Paige Barnes

I can't post this video on here. You'll have to check out the link. (If it doesn't link directly to the video, and goes to the main Lifeflight page, then look at the bottom right and click on "Michael's Story".) Those of you who really, really know me or have known me for my whole life know that I've had two major dreams in my life. (Well, three if you count my wanting to be Miss America). My first dream started around age 4 and that was to be an emergency room physician at Vanderbilt University Medical Center . That lasted until I was about 16 and I got to thinking that perhaps becoming a nurse practitioner would be easier on my time, so my dream shifted to wanting to be a nurse practitioner in the trauma unit at Vandy . I haven't achieved either of those dreams, yet. I have achieved the wonderful dream of becoming a nurse and marrying the love of my life and having a wonderful child. I will take those last two anytime over anything else. And ...

So, it's been awhile since I posted. There's a very good reason for that. Life!!! I am so tired. Monday, I was supposed to go to work at a local hospital here. I'm going to be working some part-time shifts as a nurse on the medical floor and in the ICU and ER. Monday was to be my first night to orient to the new facility (get to know where everything is and the policies and procedures and all that jazz). However, Monday I had to make a 2 hour trip to get a family member some help. I was called and asked if I would come take this person to an emergency room up where she lives and help her get some psychiatric treatment. She was depressed and somewhat suicidal. We spent the night (well until 2am) in the emergency room for part of the time and then in a lock-down facility for the rest of the time as they tried to assess her and decide what treatment she needs. She was seeking inpatient treatment but that wasn't available to her and they didn't think she was ...

This week the hubbs and I have decided to really begin to honor God with our bodies by going on a detox from horrible and unhealthy foods. We plan to make this our lifestyle, but this week we are eating extremely healthy to cleanse our bodies of yuck. Here's today's meal: Steamed greens seasoned with onions and salt and pepper Baked portabella mushrooms topped with spinach and mozzarella Organic multi-grain toast topped with garlic and cilantro butter (my concoction) Tomorrow it's steamed cabbage and homemade cabbage soup. We are also eating throughout the day raw and fresh fruits and veggies and making sure to keep hydrated with purified water. Here's to healthy eating!

Over the past few months, the Lord has brought a friend into my life. We don't have the typical relationship, but I know God was in this. She read my blog post from yesterday and sent me a really encouraging email. Not only is she praying for me, but I am praying for her. In our own ways, we are going through some similar things. Her email contained a quote that I must share with you. The quote is great and the person who said/wrote it is one of my spiritual mentors. "I am a great sinner, and I serve a great Savior". - John Wesley May we all be encouraged by that today and in the days to come as we each go through our own struggles. I know my God is bigger than any struggle I could ever face!

If you've been following my blog for awhile, then you know that my family and I have been making some major life changes over the past few months. Sometimes I do change well, and other times I go kicking and screaming. I wouldn't say that I went kicking and screaming this time because the slower pace of life for awhile was much needed and much welcomed in our home. However, I am not a slow pace kind of girl. I am so thankful and blessed to have the opportunity to stay home with our son and teach him this year. I am not a teacher by education and sometimes I get down on myself thinking that I am holding him back from learning so many things. We'll have a really bad day where he pitches a fit when it's school time and I will just want to give up. And then, we'll have a really good day when he learns math by using his favorite toy in the world - legos. It's such a roller coaster, and I am not a big fan of roller coasters! The hubbs and I are really trying h...

Well, yesterday I found my glasses!!!! I was so excited. Now I can read and not have a headache when I am on the computer. I was really wondering if I was losing my mind because one minute I had them on and the next they were nowhere to be found. I took the boy yesterday morning to get a flu shot and then we had breakfast at Chick Fil-A. That was nice. We then went on a quest for a teasing comb. See, my teasing comb is a must. I like BIG hair. What can I say? I just do. So, my teasing comb is a daily necessity. The one I had been using forever was missing some teeth and was crying out to be laid to rest. So I found some inexpensive ones at the dollar store and I got them thinking that I could replace my teasing comb and save a few bucks, too! Wrong. Apparently I need a WWE wrestler type of teasing comb. So yesterday my sweet boy (bless his heart) went with me through town on the search for a new one. We finally found one (yes)! and then I took him to several video game...

Today I introduced the boy to the coffeehouse life. We were really needing to break the monotony that can sometimes come with homeschooling (so I'm learning). I am not a homebody. While I love being with my family all the time, I like to be out doing and seeing. It's just my personality. The hubbs is different, so we have to find a balance. So I took the boy down the street to a coffeehouse. There I taught him the fine art of chillin' - sit in big comfy, over-sized chairs, drink coffee (me, not him), read, write, or listen to your iPod. Ah...a nice little getaway from the house for an hour. So, I found my glasses! Yay! I also finished reading Rob Bell's "Velvet Elvis". It is fabulous. I recommend you read it. I have noticed a lot of criticism about Rob on the internet in regards to what he writes being "anti-Christian" or such and such. Please remember that intelligent people do not read or hear something from someone and just take it a...

I was recently talking with someone who shared with me that they'd lost their job. In today's economy this is so scary for this person. God allowed me an opportunity to share with this person some of my own trials and tribulations. I thought that I'd post part of it here, in case it could encourage someone else. Here's part of what I shared with this person. I don't think they would mind me sharing if they thought that someone might be encouraged by it. Sometimes we just never see these things coming. I don't presume to know exactly how you feel, but let me share from my personal experience. When our apartment building was on fire, I was terrified. We were so young, and our son was just 2 months old and I was terrified. The hubbs and I couldn't even utter words to each other. What do you say when everything you have is burning before your eyes? There is a sudden realization that you have NOTHING. That's a feeling I'd never had before, and ...

The weekend for us was great! We were back at Crosspoint this week and even got to meet some new faces. Tonight we are going to the Group Link event. This is a place for us to connect with a small group (called Life Groups). We are excited about continuing to meet new people and slowly (as slow at Jesus will let us!) get involved. We know we need to rest for awhile, but we also feel God's leading. We are praying and listening and trusting daily and we know God will lead us to something good and I also believe there will be some amazing adventures along the way! Yesterday we went to the park and then to lunch with some dear friends of ours. We had a blast! We are still learning to deal with the boy's diabetes when we go out to things like that, but I think yesterday was a pretty "normal" day. We didn't make a big deal of the diabetes when it came meal time and we even broke down and let him have a small part of an iced cupcake. All the other kids ran up ...

Today, I'm struggling. My son has diabetes. He would die if we didn't give him daily doses of insulin. That's heavy. Most days I am so thankful that we aren't facing a disease that has a death sentence. I am so thankful for all the strides that are being made to help those with diabetes live as normal a life as possible and also to hopefully find a cure one day. But today I am struggling. Last night the hubbs couldn't sleep. He, the one who is not a worrier, was worried about the boy. Yesterday the boy had a good day and there wasn't any reason to really be worried. We wouldn't have to check his blood sugar at 2 am. But my husband could not sleep and woke up at 2 and then at 3, 4, and 5 checking his blood sugar. Just to be sure. I've spent all day praying and reading Diabetes magazines and researching everything I can get my hands on that might help my boy. Sometimes I even wonder if we've made the wrong mistake by taking him out of schoo...