Lexington, TN

School has started off with a bang. The snow pushed school back a week, and some people (not me, thankfully) have exams on Saturday. Yuck! The good news is that May graduation did not change. Thank you, UTC! We had some intense make-up class time last week. This semester I'm only at school one day a week, but last week I had to go three days, from 9 to 4! After not having been in class, those long days wore me out. I found out great news though! I will be completing my preceptorship in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit!! There were slim chances of finding a preceptor, but I have one. God must have heard my many pleas during all the previous semesters' clinicals. Before I was even in nursing school, I shadowed a nurse in both the well-baby nursery and in the NICU. I fell in love with the atmosphere, patients and the nurses. We spent one day in the NICU during third semester and that was my shot to see if I thought it was still for me since I had gotten into the thick of nursing school. I still loved it! So since the beginning, I've known I want to be in the NICU and I'm so excited. I know that some days will be really bad. But God has a purpose for this intense passion of mine for the NICU, and no matter what happens He is with me and guiding me through it all. I will hopefully start my preceptorship next week with three 12 hour days in a row! Certainly starting off with a bang as well!

After three long days of classes, I got to drive to Lexington, TN with Molly. **Thank you for waiting on me to get out of class so I wouldn't be all by myself!** It was a fabulous drive, believe it or not, until we got off at the Natchez Trace exit. It eventually got us there but we found out later we could have gotten off the interstate and not been so creeped out. We drove through the curvy roads of the Natchez Trace State Park at night, in the dark, and could not help but start talking about scary movies. We were pretty freaked out! But we still made great time, and got there just in time for worship.

It was the first church this year that the band helped teach Bible studies and my first time being a Bible study leader, so the guys each had a Bible study and stayed in their respective host home. I did not know it was going to be this much fun! Molly and I co-lead the 8th grade girls. I love middle schoolers, especially girls, and this group was incredible! They knew a lot of deep concepts in Scripture and I was blown away. I kept thinking, "I didn't know this stuff 'til last year!" Molly helped me out a lot since I had never taught at a Disciple Now, which is different than the way I lead my Bible study with the middle school girls. It was an awesome experience.

I learned a lot this weekend:

-When Seth, Steve, Drew and Alex are really, really, really tired, they are goofy and so much more fun than the usual tired, where they're just grumpy. They're always fun, but when they're past the point of no return on fatigue, you'll know!
-GPS's don't always tell you the best way to go.
-Someone playing with the sanctuary lights is extremely distracting during worship.
-When I'm asleep, I apparently like to snuggle with whoever may be sharing the bed. *Not on purpose*
-Your body may be exhausted but praising God restores energy!