For all the saints who from their labors rest,
Who Thee by faith before the world confessed,
Thy name, O Jesus, be forever blest: Alleluia, alleluia!
Thou wast their Rock, their Fortress and their Might;
Thou, Lord, their Captain in the well-fought fight;
And Thou, in darkness drear, their one true light: Alleluia, alleluia!
O blest communion, fellowship divine!
We feebly struggle - they in glory shine;
Yet all are one in Thee for all are Thine: Alleluia, alleluia!
(William W. How)
My dad has been one of those saints who rest from their labors and shine in glory for 14 months. The man who I will always think of as "my pastor" has just joined him. I do truly thank God for these men who confessed Him before the world, fought the fight well, and clung to Jesus as their light through the darkest times. I praise God that I am one with them in Christ now, and look forward to the day "When we all see Jesus and sing and shout the victory!"
Sunday, July 11, 2010
Thursday, July 8, 2010
Random cuteness
H told us that her favorite part of getting her hair washed is at the end when I put the "air conditioning" in.
On the long drive back from Grandma's this evening, I let the kids watch a DVD, "Elmo visits the Doctor." I could hear it, but couldn't see what was on the screen. At one point I asked H if the doctor was a real person or a puppet. She answered, "It's a puppet, Mommy. They're all puppets except Big Bird - he's a real person."
While I was putting baby D to bed this evening, H took a tumble and started wailing. D could hear the drama from where we were in his room. He sat up in my arms, pointed at the door, and said "Uh-Oh! Sister" (or something that sounded a lot like sister, anyway.) I went out to investigate and try to console her. As I was giving her a hug, D snuggled up to her and patted her on the back. So sweet to see a 13 month old comforting his big sister!
On the long drive back from Grandma's this evening, I let the kids watch a DVD, "Elmo visits the Doctor." I could hear it, but couldn't see what was on the screen. At one point I asked H if the doctor was a real person or a puppet. She answered, "It's a puppet, Mommy. They're all puppets except Big Bird - he's a real person."
While I was putting baby D to bed this evening, H took a tumble and started wailing. D could hear the drama from where we were in his room. He sat up in my arms, pointed at the door, and said "Uh-Oh! Sister" (or something that sounded a lot like sister, anyway.) I went out to investigate and try to console her. As I was giving her a hug, D snuggled up to her and patted her on the back. So sweet to see a 13 month old comforting his big sister!
Thursday, April 22, 2010
Happy Earth Day!
In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. . .
My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth. . .
Be exalted, O God, above the heavens; let your glory be over all the earth. . .
The heavens will vanish like smoke, the earth will wear out like a garment and its inhabitants die like flies. But my salvation will last forever, my righteousness will never fail. . .
Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away … And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away."
He who was seated on the throne said, "I am making everything new!" Then he said, "Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true." He said to me: "It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. . .He who overcomes will inherit all this, and I will be his God and he will be my son.”
Gen 1:1, Col 1:16, Ps. 89:11, I Chron. 29:11, Ps. 24:1, Ps. 121:2, Jer. 32:17, Ps. 57:5, Is. 6:3, Is. 51:6, Gen 8:22, Matt. 24:35, Rev. 21
Saturday, April 3, 2010
Resurrection Sunday - Sweet memories of the past and hope for the future
This is our first Easter without my Dad. Every time we pass one of these milestones, it brings a wave of emotion. I have lots of good memories of Easters with Dad. When I was living at home, we took spring vacations at Easter many years. Dad did a lot of traveling working for Ford and accumulated plenty of frequent flier miles and free hotel stays. We reaped the benefits of that during our annual family vacation.
On Easter 1984, Dad delivered our Sunday sermon in our hotel room in Anaheim, CA. I don't remember exactly what he said, but I do remember that the hotel room overlooked Disney Land, where we spent the rest of that day. That was our first really big family vacation. Mom, my brother and I flew out to Phoenix. Dad left the day before and drove straight through, 36 hours so we wouldn't have to rent a car. We toured the southwest - went down a natural water slide in Flagstaff, saw it snow in the desert, spent the night in Vegas, took an amazing boat ride in Utah, saw the Great White Throne, then ended up in California where we went to Disney Land, swam in the ocean and I threw up at the Olympic Stadium. Dad really knew how to plan a vacation!
Easter 1987 was just after we had been in Hawaii for an incredible 2 weeks. After enjoying the beauty there, visiting "Wacky-key Beach," and "seeing parts of Hawaii the average tourist doesn't see," we flew back early on Sunday morning and showed up jet lagged for the services at our home church. Not having slept at all the night before was not a valid excuse for skipping church in our family!
Several Easters after that we spent in Florida - usually Orlando or St. Pete Beach. I can't remember the name of the church we attended there, but I know we were regulars when we were in town. It didn't matter where we were on Easter (or any Sunday, really), worshiping God still took priority. I'm thankful for a Dad who taught us that the things of God are what matter most.
My recent memories of Easter with my Dad include Easter 2003. Mom, Dad, B and I were having Brunch together after church when we gave them the news that we were expecting our first baby. Then we ate a whole lot of really good food!
The next year we went back to that same place for Easter brunch. There was big news that year as well, but not of the happy sort. We grieved together and comforted each other and then ate a whole lot of really good food again.
By the time Easter 2005 rolled around, J was head over heels in love with Papa. We have some really sweet pictures of them together that day. We had brunch together again after church at that same place for the third and final year.
Easter 2005, before church At Brunch with Papa
Easter 2006 J's first Egg Hunt J and Papa watching the puppet show after the egg hunt
Last Easter turned out to be one month and 2 days before Dad died. It was our last big holiday together. I think it is a fitting one to be the final celebration, because it is the one that gives us the hope of being reunited again one day. Christ's resurrection conquered death for all who trust in Him. My Dad was one of those who did, and because of that, I know I'll see him again.
