Eve of Clinical Rotation #2

Tomorrow is the big day. Clinical number 2 begins at Seton Hospital. I'm a mixture of excitement and nervousness, and I kinda feel like a kid waiting for Christmas.

I ended my class portion of the semester on a very high note. I had a friend tell me-

"You should be proud. And you did it all with a smile and a relaxed attitude."

What a fabulous compliment! I have come a long way in school. Actually, I think what helped me the most was Elder Bednar's counsel in San Antonio last month. I'm looking at faith in a new light and trying to be a more active participant in choosing happiness.

So here is the attitude I choose to go into my clinical with. This is a quote by Elder Lance B. Wickman from an article titled "Confidence Tests" in April's Ensign.

“Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompense of reward” (Hebrews 10:35; emphasis added). Have confidence in what you know! Then you will meet your own confidence tests with courage and grace, and the Lord will surely direct your paths.

And as always...BRING IT!

LAST LAB PRACTICAL EVER! BRING IT!!!!!!

Ready to go tackle my LAST LAB PRACTICAL EVER! I may have 143 days till graduation, but none of those days will involve taping myself role playing a patient/therapist scenario! *sigh of relief!

BRING IT!

McKinney Falls, then and now

I went hiking around McKinney Falls with a good friend on Friday. Found an old picture of the when our family went years ago! This must have been 1997 or 1998. I love how Michael's elbow is resting on my hip. The boys were so cute and little!

And there is now...

Match Making

My dad doesn't know it, but he is my 1st every guest blogger. I'm pasting in his last email from China. Pretty funny! My response- GET HOME RIGHT NOW BEFORE YOU MARRY ME OFF! Enjoy a good laugh...

Hi everyone,

Today was my last day in Shanghai and tomorrow I head on back.  Today
I met with John and Sandy, two friends who live in Shanghai.  I also
went to the central park and there is a pretty weird thing going on--
tons of old parents who want to get their kids married.  They are
worried that they won't get married, so parents write down information
about their sons and daughters (age, height, schooling, job, etc) and
post them for public display, in hopes of finding a match.  There are
literally hundreds of these postings and tons of these old people in
the parks.  The first picture is of the postings

So, I go up to talk to them to see about the postings.  The lady that
I talked to has a son who she wants to get married, so they asked if I
had a daughter, well sure enough I do.  So, I got a picture of Tamara
and showed it to all of them.  They are getting excited!  Next thing I
know there are some TV reporters from Taiwan doing a story on this
thing, and they think that I am really trying to find a spouse for my
daughter, and they put a microphone on me to interview me.  Imagine,
this american guy who is match making his american daughter!

So the second picture is of the Taiwanese reporters.  When they found
out that I wasn't really looking to match my daughter, they soon lost
interest.  Then a local Shanghai reporter come up to talk to me too.
I asked the reporter if the children wouldn't be embarrassed to know
that the parents were doing this, and indeed she confirmed that most
are horrified by the thought of it, but that others actually find
matches.  The reporter herself was single and she told me that she
would be embarrassed.

The third picture is of the mother, with a picture of her son, a
description of him, and a picture of Tamara on my iTouch.  They wanted
to know how tall Tamara was, what skills she had, etc. But the
hillarious part is when they asked how old Tamara was.  Turns out that
they don't want to match any wife with a husband who is younger. This
guy was born in 1982 and Tamara was born in 1980.  Immediately she
took the paper away from me and the deal was OFF!  No matter, another
man gave me a sheet of paper with his son's information (who was born
in 1977).  Anyway, I had a great time and what a fantastic way to have
to practice Chinese.

Heading home to see Tonia and Tamara,

Orlando

Can You Really Decide?

Sleepy? Happy? Grumpy? Can you really decide?

I've been thinking about this blog post for awhile now. A friend and I have had an ongoing conversation for months now about choices and our ability to choose. It has been enlightening and uplifting, and it has helped us cheer each other on!

In the talk "Tender Mercies of the Lord", Elder Bednar said:

I testify that the tender mercies of the Lord are available to all of us and that the Redeemer of Israel is eager to bestow such gifts upon us. To be or to become chosen is not an exclusive status conferred upon us. Rather, you and I ultimately determine if we are chosen.
Please now note the use of the word chosen in the following verses from the Doctrine and Covenants: “Behold, there are many called, but few are chosen. And why are they not chosen? “Because their hearts are set so much upon the things of this world, and aspire to the honors of men” (D&C 121:34–35; emphasis added).
I believe the implication of these verses is quite straightforward. God does not have a list of favorites to which we must hope our names will someday be added. He does not limit “the chosen” to a restricted few. Rather, it is our hearts and our aspirations and our obedience which definitively determine whether we are counted as one of God’s chosen.

So we determine if we are chosen, and we do so by our choices. The ability to choose is the greatest gift that God has given us. He knows what will bring us the most happiness, but he wants us to seek out His will, make decisions, and act in faith. We can't just choose any path that will be satisfying, to be chosen means our hearts, aspirations, and obedience all have to be in the right place. If our choices are in accordance with God's will, He will take care of us in that action, and if they are not, he will redirect us. But first he wants us to make a choice!

I made a few choices this year and asked that my Heavenly Father help me see them out. They are bold and big and I don't yet know the outcome, but by making the choice, I've found much peace and joy.

This life is not a passive one. We are not on this earth to be acted upon. Will we struggle? Of course, part of the package as well. It's not easy and requires faith in Jesus Christ, especially on the hardest of hard days.

