Day 210

Thankful for 7am wake ups instead of 5 am, lunch with coworkers, investigating during evaluations, dinner with my dear friend, long goodbye hugs, and phone calls with my encourager.

Today I said goodbye to one of the most incredible ladies I know. I am so proud of her and excited for this new stage of her life but the idea of not having her close by makes me sad. She is one of the most steadfast and loyal friends I have ever known. I am confident that despite the distance we will stay close. We have known each other for almost ten years and I rest in knowing that we will celebrate 20 years of friendship. Praying blessings over her journey. Asking God to keep her safe and to provide her with reassurance. I hope that she finds friends quickly but knows that I am never too far away. I love you Miss Alley Solis! 

Day 209

Thankful for morning coffee, delicious free pizza, crossing things off my to do list and Rangers baseball. 

Day 208

Thankful for new co-workers, dinner with friends and evenings spent baking. 

Day 207

Thankful for sleeping till I wake up, WHATABURGER, afternoons spent baking and creating my meal plan for the week, and evening runs even if it was cut short.

I've been dealing with medial ankle pain on and off for the past year or so. It originally began when I stupidly,are a dramatic increase in my running mileage because I fell behind on my schedule for running a half marathon. Initially it back my mileage but continued to have pain that began to progressively occur sooner and sooner in my run. I went to a (super attractive...just saying) orthopedic specialist who took x-rays which showed mild periosteum aggravation but no bone  involvement.He prescribed me 4 months of no high level activity which I abided to. I began gradually running and had only gotten back to about 2 miles when the pain, swelling and strange bruising reoccurred. This "injury" is more frustrating than painful but I refuse to believe that at 24 I will have to give up running. We shall see! 

Day206

Thankful for the smell of coffee being my alarm clock, entire afternoons spent on the lake (even if that includes being attacked by tiny fish continuously!), Texas sunsets and baseball. 

Day 205

Thankful for 15 minute power naps, job offers, road trips to the lake with Lindsey, Texas country and the excitement/fear/anticipation that comes with growing up! 

Day 204

Thankful for hugs from patients who are being discharged, half days at work, stress relieving workouts, cooking and country music, and for the fact that God fills our joy by giving us Himself!

I've been reading "Desiring God" by John Piper and have really been challenged & convicted by the words he writes. Chapter 1 focuses on the happiness of God and the fact that "the chief end of God is to glorify God and enjoy Himself forever." It's hard to realize that this, in reality, is for our good because we are so used to disliking people who are self-absorbed and conceited but God is an "all glorious, totally self-sufficient Being" that must turn to Himself for joy otherwise He would imply that there is something or someone more valuable than the Creator! Where would we turn if our God turned to another source for completeness and joy? We would be so lost! Praise His name for being the greatest of greats, the Creator of the World, and the satisfaction of man's soul. He is worthy. He is better. And He is yearning for our praise because through praise we complete our enjoyment in the item of our affection, God the Father.

I am prayfully asking God to use this book to illuminate areas of my faith that I tend to doubt or be lazy in. I know that He is a good Dad. He loves me in a way that is indescribable, unattainable and unworthy. All I can do in return is lift my voice, raise my hands and lay my life at the foot of the cross as a living sacrifice and continual praise of The One who gave it all to know the soul of a wicked daughter like me.


**excerpts from "Desiring God" by John Piper with input from C.S. Lewis

Day 203/

Thankful for encouraging friends, dog smiles, ice cream and laughing!

Day 202

Thankful for free lunches, new shampoo and new reading material!

I finished reading "The Resolution" a few weeks ago and have really missed having a devotional/guide to God's Word. I had forgotten that around the same time I also purchased "Desiring God" by John Piper. I have heard great things about this book and pray that God uses as a tool to continue shaping me into a woman after His Image. 

Day 201

Thankful for long good-bye hugs, breakfast dates with Megan & Bekah, hours in the car to reflect on this wonderful weekend & to sing worship songs, and time spent curled up in bed reading The Word of The One who made all this possible! 

Day 200

I love my friends so much, thank you Lord for them. I cannot imagine my life without these girls. My rocks, my comfort, my laughter and my pure joy.

