Things Aren't Always as They Seem

As a young Christian woman growing up in media-driven America, I have experienced countless discussions on body image. This isn't a topic that can be ignore. Think of all the issues that come up with girls in America thinking they need the shiny hair, the thin body, the large breasts, the promiscuous attitude, a love for partying, and the perfect man. Body disorders, low self-esteem, premarital sex, alcohol and drug consumption, depression, and so much more. Women feel they need to compete with the "perfect" image media presents, an image which is unattainable. 

Even with all the harmful, desensitizing images around us, a few companies try to right the wrong. I am sure many of you have seen the Dove commercials. Normal, everyday women taking a stand to help young girls feel good about themselves. 

For a reminder, watch this link: Dove Self-Esteem Commercial

Did you know? Dove and Axe are owned by the same company.

Yep, the same company that tells us they are fighting negative body images, use the sex-crazy woman image for their Axe commercials. 

Most PG Axe Commercial I Could Find

Doesn't this strike you as odd? 

Ponder this. 

Women, I challenge you to be different. Be a women who seeks to perfect her generosity and gentleness. Be a woman who is proud of the body God gave her, and who will protect that body until you are ready to give it to your husband. Be a role model.

Men, I challenge you to be different. Be a man who loves women for all they are, not just for a body. Respect the women in your life. Compliment them on their personality and beauty. Help them understand that you won't pressure them to be something they aren't, and pray that your future wife will have guidance from God to remain strong. 

Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting;
but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.
Honor her for al that her hands have done,
and let her works bring praise at the city gate.
Proverbs 31:30-31

I Have The Best Friends Ever!!!!!

First reason today was great- the first Saturday of the semester that I have slept in! It felt glorious! So when I finally crawled out of bed, Rebekah was making pancakes! And after I ate pancakes, I decided to check my email. I had a package in the mailroom. How curious. I live 12 miles from home. I didn't order anything. Who could this be from?

Ah.... Sarah, Allison, and Lisa! That's who!

And, neat enough, guess what I was wearing when I got this email?

The beautiful Summer Event of Our Lives shirts that Sarah made us all! 

My friends know me so well. You cannot believe how perfect this package was. I laughed every time I pulled something out of this box! 

Lisa, thank you so much for the creative note. My heart was just bursting with joy! The first note I read was about how fun it was to set things on fire in micro lab! "The lab, the lab, the lab is on fire!" 

Sarah and Allison, I am so glad I still get a Troll Tshirt to sport this year! I am thinking about tie-dying it and wearing it on Tuesdays so I can participate in Trinity's fashion once again. The notebook is perfect. I was just in need of a new prayer book! My favorite movie, and my favorite snacks. 

You beautiful ladies rock. I love you so much and I cannot wait to see you in two weeks !

