Finally a Post: Together we go...

Beautiful sunset  I captured on my run one evening (Searcy, AR)

Howdy!

It has been so long since my last post! Too long! There's so much to update about, I don't even know where to begin. I guess I'll start from where I left off on my last post. Several weeks ago, a group of us girls decided to begin our weekend by going out to eat to Chili's and going rock climbing downtown. It was the perfect study break and it was neat discovering the rock climbing center! I can't wait to go back! :)

Rock climbing at the Zion Climbing Center in downtown Searcy, AR

So much fun! Love these girls!

Well school has definitely been picking up speed. We've had 5 tests so far. We started out having a test every other Friday to having THREE tests in one week! Needless to say, we've been studying like CRAZY! But it has been so much fun at the same time! :) In a way it feels like I have been here longer than only 6 weeks, since we have been learning so much so quickly. We got our white coats a few weeks ago and we got to wear them to visit the sweet residents at the Harding Place Retirement Center. We had a great time talking with the residents and we got to practice taking a medical history. Here's some pics of my first time wearing my white coat and our wonderful class outside Harding Place.

Harding University Physician Assistant Class of 2014 :)

We have been learning new clinical skills every week. We've already learned how to give all 3 types of injections, venipuncture (blood draws), and IVs. Next week we're learning EKGs! The fun part about clinical skills is that we get to practice on each other! How neat is it that we trust each other enough to poke each other with needles!? haha. I've had an amazing partner through these experiences and I'm thankful for her patience, especially last week when I had to poke her 3 times to start and IV... sorry Rachel! We also got to give the Pharmacy students their TB skin tests. That was neat because it was pretty much set up like a clinic. We were each assigned a specific shift in an examination room and patients were sent back to us one at a time to get their TB test.

Learning Venipuncture (drawing blood)

Learning injections!

Last weekend was one of my favorites because I got to fly home for my brother's wedding. I was SO excited to get on that plane headed to TEXAS! :) My dad greeted me at the airport and we went out to dinner and picked up my bridesmaids dress. Then I went home to see the rest of my family and later went out to a Texas country concert with some friends. I was super glad to see my best friend again! I missed you Gabs! ;)

Gaby & I at Josh Abbott concert in Helotes, TX :)

The next day I had a special breakfast with dear friend of mine at our favorite coffee shop in town! It was a lovely morning, surprisingly beautiful weather! The rest of the wedding day was full of more fun and family time! I loved getting to see my aunts, uncles, grandparents, niece, nephew, cousins, family friends... everyone! It did my heart good to see so many people that mean so much to me and as well to see my brother and his beautiful bride so happy! :) I remember the day Gloria and I met in the hallway of the "J building" in high school. I had seen her around Stephen a lot lately, and being a nosy and protective younger sister, I walked up to Gloria and bluntly asked her if she was my brother's new girlfriend. Haha She came over later that night and met our family, and nearly 7 years later... they're married!!! She's been like a sis to be since I was 16 and now it's finally official! Yay!!! Congrats Steve and Gloria! :)  

With my brother & new sis, Gloria Bump! :)

This past week was... NUTS. I flew back into Little Rock Sunday afternoon (Did I mention I forgot my purse at my house and my mom had to rush it to the airport!? & that it was pouring rain!? Big OOPS! Thanks Mom for saving me!!) After I got off the plane, I had to drive an hour back to Searcy in a storm, unpack, and before I knew it I was back to study, study, studying! We had 3 tests last week: physical diagnosis, anatomy & physiology, and pharmacology. Wednesday we stayed at school almost until 5:30 trying to learn IVs, and Thursday we visited the White County hospital after our test. We got to visit patients and practice our communication and history taking skills. I felt like I learned so much just in our brief visit and enjoyed talking with my patient, but also left a bit heavyhearted. Thursday I had a group of girls over to study the night before our crazy day of tests. We were so glad to get those over with! We made it! ;)

Obviously, there have definitely been some trying times already, even though we're only 6 weeks into school. But I'm truly blown away how amazing it has been at the same time. I love what I'm learning and I love who I'm leaning it with. It is truly a growing experience, and I couldn't imagine going through this journey without my incredible classmates. We really have been walking through this season together and helping each other along the way... not only academically, but also spiritually. I am beyond blessed to have such great fellowship here. We share Bible verses, devotionals, and always join together in prayer before our tests. It may not sound like a big deal, but to me, it's a very big deal. Especially this last week when for the first time since I've been here I really began to struggle to keep my head above the water (We heard that expression during orientation week and I now know what that means!).

