Same God, Different Me.

Wow, it's been 10 years. Here in the US. And can I just say God has been FAITHFUL! 
I arrived in 2004 with a dream and plan of how my life will pan out...ha! If only I knew...Lol! 
Through it all, He remains the same! He was the same in 2004; He is the same in 2014! I am unashamedly in love with my Father God and I'm thankful to be called His own. I still get people ask me why/how I do what I do and juggle it all as a wife, mom, student, sister, daughter....etc. and all I can say is it's by His Grace alone. I am who/what I am because I have been graced/approved by God for my assignment and purpose here on earth.
To be the best wife to my wonderful hubby.
To be the best mom to my adorable Jolly.
To be the best sister  & daughter to my family.
To be the best student, friend, colleague...etc, that I can be.

My defintion of 'best' is unique to me and my circumstances. I refuse to use someone else's definition of what is best to define my life.

And so with that I say this, don't compare yourself and pine away desiring someone else's life. You have not been designed to walk the path they have walked, face the failures they have encountered and dream the dreams they have envisioned. You are uniquely you in every sense of the word and you were designed and created for purpose. So, instead of wishing you deserve to live someone else's life. 
LIVE YOURS! Re-discover yourself, be malleable, be open, be teachable, be submissive to the process. Be willing to let things go, don't hold on the the past while expecting the future. 

My answer to those that ask why and how I do what I do, it's simple. I love what I do. When you love what you do, even though it's hard work, it is hard work that you enjoy! :-) I don't wish/desire/compare myself to others. I embrace the totality of who I am--strengths, flaws, weaknesess and all. I am confident in the God who made me. Now you see it doesn't mean I am perfect, ha! Far from it! 
It only means that I don't mind failing or falling at certain things because they present opportunities for new growth and learning. And, I love learning new stuff.

So for you who still have dreams, stop dreaming and start living your dreams. For those who have goals, start executing them. Don't live life wishing you were someone/something else,  when you can be someone else's wish by living your life! 

Apart from being a mommy, I want my Jolly to grow up knowing me as a woman who works hard. A woman who chooses to sacrifice the pleasures and comforts of the present for the joys and gratification of the future. A woman is who is not afraid to live her dreams even when it is not the norm. A woman who has no fear of failing because she is not afraid of learning. A woman who loves her husband. A woman who is fulfilled in living her life they way God designed it. A woman who embraces her heavenly Father and lives her life to please Him alone.

These are the some of the principles I have chosen to live by. Not by the world's standards, but according to His perfect plan for me. I am very excited about what the future holds, because I know who holds my future!

May the choices you make today be the beginning of a lifetime of great happiness and fulfillment.

Have a fantastic day!

Update: Medical school...Not for the fainthearted!

Woohoo! It's been one lonnnnngggg, hot minute! I have not blogged for months! >_< 

Blame it on med school...:-D

I can't believe it's been over a year though! I promise I've been meaning to update the blog. Just.Been.So.Busy. 
I am going to try and do better with updating. But hey! I'm here now! ;)

My updates...

Med school:
I am finally starting to ease into this rollercoaster ride called Medical school. It's not been easy, BUT God has been super faithful and  SOO good!  I have pushed limits beyond what I thought ever existed or that I could ever accomplish. I have learned that God ALWAYS equips those that he has called to fulfill the purpose that He called them for.

We recently finished our Human Anatomy course (think cadaver etc) and it was a massive eye-opener, to say the least. Let's just say, I have learned so much about the 'fascinatingly-coordinated' machinery called the human body and it never ceases to amaze me. 
I still continue to muse on which particular field of medicine interests me the most, but I will leave that for time to decide. I have a few interests in mind though, but I'll keep searching with an open mind for unexpected discoveries along this ever so enlightening journey...;) 
Continue to keep me in your prayers...

