Ride a camel.
9. Upload a video to Youtube.
10. Have tea and eat cucumber sandwiches.

Here are some things that I've accomplished from my bucket list:

1. See Jack Johnson live.
2. Sleep in a hammock.
3. Learn to snowboard.

In the midst of coming up with my bucket list, I have thought of a bunch of cool things that I have done, that I would have put on my bucket list had I thought of them before I experienced them. Maybe I'll post those another time.

What caused me to think about blogging my bucket list was 1.) My friend Katie blogged about hers and I thought it made an intriguing blog topic, and 2.) My desire to ride a camel. I want to ride a camel because I am very interested in ancient Egypt, and I think it would be very cool to ride an animal as exotic as a camel. I'm sure if I ever ride a camel, I will blog about it.

Until next time!

First time for everything

Hi everyone! No followers yet, but I'm still optimistic! This blog at least keeps me occupied a bit!

So, this evening is my first 12-hour shift at the hospital. I'm a little nervous. I had plenty of clinical experiences in nursing school, but this is the real world and I'm getting paid now, so I want to do a good job. I also want my patients to feel well taken care of. Luckily, I'm going to have an awesome preceptor to help me. She seems super nice, and I look forward to learning from her.

I can think of countless experiences that I've had in the past that have made me nervous before they happened. My first date, piano recitals, plays, exams, and many more. I keep telling myself that all of this stuff turned out okay, so tonight will too. But don't think I'm just a bundle of nerves--I'm also excited to be starting this new chapter in my life. I really look forward to learning more about nursing.

Hopefully I'll be able to post sometime tomorrow about my first night of patient care, but I probably won't because I'll be sleeping in preparation for work tomorrow!

Until next time, peace out!

So I'm new to this whole thing...

Well hey, everybody! I'm Jess.

No one knows I'm starting this blog. I just figured I'd do it and see if anyone ever reads it or follows it or anything. I have a crazy life, so I figure maybe something I say can hit home for somebody, who knows?

So seeing as the hour is late and this is my first ever post, how about I just do a general introduction to myself, and we'll call it a night?

Some things about me:
1. I am a Christian who takes my relationship with Jesus seriously.
2. I love music! I'm constantly listening to it (even right now), and my taste is pretty eccentric.
3. I really like to watch movies. Netflix is my friend.
4. I have a bucket list, and I'm well on my way to crossing stuff off of it! Unfortunately, it gets longer all the time.
5. I am an only child. Enough said about that.
6. My favorite place on earth is the Outer Banks of North Carolina. I would go there all the time if I could.
7. I'm a bookworm.
8. I just got a new car; it's a 2010 Toyota Yaris four-door sedan. The color is specified as jade sea metallic.
9. I'm really short; 5 feet, 1.25 inches to be exact.
10. I am currently addicted to Sonic's cherry limeade. I should attend a support group.

Okay, so that's just a few things. More stuff will come up later, I'm certain of it. In the mean time, I'm just going to tell you (whoever you are) a little bit about my week.

I recently graduated from nursing school as an RN, so I started a new job this past week. I am working at a hospital that is located about an hour away from my house, and I'm working the telemetry unit there. So far I really like it. Everyone is super nice.

Another thing that happened this week: I totaled my previous car. I had a 2001 Pontiac Sunfire, and it is no more. Hence, the new car mentioned above.

Friday was pretty exceptional. I saw Jack Johnson live in VA Beach. He is amazing in concert, and I recommend any fan going out to see him. Just don't sit behind obnoxious drunk people like my friends and I did. :(

Saturday I received my American Eagle order in the mail, and I got a new car. Pretty pimpin' day!

And that brings us to today (well really yesterday because it's after midnight), Sunday. I heard a pretty great sermon at church, and I got all dolled up to go to a fantastic couple's post-wedding reception. They got married in Tulsa, so they had a shindig down here in VA for the people who couldn't make the trip. Follow all that with watching instant movies on Netflix, reading my latest Amelia Peabody mystery by Elizabeth Peters, and creating a blog, and we've got a pretty great night!

Until next time (I work the next two nights)!

-Jess

P.S. Hopefully I'll have something more exciting/thought provoking next time! Also, please don't steal my photos; these are pictures that I've taken myself, and I wouldn't appreciate it if I found them somewhere else on the internet or something. Thanks, peeps!