Outside Looking In

I'd only practiced doing IM and Sub Q injections on plastic arms.  This was real life though.  As I was ready to finally take my turn, the room fell silent.  "No pressure, Michelle", remarked Brittany trying to easy the silence.  I realized that this would be how I would do it in a village setting.  Eyes on me.  Watching to see what I was doing and if the person receiving the injection would cringe.  I calmed myself, told my patient "big stick in one, two...", and stuck it in.  (Side note:  Delaina stuck me too, so its not like I was being cruel or anything.)

We were just giving normal saline so it wasn't a big deal, but it was exhilarating!  It reminded me of doing IVs and I started checking out veins.  (Once you look for "good veins" and do an IV, its hard not to check out people's veins.)  We did different shots (IM, Sub Q, and ID) all on each other.

Later that night, after doing homework with Megan, we began to walk back to my car.  We were reminded that the gates locked at night and so we started to pray while walking.  "Please help the gate to be open or someone to come by that can help us get in."  As we walked up to the gate, everything looked pretty sealed.  I wanted to at least try, so I walked up, turned the knob, and it opened!  We got in my car, drove up to the gate, and it opened too!  God knew we were coming and opened a gate for us.

Sometimes it feels like we're on the outside looking in.  We don't know if everything will turn out alright.  We can't see past skin sometimes.  We could give us and just never try from the fear of hurting someone or doing something wrong.  We could just walk away and believe that the way is closed or that we're locked out.  Eyes are on us.  Who will you be looking to?

Shocking? Sow What?

What a day!  As I drove back from class, my head was spinning.  I had begun my Bush Mechanics and Electronics class and it is an all-day thing.  We learned about ventilating a house in a hot climate (like PNG), talked about batteries/solar panels/inverters, did calculations about watts/volts/amps, and made a working circuit.  From so much to soak into my head, I was a bit fried.  The entire day, we'd also been sticking energy readers (little metal things) into outlets--one thing Mom always said never to do.  I wasn't the only one on alert for getting shocked.

Throughout the day, I hadn't had much to eat (and had had coffee and cookies for the snack times to keep me alert), so when I got to the house, I was shaking.  I ate peanut butter crackers to hold me until dinner (which I made it to).  After eating, I walked Toby and he got dirty; so I gave him a bath.  Right after it was done, he sniffed the electric wire and got shocked.  I calmed him down (poor baby).  ...and then (when I had brushed him) he did it again!  You'd think he'd learn!!!!

I got cleaned up and got ready for bed as he dried the rest of the way outside.  Toby was dried off after a while and came in.  I kept him in my room as I watched part of "Swords" (swordfish fishing) with Josh.  When I walked back into my room, I found he'd ripped one of the legs off of one of my little cousin's toys!!!!  Thankfully, I knew where a sowing kit was!  I was soooo mad at Toby (and he knew it too).  After sowing it back up, it didn't look too bad so my anger subsided.  I don't think anyone will really notice that the leg had been off.

At the end of the day, I'm super tired, but all that needs to be fixed is fixed and I've learned quite a bit too!

Walking Four Dogs

Almost every night, I try to find time to go on a walk with Toby.  Its kinda "alone" time for me to think things through, get back with people (by phone), pray, enjoy the sunset (which is a love of mine), wind down from the day, and train my dog at the same time!

Well, tonight, after walking my one dog, I decided to walk all three of my cousin's dogs (at the same time). There's Brutus (Rottweiler), Briley (somewhat of a Retriever/Lab), and Boston (type of Cocker Spaniel).  I've watched some of those dog training shows like "Dog Whisperer" along with training videos.  I haven't (however) seen one person taking a group of dogs without help.  For the most part it went really well!

A few problems were when we passed by the "yappy dogs" (four little toy poodle things that have to continually bark until you're past their gate) and when the dogs saw a bunny.  For the first problem, they got more tangled and Briley wanted to eat the little yappy dogs because of all the noise they were making.  I would've let them, but they're not my dogs (and are behind that gate).  For the second problem, the first bunny was fine.  The second bunny only caught Brutus' eye while a bird caught Briley and Boston's attentions.

By the time I got them back home, they were working together (much better) and way tired out!  I guess its kind of like how God has to teach us, correct us, untangle us, keep us focused, and help us to work together.  We're the ones who make things more difficult with distractions we choose to focus on, pulling too hard forward (without waiting on Him), stopping or turning back, and things of the sort.  The only thing is that God doesn't have us on a leash.  We choose.  ...but He feeds, prepares, and cares for us.  Why not have a relationship with Him?

Can't Breathe

Have you ever tried to go without air?  When I swim and have to hold my breath, I can do alright (as long as I'm not freaking out).  Since I now live with my cousin's two little girls (4 and 5 years old), I've seen how they're learning to swim.  One plunk under the water and they start squirming (even if I've already pulled them up).  Its our nature to strive for air and a thing we don't think about too much unless its suddenly taken from us.

Right now, I'm finding it hard to breathe.  Before, I've had stress that led to hyperventilation.  I've also had sickness where I found it more difficult to fill my lungs and had to use an inhaler for a brief time.  At this moment, it feels more like the sickness, but brought on my allergies.  It started a few days ago (Monday?), but it didn't happen yesterday.  Its happening again tonight.  This time, I'm coughing more.  There's almost a weight in my chest and I've got wheezing.  It could be that a little bit of fluid got into my lungs.  When I cough up anything, its clear so no infection.  I just wish it would stop.

I'm so tired... like exhausted.  It helps if I'm standing or at least sitting up.  One thing with having this and not living alone is that I keep others up.  I'm not for that, but really want to breathe and want sleep.  Too bad my inhaler is nowhere to be found.  I'm thinking drug stores are closed and EMT calls are a bit expensive (just for a nebulizer... though I don't know if its that severe).

There are two reasons I'm writing this.  One:  simply for the fact that I'm having to stay up until this passes and needed an outlet as well as something to do.  Two:  there are so many things we don't even think of and therefore take for granted.  One thing is the Word of God.  I got to see a video today where people finally got the Word in their language delivered to them.  They were celebrating, singing, dancing, crying, praying, and praising God for how He can speak to them in their language now.

Lets not forget how precious every breath of life, smile, color, word, (fill in the blank), etc. is.  When we do and its taken away, we'll be gasping for it and wonder why we didn't notice we were breathing.