We will be leaving Vermont soon. It has been nice to be here. We got to see our extended families some while here. It is nice to see them. I realise that I really enjoy my own family more than anything. I would rather spend time with my wife and kids than with anyone else. We will be seeing my dad next week. Haven't seen him in a while. Life is strange sometimes. I wonder and wonder to myself all the time. What's it all about? Why are we here? What is the purpose of it all? Just to exist and have kids and have them have kids and so on and so on? Life is so short! It is flying by. I am grateful we are travelling during this time of their youth. Our hope is that they and we get to see most of this country, or at least some of it. We are looking forward to going to FL for some warm weather. Grace said yesterday, "I can't wait to get to FL. How did I think I liked this kind of weather!" She is growing so much, as are the others. I finished reading Katies story so far. Her and GRace and Catherine are attempting to write a novel this month. I am personally impressed with each of their efforts. It is very interesting. I enjoy reading her stuff. She has created this whole universe and many people as well. I'm currently waiting for her next installment. My son is turning into a man. While I do get frustrated with his lack of self-control at times, the fact is that he has much more self control than I did at his age! He is growing and growing. I am impressed with his spiritual growth as well as his physical. I learn from him. He is a man of faith. I want to trust God as much as he does.
I had no particular reason for writing other than the fact that I just haven't in so long. God is taking great care of us. We have all that we need and then some. Sure I wish we had a newer vehicle for my bride, so we wouldn't have to be concerned of it breaking down, but it has been good so far. I trust my Creator to continue to provide for all our needs as a family. HE is so good to us. Thank God we do not get what we deserve. His mercy is new every day toward us.

Saturday, September 03, 2005
I am settling in to my new surroundings; same job different place. It is a challenge each time to go to a new facility and have all new people and places and things so often. While I personally struggle with the change I see it as a training ground in the Father's hands. He is moding and shaping my family for our future. He will use all of our experiences in moving and packing and moving, meeting new people and encouraging one antother as a family unit as well as all the (probably), even more intricate things we go through with our frequent moves. One in particular is the internal training we are all getting in identifying and learning to control our emotions. It is one way we are NOT like animals. We have the ability as humans to feel one thing and not allow it to direct our actions. Just because we FEEL afraid of our circumstances, or nervous, or excited, does not mean we have to respond to those feelings. Self control has NEVER been one of my strong points. The Lord is teaching me this along the way. HE is good..................all the time! HE uis training me to ACT and not re-act; now THAT is a blessing! I look forward to seeing some of my extended family while here in VT. It is already getting cold around here and they say it may get to the 30's tonight.....oh boy. The good thing is we have an awesome place to live here! We welcome visitors to come and stay for a while. Plenty of room! WE will be stoking the fireplace up soon..............a fireplace; something my wife always wanted to have!
Daniel