I felt like it was impossible to learn all that I needed to learn in such little time before our tests. I discovered that many others felt the same way as I did, and it was comforting to know we were all in it together. We studied as hard as we could, often together, and prayed, prayed, prayed! I would open emails from classmates full of encouragement, helpful study materials, and several Bible verses. Even though it was a really tough week, God never quit pouring out His love among us. He was present through every moment of it, and for that I am SO thankful! We really can't do anything without Him. He is our Provider. It is surely a beautiful season :) We're learning a ton of neat things together while growing in the Lord together... learning to trust Him more and how to let go of fear. This next week will be another full week of 3 more tests... but I know He will get us through it like this past one! :)

 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest...." (Matthew 11:28).

That is one of my favorite verses. As I desperately searched through my Bible earlier this past week, He lead me back to this verse and reminded me of exactly what I needed to hear. No matter what you're going through, bring those worries to the Lord. He will give you peace and carry you through it. He really is the only Way :)

Well, that's about it for now! By the way, it is now officially FALL! It is already feeling like it up here with this cool weather :) I absolutely love it! I have a pumpkin spice candle burning right now which makes it even better!

Happy first day of Fall and blessings to all! ;)

-Lauren


Can't forget about my darling Angel.... :)

She propped herself up like that so she could watch me study  :)

Playing & staying busy with her new toys!

Blessed to be on this Journey...

This past week was seriously incredible! I don't even know where to begin! Monday was such an exciting day, yet also a HUGE eye-opener. Our jaws dropped as we were all told how intense the program is going to be. Three-fourths of medical school in half the time is going to call for some serious time management skills! After that reality check, we spent a lot of time discussing time management, learning/study strategies, and stress management. Wednesday was all about 'Loving Medicine.' We did a "ropes course" with our class, faculty, and staff where we did different activities/challenges that allowed us to get to know each other better and work as a team. It was a total blast! But I'm sure that will be the one and only time we could wear workout clothes to class! :) Thursday we did BLS (Basic Life Support) training and we all got our certification for Healthcare Providers. CPR is quite a workout, especially when doing it almost all day! My thumbs were sore the next day from infant CPR... haha. Friday we had professional and senior student panels where we got to ask questions and hear invaluable advice for surviving the program and becoming health care providers. Lastly, we ended the amazing week with a devotional.

It's so hard to believe that we have all known each other for only a little over a week now... I already feel like we're family :) It is so neat that we all come from so many diffferent backgrounds from all over the country and yet we happen to mesh so well and make an awesome team. I think that is one of the most important things I've gained out of this week, among many others. Our classmates are not at all our competitors; they are our study partners, encouragers, support system, and family members. After getting to know them over the past several days, it's quite comforting to know that we are all in this together. It is quite likely going to be the most challenging 28 months of our lives in this program, but we are beyond blessed to have each other.

Blessed is the theme for this post, if you haven't already noticed. It's just that I have realized more and more each day how very blessed I am to be here. Every experience I have had here has been confirmation that I am exactly where God wants me to be. I couldn't imagine a more wonderful PA program that is not only based on practicing patient-centered medicine, but Christ-centered medicine. The faculty and staff are so supportive, encouraging, and compassionate. It is an incredible feeling to know that we have such amazing teachers and mentors that genuinely care about us, and pray for us. I have stopped to think to myself several times this past week, "How did I get here!?" It's completely the Lord's doing. I'm so thankful...

Color-coded my weekly schedules :)

Well orientation week was clearly a blast... but come tomorrow we will be in full study mode as we officially start the didactic year. It is so exciting, yet I know it's going to be so challenging... and I have no idea what that is going to feel like... haha. I'm bracing myself. But I'm so glad that the faculty reminded me that as we begin this journey, I'm going to have to fight to keep my eyes focused on the Lord. He is the reason I'm here, and it's by His strength, love, grace, and guidance that I will get through these next 28 months.

