Psycho-pharm-a-WHAT-ogy?

I feel like it's kinda messed up to ask for prayer or pray to do well on an exam I haven't really studied for.

I have a mid-term in like 2 hours and I've spent most of my day doing anything BUT studying.

But I'm still praying to do well-ish!!

k, thanks. :)

Midterms -----> Spring Break!!

I got this in the mail today and I got excited. Because. I graduate in 10.5 WEEKS!! Crazy!!

SO next weeeeek is sprinnggg breakkk. Yeah I'm ready!! I need a break. But before that I have ONE more day of internship and ONE midterm which I cannot get motivated to study for.

So because I love lists AND I want to further put off studying and/or laundry I'm making a list of things I want to do over spring break:

1. Sleep in. Every day.
2. Stay in my PJ's till noon.
3. Not open a psychopharm book. Nuh. Uh.
4. Catch up on my DVR
5. Get a massage.
6. Jason's Deli date w/ Ash.
7. Do something touristy with Heather.
8. Catch up date with Sarah.
9. Go see a movie.
10. Read some of the new books I ordered. :)
11. And anything adventurous I can't think of right now.

Yaaaaay-ness!! This makes me excited. It's my last ever spring break. Oy! I better make it a good one. :)

Weekends are for....

schoolwork? check.
working? check.
sleeping in? check.
watching movies? check.
lunch with friends? check
shopping and froyo with friends? check

so yeaahhhh. i def managed to get all those things into my weekend. unfortunately, disproportionately more on the work and writing paper side. and of course, i include friday in my weekend. because i don't have school or work on that day. :)

panera with a counselor buddy lifted my spirits. and shopping and froyo with a side of many giggles made my friday night super fun. my fave moment was probs me finding a shirt i liked. i showed it to my friend and said i like this shirt. and she said are you an apache warrior? hahahahaha. and then we giggled for like 10 minutes. it probably wasn't as funny as we thought it was. but we both had stressful weeks it was funnier to us. maybe?

i had a rough week at internship, which threatened to de-rail me as a budding therapist. so what do i do? talk to people who can build me up, pray for me..... and i have ordered some books which will hopefully help me...... and although i'm feeling somewhat better about my skill as a therapist (well, a budding one) i am anxious about going in to internship tomorrow. it's a scary place for me sometimes. but i refuse to let a bad week get me too down. i will get back up and try again. so here's to trying again....

I feel like Moses

So I've been reading portions of the Bible in 100 days with my church family.

We are reading through the Old Testament. I never would have thought I could identify with these people. I mean, they didn't have facebook and TV's or worry about whether their roots are showing or if they're going to be stuck in traffic. Right?

So I loved reading about Joseph again. It was like reading it with fresh eyes. And then came Moses. I've def. had a Moses week. Fo Sho! God's like yo Moses I have a job for ya. I want you to bring freedom to my peeps. And Moses is like God I can't, I hate talking in front of people. And God's like yo Moses I got your back.

So I've felt like God had called me to do counseling and this week I had a horrific week at internship on top of some personal issues I've been trying to deal with. I was def. getting in my own way. I was like God I can't do this. I don't like talking in front of people and yet I'm doing it every day at my internship. And God's like Lauri I got your back.

I was talking to my best friend about this and she had a great point. Alot of times we like to say that the devil is "attacking" us but so often we are the ones that attack us even more than he does. I know this is true for me. I am my own worst enemy.

Like Moses I feel like I'm not the one for the job. There is someone more qualified. Someone more talented or educated. Someone who knows more what they are doing. And while this may be true, I know that He's called me to do a certain job and I'm not going to let my own fears and insecurities get in the way. God tells me the same thing that He told Moses: "I will certainly be with you!" What more could I need.

I love how Moses often questions God, because I think it shows someone who's a thinker and someone who isn't afraid to ask the right questions to get the answers and reassurance he needs. I think Moses and I coulda been BFF's.

I hope Moses story inspires you as much as it did me.

-Lauri

Does Jesus Care?

