Will We Be Sleeping?

I started listening to Christmas music on Thanksgiving morning while I prepared food for my family. I heard this very thought provoking song by Casting Crowns and wanted to share it with you - Enjoy!



"While You Were Sleeping"

Oh little town of Bethlehem
Looks like another silent night
Above your deep and dreamless sleep
A giant star lights up the sky
And while you're lying in the dark
There shines an everlasting light
For the King has left His throne
And is sleeping in a manger tonight

Oh Bethlehem, what you have missed while you were sleeping
For God became a man
And stepped into your world today
Oh Bethlehem, you will go down in history
As a city with no room for its King
While you were sleeping
While you were sleeping

Oh little town of Jerusalem
Looks like another silent night
The Father gave His only Son
The Way, the Truth, the Life had come
But there was no room for Him in the world He came to save

Jerusalem, what you have missed while you were sleeping
The Savior of the world is dying on your cross today
Jerusalem, you will go down in history
As a city with no room for its King
While you were sleeping
While you were sleeping

United States of America
Looks like another silent night
As we're sung to sleep by philosophies
That save the trees and kill the children
And while we're lying in the dark
There's a shout heard 'cross the eastern sky
For the Bridegroom has returned
And has carried His bride away in the night

America, what will we miss while we are sleeping
Will Jesus come again
And leave us slumbering where we lay
America, will we go down in history
As a nation with no room for its King
Will we be sleeping
Will we be sleeping

United States of America
Looks like another silent night....

Majesty

Follow You God

Such a beautiful message - faith in action

Coming Up for Air

FINALLY able to breathe again!!
One quarter is done - and I made it through!Only three more to go now! I wish I had had more time to blog about my experiences, but I have been desperately trying to keep my head above water this entire quarter.

I usually don't have such a hard time in school, but nursing school is unlike anything I have ever had to do. It is exhilarating, frustrating, and wonderfully exciting all rolled into one! I believe NEXT quarter I should have more time to blog - I had to make a few changes to my schedule to keep my sanity :) One of the changes I had to make was with my work schedule. My constant prayer to the Lord has been - as long as He wanted me to work, I would work - but the MOMENT things started to slip with my grades, I would know that it was time to let it go.

My Dosage Calculations/Pharmacology class isn't all THAT challenging - as long as you stay on top of things, but if you fall below an 80 in the class, you will fail Nursing School. With the twelve hour shifts I had to pull on the weekends, it didn't leave enough time for me to study. I received a really poor grade on one of my tests and it scared me! I realized that if I didn't make a change soon, my grades and dream to become a nurse could slip away from me.

I have gone back to working PRN (as needed) which will work out better for my schedule right now. I will have more control over my schedule and can work as I am able to - not be held to a schedule that may not work with my schoolwork. It was very hard to have to make this decision - there are a lot of people who have been hurt by this (meaning - the residents whom I worked with on the weekend).

I had one sweet gentleman cry when I told him it was my last day! I had been spending lots of extra time with him - which is one of the main reasons why I LOVED my weekend job - I would take him outside and sit with him in the sunshine and just visit. I had no idea how much this meant to him until I told him I had to let my job go. It BROKE MY HEART to have to do this to him! This is a man who had a stroke four years ago. He now spends his days trapped in his wheelchair. He is put in his wheelchair every morning, and spends his days in front of his television - until it is time for him to go to bed. Day in and day out - this is his new existence! Before his stroke - he loved to spend every waking moment outdoors. He loved to garden and enjoyed the birds. Now he is trapped in a hell that he can't wake up from. His body is no longer able to do the things he once was able to do, but his mind is still sharp - which leaves him plenty of time to sit and think about all of the things he will never be able to do again. Things we take for granted - like walking outdoors - going for a drive in a car (it takes two people to help him into a chair - I am trying to figure out a way to take him for a drive - but it will be a challenge) FEEDING himself - he has to rely on others to do this for him too!