Easter 2009
"But Christ has been raised to life! And He makes us certain that others will also be raised to life because of Christ. Adam brought death to all of us, and Christ will bring life to all of us. But we must each wait our turn. Christ was the first to be raised to life, and His people will be raised to life when He returns...These bodies will die, but the bodies that are raised will live forever...Our dead and decaying bodies will be changed into bodies that won't die or decay...Then the Scriptures will come true, 'Death has lost the battle! Where is it's victory? Where is it's sting?'...But thank God for letting our Lord Jesus Christ give us the victory!"
I Corinthians 15:20, 23, 42, 53-55 (CEV)
Thursday, April 1, 2010
"April Fool" from your Government
Medicare payments are being slashed by 21.2% beginning April 1. An article I received today illustrates the impact this will have on physicians and Medicare patients. This is some of the advice being given to doctors on how to survive the crisis this creates. I've posted some excerpts below, with my comments in italics.
Medscape Business of Medicine, "What to do on Day 1 after the Medicare cuts," Leslie Kane, MACC
Introduction
As of this moment, draconian Medicare cuts will be imposed on April 1 because the Senate failed to pass a bill extending the effective date of the cuts to May 1…Many believe that these drastic Medicare cuts will ultimately not occur. But if this devastating scenario does take place, it won't be business as usual for doctors. Physicians will need to take immediate "staunch the bleeding" actions as well as making longer-term "how will we survive" changes.
The cuts will actually occur. Congress has recessed without correcting the problem. It is possible that they will correct it when they reconvene, and may possibly make the correction retroactive, but for now the cuts are in place.
Day One: Key Actions to Start Off
1. Get Your Lines of Credit in Order
Whether the Medicare cuts stick or not, you're going to have no cash flow from Medicare.
If you don't have a line of credit, get one set up and make sure you know how to access it. If you have one in place, make sure it hasn't expired. Look also to any personal lines of credit you have or could get quickly.
This got my attention right off – the first suggestion is to go into debt to keep the doors of your practice open – and not just business debt – personal debt! Doctors tend to be a committed bunch, but putting your family into debt in order to keep working?
2. Hold Off on Funding Your Pension and Making Nonessential Purchases
I suppose as long as you’re putting your business and family into debt in order to continue caring for patients, there’s nothing left over to plan for your future or help stimulate the economy.
3 Get All Hands on Deck to Attack Accounts Receivable
If you have 3 people at your front desk, I would be taking someone off and putting that person on the accounts receivable. If you do this, the office phones might ring a little longer than usual. You may need to explain to patients that you have your staff working on a special project right now, and your staff is tied up.
In case you’re wondering why it’s harder than usual to get through when you call your doctor, it’s because everyone is scrambling to try to find some cash to pay the bills.
4. Collect All Co-payments at the Time of the Visit -- No Exceptions
If your office doesn't currently require the co-payment before seeing the doctor, get your front desk staff to phone every patient scheduled to come in over the next few weeks. Tell them what your new co-pay policy is, so they will be sure to bring cash or a check.
I’m not sure where the staff is going to find the time to call every patient to make sure they show up cash-in-hand when they don’t even have time to answer the phone.
Longer Term Actions
1. Restructure or Reschedule Medicare Patient Encounters
It's too extreme for most doctors to eliminate all Medicare patients from their practice, and many would not want to. But doctors can still allocate fewer resources to that patient.Physicians who can replace Medicare patients with other patients should limit appointment exposure to Medicare patients and give better service, quicker availability, to the patients with better paying plans. Doctors have to ask themselves, "How many hours of the week can we afford to see patients paying 21.2% less than they were yesterday?"
You could allocate certain times to see just Medicare patients, such as Tuesday and Thursday mornings. When Medicare patients call for appointments, the staff would say, "We will put you in on the next Medicare clinic day." Or you might consider hiring a nurse practitioner to see the Medicare population.
*As the child of someone on Medicare, this is what terrifies me the most about all this. It will be increasingly difficult for people on Medicare to get the health care that they need. Fewer doctors will be able to afford to see Medicare patients. Those who do may have fewer appointments available for them, spend less time with them during their visit, or delegate their care to ancillary providers instead.
2. Look at Getting an EMR Even If You Don't Like the Idea
If you purchase and implement an EMR system, you can get incentive money available to you from the government.
More reliance on the government – isn’t that what got us in this situation in the first place?
3. Re-examine Your Staffing Needs
If your practice situation becomes really dire after Medicare cuts, you may eventually have to cut some staff. However, instead of letting people go, you may want to put some people on a part-time schedule.
More bad news for an already fledgling economy.
What Does This All Mean?
A "normal" which, I'm afraid, will include a lot fewer physicians in this country.
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
Body by Mom
6 months old and (at least up to the point this picture was taken) every bit of nutrition he's received from the moment he was conceived came from Mommy. Pretty awesome privilege.
Plus, that's a good 16 pounds worth of calories I've gotten to eat without having them stay on my body!
Sunday, November 29, 2009
I look in the faces of my children and I know that God is good.
There are few things I've found greater pleasure in than being a mother. I loved feeling the little pitter-patter of a little one growing inside me while I was pregnant. I love snuggling a sleeping baby in my arms. I love seeing them smile or hearing them giggle in their sleep. Even with my fussy ones, I felt pleasure at the fact that I had the skill to soothe them when no one else could. I got called to the nursery week after week because they cried inconsolably, but when they saw me, they smiled. I never had that kind of power before I became a mother.
