[wisdom]

I’ve been thinking quite a bit about wisdom lately. Maybe it’s because we are going through the “wisdom literature” in Grad Group – namely the Psalms and Proverbs. Or maybe it’s because we are studying James on Sunday mornings at church and in my women’s Bible study. Regardless, wisdom is a pretty important quality to consider. Throughout life, we all have decisions to make. And we can choose to make those decisions relying on our own wisdom or that of others’ or on God’s. Not that I’m saying these three options are mutually exclusive. In fact, I believe quite the opposite – God can speak directly to our circumstances through others’ life experiences and lessons “learned the hard way.”  In medicine, we have an axiom that “common things are common,” which when translated to the non-medical world essentially means we can learn from each other – if we act the same way as others have, we can expect similar consequences. We can and should learn from each other.

I was reading in Proverbs 3 and James 3 last night with my personal devotions and came across passages about wisdom which have never really caught my attention until now. In Proverbs, it speaks of Wisdom personified and the benefits of wisdom. I mean, after listing those benefits, who wouldn’t want to have wisdom? James speaks of types and attributes of wisdom, which help guide us with making decisions. Check out the following passages.

Wisdom Bestows Well-Being, Proverbs 3:7-8, 13-24 (NIV)

Do not be wise in your own eyes;
fear the Lord and shun evil.
 This will bring health to your body.

Blessed are those who find wisdom,
those who gain understanding,
  for she is more profitable than silver
and yields better returns than gold.
  She is more precious than rubies;
nothing you desire can compare with her.
  Long life is in her right hand;
in her left hand are riches and honor.
  Her ways are pleasant ways,
and all her paths are peace.
  She is a tree of life to those who take hold of her;
those who hold her fast will be blessed.

 By wisdom the Lord laid the earth’s foundations,
by understanding he set the heavens in place;
  by his knowledge the watery depths were divided,
and the clouds let drop the dew.

 My son, do not let wisdom and understanding out of your sight,
preserve sound judgment and discretion;
 they will be life for you,
an ornament to grace your neck.
 Then you will go on your way in safety,
and your foot will not stumble.
 When you lie down, you will not be afraid;
when you lie down, your sleep will be sweet.
 Have no fear of sudden disaster
or of the ruin that overtakes the wicked,
  for the Lord will be at your side
and will keep your foot from being snared.

The wise inherit honor,
but fools get only shame.

PROVERBS: Note the blessings of wisdom. HEALTH. BLESSING. PROFIT, YIELDS RETURN. LONG LIFE. RICHES AND HONOR. PLEASANT WAYS. PEACE. LIFE. BLESSING. SAFETY. SECURITY. LACK OF FEAR. SLEEP. COMPANIONSHIP. HONOR.

Two Kinds of Wisdom, James 3:13-17 (NIV)

Who is wise and understanding among you? Let them show it by their good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom. But if you harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast about it or deny the truth. Such “wisdom” does not come down from heaven but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic.  For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice. 

But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere.

JAMES: Note the definition of heavenly wisdom. PURE. PEACE-LOVING. CONSIDERATE. SUBMISSIVE. MERCIFUL. FRUITFUL. IMPARTIAL. SINCERE.

Now, let me ask you a question. You know that big (or small) decision you’re trying to make? Yeah, that one – the one that gets pushed to the back of your mind because you would rather ignore it than make the wrong choice? The one for which you are “seeking God’s wisdom.” Well, try applying these criteria to your decision-making process. Can you answer “yes” to the following:

• Are you maintaining wholeness of mind and character with your choice? 
• Does it promote peace? 
• Is it considerate of others involved? 
• Are you being submissive to God’s principles and following his overt commands in Scripture with the choice you’re making?
• Does the choice convey mercy? 
• Will it produce fruit? Are you consciously ignoring bias influencing your choice? 
• And are you sincere in your decision and words?

Obviously, wisdom is a pretty big deal to God. In Proverbs 1, He practically tells us that some of us ignore Wisdom when she’s screaming in our face for attention.

