Fruit Salad

A week ago today was my last day with my first (official) very own clinical group. We've enjoyed some great times over the last several months and they have been pure joy to work with. I'm proud of their accomplishments and how far they have come. All of the nurses we have worked with sing their praises. I truly was blessed with some fantastic students. I think I have learned more from them then they have learned from me.
On our last morning together I made them breakfast, cinnamon rolls and fruit salad...
I gave each student a different fruit and also assigned them one of the fruits of the spirit that I thought he/she was especially gifted in. As each student added their fruit to the bowl and read the Bible verse I had given them I told them the story of how they earned that fruit. The other students were invited to share how they have been blessed and encouraged my their classmate as well. We decorated photo mugs with pictures we had taken during our time together and the verses I had printed for each one. It turned out to be a wonderful time.
However, at the end of the salad they noticed that "faith" had not been added, our group had only 7 students and we all know that God is love. They then did something I didn't expect, they gave me faith! "You had faith in us. We have seen your faith in how you prayed for us and how you have been sensitive and responsive to God's leading with us. We are blessed by witnessing you live your faith." WOW!!!

Presidents and Provosts

Last week I encountered the dean of the school of nursing while in the copy room. He tends be somewhat elusive at times so I took the opportunity to ask him a few questions. The top question of course was regarding being able to invite students on a medical mission to Mexico City.
The response I got wasn't really what I expected, it was much more... "Perhaps we make it some sort of pilot class that could satisfy the upper division elective." Of course this sounds like something I would interested in so we set up a meeting. The meeting went very well and our gracious hosts Carlos and Carrie have already begun to set some things up for us. But there is always a however...
The proposal is now waiting on approval from the provosts. This apparently requires some rather intense communication between my dean and the president and provost, all of whom are busy people.
My email inbox is now stuffed with CC'ed messages to and from presidents and provosts. It's hard to be CC'ed on conversations between people like this, I have a difficult time not emailing back. So for now I wait, my summer plans hinging on the decisions of presidents and provosts.

All Growed Up!

Technically I've been an adult for over a decade now, at least by age anyway. Last Friday I had one of those days where I really actually felt "all growed up." I got up at the crack of dawn to teach clinicals at the hospital. After I released my students I headed over to Rainier Title to sign on my refinance for my house.
As I was walking through downtown Bellevue with my wool Pea Coat and black document folder on a blustery day listening to a church bell ring.
After my document signing on my way back to my care I treated myself to a cup of coffee. Then back to the hospital I wen to do some chart audits... I suppose it's kind of bittersweet.

Shalom Y'all

Howdy y'all from the Mississippi Gulf Coast. So here I am taking full advantage of spring break and visiting some great friends after way too long. I flew into New Orleans arriving on Sunday night after several hours of delays and sitting stationary on tarmacs due to weather and de-icing issues. Once of the plane however, my experience got much better. So far my trip has included dinner at the infamous Waffle House, good coffee with great friends, two burly happy dogs, "Seattle style" weather, a trip to Wal-Mart, a trip with Winn Dixie, theological discussions regarding the "Holy Ghost Weenie Roast" and making the largest loaf of challah I've ever baked. It doesn't get much more southern than that!
I've really been enjoying my time here visiting Jon and Shara, now if I can only convince them to move back. Good times, good times...

Keeping Kosh

This last Wednesday night while at I was grading papers in my office I found myself to be a recipient of a rather unusual delivery. What was it, you ask; nothing other than a "kitty to go."
A family friend, who incidentally had 5 cats, suddently found herself in a pickle when she recently found out about a medical diagnosis on top of other major life changes including having to urgently move from her home. That leaves 5 homeless kitties. My grandma took two of them in while we found homes for two others. The fifth one, well...that's where the "kitty to go" comes in.
My sister called me Wednesday afternoon asking if I would like "a ministry opportunity." Suddenly I find myself the foster parent of a rather affectionate three year old female cat. I took her home and she hasn't stopped following me since. I'm trying to tell myself it's only temporary, that she's annoying and I don't have to keep her. I did however, make the mistake of calling her "Kosha" which means "kitty" in Russian; "Kosh" for short. I hear that once you name the thing it's all over, they're yours forever. It looks like I might be keeping Kosh.

Laughter is the Best Medicine

For the last two weeks my students have been taking care of an elderly lady with a recent amputation of the left leg. As I'm sure you can imagine, she has a difficult time getting in and out of bed. Last week my one and only male student came in the room to help her get back into bed from her chair. She was very grateful for his help and apparently hasn't forgotten it...
This week I went in her room to help the students change the dressing on her stump. The male student also came in to help. As soon as she saw him she said, "I remember you, you are so easy to get in bed with!" He immediately turned beet red and the rest of just couldn't stop laughing. It took her a few seconds to realize what she had just said but when she did, she couldn't stop laughing either.
It turned out to be "the best dressing change she'd ever had, and it didn't even hurt." They say that laughter is the best medicine!

Rice Krispie Bricks

If you know me well or if you have ever read the very first entry of this blog then you might already know what this about; if not I'll attempt to fill you in.
Several years ago in sleep deprived state I asked my friend Angela, "What are your rice crispies saying to you?" It became code for, "What's God doing in your life?" We've been sharing little tidbits of encouragement/testimonies even since and others have joined in! On day I came home to a package on my doorstep, inside... a giant rice crispie brick from a friend in Oklahoma! ;)
This last week I found myself once again the recipient of a rice crispie brick, only figuratively this time... I was blessed to indirectly be a part of something awesome, a gift that blessed and fulfilled the desire of a wonderful dear lady's heart.
I read her message in response to the gift on a day that was especially exhausting. I had worked all night at the hospital and then taught class in the morning and was getting ready to work night shift at the hospital again... As I was on the bus on my way to work that night I remember thinking, "I have no idea how I'm going to make it through tonight. This is almost (but only almost) an emergency." As I was walking up the stairs my unit on the the fifth floor I remembered what was said in the message from my friend, "God cares about the desires the of our hearts, He knows exactly what we need and is faithful to provide it." I prayed a little a prayer, "God I know that you will get me through this shift somehow." When I opened the door to my unit and saw the charge nurse at the desk the first thing she said was, "Would you like to go home on standby?" Praise the Lord!!!
My switch to day shift comes in March but with it I will also lose my shift differential and a significant chunk of my income. With raises being held and the economy what it is, I must say this makes me a little nervous. However, I think it's the right thing to do for health and sanity in general. Once again I was met with a rice crispie brick. My sister called with "exciting news about mortgage rates" and I was able to refinance the house at a much lower interest rate and save several hundred dollars a month. God is so good!