One resolution I have made, and try always to keep, is this: To rise above the little things.

-John Burroughs

I have never been big on New Year's Resolutions. Quite frankly, I can't remember a single resolution I made last year, so they couldn't have been that good! This year, however, I am making them, I am writing them here, and I am doing my best to uphold them. 2011 holds a LOT of special potential for me, and I feel like I ought to pay my respects to it with a few resolutions:

1. To be more organized. Most of the time, I appear extremely organized and type A. However, certain pockets of my life are what I like to call "organized chaos." Such as my email. I never delete anything, or file it, or sometimes even read it for that matter. Until today, my gmail inbox had 837 messages, 246 of which were unread. HOLY SMOKES. No more of that. I am going to use the tools that gmail gives me to organize it. I will file away things in their appropriate folders if they need to be saved. I will delete the Groupon email the moment I decide not to indulge in it's wonderful deal of the day. I will not have more than 10 items in my inbox at a time (This is big.). mark. my. words.

I will even do the same with my school email. and if I get really organized, I will forward my school email to gmail to allow me to better organize it. Because outlook is not nearly as nice for such things as gmail. lets be real.

I will also organize the office (Matthew- this one is for you babe!) I will no longer have piles of school notes mixed with coupons mixed with bank statements. I will put the school things in binders and the statements in the file box. Immediately. Not 3 weeks after I receive them. I will throw away the coupons I know I will not use. I wont keep things I know we don't need!

I will also organize my sim lab drawers- I will no longer spend 10 minutes digging through junk I don't use or need everyday (hammer, pres/res dentoform, rubber dams etc) just to get to the things I know I always need. I am cleansing and organizing it all!

2. Make more time for quiet time and prayer. & spend less time wasting time on things like facebook! I have a new devotional book and I am going to make a point to devote time to that everyday. and maybe even journal too.

3. Pass NBDE Part 1 Boards. The 1st time. This one is self explanatory, but I would like to get it out of the way sooner rather than later and with as little undue stress as possible. I am also resolving not to freak out about it, and I am accepting that I will not know everything. period. I will put effort in and pass and move on to treating patients!

4. To not stress about the wedding. It is too easy to get caught up in all of the stress of every little detail, especially with all the other things going on in my life as I try to plan this wedding. But I resolve to not stress, and to remind myself that the only truly important thing is that at the end of the day on August 13, 2011, Matthew and I are married.

5. Be under budget. My fiance is an accountant. So naturally, we have an elaborate and very to-the-decimal-point budget. Yet, I still have a knack for going over it from time to time (or all the time...). This year, I'm going to pay attention to the budget. I'm going to be better about needless spending. I am going to try my hardest to stay under budget, rather than trying my hardest to pretend the budget doesn't exist. I will even make more coffee at home and drink less Starbucks. This may be the hardest resolution yet...

6. Be healthier. Overall. I have done a decent job with this this year, but there is always room for improvement. I am going to skip the gym less and skip the sweets more. I will drink more water and less soda. I'll take the stairs, not the elevator. I will get more sleep. I will take my vitamins more than twice a week. I will eat a good breakfast everyday. I will stretch. I will put my health before my studies!

So there you have it, my resolutions for 2011. So enjoy the last days of 2010, and think of your own resolutions for the new year. It is sure starting to look like it will be a good one!

Sometimes I feel like throwing my hands up in the air

I know I can count on you

Sometimes I feel like saying "Lord I just don't care"

But you've got the love I need To see me through

Sometimes it seems that the going is just too rough

And things go wrong no matter what I do

Now and then it seems that life is just too much

But you've got the love I need to see me through

When food is gone you are my daily meal

When friends are gone I know my savior's love is real

Your love is real

You got the love

You got the love

You got the love

You got the love

You got the love

You got the love

Time after time I think "Oh Lord what's the use?"

Time after time I think it's just no good

Sooner or later in life, the things you love you loose

But you got the love I need to see me through

-Florence and the Machine

This song is basically on repeat on my finals playlist. Halfway there!

Take a Listen.

PS: 11 days until Christmas!

"A successful marriage requires falling in love many times, always with the same person."

