In 30 or so hours (here in South Central Texas), it will be the year 2011. One of the most popular things associated with the start of the Gregorian New Year is the idea of making resolutions....
However, I have a problem with resolutions. If you break the word down, you'll understand what I mean....
"re"-again
"solutions"-the act of solving a problem, question, etc....
So resolution means..the act of solving a problem, question, etc...again.
See what I mean...you are trying to solve the same problem that you had the year before (and probably failed to do), with the same solution (which will either fail you or you will not do after a certain point)in your wisdom and strength. There is a funny definition of insanity...doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. In a sense resolutions are an expression of insanity disguised as trying to make ourselves better.
So then if not resolutions, then what should I do for the New Year, you say? Well first of all, you have to admit that in your own strength, you cannot do that much....that you need a power greater than yourself in order to do something. That is why we as believer should turn to God to be able to make sure that our plans meet with his approval. Psalms 37:4-5 gives us an word of advice from the Lord which is always good for us to remember:
4 Delight yourself also in the LORD,
And He shall give you the desires of your heart.
5 Commit your way to the LORD,
Trust also in Him,
And He shall bring it to pass.
So if you don't want to have a year of failure, let's start by giving our year over to God and let him direct us!
Thursday, December 30, 2010
Friday, December 24, 2010
Christmas greeting
Merry Christmas to all! May this Christmas be the most joyous and wonderful time of year, but let us never forget the reason why this season was necessary and thank God once again for the salvation that He provided through His son all those many years ago!
Monday, December 20, 2010
apologize for Christmas?
This morning I was glancing through some of the entries from different places, and I read somewhere that a correspondent apologized for saying "Christmas" and it got me to thinking...Why does someone have to apologize for saying "Christmas"? Is there something offensive about it? Well if you go by the dictionary the word offensive means "causing resentful displeasure; highly irritating, angering, or annoying"....
And if you look at the true message of this season is that it is the birth of the One who told us in John 14:6 "I am the way, the truth and the life"....notice how He says it...the way (not one of many), the truth (not a philosophy), and the life (the only way we are rescued from death-and not by our own efforts" and this is something that certainly brings displeasure, irritation, anger, or annoyance....especially in 21st century America where "tolerance", "self-reliance" and "multi-culturism" reign supreme...
I guess that is why so many are trying to get rid of any celebration of this time of year...because it reminds us of what we really needed and the One who provided it for us...Apologize for Christmas...no way! We should be actually down on our knees thanking God that "He so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son" (John 3:16) to save us from ourselves and if there is an apology owed, it should be our apology to God for our sins and the acceptance of the free gift of salvation!
And if you look at the true message of this season is that it is the birth of the One who told us in John 14:6 "I am the way, the truth and the life"....notice how He says it...the way (not one of many), the truth (not a philosophy), and the life (the only way we are rescued from death-and not by our own efforts" and this is something that certainly brings displeasure, irritation, anger, or annoyance....especially in 21st century America where "tolerance", "self-reliance" and "multi-culturism" reign supreme...
I guess that is why so many are trying to get rid of any celebration of this time of year...because it reminds us of what we really needed and the One who provided it for us...Apologize for Christmas...no way! We should be actually down on our knees thanking God that "He so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son" (John 3:16) to save us from ourselves and if there is an apology owed, it should be our apology to God for our sins and the acceptance of the free gift of salvation!
Friday, December 3, 2010
A humorous article....
At this time of Hanukkah, I remember a humorous article written by my friend Chad Elliott... and I thought I would share....
Christmas and Hanukkah...The Differences
As someone who is about to become part of an inter-married couple, the subject of Christmas and Hanukkah is one of great importance. Kat and I have had a lot of talks about what we will do when the holidays roll around. With that in mind, here is a humorous look at the differences between the two holidays.
1. Christmas is one day, same day every year, December 25. Jews also love December 25th. It's another paid day off work. We go to the movies and out for Chinese food and Israeli dancing. Chanukah is 8 days. It starts the evening of the 24th of Kislev, whenever that falls. No one is ever sure. Jews never know until a non-Jewish friend asks when Chanukah starts, forcing us to consult a calendar so we don't look like idiots. We all have the same calendar, provided free with a donation from the World Jewish Congress, the kosher butcher or the local Sinai Memorial Chapel (especially in Florida) or other Jewish funeral home.
2. Christmas is a major holiday. Chanukah is a minor holiday with the same theme as most Jewish holidays: They tried to kill us, we survived, let's eat.
3. Christians get wonderful presents such as jewelry, perfume, stereos, etc. Jews get practical presents such as underwear, socks or the collected works of the Rambam, which looks impressive on the bookshelf.
4. There is only one way to spell Christmas. No one can decide how to spell Chanukah, Chanukkah, Chanukka, Channukah, Hanukah, Hannukah, etc.
5. Christmas is a time of great pressure for husbands and boyfriends. Their partners expect special gifts. Jewish men are relieved of that burden. No one expects a diamond ring on Chanukah.
6. Christmas brings enormous electric bills. Candles are used for Chanukah. Not only are we spared enormous electric bills, but we get to feel good about not contributing to the energy crisis.
7. Christmas carols are beautiful...Silent Night, Come All Ye Faithful. Chanukah songs are about dreidels made from clay or having a party and dancing the hora. Of course, we are secretly pleased that many of the beautiful carols were composed and written by our tribal brethren. And don't Barbara Streisand and Neil Diamond sing them beautifully?
8. A home preparing for Christmas smells wonderful. The sweet smell of cookies and cakes baking. Happy people are gathered around in festive moods. A home preparing for Chanukah smells of oil, potatoes and onions. The home, as always, is full of loud people all talking at once.
9. Christian women have fun baking Christmas cookies. Jewish women burn their eyes and cut their hands grating potatoes and onions for latkes on Chanukah. Another reminder of our suffering through the ages.
10. Parents deliver presents to their children during Christmas. Jewish parents have no qualms about withholding a gift on any of the eight nights.
11. The players in the Christmas story have easy to pronounce names such as Mary, Joseph and Jesus. The players in the Chanukah story are Antiochus, Judah Maccabee and Matta whatever. No one can spell it or pronounce it. On the plus side, we can tell our friends anything and they believe we are wonderfully versed in our history.
12. Many Christians believe in the virgin birth. Jews think, "Yossela, Bubela, snap out of it. Your woman is pregnant, you didn't sleep with her, and now you want to blame G-d? Here's the number of my shrink."
13. In recent years, Christmas has become more and more commercialized. The same holds true for Chanukah, even though it is a minor holiday. It makes sense. How could we market a major holiday such as Yom Kippur? Forget about celebrating. Think observing. Come to synagogue, starve yourself for 27 hours, become one with your dehydrated soul, beat your chest, confess your sins, a guaranteed good time for you and your family. Tickets a mere $200 per person. Better stick with Chanukah!
Christmas and Hanukkah...The Differences
As someone who is about to become part of an inter-married couple, the subject of Christmas and Hanukkah is one of great importance. Kat and I have had a lot of talks about what we will do when the holidays roll around. With that in mind, here is a humorous look at the differences between the two holidays.
1. Christmas is one day, same day every year, December 25. Jews also love December 25th. It's another paid day off work. We go to the movies and out for Chinese food and Israeli dancing. Chanukah is 8 days. It starts the evening of the 24th of Kislev, whenever that falls. No one is ever sure. Jews never know until a non-Jewish friend asks when Chanukah starts, forcing us to consult a calendar so we don't look like idiots. We all have the same calendar, provided free with a donation from the World Jewish Congress, the kosher butcher or the local Sinai Memorial Chapel (especially in Florida) or other Jewish funeral home.
2. Christmas is a major holiday. Chanukah is a minor holiday with the same theme as most Jewish holidays: They tried to kill us, we survived, let's eat.
3. Christians get wonderful presents such as jewelry, perfume, stereos, etc. Jews get practical presents such as underwear, socks or the collected works of the Rambam, which looks impressive on the bookshelf.
4. There is only one way to spell Christmas. No one can decide how to spell Chanukah, Chanukkah, Chanukka, Channukah, Hanukah, Hannukah, etc.
5. Christmas is a time of great pressure for husbands and boyfriends. Their partners expect special gifts. Jewish men are relieved of that burden. No one expects a diamond ring on Chanukah.
6. Christmas brings enormous electric bills. Candles are used for Chanukah. Not only are we spared enormous electric bills, but we get to feel good about not contributing to the energy crisis.
7. Christmas carols are beautiful...Silent Night, Come All Ye Faithful. Chanukah songs are about dreidels made from clay or having a party and dancing the hora. Of course, we are secretly pleased that many of the beautiful carols were composed and written by our tribal brethren. And don't Barbara Streisand and Neil Diamond sing them beautifully?
8. A home preparing for Christmas smells wonderful. The sweet smell of cookies and cakes baking. Happy people are gathered around in festive moods. A home preparing for Chanukah smells of oil, potatoes and onions. The home, as always, is full of loud people all talking at once.
9. Christian women have fun baking Christmas cookies. Jewish women burn their eyes and cut their hands grating potatoes and onions for latkes on Chanukah. Another reminder of our suffering through the ages.
10. Parents deliver presents to their children during Christmas. Jewish parents have no qualms about withholding a gift on any of the eight nights.
11. The players in the Christmas story have easy to pronounce names such as Mary, Joseph and Jesus. The players in the Chanukah story are Antiochus, Judah Maccabee and Matta whatever. No one can spell it or pronounce it. On the plus side, we can tell our friends anything and they believe we are wonderfully versed in our history.
12. Many Christians believe in the virgin birth. Jews think, "Yossela, Bubela, snap out of it. Your woman is pregnant, you didn't sleep with her, and now you want to blame G-d? Here's the number of my shrink."
13. In recent years, Christmas has become more and more commercialized. The same holds true for Chanukah, even though it is a minor holiday. It makes sense. How could we market a major holiday such as Yom Kippur? Forget about celebrating. Think observing. Come to synagogue, starve yourself for 27 hours, become one with your dehydrated soul, beat your chest, confess your sins, a guaranteed good time for you and your family. Tickets a mere $200 per person. Better stick with Chanukah!
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
Hanukkah
Tonight is the first night of Hanukkah (for those who want to know a little about it go to http://www.chabad.org/holidays/chanukah/article_cdo/aid/102911/jewish/Chanukah-in-a-Nutshell.htm or http://www.aish.com/h/c/ht/48969531.html), the Festival of Lights, the celebration of the victory of the Maccabees and the re-dedication of the Temple. But once you get past the latkes, the sufganiyot (both of which are making me hungry right now), the dreidels and the menorah, is something that was mentioned in my friend Chad Elliott's blog http://networkedblogs.com/bfPDi and that is about the power of the Lord....in remaining faithful to His promises and bringing light into darkness.....
In my case, bringing light into darkness was how he brought me though the times of my burst appendix and the recovery, first of all saving me from what was almost certain death (you have to remember that the night my appendix burst seven doctors told my parents that I was dying), and then during the time of recovery having His presence there (through His word, the fellowship of other believers etc....) and into healing for which I am very grateful for....
And in remaining faithful to His promises, a thought I want to leave with you...that without Hanukkah, there would be no Christmas....because the promise of God was to bring a deliverer through the line of Abraham and David, and had the Hellenists succeeded in their task, there would have been no Savior and no deliverance for our sins....so actually in a sense we as believers should celebrate this time as well because we see the faithfulness of God in preserving His people and through preserving His people, salvation was brought to you and me.
In my case, bringing light into darkness was how he brought me though the times of my burst appendix and the recovery, first of all saving me from what was almost certain death (you have to remember that the night my appendix burst seven doctors told my parents that I was dying), and then during the time of recovery having His presence there (through His word, the fellowship of other believers etc....) and into healing for which I am very grateful for....
And in remaining faithful to His promises, a thought I want to leave with you...that without Hanukkah, there would be no Christmas....because the promise of God was to bring a deliverer through the line of Abraham and David, and had the Hellenists succeeded in their task, there would have been no Savior and no deliverance for our sins....so actually in a sense we as believers should celebrate this time as well because we see the faithfulness of God in preserving His people and through preserving His people, salvation was brought to you and me.
Monday, November 22, 2010
Alternative to "Black Thursday"
It seems that the love of money has overtaken Sears-unlike other stores which at least are closed Thanksgiving morning and afternoon to give their employees a break to spend with their families, Sears has decided to be open all day Thursday. So it seems now we have "Black Thursday" joining "Black Friday" as days where people are encouraged to spend whatever money they have left in their pockets for Christmas gifts....
Well how about something a little different....something like Project Angel Tree. Remember there will be some who won't have a Christmas with their family, because a member of their family is shut away in prison. But we can help their families remember what the real reason for the season is by being a Christ-like example in giving to help these families...you can go to http://www.angeltree.org/deliverlove and donate there or and this is something that is new this year, you can help to be a fundraiser to help Angel Tree be able to give to families where they don't have a church that is helping Angel Tree this year at http://www.firstgiving.com/angeltree
Let's remind Sears and all these other stores where it seems that the love of money has overtaken love of family and love for others what this season should be about.....
Well how about something a little different....something like Project Angel Tree. Remember there will be some who won't have a Christmas with their family, because a member of their family is shut away in prison. But we can help their families remember what the real reason for the season is by being a Christ-like example in giving to help these families...you can go to http://www.angeltree.org/deliverlove and donate there or and this is something that is new this year, you can help to be a fundraiser to help Angel Tree be able to give to families where they don't have a church that is helping Angel Tree this year at http://www.firstgiving.com/angeltree
Let's remind Sears and all these other stores where it seems that the love of money has overtaken love of family and love for others what this season should be about.....
