my mama's so cute...she clipped this from our parish weekly bulletin...my mom loves showing me stuff like this...just the other day she mailed my sister and I some stuff from church too...too cute...too shweet

I asked for STRENGTH...
and God gave me difficulties to make me strong.
I asked for WISDOM...
and God gave me problems to solve.
I asked for PROSPERITY...
and God gave me a brain and brawn to work.
I asked for COURAGE...
and God gave me obstacles to overcome.
I asked for LOVE...
and God gave me troubled people to help.
I asked for FAVORS...
and God gave me oppurtunities.

"I received nothing I wanted... but everything I needed."

This last point seem really poignant in my life at this time...receiving nothing i desired but gaining even more than i had expected. As my last quarter at UCI approaches, I am bombarded with so many overwhelming thoughts and memories. That cliche is really true that time really flies freakin' flies when ur having fun. Four years goes by so fast...u 1st and 2nd years out there enjoy every second of it while it lasts. Looking back at my 3 years and 2 quarters, I guess you can say that I really did not accomplish many of the things that I had wanted to do in college. I came into college thinking I wanted to get involved with 1) SPOP, 2) becoming a peer advisor for the school of SE or for the counseling cntr, 3) going EAP (study abroad), and 4) getting involved politically at UCI thru ASUCI or some sort of variation of that. But none of that worked out. Some I did attempt while others I never actually got to. However, i still gained one of the richest experiences thru college by finding myself!! I know that seems so cliche but I feel so much grounded and certain of the woman I've become because of the stuff I realized about myself in the last four years. Funny how the crap in life really makes u a stronger person. Dood...its been a really rough year personally for me. I've been forced to face a lot of stuff about mysefl internally because of people that I encountered and have really tested who I am. But it really feels so awesome being able to stick to your morals, values, and beliefs. I sure have had my share of mistakes...but I'm really challenging myself to LEARN from it all. Freakin' easier said than done...

But I have accomplished some since I've been at UCI. Things that I would have never imagined. Society has a particular formula/ criteria of what they deem as succes: nice car, 6 digit salary, boyfriend/girlfriend, designer clothes, etc., etc. And while I haven't necessarily achieved much of that, I still consider myself pretty successful not thru the world's eyes but thru my own personal definition. Here's what I HAVE gotten involved with: 1) LIWANAG- serving God and finding wonderful/awesome/beautiful/loving friends to do it with, 2) working w/ Austistic kids, 3) volunteering/interning at HOAG hospital (in the ER and L&D, and seen some pretty cool stuff), 4) working with victims of child abuse (such an eye opener...makes me feel so blessed personally and honored that I can help these kids heal if just for a second) , 5) joining DAYS, and 6) helping the homeless. I would have never predicted freshman year that this would be the path that I would take. Funny how doors constantly close yet so many better ones open!! When I was talking to my roomie Melissa the other day, I realized that many of the experiences/internships that I got involved with has really helped me narrow down what I want career path I want to take- that being nursing! I did contemplate a few other things before arriving to that conclusion like social work or therapy, but I feel really called ultimately to nursing.

NEway, this summarizes it all:

"Success is to be measured not so much by the position that one has reached in life as by the obstacles which one has overcome while trying to succeed."
- Booker T. Washington