Exposed

You know how that feels during a time of growth where God's tinkering on your heart? Sometimes there's some demolition and reconstruction involved? And you just feel Him near. You know He's with you. You get that whole "walking with Him" sense throughout your day. I love that, but there's another part to it. It kinda draws you away from your immediate environment. It kinda makes you "not fit". I've kinda felt like that all weekend. I haven't been down or upset, but just like this place doesn't fit me very well. "This place" being life here and now.

Please don't get me wrong. I love my life. God has overwhelmingly blessed me with family, friends, a growing church, a job I like and feel a purpose in, and a beautiful place like Washington to live. It's not that. It's just when I'm in one of these growth spurts, I feel like my emotions are just below the skin. They're right on the edge for anyone to see and hopefully not damage. I had been looking forward to church this morning since Friday. After working this weekend, I just anticipated the opportunity to join with other believers that I know and love to experience God. And I did. The music was amazing. I teared up on more than one occasion.

In these states, it may not be visible to other people. And that would be great, actually. But I'm just softer, with my heart a little more exposed. It makes me a little hesitant to stand too close to someone, afraid they might get wild with their keys or something, and rupture a heartstring of mine. That was a bit of an exaggeration, but you know. I feel exposed.

Then I remember a couple of things: 1. Per the Bible, perfect love casts out fear. He loves me perfectly. There's NOTHING for me to be afraid of.

2. Per the wisdom of Kirstin Hawkins, to love IS to be vulnerable. And how vulnerable did and DOES God make Himself in loving us? He has nothing to gain. He just loves us. So I guess growth will look like living in that vulnerability with my heart out for the injuring without fear, trusting that with the reconstruction of it, my heart will grow stronger.

It's HIS Gig

It is. I've known that. But my heart forgets sometimes. I've been so caught up and excited about all the things God's been laying on the heart of my friends and myself. Then Satan tried to twist it to make nervous about getting it wrong. He started making me fearful of messing tasks up and experiencing total failure with any and all attempts at progress in these visions. THEN the other day God reminded me what Blackaby says in Experiencing God about the fact that God tells you what He's going to do. NOT what He wants you to do FOR Him. Get that? No tasks with boxes to check. That's just your invitation to join Him. Look, listen, watch. Not go, do, run...fast. We're the ones obsessed with efficiency and the NOW of capitalism. God doesn't work on that time frame. So we shouldn't feel pressured to. And we shouldn't live like He's going to start.

So I found rest this week. Or more like God gave it to me. I'm in process. Plus, like we (the girls) have realized over and over during this study: the end objective in God's heart isn't completed tasks, obedience, or accomplishment for the Kingdom. It's that I and others come to KNOW HIM better. It's about the relationship. No, this stuff isn't rocket science, but it's heart-lifting every time. And I have yet to stop needing to hear it.

Full

I feel that way. Not my schedule or my stomach, but my life...in a good way. I've been blown away by what God is doing in and around me over the past few weeks. It just keeps intensifying, and it's ridiculously exciting. And the coolest thing is, I'm not alone in the journey. Ever since Amanda, Erin, Kirstin, and I have started Experiencing God, this has been the norm: seeing God's activity.

And let me say this, it's clearly making Satan nervous. The Father of Lies has been present and in full effect in certain areas, picking at my (our) insecurities, planting doubt, and just doing his best to cause delay, disillusionment, or disobedience. "The thief comes to steal, kill, and destroy, but I have come so that you may have life and have it to the fullest." John 10:10. Jesus wanted us to know the Truth. And the truth is that God wants to do some pretty monumental things in our lives over the next few months. Satan's scared, and he should be. But he wasn't invited to this party. And sad news: he already lost the battle. It doesn't end well for him. We just need to, as believers, get better at recognizing him and calling him out. The whole "when Satan reminds you of your past, remind him of his future". We have the power. We've been given it thorugh the Holy Spirit, not to mention the armor of God (Eph. 6:10).

So if God's working in your life and you see He's about to do big things, as one of my new favorite sayings goes, "Gird up your loins". Call that kid out. I figure it's okay to insult the Devil.

But fight for what is good, like Paul talked about. Hold tight to the love promises of your Lord. My prayer is that He continually equip us for battle. It's already going on. Being close to and growing in Him means more involvement in the war. So we need to be ready, and there's no need or room for fear.

I'm excited. I'll keep you "posted".

It's JUST Obedience

The Experiencing God lesson today talked about how God reveals to us what He's going to do, not what He wants us to do for Him. Interestingly enough, Jada (my sister in Memphis in pharmacy school) called last night and we talked about a sermon she had just heard about how God doesn't need us. He will accomplish His purposes regardless of whether we say yes to Him or not. It is our greatest joy to take part. I don't want to diminish in any way the fact that He loves us and passionately pursues us, but we need to make clear that He does that FOR OUR GOOD. Not because He's a weak, needy lover like what we see portrayed in movies and literature. His Name WILL be made great...one way or another.

Now back to my original direction with this...it seems like our ticket to involvement in what God's doing in this world is faith. The more tickets we have, the more we get to take part in. Faith seems scary to us because it is, in fact, trusting in things unseen. But hear me now, faith is NOT trusting in our ability to be obedient. Did you get that? We are NOT trusting in our ability to get it right. We are trusting in the sovereign Creator of the universe that started this thing and is intricately involved in holding it all together (Col. 1:17). Another point that Henry Blackaby makes earlier on is that how we respond when God invites us to join in His work says more about what we believe about God than it does anything else. Read that sentence a couple of times until it sinks in. Sure, there's a reflex reaction to doubt self. But He wasn't depending on us. So we shouldn't be. He knows what He's going to do. Get that? Going to do. He is so gracious to ask us to join Him in the work. And THAT'S where our joy is found.

Father, forgive our self-dependence. Forgive our American dream of working hard enough to pull ourselves up by our own bootstraps. Forgive our Oprah-mentality of self-help and inner strength. Forgive our incredible blindness and failure to hope in an omnipotent, omniscient, and omnipresent God who loves us more than we can know. Forgive us for denying Who You are. Remind us of Your power. Show us the difference between what we dream of doing for You and what YOU want to do in and through us.

Remind us that faith is safe in an all=powerful God. It WILL come to fruition in our lives. Do not let our focus and our goal be in the production of fruit, but in growing deeper and falling more headlong in love with our Father who has loved us from the beginning. So grow our faith to pray for, expect, and see God-sized activity in our lives. I'm tired of mediocre.

Remind us that when we say yes, and You begin to do God-sized things, it won't be due at all to any good in us or any gifts we have to offer. It's just obedience.

