CORAM DEO

Prayer needs...

2012-01-06T15:54:00.000-05:00

Seems as though when troubles come, they often come in waves. I have more prayer needs today:

Karla, a wife and mother to two small girls. Her husband beat her so badly she was in a coma for 5 days and he was put in jail. He has sworn to kill her and take the girls once he's out. On top of all that, she is looking at losing her home.

Karla is the granddaughter of my Mom's friend, Essie.

Essie's twin sister Bessie lives in Kentucky and has had a massive heart attack. These sisters look so much alike, I can't tell them apart and they are so very close. Essie has said that if she could, she would bring her to MI to take care of her. But with advancing age, that is not an option.

Finally, a couple that goes to my Mother-in-law's church was involved in a car accident yesterday. They are both in their early 80's. His name is Grover and was kept in the hospital; the wife is Wanda and they let her go home. The man who hit them left the scene of the accident.

Prayer needs

2012-01-04T11:25:00.001-05:00

It's been a long while since I've written anything. But today I'm asking that you please pray for these needs:

Linda, whose 2 year old granddaughter died during the Christmas holidays. Linda is a Christian.

Anne: She's a lady about my Mom's age (82) and her three sons: Michael, Donald & David - all three have health issues and Anne is losing her sight to Macular Degeneration.

Anne's sister Mary: Mary lives in Ohio and her youngest son was killed New Year's Eve in a car accident.

I will do my best to post more often!
Blessings!

Something to ponder...

2011-08-14T16:07:00.000-04:00

"The King is in the Audience"

The scene is a theatre in England . The audience, chatting amiably, drifts to their seats. The orchestra, in starched shirts and tuxedos, is tuning its instruments. Stagehands scurry behind huge and heavy curtains, checking props and ropes, making last minute adjustments. Finally, the lights lower. At the top of the director’s baton the orchestra swings softly into a familiar overture. Suddenly, the orchestra is interrupted awkwardly in the middle of a musical phrase. A deathly silence follows as music sheets are quietly switched. Then comes the swelling strains of the national anthem. In the wings, the stage manager and the director run from actor to actor whispering excitedly, “Give it all you’ve got tonight! Play as you’ve never played before!” “Why?” the anxious question is asked. “Because,” comes the reply, “King George has just come in. The King is in the audience!”

The King of Kings and the Lord or Lords is always in the audience of our lives, and with us as we meet in congregations, whether that be two or twenty, on a Sunday or a Wednesday. Because of this we must live life with all we’ve got; the best we’ve got. We must “play as we’ve never played before.”

Taken from:

"Daily Vitamins for Spiritual Growth – Fr. Anthony Coniaris"

Someday..

2011-07-18T13:29:00.001-04:00

Hello~

2011-06-28T15:50:00.000-04:00

Hi All! Just stopping in to say Hello! It seems like ages since I've posted anything.

Summer seems to be flying ...we wait for the cold and snow to go, and now that Summer is finally here, there doesn't seem to be enough time in the day to do all that we want to get done.

I was remembering earlier where I was this time last year ... not in a good place...and so thankful that things have changed for the better.

Something I've learned this past year is that you will most likely carry some sort of residual effect with you for a long while once you've had a stroke. My speech is still a bit slow and I sometimes can't think of the word I want to say. My walking sure isn't what it used to be! I'm much slower and have learned that it's up to ME to keep the pace I'm comfortable with, not anyone else.

I tire easily too. Some days it's all I can do to get one major thing done, rather than the many I used to do seemingly all at once. Not any more. I've learned that this is a 'new normal' for me and it's okay.

For most of my life I've lived with limitations...fought against them for awhile, but have finally come to a place of acceptance and peace with who I am and what I can do. I don't fuss anymore over the things I can't do anymore. As my Uncle Buss used to say "That's past..." and if it's past, why try to relive it? Or why try to bring it back???

We live at times so much in the past that we don't celebrate TODAY and today is all we have.I've learned that too!

Blessings!

Valley of Vision

2011-05-05T17:30:00.000-04:00

The Valley of Vision

Lord, high and holy, meek and lowly,

Thou has brought me to the valley of vision,

where I live in the depths but see thee in the heights;

hemmed in by mountains of sin I behold

thy glory.

Let me learn by paradox

that the way down is the way up,

that to be low is to be high,

that the broken heart is the healed heart,

that the contrite spirit is the rejoicing spirit,

that the repenting soul is the victorious soul,

that to have nothing is to possess all,

that to bear the cross is to wear the crown,

that to give is to receive,

that the valley is the place of vision.

