"God will provide"

Besides "Get out of your mind and into your life", "God will provide" is my other favorite motto. It encompasses everything. What will I do with my life? What is my purpose? What should I do to find motivation? How do I be a better mother? How do I solve this particular problem? When will I find a good husband? How do I pay off all my debt? How will I finish school? And on and on and on....

When God answers our prayers in a way that we can actually recognize them...it's a powerful event. Sitting back and watching all the pieces of our lives fall into place like a giant Tetris game. Its at those moments that I realize just how powerful and all knowing God is. How one little event may not seem like much, and then down the road after a series of other seemingly unimportant and unconnected events, they all suddenly line up into a perfect combination that answers the prayers I've been saying for years... Aaaahh. God is good. :)

I'm being a bit vague I realize, and so to elaborate on my current life's adventures, I've been praying to know my purpose for quite some time... I've always known I wanted to work with kids. Be a teacher? No, that didn't work out. I needed a closer connection with children then standing in front of a chalk board. I'm way too introverted for that...plus, I hate public speaking...

So, nursing was God's answer for me... First, medical nursing with adults, just to figure out how to interact with someone intimately, but professionally. Then, off to child psych, where I learned how to work with TEENAGERS. Boy, talk about self therapy...I think I grew up fast that year... Any issues I had about having my own tough adolescence were quickly dealt with and healed!

Then, how to better my personal life. God allowed me the resources and support to finish school and to work on my house. I have had such a supportive group of family AND friends. I'm truly blessed.

And now, facing the next challenge in my mind...a crossroads. Do I go back to school for my nurse practitioner, or do I focus on making a difference here and now. I've wanted to start support groups in the community for kids dealing with mental health stress. I want to put the skills I have as a psych nurse to good use. And, I want to make a difference.

Peace Church has given me the opportunity to join others with the same dreams and goals. Sacred conversations on race issues. Lenten services talking about race, equality, and social activism. And now, with a unique opportunity to work with a woman who has taken the steps to make a difference in the lives of underprivileged, abused, and struggling kids, and she's invited me to join them on a regular basis for support and education groups.

I have to just say Amen! Praise God because in helping others, God has answered my prayers as well. I only hope now that I can live up to the expectations I have for myself.

I've set certain things in my life aside for now. Dating, traveling, home improvements. I set these things aside before I even knew what God had in store for me. I did so because I followed that calling within me. That calling that said, "Trust me. I will provide." And he has.

Dear God, Thank you for the light I feel inside me. I feel focused, fulfilled, and directed. I know that I'm not perfect and every day I struggle, but I trust that your plan for me is good. When I speak to kids, I trust that you will fill my head and my mouth with the words they need to hear. When I see a child needing a hug, I trust the Holy Spirit to fill me with courage to hug them. And when I am tired and worn, and I just want to be alone, you remind me that as a mother, I've been blessed with the gift of a son who needs my time, my love, and my encouragement. I pray you give me the strength to be a witness to the love of Jesus. AMEN!

Peace friends,
~Erica

Got Grace?

So, yes, big surprise, I have a tendency to get stuck inside my head every once in a while... :)

There's a saying, sometimes people choose psychiatry...and sometimes, psychiatry chooses them... Well, I believe it chose me. I believe I bring some of my gifts to my job, but more so, child psychiatry has brought so much to my life.

What does this have to do with being 'stuck' inside my head? Bear with me...my points in here somewhere... :)

Maybe it's the introvert part of me, or maybe it's the intuitive part of me, OR, maybe its just part of being human!... But, whatever it is, I sometimes have thoughts that spin and spin and dig and swirl and at times, almost paralyze me. Stressful thoughts can be either strong motivators, OR, they can feel like 1000 times the force of gravity, making it nearly impossible to even get out of bed in the morning!

So, here's a perfect example of how God's grace has worked its way through my life in the form of child psychiatry... We have this book that we give kids called, "Get Out Of Your Mind and Into Your Life". Wow! What a perfect motto! Well, I know from experience that for many of the teens I've worked with, this book has been a life saver. And for me, it's been no less than that. Have I read it? Well, no, but the title...a motto...a mantra... that phrase has been enough to keep me going on more than a few days. And praise God for it!!

It seems kind of silly, but I have occasionally, literally, spent an entire day feeling like a wind up toy...winding myself up by repeating those words over and over, and doing work, being productive, and, "Getting Into My Live," even when my thoughts try to suck me back down into a stand-still.

And well, I guess, for all of us, some days are like that...

And on those days, I'm just so thankful for God choosing child psychiatry for me...and helping me to stay focused on the beauty that is my life. :)

Dear God, Thank you so much for your Grace. I'm unworthy of it but still, I'm whole heartedly thankful. And Lord, thank you for the gifts you've given me in this life. My friends, my family, my home, my son, and my career. You've granted me the opportunity to be helpful, and even more, to be helped. Everyday I'm touched by the kindness of my fellow nurses, and by the richness of the lives of our patients. Thank you for helping me to grow, appreciate, and strengthen my ability to love others, even when life is hard, and teenage attitudes are even harder! I pray that every day I become a better nurse and in your name I will carry out your plan, to help, to heal, to love, and to be an example of a good and caring woman, mother, and nurse. AMEN!

By God's Grace...we live another beautiful day, and "get into our lives".

Peace friends!
~Erica