February 15, 2010

Obvious proof of global warming…

Posted by Homemaker, MD under Along the Way, Creativity | Tags: |
1 Comment 

Snow comes to Charleston, South Carolina.

Um, yeah. I was kinda kidding about the global warming.

This past weekend saw the heaviest snowfall Charleston had seen since the winter after Hugo hit in 1989.

We awoke this morning to over 2 inches of snow in a thick carpet on everything we could see outside. Happily we were up early before any of the neighbors and saw our yard in pristine form. We’d enjoyed a fire last night while it fell, venturing to the front porch sporadically as it accumulated. It was almost beyond belief to see it here, in Charleston of all places! We woke our daughter early (7:15! –yes that’s early for her, thanks babywise) for a good play in the yard. She was in shock at the site of the stuff. We constructed a petite snowman complete with carrot nose and raisened eyes and buttons, and then we loaded up into the car, eager to see the city under the white powder.  Through an incredibly icy west ashley we slowly rolled in the tahoe, with a camera out the window at every landmark, crossing the bridges with care. It was barely 8am by this time, and we made it to the pennisula before much melting began.  To to see Charleston’s high battery in snowy splendor is a rare treasure. We took a zillion photos all over downtown: the benches and famous pinapple fountain at waterfront park, a fluffy white Rainbow Row, famous iron gates across the city gilded in snow, windowboxes heavy with it. We peeked into countless of our favorite walled gardens, lingering on Legare Street, glimpsing hedges and ornate sculptures covered in snow. After downtown began to drip, we jumped back into the tahoo and slowly made our way over the Cooper river on the icy bridge. The temp was 10 degrees colder on the other side, as the penisula is always the warmest spot in town. We got coffee and warm chick-fil-a biscuits (the place was packed) and arrived at IOP (Isle of Palms for those of you non-locals) to find it was a winter wonderland too. Snowy beaches! Very weird.

Our back yard, complete with snowy palmetto:

What city is this?

The harbor on the Ashley:

Our favorite bench at Waterfront Park:

More photos from the harbor on the Ashley:

The Pinapple Fountain at Waterfront:

Charleston’s Battery:

A Charleston Garden entrance

This kid doesn’t look like he likes the snow; he’s used to his Charleston garden being sunny:

The snowy marsh:

A snowy dune on Isle of Palms:

 

January 23, 2010

Sanctity of Life, the Human Embryo, and Skin Cream

Posted by Homemaker, MD under Bioethics | Tags: |
[3] Comments 

Tomorrow is “Sanctity of Life Sunday”, the day when across our nation Christians and churches will pray for an end to the many things that war against human life.

In our climate of increasingly complex biotechnology, there are a lot of boundaries being pushed. There are more Christians in recent years who don’t have a problem with embryonic stem cell therapy “if it helps someone.” Maybe it doesn’t occur to them that one of the first “life-saving” therapies created with a dead fetus is a skin cream? No, I’m not making that up, though I wish I were. It’s called Neocutis.

Is this really the “nobel cause” for which our culture is turing human life into a commodity? FEWER WRINKLES?? Frankly it makes my stomach turn just writing this. They’ve tried to reassure the public in numerous ways that fall flat. Things to the effect of: “But we only used ONE terminated fetus!” “But it started out for burn victims and then we found out it helps WRINKLES!” Oh, and don’t get me started on how much money they are making off the life they turned into a commodity–this stuff is pricy.

I’ll take crow’s feet any day, thank you very much.

More and more people, even in the church, are pursuing ethically problematic means of reproduction. By the way, note the difference here between the use of the word “reproduction” (like an assembly line)–the word typically used within the medical community for the range of services including IVF, called “reproductive technologies , and the fading use of the word procreation, which seems to insinuate even within the word that there is something being created.

So many people have frozen their embryos that there are literally hundreds of thousands of what some term “extra” embryos in fertility centers in our country alone. And yes, you can actually adopt them. We offered a free speaker from this life-honoring group to the OB-Gyn student interest group at a local medical school. But apparently talk of “adopting” in the same sentence as the word ”embryo” is much too controversial for them. Nevermind that they can train in abortion if they so choose.

When we ponder the incarnation, we realize that from the first moment that Mary was pregnant, she had within her a being that was diven yet human. The tiny cell had two sets of DNA, and even then had the distinct identity of Christ, even causing his cousin to jump when they “met” in utero. It is our creation Imageo Dei , and the act of the incarnation of Christ in our flesh that endowed on our human race sanctity. But he did not suddenly inhabit a baby at birth–he was incarnate in the conception, in the earliest stages of developement, before even that fertilized egg divided into two cells. He bestowed even the earliest stage of humanity with dignity.