Family life:
My lil one is now a BIG 2 year old! She's blossoming before my eyes & she never ceases to amaze me with the new words and sentences that her two year old brain conjours up! She called her dad by his nickname three days ago, out of the blues! We were both shocked, but it was super hilarious to watch my poor hubby look so speechless! LOL.
On that note...
Can I just say that I have THE BEST husband in the world!!! He has been super amazing since we started this med school journey together. I am sooo thankful to God for such a selfless, kind, loving man and super dad to our baby girl. He is already setting the bar REALLY high for my JollyRoo's standards in her choice of  FUTURE (emphasis added) suitors...*ahem* (back off lil guys)
But seriously, I am very grateful for the strong support system that I have with my family and friends, it keeps me going. Without them... (I'm lost for words, literally!) O_O

In the midst of the hustle, hubby and I were able to go on vacay a few weeks ago, and let's just say it was THE best! :) I fell head over heels with my dude again. In the craziness of things, it's so easy to get super busy and forget the little things like laughing hysterically at our very dry jokes and dancing together...and we did just that. It was just totally awesome!

Pearls of Promise:
Remember God is always for you and He remains faithful to his promises. He will continue to keep and watch over you and the desires that He has placed in your heart will come to pass. His grace will see you through. In the meantime, stay strong, be encouraged and keep hope alive! 



Ok guys, I'm off to tuck the lil one in, hang with my textbook buddies and get some more studying done...;o)

I'll leave you with one of my favorite songs...

Till next time, people! I promise I'll make it sooner than later ;)

Toodles.

Remain blessed,
DamiB

The Pursuit of God-given Dreams!

Hi dear People!
It has been a lonnnng minute! Hmmmm.... I am still trying to get the hang of this 'blogging' thing, it's a lot harder than I thought!...(tongue in cheek) *hehe* ;)

So, what's been up with me? I have been chillaxing with my wonderful fam, turning in paperwork to complete admissions/enrollment process for school, i.e transcripts, vaccination records,...yadayada.

My lil one started walking exactly a week after her first bday!!Woohoo! (we jokingly say that she wanted to  have some good ol' birthday cake before she walked....lol). Its super cute, though! No wonder they call them "toddlers", she just toddles off on her not-so-stable legs and explores her little world. Did I say I love being a mommy? ;) She is fixing to be 13 months old in 3 days!!! Yikes! They grow SO fast!

Ok so today I will be "talking" a little about the truths/facts that have helped me on my ongoing journey of turning my dream of becoming a physician into reality... I hope it will be of help to you as well ;)

First, let's address how to recognize what your God-given dream/purpose is. If you are anything like me, you have at some point in your life asked yourself,  "What on earth am I here for? What is my purpose? How do I find my purpose? What if I never find it?" And the list goes on...

Well, I have been there.

I have questioned, doubted and toyed around with so many ideas of what I could/should be doing..I even thought of becoming a chemical engineer at some point in my life...LOL... smh...I would have failed woefully at that! Anyone that knows me well will tell you that I am not a "chemically inclined" human being at all! (except for my makeup/cosmetics paraphernalia  of course! Lol.. :D)
But seriously, I disliked every minute of my premed Chemistry courses.  Ok, let's just say that I had a love-hate relationship with Chemistry... I 'loved' it because I had to complete it as part of my premed requirements, i.e. I needed it to become a doc (lol), but Lord knows I did not like it! Many may wonder, "How can you say you love medicine, yet hate chemistry, I thought all doctors were supposed to love science?"..Well, yes and no!
It is possible for you to love a 'whole' thing, but not have a passion for every part of that 'whole'. For instance, an avid musician who loves music in its entirety may have a passion for the piano or guitar, but not particularly enjoy being on the drums. So, yes, science is a huge part of medicine, but it's not the whole thing...Medicine is an art as well, an art of caring and relating to people.
But that is a message for another time....;)

So, what was I saying before I veered off path? Ummm, yeah.. it did not take me too long to realize that I would most probably have made a VERY terrible not-so-great chemical engineer after making a "D" on my first organic chemistry exam...lol. *cantwatchsmiley*. Notwithstanding, I passed all my premed chemistry courses with good grades. ;)

I went through many phases of questioning whether or not to commit to medicine (its very time consuming and EXPENSIVE to become a physician!) and just advance up the nursing ladder. With prayers and guidance from the Lord, the following pointers helped to redirect me back to my first love, Medicine. It was my dream since childhood and it persisted onto adulthood.