Diabetes Awareness Month
When I was in the hospital the first time (Feb. 2008-pre appendix burst), I was diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes...This month is Diabetes Awareness Month and I am putting in a link to an earlier blog entry and asking to test yourself in case you might think you have diabetes.....
http://1ncisfan.blogspot.com/2010/03/diabetes-awareness-day.html
Also Here is the link for the American Diabetes Association:
http://www.diabetes.org/
http://1ncisfan.blogspot.com/2010/03/diabetes-awareness-day.html
Also Here is the link for the American Diabetes Association:
http://www.diabetes.org/
Thursday, November 18, 2010
Thanksgiving
In 1 Thessalonians 5 we are given three commands:
- Rejoice always (v.16)
- Pray without ceasing (I like the way Chuck Swindoll paraphrased this once "Pray with the frequency of a hacking cough") (v.17)
- In everything give thanks, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you (v.18)
In one week, we celebrate the occasion of Thanksgiving and as I wrote in the previous entry, let us gain a different perspective on this day. So step away from the turkey, the mashed potatoes and stuffing, throw away the notion of this day (or weekend) of something that has to be endured and let us look at Thanksgiving from a different point of view.
- Have family that come over and annoy you? Be thankful that you have family. Remember all those who are alone this day and those who serve us overseas that wish they could be with family.
- Thinking that you may not have "enough"? Be thankful that you have. Remember those who do not have and have to go to an event (like the Raul Jimenez Thanksgiving here in San Antonio, or the Salvation Army) in order to even have something to eat.
- What about your home...you do have one, right? What about those who are homeless-we may not "publicize" them as much as we used to, but they're still there...
- Transportation that doesn't involve your own two legs?
- What about the fact that we have a day to celebrate by eating and drinking and being with other people (no matter how obnoxious and bratty they are)....in other countries having a day to give thanks, or having food would be something that they would be extremely thankful for? And the food that we are whining and complaining about having for "leftovers" would be a feast for them....
Have you bothered to thank God for what He HAS blessed you with?
Two years ago, I was spending Thanksgiving with JP tubes and a colostomy bag sticking out of me. Two years ago, I had to spend the better part of 2 1/2 months not being able to eat or drink because when my appendix blew, it spread the poisons throughout my midsection and that had to be cleaned out. Two years ago, my living quarters consisted of a hospital room. Two years ago, I couldn't go to the bathroom or take a shower by myself....
So if you don't think that I'm thankful to have a whole body, being able to eat, having a family and being at home, all the "little things" that we usually take for granted, you are sadly mistaken...
So instead of glibly "thanking" God for the "surplus" that He has given you, TRULY think about what you have been given beginning with the sacrifice Jesus made for us on the cross. Remember God was not obligated to give these things to us because we are Americans, or that we are better than anyone else (remember we are ALL sinners) but He CHOSE to give these things to us because we are His children and He loves us. Remember He could have chosen to give these blessings to another nation, another people....So be thankful and use this as a time to teach those who will be with you next Thursday to be thankful as well.
Sunday, November 7, 2010
Holiday marathon or not?
In the next two months, there will be five holidays that will happen in rapid succession: Veteran's Day on the 11th, Thanksgiving two weeks after that, then Hanukkah (and my friend Chad Elliott had a wonderful piece he wrote on the differences between Hanukkah and Christmas that if he doesn't put up-I'll put it here) in early December, then Christmas and New Year's Eve.
The reason that I call it a marathon is that it if not viewed properly, this time seems like a long race that has to be endured. And that is the key...viewing things in the proper prospective. The word "perspective" is defined as " the proper or accurate point of view or the ability to see it; objectivity: " http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/perspective. So seeing these days in the right point of view should make these days not only endurable, but something to look forward to.
The first day is Veteran's Day, where we honor those who have served our country to defend it from our enemies or those who wish to destroy it. This day is one that is close to me, because my brother served in the Army during Desert Storm in 1991. We also have to remember that not only did they serve our country, they saw things and went through things that people cannot comprehend. So when we honor our veterans of all wars, let us remember that "above and beyond the call of duty" is not just words to them, but an attitude...the same attitude that Jesus talked about in John 15: 13Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. And the same attitude that Jesus showed in giving HIS life for our sins...
So on Veteran's Day, let us honor the men and women who showed the attitude of Jesus and honor them for following His example....
The reason that I call it a marathon is that it if not viewed properly, this time seems like a long race that has to be endured. And that is the key...viewing things in the proper prospective. The word "perspective" is defined as " the proper or accurate point of view or the ability to see it; objectivity: " http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/perspective. So seeing these days in the right point of view should make these days not only endurable, but something to look forward to.
The first day is Veteran's Day, where we honor those who have served our country to defend it from our enemies or those who wish to destroy it. This day is one that is close to me, because my brother served in the Army during Desert Storm in 1991. We also have to remember that not only did they serve our country, they saw things and went through things that people cannot comprehend. So when we honor our veterans of all wars, let us remember that "above and beyond the call of duty" is not just words to them, but an attitude...the same attitude that Jesus talked about in John 15: 13Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. And the same attitude that Jesus showed in giving HIS life for our sins...
So on Veteran's Day, let us honor the men and women who showed the attitude of Jesus and honor them for following His example....
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
My Dad's birthday
Next Friday, the 5th of November is my Dad's 67th birthday (and him getting to 67 is due to the grace of God healing his body!) and I thought I would share a link to my Father's Day blog post to let you know how I feel....
http://1ncisfan.blogspot.com/2010/06/fathers-day.html
I think that is why the Lord healed my Dad of the cancer that he had....to fulfill the words of Paul in 2 Corinthians chapter 1.....
3Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and the God of all comfort,
4 who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted by God.
5For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also aboundeth by Christ.
6And whether we be afflicted, it is for your consolation and salvation, which is effectual in the enduring of the same sufferings which we also suffer; or whether we be comforted, it is for your consolation and salvation.
7And our hope for you is steadfast, knowing that as ye are partakers of the sufferings, so shall ye be also of the consolation.
So thanks Dad, and happy birthday!
http://1ncisfan.blogspot.com/2010/06/fathers-day.html
I think that is why the Lord healed my Dad of the cancer that he had....to fulfill the words of Paul in 2 Corinthians chapter 1.....
3Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and the God of all comfort,
4 who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted by God.
5For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also aboundeth by Christ.
6And whether we be afflicted, it is for your consolation and salvation, which is effectual in the enduring of the same sufferings which we also suffer; or whether we be comforted, it is for your consolation and salvation.
7And our hope for you is steadfast, knowing that as ye are partakers of the sufferings, so shall ye be also of the consolation.
So thanks Dad, and happy birthday!
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
A not forgotten man
Hebrews 6:10- For God is not unrighteous so as to forget your work and labor of love, which ye have shown toward His name, in that ye have ministered to the saints, and do minister.
One of the good things about Facebook is that I get to run into some old friends, and I mean from when I was young (at the age I am now, I even refer to my high school years as "when I was young"-but that's beside the point). One of the people that I have found and "friended" on FB is Karen Haynes, the widow of the first pastor that I had when I became a believer in 1980.
It was Pastor Haynes (who was a graduate of Florida Bible College) that was one of the men who had the idea to go to a Bible Camp for the youth at FBC during the summer. It was that camp that my uncle invited me to go in 1980 (of course hiding the fact that it was a Bible camp and telling us about going to Disneyland-which was a side trip [and how dense I was that I never really caught on about it until it was too late]) and on that trip I was given the Gospel by Dale Daffin and on July 31, 1980 outside of Columbus, Texas I was born for the second time.
And the thing that got me through the appendicitis, the colostomy bags (with the very early morning cleanings...),tracheotomy, the whole nine yards was the spiritual lessons that I learned- starting on that bus trip on that old blue school bus (oh what memories....). So while Richard Haynes, the man, may no longer be with us, the work that he did for and through Christ is still going on through those that he ministered and taught lessons to.....so thank you Pastor, for all that you did and to let you know that nothing you did was in vain....
One of the good things about Facebook is that I get to run into some old friends, and I mean from when I was young (at the age I am now, I even refer to my high school years as "when I was young"-but that's beside the point). One of the people that I have found and "friended" on FB is Karen Haynes, the widow of the first pastor that I had when I became a believer in 1980.
It was Pastor Haynes (who was a graduate of Florida Bible College) that was one of the men who had the idea to go to a Bible Camp for the youth at FBC during the summer. It was that camp that my uncle invited me to go in 1980 (of course hiding the fact that it was a Bible camp and telling us about going to Disneyland-which was a side trip [and how dense I was that I never really caught on about it until it was too late]) and on that trip I was given the Gospel by Dale Daffin and on July 31, 1980 outside of Columbus, Texas I was born for the second time.
And the thing that got me through the appendicitis, the colostomy bags (with the very early morning cleanings...),tracheotomy, the whole nine yards was the spiritual lessons that I learned- starting on that bus trip on that old blue school bus (oh what memories....). So while Richard Haynes, the man, may no longer be with us, the work that he did for and through Christ is still going on through those that he ministered and taught lessons to.....so thank you Pastor, for all that you did and to let you know that nothing you did was in vain....
Monday, October 11, 2010
straight-stick living
One of the other things that I get to do now is to be editor of the SWIMS (Southwest Institute of Messianic Studies) online journal that comes out every three to four months (at least that's the goal) and I get to write an article for said journal....and the one that I will be writing for the upcoming journal is called "Straight Stick Living" and is based on the following quote by D. L. Moody....
The best way to show that a stick is crooked is not to argue about it or to spend time denouncing it, but to lay a straight stick alongside it.
And one of the best places I found to realize "straight-stick living" is in the hospital...because it is one thing to be able to win arguments and fight against evil with words and look good doing it. But when you have tubes sticking out of you, when nobody knows whether or not this day is going to be your last day, when you've had several bad days in a row...that is when you find out how real your faith is and that others will know the real you...whether there is something different about you or that you are a "pious poser". If you are a "straight stick", people will know and that is when real evangelism will begin and you will be able to share the One who makes all the difference.
So the challenge to us is....in every area of our life, be a "straight stick" and show others that you are different!
The best way to show that a stick is crooked is not to argue about it or to spend time denouncing it, but to lay a straight stick alongside it.
And one of the best places I found to realize "straight-stick living" is in the hospital...because it is one thing to be able to win arguments and fight against evil with words and look good doing it. But when you have tubes sticking out of you, when nobody knows whether or not this day is going to be your last day, when you've had several bad days in a row...that is when you find out how real your faith is and that others will know the real you...whether there is something different about you or that you are a "pious poser". If you are a "straight stick", people will know and that is when real evangelism will begin and you will be able to share the One who makes all the difference.
So the challenge to us is....in every area of our life, be a "straight stick" and show others that you are different!
Sunday, September 5, 2010
Rosh HaShanah
In a few days it will be Rosh HaShanah, the Jewish "new year"-my friend Chad Elliott has a blog entry about Rosh HaShanah that explains what this time of year is better than I could....
http://chadelliott.wordpress.com/2010/09/04/a-wake-up-call-from-god/
But Rosh is important to me in that it was the first public appearance (Rosh HaShanah 2009) that I made after my surgeries and all of the medical crises of the previous 18 months. It was so wonderful that I got a chance to be with my friends at CBS and to finally get out of the house (other than visiting Dr. Metersky). The significance of Rosh is that it is a time of introspection and getting back to God (the "Ten Days of Awe"). That is the other reason that I picked it to be the date of my return-a time of introspection remembering what God had done for me and the celebration of my return to Him.
So for those who are reading, during this period of time please take some time out and reflect on what God has done for you and if you have strayed from Him, please come back to Him!
http://chadelliott.wordpress.com/2010/09/04/a-wake-up-call-from-god/
But Rosh is important to me in that it was the first public appearance (Rosh HaShanah 2009) that I made after my surgeries and all of the medical crises of the previous 18 months. It was so wonderful that I got a chance to be with my friends at CBS and to finally get out of the house (other than visiting Dr. Metersky). The significance of Rosh is that it is a time of introspection and getting back to God (the "Ten Days of Awe"). That is the other reason that I picked it to be the date of my return-a time of introspection remembering what God had done for me and the celebration of my return to Him.
So for those who are reading, during this period of time please take some time out and reflect on what God has done for you and if you have strayed from Him, please come back to Him!
Monday, August 23, 2010
A new place to worship
For those who read this and want a new church to go to I recommend Blessings Community Church-
http://www.blessingyou.org. and not because my uncle is the senior Pastor....but because he is "going out on a limb" and taking a tremendous step of faith.
For almost 20 years he had been working with Congregation Beth Simcha and something tells me that he would have been content with another 20 years there. However, the Lord seems to have called him to a new outreach. And he had a Abrahamic-type decision: to stay where he was or to step out in faith, not knowing which direction he was going to go-leaving the comfort of a family that loved him and going someplace new-listen to the voice of the One who called him. So he has decided to follow the Lord and go to a new place.
Now if you remember the story of Abraham, it wasn't easy being in a new place, but in the end he ended up with tremendous blessing and being the father of a nation. Now I'm not saying that my uncle will be the "father of a new nation", but he is seeing Him who is unseen and being braver than many who only see what is seen and don't take any chances. To paraphrase Robert Kennedy: "Some men see things as they are and ask 'Why?', through faith I see things that are unseen and ask 'Why not?'".
And I pray that the Lord will bless Jesse and this new work that he is doing for the Lord.
http://www.blessingyou.org. and not because my uncle is the senior Pastor....but because he is "going out on a limb" and taking a tremendous step of faith.
For almost 20 years he had been working with Congregation Beth Simcha and something tells me that he would have been content with another 20 years there. However, the Lord seems to have called him to a new outreach. And he had a Abrahamic-type decision: to stay where he was or to step out in faith, not knowing which direction he was going to go-leaving the comfort of a family that loved him and going someplace new-listen to the voice of the One who called him. So he has decided to follow the Lord and go to a new place.
Now if you remember the story of Abraham, it wasn't easy being in a new place, but in the end he ended up with tremendous blessing and being the father of a nation. Now I'm not saying that my uncle will be the "father of a new nation", but he is seeing Him who is unseen and being braver than many who only see what is seen and don't take any chances. To paraphrase Robert Kennedy: "Some men see things as they are and ask 'Why?', through faith I see things that are unseen and ask 'Why not?'".
And I pray that the Lord will bless Jesse and this new work that he is doing for the Lord.
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
Fat Man 3
If you've read this blog, you've seen the posts about "The Fat Man"....Well, I'm here to tell you, that because of said alter ego; I have to give myself shots in the stomach. Not insulin, but a medicine that is supposed to control my appetite and make sure that I don't eat too much.
