***********************
This is an update as to why giving blood was such a painful ordeal in my life. So, five, yes, five days after I gave blood, my arm was killing me. I mean, I couldn't grip things, I couldn't go for a run because the bouncing hurt my arm, I would wake up at night in pain, etc. So I called that blood bank, yes I did! I called them and I told them what bad shape my arm was in.
"Oh my gawd!" -The nurse said, "You should have called me earlier, hmmm, do you feel numbness and tingling?"
"YES!"
"Is it hard to grip objects?"
"YESS!!! (Hello, lady, I just told you that)"
"Yep, it sounds like they hit a nerve"
Hit a nerve? Are you kidding. All all things to hit with a sharp object in my arm, least of all I would want my nerve. I just want to let you all know, that even though it's embarrassing, when I hung up with her, I started crying just thinking about that incident, and now I know why! Cause hitting a nerve really hurts--so it makes me feel emotional. Now I don't feel so silly for loosing it in that blood bus infront of a slew of strangers.
And...they said if I need to go to the doctor, they will pay for it, but I think I'll wait it out a few more days. Goodness gracious, I just don't know if I will EVER be giving blood again in my near future.
So, here is the original story;
So I thought it would be a great idea to give blood last week; good cause, relatively easy, all in all a great way to spend a half hour...right?
I am going to jump to the end of my experience and tell you that giving blood was not fun, nor did it help anyone and left crying. Why? Well, first off, she jabbed that needle in, missed the vein and sent this electric shock of a pain up and down my forearm( remember this part...) She waved off my feeble attempts to complain about the pain as well as my sudden decent into wooziness, that is until a minute later--when to her alarm she notice I wasn't giving off any blood. "OH NO! OH NO!" she uttered as she began to wiggle the needle into my arm, causing my body to become on fire, and a rogue tear to escape my eye... "Oh No!" she repeated, "I'm going to have to take this out and repoke you!" Which she did before I could soundly protest.( I was feeling woozy or I would have been screaming) Upon entry the second time, my eyes were waterfalls and I almost passed out because when she missed the vein, she hit other objects. She decided to take it out, kept apologizing for doing a bad job and got me a cold press for my burning, colorless skin. I left crying and 3 days later, I still have an electric shock pain in my forearm! That night I couldn't stretch or bend my arm, and Andrew has to help me put on my pajamas...
Silly flobotomist!
Saturday, November 14, 2009
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
incredible.
Can I tell you how amazed I am right now? I have been reading this blog
about a girl who lives as a missionary in Uganda. Everyday, she makes a difference between life and death for hundreds of children and orphans, around 400 to be exact. They attend school, receive medical care, and come to Katie's home on Saturday for lunch, Bible study and play time. Some of these children are so sick and malnourished when she finds them they have open sores and are barely mobile. Some she has taken into her own personal care...
and did I mention that she's 21? And remember when I said she has taken some into her care? Read what she wrote recently about her life as a missionary and caretaker of so many without parents:
"I don't even know where to start to tell about all that God has been doing in our lives since I last wrote. I know that my words aren't even close to adequate to describe His goodness and love.
A week ago today, I turned twenty one. I sat in awe as I celebrated with 14 beautiful girls who call me Mommy. (Ok one actually calls me "Maamaaaamammaaa") I wondered why God chose me, little ole twenty one year old me, to be entrusted with so much. There is nothing greater than the responsibility of raising a child to love Jesus. Except maybe raising 14. Words are escaping me. Two years ago today, two we moved into this home. In the last years I have learned more about Jesus, about myself, and about life than I ever could have imagined. I am so thankful. So, so very thankful for the life you have given me Jesus, for entrusting me with so much when I deserve so little..."
I am awed at this young girl with open arms to these needy children. Are you kidding!? 14!? For them, it was her or death. Katie was so moved by Jesus, that she scooped them out of ditches and gutters and is giving them new life. I am continually inspired and moved by her writing, but also challenged. She wrote this a while back and I thought it couldn't be said better:
"I DO NOT BELIEVE that the God of the universe created too many children in His image and not enough love or food or care to go around. In fact I believe that He created the Body of Christ for just that, to help these little ones, the least of these. And I believe that except for a handful, the Body of Christ is failing. And its not just me who thinks this. When I'm angry, I like to research so that I can at least feel a bit justified in my rage ;) According to several differnt resources, there are an average of 147 million orphaned children in the world today (this statistic includes children who have lost only one parent as well), 11 million children starve to death each year or die from preventable, treatable illness. 8.5 million children work as child slaves, prostitutes, or in other horrific conditions (making things like that cute baby Gap dress Jane wore today...) 2.3 million children world wide are living with HIV.
That is 168.8 million needy children like Michael and Patricia. Seems like a big number, huh? It shouldn't, because there are 2.1 BILLION people on this earth who profess to be Christians. Jesus followers. Servants. Gospel live-ers. And if only 8 percent of those Christians would care for just ONE of these needy children, they would all be taken care of."
Ouch! What are we as Christians focusing our time and energy on? I need to be doing more, I need to be God's hands and feet. Thank you so Katie for living boldly for Christ, and for being an inspiration for the rest of us who aren't...
