See Something More

Bundled up in our scarves and hats, my friends and I ventured into the chilly fall night, eagerly excited about the school-wide bonfire in celebration of homecoming weekend. When we saw the smoke rising high into the sky and caught a glimpse of 20-ft flames that seemed to consume half of the soccer field, we gasped with amazement and possibly slight fright. It was certainly the biggest bonfire I have ever seen! It was so huge that I just had to ask, "How are they containing that thing?" Once we got closer, we could see that the bonfire was confined in a ditch that runs along the soccer fields. There was no need for our hats and scarves because the warmth from that giant fire could be felt from fifty feet away. I love the sight of dancing flames, the smell of burning wood, and the atmosphere of excitement that comes with a big bonfire on a cool evening. It reminded me of a Scripture found in Habakkuk 3:2. "Lord, I have heard of your fame; I stand in awe of your d

"I will not cause pain without allowing something new to be born." (Isaiah 66:9) The lungs take their first breath, accompanied by a victorious cry. The newborn chest moves up and down with the beat of a young heart. The hands are the smallest things you have ever seen. The delicate fingers curl tightly around your finger when you place it in their warm palm. The feet are so little, with tiny creases that create the most perfect footprint. Wrapped up in a blanket, the little bundle feels light and delicate, yet as weighty as the world's most precious treasure. The passage into the new world is a traumatic one, passing from darkness into light... from warmth into wind, from water into air, from tight enclosure into wide open space, from comfort into vulnerability, from seclusion into embrace. This baby is truly a miracle. He is a testimony to the handiwork of the Creator God. And this baby is like me; he is like you...even at this very moment. We may

"He leadeth me, O blessed thought..." The auditorium resonated with joyful singing at the Global Missions Conference in Ft. Worth this weekend. This room, filled with people of all ages with an interest in mission work, burst into an even more robust melody as we began the chorus. "He leadeth me, He leadeth me, by His own hand He leadeth me. His faithful follower I will be for by His hand He leadeth me." I have never heard that song sung so enthusiastically, nor have I ever sung it so wholeheartedly. To know that every person singing it actually meant every word made it even more beautiful. As I looked around the room at former missionaries, current missionaries, families about to go into the field, and fellow college students interested in mission work, I felt the Spirit of the Lord and His encouragement as every heart committed to following God's leading. Everything about the conference was wonderful, including the classes, keynote speakers, and exh

I had never seen a sunflower in real life, only in magazines, paintings, and on television. I knew they were big and beautiful, but my first experience with seeing one was unlike anything I will probably ever experience again. Not only did I see a sunflower, I was surrounded by a sea of smiling sunflower faces. And not only was that sunflower field standing tall and proud in the sunlight, but it was also densely populated with many delicate, broad-winged monarch butterflies. As I wandered through this sunflower field, I met bright blooms at eye-level everywhere I looked. Dozens of butterflies danced in the breeze and fluttered from flower to flower. They slowly and softly opened and closed their wings, revealing their dainty markings that looked as if they were painted with a fine brush by the very finger of God. I could hardly believe where I was standing. "I am surrounded by butterflies!" I yelled across the field. It was like I was in a butterfly exhibit, only there

At 7:45 PM, after my clinical final simulation for nursing was finally complete, I walked into my dorm in my white nursing scrubs to find our tiny living room decorated with balloons and streamers. "Surprise!" my friends yelled as I walked through the door. This simulation cost me hours of studying and high levels of stress, so I had commented earlier in the week, "Tuesday night after this is all over, I am throwing a party for myself." But I didn't have to. My sweet friends remembered and threw one for me. They cooked a hot meal of baked ziti with toasted bread, but that's not all. Every one of my special friends gathered after dinner for a special surprise. "Close your eyes and don't peek," Chelsea told me. She then instructed me to hold out my hand and take the fork she was handing me. Getting a fork in your mouth and taking a bite of an unknown substance with your eyes closed is harder than you might imagine, which brought great amuseme

We laughed a little, we cried a lot, and we left the movie theatre refreshed and inspired. "That was the best $7.25 I have spent in a long time," my suitemate announced as we walked to the car after viewing  Courageous . Check out the trailor here: This is certainly no low-budget, poor-acting, cheesy-Christianity movie. This film is entertaining, inspiring, full of truth, Spirit-guided, and potentially life-changing. I walked away saying to myself, this is what a movie is supposed to be like. This movie had meaning. I am not a movie critic, and this is not a movie-review blog, but seeing this film today made me think a little harder. It made me see something more. I want my life to have meaning and purpose. I want everything I say and do each day to make a difference. So if this is really my desire, then I will spend my energy doing things that matter, and I will choose activities that have meaning and purpose as well. In this way, every decision I made becomes signif

I really don't know if I can do this. As I left the classroom and walked back to the dorm after a long day of classes from 8:00-5:30, I felt absolutely overwhelmed. It didn't help that my last class, a post-conference for my acute clinical rotation, had just dropped the bomb by informing me of all the details involved in my final exam and simulation next week. It finished my day with a bang...no pun intended. I just don't know if I can do this. I don't have the time...or the energy...or even the intelligence... For nursing majors, clinical finals and simulations are a big deal. You use critical thinking to find problems, come up with solutions, and implement them using practical skills. No study guide except your textbook, class notes, clinical experience, and the entire library and world wide web. You have to be ready for anything. Not to mention that it is all completed under the eyes of your professors, who ask you questions throughout the whole process. Needle

"Welcome to Chang Cheng." Our guide invited us to tour the stilted bamboo huts, peek inside the latrine, and experience a small piece of Asian culture. "This represents poverty in Asia." As our health care missions class explored the global village at HUT (Harding University at Tahkodah), we traveled to Africa, City Soleil (a Haitian slum), Stinkin' Creek (rural North American poverty) and Huehuetenango (a Guatemalan house) to see what traditional dwelling places might look like. We soon arrived at El Municipal, which representated an international government building. As soon as we stepped inside, a flood of memories rushed into my head. When I traveled to San Andres on the Rio Coco River in Nicaragua this summer, we stayed in a government building - one that looked remarkably similar to the one in which I stood in this moment. The dusty floors, cobwebs, and bunkbeds shoved in the corners reminded me so much of where I spend one of the most memorable weeks