This afternoon was very exciting. I left class a few minutes early to get back to Macon in time for a 4pm appointment. Little did I know what was awaiting me on I75. As I was passing the Griffin/Jackson exit I heard on the radio that a tractor trailer had been stolen and was headed 75 south with the owner of the truck hanging onto the back of it. As I got farther down the road traffic came to a stop just below the Johnstonville Rd. exit. This was around 3:15pm. People began to get out of their cars and walk around because it was obvious that we would not be going anywhere for a while. I sat in my car called my dad, Ben, and texted a few friends. On the way down to Macon I drank a full bottle of water so my bladder was about to burst and there was no where for me to relieve myself. One of my friends suggested I use the bottle that I had in the car (don't worry I didn't). Around 4pm we started to move again, and as soon as I got to Forsyth I headed to the McDonald's restroom!
It turns out that the police put spikes in the road to stop the tractor trailer. It had stopped just above Forsyth. It turns out that the tractor trailer was stolen at a Kroger in Fulton county and the owner of the rig jumped on the back of it. It wasn't stopped until Monroe county.
You can find out more about it here.
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
Monday, April 20, 2009
Weekend Events and Health Report
Ben and I had an excellent weekend together! Saturday morning we got up around 7am to have breakfast at J. Christopher's with Ben's parents before they had to head to Rome for Matt's track meet. Following breakfast we began our tour for central Georgia. We first headed 45 minutes south to Hawkinsville to help Carson and Jennifer look for a home, which they found and made an offer on and negotiations are well under way! HOORAY for them! After house hunting Ben and I drove some more. This time we drove an hour and a half to Milledgeville to see the movie 17 Again! You may wonder why we went all the way to Milledgeville to see a movie! Well, we received a Carmike Movie Theatre gift certificate for Christmas, and we don't have a Carmike Theatre in Macon. So, Ben and I decided to make a little trip out of it. We got to M-Ville early so we walked around the mall for a little while. I purchased the children's book Runaway Bunny (a book of great symbolism) and some decorations (on sale) for the Georgia themed couple's shower I will be hosting for Carson and Jennifer in October! The movie was good, but was more like a "teeny bopper" movie. If you want to see something lighthearted and fun this would be a good choice for you! After the movie Ben and I headed to the Brick, a local pizza place in Milledgeville! The pizza was great!
Sunday we went to church, then came home to do our own things for the afternoon. I caught up on some school work, while Ben did some yard work. Later in the afternoon I went to the Esther Bible Study, only we did not study Esther this week because we had a couple ladies missing due to illness. Instead we took a tour of Melissa's AMAZING garden and then delivered some food to the sick ones! I think they really enjoyed it. When I got back home Ben and I went to the River Walk to exercise. We would jog for a little bit, then have to stop and walk, then we would jog some more. Neither one of us has very much endurance! I think we jogged about a mile total and walked about three miles, which pleased me! After exercising we came home and watched Wit one more time before I have to return it and so I can be ready to talk about it with my mentor on Wednesday. We had a great weekend together!
Today was Mr. Chuck's surgery. They were unable to do the surgery laprscopicly as they had hoped, but the surgery went well! The doctor removed 18" of colon, but they said they don't think it is cancerous after all! This is GREAT news.
Sunday we went to church, then came home to do our own things for the afternoon. I caught up on some school work, while Ben did some yard work. Later in the afternoon I went to the Esther Bible Study, only we did not study Esther this week because we had a couple ladies missing due to illness. Instead we took a tour of Melissa's AMAZING garden and then delivered some food to the sick ones! I think they really enjoyed it. When I got back home Ben and I went to the River Walk to exercise. We would jog for a little bit, then have to stop and walk, then we would jog some more. Neither one of us has very much endurance! I think we jogged about a mile total and walked about three miles, which pleased me! After exercising we came home and watched Wit one more time before I have to return it and so I can be ready to talk about it with my mentor on Wednesday. We had a great weekend together!
Today was Mr. Chuck's surgery. They were unable to do the surgery laprscopicly as they had hoped, but the surgery went well! The doctor removed 18" of colon, but they said they don't think it is cancerous after all! This is GREAT news.