Probably my favorite Bioethics book currently is Bioethics: A Primer for Christians by Gilbert Meilaender. In one of the early chapters, he has a lot to say about Bioethics in general, and how a Christian should think about these complex issues.

The never-ending project of human self-creation runs up against the limit that is God. It will always be hard to state in advance the precise boundaries that ought to limit our freedom, but we must be prepared to look for them. We must be prepared to acknowledge that there may be suffering we are free to end but ought not, that there are children who might be produced through artificial means but ought not, that there is valuable knowledge that might be gained through use of unconsenting research subjects but ought not.                                                                                                   -page 5

I agree with him in the fact that is is not acceptable for us to blindly oppose the forward progress of medicine. Rather, we should fight disease with all of our minds’ might, following Christ’s charge to “heal the sick” (Matt 10:8).  Yet we must acknowledge God has a sovereign purpose in suffering that we cannot understand any better than Job. There are lines we ought not cross in the relief of human suffering, specifically, lines that involve the wronging of human life. As Meileander concludes his Primer he writes:

This need not and should not mean a rejection of the penultimate healing that scientific and clinical medicine offer us. The best physicians know, however, that their art at its highest must cooperate with powers beyond their own. We should give them our respect and our gratitude, but not our devotion–and they, of course, should seek no more. Instead we place our ultimate hopes for Health and Wholeness in the God who himself has been broken by death–and who nevertheless lives.             -page 124

 

January 19, 2010

International Night: North African stories and a fantastic Moroccan recipe

Posted by Homemaker, MD under From my Kitchen, Missions, Travel Stories | Tags: |
1 Comment 

A couple of years ago, my husband gave me a tagine for Christmas. We had a number of medical friends who had just spent time in Northern Africa treating the ill and loving the lost (and ended up immunizing sheep as well!). Between my husband’s hospital requirements and my pregnancy, neither of us were able to join them that particular year, but the stories they brought back inspired prayer for the few Christians that do live and labor there.

One story our friends told was described by one of the missionaries who live in the region. He and his wife had come to North Africa to spread the Good News of the gospel of Christ. But their first weeks and months were frought with struggle, pain, and discouragement. She had fallen and been seriously injured, and the challenges to building relationships, not to mention sharing Christ, had seemed almost impossible. One day, a local villager they had been able to befriend wanted to show the missionary his garden. Intrigued by the possibility of anything green growing in the rocky, barren and dry landscape, the missionary followed him. Assured the spot was not far away, the villager led him several miles before they finally stopped at the villager’s home. He waved his arm to indicate the hill behind his home and proudly indicated that the hillside was his garden. The missionary looked, and saw that the dusty hillside had been carefully cleared of every rock. The ground had been broken up and plowed, the hostile soil carefully furrowed. But not a single spot of green or color broke the expanse of dry ground. He could see nothing growing. He turned to the villager, confused. 

“But is it dry, and nothing is growing.”

The villager looked at him with confidence, “Yes, right now it is dry. But one day, perhaps it will rain. When it does, my garden is ready.”

The missionary returned home stunned by the blind faith of preparing a garden in what could only be currently described as a desert, and in a moment of clarity saw the allegory the villager had painted, unknowingly, to the missionary. He and his wife were preparing a garden in the desert as well, and finding the soil to be rocky, dry and unwelcoming did not mean that the rain would never come. 

Those missionaries and many others labor in dark places to till the soil, remove the rocks, and plant the seeds, as they wait and hope for the rain to come, for Hope to spring forth from the barren ground. They covet our prayers.

My little family has “international night” every couple of weeks or so, when I prepare the food of a particular part of the world, we pray for the people there, missionaries we know and those lost in darkness, and try to educate ourselves a little more about what that country is like. As our daughter grows older we hope to cultivate a love for the nations through exercises like this.

This past weekend I cooked Moroccan, and even had plenty to share with friends. Of all the Moroccan tagines I’ve cooked, I think this time I uncovered my favorite combination of spices and ingredients. Moroccan cuisine is known for the sweet taste of fruit and the savory warm spices. It’s not a hot type of spicy, so if you are aren’t into your mouth being on fire don’t worry, just keep the cayenne pepper to a minimum.  If you don’t have a tagine, the traditional moroccan oven of choice, you could easily cook this in a covered non-stick pot on the stovetop. I’ve also heard of people using slow-cookers for moroccan dishes.

This recipe is an absolute MUST to try. It is sweet, savory, and quite healthy. It is perhaps my new FAVORITE dish to make. If you don’t own some of these spices, they are worth the investment, since you’ll make this dish over and over again! Everyone loved it, including my 15 month old!

