loving life and living love.

"they ask me what i do and who i do it for..."

Tue, 09 Apr 2013 01:31:55 -0700

on late nights like these, during stressful times at work, crossfit, and school, whenever i feel burned out and weak, and for all the occasions that i just want to give up and stop fighting…

i remember that i’m only a year and a half away from my RN.
seems like a far distance, but time goes by quickly.
there will be much suffering, stress, and sacrifice to come,
but i want to be a college graduate, i want to graduate from the school i should have gone to straight out of high school, i want to finally be an RN.
this semester has been my toughest yet, but i’m only 3 weeks away from summer vacation. i remember why i’m at the mount and i soldier on.

i love crossfit. i still have a lot to work on and improve upon, but i am stronger than i was before it. doing it has become one of the best decisions of my life, and while consistency has been my biggest issue, i still come back because every session counts. every workout counts, every minute of it. the past 4 months have been the most productive time of my membership at crossfit riot, and i will continue to keep doing work because i want to be stronger, i want to be more fit, and i want to express the graces of crossfit more fully in the other parts of my life. laziness and doubt will always be around as obstacles, but i only grow more certain that crossfit is for me.

i work because i love what i do. no matter how annoying patients and their families can get, no matter how long i take doing something, or how dirty or uncomfortable things get, i love being a nurse. i remember my life before nursing, and how i’m living, no matter how imperfect, stressful, or exhausting, is so much better than my past. when i work as a nurse, i not only express my education, skills, and experience…i display the sacrifices and love of my parents, and i show the worth of my soul and the meaning of my life with everything i do as a nurse. being a nurse is a gift from God, and i will not let it go to waste.

and so i hold on to my stethoscope, put on my backpack, and wear my workout shoes…because i will not quit, i will not stop, and i will continue to win.

boom - jl

i lose myself at night. from the outside, everybody must be...

Wed, 03 Apr 2013 03:21:21 -0700

i lose myself at night.

from the outside,
everybody must be wondering why i try…

in my wildest moments,
i can be the greatest, i can be the worst of all.

even in my wildest moments, i’m on it because it’s worth it…

practice makes perfect…

so i’m fighting for a purpose.

inspiration in the middle of the night for the struggles now
and the challenges to come - jl

"reflection is the better part of a champion."

Wed, 03 Apr 2013 01:41:38 -0700

“reflection is the better part of a champion.”

- remember the titans

"unstoppable."

Tue, 12 Feb 2013 09:17:00 -0800

i don’t need to be smart to know you’re amazing.

and without faith, i’ll still believe you’re a blessing.

i’m sure you love me even if i don’t have proof.

a fear of heights couldn’t stop me from falling for you.

you’re the reason why i’ve stopped searching for love.

and if i couldn’t count, i’ll still know you’re the only one.

distance is nothing when you’re in my heart.

i don’t need sight to see how beautiful you are.

i could show how much you mean to me without words.

no disaster can keeps us from being together.

to stop our feelings there’s nothing anyone can do.

if i was selfish, i’d still share my love with you.

sadness can’t bring me down when you’re on my mind.

i don’t need wings because your love makes me fly.

there’s no obstacle that we can’t rise above.

we’ll overcome any challenge in the course of our love.

when problems try to keep me from loving you,

our love will always find a way through.

- jl

"do what you can, with what you have, where you are."

Thu, 10 Jan 2013 00:06:40 -0800

“do what you can, with what you have, where you are.”

- theodore roosevelt

"some people believe holding on and hanging in there are signs of great strength. however, there are..."

Sun, 06 Jan 2013 22:42:26 -0800

“some people believe holding on and hanging in there are signs of great strength. however, there are times when it takes much more strength to know when to let go and then do it.”

- ann landers

"You have won me."

Mon, 24 Dec 2012 17:50:16 -0800

it’s been about 18 days since my last school day of the year. since then, i’ve been living extremely well. reckless food adventures, epic shopping trips, unrestricted time with family and friends, a very blessed retreat, and so forth. the past couple of months have been very challenging, balancing school, work, volunteering, and crossfit. i wasn’t perfect and i didn’t achieve the victory i expected, but 4 A’s and 2 B’s, an expanding census of patients, a maturing faith, and being stronger than ever before is most definitely a victory i can live with, be blessed by, and be thankful for. it’s been the kind of advent season i’ve needed…a time of peace and comfort, days spent investing in myself and others and how that all relates back to God. i am ready to celebrate once again the presence of God in my life and how he chooses to make Himself known to me in every aspect of my life. i glorify Jesus Christ with my joys and sufferings, wins and losses, strengths and weaknesses. if Christmas is Christ’s Mass and mass essentially means “mission” from “masa,” then i am reminded tonight and every day of the Christmas season and the rest of my life of my mission that st. hilary of poitiers so beautifully describes…

“i am well aware, Almighty God and Father, that in my life i owe you a most particular duty. it is to make my every thought and word speak of you.”

allow God to reign in everything.
allow yourself to see God and experience God in everything.
gratitude for everything, grace for everything.

have a very blessed and very merry Christmas, everyone.
cheers to you, cheers to me, cheers to Jesus Christ,
cheers to this victory that is the foundation for all our victories.

