When we all stirred from our usual Sunday afternoon nap/rest/amuse-yourself-quietly session, we opened our curtains and saw that the forecasted blizzard had indeed struck - and quite suddenly!
So I jumped into my boots and ran outside with my dad to snap some pictures while he filled the birdfeeders:
You can hardly see the trees across the field!
It was fun to watch the snow accumulate on my sleeves and hood - I knocked off almost a quarter inch after 10 minutes!
Makes our little chopping block stump look like a magic toadstool ...
Lots of good food for the little birds!
Wherever you are, I hope you're having warmth, sunshine, and signs of spring ... :-D
Lots of love,
Vicki
**********
P.S. Katherine Sophia, I'm having trouble accessing your blog for some reason ... it says I'm not an invited follower. Do I need to do something to have access again? Sorry to post it like this; I know that's weird ... :-P
Hi ladies! I'd like to ask you to pray for my dear blogging/writing/med school friend Katherine Sophia, who is interviewing today for the med school she hopes to attend - Father, we pray that You would give her clarity of mind, calmness of spirit, and persuasive speech to show that school what an awesome student she would be!
Why do I come home from my martial arts class at 9:00PM, get my bath and a snack, and sit down all ready to write my Spanish essay ...
... then goof around on Pinterest and blogs and surveys and movies until finally getting started on it at 12:00AM?
I'm so stupid ...
~ Vicki
(I actually have several posts in the works that are much more substantial than this ... I was hit with an awful bout of writer's block over my spring break, and am only just recovering my ability to string three words together. I will be back with higher and nobler thoughts very soon!!)
Under normal circumstances, I wouldn't recommend going to a secular song for your life's inspiration. Secular songs tend to put a lot of emphasis on finding strength inside yourself, in other people, in cosmic forces, etc. As a general rule, if you're looking for a song to inspire you, go with a hymn or other worship song that points you toward the cross.
But, that being said, I have found so much motivation in Josh Groban's new song, "Brave." I have officially adopted it as my theme song for going to medical school.
Wake up, wake up, the sun
Cannot wait for long
Reach out, reach out before it
Fades away
My opportunity for going to med school has never been better. I'm more mature than I was when I started college; I know how to work hard (even if I don't always do it) and get good grades, and I'm more aware of what it will really mean to put in the years of study and preparation.
But this window of time won't last forever. I need to reach out now, while the way is clear, and before this chance slips away.
You will find the warmth when you surrender
Smile into the fear and let it play
I was so scared of the whole idea of med school while I was struggling with it and trying to come to a decision; but as soon as I did, I felt much more peace and confidence. Oh, I'm still terrified and not sure if I can actually do it. But the fear is part of the journey. I want God to do great things in my life.
Hold on, hold on, so strong
Time just carries on
I'll be 37 when I'm 37, regardless of whether I'm many years into my practice as a speech therapist, deep into my years as a stay-at-home mom, or just emerging from the tunnel of my fellowship and establishing my own practice. Time just carries on.
All that you thought was wrong
Is pure again
You know, there was a time - and not as long ago as it feels like - that I thought it was ... if not exactly wrong, it just wasn't the best thing for girls to go to college. I was afraid to believe I might have a purpose and gifts that were my own, and that might not necessarily be directly tied to marriage. But God has shown me since that He loves me for myself, Vicki Sands, not just as the future wife of Mr. Right. It's okay to dream things for my own life and to want to do things on my own. I definitely desire and hope to get married - I admit, I'll be seriously disappointed if I don't, because I am a lonely romantic for sure! - but my world is so huge now that I know it's okay to walk with God alone, too.
You can't hide forever from the thunder
Look into the storm and feel the rain
So, what about moving away from home? That scares me half to death. But I can't hide from it forever - someday I'll have to be a real adult, whether living alone or with my husband; and you know what? What looks like a huge dark cloud from here might actually be awfully beautiful and exciting once I get there.
And then, of course, there's the chorus.
You wanna run away, run away And you say
That it can't be so
Boy, do I ever! I want to run away - I want to say that it can't be so!
You wanna look away, look away BUT YOU STAY
'Cause it's all so close
But I'm going to stay! I'm going to stay, because it is all so close, and the Lord will boost me up if ever I'm not strong enough!
When you stand up and hold out your hand,
In the face of what I don't understand -
My reason to be brave
I will stand up and hold out my hand, in the face of things that I - and people around me - may not always understand; and in doing so, I will become others' reason to be brave. I will do this.
Because there are so many people in my life who have done the exact same thing for me - they have stood up in the face of incredible things that I could never even comprehend; and they give me the courage to be brave in my comparatively easy and uncomplicated life. I want people coming after me to look up and see - "Well, Vicki did this, and she's small and childish and naive and a scatterbrained dreamer - surely if she can do this, I can, too!"
When you stand up and hold out your hand,
In the face of what I don't understand -
My reason to be brave
Someday, I'd love to meet JG in person, or write to him, and tell him how much this song has inspired me, that he's my reason to be brave (in this song, at least), and that it's going to be an important part of getting me through the next 13 years ... in the meantime, I keep it on repeat on my iPod and CD player, and keep remembering to smile into the storms and see where God's plan is going to take me!
~ Vicki
I came home from class yesterday, and opened a beautiful plastic-wrapped bundle of perfection that had come for me in the mail.
This beautiful copy of A Tale of Two Cities was published in 1925; it's in remarkably good condition, with no rounding of the page corners, no waterstains or spotting, a great binding, and just a few very old pencil marks inside. It's small enough to fit comfortably in the palm of my hand, and the type is stylish and beautiful, but easy to read.
It's perfect. I'm in love. My very own vintage book, all my own, never has to go back to the library.
I've read lots of vintage books before, but I never knew what a beautiful thing it was to own one. How many people have held this very book and laughed and cried over the same pages that I touch? I never enjoyed this book the way I will now, with my own copy!
***
On a more serious note, today I took my first practice version of the MCAT, the exam that medical schools look at to determine whether you're good enough to get into them. It was quite an experience - even this shortened practice version took me 4 hours to complete, so I can't imagine what the real one will be like!
I am not sure if I'm happy or embarrassed to announce that I got a 19 on my first attempt. The highest score for the test is 40; right around 30 is the cutoff for being admitted into a good med school ... so 19 is a dismal score, in that regard. But I was expecting to do much worse, since I've only taken two or three of the science classes that are covered on the test and I've never taken an MCAT practice before; so in that regard, I was relieved to do as well as I did.
Here is my score breakdown:
- Physical Sciences: 4
- Verbal Reasoning: 10
- Biological Sciences: 5
So yeah, pretty awful. But someday, I'll link back to this entry when I take the real MCAT, so I can see how much better I do after taking the proper classes and actually studying!! :-D :-D :-D
***
How are your weekends going? Have you done anything fun? Anything profitable? I hope you're doing well! These week-long blogging hiatuses feel more like a year than a week ... :-}