Moroccan Tagine

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 2 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves – cut into chunks (can easily leave this out for a great veg dish)
  • 1/2 onion, chopped
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1/3 cup apricots (I use canned but if you have fresh ones give it a try)
  • 1 small butternut squash, peeled and chopped (or 2 peeled and cubed sweet potatoes)
  • 1 (15.5 ounce) can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
  • 5-10 baby carrots
  • 1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes with juice
  • 1.5 cups chicken broth (or one 14 oz can)
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon ground coriander
  • 1 dash cayenne pepper
  • 1/2 tsp tumeric
  • 1/2 tsp cumin
  • 1 tsp cinnamon

    • 1. Heat the olive oil over medium high heat in a large non-sticking pot (or tagine base). Brown the garlic, chicken, and onion, until the onion is soften and the chicken browned on all sides, about 10 minutes

    2. Once the onion is soft and the chicken browned, add the butternut squash, garbanzo beans, tomatoes and juice, broth, lemon juice, and apricots. Add the rest of the spices listed above, and mix well.

    3. Allow the mixture to come to a boil, then adjust the heat to a low simmer. Cover and allow to cook slowly until the vegetables are soft and the chiken done. This will take around 30 minutes.

    You can serve this by dishing it over some plain cooked couscous, or just rice. In Morocco, people eat this sort of thing with their bare hands, but you can use a fork and spoon. To complete the Moroccan theme enjoy some mint tea after dinner. To learn more about Morroco and other coutries at your own family’s “international night,” Operation World has a great website with details to help you pray for each country. Just click on the continent and choose the country.

     

    January 8, 2010

    Could cell phones be good for your brain?

    Posted by Homemaker, MD under Medicine and Health
    1 Comment 

    I ran across news of this study the other day and thought it was interesting. Makes me feel slightly better for all the time I’ve spent on my Palm Pre!

    This summary is from Physcian’s First Watch , a medical journal news service to which I subscribe.

    The study, conducted in mice, appears online in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease.

    Researchers exposed normal mice and AD-transgenic mice to electromagnetic fields (EMFs) for 2 hours each day, for 7 to 9 months, at frequencies equivalent to typical cell phone use. When the researchers compared these mice with unexposed mice, they found that EMF exposure protected against cognitive impairment and reversed AD-like neuropathology in transgenic mice, as well as improved cognitive performance in normal mice. 

    The authors, who advise caution when applying these findings to humans, propose several potential mechanisms of action, including increased amyloid-beta clearance from the brain and increased cerebral blood flow with EMF exposure.

     

    January 4, 2010

    A look at Genesis One as the New Year Starts

    Posted by Homemaker, MD under Biblical Exegesis, Genesis, Scripture and Science
    Leave a Comment 

    This January I’ve started a two-year plan to read through the Bible chronologically. Reading it over two years as opposed to one allows for time to stop and dig deeper into passages, and allows time for catch up when I get behind, but still keeps me on track to get through the whole thing. I also love the idea of reading through the Psalms David wrote while reading through the events of his life, and reading the four Gospels accounts in parallel.

    I’m excited about the plan. Hopefully I’ll still be when mired deep in Leviticus. I’m glad a friend of mine is doing it at the same time. There are some parts I really hope to delve into, for example, the creation account of Genesis. I had a high school biology teacher who had previously been an atheist and evolutionist. When he became a Christian, as an adult, he decided he needed to understand as much as possible about how God created. He studied the Hebrew text of Genesis and a lot of books about creation, and in the end became a full-fledged-young-earth-six-literal-day creationist. Then he taught every student he had what he’d learned, and how he’d arrived at those conclutions, including the Hebrew word studies. To this day I have not heard a better in depth walk through the creation account, and God used it to keep me firm in my faith as I went through all my training in the evolution-heavy fields of science and medicine. I’ve always meant to sit down and go through it in depth again, compile all my notes, and maybe write it out so other people can glean from it too. It really brought me great joy to see what was there, under the surface I’d previously just skimmed as I’d read the account before.

     Since reading through Genesis is more than anything an opportunity to worship, I’m posting some of my notes here as I go along, in hopes the greatness of God boggles your minds as it does mine. So, with no further ado, here are my little thoughts (and questions) on the great events described in the first three verses of Genesis.

    “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was formless and void, and darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was moving over the surface of the waters. Then God said, “Let there be light”; and there was light.” -Genesis 1:1-3

    “In the beginning…”

    The account starts with “In the beginning,” which is a reference to the concept of time. Did God have any need for time before creation? Isn’t it possible that the very concept of time itself, the very measurement of moments, days, and nights did not happen before this first event of creation? We note the creation account later repeatedly states “and there was morning and there was evening” and then in verse fourteen, God places lights in the heavens “…for seasons and for days and years,” in other words, to chart the passage of time, among other things. Perhaps the finite mind of man is limited to the extent that we NEED time, and God knew it, so he started the Clock of Time here in Genesis, not for Him, but for us. God cannot be limited by the confines of time. He’s simply too magnificent.

