Nordhouse Dunes

Headed to Nordhouse for the weekend! Don't even care the weather is supposed to be cold and wet. Don't care that my pack will weigh more than 20 pounds. Just need to get out of town and away from work for a while. I think sometimes I just need to be uncomfortable...

Riverbank Run

17.7 K (Doesn't have quite the same ring to it as 25 K but I liked it none the less). I left my house at 8:00 (instead of the 6:45 that would have been necessary had I started down town), I warmed up with a 3 mile bike ride to the park, cheered for all of the 10 K runners on the north side and made it to the 2 mile mark on the south side just in time to watch the elite runners blow past. I stretched until the 9 mile pace group came past and slipped in with the other 17,000 people streaming out of the city. The new portion of the course on O'Brian was more challenging than I expected and my calves are going to remind me of this for the next several days. Also the road was a little narrow when the front of the pack started back into town and for several miles runners are going both ways on only two lanes but not a horrible change overall. WET though!!! Nothing quite like carrying 4 extra pounds of wet cotton clothes. At mile marker 13 I dropped back out of the race. I'm content with 11 miles in 90 minutes (quick math- 10 eight minute miles and one 10 minute mile :)). I jogged slooooowly back to my bike and started to ride the 3 miles home. But somehow I had forgotten that those brake pads I put on last spring have a very fine line between damp and not working. And in the pouring rain I blew right past damp. Unfortunately that is not the only thing I blew by. The good news is I didn't hit any runners or one of the 40,000 spectators. Bad news is I bent both of my rims.... again. Oh, well. Back home in twenty minutes without out any of the crush and chaos of the end of the race downtown. I may have had to cut off 4 miles off but I saved some $$ and enjoyed myself much more. I was in a hot shower with a great post race snack half an hour after finishing. (The last several times I've been miserable for an hour while staggering through the crush of people, cold, wet and painful back to my car, waiting for the rest of traffic to clear...) Overall a fine day!

Comfortable in the center of God's will?

Ever read II Corinthinans 11? Mostly I'm talking about four verses near the end:

Five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one. Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned, three times I was shipwrecked, I spent a night and a day in the open sea, I have been constantly on the move. I have been in danger from rivers, in danger from bandits, in danger from my own countrymen, in danger from Gentiles; in danger in the city, in danger in the country, in danger at sea; and in danger from false brothers. I have labored and toiled and have often gone without sleep; I have known hunger and thirst and have often gone without food; I have been cold and naked.

These are the words of Paul- one of the greatest missionaries who every left his home for the sake of spreading the story of Jesus. Right at the beginning of Paul's ministry- only days after he stopped being Saul- God tells people how much Paul was going to suffer for him.
Now this was a guy right in the center of God's will!!! I often find myself thinking that when I'm in the center of God's will I will be the most comfortable. You know, like in the eye of the storm- I just have to travel with the storm. Stay in the center of God's will and be "untroubled", "sheltered", "comfortable". f I'm doing exactly what God asks life will be great, right? Do you find yourself thinking the same? Maybe we need to rethink this....
Paul was doing what God called him to do when he found himself in jail. He was going where God told him to go when he was shipwrecked- not once, not twice, but 3 different times. (Shipwrecked? Have you ever been shipwrecked? Was it like "The Perfect Storm" kind of wreak?) He was talking to the people God sent him to when he was beaten and left for dead... beaten to death?! When doing what God asked?!
Maybe I have it backwards. Maybe it is when I am comfortable that I am out of the will of God...I have some more pondering to do....

Heart disease

The Japanese eat very little fat and suffer fewer heart attacks than the British or Americans. However the French eat a lot of fat but also suffer fewer heart attacks than the British or Americans. The Japanese drink very little red wine and suffer fewer heart attacks than the British or Americans. However the Italians drink excessive amounts of red wine and suffer fewer heart attacks than the British or Americans. My conclusion: Eat and drink what you like. It is speaking English that kills you.

