(this is what happens when stress causes sleep to be of highesty commodity and insomnia to dwell in abundance)
Enjoy...savor....reflect...
"It should not be necessary here to site statistics to show how many Brazilians (and Latin Americans in general) are "living corpses," "shadows" of human beings, hopeless men, women, and children victimized by an endless "invisible war" in which their remnants of life devoured by tuberculosis, schistosomiasis, infant diarrhea...by the myriad diseases of poverty (most of which in the terminology of the oppressors are called "tropical diseases")...[Many] fear that in facing the needs and suffering of the world we may simply adopt an emotional protest in favor of palliating the manifestations and symptoms of poverty and injustice without going on to analyze the causes of the latter, to denounce a regime which encompasses this injustice and engenders this poverty."
At the risk of plagarism, I'll leave it to you guys to decide from where this quote was derived. No Googling, Yahoo, etc....that's cheating :o).
5.25.2006
5.19.2006
Books that Changed My Life
It's crazy how a few letters on a page grouped into a meaningful order of words can have such an impact on a person's life. Here's a few that have changed mine (in chronological order):
1. The Bible
A gimme. Hands down the best action-packed, romance, supernatural, who-dunnit, love story I've ever read. I don't think Christ or the message of Christ is what turns people off of Christianity. I think it's those who call themselves Christians but never actually learn about Christ or what he represents to humanity who disuade people from Christianity.
2. Mrs.Dalloway by Virginia Woolf. Gotta love senior high AP English.
3. The Chance to Say Goodbye by Janice Cross Kerlee
The events and my connection to the events more so than the book. Still a nice read.
4. Jesus MD by Dr. David Stevens
A great reminder to me of why I'm studying my tail off this month.
5. Christ the Sum of All Spiritual Things by Watchman Nee
Definitely a life-changer that made me realize God isn't Santa Claus and prayer is not a submission form for my every whim and want.
6. Pedagogy of the Oppressed by Paulo Freire
Every leader of short term (or long term) missions should read it. 'Nough said.
7.and the latest...Through Gates of Splendor by Elisabeth Elliot
Why did I not read this before? If I ever doubted about going into missions, all doubts have been erased.
So if you're not drowning in Step 1 notes, check out some of these. Even if you are, they're still a good excuse to take a study break :o).
"Throughout all our personality we are God's, and since God has made our whole selves, there is great joy is realizing who is our Creator. This realization is to permeate every area and level of life. In appreciation of beauty, mountains, music, poetry, knowledge, people, science...God is there, to reflect the joy of His presence in the believer who will realize God's purposes in all things" -Pete Fleming Through Gates of Splendor
1. The Bible
A gimme. Hands down the best action-packed, romance, supernatural, who-dunnit, love story I've ever read. I don't think Christ or the message of Christ is what turns people off of Christianity. I think it's those who call themselves Christians but never actually learn about Christ or what he represents to humanity who disuade people from Christianity.
2. Mrs.Dalloway by Virginia Woolf. Gotta love senior high AP English.
3. The Chance to Say Goodbye by Janice Cross Kerlee
The events and my connection to the events more so than the book. Still a nice read.
4. Jesus MD by Dr. David Stevens
A great reminder to me of why I'm studying my tail off this month.
5. Christ the Sum of All Spiritual Things by Watchman Nee
Definitely a life-changer that made me realize God isn't Santa Claus and prayer is not a submission form for my every whim and want.
6. Pedagogy of the Oppressed by Paulo Freire
Every leader of short term (or long term) missions should read it. 'Nough said.
7.and the latest...Through Gates of Splendor by Elisabeth Elliot
Why did I not read this before? If I ever doubted about going into missions, all doubts have been erased.
So if you're not drowning in Step 1 notes, check out some of these. Even if you are, they're still a good excuse to take a study break :o).
"Throughout all our personality we are God's, and since God has made our whole selves, there is great joy is realizing who is our Creator. This realization is to permeate every area and level of life. In appreciation of beauty, mountains, music, poetry, knowledge, people, science...God is there, to reflect the joy of His presence in the believer who will realize God's purposes in all things" -Pete Fleming Through Gates of Splendor
5.15.2006
Let the Fun Begin
School's out which for most people means relaxing in the warm Southern sun, hanging out by the pool, and catching up with old friends. In the past this has been my summer as well as random trips to foreign countries, excursions to the Wild West, or informing the umpteenth Grand Ole Opry customer that Opryland no longer exists, even if they did come all the way from California to see it.
However, this summer is going to be different. No, I'm not about to embark upon some crazy adventure to another continent or endeavor to save the world one popsicle stick at a time. As of today, I'm moving to Quillen College of Medicine's Medical Library for a month. Yes, you heard me. I'm packing up my belongings and setting out for the bowels of academia's dwellings. So don't expect any fancy postcards. In fact, you can address any cards, calls, or visits to" some random study room on the basement floor, QCOM Medical Library, Mountain Home, TN." If you do so, don't expect profound thoughts for a reply. It will probably be in the form of a paragraph of random medical details such as:
Trisomy 13 is a cause of holoprosencephaly, patent ductus arteriosus is characterized by a "machine gun-like" sound, a mass in the abdomen of an infant with elevated VMA levels is probably a neuroblastoma, etc.....
Don't worry about feeling sorry for me. I'm a medical student. Step 1 is just another crazy rite of passage we have to endure in order to earn our degree. Besides, we're all nerds at heart and what better way to satisfy that nerdiness than spending a month studying? :o)
Time to go pack....
However, this summer is going to be different. No, I'm not about to embark upon some crazy adventure to another continent or endeavor to save the world one popsicle stick at a time. As of today, I'm moving to Quillen College of Medicine's Medical Library for a month. Yes, you heard me. I'm packing up my belongings and setting out for the bowels of academia's dwellings. So don't expect any fancy postcards. In fact, you can address any cards, calls, or visits to" some random study room on the basement floor, QCOM Medical Library, Mountain Home, TN." If you do so, don't expect profound thoughts for a reply. It will probably be in the form of a paragraph of random medical details such as:
Trisomy 13 is a cause of holoprosencephaly, patent ductus arteriosus is characterized by a "machine gun-like" sound, a mass in the abdomen of an infant with elevated VMA levels is probably a neuroblastoma, etc.....
