God All-Sufficient

I want to start this entry with a prayer written by the Puritans from "The Valley of Vision". Jose and I have been encouraged by the prayers in this book on many occasions. One of my favorites is as follows,

GOD ALL-SUFFICIENT

"O Lord of grace,
The world is before me this day,
and I am weak and fearful,
but I look to thee for strength;
If I venture forth alone I stumble and fall,
but on the Beloved's arms I am firm
as the eternal hills;
If left to the treachery of my heart
I shall shame thy Name,
but if enlightened, guided, upheld by thy Spirit,
I shall bring thee glory.
Be though my arm to support,
my strength to stand,
my light to see,
my feet to run,
my shield to protect,
my sword to repel,
my sun to warm.
To enrich me will not diminish thy fullness;
All thy lovingkindness is in thy Son,
I bring him to thee in the arms of faith,
I urge his saving Name as the One who died for me.
I plead his blood to pay my debts of wrong.
Accept his worthiness for my unworthiness,
his sinlessness for my transgressions,
his purity for my uncleanness,
his sincerity for my guile,
his truth for my deceits,
his meekness for my pride,
his constancy for my backslidings,
his love for my enmity,
his fullness for my emptiness,
his faithfulness for my treachery,
his obedience for my lawlessness,
his glory for my shame,
his devotedness for my waywardness,
his holy life for my unchaste ways,
his righteousness for my dead works,
his death for my life."



I can relate to starting the day feeling somewhat fearful and weak, yet going through the day only by God's strength. What a Savior we have that would die for us and give us all His benefits, when all I've done is deserving of hell!

Nursing proves to be challenging each shift. There are times when I get frustrated because I realize all that I have to get done and yet need the help of my preceptor and time is only running out. Time management is huge and it's a learning process. I hope that you all don't think I'm portraying nursing in a bad light...I really do enjoy it, but realize my weakness in it. I am now caring for 3 patients and the other day I felt as if I was just running around all day and not always doing what I was supposed to. All experienced (or more experienced than I) nurses say it gets better. I believe them - it's just going to take time.
Last week I was able to see an open heart surgery. It was amazing to see what they do! Basically they stop the patient's heart while doing surgery and pump blood and fluids through him/her via tubes and a machine so that life is maintained. It took 5-6 hours to complete the surgery. It's so neat to actually see a live heart beating. I was able to see a lot of the surgery up close, it's one of those once in a lifetime experiences. Now I can better understand what many of my patients have gone through or will go through.
Jose is starting to learn book-keeping for small businesses by QuickBooks and another program. He is excited about doing this because it serves other people, he loves numbers and it can be a source of extra income in the future. He's testing out his skills by helping a guy out who owns a store that sells scrubs (that I have given business to).
We're continuing to pray about the future and where God may lead us, especially in regards to Jose's desire to go to seminary and be a Navy Chaplain. We've been talking to our pastors about whether Sovereign Grace Ministries (http://www.sovereigngraceministries.org/)would be able and willing to ordain Jose to be a Chaplain. It's not an easy answer because no one has ever proposed this idea to SGM before and there is a process they would have to go through. Thankfully God guides our steps and as much as we'd like to know what the future holds, we don't need to right now.
Jose and I are signed up to run the La Jolla half Marathon on April 22. We decided the full marathon would probably be too much at this time because of my work schedule and adjusting to nights, besides the fact we aren't trained for it.
In a little over a week my Mom and Grandma will be coming to visit and I'm thrilled about it! We will have some time to enjoy each other's company in the beautiful California weather.