I love the fact that I know our children better than anyone else in the world. Daddy certainly knows them well. And Grandma knows them well. But I know them in a special way from having carried them and nursed them and been their mommy. It's a special bond like no other.
I'm sure I've laughed more since I became a mother than I ever did in the years before that. It started when I was expecting J with giggle fits - sometimes at inappropriate times - which I blamed on hormones. It's continued with laughing at their goofy antics and silly jokes and cute expressions, and seeing their joy at discovering the world and the people around them.
I love lying next to them and having "Mommy time" before bed each night. We talk about the things we did that day. They ask questions about things they didn't understand. They tell me about their hopes and dreams. (Like J wants to be the Cash Cab driver when he grows up and H would like to visit Costa Rica someday - although she's not sure why.) I love hearing them sing and listening to their prayers.
I love watching them grow up into little people, seeing their personalities unfold, and being in the position to influence that process. It's a sobering responsibility, but one I wouldn't trade for anything.
When I think about what a wonderful design the family is and how much pleasure I've gotten from being a part of one, I can't help but know that God is good. All the joy is His design. It's marred by the effects of sin, to be sure, but I firmly believe the family is the most wonderful institution in our society. I suppose there's no reason we couldn't have been made to reproduce like plants or amoeba. We could be like animals that care for their young until they can walk and eat, then send them on their way. But God loves us enough to have designed a much better way - one that reflects His relationship with us. One that allows us to glimpse the depth of the sacrifice that He made for us when He gave His only Son for us. One that gives us a chance to experience a pleasure like no other - the pleasure of being part of a family.
It's all because God is good.
I love the fact that I know our children better than anyone else in the world. Daddy certainly knows them well. And Grandma knows them well. But I know them in a special way from having carried them and nursed them and been their mommy. It's a special bond like no other.
I'm sure I've laughed more since I became a mother than I ever did in the years before that. It started when I was expecting J with giggle fits - sometimes at inappropriate times - which I blamed on hormones. It's continued with laughing at their goofy antics and silly jokes and cute expressions, and seeing their joy at discovering the world and the people around them.
I love lying next to them and having "Mommy time" before bed each night. We talk about the things we did that day. They ask questions about things they didn't understand. They tell me about their hopes and dreams. (Like J wants to be the Cash Cab driver when he grows up and H would like to visit Costa Rica someday - although she's not sure why.) I love hearing them sing and listening to their prayers.
I love watching them grow up into little people, seeing their personalities unfold, and being in the position to influence that process. It's a sobering responsibility, but one I wouldn't trade for anything.
When I think about what a wonderful design the family is and how much pleasure I've gotten from being a part of one, I can't help but know that God is good. All the joy is His design. It's marred by the effects of sin, to be sure, but I firmly believe the family is the most wonderful institution in our society. I suppose there's no reason we couldn't have been made to reproduce like plants or amoeba. We could be like animals that care for their young until they can walk and eat, then send them on their way. But God loves us enough to have designed a much better way - one that reflects His relationship with us. One that allows us to glimpse the depth of the sacrifice that He made for us when He gave His only Son for us. One that gives us a chance to experience a pleasure like no other - the pleasure of being part of a family.
It's all because God is good.
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
I did not know that in Kindergarten
I don't have a lot of memories from kindergarten. I remember one day being reprimanded for coloring something orange when it was supposed to be brown. I used the burnt sienna crayon. It looked brown to me before I started coloring with it. It looked orange on the paper.
I remember one day when one of the elementary school kids came to read to us. The teacher told him to slow down showing the pictures because our eyes didn't move as fast as his did. I thought that sounded strange.
There was another day when one of the kids came in counting. He carpooled with Julie Race. She said he started counting when he got in the car and hadn't stopped yet.
That's it. That's about all I can remember from kindergarten. I can't say for sure what I learned, but I'm certain it is not what J is learning in kindergarten. Humor me while I act the part of proud mama and brag about him for a few minutes.
J's amazed me many times. He's always been a sponge when it comes to knowledge. I was concerned when he was around 3 that he would be bored in kindergarten. He already knew colors and shapes and letters and how to count to 20 and knew lots of body parts. We're not talking elbow and nose. We're talking pancreas, colon, brain, lungs, kidney...
Well, we put him in a montessori school last year for preschool. He thrived. He finished preschool reading like a champ. There were words he didn't know the meaning of, but he could basically read anything.
This year he's continuing to shine. We went to his open house last week. He showed us his writing journal. It contains mini research papers he's written. He picks a topic from one of the continents, looks it up in the encyclopedia, then writes a report about it. One such report included the sentence "The scorpion is an invertebrate." In kindergarten! I'm certain I didn't know that until I took invertebrate zoology my sophomore year in college. He doesn't know it's weird to be able to do that at his age. He just thinks it's fun to look up something he finds interesting.
Another "work" he showed us at his open house was the stamp game. The best I can explain it is that it's the montessori version of an abacus. Instead of beads, they have little tiles or "stamps." Thus the name. He uses it to do 4 digit addition and subtraction. Not just adding 4 numbers up. Adding up numbers in the thousands. I could not do that in kindergarten.
Today he surprised us again. He came home talking about Belize and the Dominican Republic and a bunch of other countries I hadn't heard mentioned anytime recently. He learned all the continents last year. Now he's working on a more detailed map of North America. If you'd asked me yesterday to name the countries in North America, I would have told you Canada, USA, and Mexico. If pressed, I guess I would have said that Central America is part of North America, but couldn't have gone much beyond that. J can name a whole lot more than I can. In fact, B and I had to go look up the countries in North America to see if he was right. He was. Greenland? Yup. Cuba? Yup. Haiti? Yup. They're all North America. I did not know that in kindergarten. Shoot, I didn't know that earlier today!