Don't worry about feeling sorry for me. I'm a medical student. Step 1 is just another crazy rite of passage we have to endure in order to earn our degree. Besides, we're all nerds at heart and what better way to satisfy that nerdiness than spending a month studying? :o)
Time to go pack....
5.14.2006
Everything I Ever Needed to Know...
...I learned in medical school...almost...
When I handed in my sheet of 125 ridiculously large darkened circles in the form of the last shelf exam I'd ever have to take for basic sciences, Dr.Brown pointed me to the imported Danish Kringles he'd brought for the class and handed me a small packet of useful information, "Earl's Pearls for the Boards" as an aid to studying for the Step 1 exam. As a tribute to Dr.Brown and his phenomenal pathology course, I thought I'd share some of my own pearls I've learned along the way the past two years of medical school:
1.No matter if you move one hour or twelve, a move to a new city might as well be a move to the moon. There's nothing easy about it.
2.Medical school has been the most challenging thing I've ever done in my life. It's also been the most rewarding.
3. Days in class without days outside make Michele a very cranky person. I have to come to realize that I have an annual quota of outdoor time that has to be met in incremental periods of time.
4.T.V., except House and LOST, rots your brain. Read a book instead.
5. Everyone thinks that the perfect ice-breaker for an aspiring physician is asking "What kind of doctor do you want to be?" My answer at the moment: I haven't a clue. I've ruled out GI surgery, urology, and anesthesiology. The latest flavors of the month are family or pediatric infectious disease. Who knows? Ask me in two years (but remember you'll have to call me Dr.Gourley).
6.Just as we aren't perfect on the outside, we aren't perfect on the inside nor do we stay the same. Life is about learning how to deal with our imperfections and changes and the imperfections and changes of others.
7. How great is our God!!! People wonder how I can be a doctor and be a Christian. How can I not be? From the 6,000 foot peaks of the Smokies to the tiny ridges on my tiny fingertips, are the inscriptions of God's fingerprints. In every biochemical equation, in every anatomical system, in every neurological pathway is evidence of our Creator's handiwork. His design and creativity astound me. If mountains and fingertips had been left up to me to create, we'd have shaded triangles and fingerprint-less stick fingers.
8.Every person is of value. No engineer has ever designed a pump that rivals the efficacy or reliability of our heart nor fabricated a material as strong as our bones. There has never been a computer created that can process the amount of information that our brain does every second. Every day our body defies statistical improbability to create hundreds of thousands of hemoglobin molecules than comprise that which we know as blood. We are an incredible an amazing creation. I think if we could wake up each morning and remember this and remember that everyone else around us is just as amazing, it'd make the world a better place.
9.Diet and exercise have a profound effect on health. Spiritual and emotional well-being have an effect on physical well-being. Likewise, physical well-being has an effect on spiritual and emotional well-being. Most physicians only treat symptoms, not the well-being of a person.
10. Don't press so hard against a closed door that you fail to see the five open ones around you.
11. Sometimes we do so much that we forget to be. We go and do and do some more and never remember the purpose behind our doing. It's important to take a few moments every day to stop and reflect on our purpose for being here.
12."communication is health...communication is happiness" as is quoted from Virginia Woolf's Mrs.Dalloway. Open communication with our friends and family and especially with God is one of the most difficult and one of the most important things we can do. Start and end each day with raw, honest prayer. Trust me, days are better, not necessarily easier, when this is done.
So there you have it...twelve important lessons I've learned over the past two short years. Many have been learned in "Jonah" moments of my life, but I'm thankful for each one of them. Per usual, I leave you with a quote:
"A problem is a chance for you to do your best." -Duke Ellington
When I handed in my sheet of 125 ridiculously large darkened circles in the form of the last shelf exam I'd ever have to take for basic sciences, Dr.Brown pointed me to the imported Danish Kringles he'd brought for the class and handed me a small packet of useful information, "Earl's Pearls for the Boards" as an aid to studying for the Step 1 exam. As a tribute to Dr.Brown and his phenomenal pathology course, I thought I'd share some of my own pearls I've learned along the way the past two years of medical school:
1.No matter if you move one hour or twelve, a move to a new city might as well be a move to the moon. There's nothing easy about it.
2.Medical school has been the most challenging thing I've ever done in my life. It's also been the most rewarding.
3. Days in class without days outside make Michele a very cranky person. I have to come to realize that I have an annual quota of outdoor time that has to be met in incremental periods of time.
4.T.V., except House and LOST, rots your brain. Read a book instead.
5. Everyone thinks that the perfect ice-breaker for an aspiring physician is asking "What kind of doctor do you want to be?" My answer at the moment: I haven't a clue. I've ruled out GI surgery, urology, and anesthesiology. The latest flavors of the month are family or pediatric infectious disease. Who knows? Ask me in two years (but remember you'll have to call me Dr.Gourley).
6.Just as we aren't perfect on the outside, we aren't perfect on the inside nor do we stay the same. Life is about learning how to deal with our imperfections and changes and the imperfections and changes of others.
7. How great is our God!!! People wonder how I can be a doctor and be a Christian. How can I not be? From the 6,000 foot peaks of the Smokies to the tiny ridges on my tiny fingertips, are the inscriptions of God's fingerprints. In every biochemical equation, in every anatomical system, in every neurological pathway is evidence of our Creator's handiwork. His design and creativity astound me. If mountains and fingertips had been left up to me to create, we'd have shaded triangles and fingerprint-less stick fingers.
8.Every person is of value. No engineer has ever designed a pump that rivals the efficacy or reliability of our heart nor fabricated a material as strong as our bones. There has never been a computer created that can process the amount of information that our brain does every second. Every day our body defies statistical improbability to create hundreds of thousands of hemoglobin molecules than comprise that which we know as blood. We are an incredible an amazing creation. I think if we could wake up each morning and remember this and remember that everyone else around us is just as amazing, it'd make the world a better place.
