CPR

Photo Credit

"The focus in revival is Jesus Christ, not revival. A genuine revival is characterized by a fresh revelation of the grace, greatness, and glory of Jesus Christ." - Mark Stibbe

There it is….an old book I have to read every two years before my CPR expires. It’s time again…So, I’ve been cramming last night. Reviewing techniques, sequence, ratios, and other pertinent things that have slowly faded in my memory bank, in between these past two years. It’s not often we have “Code Blue’s” at work. But when the need arises, of course, every nurse in the prison must work together to save a precious life. So, it’s just right to review and be reminded of the skills that we must not forget.

Tomorrow, I’m off to our annual training. The first part of the day is usually spent with our doctors and other staff taking turns, educating us if there’s anything new that is going on with correctional healthcare. We get a lunch break. Then, the remaining half of the day we spend on the floor, by ourselves and then, by two’s, practicing CPR skills on a dummy. Maintaining a patent airway is very crucial and if pulseless, then, that’s when chest compressions are initiated. But there has to be a right depth, right rhythm, right ratio…I’m already tired thinking about it because I know it will feel like a real scenario. But I know I must be refreshed. It’s vital and necessary.

Becoming saved does not stop there. I used to think “I’m fine, I’m saved. I’m going to heaven.” Amen! Then, I wanted to glorify the Lord through writing and I discovered this blog world. Met a lot of sisters/brothers in Christ. Blessed by their own writings as well. Unfortunately, it's not all about that. To mature in Christ is a continuous, lifelong process. Not just being saved and meeting other Christians.

It's not just about prayer and sharing that help us grow in our faith. We need to also exercise or "flex" our spiritual muscles that God gave. However, we have that need to be connected with each other. And that relationship as His family and church is very real!

We need discipline to keep growing in His knowledge.

"Do not waste time arguing over godless ideas and old wives' tales. Spend your time and energy in training yourself for spiritual fitness. Physical exercise has some value, but spiritual exercise is much more important, for it promises a reward in both this life and the next. This is true, and everyone should accept it. We work hard and suffer much in order that people will believe the truth, for our hope is in the living God, who is the Savior of all people, and particularly of those who believe." - 1 Timothy 4:7-10

I admit, I am a big work in progress, like you. As we become a blessing to each other through our blogs and prayers, may we all be encouraged to keep growing and mature in Christ, through the different spiritual gifts we learn from each other. How true is that saying "no pain, no gain!" But with Christ, the pain we endure helps us to grow in our faith. It is a good kind of pain if we choose to suffer with Christ.

"Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily hinders our progress. And let us run with endurance the race that God has set before us. We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, on whom our faith depends from start to finish." - Hebrews 12:1-2

So, meet you here? Same place, same time? To seek our Lord Jesus daily and repent for our sins, and continue to practice CPR [Christ's Powerful Revival] as his family. And while you're here, I just want you to know I'm so grateful to have met you and thank you for your prayers and friendships. May God bless all of you richly and to Him be the glory in everything that we do!

Don't Believe The Lies

Nearing our night shift yesterday morning, I got up from where I was sitting to help my co-worker who was assigned to see an inmate being wheeled by a deputy on a guerney. This inmate was complaining of “severe dizziness”.

His medical history recorded how he just came back from the hospital couple of days ago, treated for ingesting an illegal substance and for dehydration.

The balls of his eyes were constantly rolling upward as he laid his head against the thick wall. As I approached the other nurse, she looked unsure of what next step to do.

“May I help you with anything?,” I asked her.

“Check this out Rcubes. What do you think? He’s so dizzy but all his vital signs are normal. His blood pressure is a normal high,” she answered.

Hearing that the vital signs were normal, especially the blood pressure, without any other known medical conditions, I already had a gut feeling that this inmate was faking. When dehydrated, blood pressure usually dips down as some of them don’t drink enough water in the prison.

“Nurse Rcubes, this is legit!” commented the deputy.

“Hmmm…I wouldn’t say that yet,” I replied as I made some head movement suggesting he was not sick.

He looked at me baffled why I didn’t believe him when he saw everything when he went down on the floor as he tried to walk in his unit.

“Have you tried doing a postural blood pressure readings?” I suggested to the other nurse.

“You’re right! Now, we’ll know for sure!” she exclaimed as the male inmate slightly opened his eyes and wondered what I meant for that kind of test. He started rolling his eyes again. There was no nausea nor vomiting. We told him to get up. Leaning upon the walls, he walked in a slanted position and down he fell on the floor, his head almost hitting a big trash bin, but he immediately avoided it. The 2 deputies immediately ran to help him get up. I just smiled and didn’t say anything. I knew the other nurse saw me and felt why I just smiled and didn’t seem concerned a bit. The deputy still looked at me and wondered why I wasn’t doing anything to help this inmate.

All the blood pressure readings and the pulses were not widened. They were all normal as I started giving the report to the daytime nursing supervisor. We decided to keep him in the back cell until the jail doctor arrived. Not saying anything yet to the supervisor, except the blood pressure readings, when she saw the inmate got up and pretended he would fall again, she uttered loudly, “Oh my God! I haven’t seen any drama like this!”

And the deputy looked at me and finally got it that I was right about this inmate faking the whole thing. He wasn’t dizzy. He wanted to go to the hospital so he could be given something for his drug seeking habits.

