Settling in to Life in the N.K.Y

 I refinished this old window pane for mom for Christmas 7 months ago....as you can see, I just now got around to finishing it with her help. I really like what she did with it!

 These beautiful young ladies and I attended our first Movie in the Park in Walton (Cars 2!). Fun night that was a success with no bug bites.

Cincinnati Reds! Rounding third and heading for home! Fun night with Pops!

Persuasion.

I have recently begun reading the book Persuasion by Jane Austen. In it is a beautiful quote concerning love-- "You need not tell me that you had a pleasant evening. I can see it in your eye. I perfectly see how the hours passed. Anne half smiled and said, 'Do you see that in my eye?' 'Yes, I do. Your countenance perfectly informs me that you were in company last night with the person whom you think the most agreeable in the world, the person who interests you more than all the rest of the world together.' A blush spread over Anne's cheeks. She could say nothing."

I am only writing this, so I can have it on file for when that person who interests me more than all the world together pursues me. Definitely, cliche', I know....However, knowing I have never felt this before intrigues me and excites me for when my 'most agreeable' man comes along. Ooh la la.

Even more inspiring though, are the words the Lord spoke through Jesus Calling this morning-- "The path I have called you to travel is exquisitely right for you. The more closely you follow My leading, the more fully I can develop your gifts. To follow me wholeheartedly, you must relinquish your desire to please other people. However, your closeness to Me will bless others by enabling you to shine brightly in this dark world.

Few words were never truer. Love me my Heavenly Father. :)

There's No Place Like Home

I am back home, although I have not unpacked or began studying for my certification exam which is creeping upon me. I was plagued with allergies last Saturday (my first day back in KY), and because I am opposed to medicating myself I developed severe bronchitis a few days ago. Silly, I know, especially being in a healthcare profession. I have definitely learned my lesson, and am now sleeping, building t-cells,  and taking my antibiotics consistently. Hopefully I will be back on my feet in the next few days--I cannot miss the birth of my best friends little man this Friday (so uber excited!).

I am also in the middle of really praying and seeking the Lord about my future career paths. I interviewed at Cincinnati Children's Hospital. It is my dream job, I'm just not sure if it is my dream job right now. So, my really good friend Mary Alice, and her man Derek, and I have been talking about just moving someplace really fun to adventure and work for a year. Definitely a leap of faith, but something I want to make sure I should take a leap on. It is exciting, stressful, and causing me to truly be prayerful and not go on feelings. I am so emotion and feeling led, and really want to learn to discern my emotions versus the Holy Spirit's leading. So, please join me in this journey of prayer. I am so excited, and know wherever I land it will be right where I am supposed to be with a career that I dearly adore. It's good to be home. :)

Badda boom

My morning devotion today really hit home. I think this is a beautiful reminder that I should probably read daily. Not only am I quick to judge other people's callings and paths in life, but I am also quick to make my own decisions before consulting and being led by the One who has already ordained the steps before me.

"I have called each of My children to a different path, distinctly designed for that one. Do not let anyone convince you that his path is the only right way. And be careful not to extol your path as superior to another's way. What I require of you is to act justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with Me (Micah 6:8)--wherever I lead."

I think it is important to remember that the only person whose opinion matters in life is His. Seems simple enough right?? I tell myself this everyday, but yet it is always a struggle to fight my selfish needs. I am going to focus on scriptures, such as these over the next several weeks, and see if the results are as impacting as I am quite sure they will be.

I'm Going to Miss Them Tons! :(

The roommies (Ellen and Dana) and I at the company picnic (windy day).

This week was my last week at Orange-Ridge Bullock Elementary. :( The following and LAST two weeks, I will be at the office with Ellen, running a summer camp and treating our little munchkins. We planned the camp yesterday and I am pretty stoked about Angry Birds Day, Dr. Seuss Day, and Campout Day (we're building a fort!). I'll give you a synopsis next week of how everything goes. :)

On a side note: Last night El and I want to watch What to Expect When You're Expecting, and pretty much cried during this Ethiopian adoption scene--yep, can't wait to adopt one day!

I am praying for everyone and cannot wait to see you all VERY SOON!

Love, love, love,
B

"For the Lord is good and His love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generation."
Psalm 100:5

A Week 9 Wrap-Up

The past few weeks have included designing obstacle courses for the kids, completing lots of end-of-the-year evaluations, and formulating fun treatment interventions. My confidence and knowledge seems to increase with every passing week. I am able to grade activities and adapt tasks to accommodate a variety of diagnoses and meet many needs. 