-Mignon McLaughlin

So in 248 days, Matthew and I are getting married. We are doing all sorts of things in the upcoming months to get ready for it, and then we will have a life together beyond that. I like to call us [Soon-to-be] Team Warnken, and I can't wait to drop that whole Soon-to-be part. Matthew and I are both sports enthusiasts so Team Warnken just fits. Someday we will be more of us than just enough to field a ping-pong team or a tennis double. Anyway, I decided this whole future and marriage thing deserved its own blog. So, here it is!

[Soon-to-Be] TEAM WARNKEN

Check it out! I am excited to see where it goes, and where our life together takes us!

“I am with you always…”

Matthew 28:20

In the past few weeks, I have done some serious soul-searching. I have wondered if the path I am on to being a Dentist is truly the path that was meant for me. I have talked to God, I have questioned God, and I have questioned myself. I have cried. I have yelled. I have tossed and turned at night. The hardest part of all of it is that prior to the last month or two, I have always been SO sure that this is the path I am supposed to take. Prayer and introspection has lead me to believe that it still is, but that I can't do it alone. I need love and support. I need to rely a little bit more on that love and support. I need balance, and more than just dentistry in my life. But above all, I need faith. Faith that no matter how hard it gets, this is where I am meant to be. And I have been seriously lacking in that faith.

Its amazing how some people can inspire you. My sister has a blog that inspires me every time I read it. My friends post things about people I don't even know that inspire me on a constant basis. Matthew and his constant patience, love, and understanding inspire me daily.

I have realized that more than anything, my faith pulls me through. Faith in God and his plan, Faith in my future, Faith in those around me. It is when I express this faith, and allow it to allow me to see daily small miracles, that I am most content. So take some time, see the miracles. (Even if the only miracle you can see is that you got through the day without your bridge falling apart on you in lab). Because life is so much brighter when faith illuminates it.

"Wasn't it easier in your lunchbox days?

Always a bigger bed

to crawl into

Wasn't it beautiful when you believed in everything?

And everybody believed in you?

It's all right, just wait and see

Your string of lights is still bright to me

Oh, who you are is not where you've been

You're still an innocent"

-Taylor Swift

So October was a long month. 19 days of school, 14 exams. Not exactly my idea of fun. But we all survived, and I learned a few things:

1. I can handle more than I thought. Even at its worst, I am still doing what I want to be doing, which is an incredible blessing that not everyone can be thankful for. (But, if we never have a month like october again, I will be totally okay with that).

2. No matter what life brings, balance is a must. However, it is much easier said than done. Often, my loved ones get pushed to the wayside because of the stress of exams and ambitions. I'm learning that when that happens, I only end up frustrated and distanced, and it is never really worth it. I think this is an ongoing battle for most, and those that find some sort of balance are happiest. I'm slowly getting there :)

3. Teamwork is also a must. I am not sure what I would do without my classmates sometimes. For instance, a few weeks ago, we had to take PVS impressions on manikins for our removable partial dentures class. Basically, this sort of impression is nearly impossible to get off of a plastic mouth with no saliva. It was frustrating, and all of us were fed up and struggling. My friend nick handed me his plate with his dentoform on it (basically what you screw the plastic mouth to and then put a face over to simulate the patient). His impression was stuck so he said "Here, hold this and PULL." It didn't work. So Billy jumps in and says "We just need more people." He grabs the plate as well and before we know it there are SIX people pulling from one side or the other:

Naturally, Anna took pictures. And the best part was, after a few minutes (literally) of tugging, the impression came flying off and all of us went flying in different directions. It was hilarious. So even though the day was frustrating and basically a wash for most of us, we had fun and got a laugh in. Which is basically why I could never survive dental school without my classmates.