We don’t need to believe everything this world says. Our beliefs and faith in One true God Who is the Truth would help us discern the lies this world brings. This world is ruled by our spiritual enemy Satan and his angels. Everything he wants is to keep us, believers apart from God’s truth. His goal is to deceive everyone. Proverbs 14:12 - “There is a path before each person that seems right, but it ends in death.”

But Jesus said to the people who believed in him, “You are truly my disciples if you keep obeying my teachings. And you will know the truth and the truth will set you free.” - John 8:31-32

I have learned from this life’s journey that some things in the past will not help me to keep pressing on, the future I’m completely unaware of what’s to occur. But He does. I have no option but to look up and know that His ways and thoughts are truly higher than ours. What this world says, I don’t believe because the enemies are making sure to try everything to thwart God’s purpose in my life. But thanks be to God, I [we] have His mighty power and might, His armor to wear to guard me against all evil ways.

“So humble yourselves before God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Draw close to God and God will draw close to you.” - James 4:7-8

I enjoy watching cloud formations on different days. But lately, I have been noticing clear, cloudless blue skies. As I was sweeping the leaves in the front yard, I took this picture because it reminds me, aside from the truth that He is higher than us and that He knows and sees everything, God is not God of disorder but of peace. [1 Corinthians 14:33]. He is God of clarity...

“I lift up my eyes to the hills - where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth.” - Psalm 121:1-2

Use What's Given

I could still feel the adrenaline rush from most of my co-workers working PM shift last night [Friday], as I got to work and placed my transparent purse with all my nursing tools. Everyone was talking about the “Code Blue” they had prior to my arrival in a particular unit and how the male inmate almost didn’t make it.

Fortunately, it was a great group working together last night and one of the particular nurses who was a Trauma Nurse outside, adeptly coordinated the life-saving effort to revive this man who shot up some heroin into his arm. But I also wanted to commend each of those nurses, some who might not be a trauma nurse, but all of them had special skills they contributed to help in that tug-of war they were in, to save this man between life and death.

I often wondered how much I am able to contribute each night that I am at work. Not only at work, but also with my family, with my loved ones and other places. Working in the prison now for almost 11 years, some of the skills I had learned from Orthopedics I must have forgotten, even lost.

That is what’s going to happen if our God-given talents or abilities are not used. We must not feel inferior to anyone though. Because God had given each of us special skills to use for His glory. So, we must never underestimate our capabilities.

We must be all working together, coordinating a life-saving effort to those walking around us who are spiritually dead. Only the life-saving power of Christ could revive anyone. Jesus came to share about God and His Kingdom and while he was away now for a while, us, followers, should be productive and faithful during His temporary absence.

“But how can they call on him to save them unless they believe in him? And how can they believe in him if they have never heard about him? And how can they hear about him unless someone tells about him?” ~ Romans 10:14 [NLT]

“Yes,” the king replied, ‘but to those who use well what they are given, even more will be given. But from those who are unfaithful, even what little they have will be taken away.” - Luke 19:26

What are your special talents and abilities? How can you use them for God’s work in this world? Let us use our talents or they will diminish!

Lord, help us and continue to guide us with Your divine wisdom. Protect us Lord against the works of evil. Give us the boldness and the courage to be able to share the Good News to those who are perishing. I was like them before Oh, Lord. Thank You for saving us. I pray for Your mercy despite the many rebellion that continues to be displayed from many stubborn hearts. Help us Lord to be productive with what You have given us. Help us determine what they are. Remind us about a young boy who had just 5 loaves of bread and 2 fishes, yet, with everything that he had, his faith found that key that made him surrender all he has gotten to Your hands. Give us the strength Lord to press on until You return. May everything we do, be done in Your glory.

May Your will be done Lord! Thank You for Your love and mercy! In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

Rests

"Take rest; a field that has rested gives a bountiful crop." - Ovid quotes

The luminous sun ray on the right side of the car blinded me only to make me turn my head to the left and saw my son walking toward the car as soon as the school bell warned the end of the Friday session. I heard my husband, who took a day off and sitting behind me grew quieter as if he was a “jack in the box” hiding in this box, waiting to give my son that surprise!

My child smiled at me. Walking happily, despite the heavy backpack strapped on both of his shoulders. I saw that sign of relief on his facial expression after this grueling week of exams and other homework that made him coop up most of the time in his bedroom. Burning the midnight oil, as long as he could, trying to understand the subjects well ahead for his years.

“Just relax this weekend, okay?” I suggested when he opened the side door and hopped in.

“Yes, mom. But I still have a lot of homework for this weekend,” he quickly replied.

“That’s okay. But rest for now. Try to recover, then, study whenever you feel ready,” I replied.

My husband agreeing the whole time and adding his fatherly love and care for his beloved child.

my son resting after lots of exams

That’s what I’ve been doing now. Since getting hurt. I told sister Denise, I vacuum. Rest. Wash a load of laundry. Then, rest. Iron. Rest. Cook dinner. Rest. More rests in between when I used to finish 10 tasks in only a matter of hours. Not anymore. I’m only taking one thing at a time. Trying not to get injured more. Knowing my limitations.

But in those periods of rests, God had gotten my attention. To listen more to His advice. To re-evaluate if everything that I do have more weight for eternal results, than temporary ones. That with my life’s exams or tests, come both success and failures. These periods of rests becoming more crucial now to me to determine if I have been carrying unnecessary backpack of burdens that I need to hand back to Jesus.

“Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke fits perfectly, and the burden I give you is light.”
~ Matthew 11:28-30

I thank God for these periods of rests in Him. Because His rests bring healing, love and peace.