This months Ensign has an article by Emma Petty Addams called "Enduring Well". She learned that it is not enough to merely endure:

"We are learning that through our active use of the Atonement, it is indeed possible to be “troubled on every side, yet not distressed; … perplexed, but not in despair;

“Persecuted, but not forsaken, cast down, but not destroyed” (2 Corinthians 4:8–10).

In James 5:10–11 this lack of despair is pushed one step further: “Take, my brethren, the prophets, who have spoken in the name of the Lord, for an example of suffering affliction, and of patience.

“Behold, we count them happy which endure” (emphasis added).

In my former understanding of endurance, happiness came at the end, after the hard part is over. But this scripture, coupled with my own experiences, taught me that you can be happy while enduring. Even though I have come to an intellectual understanding of this truth, certainly I am still learning how to put it into practice. But I know that what lies at the heart of the principle is where we put our trust; and when I prayerfully turn to the scriptures, I am patiently taught over and over again where to look."

I believe that the quality of our enduring,and the quality of our happiness is up to us. This power is given to us through the righteous choices that we make and act upon. Even if life sometimes "stinks", let us bloom where we are planted!

So what are you going to choose today?

The Book of Mormon IS another testament of Jesus Christ

My bishop, Bishop Smith, challenged the member of my ward to read the Book of Mormon together over the next 4 months. I had just started in 2nd Nephi, so I am just a bit ahead of the reading schedule for the moment. The Isaiah chapters of 2nd Nephi are always a bit difficult for me, and just when you think you are through them, Nephi tells you he delights in the words of Isaiah and in his plainness, and this of course makes you feel a bit guilty for just rushing through. I need to fix that!

One thing is for certain, the Book of Mormon is truly another testament of Jesus Christ, just like it says on the title page. Even though I haven't dove into the symbolism of Isaiah, I know that he writes of a loving Savior avaliable to all men. He warns, he teaches, he offers every chance to change, then he is just to the righteous and wicked, and merciful when he can be. Jesus Christ is found in every chapter. That is the overall theme coming through to me in 2nd Nephi.

I actually got in an online discussion with a friend about "religion" this week. I got pretty frustrated, not with her, but with the fact that I have this incredible gift and I feel like I fall short of sharing it right. I don't know why I feel the need to back up my beliefs with the Bible. I believe that the Bible is also the word of God, but ALSO is the key word there. There is more, and it all comes together perfectly for me.

2 Nephi 28:30 says-

"For behold, thus saith the Lord God: I will give unto the children of men line upon line, precept upon precept, here a little and there a little; and blessed are those who hearken unto my precepts, and lend an ear unto my counsel, for they shall learn wisdom; for unto him that receiveth I will give more; and from them that shall say, We have enough, from them shall be taken away even that which they have."

I love it that God is saying He won't limit the amount of knowledge that He will give us.

In chapter 29 of 2nd Nephi, the Lord warns that there will be people saying "A Bible, a Bible, we have a Bible, and there cannot be any more Bible". The Lords answer is basically yes you have a Bible, the record of the Jews, but I have a lot more nations scattered around the earth that also receive my word. Verse 8- "Wherefore murmur ye, because that ye shall receive more of my word?" Like- are you really going to be mad because I have more to say to you?

I am grateful for the chance to study the Book of Mormon again. We shall see what I learn in Jacob next...

Blessed with SPRING in Austin, TX!

Do you see it? See that lovely, beautiful, rich GREEN color bursting through the gray? Spring has arrived this week and I love it. My weather widget on my laptop says it is 67 degrees. the sky is a gorgeous blue and I am loving it. Yesterday was my running day, normally I like getting lost in the cardio cinema at the gym (call me crazy) but it was just against the law of nature not to enjoy the out doors at Pflugerville Lake. I keep driving through the neighborhood so happy that signs of spring are bursting out all over! Here is more of what it looks like...

More green budding all over the branches!

Isn't the pink contrasted with the green brilliant?





These white blossoms are all over the neighborhood. I went up close to our neighbors and fell in love even more!




These will soon be out Easter Lillies, they come back every year!

*Not trying to copy a blog entry of the lovely Ms. Portwood, but captured Spring Fever just as much!

Refreshing!

Recently it was re-affirmed to me what a nerd I am. (Thank you Nadia for pointing it out!) I spent some time chatting with a friend about neuro. My friend is taking Neurophysiology and I am in a Neuro Rehabilitation class. I have many intelligent friends, don't get me wrong, but not many can carry on a conversation that include myelin sheath, afferent nerve fibers, spasticity and muscle spindles, and tummy time for motor development in babies. That friend is a rare gem! Thanks friend for the brain stimulating conversation, and here's to many more!

Holi Hai- Indian Festival of Color

This is how I looked this evening before I jumped in the shower. Why you ask?


This is a Hindu temple, the Radha Rani Temple in South Austin (Barsana Dhan- http://www.barsanadham.org/about-shree_raseshwari_radha_rani_temple.htm) I arrived here with some friends to participate in Holi, the festival of colors. It has to do with welcoming spring and involves sprinkling, throwing, and smearing bright colored powder on anyone around you. This event was approx. 17 years in the making!


There are free roaming peacocks on the grounds. This tree had several up in it.


Getting the bags of gulal ready for Holi play! Gulal is bright colored powder that you throw and smear on anyone around you.


First attack, let the fun begin!

Love this pic! It's about to get much better!




Hum Hindustani? No, Christian, but I can celebrate with the Hindustanis!




Yep, pretty much surpassed my expectations. I had a blast!