Beauty to Unveil

Long Overdue

2006-12-20T03:21:00.000-05:00

I know, it's been a very long time since I've been on blogger. So, I know in writing this that many people will probably not read it, because it has been so long. Anyway, for anyone who is reading this, I'll give a quick update since July. I started my new job in July, and we moved into our house in August. Since then, we have been doing little things around the house, like painting and small home improvements. Anyone who owns a home knows how much of your time your house can take up. Keith and I have learned this now too. But we love having a house, I love my job, and even though life is busy, it is good. We are planning on painting our living room the week between Christmas and New Year's. I have picked out rosy sandstone for the wall color. It is very earthy, like most things in our house. We have also painted the master bedroom and the first floor bathroom. So, we're getting somewhere. I'll be glad when the living room is done. I still want to have an official housewarming party hopefully sometime before the spring gets here. I know most people we know haven't seen our house yet, and I feel bad about that. I should get some vacation time soon, and I definitely want to host a party.

In other news... Keith and I are going to be leading a new Young Marrieds Life Group starting sometime in January. We are really excited about it too! We will meet every other Sunday evening with however many couples God decides to lead to our group. I'm so excited to start connecting with people in real, meaningful relationships! I thrive on relationships, not necessarily big groups, but more small, intimate settings. Meaningful conversation with friends about real life stuff that sustains life in people's hearts and ultimately glorifies the Lord is what brings joy to my soul. Keith & I aren't exactly sure we know what we're doing, because we've never lead a small group before, but we do know that God has us in this place at this time for a reason, and we know He will be faithful to us as long as we remain submitted to him. We truly want this to be an opportunity to let God bring life to the hearts of the ones He loves, and at the same time, to develop deeper relationships with people who share our stage of life.

That's all for now, I guess. It's 3:40 am on my night off, and I can't sleep. Maybe I'll balance the checkbook.

Do you know what today is?

2006-07-20T12:51:00.000-04:00

Today is July 20th - the 3 year anniversary of my first date with Keith! This post is for you, sweetie!

When it hit me this morning that that's what today is, I started reminiscing back to that delightful afternoon/evening. I can still remember the feeling I had in the pit of my stomach when I flew out of my dad's house after talking to you on the phone and got in my car on my way to see you. I remember parking in the driveway, taking a quick look at my reflection in the side of my car, and starting toward the door. I remember walking to that park, sitting on a blanket, listening to the old men play old music, and talking to you about Andy & Rebekah's wedding and listening to you talk about Cedar Point. I remember really taking it all in... looking into your eyes, paying attention to every detail of the day, having a very keen awareness of all of my senses, almost like something deep inside me knew to make that day a vivid memory that would last a lifetime.

I can still clearly see you lighting candles on the porch, pouring me a glass of wine, walking over to the wicker couch I was sitting on, sitting down, facing me, talking for hours. I can still hear you tell me how you felt about me. I can still feel my heart do a flip when I remember back to that moment. I remember your feet touching mine as we watched "Return to Me." I remember feeling so right sitting so close with your arm around me. I wanted to freeze that moment in time and just stay there forever.

I fell in love you 3 years ago today. You are the most incredible gift God has ever given me. I am more and more in love with you with each passing year, and even though that newness of our relationship is gone, it has been replaced with unconditional love, sacrifice, deep friendship, committment, partnership. I would not trade our life together for anything in the world. I love you SO much! Happy anniversary, sweetie :) Thank you for being everything and more than I ever imagined my husband would be. You have my whole heart forever. I love you!

Pictures of the New House

2006-06-22T13:27:00.000-04:00

As promised, here are some pictures of the new house. Hope you like them!

This is the front of the house from about halfway up the driveway.

This is the foyer - to the left is the kitchen, to the right is the laundry and garage, and straight ahead is the door to the backyard.

This is the dining area of the eat-in kitchen. (I get to keep this table!)

This is the rest of the kitchen - lots of cabinet & counter space!

Off the dining area is the family room...

...and off the family room is the living room with a woodburning fireplace, skylights, and built-ins on the right.

