Oh the overwhelming, never-ending, reckless love of God. Oh it chases me down, fights till I’m found, leaves the 99. I couldn’t earn it, I don’t deserve it, still you give yourself away. Oh the overwhelming, never-ending, reckless love of God.
💛💛💛
This man has made the love of Christ real for me in ways I could never have imagined. He was so worth the wait; turns out I didn’t have to wait as long as I thought. I found my person and I’m marrying him. WOW.
Your hair is so pretty! What shampoo and conditioner do you use?
Oh my gosh, I literally never get compliments on my hair so thank you 😭 I just use head and shoulders fam, nothing fancy 😘
how do you stay motivated to study?
At this point in my education I’m reminding myself that I’m not doing it for the degree, per se. I’m doing it because the degree will help me answer the calling that I believe God has placed on my life, which is to make a difference in end-of-life care for patients and families. Being a PhD student is already hard, and I couldn’t imagine doing it simply for the prestige. Let me know if you are looking for specific tips or something more along those lines :)
have you ever suffered with social anxiety?
I think so. I think it’s possible to “fake it till you make it,” which is why I have never labeled it as such.
how do you spend your free time?
Omg, the million dollar question ‘cause I’m honestly still deciding whether I have a life outside this PhD program. Now welcoming suggestions!
“I have hidden your word in my heart…” Psalm 119:11
There’s a lot hidden in this heart of mine, and I sometimes wonder how God feels when He searches it and finds that most of what I’ve hidden is brokenness instead of the unwavering truth that I am beautifully and wonderfully made (Psalm 139:14). In Psalm 119:11, “hidden” essentially means “treasured.” When we hide scripture in our hearts, we are treasuring it for later. A similar thing happens when we hide brokenness in our hearts. According to one dictionary, treasure (v.) means to “retain carefully or keep in store, as in the mind.” You see, treasuring something has less to do with inviting it in than it does with giving it a place at the table. By treasuring my brokenness above the truth of the Gospel, I am giving the enemy a safe place to threaten the victory I have in Christ. If X marks the spot, the enemy has been using it as target practice – and being shot at over and over is what has brought me to my knees in prayer.
This morning as I was stuck in CDC traffic, Matthew 11:30 came out of hiding. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light. I’ve been meditating on these words ever since. After 23 years of hearing them, I finally understand why I feel so light after surrendering it all to Christ. When we lay our burdens at the foot of the cross, our yoke becomes easy and our burden becomes light – just like His. Each of us has a heavy cross to bear, but it doesn’t mean we can’t also have an easier yoke. Rewind two verses to Matthew 11:28: “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” The Lord simply asks us to “come.” He doesn’t ask us to “come and,” as if there’s something else we have to do to receive rest besides be in his presence. Being in the presence of God is the only thing that will give us rest because unlike most things in our lives, a relationship with Him isn’t based on performance. The fact that this is the heart of God takes my breath away.
Choosing not to hide brokenness in your heart doesn’t mean you have to hide from it. It means you have the opportunity to give it to a Wonderful Counselor. A Mighty God. An Everlasting Father. And most of all, a Prince of Peace.
will you be updating often now??:)
I'm sure as heck gonna try to! :)
since you graduated (congrats!), what are your next steps?
Next step: get da PhD 😬
I just realized your Instagram is gone... :( you don't have an Instagram page any more?
I do! I just deleted the app on my phone for a couple of months because I was a touch consumed by it. @elzabthmarie
What laptop would you recommend for a nursing student?
I've loved my 13" MacBook Pro for the last five years, but it's really whatever you prefer!
I passed the NCLEX! I'M A FULL ON NURSE NOW! So dang honored to carry "BSN, RN" after my name. Wish I could put into words how freakin' blessed I feel that I made it this far. For those of y'all still in nursing school, just keep swimming. I promise that you'll reach the shore, even when you feel like you're treading water trying to keep pace with everything that's happening.
I would love to answer any and all questions you might have about this journey. It isn't an easy one, so let me help encourage and support you on the way!
I feel as though I've climbed mountain after mountain to get here - the view is breathtaking. In about five years' time, I will be a PhD-prepared Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner. I fought hard for this white coat, but perhaps even more importantly, God has been fighting for me over the past five years by opening doors I didn't think I was worthy enough to walk through. He has awakened me to dreams I didn't even know I had, and here I am chasing them with my whole heart. I've got several more mountains to climb, but I'm learning that I can claim victory before I've reached the summit. I am proud to be a nurse and unfathomably honored I get to dedicate my career to improving end-of-life care for patients and their families.
Took my last final this morning, which can only mean one thing... I am DONE with nursing school!!! These last 15 months were some of the most challenging and rewarding I have ever experienced. There were so many times I felt like I couldn't muster up the strength for one more exam, one more clinical day, one more simulation... but I made it and I am SO DARN PROUD. I can't wait for pinning this afternoon when I officially receive my BSN.
Excuse the awkward background but y'all I'm SO in love with my hair! About an inch and a half shorter with some balayage highlights 😍I'm ready for dat post nursing school life ya feel me
when bae won't join your pity party
Self-portraits aren't easy with a manual focus 50mm, I'll tell ya that
