October 13, 2004 · 10:36 pm

The Pain Motivation

It’s always a bit disappointing when a patient that really needs dental care has an attitude problem that prevents them from accepting their role in the treatment of their problem.  We had a young girl – late teens – who came in with her mother a while ago.  She needed a lot of teeth restored and a root canal.  But her mouth was so dirty that the first day I refused to do anything for her.  There was really no point in trying.  The plaque was so thick – like fur on moldy bread. 

I called her mother in that first day and showed her the problem, explaining that there was no way that I could ask for approval from the funding agency for payment for a root canal under the conditions present in her mouth.  Sometimes mothers at this point get really upset with me.  This mother understood but I think there was not much she could do.  I think this girl has other issues that have more to do with defiance than with an inability to brush.  So she got a toothbrush and a new appointment. 

She came to the next appointment.  Her hygiene was not great but it was acceptable so the abscessed tooth was treated to what we call an open and drain – not the complete root canal but enough to get rid of the infection.  The pain normally goes away after this appointment.  Sometimes pain can be a good thing.  It drives us to get the treatment we need even if we do not want the accompanying discomfort of receiving the treatment. 

Today she did not come for the next appointment.  I guess we took away the only motivating factor.  That is always kind of sad.  Working towards health is always a better choice.

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October 12, 2004 · 11:13 pm

Northern Sky

The lights of the Aurora Borealis arch across the northern sky from west of the Big Dipper to east of Pleiades way off past the airport on my little horizon.  The sky sparkles as if wearing a dark blue velvet skirt dusted with tiny grains of silver and diamonds.  The air is crisp, bordering on icy.  My fingers feel it – the approach of winter.  Part of me welcomes this change; this autumn season.  Part of me wishes for summer, which was too short and too cold this year, to win a bit more time.  But even in the dark, I hear the geese honking as they gather to begin their southern journey.  They aren’t sentimental about autumn at all.  They just know they had better begin to gather and move on.  The seasons will change and all my wishing will not stop them on the parts that I deem most favorable.

I like these walks along the riverbank in the early night.  They clear out some of the cluttered thoughts from the day.  I seem to have less junk jostling for top priority on my mind when I’m out walking.  It seems to give God and me clearer access to each other – but that is kind of stupid.  He’s not a radio signal.  Maybe it is just that I quiet down my mind when I’m walking so I can hear him better.  In any case, these walks and this time are holding me close to God at a time when other stuff threatens to pull me away.  

So here I am lamenting the approaching cold, snow and ice that will end these walks.  I guess I will migrate too, like the geese – inside – and set aside some little sacred space in the warmth of my home. 

 

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October 11, 2004 · 9:05 pm

Right or wrong?

 “I think we often forget we are called to be loving, not right. We are called to live as Christ lived, not to know what Christ knew. ”  From a blog entry by Andrew at The Road to Daejeon.  He was talking about certainty and whether it is that important.

 “To have the humility to admit that I could be wrong, not neccessarily about the larger things, but even about the smaller intricacies of my Christian faith, creates problems. “

” So can we be to certain? can certainty get in the way? I think so. To much certainty denies we are human, fallible and fallen. To much certainty denies the process of growth in knowledge and wisdom.

I think we often forget we are called to be loving, not right. We are called to live as Christ lived, not to know what Christ knew. “

Phil,

I can appreciate your reasons for not liking that word.  And since I know how offended you are by it, I won’t be using it if I can help it in your presence.  

But I will take exception to something that you wrote “I’d like to make it clear that my biggest problem with the word isn’t that new Christians and seekers use it, but that church leaders are using it.”  I think we have to be very careful in implying that there are certain standards of behaviour to be adhered to by Christians.  When we set up rules for behaviour we quickly become legalistic.  Using this word, worse (more profane) words, depends so much on the upbringing and culture of the speaker.  No matter where we are coming from the words we use, nice as they may be are not the mark of a Christian.

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October 11, 2004 · 7:50 pm

Right or wrong?

 “I think we often forget we are called to be loving, not right. We are called to live as Christ lived, not to know what Christ knew. ”  From a blog entry by Andrew at The Road to Daejeon.  He was talking about certainty and whether it is that important.

 “To have the humility to admit that I could be wrong, not neccessarily about the larger things, but even about the smaller intricacies of my Christian faith, creates problems. “

” So can we be to certain? can certainty get in the way? I think so. To much certainty denies we are human, fallible and fallen. To much certainty denies the process of growth in knowledge and wisdom.

I think we often forget we are called to be loving, not right. We are called to live as Christ lived, not to know what Christ knew. “

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October 11, 2004 · 7:37 pm

New blogger

Welcome Steve to the world of blogging. 

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October 11, 2004 · 9:55 am

Browsing

Picked this off a site I visit every now and then.  It fits where I am right now.

A prayer from Teresa of Avila (1515-1582)

Let nothing disturb you;
let nothing dismay you;
all things pass:
God never changes.
Patience attains
all it strives for.
He who has God
finds he lacks nothing:
God alone suffices.

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October 10, 2004 · 6:47 am

Just looking back

This time last year I wrote a bit on thankfulness.  It still stands.  So I will republish it here.  Maybe that is laziness but I meant it then and still do.  And I have guests to take care of today.