I can't imagine the pain and depression he must feel at times - and yet, this beautiful man NEVER complains - he always has a smile to share, and if you ask him if he is in pain - he will tell you that he is in CONSTANT pain, but that he doesn't want to bother the nurses to give him anything for relief! My heart BREAKS for him - God has given me such a love for people like this! THIS is why I do what I do! And yet - I had to disappoint him and make him cry because I had to make the terrible decision to let my job go! I CAN'T let my opportunity to be a nurse slip through my fingers. I have a very small glimpse at times of what God may have in mind for me, and if He really IS leading me in the direction I believe He is, I HAVE to keep going!
BUT....
I couldn't stand the thought of this gentle and loving man hurting on my account - so I decided to make it a point to continue seeing him at least two days a week. My school is only a mile down the road from my work - so I have been going to my work and visiting my "friends" a few days after my classes. I take my sweet gentleman friend outside to sit again - he is happy, I am happy - it is a win-win situation! Yesterday I took him some homemade biscuits - he had received some pear preserves from another resident but didn't have anything to eat it on - so I asked him what he would like to have and he said "MMMM... some warm homemade biscuits slathered with pear preserves sounds WONDERFUL!" Such a small, simple act on my part - meant the world to him.
If EVERYONE would reach out in this world - to take just a FEW moments out of their busy days - and REALLY SEE the hurting people all around them - who just need a little love and kindness in their lonely lives! To do this for these special people who oftentimes go unnoticed after they get older - the world would truly be a better place! I am definitely not trying to say that I am wonderful - because I AM NOT!! I am just like everyone else - I am SOOOO busy and stressed and tired and some days I REALLY don't want to take on ONE MORE THING! I tell myself after class - "Ohhhhh I REALLY just want to go home and take a hot shower after the stressful day I just had - I don't want to go to the nursing home today"!! Then I STOP and think about my dear, special friend who is waiting for me to come. I think about him sitting in front of his television waiting - because that is all he has in his life now - is to wait and look forward to the little time that I give him each week! THAT is what drives me to keep going back - when I get there and knock on his door and his eyes light up - it makes it ALL worth it! I believe that I get SO much more out of our little visits than he does! He blesses me beyond belief!

I hope that YOU will feel the urging of God to reach out to someone who needs you in this way - a simple smile and a visit goes such a long way for someone who is hurting and starved for human contact!

Okay...I will step off of my soapbox now....

I have the next two blissful weeks off from school so I hope to blog more about my experiences with nursing school during this time, and to have time visiting my special blog friends who I have neglected for these three long months.
Blessings on your day,
Kymber

There's No One Like You

I Should Be Studying

Nursing school is no joke! It has been VERY challenging but I am having the time of my life! We have had exams every week which has kept me on my toes, and my nose in a book since I started this roller coaster ride!

I was told before entering this program, that if I expected to get straight A's, I would be severely disappointed. Well - it is so true! I have always managed to maintain an A through my college experience. Now, I am GRATEFUL for the B's that the Lord has allowed me to receive! This program is SO challenging and the pace so fast that you barely have time to finish up one test - before they throw another one at you. I am constantly struggling to kept my head above water! The content of the tests are ALSO nothing like anything I have seen before! They are all based on critical thinking skills - so straight memorization of concepts that you are learning, while it does good for you to KNOW the content, it really doesn't do you any good if you can't apply what you have learned to the situations that are presented to you in each question. For example - this is an actual question that was given to me in my Fundamentals of Nursing class:

A patient requires urinary catheterization but has difficulty keeping her legs in the usual position. The nurse has worked for many years and adapts the procedure to allow the patient to lie on her side. This action is based on the critical thinking element of
A. Curiosity
B Experience
C. Perserverance
D. Scientific knowledge

Now this question appears very straight forward, but it actually holds many different meanings. I picked the correct answer which was - B. Experience. You need to pick out key words in the question in order to answer correctly because in certiain questions - they may ALL be correct answers - you have to determine the best answer! In the above question the key words would be - has worked for many years and adapts the procedure. I don't know - maybe you can all see that "B" would be the right answer, but to me - it gets all so very fuzzy at times!!