In the end, there was no one else to blame-I could if I wanted to, but in the end the fault is my own. I did not take care of myself in the way that I should and now I am paying the price for that abuse. And it affects every part of my life, not just my physical health. This is the "wake-up call" that my physicians are giving me to take care of myself or I will be taken care of (by my body breaking down faster than it should).
But just as there was a punishment for me letting myself physically, there is a punishment for those of us who let ourselves go spiritually. I wish there was a medication that we could take to that could control our "appetites" for the things of this world, but there isn't. So then God designed a way to control ourselves, and that is the Holy Spirit, which acts as a guide to let us know what not to do and when not to do it.
But in the end when we don't take care to listen to the Spirit, what happens is that the voice becomes smaller and smaller and we end up a slave to the things that we shouldn't and it begins to destroy us, our families, our relationships etc....And we pay the price in every area of our life. When this happens, it should act as our "wake-up" call to get ourselves back in the right relationship with God or end up being taken care of (either by something happening to us or by God stopping us and putting a halt to our dangerous activity).
So like the old commercial used to say: "You can pay a little now, or a lot later"....in my case it is to discipline myself into eating better and taking care of the body God has given. In your case, it may well be discipline yourself spiritually and taking care of the Spirit that He has given to you. And oh by the way, if you don't, there will be no one else to blame but yourself.....
In the end, there was no one else to blame-I could if I wanted to, but in the end the fault is my own. I did not take care of myself in the way that I should and now I am paying the price for that abuse. And it affects every part of my life, not just my physical health. This is the "wake-up call" that my physicians are giving me to take care of myself or I will be taken care of (by my body breaking down faster than it should).
But just as there was a punishment for me letting myself physically, there is a punishment for those of us who let ourselves go spiritually. I wish there was a medication that we could take to that could control our "appetites" for the things of this world, but there isn't. So then God designed a way to control ourselves, and that is the Holy Spirit, which acts as a guide to let us know what not to do and when not to do it.
But in the end when we don't take care to listen to the Spirit, what happens is that the voice becomes smaller and smaller and we end up a slave to the things that we shouldn't and it begins to destroy us, our families, our relationships etc....And we pay the price in every area of our life. When this happens, it should act as our "wake-up" call to get ourselves back in the right relationship with God or end up being taken care of (either by something happening to us or by God stopping us and putting a halt to our dangerous activity).
So like the old commercial used to say: "You can pay a little now, or a lot later"....in my case it is to discipline myself into eating better and taking care of the body God has given. In your case, it may well be discipline yourself spiritually and taking care of the Spirit that He has given to you. And oh by the way, if you don't, there will be no one else to blame but yourself.....
Monday, August 2, 2010
swimming and fear
Last weekend I went on vacation to Galveston, and I was thinking of doing something that I had not done since at least 2007 (and maybe even before) and that is to go swimming. But I was afraid....not because I'm not that strong a swimmer (and it doesn't help when you are only 5'4" and not a strong swimmer...but because this is the first time that I had gone swimming post-medical crisis....I had taken showers, but being in a pool is an entirely different thing.
But in the end, I decided that this was my vacation and that I was going to go swimming. And in the end I had a good time and some wonderful time of relaxation.
It got me to thinking...how many great things do we miss out on because of fear? Fear makes so many things bigger than they should be and makes mountains out of molehills. There's an old saying "paralysis through analysis"...because we see what is there and we think that we can't do anything about it. So many of us instead of doing great and mighty things instead decide to limit our works to things that we can control and end up doing almost nothing.
How insulting is that to the King of Kings who has us in the palm of His hand? How insulting is it to Him when we say that there is something that we think is beyond His control, His care, or His power? He tells us "Perfect love casts out fear"....and perfect love is found in Him, therefore He casts out fear and gives strengh to those who need it. All we have to do is to attach ourselves to Him and take comfort that He will not steer us in the wrong direction or let us go.
So the question becomes, when are we really going to trust Him (knowing that He is greater than all things and that nothing can separate us from Him) and attempt to do things. We never know what we can accomplish until we say (through the Lord) to fear: "Get out of my way, God is my helper and with Him I am going to do great things for His kingdom!"
But in the end, I decided that this was my vacation and that I was going to go swimming. And in the end I had a good time and some wonderful time of relaxation.
It got me to thinking...how many great things do we miss out on because of fear? Fear makes so many things bigger than they should be and makes mountains out of molehills. There's an old saying "paralysis through analysis"...because we see what is there and we think that we can't do anything about it. So many of us instead of doing great and mighty things instead decide to limit our works to things that we can control and end up doing almost nothing.
How insulting is that to the King of Kings who has us in the palm of His hand? How insulting is it to Him when we say that there is something that we think is beyond His control, His care, or His power? He tells us "Perfect love casts out fear"....and perfect love is found in Him, therefore He casts out fear and gives strengh to those who need it. All we have to do is to attach ourselves to Him and take comfort that He will not steer us in the wrong direction or let us go.
So the question becomes, when are we really going to trust Him (knowing that He is greater than all things and that nothing can separate us from Him) and attempt to do things. We never know what we can accomplish until we say (through the Lord) to fear: "Get out of my way, God is my helper and with Him I am going to do great things for His kingdom!"
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
salvation & how it helps in a hospital
In ten days I celebrate my 30th anniversary of when I came to know the Lord. At this moment, I am flashing back to an old school bus (painted blue) just outside of Columbus, Texas and hearing about how Jesus died for my sins and what I had to do was believe that He did that for me. And on that date, I came to know Him as my Savior and Lord.
And the great thing about it is is found in a verse in John 10:29: "My Father, who gave them to Me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of My Father's hand." And that served as a great reminder to me during 2008 and the times that I went through.... And there were those who tried to pluck me out of the Father's hand but....
And the great thing about it is is found in a verse in John 10:29: "My Father, who gave them to Me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of My Father's hand." And that served as a great reminder to me during 2008 and the times that I went through.... And there were those who tried to pluck me out of the Father's hand but....
- Death wasn't able to do it....although seven doctors told my parents that I was dying and I was told by others that I was blue and my body was shutting itself down.
- Discouragement wasn't able to it....When you are not allowed to eat or drink ANYTHING or having to breath through a tube in your throat....
- Anger wasn't able to do it...many of the doctors, nursing staff and CNA's were great people, but there was one or two to undo all the goodwill built up by the others....
- "Reason" wasn't able to do it...all of those people who say "Prayer does nothing"....trust in the hands of medicine....but where was "reason" when Anger, discouragment, depression, etc...came to attack me...did reason say "hang in there"....did reason bring my friends and co-workers in and give me words of encouragment...
- Depression wasn't able to do it....when you spend day after day after day in a hospital bed, with limited (if any) movement and the healing process is slow and you wonder if anything is ever going to happen....
All of these things combined could not seperate me from the Lord who loved me and gave Himself for me. Nothing is able to take me out of His hand and those are not just words on a page said and written two thousand years ago, it is fact based on what I want through in a "real-life" situation!
Sunday, July 11, 2010
Fat Man part 2
A while back I wrote about the return of what I called "The Fat Man" http://1ncisfan.blogspot.com/2010/04/return-of-fat-man.html....
What I neglected to write about is the thing that is the most important item against neglect and that is I have to fight against him every day. Every war that we have as believers is a daily battle because the one behind neglect does not sleep at all, take a day off, or retreat at all.
So often we start to make progress, then think that we have the battle won. That is the most dangerous time, we get suckered into thinking that we have won a once-for-all time victory and then the enemy changes tactics and decides to go on a different path and we find ourselves right back to where we started and get frustrated. And that frustration is either taken out on ourselves (oh how many times have I done that!) or on others (if you wouldn't have distracted me, or given me wrong advice, etc....) or (incorrectly) on God.
The reason I put "incorrectly" is very simple, God has given us keys on how to defeat the enemy....but we either mix it with our own advice, ignore it altogether (thinking that the way to defeat the enemy is to accommodate it), or think of it as a "quick-fix" solution (try it once and then forget about it).
The way to achieve victory is to apply the keys that God has given us on a daily basis and to do it the way He told us to. Can you imagine what would have happened to me in the hospital had the doctors not treated me on a daily basis and the way that the treatment was supposed to go? I would have either ended up in worse shape or at San Fernando Cemetery being part of the groundwork there....That is why we as believers need to do what God has called us to do in the way He has called us to do it on a daily basis so that we don't end up in worse shape or dead to God being of no use to Him.....
What I neglected to write about is the thing that is the most important item against neglect and that is I have to fight against him every day. Every war that we have as believers is a daily battle because the one behind neglect does not sleep at all, take a day off, or retreat at all.
So often we start to make progress, then think that we have the battle won. That is the most dangerous time, we get suckered into thinking that we have won a once-for-all time victory and then the enemy changes tactics and decides to go on a different path and we find ourselves right back to where we started and get frustrated. And that frustration is either taken out on ourselves (oh how many times have I done that!) or on others (if you wouldn't have distracted me, or given me wrong advice, etc....) or (incorrectly) on God.
The reason I put "incorrectly" is very simple, God has given us keys on how to defeat the enemy....but we either mix it with our own advice, ignore it altogether (thinking that the way to defeat the enemy is to accommodate it), or think of it as a "quick-fix" solution (try it once and then forget about it).
The way to achieve victory is to apply the keys that God has given us on a daily basis and to do it the way He told us to. Can you imagine what would have happened to me in the hospital had the doctors not treated me on a daily basis and the way that the treatment was supposed to go? I would have either ended up in worse shape or at San Fernando Cemetery being part of the groundwork there....That is why we as believers need to do what God has called us to do in the way He has called us to do it on a daily basis so that we don't end up in worse shape or dead to God being of no use to Him.....
Monday, June 21, 2010
miracle stick update
If you've read my blog from the beginning you read a wonderful testimony from our friend Vayra in Israel called "From death to life" (http://1ncisfan.blogspot.com/2010/01/from-death-to-life.html).
Here is an update:
Thank you to all who kept asking me about my 'miracle' stick. I am finally sending an updated photo of it.
Sorry for the group email!
It has been growing so beautifully. 8 new twigs all together! I love its large, fresh green leaves.
It's been encouraging and fun to watch it grow. And I had this Scripture on my heart when I was sitting next to it:
Psalm 92
12 The righteous will flourish like a palm tree,
they will grow like a cedar of Lebanon;
13 planted in the house of the Lord,
they will flourish in the courts of our God.
14 They will still bear fruit in old age,
they will stay fresh and green,
15 proclaiming, "The Lord is upright;
he is my Rock, and there is no wickedness in him."
Be blessed and flourish! :-)
Varya
So for those who have been broken by life, there is healing and renewing and a hope that you too can be a "miracle stick"!
Here is an update:
Thank you to all who kept asking me about my 'miracle' stick. I am finally sending an updated photo of it.
Sorry for the group email!
It has been growing so beautifully. 8 new twigs all together! I love its large, fresh green leaves.
It's been encouraging and fun to watch it grow. And I had this Scripture on my heart when I was sitting next to it:
Psalm 92
12 The righteous will flourish like a palm tree,
they will grow like a cedar of Lebanon;
13 planted in the house of the Lord,
they will flourish in the courts of our God.
14 They will still bear fruit in old age,
they will stay fresh and green,
15 proclaiming, "The Lord is upright;
he is my Rock, and there is no wickedness in him."
Be blessed and flourish! :-)
Varya
So for those who have been broken by life, there is healing and renewing and a hope that you too can be a "miracle stick"!
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
blog exhaustion?
I haven't had a chance to check, but I imagine there must be millions of blogs out there being entered about anything and everything. And I can imagine that getting to read all these blogs must be exhausting. So I imagine that not that many people read this blog. The reason I say that is because I just noticed that if anyone had, they would have noticed that I put Father's Day as this past weekend, not the one coming up.
But then again I'm thinking....a person is having ten to hundreds of things happening in their daily routine and we get exhausted. And because of that we may not look at everything that is going on around them. And because of that there are things that happen that will never get noticed or looked at.
And they can be good things, such as:
-people having ideas like my friend Chad Elliott's school(http://www.blogger.com/www.trevecca.edu/socialjustice),
is doing to help those around them; especially after the floods that affected the Tennessee area this spring
-young children are being adopted from other lands where there is strife and hunger; such as my friend Nicole Galvan is doing this week;
- people are being fed & sheltered and given hope like the children being sponsored by some our congregants at CBS through the ministry of Compassion International
-the unborn are being saved and those who would try to kill them are being exposed; through the NRLC (National Right to Life Committee) and a very brave young lady named Lila Rose whose videos are exposing what Planned Parenthood is really doing to those who come in their doors....
-people are being evangelized-Jews (such as through the ministry of the late Moshe Rosen (thanks Chad for reminding me [http://chadelliott.wordpress.com/2010/05/23/remembering-moishe-rosen-1932-2010/]) and Gentiles (many different ministries) in many different countries
-and many other actions.....
Or they can be evil things; such as laws passed that make governments more tyrannical, people being tortured or killed for their faith in the most gruesome ways, people accused of crimes for the simple act of standing for what they believe in, cowardice being shown instead of stands for faith and freedom, the unborn being murdered by ways so terrifying that the practitioners would be put in jails for years if they did the same actions to people already born....dictators in other countries starving their people to death (and being tolerated by those who should oppose them), and many more violent acts.....
But just I double-checked the blog entry and saw what was going on; one day there will be a time that there will be a "double-checking" of sorts and it will be conducted by God almighty himself; Jesus spoke about it in Matthew 25:
31"When the Son of Man shall come in His glory and all the holy angels with Him, then shall He sit upon the throne of His glory.
32And before Him shall be gathered all nations, and He shall separate them one from another as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats.
33And He shall set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on the left.
34Then shall the King say unto them on His right hand, `Come, ye blessed of My Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.
35For I hungered, and ye gave Me meat; I was thirsty, and ye gave Me drink; I was a stranger, and ye took Me in;
36naked, and ye clothed Me; I was sick, and ye visited Me; I was in prison, and ye came unto Me.'
37Then shall the righteous answer Him, saying, `Lord, when saw we Thee hungering and fed Thee, or thirsty and gave Thee drink?
38When saw we Thee a stranger and took Thee in, or naked and clothed Thee?
39Or when saw we Thee sick, or in prison, and came unto Thee?'