9.Diet and exercise have a profound effect on health. Spiritual and emotional well-being have an effect on physical well-being. Likewise, physical well-being has an effect on spiritual and emotional well-being. Most physicians only treat symptoms, not the well-being of a person.
10. Don't press so hard against a closed door that you fail to see the five open ones around you.
11. Sometimes we do so much that we forget to be. We go and do and do some more and never remember the purpose behind our doing. It's important to take a few moments every day to stop and reflect on our purpose for being here.
12."communication is health...communication is happiness" as is quoted from Virginia Woolf's Mrs.Dalloway. Open communication with our friends and family and especially with God is one of the most difficult and one of the most important things we can do. Start and end each day with raw, honest prayer. Trust me, days are better, not necessarily easier, when this is done.
So there you have it...twelve important lessons I've learned over the past two short years. Many have been learned in "Jonah" moments of my life, but I'm thankful for each one of them. Per usual, I leave you with a quote:
"A problem is a chance for you to do your best." -Duke Ellington
5.05.2006
For Those Who Doubted...
..in my intellectual capability to recover from an arduous weekend of not studying on Mt.Sterling...guess what??
A is for: Alendrolate, Acyclovir, Albendazole, and the grade on Michele's pharmacology test this morning.
1 down...3 to go...
(if this positive correlation between mountain air and exam grades holds, I could stand to make a fortune...or someone else may have already capitalized on my idea such as the one about "llama rentals for all your backpacking needs")
A is for: Alendrolate, Acyclovir, Albendazole, and the grade on Michele's pharmacology test this morning.
1 down...3 to go...
(if this positive correlation between mountain air and exam grades holds, I could stand to make a fortune...or someone else may have already capitalized on my idea such as the one about "llama rentals for all your backpacking needs")
5.01.2006
4.30.2006
4.21.2006
Happy Earth Day!
The Great Law of the Iroquois Confederacy has a quote that states, "In our every deliberation, we must consider the impact of our decisions on the next seven generatons."
Yes, I took that quote off the label of my favorite household product brand. In a society more technologically-advanced than those previous, we often fail to consider the effect that that technology will have on those after. Unfortunately, our advances may have a detrimental effect not only on the future, the environment, but ourselves as well. Have you ever stopped to consider how what you buy, what you eat, or what is in your house is affecting your health, the health of the earth, or the health of someone living in substandard conditions in another country?
I must confess that I hadn't either until about a year ago. It was when I was taking biochemistry that I began to realize exactly how much of an impact what we put into our bodies has on our health and well being. It wasn't until I began conversing with some of my more environmentally and social justice oriented classmates that I began to realize how a few pennies or dollars saved may be promoting a few more pennies or dollars being taken from those who are in far greater need than myself.
In light of this and the fact that it is Earth Day, I leave you with a few easy, med. student budget friendly tips to help make this world a better place:
1. Throw the whole "the lowest price is the best deal" concept out the window. I'm waiting. Did you do it? Good for you. Yes, you may save a few pennies here and there by shopping at certain businesses, but did you realize your meager savings is helping to promote decreased benefits for workers, substandard wages, CAFOs, social injustice, etc...?? A nice return for saving a few pennies, huh?
2. Read the labels. I know you all learned how to read, I hope. You'd be amazed at the amount and variety of chemicals that surround us everyday and even more amazed at what we allow ourselves to ingest. Think all of those chemicals are 100% safe? Think again. Most of them haven't been fully studied to discover the exact effect that prolonged exposure has on human health. And besides, with long names like "monopotassium phosphate, piperonyl butoxide, and dimethly benzyl ammonium saccharinate" it can't be good for you. People have survived for centuries without being surrounded by a plethora of synthetics. Why can't we now?
3.Buy organic. Every summer the Johnson City Downtown Clinic treats numerous migrant workers with severe health problems. The number one contributing factor? Pesticides. A few weeks ago we had a series of Toxicology lectures listing the types of pesticides and their toxic effects. I realize that we aren't exposed to the same levels as the migrant workers but it still makes you wonder if all those small doses aren't accumulating and having an effect.
Pesticide toxicity aside, organic farming is environmentally friendly and promotes sustainable living. It provides quality of life to the workers and the land. Too expensive? Buy bulk and raw ingredients. It's a lot more fun and versatile as well. Example: it's much easier to make quesadillas from tortillas, mushrooms, olives, peppers, cheese, etc..than to take that expensive organic burrito and try to turn it into a quesadilla. Besides, cooking is a great way to express your creativity and impress your friends.
4.Buy range-fed meat and dairy products. I'm sure you were wondering what the aforementioned acronym CAFO represents. Concentrated Animal Farming Operation. Basically its a glorifed slaughter house where an animal, such as a cow or chicken, spends its entire life in a small enclosed space waiting to become your dinner. Not only is it a breeding ground for disease, many of these animals are fed feed mixtures laced with some of our most potent antibiotics (and they tell you that antibiotic resistance comes from physicians prescribing too much amoxicillin for Jimmy's cold) in order to produce healthier, larger animals. Can't afford range-fed? Go soy. I know, you hear the words "tofu" and shudder. It tastes just like chicken...or cheese...or beef or whatever else. I have a great recipe for tofu-spinach lasagne if anyone wants to take that first leap.
5. Try natural household products. I highly recommend the brand "Seventh Generation." Their laundry detergent not only smells great, but it is also petroleum-free. Maybe if we all switched to non-petroleum based laundry detergent, we could drive the oil sheiks out of business. Maybe not.
6.Speaking of oil, has anyone not noticed the extremely high price of gasoline? I have a simple solution to save money: ride your bicycle. Not only is it fun and a great means of exercise, it's good for the environment. Walking is another great option.
7.Spread the word. We cannot act unless we know how to act. Spend a few minutes educating yourself about how you can have a positive impact on your environment, your health, and the lives around you. Check out the following sites to get started:
www.seventhgeneration.com
www.organicconsumers.org
www.appsusdev.org
It may cost a few pennies more, but it could save a few years of life for you or the future generation. Happy Earth Day!!!
