Mind Doodles

Haiti--a story

This is Damas (rhymes with Thomas).

  

 He was one of my favorite people that I met in Haiti last week.

Damas worked with me and Brad (in the ball cap) in the pharmacy as our interpreter.  He translated our instructions to each patient that came through the clinic.  

He was very good.  VERY GOOD.  

So good, in fact, that one of the doctors stole him from us on the last day.  (But, I'm not bitter).

I LOVED working with Damas.  He was such a good communicator.  He listened carefully to all of the instructions and had such a gentle way about him.  Brad and I knew we had such a gem.  Unfortunately, we were bragging about him to everyone else and then one of the doctors stole him from us.                       (Oh!  Did I already mention that?)

Okay--back to the story.

One day, Brad and I sat down for a lunch break with Damas.  We asked him some questions about his life and he shared his story with us.

Damas grew up in Jacmel.  He was raised by both his mother and father.  If I understand correctly, he didn't have any siblings.  

He was able to attend high school (which in and of itself is a rarity in Haiti).  After high school, he moved to Port Au Prince to attend the University.  It is his dream to receive a college degree in business and go into management.  He isn't picky about what kind of management.  He would like to manage a store, a company, any kind of business really.  

He was at school during the earthquake.  He and some friends had gone outside to hang out in the courtyard when the earthquake began.  They felt the full force of the quake but were outside in an area away from the buildings and falling debris.  When he turned around, the University was completely flattened.  There is nothing left of it.  

He lost many friends that day. 

When he told us his story, he fought back tears.

He is now back in Jacmel, living with his parents.  Their home is still standing and he feels very blessed.

He has no plans for continuing his education.  He hopes that one day the Univeristy will be rebuilt and he will be able to finish his degree.  He has 2 1/2 more years of study.   

At this point, he is just thankful to be alive.

I was so impressed with him.  He looked at the time he spent with us in the clinic as "good experience to help prepare him for his future".  

I am thankful that I had the opportunity to work along side him. 

50 Ways to Cope with Stress

Get up 15 minutes earlier. Prepare for the morning the night before. Don't rely on your memory...write things down.  Repair things that don't work properly.  MAKE DUPLICATE KEYS.  SAY "NO" MORE OFTEN.  Set priorities in your life.  Avoid negative people.  Always make copies of important papers.  ASK FOR HELP WITH JOBS YOU DISLIKE.  Break large tasks into bite-sized portions.  Look at problems as challenges.  Smile more.  Be prepared for rain.  SCHEDULE A PLAY TIME INTO EVERY DAY. Avoid tight fitting clothes.  Take a bubble bath. BELIEVE IN YOU.  Visualize yourself winning.  Develop a sense of humor.  Stop thinking tomorrow will be a better day.  Have goals for yourself.  SAY HELLO TO A STRANGER.  Look up at the stars.  Practice breathing slowly.  DO BRAND NEW THINGS.  Stop a bad habit.  Take stock of your achievements.  DO IT TODAY.  Strive for excellence, NOT perfection. LOOK AT A WORK OF ART.  Maintain your weight.  Plant a tree.  Stand up and stretch.  Always have a plan B.  Learn a new doodle.  Learn your own needs.  BECOME A BETTER LISTENER.  Know your limitations and let others know them too.  Throw a paper airplane.  Exercise every day.   Get to work early.  Clean out one closet.  Take a different route to work.  Leave work early (with permission). REMEMBER YOU ALWAYS HAVE OPTIONS. Quit trying to fix other people.  Get enough sleep. PRAISE OTHER PEOPLE.  Relax, take each day at a time...YOU HAVE THE REST OF YOUR LIFE TO LIVE.  

This is something I needed to read today.  Maybe it will help you, too.

On An Adventure

I'm headed to Haiti.  It was kind of a last minute thing--which sometimes is the best kind of trip to take. I'm looking forward to seeing what God has in store for me.  I will be traveling with 14 others from a Crosspointe Church medical team.  

If you know me well, I know what you are thinking. . ."Kris, on a medical trip???????!!!!!!" 

Well, I won't be the only non-medical personnel on the trip.  We'll be serving wherever we are needed and I know that there are plenty of needs.  

But, to prepare for this trip, I've been playing nurse to Courtney all day long.  She had her wisdom teeth removed this morning. (And friends, that involved lots of bloody gauze).  I did just fine.  In fact, I was pretty stellar, if I might say so myself.  Okay--not really stellar but I definitely  managed.  

If you'd like to follow along, you can check out our trip on Pam's blog.

We could use your prayers, too.

Movies I Never Get Tired of Seeing

Today Courtney had her wisdom teeth removed.  So, it is going to be a day where we hang out at home. She will be down for a day or two.  It's always good to have a few movies on hand for days like these. There are a few movies that we never get tired of seeing.  Some of them are shown repeatedly on cable.  But, no matter how many times we have seen them, if we're looking for something to watch, we always gravitate toward our old standby favorites.  

Here are a few of them:

The Shawshank Redemption

    (Brilliant--absolutely brilliant!)

The Bourne Identity

The Bourne Supremacy

The Bourne Ultimatum

(Nothing beats a Bourne marathon!)

Return to Me

    (Ahhhh. . .one of my favorite love stories!)

The Princess Bride

    (For a little comic relief.  How can we laugh at the same parts over and over?)

Rear Window

    (Classic Hitchcock.  They just don't make 'em like this anymore.  And Grace Kelly--what can I say?)

Parent Trap

    (The old one AND the new one.)

Remember the Titans

    (For a little team spirit)

What about you?  What are some of your favorites?

Apps for Parents

Leave it to Apple to come up with ways to help make parenting easier.  

Check out these new Apps for the iPhone.

Walt Disney World Wait Times (Free)

What could make Disney World better?  Knowing how to navigate the parks to make the most of your time there.  This app gives all the wait times on every ride and show.  It also tells you the time of the next available fast pass.  

My friends Scott and Jacque just used this one on their recent trip to Disney.  They said it was absolutely wonderful!  

The Cry Translator

The company claims that after listening to a baby's cry for 10 seconds, the app will light one of 5        icons.  Those icons will show whether the baby is hungry, annoyed, bored, sleepy, or in discomfort. 

When you have a new baby, and are sleep deprived, I guess you'll take all the help you can get.  

WebMD Mobile (Free)

 

Enables parents to look up symptoms and try to figure out what’s ailing their children. This is a great resource to try and narrow down what is going on, and prepare for a doctor visit if necessary.

Time Out (Free)

 

Kids’ behavior is unpredictable and there’s no knowing when a time-out may be necessary. When you’re away from the confines of your house and your kids act up, this simple timer on your phone can be used to track a time-out.

Sit or Squat (Free)

 

I would have absolutely loved this when my kids were younger.  It was inevitable that while we were out and about one of them was going to have to go potty.  This app helps you find the nearby public restrooms.

myStarbucks

 

This is a must for all sleep deprived new parents!

Allrecipes.com Dinner Spinner (Free)

You know the drill.  You look at the clock and realize you have no idea what you will be making for dinner. With this app,  you can select a dish type, ingredients, and prep time and ‘spin’ to see what kind of options pop up. Complete with photos and a search function, this is a great tool for on the go parents.

White Noise (Free)

Babies scream, toddlers pout, and parents can often lose their minds. Since the sound of crickets chirping has the same relaxing effect on children as it does on adults, White Noise is perfect for taking things down a notch.