So I've been thinking about this whole blogging thing lately, and what I've come to realize that I've deviated from my original intent for creating this blog. It was originally intended as a means as a replacement to the emails I used to send out to keep in touch while I was away learning to become a doctor. However, those who I used to write aren't really those who now read, and some wonderful meetings with old friends over the past few months made me realize that the lines of communication were never meant to be solely sustained through broadband and blogging.
In a nutshell, this blog is no longer for the purpose of learning what's going on in my life. Don't worry faithful blog readers; I'll still write when I have time about whatever may be on my mind or heart. It's in the best interest of all of us that this occur. I don't have to worry about finding time to keep you updated nor finding time to read your many blogs (that's what phones, emails, personal visits, etc are for). With that having been said, I leave you with some fond memories of the past year:
Speaking of roads...along I-40 right past Amarillo you can find numerous old Caddies buried in the dirt. Don't ask me why. Sain showed Cammie and I this roadside attraction when we stopped to visit him. Apparently there's not much else to do in Texas (just kidding Sain!). On our way out the following morning, we decided to leave our own signature on this Western Town attraction...I wonder if it's still there...
What can I say? It's the Grand Canyon, representative of a memorable 3 day camping trip. If you've never been on a roadtrip you should definitely consider doing so.
I think this is one of my favorite pictures taken while abroad. I can't thank God enough for having the opportunity to experience another culture, to"feel the pulse of the persecuted church," and to be among Christians who truly know what "family" means. Just a few dollars spent on a Pinata, candy, and some string, but it resulted in a priceless look of joy on this little girl's face. I'm constantly amazed at how God can take what little we have to offer and turn it into something great.
An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure-teaching the best way of preventing disease-handwashing. While I was in Guatemala, a preacher gave a sermon about how we consider the book of Acts to be completed yet we each have our own chapter to contribute if we believe God and the wonderful message of the "Good News." I'd like to think that this class was only a tiny part of my chapter, and I look forward to see what the following pages contain.
In all my experiences abroad, I seem to find myself on a random roadtrip. This was a stop at Castillo San Felipe near Rio Dulce before the infamous Shigella incident. Don't worry, the cannon wasn't loaded.
The CSC guys (and girls); where would I be without them? No semester is complete without a visit to Knoxville or some stop nearby. An October hike to Hen Wallow Falls led to Brad and Eric and giving their impersonation of "Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon" while Justin did the "Smiling Hungry Bear." Good times. Good hikes.
One of the blessings of Johnson City: Mrs. Chara Watson. Not only did she make this cool scarf and hat for me for Christmas, she was kind enough to come stay with me at JCMC when they decided that Barium shakes would be a great thing for me to try while I was waiting for my IV to finish. I seriously don't know what I'd do without my Christian family.
Hanlin was this the 4th or 5th Pancake Pantry Reunion? A holdover from our life together at Governor's School way back in the day, Lauren, Hanlin, and I always make time to have breakfast at this famous sweet spot in Nashville. Unfortunately, the closest we got to seeing a country music star was this rather large guitar.
A beautiful wedding for a beautiful couple, Nancy and Manuel. They were the ones that invited me to come spend a memorable three weeks in Guatemala this past summer, and it was an honor to attend their wedding. It's rare to meet people with a passion for seeking and saving the lost and even rarer to meet a couple whose primary purpose in life is spurred by this passion. I know God will be using them in great ways in the coming years.
So there you have it. Michele Gourley 2005 in condensed annotated and illustrated form. Per usual, I leave you with another one of my favorite quotes:
"Health is based on happiness-from hugging and clowning around to finding joy in family and friends, satisfaction in work, and ecstasy in nature and the arts." -Patch Adams
3 comments:
Oh, you're right, at least about Amarillo. But I'm glad you had a good time. Stop by anytime, or in Fort Worth, which actually has things to do!
It's our fourth time at Pancake Pantry. We should do something special next year for our fifth.
I don't know Sain, but it's awfully funny that he apparently has Amarillo and Fort Worth connections since those are the two places in Texas that I have lived! Cool beans. When my family and I lived in Amarillo, we were always perplexed by the "Cadillac farm", too. If I remember the story correctly, I think some old farmer was too in love with his cars to actually get rid of them, so he started burying them out on his land. Later the interstate was cut really close to his farm and he started receiving national attention for his weird hobby of burying cars. So he started doing what any logical person would do when he/she receives attention--keep up the weird hobby!
Also, I would encourage you to keep up your blogging, even if it's just sporadic. I know I stop by your blog regularly and always enjoy it. One thing I've started to come to terms with lately is that I've been to so many schools, churches, mission trips, camps, etc, etc that it is literally impossible for me to do a good job of keeping up with all of the people that have meant so much to me along the way. It's kind of sad, but realistic. It makes me long for heaven when we won't be bound by time and geography.=) In the meantime, I think blogging is a good way to publically capture some of the experiences that God has taken us through along the way. I think in a few years, we will all really enjoy looking back at our blogs, both for nostaligic reasons and for tracing what God has brought us through.
Much love, Michele. Have a great semester!
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