The laundry room is also on the 1st floor.

This is the 1st floor master bedroom.

This is the 1st floor bathroom which connects through to the bedroom.

Here is a view of the same bathroom from the bedroom.

Here is the jacuzzi tub in the above bathroom :)

This is the biggest of the three 2nd floor bedrooms.

This bedroom has a walk-in closet...

...and a skylight...

...and features a half bath right next door.

This is 1 of 2 smaller bedrooms on the 2nd floor - it will be our office.

There is another bedroom about the same size as the one above, but it is not pictured. There is also a full bathroom on the second floor, as well, complete with double sinks :) I can't wait to move in and have a place to have friends and family over for parties or whatever. I am so excited about our first house! Keith & I want to stay here a long time... it's so perfect for us - I can't wait for you guys to see it! Hope you liked the pictures :)

We bought a house!

2006-06-13T21:53:00.000-04:00

Yippee! God is good! We bought a house! The seller came down the $20,000 we needed her to come down, and we bought a house! I'll try to post pictures later... gotta go to bed here soon. But I wanted to let you all know the wonderful news! Pray that we are officially approved for our loan (we've been preapproved already) and also that God continues to provide all of the up-front costs that come with buying a house. Talk to you guys soon! Love ya!

"I want a barbie in a pink dress with a tiera and a veil."

2006-06-06T11:52:00.000-04:00

So, for those of you who have seen "the Bride" you probably recognize that line from the production. For those of you who have not seen "the Bride", that line is spoken by a little girl representing the young, immature church (the bride of christ). She is having a conversation with the holy spirit who has just told her that he is going to give her gifts. He is trying to give her the gifts of the spirit, and she wants a barbie in a pink dress with a tiera and a veil. Which to her is just the best gift in the whole world - she is really asking for something special.

So what does that have to do with anything? Well, I kinda feel like her this morning. I am asking God for something that is very special to my heart. (Not that the gifts of the spirit are not, that is not where I'm going with this - hang with me.) You see, Keith and I have been looking at houses since January. And last night, we made our very first offer on a house EVER! This house is in Northfield Center (a thirty minute commute for each of us to our respective places of work). It is a 1948 cape cod that has been completely remodeled from top to bottom with additions and an attached garage sitting on 2.9 acres of beautiful land. And there's something about it that just brings life to my heart. And I've been really seeking God on this, and really questioning my motives for wanting this house, and I really don't think that this is a selfish desire. I truly feel like God wants to bless us with this house, and I also think that he wants to use this experience to build our faith and to show us more of how he really sees us - his kids - his bride.

So there's an awesome excitement and sense of adventure in my spirit this morning, not just because we might get a house, but also because God is doing something in our hearts. He is taking us on an adventure, he is asking us to trust him to provide, to believe in his faithfulness, and I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that He has something great in store for us. I can see him up in heaven with a smile on his face, saying "I've got something up my sleeve for you, my beautiful ones." And I am just so excited to see what he's gonna do.

This house is my barbie in a pink dress with a tiera and a veil. And even if we don't get this house, if this is not God's plan for us right now, I just know that he is doing something really great, and I can't wait to see what it is. But for now, I am doing what he's asked of me. I am believing him for provision, and I am believing that He has a great something in store for us because He loves us so much because we are his kids and for no other reason.

Our real estate agent faxed our offer to the seller's agent this morning. So, now we are just waiting. The seller is asking a price that is about $20,000 too much for the house and the area. We offered them even less than that. We have settled on a number that we can't go beyond, and God has given us a peace about that number. So, we have some wiggle room for negotiation and counter offers, but not much. The seller is going to have to come down on her price that $20,000 in order for us to buy this house (and throw in some furniture). But I'm not nervous at all - only excited to see what God is going to do! I just love living this adventure with him :)

I got a job!