Yes, I took that quote off the label of my favorite household product brand. In a society more technologically-advanced than those previous, we often fail to consider the effect that that technology will have on those after. Unfortunately, our advances may have a detrimental effect not only on the future, the environment, but ourselves as well. Have you ever stopped to consider how what you buy, what you eat, or what is in your house is affecting your health, the health of the earth, or the health of someone living in substandard conditions in another country?
I must confess that I hadn't either until about a year ago. It was when I was taking biochemistry that I began to realize exactly how much of an impact what we put into our bodies has on our health and well being. It wasn't until I began conversing with some of my more environmentally and social justice oriented classmates that I began to realize how a few pennies or dollars saved may be promoting a few more pennies or dollars being taken from those who are in far greater need than myself.
In light of this and the fact that it is Earth Day, I leave you with a few easy, med. student budget friendly tips to help make this world a better place:
1. Throw the whole "the lowest price is the best deal" concept out the window. I'm waiting. Did you do it? Good for you. Yes, you may save a few pennies here and there by shopping at certain businesses, but did you realize your meager savings is helping to promote decreased benefits for workers, substandard wages, CAFOs, social injustice, etc...?? A nice return for saving a few pennies, huh?
2. Read the labels. I know you all learned how to read, I hope. You'd be amazed at the amount and variety of chemicals that surround us everyday and even more amazed at what we allow ourselves to ingest. Think all of those chemicals are 100% safe? Think again. Most of them haven't been fully studied to discover the exact effect that prolonged exposure has on human health. And besides, with long names like "monopotassium phosphate, piperonyl butoxide, and dimethly benzyl ammonium saccharinate" it can't be good for you. People have survived for centuries without being surrounded by a plethora of synthetics. Why can't we now?
3.Buy organic. Every summer the Johnson City Downtown Clinic treats numerous migrant workers with severe health problems. The number one contributing factor? Pesticides. A few weeks ago we had a series of Toxicology lectures listing the types of pesticides and their toxic effects. I realize that we aren't exposed to the same levels as the migrant workers but it still makes you wonder if all those small doses aren't accumulating and having an effect.
Pesticide toxicity aside, organic farming is environmentally friendly and promotes sustainable living. It provides quality of life to the workers and the land. Too expensive? Buy bulk and raw ingredients. It's a lot more fun and versatile as well. Example: it's much easier to make quesadillas from tortillas, mushrooms, olives, peppers, cheese, etc..than to take that expensive organic burrito and try to turn it into a quesadilla. Besides, cooking is a great way to express your creativity and impress your friends.
4.Buy range-fed meat and dairy products. I'm sure you were wondering what the aforementioned acronym CAFO represents. Concentrated Animal Farming Operation. Basically its a glorifed slaughter house where an animal, such as a cow or chicken, spends its entire life in a small enclosed space waiting to become your dinner. Not only is it a breeding ground for disease, many of these animals are fed feed mixtures laced with some of our most potent antibiotics (and they tell you that antibiotic resistance comes from physicians prescribing too much amoxicillin for Jimmy's cold) in order to produce healthier, larger animals. Can't afford range-fed? Go soy. I know, you hear the words "tofu" and shudder. It tastes just like chicken...or cheese...or beef or whatever else. I have a great recipe for tofu-spinach lasagne if anyone wants to take that first leap.
5. Try natural household products. I highly recommend the brand "Seventh Generation." Their laundry detergent not only smells great, but it is also petroleum-free. Maybe if we all switched to non-petroleum based laundry detergent, we could drive the oil sheiks out of business. Maybe not.
6.Speaking of oil, has anyone not noticed the extremely high price of gasoline? I have a simple solution to save money: ride your bicycle. Not only is it fun and a great means of exercise, it's good for the environment. Walking is another great option.
7.Spread the word. We cannot act unless we know how to act. Spend a few minutes educating yourself about how you can have a positive impact on your environment, your health, and the lives around you. Check out the following sites to get started:
www.seventhgeneration.com
www.organicconsumers.org
www.appsusdev.org
It may cost a few pennies more, but it could save a few years of life for you or the future generation. Happy Earth Day!!!
4.09.2006
A Wealth of Talents
"He has made us competent as ministers of a new covenant." I Cor. 3:6
One of the biggest blessings of this year has been the opportunity to attend the Tolans' missions chats every other Sunday afternoon. Today was no exception as I was captivated by the words and heart of World Hope's executive director.
When I was younger, I used to think that a minister was that guy who stood up in front of all those people every morning and tried to make them fall asleep in thirty minutes or less. I could never do that. #1 I wasn't a guy and #2 I was terribly shy as a child and the thought of speaking in public was daunting to say the least. As I grew older, I realized that ministers weren't the only ones who were called to share Christ with others, we all were. So what could I do? I could be a missionary. Of course all missionaries have to be trained in the vocations of preaching, teaching, or medicine. Right? So when I decided to go spend 2 months in Honduras a few years ago, I really thought myself to be crazy for having accepted such an offer. I didn't have much training in any of those fields. Fortunately, God in all his omniscience already knew that to be a missionary, one didn't have to ascribe to one of the three former titles.
The title of this blog is part of the title of my Senior Honors Project for undergrad. It was 110 pages. Don't worry. I won't make you read all of it. I already made my professors suffer through it once. I'm not even sure how it became that long. To make a long story short, I went to Honduras not really knowing in what capacity I would or could serve. I was just a pre-med college student with some training in music performance and able to speak a smidgen of Spanish. As the weeks progressed, I found God opening my eyes to those roles he had already prepared for me. You see, God already has given us many talents, and with those talents we are able to serve others and share the love of Christ (check out 1 Peter 4:10). For me my small training in music led me to help some of the students learn new songs in English. My smidgen of Spanish turned into a broken conversation with a lady as I recounted a recent Bible study lesson about Proverbs 31 and how she was worth something to God, even if her husband had just left her for another woman. Those days spent coloring in coloring books as a child and playing games came in handy when living with a 4 and 5 yr old and their exhausted and lonely mother.