So yesterday I was all caught up in MY own issues, problems and concerns.

I was like does Jesus even care that I'm sad?
Does He care that I'm struggling with my internship?
Does He care that I feel overwhelmed with school and life?
Does He care that MY dreams for MY life haven't panned out?
Does He care that I'm worried about whether or not I should go on the Trauma Trip?

I wanted to skip Life Group, stay in my bed wrapped up in my blankets, and read a book! And that's pretty much exactly what I was going to do until a friend texted me that he was headed to my house to ride with me. So I was like fiiiiiiiiine (siiiiiiiiigh), I gueeeess I'll go. Which is funny because I'm usually the one who "makes" him go.

I'm so glad I went. It was just what I needed. We watched a video by Louie Giglio which gave me such great perspective. he spoke about how big God is and how capable. I found tears welling up in my eyes as He spoke about how God is right with ME, holding ME in His hands even when I'm going through trials. And he spoke about Laminin, the protein which holds our physical bodies together which looks like a cross. Coincidence? Maybe! But such a cool one.

Here is what Laminin looks like:

Cool, huh?!? So this is literally what's holding me together.

And then of course it's always nice to be around friends who make me laugh and forget about any problems I may be having. And YES Jesus does care!! He cares about the smallest thing that I care about even when it doesn't feel like it.

January Shmanuary!!

January is a month were many people experience the bluuuuues. The holidays are overrrr. Things return to "normal" again. It's still winter [at least for many of us]! Many people long for spring. Some experience S.A.D. (Seasonal Affective Disorder). At the psychiatric hospital where I intern, we definitely experience an influx of patients as many people deal with an increase in depression.

And I heard that last Monday, January 17th is literally the "saddest day of the year". As I mentioned the holidays are over, it's winter, and people's holiday bills are starting to roll in. Plus it's a Monday. The sheer fact that it is a Monday is enough to put some of us over the edge some days.

How bout you? Is January a rough month for you? Do you long for the warm breezes and sunshine of spring? Are you waiting with bated breath for new growth and flowers again.... Wherever you find yourself, January is almost over and then comes February with Valentines Day (ugh) and the Superbowl (yay for wings, men in tight pants, and commericals)!!

There are a few people I love who celebrate special days in January!! I celebrate with you!

My best friend Amy and her husband Eric celebrated their
first anniversary:

My brother and his wife celebrate their 6th (I think) anniversary:



And my LOVE MUFFIN turned 4 -- I can hardly believe it myself:

Till next time,
*Lauri*

Forgive me Blogger for I have sinned....

........it's been several months since my last blog!!

At the end of a year or beginning of a new year, I usually like to take some time to reflect on the past year. I read my journal entries and see what kinds of things I struggled with. I look at the goals I set and see how many of them I reached. Sadly usually very few. I also like to see what kinds of things I prayed for or believed God for. For the past couple of years the result wasn’t very encouraging or positive. This year I kind of hit the ground running because I was busy with friends and family and starting classes. So a couple of weeks into the new year, I took a few minutes to reflect on 2010. And I loved the results. It seems I have reached a few of my goals and seen some things I have been praying for years for come to pass!!

It helps to strengthen my faith and encourages me to believe for even more! I met and got to know some new friends who seriously impacted my life. They encouraged me in my faith, challenged some long-held beliefs, and showed me another side of myself. I love getting to know new people. Making new friends. Experiencing another world outside myself. People who stretch me and cause me to re-evaluate things I think I know.

I gave up some things last year that I thought I had to have. Things I thought I wanted. I admitted that maybe....just maybe God had a better plan in mind than what I thought I wanted for my life. And as always He has been faithful and I've gained so much more than I've given up. It's beautiful. I'm still a work in progress....there is so much more I want and need to work on, but I'm also excited to see progress.

I've been challenge to choose a word or theme for what 2011 will look like...kind of like a vision and I feel like 2011 is going to be a year of Growing and Changing!! I am excited to see what that growth and change looks like.