The past month

As you can see it's been a month since we last posted. We had a wonderful time in Denver, CO. Thanks to the Heideman's we had a place to stay! The Heideman family reached out to a lot of midshipmen while Tony taught at the Naval Academy in Annapolis. So, Jose got to know them while he was in school. We were blessed with the time we spent with them. Jose and I were able to drive around and see different areas of CO, including Colorado Springs where we went to see Focus on the Family Ministry, Vail and Breckenridge (popular and expensive ski areas). We went snowboarding once - Jose's very first time. I must say he did very well for a first-timer; we had the help of an instructer, as we took a beginner's class. It had been a few years since I've gone, so the class only helped me learn the proper technique. After all, Sarah Megorden and I attempted to teach ourselves the first couple times - now she's pretty much a pro.
Anyway, we also visited Denver Seminary and even sat in on a class one night. The campus is new and in a great location. What we really like about the seminary is that there is a great Chaplain program (if not the best in the country). Most seminaries don't have anything in particular for military Chaplains, but there is a retired Chaplain who works there and has all sorts of connections. We would very much appreciate your prayers as we consider what God may have for us in the future. We are seriously considering moving to CO after Jose's time with the Marines is up (about a year and a half), so that he can go to seminary and become a Navy Chaplain. Our future is in the Lord's hands and we desire to follow His will wherever that may take us. Denver is looking like a great place to live right now. The housing market is down now, so it's a good time to buy. There's a Sovereign Grace Church right by Denver Seminary. Plus it's beautiful there, with plenty of outdoor stuff to do.
We also were able to spend an evening with one of Jose's friend from the Academy, Jamie. I was able to meet her for the first time. She's the first person who shared the gospel with Jose. I thank God for her and the way she's unashamed to share the gospel. Before I ever met Jose I remember praying for my future husband and that he'd grow in His relationship with God and if he wasn't saved yet that he would be. Jamie simply shared the gospel with Jose while they were on the way to Covenant Life Church (she doesn't really remember).
I will have to post pictures later. We forgot to bring our digital camera and bought a cheap disposible one. We had fun hanging out with friends and checking out CO.
February 12th I started working. The first week was filled with days of orientation. On the first day I went to a hotel to be oriented to all of Scripps Hospitals and clinics. I was at Scripps Memorial Hospital in La Jolla the rest of the week being oriented to that specific site, my specific unit and nursing there in general. There are a bunch of new grads going through all this at the same time. They taught us how to use equipment, document, use proper body mechanics for moving patients, computer class, policies, and more.
My first real day as a nurse was on Sunday, February 18th! I work on a cardiac care floor, caring for patients before and after heart surgery and more. I was quite fearful. It was like nursing school again - when I had to go in a patient's room for the very first time. I really hadn't been oriented to the floor and wasn't familiar with anything. It also seems like a long time since I've done any patient care - almost a year. My preceptor helped me through and definitely detected my fear; a few days later she told me I was like "a deer caught in headlights". As the days go on I become a little more comfortable. The hardest part for me is all the paper work and knowing the right way to do things and remembering to do them. Now I sign my name as R. Jimenez, RN. My greatest fear is making a mistake that will have a negative impact on my patients. Because I am human and Rebekah I will make mistakes. Pray for me that I would have peace and joy as I work and do my work diligently and unto the Lord. I'm grateful for my preceptor, who thus far has been very patient with me. I've already experienced a patient who was uncomfortable with new grads and was giving me the 3rd degree. I also had the pleasure of having a wonderful patient that wanted to do everything to cooperate and had a very supportive family. Praise God for both experiences and all the new information I'm learning! It's going to be a long learning process, but God gives me grace each day. This past week I worked 3 twelve hour shifts in a row and it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. The real test will be when I switch to nights and am on my own! Overall, it's a really great experience for me because it causes me to remember my dependence on the Lord, and stretches me to learn and do new things.
Let me honor and thank my hubby for his love for me in practical ways. After coming home from my first 12 hr shift I found a note and a pan full of lasagna! Jose made lasagna before going to his home group men's meeting. I was so blessed by this and didn't have to worry about making dinner. During this past week, for a couple nights, he has gone to the new building our church will soon be in to help with tearing things down before construction begins. Thanks honey for serving me and the church!
Last Saturday we got to spend time with my dad and his wife Casey while they were in Laguna Beach for a work related trip. We enjoyed walking on the beach, going shopping, and eating good food. Thanks Dad and Casey for treating us! It was great to see them - we haven't spent any time with them since our wedding. We look forward to when they come again for San Diego's Rock n' Roll Marathon in June. I still am contemplating on whether or not to join them in the insanity. Due to having colds, going on trips and starting work I haven't been as consistent with running as I hoped.
Well, this weekend I'm relaxing and Jose is working because it's drill weekend. Yesterday Jose and I were able to spend time together and went for a lovely walk in La Jolla by the beach. My goal is to go to the beach at least once a week - we live in sunny California after all. Hopefully next posting I can put up some pictures. God bless you all.