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.

Fast Food!

ONE OF MANY FAST FOOD RESTUARANTS THIS SUMMER. ACTUALLY OUR FAVORITE!! IN-AND-OUT. THIS WAS CARA MONTEGOMERY'S 21ST BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION IN SAN FRANSISCO CALIFORNIA. HAPPY BIRTHDAY CARA...

New beginnings and friendships

Blessings of the summer - building relationships with the five girls on my team and praying with them before worship or during the day this was so meaningful to me. We became sisters to each other! Faith, Natalie, Cara, Brittany and B. Dail I especially remember sharing one cabin with them in Jenness Park all six of our trunks and luggage were spread out and sharing one shower was a challenge. However those were the times we became close. Faith prayed with me one Wednesday at Austin College about how our small part in ministry and Bible study could be used for your glory she prayed that I would be encouraged that day and sure enough there was mail from my friend, Emily Martin that was such a blessing. We had fun being in the mini van one time only the girls it was also some time just to get to know each other better. I'll never forget our girl-talk in California Baptist. How encouraging a friend can be in your daily walk.

Hebrews 10:24-25 "Let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. Let us not give up meeting together...but let us encourage one another - and all the more as you see the Day approaching."

OBU Oklahoma Baptist University

Bible study kids!! The best part of camp is teaching Bible study and learning your kids names…after the end of the week it was amazing how many children’s attitudes were molding into that of Christ’s or seeing these kids come to have a personal relationship with Christ each week. Or when one of my kids would come up to me and say “Miss Amy I know the Bible Study verse…John 20:31”
Rec “recreation was with our Bible study groups my Bible study name was the Cartoons…3rd-4th graders
(Theme of camp was Lights, Camera, Action!)

Day one: (You are) In His Story. John 20:31
Day two: Know your script
Day three: Shine on Him (John the Baptist)
Day four: I have a role (The story of Abraham and his obedience to God to go to the land of Canaan.)
Day five: Change the World (Acts 2:42-47)

On Wednesday there was a very cool representation of a cross taped on the floor and each person would write down a sin on a sticky note then stick it to the cross and then I would read Romans 3:23 and Romans 10:9-10 telling my campers how Jesus was the only on how lived a sinless life and how he could take away yours and my sins and remember them no more. I gathered up the sticky notes and crumbled them for a visual
and Presented the gospel in kid-language every Wednesday!!!
then explained the ABC’s…Admit Believe and Confess
Once when explaining everyone has an ABC story after sharing mine one girl, Rebecca started crying and said she didn’t have an ABC story I prayed with her that God might probe her heart to start a personal relationship with Jesus Christ…!!
Canon accepted Christ he is pictured here with blonde hair to my right. Rebecca is pictured too...(upper left of photo grey sweatshirt) this photo was taken on Friday our last day of Bible study together...