Memories From A Shore

When I began this blog, "Vienna Waits for Me" had a purpose of letting my mother know how I was holding up in Chicago. Now, this blog will serve a different purpose. From now on, this blog will be sending updates to my friends that I met in Chicago. These friends blessed me in so many ways that I can't even begin to explain. They will always be a part of my life and hold a place in my heart. So before I give an update on my life here at Dordt, I want to thank these friends.
Melissa, my roommate freshman year. We had different personalities, which were reflected in our majors. But every day with you was a fun day. Thanks to you, our room was so beautiful. Even if Megan RA wasn't sure about the fabric on our ceiling. I am thankful for our nightly talks that helped us grow into the women we are today. My favorite memory with you is my summer visit to Michigan, spending a whole weekend with you and your family. Ok, I also really loved our winter weekend visit to Holland. Exploring the lake in both seasons was a blast. You filled my freshman year entertaining! I love you!
Kathy, my roomie for my entire stay at Trin! You taught me how to bite... Not sure if I should admit that, but it's true! I loved having class with you, even if I was difficult to put up with at times. Thank you for helping me through Gen Chem our freshman year; it's coming into use now! You definitely brought out my silly/crazy side. Someday, we should plan to wear our Target V-necks and cardigans together! Thank you for opening your home to me for Sunday dinner. It was often what I needed when I was homesick. I honestly can't think of a favorite memory, because I loved every weekend outing, every holiday dinner, every Friends episode, every salad at the BBC. I love you!
Allison, my sophomore year roomie. Even though we had extremely different sleep cycles, I loved the awake moments we had together! Successes: SB in Arizona, Summer Event of Our Lives, Shakespearean Improv, BBC outings, and line dancing. Fails: Not watching all the episodes of How I Met Your Mother. Someday. Thank you for sitting with me and talking about anything and everything in life (including bets on major life events!). I love you!
Justine, my other sophomore roomie. Thanks for the awesome ab workouts, and for yelling at me during them! I'm sad to say I have lost everything we worked so hard for. Because of you, I learned a lot more names and faces on Trin's campus. "Justine, do I know who that is?" I think of you signing every time someone makes a reference to Fresh Prince. I loved your randomness, and how much fun came from it! When I come to visit, we will be making a Steak and Shake run! My treat. I love you!
Spradley. What a surprise that a fellow Megan was joining our room! I am truly thankful for our talks about events from our pasts and hopes for our futures. I thank God for your growth in faith, which inspired me daily to continue growing in the Lord. I pray that God will continue to reveal his plan to you, and that you may learn more and more about Him! I love you!
Abby. Our friendship began in junior high volleyball, and I'm so glad we got to know each other even better in college! I loved having A and P with you. Biology nerds unite! I loved going to the black light dance with you and groovin' on the dance floor! I am so thankful for our time in Haiti together, working for the Lord and learning more about him daily. I'm so proud of all your accomplishments in your studies, and in running the half marathon! Thank you for keeping me company on the long drives back home. I love you!
Sarah, my honorary roommate. Thank you for introducing me to Starbucks! You inspired me to be intentional about my friendships through how you interacted with you FYF folk! We will crash a wedding someday! Probably Allison and Tebow's since they will do some beautiful destination wedding since they will be famous. Remember that New Girl starts on the 25th. You best be watching it the same time as me! And in honor of you, I am going to name my first child Vermont. I love you!
Lisa. "Live, work, and pray in the expectation that God is going to do great things!" This phrase that you shared with me during Haiti has shaped my life since then. Now I believe that God can use me to do His will, and I desire to learn more about Him! You have been such a blessing in my life. Because of you, I now post little notes on people's doors whenever I can. Receiving a note from you always made my day. I miss doing positives lists in class, so can I send you my positives to add to your list? Remember to dress for success on exam days. Peace and Blessings! I love you!
Danielle. A.K.A. J-fur. Thanks for being a pal and letting me drag you along to yoga every week. I know we both needed it and enjoyed it, but I loved going with you! You really made me laugh every day, and I hope you continue to use your humor and goofiness to make your roommates laugh! It also meant a lot to have someone to talk to about long distance, and missing family back home. I have no doubt that you will make a wonderful nurse, and I pray God will relieve the stresses in your life, just as Colosimo taught us is possible. I love you!
Anna. Our honorary roommate. You are so funny I could hardly stand it sometimes. I laugh now just thinking about afternoons in our living room, giggling about anything and everything. Especially dumb things we learned in some classes. Thank you for those laughs! You did a wonderful job on Student Activities, and I really enjoyed the events you put on! I love you!
Rochi. What a gal. I know I was strict with you sometimes and acted as the mother figure, but I truly did enjoy your antics! I loved playing drums and boom-whackers with you! Some of my best memories from freshman year include things like bananas, notices on your door, and being woken up at 3:00 a.m. for a band-aid. You are a wonderful influence for the students and faculty of Trinity, and I am so glad you have the opportunity to serve as an RA. I love you!
Lette. Another Biology nerd to unite with! I loved our philosophy class together, because we grew so close. Thank you for trusting me with your deepest thoughts and concerns, and for listening to mine. Your hospitality was evident when you invited me to join your Bible study, through which I was blessed. Remember to live and love intentionally, for every moment is an opportunity to love the Lord! I love you!
Tib 11 boys. Thank you for the nights of Dutch Blitz, for movie nights, for a Superbowl party, for all our talks and laughs in Haiti, and for the hard work you are doing for the Lord. I miss DB quite a bit, but I smile when I remember the games we did play. And my heart is warmed when I remember your encouragements over the past two years. I love you!
Admissions workers. What a wonderful place to work! Every day was entertainment in that office. Thanks for all the great music (especially Kirstie and Ashley). It was through this job that I learned how to be able to speak to anyone and everyone through my interactions with Trin students, high school students, parents, and teachers. I love you!
Chris and Kara. My freshman and sophomore year RD's. You were both wonderful influences on not only me, but the entire Trinity campus. Thank you for your encouragement and prayers through the years, and for the great memories in Hall Council! Chris and Amanda, I hope you are experiencing God's blessings as you follow His will in Michigan, and are enjoying the beginning of your new family! Kara, thank you for the music, great food, and the many times we sat, talked, laughed, and cried. I love you both!

Everyone at Trinity's campus was a blessing to me. Every day, God provided what I needed through the students and faculty. I have a deepened love for God due to my friends and Dr. Reppmaan. I am more intentional of my relationships thanks to Lisa and Dr. Colosimo. I relax more easily due to Decker Floor. Thank you to my friends at Trinity for helping me become the woman I am today, a woman for the Lord. I love you all!