40And the King shall answer and say unto them, `Verily I say unto you, inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these My brethren, ye have done it unto Me.'
41"Then shall He say also unto them on the left hand, `Depart from Me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels.
42For I hungered, and ye gave Me no meat; I was thirsty, and ye gave Me no drink;
43I was a stranger, and ye took Me not in; naked, and ye clothed Me not; sick and in prison, and ye visited Me not.'
44Then shall they also answer Him, saying, `Lord, when saw we Thee hungering or athirst or a stranger, or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister unto Thee?'
45Then shall He answer them, saying, `Verily I say unto you, inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to Me.'
46And these shall go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into life eternal."
So the question is-which side would you rather be on? And next time, I'll try to do a better job of checking dates, so I don't put journal entries on dates where they shouldn't go......:)
Friday, June 11, 2010
Father's day
On Sunday, it will be Father's Day. I know for many the word "Father" brings up many different images, ranging from happiness to anger and bitterness. Many of these come from the background that one was raised in.
Mine is somewhere in the middle. But the thing that I will always remember the most is the way my father was during the time in the hospital. I will always remember how at first, my Father was sickened whenever the wound nurse came in to change the sponges in the open wound in my abdominal area. But by sheer force of will, he began to learn to tolerate what was going on to the point where near the end, he became an unoffical aide to the wound care nurse. He would have all the instruments, sponges, and other things out ready for her. And he would even help in the procedures.
One of the other things that he did was to help was that, when I would be out doing my physical therapy walk, he would change the bed from top to bottom and be able to get whatever blankets I would need. He would be there every morning as soon as he was allowed (actually some days, he was there earlier), and stayed until late in the afternoon to be at my side and help me to take care things that I needed to do.
During that time, he became more than a father to me, he became in a sense, my left arm. My favorite memory of how much he had been appreciated was on certain days, he was given a free meal by the staff so that he wouldn't have to go out for lunch.
And in a sense, although I don't know whether or not he thought about it; my father was giving an illustration of the type of the love that our Heavenly Father has for us. He loved us and gave of Himself for us to take care of the need that we had, the need for salvation.
So no matter how our relationship goes (and at times it can go from one extreme to another), I'll always remember and appreciate what he did for me and the example that he gave....to me, to those he came in contact with....and I pray that he will hear the words "Well done, thou good and faithful servant" in relation to this time.....
Mine is somewhere in the middle. But the thing that I will always remember the most is the way my father was during the time in the hospital. I will always remember how at first, my Father was sickened whenever the wound nurse came in to change the sponges in the open wound in my abdominal area. But by sheer force of will, he began to learn to tolerate what was going on to the point where near the end, he became an unoffical aide to the wound care nurse. He would have all the instruments, sponges, and other things out ready for her. And he would even help in the procedures.
One of the other things that he did was to help was that, when I would be out doing my physical therapy walk, he would change the bed from top to bottom and be able to get whatever blankets I would need. He would be there every morning as soon as he was allowed (actually some days, he was there earlier), and stayed until late in the afternoon to be at my side and help me to take care things that I needed to do.
During that time, he became more than a father to me, he became in a sense, my left arm. My favorite memory of how much he had been appreciated was on certain days, he was given a free meal by the staff so that he wouldn't have to go out for lunch.
And in a sense, although I don't know whether or not he thought about it; my father was giving an illustration of the type of the love that our Heavenly Father has for us. He loved us and gave of Himself for us to take care of the need that we had, the need for salvation.
So no matter how our relationship goes (and at times it can go from one extreme to another), I'll always remember and appreciate what he did for me and the example that he gave....to me, to those he came in contact with....and I pray that he will hear the words "Well done, thou good and faithful servant" in relation to this time.....
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
How can something that small.....
When you look at the human appendix, it isn't a large part of the body...a little less than 4 inches long (or about the size of my middle finger), yet when this "little part" of the body ruptured in my body on March 13, 2008, it affected the whole body, almost causing it to shut down permanently. It wasn't until this April that the last of the effects was taken care of....25 months later....and throughout all that time; there was a whole lot of pain and agony that I had to go through.
Now think about sin.....a "little white" lie, a careless thought let slip by, a moment of rash action....yet when it explodes and is exposed in a life, it can cause so much damage- to reputations, to lives, to marriages, etc...sometimes destroying these things in the process. And sometimes, there may be effects that last a whole lifetime and never get relieved. And you can ask those who have been victims of that damage and many of them can tell you that there was so much pain and agony that they are going through.
Yes, there is relief and there is forgiveness, but to be on the safe side and not go through all of those problems....think about what you are doing....before something explodes...and you go through agony when you could have been having joy....
Now think about sin.....a "little white" lie, a careless thought let slip by, a moment of rash action....yet when it explodes and is exposed in a life, it can cause so much damage- to reputations, to lives, to marriages, etc...sometimes destroying these things in the process. And sometimes, there may be effects that last a whole lifetime and never get relieved. And you can ask those who have been victims of that damage and many of them can tell you that there was so much pain and agony that they are going through.
Yes, there is relief and there is forgiveness, but to be on the safe side and not go through all of those problems....think about what you are doing....before something explodes...and you go through agony when you could have been having joy....
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
something I'm glad didn't happen to me
I was at AOL getting ready to read my e-mail when I saw this article of a woman who woke up in the middle of her surgery (http://www.aolhealth.com/2010/05/18/waking-during-surgery-like-being-entombed-in-a-corpse/?icid=mainmaindl1link1http%3A%2F%2Fwww.aolhealth.com%2F2010%2F05%2F18%2Fwaking-during-surgery-like-being-entombed-in-a-corpse%2F). I don't know what my reaction would have been if that had ever happened during the surgeries that I underwent.
It is called "anesthesia awareness" and happens in 1 to 2 out of 1,000 surgeries that took place. Can you imagine waking up and being aware that people are cutting you up, taking things in and out of you, etc...I can only imagine what the experience of poor Carol (the lady in the story) must have been like and I pray I never will....
But there is another kind of awareness that it seems that some of us in the body are going through; we are seeing what is happening around us in the world and like the lady in the story we cannot do anything except maybe to scream and yell. However in our case, we have a difference.
I imagine how wonderful it would have been for this poor lady to all of a sudden be able to find some way to be able to let her doctor know what was going on and have it stopped and taken care of. In our case, we can do that. It is called prayer, we can call out to got and ask for His help in a situation. And we know that however He will do it, He will stop and take care of the problem for us. He will also one day take care of all of the stuff that is going on in the world so that we will never have need of "The Great Physician", but rather be with the Father!
It is called "anesthesia awareness" and happens in 1 to 2 out of 1,000 surgeries that took place. Can you imagine waking up and being aware that people are cutting you up, taking things in and out of you, etc...I can only imagine what the experience of poor Carol (the lady in the story) must have been like and I pray I never will....
But there is another kind of awareness that it seems that some of us in the body are going through; we are seeing what is happening around us in the world and like the lady in the story we cannot do anything except maybe to scream and yell. However in our case, we have a difference.
I imagine how wonderful it would have been for this poor lady to all of a sudden be able to find some way to be able to let her doctor know what was going on and have it stopped and taken care of. In our case, we can do that. It is called prayer, we can call out to got and ask for His help in a situation. And we know that however He will do it, He will stop and take care of the problem for us. He will also one day take care of all of the stuff that is going on in the world so that we will never have need of "The Great Physician", but rather be with the Father!
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
JP tubes
One of the things that I got very familiar with when I was in the hospital was something called a JP tube (see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jackson-Pratt_drain) of which I had at least seven (two on the right and five on the left). What the drain is designed to do is to draw out excess fluid from the body sucking it out of the body so that it doesn't build up and drown a person....
The same thing can be said about prayer...without it, we can be drowned by feelings, depression, anger and other emotions that build up and can overwhelm us. When we talk to God and release our concerns to him, we release the pressures, feelings and everything else and transfer it to Someone who is able to handle it in a better manner than we can.
So if you don't want to be overwhelmed by the pressures of the world; take the words of the writer of Hebrews to heart:
Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need. (Hebrews 4:16)
The same thing can be said about prayer...without it, we can be drowned by feelings, depression, anger and other emotions that build up and can overwhelm us. When we talk to God and release our concerns to him, we release the pressures, feelings and everything else and transfer it to Someone who is able to handle it in a better manner than we can.
So if you don't want to be overwhelmed by the pressures of the world; take the words of the writer of Hebrews to heart:
Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need. (Hebrews 4:16)
Tuesday, May 4, 2010
Mom
I love the fact that in my mother's case, her birthday and mother's day are only a few days apart (in this case her birthday is on the 5th and Mother's Day is on the 10th). The reason so is a sense of double-appreciation...one for her birth and the other that she chose to give birth...to me and my brothers and sisters...
One of the things that I like most about my mother is that we have grown close to one another...she and I are more like friends than mother and son...we love watching our San Antonio Spurs (although I must admit [with a smidge of pride], that there are times where she is a bit louder than I am)...Dallas Cowboys....and although we may disagree about the current resident of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue; we do so in a kind a civil way. We have even taken our vacations together (I remember the Oklahoma-Arkansas-Texas trip and the small town trips of summer the most....)
I am happy that I am one of the people that she leans on to help her with her schedule and payments and reminders. I thank God so much that when I was in the hospital that she was there not only to support me, but also to help those that were helping me (she was a CVN-Nurse's Assistant) and was able to help with some of the questions that I had; using her training to cut through the "smoke screen" of things to let me know the truth.
The reason why I am so grateful for my mom is that in a time where the role of motherhood is attacked and denigrated; that she is an example of what true motherhood is all about!
So to you all out there, if you haven't had a chance (other than Mother's Day) to thank your mom and show her that you love her; do so while you have a chance......
One of the things that I like most about my mother is that we have grown close to one another...she and I are more like friends than mother and son...we love watching our San Antonio Spurs (although I must admit [with a smidge of pride], that there are times where she is a bit louder than I am)...Dallas Cowboys....and although we may disagree about the current resident of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue; we do so in a kind a civil way. We have even taken our vacations together (I remember the Oklahoma-Arkansas-Texas trip and the small town trips of summer the most....)
I am happy that I am one of the people that she leans on to help her with her schedule and payments and reminders. I thank God so much that when I was in the hospital that she was there not only to support me, but also to help those that were helping me (she was a CVN-Nurse's Assistant) and was able to help with some of the questions that I had; using her training to cut through the "smoke screen" of things to let me know the truth.
The reason why I am so grateful for my mom is that in a time where the role of motherhood is attacked and denigrated; that she is an example of what true motherhood is all about!
So to you all out there, if you haven't had a chance (other than Mother's Day) to thank your mom and show her that you love her; do so while you have a chance......
Monday, April 26, 2010
support the Snyders....
The reason that I have this on the blog is because I am standing with a family that had one of the most its sacred moments-the laying of rest of a loved one-disturbed by "people" (and I use that term very loosely) who used the occasion to proclaim the message of their "congregation" (Westboro "Baptist" Church in Kansas) and their "pastor"; that the reason this young man who served his country was killed was the judgement of God upon him for serving a country that supports homosexulality.
What made it more tragic, is that when the family sued; some judge ruled that the disruption caused by WBC was protected under "free speech". While I am not a fan of homosexuality, I am appalled by the actions of WBC for the following:
- Their message that God hates sinners...this is not true...it is sin that God hates, not those who He created. If God were to hate sinners, then He wouldn't have sent His Son to die on the cross to pay for our sins. When Jesus was here on the earth, the ones who thought they knew God because of their "religiousity" were the ones who were condemned the most by Him. It is a shame when a body of "believers" who are supposed to follow the example of Jesus are the one who are acting like those whom He condmened. And if God hates sinners, then we should be hated every single day, because we even as believers do still sin. And by inference then shouldn't God hate the people at WBC as well?
- That they use a time of grief and sorrow to shout their message. This is a time of mourning, a family has just lost a loved one; a spouse no longer has their loved one; children are without a parent. The last thing that they need to hear is that they "deserved" to die as a part of some "judgement", the last thing they need to hear is someone yelling and causing a disruption. How does that show the love of God?
- They are causing a false witness for the church-Many people will never darken the doors of a church and the only witness that they have is the way that believers act. When people do the things that this "congregation' does; it causes a image that Christians are nothing more than hateful bigots...and by inference that Christ is nothing more than a hateful, judgemental tyrant, when He is the exact opposite. One act of hate unravels hundreds if not thousands of years of ministry and takes just as long to repair (if you don't believe me, how often are the Crusades and Inquistion brought up as examples of how Christians are). They may claim to be sharing the "message" of God, but in reality who is the focus on? It is not on God, but on them.
- They do not share their message in a Godly way-Where is the Scripture reference that we are to get in someone's face and tell them that God hates them and be disruptive and disrespectful. I wonder what kind of Bible they read?
- And have you noticed that they are eager to condemn the person being laid to rest, and to blame the country; but they do not share the Good News, share requests for repentence, or anything on how to come to God?
I'm sorry WBC; but you are doing as much damage to our nation and the cause of Christ if not more than those whom you condemn. At least the unbelievers have a small excuse. God's Word has given us the guidelines on how to be as believers and if you choose to not obey it, then you are just as guility as those you judge!
Thursday, April 22, 2010
no "reason" at all
There is a group that is trying to get the National Day of Prayer changed to the "National Day of Reason". I think that this is one of the most ridiculous ideas that has ever come out of the human mind. The reason that I say so is because of my experiences of 2008.
On March 13, 2008; I nearly lost my life in the emergency room at Christus Santa Rosa. As a matter of fact, during that evening seven doctors told my parents that I was dying. Now I wonder-what would a person of "reason" have told my parents that night if I had died? What does a person of "reason" say to those who have lost a loved one due to an accident or a tragedy?
I don't recall at any time during the four months or so that I was in the hospital with an open wound where my belly button used to be, a person of "reason" come in and try to tell me that everything would work out in the end. How would they express it and say it in such a way as to bring comfort and relief to someone who may be depressed or angered?
I don't recall at anytime after I went home and had to have a machine attached to me (to let me know when I was having problems with the wound dressing-a blessing and an irritation), a person of "reason" coming in to give advice, wisdom, etc...
