Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
Christmas 2008 was spent with John Pope's family: Brent, Tressa, their two cats and three dogs, Granny, and Mom in LA California. (and it rained!) Our meal was excellent!
John and I went with Brent and Tressa to purchase their Christmas tree, and then the girls decorated it together with ornaments and bows. We looked at Christmas lights on Candy Cane Lane, sang karaoke, watched some movies, played card games, and volunteered at their church with meal making and gift giving for the homeless, went to a Pigeon John concert, visited Heather and Nathan's house. (We Ate Out a Lot!) Then we drove to Tucson's Amtrek for Granny & mom for their return home. Got home to Safford/Thatcher and it was snowing! Then at my house mom made us an excellent dinner the next day. (John loves pinnacle now...) The Lord blessed me with safe travels, and has allowed me to get to know John's family more. Now I pray He will help me in my new career field as a nurse.

Mary's Song

"And Mary said,
"My soul magnifies the Lord,
and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
for he has looked on the humble estate of his servant.
For behold, from now on all generations will call me blessed;
for he who is might has done great things for me,
and holy is his name.
And his mercy is for those who fear him
from generation to generation.
He has shown strength with his arm; he has scattered the proud
in the thoughts of their hearts;
he has brought down the mighty from
their thrones and exalted those of humble estate;
he has filled the hungry with good things,
and the rich he has sent empty away.
He has helped his servant Israel,
in remembrance of his mercy,
as he spoke to our fathers,
to Abraham and to his offspring forever."

(Luke 1:46-55 ESV)

Graduate Photos!

Taken by Karen Gatwood

S-u-n-d-a-y-s

The best day to reflect on what the Lord has done for you this past week,
The best day for a midday nap,
The best day to finish the procrastinated homework you didn't finish,
The best day to show your family members how important they are to you,
The best day for each of us to worship the Lord, and pray for yourself or others,
Sunday is the best day to start focusing on your next week's walk of life and draw closer to Him.

the beautiful season of Fall

Fall is HERE! The time to get out my sweaters and enjoy the colder aspects of Arizona weather. John was here for a week long visit during his fall break from school. I will be able to make a trip out to North Carolina in November. I'm currently interested again in reading on the side of my nursing textbooks my mom and I have started meeting once a week to discuss a book together. Wow this is precious there's no time like mother-daughter-time is there? I've found we call each other best friends to this day. (My new found friend is several thousand miles away! However, we find time to use our cell phone minutes quite often.) Here's one of John's favorite quotes...

Love is not making
much of someone.
Love is laboring
and suffering,
if necessary to
enthrall someone
with what will
make them
infinitely
happy,
namely Christ.
(John Piper)

Fourth Block clinicals...I'm finishing my last block of nursing, really? It's time to reflect here wow it's gone by quickly but it's very intense at times. This past week (Thursday, Friday and Saturday) was my clinical rotation at Maricopa Medical Center. (Fourth Block's main focus is critical care nursing)
I worked in the ER and the Surgical ICU. My clinical instructor asked what my weaknesses and strengths were for my student evaluation...what my weakness? Well my charting is something I hope to learn and improve on...and feeling how much freedom or not much freedom as to what to do as a student -- is always intimidating and learning the new department like the ER where things are...my strengths are being teachable, asking questions, and trying to talk to the patient with their best interests in mind. A blesssing about my clinicals this week was how much Kim Denault's and my friendship has grown. We know each other so much better in a sense we both can laugh at ourselves and we both have a weakness of whinning but we both try and catch each other on it. I pray that as much as I can learn from my textbooks I can apply that knowledge in my career as a nurse. I always pray the morning of my clinicals that I will be safe in my practice and able to accomplish and learn much.

John A. Pope

(left) Andy Dukes & (right) John Pope
Where to start? John is a seminary student at Southeastern Baptist and lives in Raleigh North Carolina. John and I started our friendship from working Centri-Kid summer of 2008. John was the camp speaker among other duties he acquired at camp. I was a Bible Study leader, ran the sound board sometimes, and camp photographer. We served our team and eachother from May 28th to Aug 3rd. During this time John wrote in a journal his thoughts and prayers for our relationship to grow or be consumed if it was not our Lord and Savior's desire. He gave me this journal after camp ended. And asked me if I would like to start a relationship and open up my heart to get to know him better. Jesus is still the center of all of our conversations and I love hearing how God is growing, molding, and teaching him daily. I thank my Jesus he is such a stable friend and a humble leader in everything the Lord sets before him.
I met his sister and brother-in-law at California Baptist University and have since met his mother, grandmother and dog, on Skype.