Or try this one if you are not convinced. Now mind you - these are the easy ones - remember I am just getting started on my journey here - also - I am trying to give you examples that would be understandable without prior nursing knowledge:

The patient is able to ambulate without signs or symptoms of shortness of breath. Which statement by the nurse is the best example of an objective evaluation of the client's goal attainment?
A. Patient has no pain after ambulating.
B. Patient has no manifestations of nausea while up in hall.
C. Patient has no evidence of respiratory distress when ambulating.
D. Patient walked well and did not have any problem when up.

The correct answer - is C - Patient has no evidence of respiratory distress when ambulating.

I don't know - maybe it is just me - but THESE QUESTIONS ARE TRICKY!!! They really require you to stay on your toes - especially when you are taking an exam - because EVERY question counts against your grade!

If I fall below a cumulative grade of 75 in the class - I am out of the program! That is so stressful to everyone - because it is so hard! Every day presents NEW challenges that we have never been faced with. I could never imagine falling below a 75 - EVER! I study too hard for my classes for that to happen - but you just NEVER KNOW when it comes to this program!

I am trying to keep a positive attitude - my husband says I am so negative! I am sorry if I am coming across that way - this is all so new to me and I REALLY don't want to fail. I feel TOTALLy out of control which is disconcerting - but I NEED to start remembering everyday - that GOD IS IN CONTROL OF MY LIFE AND IS DETERMINING THE DIRECTION FOR MY LIFE!!! IF HE WANTS ME TO SUCCEED -HE WILL HAVE TO SEE ME THROUGH IT!

Please pray for me that I am able to get enough sleep - I have been surviving on about 4-5 hours a night and getting up at 3:00 in the morning to study. Please pray that I keep the RIGHT focus - and that I continue to put GOD FIRST in all tihngs - I am trying SO hard to find time to read His Word as well as study. I am trying not to panic and find the RIGHT attitude everyday. I am trying to keep pride out of my heart when I DO get a good grade - I want to remember that it is all GOD'S doing - when that happens and that He can just as easily allow me to fall on my face - if He wants me to!

More later - gotta run!
Blessings to you all,
Kymber

First Day of Nursing School

Yesterday was my first day of Nursing School and I think this picture says it all! YIKES!

I have been waiting for this day for so long and tried to be prepared for it. Our family went on vacation for a week to Florida before school started, and the whole time I was there I had my face in a book. Everyone kept telling me - "You should just relax and enjoy the time you have before school starts - because after it starts, you won't have any more free time". I am here to tell you - I am SO glad that I studied! Our first day of class WE HAD A DOSAGE CALCULATIONS EXAM!!!

Remember - this is my FIRST DAY - people! Dosage Calculations is a class in which I absolutely CAN'T make any mistakes! I have to get a cumulative grade of 80%. If I fall below an 80%, I will be asked to leave Nursing School. No stress right? Math has never been my strongpoint in school. I have to work very hard at it. To have an exam - without knowing how to REALLY do the problems, THEN having that exam count for a large part of my grade in this class - is insane!

Our day started off with wrapping up administrative paperwork, then we took time to get to know each other by everyone standing up and introducing themselves and telling why we decided to pursue Nursing. At Orientation, we started out with 33 people. One girl didn't show up yesterday - so she is out of the program. After our surprise exam, I am wondering who will fail to show up today! There were so many people yesterday who said they felt like throwing up due to all of the information being thrown at them!

After the introductions, we had a break and then we dove into Dosage Calculations - FOR THE NEXT 6 HOURS! My head was spinning and although the information was helpful, knowing that we had an exam at the end of it all - made it SO hard to absorb all of the material being thrown at us!

OKAY.....

I will calm down now - I will take a DEEP breath.....and I will prepare myself for day TWO of this wonderful new adventure......

I will remind myself Who is in charge of my destination and spend time with HIM in prayer -and I will jump back in with both feet- because I LOVE this rollercoaster I am on!

Blessings,

Kymber