Friday, April 17, 2009
Good Days
The past two days have been pretty good for me. Yesterday I had a good ride to Atlanta and a couple songs really spoke to me and some of the things I've been dealing with lately. They were THE VOICE OF TRUTH by Casting Crowns and ALL YOU GOT by Tait. I've listened to these songs many times before, but yesterday God used them to speak to me in a new way.
Yesterday evening I went to to the gym with Melanie. We walked the track for about an hour and had a good time catching up with one another. It's great to be able to talk to Melanie because we are at similar places in our lives and have so much in common.
I went to the gym this morning and did weights, elliptical, and bike. I've been everyday this week!! WOOHOO!! After the gym I came home and cleaned house because Ben's parents are staying with us tonight. I am looking forward to the visit because they don't make it down here very often. I also got my hair cut this evening and when I got home Ben had dinner ready. It was a nice not to have to worry about what we were going to eat. We had spaghetti, which was simple but good.
In the morning we are going to eat breakfast at J. Christopher's with Ben's parents. And then Ben and I are planning to have some quality time together tomorrow. I think we're going to Milledgeville to see the movie 17 Again, walk around a bit, and then go to The Brick for pizza. I'm looking forward to a good day with my hubby tomorrow!
Yesterday evening I went to to the gym with Melanie. We walked the track for about an hour and had a good time catching up with one another. It's great to be able to talk to Melanie because we are at similar places in our lives and have so much in common.
I went to the gym this morning and did weights, elliptical, and bike. I've been everyday this week!! WOOHOO!! After the gym I came home and cleaned house because Ben's parents are staying with us tonight. I am looking forward to the visit because they don't make it down here very often. I also got my hair cut this evening and when I got home Ben had dinner ready. It was a nice not to have to worry about what we were going to eat. We had spaghetti, which was simple but good.
In the morning we are going to eat breakfast at J. Christopher's with Ben's parents. And then Ben and I are planning to have some quality time together tomorrow. I think we're going to Milledgeville to see the movie 17 Again, walk around a bit, and then go to The Brick for pizza. I'm looking forward to a good day with my hubby tomorrow!
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
Sad News
We have received some sad news the past couple of days. On Monday night my dad called to tell my that my best friend's dad is having major surgery next Monday. He has a polyp in his colon that the doctors believe to be cancerous so they will be removing 12" of colon. He will spend several days in the hospital and then go home for six weeks of recovery time.
Yesterday Ben came home and told me that his company laid off 70 people including his supervisor. He told me that they have recently lost some big contracts including Kroger, Dollar General, and Wal-Mart's white cloud brand. I think Ben is concerned about the future of the company and how all of this will affect him in the long run. He will now be the top person in his department and the one who knows the most about his supervisors position. I am a little concerned and nervous about all of this. I don't think Ben saw it coming, and it makes you wonder what is coming further down the road.
All we can do is pray about both of these situations and look for God's hand at work in the midst of these struggles!
Yesterday Ben came home and told me that his company laid off 70 people including his supervisor. He told me that they have recently lost some big contracts including Kroger, Dollar General, and Wal-Mart's white cloud brand. I think Ben is concerned about the future of the company and how all of this will affect him in the long run. He will now be the top person in his department and the one who knows the most about his supervisors position. I am a little concerned and nervous about all of this. I don't think Ben saw it coming, and it makes you wonder what is coming further down the road.
All we can do is pray about both of these situations and look for God's hand at work in the midst of these struggles!
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
Busyness
I have been trying to learn to take some time and relax, but this has been extremely difficult for me. Lately I have been planning busy days for myself, and I am not sure how to avoid this.
For Example: I got up at 6am yesterday and was at the gym at 6:15. I worked out for about an hour and then came home and showered. I left the house at 8:20 for a Dr.'s appointment at 8:45. My Dr.'s appointment was over about 9:15. Then I ran a couple of errands. I put gas in my car, where I proceeded to get gasoline on my shoes and the ground. Then I went to the Mercer library to return a book and from there to the bank. I was home around 10am. I did some studying, packed my things for a night away from home, ate lunch, and did some "home administrative" stuff. I left home around 1:30 to meet a friend at her house to catch up. I left her house at 3pm and headed to Atlanta to meet with my mentoring coaching partner for dinner at 5pm. We met until about 6:15 and then I went to study with Lauren and Peyton for the NT exam I had today. I finally got to bed around 11:30. It was a long busy day!