Pig Plague

I have discovered something I like about all this ridiculousness!! I really enjoy reading other medical bloggers who are just as irritated as I am and are more verbose (and better to read). Check these out:
The life and times of an ER nurse- http://www.emergiblog.com/2009/04/livin-la-vida-latte.html
Just keep breathing- http://keepbreathing.wordpress.com/2009/04/28/on-swine-flu/

Handicapped

I was accused today of using religion as a crutch.

My faith? A crutch? I guess, actually he was right. I'm broken. I rely on my faith, on my savior to make it through each day.

why

I have begun to tell more and more people about my pending move to Africa. Because of this I find myself answering the WHY question. Now, not everyone asks it outright, though some do and it is easier to address that way, but I can tell that nearly every thinks something like it. And because "why not?" doesn't seem to be a good answer I'm processing. I suspect this will be an ongoing topic for a little while.
So:
Why am I getting rid of my house, quitting my job and moving to a place where clean drinking water is precious?

God told me to.

I may need to work on this answer a little more....

Dieing of the swine flu...

The swine flu is killing me. Not that I have a fever, cough or anything but I have so many things I want to be doing but I'm working some loooong hours instead. I can't really turn down all the extra time but I have to admit I'm getting tired of it. Urgent care is set up and staffed to see about 40 patients per day. We hit 82 one day this week. That means that I put on a gown, gloves and mask waaaaay too many times. By the end of an 8 (or 10) hour shift it feels something like this picture.

Sitting here listen to NPR... my blood pressure is climbing. The voices are discussing if the news media has handled this well. I have an opinion I would like to share.... NO!!!!

"During a typical year in the United States, 30,000 to 50,000 persons die as a result of influenza viral infection" - this is the regular flu that we have every year. So far we have had 2 deaths to this new influenza. We are over reacting just a little!

This is the news report I want to hear:
"This just in.... the swine flu is not nearly as bad as we have been reporting. If you start a fever with cough and congestion call your primary care provider. If you are otherwise healthy, stay home, rest, drink lots of fluids and YOU WILL BE FINE. Please quarantine yourself for a short time and most of all do not run out to have a flu test. It just overloads an already malfunctioning system and prevents testing of the elderly and young. Most likely you do not have the swine flu- just one of many virus going around. Please use common sense people! We will now return you to your regularly scheduled programing."

O.K. I'm done venting now. Time to go back to work.

Big bird, Oscar the grouch and Cookie monster

Bobby and Rachel are team mates in Soroti who spend quite a bit of their time working with runaways, homeless children and street kids in town. I got this from Bobby the other day and want to share his prayer request with you. 

Hey Team, 

I don't often talk about the street kids ministry much but I wanted to write  to simply ask for prayer.

I have a picture that I took last Monday of a street boy named Omojel George William.  I took the picture because of the t-shirt that he was wearing.  It was faded and dirty but the picture on the shirt was of Big Bird, Oscar the Grouch and the rest of the Sesame Street characters with the words written "I was raised on the street".  Initially I laughed at the shirt and thought that it was quite intuitive.  I thought, how ironic is it that a 'street kid' in Soroti would be wearing such a shirt.  Coincidence or not, as time has gone on my heart breaks at the thought that so many boys, and girls, for that matter, are raised on the streets.  For whatever reason, they seek shelter, belonging, family, and 'life' on the streets.  The truth is, the streets are a place where they receive no love, no affection, no food, and no guidance. 

Denis and I spent the morning today praying together at the TECDEFO house for each of the street kids.  We were led to a passage in Lamentations that spoke directly to us.Lamentations 2:19 says, "Arise, cry out in the night, as the watches of the night begin: pour out your heart like water in the presence of the LORD. Lift up your hands to Him for the lives of your children, who faint from hunger at the head of every street."

Would you lift up your hands and cry out in prayer with us for these boys by name?  (These are the names of the boys that have come to the TECDEFO house since Denis and I have been back in Soroti)  

Olinga Abdu Razak

Ocumar Moses

Odongo Steven

Omalet Joel

Omojel George William

Orianga Joseph

Okello Joseph

Emmanuel

Ogwel Juma

Oteka Patrick

Odiamo Brian

Musana John Michael

Osweu Shida

Elungat Joseph

Ibrahim Saidi

Opio Emmanuel

Otim Solomon

Otwao Vincent

Mahmad Adam

Eriaku Moses

Grace and Peace,

bobby kolb

What people think

Woe to you when all people think well of you.
Luke 6:26

Muslim

Five times a day 1/5 of the world hears a call to prayer....

