Fruit

"But the fruit of the SPIRIT is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control." Gal. 5:22-23

In reading that, many people immediately jump to thinking, "Oh these are the things I need to start doing so that I can show that I love GOD." Which in essence is not bad or wrong at all. I would just like to propose a better, more fulfilling understanding.

In the last post from Romans, I talked about trees and how we are branches and GOD is the root. JESUS said "I am the vine and you are the branches." John 15:5
When we, the branches, are taking our sustenance from the roots (GOD), our very source of life, we are vibrant and full of life. It also takes the vine (JESUS) for our food and water to reach us out on our branch. But, when we become full of these things, our spirit is full of the SPIRIT. And as branches, when we are well-nourished, full from within our vines from the source (our roots) aka full of HIS SPIRIT, we will bear fruit. "But the fruit of the SPIRIT is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control." So when we allow ourselves to be filled with the SPIRIT, these things are inevitable...not the reverse.

The Tree

I have been reading in Romans lately and just got stuck the other day on this image presented of a tree, and how we are little shoots that are attached near the roots at the bottom. Others may be the big natural branches, some of which have broken off and are no longer being fed from the roots because they aren't connected. It goes on to talk about how we, the little shoots attached to the roots should not be arrogant because of our attachment to the root because GOD is perfectly able to graft all broken branches back into their place.

I thought this was the coolest image ever. I immediately got this picture in my mind of this huge tree with branches and roots going every which way, most of which attached with stitches (the medical background coming into play). But what I really love about this is these branches are all connected and sustained by, first and foremost the root, but every branch and shoot is also connected to all of the others, intertwined in their existence. This is the epitome of community, of how we are called to live. We can't survive apart from our root, but we can live without other branches. But, we really shouldn't want to because it's painful to lose a limb and it throws the balance of the tree off. The reattachment hurts as well. The grafting requires scraping away of material that has gotten rotten and damaged to find a new, growing surface. But when that limb is returned to its place, the tree is made whole, the entire body of it flourishes, and its balance is restored.

This is not just for those we deem worthy of our tree. GOD has formed this tree, not me. I am just a little shoot, thankful to be sucking life from its roots.

End of Semester Review

Oh man it's been a while! I guess PA school doesn't leave much time for updates. But nonetheless, here it goes:

I have one more full week of class and 3 days of tests until I'm officially done with my first semester of PA school! It has been challenging but so awesome and rewarding at the same time. I spend a lot of time studying, but as the semester progressed, I learned exactly how much I needed to study vs how much I could still kind of have a life. Gross Anatomy lab has been a lot of fun. It's awesome getting to see how things lay out inside of us, and the way GOD put it all together and made it work. I think it is a tie for my favorite class along with our Clinical Medicine.

Clin Med has been fun just because it's in that class where we have learned all of our physical exam techniques. Needless to say, all of my family and friends are getting full physicals when I come home for break because I need practice! Today, our second year students had to perform the full physical on us as patients in 30 min, reciting everything they were testing or looking for as they performed each thing. It was intense.

In other news, I'm really excited because for the next year (the rest of my didactic year), my old roommate Jenny and her pup Joplin are moving back to Mobile and will be my new roomies!!! Praise GOD for awesome friends and awesome blessings!

Until next time....

The PA Crew

So, now that we have been in school almost a month, my class and I have gotten to spend some time together. We have taken 5 tests and with the help of my awesome GOD, I have made A's on all of them that I have gotten back so far. So HE has been so faithful and hasn't ceased to amaze me. HE has brought so much peace that I have been so relaxed when I should have been so stressed. It's been really great. Here are a few pictures from our 2011/2012 class PA-rty this weekend so you can see some of my peoples...

The Past Week..

So in the past week, I have:

Started PA school, made 40 new friends, learned how to take a patient history, patient interviewing skills, the entire muscular, vascular, and nervous makeup of the upper body and arm minus the head (and I don't mean just the ones you "need to know"...I mean EVERY NERVE AND MUSCLE AND ARTERY!) plus my 2 other classes, spent 4 days in the cadaver lab, taken my first PA school test, and studied every day.

Needless to say, it's crazy..but awesome.

Mosaic

So I'm reading this book right now by Anne Lamott and one of the things she mentioned is how we (all people) are like little pieces of a mosaic. The thought she pursues is that while we are all little mismatched pieces broken off from many different things, together we personify and exemplify the image and fullness of GOD in HIS beauty. So now, I have become a little fascinated with mosaics. I actually have always loved them and loved drawing them. Maybe there's always been a reason...