Today was not much better. I woke up at 6am to do some last minute studying, took my exam at 9am, went to chapel at 10:45, ate at a scholar/donor luncheon at noon, and then had class at 1:oo. After class I headed home to Macon. My plan for this evening is to head to the gym around 6:30, workout for an hour, come home, shower, and chill out with a book for the rest of the night. We will see how well I do at chilling out tonight!
For Example: I got up at 6am yesterday and was at the gym at 6:15. I worked out for about an hour and then came home and showered. I left the house at 8:20 for a Dr.'s appointment at 8:45. My Dr.'s appointment was over about 9:15. Then I ran a couple of errands. I put gas in my car, where I proceeded to get gasoline on my shoes and the ground. Then I went to the Mercer library to return a book and from there to the bank. I was home around 10am. I did some studying, packed my things for a night away from home, ate lunch, and did some "home administrative" stuff. I left home around 1:30 to meet a friend at her house to catch up. I left her house at 3pm and headed to Atlanta to meet with my mentoring coaching partner for dinner at 5pm. We met until about 6:15 and then I went to study with Lauren and Peyton for the NT exam I had today. I finally got to bed around 11:30. It was a long busy day!
Today was not much better. I woke up at 6am to do some last minute studying, took my exam at 9am, went to chapel at 10:45, ate at a scholar/donor luncheon at noon, and then had class at 1:oo. After class I headed home to Macon. My plan for this evening is to head to the gym around 6:30, workout for an hour, come home, shower, and chill out with a book for the rest of the night. We will see how well I do at chilling out tonight!
Easter Weekend
Ben and I spent Easter weekend in Savannah with my family. When we got to Savannah on Friday afternoon we found Mom, Dad, Carson, and Jennifer sitting around the kitchen table talking about insurance (medical and auto). Carson will be graduating in a little over a month, which means he will no longer be able to stay on my parents' insurance plans. My dad did some research and presented them with some options.
Mom and Dad gave us out Easter baskets on Friday since Carson, Jennifer, Ben, and I were all together. Each one was filled with all sorts of goodies suited for each person.
Friday evening Ben, Carson, Jamie, Reagan, and I went to the Jennifer's home to dye Easter eggs. This is a tradition that the Powell family has been doing for a while. Jennifer's mom has always has some snacks set out for us including jello in the shape of eggs. How fun!
After we dyed eggs we went back to my parents house to eat dinner. Mom made made a wonderful meal including cream cheese chicken, orzo, and green beans. Then we had brownie sundaes with homemade ice cream for dessert. It was so good!
Saturday morning we went out for breakfast with Aunt Brenda, Mr. Chuck, Jamie, Reagan, and Thomas, a usual Saturday morning tradition. Following breakfast mom and I went to Dress Barn and did some shopping. I ended up spending all of by b-day money plus some of mom's money. I bought two dresses, two pair of shows, three pair of pants, a skirt, and three shirts. Retail therapy is great!
Saturday afternoon my family went out to Jamie's house to watch Reagan hunt Easter eggs since Carson would not be there on Sunday because he has a church job. We had a good time and saw Regan's new pets that the Easter bunny brought her, which was two bunnies.
Poppie called on Saturday and told Dad that since they did not get Easter cards in the mail to us, he wanted us to go eat at the Salt Water Grille for dinner and he would send dad a check in the mail to pay for the dinner. So that's what we did. I had the pecan crusted grouper with mashed potatoes and asparagus. It was delicious.
On Sunday we went to church and enjoyed the worship service. The music sung by the choir was especially good! Following church mom had Dada, Aunt Brenda, Mr. Chuck, Jamie, Reagan, Thomas, and the Bell family over for lunch. Mom had a great meal including turkey, ham, dressing, squash casserole, mac and cheese, carrott souffle, strawberry pretzel salad, peas, homemade rolls, and a spread of wonderful desserts. It was all delicious!