Surrender

One of the first things that God told me this weekend was I needed to surrender....again. I think He needed to get me to a place that I would be ready to listen. So here is more of my mental wandering because I suspect God wants the same of you.

sur*ren*der [suh-ren-der]- verb

1.	to yield (something) to the possession or power of another; deliver up possession of on demand or under duress:

2.	to give (oneself) up as in to some influence, course, emotion, etc.

3.	to give up, abandon, or relinquish (comfort, hope, etc.).

4.	to yield or resign (an office, privilege, etc.) in favor of another.

So I'm sure you see where I'm going with this.

God says I need to surrender:

My plans. "But God! I have these because of you!" "Yes, but you are very attached to them. Are you willing to give them up if I ask something else?"

My hopes and dreams. "Give these up too?! Why?" "You are very focused on the future. What about what I'm doing right here and now?"

My fears and worries. "Sure that is easy Lord. They are all yours." "Really? You seem to say you are laying them down but then you pick that burden right back up. I want you to REALLY yield them to me. You have nothing to fear."

My money and my time. "Oh, boy. This too?" "I gave you all that you have. Technically they are already mine. Sometimes I'm not happy about how you spend either. If I ask you to give them back to me it will be for something better!"

My pride "Do we really need to go there?" "Yes. You are pretty full of yourself at times. I would rather you be full of me."

I have some things to work on....

Chicago

Oh my... where to even begin about this weekend....

God is so ______________
....good doesn't even begin to scratch the surface.
.... big is far, far too small of a word.
... extravagant is just too limited.

My heart and soul are so filled with God's joy that tears are welling up! (I am NOT an emotional person!- What is this about!?!) This weekend was so affirming!

From meeting with Mark friday afternoon and setting a concrete timeline with a green light...
To the spiritual reassurances saturday and sunday that I'm NOT out of my mind....
From encouragement to be bold, to remain in God's will, to surrender, to be disciplined...
To the meeting late sunday night here in GR that fit in so well with where we go from here...

I have so many different things running through my head that I want to write about but I need to do more processing and mulling. STAY TUNED!

God's love

I started to title this "Simple Thoughts" but as I have been pondering I don't really believe this is simple. If it was it wouldn't be as hard to accept.

God loves us SO much just the way
we are.... and... He loves us TOO much to leave
us the way we are.

Read it again. True isn't it? Then why do we worry so much? Why do we let ourselves think we are inadequate or not up to the challenges placed in front of us? How can we embrace this "simple thought"?

Haven't posed in a while....not much to write about....life has been pretty status quo....

But this weekend Beckie and I head to Chicago to meet with the International Teams people!!!

I'm pretty excited about this step forward if you can't tell. I have no idea what God has in store for us but that is part of the excitement!

Urgent care

So it was inevitable.... I was worried about it but it was bound to happen. It is actually nice that it is over. The hardest one, the first one, is behind us. A patient in labor came in to urgent care. We have had heart attacks, significant chainsaw injuries, strokes and now, one more emergency that is far from appropriate to come to urgent care. The good news, for me at least, is this story does not end with a baby. She delivered without issues but it was after we got her downtown with time to spare. A quick set of vitals and fetal heart tones, cervix check and IV placed, and a call to AMR and she was off to somewhere there were people who know what they are doing. It is still going to happen... we will deliver one out in urgent care and we will be ready, everything will be fine and it will be a good story but hopefully not in the near future....

Am I a good nurse?

"People don't remember much about our medicine. But they do remember how we make them feel." -Thom Dick


Eval season at the hospital. I know I'll be evaluated on things that the managers think are important.... but how am I doing about the things that my patients think are important? And how about the things that my ultimate boss think are important? How am I doing in those departments?