Salud - jl

"what is the use of living, if it be not to strive for noble causes and to make this muddled world a..."

Mon, 19 Nov 2012 17:17:38 -0800

“what is the use of living, if it be not to strive for noble causes and to make this muddled world a better place for those who will live in it after we are gone? how else can we put ourselves in harmonious relation with the great verities and consolations of the infinite and the eternal? and i avow my faith that we are marching towards better days. humanity will not be cast down. we are going on swinging bravely forward along the grand high road and already behind the distant mountains is the promise of the sun.”

- winston churchill

finished. 8 hours away. hope to see you all there! go light your...

Fri, 16 Nov 2012 11:04:24 -0800

finished.

8 hours away.

hope to see you all there!

go light your world - jl

less than two days away.things are rapidly falling into...

Thu, 15 Nov 2012 01:52:58 -0800

less than two days away.
things are rapidly falling into place.
loving how this talk is growing organically and gracefully.
inspiration and blessings are experienced everywhere and
coming together nicely in this work.
i’ve got good things planned for friday,
and God has greater things in store for us soon.
do not miss out.

so anxious, so excited - jl

a preview of a work still in progress.i can’t wait to...

Mon, 12 Nov 2012 19:22:50 -0800

a preview of a work still in progress.
i can’t wait to share the entire message with everyone.

4 days left. be ready. be thankful. get excited.

hard at work - jl

six days away.all are invited tocome and experience the greater...

Sat, 10 Nov 2012 14:42:34 -0800

six days away.

all are invited to
come and experience the greater glory of God.

get ready to immerse yourself further
in the grace so overwhelmingly present in our lives - jl

"oh, love."

Wed, 24 Oct 2012 15:45:37 -0700

i haven’t invested much into tumblr recently.
work, school, family, friends, exercise, and
everything in between have intertwined
with one another with more intricacy than ever before.
one moment i’m taking care of a patient in the oc and the next i’m in la attending class.
i’m in la for school by sunrise and working in alta loma during sunset.
a whole lot of driving, a great deal of traffic, and so many things to deal with…

and i love it all.

with all the wods, papers, coffee stops, stress, family, food adventures, all-nighters, exams, patients, co-workers, friends, volunteering, yerba mate runs, classmates, paperwork, fatigue, and so forth…

i feel so alive.

this isn’t the life i expected.

it’s better - jl

as of today, the next 3-4 weeks will now be spentanxiously...

Mon, 22 Oct 2012 20:18:00 -0700

as of today, the next 3-4 weeks will now be spent
anxiously awaiting the arrival of this little gem.

the excitement rises - jl

"faithful attraction."

Tue, 02 Oct 2012 00:18:12 -0700

45 days left.
the process starts right now,
and the message begins to grow.

it’s going to be amazing.

love in progress - jl

You hold me now - jl

Mon, 17 Sep 2012 00:47:24 -0700

You hold me now - jl

"lately i’m alright and lately I’m not scared. i’ve figured out that what you do to..."

Thu, 13 Sep 2012 01:46:00 -0700

“lately i’m alright and lately I’m not scared. i’ve figured out that what you do to me feels like i’m floating on air. i don’t need to know right now, and all i know is i believe in the very thing that got us here and now i can’t leave. say anything, but say what you mean, because i’m caught in suspension.”

- mae

this is 45 minutes and 20 seconds well spent.absolutely...

Thu, 06 Sep 2012 00:26:10 -0700

this is 45 minutes and 20 seconds well spent.
absolutely beautiful pieces of work.

we lost a grace in amy winehouse…

but she definitely left us blessings through her songs - jl

here we go again,i kind of want to be more than friends.so take...

Wed, 05 Sep 2012 02:34:47 -0700

here we go again,
i kind of want to be more than friends.
so take it easy on me.
i’m afraid you’re never satisfied.

oh, i want some more.

what are you waiting for?

take a bite of my heart tonight - jl

"labor done in love is not labor at all."

Mon, 03 Sep 2012 20:01:49 -0700

“labor done in love is not labor at all.”

- st. teresa of avila