What kind of advice would they have given to handle the frustrations of leaking colostomy bags that happened in the middle of the night? The frustrations of every other day, having the wound dressings changed (making a person feel like a stuffed teddy bear)? The frustrations of having JP tubes sticking out of the body draining fluids out of your body? The frustrations of having fistulas explode out of the body out of the sudden? What would "reason" do to bring relief?
In the end, "reason" would have just driven me crazy, or maybe suicidal or just angry for the rest of my life? So in the end, I would rather be a person of faith (and be considered a fool) than a person of "reason" who is one....
On March 13, 2008; I nearly lost my life in the emergency room at Christus Santa Rosa. As a matter of fact, during that evening seven doctors told my parents that I was dying. Now I wonder-what would a person of "reason" have told my parents that night if I had died? What does a person of "reason" say to those who have lost a loved one due to an accident or a tragedy?
I don't recall at any time during the four months or so that I was in the hospital with an open wound where my belly button used to be, a person of "reason" come in and try to tell me that everything would work out in the end. How would they express it and say it in such a way as to bring comfort and relief to someone who may be depressed or angered?
I don't recall at anytime after I went home and had to have a machine attached to me (to let me know when I was having problems with the wound dressing-a blessing and an irritation), a person of "reason" coming in to give advice, wisdom, etc...
What kind of advice would they have given to handle the frustrations of leaking colostomy bags that happened in the middle of the night? The frustrations of every other day, having the wound dressings changed (making a person feel like a stuffed teddy bear)? The frustrations of having JP tubes sticking out of the body draining fluids out of your body? The frustrations of having fistulas explode out of the body out of the sudden? What would "reason" do to bring relief?
In the end, "reason" would have just driven me crazy, or maybe suicidal or just angry for the rest of my life? So in the end, I would rather be a person of faith (and be considered a fool) than a person of "reason" who is one....
Saturday, April 17, 2010
subtle sign
There are times when God will send you a subtle sign of His presence. For me one of those times was when I was at Lifecare Hospital. Being there day after day tended to get a little repetitive and discouraging...so the Lord sent me a sign. It was not a big, overt thing saying "hey look at me". It was something very simple, just like the still small voice He used with Elijah.
I had a room with a view of the "courtyard" and could see the other rooms of the hospital and I noticed that the frame of the outer windows were in the shape of a cross. It was God's way of saying to me, "Son, I am with you...my Son suffered so that you wouldn't have to...I will never leave you or forsake you." And it was the first thing that I could see when I opened my windowshades in the morning....
That little reminder kept me going and gave me encouragement and served as a reminder. So when you have a chance, look for the subtle signs that God gives to remind you of His presence, that He is there with you and that He has you in the palm of His hand, and as Yeshua (Jesus) said, My Father, who gave them to Me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of My Father's hand. (John 10:29)
I had a room with a view of the "courtyard" and could see the other rooms of the hospital and I noticed that the frame of the outer windows were in the shape of a cross. It was God's way of saying to me, "Son, I am with you...my Son suffered so that you wouldn't have to...I will never leave you or forsake you." And it was the first thing that I could see when I opened my windowshades in the morning....
That little reminder kept me going and gave me encouragement and served as a reminder. So when you have a chance, look for the subtle signs that God gives to remind you of His presence, that He is there with you and that He has you in the palm of His hand, and as Yeshua (Jesus) said, My Father, who gave them to Me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of My Father's hand. (John 10:29)
Saturday, April 10, 2010
Yom HaShoah
Normally, when thinking about the 11th of April, I usually think about my birthday. But this year there is a remembrance that is even more important. Tomorrow is Yom HaShoah (Holocaust Remembrance Day) in which we remember the six million killed in the concentration camps during the in the Holocaust.
The idea of remembrance is so very important in that we keep alive the story of what happened during that time and remember those whose lives were so ruthlessly cut short. Remembrance is so very important in that the farther we get away from those times, the easier to say that it did not happen, but remembrance reminds us that it did, and it must never be allowed to happen again. We must continue to hold the memory of these department men and women for as long as time continues. We must continue to remember to refute the lies and propaganda that are told. We must continue to remember so that we can let our children and grandchildren know that this happened and that they must guard against this happening. We must continue to remember so that no one is ever forgotten and that no one's life was lived in vain.
I recommend that during this time that you visit the nearest Holocaust Museum near you (even if you have to do it online such as at http://www.ushmm.org/; take in the exhibits, do not turn away from them and remember-let the memories of what happened burn into your mind to the point where you do not forget...or you can go to the Shoah foundation website (the Shoah foundation started by Steven Spielberg) at http://college.usc.edu/vhi/ , take in the testimonies and remember.
Do not let the six million have died in vain, keep their memory alive, keep it burning for future generations, so that this will NEVER happen again.
The idea of remembrance is so very important in that we keep alive the story of what happened during that time and remember those whose lives were so ruthlessly cut short. Remembrance is so very important in that the farther we get away from those times, the easier to say that it did not happen, but remembrance reminds us that it did, and it must never be allowed to happen again. We must continue to hold the memory of these department men and women for as long as time continues. We must continue to remember to refute the lies and propaganda that are told. We must continue to remember so that we can let our children and grandchildren know that this happened and that they must guard against this happening. We must continue to remember so that no one is ever forgotten and that no one's life was lived in vain.
I recommend that during this time that you visit the nearest Holocaust Museum near you (even if you have to do it online such as at http://www.ushmm.org/; take in the exhibits, do not turn away from them and remember-let the memories of what happened burn into your mind to the point where you do not forget...or you can go to the Shoah foundation website (the Shoah foundation started by Steven Spielberg) at http://college.usc.edu/vhi/ , take in the testimonies and remember.
Do not let the six million have died in vain, keep their memory alive, keep it burning for future generations, so that this will NEVER happen again.
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
"grand" uncle
This weekend, I became a grand-uncle for the first time. My nephew and his significant other became the parents of a 7 lb. 19 inch baby girl named Kayla Ann Lozano. But that gets me to thinking about the word "grand"...and at http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/grand;
one of the definitions was noble or revered-for example: a grand old man.
Noble or revered...the way that happens is to maintain a testimony in which they can say "Here was a person who had character and was one that why should try to follow". And to do that is to get back to the way that I was and to avoid what I wrote about in the earlier posting-"The Return of the Fat Man"-http://1ncisfan.blogspot.com/2010/04/return-of-fat-man.html .
When John the Immerser called for repentance, the Greek word that was used was "metanoia"; which meant "change of mind"; i.e changing the way one thinks. Which in my case means turning from being "wishy-washy" about my faith and other things to being someone being sure and committed.
Because I see what is happening with the next generation and I see a little girl that will be affected by the way that I live-one way or another. And whether or not she sees someone who is truly "grand" depends on whether or not I decide to truly follow the one who gave the best example for all of us....
Saturday, April 3, 2010
return of "The Fat Man"
I went to the DGD (Diabetes and Glandular Disease) Clinic for my follow-up on Monday and everything checked out well, except for one number. And as you can infer by the title, you know what that one number was. How could this have happened? There were many "factors" that I could have blamed....but what it boils down to, the only one responsible for the gain was me...Because I knew what to do as far as eating the right foods and the right amounts, I knew what to do as far as exercise goes, but yet I neglected them and allowed whatever ground I had taken to be retaken by the enemy.
What had happened was neglect, pure and simple. I remember reading Norm Schwarzkopf's autobiography It Doesn't Take A Hero, and he mentioned about what had happened when he took over command over a battalion that become known as "the worst of the Sixth", and he found out why...it wasn't that the soldiers weren't any good, it was that it had been allowed to deteriorate into a bad group by the neglect of its commanders. And because of that, it was placed in a position where the enemy could act with impunity.
I looked up an old message and saw the following:
"I looked up the word (neglect) and came up with the following: “to fail to do something, especially because of carelessness or forgetfulness”... We have seen the in newscasts the result of neglect; whether it is of an animal or of a human being….when it is by accident it is sad, but when neglect is deliberate, it escalates in a tragedy of unbelievable proportions. And as sad as physical neglect is, spiritual neglect is just as tragic."
We have been given great gifts talents and abilities, but we also have been given a great responsibility...to not neglect what we have been given and to continue to use it in the Father's service. Paul in 1 Corinthians 9 talked about "keeping himself sharp":
24Know ye not that those who run in a race all run, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain it.
25And every man that striveth for mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown, but we an incorruptible.
26I therefore so run, but not with uncertainty; I so fight, but not as one that beateth the air.
27But I keep control of my body, and bring it into subjection, lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.
In 1 Timothy 4, he warned Timothy about neglect:
14Neglect not the gift that is in thee,
If we neglect what God has given to us, we come in danger of not doing his work and under the condemnation of what is told to us in James 4:
17Therefore to him that knoweth how to do good and doeth it not, to him it is sin.
We are in a warfare, and when we neglect ourselves, we leave ourselves open to the attack by the enemy by "sleeping on post". Oliver North in his autobiography Under Fire, told how he would rouse a soldier who had fallen asleep. He would take his metal helmet and hit the asleep soldier in the head just enough to wake him up. He would remind them that if he had been the enemy he would have slit his throat... And with many of us unfortunately, God has had to do the same thing with us...get our attention one way or another, and warn us that if we stay asleep the enemy will come and get us.
So the warning to us is to stay awake, not neglect what has been given to us, so that we can be aware of what the enemy is doing and not let "the Fat Man" (our old nature) return!
What had happened was neglect, pure and simple. I remember reading Norm Schwarzkopf's autobiography It Doesn't Take A Hero, and he mentioned about what had happened when he took over command over a battalion that become known as "the worst of the Sixth", and he found out why...it wasn't that the soldiers weren't any good, it was that it had been allowed to deteriorate into a bad group by the neglect of its commanders. And because of that, it was placed in a position where the enemy could act with impunity.
I looked up an old message and saw the following:
"I looked up the word (neglect) and came up with the following: “to fail to do something, especially because of carelessness or forgetfulness”... We have seen the in newscasts the result of neglect; whether it is of an animal or of a human being….when it is by accident it is sad, but when neglect is deliberate, it escalates in a tragedy of unbelievable proportions. And as sad as physical neglect is, spiritual neglect is just as tragic."
We have been given great gifts talents and abilities, but we also have been given a great responsibility...to not neglect what we have been given and to continue to use it in the Father's service. Paul in 1 Corinthians 9 talked about "keeping himself sharp":
24Know ye not that those who run in a race all run, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain it.
25And every man that striveth for mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown, but we an incorruptible.
26I therefore so run, but not with uncertainty; I so fight, but not as one that beateth the air.
27But I keep control of my body, and bring it into subjection, lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.
In 1 Timothy 4, he warned Timothy about neglect:
14Neglect not the gift that is in thee,
If we neglect what God has given to us, we come in danger of not doing his work and under the condemnation of what is told to us in James 4:
17Therefore to him that knoweth how to do good and doeth it not, to him it is sin.
We are in a warfare, and when we neglect ourselves, we leave ourselves open to the attack by the enemy by "sleeping on post". Oliver North in his autobiography Under Fire, told how he would rouse a soldier who had fallen asleep. He would take his metal helmet and hit the asleep soldier in the head just enough to wake him up. He would remind them that if he had been the enemy he would have slit his throat... And with many of us unfortunately, God has had to do the same thing with us...get our attention one way or another, and warn us that if we stay asleep the enemy will come and get us.
So the warning to us is to stay awake, not neglect what has been given to us, so that we can be aware of what the enemy is doing and not let "the Fat Man" (our old nature) return!
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
A thought for this season
During this time of the year when we celebrate Pesach (Passover) or Resurrection Sunday (I rarely refer to it by that other term),one of the attitudes we should be having is gratefulness. According to http://www.dictonary.reference.com/ the word grateful means: "warmly or deeply appreciative of kindness or benefits received; thankful" and when I think of a kindness received, I think of Pesach (Passover) 2008.....
It had been a month since my appendix had burst and I was NPO (hospital terminology meaning nothing by mouth-in short, I could neither eat or drink), and my midsection was a big open wound, so there was definitely no way I was going to be able to attend the annual CBS seder, which was tragic (since I love the fellowship and the celebration), but there was a couple-James and Elise Hubbard, who came to my hospital room, on the night before the seder and we had a celebration of the Seder nevertheless....
Now remember I couldn't eat the food, but that was not the issue, the issue was that someone cared enough to come and visit me and because of that it brought joy to me in that hospital bed.
There is an old saying "A joy shared is a double joy, A sorrow shared is half a sorrow", you want to double your joy and gratefulness this season? I recommend visiting a friend in a hospital who won't be able to share in the joy of the season, help out a family who has a family member hospitalized by maybe cooking a meal for them or being a shoulder to cry on....you never know...through your help you may be fulfilling the words spoken by Yeshua in Matthew 25:
31"When the Son of Man shall come in His glory and all the holy angels with Him, then shall He sit upon the throne of His glory.
32And before Him shall be gathered all nations, and He shall separate them one from another as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats.
33And He shall set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on the left.
34Then shall the King say unto them on His right hand, `Come, ye blessed of My Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.
35For I hungered, and ye gave Me meat; I was thirsty, and ye gave Me drink; I was a stranger, and ye took Me in;
36naked, and ye clothed Me; I was sick, and ye visited Me; I was in prison, and ye came unto Me.'
37Then shall the righteous answer Him, saying, `Lord, when saw we Thee hungering and fed Thee, or thirsty and gave Thee drink?
38When saw we Thee a stranger and took Thee in, or naked and clothed Thee?
39Or when saw we Thee sick, or in prison, and came unto Thee?'
40And the King shall answer and say unto them, `Verily I say unto you, inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these My brethren, ye have done it unto Me.'
It had been a month since my appendix had burst and I was NPO (hospital terminology meaning nothing by mouth-in short, I could neither eat or drink), and my midsection was a big open wound, so there was definitely no way I was going to be able to attend the annual CBS seder, which was tragic (since I love the fellowship and the celebration), but there was a couple-James and Elise Hubbard, who came to my hospital room, on the night before the seder and we had a celebration of the Seder nevertheless....
Now remember I couldn't eat the food, but that was not the issue, the issue was that someone cared enough to come and visit me and because of that it brought joy to me in that hospital bed.