Not to diverge too much, but Dietrich Bonhoeffer explains in Cost of Discipleship about how to reconcile Jesus's commands in the Sermon on the Mount about not letting the right hand know what the left is doing (Matt. 6) and then letting your light shine before men (Matt. 5:16). Seems contradictory, right? The gist is Christ is the plumbline. We don't measure up. Anything we do in obedience to Him (which will produce things that only God can do in a life) is just that: obedience. But to a lost world depending only on the ability of man, they WILL seem extraordinary. So it's fine to "Go big, or go home." Just make sure everyone knows Who was and will always be responsible for it. We're just doing what we've been told (and it's awesome to be a part), and that's JUST obedience.

God is good...

ALL THE TIME. You know where I'm going with this... I was with my girls (E-Randle, A-Graves, and Kirst) having our Bible study time at Origin 23, and I was going through a timeline of spiritual markers in my life. Part of our assignment this week was to document times where God has spoken His will or made clear His purpose for us in ministry. As I was sharing mine, Amanda keeps looking over my head with this look of fear on her face. Finally, I stopped to ask what was wrong, and she explained that the college and singles minister for one of the local churches was standing right behind me, partially listening in as I explained that the common themes in God's calling on my life had been evangelism, discipleship, and community.

The rest of the story is that for a couple of weeks now I have had this idea on my heart for a regional gathering of young adults (singles). Most of the people I know here go to smaller churches that just don't have enough people or resources to facilitate a ministry focused on the needs of this group. In Memphis and Nashville we had multiple options for such a gathering (e.g. The Loop, Metro, Kairos, etc.). So why not get a group of people that I already know together for music, a message, and tons of fellowship for the edification of believers from college to mid-30s? I mentioned it to Rob, our small group pastor at Discovery. His response: Sounds great! Go for it. Not exactly what I expected (or wanted) to hear. So the more I've prayed, the more God has ignited this flame in me for this to come to fruition. Not only that, but my girls here have said they were in. Whatever God led us to, they would help. Since then I've been praying, looking, listening, and waiting expectantly for the next step.

After she tells me who this guy is and that he was almost trying to hear my conversation, my heart started racing. I didn't know what to do or what this meant. So I asked the girls to pray as I submitted the whole situation to God. After "amen" I went over to the group (he was meeting with the worship leader and another guy) to introduce myself and kinda share my vision. I got his email address, and it was done. He sounded excited, and I emailed him this morning. How crazy is that?

Why is it that I still get so surprised that God will work out His purposes? Maybe the real surprise (and sublime) part is that He calls us to be part of the plan!

Identity

This was the topic of Pastor Rob's sermon today (or yesterday) at church. He started a two-part series on singleness. A group of us actually did a little skit to help kick things off (written and directed by my dear friend Erin Randle, the lyrical wordsmith). We all went over to his house earlier this week to discuss issues that we single people frequently encounter. It (and the skit) was funny to go over all the phrases single people have thrown at them. Here were some of the examples:

1. You'll find him (or her) as soon you stop looking and/or when you least expect it. Do you have a 12-step program to get someone to "not looking" or "least expecting"? What about us observant folks? Are we just ruled out forever? And what does that even mean or imply? I don't (nor do any of my friends) sit around and pine for some person to complete my life.
2. Are you dating anyone? Do you have a boyfriend? Why not? Don't even get me started on this one. How do I begin to address this? The obligatory courtesy laugh usually ensues.
3. Maybe there's something God has for you to do before then. Where are you not plugged in? This is where I feel like building a resume would be most appropriate, documenting all my "spiritual activity" like some scoreboard that proves my eligibility as a member of a godly dating relationship.
4. Just keep running the race on the path God has for you. Eventually you'll look to the left or right and see someone running right beside you. Then you just link up to run the race together. While this is a beautiful picture of how a love story God writes might go, it's kinda silly. Most of the single people I know ARE running the race the best way we know how. It's not like we've stopped, sat down for a second, and decided to scavenge our immediate surroundings for any and all possible dating prospects. Most of us are doing the dang thing. And enjoying it as we go!
5. Maybe your expectations are too high. You should ease up on guys. Expecting a boy to love Jesus before I would date him is NOT an excessive expectation. It's sensible. It saves him money and both of us time in the grand scheme of things. If we don't have the most basic part of my life in common, then where would we even start? I'm not willing to chase that rabbit. Waste of time.

Things are really good right now. I can't remember a time when my life felt this full. Now that I've been able to shank the school/residency monkey-on-your-back syndrome, my life is MINE again. I'm in an amazing Bible study with 3 girls who love Jesus and love me. I'm plugged in to a beautiful little church full of people fully-devoted to encountering God and equipping others to do the same. I really like my job and the people that I work with. I get true fulfillment by using my education/training to help others to the best of my ability. And more than all these things, God has shown Himself to be active in my life. He's inspiring my heart for new ministries; He's linking it with others to walk this journey with; and He's drawing me to know Him more.

So for this season, I am eternally grateful. I know I will look back and see this is as a fruitful, sweet time in my life. I praise God for showing this to me in the midst of it.

Square Pegs

...in round holes. Frequently used phrase, I know. I think of Jill Philip's album every time I hear it. But it's the best cliche to describe how I feel in this recent phase of growth/life/whatever you want to call this process of sanctification. I'm a redeemed soul built for glory submerged in this fallen world. And it feels like that. Nothing fits. I don't fit. Please note at this point that my redemption/salvation/justification was and is due to no merit of my own. That's clear. (Eph. 2:8-9, Romans 3:10) I'm not saying, "Woe is me because I'm better than my environment".

But I don't fit here. And I don't think I'm supposed to. There are times where this life feels better than other times, but as I'm going through this Experiencing God study with my girls, I'm really having to wrestle through some Truths. I went into it expecting God to just show up and make my heart light after the first week. Well, that specific event hasn't happened yet. I know He's at work. He's been at work (Phil. 1:6) ; that's what this whole study is about.

Here recently the focus has been on my personal relationship with Him. That's a tough one. It has honed in on the basics: He LOVES me. He asks me to LOVE Him back. It's that simple. So why is that the hardest part? Why do I think in my heart that His love is no better than mine? Why do I struggle trusting Him, as if everything's not in His hands to begin with (Col. 1:17)? Why do I hesitate to hand Him the hope of my heart?

Honestly, I'm a little gun-shy. My hope constantly disappoints. But why? Oh, that's because I've placed it in events, or people, or changes, or results, or control. Why does my heart not understand that He's the only safe place for my hope, for my heart?

Because, let's be honest, I'm not going to be cheerleader-happy very consistently on this earth. And I'm learning just today that what He asks me to do is not "be happy", but rest in the discontentment. Rest in the knowing that He IS Who He says He is. He will do what He said He will do. THAT, and that alone, is the only safe, secure place for my hope. It's the only place my heart fits.

Random Musings...

