WPDC Pulse

How’s your balance? I started a “senior yoga” at my fitness club which is basically a stretch and core strengthening class. I really needed it! It helped me get over the muscle spasm left over from my spinal surgery last fall. One of the exercises is to stand on one leg and move the other leg to the front and the side, back and forth. AND THEN, reach down and touch my foot! Needless to say, the instructor keeps reminding us, if you are losing your balance, just put your foot down. It’s definitely a good core builder!

Summer is a time for me of mixed emotions. I love the less hectic schedule at work although it’s crammed with yearly check-ups that can take more time than expected when issues come up. But I love seeing the college kids and find out how life is going for them. I’m always impressed when the guys still want to see a women physician.

When was the last time you received an invitation? We first moved back to California when I was starting my internship year with a 1-year-old child. We attended a local church. The preaching and music were good, but we never really connected. I felt judged for being a working mom. We moved on to another church in Berkeley with more working women.

I have to admit, I didn’t go for years because it’s such a long journey across the country and I promised myself to never fly a night flight again. My schedule dictated I had to this time. I never really caught up on my sleep, but there were so many good things happening at the conference that I stayed awake through it all.

I had to put my faith into action the day before we were leaving for our GHO trip to the Ukraine. While at work I started feeling VERY achy and registered a fever of 101. (Flu neg-whew) I had a full day of patients scheduled the next day and we were leaving that night.

I know God was calling me to be brave and serve
for many years, but I was petrified, feeling like I
wouldn’t know what all the diseases were that I
would for sure see. But finally an opportunity
surfaced to go with Samaritan’s Purse over the
Thanksgiving break to Honduras in 1998, a year
after Hurricane Mitch.

A long time ago (like 30 years ago!) my husband and I took a two-year Bethel class that uses strange pictures to teach the themes of the Bible. The lessons each week were very memorable since they included several important ideas for that week conglomerated into a picture that would help you remember.

Over the holidays I was with my sister-in-law who is a puzzle lover. They had received a very challenging puzzle from their daughter of an underwater scene that my brother had taken while scuba diving. I’m not much of a puzzler since it feels like a lot of time I could be doing something else. I really struggled to stay with it and only preferred to work on the bright colors that were easier to piece together.

I don’t know about you, but I have always been a
victim of my expectations. And the holidays can
leave me disappointed when I want things to go
my way and they don’t. When my kids don’t come
home, I just want it to be over and move on to
New Year resolutions that tell me to have no
expectations next year.

In my month off from work after spinal surgery, my daily Bible reading took me through the book of 1 Kings and the prophet Elijah. After his glorious demonstration of God’s power and might on Mt. Carmel, he spiraled down into discouragement and a pity party.