That Gossip Girl

Gossip: noun. Casual or unconstrained conversation or reports about other people, typically involving details that are not confirmed as being true. Some would take this definition and run with it... saying that "as long as the information is true, then I'm not gossiping." Still others would say, as long as they're not actively participating in said conversation then its not wrong. I've also heard it said that as long as you're just venting to one person its not gossip. Or what about the reasoning "I'm just trying to talk through my problems." I've also had experiences where prayer groups/meetings and people in spiritual leadership positions have been the initiators of gossip. I can just imagine those prayer request slips being opened and discussed among those in "leadership." So and so has a problem with this? Oh my, no wonder ____ said ______ about her. And the conversation goes on... down a rabbit trail... with no end in sight.

Gossip ruins friendships, relationships, job opportunities, campaigns, Bible studies, leadership teams, churches... it can destroy anything.

I'm not saying I haven't taken part in gossip before, I believe that everyone has at one point, girl and guy alike. Its wrong. Period. Will we ever get away from it? Probably not. Its not a debbie downer look at life, its just a fact of life. People are sinners, and people love to talk. Its going to happien. Recently I've had some experience with "gossipers." During a particular conversation, I was listening to someone vent about a mutual friend of ours. I knew that anything I said confirming or denying her statements during this vent session could and would be used in the future against me. (sheesh I sound like a lawyer) Anyways, because of this, I said nothing, I just listened. Was this taking part in gossip? By some standards, maybe.
Although I wasn't actually participating in the gossip by actively giving feedback and telling more information about the mutual friend. If I had taken anything she said and made it change my opinion of the other friend, then yes, I was participating in the gossip. Did I allow her thoughts and opinions change my thoughts, feelings, opinions, and friendship with the other person? No. If anything it made the friendship stronger.  

On the flip side of this topic, I have also been the subject of said gossip. Was I supposed to find out the things that were being said? No, of course not. 99% of the time the subject of gossip is not supposed to hear what is being discussed. Does that make it less hurtful? No. What was being said actually hurt me, a lot. Even the adults that were part of this situation played the busybody gossip wives. The stories that came back to me from those women's mouths... sheesh. What do they take me for?

Back to the subject at hand... the way I look at things....
If I wouldn't say it to the person's face... then I don't say it at all.
If I wouldn't want it being said about me... then I don't say it at all.
If I wouldn't want those facts to be known about me... then I don't say it at all.
If the person told me the information in confidence... then I don't say it at all.
And so on... Get the picture?

As a friend said in his blog... Christianity is losing its beauty. Not because the truth of Christianity is failing. God's Gospel NEVER Fails. Its because the Christians of today are falling into the temptations of this world. They are losing the Hope that Christ alone can give them.

On the Brink

It has been a crazy week... like my best friend said.... my life is a sitcom.

This week so far has been awesome and challenging. Mentally, emotionally, spiritually, and physically. I've been able to get up and go to the gym every morning, do my devotions, and then spend the day at the lake reading and swimming. Idyllic right? Some things happened today that made me realize... I'm standing on the brink... on the brink of something new. Something awesome. Something that I cannot even imagine.

What it is?

I have no clue.


This morning I was getting ready for my devotions, and the daily Bible verse that came to my phone was good, but for some reason I flipped to the book of Revelation. Why, I have no earthly idea. But God knew. This passage made me think about my future.

I know your deeds, that you have a name

that you are alive, but you are dead. 

Wake up and strengthen the things that remain, 

which are about to die; 

for I have not found your deeds completed

 in the sight of God. 

Revelation 3:1-2

I am not fully living yet, because I'm still working on doing His will. I know I'm on the right track, and in the right place, and finally I'm on HIS timetable instead of mine. In the last two weeks, God changed my entire plan, and I am now back to graduating in May of 2013 like I was originally supposed to. I had been praying for a cut and dry answer as to what I should do, and He answered. 

