requested

In an interesting turn of events, the baseball tournament was lost to us in the quarter finals. Turns out when you have 19 players show up for baseball, you end up having a hard time managing the subs. The good news is, the basketball game was won by us. 1-2 record now, so nice that we didn't get swept.

I have been requested to give some ideas on what I would like for my birthday, which will be coming up next weekend. Here goes...

-stethoscope
-moving truck for the end of the month
-dress shirts for work (16 neck, 36-37 arm)
-Wii
-a new windshield for the Focus
-some new cd's:
----third day
----chris tomlin
----brandon heath (check the spelling on that one)
----the newest mercyme (not sure what it's called)
-Planet Earth/Blue Planet DVD series


That's it for now. Happy weekend everyone.

ball-a-thon

Tomorrow is the annual {corporate restaurant name here} baseball tournament. Starts at 9am, and goes pretty much all day (if we keep winning, which we should, as the defending champs our team looks really good). Some dinner, maybe a hot tub, then off to basketball at night. We're hoping to maybe win our first game of the season (0-2 so far). Good times...

I think that on Thursday I may be a bit broken in the body. Right now, I have to go and get ready for tomorrow. This will involve tylenol for my screaming headache, and some R&R on the couch.

For those of you missing the daily (or quasi-daily) messages from the bible, I think that they are pretty much on hold until September. I may get one or two in, but this month is chalk full of stuff to do and I don't think I can get the discipline together yet. Soon...

time stands still for no sun

A bit of a delay since the last post I see. I never did spend any time trying to get the picture uploaded from the last post. Take my word for it, it was good.

We have been very busy the last week, going to see Ryder at Canuck place, checking out the fireworks on the weekend (which were awesome, I just wish that one visit to the 2nd beach pool in Stanley Park would result in sunshine and hot temperatures instead of clouds, wind and rain), ice skating on Friday for Thomas' birthday. I spent most of Thursday embarrassing myself on the golf course with my boss. I went in to it with having fully disclosed my lack of golfing prowess, so he wasn't surprised, just entertained.

The next month brings with it a lot of stuff going on as well. Eleanor and I have birthday's (so do my Dad, Fiona, Nicole...the list goes on) along with a baseball tournament at work, a devo* outing to Whistler (90% chance it will happen). There are more things I'm sure, but I'm really too lazy to make the rest of the list.

Part of what I need to do is get my ducks lined up for my application to the PCP program. I seem to be distracted by all the goings on of summer, and time keeps fleeting past without any progress on this subject. I have negotiated the contract at work to keep us happy until the course, but I need to get in to this course. So, add that to the list of stuff to do in August. I really will try to post when I can. If it seems light though, you can count on the fact that it must have been sunny.

*"devo" is a term we use for a staff developer, or trainer. simple, eh?

reacta-dryl

It turns out that double the does of reactine, and then later in the day benadryl, will in fact turn off the taps. I'm sure that there are parts of my inner body that are secretly being destroyed, but my nose is such a glory that my brain has declined to acknowledge this fact.

In related news, I tried switch hitting at the driving range the other day, and now I think that my shoulder is broken.

turn off the taps

That's it. I've had enough. I am completely done with having a runny nose. It's like a leaky tap that just won't shut off. It doesn't seem to matter what kind or how much allergy medication I take, the tap just won't stop.

It is driving me crazy!

as doubt creeps in

I am not sure why, but for some reason I seem to be entertaining the notion of staying with {corporate restaurant name here} until the new year. I was offered the possibility of a raise, if I would commit to then. I am not really sure why I am considering it. I think it is because that would be the easy choice, which would allow me to maintain status quo and not have to make any major life changes. Well, not just that, but the benefit of the kids staying at the same school for another year or two, instead of having to change once now and again when I take the PCP.
To move would take a lot of planning, a lot of changes and decisions. I want to know that this is the right choice first, but really it isn't up to me. It's up to God.
As I come home from the final night of Freedom Session, the graduation complete, I am reminded that I need to listen to what God is trying to tell me. The one rule in life that I am really trying to live by is "do the last thing that God wanted to you do". All you have to do is follow that rule, and He will be sure to take care of you, and deliver on His promises. The struggle is: taking the time to listen to Him, and having the courage to act on it. I know I need to spend more time listening. The funny thing is, even though I know this, I still choose not to.
I look forward to the Thursday night meetings of the "triad", now that Freedom Session is over, my group of dudes that will hold me accountable to listen to God and encourage me to act on what I hear.