 The boys pictured below are triplets and the one in the middle was the one recently diagnosed with Duchenne's Muscular Dystrophy. :(

I have been working with this young 20-year old girl, at the clinic, who sustained a gunshot wound to the head, resulting in a TBI one year ago. She presents as a quadriplegic and has minimal use in her right arm. I have had the opportunity to work with her and her mother (who has recently hurt her back from transferring her daughter) a couple hours each week, addressing proper body mechanics when transferring, increasing leisure activities, visual perceptual deficits, as well as inattention to tasks. Through this opportunity, I have really had the experience of addressing her holistically through taking into account all psychosocial factors. This has challenged me to become more creative when treatment planning—including the family in the treatment process, as well as challenging her to increase her engagement in leisure activities. I have to continually remind her the importance of challenging herself to help with grooming or donning her shirt when her mom dresses her every morning. I have also encouraged and advocated for her to go to school a full day instead of a half day. I am looking forward to continuing this treatment with this family and observing the gains that they will make together.

This weekend, the roomies (Ellen and Dana) and I will be going to our company picnic tomorrow at a marina and possibly taking a ride on our boss' sailboat (eek!). We are really excited and getting sad that we have to leave our jobs and FL in 3 weeks. However, we are excited to get to see you guys soon!

A Day in My Life

Fortunately for you, I decided to do a brief photo tour this week, instead of writing a lengthy blog describing the details of the week. I finally took a few pictures of the wonderful students I get to work with each week in the hope that they exemplify just a glimmer of their "awesomness."

This group below (kindergarten) is one of my favorites (shhh...). The little boy in the gait trainer was just diagnosed with Duchenne's Muscular Dystrophy, a condition that is a highly degenerative muscle disease and will most likely take his life before he turns 25. Please keep him and his family in your prayers.

 

They loved making cupcakes and had no idea the social and behavioral skills we were addressing--gotta love my job. :)

They were loving the oobleck...hopefully their parents did not get too upset when we sent them home with their clothes covered in it. :/

This beautiful sunset was taken about a week ago, while El and I ate our ice cream cones and dangled our legs over a pier at Coquina beach.

Another week that has come and gone in Bradenton, FL. 4 weeks until I head back to the Bluegrass State, that I call home. :)

Week 7

Summertime has officially hit. It was in the 90s this weekend and sweltering hot. Fortunately, we have this beautiful beach to relax and get away. However, be careful--the breeze and water can deceive the heat and strength of the sun. My skin always hates me by the end of the weekend. This gorgeous sunset was taken outside of the Beachhouse--it was one of the best dinners we have yet. El and I split this huge seafood dinner with delicious mango salads and cheesecake for dessert.

I had this recent conviction of my gluttonous/unhealthy lifestyle. There is so much delicious food to eat here and we always have tons of dessert at work. Subsequently, I am in need of starting to live a healthier lifestyle. I must alter my mindset in order to do this because I feel as though I am on vacation here all the time--not good. Here begins my journey to a healthier overall well-being.

Au revoir,
B

A whimsical weekend

 

Pictured above is our view from a Tiki hut off the bay of Sarasota at sunset (last night). There was a perfect breeze, not a care in the world, with some wonderful friends. Little did I know that the Lord would rock my world this morning. I was sitting in church listening to Christine Caine speak at Bayside Community Church, where I go during my stay here in Bradenton. Christine is the founder of A21 Campaign, a campaign focused on abolitioning and fighting human trafficking. She attends Hillsong Church in Australia, and is having a powerful impact on people around the world through her passion and drive to serve the Lord. As she was talking about human trafficking, and urging us to step up and embrace the calling the Lord has placed on our lives, the Holy Spirit hit me with the reality of my own resistance to His calling lately. Last semester the Lord really placed human trafficking victims on my heart. I resisted the urge I felt to contact an organization and attempt to get involved because I was scared. Scared that I may be called to serve these victims--how shameful of me. Today, I felt this urge again....in a more powerful way than I can begin to describe, except to paint you a picture of me with tears pouring down my face as we were praying and my heart yearning to know what this spark ignited in me today will turn into. I don't know where the tears came from because I was trying to control them and I couldn't--that's called the Holy Spirit. The opportunity for me to be in Bradenton, FL, at this exact church, listening to Christine Caine, when I was just researching her organization 6 months ago is called divine appointment. What a beautiful encounter today was. I have no idea what the Lord will use me and my OT education for in the future, but I am more excited than ever.