After lunch we hid Easter eggs for Reagan to find. She is certainly good at finding those eggs. Ben and I left Savannah around 4:30 to head back to Macon. It was a great weekend.
Mom and Dad gave us out Easter baskets on Friday since Carson, Jennifer, Ben, and I were all together. Each one was filled with all sorts of goodies suited for each person.
Friday evening Ben, Carson, Jamie, Reagan, and I went to the Jennifer's home to dye Easter eggs. This is a tradition that the Powell family has been doing for a while. Jennifer's mom has always has some snacks set out for us including jello in the shape of eggs. How fun!
After we dyed eggs we went back to my parents house to eat dinner. Mom made made a wonderful meal including cream cheese chicken, orzo, and green beans. Then we had brownie sundaes with homemade ice cream for dessert. It was so good!
Saturday morning we went out for breakfast with Aunt Brenda, Mr. Chuck, Jamie, Reagan, and Thomas, a usual Saturday morning tradition. Following breakfast mom and I went to Dress Barn and did some shopping. I ended up spending all of by b-day money plus some of mom's money. I bought two dresses, two pair of shows, three pair of pants, a skirt, and three shirts. Retail therapy is great!
Saturday afternoon my family went out to Jamie's house to watch Reagan hunt Easter eggs since Carson would not be there on Sunday because he has a church job. We had a good time and saw Regan's new pets that the Easter bunny brought her, which was two bunnies.
Poppie called on Saturday and told Dad that since they did not get Easter cards in the mail to us, he wanted us to go eat at the Salt Water Grille for dinner and he would send dad a check in the mail to pay for the dinner. So that's what we did. I had the pecan crusted grouper with mashed potatoes and asparagus. It was delicious.
On Sunday we went to church and enjoyed the worship service. The music sung by the choir was especially good! Following church mom had Dada, Aunt Brenda, Mr. Chuck, Jamie, Reagan, Thomas, and the Bell family over for lunch. Mom had a great meal including turkey, ham, dressing, squash casserole, mac and cheese, carrott souffle, strawberry pretzel salad, peas, homemade rolls, and a spread of wonderful desserts. It was all delicious!
After lunch we hid Easter eggs for Reagan to find. She is certainly good at finding those eggs. Ben and I left Savannah around 4:30 to head back to Macon. It was a great weekend.
Thursday, April 9, 2009
Maundy Thursday
Today began with coffee at J-Cup with Amanda! It's always great to spend time with her. Then I met my mentor and we visited patients. I felt more comfortable visiting patients today than I have in the past. I guess the more you do it the more comfortable you get with it, but I don't think it is something I will ever be completely at ease about and that's okay. I don't think you should be completely at ease with it because each patient and each family are different. You never know what you are going to encounter with each visit. Today's visits were good and I continue to learn so much from my mentor.
This evening Ben and I went to the Maundy Thursday service at church. It was a very moving service. Believe it or not I cried, which is unusual for me. I will never be able to understand the depth of Christ's love. I find myself not being able to fathom how the blood of Christ covers MY sin. I feel so undeserving. Why me, Lord? It seems like that question has been coming up a lot in my life lately. Nevertheless I am grateful to be cleansed by the blood of Christ.
This evening I watched the movie Wit. It is about an english professor who is diagnosed with stage 4 ovarian cancer. She decides to take an aggressive experimental treatment for eight months that makes her extremly sick. This movie gives you another perspective on death, dying, and caring for the dying. It is sure to move you to tears!
I thought I would close this post with a hymn that we sand at the Maundy Thursday service tonight.
Jesus, At Your Holy Table - Tom Allen
Jesus at your holy table, may our hearts united be.
Bind us with your grace and presence that redeem and set us free.
Crucify our pride and hatred, light the path on which we walk.
Teach us how to love each other, in the way that you have taught.
Christ, remind us of your passion, of your precious life outpoured,
Of the love which none can fathom, and our victory evermore.
Bread of heaven, wine of promise, feed us with your holy word.
Nourish us with your strong presence, risen savior, only Lord.