And Mrs.Lyons recounted similar stories tonight. Of a girl who had a degree in art who wanted to serve God abroad but didn't fit into one of the three aforementioned categories. What is she doing now? Helping make materials and propaganda to educate women and communities about the rampant sex trafficking that happens all around the world. God's used and continues to use people from all different backgrounds with all types of talents, architects, musicians, seamstresses, hair cutters, businessman, enigineers, electricians, health care workers, etc..., to spread his word around the world to the masses of his suffering and dying precious creations.
So as the verse written above states, we are all ministers and competent to spread the wonderful message of the new covenant. Just imagine: if time, money, and situation weren't an issue, where would you go for God? He'll take you there. Through prayer, faith, and obedience there are no limits as to what God can do through you.
One of the biggest blessings of this year has been the opportunity to attend the Tolans' missions chats every other Sunday afternoon. Today was no exception as I was captivated by the words and heart of World Hope's executive director.
When I was younger, I used to think that a minister was that guy who stood up in front of all those people every morning and tried to make them fall asleep in thirty minutes or less. I could never do that. #1 I wasn't a guy and #2 I was terribly shy as a child and the thought of speaking in public was daunting to say the least. As I grew older, I realized that ministers weren't the only ones who were called to share Christ with others, we all were. So what could I do? I could be a missionary. Of course all missionaries have to be trained in the vocations of preaching, teaching, or medicine. Right? So when I decided to go spend 2 months in Honduras a few years ago, I really thought myself to be crazy for having accepted such an offer. I didn't have much training in any of those fields. Fortunately, God in all his omniscience already knew that to be a missionary, one didn't have to ascribe to one of the three former titles.
The title of this blog is part of the title of my Senior Honors Project for undergrad. It was 110 pages. Don't worry. I won't make you read all of it. I already made my professors suffer through it once. I'm not even sure how it became that long. To make a long story short, I went to Honduras not really knowing in what capacity I would or could serve. I was just a pre-med college student with some training in music performance and able to speak a smidgen of Spanish. As the weeks progressed, I found God opening my eyes to those roles he had already prepared for me. You see, God already has given us many talents, and with those talents we are able to serve others and share the love of Christ (check out 1 Peter 4:10). For me my small training in music led me to help some of the students learn new songs in English. My smidgen of Spanish turned into a broken conversation with a lady as I recounted a recent Bible study lesson about Proverbs 31 and how she was worth something to God, even if her husband had just left her for another woman. Those days spent coloring in coloring books as a child and playing games came in handy when living with a 4 and 5 yr old and their exhausted and lonely mother.
And Mrs.Lyons recounted similar stories tonight. Of a girl who had a degree in art who wanted to serve God abroad but didn't fit into one of the three aforementioned categories. What is she doing now? Helping make materials and propaganda to educate women and communities about the rampant sex trafficking that happens all around the world. God's used and continues to use people from all different backgrounds with all types of talents, architects, musicians, seamstresses, hair cutters, businessman, enigineers, electricians, health care workers, etc..., to spread his word around the world to the masses of his suffering and dying precious creations.
So as the verse written above states, we are all ministers and competent to spread the wonderful message of the new covenant. Just imagine: if time, money, and situation weren't an issue, where would you go for God? He'll take you there. Through prayer, faith, and obedience there are no limits as to what God can do through you.
3.31.2006
What We Don't Know...
...can hurt others.
Last night I had the opportunity to view the documentary Invisible Children. If you've never seen if before, you owe it to yourself and others to do so. You can also visit the website www.invisiblechildren.com to find out more information about this atrocity.
I find it somewhat ironic (with no disrespect to those valiant soldiers abroad) that we fight a "War on Terrorism" on the grounds that one country presumably possessed weapons of mass destruction when there is already a war going on using a weapon of mass destruction: fear. A fear that drives children from their families every night to sleep in crowded bus stations miles away. We pursue "terrorists" when there are terrorists out there putting weapons in the hands of precious children and making them fight or die. We know all about insurgents but nothing about the LRA.
Are our priorities right? Is it just that US citizens live in "blissful ignorance" of the desparity of humanity and the incredibly sickening violations of human rights in other parts of the world?
Last night I had the opportunity to view the documentary Invisible Children. If you've never seen if before, you owe it to yourself and others to do so. You can also visit the website www.invisiblechildren.com to find out more information about this atrocity.
I find it somewhat ironic (with no disrespect to those valiant soldiers abroad) that we fight a "War on Terrorism" on the grounds that one country presumably possessed weapons of mass destruction when there is already a war going on using a weapon of mass destruction: fear. A fear that drives children from their families every night to sleep in crowded bus stations miles away. We pursue "terrorists" when there are terrorists out there putting weapons in the hands of precious children and making them fight or die. We know all about insurgents but nothing about the LRA.
Are our priorities right? Is it just that US citizens live in "blissful ignorance" of the desparity of humanity and the incredibly sickening violations of human rights in other parts of the world?
3.28.2006
Where's Your "Go?"
"Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." -Matthew 28:19-20
In case you didn't know, it was missions that brought me into medicine instead of into a career stuck in a laboratory pipetting microbial DNA and smelling agar for the rest of my life. It was missions that made me realize how much of a need abroad there is for physical healing and how such a medium can be a powerful adjunct to spiritual healing as well. And if it is God's will, medicine will lead me back to the mission field.
God has a funny way of getting us back on track sometimes. Recently, my Bible study partner was feeling a bit rebellious and not wanting to complete her lessons one morning. She decided instead to turn on the TV for a few minutes. When she flipped on the TV who was on TV but none other than the author of the study we've been doing? Likewise, I was in that same mood, and the other day who was that day's Bible study about? Abraham. The father of all nations. The one who garners the title of "most verses" in the "faith hall of fame" Hebrews 11. I had been balking at the thought of having to one day leave my family behind and move to a strange land. Yet God told Abraham, "Get thee out of thy country" and he went, leaving behind family, friends, his country, and setting off on a journey, destination unknown. He stepped out in faith, and God rewarded him. Yes, God has a funny way of setting us back on the right path.
