update

Wow-been a while again! I feel like I always write that as my first-liner!! Anyway, not much is new for us, except that we are in our last year of medical school, which is amazing! We traveled to Alaska for a family cruise when we were supposed to be studying for step 2, oops! Had an amazing time with Josh's family. Our favorite part of the trip was salmon fishing and catching over 20lbs that we had sent home. We had the most interesting guide who made the entire experience worth every penny that we paid. A few pictures are attached! After getting back we studied for what seemed like forever for Step 2, and then headed straight to Kansas City the following day! We were in MO for the National Conference of the America Academy of Family Physicians where we were busy checking out the fam med residencies across the country. That is what we have coming down the pipe right now for us. We are not sure at this point where we are going to end up in less than a year, but we know that we are considering some amazing places and that God will take us where He wants us! That's all for now folks!


This is us fishing which I obviously needed some help with!


Us in front of the Hubbard Glacier!

Minnesota Nice

So there is this unwritten rule apparently that everyone in Minnesota is nice...the rule is called Minnesota nice. And you know the funny thing is that everyone really is nice! Josh and I were privileged to spend a couple weeks at the Mayo clinic in January...dead winter. We rotated with the family med department there and made a whole host of new friends. We enjoyed our time so much there, that when I went with the in-laws to see "New in Town" (based in Minnesota) I was DYING to go back! We stayed with an Indian couple who took us to a Bollywood movie-which we liked more than they did. Although it had its cheesy moments of music videos in the middle of the film, a little too much animation and men wearing green scarfs with their shirts open...we walked out of the theater happy we had gone. We also got to spend time with some little haitian people. I am not being derogatory...they really are little people. They lit up our hearts every chance we got to see them. Josh and I had a first in our marriage as well...we went sledding. I hadnt been able to pack us a lot of winter snow clothes due to the suitcase situation, but we made due with jeans and borrowed athletic pants. I realized at that moment that the daredevil that was once alive in me, is dead. We had a lot of other memories and amazing times especially in the -40 degree weather. A few pics so you can live vicariously through us...

woh, been a long while

Ok, going to try to do better with the whole blogging thing! We have been really busy this year with rotations in the hospital, and finished a crazy hard fall semester. It is hard to believe that we are only a year and half out from getting our degree and moving on to residency! Wow! We have a lot to look forward to this spring and next year!!! I will have to keep some of that a secret so I can have more to blog about.
So the biggest thing for us in our life over this holiday season was the fact that we finished our first year of marriage!!! AWESOME!!! What a year it was. We are not like a lot of couples, we spent many nights apart (on call in the hospital), and have had to study during much of our free time, but we have made it and are stronger today than we were last year when we said "I do!". I am thankful for this first year and we keep saying that we hope for 70 more!!! Lord willing. Well to celebrate we went on a cruise to Mexico and had a great time...of course Josh loved the food, and I loved to fact that I had a reason to where all of my best friend's dresses!! haha. We are heading to Minnesota in a few days to check out the Mayo Clinic for residency! We are hoping to get an idea of what the place is really like and if it is somewhere we would like for a few years of our lives!! I am off...more hopefully before 8 months goes by, maybe?!

Micah 6

We are studying for our finals these days (in fact that is what I should be doing right this second), getting ready to finish our second year of medical school!! CANNOT BELIEVE IT!!! We will immediately begin studying for our Step 1 of the boards following this last week of finals and will take the big test in June. There has been so much going on in our lives, taking the time to be still before the Lord has not been easy to do. But I heard a verse today, that really encouraged me and I wanted to share it with you. I tend to think there are things that I do that like earn me points with God or make me lose points...and when I heard this verse it reminded me, that there is nothing I am capable of doing, except love Him.

"He has showed you, Oh man, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God. " Micah 6:8

my dear friend

ok, this is short, but more to come soon...I want to encourage everyone to check out my dear friend Meredith Andrews...for those who know her, it is not hard to understand why she is so dear to all of our hearts.
just go to www.meredithandrews.com

oh facebook...