I had an exciting day at work. I got to be the primary pharmacist on a code (which means somebody wasn't doing well at all), and despite the horridness of the situation, it was a rush. As a healthcare worker, sometimes the worst situations for others are the most shaping for your career. I had two residents and a technician helping out and looking on, and I was actually just charged (in a positive way) by the whole crisis situation. I seem to flourish under high-pressure, crunch-type situations. So despite the underlying cause, I appreciated the experience.

And then two things made me laugh at myself today:

1. I was talking to a 21-year-old who's about to hit 22 at the gym today, and he was complaining about it. You know I wasn't going to let him have all the glory, so I made a topping reference to my own age (which he already knew). And his follow-up comment? "But you're well-preserved!". REALLY? If someone uses a phrase like "well-preserved", doesn't that automatically mean you're old? Seriously?
2. I had a blast tonight. I did something that made my heart happy. I used my new Hoover vacuum cleaner in my apartment. It's just nice for ONCE to have your expectations exceeded. Well, my trusty new Hoover came through for a girl. And I'm content about it.

That's all. Britt and Caleb come to visit tomorrow! Who's excited? Pick me!

Right as Rain

That was today. Today the rain was just...right. It was my day off for this week. I work through Sunday. Not much to look forward to. But the rain was somehow refreshing. I didn't really want the sun with its pressure to be outside making good use of the day. I wanted the slowness, the okay to feel a little dreary that a rainy day brings. It was ironically uplifting.

I've started "Experiencing God", the Bible study, with three bombin' girls from my church, and it's been really good. Just deep, gut-checking, faith-pushing, good. We meet in a coffee shop, but that hasn't barred the tears when they were looming. We're only in the first few units of the study, but God is already pushing me to hard places. He's calling me out on a lot of things and calling me to follow Him out on different ledges of faith. It's been a while since He interrupted my life so blatantly. It's uncomfortable. I'm overarchingly thankful for it, but squirmy through part of the process.

But I heart these girls. More so every week. It's amazing how we each can see how God wants the other to let Him love her. Two of the girls gave me "You are Special" by Max Lucado for my birthday. I read it last night for the first time and teared up. When the puppet realizes that the only thing that matters is what the Creator thinks, he's free. He's whole. I want that. Consistently. All the time. Just because God spoke it. I want that to be enough for my heart to hope in. About everything.

I'm enjoying the process...as much as you can in the midst of discomfort. We talked about that...lots of uncomfortable-ness. lol. That was a time of laughing. But overall, I expect to experience God. I expect to know Him more and trust His heart with all of mine. I'll keep you posted.

Amazing story

If you went to Union, do you remember Amber Donovan, April Donovan's older sister? You probably also know that she was married and that she and her husband were missionaries overseas. They had just adopted their second child from overseas when she was killed in a car crash on the way to pick her husband up from the airport. Here's an interesting article about one of the fruits from her life:

Check it out here.

30 SIDE OF 20

It's coming for me on Sunday. The big 26. Originally I wasn't looking forward to this one. I mean, 25's the year, right? It's the time of your life, right? Well, it was a good year for me, true. Lots of transition, growth, and newness. No regrets.

I have a new home in a new state, a career I enjoy and am proud of, and a great community here to do life with. I love my church home, my coworkers, and my friends here.

More than ever, I'm grateful for the amazing family members and friends from life pre-Washington. I'm more comfortable being me than ever before.

So yeah, bring on 26. It's gonna be the best year yet!

Discomfort

I guess that's the most appropriate term. I don't ever know what to expect. At different points in life, I begin to think "I thought I would get this by now. Why do I still feel ill-prepared? Why do I keep coming to the same points over the same issues? Why do I end up feeling the same way?" In college, during what I consider one of my greenest times spiritually, I often felt alone. I felt like no one else in the world understood what I was going through. And at the time, I always felt like it was God preparing for a life called out, one set apart. I felt He was equipping me for what He had called me to. And at the time I was sensitive enough to the Spirit, and my faith muscle was conditioned enough to lean on Him and let Him be more than enough to get me through it.

At many points I've been able to stand on the thought of me and God for the long haul. I'll be fine because it's Him writing my story, and He hasn't left me to live it blind or alone. But I think over the years I fell under the deception that things would be different when I got older or after I hit these certain milestones. I've made a ton of friends over the years. And not just people being nice to me: I'm talking people in the trenches with me. Living LIFE together. Sometimes they've had to drag me through when I couldn't see to the other side of my obstacles. Great friends. But I still come back to this place: the feeling that I am alone. It's just my story that God is writing. He hasn't made anyone a consistent player in this production. Please don't misunderstand me: my family is amazing. They are ALWAYS there and willing to offer love, prayer, and support. But it's different. I can't live with them. That's not adulthood. And my amazing friends (my old skool college friends) are scattered across the globe. Communication is hard.

All this comes up as I transition to the next step. No more school. No more tests. No more projects or assignments. It's over. I have no next box to check, no hurdle to jump. I have a stable job, and I'm considering purchasing property. And it scares me to death. I think the answer will come in the form of response to this question: Is how I feel independent of my immediate circumstance or is it there to spur me on to my next step?

Brooke Fraser - Shadowfeet

My new anthem. This girl's phenomenal.

Vessels

Not the bloody kind. But I received some great insight from a friend who's learning about being one, and I wanted to share her thoughts. I hope you are as challenged and encouraged as I was by them.

"1 Corinthians 3:5 says "What, after all, is Apollos? And what is Paul? Only servants through whom you came to believe - as the Lord has assigned to each his task. I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God made it grow. So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who makes things grow."

We are pushed from Day one to be someone, to fill a role and to have success and accomplishments, to make a name for ourselves as our culture dictates. We put so much emphasis on forming this individual identity that we believe it actually matters, when the reality is that while those things can be good they are secondary to being used by Christ. It really hit me that Paul refers to himself as a what, the same greek word used for objects because that's what we are, we're vessels - of God's love and grace and mercy, a testament to His name. And apart from that, we're nothing.

Every creation was formed to give glory to God, to praise the works of His hands and we are simply another creation to be used for the same end. To start thinking of ourselves as a what instead of a who takes away the need we've created for this individual identity and allows us to simply be useful. Like the potter and the clay - the clay finds its identity in what the potter is doing with it - there's no value in the clay itself, even if it's expensive or rare or beautiful. If it is not used, it's worth nothing. The value and the purpose comes in the potter crafting the clay for a specific use and the clay fulfilling that. We are merely vessels, unformed clay - and without Him using us, we could accomplish nothing.

A friend recently told me that marriage is not about our happiness but about our sanctification and looking more like Christ. I think that's true for every area of our lives. I have such a tendency to think my desires are genuinely of consequence. And they're not. He controls those desires and puts them there for a purpose, but my view of what the outcome will be is not always the same as His because it's not that we have desires and God fulfills them, but rather that He gives us desires to guide us to a specific direction, and to make us content in His placement. Ultimately my happiness is secondary to my usefulness in bringing Him glory. That's why I can't find my identity in being a paramedic or a wife or anything else aside from the task He has given me, which is to trust Him, to follow Him above all else, and to be a vessel for His use.