My mom always told me she learned a lot more as I was going through school than when she did. I'm looking forward to the same experience. In fact, it's already started!
I remember one day when one of the elementary school kids came to read to us. The teacher told him to slow down showing the pictures because our eyes didn't move as fast as his did. I thought that sounded strange.
There was another day when one of the kids came in counting. He carpooled with Julie Race. She said he started counting when he got in the car and hadn't stopped yet.
That's it. That's about all I can remember from kindergarten. I can't say for sure what I learned, but I'm certain it is not what J is learning in kindergarten. Humor me while I act the part of proud mama and brag about him for a few minutes.
J's amazed me many times. He's always been a sponge when it comes to knowledge. I was concerned when he was around 3 that he would be bored in kindergarten. He already knew colors and shapes and letters and how to count to 20 and knew lots of body parts. We're not talking elbow and nose. We're talking pancreas, colon, brain, lungs, kidney...
Well, we put him in a montessori school last year for preschool. He thrived. He finished preschool reading like a champ. There were words he didn't know the meaning of, but he could basically read anything.
This year he's continuing to shine. We went to his open house last week. He showed us his writing journal. It contains mini research papers he's written. He picks a topic from one of the continents, looks it up in the encyclopedia, then writes a report about it. One such report included the sentence "The scorpion is an invertebrate." In kindergarten! I'm certain I didn't know that until I took invertebrate zoology my sophomore year in college. He doesn't know it's weird to be able to do that at his age. He just thinks it's fun to look up something he finds interesting.
Another "work" he showed us at his open house was the stamp game. The best I can explain it is that it's the montessori version of an abacus. Instead of beads, they have little tiles or "stamps." Thus the name. He uses it to do 4 digit addition and subtraction. Not just adding 4 numbers up. Adding up numbers in the thousands. I could not do that in kindergarten.
Today he surprised us again. He came home talking about Belize and the Dominican Republic and a bunch of other countries I hadn't heard mentioned anytime recently. He learned all the continents last year. Now he's working on a more detailed map of North America. If you'd asked me yesterday to name the countries in North America, I would have told you Canada, USA, and Mexico. If pressed, I guess I would have said that Central America is part of North America, but couldn't have gone much beyond that. J can name a whole lot more than I can. In fact, B and I had to go look up the countries in North America to see if he was right. He was. Greenland? Yup. Cuba? Yup. Haiti? Yup. They're all North America. I did not know that in kindergarten. Shoot, I didn't know that earlier today!
My mom always told me she learned a lot more as I was going through school than when she did. I'm looking forward to the same experience. In fact, it's already started!
Sunday, October 11, 2009
How many surgeons does it take to change a light switch?
The answer is one - but it might take her all day.
My dad had been working on a few projects around our house which he never got a chance to complete. My wonderful cousin Keith, an electrician, came over last month and finished them up for us. One of those projects was installing lights under the kitchen cabinets. He installed a switch to go with them, but it was white. The rest of the switches in our kitchen are off-white.
"No problem," Keith says, "It's really easy to change those. Just go get the right color switch and you can screw it right in."
Sure.
Yesterday I finally got around to going to Lowe's (taking J to a Build and Grow workshop) and picked up an off-white switch while we were there.
I'm no electrician, but I did know that I should turn the power to the switch off first. It took me a good 15-20 trips up and down the stairs to figure out which circuit breaker did that. The box is not labeled very well. Turns out the one marked "garage" turns off the power to my pantry and several kitchen outlets. Go figure.
With the power successfully cut, I removed the existing switch. Easy enough. As I tried to put the new one in, I realized I'd uncoiled 2 of the wires a little too much and I needed the needle nose pliers to get them wrapped around the screws right. Several trips out to the garage, digging through the tool box repeatedly, and a phone call to B later, I found them in the basement guest room. A logical place to store random tools.
Finally, I had the new one in place. I ran back downstairs to turn the power back on, ran back upstairs and flipped the switch - no lights.
Hmmm...
Back downstairs to cut the power again. Back upstairs to tighten up the connections. They seemed secure.
Back downstairs to turn on the power. Back upstairs to turn on the switch. Still no lights.
Could I have bought a bad switch?
Back downstairs to cut the power. Back upstairs to put the old switch back in and see if it worked. Decided to take a break to read the instructions on the box. Found the English version. Didn't understand much of it - except the last part about this should only be installed by a licensed electrician.
Well, I did have permission from a licensed electrician at least.
Went back to work on the switch. As I was studying it I recalled something I'd just read about the grounding wire being either green or bare. I noticed then that the only bare wire was not connected to the grounding screw, but one of the screws on the other side. The wires were pretty stiff, and when I'd removed the old switch, 2 of them crossed, making it look like they belonged on opposite sides.
Big groan.
I reinstalled the new switch, this time with the wires in the right spot. Back downstairs to turn on the power. Back upstairs to turn on the switch. Viola! Light!
Pleased to have that done with, I screwed on the new switchplate cover. As I stepped back to admire my work, I realized - much to my dismay - that the switches were not the same color. Apparently there are 2 different shades of off-white. This was not obvious to me in Lowe's. I had gone from a switch that was too light to one that was too dark. Couldn't have noticed that 2 hours ago, could I?!
After all the time I had invested in this project, I was not about to let it go unfinished. I cut the power once again and removed the switch. By this time H and D were up from their naps. I packed them up and back to Lowe's we went. I couldn't figure out why the garage door wouldn't close as I was pulling out of the driveway. Oh, yeah. That circuit breaker I'd turned off was marked "garage" for a reason.
