A "Normal" Month

Normal?

Can any month really be normal?  This is a conversation I had with a coffee barista who insisted that his life was normal and dull.  He said this because he was not accomplishing what he wanted to do in life, and I could definitely agree with my friend if Jesus did not shake things up so often.  I'm not talking about a bag of "Shake-n-Bake" chicken either!  

Our lives have a purpose that is way beyond the normal routine of getting up, eating breakfast, and going to work again again and again.  New challenges are rising all the time, whether it is learning to play the banjo, learning neuropathology or genuinely and sacrificially loving my roomate, Ryan.  Yeah!  and we don't have to live in Zimbabwe or work as a CIA agent either.  

I suppose all this is to encourage us not to waste a day, instead to live fully.

Above pics: 

Upper - my lifegroup celebrates Vicki's birthday (I baked the delicious baked a chocolate ganauche cake)

Lower - astounding colors! Afternoon in Fort Worth

Austin and back in 24 hours: DomeDay 

On feb 26th, Osteopathic doctors and students gathered at our Texas capitol building to swarm representatives' and senators' offices, voicing our concerns and opinions about medicine inTexas.  I was a nervous jumble during my first office visit, but after a few more the formality and sterness seemed to dissapate and my genuine concern/passion over a few issues were more clearly expressed.  

In case you're interested, some of the issues were:

"increasing residency positions in Texas - because 40% of our medical students go out of state" "increasing insurance company responsibility for our patients and their clients"  --> right now these companies will often not reimburse appropriately, leaving physicians to bill their patients or absorb the cost.  They also limit how physicians treat their patients by limiting the medical care they will pay for.   

"the rural doctor shortage"

This coming week I'll be down in Austin again with the Rural group, lobbying-it-up!

 I have problems with normal poses!  Probably some medical/psychiatric condition.

Praises: Thanks for praying, because I felt like Jesus overflowed from this person a bit more.

Prayer: Diligence and focus in Board Exam studies this month.  It's coming along, but needs to be ratcheted up.