After church, El, Kayla and I visited Norma Rae's, a delicious brunch/cafe in Palmetto. I had a summer salad and chicken salad sandwich, which was very hearty. I am beginning to keep a tally and blog about the haunts and local restaurants we visit over our next few weeks to enlighten those who ever may visit Bradenton, FL in their future. Enjoy!

Oh, and for those of you who read my Friday post....our bday plans for Dana got disrupted, so we may have to find an alternate avenue to utilize our SWEET costumes. :)

Week 6

Today finished up my 6th week in Florida...that sadly means only 6 more weeks in this beautiful place with these wonderful hoodlums. With regrets, I must report that I had to assist in a restraint of one of the 4th grade boys I work with.  He can become very disrespectful and aggressive when he doesn't get his way, which was what happened. I explained to him that we have to learn to accommodate the changes in life and be flexible, but he already too worked up to reason with. I dearly love him and wish I could take him home to love on. I wish I could take home all of these children. So many need a stable environment with love and nurturing. Without these things it scares me to think what may become of them.
Earlier this week at the clinic I got to start working with this 20 year old young lady who suffered from a gunshot wound resulting in spinal cord injury (tetraplegia). She is a beautiful girl who loves to dance and listen to music. I got to know her family and I am really excited to get to work more with them in order to increase her independence and develop strategies to help ease her mom's burden. Boy oh boy, I really do have the best job in the world!

Last weekend the roommies and I went to Naples to visit Vonda, a classmate and friend of ours. We had so much fun, drove by some of the biggest houses I will probably see. Literally, they all looked like resorts on the beach. On Sunday, we enjoyed a great church service, as always. Then, Ellen, Kayla, and I found a hidden gem of a cafe called Charisma Cafe. I had the most delicious chicken salad on croissant. It was cute and hippy-ish, with local artists' work featured on their walls. We also walked through a local art studio, which was very fascinating, but entirely out of our budget.

This weekend Ellen and I are going to work a disabilities baseball game, we are celebrating Dana's birthday with a fun surprise for her bright and early tomorrow (I'll share details next week, but let's just say the pics  below are part of it...), as well as eating a delicious cheesecake I picked up from Mr. Cheesecake. Yep, we love the weekends. :)

Last night we had a late-night excursion to Goodwill to pick up some children's puzzles/games for our kiddos. We ended up finding a few gems along the way (pictured below).  :)

 Yes, these are pant suits....

We're still trying to decide what this one is exactly...it's suede, which makes it tens times more hilarious. And yes, we both had to try it on, and it was amazingly one of the most comfortable things I've ever worn. Our plans include donning this on a blind-folded Dana.

Week 5

This week was great as usual. Exhausting, but fun. I definitely had more opportunity to consider addressing psychosocial factors that influence engagement in occupation for my students.  Many of my students, specifically the ones with Autism, had aversions or combative behavior that influenced the treatment session I had originally planned. I took these moments and circumstances to think on my feet and practice grading activities or being flexible in my approach. I had to utilize preferred activities several times in order to engage and motivate them. This is beneficial to understand when working with children with disabilities. I address feeding with a young boy in the medical fragile unit, and he is able to hold the spoon and place in his mouth if it something that he likes to eat. However, if it is not something he likes he refuses to eat. Everyone gets frustrated by this, but I feel as though this is crucial towards supporting his interests and therapeutic use of self. He is non-responsive, so he is unable to do a lot on his own, and I am a firm believer that if he has control over one area of his life (feeding) than so be it. It is my role to support that as long as he is getting adequate nutrition.

Now heading South to Naples to celebrate Vonda's (another classmate) birthday, the Derby, and Cinco de Mayo! More updates to come later this weekend. :)

Blessings,
B

Week 4

Week 4 has been another week of growth and great learning experiences. I learned a little about the Floortime model, a model used for children with ASD to assess their level of development and social engagement to determine what treatment approach to take. I also led my first treatment group with 6 children with Down's Syndrome who have difficulty with behavioral management and visual perception. It was chaotic and difficult to grade the activity according to each of the children's individuals needs and abilities, but it encouraged me to utilize task analysis and problem solving in the future.

