The power of POWER

{Side Note: I was going to post something else today (something silly I'll have to share later) and realized I had a few drafts saved that I've never posted....not quite sure what I was waiting for.  I wrote this particular one sometime in March after the Japan earthquake.}

It's terrifying and heartbreaking to listen to the news these days. Currently the world has their eyes on Japan as they deal with the aftermath of a 9.0 earthquake, the tsunami, and now the threat of nuclear catastrophe.  As I was watching the events unfold on TV, tears began to well as they showed images of people and their lives washed instantly away with one shake of the earth and one wave of the sea. Powerful.

Nature is powerful and with these events we get jolted into remembering just how destructive and powerful its forces can be.  Just look at all the craziness planet earth has experienced in the past 10 years, the numerous earthquakes, hurricanes, tsunamis, volcanic activity, and so on.  But somehow I compartmentalize these massive powers of nature as something different or more than what the Lords power is....

Recently I was having dinner with a high schooler and she was telling me about some high school drama, and after suggesting prayer as a step to changing her situation, she said, "I don't see how God could possibly change all this and make things better." I instantly thought, "Seriously!?! You don't think God, the ruler and creator of the universe, could change this teeny tiny little problem you're having in school."  Thankfully I didn't say that out loud.

The truth is, I am guilty of thinking exactly the way she does.  I feel like with certain situations, I've gotten to a point where they feel so hopeless, that I don't see how God could possibly change things .....and as a result I stop praying about it.  And if I'm not asking, it's because I don't really believe that He can change things.  Then you see the stories about Japan, and Haiti, and Katrina, and so on and so forth. And you realize the wielding and unyielding power that God possesses.

Just how powerful do I really believe is God's power?  If I believe He's powerful enough to control these events in nature, why do I keep doubting and living like He's not powerful enough to change me, my sins, or my life.

Just as I chuckled when my high schooler was telling me about her woes, I have to believe that God is chuckling quite a bit at silly old me and my woes as well.

A comedy sketch on ....well....eye doctors

And yes, I've probably thought everything that he said the doctor was saying during his eye exam.

Dulac Mission Trip

So this past week, my best friend and I were able to join some other people from around the country to do some rebuilding work in New Orleans. We were in an area about an hour south of New Orleans called Dulac which is mostly resident to a tribe of Houma Indians. Most of the homes and buildings there were severely damaged due to Katrina, but also due to the high incidence of flooding that occurs on a regular basis.

The whole trip was truly a great experience. Our day would begin at 7 am cooking breakfast, doing the dishes, working on the community center for 4 hours, coming back and making lunch, work for another 4 hours, shower, make dinner, and then hang out playing 28 or spoons till 2 in the morning (these games were intense =P). It was a blessing to experience the teamwork and camaraderie amongst us initial strangers displayed on practically every level.

Much to my surprise, I also loved the feeling of getting my hands dirty doing some hard core manual labor! We were putting up drywall, spackling, sanding, painting, etc. and at the end of the day we were covered in mud, paint, dirt, and sweat.....and it all felt very good. There was something very satisfying in the exhaustion we felt at the end of the day. Everyone who came was there to work and work we did.  In the end, it was really gratifying to see the tangible fruits of our labor.

I know what we did doesn't even make a dent into what needs to happen there, but the fellowship and friendships that were formed and what we learned of the Native Americans there, just made our world a little bit smaller in seeing the plight and hardships of other communities. I look at these projects, not so much as an opportunity to serve, but to observe how God works in other communities and to broaden my sometimes very narrow worldly perspectives.

I pasted the link below to an article written about our trip in their local newspaper....some of the facts in it are wrong but you'll get the gist of the mission that's run there =)

http://www.houmatoday.com/article/20100416/ARTICLES/100419562?p=1&tc=pg
Bond attracts Indian Americans to Dulac
HoumaToday.com

DULAC — A couple of times each year, a kindred group of volunteers visits Dulac to help rebuild the bayou community from hurricanes and flooding.

“Can I ask you for some advice?”

Where do you seek wisdom from? Where do you go to get advice?

I’m thinking about this because I’m half-way thru the book of Proverbs and I’m amazed at how this book gives wisdom on basically every facet of human life…

From how to deal with finances, to courtship, to sexual ethics, to disciplining children, to how to speak, act, think, how to labor and how to love, how to choose your friends, how to obtain joy, on finding contentment….and the list goes on and on (and this is only from the first half of Proverbs.) I often make the Bible out to be such a “mystical” piece of literature, when it’s much more of a “let’s get our hands dirty with the nitty-gritty of everyday life” type of book.