There's this line in a Rascal Flatts song that says "I drive myself crazy trying to stay out of my own way" I feel like that defines my life. By thinking it mattered who I am or what I accomplished or anything else, it took my focus off Christ and continuously got me in trouble. I trust His purpose, and know that He can and will and wants to use this life to bring Him glory. I just have to stay out of the way, quit thinking I have any right to figure things out, quit acting like my desires are of any relevance, and to allow myself to be useful."

I love my friends! I'm thankful that God has blessed me with so many that challenge me to know Jesus more.

Asilomar

The Western States Residency Conference is held at Asilomar, a state park in Monterey, California every year. This is where the residents from the western side of the country get together to present on the research project they've dedicated their year to. There are 750 people here at the neat little rustic grounds to either present or support those who are presenting.

The good news is that I'm done already. I gave my presentation on the impact of a pharmacist in an ambulatory cystic fibrosis clinic this morning. And it went pretty well. No one drilled me with ridiculous questions, and most people were complimentary. So now I feel great. For the most part, that was the pinnacle of my year. And now I'm past it. It's a bit of a wierd feeling. Either way, I'm here until Friday.

The bad news is that's it's cold. It's sunny and beautiful here (the scenery), but the breeze is clipping. And I didn't bring any sleeves. Looks like me and the Marmot jacket are 'bout to be best friends. I want to get out and jog, but after they warned us about the potential of meeting up with a mountain lion, I reconsidered.

James (one of my co-residents) presents this afternoon, then Callie (my other co-resident) tomorrow afternoon. Other than that, we're networking (the professional word for hanging out and meeting folks) and relaxing (which is new to most of these attendees).

TENNESSEE

The land of big trucks and sweet tea. Where people talk to you as if they've known you all your life, even if you've never met. The weather was absolutely perfect during my time at home: about 80 and sunny with a cool breeze. I drove with the windows down most of the time. The fragrant smell of honeysuckles was constantly in the air. And I could always go on about how much I love my family. They just keep getting better.

I love being from small-town Tennessee. You can't beat it. That will never change. But I still look forward to returning to my current life in the beautiful Pac NW. I am reminded that I have been and continue to be truly blessed.

HOPE

Big part of my life...of my outlook. Since way back in the day of Huntingdon FBC, singing with my two friends where we each dubbed ourselves with the nicknames of Faith, Hope, and Love. I was Hope, even then. And it's accurate. I'm a closet romantic, idealist, all the perspectives on life that have hope as its basic tenet.

Today, when Pastor John brought the Word from the book of Esther he preached a bombin' sermon on inner beauty, women and our source of attractiveness, etc. And it was so dead-on and culturally relevant. But the part that sliced me the deepest was one of his wrap-up statements:

"We get disappointed because we hope in the wrong things."

Wow...yes, I do. I hope in the wrong things. Romans 5:3-5 talks about enduring suffering so that we produce character, and after character, hope. And our hope doesn't disappoint because of the love God pours into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that lives inside of us. Wow. A hope that DOESN'T DISAPPOINT. Why have I been wasting my time and energy? Seriously? What futile pursuits. A hope that doesn't disappoint. That's a promise. One I'm gonna chase until I can call it mine.

Idealist...to be or not to be?

That is my question. I got into an interesting argument about Biblical truth this weekend. I understand that arguments do no one any good, but it was eye-opening for me. Not that my opinion was changed about the issue, but I was bombarded with a completely different worldview than my own. There is actually a group of people, a school of thought-if you will, that chooses to take a different perspective on the world and its current state.

As I was recapping the prior night's events with a friend of the different worldview at church the next day, I was moved to tears as I explained to him the reasons for my passionate opinions on matters of God and Truth and Man. I was pigeon-holed by my friend, and maybe rightfully so, as an idealist. I see things in black and white. I want sin called what it is. That is important to me. Mainly because I think it's important to God. Let me finish before you start preaching grace at me. I think sin is important to God for two of maybe many reasons: 1. It's less than His best. It flies right in the face of the Truth of who He is when we believe the deception that causes us to sin. 2. It separates us from Him. He loves us too much to be complacent about this. Because He's holy and cannot dwell in the same space as sin. Without the cleansing redemption of Christ's blood, we're all wretched anyway.

I want God's best...period. I'm with John Piper in Christian Hedonism. You'll have to google that one. I believe Jesus when He said He came to give us abundant life (John 10:10). So I want that life. For myself. For my family and my friends. For everyone in the world. So yes, when people are living in utter deception, whether it be to strongholds of cult belief, addiction, homosexuality, insecurity, fear, I hurt. It gnaws at me like a thorn in my heart.

But it's hard. People don't like to hear that. People from the opposing school of thought are really good at accepting people. I admire this about them. I wish it were more natural to me. They accept almost everything as it is. There's a freedom to that...but I'm not built that way. I have to work for change. I can't help it. I think about improvement...always. Without idealism, there's no drive for positive change. So I know I have it for a reason...but I also know I need to move a little toward the other side. I need to be able to leave things be. I need to let people be who they are, let God be who He is, and remember who I am in light of these things.

I don't want to recite the AA prayer here, but Lord, I do ask that you grant me the wisdom to find this balance.

Our night at the Sonics game with Gary Payton

Erin's aunt had some season tickets she didn't plan to use, so the four of us girls decided we should check out the Sonics before they get sold to another city. We're sitting there on Row 1 right by the Mavs entrance, when Gary Payton walks out and asks to slip by me to sit down right beside my friend Amanda!

It was a star-studded night with Jason Kidd, Dirk Nowitske, Mark Cuban, and the whole gang. It was good times. Man, how awesome are my church friends?

Rascal Flatts concert - 4/5/08

I got to sit in floor seats for this stellar concert thanks to my buddy Jason. It was decided on the Thursday before that he still had an open ticket, so I was more than willing to take that off his hands for him! We had so much fun, and we were so honkin' close when they came out onto the center stage!

B-eautiful

That's all there is to it. Tacoma was absolutely honkin' gorgeous today! I woke up and immediately began itching to be outside running and playing. So I called up my girls, and we walked to a nearby beach and threw the frisbee. This reminds me why I want to stay here. The spring and summer totally make the winter worth it. I love Tacoma. It's the prettiest place I've ever lived. And the people aren't too bad either. ;o)

Rough Day

I sat in my car along Ruston Way looking out across the Puget Sound. The choppy water seemed to match my mood. I think many influential factors were external, but still. Choppy waters. Then I saw it. The beautiful rainbow gleaming like it was its job. And it was. And only in a quirky little spot like Tacoma does the sun shine bright while rain is pelting your head.