I'm so excited to see what my future is going to hold. Who is going to be in it, and where I will end up this time next year. Maybe I'll revisit this blog post and see what God has done in that time. He isn't finished with me yet. This summer with the children's ministry, I cannot wait to see how He is going to use me and work through me. 

I'm the Youngest I'll Ever Be and the Oldest I've Ever Been

Today is my birthday...

It is now 2:10am and I can't sleep, which isn't the greatest thing in the world because I have to be up for class in less than four hours. This insomnia might have something to do with the 5 cups of extra strength coffee I had... after 9:30pm.... just maybe. I think I'm addicted to coffee.

Today I added a new folder to my documents tab... SENIOR YEAR. 

I'm taking a summer class... and I'm officially a senior now, even though I've had senior status since 1st semester sophomore year. How? I have no clue. For four hours last night I worked on my genetics project for one of my nursing classes. I'm taking an entire semester's worth of one class... in 5 days. Crazy right? Anyways, its the second time I've done a Pedigree project, but the first time I hand drew it. This time we were required to make it online. Talk about a headache. Four hours later, I finally finished the dumb thing... and this is only page 1/4 of the assignment. There's a 2 page chart that I didn't bother to take a picture of.

This picture isn't centered... and its going to bug the bejeebies out of me. 

So far I've gotten some pretty cool birthday presents and messages. My mom sent me one at midnight saying "Dappy Hirth Bay." I love my Mom. 

In the present department, I got an awesome Ted Dekker book called THR3E. Although I wouldn't recommend reading it when you're alone at your creepy apartment for 3 days straight. I got a knife, a new coffee mug that was specially made for me, writing paper, pens, coffee, envelopes and stamps. 

My little brother called me today and asked what I got him for Mother's Day. And in a tribute to my Mom... I've seriously got the best Mom in the world. She is my hero, one of the strongest women I've ever known, and a Godly woman I strive to be like. 

I decided to look at my blog stats today... in the past 14 days... 80 people from Russia viewed my blog... 80 people from the US viewed my blog... and 1 person from Alaska as well. How cool is it that people around the world are (hopefully) being impacted by my random musings. My God is AWESOME. 

It is now 2:35am. If i'm lucky, I can get about 3.5 hours of sleep before my 8.5 hour class starts. Can I please just go curl up in a hole and sleep the next week away? Anyone want to join me in this short-term hibernation?




In closing for this random post... I will leave you with my daily Bible verse that came on my phone just now. Yea, they decide to send it at 2am every morning.

Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness

I guess you could say this is going to be a random blog post with my ramblings while I'm sitting at work. A reflection over the past year I suppose...

This was the hardest most difficult year I've ever been through to say the least. It challenged me physically, emotionally, mentally, academically, and spiritually. I've grown so much this past year though, and I wouldn't trade it for the world. I've met some amazing people, lost some people, and made some pretty legit new friends.

In August of 2011 I arrived back at school after vacation.... ready to dive right in to Junior year of nursing school. I was taking a peds class and doing clinicals in Richmond, VA at St. Mary's Hospital. I fell in love with the hospital and the people that work there. Potential job possibility? Maybe. I survived first semester by the skin of my teeth. That was academically. Emotionally and mentally I went through a roller coaster ride of ups and downs. Like I said... one of the hardest years I've ever been though. During that semester, I asked myself the question... Do you really fall in and out of love? Or does that love simply change? I'm still not sure if I know the answer to that question... if you've got any insight I'd love to hear it.

Because of some new friends that I made, I was able to try new things, see more of Lynchburg than I ever knew existed, and actually begin to feel like a college kid that got to have fun. So thank you, if you took part in any of those things. You know who you are, there are too many people to name.



Over Christmas break, I worked a crazy ton of hours. I think my last tally was 110 hours in 3 weeks. I did night shift, early morning shift, and anything in between. Now that I look back, I was nuts. But I loved it. I got to spend time with my family, and my little man, Ross. It never gets easier saying goodbye, but coming home is just that much sweeter because of him.