Now go get moved by her amazing writing and life: http://amazima.org/blog.html
about a girl who lives as a missionary in Uganda. Everyday, she makes a difference between life and death for hundreds of children and orphans, around 400 to be exact. They attend school, receive medical care, and come to Katie's home on Saturday for lunch, Bible study and play time. Some of these children are so sick and malnourished when she finds them they have open sores and are barely mobile. Some she has taken into her own personal care...
and did I mention that she's 21? And remember when I said she has taken some into her care? Read what she wrote recently about her life as a missionary and caretaker of so many without parents:
"I don't even know where to start to tell about all that God has been doing in our lives since I last wrote. I know that my words aren't even close to adequate to describe His goodness and love.
A week ago today, I turned twenty one. I sat in awe as I celebrated with 14 beautiful girls who call me Mommy. (Ok one actually calls me "Maamaaaamammaaa") I wondered why God chose me, little ole twenty one year old me, to be entrusted with so much. There is nothing greater than the responsibility of raising a child to love Jesus. Except maybe raising 14. Words are escaping me. Two years ago today, two we moved into this home. In the last years I have learned more about Jesus, about myself, and about life than I ever could have imagined. I am so thankful. So, so very thankful for the life you have given me Jesus, for entrusting me with so much when I deserve so little..."
I am awed at this young girl with open arms to these needy children. Are you kidding!? 14!? For them, it was her or death. Katie was so moved by Jesus, that she scooped them out of ditches and gutters and is giving them new life. I am continually inspired and moved by her writing, but also challenged. She wrote this a while back and I thought it couldn't be said better:
"I DO NOT BELIEVE that the God of the universe created too many children in His image and not enough love or food or care to go around. In fact I believe that He created the Body of Christ for just that, to help these little ones, the least of these. And I believe that except for a handful, the Body of Christ is failing. And its not just me who thinks this. When I'm angry, I like to research so that I can at least feel a bit justified in my rage ;) According to several differnt resources, there are an average of 147 million orphaned children in the world today (this statistic includes children who have lost only one parent as well), 11 million children starve to death each year or die from preventable, treatable illness. 8.5 million children work as child slaves, prostitutes, or in other horrific conditions (making things like that cute baby Gap dress Jane wore today...) 2.3 million children world wide are living with HIV.
That is 168.8 million needy children like Michael and Patricia. Seems like a big number, huh? It shouldn't, because there are 2.1 BILLION people on this earth who profess to be Christians. Jesus followers. Servants. Gospel live-ers. And if only 8 percent of those Christians would care for just ONE of these needy children, they would all be taken care of."
Ouch! What are we as Christians focusing our time and energy on? I need to be doing more, I need to be God's hands and feet. Thank you so Katie for living boldly for Christ, and for being an inspiration for the rest of us who aren't...
Now go get moved by her amazing writing and life: http://amazima.org/blog.html
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
mind laps
OH MY GOSH! I am the slackingest blogger! I know, I know! So, what to write about...
Andrew and I sometimes wish we would sell all our earthly belongings and serve the poor in Guatelmala, yep, Guatelmala. Set up a home for the orphans on the street, revolutionize the education system by retraining their teachers, start small businesses to hand off to Guatemalans to support their families. Feed the poor, reach out to the needy, offer hope to the thousands living in the dump, pull kids out of the gutters who spend their afternoons sniffing paint out of a bottle, edify young mothers and teach them to love and care for their babies and not sell them....
These are things that fill our minds...but what about our relationships here? What about the American dream? What about family ties, and Thanksgiving turkey dinners, and tv time on the couch, and trader joes? What about savings accounts and dinner parties.
What about how our lives are a vapor. I believe that He wants us to love others so much that we go to extremes to help them. I believe He wants us to be known for giving. To stop the suffering of the world. To stop giving excuses for others to not believe in God.
So now the decision. Should we go to Urbana and learn about missions this winter, or to book a flight straight to Guatemala and feel it out. Should we got now, or go later in life. Should we go?
Why am I even writing all this? Well, because it's the thought cycle that fills my mind. I want to be sure that whatever decision we make, that it is based on God's crazy love, and not my crazy centered fears.
Andrew and I sometimes wish we would sell all our earthly belongings and serve the poor in Guatelmala, yep, Guatelmala. Set up a home for the orphans on the street, revolutionize the education system by retraining their teachers, start small businesses to hand off to Guatemalans to support their families. Feed the poor, reach out to the needy, offer hope to the thousands living in the dump, pull kids out of the gutters who spend their afternoons sniffing paint out of a bottle, edify young mothers and teach them to love and care for their babies and not sell them....
These are things that fill our minds...but what about our relationships here? What about the American dream? What about family ties, and Thanksgiving turkey dinners, and tv time on the couch, and trader joes? What about savings accounts and dinner parties.
What about how our lives are a vapor. I believe that He wants us to love others so much that we go to extremes to help them. I believe He wants us to be known for giving. To stop the suffering of the world. To stop giving excuses for others to not believe in God.
So now the decision. Should we go to Urbana and learn about missions this winter, or to book a flight straight to Guatemala and feel it out. Should we got now, or go later in life. Should we go?
Why am I even writing all this? Well, because it's the thought cycle that fills my mind. I want to be sure that whatever decision we make, that it is based on God's crazy love, and not my crazy centered fears.
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