And there's no point except to say, you know you're going through growth when you can clearly separate the inklings of your mind and those of your heart. And you can, after tears and turmoil, whip your heart into gear. That is, after much prayer and whining. Because God is faithful, I think we're all going to make it.

You can take the girl outta the South...

It's not a new thing for me up here in Washington state to be asked where my accent is from. And those of you that know me know that some of my quirky sayings are just "Lauren-isms" and not exactly cultural. However, I was surprised yesterday when I was recapping a presentation I had just given with my preceptor at the Tacoma Family Medicine clinic and she mentioned a colloquialism that I might want to be aware of. At the end of May, the culmination of my residency will be a beastly presentation over my year-long project at the Western States Residency Conference in Monterrey, CA. So feedback on my presentation skills is valuable to me.

What was it that I said, you ask? I threw in a couple of "might-oughta"'s. I said "might-oughta" in reference to how you should use certain oral diabetic medications. I had no idea this was a regional phrase, but I quickly learned that people don't use such phrases up here. I laughed for about 5 minutes. And now I will reserve my southern phrases/Lauren-isms to nonprofessional settings.

I know, I know. I'm lame...or just lazy for not posting for so long. I think distracted would be a better term to describe my state of being as of late. I had Jada visit, then Dad, Lecia, Daron, and Kellen. I improved my ski skills. I've been hanging out with friends like it's my job. And doing a little work stuff on the side.

But life is so good right now. So many things are changing for so many people. A friend got engaged. A friend had her first kid. A friend had a rough car accident. A friend got a man. It's been a time of change.

The change for me has been a pleasant one. I'm more content with my life now than ever before. I love where I'm at, what I'm doing, and what my options are for the future. I have an amazing support group of family and friends, and my network of friends locally continues to grow.

My involvement with my church here has deepened, and I'm pumped about ministry there. If I could change one thing, it would be to deepen spiritually. I desperately want godly wisdom, maturity, humility, and love to be more evident in my life. I want a pure heart. I pray for these things. I believe God does, can, and will use me in the meantime as He slowly cultivates these.

With the residency winding down in a few months, there's a new freedom on the horizon. I don't know what that means, but I'm excited. Stay tuned!

Almost Leap Time

It's partially because I'm a slacker and partially due to a lack of worthy material, but I haven't blogged in a bit. Life's kinda flipped since I've been working down in the ER. My shift is 2 to 10:30 p.m., which I actually like. I'm definitely built to function well during this time of day. I even have time to hit the gym in the morning. But it does preclude most of my regular social interaction. It's hard to set aside time in the morning before work to call the family and friends, as well as run all the necessary errands during normal working hours. I will actually be working four 10's on an evening shift like this when I get through with my residency. We'll see how that goes.

All in all, things have been going well here. I've had some great times with friends on the weekends. Drove up to Snoqualmie on a beautiful sunny day where I got to watch the snow melting off the majestic peaks. (Do I sound like a Deep Thought by Jack Handy yet?) Then I came back and threw the frisbee near a local beach here in Tacoma. How many places in the world have that to offer? See snow-covered mountains within an hour's drive and then drive over to a beautiful waterfront in the same area? It just reiterated my number 1 reason for loving Tacoma.

On a more serious note, I'm still reading through Matthew and following the story of Jesus, and I can't help but be impacted by the reality that He was here for the broken. Every time. And it required that the individual realize their brokenness before He could change them. Because the Truth is that we're all broken. The Pharisees didn't know that, though. His hometown didn't know that they were either. As a result, He didn't minister too long or very much in these crowds. But the broken...Wow. The people who recognized Who He was would bring the dirty, the sick, the possessed in droves. And He would effortlessly change lives. It makes me think about a few things:

1. Is His ability to change me dependent on my realization of my brokenness without Him? If so, a greater recognition of who I was before Him or who I would be without Him AND (don't forget this part; it's just as important) Who He is/what He can do would revolutionize my heart. It would completely reconstruct my outlook.
2. What is my hope for the brokenness I see around me? Do I believe He can change them? Do I pray for them in the hopes that He will?
3. How do I respond to brokenness around me? Do I look for opportunities to take Jesus there? or do I try to just minister to people or in places that are clean, easy, and comfortable?
   

Jesus didn't place comfort anywhere in His list of priorities. I don't have anything remotely similar to His omniscience, but I don't think seeing the end result was required before initiating the process. I don't know if I'm explaining this well, but I know my biggest obstacles are the limits of my own faith. I don't have to have things figured out to be obedient. God doesn't ask that of me. That's my own safety mechanism that directly inhibits me from living up to my fullest potential in Him. Regardless of what statistics show, of precedents set, of my past behavior, God is still God. And He's limited by nothing, even in a life and a heart like mine.

This is what is left of one of the girls' dorms at my old alma mater, Union University. What's even more shocking is that my own sister, Daron Webb, was huddled with two other girls in a downstairs bathroom when the tornado blew through campus. I was brought to tears when I saw the footage of the damage on the Today Show online this morning. I was speechless when Daron recounted her experience of covering her head in her hands when she heard the "train" noise coming. She said she felt debris swirling all around her, and she even breathed some in. When it had passed, she looked up to see the sky above her instead of the ceiling, which was the floor of the second story. The wall of the shower behind her looked as though it had been "punched in". The girls had never shut the bathroom door, so they were able to grab a matress that had landed in the living room floor before the next wave hit. When all had passed, the RAs called to them to tell them it was okay to come out and to head to the PAC (or the science building for non-Unionites). She went with the other soccer girls to her coach's house until Dad and Lecia could pick her up.

Today they let people come back on campus in waves to see if they could find their cars. Daron hadn't been able to park close last night because there were no spaces. Surprisingly, her car survived with two busted rearview mirrors and a dented hood. All of her clothes, belongings, EVERYTHING is gone. She's already been asked to make a list for insurance. Her computer, her guitar, her camera, her video camera, all of it gone. All of these things are nominal in value when I think about how grateful I am that she is okay.

There are no words to provide even remote explanation for how no life was lost on this campus except to say that God was at work. Lives were spared for a reason. It makes no sense for the place to look like Ground Zero of a bomb site, for cars to be flipped upside down or thrown atop buildings, for buildings to be leveled, and for everyone to come out without critical injury. I'm so thankful. And I even believe that there will be Kingdom results from this event. Union University, a truly Christ-centered institution is getting national news coverage. Its wise and godly leader, Dr. David S. Dockery, is being shown on tv consistently to speak about the storms and the rebuilding efforts.

Please pray. So much will need to be done. Please give. They've already set up a fund where people can contribute.

Click here.

Most of all, be thankful. Be aware that God is in control, and He has a purpose for every moment He gives you breath. Don't waste it.

Blessed

I have the coolest friends. I'm serious. There's no way another person could have a higher number of quality individuals that have poured into their life. I have been reminded lately since I was able to catch up with so many of them this weekend.

