cont... Marinade or Faith?

continuation...
I had the opportunity to take a wonderful 2 1/2 weeks trip a few weeks ago back to Highlands, then to Valdosta, GA & on to Atlanta.  I hadn't been back to Highlands since we moved the end of Sept. 2011.  It was great spending time with my Mom but, it was also a bitter sweet time because it was my first time back at home since my Dad past away this past Jan. Going to a Dental Conference to receive many CE credits in Atlanta is always fun.  I learn a lot of information & I have so much fun being with Dr. Dyer's office.  Along the way I got to visit with many wonderful friends & go to a wonderful Women's Retreat.

While in Valdosta I got to visit with one of my dearest friends named Gaye.  We went out to lunch in her new Jaguar.  Boy, did I give her a lot grief about that.  After talking about the families & all our girlie stuff, I began to talk about the woes of taking the Dental Hygiene Boards, again.  The bottom line of that conversation, was the Lord was with me through the NC boards, He will be with me through the AR boards.


Then I began telling her after the joy of passing the boards, I now get to pay over a $1000 to take a course for a week about Dental Hygiene Local Anesthesia.  In other words, I've got to learn how to give shots!!!  Not only do I have to learn how to give a shot, I get to be a guinea pig for someone else for five days for them to practice on.  :( :( :(  


Now, the Dentist & Hygienist over here love doing this.  I am the person who HATES shots with a purple passion.  I have hated them since I was a very small child.  I can't even watch someone else on TV with a knife or an animal attacking another animal on the Discovery Channel.  I can dig in your mouth & get all that gunk out, but forget a shot.


As I was telling Gaye all this we started dieing laughing.  The more expressive I got, the more we laughed.  About the end of this conversation, it was time for us to depart.  We were still sitting in her car, talking of course, next to my car.  Gaye then came up with this great idea.  "Ann, just think of those mouths as being a chicken.  As you are giving those shots, you are marinating a chicken.  Just imagine that medicine spreading out like marinade all through the mouth."  By this time we were roaring with laughter.  Laughing tears were flowing down my cheeks.  You know, one of those belly laughs.  In fact, I am laughing all over again while writing this story.  


Well, I must admit, that if I ever take the course I might kill over laughing with the shot in my hand & never make it to the patients mouth.  At this point in my journey in preparing to take the AR Dental Hygiene Boards, I don't have a patient & my board is Apr 28th.  That seems like a long time away, but really I have about 1 1/2 weeks to find a patient or maybe I need to withdraw from the exam & give up practicing DH..  If I don't get my license, then I don't have to take the course.  Hey!! :)


Some anchor concepts of faith that I have really hung onto are: that God is good no matter what;  He loves me & He wants the best for me & my family; & He is faithful no matter what.  He hasn't failed me, & I haven't failed myself through this process.  If I take the board or not, if I pass or not; He is still a good Father.  Again, these concepts keep me grounded in my life.  Other faith steps through this journey have been clinging to the verses that God has given me; not giving up; studying for the course before I pass the boards (I have to pass the boards to take the course).


Well back to the marinade, shots or no shots, God wants to marinade me in His Word & in His goodness everyday.  Don't you love that?!  Also, don't you love dear friends that help you keep life in perspective?!  I do.


                                 ann :)
                                     






    

Marinade or Faith?

Almost two and a half years ago I completed an up & down journey that involved renewing my GA RDH license & earning my NC RDH license.  This was one of the most stressful journeys that I have ever lived through in a very, Very, VERY long time.

This season of my life began when Dave mentioned to me one random day, that if something happened to him, it might be a good idea for me to renew my GA RDH license.  We lived in Highlands, NC at the time; a tiny mountain town which was only about 30 minutes from the GA State line.  This idea led to me doing the carpal tunnel surgery on my right hand in Dec of 2008.  Then in Jan. 2009, after filling out all the paper work for the GA Board, I was now part of the waiting game.  To make a long story short, I received my license in December of 2009.

In the meantime while waiting on my GA license, I really felt lead within my spirit to go after my NC license since I lived in NC.  Makes sense, huh!  This is where the stress of my journey really began.  I had to find a patient who would consent for me to take him to the Board exam & clean a portion of his mouth.  This was not an easy feat since I was not in a school setting anymore.  It seems that this wouldn't be all that hard.  Who wouldn't want a free cleaning, Xrays, all expenses paid trip to Greenville, NC, & money on the side.   It doesn't work that way.  The Dental Board has a very specific criteria for you to follow.  God provided for my every need in many miraculous ways along this journey.  Maybe one day I will write a blog about it.  To make a long story short, the Lord got me a patient & I passed the Board in Oct, 2009.  One of the greatest lessons I learned through this process was overcoming my battle with fear.  Another thing I learned was I NEVER WANTED TO GO THROUGH ANYTHING LIKE THIS AGAIN.

If you have been reading my blog; beginning 9-6-11; you would have learned that we have just been through a major move from Highlands, NC to Maumelle, AR the end of Sept 2011.  Guess what that means?  Yep!!  If I am to practice Dental Hygiene, I am going to have to take the Clinical EXAM all over again! :(  Yes, I have to find the perfect patient to meet the AR Boards' criteria to take to the exam.  At least this time I can take the exam here in town & I have the Dental Hygiene School to help me in many ways.  So here I go again putting fliers all over town, FB messages, hospitals & visiting churches with my information that I need in find that patient.

God has given me the neatest verses to carry me along this journey-Ex 31:1-5
Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying: ² “See, I have called by name Bezalel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah. ³ And I have filled him with the Spirit of God, in wisdom, in understanding, in knowledge, and in all manner of workmanship, ⁴ to design artistic works, to work in gold, in silver, in bronze, ⁵ in cutting jewels for setting, in carving wood, and to work in all manner of workmanship.


Well this fits me to the TEE.  I am like Bezalel.  He was the only a blue collar worker that God put His Spirit into.  He was not a leader or a prophet.  I am God's child & I have His Spirit in me.  I have prayed that God would fill me not only with His Spirit, but also in wisdom, in understanding, in knowledge, & in all manner of workmanship to work in all manner of workmanship of Dental Hygiene.  Bezalel, had to do his job perfectly the first time.  I need to do that with the Boards.  He also worked well under authority.  I have needed to have this in working with my instructors.


I hate long blogs, so I will continue the story later....


                                        ann :)