Steeped in Thought

 It may sound cheesy, or simple, or boring to you. However, there's something magical about setting aside time to stare up into the night sky. It's so quiet, and peaceful, and entirely wonderful to see the countless stars. If you go stargazing with a friend, it's even better. It's a time that invites insane giggles, and deep conversations. So load up on snacks, wear some comfy clothes, grab a sweatshirt (believe me, you'll need it), and pick a night to go stargazing with a friend. It's very easy, all you have to do is find a place, away from the city, where the stars shine brightly, and then go there. My best friend Dolly and I went stargazing last summer. Somehow we picked the clearest night, and we were even able to see the Milky Way. We also saw something like 5 shooting stars. It was a beautiful night. Before hand, we went to DayNite donuts, because they are open late, so we could have donuts while we watched the sky. They were delicious. It was extremely ha...

I'm at a point in my life where things are changing. It seems that the winds have shifted, and things are about to hit a switch. I'm not sure which direction things are going, but there are a few things that are most prominent in this change.  I've graduated from college, I accomplished this feat in June 2021. This great personal victory came shortly after a great family trial. This trial caused a split in my family, and it may be a long time before that split is healed. Seasons of change. Our lives as a family have altered. There is now a greater amount of responsibility on each of us, but there is also a greater freedom in our daily activities.  Graduating from college has removed one of the greatest demands on my time and finances. Getting a job as a medical scribe has provided me with income, and a greater insight into the world of medicine, which I hope to join someday. I now have more freedom to do whatever I like, but again, there is responsibillity.  I must plan ...

Today at church we got to watch a discussion between our church leaders and Admiral Chaplain Barry Black. It was so good to hear his persective and his story. Something he said really stuck with me. "Love your neighbor as yourself" and "people don't realize the power that prayer has".   I just want to touch on these for a minute. I've heard a lot of different perspectives recently, some people are saying we just need to love each other more, while others are saying loving people isn't enough. I would offer this thought: when we truly love other people, all the other things will follow.  When we truly love people, as God does, we will come to respect them, we will come to treat them kindly, we will come to treat them as our equals. Just as we come to to obey God, listen to Him, and follow His will. Love, it's not just caring about someone, it's a willingness to act. It's a desire to help, to take care of, and nurture. It's also the need ...

Words. Sometimes they come so easy, like when we're passionate about something, or when we're mad about something. Then other times, words are harder to put together. Like when your friend is telling you something, and you want to respond the right way. Or when you're trying to convey an idea, or talk about an abstract concept. Or when you're trying to explain your own thoughts and feelings about things. My best friend has recently helped me come to realize that I have a hard time materializing my thoughts and opinions. She's been amazingly in-tune with my responses to things she talks about, probably even more so than I have been. I hadn't really thought about the fact that I tend to withdraw from discussions about controversial topics. I think there are many parts and reasons to why this is. Part of it is conditioning, I'm around people who loudly express their opinions, with little room for discussion. Part of it is I don't want to hurt the peopl...

Why can't we be more like the birds? They care nothing for politics, they're not upset about the latest legislation that was proposed. They care nothing for how it will affect them. They don't care whether or not they should leave their home because of these potential new laws. Yet birds are the happiest creatures. They are constantly singing, and flitting about. Birds are happy, they're not stressed out about the negative things that happen in the world. They don't worry about what will happen. As Jesus says, "consider the ravens, they do not sow or reap... yet God feeds them... Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to your life?... Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom." (Luke 12:24-32) Why do we worry? God's got this. He knows exactly what will happen and why. Why can't we be more like the birds?

I've been thinking about a lot of things lately. How as we get older our dreams change, we have to reprioritize what we actually want in life. I went to an event at the medical school I want to attend. The event was a discussion on "The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly" in medicine. It really got me thinking about all the challenges that will come with pursuing a career in medicine, and how I might have to set some of my dreams aside. It has me asking questions like: How can I go to medical school and travel the world? It's not possible, I won't have the time or the money. How can I have time to meet someone and get married when I'm so busy training to be a doctor, and then being a doctor? How can I get married and have kids, while being a doctor? Will I have time to make and spend time with my family? How can I accomplish my goal of homeschooling my kids when I'll be working so much? Will my husband want to do that? Will I ever get married? Am I su...

Shout out to my best friend (a.k.a. the only person who reads this blog) for making really good and festive hot chocolate! It was lovely, and really yummy. Also, she invited me over to her house for hot chocolate, and it was a really great time. We haven't really hung out with just the intention to catch up and just be, for a long time. Also, she's just the best friend I could ask for. We've had our rough patches, but they never last more than a few months at the longest. We always get back to our friendship, almost like nothing ever happened, but we're better and stronger and closer because of it. We understand each other a little better, I think. A while ago I wrote about how I didn't have any friends, boo hoo hoo. Honestly, I was going through a personal rough patch where I didn't really come into contact with many people, and I had just transferred to a new school, and I hadn't made any new friends. Looking back, I realize that yes, I would like to h...