The Greek word for faith, pisteuo, is a present active participle. In other words, it's ongoing. I think one of the biggest lies Satan sells Christians is the idea that we can be merely "good examples." While living a life that models Christ is important, the last words of Christ were not, "Be good examples unto all your neighbors." He told them to "go unto all the world." When Saul became Paul, he didn't just return to his hometown and chat with his Jewish colleagues about what had just happened. He didn't just merely live a good example. He went unto all the world.
It's a "go" of stepping out of your comfort zone, of practicing that present active participle faith. It's a "go" of not knowing what the world entails but knowing that a world exists in which to "go." It's not a "go" that says "go when there are no creepy crawlies in your room at night" or "go where it's ok to eat, drink, and not suffer the consequences." Nor is it a "go where you'll always feel comfortable with those whom you associate" or a "go where your family/spouse/friend think it would be a good idea." Nevertheless, we all have a "go," a place where we must actively tell others about the incredible message of a someone so compassionate, so loving, so merciful that He would sacrifice his own well-being for the least of humanity.
And with a "go" I've learned that there is also a "wait." A preacher once told me that "though the harvest may be ripe, you can't gather it with a dull sickle." Likewise, a famous Christian women's author once stated, "Time is where He tempers and tests us so that premature births of ministries don't result in lifelong handicaps." One of the hardest things for me upon entering medical school was learning that this is a time of waiting, a time of preparation. Yet even Christ himself had to wait. Thirty years for three years of ministry. We have to trust in God's timing and realize that those times of "waiting" are preparing us to "go."
Maybe my "go" is in Guatemala, South America, or somewhere I have yet to consider. Maybe your "go" is the inner-city of Chicago, a battered women's home, or the Hispanic neighborhood in your community. Wherever it may be, remember that we are called to be more than just "good examples." Our faith is active and our message is one of priceless hope.
In case you didn't know, it was missions that brought me into medicine instead of into a career stuck in a laboratory pipetting microbial DNA and smelling agar for the rest of my life. It was missions that made me realize how much of a need abroad there is for physical healing and how such a medium can be a powerful adjunct to spiritual healing as well. And if it is God's will, medicine will lead me back to the mission field.
God has a funny way of getting us back on track sometimes. Recently, my Bible study partner was feeling a bit rebellious and not wanting to complete her lessons one morning. She decided instead to turn on the TV for a few minutes. When she flipped on the TV who was on TV but none other than the author of the study we've been doing? Likewise, I was in that same mood, and the other day who was that day's Bible study about? Abraham. The father of all nations. The one who garners the title of "most verses" in the "faith hall of fame" Hebrews 11. I had been balking at the thought of having to one day leave my family behind and move to a strange land. Yet God told Abraham, "Get thee out of thy country" and he went, leaving behind family, friends, his country, and setting off on a journey, destination unknown. He stepped out in faith, and God rewarded him. Yes, God has a funny way of setting us back on the right path.
The Greek word for faith, pisteuo, is a present active participle. In other words, it's ongoing. I think one of the biggest lies Satan sells Christians is the idea that we can be merely "good examples." While living a life that models Christ is important, the last words of Christ were not, "Be good examples unto all your neighbors." He told them to "go unto all the world." When Saul became Paul, he didn't just return to his hometown and chat with his Jewish colleagues about what had just happened. He didn't just merely live a good example. He went unto all the world.
It's a "go" of stepping out of your comfort zone, of practicing that present active participle faith. It's a "go" of not knowing what the world entails but knowing that a world exists in which to "go." It's not a "go" that says "go when there are no creepy crawlies in your room at night" or "go where it's ok to eat, drink, and not suffer the consequences." Nor is it a "go where you'll always feel comfortable with those whom you associate" or a "go where your family/spouse/friend think it would be a good idea." Nevertheless, we all have a "go," a place where we must actively tell others about the incredible message of a someone so compassionate, so loving, so merciful that He would sacrifice his own well-being for the least of humanity.
And with a "go" I've learned that there is also a "wait." A preacher once told me that "though the harvest may be ripe, you can't gather it with a dull sickle." Likewise, a famous Christian women's author once stated, "Time is where He tempers and tests us so that premature births of ministries don't result in lifelong handicaps." One of the hardest things for me upon entering medical school was learning that this is a time of waiting, a time of preparation. Yet even Christ himself had to wait. Thirty years for three years of ministry. We have to trust in God's timing and realize that those times of "waiting" are preparing us to "go."
Maybe my "go" is in Guatemala, South America, or somewhere I have yet to consider. Maybe your "go" is the inner-city of Chicago, a battered women's home, or the Hispanic neighborhood in your community. Wherever it may be, remember that we are called to be more than just "good examples." Our faith is active and our message is one of priceless hope.
3.24.2006
Small World
Apparently the preacher that was recently killed in Selmer, TN once was the youth minister at my grandparents' church and had been to their house to visit from time to time. Crazy. I guess you never know where and when life will take you nor when that road may suddenly end.
Just keep the community, wife, and kids in your prayers. I can't imagine what they must be going through right now.
"So teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom." -Psalm 90:12
Just keep the community, wife, and kids in your prayers. I can't imagine what they must be going through right now.
"So teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom." -Psalm 90:12
3.21.2006
Yay for Antivirals!!
Thanks for your thoughts and concerns!!
(A recurring theme?)
I think I'm finally "flu-free" and ready to catch up on all those "lost" study hours. The one thing about being sick is it gives you time to think....and think and think and think. So one of the things I've been thinking about is something I heard in my Psychiatry class last week: Addiction. It's something so prevalent that chances are, you or someone else in the room with you, has dealt with it or will deal with it at some point in your life. For part of a class last year, we had to attend an AA meeting. I must say it was a powerful experience watching men and women, young and old, openly talk about that which had taken over your lives. Of course, as part of the meeting the 12 Steps were presented which I have listed below for your convenience (emphasis mine):
1. We admitted we were powerless over alcohol-that our lives had become unmanageable.
2. Came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity.
3. Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understand Him.