Now I know that God should be the ultimate from whom we seek wisdom, but let’s face it, when something is going on in our lives it’s natural for us to seek advice from the people that surround us. A good friend once told me, be very careful who and what you listen to, especially when your heart and mind are in a vulnerable state. I don’t think I thought much of it at the time, but recently I’m seeing the validity of that statement.

As I’ve grown up, I’ve experienced the importance of surrounding myself with people that speak God’s truth. I find it very easy to be swayed and seduced by the ways of the world and I have found that in those moments when I’m not thinking clearly and looking for direction, the words and prayers of a person rooted in Christ is the ultimate blessing.

And you know who those people are and aren’t. You know who to approach to get sympathy, or who to see when you want someone to revel in your anger, or who to find when you’re looking for affirmation, but do you know who to go to when you’re really seeking the Truth?

Those are the people I want to go to and ask, “Can I ask you for some advice?”

S-l-o-w-i-n-g Down

It's been a busy week....and sometimes I come to the end of a week and wonder, "How did I get here?"

How is it already Sunday?
How is it already the end of January?
How is it that it's actually 2010 already!?! (I could of swore I was just listening to Prince's Tonight I'm gonna party like it's 1999 and wondering what that would be like ...sheesh!)
Where did this week, month, year, decade go?

Sometimes I just need to slow down...not necessarily in what I'm physically doing, but in my mind and thoughts.  My mind has a tendency to race through life, and when I do that, I run the risk of missing all the great things happening along the way.  I need to slow down enough to really savor the many moments that make me smile and pay attention to the things that make living this life so worth-while.

Slow Dance

Have you ever watched kids on a merry-go-round,

Or listened to rain slapping on the ground?

Ever followed a butterfly's erratic flight,

Or gazed at the sun fading into the night?

You better slow down,

Don't dance so fast,

Time is short,

The music won't last.

Do you run through each day on the fly?

When you ask "How are you?", do you hear the reply?

When the day is done, do you lie in your bed,

With the next hundred chores running through your head?

You better slow down,

Don't dance so fast,

Time is short,

The music won't last.

Ever told your child, we'll do it tomorrow,

And in your haste, not see his sorrow?

Ever lost touch, let a friendship die,

'Cause you never had time to call and say "Hi"?

You better slow down,

Don't dance so fast,

Time is short,

The music won't last.

When you run so fast to get somewhere,

You miss half the fun of getting there.

When you worry and hurry through your day,

It's like an unopened gift...thrown away.

Life isn't a race,

So take it slower,

Hear the music,

Before your song is over.

- David L. Weatherford

Patient Encounters

A couple days ago on a busy workday, I had a 23 yr-old patient come in for a routine eye exam.

He looked a little rough around the edges, didn’t crack a smile, and clearly wasn’t interested in engaging in any sort of conversation when I attempted to make small talk.

About halfway thru the exam he suddenly speaks and asks,
“How old are you anyway?”

I look up from writing my notes, probably appearing slightly annoyed by the question and hesitantly answer, "I’m 30."

At which he says, “you look like you’re 23 or something.”

I started laughing…..he still didn‘t crack a smile.

At a time where I’m feeling every bit my age, and contemplating the expectations I have and haven’t met in my life, I needed to hear that on that day.

Yes, age is but a number...and lately I’m being reminded that it’s not about HOW LONG I’ve been living on this earth, but HOW WELL I’m living on this earth.

Didn't think this kid would give me something to think about, but he did.

Nice kid.

Houston Trip / Good Eats

It’s been a great past few days visiting with some dear friends in Houston along with 2 friends from Chicago and New Jersey. It’s hard to believe it’s been 5 years since we graduated from optometry school and that the 4 of us (our little grad school crew) are all doing our different things living in 4 different states. But despite time, distance, husbands, kids, etc., we have remained as close as ever and have consistently met up once a year to catch up…and when we do it’s just like old times.

So although we had all these great plans to see the sights of Houston, a lot of times we would end up just sitting, eating, and talking for hours, which is usually what happens when you get 4 girls together who haven’t seen each other in awhile! It also fit in nicely with our new mantra in life which we decided was “we just want to be fat and happy”…forget about this whole optometry business…haha :)

So that brings me to the food in Houston, good places we ate at and worth mentioning are :

Uptown Sushi

Zushi Fusion Cuisine

1131 Uptown Park Boulevard

Houston, TX 77056-3227

(713) 871-1200

http://www.uptown-sushi.com/

We also walked around Rice Village, a cute artsy part of town, and had a great lunch here before heading off to the airport:

La Madeleine

Country French Café

Rice Village

6205 Kirby

Houston TX, 77005

713-942-7081

http://www.lamadeleine.com/

Good times!