I graduated nursing school in Wellesley Massachussetts at the local state college there in 1997. The last semester of school, I took my first test and got a 58! I was a nervous wreck. I think it was fear. Fear of success? Or perhaps it was that I thought (subconciously), that if I don't try my best then I can always say, "well I didn't try my hardest". However if I did do my absolute best and didn't graduate, then I would somehow be the biggest failure of a person known to the world! I was so amazed at Gods ability to get me through it all. I remember using the failure on that test as a motivation. I was face to face with the decision. Do I let fear run my life, or do I grab hold of my Creators hand and trust Him to give me the wisdom and strength to succeed? I am here today to tell you that He is truly faithful. There is an old saying that opportunity comes disguised as hard work. I think this is true. I am not full of cockiness that I did what needed to be done because I am strong. When I say I succeeded in reaching my goal, it means I humbled myself. I got on my knees and told God that there was no way for me to make it through without His help and guidance; that I was destined for failure and allowing FEAR to run my life unless He would direct my thinking right then and there. I am strong.....only in HIM. I studied like I had never studied before. God provided me with a christian brother who was willing to get together with me each week; who was also in my classes with me! WE learned together and made it through. When I follow HIM and listen to my God, He gives clear direction. My problem is........i don't listen sometimes. I'll never forget the final exam. I had done so well on my other tests that I shocked myself! As everyone does taking the finals, I figured out that I needed to get at least a 70 or something like that to finish with a passing grade. Before the exam, I prayed Lord please clear my mind of all the distractions that satan tries to give me. Please remove my fear, worry, and anxiety that I can be clear minded. I ask not that you give me the answers, (although that would be nice), but that you help me maximize my ability to pull up the information that we learned in our studies. Well, HE did just that. The test was not easy but I felt very relaxed and at peace with the whole thing. I got in the 80's somewhere and completed this journey that we as a family had been on for close to 5 years! It was not a feeling of pumping my fist in the air at my own accomplishment but of gratitude to my Creator for seeing us through all of this. When I started this quest to become a nurse it seemed so far away to even think of graduating. Now it was upon me! I was pleased to just get my diploma in the mail. Well, my wife was very interested in me going to the formal graduation. I wasn't up for it. We had a pinning night for all the nurses in the auditorium AND a graduation day. THAT....was not for me! I didn't want to congratulate myself with a public display................or was I just afraid of being recognised in public for my achievement?....hmmm. Whatever it was, my wifes' statements got me to do it. "This is not for you Dan. This is for me and the children, and your father and family to be able to come see you graduate!" OH! I didn't even think of others. Sometimes, I can continue to be so self-centered. Thank God I did it because my wife said those things to me. My brother Billy and my dad came to the pinning. My wife says she saw both of them with tears in their eyes as I was pinned. I would have robbed my brother of his emotions that night. I was able to succeed partly because of his willingness to bend my schedule at work around my schooling! I would have robbed my father of the pride that us dads feel when we see our children accomplish things. I almost robbed my wife and children of getting to see their dad/husband succeed. Thank you Lord for making me see the wisdom of my wifes' words. At the graduation ceremony, we were waiting in the auditorium to be called out under the tent for our diplomas. Someone had some white tape they were using to put funny signs on the top of their caps. I asked to borrow it. I had an important message to put on my cap......something I wanted everyone to see! It seemed to take forever to get to the nursing program graduates! They finally called us up by rows. As I was over on the side waiting to go up for my diploma, I looked over..............there was my wife and three little ones looking up to me with pride and excitement. My wife was trying to get my picture. I tilted my cap to her as she snapped the picture. She told me later she was overwhelmed with emotion as she read the top of my cap. I went up for my diploma and tried to tip my cap for all to see as I left the stage.....not that anyone cared but me and my family. Written in bold letters were the words, "THANKS CATHERINE". I didn't think much of it at the time, except that I wanted her to know how much I appreciated her for being a stronghold for me through the whole schooling experience. Now however, years later, I am glad that I was able to acknowledge her there because I surely couldn't have done it without her help. I will never forget those days; the pinning and the graduation. Not because I am proud of me. I'll always remember because I saw how it all has very little to do with me. I am the priviledged one. As it says in collossians chapter 3 verse 4, "When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory". By putting my wifes desires for me to go to the graduation ahead of my own self-centeredness, I was blessed. I felt like it was a moment of HIS glory and not mine. In fact, I still get that feeling whenever I remember those days. Thank you Lord. Help me to remember to be "others" centered instead of self-centered, in all my activities. Well, that is the story of how I became a nurse. God is good............ALL THE TIME!!

So how is it that I became a nurse?
I have thought about this question and been asked this many times. While only God knows the way he laid out the path for me to come to do nursing as a profession, I'll do my best to explain it to you.
I think back to getting bit in the face by a dog. I ended up in the hospital for a couple of days. I have fond memories of the care I was given. Maybe it was the pain meds? Whatever it was, it stuck with me. One day I was working at the store when one of our employees came in with a green pinstriped shirt on. I asked her why she was wearing that. She said she was entered into the nursing program at the local college up the street. We talked a bit and I asked her to bring me some paperwork on it. I looked it over and talked with my wife about it. I was attracted to the idea of having a profession where you help other people all the time and get paid for it. The salary of a nurse was pretty good at the time also and I needed to do something that could support my whole family in the future. WE talked and prayed about it and examined the possible road ahead. Could I do it? I would have to work full time and do school, and arrange my schedule around work or vice versa, and what about the children? Well, we felt it was right. Let's go towards it but not necessarily enter the program as there was a 2 year waiting list to get in! So I took the prerequisite courses slowly. First semester was only two classes; biology and chemistry. If I had to say two courses that I think I would fail at, it was these two. I did not like science in high school. I made it through. I won't tell you all the other courses except to tell you of my experience taking an accelerated one month course during the summer called microbiology. It was during this course of 4 plus weeks that I missed a full week because I came down with .......................The chicken pox! It was horrendous! I got it from my children whom a week before I was comforting through their bouts of chicken pox because I was CERTAIN that I had them as a kid! When I mad it back to class, I discovered that the week I missed was on infections like,..............The chicken pox! I was able to pass that class anyway thank God due to her teaching style of new material every week. Four tests counted and we could drop the fifth. She let me drop the one I missed. I entered the nursing program having all of my prerequisites out of the way. My brother Billy assisted me through all of my schooling by adjusting the work schedule so I could attend my classes. Thank God for him. Well, I made it through.
I know this has changed from why did I become a nurse to HOW. Sorry about that; I just got on a roll. Someday I'll tell you about my graduation day.....