Knomes

Knomes = fun and good times. We had a baseball tournament this weekend, my family and I. Vanessa and the kids didn't play, but pretty much the rest of my family was in on it. We had a good time, and that is the important thing. I say this, because we didn't win more than one game, but who's counting. We had some tough teams to play against, teams that recruited people with semi-professional ball player status. So whatever, we couldn't score very much on them, but we had some good, solid defense against them. For a couple innings.

I did have to cut the festivities short for Sunday though, and go to work at 4. Did I mention that I have had enough of working there? I think I have mentioned it, but one more time just in case you missed it. I have lost all desire to be a restaurant manager. Too bad, since there seems to be a major crisis going on with the shortage of managers in {insert corporate restaurant name here} . Maybe someone should think about keeping the managers happy, and maybe they would stick around for a while. Just a thought.

Time to head off to bed, since I have to work at 9am. Nothing quite like being scheduled to close, then open. Someone should make a law about how much time you need to have in between shifts...wait...I think there is. Hmmm. I wonder why everyone is leaving the position...??

check 1,2

This morning I was able to check off another item in the List To Complete To Apply For PCP. (that's primary care paramedic, not crystal meth). The criminal record check has been ordered, and for $42.00 I will be once again proven clear of ever having had trouble with the law*.

Anyway, I have come to realize that I can not soon enough get out of the restaurant and in to the BC ambulance service. Until then, I will just have to suck it up and bear it, but I will make it known-I don't want to be there.


*(read:being caught)

as panic sets in

I think about studying. I dream about the final exam. I even go to the Justice Institute to meet up with my fellow classmates to do some practice. We do some rolls, dust off the AED, look up some incidents on the J.I. website. We have lunch, and all seem to be decidedly done with the practice. No-one appears overly nervous about tomorrow, including me.

And then I come home, and since the house is empty and quiet, I decide a nap will be the perfect thing for Sunday afternoon. It was really a good nap. A fine nap indeed.

The problem now, now that the nap is over, the practice is done, and tomorrow looms closer and closer: the panic is setting in. I can't bring myself to open up the books and begin studying, but my brain decides to run in to overdrive all the same. Situations, skills, happenings, indications and contraindications all keep racing through my head. Doubt creeps in, do I know how to deal with this? What if this comes up on the test? We haven't even looked at how to care for burns for a week, and what if that happens? When do I pull the burn kit out?

I know that this is what God is calling me to do. I know that this is what I will be good at, I have been given a gift of caring & healing. Why then does my whole body feel like there is an electrical current running through me, charging me up, making my muscles tingle with anticipation? Why do I feel this hesitation to open up the books and review one more time the sequence of the patient assessment, and when to use interventions and what guidelines are attached?

How will I keep the panic from setting in Monday morning when it is my turn to show that I am capable of saving a life?

a bit late

ok, so I didn't get back to you to discuss treasures in heaven. Sorry about that, I hadn't realized that it's been a week already. Time flies when you are filling your brain with information. If you read the passage though, you will maybe notice what really stood out to me as a call to action:
"You cannot serve both God and Money"
This may be hard for some, especially in the modernized western society that we live in. I find myself struggling with it to, every now and then when I see houses for sale, and note the distinct fact that we are not even close to getting in to one. That's ok though, cause we have a roof over our heads, walls that keep the wind and rain out, and warm dry blankets to keep us snug.

On to happier thoughts, EMR class seems to be going well. The daily quizzes are coming along nicely, and I think I have a good grasp of the practical side of things so far as well. I have to admit, I am a bit nervous about the final on Friday and the hands on exam on Monday.

Birch Bay weekend is coming up, and even though there will be an all day exam on Monday, I hope to make it down for an overnight visit with the family. My brother and his wife & kids will be there, as will my parents. The weather should be nice, and I look forward to taking the kids to the pool and getting some sunshine.

Much to my surprise, it took almost 2 weeks (13 days) for my GM to phone me and ask me a question about work. A question that he should have known the answer to, he is the GM for pete's sake. But to {insert corporate restaurant name here} I say:

Keep your restaurant. I'm going to be a Paramedic.

the need for self discipline

It is great that I came across this passage the day before I start the intense 3 week EMR course.

Short and sweet, it's to the point. Run to get the prize at the end, not for an Earthly crown but for a crown that will last forever.

