Do It Anyway

Anyone who knows me, knows that I've always struggled with school. I'm sure even if you've been following this blog you'll know that I've been in a constant battle with it, well, pretty much my whole life. I've also written on here before that I had no idea why at first, but I knew without a shadow of a doubt that I needed to get my RN. The reasons why are becoming a little more clear to me, but the thing I've taken away from this the very most is that doing hard things is important.

It's gonna suck... But just dig your heels in and do it anyway.

You can swear. You can cry. Those are both excusable offenses while you're in school.

You might have to retake a class, or you may not get into the program of your choice the first time around.

Just do it anyway.

I'll tell you why.

With every step you take in the right direction, it will be confirmed to you that you're on the right path.
You may start your journey like I did, feeling absolutely certain that the goal is impossible, but you're going to give it a shot, just in case you're wrong. You may have complete confidence. Do it either way. You'll have moments where the path will be unclear, and doubt will inevitably start to creep up on you. But, more importantly, doors will materialize out of nowhere, options you didn't even know existed will make themselves known, and people will be introduced who can help you reach your goal. You'll get there. But only if you want it really really bad.

You might not hate it as much as you think.
I walked in to my first Microbiology class this semester with nothing but sheer dread. I hated studying all the organelles and processes in the cell in my Intro to Biology class, and the thought of spending months learning about bacteria and mold made me physically ill. Wanna know something funny, though? Four weeks later, I love what I'm learning. It's so applicable and fun to study all these microbes and pathogens. I help treat patients every day with strep, UTIs, fevers, colds, etc. Now I actually know what causes them, and why it's so important to have the right treatment.

Truly, NOTHING is impossible.

“Things work out, it isn't as bad as you sometimes think it is. It all works out, don't worry. I say that to myself every morning. It will all work out. If you do your best, it will all work out. Put your trust in God, and move forward with faith and confidence in the future. The Lord will not forsake us. If we will put our trust in him, if we will pray to him, if we will live worthy of his blessings, he will hear our prayers.”
― Gordon B. Hinckley

I'm learning how to do this. I'm not perfect at it yet, but I really see the value in setting out on a path and sticking to it, even when I'm knee-deep in mud.

Ours is a generation of hand-outs and trudging the path of least resistance in every facet. WE'RE NOT DOING OURSELVES ANY FAVORS! If you choose to stand out as one who is willing to work hard for what you get, people will notice.

Eventually the end will come, and you'll realize that it was only the beginning.

10 years...

I know, it's been a long time since I've blogged, and I don't really want to right now. But in light of the events this weekend, I'll post this wonderful article by our beloved prophet. I love when members of our church get to write in public places and especially when our prophet takes the opportunity, it's a blessing I'm sure not many readers realize they are privileged to have. So enjoy this story and it's great message.

9/11 destruction allowed us to spiritually rebuild

The calamity of September 11th, 2001 has cast a long shadow. Ten years later, many of us are still haunted by its terrible tragedy of lost lives and broken hearts. It is an episode of anguish that has become a defining moment in the history of the American nation and the world. This week, the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, along with Tom Brokaw, will pay its own homage to the unforgettable events of September 11, 2001.

By Thomas S. Monson

There was, as many have noted, a remarkable surge of faith following the tragedy. People across the United States rediscovered the need for God and turned to Him for solace and understanding. Comfortable times were shattered. We felt the great unsteadiness of life and reached for the great steadiness of our Father in Heaven. And, as ever, we found it. Americans of all faiths came together in a remarkable way.

Sadly, it seems that much of that renewal of faith has waned in the years that have followed. Healing has come with time, but so has indifference. We forget how vulnerable and sorrowful we felt. Our sorrow moved us to remember the deep purposes of our lives. The darkness of our despair brought us a moment of enlightenment. But we are forgetful. When the depth of grief has passed, its lessons often pass from our minds and hearts as well.

Our Father’s commitment to us, His children, is unwavering. Indeed He softens the winters of our lives, but He also brightens our summers. Whether it is the best of times or the worst, He is with us. He has promised us that this will never change.

But we are less faithful than He is. By nature we are vain, frail, and foolish. We sometimes neglect God. Sometimes we fail to keep the commandments that He gives us to make us happy. Sometimes we fail to commune with Him in prayer. Sometimes we forget to succor the poor and the downtrodden who are also His children. And our forgetfulness is very much to our detriment.

If there is a spiritual lesson to be learned from our experience of that fateful day, it may be that we owe to God the same faithfulness that He gives to us. We should strive for steadiness, and for a commitment to God that does not ebb and flow with the years or the crises of our lives. It should not require tragedy for us to remember Him, and we should not be compelled to humility before giving Him our faith and trust. We too should be with Him in every season.