P.S. The title is a song reference. Listen to it! 

Pictures are Worth a Thousand Words

Ok, so I have kind of failed at this blogging thing this summer. I admit it. So to make up for it, I will share my blessings in pictures, since those are worth more anyway.


Of course I would start off with a picture of food. I got to meet my friend Katie's sister from Montana, and get ice cream with them!





More food! Every now and then, I get pizza with the rest of the high school/college kids at the shop. Of course, the rest are all boys. But they are great workers and have lots of funny stories to share! And they definately eat their fair share of pizza!



Date night! I was able to visit Ben for the Fourth of July. We celebrated half a year together by going to a movie tavern, where we were served endless Cherry Cokes and say the Amazing Spiderman. We may have been a tad overdressed, but it was a perfect evening!



While visiting Ben, I also got to see my cousins! Graham and I went to Chuck E. Cheese, and we played lots of games together! My favorites were Guitar Hero and Fruit Ninja!

Butter Braids! I have made and eaten a good deal of these with my girls this summer. And not just the ones that you pull out of the freezer and put in the oven. Oh no. We fill and braid our own!

Parades! This one was a surprise actually. We just happened to be at the right place at the right time. Yum!

Paulina. Now, those of you who know me well know that I am not a fisherwoman! I was posing for my friend Michael. As you can see, he is very talented. The night was great tho, including riding a tandem bicycle, making hamburgers over a fire, catching up on life, and watching Katie kiss fish.

De-stressing

I have learned both in class and at work lately how important relieving and preventing stress is. During my CNA class, we discussed how to relieve stress. We must, or our emotions and tensions might be taken out on the resident, who does not deserve those acts at all. And a friend at work has been dealing with the effects of stress after visiting his mom in the hospital for the past few weeks. So I got to thinking about how I like to deal with stress, which is running or walking.
The more I thought about how much I love to run, I realized what I really enjoy is God's creation. Growing up in Iowa, the scenery on my jogs was always quite beautiful. All the land is green for miles and miles, with grass and trees and corn (of course!).  I also realized today that this is why I couldn't enjoy running as much in Chicago. I felt as if I was being pressed in by the city, and my feet would complain from the concrete path. I wasn't craving the run; I craved nature. So today I decided to take a few pictures of what I see along my jog.

My view as I begin my run through our pasture

Some nature (empty walnut) and modern industry (rusted steel)

My dad planted these walnut trees when I was a young child. Now they are so tall!

Praise be to God! His creation is beautiful!

Catching Up

Warning: Later on in this blog post will be a rated R picture for graphic images. PLEASE do NOT look at it if you do not like blood! For my nursing buddies (Lisa and Danielle), enjoy!

OK, I am failing at this whole bloggig thing this summer. Mostly, I have just been attending CNA classes and working while I am not there.
Last weekend, a couple of my friends came over to my Grandpa's farm to go swimming in the pond. It was perfect weater, and the water was just right! I look forward to going again on Saturday if it isn't storming!

This is an old picture.. But it shows how beautiful Iowa's praries are!

Saturday is also Risefest, which is a mashup of a bunch of Christian bands and speakers in Sheldon. Two bands that I like, Remedy Drive and Tenth Avenue North, will be there! However.... one more important thing is happening this weekend.... Ben is coming to visit, all the way from Denver! I cannot wait! We are going to finally celebrate his birthday with a day-date in Sioux Falls.

WARNING: THIS IS THE SECTION WITH BLOOD!

Now, for the graphic image part. So Monday I ripped off my whole entire toenail. Nope, it didn't hurt actually. It just felt funny when I stepped down, so I looked, and there it was. My whole toenail just barely hanging on in one corner. Even the part of the nail that is usually covered by skin... that came off too. Now, however, it stings quite a bit. I am putting my health care skills to the test and soaking it in some Epsom salt to draw out any nasty staph aureus that might be hiding in there. I know, biology nerd.  Well... here's the picture!

My brother says it looks like my feet have been through a battle, and he's right. A few days earlier, Jager got me with her rope. I have two really nice rope burns around the front of my ankles. Three injuries in three days. Luckily, I have been injury-free since Monday! I will try to keep that going.

Peace out girl scouts! 

I'm Going To Be A CNA!

Yesterday, I had my first CNA class! By the end of June, I will have completed the 75 hour course, and will be ready to take the test to get certified! I am really excited and I can't wait to get a job in a hospital so I don't have to work in the shop any more.

 To be honest, my first class was pretty easy. A lot of it was common sense, but a lot of it I learned in my Nursing Concepts class at Trinity. Hopefully that means the rest of the class won't be too difficult. I guess we will see what tomorrow brings!