I talked to Meg (from the FAB Four in Memphis), Buckle (one of the original Super-Christians that I busted my tail to keep up with spiritually my freshman year of college), Donna (sweetest heart, always a blast and full of encouragement, pharmacy school companion), my family (they're all awesome and I continually sing their praises), Alyson (one of my newest but truest friends here in Tac-town), and then I got to spend Saturday night hanging out on "the Ave" in Seattle with Ronnie (my good friend I met here who moved to Seattle and works for NAMB) in the U-dub district.

I'm not done. After church, I had lunch at my favorite Tacoma locale, Famous Dave's (they have sweet cornbread and sweet tea- you can't beat it), with Alyson, Jana, and Jeff. These kids have become constants, and I'm thankful for each of them in my life. We shared good laughs, and Jeff shared a lot of stories from his childhood...hence the laughs.

Then my oldest friend (all the way back to when I beat him in the math contest at UTM) Casey called from Lithuania, and I laughed so hard I thought I was going to run off the road at a comment about how sweet we southerners like our tea. I'm still grinning. A great, mind-bending, philosophical, sociopolitical conversation followed, and overall it was refreshing to have caught up.

We'll round it out with getting to catch up with Mr. Ziegenhorn tonight. Great conversation was shared about evangelism in friendships/relationships/work settings. That was refreshing as well to get to relate to someone about the urgency and concern I feel for the lack of understanding of Truth around me. He lives in LA, so it's not a stretch for him to match that.

All this leads to one conclusion: God is great. He's given pieces of Himself to each of these individuals to shed light on my life. I'm more than blessed, but that's the best word the English language offers me as far as my knowledge will reach.

Dance War

One of the new shows on ABC didn't catch my attention UNTIL...

I found out my friend Phillip was on there!



I met Phillip last January at a Super Bowl party for young singles from Brentwood Baptist Church. We immediately had a blast cutting up, and before the night was over I had gotten see some moves from Mr. Jesus-loving, Justin Timberlake-esque young Virginian. He had just moved to Nashville to do music, but he happened to be trained in ballroom dance (and could show out with some hip-hop as well). I even went salsa dancing with him a few times. But you have to go online and watch an episode or two to check out my buddy in action.

Here's the link.

Check it out. You can watch the show online! He's doing so well; I'm so proud. I can say I danced with him when...

2008 Projections

post-contemplation, of course. I love any opportunity to assess, evaluate, analyze (can I think of a few more words that mean to think through something?) my life, where I am, where I've been, and where I would like to go. 2007 brought so much change: graduation, new job, new home, new friends.

I don't know if I qualify as a visionary, but I like to cast visions, to set goals, and to get people excited about working towards them. Other than the typical desire to get into shape, start eating better, get more organized, my main resolution was this:

Stop worrying and instead truly pray about weights on my heart, giving them over to God and being open to see Him do things only He could do.

At Aroma last night, the six of us discussed our different resolutions and plans for the new year. We had such a stimulating and heart-pressing discussion about our need as Christians to be different. I'm reading through Matthew in my quiet time in hopes of truly KNOWING Jesus better. I'm just now to the Sermon on the Mount (Matt. 5-7), specifically the Beattitudes followed by the verses in Chapter 5 about being salt and light.

I have felt such a burden lately for myself and other Christians to more visibly live that difference. Not just in hopes of converting people, but for the bigger purpose of better-reflecting God's glory, His character, and the changes He can make in a life submitted to Him.

We pointed out that ministry was not the goal. It's not the focus or the objective. I don't remember who said it, but "Ministry is the wake we leave as we pursue Christ". So if we desire to bring more people to know Him and exhibit more fruit (Gal. 5:22), we need to just up our intensity with which we pursue Him. Refocus. Reprioritize. Put everything we invest in (with our time, money, and thought) through the filter of eternal vs. temporal importance.

So that's my initial challenge in 2008 to you: Live the Difference. Not by "trying harder", but by fixing the eyes of your heart on your Savior, the Lord of all, and seeking the LIFE He died to offer us. (John 10:10, Matt. 6:33)

Tough Stuff

After a recent in-depth discussion with some fellow believers about some of the difficult questions in life, I grew burdened about the average churchgoer's level of understanding of basic doctrinal truths. The conversation spun off of the initial question: Where did evil come from? Did God create it? Did it start with Adam and Eve? Did it come into being when Lucifer fell?

These are all good questions, and I can't say that we reached a consensus answer. And it's a bit irrelevant, whatever the answer is, because it doesn't change Who God is, or who we are, or what we're called to do. So I'm gonna move on to my source of concern.

Here are a couple of the truths somewhat debated. I warn you; these are not happy topics. There will be no Joel Osteen sermon here. We're talking about sin: the reality of it, the weight of it, and how God views it.

1. Hell is real, and people apart from Christ are condemned to it.
2. God in His infinite justice punishes sin. God in His infinite love provided salvation from that punishment through Christ's death and resurrection on the cross.
3. God hates sin. Read any books start to finish from the Old Testament and read where God tells His people and prophets to completely wipe out whole people groups. I mean, have we forgotten the story of Noah? He just started all over. Sodom and Gomorrah? Need I go on?
4. Anyone who does not know Christ is dead in their sin and deserves hell. It's a tough one, but if the consequences for sin are not that dire, then why did Christ have to die? If you have trouble with this concept, I challenge you to ask God to show you the weight of sin. Let me warn you that this is not a pleasant answer, but it's one that will stay with you.

So yes, these concepts should light a fire under us as Christ's followers to go tell people about their need for Him and the free gift of salvation and eternal life offered through Him WITH THE UNDERSTANDING that He IS sovereign. He WILL accomplish His will. He desires to bring people to Him more than you do. And you are (or I am) not big enough to mess that up. It's ultimately the work of the Holy Spirit in a man's heart that brings a man to know Christ. We are simply the vessels that get to be a part of the process sometimes.

Please understand that these are not concepts that are usually appropriate in evangelistic settings, but as believers, we need to know what the Bible says about Who God is, what He does, and who we are in light of that. My concern is that the life-long church-goer can't say with confidence that they are certain about these things based on revelation from Scripture.

Thoughts?

Viva Las Vegas

So I went...and I saw. And I'm glad to be back in Tac-town. Even though most of WA south of me is under water. Nice reception. I enjoyed getting to spend time with work people outside of work. Callie got a bigger dose of me than I'm sure she ever hoped for. But we had fun bonding, laughing, learning, and discussing life. I feel really blessed to be a part of such a great program with great people in a great area. Enough of the "great"s.

It was also the bomb to get to see Donna, Leela, and some of my old UT crew. I would have loved to sit down with every old pharmacy friend from around the country (old ASP peeps included) and discuss our journey post-graduation, but time didn't allow. It was at least nice to share a smile, a hug, and maybe even a 2-minute update.