2006-06-06T11:38:00.000-04:00

Yippee! God is so good to me! For those of you who haven't heard, I have recently accepted a job at Fairview Hospital in the Birthing Center. That's right - my dream of being an L&D nurse has finally come to be. I will be a full-time night shift RN as soon as I have the opportunity to take my state board exam (and pass). I will be working 3 12-hour shifts per week (and they will probably not be back-to-back, but that's okay) and I will be "on call" for an additional 4 hours every week as well. So, now I am just waiting for the Ohio Board of Nursing to tell me that I am eligible to take the exam, and then I can call and schedule my appointment. Once I take the test, and pass the test, then I can start orientation as an RN at Fairview. It has been almost 4 weeks since I graduated, so I should hear from the Board of Nursing any day now. Most likely, I will start orientation in July. In the meantime, I will continue working at Fairview as a Clinical Nurse Tech on various medical floors. I cannot tell you how excited I am that I get to walk women through the labor and delivery of their children! What a priveledge! I get to be there when a new life enters the world, and possibly be the first person to pray blessings over his/her life. I can't wait!

Job Applications Galore

2006-04-22T08:39:00.000-04:00

Okay, I officially have 3 more weeks of school including finals week. I have a ton of stuff to do in the next 2 weeks to finish all the assignments that are due and prepare for graduation (I haven't bought my cap & gown yet).

But anyway, I wanted to let you all know that this past week I have applied for about 12 or so jobs in the Maternity setting at various hospitals. I've applied for 3 L&D, 1 Postpartum, and 2 NICU jobs at UH, which means there's a possibility that I'd be working with another NICU nurse we know at UH - how fun would that be?! I've also applied for 5 L&D jobs and 1 Mother/Baby (postpartum) at Hillcrest Hospital. I'm ready to drop off my application for an L&D job at Fairview Hospital, and I still have to fill out the Southwest Hospital L&D application. The ones at UH and Hillcrest are all full-time positions; the ones at Fairview and Southwest are part-time. I really need a full-time position though.

I'm open to working at any of these hospitals, and truthfully, I don't really even know which job to hope for. I really need God to pick the right one for me. He is such a faithful God, and I know that He will work this all out for me. If there's one thing that He has really driven home in my heart in the past 4 months, it's that He truly is our sovereign Lord, and He already has it all worked out. We don't always know what He's up to, and we don't always understand why, but I do for sure that He has worked out my life in my best interest, and all I have to do is trust him and let him do his job. It's so freeing to rest in his goodness.

So, I'm not worried about getting a job, and I'm not worried that I'll accept the "wrong job" because I know that my faithful God loves me too much to let that happen. My plan is to keep seeking him and asking him to lead me in the right direction. So, if you want to, you can pray that God will make it clear to me what I am to decide when the time comes. Thank you guys! I love you all so much! I'm so blessed to have such great friends :) I'll keep you posted.

Update

2006-02-23T11:35:00.000-05:00

Hey guys, Sorry it has been SOOOOOO long since I have been on blogger. I figured since I haven't posted anything since November, I ought to give you all an update on things. Thanks for your patience :) Sorry if this ends up being long.

Okay, so I'm still in school... but the good news is that I'll only be able to say that for 11 more weeks! Yes, the countdown has officially begun. Graduation day is May 13th, and hopefully a big ol graduation party will be soon thereafter. I'll keep you posted - I promise :)

Right now I'm in my Senior Role Practicum, which is kinda like an internship with an RN in a critical care setting or a specialty area of nursing. God gave me a blessing in disguise at the beginning of this semester. You see, the director of CSU's School of Nursing had the job of placing each of the seniors in their role practicums. But she forgot to place one student - me. I was SO upset. I just couldn't believe that this had happened to me. I figured I would get the "leftovers". And as I was sitting there in class (fuming), I heard the still small voice of my Lord whispering to me to calm down, reminding me that I am precious to Him, and that He has it all under control.

So, the nursing school director had to scramble at the last minute to find a preceptor for me. And since she felt so bad about forgetting me, she tried to get me into my area of interest - Labor & Delivery, of course. And she did! When I received her phone call two days later giving me the good news, I was reminded of a prophesy I received years ago. I don't remember what the exact words were, but basically God was telling me that his hand was upon me, and that He was going to lead me, and that I'd be able to look back at significant times in my life and see his faithfulness to me. When I got that phone call, I was reminded again just how faithful He is to me, and how much He loves me.

