Hold on Tight

Hold on tight, hold on tight. For the past few weeks I haven’t been able to get this simple little phrase out of my head. Each day is seems like something new happens to make me keep saying it more and more. It is so simple, and yet can be wildly profound if given time to ponder. As a kid I remember my mom and dad always repeating these simple words to me, whether I was getting on a ride at an amusement park or sitting up on my dad’s shoulders seeing the world from what seemed to be a totally different view. I also remember, as I’m sure most can that feeling of getting older and gaining independence. When mom or dad said hold on tight, I was no longer eager to quickly grab a handle or hand but rather I was wishing that they would let me grow up and decide whether I needed to hold on or not all by myself. I thought “one day when I’m old enough I won’t have to hold on tight.” The ol’ look mom no hands type of deal. But last weekend we got an ice storm (my first ice storm experience and I thought it was absolutely beautiful) and I went to walk down a long flight of steps to go to the market and as I held onto the handle and my feet were skating beneath me I found myself saying “hold on tight!” See, the more I think about it the more I realize that we never really stop holding on and it is what we hold to tightly that truly makes us who we are. As kids we are holding on because that’s what we are told to do, but as we get older we begin to choose what we want hold onto and what we wish to let go.

As I continued to say these simple words over and over throughout the week I began to think about how God whispers softly for us to hold on to him tightly. Without a doubt it is great to hold on tightly to dreams, aspirations, friends, and family but who am I and who will I be if I’m not holding onto God the tightest. There is a part of me, and maybe a part of others too, that still wants to be that little kid that says “no, I don’t have to hold onto you (God) I can do this all by myself, I’ll let you know if I need help.” But, is that the kind of relationship he created us to have with him? Definitely not. Wow! I was so so humbled by this and so amazed that God could use this one simple little phrase to take me back to my childhood and give me a fresh perspective on my adult life. I firmly believe that this is something that I will always struggle with, just because of pure human nature. However, it’s so comforting to know that God will always have his hand reached out and when all things in this world are gone and I have nothing else to hold onto I’m always holding onto him and he makes me whole.

Hold on tight my friends, to your dreams, aspirations, family, and much more; but most of all hold on tight to God and know that he is always present and never going to let go no matter the circumstance. Hope this is as encouraging to others as it was to me.

Long overdue

Wow needless to say I got a bit behind on keeping up with this blog, sorry. I absolutely cannot believe that another semester of PA school is done and I'm 6 months of the way done with grad school. Words can't describe what an incredible, challenging, and growing experience this past semester was. There were times that it felt like the world around me was spinning over 100mph and I was just in a constant sprint to try to keep up. The mix of 4 or 5 tests in a week, while preparing for the tests the following week, trying to stay healthy (and sane) by working out, and socializing often seemed daunting and impossible...but here I am reflecting back and all I can think of is all the good that has come from all of it and what a blessing it is to have the opportunity to be in PA school alongside some very wonderful people.
I totally missed updating on November and December, sorry for all those following me...one of my resolutions for the new year is to keep up with this blog much better!
I was thinking and thinking about what to say since I haven't updated in so long, thinking about just the last couple months and the whole year...and overall the word that comes to mind to describe the year as a whole is "seeking". Seeking God and his plan and direction as I finished Biola, seeking guidance while starting a new adventure at Marietta for PA school, seeking comfort as I said goodbye to my family and friends once again when I moved to Ohio, seeking patience and concentration to stay focused on my studies and do well in grad school especially right after my dad's accident. Here would be a good place to give an update on Dad, he is doing so awesome! Coming home this time was the first time I got to see him since the accident and he is doing so well! After the accident the doctors were first concerned that he wouldn't make it, then that he would lose his arm, but my dad is a fighter and God is so powerful and gracious. After cutting through almost everything in his arm, losing two liters of blood, and going through roughly 7 hours of surgery, he has just minor nerve damage in his arm and fingers. From a medical standpoint it is truly remarkable that my dad is here with us today. My dad has inspired me and pushed me since I was younger to be a better and stronger person and to always seek God in everything I do, I don't know what I would do without him and there are truly no words to describe how thankful I am for the incredible recovery from his accident. Love you Daddy!
As I think about starting a new year tomorrow it gives me goosebumps to think about how blessed I have been in 2011. God worked on my heart and mind in a way I never thought possible at Biola, I have incredible friends, incredible family, the opportunity to start PA school at Marietta with some incredible people, and so much more that I can't seem to find the words to describe right now. I hope you get the chance to think back on all the blessings of 2011 and thank God for his continued faithfulness and mercy in every situation.
It is my prayer that 2012 is an incredible year, that myself and those around me would learn to be shaped and molded by God each day, build great friendships, and have some awesome new adventures. I leave you with a quote, "we had some random things happen to us, some good, some bad, some you can't explain, some you don't want to explain, but one thing's for sure...when God throws a curveball...don't duck....you just might miss something."
2011 was great, as we start 2012 here's to new challenges, new adventures, and always seeking more and more each day.

