A Different World

At 4:30 AM, the alarm sounds...I sluggishly slide out of bed to start my day....
I hurry to get out the door on time and drive my car for about an hour to arrive at a place that's so diverse, so amazing that most people wouldn't believe it's in Minnesota....
It's the St. Mary's Hospital which is known world-wide as part of the Mayo Clinic.
As I walk through the halls, I hear English, Spanish, Asian languages, Arabic, African tribal languages, and languages that I definately could not place unless I asked them (then again, they probably don't even speak English so I would have to get an interpreter). What an honor it is to look around at the amazing people that I work with... Nurses from Africa, Europe, many of the 50 states, and all around the world and doctors from South America, Germany, England, the Middle East, Asia and who knows where else. The staff is so diverse, I'd imagine there are people from atleast half of the countries in the world.
Who would have known that in our very own state would be such an amazing place?
As I drive back home, wondering where I've just been.... I thank the Lord for giving me a whole different world within my reach.

A New Weight Loss Program?

After cleaning & painting the window screens, scrubbing the house from top to bottom (ok, I'm not quite done yet), raking and patching the little brown spots in the grass (by the way, I do still love having a puppy!), pulling weeds from my flower garden, and walking the dog (because it's finally warm enough to)....I have realized why I always put on weight in the winter!
My husband seems to think you have to run 13, 21, or even 26 miles a few times a week to lose weight, but I finally know the key to dropping those few extra pounds that always seem to settle in during the winter. Ok, so part of the reason we pack on pounds may be Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Easter... but when you work full time with rotating holidays...you just don't eat as much as you used to.
So, all I can say is: "Thank God for Spring!"

Where do you stand?

So often we pray that we could be able to hear the voice of God, see the hand of God, or feel His very touch. What I don't understand is what it is within us that causes us to miss so much. God speaks to us in many ways each day and yet we do not hear, or is it that we do not listen? He paints beautiful portraits right in front of our eyes, but instead of admiring His creation...we continue on with our busy day. He gently nudges us to get our attention and yet we don't even notice.
We pray, "Lord give me an opportunity to make a difference today," but when He puts that opportunity right in front of us we don't recognize it. Is it that we don't recognize it or is it our pride which gets in the way and causes our words to be fumbled or even meaningless.
As a nurse, I am often given such opportunities. Why is it that I'd rather offer empty words than what they really need to hear? What is it that makes it easier to talk to some stranger in a foreign country about a God who loves them unconditionally than it is to talk to a co-worker, family member, or friend? Why are we so afraid that people will think we've crossed the line, become finatic, or are invading their personal space? Why do we fear what other people think? Many will go to their death bed and not even know the name of Jesus. Many will go to eternity without Him while we sit and ponder what to say. We might me rejected, disappointed, shot down, or ridiculed...but won't it be worth it?
What is it that causes the Creator of our universe to love a sinner like me? Maybe I'll never quite understand.

Growing up too fast..

Here Daddy, this one's for you.

CHEEEEEZZZE.....

When life gives you bad strawberries, make Pannekoeken!

Ok, so we've all heard the saying, "When life gives you lemons, make lemonaid!" Today I had a brilliant revelation. It all started last week when I decided to buy some strawberries. I got 2 containers of them since they were 2 for $4.00. I bought one that had ripe and ready-to-eat strawberries and one that wasn't quite yet ready (thinking I was quite intelligent). Well, the first container was good. They were ripe and tasty...whereas the second were still not completely ripe, but starting to go bad. So much for my bright idea!
Today I figured that I better eat them instead of throwing them out (I've become much more frugal since living in a third world country). So, I sauteed them up, threw some sugar in (a lot more than normal), and made Pannekoeken! For those of you who don't know what Pannekoeken is... I must say you are quite deprived and may want to get the recipe. It's one of my favorites! It's a Dutch baked pancake. You can saute your fruit of choice and add flour, milk, and an egg.... and it turns out to be one of the most delicious breakfast foods I've ever had. (It's right up there with Swedish pancakes!)
Sometimes things aren't as we expected. I thought I'd have a plethra of delicious strawberries and almost wasted a whole container of them. Sometimes you go to work with a great attitude and nothing goes your way. Or you wake up ready to take on the world...and after hitting your head 3 times, you realize that you actually got out of bed on the wrong side. Sometimes you go to church thinking that you're going to leave with a better attitude and you walk out the door with the same stinkin' thinkin' that you entered with. We always want more: more of God, more money, more clothes, more friends. We want a bigger house, nicer or newer car, and a better job. When it's cold, we want it hot. When it gets too hot, we want air conditioning. Whatever it may be...we're just not satisfied.
We have to make the best of our situation. We have to be content with what we have and remember that we're just passing through. Our focus should be on heavenly things. We should, as the Bible says, "Keep our eyes fixed on Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat at the right hand of the throne of God."
So when you're strawberries are bad, don't just toss them out...make Pannekoeken or even strawberry shortcake (you just may need a little extra sugar)!!

Long winter...

The last post was all about "Who's praying for rain?" I understand that the farmers need rain and I'm sure some other people out there...but WHO NEEDS COLD? I must admit, I have no explanation for the cold, even snowy weather (in some parts). But I also must admit, it's times like these that I'm glad I live in southern MN instead of up North (where they got hit with snow in April). 82 degrees one week and 13 the next....I don't get it. My poor daffodils had almost seen the light of day...and then they fell over, limp with the bitter cold.
Maybe I should take up the offer (that my hubby repeatedly extends to me, especially in the winter months) of moving down South...atleast for the winter.
Someone please remind me of why we stay...