There's a chapter in Captivating where Stasi talks about being romanced by God. She describes different ways He hugs us. Unique things he does to romance each one of us. My last-minute placement in the clinical setting of my dreams was my hug from God that day. I was the only person in my entire class to get a practicum in maternity. He is such a faithful, loving God!

So, as you may or may not know, any area related to Maternity is the hardest area of nursing to get into, especially right out of school. But it happens sometimes, and I am in faith for a job in L&D right out of school. I'm tempted not to even look at other jobs. And I'd really appreciate it if you guys would be in faith with me on this. I'm asking God for a REALLY BIG HUG this time :)

I have to keep pushing

2005-11-10T20:22:00.000-05:00

Hey everybody, I just wanted to let you all know that I am still around, just extremely busy with school right now. I hate not having time to read about what's going on in all of your lives, but I've just gotta keep pushing right now. I just keep telling myself that I am graduating in May...this May!

I know I've never experienced childbirth, but I have witnessed it quite a few times now, and I feel like my whole college career has been like the stages of childbirth. This last year is feeling like I have just entered the "transition phase". For those of you who have kids, you know that this is the hardest phase of labor. You feel exhausted from having been in labor for hours and it's only becoming more intense and you just want to be done. You just want it to be over so you can experience the joy of meeting your child face-to-face.

That is exactly how I feel about school right now. I'm tired. I don't want to do anymore work. I just want to be done. I just want to be the nurse so bad right now. But, I can't just snap my fingers (or wiggle my nose, as I've heard countless times in my life) and be done with school... I have to keep pushing. That is my only option. So, I guess what I need most right now is simply encouragement that I can and will make it through these last few months. I appreciate all of your support so much!

The Crown of Creation

2005-10-27T11:12:00.000-04:00

Okay, remember how I told you it was going to be a slow process (me reading Captivating)? Well, I just finished chapter 2, granted I read it twice. It was just so rich and full, I knew I couldn't possibly drink it all in after reading it through only once. It so speaks to my soul. Anyway, it was so good, I wanted to give you the highlights of just the first half of the chapter. This is gonna be long, so I apologize, but it is just so rich and full and good!

Chapter 2 is titled: What Eve Alone Can Tell.

Stasi begins by talking about princesses, fairy tails, and the story of Cinderella. She asks why these stories of hidden princesses and princes who come to find them touch us so deeply. She talks about how the desires of a woman's heart and the realities of a woman's life can seem oceans apart. She talks about how we long for romance and an irreplaceable role in a great story, how we long for beauty. But when that's not the life we have, the result is a sense of shame. She talks about how women deeply and universally struggle with their self-worth. And then (you can almost physically feel your heart rise up) she says:

"A woman's struggle with her sense of worth points to something glorious she was designed to be. The great emptiness we feel points to the great place we were created for. It's true. All those legends and fairy tales of the undiscovered Princess and the Beauty hidden as a maid are more accurate than we thought. There's a reason little girls resonate with them so."

Are you as relieved as I am? There's a reason! I was created this way. I don't have to be embarrassed that I like to see ALL of the movies retelling the Cinderella story. I don't have to feel shame that I desire romance and beauty. God Himself created women this way - and it's not a bad thing. It's a glory. Women are glorious, beautiful, mysterious creatures - and that's how He created us. He created us in His image. So, in attempts to answer the questions "What is a woman - what is her design?" and "Why did God place Woman in our midst?" Stasi brings us back to the story of creation.

She unfolds the Creation of the World in a way that I have never understood before. She compares it to a work of art. She walks us through it from beginning to end pointing out all the things I seem to have somehow missed in the I don't know how many times I've read/heard it. She points out that each creature God creates is MORE intricate and noble and mysterious than the last. Then God sets his own image on earth. He creates Adam.