    “…God…”

    The word used for God here and throughout the creation account in Chapter One is the plural form, “אֱלֹהִים” or  El-o-heem. El is the singular form of this noun, Ella means two, but Eloheem is the plural form meaning three or more! Thus, the concept of God as trinity is introduced immediatly. The Father, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit were all part of the creative act.

    “…created…”

    When God creates “the heavens and the earth” here in Genesis 1:1, what exactly is the verse describing? Is this some kind of summary of what Moses is about to describe in the creation account over the next few verses, or is this a description of what was created before anything else. A look at the original Hebrew sheds light on this. 

    “…the heavens…”

    According to Strong’s, the original Hebrew “שָׁמֶה שָׁמַיִם” or, “  shaw-meh’” used here means “… the dual [plural form] of an unused singular; from an unused root meaning to be lofty; the sky (as aloft; the dual perhaps alluding to the visible arch in which the clouds move, as well as to the higher ether where the celestial bodies revolve):—air, X astrologer, heaven (-s).” 

    Reading this description of how “shamayim” may be translated introduces the possibility that perhaps, along with creating the concept of time, God also initially needed to create dimensional space. I’m not talking about “outer space.” rather, I mean room for all the other stuff He would create next, so really “inner and outer space”, to be exact. It’s hard to think outside of the constructs through which we commonly view the universe, but consider the possibility that God is not limited by any human dimension. Would He really need physical space to exist? Isn’t He grander even than that? So perhaps this is where He had to start first, to create “the visible arch in which the clouds move, as well as the higher ether where the celestial bodies revolve, air” and beyond that, our universe.

    “…the earth.”

    Also from Stong’s Concordance. The original Hebrew text translated “the earth” is “אֶרֶץ”, or  eh’-rets,  which is “From an unused root probably meaning to be firm; the earth (at large, or partitively a land):— X common, country, earth, field, ground, land, X nations, way, + wilderness, world” 

    Here we note that Strong’s calls this root unusual, and says that it means to “be firm” in its most literal sense. So it sounds like He created the planet earth itself here, but couldn’t this also be when He created matter itself?

    “The earth was formless and void…” 

    Some argue that beteen Gen 1:1 and Gen 1:2, there was a spiritual war during which Lucifer fell, the “heavens and earth” mentioned in verse 1 were destroyed, and then verse two describes starting God starting over again to rebuild. A look at the original Hebrew used in the passage seems to make that theory (known as the “Gap Theory”) unlikely.

    First note that the verb used here is “was” rather than “became”. Here Moses describes what the ”bara” or firmness God created looked like at this point. Looking at the Hebrew, I’m inclined to think about a lump of clay that has yet to be shaped by the sculpter. 

     The word “formless”, or “תֹּהוּ”, or  to’-hoo is, according again to Strong’s, “From an unused root meaning to lie waste; a desolation (of surface), that is, desert; figuratively a worthless thing; adverbially in vain:—confusion, empty place, without form, nothing, (thing of) nought, vain, vanity, waste, wilderness.” Then we read “and void”, which is “בֹּהוּ”, or  bo’-hoo, “From an unused root (meaning to be empty); a vacuity, that is, (superficially) an indistinguishable ruin:—emptiness, void.”

    “…and darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was moving over the surface of the waters.”

     What is described during the second part of verse two is very interesting. A picture is painted here, of this dark mass of earth, where the Spirit (literal meaning of this particular word is wind or breath, at some points in Genesis translated “breath of life”) of God moving (literal meaning of this word “רָחַף” or raw-khaf’ , to brood; by implication to be relaxed:—flutter, move, shake.) upon the face of the deep. Moving like a chicken broods over it’s eggs to imbibe warmth. Then He speaks and commands light to appear, and it did. This conjures up memories of my college physics classes, where we discussed the association of movement with energy. That each atom, though we cannot see it, is moving: the negative charge of the electron is repelling the positive charge of the nucleus. And the attraction of the proton and neutron in each nucleus creates an energy so strong that humans have made great efforts to harness it. Light is a form of energy. So here we are in Genesis, at the beginning of time, and reading verse two of chapter one of Genesis, I find myself reading a description of what more than anything else seems to be the creation of energy itself.

    “Then God said, “Let there be light”; and there was light.”

    Wouldn’t it be only natural that upon creating energy God would manifest it in the form of light, as described in verse three? Also, it’s interesting to me that the sun hasn’t been created yet on this day. From where, or what, is the light emminating? Could it be from God Himself? Reminds me a bit of Revelation 21:23: “…the city has no need of the sun or of the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God has illuminated it, and it’s lamp is the Lamb.”

