I have just finished writing a short story based on the life of prophetess and judge Deborah. Hope you enjoy it!
Sage and Thyme
So it’s been a little while since I posted on this blog. Recently I went to a communication skills course entitled Sage and Thyme – talking to people in distress. It uses an algorithm to develop better listening skills – letting the patient say what they want to before starting to advise. Here it is:
Setting – Ask – Gather – Empathy
Talk – Help – You (what do YOU think would help?) – Me – End
Ta ta for now…
So back to medical training in August, and I imagine this will be the end of the blog too. Have enjoyed the diversion into the road less travelled, deepened my academic rigour and knowledge and visited some fascinating places and organisations. But writing from home is often a lonely and arduous business, and to be honest I miss the patient contact and the chance to work in a larger team. Maybe I’ll return to medical writing at a later date further on in my career. For now I’m putting two feet back into the world of hearts, bones, brains and a lot more…
Grace, faith and care
Have been thinking about acronyms this week – so here are some of my thoughts. I learnt GRACE (God’s Riches at Christ’s Expense) a few years ago; this is my version of FAITH:
Forging
Ahead
In
Trust of
Him
On a different but somewhat related note, The National Institute of Health and Clinical Excellence has recently changed the Clinical part of its name to Care. What could this mean? Maybe:
Compassion
Attentiveness
Rigor
Excellence
All challenging thoughts! I haven’t yet got to hope and love…
… And another on TRUST:
Taking
Risks (carefully)
Under
Strains and
Trials
can sometimes be helpful.
Marching to victory
Following on from the 24/7 Prayer Event yesterday at City Church Dundee (http://citysword.wordpress.com/), here’s a poem based on King Jehoshapat’s battle against the Moabites and Ammonites in 2 Chronicles 20:
A mighty army from the Dead Sea threatened;
The Israelites were feared and defeat was reckoned.
But Kind Jehoshapat called out to his God,
“Please save us from this fast-advancing horde!”
They stood before the Temple of the Lord.
And pleaded with Him to save them from the sword.
God had much greater plans than their ideas in mind;
He wanted them in Him their strength to find.
On Tekoa’s plan the rival armies met;
The psalms of praise and battle drums were set.
And they didn’t have to draw their weapons at all;
The Moabites and Ammonites fell on each other like a squall.
Divided and confused, they destroyed each other.
And Jehoshapat’s army were left to divide the plunder.
Beracah, they named it, because God had blessed them so greatly.
The faith they developed that day was inside them innately.
And all that day they sang praises to the great God on high;
Marching into Jerusalem proclaiming the name of El-Shaddai.
Weekly Photo Challenge: Color
Wow! Gorillas – Bristol
Daily Prompt: Local Flavor
Off to the ice hockey tonight with Red Cross so it seemed like a good topic to write about – in travel guide style …
Dundee Ice Arena is home to some of the country’s best skating talent and offers family skating sessions at weekends as well as disco nights. Just outside Camperdown Park off the A90, it is right next to the cinema and not far from McDonald’s and Premier Inn. Avid skaters will bring their own shoes and attend regular sessions in either figure skating or ice hockey. Teams include the Dundee Stars, Tigers, Devils and Wildcats, and there are also junior teams. Public skating lessons happen on a Monday and Tuesday for £6 including skate hire, and on Mondays and Fridays there is Snowbabies for the under 5s. Other options are trying out the sport of curling and the upstairs hall for parties. See The Professionals on Ice from 31st May to 2nd June featuring Matt Evers, Frankie and Sylvain Longchambon.
Daily Post: Playlist of the Week
Describing my last week in 5 Youtube clips.
Dydd Gŵyl Dewi Hapus!
So they say it’s good to have a sense of humour…
“I wonder what fresh Welsh secrets will be revealed on WikiLeeks today”
“Happy St David’s Day! Did you know, Gok Wan’s full name is actually Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogok Wan”
“I passed a farm in Wales and saw a sign that said ‘Sheep dog puppies for sale. Come, buy'”
Thanks to Twitter and the Huffington Post for these. Off to Manchester next week for some more interviews…
Weekly Photo Challenge: Forward
After an up-and-down week of mixed fortune, these five Dundee penguins encourage me to keep on putting one foot in front of the other. We will get there…
no regrets 