4. Made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves.
5. Admitted to God, and to ourselves, and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs.
6. We're entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of character.
7. Humbly asked Him to remove our shortcomings.
8. Made a list of all persons we had harmed, and became willing to make amends to them all.
9. Made direct amends to such people wherever possible, except when to do so would injure others.
10. Continued to take personal inventory and when we were wrong promptly admitted it.
11. Sought through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with God as we understand Him, praying only for knowledge of His will for us and the power to carry that out.
12. Having had a spiritual awakening as the result of these steps, we tried to carry this message to alcoholics and to practice these principles in all our affairs.
That being said, I began thinking that these twelve steps would apply perfectly to sinners, ie a type of "Sinners Anonymous," especially considering many sins evolve from or into a form of addiction (alcoholism, drugs, food, pride, self-worship/adoration, sex, control, jealousy, internet, TV, sports, work, beauty, shopping, laziness, are you feeling uncomfortable yet?) In fact, many of these steps have Biblical basis, yet many of us have never admitted our sins/addictions to others or apologized or extended forgiveness for the ill effects they may have caused.
Why is it perfectly acceptable to talk about the latest Christian rock band, mission trip, church event, yet talking about someone's sin/addiction brings on a sense of indignant rage? How dare we not praise someone for giving up a week of their life to go serve the poor in Central America, yet how dare we confront that same person about their problem with ____.
Is this Biblical?
Aren't we supposed to build each other up, but at the same time hold each other accountable so that we can continue to draw near to God? And what about that verse in James (5:16) that directly links the confession of sins to healing? Just as addiction to alcohol or other substances can have physical repercussions, so can spiritual addictions/sins.
So why is it that non-Christians can meet faithfully week after week to support each other and help overcome each others' addictions, but oftentimes belittling gossip starts flying whenever Christians try to do the same? Is it really an odd concept to bear the title of "sinner?" Isn't that what we all share in common? Is it really just not in the Christian's "job description" anymore to admit to God that which has taken control of our lives, to confess to others our specific wrongdoings, and to ask for forgiveness and to continually do so?
Just something to think about.
(A recurring theme?)
I think I'm finally "flu-free" and ready to catch up on all those "lost" study hours. The one thing about being sick is it gives you time to think....and think and think and think. So one of the things I've been thinking about is something I heard in my Psychiatry class last week: Addiction. It's something so prevalent that chances are, you or someone else in the room with you, has dealt with it or will deal with it at some point in your life. For part of a class last year, we had to attend an AA meeting. I must say it was a powerful experience watching men and women, young and old, openly talk about that which had taken over your lives. Of course, as part of the meeting the 12 Steps were presented which I have listed below for your convenience (emphasis mine):
1. We admitted we were powerless over alcohol-that our lives had become unmanageable.
2. Came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity.
3. Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understand Him.
4. Made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves.
5. Admitted to God, and to ourselves, and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs.
6. We're entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of character.
7. Humbly asked Him to remove our shortcomings.
8. Made a list of all persons we had harmed, and became willing to make amends to them all.
9. Made direct amends to such people wherever possible, except when to do so would injure others.
10. Continued to take personal inventory and when we were wrong promptly admitted it.
11. Sought through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with God as we understand Him, praying only for knowledge of His will for us and the power to carry that out.
12. Having had a spiritual awakening as the result of these steps, we tried to carry this message to alcoholics and to practice these principles in all our affairs.
That being said, I began thinking that these twelve steps would apply perfectly to sinners, ie a type of "Sinners Anonymous," especially considering many sins evolve from or into a form of addiction (alcoholism, drugs, food, pride, self-worship/adoration, sex, control, jealousy, internet, TV, sports, work, beauty, shopping, laziness, are you feeling uncomfortable yet?) In fact, many of these steps have Biblical basis, yet many of us have never admitted our sins/addictions to others or apologized or extended forgiveness for the ill effects they may have caused.
Why is it perfectly acceptable to talk about the latest Christian rock band, mission trip, church event, yet talking about someone's sin/addiction brings on a sense of indignant rage? How dare we not praise someone for giving up a week of their life to go serve the poor in Central America, yet how dare we confront that same person about their problem with ____.
Is this Biblical?
Aren't we supposed to build each other up, but at the same time hold each other accountable so that we can continue to draw near to God? And what about that verse in James (5:16) that directly links the confession of sins to healing? Just as addiction to alcohol or other substances can have physical repercussions, so can spiritual addictions/sins.
So why is it that non-Christians can meet faithfully week after week to support each other and help overcome each others' addictions, but oftentimes belittling gossip starts flying whenever Christians try to do the same? Is it really an odd concept to bear the title of "sinner?" Isn't that what we all share in common? Is it really just not in the Christian's "job description" anymore to admit to God that which has taken control of our lives, to confess to others our specific wrongdoings, and to ask for forgiveness and to continually do so?
Just something to think about.
3.17.2006
Waste of Money
If flu vaccines are supposed to prevent the flu, then why did the doctor tell me today that I have it?
Stocking up on Gatorade and soup and preparing to spend the next few days in bed...
Stocking up on Gatorade and soup and preparing to spend the next few days in bed...
3.01.2006
Books and Shoes
I've given up. I've decided that it is mentally impossible to cram 130 drugs, mechanisms, uses, and side effects into my head before 8am Friday morning. I should have started studying earlier, but somehow 5 other tests, ACLS training, and the Olympics (how evil to put such an event during the middle of my exams) kept me from meeting my desired learning objectives.
That being said, does anyone have any reading recommendations? In the very near future, I'm actually going to have free time (does that phrase still exist?) and lots of it. Not wanting to lose such a valued skill, especially when accompanied by palm trees and ocean waves (seriously), I'd like some recommendations. I'm already taking one of Paulo Cuelho's novels and Rigoberta Menchu's autobiography with me.
On another note, if anyone is looking for new Chaco's, REI has a very appealing offer at their online outlet store. I've had mine for three years now and call them my second feet. Hands down the best pair of shoes/sandals I've ever bought and worth the investment, this statement coming from someone for whom it's impossible to find a well-fitting shoe.
