Let's just say, hypothetically, of course, you actually died tonight. You get up to the gates of heaven, and there stands Jesus. And He wants to know one thing. So, He asks you, "Tell me, why should I let you into heaven?" You know, my entire life, up until probably 8 years ago, I would have answered that question any one of the following ways: Because I am a good person. Because I am good to people. Because I try really hard to follow the 10 Commandments. Because my parents had me baptized as an infant. Because I was raised in (fill in the blank) denomination, the only "correct" one. Because I volunteer a LOT. Because I donate a LOT of money. Because I, I, I, I, I............ But the problem is - NONE of those answers are correct. NONE of those ... View Post
My Thirsty Shamrock
I can't help it. I work 12-hour shifts and I'm gone the majority of the day, often-times forgetting to water the plants. This cute little shamrock actually looked like it was going to CRY when I got home from work one night! My dear friend Edna gave it to me as a gift. I love Edna - so I couldn't let it die!!! "That poor little plant," I thought, as I sat there at my kitchen table, feeling guilty as I thought about my neglect of its most basic need! I gave it a drink of water, but it still hung there, looking sad and forgotten. Recovery was clearly going to take more than a minute. That poor little shamrock plant was going to need consistent drinks of water to nurse it back to life. That was going to take some discipline on my part. Keeping house plants alive has never been one ... View Post
To Those In My Dressing Room
Setting my alarm in order to give myself only enough time to brush my teeth, wash my face, get dressed and out the door, I scrambled to make it on time to my appointment. But before I did, I stood in front of the bathroom mirror and had a good laugh at myself. My hair stood straight up on the right side, and was flat as a pancake on the left. Some spritzes of water and a hair brush cured that, but I was not looking real attractive this morning. As I sat down to put some make-up on, I thought about my friend who called me last night, the one who had facebooked me, and about my other couple of friends who sent me text messages. And just as I was thanking God for them, I received a text from yet another. And the string of text messages that ensued after that was so insightful, ... View Post
Stop Opening Doors!
Do you ever feel "stuck" in your circumstances? I do. I wonder when God will reveal my ultimate "life's call" to me. I wonder when He will place me in that "dream job." I wonder when the next, more exciting serving opportunity will come along. I wonder when, when, when, when, and yes, of course, I get VERY impatient while I'm waiting on Him for all of the answers. It seems as though despite many examples of Him moving in HIS way and in HIS timing over the course of my very own life, oh, I trust Him - I'm just lacking in patience.... Yes, I am majorly lacking in the patience department. And in that fleshly impatience of mine I search (a lot). I look for serving opportunities, and job opportunities, and relationship opportunities, and, and, and, and.............. (fill in ... View Post
A Season of Friendship
Remembering so many of Dad's gardening tips he shared over the years, I pulled up every weed from around the patio this morning. Here in Michigan, it's that time of year again when we spend hundreds of dollars for flowers that live only a few short months. Careful not to pull up the perennials I planted last year, I yanked every tall, short, wide, and skinny weed I could. I dug up the soil and prepared it for new flowers that would last only for a few months, but would provide for a gorgeous patio to sit on while reflecting on my day. "Shake the bottom of the weeds real hard" Dad would say. "Get all of that good, rich soil back into the ground that you can." He was a perfectionist when it came to his lawn and flowers, and he passed his skills on to me. Not a spring passes that I ... View Post
In The Shadows of A Nurse (Celebrating Our Nursing Assistants)
Next week across the country, will begin a week-long celebration of Registered Nurses. What does this mean? Well, where I am employed, it means that local colleges will set up attractive tables to recruit us to their institutions to further our education through a nursing program, handing out gifts of new ink pens, note pads, and cute little hand sanitizers for our purses. Posters highlighting different areas of nursing expertise will be showcased throughout hospitals. Crispy Kreme will have a sharp increase in sales, as hospital staff stops to pick up last-minute donuts for hungry, eating-on-the-go nurses. We will, no doubt, all be semi-comatose each day from a diet of excessive carbohydrates after the everyday gifts of bagels, donuts, and chocolate "nibbled on" throughout our ... View Post
Go Home, Al Sharpton!
What in the WORLD is going on ???!!! I am a nurse. I have been spit on, kicked, slapped, had nails dug into my arms, and been called every name under the sun. But I am not afraid to go to work. And I am not afraid to park my car in the nurses' parking garage and walk into the hospital, or to stop at the grocery store on my way home from work while wearing my scrubs, or to run into a convenience store wearing what obviously is the uniform of a nurse. I am not frightened that because I wear a nursing uniform, people will want to kill me. I am not afraid that someone will destroy my car or my home because I am a nurse. And I am not afraid for my life because some gang will put a hit out on me because I am a white nurse. My biggest fear is that my knees and my back will ache after a ... View Post
My “Stupid” Phone
It was just a half mile to the grocery store, and I only needed a few things. Surely I could leave my almost-dead "smart" phone plugged in to charge at home. I mean, what could happen in 30 minutes that I would absolutely have to have my phone for? By the time I got to the end of the street, I was automatically reaching into my purse to find my phone to pick the song I wanted to listen to. "Oh, shoot! That's right! It's at home charging!" I remembered. Pulling out onto Metro Parkway, a Mercedes came around the turn just a few hundred feet ahead, obviously not having seen me, and I had to emergently slam on my brakes. "For the love of God! What is WRONG with people on the road these days? If he would have hit me, I could not have even CALLED anyone! I don't have my "smart" ... View Post