"Be mindful of the purpose you have embraced, and set always before you the vision of the crucified" -Thomas à Kempis

Back to pre-reading for tomorrow and finishing laundry! I'm not sure if I'll find the time to post after this next week, but I shall try! :)

PS. I miss San Antonio's Mexican food.... and Julio's. But... I do not miss the triple digit temps! We've been in the 60s in the mornings and 80s for the highs! Be jealous ;)


WAIT! Can't forget about Angel... Here's an idea of what she's been up to this week :)

Yep, she's in the bathtub.

Always on my papers

She has claimed the ottoman. I have to fight her for it.

My New Little Home

"And you saw how the Lord your God cared for you all along the way as you traveled through the wilderness, just as a father cares for his child. Now he has brought you to this place.’" (Deuteronomy 1:31) 

Well, I've been in my new home for a week now and it has been looking and feeling more like home each day. My mom was such a huge help! She stuck around a few days to help me unpack, organize, clean, decorate, and she even made a veggie pasta salad and apple pudding dessert. I am blessed with a very giving mom. She's seriously the best! Here are a few pics of my new little home. I'll be adding a few things here and there, but for now I am done. I'm pretty burnt out on organizing, cleaning, and decorating! lol. Yes, it's a tad on the girly side, but most of you who know me are probably surprised by how little pink I incorporated.

This week I've been working a lot on my apartment, exploring the town, and getting things ready for school. I found a few parks, a river, and bike trail, which I am quite excited about! I'm getting more acquainted with the stores and restaurants around here. Yesterday, I visited a cute little coffee hut and got a yummy caramel frappaccino! I got my cable and internet hooked up and I got my windshield fixed. Wednesday I went to Little Rock, which is about 45 miles away from here. I shopped around a little bit and enjoyed exploring a little of the city. It was a fun little getaway for the day, yet also really interesting!

 It started raining on my drive there (The Weather Channel totally lied to me). When I arrived at Target the rain had stopped and a beautiful rainbow appeared. It was absolutely breathtaking! I got out of my car to take a picture and looked around the parking lot to see that several other cars had stopped off the highway to snap a picture of the rainbow as well. Although I only capture half of it, it was a full rainbow that even had another dim rainbow just above it. Gorgeous! I couldn't help but just stare at it for several minutes thinking about how truly AMAZING God is. The rainbow is a symbol of God's promise that He will never again flood the whole world, but when I look at it I think of more than just that promise. I'm reminded of God's character, how faithful He is. Seeing something that beautiful and amazing, it's like... how can we NOT believe that God is alive, that He loves us, and is that His promises are true?! That rainbow couldn't have come at a better time. He knew I needed that. :)

Later, while I was in Target we experienced a complete blackout for several minutes. I heard parents frantically calling for their children and children crying and screaming. So what did I do? I just turned on my flashlight app. on my phone and then tweeted about it. Haha. The emergency lights came on and I continued to look around for another hour waiting for the power to turn back on so I could check out. I hated to think I had come all the way to Little Rock without being able to get anything. But then I realized that maybe me going there wasn't about shopping. I couldn't stop thinking about that rainbow. It suddenly didn't bother me that I may have just "wasted" hours shopping at a store that I traveled 45 miles to get to. I started heading to put my things back on the shelves when the electricity came back on. Everyone in the store was crowded at the front (maybe 20 of us) and we all cheered and gave high-fives! Haha. I'm glad I got to buy the things I had gone there for after all, but I know now that it wouldn't have been a wasted trip at all if I hadn't. The rainbow and God's sweet reminder alone was so worth the trip in the rain.

