Prayer Anyone?

Just a quick update because we could definitely use some extra people interceding for us this week.
Tomorrow Stephen has his 1st Neuro Test and then Tuesday his Neuro practical. Both are really big tests. Your prayers for a clear mind, peace, and succeeding would be awesome. Then Friday his has a osteopathic manipulative medicine practical he really needs to pass. Please pray for him as he studies this week! Medical school is no only hard because of the amount of information and the depth of information, but also because at times it seems impossible to do really well.
On Tuesday I am hanging out with some of the jr. high girls for the first time and then having a movie night in about 2 weeks. If you could pray that I would be fully submitted to God as I spend time with these beautiful young women, and that he would speak truth into their lives through me that would be awesome!
Thanks for praying!
Hannah

Stories

I am trying to study, but exhaustion and detraction are why I am here blogging :) Today I just have a few stories...

Story 1: 

After 8 months of marriage, a young man and woman decided they would get a TV. You see, it was their first year of filing taxes as independents and married, so they earned money on their tax return. They decided that a small amount of this money would be well spend on a TV. Plus, they already got a Wii for Christmas and were just needing a TV to hook it up too. So, when date night came they headed off to Walmart and walked away with a 32" TV and smiles on their faces. After stopping at FroYo, the finally got home to open the new TV

 The Young wife just stood by and took pictures during the set up process. She was in shock that they got such an awesome TV for such a good price!

 The Young Husband is very strong and so had no problem getting it all set up and ready to go.

 He was really excited too!

They got their Wii hooked up and the fun began. But because of their busy schedules they have only played about 5 or 6 games. The End. 

Story 2: Some of you know that I work for a Hospital agency. This is an agency that hires me and other nurses and nurses aids out to about 6 hospital in the area when they are short staffed (which is most of the time). So I work at various hospitals on all the different floors. Its great being in school because I set my own schedule. If I am overloaded or worn out, I can just cancel my shift, or if I ever have a free day with nothing to do I can pick up a shift. Anyways, thats the background. 

Not long after I started working, I worked with a nurse that also works for an agency. After small talking a little bit I found out she graduated from Biola. What are the odds? Really? It was awesome to talk about how much we loved Biola and their nursing program. We have worked together probably 10 other shift since this time and she is a wonderful nurse and an awesome woman. I know this is kind of a random story, but I thought I should share it. Yesterday I had the pleasure of working with her again. I walked into the break room for lunch and she was openly sharing about her faith and talking with some other nurses who were Christians. It was so cool to see in the workplace. Nursing floors can be very surface level relationships. She was talking about how she doesn't do surface level but loves diving into peoples live and asking them hard questions. What an example!

Story 3: Our lives are busy than they have ever been. Stephen is in the middle of Neuro and I am finishing up my quarter. We are so thankful to have a personal relationship with a God who is involved in our lives and has the grace and power to give us strength when all we are doing is running. This morning I ready Psalm 52. Here David explains the end of men who do not make God their refuge. He explains that the righteous will look at those who did not take refuge in God and fear. It says they took refuge in their own destruction. WOW! I know for me its a daily and evenly hourly decision of taking refuge in God or in other things. In the last verse he says "I will thank you forever, because you have done it."
As I look back at the past 8 months of marriage and how wonderful it has been, I thank God because he did it. When I look back at the past 6 months of medical school and all the challenges and lessons that have made us stronger, I thank God because he has brought us this far. When I look back at the past 2 months of nursing school, I thank God because he has walked me through its challenges and its blessings, he did it. Some questions to keep asking our selves: Where do we seek refuge? Who or what do we thank for getting us through days and months? Do we see the good things God has done?

Prayer requests: Tuesday I have some of the girls over from our church youthgroup to start getting to know them and investing in their lives. Your prays would be much appreciated!

Hope you have a wonderful weekend! Much Love,
Hannah

Valentines Weekend

Well here it is Thursday, and I wanted to blog on Monday, but I guess I just never got around to it.
We celebrated Valentines Day all weekend with hanging out watching a movie (date night) on friday. Then Saturday we took off to the mountains and snow shoed and returned to a wonderful dinner out at the brand new famous Daves restaurant about 1/4 mile from our home. Sunday night we had a blast at the Young Married Valentines Dinner (with our young marrieds Sunday school group). So here's some pictures.