There is an old saying "A joy shared is a double joy, A sorrow shared is half a sorrow", you want to double your joy and gratefulness this season? I recommend visiting a friend in a hospital who won't be able to share in the joy of the season, help out a family who has a family member hospitalized by maybe cooking a meal for them or being a shoulder to cry on....you never know...through your help you may be fulfilling the words spoken by Yeshua in Matthew 25:
31"When the Son of Man shall come in His glory and all the holy angels with Him, then shall He sit upon the throne of His glory.
32And before Him shall be gathered all nations, and He shall separate them one from another as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats.
33And He shall set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on the left.
34Then shall the King say unto them on His right hand, `Come, ye blessed of My Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.
35For I hungered, and ye gave Me meat; I was thirsty, and ye gave Me drink; I was a stranger, and ye took Me in;
36naked, and ye clothed Me; I was sick, and ye visited Me; I was in prison, and ye came unto Me.'
37Then shall the righteous answer Him, saying, `Lord, when saw we Thee hungering and fed Thee, or thirsty and gave Thee drink?
38When saw we Thee a stranger and took Thee in, or naked and clothed Thee?
39Or when saw we Thee sick, or in prison, and came unto Thee?'
40And the King shall answer and say unto them, `Verily I say unto you, inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these My brethren, ye have done it unto Me.'
Sunday, March 28, 2010
Pesach
Tomorrow night at sunset the feast of Pesach (known as Passover) begins. This is the celebration of the deliverance of the people of Egypt from Pharaoh. The importance of this feast is shown in the fact that it is one of three "pilgrim" feasts in which every Jew was required to come to Jerusalem to celebrate this occasion.
There are a great many things that can be taught (and learned) from Pesach (which was celebrated by Yeshua (Jesus). But I just want to start with one....
For me, this year's Seder (literally "order", but referring here to the ordered ceremony and meal that usher in the week of Pesach-Jewish New Testament Commentary, David H. Stern; p. 78), which takes place at my uncle's house will be a great privilege for me to attend. One of the great themes of Pesach is freedom, freedom from Pharaoh, freedom from sin, etc... In my case the freedom that I will have and the reason that this year's Seder will mean so much is because it will be the first time since 2007 that I will be able to celebrate the Seder without having to worry about any medical problems. In 2008, I was in the hospital and not able to eat (so I was not able to have any of items of the Seder). And in 2009, I had to worry about problems with my bag, so I was not able to celebrate fully the joy of Pesach.
But now I am free from those worries, and able to celebrate the full meaning of the freedom that I have been given, freedom from worries about health, freedom from fear of the unknown, freedom from shame, and a great many other things. And that freedom was not given to me cheaply. It cost my Father in Heaven the life of His Son to give me these freedoms. I just pray that as I celebrate tomorrow that I can truly begin to appreciate what He has done for me and for all those who are His.
There are a great many things that can be taught (and learned) from Pesach (which was celebrated by Yeshua (Jesus). But I just want to start with one....
For me, this year's Seder (literally "order", but referring here to the ordered ceremony and meal that usher in the week of Pesach-Jewish New Testament Commentary, David H. Stern; p. 78), which takes place at my uncle's house will be a great privilege for me to attend. One of the great themes of Pesach is freedom, freedom from Pharaoh, freedom from sin, etc... In my case the freedom that I will have and the reason that this year's Seder will mean so much is because it will be the first time since 2007 that I will be able to celebrate the Seder without having to worry about any medical problems. In 2008, I was in the hospital and not able to eat (so I was not able to have any of items of the Seder). And in 2009, I had to worry about problems with my bag, so I was not able to celebrate fully the joy of Pesach.
But now I am free from those worries, and able to celebrate the full meaning of the freedom that I have been given, freedom from worries about health, freedom from fear of the unknown, freedom from shame, and a great many other things. And that freedom was not given to me cheaply. It cost my Father in Heaven the life of His Son to give me these freedoms. I just pray that as I celebrate tomorrow that I can truly begin to appreciate what He has done for me and for all those who are His.
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
Diabetes Awareness Day
One of the things that I found out before my appendix burst was that I had Type 2 Diabetes...so I am encouraging all of you who even glance at this blog to check to see if you might be at risk...If what I had to go through can keep one person from pain and suffering then, it is worth it....
Monday, March 22, 2010
yelping of a dog....
I'm listening and I'm hearing "our three little girls" (i.e.-our dogs Sunny, Dot and Brownie), whimpering and then I hear the sound of my Dad telling them to be quiet (one of the more irritating habits of other people in the house-but that's another story). The reason I think that it is irritating is that they are communicating a need and can think of no other way to express it.
I think now of the days when I was in the hospital, when I,or a family member, or a visitor would come and communicate the needs that we had on our heart. Whether it was healing, finances or whatever, there was no other way for us to express our need than prayer.
The thing was that I am glad that God did not tell us to be quiet; as a matter of fact; He encourages us to pray to Him, as a matter of fact I love how Chuck Swindoll paraphrased 1 Thessalonians 5:17: "Pray with the frequency of a hacking cough". And I think of the words of the song "Let Us Pray" by Steven Curtis Chapman:
I hear you say your heart is aching
You've got trouble in the making
And you ask if I'll be praying for you please
And in keeping with conviction
I'll say yes with good intentions
To pray later making mention of your needs
But since we have this moment here at heaven's door
We should start knocking now, what are we waiting for?
CHORUS:
Let us pray, let us pray, everywhere in every way
Every moment of the day, it is the right time
For the Father above, He is listening with love
And He wants to answer us, so let us pray
So when we feel the Spirit moving
Prompting, prodding and behooving
There is no time to be losing, let us pray
Let the Father hear us saying
What we need to be conveying
Even while this song is playing, let us pray
And just because we say the word, "Amen"
It doesn't mean this conversationi needs to end
Let us pray, let us pray, everywhere in every way
Every moment of the day, it is the right time
Let us pray without end and when we finish start again
Like breathing out and breathing in, let us pray
Let us approach the throne of grace with confidence
As our prayers draw us near
To the One who knows our needs
Before we even call His name
Let us pray everywhere in every way
Every moment of the day, it is the right time
Let us pray without end and when we finish start again
Like breathing out and breathing in, let us pray
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1HNQl0a4Zcs&feature=PlayList&p=4BAE7FE8F26C32A8&playnext=1&playnext_from=PL&index=17
so if you've got a need that you need to communicate, feel free to express that need and be glad that you don't have a Father that tells us to be quiet!
I think now of the days when I was in the hospital, when I,or a family member, or a visitor would come and communicate the needs that we had on our heart. Whether it was healing, finances or whatever, there was no other way for us to express our need than prayer.
The thing was that I am glad that God did not tell us to be quiet; as a matter of fact; He encourages us to pray to Him, as a matter of fact I love how Chuck Swindoll paraphrased 1 Thessalonians 5:17: "Pray with the frequency of a hacking cough". And I think of the words of the song "Let Us Pray" by Steven Curtis Chapman:
I hear you say your heart is aching
You've got trouble in the making
And you ask if I'll be praying for you please
And in keeping with conviction
I'll say yes with good intentions
To pray later making mention of your needs
But since we have this moment here at heaven's door
We should start knocking now, what are we waiting for?
CHORUS:
Let us pray, let us pray, everywhere in every way
Every moment of the day, it is the right time
For the Father above, He is listening with love
And He wants to answer us, so let us pray
So when we feel the Spirit moving
Prompting, prodding and behooving
There is no time to be losing, let us pray
Let the Father hear us saying
What we need to be conveying
Even while this song is playing, let us pray
And just because we say the word, "Amen"
It doesn't mean this conversationi needs to end
Let us pray, let us pray, everywhere in every way
Every moment of the day, it is the right time
Let us pray without end and when we finish start again
Like breathing out and breathing in, let us pray
Let us approach the throne of grace with confidence
As our prayers draw us near
To the One who knows our needs
Before we even call His name
Let us pray everywhere in every way
Every moment of the day, it is the right time
Let us pray without end and when we finish start again
Like breathing out and breathing in, let us pray
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1HNQl0a4Zcs&feature=PlayList&p=4BAE7FE8F26C32A8&playnext=1&playnext_from=PL&index=17
so if you've got a need that you need to communicate, feel free to express that need and be glad that you don't have a Father that tells us to be quiet!
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
letter to the Editor
This doesn't have anything to do with my healing...but it has to do with something else that is close to my heart-the nation of Israel....I read a letter in the San Antonio Express-News "Your Turn saying that the US should cut off aid to Israel because they wanted to build houses on land that is theirs to begin with...so I sent the following in response (whether or not the SAEN will print it out is another matter altogether)....
Carl D. Scott in his letter (Your Turn-March 17, 2010-'Cut aid to Israel') called the Israeli announcement about settlements an "affront to the United States and Vice-President Biden." The affront is the arrogance of some to say to a foreign nation (last time I checked Israel was not one of the United States) what it can and cannot do with its own land. The nation of Israel is not a child to be spoken down to and told what it can and cannot do. The policies of the United States and the United Nations have done nothing but shackle Israel-How would Mr. Scott feel if the Israeli government told him that he could not dig in his garden unless he received approval from them? And if he did dig, that the government would cut off funding to his country because of it. I think that Mr. Scott would say that it was his garden and he would do with it what he pleases, no matter what others may say.
Well then the same logic should apply in reference to a sovereign nation that is struggling for its existence against enemies and trying to take care of the needs of its own people. If I remember correctly, the United States did not have governments or a world body telling it what it could do or not do with the land that we had. So why then are we doing to other nations that which we would not have done to ourselves. What is the motive of our government and the United Nations in telling Israel what to do? It is to promote true peace or to keep a nation weak and defenseless so that it can be picked upon and wiped off the face of the earth?
Sincerely,
Edward Lozano
Carl D. Scott in his letter (Your Turn-March 17, 2010-'Cut aid to Israel') called the Israeli announcement about settlements an "affront to the United States and Vice-President Biden." The affront is the arrogance of some to say to a foreign nation (last time I checked Israel was not one of the United States) what it can and cannot do with its own land. The nation of Israel is not a child to be spoken down to and told what it can and cannot do. The policies of the United States and the United Nations have done nothing but shackle Israel-How would Mr. Scott feel if the Israeli government told him that he could not dig in his garden unless he received approval from them? And if he did dig, that the government would cut off funding to his country because of it. I think that Mr. Scott would say that it was his garden and he would do with it what he pleases, no matter what others may say.
Well then the same logic should apply in reference to a sovereign nation that is struggling for its existence against enemies and trying to take care of the needs of its own people. If I remember correctly, the United States did not have governments or a world body telling it what it could do or not do with the land that we had. So why then are we doing to other nations that which we would not have done to ourselves. What is the motive of our government and the United Nations in telling Israel what to do? It is to promote true peace or to keep a nation weak and defenseless so that it can be picked upon and wiped off the face of the earth?
Sincerely,
Edward Lozano
Monday, March 15, 2010
Two years of the journey
On Saturday, I had an "anniversary" of sorts...it was two years ago when my appendix burst and put me thisclose to passing into the Lord's presence. My congregational leader Randy Shapiro has a quote that I love hearing about God, that "He sees the end from the beginning." Sometimes though, he allows the path to be hidden. The reason that He does so, in my very humble opinion, is in the joy, experiences, and other things that happen on the journey from beginning to end.
Michael Card in his song "Joy in the Journey" puts it like this:
There is a joy in the journey
There's a light we can love on the way
There is a wonder and wildness to life
And freedom for those who obey
And all those who seek it
Shall find it (Proverbs 8:17)
A pardon for all who believe
Hope for the hopeless
And sight for the blind (Isaiah 42:7)
I think that the reason that God allowed me to go on the journey was to strengthen me to help others, to strengthen my faith in Him, to remind me of who He is, who I am, how people are, to remind me of the love of my family (physical and spiritual) and a great many other things. That is why I decided to start a blog-to share what has happened/what is happening on this journey and to share a little of what has been given to me.
Michael Card in his song "Joy in the Journey" puts it like this:
There is a joy in the journey
There's a light we can love on the way
There is a wonder and wildness to life
And freedom for those who obey
And all those who seek it
Shall find it (Proverbs 8:17)
A pardon for all who believe
Hope for the hopeless
And sight for the blind (Isaiah 42:7)
I think that the reason that God allowed me to go on the journey was to strengthen me to help others, to strengthen my faith in Him, to remind me of who He is, who I am, how people are, to remind me of the love of my family (physical and spiritual) and a great many other things. That is why I decided to start a blog-to share what has happened/what is happening on this journey and to share a little of what has been given to me.
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
my tree of faith
On Saturday, I went to go visit my nephew in Houston. While we were there we went on the "Azalea trail", which was a tour of several houses that had flowers in bloom. But when I saw one tree, it reminded me of the writings that Vanya had written about in her letters....
To see life coming from lifelessness and know that God has His hand on it to show it as a display of what He can do...that He can overcome anything and make it brand new. The question for us as believers is-How often do we remember that He has overcome anything? We should remember what Rav Shaul (Paul) wrote in Romans 8:38-39 (Complete Jewish Bible)[notations mine]:
For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels or other heavenly rulers, neither what exists (present) nor what is coming (future), neither powers above nor powers below, nor any created thing (and everything is created in one way or another)will be able to separate us from the love of God which comes to us through the Messiah Yeshua, our Lord.
and what it says in Hebrews 13:8-
Yeshua the Messiah is the same yesterday, today and forever.
Right now, I am going through a time of aimlessness with my work situation, but with faith, I can see that the same Lord who brought me out of the shadows of death, can certainly bring me through the shadows of unemployment (Thank you Bruce, for reminding me to remind myself). And He can do it in such a way as to bring life and testimony out of lifelessness.
P.S.-while I am writing this, I am asking prayer for a couple of friends of mine.
To see life coming from lifelessness and know that God has His hand on it to show it as a display of what He can do...that He can overcome anything and make it brand new. The question for us as believers is-How often do we remember that He has overcome anything? We should remember what Rav Shaul (Paul) wrote in Romans 8:38-39 (Complete Jewish Bible)[notations mine]:
For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels or other heavenly rulers, neither what exists (present) nor what is coming (future), neither powers above nor powers below, nor any created thing (and everything is created in one way or another)will be able to separate us from the love of God which comes to us through the Messiah Yeshua, our Lord.
and what it says in Hebrews 13:8-
Yeshua the Messiah is the same yesterday, today and forever.