Wisdom’s Rebuke, Proverbs 1:20-33

Out in the open wisdom calls aloud, she raises her voice in the public square;
on top of the wall she cries out,
at the city gate she makes her speech:

“How long will you who are simple love your simple ways? How long will mockers delight in mockery and fools hate knowledge?
Repent at my rebuke!
Then I will pour out my thoughts to you,
I will make known to you my teachings.
But since you refuse to listen when I call
and no one pays attention when I stretch out my hand,
since you disregard all my advice
and do not accept my rebuke,
I in turn will laugh when disaster strikes you;
I will mock when calamity overtakes you—
when calamity overtakes you like a storm,
when disaster sweeps over you like a whirlwind,
when distress and trouble overwhelm you.

“Then they will call to me but I will not answer;
they will look for me but will not find me,
since they hated knowledge
and did not choose to fear the Lord.
Since they would not accept my advice
and spurned my rebuke,
they will eat the fruit of their ways
and be filled with the fruit of their schemes.
For the waywardness of the simple will kill them,
and the complacency of fools will destroy them;
but whoever listens to me will live in safety
and be at ease, without fear of harm.”

I don’t know about you, but I certainly don’t want to ignore wisdom in my life. Just some thoughts to ponder…

October Happenings

The week in review:

As I was scrolling through my Facebook feed this week, I noticed a video someone posted of Brigham Young University Noteworthy (female acapella) of Amazing Grace. Must say it’s been my jam this week. Check it out HERE. (I hardly ever buy music on iTunes, but I did with this one, which just goes to show it’s I think it’s worth a listen.)

One day earlier this week, I saw 33 patients by myself. Manageable is about 20 or so. It was a 12-hour turned 16-hour shift. Needless to say, it was a long day. Welcome to being in the medical field, right?

Kind of how I felt when I had to give an epi-pen this week.

 On a more positive note, I kinda love making new foods, which I got to do this week. And it’s about 10 times more fun when I have someone to eat with me. It’s starting to get chillier here in Iowa, so I pulled up my handy Pinterest board labeled “fall yum” and picked a recipe I had never made – slow cooker creamy tortellini, spinach, and chicken soup. So yum! Panera tomato basil bread and some homemade pumpkin pie ice cream rounded out the meal.

A year ago, my mom mentioned that I would love a new show on CBS. Now, at the time I was in school and had about zero extra time to spend watching TV. However, I checked it out one evening and then had to catch up over the next few days on the next 5 episodes that were already released online. The show? Scorpion – a team of geniuses who pair up with Homeland Security to solve end-of-the-nation problems in 40-some minutes with a happily-ever-after-ending each episode. I also kinda love that show. So, yeah, that also happened this week. Since I don’t have TV, I always have to wait at least one day until it’s posted online. It’s so hard waiting when I’ve already been primed by my family that it’s “so good and suspenseful this week.” Every. Single. Week. Haha :)

Another cool thing that happened this week was participating in V.I.S.T. (violent incident survival training) for work. When I worked in the ER, we had a similar class which incorporated self-defense for health care professionals - but that's been several years back now and it's always good to have a refresher course. As we watched and listened to the presentation, the question came up of whether you would be prepared to kill someone if you had no other option to survive? Now, that’s a sobering thought. Picture this, you wrestle the gun from the shooter and he pulls another one on you. What do you do? Could you live with yourself if you shot someone? Hard questions. But ones worth thinking through. Also, just wanna mention that my aversion to sitting with my back to the room has a warranted basis – cops hate it too. They are always noting exits, obstacles, human behavior. Maybe I went into the wrong career? ;)

And to round out the week, I’m wrapping up my next two evenings with book club discussions. Tonight includes "peace, ping-pong and pizza" and tomorrow includes a classic vampire movie for our discussion on Dracula. Which brings me to the topic of Halloween – I’m going with some friends and we’re all dressing according to a theme. Working on my costume today. If you’re curious, I’ll just leave this pic here for your viewing pleasure…

Until next time. Consider yourself updated.

Livin' Life

It’s that time of year again, when the leaves start changing color and the breeze signals that fall is here. Iowa City has turned into a vast display of flaming oranges, reds, and yellows. Every year I think of the poem, “Come, Little Leaves” and this year is no different. In the spirit of all things fall, I’ve been consuming entirely too many pumpkin-flavored foods, sleeping with the windows open, enjoying bonfires, s'mores, wagon rides, and cornmazes, and generally reveling in sweater and boot weather.