Happy Belated Thanksgiving

I wanted to write this post on Thanksgiving, but amongst all the cooking and the eating, and then the ensuing food coma...well, let's just say the day got away from me. Thanksgiving does too often get overshadowed by the food and entertaining, and as a result I don't take enough time to reflect on things that I am so thankful for.

So after waking up on the day after Thanksgiving, and in seeing my dad clean up after the big dinner and then wake up early to cook us breakfast, I’m reminded of how grateful I am for these people I call "Mummy" and "Daddy". They have been a living model of sacrificial love to me. Parents, who despite having two grown kids, insist on doing anything and everything to make life as easy as possible for us.

God also knew how much I would need a woman like my mother in my life. I marvel at how she is able to empathize and relate with my struggles despite her vastly different upbringing. There have been many a times I have cried on her shoulder (still do when needed), and I thank the Lord that her words of Godly wisdom and prayers have pulled me through some tough days.

I am grateful for a younger brother who gives me advice that is wise beyond his years and my own.

I am thankful for my friends....for these people who make me laugh like no other, who have seen me through some of my darkest moments, who don't judge me when I stumble, who challenge me in my faith, who stand up for me when I can't stand for myself, who speak the truth even when I don't want to hear it, and who have been there far beyond what the word friendship calls for. Some of these friendships have lasted as long as decades, some only a few months, but both have impacted me beyond measure.

I'm grateful to see the joy of so many of my friends and family bring new lives into this world and embark on their new role as parents.....for the opportunity to hold and play with these little creatures and wonder at what the Lord has in store for them.

I am grateful for having a life where there is an over-abundance of everything and never truly being in "need" of anything.

I'm grateful that I have a job where I come across people from all different walks of life, to be able to hear their stories, and be touched by some of the things they share. A perfect example being yesterday: seeing a patient at the young age of 19 who had already lost vision in one eye due to a military accident, and is now eager to serve his country again as he prepares for a 7 month tour in Afghanistan.

I am thankful for the opportunities I've had to traverse the globe, for experiencing the beauty of majestic mountains and breathtaking sunrises in different corners of the earth.

I am truly blessed and thankful for all of these things, but if for some reason the Lord decides to take it all away or decides that it is enough.…..I know my heart should still be grateful because I will forever be called a child of God. I am most thankful for that security He has mercifully bestowed upon me.  Not only has the Lord guaranteed me life beyond this world, but he's also given me a "script" to live the most meaningful life while I am on this earth, all very neatly packaged in a book called the Bible.

It's a shame how often I do take these things for granted. I’m guilty of more often than not portraying a "woe is me" attitude rather than a "how grateful am I" demeanor. I am blessed beyond measure, and yes, sometimes it does take a holiday to put it all in perspective.

Veteran's Day

Whether you're a Republican or a Democrat, whether you're for or against our international policies, today was a day to remember the everyday people who make a choice to put their lives on the line to serve our country.

A couple years ago, I got a healthy dose of what reality is for these men and women when I worked at a VA hospital for a year and a half.

The majority of patients I saw came with charts filled with diagnosis after diagnosis of physical, mental, and traumatic disorders. You would think that we as a country would do our best to take care of them, but more often than not, these veterans have to fight to get the necessary care they deserve. In the back of my mind I would wonder, "Why would anyone willingly want to do this?" And yet, the majority of these veterans, despite their circumstances, walked in with a smile on their face, grateful for what they do have.

Today is a day I'm reminded of the veterans I came across and the sacrifices they made. The least I can do is acknowledge them and lift up a prayer tonight for them and their lives.

People Watching

As I was leaving the mall today, I was walking behind some parents along with their 4 kids ranging in all different ages. The mall was pretty packed and everyone seemed to be in a rush. The youngest of the kids was this sweet little boy maybe all of 4 or 5 years old who was trying to keep pace with the rest of his siblings. Every few seconds his father would look back to make sure his son was keeping up and ask "Are you okay bud?". At which, the boy would nod while trying to walk as fast as his little legs could take him. You could tell he was getting frustrated because he couldn't keep up, but was probably too stubborn to ride in the stroller his parents were pushing.

Finally upon looking back the 3rd or 4th time, the father stopped and scooped his son into his arms. To see the relief on this little boy's face was precious. He wrapped his arms tightly around his father's neck, laid his head on his father's shoulders, and closed his eyes with a little smile on his face. His body had completely relaxed within his father's embrace.

Seeing how safe and secure this boy felt in his father's arms, it made me think about how much more secure and loved I should feel in our Heavenly Father's arms. Sometimes it's so hard to fathom God's love.....but when I see love displayed with such purity among human relationships, I can only imagine and be amazed at what true love feels like from our Father in Heaven.