Balancing

I was just thinking the other day how I cannot believe it's almost October and then it reminded me that it is time for my monthly update. So here I am again to give you a little picture into life in my little blue house, on the old brick road, in the midst of school, in this cute little town. I recently watched the movie, "The Pursuit of Happyness" and I was intrigued how the character played by Will Smith titles each major step in his life.
So I call this part of my life balancing. I am into the full swing of the fall semester and I feel like I have experienced so many different emotions in such a short period of time. There are days that make me want to cry, others days where I can't stop laughing, some where I am frustrated and overwhelmed, others where I feel completely care free. I have been working hard on finding the right balance between finding that good quite time with God, dedicating enough time to studying, and making time to have fun with friends in my program as well as stay in touch with friends from home and California. Each day when I wake up I pick up each one of these tasks and begin to balance them and prepare for another one to be thrown in at any time because life is so unexpected. Despite the balancing act and unexpectedness of life I LOVE it! I love that I get to have this opportunity, I love that I am finally learning practical information that I will use for the rest of my life, I love that I have professors and peers who care and are willing to help me anytime, I love the challenge that school brings to my character.
Sorry, still getting used to this blogging thing, I feel like I go off on rambling tangents sometimes ha
Anyhooo...lately I have been a busy little bee studying hard, but I have also been having some fun. I just finished running a 5k and a local city triathlon here in Marietta last weekend. They were so fun! Here is a picture of me from the triathlon, it was a 4.2 mile run, 19.5 mile bike ride, and 5 mile kayak. There weren't a ton of people who did the race, but I got 3rd place out of the girls which was pretty fun!
I know this may not seem fun to some, but I started reading Calvin's Institutes again with my best friend Meghan! It is so encouraging, challenging, and fun to read such a great piece of work. I have not even read very far yet, but I already feel like I want to write down so many quotes. Pretty soon I'm going to be hanging up Calvin quotes as wallpaper in my room...I am totally kidding!
As October is beginning I am preparing for some more tests, enjoying the beautiful leaves that are beginning to fall, anxiously awaiting the time I get to spend with my mom while she is here for my white coat ceremony, and mentally preparing my California acclimated body for the cold weather to come :)

Happy Fall, go have a pumpkin spice latte or your favorite hot bev and enjoy the beautiful weather this season is bringing. I hope to update again soon!

Love,
Ash

The Little Things

Sorry about the long time in between posts! The last part of the summer semester really took off and before I knew it I was on my way to California to visit for a little break from classes. I just got back from California yesterday and can hardly describe what a blessing it was to be there in the presence of such amazing friends.
When I'm busy with school and all the daily activities that come with being an adult (haha) I find that I can sometimes focus on the stressful, overwhelming, and seemingly never-ending tasks instead of being thankful for the little things. I have recently been pondering and learning how important thankfulness is as I continue this adventure through PA school. In the book Life Together by Dietrich Bonhoeffer he explains how important thankfulness is to Christian community. He says, "We pray for the big things and forget to give thanks for the ordinary, small (and yet really not small) gifts. How can God entrust great things to one who will not thankfully receive from Him the little things?" Bonhoeffer is directly addressing thankfulness in Christian community, but I took this one step further and it really began to impact me while in California.
As I stepped away from my cute little house tucked away in beautiful Marietta, hopped on a plane, and entered into a week of rest and fellowship I began to become overwhelmed with all the "little things" that I should be daily thankful for. These things that I take for granted every morning when I wake up, drink my tea, and pray for some "big things" that I would love God to do in my life. God is doing so many big and little (really I feel like they should all be considered big things because God is personally at work in my life, how cool is that?!?) in my life and I am so blessed to have had the opportunity to step out of the Marietta bubble for a week, visit wonderful friends, and look at my life from the outside. I was able to sit with wonderful people, share stories, talk about life, and laugh so much...ahh the little things. I was able to talk to my family without the stress of school and feel so incredibly blessed by them. My dad is such an incredible inspiration to me after all he has been through with the accident and I honestly cannot fathom life without him. My dad has given me such a wonderful example of what it means to be unconditionally loved by a father and for that I am so so thankful.
It's through all different life experiences that I learn more about myself, more about God, and more about how to impact the world for Him. I am sorry that this post is a little bit of a version of thanksgiving in August, haha, but I am taken back by all that God has done throughout my life and even through this small time away from the hustle and bustle of school. We each have so many things to be thankful for, I hope you are able to take some time and be thankful for all the "little things."
Alrighty...off to pick out my outfit for the first day of class...more updates soon!