Double-date to the Cornmaze

Not only am I enjoying these fall activities, but we decided in our book club to read Dracula and meet to discuss before Halloween. It’s been on my to-read list for quite some time, and my English-trained roomie loves it, so I figured it would be worth actually reading this year. So far, it’s been quite interesting. Much better than the Twilight series ;) 

After several weeks on my own at work, I’m finally feeling somewhat adequate. It’s been a good challenge taking on the role of provider, and I’m enjoying what I’m doing. And on an entirely selfish note, it’s wonderful to finally have a paycheck again. One of the more interesting things that I have experienced is diagnosing several cases of mumps*. Apparently it’s going around…

 

 A little over a week ago, I was able to go cheer on some friends at the Rescue Run 5K in Iowa City. The race benefited Rapha House – which helps girls rescued out of human trafficking – and I had promoted it with our graduate group at church. Several friends came out for the event, which made me quite happy to see others joining in the cause for something so dear to my heart. Unfortunately, the week before the big day I came down with a nasty virus. With my career and work environment, it was only a matter of when, not if. I couldn’t talking without coughing, let alone run. So, I decided to cheer for the runners at the start and finish line, calling it a good morning.

 And that’s a short update on life.

*If you’re a nerd like I am or possibly just insanely curious and want to know a tad bit more about mumps, check out the following info:

The mumps virus is spread from person-to-person by respiratory droplets (for example, when you sneeze) or by direct contact with items that have been contaminated with infected saliva. The risk for spreading the virus increases the longer a person remains in close contact with someone who has the mumps. When a person is ill with mumps, he or she should avoid contact with others from the time of diagnosis until at least five days after the onset of parotitis (swollen glands) by staying home from work or school and staying in a separate room, if possible. Mumps most commonly occur in children between the ages of 2 and 12 who have not been vaccinated against the disease. However, the infection can occur at any age. The incubation period is on average 16 to 18 days, but can range from 12 to 25 days.

The best way to protect yourself and others is to receive two doses of the MMR vaccine. Practicing good hand hygiene, not sharing drinking or eating utensils, and limiting contact with infected people also helps reduce the spread of the disease.

I Can't Believe It's [Over] [Just Beginning]

I GRADUATED LAST FRIDAY.

Yep. After 13 years of pre-college education, 4.5 years of college, and 25 months in grad school, I can officially say I’m a master.  A Master of Science. A Master of Science in Physician Assistant Studies, to be exact.

Now that you’ve paused for about 10 seconds to let that fact soak in and realize the monumentous amount of work that went into those four words I bet you’re dying to ask me the most natural next question. Nearly everyone always does.

“Now what?”

But first, before I comment on the future, let me briefly reflect on the past.

Over the past 25 months, I’ve earned 129 graduate credit hours, spent thousands of hours in class and studying, took more notes than I have space to store in my tiny room, and drank enough caffeine to officially reach gold star status at Starbucks. Was it a rewarding experience? Of course. Would I want to repeat it? Of course not.

(L) White Coat Ceremony, June 2013
(R) Graduation Ceremony, June 2015

My love of medical learning and humanitarian serving found a perfect blend in the profession I chose. Not only did I HAVE to study medicine, I GOT to study medicine; how many people get that privilege? I am perpetually amazed at how incredibly the human body is designed. The day I lose that wonder is the day I should change professions.

I have many happy memories of school – fun conversations around our dissection table in anatomy, meeting with friends at Café Crema to study, card games during lunch, line dancing in Des Moines with a classmate, rooming with some pretty spectacular classmates-turned-roomies, exploring new locations throughout Iowa, traveling to Boston to represent our program at the AAPA conference, doing p90x with a classmate, running a half marathon.

Then there were the hard times too – wrecking my car the first day of surgery, missing the once-an-hour evening bus and having to walk home in the rain, smelling like formaldehyde and latex the entire summer, forgetting my tennis shoes and having to wear dress shoes all day in the OR, waiting for 4 hours to be picked up from the airport in Tanzania because our host forgot we were coming, being exhausted ALL. THE. TIME., picking up my life and moving every 4-6 weeks during clinical year.

But it was worth it. And now it’s time to enter the “real world” again and be a productive member of society J

And now, to answer that burning question: now what?

Well, after a few weeks of travel and studying, I will be taking the PANCE (Physician Assistant National Certification Exam, pronounced like “pants” and equivalent to medical school board exams) on July 16. Then I will be starting a full-time job with the QuickCares (urgent care/acute care) here in the area.