Yesterday (Saturday), the ladies and I went to the beach and ended up getting pretty crispy. I walked the beach for a while, studied a few pages of my cert prep book, and then read Divergent  (my new book). Later that night we went to dinner at a restaurant on the bay with a live band and the best goat cheese, artichoke, and pesto pizza EVER! No kidding. We also saw 2 dolphins (one had a chipped fin) and a manatee. ::)  Following dinner, we went to this huge parade in town and collected TONS of mardi gras beads. Don't worry--no flashing involved.We went back to the restaurant later that night for a glass of wine and dessert by the water. Very tranquil and romantic ladies night.

Today, the ladies and I went to church, grabbed a bite to eat, and visited the Ringling Museum.  It may be my favorite place yet. Below are three pictures of various places on the Ringling museum property.

 The perfect wedding venue....the Ringling Mansion, situated with a perfect view and steps going to the bay.  We saw a dolphin while out on this veranda. :)

 The Banyan trees are so whimsical and skirt the property.

 The courtyard of the Ringling Art Museum.

This next week I will be planning and implementing intervention sessions for around 35 kids at the school, and 10 kids at the clinic. I am really looking forward towards it, and advancing my ability to grade activities in the process. I am falling more and more in love with these phenomenal kids, and constantly look forward to loving on them--something most of them don't get at home.

Week 3_Loving My Kiddos

This week has been delightfully fun and eventful with the kids. Every day I left with boogers and drool coating my clothes. Needless to say, every laugh, every tickle, and every interaction I received from a kid was well worth all the germs. I am beginning to become more and more attached as you can see (or read). I had about 4-5 kids on my caseload at school and led all the treatment session for the kids at the clinic, all with varying disabilities (CP, Autism, missing radial bones, EBD). It was challenging and fun to be innovative and creative when taking into account psychosocial factors affecting this kids and their academic performance deficits during intervention planning.  For example, I implemented intervention with a little girl, missing radial bones since birth.  I took into account her interest in imaginative play and dress-up into our treatment session when addressing FM skills and gross motor play. I also integrated a little boy's interest in music into his session to motivate and encourage functional reaching with his affected arm, due to CP. I was able to demonstrate a vast array of knowledge as related to cerebral palsy and treatment ideas, such as weight bearing and using a variety of positions to facilitate movement. I had the opportunity to complete a few evaluations and will continue to have opportunities to assess many children at different developmental levels. I look forward to the weeks of growth ahead!

 

This weekend will be spent finishing up my last research presentation, for my online class, at Panera (yummy)! I must keep myself motivated with food. I, also, am volunteering at this fundraiser track meet our clinic is hosting tomorrow. And, of course, the remainder will spent at the beach and with our new adopted parents.... I can't wait to see what new and exciting things God sends our way this weekend!

Weeks 1 & 2 in Bradenton, FL

My lovely roommates, Ellen and Dana (friends and fellow OT peers), and I are all settled into our humble abode. I shall have to remember to capture pictures of our little dwelling and post them in a later blog. Ellen and I are sharing a bedroom, which has been quite fun, and also very stuffy and hot at nights. The picture below is us out on the town last night, capturing a picture with the Woodford Reserve napkin holder--a tribute to our KY home, which we miss oh so much.
The following two pictures are of the Sunrise Service we attended at the beach on Easter morning. Kayla (another OT peer) is a friend of ours who has her current rotation in Tampa. She has been coming to hangout with us on the weekends, which has been a blast.

Ellen and I attended the Sailor Circus (Mary Poppins-themed btw), and, oh yes, it was FUN! It is a circus put on by students (4th-12th grades). These kids are extremely talented and I was amazed by their skill and athletic abilities. I also learned that Ringling Bros. originated in Sarasota, and that is why the circus is a huge deal around this area.
My parents came to FL to visit me the first week I was here. We did a lot of sight-seeing and beach-combing, which was so fun. We also were able to meet up with my friend Kelly (a wonderful OT intern and friend I met at my last rotation in GA) and her boyfriend, Ben. Ben was finishing his rotation up in FL and Kelly came down to see him. I just love this couple and am so happy I got to see Kelly one last time in FL!
Yes, today I learned how to surf on a long board. We met this couple at church today, and after talking for a while found out that they lived on the EXACT street in Anna Marie Island that someone had recommended we visit. The husband is retired from the Army and they have a son in high school and a daughter in college. The husband, Dave, taught Kayla and I how to surf--checking that off my bucklist! :) The wife, Deb, was amazing and so hospitable. They lent us their beach chairs, let us shower at their house, and invited us to hangout in the future. She also gave us Hawaiian flowers for our hair (R ear means you are single and L ear means you are taken). Needless to say, they were truly a blessing, and all of the details of the day were so clearly orchestrated by the Lord. I have a feeling we are going to get really close to them while we are here on the island.

