An Absolutely Delightful Song

Check out Lisa Hanningan's "I Don't Know."

Absolutely, light-hearted, nuances of marimba notes, nice lyrics kind of song.

And if you were at Starbucks recently, it was free!

A Walk Down Memory Lane

The other night, I was reading back through entries from this blog. I started it right as I entered medical school, and it's been fascinating to see how my perspective about medicine, missions, and me has evolved over the years.

In honor of my trip down memory lane, I leave you with about 20 something posts that are some of my favorites:

http://michelegourley.blogspot.com/2004/08/as-i-sat-on-dock-of-dr.html

http://michelegourley.blogspot.com/2004/09/stepping-up-on-soap-box-some.html

http://michelegourley.blogspot.com/2004/10/life-on-rocky-top.html

http://michelegourley.blogspot.com/2004/11/blog-on-vacation.html

http://michelegourley.blogspot.com/2004/11/whats-your-mp.html

http://michelegourley.blogspot.com/2005/01/another-outdoor-adventure-by-yours.html

http://michelegourley.blogspot.com/2005/02/sugar-to-gooey-mush.html

http://michelegourley.blogspot.com/2005/03/saturday-in-sneedville.html

http://michelegourley.blogspot.com/2005/03/earpieces-enchiladas-and-ideas.html

http://michelegourley.blogspot.com/2005/06/kingman-arizona.html

http://michelegourley.blogspot.com/2005/07/saludos-desde-smyrna.html

http://michelegourley.blogspot.com/2005/08/cooking-with-michele.html

http://michelegourley.blogspot.com/2005/09/these-birks-arent-made-for-walking.html

http://michelegourley.blogspot.com/2005/10/i-gave-in-to-quizzes.html

http://michelegourley.blogspot.com/2005/11/sometimes-ignorance-is-bliss.html

http://michelegourley.blogspot.com/2006/02/life-saver.html

http://michelegourley.blogspot.com/2006/05/everything-i-ever-needed-to-know.html

http://michelegourley.blogspot.com/2006/12/new-beginnings.html

http://michelegourley.blogspot.com/2007_05_01_archive.html

http://michelegourley.blogspot.com/2007/06/hanging-up-shingle.html

http://michelegourley.blogspot.com/2007/07/throwaway.html

http://michelegourley.blogspot.com/2007/08/motion.html

Grow a Garden, Give to Your Community

Those with greener thumbs than mine tell me it's time to start thinking about this summer's garden.Wouldn't it be a great idea if our communities of faith could take the land and resources God has given us and us them to grow something for the people of our community?

In a nation suffering from an epidemic of poor health, it has been shown that a diet rich in fruits and vegetables improves our health, yet many people cannot afford to buy them. Spending time out in nature has been proven to help us both mentally and physically. And being unified in a common effort to glorify God never hurts either. :o)

I'm challenging you to challenge your churches, Bible study groups, etc.... to take a small plot of land, plant some seeds, and use the fruits (or vegetables) of your labor to help enrich the diet of those in your community who might not otherwise be able to afford them.So go, grow, and glorify God by giving back to your community!

PS: No pesticides or GM seeds please!

Superlatives

So I thought I'd have time to write. Then I went to Knoxville for a weekend and stayed a week. Ktown is like a black hole...only a good black...the kind that sucks you into wonderful times with lives transformed by a redeeming Savior. Anyways, in the midst of catching up on articles for the ET, I thought I'd leave you with a few "bests of the week" that I've encountered in the Orange Country.





1. Best Book to Read


"Sex God"


Despite the fact that the title makes it seem like it should be placed in the back corner of a video store and that the cover looks like it came straight from the sample strips at a paint store, this is one of the best books I've read so far. Rob Bell has produced some amazing videos and his book is no less of quality as he explores the relationship between sexuality and spirituality. He examines our society's multi-level lack of connectedness and how that affects our relationships with each other and our Savior.