Now wise to the nuances of light switch colors, I picked up the "almond" color switch. Which, for some reason costs about a dollar more than the buff colored switch.
With no further ado, I got the right one installed. Having installed and removed the switch a half dozen times that day, I was pretty good at it by then.
My dad had been working on a few projects around our house which he never got a chance to complete. My wonderful cousin Keith, an electrician, came over last month and finished them up for us. One of those projects was installing lights under the kitchen cabinets. He installed a switch to go with them, but it was white. The rest of the switches in our kitchen are off-white.
"No problem," Keith says, "It's really easy to change those. Just go get the right color switch and you can screw it right in."
Sure.
Yesterday I finally got around to going to Lowe's (taking J to a Build and Grow workshop) and picked up an off-white switch while we were there.
I'm no electrician, but I did know that I should turn the power to the switch off first. It took me a good 15-20 trips up and down the stairs to figure out which circuit breaker did that. The box is not labeled very well. Turns out the one marked "garage" turns off the power to my pantry and several kitchen outlets. Go figure.
With the power successfully cut, I removed the existing switch. Easy enough. As I tried to put the new one in, I realized I'd uncoiled 2 of the wires a little too much and I needed the needle nose pliers to get them wrapped around the screws right. Several trips out to the garage, digging through the tool box repeatedly, and a phone call to B later, I found them in the basement guest room. A logical place to store random tools.
Finally, I had the new one in place. I ran back downstairs to turn the power back on, ran back upstairs and flipped the switch - no lights.
Hmmm...
Back downstairs to cut the power again. Back upstairs to tighten up the connections. They seemed secure.
Back downstairs to turn on the power. Back upstairs to turn on the switch. Still no lights.
Could I have bought a bad switch?
Back downstairs to cut the power. Back upstairs to put the old switch back in and see if it worked. Decided to take a break to read the instructions on the box. Found the English version. Didn't understand much of it - except the last part about this should only be installed by a licensed electrician.
Well, I did have permission from a licensed electrician at least.
Went back to work on the switch. As I was studying it I recalled something I'd just read about the grounding wire being either green or bare. I noticed then that the only bare wire was not connected to the grounding screw, but one of the screws on the other side. The wires were pretty stiff, and when I'd removed the old switch, 2 of them crossed, making it look like they belonged on opposite sides.
Big groan.
I reinstalled the new switch, this time with the wires in the right spot. Back downstairs to turn on the power. Back upstairs to turn on the switch. Viola! Light!
Pleased to have that done with, I screwed on the new switchplate cover. As I stepped back to admire my work, I realized - much to my dismay - that the switches were not the same color. Apparently there are 2 different shades of off-white. This was not obvious to me in Lowe's. I had gone from a switch that was too light to one that was too dark. Couldn't have noticed that 2 hours ago, could I?!
After all the time I had invested in this project, I was not about to let it go unfinished. I cut the power once again and removed the switch. By this time H and D were up from their naps. I packed them up and back to Lowe's we went. I couldn't figure out why the garage door wouldn't close as I was pulling out of the driveway. Oh, yeah. That circuit breaker I'd turned off was marked "garage" for a reason.
Now wise to the nuances of light switch colors, I picked up the "almond" color switch. Which, for some reason costs about a dollar more than the buff colored switch.
With no further ado, I got the right one installed. Having installed and removed the switch a half dozen times that day, I was pretty good at it by then.
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
A well-timed blessing
Our littlest member of the Jones family is four months old already. I'm overwhelmed at what a blessing he's been in our lives in such a short time. The Lord knew back in August 2008 when he placed little D inside me that I would need some joy in my life come May of 2009. His timing was perfect.
My Dad died suddenly and unexpectedly just 9 days before D's due date, two weeks before he was born. I was very close to my Dad and was crushed by his loss. It hasn't been easy adjusting to him being gone, but having little D in our lives has certainly helped.
Sweet little D has been such a balm to my sore soul, and to my Mom's. As the Lord was knitting him together in my womb, He wove in extra measures of grace and happiness. He knew we'd need that in our lives right now. I've never seen a baby who smiles as much or as easily as D does. It's impossible not to smile back at him, however I'm feeling.
I'm sorry that my Dad never got to meet this grandson. I know he would have really enjoyed him. Papa loved all of his grandchildren dearly, and enjoyed them all immensely. But I think he and D could have had a special bond. The two of them are a lot a like. D is so much more mellow and even-tempered than his older siblings, much like his Papa. I'm hard pressed to think of a time in my Dad's life when he ever lost his cool. Certainly there were times when he was provoked, but he always kept himself under control. Little D's like that - he just rolls with the punches. (Sometimes fairly literally!)
I see other bits of my Dad in D's little personality already. Nothing pleased my Dad more than doing things for others - D seems to be the same way. I always feel a sense of pride when someone comes up to talk to him. I know that without fail, he's going to give them the brightest smile they've ever seen, and they'll go away with a smile on their face as well.
There's definitely a sadness in my heart over my loss. But there's a sweetness at the same time. Babies are often referred to as a "bundle of joy." Few live up to that label as well as this little guy. We love you, D!
Monday, September 28, 2009
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Why doesn't she just leave him?
You frequently hear that question asked about women who are victims of domestic abuse. If it were really that simple, she would.
Today there was a tragically vivid example of how it's not that easy. Patricia Williams was shot to death by her husband in the parking lot of the Canton Public Library in Michigan. You can read about it here.
