"We are the clay and You our potter" Isa 64:8

That light bulb moment. Almost like a Gibb’s slap from behind makes everything come into view and all the sudden your little puzzle piece fits into a masterpiece of a picture that you never imagined. That was me last night. God has made me a very passionate person. Throughout growing up whatever that latest thing was I would run after it hard, until something else came up. I was in band, I played basketball, I taught drum lessons, I taught Sunday school, helped a church plant, helped Invisible Children, went on every mission trip my parents would allow, and of course cheered for the Lady Vols like it was going out of style. In college it became a problem, because having so many things to be passionate about makes it hard to choose what to do with the rest of your life. There for a while I thought I had it figured out. Teach middle school science and math and do athletic training on the side. This combined my passion of sports, with teaching and my unusual passion to work with...

I walk into a room for about the 6 th time that day with my notes scribbled about what disease processes to inquire of for this person. I was surprised to see a middle-aged downs syndrome woman and her elderly mother sitting quietly waiting on me. I went through my usual talk tailored to her specific health needs, but our conversation kept coming back to how God miraculously saved this woman’s life while battling pneumonia early that year. I could’ve talked to these two precious ladies all day! But I struggled in my heart to not waste the time of my next patient who was already waiting on me, not to mention the physician who was waiting on my report of this woman. What a blessing it was to slow down and celebrate with this family how God showed Himself powerful on their behalf. My fellow sister in Christ and I sat and praised Him for His sovereignty and goodness, then out the door I had to go. After about a 45 minute visit, all I had to report to my attending was that she was doing ...

"That I may know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings being conformed to His death." Philippians 3:10 How is it that our best times, are during our worst times? Through 2 years of medical school, I've seen times where I realized I am nothing and times where I felt like I had this thing figured out. And I can say I would rather be in those days where I was exhausted and didn't know how I could continue studying another day, where all I could see was my inadequacy, where God felt so close I heard Him whisper. It is in these moments that I have felt most alive. That I may know Him. This week I took my step 1 national medical board exam, thus, completing my 2nd year. The months leading up to it where some of the hardest I can remember. But God reminded me during this time that He is my treasure, and my goal is that I may know Him.   God brought me through boards, and now I look to a year of rotations where my inadequacy and m...

I must confess these last few months I have been extremely selfish. I have been extremely blessed in that God allowed me to grow up in a church that taught me from a young age that life is about God and His glory, and that there is so much more to life than getting caught up in the everyday routine, the dreams of retirement and so forth. I have had this hunger and thirst to know more of God and to be consumed by Him. And it is by His pursuit of me that He brought me to Virginia. One of my greatest struggles while here has been the lack of true Christian companionship. Yes, He did give me Christian friends and wonderful believing roommates, yet there has been a void. I knew God should be enough, yet my unsuccessful efforts to make myself be satisfied, were too weak to do anything. With so many of my friends and even my little sister getting married, I longed to have a ‘soul mate;’ someone to walk this journey with, someone who made me love God more, and someone who I could share lif...

This morning I got on our school bus to head out to our last village for the week. To my surprise, we actually had a full bus. You see, yesterday we were told that any students interested in surgery could take today and go see the Hospital here, watch a surgery or two, and possibly help in the ER, then they would have more time back at our 'base' to get on the internet and study! The only catch was they would have to forgo our last day setting up a clinic in the village. At the time this announcement was made, about half of my classmates raised their hands saying they would want to go. Yet, this morning none left for the hospital. On talking to one person he said they all decided they would rather be helping in the village, and they couldn't give that up. . . I think they just might be getting it! Thursday morning I had the opportunity to lead our devotion. What was so cool, was that we had more people show up that morning than any other morning. Mostly because the physi...

When we arrived safely into the city and I stepped off the plane, it took all of one breath to realize something major. I knew the smell, I knew the thickness of the air, the white and yellow stripped curbs along the road. 5 times I have been to Africa in 6 different countries. I always thought it was just Africa. I had even been to Mexico, but maybe I didn't realize it then. These developing nations, they are all basically the same. I couldn't help the smile that creeped across my face as I took it a breath full of dirt that had been kicked up off the road. The rooster that aided in my waking up this morning again brought a smile to face instead of a wish to shoot it. In just about all my senses, I feel, well, kind like I'm home. There's just something about it, I can't explain. The slower pace, the simple life, being grateful for a hot shower: . . . Ahhhhhh I feel like myself again! As we drove about an hour to the top of a nearby mountain to set up a clinic in...

This is one of those places it never really occurred to me that I would be in. A few weeks ago, I had my last lecture over new material to study EVER! Granted I still have boards to take in June and thus I have some review lectures, but all my exams from here on out are kind of a big deal and their number is like small enough that I can count them on my hands! As I have fill blown began studying like crazy for this next exam in June, I feel like G is really finally helping me out of this drought I’ve been in. I had been so bogged down with school, and life in general. But every day over and over I would just hear Him say, “Seek ye first the Kingdom of God” The more I dwelt on it, the more I realize how He has been giving me the key to all of this all along. I’ve realized how little my faith has been to not trust Him with everything and just run after Him. I wish it were as simple as just flipping a switch and saying okay now I will just seek Him first and not worry about the res...

This Christmas break was rather strange in that we had finals two weeks after we came back. In doing so we have another week off, and since I am now sitting in front of a fireplace in TN rather than in my desk school, I am thankful at the moment for this odd schedule. But those 2 weeks of finals before now were rough! I have known for a while that one of my greatest hindrances to being used of God is my idolatry of comfort. I hate being cold, hungry, tired, and most of all, alone. Last year God brought me leaps and bounds from how much I worshiped comfort, yet after this Christmas break I felt right back where I started. I’m not sure what started it, or why all the sudden everything was so hard again, but that first week back was awful! Maybe it was the 6 impending finals exams, maybe it was the heaviness that hung after some bad news in the family, maybe it was simply because I didn’t get to really say goodbye the way I wanted to and the end just snuck up on me? Whatever it was, tho...