Guess what? Tires Pop & Life goes on...
- Brooke
- Sep 3, 2018
- 9 min read
Hello friends, far and near!
I would like to post a life update with a few urgent prayer requests mixed in throughout.
In order for your reading ease, I have numbered the various subjects this post will cover...pick & choose which ones interest you, or read them all! It's rather long, so I apologize!!
**Forewarning, my computer has been giving me issues and if you are reading this from a mobile device, there will probably be some issues with the formatting. I recommend using a laptop/monitor to read it, but whatever works best for you! I can also send you just the text without the pictures, as that sometimes works better for my readers.**
1. What I did this Summer
2. Tuition Prayer Requests
3. Car Prayer Requests.
4. What I will be doing in the Fall
5. General Life Goals Update.
1. Summer is a time for fun, family, relaxation and spending time doing whatever you find fun! The beginning of my summer didn't exactly look like that. I took three summer college classes: Spanish I, Introduction to Philosophy, and Introduction to Microbiology. It was definitely a lot harder than I expected! I tried to fit in studying wherever and whenever possible! I had ways of making sure that I got my summer tan in also...(see above) I would spend many evenings like this, on the boat, trying to study in the sun. I learned that I seem to "soak" up the information better that way! Studying on the dock on Saturday mornings was my favorite place...I am not a morning person, as most of my friends know, but I actually enjoyed getting up to see the sunrise and just enjoy the still, quiet beauty of the lake.
I worked three jobs this summer, working 50+ hours most weeks...most of the money went directly to my summer class bills that I paid for out of pocket, because scholarships do not apply to summer classes. Thankfully, God supplied my needs through the summer and I never missed a payment! (I had many hours of missed sleep though! Bills are so stressful, and I hate debt!) Yet, I'm still eating, sleeping in a warm, dry house and driving a car that is still (barely) running!
I can't complain.
So, that was the boring part of my summer!
Now onto the fun parts of my summer...
My favorite part of this summer happened every Sunday and Wednesday evening out at the lake with my family and the Wolf Lake Waterski Club. The picture below is of our Sunday night core ski Club. (I am in the second row, on the ground)
Because of my knee issues over the past few years and another injury at the beginning of summer, I chose to forgo skiing with the pyramids and became the "rope assistant/spotter" to the main speedboat driver, Frank. I ended up loving my role! I had a unique view of all the acts that were pulled behind the boat and enjoyed many conversations with Frank.
Frank and I found that we shared many things in common, including a right knee injury! We became good friends and I'm pretty sure I'm his favorite "spotter now. Haha! I wanted to include this selfie simply because many of my favorite evenings this summer were spent in his boat, laughing at the kids' crazy antics or freaking out if the skiers looked like were falling. Surprisingly, there was only one time he tried to make me fall out of the boat! Just kidding!
If you follow me on Facebook, you have seen plenty of posts about Wolf Lake Waterski club. The big accomplishment this summer was the 3-tiered, six person pyramid...
(Bottom row: (L-R) Mary Lusebrink, Connor Dean, Grant Armstrong)
(Middle row: Ben Baker, Heidi Armstrong)
(Top: Mr. Lincoln Armstrong..."Mr. Oh My!")
Our final show of the season is Labor Day at 10:30am.
You're welcome to come out and support us!
The last few weeks of summer were spent soaking up any extra sun. I learned to wake board this summer!
I spent a week with my siblings and Grandparents at Silver Lake in Mears, Michigan, we swam, climbed sand dunes and made great memories together!
A few (really early) mornings were spent going skiing with Grant, Heidi and Connor.
The boys & Heidi barefooted (I watched and occasionally skied!)...the boys haven't really figured it out yet, Heidi caught on quite quickly though!
2. I chose to take summer classes to keep my credit/class load lower in the Fall/Spring semesters. There was an issue with my class scheduling this Fall and I need to take Spanish II. Spring Arbor University does not offer this class during the times that I am available, therefore I will have to take it at Baker College. Since I have my academic and private scholarships used at SAU, they cannot be transferred to another college, which means that this class will have to be paid for out of my pocket. My very empty, college-kid broke pocket! The class will cost about $1,300 plus a $200 textbook. They have agreed to cut the cost into $433 monthly payments until I can pay it off.
The only problem with that is, I do not even currently have the money to pay the first payment.
I would greatly appreciate your prayers as this bill is fast approaching.
On the same subject of tuition, I do want to thank God that I was chosen to be a recipient of a Spring Arbor University Nursing Scholarship this semester, any last penny towards tuition is incredibly appreciated!
3. For those of you who don't know my car situation, I drive a 1985 Buick Park Avenue Electra.
It has been called many things, "Old Nellie", but,"Grandma car" is probably the most fitting. It was given to me, because when I needed a car to drive to college, I had about $300 in the bank...not enough to buy a car! There are many things wrong with it, from no heat or AC, to only one window that rolls all the way down, only one windshield wiper, "the Nemo wiper", no airbags, non-locking seatbelts, and it does not drive well in the snow. I don't know much about cars to know all the other things wrong with the engine itself, but I do know that it's age is evident when it comes to the mechanical part of the car! A lot of other things need to be fixed on it, I know virtually nothing about cars, so I will not even embarrass myself trying to explain. Your prayers would be much appreciated. I am praying that God will miraculously bless me with a AWD SUV or sedan that I will feel safe in when driving in snow, a vehicle that has airbags, heat, and will have enough seats that I can take my siblings places...and if I'm being super specific, I'd like it to have a sunroof. God can do anything, right?! :)
I was recently involved in a mild car accident that gave me a pretty big scare. The front right tire popped and I lost control of the car, swerving into a mailbox. Thankfully, the only thing that was damaged was the mailbox post, my tire and a dent in the car. If it had been a tree or another car, I might not be typing this right now. God definitely kept me safe! My wonderful parents fixed the post for me because I have been swamped with work this week.