I’m sure it’ll be challenging transitioning from student to provider, but I’ve been well prepared. And who says life is easy? Here’s just another opportunity to #DoHardThings.

Medically Minded

I am one of a rare breed. The kind that is fascinated with medicine and the human body. Since being in PA school, we have been demanded time and again to hone our observation skills. And when you think of medicine for a majority of your waking (and sometimes sleeping) hours, it starts to seep into everything you see and do.

For instance, I saw this license plate the other day. 

Now, this is not the first time a license plate has caught my attention because of a medical acronym. Medicine is literally a language in itself. We were told we would learn 20,000 new words during our two years of school – and I think I have. (Taking medical terminology in college has been a lifesaver. Thanks Dr. T!) 

Or, take for instance, this true (and somewhat embarrassing) moment, when I commented on a friend’s arm veins after he had taken off his sweatshirt. I mentioned his veins would be great for an IV stick. FYI: sometimes it’s better to keep one’s observations to one's self.

I could tell story after story about things like this, but let’s move on…

Sometimes I feel like Dr. House – always seeing medical diagnoses in people I don’t even know  (e.g. at the airport in season 2 episode 10). Like today. I was running my scheduled 5 miles at the student recreation center and a girl walks in on legs that are reminiscent of toothpicks. Red flag #1. She then proceeds to take off her sweatshirt, revealing a t-shirt and emaciated arms. As she used the elliptical in front of me, all I could think about was her size. My brain was screaming anorexia, but I keep trying to push it aside. Sometimes it’s easier to not face the ugly truth. I start streaming through a differential. Cancer. Probably not. She wouldn’t feel well enough to exercise. Malabsorption issue, like Crohn’s. Again, probably not, for the same reason. And then I was left with only one other obvious diagnosis: eating disorder. Which totally fit (no pun intended) since she was at a gym.

When I was younger, I caught this made-for-TV movie at home one night while flipping channels. I’m not sure why my parents even let us watch it, but it stuck in my memory for years. And when I was studying eating disorders in my psychiatry rotation, I re-watched it. 

Seeing the girl in the gym today was like watching a clone of the lead actress in that movie. And all I could think about as I’m pounding through mile 3, 4, & 5 is that this sweet, sick girl in front of me is killing herself and could go into a cardiac arrhythmia any moment due to an imbalance in electrolytes. I glance around for an AED, but I don’t see one. Maybe behind the desk where the staff is sitting? Then I start thinking about whether I should do something or not. Talk to the girl? Notify the staff? I struggle through what my role should be as a medically informed person in the public. (Any like-minded person who has come upon a cardiac arrest or a severe car accident when emergency services have not yet responded likely has felt the same way.)

Ultimately, I decided to talk to the staff, just letting them know I was concerned for this girl's health and wondering if they had any kind of protocol for such a situation. They were aware of the situation and it was not the first time someone had expressed concern. They were working toward revoking her membership (although I’m not sure if they were working on the medical aspects of her disorder). I felt like the action I took was the appropriate one, but for the first time, I realized this wouldn’t be the last time I faced a dilemma like this one.

We all have choices to make. May I continue to always struggle through difficult ones and not just take the easy path by doing nothing.

Ready, Set, Go.

May I ask you a question? What hard thing are you doing? 

Stop and think about your answer before continuing. 

Did you stop and think about it? Nope, I didn’t think so. So, seriously, pause and consider this question before moving on.

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Now, did you stop and think about your answer? Ok, good. I’m assuming you did.

This question keeps surfacing in my mind. It’s part of our human nature and our culture's expectation to avoid doing hard things. Do what’s easy. Live for the moment. Why work hard when you don’t need to?

When I was a teenager, I read an amazingly challenging book by Alex and Brett Harris titled “Do Hard Things.” Ever since then, I’ve tried to avoid dwelling in my comfort zone. To grow and stretch myself. To do hard things. One of the things they emphasized was to do what’s hard for you. Getting straight A’s in college. Easy – for me. It may have looked like I was doing hard things to others, but often I wasn’t. And that’s where Alex and Brett challenge their readers – find somethings that’s hard for YOU and then do it; don’t just give the appearance of doing hard things to be recognized by others.