So to answer the question, "How do I know what my God-given dream/purpose is?"...here are 7 truths that continue to guide me on my journey (and I hope will help you too!):

Your God-given DREAM will:

1.) Consistently capture your imagination- simply put, you can't stop thinking about it. It's like a romantic relationship. It consumes your thinking and gets bigger and bigger inside of you!

2.) Seem almost impossible to achieve- My pastor always says, "if your dream is not big enough to REQUIRE God's help and intervention to achieve it, then it is not big enough". The path to achieving your dream should make you become less self reliant and more God-dependent.

3.) Seem like it will never come to pass- the dream will appear unreachable BUT deep down inside of you, you refuse to give up on it or let it go. It could be a sign that the path to achieving it may be rough, but with God's help, it can be attained!

4.) Not excite everyone as much as it excites you- Think about Joseph in the Bible. Genesis 37:5 says Joseph had a dream, and when he told his brothers, they hated him all the more. Uh-oh! Surprised? When he shared  some more information about his dream to his brothers, verse 8 (b) of the same chapter goes on to say: "And they hated him all the more because of his dream and what he had said."
Here's a fact: You will be sure to come across naysayers who will try to "rationalize" and distract you from your God-given destiny (sometimes, even with good intentions!). Be very careful about whom you share your dreams with! Your dream is your unborn child, you are 'pregnant' with it, therefore, not many people feel what you feel or see what you see, so be very protective about it; like a mamma (or pappa) bear would be with their young cubs. Nurture and take care of your dream(s)!

5.) Cause you to receive resistance, setbacks, frustrations, challenges and disappointments- (have I said enough depressing stuff yet?...lol). I  have heard people say on many occasions, "A setback is a setup for a comeback" or "Delay is not denial". These two quotes are so true yet, in the middle of your trials, they tend sound very cliche. Nevertheless, NEVER GIVE UP ON YOUR DREAM! EVER! 
When I think of this point #5, all I can think of is King David in the Bible. God lovingly called David "a man after My own heart", despite that David was NOT spared from his own share of setbacks, frustrations, resistance etc. But, they eventually made him the man that learned deal with anger and danger, learned to fight, became dependent on God for survival and protection, grew in his relationship and increased in the knowledge of God.
He also learned obedience and submission to God, fostered close, enduring friendships and relationships and developed a sense of responsibility to the call of God on his life. You are responsible for the call of God on your life!
In the process of possessing your dreams, you will face many ups and downs that may threaten the pursuit of your dreams, but rejoice because, "These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold--though your faith is far more precious than mere gold. So when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ revealed to the whole world." (1 Peter 1:7, NLT Bible)
You WILL overcome by the Blood of the Lamb and the word of YOUR testimony! (Revelation 12:11, NIV Bible). But without a test, there can't be a testimony, right? ;)

6.) Cause you to walk into the unknown, in uncharted territory- Thomas Jefferson said, "If you want something you've never had, you must be willing to do  something you've never done." What a true statement! Risk-taking is something I have learned over the course of my journey into medicine. I am usually not a big risk taker, but have had to revamp my thinking along the way. I did not have any one in my family or know anybody that I could relate to who had done what I was embarking upon, but I did not let that stop me from moving forward! Israel Houghton's 'Moving Forward' song  comes to mind right now...:) 



7.) Define and shape your life- As you become more convinced about your God-given dream/purpose,  you become more goal-oriented and vision-focused. What I mean is, your life decisions begin to ALIGN with your goals.  For instance, in my case, once I concluded that Medicine was my calling, I began to interact more with physicians and 'picked their brains', I took a course to help me understand more about the economics of the massive healthcare system in America, read books to expand my medical knowledge base and challenge my thinking, built professional relationships and networks, etc...pretty much, anything and everything that helped to promote self improvement, I invested in.


