Ahhh It's Already March!!

Hello everyone!! It's been a while since my last post! I hope everyone is doing well! I will be in Las Cruces from the 16th-the 20th. I'm hoping to get things done and get questions answered while I'm there. Everything here in Lobo Land is okay. I'm not doing so good in my Anatomy and Physiology class but other things in my life are looking up. I'm feeling great and I'm so happy. I've finally gotten enough hours at Home Instead to get my by. I feel this happened just as I was rethinking everything. I guess I could tell you now. The plans are not all figured out yet I'm still in the thinking on this thought. I'm thinking about moving back to Las Cruces. It is just too expensive here. School tuition for the nursing school has gone up $125 per credit and I"m barely making ends meet. I was getting paid more every two weeks in Las Cruces than I am here. I've put myself in debt with my credit card. I did not want that. while I was out of a job I needed money to pay for gas and rent and utilities so I used my credit card now it's full and I"m struggling to pay it off. I had it almost paid off when I was in Las Cruces. I've been thinking about moving back so I can get rid of this debt and I don't know maybe I have something in las cruces waiting for me. :) The problem is do I move back to Las Cruces in June or July when school is over or do I move back after the lease is up. If I moved back in June or July I would stay at my parents house and still pay for rent up here. I wouldn't want to leave my roommates hanging. I would find someone to take over the lease for me but one of my roommates is already doing that and hasn't had any luck finding anyone to take over the lease. I figure I could pay for rent and still have money left to pay for my other bills. The other option is to move back when the lease is over and find an apartment in Las Cruces. This would also be okay but I want to go to school in the fall. the lease is up in September and the semester starts in August. then I think maybe I could stay for the summer in Albuquerque then move back down in time for the school semester to start and pay for the few months that are left on the lease. I don't know. this is my dilemma right now. Well I still have time to figure things out! Well I hope to see some of you while I'm in Las Cruces! I will try to keep you updated!

This song has been on my mind for quite sometime!
Pieces by RED (one of my favorite bands!)




Prayer Requests!

*Please pray that God would guide me in the right direction and help me make the right decision for moving back to Las Cruces.

*Please pray for my friend katie. she is going to my church with me but I'm affraid that if I leave she will not go anymore because she will not have anyone to go with. I keep asking her to go to a bible study with me so she can me new people and make some friends up here in Albuquerque.

*Please pray that I will get through this Anatomy and Physiology class this semester. This class is killing me.

As always thanks for the prayers!

Until next time God bless,

Erica Nicole

Happy New Year!!!

Hello everyone!I I hope you had a great first few weeks of the new year!! I don't usually make resolutions but a few goals I have for this year are to get back to reading the bible and praying everyday! My friend Katie and I have decided to read from the bible everyday and to keep each other accountable. Our church has book marks for every month with readings for everyday that month. they have 12 for every month of the year. So my plan is to read through the bible in a year again! I also want to get back in a gym and back down to my running weight! I think that's about it for now!

Now I'll share a song that has been on my mind this past week. It has gotten me through my hard week.



Classes started this last week. I'm only taking 2 classes but It'll be a very busy semester! I am taking Anatomy & Physiology I the lecture class and the lab and I'm taking Spanish II online. I feel good about this semester. We'll see how it goes.

My roommate "M" said an apartment has opened up that is owned by the place she works for and is taking the apartment. which means we will be without a roommate. she said she would not leave the two of us hanging and is trying to find someone else to take her place. where she works there are a lot of college students. which would mean they would possible only be here for the semester and leave when the summer break comes. The lease isn't over until September. I trust her and I know she will make a good decision.

My other roommate "S" has been gone for the whole Christmas Break which is about a month. she is going to be home today!! I've actually missed her while she's been gone. I can't wait to catch up with her!

someone I work for has surprised me and done so many things that I could never imagine. I never asked for anything. It's so hard to work for someone and not get close to them. she is like a friend to me. I care very much about her. She obviously cares about me. one of those things that she has done for me was very recent. she had surprised me with a set of dishes that she bought me with out me knowing. I kept telling her no I couldn't take them, you shouldn't have. she is a very sweet. she told me before I left that she got them for me because she wanted to and that she wants me to have them because she's never had a daughter to buy these kind of things for. I took them but I did get her one of those edible arrangements gift baskets. I told her I owe her a life debt since she decided to get those dishes.

I no longer work a Victoria's Secret. The didn't tell me until a day before my last day. When I asked them about it they said "oh they didn't talk to you about it? We told all the seasonal hires that this was their last week at the beginning of the week.' Well I obviously didn't know. I complained that I didn't have the same amount of time as the others did to look for another job so they compromised with "we will put you on call for this week" which actually means we will say you can have an "extra" week on call but actually we will never call you. yep I was never called. I knew that it would eventually end but still I'm a little upset they didn't tell me at the same time they did everyone else. So I'm back to looking for another job.

