Of Pillars of Fire and Jet Lag

Exodus 14:13-14
Moses answered the people, "Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the LORD will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never see again. The LORD will fight for you; you need only to be still."

Hello,
I'm currently reading in Exodus about when the Israelites were wandering around in the desert and God was leading them with a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night. The first thing that happens is the Egyptians come after them and they all think they're going to die. Then they get tired of not getting to eat meat. Then they can't find good water to drink. I don't know about the rest of you but every time I read this story, I find myself thinking, "What is with these whiny Israelites? I mean, God just rescued them from terrible slavery, He's shown them lots of mighty miracles with the plagues etc., and good grief, they've got this huge pillar of fire lighting up their nights! Get with it! Stop whining and thank the Lord for the great things you have!" (Or as my sister says, "Be thankful for what you get!")
Well, this time while reading this passage and thinking these same things, God held a mirror up to my heart. I realized that we all have pillars of fire in our lives. Some of mine have been: getting to work in Tanzania, getting accepted to medical school, getting to live in Israel.....the list could go on and on. And I realized that I too am a whiny Israelite. When things get hard or I just get tired and want a more comfortable and easy life, it is tempting to forget the pillars of fire in my life. I cannot sit in judgement of others when I myself am doing the same thing! Something for me to remember throughout the day when I find myself being less than thankful for what I get.
I watched The Hiding Place yesterday. What a wonderful movie. Those ten Boom sisters were sure amazing. There was on line when Betsie says to her brother (paraphrase here), "I would like nothing more than to keep our door shut until this terrible nightmare passes. But that is my voice and I must listen to my Father's voice, not my own." It is so good to be reminded of the strength others have shown as it reminds me that I too must be strong. And when the ladies were giving thanks for the lice that kept the Nazi guards out of their barracks, I was again reminded to be thankful for what I get. So, these are just some thoughts I wanted to share. I haven't worked them out completely but would be glad to hear your comments.

I took a practice biochemistry exam on Friday. It was a challenge! The good thing is that it helped me to see where I need to move my focus. I've been focusing on pathways and the science part and need to focus more on the clinical aspects of the subject.

About the jet lag - well, I don't know what else to call it. Is it possible to have jet lag without the jet? Maybe just lag? :) I'm not sure why but I've been having trouble sleeping at the appropriate times. I haven't been in class so it's not making me miss anything and I can study at home when I'm awake but classes will start up again soon and I need to get in the right gear. So, instead of being awake until 4 a.m. and getting up at noon, I need to be in bed earlier so I can get up at 5:30 when classes start. That gives me a chance to go over the things we're studying for the day and to wake up at home before classes start. So, if you wouldn't mind praying for me about this, I would really appreciate it.

Otherwise, things are going pretty well. I found a website called dailylit.com. They have books you can read for free on line. They will email you excerpts daily or you can download and read them. I'm currently receiving emails of Jane Eyre. Yes, must admit, I never read the entire thing. I decided that this would be a good way to get it done - just little doses each day - and it doesn't take time from studying. I must say, it is strange to read a book on line. I love books, the smell and feel of them. Being cocooned in my warm comforter snuggling with a book and imagining the scenes from the pages is one of my favorite things to do. But this is an interesting way to read also. We'll see if I make it thru the entire book.

The weather has been steadily getting nicer. It rained a couple days last week but I don't mind - reminds me of home. The sun has been out again the last couple days and it's staying warm and cooling off during the evening. The spring flowers are coming up and starting to bloom. It's a really pretty time of year in the desert. :)

Well, I need to get to studying. Thanks for listening and as always, thanks for your prayers.
Blessings,
Peggy