Some thoughts at the end of the year

Here it is, the end of 2013 and it's that time of year again....the making of resolutions and the new list of what is "in" and what is "out", so I thought that instead of "re"solutions, I thought I would resurrect some thoughts on these matters and give us some idea of what to think about for 2014....

OK, let's start with the "in" and "out" list....I wrote about this in the blog entry http://1ncisfan.blogspot.com/2012/01/in-out-or-neither.html
and here is what I wrote then:
But thinking about this, I am reminded of the words of the book of James: "For what is your life? It is a vapor (puff of smoke) that appears for a little while and then vanishes (dissolves into thin air) away." (James 4:14b). So what should the priority of us who are believers should be? If they had asked me about what should be "in" or "out" (and you know they never would), I would have responded...
OUT: Caring about what people think should be "in" or "out" (a shifting list based on shifting values)
IN: Being more like the Lord (a lifestyle based on values that never change)
Because when you get to the bottom line, what will matter and what will last for eternity-following the latest trend and adapting to the world's standards which change with the prevailing currents or following the commandments of God and leaving a legacy of lives made better and of more value? 

Shouldn't this be our mindset in 2014? Caring more about God and what He thinks and trying to be like Him than what is going on with what foxes say, or selfies or whatever, sort of what was said in a blog entry http://1ncisfan.blogspot.com/2011/12/something-to-think-about-in-2012.html

"The role of you and I is not to make men and women happy, it is to make them holy"

So the question then becomes, how can we make men and women holy, if we ourselves are not holy? So how do we become holy? I think the answer comes from Luke 9:23 "Then he said to them all 'If anyone desires to come after me, let him deny (to say no to something) himself , and take up his cross daily (emphasis mine), and follow Me." But let me quote the last half of that verse in The Amplified Bible: "conforming wholly to my example in living and if need be in dying also". In other words to follow the example the Lord gave in His life here on earth.

Now in dealing with "resolutions", I've said quite a bit in two blog entries:
http://1ncisfan.blogspot.com/2010/12/resolutions.html
http://1ncisfan.blogspot.com/2012/12/resolutions-again.html

according to dictionary.com the prefix "re" is defined as:
"a prefix, occurring originally in loanwords from Latin, used with the meaning “again” or “again and again” to indicate repetition, or with the meaning “back” or “backward” to indicate withdrawal or backward motion:"...
and then "solution": 

1. the act of solving a problem, question, etc.

3. a particular instance or method of solving; an explanation or answer

 

So if you want to give a answer to what a resolution is, you  can define it as "the act of solving a problem, question, etc....again and again"....The question I have is: How does solving a problem over and over again take care of the problem...the answer; it doesn't! Because if you are having to try to solve a problem over and over again, either one of two things are happening: the "solution" is an incorrect one or you are sabotaging the "solution" from working. Well both are true....in the first case you are relying on your own strength to take care of the problem and if our own effort were able to take care of it, then we wouldn't have the problem in the first place. In the other, God may have given us the answer, but we "sabotage" it by ignoring what God is telling us to do and then thinking we can take care of it.

So have we take care of the problems that we have once and for all? If not, have we decided on a plan of  action? And if we have, have we considered the following:
That is why we as believers 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! 

These are thoughts that we should have and dedicate ourselves to continuing to keep in our mind as we transition to a new year and dedicate it to making it something that is pleasing to Him and that we start making an impact on ourselves and those that we come in contact with.

update on McMath

Some of you may remember a story that I ran a couple of weeks ago-http://1ncisfan.blogspot.com/2013/12/a-decision-i-glad-my-parents-didnt-have.html

Well here is the latest and it doesn't look good due to activist judges...

http://www.lifenews.com/2013/12/26/judge-allows-hospital-to-take-jahi-mcmath-off-life-support-family-considers-appeal/


However pray that God's will overcomes everything and that His will be done!

Back in the hospital again

Merry Christmas to all and may the blessings of the Lord be on you and your families!

I was given a painful reminder that the testimony of the Lord is an ongoing process. That it is not complete until the time when we go home to be with the Lord.

I don't know exactly know how it happened, but I started experiencing pain on Sunday afternoon and evening, and by late evening (10:30 or so) that it got to be unbearable. So my mom and dad took me to the Texas Med Clinic where it was initially diagnosed that I had had a hernia and was sent to the emergency room to have a cat-scan to confirm it.

So we went and was admitted where there was a time of  waiting (when is there not waiting in the hospital), where I got acquainted with my old friend morphine which made the pain subside and allowed me to at least get some sleep.

So after the scan and some probing, it was found that there may have been a blockage caused by bad eating habits combined with the fact that due to the surgeries of '08 that my intestines may not be the same as they used to be. So what they decided to do was to take a pump and go through my nose to my stomach and drain out stuff that way.

But praise God the process worked and by Tuesday morning, the doctors were saying that I was feeling well enough to be able to have some breakfast and lunch and by late afternoon be released to the care of my family.

There was a couple of reminders that the Lord gave through some of the things that I went through:
1. As I said before, the testimony of the Lord is an ongoing process, that we cannot just rely on the lessons of the past, that we must continue to grow and learn from the Lord what He wants in our lives.

2. His continuing faithfulness...when I am faithless, he is faithful. When I stray from Him, He remains the same. When I am hurting, He comforts me. Thank you Lord for Your reminder of what You told us in Hebrews "Jesus Christ, the same yesterday, today and forever"!

3. The difference of when one has Jesus in their lives-Unlike my previous experience, this time around I had a roommate and through seeing his reaction to certain things,  I could tell that he was not a believer or if he were that he was not a strong believer. And the thought came back to me, "Do I sound like that to the Lord when things happen to me?"  And I thank the Lord that even through the worst of the annoyance that I had to put up with that there was One that I could turn to with my concerns and needs.

So on this, the day when many celebrate the birth of the Lord, let us be thankful for His coming and His continual presence in our lives!

A decision I glad my parents didn't have to make

I was getting my daily update from Lifenews.com when I saw the following story: http://www.lifenews.com/2013/12/17/hospital-pressuring-family-of-girl-brain-dead-after-tonsillectomy-to-pull-the-plug/

It's the story of this young lady who has been declared brain-dead after undergoing surgery to have her tonsils removed. Now the hospital wants to pull the plug on this poor girl against the wishes of her family. What makes it worse that the hospital's decision is based on CALIFORNIA state law, which seems to have no sympathy for family as indicated by the following quote: “A person who is declared brain dead is legally and physiologically dead.” The family is now having to hire a lawyer who is filing an injunction against the hospital (which is not cheap!). 

Looking at this story makes me glad that the Lord decided to heal me when my appendix burst. I can not imagine what would have happened if my family would have had to make this type of decision.

So at this time, let us pray for this family and ask that God's will be done and that the Lord will be able to carry the family through this time!