So I should be finishing studying for my human sexuality course that they make us take in medical school...but it is a lot more fun to get to vent about my frustrations and have all you wonderful people read it!

So...has anyone else noticed that facebook has revolutionized our world...it has created this like "fake world" that we all live in. We make sure that we take awesome pics that we can put up on facebook, and of course our profile picture has to make us look straight good...whether that be, "woh check it out...so an so went to Africa or Cambodia" or "man she has gotten so skinny and pretty!". I have gotten a bit annoyed at facebook, because I do the same things! The worst part about it is we feel like we know people based on what they chose to put on their profile, or what they say in their notes, or what they are doing in their pics! I know I feel like I know people and I can make judgements of who they are, because well I saw this and that on facebook! Seriously Beck? It is all so silly to me, yet somehow I am in the middle of it.

I have thought for a while about giving up facebook, and devoting my time to my Lord, my husband, and studies...but somehow I am made to feel like I have to stay on facebook to stay in touch with everyone. hmmm...what about coffee or what about calling each other?! I am so confused about this, because in the recent years facebook has turned into something for me where I catch up on the latest gossip, where I see what this person said on that person's wall. The computer world has changed us, it has changed me, and I don't like it. Maybe I am just annoyed mostly because facebook is not as innocent as it used to be for me. In some ways I have created demons out of something meant to be fun. I know that I am not the only one...I mean who has been devastated when someone denied their friend offer?! WHAT?! Will you be my friend on facebook please, and they say no, and you are like crushed! Sound stupid? Well it happens (did to me!).

Does anyone else know what I mean? Am I alone in this? If my spare time that I have is going to look at facebook and worry about what is happening on facebook, I think something is off. I wonder how much of what happens on facebook glorifies God? That is the question that I think needs to be answered.

By the way, I don't think facebook in and of itself is bad at all, in fact I LOVE getting in touch with my girls from all over and being able to say hello to this person and that person just because I can...but it is not just that anymore. It has turned into a fake world that sucks me in, and I believe that I should be sucked into God's word more than I am facebook. And I wonder whether I should go on a facebook sabbatical until it can become that once again.

1 John

2: 6 "Whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus did."
2:9 "Anyone who claims to be int he light but hates his brother is still in the darkness."

My Bible study group is about the begin a study on the book of First John. I am really excited about it and really enjoy Tim Keller, the man who wrote it (by the way I HIGHLY recommend his series on marriage, for everyone!). So this morning when I sat down with the Bible I decided to being reading 1 John in order to try to prepare for the study which begins next week. So all that to say these verses rang loud and clear to me...BECKY HELLO!?!? Guys, there is such sin in my heart at times, and it is more than enough to drive a wedge in my walk with the Lord. I wont get too specific, but God is using my husband and his walk to really shed light on areas of my heart that are just wrong...never really seemed wrong to me, but how I can see the deceitfulness of sin. But be encouraged! In 1:9 of the same book, we are told that if we confess our sins, He is faithful and will forgive us, and PURIFY us from all unrighteousness. That is awesome to hear cause man I need some of that purification in some dirty spots that I am hanging on to. It is time to let go of those things...and it is straight hard.

Josh and I are busy studying for exams these days...which I should be doing now! :) We are taking our first step of the National Licensing Exam on June 10th and we will be seeing patients in 12 weeks! HOLY COW! Please begin praying hard for the exam...we will be studying the 5 weeks prior, about 10 hours a day, so we need the prayers and the dedication to remain faithful when it is going to be really hard. Not much else is going on in our life besides being married. Marriage continues to amaze me and it becomes more beautiful with each passing day. I keep telling my dear friend who is getting married that the hard part of engagement will be over and with each day of marriage, you grow closer in a different way. It is amazing! Ok, now to study and to learn so I can help you out when you call me with a problem! HA! Love to you all!