"...Adam steps forth, the image of God, the triumph of his work. He alone is pronounced the son of God. Nothing in creation even comes close... He is magnificent. Truly, the masterpiece seems complete. And yet, the Master says that something is not good, not right. Something is missing...and that something is Eve."

"She is the crescendo, the final, astonishing work of God. Woman. In one last flourish creation comes to a finish not with Adam, but with Eve. She is the Master's finishing touch."

"Given the way creation unfolds, how it builds to ever higher and higher works of art, can there be any doubt that Eve is the crown of creation? Not an afterthought. Not a nice addition like an ornament on a tree. She is God's final touch, his piece de resistance. She fills a place in the world nothing and no one else can fill."

Okay, I know that's a lot of quotes - but I couldn't have explained it better myself. This chapter was just so revelatory to me. I'm the crown of creation? All these years, I had considered myself the ornament on the tree. I figured the part about "It is not good for man to be alone" was the whole reason for my existence. But no! I'm not an ornament - I'm the crown of creation! And please don't hear what I'm not saying. The part about being a companion to man is true and valid and very important. That part gets "unveiled" in the second part of chapter 2. But it is equally important for us to realize the full value of a woman. The unique way woman bears the image of our God. That part is in the second half of chapter 2 as well. Oh, this book is SO GOOD!

Stasi concludes this part of chapter 2 by telling us to step to a window or some place with a view, and to look out across the earth and say to yourself "The whole, vast world is incomplete without me. Creation reached its zenith in me." That's powerful.

Good News!

2005-10-21T17:08:00.000-04:00

Okay, an update on my teeth...the swelling has completely gone away, and I am no longer in pain. I think the tooth stopped coming in; it never broke through, but all the swelling (and minor bleeding) stopped totally! So, at least I don't have to rush into this like I was beginning to think I was going to have to do. Yeah!

In response to all of your comments:

Bek - thank you for the encouragement, your gift of faith is a gift to us all! I've been praying for my own teeth, and maybe I won't have to have them out after all. God is ALL powerful, right?! And, if for some reason I do end up needing them pulled, well I can at least be grateful that God healed me for now, and by doing so, allowing me to wait to have surgery until we can afford it both financially and time wise (like once I've graduated from school).

Amy, Kimber & Amy - it looks like a week for recovery is the norm for most people (unless you're Dan - I remember the popcorn), and I'm all about pain killers, esp. since I've seen how doctors perform surgery on patients under general anesthesia, and boy oh boy, it's no wonder people need narcotics! About the self-esteem issue - I fully expect to look like a 400 pound chipmunk, and avoid all human contact (except for Keith and maybe my mom) during the recovery phase.

Jason - Captain Crunch? What were you thinking? And, thanks for the info on the dental insurance, I have no idea how good Keith's coverage is, but I plan on seeing Dan Camm.

Autumn - my past oral surgeries sound very similar to yours. I fully identify with your experience, however, I seem to handle anesthesia well. The whole food getting stuck in the holes and flushing it out - I've been there too. Not to mention the oh so pleasant odor that comes along with the whole package. EEWWW is right! and the reason I dread oral surgery again.

Donna - I've been ignoring mine too, until a few days ago. Mine are also impacted (or so I thought) and have also caused my teeth to move and become crooked again post braces removal. I recommend ignoring them as long as possible though, and now that my pain has subsided, I plan to go back to ignoring my wisdom teeth. I am still gonna go for a routine visit though - I'm overdue for a cleaning.

Kelmo - you are amazing! and you must have had darn good local anesthesia and really good doctors & nurses. God Bless You!

Megan - YES I most certainly remember the day you had yours out. HA HA HA! Sorry, I will never forget that phone call...I laugh just thinking about it. "I feel great! I'm spinning in my dad's chair! This is fun! I feel great! ... uh oh, I'll call you back." Oh, side splitting I tell you. I wish I could've tape recorded that phone call to play back for you when you were better - it was a good laugh. But I seem to recall you needing like two weeks to get back to normal :( I hope that's not the case with me. If at all possible, and if I need the surgery, I'll wait 'til summer.

