2014 In Review

Wow, what a year 2014 has been! So much has happened within the span of 12 months. The biggest thing that happened to me was starting medical school abroad. This was my first time away from my family and my first time traveling outside of the country. I feel so blessed and humbled to have this opportunity. This new chapter in my life has increased my faith and trust in God. When I think about the goodness of Jesus and all that He has done for me my soul shouts....Hallelujah! Medical school is a journey; I started mine 7 years ago. Over the years I have not only developed intellectually but emotionally and spiritually as well. My outlook and perspective on the world is so much different than it was 7 years ago. I have such an appreciation for the little things in life, I try to aim for simplicity as much as possible. I want my life to be a testimony to others that all things are possible if you put your mind to it and keep God first. My road less traveled has not been a cakewalk but I wouldn't trade it for the world.

 

I wish all of you a wonderful and productive New Year; may Heaven smile upon you.

 



Home is Where The Heart Is

Christmas Eve

I wish all of you a peaceful and joyful holiday season. I feel so blessed to be surrounded by loved one's at this time of year. Yesterday, I did some Christmas shopping with my younger brother and visited his new apartment. Later that evening I went out with my sister, it felt so good to catch up; she's my best friend, we are 1 year apart! I missed my CrockPot while I was away; I made veggie soup! My older brother was on a road trip with family and didn't get back until today. The first thing he did was make me lunch, it was delicious! We sipped on egg nog and enjoyed each others company, today has been amazing. Next stop, my hometown :)

 



What's In My Bag: "Med-School Edition"

Due to the rigor and demand of medical school I won't be able to post as much but

I'll try my best to post when able!

During the summer, a friend of mine on Instagram (braidsnglasses) suggested that I write this post! Now that medical school is in full gear I def. have picked out a few "must-have's" in my purse to get me through my day!

1. Planner: You cannot get through a day in medical school without pre-planning your week. In addition to attending lecture each day, you have to learn the new material as well as review previously taught material within an allotted amount of time. A planner is a must! I like to draw square boxes next to whatever I have to study, as I complete a task I check it off; that way I have a clear and focused agenda each day.

2. Binder : I carry this everywhere I go! I have 1 binder per block. So for my first exam I have a binder that holds all my PowerPoint lectures and notes. By the end of the semester I will have 4 binders total. This is a great way to organize and compartmentalize because you constantly have to review old material to prepare for the Final exam at the end of the semester.

3. iPhone: I don't know why I didn't purchase one sooner! This is a must in medical school in terms of the wonderful apps offered. I recently discovered that I am a auditory learner so I've been using the app QuickVoice to record myself while studying the material. I can then listen to "my notes" at the gym, before bed, walking around campus, etc. I also purchased SimplyNoise which is a "white-noise" generator. It blocks out external noise, and I can literately study for hours by listening to it. My friends have also downloaded other apps such as "Netters Flashcards" and "Quizlet"

4. Pen/Pencil Case: This is an easy way to carry all my highlighters, pens, and pencils. It also has a clear zipper pouch in the front so I can keep my lip balm, hand-sanitizer, and gum all in one place!

5. Water Bottle: You always want to stay hydrated while studying. It also forces you to get up periodically to take a break and use the restroom!

6. Jacket: You pretty much live in the library, which is below freezing....enough said. lol

7. Grant's Dissector Anatomy Book: This book has helped me so much in terms of learning and understanding Anatomy which is the main subject taught your first year. I review it every morning, then review it throughout the day; especially before lab!

8. Money: This should be a given but it's even more important in medical school when you want to walk over to the campus cafe to grab a cup of tea/coffee or take a break for lunch/dinner!

I hope you all enjoyed reading this post as much as I enjoyed writing it. I am so excited to be on this medical journey and I look forward to sharing my experience with you all in the near future.

Stay encouraged and God Bless!

First Official Week

♥ A Big Thank You ♥

My have I missed you all! Tomorrow will be my last day in the States until December. From visiting family in New York to having a surprise party thrown for me here in Virginia these past weeks have been priceless. I have to extend a warm thank you to all those that have prayed with me, given me gifts, treated me to dinner, called/text, and offered kind words of encouragement and support. Your generosity has made this transition so much easier.

Thank You.