PA school is like riding a bike

Today I went on a really long bike ride with a friend who is in pretty good biking shape and let's just say...I'm not, but I'm always up for a challenge! We took a new route and didn't exactly have much of an idea of what the landscape would be or anything like that. Well...it turned out to be full of many challenging hills, but also one of the most beautiful places around Ohio that I have seen thus far. As I was riding and fighting to breathe and pedal at the same time I got to thinking about how this bike ride reminds me a little bit about PA school. I know this sounds like a cliche comparison...but I promise I'm going somewhere with this. Just in the short time I've been in school I have had to learn many different things about studying, interacting with others, scheduling, and other useful skills. Some of these have proven to be more challenging than others and there are days where I find myself thinking, "this is only the summer session, am I going to die in the fall"? I realized today on one of the first hills we went up I asked myself a version of the same question, "this is only the first hill, am I going to make it all 18.5 miles??" By the end of the ride I found myself putting my head down and charging up a hill, not thinking of what would be on the other side or how many miles were left, but just focusing on the task at hand. Sometimes I had to stop on the hill, which was frustrating, but I was able to start right back up again and make it a little further and further each time. I know there are going to be some really big hills that I have to face in school, as well as some really nice downward slopes where I can just let the wind carry me down without much work. But, its encouraging to know that no matter what part of the hill I'm on, God is right there next to me cheering me on and giving me all that I need to succeed, I just need to take my mind off of trying to succeed on my own; or looking to see what's next; and rely completely on Him. I am so thankful to serve such a patient and loving God that cares so deeply and personally for me.
Thanks for listening to my biking story :)

Oh, I would also like to give an update and say that my dad is doing so much better. Thank you so much to those lifting him up in prayer, visiting, and making meals for my family. The bruised nerve is giving him some pain, as it is trying to heal, but other than that is doing very well. Thanks again!

Hello from Ohio

Just finished a game of volleyball with some classmates and now I am finally sitting down to write on this blog like I've been wanting to all week. I just finished my first 2 anatomy exams (written and practical) and couldn't be happier to have some time to relax...but first things first, let's talk about Marietta and the move from the great state of Idaho...

The 3 day road trip to Ohio with my family is a time that I will never forget. It goes into my memory bank as one of my favorite times with my family. The drive was uneventful...minus the part where I thought I was going to be sucked up into a tornado! We were driving through Nebraska and the sky started to look grey in front of us, but being the inexperienced westerners we are...we kept driving and driving until we were being showed hail the size of ping pong balls and a crazy amount of wind. We pulled over to wait out the storm and my mom and Hunter cried while my dad and I said "everything is going to be just fine" all the while thinking "wow this is the craziest weather I have ever seen!" After Nebraska we stopped in Chicago to visit the Wilkes which was a nice break from fast food and small hotel rooms. The next day we arrived in Marietta at my little blue house.

As you can probably guess from the title of the blog, I live on a red brick road and I think it's so cool! The house is wonderful, my roommates are fun, and my room is huge. I have so much space I don't know what to do with all of it. Here is a picture of the house from the side :)

So I am about two weeks into classes, done with my first test and ready to start studying for the next one. I have been so affirmed lately that I am exactly where God wants me and I am so excited for his plans for me here. Ok...off to watch a movie, more updates soon!