2.Best Movie to Watch


La Vita E Bella


Not only will you have a chance to practice Italian (or discover that Italian is very similar to Spanish) and learn fun phrases like "Boungiorno Principesa," you'll also be treated to a heartwarming story that takes place during World War II.





3.Best thing to do on a Friday night


Jam with friends


You could make the sweet substance that goes well with English muffins, or you could grab a group of friends, a handful of instruments and a few random pieces of music and let the fun begin. I suggest doing this behind closed doors unless you have crutches or some other disability which might justify a novice attempt at panhandling on the streets of the nearest medium-sized city.

(If none of those options sound appealing, hug your favorite fish. Cheers!)

Picking and Grinning

So Santa gave me a mandolin for Christmas. I think it was as great of an idea as giving me a toy drumset for my 3rd birthday. Needless to say, I'm adding yet another instrument to my arsenal of noise-making objects only this one would definitely be a more feasible option should I ever decide to follow through with previous plans to become a street musician (though I once saw a guy in Asheville playing drumset on the street...though I'm never surprised by anything I see in Asheville...it's Asheville).

Maybe I'll post some of my very rudimentary yet entertaining attempts at playing it on this website. Maybe I should join a different church so I would have an outlet for my new found hobby (or perhaps visit a nursing home...it would fall on deaf ears anyways, right?)

Maybe I should stick to singing in the shower and to learning how to be a doctor. We'll see.

One Year

I have one year without plans, without commitments, without funding.

I have no idea what to do with it.

I wonder what would happen if I gave a year of my life to God, completely open to going and doing whatever the Spirit led me to do.

I wonder where I'd get the money to do something like that or where I'd go.

I wonder what it would be like to travel around only staying with friends or friends of friends.

I could make it to: most of the US, almost all of Latin America, England, France, Greece, Jordan, several countries in Africa, China, Australia, and New Zealand for starters.

I'd better decide soon.

That year's fast approaching...

Towers

I recently read about a tower in Dubai that upon completion, will be over 2000 feet in height, over 1,000 feet taller than any previously-built skyscraper. When I read this, I couldn't help but think of a similar middle-eastern tower built in the days before Christ.

In Genesis 11, the Bible never tells us how tall the Tower of Babel was. It only mentions the following:

"Then they said, 'Come, let us build ourselves a city, and a tower with its top in the heavens, and let us make a name for ourselves; otherwise we shall be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth.'"

The Tower of Babel, Pieter Brueghel the Elder, 1563

Hmm. So why is it that God permits the same type of construction of towers today that was not permitted at that time? Was the Tower of Babel of such magnitude that it dwarfed modern syscrapers? It appears that the motives of the former tower builders were the same of many modern-day architects of such behemoths of buildings. Hmm..

A Sign?

I travel like Rolf Potts !
You are a travel legend in the making, with a sense of adventure that will lead to hundreds of fascinating stories. Locals all over the world will give you special nicknames, and almost all of them will be complimentary.
What type of traveler are you? Take BootsnAll's Travel Quiz to find out.

Or just a sign I read about traveling too much?

Bored

Over 25% of American children watch 4+ hours of TV a day. The past week, I've been one of those. Today I had great intentions of trying to implement an "on crutches" workout but an allergic reaction to the pain meds the doctor gave me left me red, blotchy, itchy, and sedated on Benadryl for most of the day instead.

Perhaps tomorrow. I'm definitely not a couch potato. I can't wait to start an exercise routine again. To move, to do something, I feel so stagnant and stuck in more ways than physically. Ugh..

They say that being socially isolated is bad for your health. I want to be healthy again. :o)

One day at a time...

“I travel not to go anywhere, but to go. I travel for travel's sake. The great affair is to move.” -Robert Louis Stevenson

If you're ever in Johnson City on Tuesday night, I recommend stopping by Hopwood on Milligan's campus. Here's a clip from a few weeks ago (my camera was in my purse hence no video). I have no idea who is singing.

Quote of the Day: "Ubi caritas est vera, Deus ibi est."