Lift your hearts and raise your voices, celebrate this wonderous love.
Join the chorus with all Chrisitans, and with saints who live above.
Silent lips now sing with gladness, blinded eyes are filled with sight.
Jesus' love has pierced our darkness, bro't us home to peace and light.
This evening Ben and I went to the Maundy Thursday service at church. It was a very moving service. Believe it or not I cried, which is unusual for me. I will never be able to understand the depth of Christ's love. I find myself not being able to fathom how the blood of Christ covers MY sin. I feel so undeserving. Why me, Lord? It seems like that question has been coming up a lot in my life lately. Nevertheless I am grateful to be cleansed by the blood of Christ.
This evening I watched the movie Wit. It is about an english professor who is diagnosed with stage 4 ovarian cancer. She decides to take an aggressive experimental treatment for eight months that makes her extremly sick. This movie gives you another perspective on death, dying, and caring for the dying. It is sure to move you to tears!
I thought I would close this post with a hymn that we sand at the Maundy Thursday service tonight.
Jesus, At Your Holy Table - Tom Allen
Jesus at your holy table, may our hearts united be.
Bind us with your grace and presence that redeem and set us free.
Crucify our pride and hatred, light the path on which we walk.
Teach us how to love each other, in the way that you have taught.
Christ, remind us of your passion, of your precious life outpoured,
Of the love which none can fathom, and our victory evermore.
Bread of heaven, wine of promise, feed us with your holy word.
Nourish us with your strong presence, risen savior, only Lord.
Lift your hearts and raise your voices, celebrate this wonderous love.
Join the chorus with all Chrisitans, and with saints who live above.
Silent lips now sing with gladness, blinded eyes are filled with sight.
Jesus' love has pierced our darkness, bro't us home to peace and light.
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
A busy but enjoyable day!
Today has been a busy, but enjoyable day! I got up early this morning and went to the gym. I worked out for about an hour. Then I came home and got ready to meet my mentor (Hospice Chaplain) at 9:30. Volunteering at Hospice this semester has stirred up things in my life that I have never dealt with, which has led me to do a lot of self reflection. With the help of my mentor I am beginning to sort through some of this stuff, learning more about myself each day.
After meeting with my mentor I went and picked up the pottery that Jamie, Jennifer, Reagan, and I painted a couple weeks ago! They all turned out so cute!
This afternoon I met with the chaplains at the Medical Center to talk about hospital chaplaincy. They shared there CPE experiences with me, and gave me some very helpful advice about CPE and chaplaincy. They told me that no patient visit is the same and that chaplaincy allows you to be creative in your ministry. They also said that with chaplaincy when you leave work, you can really leave it, unlike church ministry. One of them asked me if I had ever been with someone when they died. I told them that I hadn't, and they encouraged me to have someone to call to help me process the experience when I do experience my first death. They encouraged me by telling me that I seemed to be an open perosn who will be far ahead of others because I am asking questions and observing chaplaincy now.
Later in the afternoon I met with the bereavement coordinator to talk about the memorial service. Heartland Hospice has two memorial services a year for the familes and friends of those who have passed away. The theme for the memorial service is Sacred Moments I am helping the bereament coordinator plan the service and I will also be saying something in the service.
After this I treated myself to a manicure and pedicure. Then we went to church tonight!
My pastoral care professor cancelled class for tomorrow with the we promise that we practice a spiritual discipline to observe Maundy Thursday. Since my Thursday is now free I will be going with my mentor to visit patients tomorrow and then Ben and I will go to the Maundy Thursday service at church tomorrow night. We plan to head to Savannah on Friday to spend Easter weekend with my family!
After meeting with my mentor I went and picked up the pottery that Jamie, Jennifer, Reagan, and I painted a couple weeks ago! They all turned out so cute!
This afternoon I met with the chaplains at the Medical Center to talk about hospital chaplaincy. They shared there CPE experiences with me, and gave me some very helpful advice about CPE and chaplaincy. They told me that no patient visit is the same and that chaplaincy allows you to be creative in your ministry. They also said that with chaplaincy when you leave work, you can really leave it, unlike church ministry. One of them asked me if I had ever been with someone when they died. I told them that I hadn't, and they encouraged me to have someone to call to help me process the experience when I do experience my first death. They encouraged me by telling me that I seemed to be an open perosn who will be far ahead of others because I am asking questions and observing chaplaincy now.