4. When I start to lose sight of my center and what is truly important, God tends to remind me. The other day, I was driving home when I witnessed an act of kindness and love that honestly brought tears to my eyes. I was driving down Wisconsin Avenue on my way home from school when I saw a man on the ground in the middle of the road, near the divider. He was older, frail, and a little rough looking. And he was struggling. As I was processing the situation and panicking he was going to be hit, a dark, sleek SUV going the opposite direction stopped. In the middle of Wisconsin Ave. Put the car in PARK. In the middle of Wisconsin Ave. Did I mention it was rush hour? If you are from Omaha, imagine Dodge at 5pm (only you can turn left on Wisconsin). Tampa friends- imagine Dale Mabry, but 2 lanes rather than 3 or 4. Busy. Bustling. Road-Ragers everywhere. Additionally, this particular part of Wisconsin Ave is a little bit rough. most people drive through trying not to look around or stay too terribly long... Anyway, the SUV stopped and out-stepped a well dressed sleek looking man, probably in his 30s. He picked the man up from behind, and then put his hand out, stopped traffic, and walked the man to the other side of the street. No one honked. Every car stopped (and not simply because the light was red, it had since turned green). It was amazing. Before I even realized it, my eyes were welling up. SUV-Man did not have to stop. No one else did. I am honestly not sure I would have had the courage to. I have no idea how long the fallen-man had been in the road. But SUV-man stopped, and made the rest of the road stop in doing so. It was so incredible and moving. There IS still good in the world. People care for people they don't know. And God has a way of reminding us all to love our neighbors as ourselves.

5. I seriously can't wait for August 13th, 2011. I thought I was excited 15 months ago. Now I am downright ecstatic and I still have 9 months of being patient. We took engagement photos 2 weeks ago- I will be sharing as soon as I get them! I booked a DJ, so if all else fails there WILL be a party :). A bridesmaid dress is IN, another is ordered, and 5 more are being decided on :). One shower is planned, another has a date, and another is in the works. All 3 in different states! I love my family and this long distance wedding thing is really not so bad at all. I'm working on save-the-dates, a florist, and little unique ideas to make the whole thing truly ours. Matthew is continually supportive and occasionally gives an answer other than "whatever you want, babe." While some brides might rejoice in this response- I quite frankly can't stand it. This isn't MY wedding. It is OUR wedding. What he wants matters too -unless of course it is green and red tuxes (Matthew's fraternity colors) for the groomsmen. Then its my wedding and no green and red allowed- but only then! Its an August wedding- green and red? really?!? Then, of course, he snickers and says "I just love to see your face when I do that!" At least he's entertained?? Needless to say the entire process has been entertaining and both of us just can't wait.

So now that we are in November, I'm focusing on balance, relaxation, and peacefulness. Im slowing down and trying to enjoy life outside of school while keeping school under control. only 4 tests all month so I'll let you know how that goes... :).

Sorry for the long update- go do something fun before its freezing and there is snow on the ground (its in the Milwaukee forcast- ewww). Have a good week!

Jesus said "I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to the mountain 'Move from here to there' and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you." Matthew 17:20

God works in mysterious ways, and sometimes I think we forget to give him credit. I've been stressing out a lot lately. October is going to be a rough month. Tests basically barfed on my planner this month and decided to spare far less days than they took hostage. Two this week. Three the next week. Three the next week. Fall Break (a whole day off- thank you for being so generous, Marquette). ENGAGEMENT PHOTOS. More tests. So needless to say, I've been feeling a little bit overwhelmed. Then certain things reminded me that no matter what, I can handle it. And in times of darkness, He will be there. It's easy to forget to make time for reflection and prayer when my life gets crazy. But these days, God finds ways to remind me as long as I pay attention.

For instance, Today I was studying away, listening to the GLEE station on the amazing pandora app I downloaded (FOR FREE- bonus) onto my ipod. A song came on that made me immediately think of my sister and a situation that is currently going on in her life. I sent her the song and low and behold she was sitting in the PERFECT place for her to listen to and share that song. Thanks Big Man.

Or earlier today, when I was stressing out and feeling super overwhelmed and I stumbled upon this scripture writing. Coincidence? I think not.

Sometimes we just need a small reminder that we are not alone.

This month, I am going to make an effort amid the mine field of tests to make time for reflection, meditation, and prayer. God gave his only Son so that we may live. I can give God 10 minutes of my day to appreciate His creation and to thank Him for His works of Grace.

What scripture inspires you? Find one. Write it down. Put it somewhere you will see it at least once a day. And have a little faith...

I've decided that when I see something that I just think is awesome, I'm going to make an effort to share it, like this print from holstee.com. It reminds me of some of the important things that I may forget to do on a day-to day basis. Sometimes, when I am busy studying and stressing, being creative gets thrown to the wayside. I need my creative outlet to be in balance, and this reminds me that that is important....

Happy (almost) Friday. Do something expressive or creative today.