Overall, it left me tired, a bit pensive, and ready for the weekend. I'm trying to learn this whole "live in the now" and stop wishing your life away. So far, I get an F.

I will say I had one of the neatest conversations with a pharmacy director from Cali at dinner one night. A very smart man working for a Catholic group was explaining to me how the nuns who run the organization expect the leadership to conduct themselves the way Jesus would. After I mentioned my desire to do missions and the basis of my faith (which was based on a personal relationship, not on rituals), he was extremely intrigued about this new concept of Christianity he had never encountered before. I wasn't expecting to have one of the best evangelistic conversations of my life that night. I'm glad that God uses me despite my inconsistent focus.

Somebody help me...

Why can't I love people? Especially when I want to, need to, and try to really hard? Why am I not nicer? If we as Christians don't love people, who's gonna? They will know us by our love, right? Is there a special prayer I can pray so that He'll drop it off in my heart? Lord, please help me to love everyone and hold my tongue and my thoughts when I can't!

Cheers to newness

I've always belonged to the school of thought that lines and principles and precepts protect. They ward off danger. They prevent scars. Most of my life has been lived with this outlook at the forefront. I'm definitely no scaredy-cat, so please understand that I hide behind this mentality most often in reference to matters of the heart.

In terms of calculating risk and acting on the conclusion, that's usually not my style. I would jump out of a plane with a parachute (but haven't done this yet). I would fly across an ocean to spend a month in Europe with a classmate. I would move across the country to live and work in a land where I know no one. Okay, so none of it's that dramatic. I'm just trying to make a point. My point is that these things sound exciting. Sign me up.

However, any social situation that I haven't initiated or somehow obtained semi-conrol over freaks me out. Neurosis for days. I think too much, talk too much, and no one enjoys it. Ask family and friends. They will confirm.

But today, I took a step. After much mulling (on my part) and encouragement (on my friends' part), I left those precepts (read: the cage) by the wayside and did something out of character. And it was, of course, nothing to be afraid of. No big deal. That's what's on the other side of that fear: nothing lost. And maybe a little freedom gained.

BOO!

Here's what we did Sunday night.
The group is as follows (L to R): Jason, Charles, Ronnie (girl), Jonathan, Lauren, Sheena, Liane, Alyson, and Tucker (dog)




We did this Alyson's. That is her stoop above and her pumpkin below.



Jason Burke's creation. It's "AROMA" for our coffee house group on Thursdays.




This is Jonathan's. Pizza and a coke. Making you hungry?



Liane's is the cute little squash. Mine is the one with swoopy bangs.



This is Ronnie's creepy tree. Good times!

Captivating by John and Stasi Eldridge

This book is the follow=up to Wild at Heart, the book about how godly men should actually pursue their rugged adventure because that is what they were built for. I've never actually read it, but I do remember some key points. Men desire three things:

1. To live an adventure
2. To fight for something
3. To discover beauty

Women also wants three things at their core that actually coincide. God knew what He was doing here. Surprise!

1. To join in the adventure
2. To be fought for
3. To have her beauty discovered

These make sense to me, and I wasn't surprised or super-enlightened when I heard them. They made sense, so I just added this to the repertoire of small sermonettes that may come in handy.

However, this week, the new book for women (the title of this post) has been rocking my face off. Stasi describes that men and women are made in God's image (Gen. 1:26-27, nothing new), but she goes on to say that men represent God's strength and His power. Here's the take-home: what makes men attractive? STRENGTH. Hold up, let me finish. I'm NOT talking about meat-head in the gym strength. I'm talking about strength of character, fighting for what's right, defending those that are weaker than you. THAT is super-attractive. You think about the heroes in the movies. What makes them studs? Their character, conviction, and drive to set things right (examples: Gladiator, Braveheart, The Last Samurai).

Women represent God's beauty. What makes women attractive? BEAUTY. And not as defined by Elle or Cosmo magazine. We all know drop-dead gorgeous girls that no ones wants to be around and certainly not date simply because they have bad attitudes. No, a woman's beauty is defined by her heart. When a woman is loving, compassionate, and serves the needs of those around her, that's attractive. Men can say a lot of things about appearance and such, but I would dare to say that the only aspect that truly pulls at a man's heart would be the genuine compassion and encouragement found in the heart of a woman.

It brings up all new objectives in terms of self-improvement. I'm challenged not to find the best new product to prevent fine lines around my eyes. I'm challenged to learn to love better, to think of others first, and to battle the urge to self-protect. Stasi mentions that sharing your beauty as a woman will make a difference in your world, but it's a process to make your heart vulnerable. Isn't that the title of my blog or something?

Turning the Corner

I'm roundin' it, homes. It's invigorating. I'm reading up on a neuro-muscular disease for a presentation tomorrow for my neonatal intensive care rotation (NICU for all my medical friends), and I'm loving it. I don' think it can be credited solely to the fact that I had coffee earlier, either. I seriously am enthralled.

This week has been very interesting. The amount of assignments and the weight of my workload has only increased. Very few items have been completed and removed from the To-do list. But after freaking out and asking for much prayer from friends and family...something's changed.

Being at the hospital ~ 12 hours Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday was not that bad. I even worked on some stuff before I went to bed as well. For my other friends doing a residency and especially those doing their medical residency, I probably sound like a lightweight. But for me, this is huge. I'm very selfish with my time, and I have expectations as to how long I think it should take me to complete assignments. Plus, I've never let one thing (job, school, etc.) completely monopolize my life. Call it a weakness, lack of discipline, whatever you want. But I'm not sorry for it.

However, now there's a new motivation. I truly want to know. I want to grow as a practitioner. Sometimes I truly don't mind putting it extra time, coming up with my own little assignments to consolidate what I'm learning, or provide myself a quick reference in the future. God is truly affirming where I am, what I'm doing, and why He's brought me down this path.

Once again, story of my life: I am blown away by the evidence of His faithfulness. He is truly validating Psalm 37:4 by putting in my heart the desires that it should have in order for me to live my life to the fullest (John 10:10). And I'm delighted in Him.

If you would have asked me on Wednesday of last week, I wouldn't have had any spectacular expectations for this weekend. However, it was a bombin' one (maybe un milagro, one might say). lol. insider. My buddy Justin (from the GBC crew in Memphis and Zach's old roommate), who now lives and works near Boise, drove over with a friend heading to Seattle. It was a good opportunity for him to ride along and head on down to Tacoma and see me.

We were out all day Saturday fighting the fog and trying to see the sights around Tacoma. It ended up being a gorgeous day. Good food, good times, good friends, good weekend. I will purposely fail to mention details about the worst bowling I've done in years.