    P.S…..As a side note, I am reading and quoting from the New American Standard Bible, Updated Edition. For my Hebrew word studies I used Strong’s Exhaustive Concordence. Lest you think I have piles of four- to six-inch books open around me as I study, I’ll tell you that while I love the smell and feel of real books more than any computer, I find I’m able to move much more quickly and efficiently with QuickVerse 2010 software, which is absolutely fantastic. For anyone desiring to do quick and easy word studies without buying software or twenty pound volumes, I’d recommend the blue letter bible’s concordance resources.

     

    January 2, 2010

    Winter at Magnolia Gardens

    Posted by Homemaker, MD under Uncategorized
    1 Comment 

    Despite today’s gripping chill, my husband, toddler and I made our way to one of our favorite places in Charleston. I remember our first visit there, the day before my husband started his intern year four and a half years ago. Every time we’ve visited it has seemed almost as though time stood still while we wound our way through acres of paths threading between oaks, azaleas and cyruss knees along the Ashley River. It’s one of the oldest gardens in America, tucked between Drayton Hall and Middleton Plantation off the old stagecoach highway along the Ashley. Our trip today was timed to see the ancient camellias in all their winter splendor. This is the only winter snow we see most years here in Charleston, the spread of pink and white petals in the gardens of our old and holy city.

    I loved listening to my botonist-physician husband plan the air-layering of his grandmother’s old camellia’s to create our own shoots for our yard one day. This year at Christmas I gave him four of another variety of camellias, called Camellia sinensis, which are tea plants, to add to his extensive edible garden.  They grow well in our area, as evidenced by the only tea plantation in America being on Wadmalaw Island just across a few marsh creeks from our abode. The beautiful flowering plants in these photos are Camellia japonica, some of these being from plants now several hundred years old.

    After winding through the camellia forest and our other favorite tucked away areas in the gardens, we made our way to the petting zoo, which was actually quite expansive. Birds from peacocks to turkeys and pheasants (which, incidently, I ate for the first time at Christmas dinner this year and found they were quite tasty), deer and goats and snakes and shetland ponies. They’ve expanded quite a bit since the last time we visited and our neice was head-butted by a rather aggressive goat.

    My toddler decked out in her fur boots and hat…

     

    December 26, 2009

    The remedy for Super-Saturation

    Posted by Homemaker, MD under Missions
    Leave a Comment 

    Something happens to us Americans over Christmas. We feast. We present gifts to family and friends. We receive from family and friends. We feast again. We are given and give piles of baked goods, candy, chocolates, and sweets.  Then we feast on them, too. Even with our current economy, I’m willing to bet everyone who is high enough on Maslow’s hierarchy of needs and with the leisure time to read this post certainly has a roof over their head, a bed to sleep in, and food in the fridge. Not to mention plumbing and electricity. We are, especially on these days after Christmas, at our most super-saturated state as Americans.

    We are even supersaturated in our spiritual state. Many of us are cognizant in our giving and receiving of the extravagance of God. The outrageous gift of His Presence in the humble and fragile capacity in which He is with us in the incarnation. Many of us have enjoyed Advent readings this month, beginning with reading prophecies surrounding the coming of our Messiah and building up to climactic celebrations by candlelight singing some of our favorite hymns.

    Yet as the candles die out, the trees begin to dry, and our waistlines grow uncomfortable from the feasting, we are cognizant of our discontent. We flick on the news, check facebook and emails. We emerge from our haze of excess to a world that is no less broken and hurting. Missionaries labor in dark lands, isolated from fellowship. Orphans languish in the third world, and in our own foster system. Our own countrymen fighting in the hills of Afghanistan faced casualties and life-altering injuries even as we were feasting.  

    So here we are, the day after Christmas, awakening to a clearing fog. Stores are full of return lines and clearance decorations. I ran into Target for milk tonight on the way back into town after we arrived back from our tour across the Lowcountry visiting family over the past few days. The push for the next holiday of commercialism (Valentines’s) has already begun. Come January 1st we’ll make our resolutions, most of which somehow or another end up connected to our love-hate relationship with excess. These few days between Christmas and the New Year are their own entity.

    There is also, during these few days, an opportunity frequently referred to as Year End Giving. Here we can find a path to turning outward again. Since our tax year ends as the calendar year does, this is when many families schedule their decisions regarding most of their financial gifts to charities, both Christian and secular. Out of our super-saturated American life, sweeter than my mamma’s iced tea, we can pour out into the needs of others. We can plan this time of year to be full of gifts beyond the toys and the ipods and the excess. We can choose to reach those with actual need, to put food in empty stomachs and hope to those in darkness. We can encourage our missionaries.

