"We are the clay and You our potter" Isa 64:8

This Christmas I decided to ask for a guitar. I have always wanted to learn to play but I never had a guitar that was small enough for my hands, nor have I ever really had time to learn to play. While medical school and residency are not the best times to be picking up a new instrument, I figured this spring and summer I would have more time to learn than I will in the next like 3 years at least. So Christmas Day I opened a junior Yamaha guitar. I spent my 2 weeks off of school to practice some easy common chords, and I tried playing them in simple worship songs. I've missed making music. Singing is great but, at least for me, I don't feel the music as deeply as I do when I'm making the music and singing to it. I don't have dreams of playing for a worship band again as I did once playing the drums. I don't even really want to play for my friends and family. Honestly as I thought about what to 'get' this Christmas, I wondered what I could give back to the Go...

I remember watching my aunt care for her little brother. My uncle had very bad diabetes and my aunt fought hard to make sure he got the best care possible. When he went for his transplant evaluation at UVA I heard my aunt made several employees mad by the way she fought for him. She was scared and trying desperately to give him this last chance at a better life. Watching how she loved him, and how she just wanted the best for him, has given me better insight into the fears faced by these families as they watch their children suffer. I met a father this week whose son had just been diagnosed with cancer. He is terrified that his son may be ripped away from him. He is at the best hospital in the world for his son’s cancer, and they don't have to pay a cent. Yet, since his arrival, Kevin has not ceased to push back at everything done to his son. He questions it all, asks if things can be done a better way, and is not afraid to let you know he is very angry. To the staff he i...

This past week I made the 8 hour trek across the great state of Tennessee. Granted with family in Knoxville and in Nashville it took me 3 days because I had to stop and take advantage of seeing them. But Sunday evening I rolled into midtown Memphis. I’m not usually the sort to stay with random strangers (except almost all my trips to Africa). But, it is completely different when you know those strangers are in fact your brother and sister in Christ! Actually it makes ALL the difference. For the month of January I will be allowed to ‘work’ with hospital patients at St Jude Children’s Research Hospital. And if that wasn’t enough grace from God, He has also provided a wonderful family for me to stay with free of charge AND they even let me eat dinner with them free of charge. Like a free home cooked meal that I didn’t have to cook! I’m pretty sure every morning and every evening I sincerely thank God for each of these amazing blessings. Like I have told my sister before the big 3 for...