I don't think my wisdom teeth are very wise

2005-10-19T21:40:00.000-04:00

Well, I've just finished a long day of studying for a midterm, and then taking the exam online. I barely pulled off an "A" so Yeah! But that is not the reason for this post...

I think I need my wisdom teeth pulled out. It makes sense I guess - just about every kind of tooth you could need pulled I've needed taken out. I've had some surgeries in my days, and I have to say, oral surgery is the worst. I just hate it. I had my tonsils out when I was 8, and I hated the green jello, popsicles, ice cups, etc. When I was in 5th grade, I had to have an adult tooth taken out before it even came in because it had a cyst on it or something - surgery. I had to have two molars taken out to make room for the rest of my teeth in my crowded mouth before braces - also during oral surgery. My chin was so swelled up after that I looked like Jay Leno, no kidding. Angela might remember that.

So, now I have this tooth coming in behind my last molar on the upper right side of my mouth, and it's all swollen and painful. I'm assuming it's a wisdom tooth. I was asking Keith today "Why do they call them 'wisdom teeth' when just about everyone I know has had to get them extracted?" He said it was another one of those results of the fall things. He's probably right. So, instead of questioning God about why I have wisdom teeth, I'm gonna call my dentist, and pray for the best possible result from a consultation.

I would like to take a survey...How many of you have had your wisdom teeth removed?
And...what was your experience like? (e.g., recovery time, level of pain, etc.) Don't be afraid to be very honest and descriptive, I'm a nurse, I can take it. I prefer the truth even if it hurts.

Our Family

2005-10-18T15:06:00.000-04:00

Here is a wedding photo of Keith & I.

I'm a blogger now

2005-10-18T14:39:00.000-04:00

Thanks to the last week of my home health care clinical rotation, I have found myself with a little extra time on my hands, and so, I decided that this would be a good time to join the world of blog. I really value relationships, and I realized that this is an excellent way to keep up with my friends and the things that are happening in all of our busy lives. I hope my fellow bloggers will support me in this effort, even if I am inconsistent at times in my postings.

I recently started reading Captivating by John & Stasi Eldredge, and I'm loving it! That's where the title for my blog came from. I've only read the first chapter, but I so identify with what they are talking about. Women's issues have been becoming increasingly heavy on my heart over the last few years. The more I walk this journey, the more I realize that this is an area God is highlighting in my life. I love women! (I'm married - to a man - so don't take that the wrong way.) I love anything and everything feminine. I love beauty, romance, flowers, candles, fancy dresses, cozy blankets...you get the picture. I love the uniqueness of women! And I HATE the way the enemy attacks our hearts. I hate his lies, I hate his tricks, I hate his accusation, and most of all, I hate how all of that bogs down a woman's heart. This book speaks so much TRUTH and LIFE to the heart of a woman. Any women out there who have not read it - I highly recommend it (and I don't even like to read).

So, that's where I am right now. In school, I'm about to begin my Community Health clinical rotation, which will go until Christmas break. I will finally graduate Nursing School this May (Praise God!), and from there I hope to get a job somewhere working in an area of Women & Children's health (maybe labor & delivery, postpartum, NICU, or a women's oncology unit). I'm praying that just the right job will open up at just the right time for me. I'm in faith that God will provide!

For anyone who might not know, Keith & I moved to an apartment in Fairlawn shortly after we were married. (Fairlawn is just north of Akron, we live right off of I-77.) Keith works for the Timken Company in Canton; he's a mechanical engineer. And I go to school at Cleveland State and work part time at Fairview Hospital. So, we needed to find somewhere in between Cleveland and Canton. We love our apartment, and the driving is not as bad as it sounds. We have two cats: Swiffer and Mags (short for Magellan - he's a bit of an explorer), and in case you couldn't tell, we LOVE our cats!

So, I will do my best to keep everyone updated on what's going on in our lives, and also to keep up with everyone else's blogs too. Thanks for reading!