Is it Really True...Yes it Is!!!

After years of working as a nurse in the hospital setting, working year round including weekends and holidays I can't even begin to share how blessed I feel to officially be on summer break!!  While I was in grad school I spent the first half of it majoring as a family nurse practitioner...then around Christmas of 2008 I heard God say "it's time to change your major...you love teaching how about changing to a masters in nursing education"?  I  R-E-A-L-L-Y struggled with this decision for a couple of reasons; first when I start something I always feel it needs to be completed; I'm not a "quitter" and secondly I love working with my patients and helping them.  Finally, as I'm learning with age, when God calls me to do something I need to learn  to let go of my earthly desires and follow what He has called me to do...this one was tough though as I only had seven classes left to go.

Fast forward until now.  As I was completing my MSN, in nursing education, I came across a fact in a book that will stick with me forever.  The average nurse, in their nursing career will care for and touch 50,000 patients and their families.  50, 000!!!  That's a huge amount of people to impact over a life time!  Then it occurred to me, as a nurse educator we are indirectly touching millions of patients, beyond our life time, as we educate hundreds and thousands of our future nurses of tomorrow!

Along with the nice little statistic above I can honestly say, with all my heart, that this profession fits me PERFECTLY!!!  God knew exactly what He was doing...not like that should surprise anyone:)    I get to serve as a nursing prof at the best Christian school in the entire world!  I work 7.5 to 8 months out of the year...yet get paid to be home during the entire summer, like all of May through most of August, as well as fall, Christmas and spring breaks.  All of my family can attend college and their tuition is waived...yes, I realize we have four kiddos and how blessed we are!  I can stay home and bake Christmas cookies with our family and enjoy celebrating the true meaning of Christmas and not have to worry about working or rushing around during that time. 

Though many feel summer officially starts on Memorial Day when the pools open, or a certain date in June, our summer break has already began and I can't tell you how excited I am to be spending sooooo much time at home with our little princess as well as the rest of our family!!  We are enjoying morning walks, shopping, spending time with family and friends, decorating the house, visiting with all the neighbors while our kids play until the sun sets and the list can go on and on!  Life is very, very good and it is true, I am home for the first summer since we have been married and I can't begin to tell you how blessed I'm truly feeling:)