    Yet how materialistic of us to presume that the route to helping is only through our wallet. Do we not believe God’s sovereignty works through our prayers in some mysterious and beautiful way? Do we not seek His face in the midst of intercession? As we write checks and put them in the mail, let us resolve to be intercessors. The opportunities are countless. A couple weeks ago, I received the following email from a missionary with whom I once worked doing medical missions in the jungles of Venezuela.   I’ve omitted his name, but since he asked for help spreading the need for prayer, I am posting his letter.

    Dear Brothers,
    It is a blessing to be able to write you. Many people receiving this letter has been a part of our ministry in one way or another and many have been to Venezuela. Thanks for your friendship and ministry.
     
    This letter is not a request for financial support. Financially we are ok. You don’t need to send money. Nor is it a request for teams or solicitation for anything….except prayer! I am writing to inform some and update others about the situation in Venezuela and our ministry in particular. And I truly need prayer and help in establishing intercession for Venezuela….. not just a reassurance “we’re praying for you.” I hope you will make us an object of intercession and utilize your churches, ministries, or contacts to stimulate regular and consistent prayer.
     
    So what is going on here? The government is in the process of establishing cuban style communism. It is a dictatorship with only a facade of democracy. Land is being expropriated which is a fancy word for stolen. Banks are failing. We are experiencing a crime wave that is out of control. There are political killings. Many pastors realize the next step is the government closing churches.
    In fact we are having to prepare plans for the church to continue in homes only.
     
    And it is personal. I have friends injured today in a fight between the National Guard and landowners. I have friends who have lost their farm to expropriation. Church members who have had their cars shot. Others tear gased in protests. I have been visited by a government lawyer to warn me that I should be quiet because it would be bad for me if I was arrested for opposing the government since I am an American. People have had their land invaded by squatters. People can’t leave their home alone because they will be taken. Several weeks ago ****’s mom was attacked in the day…
    money was stolen and a niece was injured. Businesses are robbed and people killed in the middle of the day. The least of our problems are the power outages most days, water shortage, and food shortages… we have food jsst some items are missing.
     
    Why don’t we leave? Sounds like a plan to me. But there are several reasons we CAN”T leave. God called us here. We can’t desert our assignment. Our adopted daughter doesn’t have a passport and we still lack required legal documents and court authorizations. A family can’t leave a daughter behind. Even if all of that was solved…what about ****’s family?..our church and friends?…. We have been here 11 years, so we have to make our stand here. I have no option but to win this battle and war.
     
    We have organized prayer groups here. We are truly praying for our lives. We have formed relationships with pastors and churches so we can pray together. We are doing many things to get the spiritual victory. Now I am calling on the International community to help us. You know me and know Venezuela. I need you to contact others, get people praying… Pray for our protection and do warfare to free Venezuela from this satanic attack.
     
    I will be sending email updates with points for prayer. You can forward them or send me email addresses for updates. I have started a website www.venvision.wordpress.com with regular updates. Other websites are planned. And I am open to suggestions.
     
    Zechariah 4:6 “Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the Lord of hosts.”
    The government may have the power, military might, guns, prisons…. but we, the church, have the Spirit of God. I like our chances. I can make a stand with that promise!
     
    Dios te bendiga,
    *****
    Iglesia Torre Fuerte
     
     

    December 19, 2009

    Book Review: Healing Sands by Nancy Rue and Stephen Arterburn

    Posted by Homemaker, MD under Book Reviews | Tags: |
    1 Comment 

     I received this book as part of the Thomas Nelson Book Review Bloggers Program. It is written from the perspective of Ryan Coe, who left her husband and children out of frustration with him, becoming an international photojournalist. She has major anger management issues among other things, and ends up walking into the counseling office of Sullivan Crisp, for whom the series is named. She has moved to the town her family now lives to reestablish relationships with her sons, amidst a racial crime her son is implicated in. Ryan is not a likable person and I had a difficult time empathizing with her character initially, until she started to change. The characters are more real, however, because they are flawed, and undergo redemptive changes as the plot progresses. There is also a mystery component to the story, which helps keep the reader engaged, as the truth behind Ryan’s son’s involvement in the crime slowly comes to light. The story of Sullivan Crisp, as he searches for the woman who’s controversial council led to his wife’s death years before, is an interesting subplot. While the first half of the book drags with occasionally awkward dialogue, overall the climax kept me up late at night to see how all the pieces of the plot resolved. The novel does has a strong sense of place, which adds an element of beauty, as it is set amidst the white sand dunes of Northern California.

     

    December 17, 2009

    Sleepless nights and other transferrable skills

    Posted by Homemaker, MD under Uncategorized
    Leave a Comment 

    In some ways it seems that the theme of a number of conversations I’ve had this past week is about how hard becoming and being a doctor can be. Monday night I talked to a friend who is in her surgical residency in a military hospital. Her life right now is really, really hard. She doesn’t sleep much. She has been on two tours in Iraq as a general medical officer before continuing with specialization, and that was easier in many ways that this. Every night this week, my husband came home from the cancer clinic late with a pile of work, only to spend several more hours typing up patient notes. Last night I spoke with a friend in her last year of residency at a program in the Northeast. She’s pregnant, and had a very rough first trimester. When all she could physically do was show up and get the work involved in patient care done, but didn’t get to finish some non-patient related residency paperwork, she was punished with extra shifts.  One of the evenings my husband was working late in the hospital I had dinner with a friend who is a second year medical student. It was two days before her final for the semester, and she could easily sense the load waiting for her after she walks across the stage at graduation. She is wisely pursing a field in medicine that is more conducive to family life, but the path to get there is still difficult. Yesterday while baking shortbread another friend who is a pediatrician came to visit. We discussed, among other things, the wise decision that a married female student we know made in leaving her just-begun graduate medical work to pursue building a family.

    Today I read through a number of comments on the blog The Line and contemplated some of what was said regarding the interview I discussed here last week. One commenter proposed that medicine be reformed to make it more family friendly. Others pointed out that some specialties are more flexible and family friendly than others. 

    Work hours have already been capped in American residency programs, and there is talk of them becoming even more stringent. What used to be a 120 hour work week is now supposed to be only 80. But that does not change the fact that a certain amount of training taking a certain number of hours is needed to effectively prepare physicians for treating the patients they will be seeing when out of training. So a reduction in hours per week would likely lead to the lengthening of residencies in many fields. Also, handoffs of patient care tend to be when more errors occur (so the fewer hand-offs, the better, which frequently means longer shifts). And there are plenty of programs (think surgical specialties) that simply ignore the limits and find ways to cheat the system of accountability to maintain certification.

    And sure, there are plenty of non-surgical subspecialties, as well as some primary care positions, which can be undertaken in a job-sharing or part-time situation, with a minimum of call. This is becoming more popular and acceptable as more women enter medicine. My pediatrician friend I mentioned above works in a pediatrics practice made up of seven physicians who all work part-time, both the men and women. But the educational path required to get to the point of working part-time in any of these specialties is, at the shortest, seven years from the beginning of medical school. Seven long, hard years.

    So, after going through all of this, suppose a Christian woman marries and has children. What skills has she acquired along this particular path that is transferrable to her new calling? Aside from the obvious skills that involve my knowledge of medicine, and the things I’ve mentioned on this blog before, there are a few that come to mind:

    1. Sleep deprivation. I don’t know that I can say it gets any easier, but the sleep deprivation I had with my daughter when she was born (until about 8 weeks when I had her sleeping through the night…more on that in a later post!) was not in any way a new thing. Sure it was different in that it was broken sleep night after night rather than zero sleep every third night. But in some ways I felt prepared for it. I was accustomed to functioning on little sleep, so it didn’t make me bitter about the lost hours. Rather, I found myself so grateful to be up with her and her diapers rather than a new patient with nasty bedsores to examine.
    2. Endurance. The constraints that our work hour restrictions placed on us in residency required the work which was previously done in 36 hour days to occur in 30 hour days. This meant the 30 hours was more intense and fast-paced, and often I’d be happy if I got to lie down even for 30 minutes. For bragging rights (we love to brag about who had the worst call night, by the way, it’s a source of pride), I once wore a pedometer for one of these calls. In my 30 hours I logged more than 16 miles of walking and running. Needless to say I’d eat whatever I wanted post-call guilt free! Parenting requires endurance too, I’m discovering. Except, I prefer running after a toddler over running to codes any day.
    3. Perspective. The unique opportunity to step into the most private and life-changing moments in the lives of people that medicine affords is like nothing else. The proximity to death and the awareness of the fragility of the human condition through fighting it in the lives of our patients bring preciousness to life that is hard to attain elsewhere. Every moment of joy is stored up and treasured, because we don’t know how many of these moments we have. The urge to press for the sake of the gospel stronger, because opportunities may not reappear.
    4. Time management. In my white coat pocket, I carried blank note cards. I used one stack for patients, with brief notes about their admission information, history and physical, and hospital course. Each day had a separate note card for the To Do List. EVERYTHING that had to be done would be written on that card, or it wouldn’t happen. I also noted to whom I delegated tasks, whether it is an intern or student, for following up. We had a routine which involved pre-rounding (gathering information in the early morning hours from the night before and checking on patients), rounding (with an attending physician), and then the afternoon was filled with any number of admissions, discharges, procedures, tests, the “TO DO” list, and also I needed to set aside time to teach the students. My frequent feeling was pressure to finish everything on the To Do List as soon as possible, before something urgent or bad pulled us away, or it wouldn’t get done. So I’d write orders while waiting for consults I’d paged to call me back. I’d hold family meetings between procedures. I’d skip lunch sometimes to be sure I’d gotten it all done. I’ve found the To Do List system, along with good routine development, to be one of the most efficient uses of time at home as well. I have a list that I make each day of what to get done, and move down it one thing at a time. Multitasking is really no big deal now. I won’t say that the transition to home was always easy. But I knew how to manage my time.
    5. Sanctification. This transcends the catagory of a “transferrable skill”, but  I agree with one commenter (#9) on the blog who stated that medical training can be as sanctifying an experience as marriage. We found ourselves frequently tempted toward bitterness, cynicism, and discouragement. Sometimes we succumbed. But walking the path through these strenuous years built a stronger faith in a Sovereign God. This is very well the most important thing I’ve taken with me, more valuable even than my medical degree.