Later in the afternoon I met with the bereavement coordinator to talk about the memorial service. Heartland Hospice has two memorial services a year for the familes and friends of those who have passed away. The theme for the memorial service is Sacred Moments I am helping the bereament coordinator plan the service and I will also be saying something in the service.
After this I treated myself to a manicure and pedicure. Then we went to church tonight!
My pastoral care professor cancelled class for tomorrow with the we promise that we practice a spiritual discipline to observe Maundy Thursday. Since my Thursday is now free I will be going with my mentor to visit patients tomorrow and then Ben and I will go to the Maundy Thursday service at church tomorrow night. We plan to head to Savannah on Friday to spend Easter weekend with my family!
Monday, April 6, 2009
Another Monday
Today was another Monday. I met with my coaching partner today for the first time. It was a really good experience. She shared with me what she has learned about the importance of being able to love yourself and of putting your trust in God. I know her words were meant for me to hear. These are both things that I continue to struggle with, but I'm making improvements each day!
I'm staying with the in-laws tonight! We watched a CRAZY episode of House that somehow related to my life right now. It opened with a wife telling her husband it was okay to die, and before he takes his last breath the wife has heart failure. Somehow he managed to gather the strength to call help for her, which prolonged his life. In the end she died and he lived. It's strange that when we come to a new place in life we are able to see life through through the same lens of those who have been in that place before us. The wife now saw life from the same perspective her husband had seen life, and he saw life from her perspective (watching a spouse die). So much of our lives is similar to the lives of others. As my mentor said to me, "the themes are the same, but the content is different." Just something to think about!
I am finished with my paper on My Growth in Emotional Competency, and I couldn't be more glad to have that paper behind me. So much inward reflection is hard exhausting work!
What an accomplishment! I've posted two days in a row!!
I'm staying with the in-laws tonight! We watched a CRAZY episode of House that somehow related to my life right now. It opened with a wife telling her husband it was okay to die, and before he takes his last breath the wife has heart failure. Somehow he managed to gather the strength to call help for her, which prolonged his life. In the end she died and he lived. It's strange that when we come to a new place in life we are able to see life through through the same lens of those who have been in that place before us. The wife now saw life from the same perspective her husband had seen life, and he saw life from her perspective (watching a spouse die). So much of our lives is similar to the lives of others. As my mentor said to me, "the themes are the same, but the content is different." Just something to think about!
I am finished with my paper on My Growth in Emotional Competency, and I couldn't be more glad to have that paper behind me. So much inward reflection is hard exhausting work!
What an accomplishment! I've posted two days in a row!!
Sunday, April 5, 2009
Trying Again
So I thought I would give this blog thing another try.
My life has been a little crazy lately. I continue to try to figure out how to balance school life, home life, mentoring, and the things I enjoy doing for me!
Friday night we ate dinner with Carson and Jennifer. I enjoyed their company after a long hard day! We played a couple of games including "In a Pickle" and "Compatibility". I'm not sure what I think about "In a Pickle," but "Compatibility is ALWAYS fun!
Saturday we helped with the garage sale at church to raise money for summer mission trips to El Salvador and Boston. We did not have as much response as we had hoped, but I think we still did pretty well. It was fun being around and getting to know people you don't get to spend much time with.
My life has been a little crazy lately. I continue to try to figure out how to balance school life, home life, mentoring, and the things I enjoy doing for me!
Friday night we ate dinner with Carson and Jennifer. I enjoyed their company after a long hard day! We played a couple of games including "In a Pickle" and "Compatibility". I'm not sure what I think about "In a Pickle," but "Compatibility is ALWAYS fun!
Saturday we helped with the garage sale at church to raise money for summer mission trips to El Salvador and Boston. We did not have as much response as we had hoped, but I think we still did pretty well. It was fun being around and getting to know people you don't get to spend much time with.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)