I don’t gush thankfulness.  Oh, there are times when I am full of thanks and it bubbles out but they are the times when some big event has just turned out as I would like it to.  Most of the time my thanks is for smaller more ordinary things.  The things that go on and make life what it is.  The things that give my life direction and meaning.

Just this morning, I was thankful for the sun on the golden leaves.  Thankful for the good cup of coffee in my hand as I watched the sun come up.  Thankful for the good nights sleep, a warm house and a comfortable and safe bed to sleep in.  For the place that I call home where I feel safe, where I can relax, where I can sit at my computer with it’s high speed access and communicate at ease across the globe. 

I’m thankful that I have family that are important to me and to whom I am important too.   I’m even thankful that they need me and feel at ease enough with me secure enough that I love them to unload some of their burdens on me.  And I am thankful that I can pass on their needs to God.  And that he listens to me and helps me carry whatever burdens I have picked up.

I am thankful for the work I have to do.  Not everyone has a career they enjoy.  Not everyone has seen God work through them as they practice their line of work seeing God use what I have to offer is a blessing indeed to be thankful for.

I am thankful for friends.  I am thankful for the mutual love and care we can give each other.   And I’m thankful that I can make new friends and that some friendships grow and become deep and meaningful.  I am thankful that I am married to my best friend and that our marriage is still full of love and mutual respect.

I am thankful for my senses and that all are still working adequately.  As I start to see the changes that age makes, the senses of sight and hearing, touch, smell and taste become more precious.  I can’t count on things lasting forever so I will be thankful for each day that I have them.  And every day that I can still think and react appropriately, I will be thankful for my mind; for the ability to learn new concepts and skills, for the pleasures of reading and listening to music and laughter at a good joke.

 The list could go on at length because there are so many things that I live with each day that I need to appreciate and give thanks for.  So many little things I live with and assume will go on and on when I know that they cannot.   So I will give thanks for each day I am given, for each moment of good health, for each moment when my mind is clear, for each moment when I can move around on my own, and in my times of distress, for each time when God shows me my utter dependence on him. 

I will thank God for his never ending provision of all I need. 

 

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October 8, 2004 · 10:43 pm

A day off

Today was the first day I have had off in a long time.  Well, not exactly all off but mostly.  I did go in to the office to see one patient first thing this am.  But it was one of my patients I also count as friend and so it was a little bit more like a visit than work.  Course she couldn’t say much with my hands in her mouth, but anyway…

After that, I came home to my daughter asleep on my couch.  She had left Saskatoon very early to bring kitty up to the vet.  He needed to lose some parts and it is enough cheaper here that it easily paid for her to spend the money on gas to come up here.  She was studying and fell asleep, so I let her till it came time to meet Leo for lunch. 

Then to the bank to talk about a student line of credit.  That went well I think.  Spent over an hour working over the figures with our banker. 

Then shopping for a few things before coffee with Randall.  And we just happened to run into Marc and he joined us later.  Almost had a mini blogfest.  One of the best things about blogging is the people one actually gets to meet in person.

Then I decided to join Leo and Rachelle for an evening at the movies.  Went to Ladder 49.  That is a great movie – well worth watching.  Even at the price a movie costs nowadays.

And today was Prince Albert’s 100th birthday as a city.  We are older than the province.  I guess it paid to be on a fur trade route back then – as far as development went.  So in honor of the big day there were fireworks up in the park.  I decided to drive by and see how they were.  By PA’s standards they were awesome.  A little short of the fireworks at La Ronde in Montreal – but hey – this is just little old PA.

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October 7, 2004 · 9:06 pm

Post-op

Her eastern european accent was thick.  Just had some extractions – going over the rules (ie:post-op instructions).  You know – no smoking for 24 hours; no alcoholic beverages, etc.

“Vat!  You’re joking, no?” 

Explanation follows of the reasons for the rules.   Silence.

“Just a leetle bit of vodka vould be ok, no?”

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October 6, 2004 · 10:48 pm

Talking on the phone

Just getting off the phone with my oldest daughter.  Cool. 

We were talking about her studies. She is really working hard and I am becoming more and more proud of her.  She is upgrading her high school subjects – her high school performance was abysmal – she dropped out – then went back a couple of years ago as a “mature student” .  She is paying for these courses now and working her butt off.  She did pretty well in her Chemistry test and called me about that. 

Getting a phone call like this is worth rejoicing over – compared to last weeks hysterical call over the falling air conditioner.  I don’t think I’d better divulge that story yet.  Later on – maybe much later on – it will be laughed about.  But not yet.

She is actually exploring the idea of going into medicine.  That is almost a frightening thought since guess who gets to help foot the bill???

As we were talking though, it was crazy how much like me and Leo she sounded as she told how excited she was about getting to dissect a fetal pig soon.  One of the girls in her class who is going into nursing has “issues” with this I guess.  Rachelle is a lot more pragmatic – get over it she said to the other girl – we’re doing it to learn – and you are wanting to go into nursing. 

Sounds like she has a good advisor too.  She is going to help Rachelle plan out her courses carefully for the next few years.

But the real  little gem for me in the whole conversation?  She was afraid she was going to end up with a parking ticket and said “Mom, I was praying so hard that I wouldn’t get a ticket.”  And she didn’t.  Now that is a tiny little weeny miniscule thing – but to me it is a spark worth fanning.

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