Five year plan
To say my time at Liberty University has been life altering would not give what has happened during my time here significant justification. To say that I receive a college education would not fully articulate the transformation that I have undergone. I have been given a road map in a world that is as dangerous as it is beautiful (Tucker, 2011). “ We shall not cease from exploration and the end of all our exploration and the end of all our exploring will be to arrive where we started and know the place for the first time” T.S. Eliot. As the Bible says “what has been will be again what has been done will be done again there is nothing new under the sun” (Ecclesiastes 1:9). The world appears different but the world has not changed I have.
I watched the generations and heritage of my family become transformed before my very eyes. If you would have told me that this could happen with an online degree, I would have never believed you. While attending the university I began watching convocation on the online ministries during my Bible classes. I had my teenage niece and nephew come to live with me at the beginning of my schooling very unexpectedly because of the great recession. They were not very happy about this situation. Just beginning college as an adult learner it also concerned me that I would not have the energy to deal with my new life as a college student and the energy of two disgruntled youth. Much to my surprise I watched to angry teenagers sit down and watch the weekly convocation despite me never insisting that they do so. They both became saved and have plans to attend Liberty as residential students in the future.
My husband and I have come to the realization of God calling and purpose for our life, to care for and adopt older children. This was because of the gentle leadership of the staff at Liberty. My calling came out of the death of the only child, I could ever have physically. If you would have told me five years that the death of my own child would be one of my greatest blessings, I would have thought you were cruel and crazy. Through my time at Liberty I have learned that I will see my child again and my child never has to face the suffering of this fallen world. The training that I received here made me spiritually strong enough to be able to see the blessing in my loss. My faith became alive at Liberty.
I also experienced professional growth while at Liberty in the past three years. Because of the knowledge I have gained at Liberty, I was able to climb the clinical latter at my work and had pay increase of eight dollars an hour, during a pay freeze. I also receive a two thousand dollar bonus one year for projects I did for the company based on knowledge I learned while attending school. I won an award for being the best role model and helper on our floor. I have gained confidence and knowledge that has made me a much better nurse. I have learned to provide evidence biased knowledge to the care I provide not just practice in the manner I was taught twenty years ago. I have been taught how to learn and seek knowledge without the help of an instructor.
Over the next five years I have many academic, professional and personal goals. The first and foremost is I want to serve God and follow his will for my life. In order to do this I must continue to study the Bible, attend church and work on my relationship with my heavenly father and obey his commandments. My first personal goal is I will be participating in the biggest loser a weight lost contest at my work. Each year my employer hosts a contest to help employees improve their overall health and lose weight. The grand prize to the employee that losses the most weight and maintains the healthiest behaviors in six months wins $3,000 dollars. I have begun to collect information on the last three winners and questioned them on how they were successful. One thing I have found is they preplanned all their meals, exercised one hour a day, journal their intake, used a nutritionist and also used the gym during their lunch break at work. I plan to use these techniques and a fitness tracking system my sister has bought me for Christmas. I am hoping to be the winner of this money so that I can purchase a new van because, I plan to start foster parenting after the young women and her four children living with me get back on their feet and moves on to their own apartment.
In the past three years despite my husband not working, we have successfully helped my sister become a registered nurse and took care of her two teenagers the one’s I spoke of above. Then God called me and my husband to help women at my work financially to adopt her newborn daughter from a young drug addicted women. The money came unexpectedly from the bonuses I received at work. I was not sure if we could really afford to do this because, I could see so many needs in my own life. My husband and I decide to obey God and I ended up getting an eight dollar an hour raise. Then we had a young women with four children under the age ten ask for my husband and my help because, she was in a domestic abuse situation. We decided to obey God and she is now staying with us and getting her life together. My time at Liberty helped me hear the soft whispers of God. The road has not been easy but, it has been full of miracles. I have seen the hand of God move in a mighty way.
The next goal I have is I would like to obtain my master’s degree in nursing. I plan to take a year off and spend time with family and friends and evaluate the route that I would like to take in my educational endeavors. I am torn between obtaining a master’s degree in nursing education and my ARNP. My heart wants to be a nursing educator but, I am concerned that I will not be able to financially afford the student loan payments if I choose this route. My husband and I decided to do financial peace university through my church to make ourselves more financially fit and pay down some of my student loan debt so we can be financially prepared to continue with my education and become foster parents. We feel that if we are debt free this will open are lives to whatever God calls us to do. I plan to start my master program in 2013. Over the next year I plan to take a non-credit course at the community college to hone my writing skills and obtain medical surgical certification to keep the information I have learned over the past three years current. I have also purchase several GRE study manuals to prepare and study for my exams to get into the graduate program at the University of Florida.
I have also convinced one of my co-workers to begin volunteering at the local children’s home next year. We will be going to have are background checks and fingerprinting right after Christmas. We have both decided to fill any need that they have, tutoring, driving, babysitting, nursery etc. I have also always wanted to write novels for Christian women, I started one but never finished. I have a friend who is encouraging me to finish the novel so that she can help me e- publish it. I also have been asked to write an article for a local Christian magazine through my church. I have begun a blog to advocate for orphans and will continue to write to my state representatives regarding their needs.
In the next five years I plan to adopt four children, obtain a master’s degree in nursing, build a strong family, publish an e- book, write articles for a free Christian magazine, become more financially stable, volunteer in my community, help the young women live with me stabilize her life, get healthier, win the biggest loser contest at my work, and become closer to the God that has given me a cup that overflows. My plan to be a lifelong learner is after I receive a master’s degree in nursing I will return to Liberty online for my doctorate. My Immediate goal is I am going to prepare for our saviors birthday and thank him for the many blessing that I am so very undeserving of. Most of all I will try to follow God's guidence.
References
Tucker, L. (2011). The winters in bloom. New York, Toronto,
Sydney, New Delhi; Atria books.
Sydney, New Delhi; Atria books.