I’m in the midst of reading two books right now – Counter Culture by David Platt and The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime by Mark Haddon. Both books address doing hard things. Counter Culture focuses on doing hard things for Jesus with regards to our views and actions relating to abortion, sexuality, human trafficking, ethnicity, public display of religion, marriage, immigration, orphans and widows, and poverty. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime focuses on an autistic child and life from his perspective. One parent gives up on him and takes the easy way out – an affair and disappearance from the boy’s life. The other parent sticks it out, even though he doesn’t always understand or relate to his son.

This year has held many hard things – uprooting every month, living in multiple locations, watching friends go through difficult life situations, being depressed, family living far away, transitioning from being somebody’s to being single, hours of commuting, totaling my vehicle, and trying to build new friendships. These are hard things, but they aren't "doing hard things." Doing hard things is more about responding in ways you'd naturally not, setting goals for yourself, and challenging the status quo. So, in the above examples, doing hard things is more about having a good attitude, initiating friendships, finding joy in the circumstances, negotiating a new vehicle with the car dealership in the middle of my surgery rotation, driving 9 hours in one weekend to see my family for 1.5 days, following up with friends, and not letting myself become bitter or passive. 

So, what does doing hard things look like to me currently? Moving beyond my introverted self and investing in other people’s lives, initiating conversations, not avoiding difficult situations, getting up every day with a positive attitude, being diligent in my devotional time and Bible reading, staying physically active (training for a half marathon although I really don’t enjoy running), having hard conversations, saying NO to the good and YES to the best, thinking about the future and starting the job search even though I’d rather be passive and let things just happen, and letting others truly know me.

Each person’s hard thing looks different. It could be giving an honest answer, not giving up on your kids, picking up the phone and talking to someone rather than texting them, asking that co-worker how she is doing, picking up extra groceries for the food pantry even though it might dip into your “fun money,” making that job switch, asking someone to dinner, getting up off the couch and walking 10 minutes, taking the stairs instead of the elevator, refusing to complain when it would be so easy, or letting yourself be vulnerable for your own good. The main thing is that it is something HARD for YOU.

So, that’s my challenge. 

Choose something HARD to do. 

Commit to it. Keep at it. And if you fail, try again. 

I know I am.

A Glimpse in Ultrasound, OB/GYN

A tiny being, growing inside her mother’s womb.
Only five months old, but already with fingers, toes, a heart beat, and brain development.
Today’s the day Mom and Dad find out if they have a daughter or son.
The sonographer glides the probe over Mom’s expanding belly, checking many parameters of growth.
Dad waits impatiently for the anatomy to reveal a boy.
The sonographer concludes her exam and announces, “It’s a girl!”
And Dad’s heart sinks as his dreams die.

As I’ve rotated throughout ob/gyn, I’ve seen parents slightly disappointed about the gender of their new baby –in both cases, a girl or a boy. It’s understandable to want the other gender when you already have multiples of the same. But it’s inexcusable to not be happy if you don’t get what you want.

In the above (true) case, maybe Dad needs to realize his attitude will go a long way towards developing his new daughter’s sense of worth and self-esteem. Or that his 3-year-old daughter could misinterpret that she is not wanted since she’s not a boy. Or maybe he needs to understand that he’s the one who donated the X chromosome in the first place. Whether he’s having a daughter or son is completely determined by his sperm.

I’ve seen the damaging consequences of people having to live with their parents’ expectations that they would be a girl or boy when they were the other. It’s not a pretty sight. So, do everyone a favor and celebrate new life no matter what he or she is.

Of Life and Other Things.

Recently, there has been a trend to analyze social media’s impact on our lives. And the danger that comes from only seeing “one” side of a person. You know how it is…log on to Facebook and see only the things which that person cares to share. It often leads to an unbalanced portrayal, leaving us discontent with our own lives or wishing things were different. The truth is a screen does not do justice to capturing a multi-dimensional life. However, with that disclaimer, continuing reading for an update on my life and thoughts lately.

I haven’t shared any thoughts about my trip to Africa online mostly because it takes time to process and summarize. I’m not quite ready to comment yet on that aspect of life. But there are so many other thoughts swirling through my head. To write a coherent post connecting all those thoughts is pretty much impossible. However, even with some disjointedness, read on, Dear Reader, read on.

Satisfaction & Moving On.