Other than that nothing much has happened. All of this though happened in one week. Crazy!!!

Prayer Requests!!

*Well if you could please pray for my friend katie and I as we start to read from the bible everyday.

*Please pray that I would get back to reading and praying everyday.

*Please pray that I will find a new job.

*please pray that I will remember all that I need to when I'm studying for my classes.

*Please pray for the lady that I take care of that she would see Christ in me.

*Please pray our roommate will find someone to take over her part of the lease.

Thanks for all the prayers!

Until next time God bless!!
Love, Erica Nicole

A White Christmas!

Hello everyone! I'm so glad I have made it this far! I hope you are all enjoying family and the joy of Christmas! I was finally able to come down for Christmas. Although I'm not going to be here very long I have made time to see some of you...thank you for allowing to spend some time with you on Christmas Eve!



I know those of you in Las Cruces, NM have not gotten snow this december but Albuquerque has!!!!


Working two jobs is making me very tired! but I did great this semester at school! I'm still hoping I am kept on after the season is over at Victoria's Secret. I like working there and It's been working out great with the money situation. I've been able to pay all the bills I have with both paychecks that I'm getting.

Well I guess I'll make this one short...it is Christmas Day and all!! I hope you all have a wonderful and blessed christmas and a Happy New Year!!


Prayer Requests:

Prayer that I"ll get to keep my job at Victoria's Secret after the season is over.
Prayer that God would continue to provide me with everything I need to continue my education out here!
Please keep my friend Katie in your prayers. she is going to church with me!

Thanks for the prayers and until next time God bless!!!

Love,
Erica C :)

Victoria's Secret

Hello everyone!! I thought I'd share the song that I've been listening to all week...


So I have a PRAISE!! I found a job! I work at Victoria's Secret! It's a seasonal position but they told us if they feel we have done an outstanding job during the season they might keep us on. I have worked 3 days so far and I am trying my best to work hard at whatever they give me. I "pushed" products on my first day of work and They told me they were impressed because they don't usually have new hires "push" products on their first day because they don't know where everything goes. "Pushing" means taking the new shipments and putting them on the sale floor in the correct place. I got some really great positive feed back on my first day. I really like working at Victoria's Secret! Hopefully I'll get to keep the job! I'm still working at Home Instead so I"m working 2 jobs. I know I am going to be so busy.


I thought I wouldn't be able to make it back home for Thanksgiving but it turns out I have enough money now and I will be driving down to Hatch for the day and driving back home the same day since I have to work at VS for Black Friday. Other than that not too much has happened. I got a new tire for my car. I also baked cookies and took them to work (VS) and everyone loved them. My parents came and stayed for a few days at the beginning of November. That was nice! My friend Katie has been going to church with me. I keep inviting her to my bible study but she's been busy during that tame.

PRAYER REQUESTS:
* Please pray that I would be able to keep my job at Victoria's Secret.
*Please pray for safe travels on Thanksgiving.
*Pray that Katie would be able to make it to the bible study and continue to go to church with me.
*Please pray that my needs would continue to be met.

Thanks for the prayers everyone!!

I hope everyone has a Happy Thanksgiving full of food and family!! I love you all!

Another day in Duke City

Hello all! I’m enjoying a glass of orange juice at the Frontier Restaurant while I am writing this. Last week was a rough one. I had to take my dog into the animal hospital which ended up costing my most of my pay check. The next day I got a flat tire from driving on a road I was unfamiliar with and running over something that should have had a bright flag or bole on it. I found out that would cost me $170 that I didn’t have. The day after that I injured my foot which put me back on training for a 5k run. The next day was okay nothing happened really. But the day after that I ran out of gas and had no choice but to put my last $5 in my car. That’s supposed to last me to the 10th when I get paid.

My dog Wicket!

My dog is fine! I did find a tire for less than $170 but I didn’t have the money to buy it. I will when I get paid. A friend from class gave me $5 for gas. I’m still working at Home Instead. I have an interview on Thursday and I still haven’t heard from the Assisted Living Center I interviewed with a few weeks ago.

I have an interview as a final in my Spanish class. I’ve been trying to practice for that but it’s not really working. I’m so burnt out on finding a job, working, school, and trying to study that It all just doesn’t make sense anymore. There are also labs that I have to do online but the website keeps telling me it doesn’t recognize my username and password. When I contact the technical support they send an email with the same username and password that it doesn’t recognize. I told the instructor but I haven’t heard anything back from him yet. This is all due at the end of the semester (a month left).

There is a girl who just moved up to Albuquerque from Las Cruces. I went to high school with her. I got a hold of her because she has made a comment on my status about wanting to go to church. She did she said she really liked my church. She has only gone once. I’ve also invited her to the bible study I go to. She hasn’t come to that yet. I’m really hopeful. Also I am officially a member at Sagebrush Community Church. I’m really happy about this. It’s a great church and they’re doing some great things in the community!