The woman was a Detroit police officer for 15 years. She was without a doubt far better equipped to defend herself against violence than the average woman is. And yet, she was murdered by her husband in broad daylight in a public place. It's not that easy to get away from an abusive spouse.
Why didn't she go to the police for help? Well, she had. Repeatedly. As recently as last weekend, she had reported her husband's abuse to police, yet he remained in her home and he remained armed. Why didn't her calls for help result in any protection for her?
Not only had she gone to the police, she was en route to the police when this happened. According to reports, she had left home and was on her way to the Canton police department to report another assault. Somehow he intercepted her before she made it there and murdered her.
It's not that easy to leave. Statistics show that a third of women who are murdered in the U.S. are killed by their partners. In Michigan another woman is murdered by her husband or boyfriend every 5 days.
Unfortunately, too many women who in violent situations seem to have limited choices: stay and endure the abuse, try to leave and risk having the abuse escalate, or defend herself and be labeled a criminal. There are, unfortunately, many women in our prisons for defending themselves against husbands or boyfriends who were trying to kill them. They didn't end up like Patricia Williams, but they're not much better off. This needs to stop! Our society should start treating domestic violence like the crime that it is, support the women and children who are victimized by it, and give them a viable way of escaping the violence. Then, maybe, tragedies like today's will be less common.
Today there was a tragically vivid example of how it's not that easy. Patricia Williams was shot to death by her husband in the parking lot of the Canton Public Library in Michigan. You can read about it here.
The woman was a Detroit police officer for 15 years. She was without a doubt far better equipped to defend herself against violence than the average woman is. And yet, she was murdered by her husband in broad daylight in a public place. It's not that easy to get away from an abusive spouse.
Why didn't she go to the police for help? Well, she had. Repeatedly. As recently as last weekend, she had reported her husband's abuse to police, yet he remained in her home and he remained armed. Why didn't her calls for help result in any protection for her?
Not only had she gone to the police, she was en route to the police when this happened. According to reports, she had left home and was on her way to the Canton police department to report another assault. Somehow he intercepted her before she made it there and murdered her.
It's not that easy to leave. Statistics show that a third of women who are murdered in the U.S. are killed by their partners. In Michigan another woman is murdered by her husband or boyfriend every 5 days.
Unfortunately, too many women who in violent situations seem to have limited choices: stay and endure the abuse, try to leave and risk having the abuse escalate, or defend herself and be labeled a criminal. There are, unfortunately, many women in our prisons for defending themselves against husbands or boyfriends who were trying to kill them. They didn't end up like Patricia Williams, but they're not much better off. This needs to stop! Our society should start treating domestic violence like the crime that it is, support the women and children who are victimized by it, and give them a viable way of escaping the violence. Then, maybe, tragedies like today's will be less common.
Baucus Proposal
In case you're interested, here is the response to the latest Senate health care reform proposal from the American College of Surgeons along with approximately 20 other surgical organizations.
Letter to Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus
There are several concerns raised in the letter, including:
In 2011, without further legislation to correct the problem, physician payments from Medicare would be cut by 25%. If that were to happen we would see immediate, massive non-participation by physicians in Medicare. Few if any practices could afford to keep the doors of their practices open long with a 25% reduction in income. That in turn would result in severely restricted access to care for Medicare patients.
The creation of a Medicare commission would remove oversight of the program from Congress and give it to unelected, unaccountable individuals who could conduct business with uncertain transparency.
The PQRI is essentially an unfunded mandate on physicians. It's one thing to provide quality care routinely. It's another thing to have to document that care for each patient and submit separate reports to the government in order to receive payment for that care. It requires a great deal of time and paperwork, which is why few doctors have participated in the program to date. It's not that they aren't doing the things the program requires. It's that it is not worth the time and expense required to earn the small "bonuses" that are currently paid out. With this bill, the program becomes mandatory and rather than paying extra for those who meet the standards, it penalizes those who do not. The entire cost of participation will therefore be borne by physicians.
This bill does nothing to address tort reform, which is a major factor in controlling the escalating cost of medical care in this country.
It concludes with ideas for real reform which will address the issues of availability, cost containment, and continued improvement in quality.
Letter to Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus
There are several concerns raised in the letter, including:
In 2011, without further legislation to correct the problem, physician payments from Medicare would be cut by 25%. If that were to happen we would see immediate, massive non-participation by physicians in Medicare. Few if any practices could afford to keep the doors of their practices open long with a 25% reduction in income. That in turn would result in severely restricted access to care for Medicare patients.
The creation of a Medicare commission would remove oversight of the program from Congress and give it to unelected, unaccountable individuals who could conduct business with uncertain transparency.
The PQRI is essentially an unfunded mandate on physicians. It's one thing to provide quality care routinely. It's another thing to have to document that care for each patient and submit separate reports to the government in order to receive payment for that care. It requires a great deal of time and paperwork, which is why few doctors have participated in the program to date. It's not that they aren't doing the things the program requires. It's that it is not worth the time and expense required to earn the small "bonuses" that are currently paid out. With this bill, the program becomes mandatory and rather than paying extra for those who meet the standards, it penalizes those who do not. The entire cost of participation will therefore be borne by physicians.
This bill does nothing to address tort reform, which is a major factor in controlling the escalating cost of medical care in this country.
It concludes with ideas for real reform which will address the issues of availability, cost containment, and continued improvement in quality.
Monday, September 21, 2009
You've got mail!
So, Chris Tomlin never responded to my open letter, but Steve Green responded to my daughter's email rather promptly. H and I wrote to him on Saturday. He wrote back today. No, really, Steve Green himself wrote an email to my 3 year old daughter.
Seriously!