I got to spend a day in D.C. with a good friend, cooking, freezing our tails off walking around the city, and walking along the water in some sketch location. For about the course of a few days after I got home, I swear my life became a sit-com. The movie title 50 First Dates comes to mind... I'm not sure why though because I definitely didn't go on 50 dates!!! So many awkward stories and things happened, I can't even begin to tell. Some funny stories about old people and them trying to match-make come to mind.

96 year old lady: "Do you have any kids?"
Me: "Ummm no, I think I should probably have a boyfriend before that thought process happens."
96 year old lady: "Hmmph. You should get on that. My wheelchair van driver is single..."
He arrives and is like 30 something with a beer belly and balding... NO THANKS.

Coming back for second semester... I got to spend an entire week with my best friend taking a New Testament intensive. What a BLAST. We hung out with some pretty cool people, and had a ton of fun packed into the week before actual classes started. I also began my 2nd job that week, working with an elderly lady who has Alzheimer's disease. A challenge, but so rewarding. The semester started off with a bang, jumping right into clinicals in the Emergency Department where I fell in love with it!!! Had some crazy cool experiences with patients, level one traumas, and meeting some really awesome people, and also finding out some bad news during one of those clinicals. One of the lady's I did my CSER with for over a year had passed away... becasue of this news I got to feel the love and encouragement from my clinical group. Bonding with my clinical group was one of the best things ever. 

During this semester... somewhere right after Christmas... I got the brilliant idea to kill myself and graduate early. I was working two jobs, taking 17 credits, and was going insane. Everything was falling into place for me to graduate in December of 2012, 6 months early. I would have completed the nursing program in 3.5 years without transferring any credits in. Right before Spring Break some people walked into my life and some people walked out. Those people have become very dear to me, and have forever changed my life, the other people, are missing out. Spring Bring was an awesome experience with a road trip down to Florida with 4 amazing girls. We had such a blast, met some really neat people, and were completely sun-burnt and exhausted when we returned.

After Spring break, school returned to a semblance of normalcy, if you can call Nursing school "normal." I started long-boarding again, wrecked up a few times, but had a ton of fun. I've figured out I need to learn to carve... which basically means turn. I've got the scars to prove that I'm working on it. I pulled the first all-nighter of my college career. NEVER AGAIN. I say that now.... but it'll probably happen again. We sat and talked in a church breezeway, had a glow stick war, made and drank 3 pots of coffee, had homemade pancakes at 5am, then stayed up to be at work by 8am the next morning. It was exhausting, but I got to know a very special person a lot better that night, which made it all worth it, and I got coffee and a muffin out of the deal the next morning.

Next on the list was the SGA election for Student Body President and VP. I had such a fun time campaigning... even though it was early mornings... late nights... and no naps! Everyone's hard work paid off, and Chad & Josh won the election.



Since then, end of year tests are done, finals have come and gone, but God has gotten me through. I have moved 3 times this semester, and I'll be moving again in the next two weeks hopefully. I'm venturing out and trying something new, I'll be living on my own, in MY apartment. Scary, intimidating, terrifying, exhilarating, and exciting. I'm having so much fun planning out room arrangements and decorations. I sign the lease hopefully this coming week. On another note, over the past week or two I've been having second thoughts about graduating early. Was it really worth it? Would I miss out on my last year of college? All sorts of questions were running through my mind. I started taking it to God in prayer. I told him he'd have to make it really obvious if I wasn't supposed to graduate in December, because all the plans had been made. My schedule was chosen, classes were paid for, and everything was lined up. BUT God had other plans. As of right now I will be finishing nursing school in May of 2013 like I originally planned. And I'm ok with that, because its what God clearly showed me I'm supposed to be doing. He's going to use me right here in Lynchburg, and then I'll start off my career and the rest of my life on May 11, of 2013.

I'm excited to see who God is going to bring into my life in this next year. Which people will walk in, and which people will walk out of my life. The relationships I have right now with people, will they grow? Will they remain as they are? Will they turn into something more? I don't know, but He does. More importantly I'm excited to see how my relationship with Christ will grow and change.

I don't know what the future holds... but I know Who holds MY future.

Music for the Soul

Today... was not a good day. Actually today was a horrible day. Over the course of the past two weeks, my life has completely turned upside-down, inside-out, and side-ways.... but tomorrow it will hopefully be right-side-up again.





After having a completely awful day... I had to go work with the elderly lady I take care of. Not a huge deal, I just didn't feel like being around people, talking, or anything. I arrived, and since it was a torrential down-pour, we couldn't even go for our usual 2 mile walk. Not a Good Thing! So I threw some cookies in the oven, and made dinner for us. After we ate, I re-painted her nails, did mine (Even though I effectively ruined them today because of everything that went on and they were getting so long too! I'm not bitter at all though. *sarcasm*).

We went to sit in the living room, and for some weird reason, I decided I'd play the piano for her. Biggest blessing of my life happened. She had two hymnals sitting on the top, so I started flipping through them and playing random songs. For a bit of background, I have played piano for 18 years, and it is a huge stress-reliever for me. While away at college I hardly ever get to play the piano... which isn't good because it'd relieve stress. But why would I need that? Nursing school isn't stressful at all.

Anyways, so I start playing the first song, I think it was What a Friend We Have in Jesus. And "Frenchie" as my good friend dubbed her after my phone auto-corrected her real name, started singing along. For almost an hour, she and I sat in her living room and sang hymns at the top of our lungs. My throat is raw because of it, but it did my heart good to be praising my Savior, just because.


A new goal was also added to my Bucket List: Own a grand or baby grand piano someday.
It WILL happen.
 

The Salt Test

I cannot take credit for any of this post... it is a direct copy and paste from my devotional this morning... but it was really powerful and struck a cord in me. It deserved to be shared. 

You are the salt of the earth (Matthew 5:13, NLT).

Dear Friends:

In a previous message, I shared some insights about the late J. C. Penney, a remarkable man and a personal friend.

Penney believed in doing business according to the words of our Lord and the principles of the Golden Rule. To Penney, the Golden Rule represented more than a marketing strategy. It represented his deep philosophical and religious beliefs learned from his father, a Baptist minister. As an expression of the Golden Rule, he insisted on offering customers quality merchandise at the lowest possible prices. Eventually the Golden Rule name he used was phased out and the stores were named JCPenney.

For many years, Penney was active in a church layman's movement and made many appearances before churches and laymen's groups stressing the importance of applying the Golden Rule to the everyday tasks of business.

But Penney also believed in a unique executive hiring criterion: the "salt test."

When selecting new managers, the founder of one of the nation's largest retail chains often took the candidates out to eat where he scrutinized their behavior. Many passed the inspection, but others were disqualified by violating Penney's cardinal rule: "Never salt your food before tasting it."

Salting before tasting, Penny believed, revealed the flaw of making decisions without information. If you are going to use a strong flavor enhancer, he reasoned, you must first know your food.

Of course, using salt as a hiring test is a debatable methodology, yet we can agree with J.C. Penny on at least this much: Salt changes the taste of what it touches.

Salt is not neutral. It adds flavor and appeal. It penetrates and transforms the character of food. As a preservative, it prolongs the life of food which otherwise would perish.

This is what our Lord had in mind when he said to His followers: "You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men" (Matthew 5:13, NIV).

As the "salt of the earth," we Christians have the power to change the world. By being Christ's witnesses and salt, we can help influence the flavor of people's lives and enhance their relationships. We can help preserve morality in a decaying society.

Let us not lose our saltiness and be trampled by the world's philosophies and values, but instead, like salt, let us penetrate and transform the character of life around us.

Yours for fulfilling the Great Commission
each year until our Lord returns,

Bill Bright