Done

I am officially done with PA school at Augsburg College!

Thanks for all the prayers!

Love, Kristie

The Lord's Mercy Remembered: Isaiah 63:7

I will recount the steadfast love of the Lord,the praises of the Lord, according to all that the Lord has granted us,and the great goodness to the house of Israel that he has granted them according to his compassion, according to the abundance of his steadfast love.

He Giveth More Grace – Annie Flint – James 4:6

He giveth more grace as our burdens grow greater,
He sendeth more strength as our labors increase;
To added afflictions He addeth His mercy,
To multiplied trials He multiplies peace.

When we have exhausted our store of endurance,
When our strength has failed ere the day is half done;
When we reach the end of our hoarded resources,
Our Father’s full giving is only begun.

Fear not that thy need shall exceed His provision,
Our God ever yearns His resources to share;
Lean hard on the arm everlasting, availing,
The Father both thee and thy load will upbear.

His love has no limits, His grace has no measure;
His power no boundary known unto men.
For out of His infinite riches in Jesus
He giveth, and giveth, and giveth again.

Now or Never

Well, I had my official moment of "I don't have enough time left!". But, now that that is over and the truth of that statement has sunk-in we just move more towards prayer :)

So, if you read this, please pray for me and my 22 other classmates as we take our exams the next 2 days (Tuesday & Wednesday!). We have all worked very hard over the past 3 years and nobody wants to go down in flames! You can pray after the test too when the profs are grading them...that they wouldn't be in a crabby mood. Our saving grace is they keep telling us they don't want to see us around anymore so they WANT us to pass and GRADUATE!

Graduate?! I can't believe it, and yet it seems so incredibly natural because God has just carried things one day at a time for three years. But, I do plan on celebrating, so if anyone is up for drinks in the next week you just let me know :)

Praise God from whom all blessings flow.

Bless the lord, oh my soul, and all that is in within me bless His holy name.
Bless the lord, oh my soul, and forget not one of His benefits:
He forgive all your sins.
He heals you from all your diseases.
He restores your life from the pit and crowns you with mercy and loving-kindness.
He satisfies your desires with good things that your youth shall be renewed like the eagles....

(skipping some verses here)

As high as the heavens are above the earth so GREAT is His lovingkindness towards us. As far as the east is from the west so FAR has He removed our transgressions from us.

As a Father has compassion on his children so does our Father have compassion on us. For He himself knows our frames and He is mindful that we are but dust...

But the steadfast love of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting towards those who fear Him.

....and lastly,

In Christ alone, my hope is found; He is my light, my strength, my song. This cornerstone, this solid ground, firm through the fiercest trial and storm. What heights of love! What depths of peace! When fears are stilled and strivings cease! My Comforter, my all in all, here in the LOVE of Christ I stand.


Thanks in advance for interceding on my behalf!

"Now I lay me down to sleep..."

I am supposed to be studying right now, but sometimes when I look too long at the computer (taking online tests, reading notes, researching a topic, quizzing, making charts, etc.) I notice that my vision gets blurry and I get red eyes. Gross.

So I will make a list of what I need to study for tomorrow:
- EKGs, EKGs, EKGs,
- Chest xrays/radiographs
- medicine list with generic and trade names
- dermatology slides
- treatment algorithms for cardiac arrest and other cardiac emergencies
- causes and treatments of arrhythmias
- asthma guidelines
- patient education lists
- physical exams in general
- a few more practice tests if possible
- review surgical tool recognition again
- review lab values one more time (especially iron studies and liver function test normal ranges)
- ummm, I am sure this is more :)

Oh yeah, the Bible.

Let me tell you. I would be lost without the Word of God to encourage and nourish my soul when I rise and lay down. I am reading a slightly dry portion of Isaiah right now, but it never ceases to amaze me how God always using some particular verse at some point to speak to me. Somedays if I did not have the Word to fall back on amidst this chaotic/challenging/crazy season of life I would have given up or been even more crabby then I sometimes can be. "It if were not for His grace...." really should mark our thoughts and heart attitudes.

Isn't it nice to know we can just go to sleep in His care? I read this quote once in Elisabeth Elliot's book "keeping a quiet heart" (btw, all time favorite and challenging book!).

"God charges His angels over those who are sleeping; but He himself keeps watch over the sleepless one."

I don't say that to say it's a good thing to stay up worrying or crying or what have you; I am just saying that God is our Great Comforter - oh the pun there is too good!

So, may you rest in His loving care having had your soul calmed and cared for by His Word.

5 - depending if you count today

Five more days until Augsburg exams are done.

Eight more days until graduation.

Twenty-one more days until national boards.

wow.

oh yah

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and thanksgiving, present your requests to God; and the peace that passes all understanding will guard your heart and mind in Christ Jesus.

Freak out time

Okay, I am not freaking-out about school - now that's a miracle!

I read Becca Pateneude's posting about technology updates in their house and I literally started to feel this pit of anxiety rise up in my stomach. I don't really remember how to function in the non-school world. I don't have a lot of interests outside that which makes life functional, and I have sort of morphed into an intense person. I don't know anything about technology or baking organic bread or knitting. My idea of a manageable transition back to non-school life was growing a small herb garden!

What if I can't relax? Is it okay to relax?

What's my new purpose? Where's my new purpose? Does it really matter? I think it matters to a person like me. What if I can't adjust? I will drive my friends nuts.

Will I be lonely without studying to occupy my mind and heart?

What do I like to do for fun? How do you find balance between taking life seriously, not wanting to waste a minute of it, and realizing we are just passing through?

I used to make Caleb tell me all the things I could do or would enjoy on the weekend when I was done with school because I would sort of panic at the idea of not knowing what to do with myself.

My oh my.

"Now, now..." someone would say to me.

Okay. Time to stop the thought-train here. It's time to leave the library and just trust the Lord because I really don't like change that much.

It's just another turn of the page in the book of life. We only get one day at a time, right? Praise the Lord!