His Timing is the Best

Be still, and know that I am God

 Psalm 46:10

Today my boss treated me to dinner since I am leaving CVS Pharmacy in 2 weeks. Two of my coworkers surprised me!

Sometimes you can't understand why God allows life to go a certain way. One year ago I was somewhat devastated when I graduated with my masters and didn't automatically start medical school afterwards. Instead I began working full-time at CVS, I didn't know what the future held. This was the biggest blessing ever. This experience has opened my eyes to the medical field! I have learned so much about drugs used to treat cancer, blood pressure, cholesterol, depression, asthma, cough, the flu, anxiety, pain...the list goes on and on. I've strengthened my verbal skills with patients that come from all walks of life. I've made daily phone calls to doctors offices to follow up on prior authorizations and refill renewal requests. My math skills have definitely been enhanced! I've made lifelong friends that encouraged and believed in my dream the entire time. Most importantly, I learned to trust in the Lord. As the weeks passed my faith in Him increased and overnight he opened the door. If you are going through a doubtful season in your life trust in God. He will see you through. I am very grateful for this opportunity and now I see that God was preparing me for what is to come.

Weekend in Review

Hello all! I hope you had a wonderful 4th of July Weekend! I attended my best friends annual July 3rd Block Party, we had a blast! My younger brother turned 21 this weekend, where did the time fly? We spent time at the beach and made a quick stop to Cold Stone. Today I registered for my classes for the fall; I'm so excited! Please keep my in constant prayer!





Going Away Celebration

 

 

A BIG thank you to my coworkers for throwing a going away get together for me

over the weekend, I have learned so much about pharmacy from you all.

You will be missed!

 

 



☀ Iced Coffee ☀

Good Morning! If you read an earlier post I expressed my love for coffee! Now that summer is in full gear it seems like a hot cup of Joe makes me hotter! To have a constant supply on hand and save a few bucks I learned how to make iced coffee for the summer! It's really easy and it last all week!

Enjoy!

 

 

Ingredients

10 cups water

1 cup instant coffee

3/4 cup Baileys Creamer

1/4 cup Sugar in the Raw

 

Use kettle to boil water. Pour water in large pitcher, mix coffee until well blended. Add cream and sugar to coffee and chill in fridge. When ready to serve add ice cubes to your cup and you're ready to face the day!

 

 

**I prefer instant coffee because it's quick to make but feel free to brew your coffee!

 

 

 





 





How to Study for the MCAT

I have received a couple of messages from summer test takers. I published a post a while back and will post it below. I hope you find it helpful, good luck, you will be in my prayers! If you have any additional questions feel free to message me!

http://dikaios18woman.blogspot.com/2014/02/best-mcat-prep-material.html

 

 

Weekend In Review

I hope you all had a wonderful fathers day weekend! Mine was a packed one. After my MCAT on Friday my parents surprised me by booking a room at the Gaylord National Resort in Washington, DC! I felt like a little princess! Saturday morning we continued our trip to the InterContinental Hotel New York Barclay. Ross University School of Medicine was hosting a meet and greet with future students and current faculty. This was a great opportunity of make new friends. I saw a childhood church friend that I had not seen in over 18 years, she is attending Ross in the Fall as well! We then visited Time Square, it was amazing! We got back on the road to make it to church Sunday morning! The guest minister was Dr. Jeremiah Wright; he did a wonderful job encouraging the young men in the church! Give all glory and honor to God, I am living my dream.

Have a wonderful week, stay encouraged!

 



Tips: 3 Days Before the MCAT

This morning I woke up and panicked. Just the thought of taking the MCAT can be terrifying. However, after quiet reflection and thanking God for waking me up this morning I collected my thoughts and planned my day accordingly like normal. 

Below are just a few tips to help you out before that big day!

1. Go to the gym

2. Get a massage, manicure/pedicure

3. Take a walk at your local park or beach

4. Eat healthy, remember to take a daily multivitamin

5. Take a nice long bubble bath

6. Limit your work hours if you can

7. Build your confidence, that's half the battle! Watch motivational YouTube videos

8. Don't isolate yourself. Spend time with family and friends, they want to support you!

9. Don't beat yourself up, you know the material, stop telling yourself you're not prepared!

10. Have Faith. Just realize you are where you are because of a reason and whatever the outcome everything will work out

First Visit to the Pool

After church today my sister and I headed to the pool! At first the water was freezing cold but within minutes it was warm. Visiting the pool today brought back so many wonderful memories of last summer. I met a wonderful group of students from Slovakia who were here for the summer as lifegaurds. Learning about their country and culture was amazing. By the end of the summer I could speak small sentences in Slovak! It was definitely unforgettable. 