In conclusion...

My hubby always tells me when I am confused about making a decision (which is like everyday!..lol) to identify what I know that I definitely don't want and then decide from the remaining options. Pretty simple advice, right? 
I urge you to do likewise in the pursuit of your God-given dreams.
I hope these above mentioned truths will help you in some way like they did for me.

Remember, no experience in your life is EVER wasted. Even if your God-given dream appears far off from what you are busy doing right now, it will all work out because, "we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to HIS purpose for them." (Romans 8:28)
In the words of my pastor, "God didn't say everything that happens to you will ALWAYS be good, He only said He will make it ALL work out for your good!" The destiny of your life is pre-planned by God, it's HIS plan for you. That's why it is your GOD-GIVEN dream. Pursue and take hold of it!



I leave you with one of my favest songs from Israel Houghton "It's Not over"...as long as there's life, there's hope for your dreams to be realized...#dreamBIG! #keephopealive

Remain blessed and stay tuned...

The Power of Dreams!

On December 14 2012, my life changed FOREVER! The day I gained admission into my top choice medical school. Halleluyah! :D 

At an early age of about 7 or 8 ( not too sure), I decided that medicine could be what I wanted to do "when I grew up". I recall my Uncle asking me then, in the hallways of Emel Hospital (in Africa) what I wanted to be and I, without reservation, stated boldly that I wanted to be a 'doctor!' "Ohhh", he said, "you want to be a medical doctor?". I shook my head vehemently and stated No! I want to be a doctor!  Haha! In my little 7 or 8 year old mind, I did not want any attachments to my becoming a doctor... Only God in heaven knows what I meant then, because I still am yet to figure that one out..(sigh)...lol.

I, however, did not become convinced about medicine until I became a patient myself. In 1999, ( I remember that because of the 1999 Africa Cup of Nations Soccer tournament..;o)), I fell victim to the dreaded Typhoid fever disease. I don't recall too much  about that season of my life, but I remember vividly that the disease WAS. HORRIBLE.

Anyhoos, fast forward to 2004, I arrived in the US to pursue my dream of becoming a doctor. Due to some issues, I decided to forfeit my Pre-Med route and signed up for Nursing in my sophomore year of college.  
As a nurse, I worked hard and thrived in every aspect, but something was STILL missing...i didn't feel fulfilled. It was my love for Medicine and desire to still be a physician; I knew that I had to return to my first love. With guidance from the Holy Spirit,  I made up my mind to go back to school to complete my pre-reqs and embark on my lifelong journey into medicine. But BOY! I sure wasn't aware of how challenging the journey that I was about to embark on was going to shake me to my core!
After a SERIES of tests, trials and temptations to remain with Nursing (since I knew that well enough!), I persevered and endured. I learned more about GOD, Jesus, the Holy Spirit and definitely learned so much more about myself and the tenacious spirit inside of me to possess my DREAM and hold on like Jacob did saying, "I will not let you go unless you bless me!"

Many people were aware that I wanted to be a "doctor" and many did NOT understand why an RN of 4 years "could not just go get your Masters and be a Nurse Practitioner?". Aha! Therein lies the power of a DREAM!

Stay Tuned...

Finally!

Hello Dear people.
After much deliberation, I finally decided to start my blog! Yay!
 I will be "attempting" to blog my way into and through medical school. (God, be my helper..lol). I love ALL things blog-related and I am an avid follower of many blogs,  so I decided to create mine and see how it carries me through. Hehe.
 Stay Tuned...