Day 199

Thankful for busy work days, Whataburger and LADIES WEEKEND!!!!!

Day 198

Thankful for compliments and encouragement from CIs, half days!, productive afternoon spent working on a project I've been putting off for months, homemade dinners from new recipes, and new coffee flavors!

Day 197

Thankful for grumpy patients turned kind, compliments from practicing clinicians, family dinners with The Boers, the below pictured shorts and ridiculous Southern weddings. 

Day 196

Thankful for beautiful sunrise views on the way to work, ridiculous scifi movies, texts from dear friends, and surprise cuddles from Tippy! 

Day 195

Thankful for rainy days, ridiculous dance moves and enjoying the last month of this adventure before beginning anew!

Day 194

Incredibly thankful for today! For waking up to cooling summer rain showers, mornings spent with hot coffee and God's written truth, afternoons spent preparing for the week and reading, and evenings spent celebrating birthdays and cuddling up with puppy dogs!

I continue to find myself in a "dry spell" in my faith. I could make excuse after excuse for my reasons for faltering in my walk, but at the end of the day it boils down to two things: 1) fear and 2)laziness. I become incredibly anxious when meeting new people and use this as a consistent excuse for not finding a church home here in Keller. But if I dig deeper it comes down to my selfish desire to be lazy on MY sunday morning. I feel as though I deserve this morning off and every week I find a reason to spend it curled up in bed then praising God with fellow believers. Now, I've felt God's pull and have been drawn to His Word on this mornings which I know has been a pure gift from Him but it is so evident the importance of being around, worshiping with, and listening to fellow believers.

Lord, free me from myself. Free me from the desires of my flesh and grant me a heart that yearns for you with each beat. Father, I ask that you would build, mode and shape me into a woman after your image, into a woman of grace.

Day 193

Thankful for mornings I can sleep in, waking up to coffee and God's truth, afternoon spent playing with puppy dogs and laughing with the roommate, reading new books, delicious dinners where I get carded after I order my adult beverage and incredible movies that everyone else clearly disliked because it flopped. :]

Day 192

Thankful for busy work days, ridiculous lunch time with coworkers, chats with the besties, and amazing movies! 

Day 191

Thankful for surviving a 12 hour work day, for comfortable running shorts and delicious pandora bread (seriously!!!)

Day 190

Thankful for short work days followed by productive afternoons, fun workouts negated by high calorie snacks and spending time being a kid at heart. 

Day 189

Thankful for busy days in clinic, wonderful treats from patients and SYTTD.

Day 188

Thankful for opportunities to learn from new people, delicious crockpot meals and new reading material.

Day 187

Thankful for goodbye hugs from my family and ridiculously long drives with Alley that consisted of loud music, laughter and poor singing!

Please pray for my grandad. He was diagnosed with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis a few years ago and has been working towards a spot on the lung recipient list but found out that he is not a candidate for a lung transplant. The doctors have given him till the end of the year. As you can imagine this was very hard news for my mom and our entire family. Pray that God would continue to be evident throughout this situation and that my grandad would be blessed with an amazing time while he is still here. I know that God is good and that He will continue to hold my family up but this is hard news for all of us. 

Day 186

Thankful for breakfast with the family, afternoon adventures at the local art festival, evenings spent cooking with Mom and eating delicious food, and sunset runs.

Day 185

Thankful for breakfast tacos, afternoons spent at the beach, phone calls with the bestie and evenings relaxing at home with the family. 

Day 184

Happy Independence Day!!! 

Today I am thankful for family, for spending all day outside and in the water and for fireworks over the bay.

Day 183

Thankful for half days at work, safe flights home and welcoming hugs from family! 

Day 182

Thankful for busy days interning, encouragement from my CIs, last full day of work before vacation, evening 5 mile walks with the roommate and amazing books!

Ilove when stories change your perspective. This book was incredible, so incredible in fact that I read it it in its' entirety in 3 days. It's one of those books that reminds you to soak up each sun ray, to catch the beauty in each leaf on a tree and to never leave without hugging the ones you love. 

Day 181

Thankful for best friends who always respond to my texts even when they are crazy, free Sonic drinks and evening runs in surprising cool summer weather!