seven hundred and thiry days

Wow. Two years ago I posted on this blog. Talking about my life and what it consisted of after Kaleo. Did I even know what life was going to be like 2 years later? I had no idea, I had no idea that I would be living out of state, no idea how God was about to bless me tremendously in my last 2 years at UCA, or the people I was going to meet along the way. I also had no idea of the hardships I was about to experience, people leaving my life that I considered close friends, people moving, graduations, exhaustion, busy-ness,etc.
After graduating from UCA in August of 2012 with a degree in Communication and a minor in Family and Consumer Science, I realized I had a very simple yet tough decision I had to make: stay in Conway and start working, or pursue my dreams and go on for further education. Now staying in Conway seems boring and easy but in fact, staying in Conway would make things hard for me. Abbey loves the element of unknown in her life. After being in Conway all 22 years, I feel like the lack of unknown is slowly but surely boring me to death. Don't get me wrong, Conway is a great town. Not too big to be scared at night when you are alone, but not too small where there is nothing to do. However, Conway is all I have ever known, so staying here just seemed a little to predictable for me. On the other hand, getting more education seemed stressful and expensive. After all, I already got my degree, I just realized what God was calling me to do a little too late. My junior year of college, I was talking to my friend Kelly about how I just felt so lost about what I was supposed to do for my occupation. I had tossed around teaching, I love kids, but I felt like I would be overwhelmed by the amount of kids, after all I value relationships, one on one time, I like to invest. Then of course like most outgoing females in college, I thought about public relations, pharmaceutical sales representative, but I wanted something more "world changing."  I knew that at the end of the day I wanted to be able to say to myself, I helped make someone happier, I contributed to making the world a better place, and that I enjoyed it for the most part. Its unrealistic to think that you are always going to enjoy every aspect of work, after all its a job for a reason. Kelly started to tell me about a position her dad (pediactric doctor) told her about. This occupation is called a Child Life Specialist. A CLS makes sure that a child is ready for any of the emotional/mental stresses that can come on from unwanted sickness and disorders such as cancer. It is also the CLS's responsibility to make sure that the children feel like the hospital is their home, not just a hospitial. Needless to say, lots of laughter and jokes are in the line up for CLS's and mental preparation for anything and everything a child may undergo during the hospital stay. My heart melted as Kelly explained these things to me, and as we watched you tube video after you tube video. I finally felt like God was calling me to do something with my life. Shortly after the talk with Kelly, I began researching on the internet to find out when I could shadow a CLS in a hospital. St.Judes in Memphis,TN had a Child Life day where they told you all about education requirements, let us tour the hospital, and answered any and every question we had. I prayed and prayed for clarity about whether or not God wanted me to pursue this field, and to this day I know this is what I am called to do. Which leads me to my current location: Ruston, Louisiana. I realized in order to be a CLS, I needed to have the appropriate degree and experience. So now I am here at Louisiana Tech University getting my second degree in Family and Child Studies with a concentration on Child Life Therapy.
The move has been hard, I was looking forward to a fresh start, new beginnings, new adventures, and school. I look forward to school because seeing and talking about cancer patients is my heart beat. It sounds so crazy and weird but when I see those kids or hear about them my heart explodes with love. I can't wait to touch those kids lives with happiness and laughter, and hopefully share with them the love of the father up above.  But if I sat here and told you this has been a cake walk so far, I would be lying. Even though Ruston is only 3 hours from Conway, there is so much I miss from back home it is unreal. Things I took for granted in Conway:
1. Knowing where everything is located. --Anytime I go somewhere in Ruston, I better pull out the ole GPS on my phone, because I know the location of 3 things here: my house, campus, and my church.
2. Having my parents so close.-- Going home to eat a nice meal or get some laundry and/or peace and quiet was at an arms length. Now? Not so much.
3. The size of Conway.--Ruston is cute. Conway is great. Ruston is small, I find myself getting bored quite easily. In Conway, I thought I was bored.....no no no. That was not the case.
Regardless of how many things I could tell you about what I miss about Conway and my old life, I could match with good things that have come from this move. But the most important thing has been my relationship with God. Being alone in a town where you virtually know no one, is alarming, lonely, and unpredictable. The element of unknown isn't just an element to your day, it is your ENTIRE day. Needless to say, when I wake up for my QT I am yearning to hear what God is saying to me, whereas before in Conway, I was quite as alert, and anxious to see what God had in store for me. I love how he brings us to him, when we allow him too. I know this is what God wants Abbey to do with her life, so regardless of how hard it is, I will stick to it. And try my hardest to praise him in this storm. Because even though it feels like a storm sometimes compared to how my life could be back home, I know that in suffering there is grace, healing, and mercy. Also growth, which I am already experiencing. I love the God I serve, he is always there. Going to attachChild Life a link to a you tube video on Child Life Specialists. Hope you all enjoy and comment!