Right now, I am going through a time of aimlessness with my work situation, but with faith, I can see that the same Lord who brought me out of the shadows of death, can certainly bring me through the shadows of unemployment (Thank you Bruce, for reminding me to remind myself). And He can do it in such a way as to bring life and testimony out of lifelessness.
P.S.-while I am writing this, I am asking prayer for a couple of friends of mine.
- Chad Elliott-a good friend of mine; I found out from his wife Kat that he is in the hospital with acute pancreatitis.It looks like he will be in the hospital until Thursday with about a 2 week recovery period. Pray that his time in the hospital will be one where he is ministered to and that the physicians and those attending him will take good care of him. and pray that the recovery period will be "speeded up" (if the Lord allows) and that everything is taken care of.
- Jeannette De La Paz-just recently went through surgery for cancer and it appears that everything went great. Pray that she will recover quickly from the surgery, that she continue to be blessed by her friends and her CBS family. And that everything was removed and that she will be able to use this as a testimony of the healing power of Adonai Rapha (the Lord who heals).
Thursday, March 4, 2010
great joke
I got this from WND (WorldNetDaily) and had to laugh; because it reminded me of some of the bills that I got.....
Posted: March 02, 2010
8:49 pm Eastern
JOKE OF THE DAY
WorldNetDaily
Just ducky
Health-care scam
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
A woman brought a very limp duck into a veterinary surgeon. As she laid her pet on the table, the vet pulled out his stethoscope and listened to the bird's chest.
After a moment or two, the vet shook his head sadly and said, "I'm sorry, your duck, Cuddles, has passed away."
The distressed woman wailed, "Are you sure?"
"Yes, I am sure. The duck is dead," replied the vet.
"How can you be so sure?" she protested. "I mean you haven't done any testing on him or anything. He might just be in a coma or something."
The vet rolled his eyes, turned around and left the room.
He returned a few minutes later with a black Labrador Retriever. As the duck's owner looked on in amazement, the dog stood on his hind legs, put his front paws on the examination table and sniffed the duck from top to bottom. He then looked up at the vet with sad eyes and shook his head.
The vet patted the dog on the head and took it out of the room.
A few minutes later he returned with a cat. The cat jumped on the table and also delicately sniffed the bird from head to foot. The cat sat back on its haunches, shook its head, meowed softly and strolled out of the room.
The vet looked at the woman and said, "I'm sorry, but as I said, this is most definitely a 100 percent certifiably dead duck." The vet turned to his computer terminal, hit a few keys and produced a bill, which he handed to the woman.
The duck's owner, still in shock, looked at the bill.
"$150!" she cried, "$150 just to tell me my duck is dead!"
The vet shrugged, "I'm sorry. If you had just taken my word for it, the bill would have been $20, but with the Lab report and the cat scan, it's now $150."
Posted: March 02, 2010
8:49 pm Eastern
JOKE OF THE DAY
WorldNetDaily
Just ducky
Health-care scam
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
A woman brought a very limp duck into a veterinary surgeon. As she laid her pet on the table, the vet pulled out his stethoscope and listened to the bird's chest.
After a moment or two, the vet shook his head sadly and said, "I'm sorry, your duck, Cuddles, has passed away."
The distressed woman wailed, "Are you sure?"
"Yes, I am sure. The duck is dead," replied the vet.
"How can you be so sure?" she protested. "I mean you haven't done any testing on him or anything. He might just be in a coma or something."
The vet rolled his eyes, turned around and left the room.
He returned a few minutes later with a black Labrador Retriever. As the duck's owner looked on in amazement, the dog stood on his hind legs, put his front paws on the examination table and sniffed the duck from top to bottom. He then looked up at the vet with sad eyes and shook his head.
The vet patted the dog on the head and took it out of the room.
A few minutes later he returned with a cat. The cat jumped on the table and also delicately sniffed the bird from head to foot. The cat sat back on its haunches, shook its head, meowed softly and strolled out of the room.
The vet looked at the woman and said, "I'm sorry, but as I said, this is most definitely a 100 percent certifiably dead duck." The vet turned to his computer terminal, hit a few keys and produced a bill, which he handed to the woman.
The duck's owner, still in shock, looked at the bill.
"$150!" she cried, "$150 just to tell me my duck is dead!"
The vet shrugged, "I'm sorry. If you had just taken my word for it, the bill would have been $20, but with the Lab report and the cat scan, it's now $150."
Saturday, February 27, 2010
update on "From Death to Life"
just an update on http://1ncisfan.blogspot.com/2010/01/from-death-to-life.html
For those who remember my "resurrected" tree - it has been growing so beautifully, and is beginning to look like a real tree now. It has grown huge
leaves in just one month! (the 1st photo was taken a month ago).
Its leaves are so large that they completely cover the top of it and you can't even see any more that it's broken.
If all its buds continue to develop well, it will have at least 10 branches. When I found it in the street it only had one branch that was dying...
With this speed of growth, I may not be able to keep it as a house plant for too long :-), I will soon need to plant it outside so it can grow freely and fully develop into what it was created to be. God is the Author of Life! So neat to see a new life developing from something that looked totally dead!
Hag Purim Sameah!
Varya
Glad to see that God can take something that was nearly dead and bring it back to life (to borrow from "Mike & Mike in the Morning" -back and better than ever") in a way that shows His hand in things.
For those who remember my "resurrected" tree - it has been growing so beautifully, and is beginning to look like a real tree now. It has grown huge
leaves in just one month! (the 1st photo was taken a month ago).
Its leaves are so large that they completely cover the top of it and you can't even see any more that it's broken.
If all its buds continue to develop well, it will have at least 10 branches. When I found it in the street it only had one branch that was dying...
With this speed of growth, I may not be able to keep it as a house plant for too long :-), I will soon need to plant it outside so it can grow freely and fully develop into what it was created to be. God is the Author of Life! So neat to see a new life developing from something that looked totally dead!
Hag Purim Sameah!
Varya
Glad to see that God can take something that was nearly dead and bring it back to life (to borrow from "Mike & Mike in the Morning" -back and better than ever") in a way that shows His hand in things.
Thursday, February 25, 2010
A shower
Last night, I did something that may seem ordinary....I took a shower. Now that might seem like nothing to you, however if I were to repeat it slowly and explain it; then it may not be so ordinary.
For the first time since March 12, 2008 (almost two years), I was able to step into a shower (not a bath given by nurse or a "sink shower" [bathing myself by sink]) by myself (not having anyone around me to help in any manner) and take a nice shower without worry (about water getting into a bandage or a wound and not having to cover any part of my body in order to do so). It felt so wonderful to feel the water coming down and to get soap and shampoo and clean myself off!
The reason I go on so about a shower is that it was a big sign that showed that I had been healed completely and was able to get back to some of the things that I used to do before my appendix ruptured.
However it was also a privilege. The reason I say that is that I was able to take a shower with hot water. Imagine those places where hot water is a treat (rather than an every-day occurrence). I was able to step into a shower with a sense of privacy) Imagine being a place where cleaning oneself is at a river where the water is maybe not clean, where there is not really a sense of privacy or the water is used by animals for drink and other things. And then I will be able to take a bath this evening. Think about being in a place where cleaning yourself is not a daily occurrence but maybe a once-in-a-while thing because of other matters...
Think about how much we have been blessed here and if you get a chance to help others who do not have (whether it is here in the US or abroad) think about doing so and being a blessing to others so that they can have the privilege of a shower...or food...or maybe even life itself....
For the first time since March 12, 2008 (almost two years), I was able to step into a shower (not a bath given by nurse or a "sink shower" [bathing myself by sink]) by myself (not having anyone around me to help in any manner) and take a nice shower without worry (about water getting into a bandage or a wound and not having to cover any part of my body in order to do so). It felt so wonderful to feel the water coming down and to get soap and shampoo and clean myself off!
The reason I go on so about a shower is that it was a big sign that showed that I had been healed completely and was able to get back to some of the things that I used to do before my appendix ruptured.
However it was also a privilege. The reason I say that is that I was able to take a shower with hot water. Imagine those places where hot water is a treat (rather than an every-day occurrence). I was able to step into a shower with a sense of privacy) Imagine being a place where cleaning oneself is at a river where the water is maybe not clean, where there is not really a sense of privacy or the water is used by animals for drink and other things. And then I will be able to take a bath this evening. Think about being in a place where cleaning yourself is not a daily occurrence but maybe a once-in-a-while thing because of other matters...
Think about how much we have been blessed here and if you get a chance to help others who do not have (whether it is here in the US or abroad) think about doing so and being a blessing to others so that they can have the privilege of a shower...or food...or maybe even life itself....
Thursday, February 18, 2010
What you can learn from a colostomy bag
One of the things that was a "side effect" of my appendicitis was the fact that for a period of about a year I had to wear a colostomy bag (see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ostomy_pouching_system for what this bag is.)
Now the bag was attached to me by a special adhesive-sort of like a caulk. Which was good, however, the only bad thing about the adhesive is that after a few days, it would become brittle and hard and begin to crack. The bad think about that is because of that, my colostomy bag would leak and I would end up with waste all over me instead of the bag. You then had to clean up the mess, replace the adhesive and get a new bag (which is not the most fun thing to do at 3:15 a.m.-either in the hospital or at home [especially if you had to wake someone up].)
So why do I mention all this? Well, a spiritual insight can be found as such:
When we come to Yeshua (Jesus) and ask Him to be our savior, we are "caulked". However through, going through our lives, the daily stresses, lack of time in the Word and prayer...our "caulk" in sense becomes hard and brittle. And because of that, our lives begin to leak and we end up with the "waste" of the world all over us and it becomes a big mess.
So we then have to have to "replace" our caulk. We do that by confessing our sins to each other and to the Lord (1 John 1:9-"If we acknowledge our sins, then, since he is trustworthy and just, he will forgive them and purify us from all wrongdoing."-Complete Jewish Bible). And in the Lord's case praying at 3:15 a.m. in the morning is something that won't inconvenience Him. In fact I believe that it is something that He looks forward to.
And since He is trustworthy and just, He will purify us. It is a wonderful thing when He cleans us up and says that we are forgiven and cleansed.
So if your life is begin showing signs of cracking-stop and ask the Lord to repair the cracks, clean you up and replace whatever needs to be replaced. Your life will be so much the better for having done so.
Now the bag was attached to me by a special adhesive-sort of like a caulk. Which was good, however, the only bad thing about the adhesive is that after a few days, it would become brittle and hard and begin to crack. The bad think about that is because of that, my colostomy bag would leak and I would end up with waste all over me instead of the bag. You then had to clean up the mess, replace the adhesive and get a new bag (which is not the most fun thing to do at 3:15 a.m.-either in the hospital or at home [especially if you had to wake someone up].)
So why do I mention all this? Well, a spiritual insight can be found as such:
When we come to Yeshua (Jesus) and ask Him to be our savior, we are "caulked". However through, going through our lives, the daily stresses, lack of time in the Word and prayer...our "caulk" in sense becomes hard and brittle. And because of that, our lives begin to leak and we end up with the "waste" of the world all over us and it becomes a big mess.
So we then have to have to "replace" our caulk. We do that by confessing our sins to each other and to the Lord (1 John 1:9-"If we acknowledge our sins, then, since he is trustworthy and just, he will forgive them and purify us from all wrongdoing."-Complete Jewish Bible). And in the Lord's case praying at 3:15 a.m. in the morning is something that won't inconvenience Him. In fact I believe that it is something that He looks forward to.
And since He is trustworthy and just, He will purify us. It is a wonderful thing when He cleans us up and says that we are forgiven and cleansed.
So if your life is begin showing signs of cracking-stop and ask the Lord to repair the cracks, clean you up and replace whatever needs to be replaced. Your life will be so much the better for having done so.
Thursday, February 11, 2010
Ironic ad
I was in the website for members of my old high school (Oliver Wendell Holmes-Class of '84-Go Huskies!) when I noticed that they had a ad from Google: "Signs of Appendicitis."
Now my question is....where was it 24 months ago when I really needed it?
Then again...had the ad been there...would there be these insights that I have received over that time? So maybe it was a good thing that it wasn't there.....
Reminds me of something that Dr. Luke wrote about in Acts 16:
"They (Paul and his companions) traveled through the region of Phrygia and Galatia, because they had been prevented by the Ruach HaKodesh from speaking the message in the province of Asia. When they came to the frontier of Mysia, they tried to go into Bithynia; but the Spirit of Yeshua would not let them." (verses 6-7 Complete Jewish Bible).
Maybe Paul was prevented by the Spirit either because he was not ready for what would happen there, or perhaps the Spirit had a greater work for them in another region as we read a little later in the Chapter...
So maybe I didn't see that ad because the Spirit knew that God's greater work would be done through a "wounded bird". So maybe the Father knows best after all!
Now my question is....where was it 24 months ago when I really needed it?
Then again...had the ad been there...would there be these insights that I have received over that time? So maybe it was a good thing that it wasn't there.....
Reminds me of something that Dr. Luke wrote about in Acts 16:
"They (Paul and his companions) traveled through the region of Phrygia and Galatia, because they had been prevented by the Ruach HaKodesh from speaking the message in the province of Asia. When they came to the frontier of Mysia, they tried to go into Bithynia; but the Spirit of Yeshua would not let them." (verses 6-7 Complete Jewish Bible).
Maybe Paul was prevented by the Spirit either because he was not ready for what would happen there, or perhaps the Spirit had a greater work for them in another region as we read a little later in the Chapter...
So maybe I didn't see that ad because the Spirit knew that God's greater work would be done through a "wounded bird". So maybe the Father knows best after all!
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
A song that talks about what I've been through....
One of my favorite Third Day songs gives insight into what I've been through....
Mountain Of God
I thought that I was all alone,
broken and afraid,
but you were there with me,
you were there with me.
And I didn't even know
I had lost my way,
but you were there with me,
yes, you were there with me.