I long to be satisfied fully by Jesus. Yet many days, when I step away from the rush of work and my schedule, I have this vague underlying sense of discontent. The thing that concerns me the most is that I’m usually such a content person. Perhaps, it’s to prepare me to make changes. Or maybe it’s to stretch me to be more reliant on God and his plan for my life – an incredible, intimidating plan that I don’t dare to imagine for fear of failing. I suppose only time will tell.

Goals. What Really Matters?

Throughout life, some goals change while others remain. It’s been hard to stay motivated about some goals lately. Maybe it’s the cold, wintery days. Or the fact that I was exhausted coming back from Africa and being thrown right into my next rotation. Maybe it’s due to the changes that come with time. Or the fact that time is rapidly approaching and June 20^th loams right around the corner. As I was reflecting on where I see my life headed, it’s a vast unknown in many ways. And like they say in Alice in Wonderland, if you don’t know where you’re headed, it doesn’t much matter which way you go. But God promises to be a lamp to guide our steps and a light to illuminate our path. And if I can only see one step at a time, I’ll take each one by faith.

Such true words.

Moral tension. Ethical indignation. The right to life, but mostly “for the mother.”

Working in ob/gyn at the University of Iowa, I knew I would encounter many ethical situations in which I was not comfortable. Since we are such a “progressive” state and city, abortion is routinely offered and performed. It’s been challenging to be surrounded by a majority that does not see life the way I do, and who indirectly make you feel like you’re unintelligent for holding such views. Fortunately, I have not been required to view termination procedures. But even in grand rounds this morning, we talked about the state of “reproductive freedom” in the U.S. and how “women should not die because of an unintended pregnancy” due to back-alley abortions. True, but neither should babies.

Opposition. Pray & Act.

This past Sunday we studied Nehemiah 4-6. It was certainly helpful to note the opposition Nehemiah faced and summarize his response, which was consistently two things: pray and act. Of course, it’s not super worthwhile just to determine these things; the real value comes with applying them in our own lives. We examined our individual response to opposition to close out the study. And it was then that I realized I often pray, but sometimes my action is to just wait. Don’t get me wrong. I think waiting can be the appropriate God-directed thing to do in many situations. But there comes a time to act. And I’m learning that lesson in my own life recently.

Recent Happenings

It’s been wonderful to be “home” these last few weeks. And while here, I’ve been able to expand my mind, comfort zone, and friendships. I’ve joined a ladies’ bible study and have been able to connect more with these women through studying Isaiah’s life and challenges. Sometimes one just needs girl time, which I often miss when I’m away on rotations. Another group I’m involved with met last week to discuss Counterfeit Gods by Tim Keller as part of our book club. Such a challenging read. If you haven’t read it, do. Then on Saturday, I attended a Valentine’s Day evening hosted by the guys from church. It was lovely as expected, and the entertainment was fantastic. I’m so blessed to be part of a community that cares. Also, studying for my rotation, game days, getting my computer repaired (*sigh* again), drinking entirely too much coffee, finishing Sherlock season 3, phone chats, ethnic dinners, and friend dates have been part of life these past two weeks.

A first for me: eating fish from the bone. Or in this case, half a fish :)

Having fun at the Valentine's Dinner with the gals.

Idols

Speaking of Counterfeit Gods by Tim Keller, I’ve been thinking about the idols in my own life. I’ve always been one to somewhat deny, at times, I value anything more than God – who he is, for himself, and not for what he does. It’s a sobering, terrifying thought to conclude there are things in life that I've put more practical emphasis on as important, even if transiently. And that realization is humbling and appropriately inspires sorrow and repentance. It will most likely be a struggle for the rest of my earthly life to keep things in their proper perspective and priority, but it’s a struggle worth fighting.

So, that’s life in a nut shell. Just a reminder before I head out…let’s try to not limit people to who they let us see. Every morning as I ride the bus and walk through the hospital I try to picture what someone may be facing that day and say a brief prayer as they pass. It can feel overwhelming to me to know there are so many people most likely dealing with many huge challenges, but our God is not overwhelmed. And even if it’s a brief, 5-second thought to me, he holds their lives in his hands and is constantly pursuing their souls. Just like he is pursuing mine.

Hello, Iowa. And all the beautiful snow.
Even if it barely makes double digits some days, it's home for now.


And a final video: