Dear God, Thank you for this day. Thank you for this life. I may not always recognize the goodness you have brought to my life, and for that I am truly sorry. I come to you today with humility and shame for the distance I have yet created between us, and for the shameful sprint back to you. I realize this is becoming a pattern, but as I have said before, I am ready to change, this time with You, and not by myself. I often come to You for strength, wisdom and guidance. That will never change. But to day after reading Your Word, I Have been reminded to recognize the needs of others outside of my own reality. Lord I pray for those who are tired. This world has become more and more difficult to live in and I pray that You give those who are weary the strength in You. I pray for the unbelievers Lord who resist Your path in exchange for worldly possessions for I know they have not experienced real love and satisfaction, love that only You can provide. Lastly, I pray for all the believers to remain true to You and to find…

Nothing feels worse than knowing after the fact that you could’ve worked harder or you could have done more or you could have made a greater effort than you did. Remember that feeling when it’s late at night and you can’t keep your eyes open anymore. Remember that feeling when you want to take another break, even when you know you’ve already had one too many. Remember that feeling when nothing else will motivate you to open your notes. Stay disciplined and strong; you’ll thank yourself later. There is no easy way to the top of the mountain, so don’t expect to be the best without putting in the effort.

I’m into my 3rd week of the nursing program and work, and let me just say, I am feeling very much alive. From providing a smile to customers even when you don’t feel like it, to reading 11 chapters of repetitive statements in one week, all I can say is that I am stressed to the max. But oddly enough, I am not mad, I am not sad, I am just tired all the time. You could say that I am content. Actually, I’m finally feeling what it feels like to be (somewhat) financially independent, and I am in the forefront of beginning my career. It’s pretty awesome… It’s crazy how stressed I am, but I’m happy about it. The adjustments, I have to admit, are not easy. When I was just starting, I was thinking about quitting already, but I adjusted, and I’m getting used to everything. As you can see, my thoughts are super frazzled. I feel like my priorities are all over the place. But it’s okay, cuz I know I’m going to get them straightened out soon enough. For anyone reading this, pray for me. Pray that I stay healthy, that I keep my eyes focused on what…

So, today I started my first shift at a panda-innesque place (<–I just made that up) near school. By far, that was the fastest 5 hr shift I have ever had. And I had so much fun too! It was like reality Diner Dash, except I was Flo =] For those of you who don’t know what that is, Diner Dash is a computer game where you manage a restaurant. I was basically the runner, the person who serves out the food, and it was fun. My supervisor said I was learning pretty fast and would probably be manning a cashier in a couple of days. OH! And I got my first tip too =] A whole $2! Hey, that’s pretty good considering that this restaurant doesn’t even mandate tips. They’re optional. So yeah, I am super stoked and ready to begin my studying now. I think I can handle working and studying at the same time. I hope I can survive this quarter.

Today, I watched the last Harry Potter movie. To say it surpassed my expectations would be an understatement because this movie is literally a roller coaster of emotions. I felt my heart melt, jump, and drop so many times I could not even count. I realize, Harry Potter has been over for a while now… The last book came out four years ago… But I can’t help but feel that sadness over the reminder that a story I grew up with, a story that everyone could relate to in one way or another, a story that inspired, is now, at an end. The fact that billions of people all over the world have followed Harry’s story from the very beginning is a clear indication of its relatability and its ability to inspire us all to be better… to be greater.  So what can I say, really? It really isn’t over. Harry Potter will always, and forever will be a part of me, a part of my childhood, and a part of legacy that will last forever. In my mind, I was with them all on this stark journey, and although it may all be fiction, although it may not be…