We have been in TN for a month now and I really like it. The mountains are beautiful! The hospital is excellent also. All new floors make for a very nice environment. It is a blessing to be here with my family. My children are such a blessing to us. I keep thinking that the LORD is telling me that I will be blessed to find my life in serving my family and allowing my children and my wife to help direct my steps. I get lost in which way to go sometimes. The Lord can use them to help guide me. I am grateful to be able to enjoy their company. I am typing because it has been difficult to sit and type lately. I like getting things down on paper.... or computer. Lord I desire to write. Please direct me show me the way. Thank you for enabling us to live as we are. Help us to trust you with our future.
Daniel

It is Easter today. I think it's strange that Easter is no longer even viewed as a holiday at work. This day doesn't really have any meaning for me either. I love the Lord and I am eternally grateful for what he did on the cross for me. I recognise that everyday! I suppose it would be nice to celebrate that with others today but I am working today instead.
We have really enjoyed Florida this time around even more than last time. I am kinda itchin to go elsewhere though. We are hoping to go to Tennessee next. It sounds like a beautiful place to live.

I am feeling heavy hearted today. It has been a difficult day for me. I was awakened this am by a call from a dear friend. He described some difficulties he is having with his children and their abbhorrent behavior. His kids are almost the same ages as mine. My children have hardly any of the struggles that he mentioned. My heart aches for him....and them!! I am having difficulty putting into words how I feel. I don't want to sound like I know how to raise kids and he doesn't. I have to attribute my children's lack of struggles to keeping them with us instead of sending them to school. My wife said the other day that it is sad to send your children away from your presence for the best part of the day. I agree with that. It seems to me that my friends kids are suffering spiritually because they have been under an authority that could care less about God and how they are honoring Him with their lives. My friend is a Godly man. His children are suffering. I wanted to impress on him that their well being is worthy of his best effort; even if it is radical. I could pontificate and offer my opinions but honestly, all I have to offer him is that if he brings his kids back home, then these types of things will not happen. It is our responsibility to train them the proper way of living. When they have learned to behave properly, then they are released into society to influence it for the glory of God as well as to serve and love their fellow human being. You don't have to go far to see how sick the public school system has become. Perhaps there may be successes, but those will be in spite of the school system and not because of it! There is a spiritual warfare going on for the souls of all of our children. WE must do battle because there is a war going on for their hearts. We will lose if we sit by and do nothing. This world is not our home. This world is NOT our home! I see taking your children out of the schools as the right step towards taking a stand for the Lord. I am not blaming the teachers. Ask one if you know one! Their hands are tied by all the regulations! They are forced by the sheer number of kids in their class to teach for mediocrity. Mind you, I am not one who even thinks academic studies are that important. But I will say with some confidence, that if anyone allows their kids to stay home and doesn't even do any formal teaching, but just allows them to read, ask questions, and just spend time with mom or dad, they will learn more than if they go to an institution to learn. My heart goes out to my dear friend. I will be praying for him and his children.

I have been pondering some things in my mind and heart over the last few weeks. I am amazed how much time can go by between my posts. I so enjoy just writing things down here and yet I get sidetracked often from doing so. I feel as if I haven't written in a long time. I feel a real connection with my Creator when I sit to write of how He has been working through me and in my life. I forget often all the things HE seems to do for me daily. So I think it's satan working to keep me from documenting Gods actions in my life so he can keep me from seeing all that my Lord actually does for me daily. He knows my inner fears and worries. He meets all my needs and many of my wants. It is my hope to write more often.