Now, here is a brief synopsis about my second Level II placement at Children's Therapy Solutions in Bradenton, Florida. Monday through Friday I am at Orange Ridge-Bullock Elementary school, and on Mondays and Wednesdays I go over to the outpatient clinic after school. So far I have really enjoyed my placement. The school that I am at is not a typical school setting, in that it has a whole sector of the school which they call exceptional students (ESE or special education). We also have two medically fragile classrooms, which is the largest in the county. A majority of these students are on feeding tubes, non-communicative, and dependent for all ADL's. Children in these classrooms have a variety of diagnoses which include West Syndrome, TBI, seizure disorders, CP, and others.

I work with children from both general education and ESE classrooms. The majority of our children have Autism, ADHD, Sensory Processing Disorder, CP, seizure disorders, and Downs syndrome.

I absolutely adore the kids I have met thus far, and I am REALLY looking forward to the rest of my time here. I think this rotation will really help me identify whether or not Schools is my niche or not. Regardless, I can't wait to see where the Lord leads me over this next year. I am so abundantly blessed and would have never imagined I would have the opportunity to have such a wonderful career that does not feel like a job.....and be living in "paradise" all at the same time!

Week 10 has come and gone...

Phew, working 7 more days and then my time is finished in Warm Springs. This week I had the wonderful experience of evaluating a woman who speaks very little English and is from Pakistan. I have learned how to say "very good," "great job," "pain," and "good day" in Muslim. It has been fun to communicate and rely on her children to bridge the language barrier. Observing their family dynamics and watching the way they are so vigilant and attentive to her and her treatment sessions is something that is rare to find in families nowadays. I have enjoyed building rapport with the family and I think they are enjoying my enthusiasm to learn their language.

I am not going to write anymore because I am tired of looking at a computer screen after just writing documentation all day.

Love, love, more love,
B

Week 9

Just when I think I am going to have a normal, relaxing Sunday afternoon we find these little guys driving home from church... Hoping to talk my parents into letting me shipping one home. :/ The one on top is Franklin and the one on bottom is Roosevelt. Yes, after FDR, whom this place revolves around.

New this week:

I discovered that this new trail I run opens up to a therapeutic riding stable. Hm, future volunteer opportunities?? I think so...


Ventured to Columbus, GA with the new ladies last night (Saturday) and saw a great comedy club and band play.
Two more weeks and one day to go. :)

Love and blessings,
B

Week 8 :)

"Instead of dashing headlong towards your goal, let Me set the pace. Slow down, and enjoy the journey in My presence." -Sarah Young, Jesus Calling

I have thoroughly been soaking in what the Lord has been trying to teach and show me this week. My mom sent me the devo, Jesus Calling, and it has literally changed my outlook on how I approach each day. Hope, peace, faith, and love are the course it sets me on each morning, and what an adventure each day has been. I am not stressed. I have stopped worrying. I have started praying more about everything--I know, sounds like a no brainer that I should have been implementing before....

I want to share a tidbit of my week with my patients.

This week I truly learned the importance of implementing occupation-based practice. it not only invigorates your "OT spirit", but gives you a glimpse of how it can change the course of many patients' therapeutic experience. I had a blast developing creative interventions that were graded and adapted to address my patients' deficits--creating a bowling alley in the therapy gym, painting a canvas on an easel, playing horseshoes to address functional reach, decorating a wreath to increase prehension skills, finger knitting, etc. My patients thoroughly enjoyed the interventions this week, and seeing their response to my treatment approach really lifted my spirits. Occasionally, I have found myself slipping into the clinical treatment approach, but this week was a great reminder of the importance of meaningful occupations.

I also learned how beautiful life is, and how every day is a blessing. I have a patient who is a 40-yr old gentleman with a deadly brain tumor who is one of the most tenacious, positive people I have met. His prognosis is 4-5 years at best. He has very limited movement in his left side. He continues to progress and get movement back in his arm, and then he will have a seizure and lose his function again. He is the most driven, hard-working patient I have encountered. He literally sweats, grunts, and challenges himself during every one of our therapy sessions. He always comes to me the next day with a report on the progress he has made and the new exercises he develops for himself in his room. He always thanks me for what I am doing for him, but he has no idea the impact he has made in my life.

