I got a chance to do a podcast with the Christian Medical Dental Association talking about the challenges of medical training, particularly for the believer. Check it out and feel free to share your thoughts!
https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/pulse-13/id1226004273?i=1000394489503&mt=2
Ok not a real baby, but it’s been 1 year since the book release! Gosh they grow up so fast.
It really has been an incredible year. I’m so thankful to God for the people who encouraged me to write the book, and those that have encouraged me since its publishing. I’m still insecure about my writing so I am grateful for the affirmation.
I want to do a special shout-out to Dr. Dina Brent, a pediatrician who works for the Los Angeles Christian Health Centers. Next to my dad, she has purchased the most books and has been my biggest promoter even though we have never met! It was great to finally meet you and your husband recently. Thank you so much for your support! By the way, if any of you are interested in underserved care in a Christian context, LACHC has great shadowing opportunities.
My prayer for this book is that it can just be helpful for those on the medical path. Please pray that God can continue to use this the way He wants, and that I can still be open and willing to go through doors that He opens, even if the path isn’t what I envisioned.
Thanks again to all who have bought a book. Please continue to share the word to others you think might benefit. Check out the Facebook page for a chance to win a free book for a friend!
Speaking of babies, stayed tuned for some updates…
Enter for a chance to win an autographed copy of Worth the Cost?
If you or someone you know would benefit from the book, go to the Facebook page and “like” the latest status to enter the giveaway. The drawing will be done 12/15/13, and I will mail a book to the winner or the address of the winner’s choosing (within the US). If you don’t have Facebook you can email me at jacktsai@unfailingspring.com to enter.
https://www.facebook.com/worththecost?ref=tn_tnmn
Happy Holidays!
The official release date of the book is tomorrow! Thanks to all who pre-ordered the print copy or downloaded the Kindle version.
I realized that some of you had no idea I was working on this so I figured I would share a bit of my motivation for writing and how this process came about. I start with an apology. Part of the reason not many people knew is because I am terrible at keeping in touch. For that, I’m sorry. But also I was quite insecure about undertaking this project since I have never done anything like this, so I didn’t tell many people.
Just to preface this whole thing, I don’t consider myself an author. I have never thought about writing a book. Like I mentioned in the last post, the crazy idea of publishing a book popped into my head about a year ago during one of my first classes at seminary. I had just finished my faculty development fellowship thinking I was going to pursue academic medicine, but felt God’s prompting to invest more in my church. And so, I decided to find a flexible part-time position so that I could take some classes to be better equipped for ministry.
One of my first classes had me reflect on my life journey, how I ended up in seminary and what were the major events God used to shaped my life. Obviously, medical training was a giant chunk of my life, so much of my thoughts were focused on that. I finally had time to start working through experiences I just stuffed aside in order to get through training, but never dealt with. I didn’t realize how draining emotionally, spiritually, and physically the training process had been, and it was quite the therapeutic exercise to write out my thoughts.
So that process, coupled alongside of being asked by students and parents about how to get into medical school, prompted me to write this book about the hidden costs of medicine. I’m not sure people know what they are signing up for. Sure a doctor is a great job, but there are serious sacrifices people should consider before embarking on this journey. It is an expensive proposition and asks of you the peak years of your life. But more concerning is that medicine can consume your soul in the process if it is pursued without a regard for your emotional and spiritual health.
I hope with this book to stir up some prayerful consideration of one’s purpose in life, and what motivations are driving you to pursue a particular career. As a Christian, I believe that God has created me to participate in His kingdom work here. But the world calls out to us with many false promises that can side-track the best-intentioned follower of Christ into living a meaningless, self-centered life trying to build up a “kingdom” that will amount to nothing in the light of eternity.
I write about medicine because it is what I know. But this really applies to any career path we choose, that any training we pursue has the potential to destroy our lives when done apart from a relationship with our creator God and out of sync with how we were created. A little dramatic, I agree. But how we choose to live our lives do have impact on not just our eternal destiny, but on the eternal destinies of the people around us.
I am by no means an expert. I am simply sharing what I have found helpful, and I hope to learn from you as you interact with the book through the lens of your own experiences. I would love to hear from you so please leave a message on the Facebook page or email me!
There’s still a chance to pre-order at the discounted price at Amazon! Kindle and Nook versions also is available.
“What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul?” Matthew 16:26.
If you haven’t been bombarded with my emails yet, the book is set to release October 1st! Check out the Facebook page and “like” it for a free preview! And please pass it along to anyone you think would be interested.
I think it was about this time last year that the crazy thought of perhaps writing a book popped into my mind. And the thought was quite crazy given my lack of experience in these things. My first blog was basically a collection of funny typos and the blog I was working on I didn’t post for almost an entire year. Writer’s block, I suppose.
But that thought didn’t go away, and I just started writing. First it was random stories and lessons I learned, but then it began to take on some semblance of coherence. It has been so amazing seeing how everything has unfolded, and I’m humbled by God’s grace that I could be a part of it.
And now, one year later, with the book ready to go, it seems like the journey is just beginning. There has already been some neat opportunities for ministry that has opened up because of this book. It definitely is exciting, but it’s pretty scary too thinking about how people will respond to what I wrote, and whether or not I’m up for what’s to come.
The doubts and fears still come now and again, but I’m reminded of the little boy with the two fish and five loaves, how Jesus used what he made available to feed thousands (John 6:9). Has God put something crazy on your heart that hasn’t gone away as you have prayed for confirmation and guidance? Maybe it’s time to take a little step out in faith in that direction.
Of course I am not advocating being irresponsible so we want to make sure we have godly counselors around and that our relationship with God is right. But I think sometimes what’s “crazy” may actually be just what normal Christians living for God would do. After all, the world does say “look after yourself,” but Jesus says “take up the cross.”
I have no idea where all this will go, but I just want to be faithful with what God has given me. To those who have offered encouragement, feedback, and prayer, thank you. I would love more of that!
Unfailing Spring 