With bowling and church today, Justin got to meet most of the people in my life here outside of work. After he left, lunch, and a nap, I headed out with some friends to Wild Waves, a huge amusement park here on I-5. One of my friends from church works there and got us passes to ride the rides and go through the haunted house. It was really fun. I felt kinda old. I haven't ridden carnival rides in ages. But along with Ari, a college freshman, I rode almost all the big ones. The haunted house got a couple of screams outta me, and I definitely had a death grip on the person in front of and behind me.

Overall, great weekend. Now back to the grind...ugh.

Of course it happened today...

I let Jada talk me into looking like a scrub to fly back to Seattle this morning. I at least had a small amount of makeup on when I was sitting in the Memphis airport, talking with my mom on my cell, and people-watching. I notice an attractive guy pretty far off, and as he comes closer, familiarity begins to materialize. And then I can't believe it! It was NOAH WYLE with David Schwimmer, strolling through the Memphis airport! David was about two feet from me, wearing two different forms of camouflage and making me feel much better about my clothing choice.

I neglected my initial reflex to run up and ask them for a photo. I decided to be too old for that. But it's still a cool story. Now if it woulda been John Krasinski, I would've had a pic to post.

Okay, okay, I get it...

I've decided to take the plunge. After two different instances of being questioned and explaining my stance on things, I've changed my mind. And I still haven't decided what the right choice is.

Those who know me well know that I have a small band with the words "TRUE LOVE WAITS" that I wear on my left ring finger...a.k.a. the "here's-how-you-know-whether-I'm-taken" finger. Since I've been in Tacoma, I've had one in-depth conversation with an endocrinologist in which the man assured me that I was deterring all respectable, date-able guys wearing it on that hand. The other night my grandmother asked me about it, and it came up again tonight with my friends at dinner.

Initially my thoughts were that it provides a good filter. Any person would have to get to know me at least a little bit before they asked me out. I figured that saves them money and both of us time. Seriously, I'm a handful. It's only to the kid's advantage that he figure that out beforehand. The fact that I'm never seen with a guy and work with the SINGLE'S group at church is clear enough to me.

I had originally thought I could wait a couple more years before I made the switch. I think I saw it as a last-ditch effort. Wow, this sounds sad. But maybe it's more about correct representation and keeping your options open. I still haven't decided.

All of this led to my ultimate decision: tonight I switched the ring to my right hand. My friend Donna made a good point: most guys get confused about which hand it is anyway. But I still feel a twinge of being a sell-out. I even called a couple of trusted guy friends to ask their opinion. They of course didn't answer the phone. So I need some feedback. Help a sister out.

After staffing an incredibly too-busy weekend, I can't tell you how great it feels to know I'll be hopping a plane tomorrow to my homeland. Can't wait to see everyone!

Why is it that you learn the most about yourself in high-stress situations or those that evoke strong emotional response? Today was one of those. As a learner, you're constantly in a cycle of ignorance then mastery. I sometimes struggle when the bouts of ignorance are brought to light by those supervising you. And more than that, so much of it has to do with the style in which the enlightenment or the drilling (that's how it fills most of the time) is delivered.

Couple with this the face that I'm too proud. I know humility is a struggle for me. It's a constant prayer request and sometimes when it's answered, I feel pain. When people make me feel stupid, especially in front of other people, my pride gets pricked. And I don't respond well. It usually evokes an animosity deep within me that brings pictures of physical retaliation in my head. Thankfully, I'm old enough now to not follow every instinct.

Now I'm left to respond as an adult. It's a good trial. Life's not easy, and I'm rarely the boss. Therefore, there will undoubtedly be more of these uncomfortable situations. As a pro-active person (that I'm trying to be) instead of a reactive person, I decide how I will respond in these circumstances.

So what did I do? I took a really long nap.

Fried Pickles

Today was my debut at church as a greeter. It was also "nametag Sunday", so I had a great excuse to walk up to people, ask their name, and their favorite fair food. (Evidently, the bottom part of your nametage contains your answer to a question posed for the day). I had forgotten how natural it is for me to walk up to strangers and engage them in conversation. It was great. I really enjoy it. I had forgotten.

My answer to the question was fried pickles, which was befuddling to the people of the Pacific Northwest, since they had never experienced fried pickles. But I distinctly remember my first encounter. It was the midsouth fair in Memphis. I don't remember who I was with at the time, but I remember loving them...with ketchup or ranch, these things are money. I didn't let my church friends make squeamish faces long before I forced them to admit they'd never actually tried them. That negates one's opinions on anything edible.

Then I myself had my first Washington State fair experience. I mainly went because people kept raving about certain foods that I needed to experience. Today was the last day after two weeks, and it was still packed out! I won't list all the foods I partook of except for the scones. They were money. They were pretty much all they had been talked up to be...and more if you consider the price. It's just a little sweet biscuit with butter and jam. But man, it's good.

That's pretty much all we did...that, and people watch. Always fun.

This is my last week rotating in pediatrics. I'll be kinda sad to leave this area. I really found a niche there. We'll see if I still feel drawn to it after my other rotations. And another good thing about this week ending is that I go home to visit in a week! How exciting!

I can tell it's Monday

So far I've managed to

• get a blister on my heel from my awesome rain boots that the weather warranted for my walk to work


• print two beastly documents to a phantom printer


• set off the exit alarm in the children's hospital by pushing the door before it read my badge


• go the wrong way once I did find a stairwell sans alarm and had to walk back up two flights now instead

BUT...

last night I had one of the coolest bowling experiences of my life. I had a 6-10 split after bowling right down the middle. So I thought I'd be clever and bowl with both hands. I put a 12-pound ball in my right and left hand and made my usual release. The two balls traveled down the lane pretty smoothly, bumped each other about midway down, and traveled out to level the pesky pins that thought they had me beat! It was awesome! I couldn't believe it. I will never be able to reproduce it, but I did have witnesses. I can get you names and numbers if you need them.

And yes, this was the coolest part of my weekend. It's okay if you're a little jealous.

Everyone please check out Pastor Sam's blog from my blog roll (click on SAM SHAW on the left) and check out the video...HI-larious!

Lil Update...

So I've noticed no one comments when I get super-deep with my post topic on here...it's kinda like giving a speech, finishing, and the room just sits in silence. But that's an acceptable response, it's kinda like trying to find words when someone's really upset or something. Maybe it's best to just quietly console? No big deal, just observation. Moving on...

Went to a concert with one of my new friends here, a cool transplant from Texas who actually knows one of my college buddies (Burgett) because they both work for NAMB (google it). We saw Phil Wickham, who I've enjoyed the music of for at least two years and never gotten to see because he kinda stays toward the west coast.

I'm also loving my pediatrics rotation this month. It's fast-paced but I get to round every morning with an attending, two medical residents, and 3 medical students. It's good times, and I actually feel like I make a contribution. Other than that, nothing doing. I get to go home after this rotation! Yay, back to Tenne-too hot (in the words of the great Ben Bredow) to see my friends and fam! And be in a wedding. Good times.