You see, H really, really wanted to send Mr. Green a message this weekend. (Mr. Green, not Steve Green - because when you're 3 you shouldn't be on a first name basis with grown ups. Even famous ones. I'm old fashioned like that.) Actually, what she really wants is for him to come over and play with her. And to read books. And to stay all day until she has to go to bed.
Let me back up. . .
Several years ago, we got the Hide 'Em In Your Heart DVDs from Steve Green Ministries. They're various Scripture verses put to music. The accompanying videos show Steve singing the songs with groups of children. Hannah loves these videos. Really loves them. She begs to watch "Bible Songs," as she calls them. And, well, if my child is going to be glued to a video, I'd just as soon it be these.
When she was about 18 months old, she started getting her Bible and crawling into our bed to read. Sometimes it was actually a Bible, more often it was hymnbook (which when you're pre-literate, looks quite similar to a Bible, and was always sitting on the piano where she could reach it easily). It took us a while to figure out where this came from. We finally realized she was imitating one of the little girls in the video "When I am afraid I will trust in You." There was a storm at night and she reads her Bible for comfort. For her second birthday, Uncle Eddie and Aunt Suzi got H a real Bible. A great big one, just like in the video. She likes to sleep with it now.
H would very much like to be in the next children's DVD that Mr. Green makes. She's not looking for fame or anything. She just likes to sing, and sees those other kids having a good time, and thinks that Mr. Green is a really nice man. She would totally be good at it - if he ever does make another one, he should invite her.
Over time, her tastes have broadened slightly. She's become fond of some of Mr. Green's grown-up songs. I have one of his old CDs on my ipod. She loves to hear "Household of Faith" (aka, "Mr. Green and Mrs. Green's duet"), "Embrace the Cross" (aka, "Mr. Green's duet" because through the miracle of mixing, he actually sings a duet with himself in that song), and "Find us Faithful" (aka "That Faithful Song"). We could take a 30 minute trip and she'd just want me to play That Faithful Song over and over the whole way.
Since she enjoys his music so much, it's only natural that he come over and play with her sometime. That's been her latest hang-up. She makes me feel like a bad mom for not letting him come. I try to explain that he lives a long way away and is a very busy man. She's certain that he would come over if I would just let him. So this weekend when she was begging to send him a message, we did. We went to his website and found the "contact us" page. I asked her what she wanted to say and she said, "Thank you." I added a little bit more, telling him how much she enjoyed his music.
I forgot about it after that until today. This morning I had a message in my inbox from "SGM." I thought it was spam and almost deleted it. Instead it was a very nice response from an assistant at Steve Green Ministries. She wrote several paragraphs and told H that she would forward her email to Steve, but couldn't promise that he would have time to respond personally since he gets so many emails. Well, just a few hours later, he did! It was only a couple of sentences, but it was awfully nice. He explained that it would be fun to come visit, but since he lives so far away he can't right now.
How sweet is that?! A very busy, award-winning, internationally known singer takes the time to answer email from a preschooler. When he sings, "Let the Little Children Come," he takes it to heart. I think that shows a lot of class!
Seriously!
You see, H really, really wanted to send Mr. Green a message this weekend. (Mr. Green, not Steve Green - because when you're 3 you shouldn't be on a first name basis with grown ups. Even famous ones. I'm old fashioned like that.) Actually, what she really wants is for him to come over and play with her. And to read books. And to stay all day until she has to go to bed.
Let me back up. . .
Several years ago, we got the Hide 'Em In Your Heart DVDs from Steve Green Ministries. They're various Scripture verses put to music. The accompanying videos show Steve singing the songs with groups of children. Hannah loves these videos. Really loves them. She begs to watch "Bible Songs," as she calls them. And, well, if my child is going to be glued to a video, I'd just as soon it be these.
When she was about 18 months old, she started getting her Bible and crawling into our bed to read. Sometimes it was actually a Bible, more often it was hymnbook (which when you're pre-literate, looks quite similar to a Bible, and was always sitting on the piano where she could reach it easily). It took us a while to figure out where this came from. We finally realized she was imitating one of the little girls in the video "When I am afraid I will trust in You." There was a storm at night and she reads her Bible for comfort. For her second birthday, Uncle Eddie and Aunt Suzi got H a real Bible. A great big one, just like in the video. She likes to sleep with it now.
H would very much like to be in the next children's DVD that Mr. Green makes. She's not looking for fame or anything. She just likes to sing, and sees those other kids having a good time, and thinks that Mr. Green is a really nice man. She would totally be good at it - if he ever does make another one, he should invite her.
Over time, her tastes have broadened slightly. She's become fond of some of Mr. Green's grown-up songs. I have one of his old CDs on my ipod. She loves to hear "Household of Faith" (aka, "Mr. Green and Mrs. Green's duet"), "Embrace the Cross" (aka, "Mr. Green's duet" because through the miracle of mixing, he actually sings a duet with himself in that song), and "Find us Faithful" (aka "That Faithful Song"). We could take a 30 minute trip and she'd just want me to play That Faithful Song over and over the whole way.
Since she enjoys his music so much, it's only natural that he come over and play with her sometime. That's been her latest hang-up. She makes me feel like a bad mom for not letting him come. I try to explain that he lives a long way away and is a very busy man. She's certain that he would come over if I would just let him. So this weekend when she was begging to send him a message, we did. We went to his website and found the "contact us" page. I asked her what she wanted to say and she said, "Thank you." I added a little bit more, telling him how much she enjoyed his music.
