Strange Ideas

I just started my Theory class yesterday and it definitely has me thinking. Some of the articles talk about nursing as integrating illness into the wellbeing of the person so that total health may not be the ultimate goal. I think this idea will help me in my practice to have realistic goals and thoughts regarding outcomes for my patients. Maybe I can help them to integrate the unexpected event into a new version of life for the patient and family.  Other articles I've been reading have me wondering where the Christian viewpoint comes into play and how I as a Christian nurse should view my profession and ways of thinking about people and nursing theory. One article I read was about getting away from the rigid the-truth-is-out-there-somewhere thinking to a truth-is-relative-and-dependent-on-individual-experience thinking. I have been fighting against these ideas since high school. I believe the truth IS out there. I believe God is truth and by knowing Him better we know truth better.  Does this prevent me from being open to new ideas? Maybe.  I'm trying.

We are charged with reading the book Peace and Power by Peggy L Chinn by next week. It explicitly states that it is feminist literature (which already gets me riled as I'm not a feminist). I agree with some/many of the precepts of the book, but I also think that the Bible said them first which is probably why they work.  The PEACE acronym stands for praxis, empowerment, awareness, cooperation, and evolvement.  These are addressed Biblically with verses such as:
Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth. 1 John 3:18
But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. 2 Corinthians 12:9
“Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye?  How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye?  You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye." Matthew 7:3-5
You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.  Ephesians 4:22-24

Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator. Colossians 3:9-10

And the book also talks about PEACE-power rather than power-over which is again Biblical:
Jesus called them together and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave—" Matthew 20:25-27
No one should seek their own good, but the good of others. 1 Corinthians 10:24
Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others. Philippians 2:3-4

Since the words are different from the Bible's words, it has me rethinking my ways of behaving and interacting, but when I really sit and analyze what is being said I feel it fits with my belief system all along.  And it is certainly something I should do better at putting into practice.

My Earthquake Story

I was laying in bed sleeping in between shifts.  I probably heard the rumbling, felt the shaking and the dog coming out from under the bed all at the same time. It's hard to explain my thoughts. At first I thought the shaking was just the dog coming out from under the bed, but the shaking continued. Then I noticed the rumbling. It sounds like a train going by. I couldn't understand why the sound was so loud. Then I tried thinking of other things that might make that sound and cause the bed to shake (tornado?). I wanted to dismiss earthquake immediately because I live in Virginia of all places. But the more I reasoned it, that was all that made sense and the shaking was over. It seemed like it had gone on for quite a while. I went out to my living room heart pounding wondering what to do and needing validation of my experience. I saw the blinds still swaying in my kitchen and living room and a picture I had set on my ancient box tv had fallen off. I called Michael and asked where he was. He sheepishly said he was in the Taco Bell drive through. I asked if there was an earthquake and he said he thought so but his first thought was that something was wrong with his car b/c it started shaking really badly.  I sent a text to Angela who said she felt it and then tried calling Mom. I couldn't get through because the phone lines were busy by then.  I am looking forward to hearing what it was like at the hospital today. I can't imagine being on the 7th floor during that and I'm thankful I was at home. I bet the shaking/swaying was much worse up there.  I don't like earthquakes. I hope I don't have to experience many more.

http://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/recenteqsww/Quakes/usc0005ild.php#details

Do what you can

"Love the ones you can. Touch the ones you can reach. Let the others go." -Anonymous

I saw this quote in the Coffee News at Christian's Pizza on Sunday and I feel like I have been getting the same message from multiple sources. Two Sundays ago, the message was on kindness and in one of the emails or in the sermon, the pastor told the starfish story. The gist is that there are thousands of starfish dying on the beach because the tide is out and a person is throwing them back one by one. Another person comes by and says that it's futile because there are so many starfish. But the person throwing back the starfish says, "well I made a difference to this one and this one..."  I then saw another version of the story floating around at work.  So I need to make sure I am at least doing something for those I have contact with.

I read another neat article posted at work about how a woman came to realize on one of her runs that she was blessed to be able to run at all and she began applying it to all areas of her life: "I get to clean my house because I have a home to clean", "I get go to work b/c I have a job", etc.  It's developing an attitude of thankfulness rather than wishing for more (which ties into this week's sermon on envy).

It's kind of amazing how God speaks and things all tie together.

Big day with lots more to do

My sister and her family came to see me today.  We had lunch at Great Harvest Bread Co. Amazing bread - kinda pricey for sandwiches, though. Then we left her husband at Panera to get some work done, took the baby on a stroll on the downtown mall, came home to make homemade peach ice cream in my KitchenAid mixer, and watch Veggietales. We met Michael at Revolutionary Soup on the corner where we had dinner (can't wait to eat there this winter), and they were on their merry way back home.  I love hanging out with my little niece and watching her grow.  I truly hope to have one of my own one day.

Tomorrow, I need to get paint for my 2nd bedroom (and maybe a wisk for the KitchenAid if I can find it) and then paint the room. Hopefully I'll finish and it'll dry so that Michael can hang the new curtain rod I got and the room will be ready for my first Charlottesville roommate and her family to visit this weekend. Unfortunately I won't get to see much of them because I'll be working and they won't have the chance to meet Michael because band camp is this weekend.

Life continues to march on in all of its busy-ness.