    A Question for those of you who have left full-time work for reduced hours or full-time work as a homemaker: What transferrable skills did you bring from your profession (law, engineering, teaching, etc.) and education to homemaking?

     

    December 14, 2009

    A tour of my Christmas Home

    Posted by Homemaker, MD under Creativity
    [11] Comments 

    I’m on tour with the Nester Christmas tour of homes 2009, as well as Hooked on Holiday House tours!

    Welcome to Charleston, please visit for a while!

    I repainted my front door earlier this year…is it green or black? Neither–it’s Charleston Green, a classic color around here. Like my garland? I realized this year I’m kind of a garland snob…meaning I really prefer to use real greenery! I made the wreath and garlands on the front porch from all the free clippings at lowe’s where we got our tree. They didn’t seem to mind me getting a little extra from the bin…

    Come on in to my foyer. Most of the greenery I used in my Christmas decorations I acquired from all the trees in my my yard, so now, instead of beautiful magnolia trees, bay trees, and holly bushes, I have barren sticks. Just kidding, I barely made a dent! Here in my foyer I made a cedar garland. I really thought about hacking the cedar tree down the street apart for this thing, but didn’t think the neighbors would like that. So I spent $10 for a couple bunches of cedar at the wholesale florist I’ve used a lot in the past. Up on the tops of both doorways are the “kissing balls”, made of bay and mistltoe. I can put up the tutorial for them later this week if any of you are interested. They took like 15 minutes to make, super easy!

    I love having a red dining room! Here is a little still life for you…

    The table runner is full of magnolia clippings poinsetta, candles and ornaments. Since I have a one-year-old, this is the only place I could use my glass ornaments without her getting at them! I’m keeping my fingers crossed that the cat doesn’t attack them and break them, or eat any poinsetta!

    Look out for the kissing ball on your way to the kitchen!

    Here is the view from my kitchen. It’s a good thing it’s looking good because I have a LOT of baking to do this week! I have a pile of ribbons to add to the tree, so I’ll have to add the final tree photo later!

    I conveniently positioned my camera so you don’t quite see the toys on the living room floor!

    As you enter the living room you pass the piano. I have our advent calendar on it. There is a tiny sized nativity with one piece on each day of the last month of december(baby Jesus doesn’t get taken out and put in place until the 25th), and a Scripture reading from our church’s advent schedule to go along with each day, as we anticipate the celebration of the incarnation.

    Here is a closer look at our mantle. I used Martha Stewart’s intructions for the dried pomegranate and bay garland. it turned out just how I hoped. I can use the dried pomegranates year after year, so I went ahead and bought them. The bay is from our yard. The nativity on the mantle was once brown with some colors, but I thought a coat of gold metallic paint would serve it better.

    To your left, on the same wall as the piano, is my violin. Having it hanging there makes me grab it more frequently to play. This afternoon was “O Come, O Come Emmanuel,” and my daughter tried to play the piano along with me, since she can reach the keys now! I thought the violin could use a Christmas bow.

    The horse: fake. The cat: real. I know, she looks beautiful. She’s a Ragdoll cat. The best breed there is! She thinks she’s either a human or a dog, and is a purring machine.

    I made this garland. I used sculpty clay to mold these little word tags and then strung them together. They were going to be ornaments at first but I like this better.

    I picked up a bunch of small cypruss and pines from lowes for a pittance and wrapped the bases in burlap to match each other. Perfect for the top counter!

    Time to sit at the kitchen table and relax for a bit.

    Well, I hope you enjoyed your tour! Come back to visit! Later this week I’ll be posting some decorating updates as I finish a few more projects, as well as the tutorial for the kissing balls. Have a great day!

     

    Next Page »