I am also blessed to be at setting that is so client-centered. One of my patients today could not stop talking about the gem of a facility that we were. Quote on quote, "This place is Georgia's best kept secret." She was amazed at the teamwork that occurred here, and was enthralled by all the activities and equipment we had at our disposal. She is absolutely right, and I do not think until recently I realized what a truly unique place this was.

I hope that these experiences will forever remain in the forefront of my practice. I hope that I can give the world even half of what my patients give me on a daily basis. I am challenged continually to grow and learn all I can, so I am providing competent, client-centered care.

I pray that you allow your heart to be opened to all the Lord wants to teach and show you (Rom. 12:2). As I reflect on my life, the times that were the most trying were ALWAYS where I gained the most needed pruning and the growth. Be blessed and be open to accepting the blessings He wants to adorn you with.

Know that I miss you and you are loved by me. :)

B

The Canyon Crew

I hope you enjoy this photo tour of my weekend....

The Canyon Crew

The other interns and I headed off into the great unknown of Lumpkin, GA. In Lumpkin lies Providence Grand Canyon, a farming excavation gone awry. Years ago, farmers in GA attempted to farm some land. As they dug up their fields to farm, erosion begin occurring rapidly. This land, which was once covered by water, was layered underneath with sand and clay. The erosion continued as the farmers attempts to farm and dig kept failing. More and more of the land became huge trenches, which eventually turned into these large canyons. The layers of the canyon are clearly visible, starting at the top with more clay and ending on the canyon floor with sand as white and snow. In some parts, the sand was purple--literally purple. Occasionally we stumbled upon small purple rocks or huge clay mounds, which totally fed into my sensory fixation. The trails on the canyon floor were a mix of sand and clay with trickles of water that streamed through them. It felt great on our bare feet. Yes, it was obvious I was from KY I am sure....

Katlin and I perched on a very tiny ledge overlooking the most beautiful part of the canyon.

After several fun hours spent sand surfing down the walls of the canyon and enjoying this nature paradise, we headed into the small town to enjoy the best BBQ I have ever feasted on. With stomachs full of sweet tea, boiled peanuts, BBQ, and pecan pie (that's some serious southern eatin') we ventured to this restored 1850s town called Westerville. It displayed kilns, candle making, wool presses, slave quarters, and old restored buildings.

Cobbler/tannery shop


Slave quarters

Slate boards and desk in an 1800's schoolhouse

Boiled Peanuts (No, not animal droppings...)

A bedtime prayer.

“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you,
before you were born I set you apart;
I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.”

“Alas, Sovereign LORD,” I said, “I do not know how to speak; I am too young.” But the LORD said to me, “Do not say, ‘I am too young.’ You must go to everyone I send you to and say whatever I command you. Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you and will rescue you,” declares the LORD.

Then the LORD reached out his hand and touched my mouth and said to me, “I have put my words in your mouth. See, today I appoint you over nations and kingdoms to uproot and tear down, to destroy and overthrow, to build and to plant."......

...."They will fight against you but will not overcome you, for I am with you and will rescue you,” declares the LORD.

Jeremiah 1:1-10,19

This verse just encourages me in every which way. It challenges me to live for what I know. It challenges me to be joyful and bold in all circumstances. But, most importantly, it challenges me TRUST. Trust no matter what. Trust that He will lead me as long as I let Him be my guide. Trust that he has my life, my future, my plans already laid out. When He challenges me, I am to obey. Obey with authority. Obey with faith. And obey with steadfastness no matter what the circumstances or outlook. I am to live a life that bleeds. A life that is not my own. A life I was given with His grace on the cross and His daily mercy in my life. A life, that when I reflect on it, I am able to see His hand and His anointing on every page. A life that is worth something because He is worth it all. I love Him. I yearn to see and feel His presence everyday. I am blessed. Blessed beyond measure and yet I still cower. I still doubt. I still judge. I still lie. I still envy. I still place worth in counterfeit gods. Yet, at the end of the day He still loves me and wants me to hear what He told Jeremiah: "I formed you. I will rescue you. I am with you. Do not be afraid." Yay for such an awesome loving Father, and the only friend we truly need.

Nighty night,

B