Thanks Mom & Dad!
4. If I said I was super excited for classes to begin again, would you call me a nerd? Go ahead!!! I am so ready!
I love college. I love learning...if it's about medical things! I will be taking Med Surg II with the accompanying lab. That will be a 6 credit class and my only nursing class this semester. I will also be taking COL300 (a bible class), Speech, and Spanish II. I will be working around 18 hours per week at Arbor North.
If you have a family member that lives there, let me know, I would love to visit them!
Last semester, I was going through some incredibly hard personal issues and I was so afraid that my grades would suffer because of the intense emotional struggles that I was having. Thankfully, God gave me enough strength to pull through and I was able to keep my GPA at 3.75, landing me a spot on the Honor's List! My goals for this semester is to simply do my best and let God do the rest! I plan to blog a lot more and to continue to try to get my health back after a very hard spring and summer. I will definitely miss nights like this...
and mornings like this...
5. Now onto the last subject of this life update...
My FUTURE plans...well, future hopes and dreams...
Many of you don't even know what my career goals are...why I'm even in nursing school, or what my long-term life goals are! Well, I would LOVE to tell you about it!! I enjoy telling people that I wanted to deliver babies before I even knew how babies were made. It seems to have always been a passion of mine. I was able to watch my youngest brother be born (six years ago) by the same midwife that helped deliver me (over nineteen years ago)! I enrolled at the Jackson Area Career Center and took two years of a Health Technician's course where I earned many medical certifications including CNA, PCT, First Aid, ECG/EKG tech, and a few others. I took an added class that focused on medical terminology and competed in a HOSA competition hosted by Jackson College. Through taking this two-year course, it only cemented my dreams of entering the medical field. I graduated high school a year early and I was accepted into Spring Arbor University with intent to enroll in their BSN nursing program. (See picture below...this was the first picture after our first Clinical with my fellow nursing student, Tirzah.) The first semester after being accepted into the nursing program, I considered switching my major to "Pre-Med"/Biology as most Pre-medical school students do. After much prayer, I decided to stay in nursing school, adding a few biology classes into my academic plan that would qualify me for medical school. This choice would enable me to get a job as an RN right after graduation if I chose to delay my further education.
My long-term dream is to finish nursing school and go on to medical school or physician's assistant school.
I want to specialize in women's health and labor & delivery.
Becoming an OB-GYN would be a dream come true...and a dream that I am working very hard towards achieving! I want to be a medical provider that will try to explore alternative and natural medicine if traditional medicine does not seem to be the best option, from herbal remedies, to acupuncture, aromatherapy, chiropractic maneuvers, and even dietary adjustments before trying traditional medicine. I want to be in a position where I can help women that are in very poor areas of the world, areas where there are not good medical facilities, where women need to be taught proper sanitary practices for both themselves and their babies. I would like to use my medical knowledge in a mission's capacity, whether that is short-term missions trips, helping in clinics around the world or working for a non-profit organization, joining other doctors in America or around the world...
I want to use my passion of bringing new life into the world to lead people to
The Giver of Life.
I'm only heading into my third year of nursing school and I still have one more year to go...and then many more years of training and studying after that! I'm willing to follow God wherever He leads me! (Selfishly, I hope it's somewhere near a lake...because I've become addicted to water and a nice tan! Haha!) I hope that someday it includes a God-loving husband and maybe a few kids...but not for a VERY long time.
I'm super excited and I cannot wait to serve God with all the knowledge and education I am building up in this little brain of mine!
I want to be a doctor that is able to help heal people's bodies and then have the boldness to tell them about the Ultimate Physician that can heal their soul.
I want to be a doctor who is confident in her skills and abilities because she has the Creator of all mankind on her side.
I want to be a doctor that brings joy and radiates Jesus' love to every patient that I have.
A doctor that cares just as much about their eternal soul as I do their temporary body.
Although that gets pretty scary sometimes when the path is certainly not always clear, or there's a big bill ahead, or a car that seems to be on it's last wheels. Yet...
"My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways, declares the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways and My thoughts than your thoughts."
Your prayers, support and encouragement are greatly appreciated as I continue down this journey...filled with many hours of studying, lots of debt and dedication beyond words. Thank you to all of you who checkup on me or help me in whatever little ways that you can, whether through coffee dates (which I love!), lunch dates or sending little texts and phone calls of encouragement.
Below is a numbered list of the prayer requests, one more time...simply, because I would greatly appreciate if all of you could pray for me a few days a week!
1. Extra money for my Spanish class ($1,300)
2. A new Car (or newer than 1985 with very few problems!)
3. God's help and guidance in my continuing medical education
I love you all. Stay in touch! XO ~ B
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