Thanksgiving

Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good. His love endures forever!

Another thanksgiving season is over, and black Friday was survived yet again. This thanksgiving was spent partially working, partially enjoying food and friends, and partially resting. Since there's been nothing of note happening lately, here are some things that I've been especially thankful for in this season of thanksgiving:

-warmth.  My roommates and I are trying to keep the furnace as inactive as possible to keep bills more affordable. Since houses down here have very poor insulation, home life has been frigged lately, but since I have a ton of blankets, I figured that was God's way of providing for me, and I was thankful for the protection from the cold. But then, as I was leaving a friend's place, she disappeared into the back corner of her house and emerged with a space heater, so now I have both blankets and a space heater. God is good!

- friends. On thanksgiving I was blessed with time spent hanging out with my clinic friends outside of shift. It was a blessed change from the usual work-related friendship we have. Also, God sent me a friend during these days over thanksgiving. What a blessing it has been to have someone who is willing to talk, to walk, to rest, to challenge my point of view, to remind me to rest, and to bring me back to the truth of the bible. What a much needed encouragement. God is good!

-a home.  Yes, I'm currently sitting on a comfortable leather couch, using wireless internet, having just eaten a wonderfully delicious breakfast, enjoying the company of my friend, and basking in the warmth of a normally functioning heater. One of the couples from my church went away for the weekend, and invited us to house sit for them, leaving us a house full of warmth and food. God is good!

I remain confident of this:
I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.
Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord. 

~psalm 27:13-14

Winter Wonderland

Good morning, and welcome to El Paso. The time is 10 am, it is -3* C, and the weather is SNOWY!



Though this is just a random image I found online, the mountains and clouds did look very similar to this yesterday evening. This morning I woke up to a sheet of ice covering the roofs, the sidewalks, the cars, and the streets. It was beautiful; treacherously beautiful.

Thankfulness

After months of being forgotten, thankfulness is back on this blog. I read a quote lately about choices: Whatever you choose, remember it’ll become easier to make the same choice tomorrow... and that's what reminded me of being intentionally thankful. You see, I work with some people who have the ability to express precisely what they dislike about their situation, and I also work and live with others who have honed the ability to express things that they are thankful for. Based on my experiences with these different types of people, I know that thankfulness is a blessing, an encouragement, a gift. So this morning, again, I am choosing to be thankful.

Here are a couple of things that I am thankful for:
-my daily bread...or less specifically: my daily food. God seems to provide in any and every way possible, and He is never late.
-rest. Though it may or may not come in the form of sleep, there is always enough rest. God says "come to me all you who are weary and heavy laden and I will give you rest". He has yet to fail on that promise. Though sometimes the rest He gives is peace of mind and rest for the soul, this past night at work we were all able to rest for a solid 4 hours last night. It was so needed.
-time. There is always enough time for the things that are important. Reexamining priorities is a must in this case, but once priorities are in place, there is always enough time for the necessary.

And speaking of necessary, I need to get back to work to get the clinic ready for the day before the change of shift.

Update on Entertainment

Life is the same old-same old: shifts, classes, homework, and church. Since there's not much to share about life lately, here's a short synopsis of what my life looks like when I'm not out and about or doing homework:

What I'm reading:

http://www.amazon.com/Land-Blue-Burqas-Kate-McCord/dp/0802408141


What I'm listening to:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7QPuBfJLGik

and:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Edf6IK6ELWs


What I'm watching:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LxH2fPhrNEc

The Blessing of Youth

This past weekend I had the adventure of a lifetime (or at least it was the adventure of my lifetime here in El Paso). I went camping!
Now, it's not what probably comes to mind. We weren't in tents in the middle of the desert surviving dust storms. We went to a cabin in the middle of a forested mountainous area. It was beautiful. After a year in the desert, you get used to it. Smelling the scent of pines, seeing the sun rise to melt the frost in the morning, and eating off a fire was such a change from the everyday life. What a blessing!
Along with the blessing of being out in nature, there was also the added blessing of the people I was with. You see, I had been invited along on a youth retreat, so I was in the company of a whole bunch of young people. The contrast between my responsibilities as a midwife and my responsibilities on this trip with the youth was so drastic! After a year of midwifery studies, what a much needed reminder of the diversity that can be had in life. What a reminder of life outside of school!
God is good!

Not Alone

I've never lived in a city before without being in a college campus bubble. Living in such a sprawling city is daunting at times, yet exciting, and after having lived here for over a year now, I'd say I know my way around pretty well. I've walked all over the streets of central and downtown El Paso. I know the bus routes to get me to the places I frequent. I've made acquaintances of hotel workers, cashiers, security guards, bus drivers, and neighbours. But even with these people that I know, sometimes I feel alone in the middle of this big city. Sometimes I wonder what would happen if I made myself scarce for a while. How long would it take people to realize? I wonder how many others feel the same way. And what can I do to make a difference? How can one person change anything?

Well, I found out the other day. I was on my way to a friend's house, and was waiting by the bus stop. There was still a good 15 minutes time till the next bus came, so I made myself comfortable on the ground a short way from the stop and pulled out my guitar to help the time go faster. As others trickled towards the stop, one man came my way, and using music as a conversation starter, he started asking questions and telling stories about his cat. He seemed content to talk, paying no attention to if I answered his questions or not, so I let him ramble on while I continued to watch the traffic and the people around. As the light turned red, one car pulled up near the bus stop. The woman inside rolled down the window, waved to get my attention, then gave me the 'all clear?' sign, as if asking if I was ok. I quickly affirmed that I was ok, and she drove off to wherever her life was taking her. I don't know her, we never even exchanged words, yet in those five seconds and with that one motion she let me know that she was watching out for me. God reminded me that I was not alone.

That is what I can do to make others know that they are not alone. I can care about the lives of those around me. I can let God's love overflow to touch the people I pass in the streets. I don't need to get to know people in order for them to know they are cared for, I just need to keep my eyes open.

Just Another Day

Today is one of those days: a day busy with appointments, a night long with labour, and a morning filled with baby footprints and fresh biscuits.  It's a day of loss. A day of death. A day of beginnings. A day of life. A day of healing.
For one mother, the loss is that of the freedom that comes before children. For another, it is that of her yet-unborn child. For the other it is the sacrifice of a job and a lifestyle for the return blessing of a growing  family. For one, it is just the beginning of the process of pain and grief. For another, it is the rejoicing of new life, and the healing of old wounds.
And for me, it's just one more day in the life of a midwife.

Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. Live in harmony with one another.

~Romans 12:16-17