Monday, April 23, 2012

It Feels like Home

Five years ago this month I left a job where I had worked for 14 years as a dental hygienist, treating and caring for my patients as if they were my friends and family. During that time I also trained new employees, set up standard operating procedures for the hygiene department and worked on advertizing; basically doing whatever I could to help the practice grow.  In the 14 years I was there the practice went from three chairs to six chairs and three employees to six employees because we all worked together as a team. 

So why did I leave? The Dentist changed the vision of his practice. He wanted an upscale cosmetic practice instead of continuing with his thriving family practice.  I don’t think he was wrong in wanting to change his practice or that the methods he used to change it were wrong but after two years of struggling through the changes I realized I didn’t enjoy working in an upscale cosmetic practice. As much as I wanted to stay and buy into the new vision I just couldn’t. It wasn’t me. I was too practical and I missed the homey feeling of the family practice.
So, following the Lord’s leading I found a periodontal practice with the homey friendly  feeling I liked but it wasn’t without its difficulties. Those first few years after the “honeymoon” phase was over I had many doubts about whether or not I had made the right decision and if I had the vigor to learn a new job at a new office with a new employer and new employees. My new co-workers had worked together for about 10 years; they were all good friends and had their own way of doing things.  It took time to learn their systems and although they were "friendly" it took time for us to become friends; it took time for their patients to trust me and it took time for me to stop missing the way things use to be. I’m not sure when it started feeling like home but today I’m very thankful for their patience and encouragement and friendship and that “IT FEELS LIKE HOME!”




Monday, April 9, 2012

An Oasis

The sights and sounds I enjoy from my rocking chair…..



The Waterfalls
The Windchime


My Backyard Friends
My protection




And the healing that still needs to be done!


For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made...... Rom 1:20




Sunday, April 8, 2012

And my only comfort

in life and in death is….
 
That I am not my own,
but belong—
body and soul,
in life and in death—
to my faithful Savior Jesus Christ.

He has fully paid for all my sins with his precious blood, and has set me free from the tyranny of the devil. He also watches over me in such a way
that not a hair can fall from my head
without the will of my Father in heaven:
in fact, all things must work together for my salvation.
Because I belong to him,
Christ, by his Holy Spirit,
assures me of eternal life
and makes me wholeheartedly willing and ready
from now on to live for him.


The Heidelberg Catechism