Anyways, back to cramming drugs in my head...
That being said, does anyone have any reading recommendations? In the very near future, I'm actually going to have free time (does that phrase still exist?) and lots of it. Not wanting to lose such a valued skill, especially when accompanied by palm trees and ocean waves (seriously), I'd like some recommendations. I'm already taking one of Paulo Cuelho's novels and Rigoberta Menchu's autobiography with me.
On another note, if anyone is looking for new Chaco's, REI has a very appealing offer at their online outlet store. I've had mine for three years now and call them my second feet. Hands down the best pair of shoes/sandals I've ever bought and worth the investment, this statement coming from someone for whom it's impossible to find a well-fitting shoe.
Anyways, back to cramming drugs in my head...
2.28.2006
Life Saver?
We found our patient unresponsive, in ventricular tachycardia, and suffering from a massive arterial bleed on the lower right extremity. After calling a code and starting the ABC's, we shocked him, intubated him and gave him a bolus of saline solution. Courageously, we worked for the next several minutes to stabilize our patient. Despite our efforts, we watched the monitor as he slipped into asystole, and we called it fifteen minutes later.
What happened next? We hit the "reset" button and let the next group have their turn.
I love being an almost-doctor. Coolness.
What happened next? We hit the "reset" button and let the next group have their turn.
I love being an almost-doctor. Coolness.
2.08.2006
Here's to the Upcoming Holiday
Aren't they cute?
May your day be spent in quiet appreciation of those you love like these two adorable creatures.
As for me, I'll be spending the day listening to sappy music and learning how not to be such a heartbreaker.
Happy VDay!
May your day be spent in quiet appreciation of those you love like these two adorable creatures.
As for me, I'll be spending the day listening to sappy music and learning how not to be such a heartbreaker.
Happy VDay!
1.28.2006
A New Turn in the Road
Promethazine, atropine, meclizine, everywhere a "zine, zine." That's what spending a lovely day inside studying drugs will do to you.
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
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
1.17.2006
Reason #57...
...why Quillen is the greatest kept secret in medical schools: all-expense paid trips to conferences in cool places like San Diego. Unfortunately, the trip started off a little rough, though I should have expected that for the following reasons:
1. It was Friday the 13th
2.I was attending a medical missions conference (see example)
3. I was flying Delta (which bears the moniker "Don't Ever Leave the Airport")
Bad weather caused us to miss our flight from Atlanta to San Diego. There was another flight leaving later, but it was overbooked. Our trusted travel guru classmate Ryan tried to use his "Medallion" status to pull some strings and called hotels.com to arrange accomadations for the night, but it was to no avail. There were no more flights out and no available rooms in Atlanta. We were going to just have to spend the night in the Atlanta airport.
Looking way too happy for preparing for a stay in our "comfy" beds
1. It was Friday the 13th
2.I was attending a medical missions conference (see example)
3. I was flying Delta (which bears the moniker "Don't Ever Leave the Airport")
Bad weather caused us to miss our flight from Atlanta to San Diego. There was another flight leaving later, but it was overbooked. Our trusted travel guru classmate Ryan tried to use his "Medallion" status to pull some strings and called hotels.com to arrange accomadations for the night, but it was to no avail. There were no more flights out and no available rooms in Atlanta. We were going to just have to spend the night in the Atlanta airport.
Looking way too happy for preparing for a stay in our "comfy" beds
We scavenged the airport for a good place to sleep and found some non-armrest chairs in the international terminal. It actually wouldn't have been too bad except for the wonderful pre-set recording that woke us up every 20 minutes or so to remind us to keep an eye on our luggage at all times and to not accept baggage from strangers. Bleary-eyed and showerless we caught the next flight out at 8:30 and arrived in sunny San Diego around the middle of the morning.
Though we missed the first half of the conference, the rest of the day and Sunday were great. It was my first non-Christian medical missions conference, but it was still worthwhile. I learned, and find it amusingly ironic, that many of these people sacrifice months and years of their lives and money spending time learning the culture and language of the people whom they serve, tirelessly giving of their talents to help better the lives of others. On the other hand, many Christians don't learn the language and culture and throw away thousands of dollars and one week of their time to help better the lives of others and call it "sacrifice." Just something to think about but I'm not tackling such an issue here. Needless to say, it was a very informative weekend and it was nice to see that others share in the vision to provide healthcare to those who need it the most: the impoverished, the oppressed, the ones who don't have the fortune to live in this country.
Of course, no trip to San Diego is complete without a trip to the San Diego Zoo. The super-cool, soon-to-be-famous Matt (not Lee) Brown left his famous movie friends in LA to hang out with me, and we went to the zoo with my classmate Elizabeth. It was a good thing that he did come see me, or else the Zoo might be minus one panda. I really wanted to take the little brother of this guy home with me. Why can't Pandas be as numerous as dogs?
Can I take him home with me?
This is a picture of us sitting on almost an exact replica of myself. How thoughtful of the Zoo people to create such a stunning likeness of yours truly! (just kidding)
Matt and I atop a hungry hippo!
Looks like someone's lawn ornaments got loose!
Elizabeth and I explored some more of San Diego Sunday night and Monday morning before flying back to the South and our "exciting" lives as medical students. In short, the moral of the story is always take advantage of opportunities to travel to places you've never been, take time to visit old friends, don't fly on Friday the 13th, and always be prepared for the unexpected!!!
"As the traveler who has once been from home is wiser than he who has never left his own doorstep, so a knowledge of one other culture should sharpen our ability to scrutinize more steadily, to appreciate more lovingly, our own." -Margaret Mead
1.01.2006
Leave of Absence
The administrator of this blog regrets to inform its readers that there will be no additional postings until further notice due to deviation from the blog's original intent and an upcoming series of tests and hectic travel schedule in the coming months.
Any comments, questions, or concerns may be addressed to the blog administrator via email, phone, or in person. Thank you for your time and attention.
Any comments, questions, or concerns may be addressed to the blog administrator via email, phone, or in person. Thank you for your time and attention.
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