This is my church Sagebrush Community Church
http://www.sagebrush.cc/


Prayer Requests
* Please pray that God will open up opportunities for me so I’ll be able to make ends meet!
* Please pray that I’ll absorb all the information I need to know for my Spanish final and that I’ll be able to get online and finish my Lab work!
* Please pray for My friend that God will speak to her through me and through the church services!

Thanks for the prayers and until next time God bless!!
Erica C :)

Albuquerque

Hi! I'm sitting in our living room watching my dog play with his toys! It's been a very exciting few months since I moved up here. The move was good I got to spend time with my mom and aunt and uncle in Colorado before I actually settled it.

In the process of moving up here I made sure I had a job to start with. I was originally hired at Home Instead Senior Care. It's a great business. I really like it there I just wish I had more hours with them. I then found a more permanent job at Albuquerque Grand which at the beginning I thought was perfect for me. The owners were "Christian". I started there at the end of June. I went there one day with my resume. The owners in May asked me to bring it when I was living in ABQ so I did. It just so happen they were doing interviews that day. So I waited and interviewed with them that day. They said I had the job and to come in the next day. After a while they had me take a Medication Assistant test. I passed and started passing meds. I was really nervous about this because they did not pass meds the way I was used to MA's doing it.

At my last job at Cottonbloom the MA's kept their meds in a med cart. the Albuquerque Grand decided to get rid of their carts because "it made the place look like a nursing home". we wore scrubs...this of course did not make the place look like a nursing home! so they kept their meds in a storage closet in the assisted living office. when you passed meds you were supposed to pile the residents med "boxes" (which were really ziplock baggies or tupperware left over containers) on a paint cart and the narcotics were locked in a cabinet in the storage cabinet. when you needed those you would take the ones you needed and put those on the paint cart with the other meds. when you passed them out they were out in the open! anyone could take them if they wanted. it was crazy! it was inevitable that someone would lose meds at some point. of course that someone had to be me. Yep I lost meds and not just any meds it had to be narcotics. When I lose something I do it right...it wasn't that much it was two pills but still narcotics are narcotics.

They of course thought I stole them. They kept asking me "are you sure you lost them?" yes I am sure. I am more than positive they were "lost" or taken by someone because of the lack of security. I cried because I know how serious it is to lose any kind of med. aside from the med problem they did not follow state regulations very well. They kept dirty depends in rooms up to a week! Rooms smelled bad and I consider that neglect...which the state also does too. I was in one residents room once and I was getting ready to get her into bed I pulled the sheets down and there was BM on her sheets! I was so upset!! It wasn't right. it's like the caregivers there didn't care. Well, eventually the supervisor asked to talk to me. I'll spare you the details but pretty much he told me I wasn't being a Christian, that I needed to be a light to the people in the facility, that him and his wife hired me on the assumption that I was a Christian and that I was not living up to or showing that I was a Christian. that made me mad because it was as if he was judging me when only God can judge his people. I was so upset. It got to a point where I was so upset and depressed and I resented and hated going to work everyday. I did not like it. I was spiraling out of control. I decided to put my two weeks in. since then I've been a lot more happy. I feel like I'm getting closer to Christ and working on that relationship. I don't know where I would be nor do I want to know where I would be in my relationship if I had not left that job.

Yes, I don't have much money but I'm still working at Home Instead Senior Care and I'm looking for a job. I'm happy and loving my church family up here. I am trying to see the good in this situation. At times it's hard but I trust God will provide when the time is right. I had an interview yesterday at an assisted living center. I feel it went really well! they said "I wouldn't be surprised if you got a call within the next few days". They want me to be a med assistant/caregiver. Hopefully it works out.

At Home Instead the hours haven't been that great. I think in the past 2 weeks I've worked maybe 8 hours total but yesterday they called me and asked if I wanted to work continually with a lady I like a lot and she always requests me when her current caregiver is unavailable. I agreed. This would be a Monday, Wednesday, and Friday job. Things are looking up! I'll post more when I get the chance! I hope this blog finds you well and close to Christ! If you know of anyone who would like to know how I'm dong please pass this blog address along! Thanks and God bless!

PRAYER REQUESTS

*Please pray that God would provide me with a job/money so I can pay for rent and bills
*I am currently taking a membership class at my church (Sagebrush Community Church) so if you could pray that I would become closer to God as a result and be placed where HE needs me to be at this church.
*My roommates as we don't get to see each other that often...we have such different schedules.
*In my community group we are keeping each other accountable for reading everyday...I am struggling with that right now I'm always "too busy". Please pray that I would make this a priority in my life!

Thanks for the prayers and I love you all!
Erica C :)