7 Pound Burrito, Nuggets & Puberty...Oh my!

Last week was a long week, a good week but long. It begin with a surprise passenger on my flight to Denver. Here is a young man that I have seen stand in front of many with a child floatie for a hat and sing crazy, funny songs. Today, he is a grown adult man in the professional category of Engineer. He still sings crazy, funny songs that make others smile, plus songs from the heart about the worship of our Father.

Beware of the woman with a camera and a photo organization
system that allows her to pull photos out quickly.

Then a kid with a floatie for a hat. Today a man...with a job!

Have you ever seen the disturbing murals at the Denver International Airport? Why would you put something so disturbing up? A gas mask solider with a machine gun and sword piercing a dove which represents peace? With the weeping mothers holding their dead children?

I realize that this mural is next to the one above  and is to depict children dreaming of peace. To me it is disturbing but in all actuality has alot of truth to it, because one day there will be world peace, but it will be a false peace and followed by tribulation according to the Bible, which has been 100% accurate on hundreds of prophecies. I know there is a conspiracy theory out regarding the Denver International Airport with the New World Order and many people dismiss these items, but one thing that can't and won't be dismissed is Biblical prophecy.

Last week in Washington, DC I saw more homeless people than I have ever seen there before, maybe it is where I stayed, I don't know. Same story again this week in Denver. I snapped this picture from my taxi cab window on my way from the airport to my hotel. Every day I walked four blocks to my meeting site, I passed lots of homeless people. Many that called out for help, for attention, just to be noticed. It is easier to keep your eyes straight ahead and keep on walking, to ignore those in need. It can even be scary to reach out and give some money, a tract or food, but in doing so you are like Jesus. Even if you just take a moment to look them in the eyes and notice them, to show that you care and they are not forgotten or invisible I am certain matters. As I looked into their eyes I saw emptiness and hopelessness. My heart aches for the homeless.

For me these images are hard to look at, but I don't want to forget and get comfortable in my little world. As you pray, if you pray - pray for our homeless people and how you might be called to minister to them. After all Jesus says, "inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to me." (Matt 25:31-46). I think of the homeless often, sleeping on concrete. I sleep on a nice comfy bed. They live out in the elements of the heat, cold and rain today. I can take shelter in a cool or warm house. Yes, it was still pretty chilly in Denver. They dig through trash cans in search of thrown away food to eat. I walk into my pantry and have more choices than ever. They face danger every day living on the streets. I live in a nice secure environment. They appear to feel unloved and invisible. They are alone. I am surrounded with family, friends and I am loved. I am blessed and I want to bless others.

Not sure why I am throwing up a C here.

So for the purpose of the trip to Denver was to serve as faculty at the Improving Patient Care Learning Session Two. At Learning Session One in Tucson, I spoke on Broadening and Strengthening the Improvement Process through the Development of Strong Community Relationships and shared the "napkin" story. I tied it in by illustrating how one word can have different meanings and when the teams invite community members to the improvement table that I recommend them to have a fact sheet prepared that gives information about the terminology as well as the aim and purpose of the process.

This presentation on Community Assessment, I begin with a button that Ann Lewis, CEO of CareSouth Carolina, developed to encourage her staff to seek new ways to improve and move past the "we've never done it that way before" syndrome. It says, "That's the way we've always done it." with a red line crossing that out. When staff adopted new behaviors that supported the future vision they were given a button. Ann said the button became like an award, a prized badge of honor to have.
  

I will tell you like I told the people in my session, if it weren't for my children I would have no real life application. Last weekend Jayden walked up to me, raised up his arm, pulled down his shirt sleeve and stuck his arm pit in my face and said, “Smell!”.  So I sniffed. Let’s just say I was unable to speak for a moment, in which he proudly proclaimed “I smell like Darya!” who we are currently running PDSA (improvement) cycles on regarding remembering to put on deodorant. I replied, “Yeah you do smell like Darya. But do you know what that means Jayden? That means your body is changing.” In which he pumped his hands up in the air and happily said, “You mean I’m in puberty!!?” So inspired by Ann’s future vision button and in honor of my children, I developed a new button it says, "Change is inevitable, Growth is optional" then the red line across the button says, "Except in Puberty".

Wouldn't it be great if we all embraced change with a hearty, "yeah!"?

Next, I was privileged to hear from this elder from Kodiak Island in Alaska, what a gem she is! She spoke to us from her heart sharing about a rough childhood and upbringing that she endured, but by God's grace she is a stronger person. She reminded us to be thankful for all the things we have.

Then Monday night after our Coaching Meeting was over, Cathy, Julie and I headed over to the Pepsi Center to root on the OKC Thunder. Yes, we had nose bleed seats, but we made it in and got to watch a great game. Yes we were surrounded by Nugget Fans, but overall they were pretty good and took to our teasing. In the end the Nuggets won that game, but we assured them the Thunder "threw the game" because they wanted to win it all at home on Wednesday night in front of the home crowd...and they did! I wished the picture below wasn't blurry, it is Julie and I wiping our mouths after eating some yummy "nuggets"!

This is Jerry Langley signing my Improvement Guide book - I know I am nerd, but I love that I am able to sit under the teaching of many great improvement advisers. I know many people say government workers don't work hard, but I am here to tell you the government workers I work with easily put in 10, 12 and 14 hour days.

The last night in Denver, we decided to take a few friends to check out Jack and Grill, who was voted #13 best place to chow down in the U.S. on the Travel Channel's Man vs. Food and Extreme Places to Pig Out. Just so you know, no I didn't eat this gigantic cheeseburger alone, although many people do. The reason Jack and Grill was featured on these two shows is the 7 pound burrito shown below. Two 7 pound burritos went by my table and I got up enough nerve to go ask the guy getting ready to eat it if I could get a picture of him and the burrito, so here you go...

Kah-razy, crazy, huh?

I don't know if he finished it or not. I didn't wait around to see. For $15 you too could have this massive burrito! It has 5 lbs of grilled potatoes, 12 eggs, 1/2 pound of ham, 1/2 pound of cheese, onions, your choice of chile. If you finish it you get to eat there for life for free. I think it is like one meal a month, plus you get your picture taken for the Wall of Fame and you become one of the few, the proud, the FULL! Hmmmm, no thanks.

Finally, the last night of the week in Denver. The walk back to the hotel. Trying to keep a Paul perspective of what matters in this life, trying to strain towards what lies ahead, an eternal life rejoicing in the presence of my glorious Savior, desiring to take as many with me as God will allow. When I am weary, weak or down trodden, I want to remember that though my body and life are fading, I take confidence in the fact that this world is not my home. Once in my life I was homeless, blind and lost, but now I see and know of my eternal home. I am so thankful this world is not my home I am only passing through.