I forgot about it after that until today. This morning I had a message in my inbox from "SGM." I thought it was spam and almost deleted it. Instead it was a very nice response from an assistant at Steve Green Ministries. She wrote several paragraphs and told H that she would forward her email to Steve, but couldn't promise that he would have time to respond personally since he gets so many emails. Well, just a few hours later, he did! It was only a couple of sentences, but it was awfully nice. He explained that it would be fun to come visit, but since he lives so far away he can't right now.
How sweet is that?! A very busy, award-winning, internationally known singer takes the time to answer email from a preschooler. When he sings, "Let the Little Children Come," he takes it to heart. I think that shows a lot of class!
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
Practical Theology
Proverbs 9:10 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom,
and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.
"Seek God's face. Understand His character. Pursue knowledge of Him, for apart from the 'fear of the Lord' and 'the knowledge of the Holy One' we have no hope for being a wise mother, sister, wife, or friend."
--Wendy Horger Alsup, Practical Theology for Women, How Knowing God Makes a Difference in Our Daily Lives
and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.
"Seek God's face. Understand His character. Pursue knowledge of Him, for apart from the 'fear of the Lord' and 'the knowledge of the Holy One' we have no hope for being a wise mother, sister, wife, or friend."
--Wendy Horger Alsup, Practical Theology for Women, How Knowing God Makes a Difference in Our Daily Lives
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
Random thoughts about our day
Today was my first really light day since I've been back to work. I was able to be home by 10:00! We gave Grandma the day off - a much deserved day to herself.
I had hoped to be really productive around home, but felt paralyzed by the sheer volume of things that need to be done around here. I never seem to catch up. I did manage to accomplish a few things. I now have one seriously clean bathroom. And, well, another bathroom that I'd rather not talk about today. I got two loads of laundry nearly done (prompted by one explosive diaper and two muddy kids). Maybe I'll get around to putting them away tomorrow.
I let the kids watch an episode of Tom and Jerry this morning while I did some work in J's room. My work in his room always involves a big trash bag. I can't get away with that while he's around. I find it very gratifying to fill up the trash with clutter from our house, but the kids find it traumatic. I like to spare them the agony by doing it when they're not looking. They rarely ever miss anything I've pitched, and it makes it easier for them to find the things they actually use.
D wore a darling little teddy bear outfit today. He looked adorable in it. It also turns out that brown is a very practical color for him to wear, if you know what I mean. I wish I'd gotten a picture of him in it.
The kids and I went on an adventure in the woods behind our house. We have a great yard for kids: trees and water and mud and a playhouse. I remember having a little grove of trees in the backyard where we lived until just before my 5th birthday. It probably didn't look like much to the adults around, but my brother and I thought it was a great "jungle" to play in. I think my children will have happy memories of our back yard too.
We encountered a little wild life while we were out and about. J called out of the playhouse, "Hey, Mom, there's a mouse in here."
"A live one?" I inquired.
"Yes, come up here and see him."
"Uh, no thanks." I felt like quoting John 14:9 "Don't you know me? Even after I've been among you for such a long time?" Do I strike him as the sort of person who would intentionally go into a small enclosed space with a rodent? I don't think so. Thirty years ago, maybe, but not anymore.
Later we found a praying mantis in the flower bed. He was eating some sort of beetle. It was pretty educational and entertaining for all of us. Particularly since we recently watched, "Milo, the Mantis who Wouldn't Pray." Now H knows that they don't actually live in snack shacks and serve ice cream to other insects.
I finished the day up with a trip back to the hospital to see someone with a sick gallbladder. It was well-timed just after the kids were all tucked in for the night.
I'm going to go tuck myself in now and pray that D and my pager let me get some sleep. Good night!
I had hoped to be really productive around home, but felt paralyzed by the sheer volume of things that need to be done around here. I never seem to catch up. I did manage to accomplish a few things. I now have one seriously clean bathroom. And, well, another bathroom that I'd rather not talk about today. I got two loads of laundry nearly done (prompted by one explosive diaper and two muddy kids). Maybe I'll get around to putting them away tomorrow.
I let the kids watch an episode of Tom and Jerry this morning while I did some work in J's room. My work in his room always involves a big trash bag. I can't get away with that while he's around. I find it very gratifying to fill up the trash with clutter from our house, but the kids find it traumatic. I like to spare them the agony by doing it when they're not looking. They rarely ever miss anything I've pitched, and it makes it easier for them to find the things they actually use.
D wore a darling little teddy bear outfit today. He looked adorable in it. It also turns out that brown is a very practical color for him to wear, if you know what I mean. I wish I'd gotten a picture of him in it.
The kids and I went on an adventure in the woods behind our house. We have a great yard for kids: trees and water and mud and a playhouse. I remember having a little grove of trees in the backyard where we lived until just before my 5th birthday. It probably didn't look like much to the adults around, but my brother and I thought it was a great "jungle" to play in. I think my children will have happy memories of our back yard too.
We encountered a little wild life while we were out and about. J called out of the playhouse, "Hey, Mom, there's a mouse in here."
"A live one?" I inquired.
"Yes, come up here and see him."
"Uh, no thanks." I felt like quoting John 14:9 "Don't you know me? Even after I've been among you for such a long time?" Do I strike him as the sort of person who would intentionally go into a small enclosed space with a rodent? I don't think so. Thirty years ago, maybe, but not anymore.
Later we found a praying mantis in the flower bed. He was eating some sort of beetle. It was pretty educational and entertaining for all of us. Particularly since we recently watched, "Milo, the Mantis who Wouldn't Pray." Now H knows that they don't actually live in snack shacks and serve ice cream to other insects.
I finished the day up with a trip back to the hospital to see someone with a sick gallbladder. It was well-timed just after the kids were all tucked in for the night.
I'm going to go tuck myself in now and pray that D and my pager let me get some sleep. Good night!
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