"Therefore I do not run like someone running aimlessly; I do not fight like a boxer beating the air. No, I strike a blow to my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize"

I think the key message here is that we need to be disciplined in the way that God wants us to be. Spend time with him every day. The closer we get to God, the more He will be able to work through us. The more we let Him work through us, the more we will be blessed.

the power of Jesus

The story of Lazarus is a fairly popular one, but I've never really studied it until today. It tells of how Lazarus is sick, yet Jesus takes his time in going to see him, 2 days in fact, before he leaves.
Lazarus dies before Jesus gets there, but with God's power he is able to raise Lazarus to life again.

Worth a read, for sure, as we get a glimpse of just how powerful Jesus is. My favorite quote from this chapter is

"I am the resurrection and the life. Anyone who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die."

This really in itself is cause to let go of any worry or fear that we may have. Most of us see the worst possible outcome of a situation as death; this goes to show that if you are walking with Jesus, then you do not need to fear death, since you will have eternal life. So why worry?

He kept calling, and calling

The day after Mother's day. I still haven't quite recovered from yesterday. It isn't that it went badly. In fact, it went amazingly well. We did almost the same amount of sales as the Langley store did last year, and we are 1/3 the size. And the kitchen pumped out the food like nobody's business. I mean nobody's.

It was EPIC. (yes, worth the capitals)

Alas, today begins a new week. A week full of it's own tasks and challenges, important and urgent things to be done.

Tonight I was reading this out of the book of 1 Samuel. What really struck me as special was the fact that God kept calling to Samuel, even though Samuel didn't know it was Him calling. What makes it stand out is this:

"Now Samuel did not yet know the LORD : The word of the LORD had not yet been revealed to him."

Instead of getting angry, or giving up, God patiently calls until he finally Samuel figures out that it's God.

The fact that God loves us enough to just keep calling, keep inviting us in to his life, even when we are completely oblivious to it gives so much hope for us all. There is a popular christian song out right now and in the chorus there is a line that asks the question "Is there hope for every man?"

Absolutely.

knowing our weakness'

To start, I think that everyone in South Surrey thought today was Sunday, instead of Saturday, because we were that busy. Add that to everyone and their dog phoning for a reservation for tomorrow (Mother's day, the SuperBowl of all days in restaurant land) and it was non-stop all day.

A bit of quiet time at home, and I have looked up today's passage.

I see this as a very uplifting bit of scripture. It points out that our Saviour lived life on this Earth, and had to live through the same temptations that we are faced with every day. Well, maybe not every temptation, I'm sure there were no Porche 911 twin turbo's or 52 inch LCD HDTV with Gold Plated Inputs and 1080pi. (is that even a real feature, 1080pi?) I'm sure there was the equivalant though, and I'm sure that he knows how much we might want these toys. The point is, he went through it. Sure, he was able to live a sinless life, but he was the Son of God, so we can't be expected to live up to those standards. God wants us to, and we need to try as much as we can to be sinless, but God knows as well as we do that it is impossible, that is why Jesus came to save us.

"Let us then approach God's throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need". (Heb 4:16)

An we are all in a time of need, and all we need to do is ask Him for help.

urgency

Last night I read an article (Tyranny of the Urgent, by Charles E. Hummel) about our busy lives and taking the time for God. It talked about doing the urgent things in our lives versus the important things, and how we get caught up with stuff. Even if we had more hours in a day, we wouldn't get everything accomplished.

To me, this means that I need to take the time for daily learning and interaction with God. It's funny how this ties in with what was revealed to me on our weekend retreat, even though the two were not really planned to tie together. (isn't God smart, planning these things out)

This morning's bible reading (philippians 3:7-11) talks about the gains of this world versus the gains of a life in Christ. "I have lost everything for Him. And I think of these things as worth nothing so that I can have Christ." So much of our time and energy is spent trying to get "stuff". Bigger house, faster car, flat screen tv's that take up half the wall in the living room, flashy jewels. In fact, we spend so much time trying to get these things to impress the world, to comfort ourselves, that we lose touch with why God has given us time on Earth. We forget our purpose, and start focusing on the urgent yet eternally meaningless tasks instead of focusing our attention on what is important in life, and important to God.

Do you know your purpose yet?

on tithing

Overhearing a conversation this weekend caused me to look up this verse. It's definitely worth having a look at, and worth having a look at finances to see where the priorities really are.