The way to be with God in every season is to strive to be near Him every week and each day. We truly “need Him every hour,” not just in hours of devastation. We must speak to Him, listen to Him, and serve Him. If we wish to serve Him, we should serve our fellow men. We will mourn the lives we lose, but we should also fix the lives that can be mended and heal the hearts that may yet be healed.

It is constancy that God would have from us. Tragedies are not merely opportunities to give Him a fleeting thought, or for momentary insight to His plan for our happiness. Destruction allows us to rebuild our lives in the way He teaches us, and to become something different than we were. We can make Him the center of our thoughts and His Son, Jesus Christ, the pattern for our behavior. We may not only find faith in God in our sorrow. We may also become faithful to Him in times of calm.

One last hurrah!

Well, we're down to our last two days of our summer adventure. And what a crazy ride it's been! We decided to have a little fun for our last weekend in town and went to the beach yesterday. I didn't really want to go at first but I'm glad Ian talked me into it, because it was so great! We drove about 70 miles from our apartment in Mission to South Padre Island. It's the same island as the beaches in Corpus where on, but just further down. I really loved the beaches in Corpus, but the water was really mucky and was usually full of seaweed. I guess I didn't know any better... The southern end of the island had perfect sand and clear blue water. It was absolutely beautiful, and a perfect way to end our time in Texas.

Driving over the bridge on our way to The Island.

After a swim.

Out in the waves

There were these little burrows all over the sand in the water.
We tried  to dig a few up, but didn't find what was in there.
We probably killed whatever it was in the process... Oops...

Picture perfect beach scene.

Further down the Island

Some little kids nearby built this cool sand castle.

These little tiny shells were everywhere! I thought they were cute.
PS We took this picture with Ian's phone. Great camera, don't you think?

Gorgeous Texas sunset

I love evenings on the beach.

SYTYCD

I didn't watch this season, but now I'm kind of wishing I had... I love when a dance is so captivating you can't look away or really even blink. That's how I felt while watching this. Also, the judges comments were HILARIOUS!

Bring him home

If you've seen Les Mis and didn't cry when Jean Valjean sang this song, you have no soul. I like this rendition a lot. I think both Jon Schmidt and Steve Nelson are SO talented and have such a unique gift to be able to put a modern spin on classics like this one and revive them for a whole new generation. Plus, they're both just good ol' down-to-earth Mormon boys. I'm mostly posting it here so I'll be able to find it later if I want to listen to it, but please enjoy!

Last day of school!

It's the end of summer semester and I got a 4.0 (I think)!!!! Yay!!!

oh wait...


Fall semester starts in 3 weeks....


Oh well, it was fun while it lasted.

One more semester and I'm ready to apply for Nursing school. HOLY COW! I can't even believe it myself. I've fought this school thing tooth and nail. Seriously, ask Ian. He has to give me a pep talk at least bi-weekly. My main struggle has been convincing myself that I should do this when I'm in such a good place right now. I have a GREAT job, which I absolutely love, and it's hard to have the perspective about school that I need to be successful. With my friends all getting ready to graduate and my track record with school, it's hard not to feel like the opportunity hasn't already passed me by, or that I'll never get there.

But, I distinctly remember talking to my mom when I was driving home from school one day, just talking about my classes, and I said, "I guess that's what happens when you finally get on the path the Lord wants you to be on." I could barely finish my sentence because I was so overwhelmed with the conformation of how true what I had just said was. I just wish it wasn't so hard to REMEMBER that. The other thing I realized (after Ian's most recent pep talk) is that I'm not just doing this for me. I'm doing this to benefit my husband and our future family. I'm sharing the load with my husband and giving him the assurance that if a situation were to arise when he wouldn't be able to provide for our family, he has an educated wife with the ability to take the reins. I'm abandoning my selfish desires and allowing myself to be molded into the person I'm supposed to be. So, yeah, I'm still resisting, but slowly and surely I'll get there.

Words to live by for the day

"You will find that somewhere between setting and reaching a goal, you’ll end up in the muck and mire of the arena of life. That’s when you have to increase your persistence. Don’t change the goal. Don’t say, “The goal wasn’t good because I have manure on my boots.” Don’t say, “I must not be capable of reaching that goal.” Say, “I’ve got to work harder, try harder, get up earlier, study harder, go to church more, pray harder, follow the principles of the gospel.” Be persistent. Then you will reach those goals and find yourself becoming the person you imagine yourself to be." -KIETH MERRILL

Read the rest of his article here. Seriously, do it. It's really good.