Tell you opened up my eyes I never knew,
that I couldn't ever make it without you.
Chorus:
Even though the journey's long,
and I know the road is hard.
Well the one who's gone before me,
He will help me carry on.
And after all that I've been through,
now I realize the truth
that I must go through the valley
to stand upon the Mountain of God.
As I travel on the road,
you have led me down,
you are here with me,
yes, you are here with me.
And I have need for nothing more
Oh, now that I have found
that you are here with me,
yes, you are here with me.
I confess from time to time I lose my way,
but you were always there to bring me back again.
~chorus~
Bridge:
Sometimes I think of where it is I've come from,
And the things I've left behind.
Well, of all I've had,
what I posess,
they can't quite compare,
with what's in front of me,
with what's in front of me.
Even though the journey's long,
and I know the road is hard,
well, the one who's gone before me,
he will help me carry on.
And after all that I've been through,
now I realize the truth
that I must go through the valley,
to stand upon the mountain. . .
well, I must go through the valley,
to stand upton the mountain. . .
yes, I must go through the valley,
to stand upon the mountain of God.
And a video of the song....
Saturday, February 6, 2010
my favorite story
My favorite story of the time that I was in the hospital is as follows...
It was within the first two weeks of me being in the hospital and I was asked by my Dad if I needed anything else. Well, I moved my hands as closed together as I could (despite the fact that they were in restraints). Everyone tried to guess what I was trying to gesture. Somebody said that maybe I wanted to use a computer. Another jokingly said that maybe I wanted to play an insturment. Finally, my Dad asked if I wanted prayer. And I nodded my head yes.
The reason that it is my favorite story is that it shows that even though our bodies may be bound and limited, the Spirit that is within us is not. One way or another the Spirit will find a way to communicate the needs that we have to others as He does to our Heavenly Father.
It was within the first two weeks of me being in the hospital and I was asked by my Dad if I needed anything else. Well, I moved my hands as closed together as I could (despite the fact that they were in restraints). Everyone tried to guess what I was trying to gesture. Somebody said that maybe I wanted to use a computer. Another jokingly said that maybe I wanted to play an insturment. Finally, my Dad asked if I wanted prayer. And I nodded my head yes.
The reason that it is my favorite story is that it shows that even though our bodies may be bound and limited, the Spirit that is within us is not. One way or another the Spirit will find a way to communicate the needs that we have to others as He does to our Heavenly Father.
Monday, February 1, 2010
quietness
Hospitals can be a quiet place.....a little activity here and there and then moments of sheer boredom. In my case, activity while the nurse had to change the item that was in my IV, take my blood sugar count, my blood pressure and temperature, but then there would be a two to three hour break (you have to remember that for the majority of the time I was in the hospital, I couldn't have anything to eat so there were no breakfast, lunch or dinner breaks).
And it would have bothered me except I learned how to use that time of quietness to an advantage:
- do some reading (the Bible or a book that was either brought for me, or one that I requested)
- work of crossword or search puzzles
- listen to an I-Pod a friend brought for me (thanks, Neka!)
- pray for others (yes, even while lying on my back I still could pray for others
- do Bible study and reading
These things would keep my mind working and occupied and off of the fact that I was spending time with tubes in my body, or with an open wound in my abdomen, or any of the other things that would have dragged me down to depression. Because if you are not careful and do not have your mind focused; depression, anger and all other sort of emotions will drag you down and destroy you as a patient and as a person. It is better to get your mind focused-it may be keeping it occupied, get a plan together in relation to your treatment, focusing on what you will be doing once you get out of the hospital-anything to keep it from drifting away....
So the key with quiet is to either let it envelop you and take you as its prisioner or use it to keep yourself sharp and take it as a prisioner.
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
Gratitude
One of the remarkable things (in the mind of others) was that; despite being in the hospital I would continue to write out my tithe checks from the disability payments that I would receive each month. So why did I do it? Out of obligation? To impress others with my spirituality?
No! It was gratitude. If you notice the word it has the word "attitude" (minus one t) meaning: manner, disposition, feeling, position, etc., with regard to a person or thing; tendency or orientation, esp. of the mind (from http://www.dictonary.com/). And to me, the first two letters "gr" could be short for "grateful": warmly or deeply appreciative of kindness or benefits received; thankful: (also from http://www.dictionary.com/).
So in short gratitude is: "having manner, disposition, feeling, position, etc. with regard to being warmly or deeply appreciative of kindness or benefits, received" or just in one word "thankful". What did I have to be thankful for?
Yes, I had tubes and other things sticking out of me. I had a time where my only nourishment came from a tube coming through an IV (for 4 1/2 months). I couldn't bathe myself. There was a time where I was in restraints and couldn't move around. A period of time where I was being "breathed for", etc....but at least I was still alive.
If nothing else, I was thankful for that. And to use a term from Pesach (Passover), Dayenu (it would have been enough). And for me it would have been enough for me to still be alive. But I was blessed to be in a place where there are hospitals, blessed to have nurses, doctors, CNAs, and staff who kept an eye on me, blessed to have parents that loved me enough to take me to the hospital, etc.....
So if God loved me enough to care for me, should I show my thankfulness for His love by sharing the blessings that I have been given through the tithe, this blog, etc.....
No! It was gratitude. If you notice the word it has the word "attitude" (minus one t) meaning: manner, disposition, feeling, position, etc., with regard to a person or thing; tendency or orientation, esp. of the mind (from http://www.dictonary.com/). And to me, the first two letters "gr" could be short for "grateful": warmly or deeply appreciative of kindness or benefits received; thankful: (also from http://www.dictionary.com/).
So in short gratitude is: "having manner, disposition, feeling, position, etc. with regard to being warmly or deeply appreciative of kindness or benefits, received" or just in one word "thankful". What did I have to be thankful for?
Yes, I had tubes and other things sticking out of me. I had a time where my only nourishment came from a tube coming through an IV (for 4 1/2 months). I couldn't bathe myself. There was a time where I was in restraints and couldn't move around. A period of time where I was being "breathed for", etc....but at least I was still alive.
If nothing else, I was thankful for that. And to use a term from Pesach (Passover), Dayenu (it would have been enough). And for me it would have been enough for me to still be alive. But I was blessed to be in a place where there are hospitals, blessed to have nurses, doctors, CNAs, and staff who kept an eye on me, blessed to have parents that loved me enough to take me to the hospital, etc.....
So if God loved me enough to care for me, should I show my thankfulness for His love by sharing the blessings that I have been given through the tithe, this blog, etc.....
Saturday, January 23, 2010
From Death to life
This is something I got from an e-mail from Varya, a wonderful friend in Israel and I thought was something that I would share.....
This is something very special that touched my heart deeply this last week:
I found a broken tree trunk in the street on my way home about three months ago. Its branches were all broken, but I took it home because it was beautiful and I was hoping maybe one branch would survive. It didn't, so I had to cut it off and just left this stump at home for some reason, and then almost forgot about it. For about three months it looked totally dead... and now, look, what happened - it budded! all of a sudden I saw one big bud and then about 5 more small ones all over it! It is so beautiful and encouraging to see how life prevails in all of His Creation. No matter how dead it may look, God can bring it back to life some day!
The nature so reflects His character and even His plan of salvation. Isaiah 11 clearly speaks about the Messiah and refers to Him metaphorically as "a shoot" that "will come up from the stump of Jesse" (Jesse - the line of King David: Boaz the father of Obed, whose mother was Ruth, Obed the father of Jesse, and Jesse the father of King David).
Here are the photos of my resurrected stump :-)
This year may we all see a lot of beautiful resurrections in our lives, in the lives of our families and friends, and in the lives of the people of our nations!
Many Blessings,
Varya
This is something very special that touched my heart deeply this last week:
I found a broken tree trunk in the street on my way home about three months ago. Its branches were all broken, but I took it home because it was beautiful and I was hoping maybe one branch would survive. It didn't, so I had to cut it off and just left this stump at home for some reason, and then almost forgot about it. For about three months it looked totally dead... and now, look, what happened - it budded! all of a sudden I saw one big bud and then about 5 more small ones all over it! It is so beautiful and encouraging to see how life prevails in all of His Creation. No matter how dead it may look, God can bring it back to life some day!
The nature so reflects His character and even His plan of salvation. Isaiah 11 clearly speaks about the Messiah and refers to Him metaphorically as "a shoot" that "will come up from the stump of Jesse" (Jesse - the line of King David: Boaz the father of Obed, whose mother was Ruth, Obed the father of Jesse, and Jesse the father of King David).
Here are the photos of my resurrected stump :-)
This year may we all see a lot of beautiful resurrections in our lives, in the lives of our families and friends, and in the lives of the people of our nations!
Many Blessings,
Varya
Friday, January 22, 2010
The real date that will live in infamy....
PS-I happened to notice what today is and I was struck with the irony.
I'm here because there were people dedicated to keeping me alive. However there are "doctors" out there dedicated to making others dead. Was the difference that I was a "person" and they are not? It shouldn't after all-"a person's a person, no matter how small"- (and if the widow of Dr. Seuss doesn't like the line being used for a pro-life stand; too bad-he shouldn't have written it!) and science has shown that an embryo is a person.
So if we are to have true health care reform-shouldn't it be dedicated to making sure all are born alive and that they have the right to as long and healthy a life that they should have? If not, then when each person is born, along with our social security number, should they assign us a cemetary plot as well?
So much for my "ed"-itoral. I'll get off the soapbox now...and get ready for the rest of my day.....
I'm here because there were people dedicated to keeping me alive. However there are "doctors" out there dedicated to making others dead. Was the difference that I was a "person" and they are not? It shouldn't after all-"a person's a person, no matter how small"- (and if the widow of Dr. Seuss doesn't like the line being used for a pro-life stand; too bad-he shouldn't have written it!) and science has shown that an embryo is a person.
So if we are to have true health care reform-shouldn't it be dedicated to making sure all are born alive and that they have the right to as long and healthy a life that they should have? If not, then when each person is born, along with our social security number, should they assign us a cemetary plot as well?
So much for my "ed"-itoral. I'll get off the soapbox now...and get ready for the rest of my day.....
End of the road?
I was in Dr. Metersky's (surgeon and all-around good guy)office filling out some insurance papers yesterday, when he let me know that he put my "return-to-work" date for March 1, 2010. Or appoximately 24 months after the trouble with my appendix all began.
While one half of my brain is celebrating, the other half remembers what has happened the last 24 months with other promise dates having been dangled in front of me like a carrot and then taken away. An example was a surgery that had been set for the last week in July, but had to be postponed when one of the assistants to the surgeon was out of town.
So I have learned that all dates are as firm as jello and to write them down in pencil. In the book of James we are told "Instead, you ought to say, 'If Adonai wants it to happen, we will live' to do this or that." (James 4:17 Complete Jewish Bible)
So I'll remain cautiously optimistic. As Ronald Reagan used to say; "Trust, but verify." And wait until March 1st rolls around. If I go to work that day, it'll be good. If not, it'll be good too...at least I'm not spending the day being part of San Fernando Cemetary....
While one half of my brain is celebrating, the other half remembers what has happened the last 24 months with other promise dates having been dangled in front of me like a carrot and then taken away. An example was a surgery that had been set for the last week in July, but had to be postponed when one of the assistants to the surgeon was out of town.
So I have learned that all dates are as firm as jello and to write them down in pencil. In the book of James we are told "Instead, you ought to say, 'If Adonai wants it to happen, we will live' to do this or that." (James 4:17 Complete Jewish Bible)
So I'll remain cautiously optimistic. As Ronald Reagan used to say; "Trust, but verify." And wait until March 1st rolls around. If I go to work that day, it'll be good. If not, it'll be good too...at least I'm not spending the day being part of San Fernando Cemetary....
Thursday, January 21, 2010
24 months of a wounded bird
Why "wounded bird"? Well actually one of my nicknames is "Eagle" (which has my initals in it[egl])...that's the bird side, the "wounded" side is from what I had to go though the last 24 months with the pain in my body.
Kind of hard to believe that it has almost been 24 months since the start of my bout with appendicitis/perotinitus (you would have figured that I would have learned to spell it by now). Just checked and it is spelled peritonitis. (ha, ha)
During that period of time I spent times in and out of a couple of hospitals, had at least 7 doctors tell my parents that I was dying, had some fun and not so fun experiences with doctors, nurses, staff, etc... and learned some things along the way, some of which I'll share and then from there it'll probably be like other blogs where thoughts, opinions etc... are shared.
Speaking of something learned.... going through hospitalization can be extremely frustrating and lonely. So one of the ways to combat it is something that my parents put together while I was going through my time in the hospital. What they did was get a journal (just a regular blank writing journal) and have everyone who either was working on or visiting me come in and write something in the journal.
That way whenever I felt lonely or weary (and when you spend day after day like I did, you get to be lonely), I had a source of encouragement because there was a reminder that there were people that were encouraging me, supporting me, praying for me, or doing the same for my parents. And nothing picks up your feelings remembering that there are people who care and want to see you again.
So if you've got someone in the hospital, find something that will keep them encouraged and remind them that they have something/someone to live for.
Kind of hard to believe that it has almost been 24 months since the start of my bout with appendicitis/perotinitus (you would have figured that I would have learned to spell it by now). Just checked and it is spelled peritonitis. (ha, ha)
During that period of time I spent times in and out of a couple of hospitals, had at least 7 doctors tell my parents that I was dying, had some fun and not so fun experiences with doctors, nurses, staff, etc... and learned some things along the way, some of which I'll share and then from there it'll probably be like other blogs where thoughts, opinions etc... are shared.
Speaking of something learned.... going through hospitalization can be extremely frustrating and lonely. So one of the ways to combat it is something that my parents put together while I was going through my time in the hospital. What they did was get a journal (just a regular blank writing journal) and have everyone who either was working on or visiting me come in and write something in the journal.
That way whenever I felt lonely or weary (and when you spend day after day like I did, you get to be lonely), I had a source of encouragement because there was a reminder that there were people that were encouraging me, supporting me, praying for me, or doing the same for my parents. And nothing picks up your feelings remembering that there are people who care and want to see you again.
So if you've got someone in the hospital, find something that will keep them encouraged and remind them that they have something/someone to live for.
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