I liked Little Rock and I will definitely be back! I think it will be nice to get the best of both worlds. The small town feel of Searcy and the big city feel of Little Rock. I think the quaintness of Searcy is quite cute! It is very different here, but I'm trying not to compare it too much to back home and instead enjoy the unique things about it. My grandmother was just explaining to me how different London was to her when she and my grandfather lived there for a few years. She said that she really enjoyed it though because it was so unique from anything she was familiar with in the United States. She didn't go there expecting it to be like everything she was used to. She said if she had gone there hoping it to be like the U.S. she would have been miserable there. But instead, she enjoyed every little thing about it that was different and special, and she was able to bring back so many lovely memories when she returned to the States. I know I'm not in a different country, but what she said to me has definitely stuck with me as I have struggled a little these past few days to imagine my life in this new place. I'm trying to remember that I'm not in San Antonio or even Texas anymore. Living in this new place and going on this adventure is exactly that: an adventure. Something new and different. I'm trying to put on a different set of eyes as I accept Searcy for Searcy, all the little unique things about it that makes it special and different from anywhere else. (It is pronounced sir-see, not seer-see! haha I learned that pretty quickly!)

Sunday was a wonderful day full of more realization. I tried out a church on the west side of town (literally 10 minutes away from my apartment on the east side). It was very similar to my home church in San Antonio, but much smaller. I really really enjoyed the church. I loved the worship, sermon, and even met a few people. They were all so friendly and welcoming. How neat is it that one of the first people I met there was from Dallas, TX!? :) The sermon was definitely what I needed. It was about how we are naturally drawn to living a life of comfort. Yet, we often miss that it's actually the lack of comfort that leads us to reach out to the Lord for His strength. Those are the times the Lord really does a lot of powerful work through us and within us. It was definitely a "Duh" moment for me. I knew these things prior to moving here, yet I guess my vision got a little blurred with discouragement after being here for a few days. I'm well out of my comfort zone here in Arkansas, but I can't forget how the Lord has lead me here after carrying me through some tough times in the past. He is my strength. When I am weak, He is strong.

"That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong." (2 Corinthians 12:10).

That's all for now! I'm off to the gym :) Did I mention I start school MONDAY!? Oh my goodness!!!!
Happy Friday ya'll!

Our little pup Mandi and I before I left. Isn't she just adorable?! I can only imagine how big she will be when I see her next!

                                                  

  Happy Birthday to my niece Madison Elizabeth this week! She turned 4 on Wednesday. Can't believe it!

The Big Move

I still can not believe we're already in August! It's been such a busy and exhausting weekend, but I have to say... my family is amazing! I couldn't have done it without them. Thursday my mom, Angel, and I headed to my grandparents' in East Texas. It was a short but sweet visit with my grandparents. I'm always thankful for any bit of time I get to spend with them! Friday morning we were back on the road to meet my brother and dad (who were pulling the U-haul) in Searcy, Arkansas. Did I mention that my brother had just traveled from Victoria to Houston for work then to San Antonio then all the way up to Arkansas? Wow, awesome brother, right!?

The overall moving experience went pretty well. It had its moments like when my new windshield started coming loose when I was almost in Waco. It was making the most awful noises. It would go from a dim humming noise to a ear piercing screech, to banging that sounded like someone was hammering the roof! I did not expect that at all. The company can't replace it until Tuesday, so until then I'm having to drive slower than usual and reapply tape everyday. I'm praying it doesn't rain until after Tuesday! Yikes! It's beginning to get a little frustrating with getting my dashboard damaged during the installation and the huge mess of broken glass it involved, and to find out it was installed incorrectly by it coming unsealed while I'm on the highway headed to Arkansas. Oh well, we made it here safely, that's what matters most!

More on the positives, my dad is the best packer in the world. The trailer was as packed as it could it get! He made everything fit perfectly. My couch fit through my very narrow front door, yay! A little thing I was rather concerned about, ha! Angel was such a good little traveler-- never cried once! She made herself at home almost immediately. She got in my wicker chair and watched people, cars, and birds through the glass doors. I'm glad she's happy here :)

Moving can be quite a stressful thing, but I'm seriously so blessed to have had my family's help! I did not enjoy the packing part... I have realized during this move that I have a lot of stuff! It was also difficult packing because it was really hard to be leaving Texas. I miss it so much already, but I know I'm where the Lord has lead me, and I know He will be with me through this journey, always :)

I don't have internet yet so I'm posting from my phone, but hopefully I'll get it hooked up soon so I can add a few more touches to the blog!

Much love from Arkansas! Goodnight ya'll!