I'm A Big Girl

This past weekend, I moved into my first big girl apartment. I have lived on my own for 3 and a half years while doing my undergrad in various apartments, and even shared a house for a while. But, those were all 30 minutes from home and I was conveniently able to keep a lot of stuff at home and go there whenever I wanted. I even moved back in for my final semester to save money for my PA school move that I knew would be coming, though I didn’t know where at the time.

This past weekend, I moved all of my belongings from my parents’ house to my new, very own apartment 7 hours from home. It’s my first big girl move. I have a roommate. She’s awesome. We are both in the same program and our first real roommate conversation was about JESUS so that was a perfect start to say the least. Then, we planted a flower box because we decided our view out of our window was a little too bland and needed some color.

I’m looking forward to what HE has planned. I don’t know what it looks like but I know it will be good. I know it has been prepared ahead of me and I will step in faith. My move is already testing me (moving in a monsoon, half of my stuff getting wet, broken hot water heater, 3 weeks of not knowing anyone), but it’s an adventure and I’m along for the ride!

Acts 17

²⁶From one man he made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live. ²⁷God did this so that men would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us.

My Soul Sings

If you've ever wondered if your soul sings, I believe it does. The caged bird does so why can't my soul? Mine prefers to rock out quite a bit harder than my actual self feels free enough to do. I was sitting around the other day and decided to close my eyes for a minute or two. This is what proceded to occur:

The sun was beaming down from a blue sky. I was barefoot in the grass, dancing around with my guitar. You could tell by the look in my eyes, I didn't have a care in the world. The words to "Revelation Song" started flowing from my mouth with a timbre that is like nothing I've ever been capable of singing. (Myself in this scenario sounds much better than I do in real life! haha) The hands playing the guitar seemed to have a mind of their own as they danced across the strings; my feet knew exactly where they wanted to step without any cognitive assistance as they bounced effortlessly around on the soft, flowing grass. My mind was free. My heart was overflowing with love.

And so, when I opened my eyes, I realized that was AWESOME! I would love to be like that. Then I realized, that is so my soul. That is what dwells within me. That is what tries to come out, and does in itty bitty teeny tiny doses but never breaks through in its fullness because of my humanity. But man, it was cool! So I decided to let HIM work on bringing some more of that light and love through. I'll let you know how that goes...

This Town

"This town, this night, this crowd

Come on, put them up, let me hear it loud

This town, this city, this crowd

Stand up on your feet put your worry down.

And everyone of you all around

Come on ya'll let's take it

Everyone of you in this crowd

Come on ya'll let's take this town."

-O.A.R.

So I officially move to Mobile in 15 days. When did that get so close?! Anyways, I want to make the most of my last 2 weeks here, while still trying to get everything ready to move. I have so many people I want to see and catch up with, so many things I want to do. Yet, I'm SO excited. I'm closing a chapter, leaving the area I've always called home. But, I'm very ready to start my new life in my new city on the bay.

School is another intimidating and exciting upcoming event. I start PA school in a month. I have been out of school since I graduated a semester ago so it will be interesting to get back into the swing of things.

So many things are happening and I feel like my life is just beginning, while at the same time feeling like I've already lived so much. It's crazy but I love it. I know GOD has something big in store. I just don't know what!

Blessings in HIM.

Gives Me Hope

So this website has been my new discovery as of late, shown to me by my friend Kristin. It is like those FML or MLIA sites where people submit stories that go with the theme of FML or MLIA but this is a much more positive one. These are stories that give people hope. I can seriously sit and read for an hour and cry but it's SO good! Here's an example:

I work with kindergarten children, and when a little girl wet her pants, we decided to give her dress up clothes to wear.

She was very upset and embarrassed so a little boy in the class put on a cinderella dress and held her hand the rest of the day, saying "look - everyone's laughing at ME!"

His kindness gmh

So check out the website and enjoy the hope that GOD is bringing!

inhabit

So lately..ok tonight..it has blown my mind that words mean nothing unless HE inhabits them. Words like glory, blessings, honor, praise, love..these words mean nothing unless the GOD of all creation inhabits their very being.

Our praise, our worship; HE inhabits it or it would simply be vibrations bouncing off of the walls. To "inhabit" in the dictionary means to "live in or occupy." The idea of GOD living in my praise, my worship blows my mind. But at the same time, it makes so much sense. That is yet another aspect of the KINGDOM of HEAVEN here on earth. And that is exciting!

"Our FATHER, who art in Heaven, hallowed be YOUR name. YOUR Kingdom come. YOUR will be done on earth as it is in Heaven"

you are part of the beauty

We always talk about GOD making everything so beautiful and that's very true. But today, someone wrote, "you're part of the beauty" and that blew my mind. I needed to be reminded of that. Later on tonight, I saw this video. This is truly an example that HE makes all things and all people truly beautiful...it's worth your time to click on it. I promise! Peace and love over you!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m3gMgK7h-BA