Have a great week! 

I Can Do All Things

Ready to roll up your sleeves, its a new week! I hope you all had a wonderful weekend. It was women's week at my church so I attended a luncheon with my sister and grandmother. The featured performance was amazing! I also spent time with my older brother, that's always a joy. This weather has been perfect, I worked yesterday so I missed out but next weekend I am going to the beach if I can!

Have a safe and productive week, and remember: You can do all things through Christ which strengthens you.

Women's Day Luncheon with my mom, grandmother, and sister



Waffle House with big bro



Women's Day Sunday: getting ready

Mistress of Ceremony

What a memorable night, I will never forget it! Thank you FBCH for giving me this opportunity!

Fresh Start!

Happy Monday to all! Today begins the beginning of a new week! Monday mornings always make me feel rejuvenated! This past weekend was amazing. Friday I spent time with one of my very good friends Jenn; we went out to eat then watched the release of "God's Not Dead". The movie was so powerful, it served as a great reminder that regardless of tough situations you can't deny the presence of God in our life.

Sunday was phenomenal, my dad preached from John 6:60-70. The subject was, "It takes all kinds." He listed the type of people that come together on a Sunday morning to worship the Lord. He then pulled from the text the 3 kind of people that Jesus encountered: Deserters, Devotees, and a Devil (Judas). He then tied everything together by listing 3 important reasons as to why God would allow a wolf to roam around in sheep clothing:
1) They will push us to prayer
2) They will direct us to our destiny
3) They show us how sovereign God is

I'm looking forward to this week. I need to get a lot more studying done, the MCAT is fast approaching. I am also looking forward to this upcoming Sunday, I've been invited to a Delta Ball, I need to find a dress this week! I will try to do a better job updating my blog this week!

Bestie Jenn! :)

Always happy to be home!

Daughter of the Most High

These past couple of days I've been dealing with a simple but yet destructive word: Procrastination. I have made daily to-do lists that have failed horribly. I have come to the realization that to-do lists fail because of one missed truth.

 Regardless of the relentless planning and scheduling God has the final say so.

I realize that if I don't pray for God's guidance in my life on a daily basis it will not happen. Our ways are not His way, our plans are not His plans. We must come into alignment with what he was willed for our lives. This morning was a time for renewal. God must order our foot steps so that we can accomplish everything we have been called to do on earth. This requires constant prayer, faith, and trust in him.

I was able to catch up on three days worth of morning devotion this morning! I'm finally back on track. I am in Week 4 now! HelloMornings is a website designed to hold accountable the woman of God. I signed up for the 6 week challenge, entitled "Take Refuge" which focuses on the book of Ruth. Each morning (roughly 6AM) I make a cup of coffee then check-in with my Instagram group; which consist of a team leader and other women across the United States. I discovered that one of my team members lives in Virginia Beach....small world!

Touching upon my dads sermon he preached this past Sunday, we serve a faithful God. If God spoke it, it will be. 

It's nice to plan but just realize God's plan is the best plan for our lives.

Happy Tuesday!

 

 

 

Sign up for the next Challenge, it will change your life!

 

Spring is in the Air

I've had a pretty peaceful weekend, which I always enjoy! On Friday I spent time with my older brother. We had pizza and watched a very suspenseful movie. I worked on Saturday but afterwards I took a nice long bubble bath and went to sleep early. Growing up I use to beg my mother to take us out different places on the weekend but as time has passed I cherish my weekends indoors! My perfect weekend now would be catching up on much needed rest and spending time at home with candles and a bubble bath!

Today was amazing! My dad did an excellent job preaching! I sang with the praise team. I just got home from a CVS bi-annual meeting. Overall, life is good, I can't complain. God is so good, His love endures forever :)

Never ending studying...with sweetness :)

It was a tea kinda morning

All ready for church!

No caption needed...pure yumminess!

Headed to employee meeting

Time With Family

After working a very long week I always look forward to spending time with my family on the weekends. I love them so much and I'm so glad that God has allowed us to remain close over the years!

Have a great Saturday!