We are really enjoying our snow shoes (thanks to all you who generously gave us money for Christmas). Its so great to only pay for gas and get to explore the beautiful mountains. Saturday we did a very small part of the Colorado Trail. It was beautiful!

 I just thought I would share this beauty of a picture with you. Thanks Stephen for taking such a great picture!

 And this is my artsy husband who must have been gifted with every ounce of creativity in our marriage because I don't have squat!

 Artsy. Making our own trail

 We hike through a lot of aspen :)

The awesome young married valentine dinner (We really like these people!). The guys made a fabulous dinner of spegetti, salad and garlic bread and decorated beautifully.

Squished on the couch with Jess and Jenn playing valentines charades (we had to act out the saying on the valentines heart candy).

I am weekly learning so much about ministering through are marriage just by hanging out with our young married group, our leaders, and the rest of the church. We have been so blessed to be a part of a church that is such a family and lives out their love for each other through their actions. I can't really explain all we are learning without sitting down and having a conversation with you. I will finish by saying this: we are learning more about how Christ wanted his body to love each other, and how he wanted them to live. 

We would really appreciate your prayers, that we would continue to learn more about this great Lord we serve and that what we learn would flow from our brains to our hearts and then out our hands (action). I am especially desiring this at school where I am daily surrounded by unbelievers that I am really beginning to love.  Gods love is so great and I haven't had as many opportunities to share it right in my lap before. We are also in the middle of a very busy 6 weeks, and your prayers for strength and expanded time would also be appreciated.

Much love,

Hannah

A day in the Life...

For those of your that keep up with the national weather, you probably have heard that Denver is getting a dumping of snow, and we are :) Stephen called me last night on his way to pick up T from Denver International Airport and said this "Hannah, this is crazy, i have never been in weather like this before". Me, being the very typical woman and wife, responded by making sure to say "I love you Stephen" (encase I never got to see him again :) and then instead of going to sleep, just sat and prayer for my love's safety for the next hour as I awaited his return. Oh the joy of hearing the key turn and the door open :)

This morning I awoke to 2 degree's, 8 inches of snow with more coming down, and 1 pathophysiology test awaiting my arrival at school. I thought you might enjoy a few snap shots of my morning.

 See the lights? Its the lightrail approaching my station. Pure thankfulness = climbing up into the lighrail car and out of the very very cold and snow filled climate we are currently living in.

 And then, just for good measure I grabbed a warm venti "awake" tea from Starbucks before embarking on my freezing but exhilarating 5 block walk from the lightrail drop off to my nursing school. I will let you know that I don't know if my cheeks have every been so cold in my life!

We took a pictures on sunday I thought I would share.

 The worlds best ice scraper hard a work on Sunday morning, while his wife admires him from the warming car :)

 Yep, thats me all by myself because Stephen didnt make it in time for the camera 10second self timer :)

 Still scraping the ice that has permanently taken up residence on our car.

This time he made it. Note: this picture was sunday, we now have almost a foot more snow!

Tomorrow for the 3rd time, Stephen will step into a room with a patient actor to perform a full head to toe assessment :) What a wonderful doc he is going to be! And what a outstanding husband and student he is! Friday he gladly finishes the current Endo/Repro section with a test on the reproductive system. It has definitely not been his favorite. Due to his recent learnings in Osteopathic Principles and Procedures, whenever I feel like my back is out of alignment, he realigns it for me with a few pokes and a crack. Its fabulous! He is also apart of a new bible study starting up at Rocky Vista (which is really exciting!). So there is a Stephen update for you ;) !

I can say that I am right in the middle of a learning curve, and I wish I had time to share. But because my resent days have been spent studying there is 4 loads of laundry, a gym, and a paper on aplastic anemia calling my name.  So hopefully I can put my thoughts and recently learned lessons into a post soon.
Much love from the land of snow and ice,
Hannah

Its Cold

Well, although its currently -8 at 1:00pm with a windchill of -30, I successfully paid a high price for my new Colorado license plates. All I can say is that I am sad to see my california ones go :( but am looking forward to putting them back on someday!
Due to snow and the extreme temperatures, about every school in Denver was canceled today (that is except Rocky Vista :) So I have the day to write a paper and study!
We are looking forward to having company over for dinner! And thats about it. Pictures to come! Just wanted all my California people to know how stinkin' cold it is here!
Much Love, Hannah