Lord, in the daytime stars can be seen from deepest wells,

deepest wells,

and the deeper the wells the brighter

thy stars shine;

Let me find thy light in my darkness,

Thy life in my death,

that every good work or thought found in me

thy joy in my sorrow,

thy grace in my sin,

thy riches in my poverty

thy glory in my valley.

Are you God's enemy?

2011-05-03T19:59:00.001-04:00

Are You an Enemy of God?

You adulteresses, do you not know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God. (James 4:4)

For good or ill, without question our children imitate us. What they see in us — our values, actions, and speech — significantly influence them. After giving four reasons for the quarrels and conflicts we face in our families and communities, James the apostle summarizes his words with a stinging indictment. He calls his audience — the converted Jews, the twelve tribes dispersed abroad — adulteresses. This is not the first time God refers to his covenant people with such disdain (see also Isa. 1:21, Jer. 3:3-10). This term is a common prophetic portrayal of faithless Israel. In Deuteronomy 31:16, as Moses is facing death and Israel is soon to enter into the Promised Land, Yahweh tells him that his people will play the harlot with the strange gods of the land, that they will forsake him and break his covenant which he had made with them. He vividly portrays this in Ezekiel 16:23-26 after reporting how he had rescued his people from helplessness as new born infants, cleansing them, taking them into his care. They rewarded his faithfulness by whoring after other gods in a most horrid and lascivious manner. And we see how God punished his servant Solomon who began his kingly reign as one who loved God (1 Kings 3:1ff) and soon enough 'loved foreign women,' going after the wicked gods of Ashtoreth, Chemosh, and Milcom (1 Kings 11:1ff). James says that friendship with the world is proof of hostility toward God. What does he mean by 'friendship with the world?' John addresses the issue (1 John 2:15-17), saying that one who loves the world does not have the love of God in him. Jesus says that the coming of the Son of Man is like the days of Noah, when men were eating, drinking, marrying, and giving in marriage, until the day Noah entered the ark, and they did not understand until the flood came and took them all away (Matt. 24:37-38). In other words Noah was warning people of the coming judgment of God but they continued living as they always had, totally oblivious to their peril.

Recently our house was without hot water on a Sunday morning so I went to my local workout facility to shave and shower. I was amazed at how Sunday was 'just another day' to so many people. They were 'eating and drinking', apparently giving no thought whatsoever to their souls, preferring instead to feed their flesh on the Lord’s Day while their souls languished. Thus friendship with the world is thinking, valuing, or acting in ways contrary to God’s law. It means living as though one is not accountable to the Creator, Sustainer, and Redeemer. This hostility toward God reveals itself in numerous ways. Some mock God, saying, 'Let us tear their fetters apart, let us cast away their cords from us' (Psa. 1:1-2). In other words, 'Why should we be restricted by God! We will do as we please.' Others are enemies of the cross of Christ whose end is destruction, whose god is their appetite, whose glory is in their shame, who set their minds on earthly things (Phil. 3:18-19). That is, they do not see the centrality of the cross for personal, familial, ecclesiastical, or national living. They go first to the latest studies on how to rear children or how to solve our economic problems, without realizing that man’s greatest and most foundational need is to be in right relationship with God through the death and resurrection of Jesus. In summary James is saying that one who is a friend of the world is an enemy of God.

This begs at least two questions — are you an enemy of God and what does this do to your children? While the blood of Christ removes the wrath and condemnation of God from the true follower of Jesus (Rom. 3:24-26, 1 John 2:2, 4:10) some want to push this further by saying that God is never angry with the Christian. This is both dangerous and unbiblical. We are told that God can be pleased with our actions (1 John 3:22, Col. 1:10, 3:20, Heb. 13:16). If he can be pleased then he conversely can be displeased (Hos. 9:4, Isa. 1:14, Jer. 6:20). Further, we are told not to grieve the Holy Spirit (Eph. 4:30), and we know that Jesus wondered or marvelled at the unbelief of those in his home town (Mark 6:6). Clearly Jesus was angry with Peter when Peter told him that he would not allow Jesus to be arrested. Jesus rebuked him by saying, 'Get behind Me Satan! You are a stumbling block to Me; for you are not setting your mind on God’s interests, but man’s' (Matt. 16:21-25).

It’s like this — a father, walking hand in hand with his four year old, finding his child breaking free from his grasp and venturing into a street of heavy traffic, watches helplessly as he narrowly escapes being hit by a car that comes to a screeching halt. The first emotion of the father is relief, but the second will likely be anger. Why? Because he loves his son and does not want him needlessly to suffer! Likewise, to be sure the wrath of God is removed by Christ’s atoning or propitiating death, but he still is angry with his people who persist in sinful rebellion against him.

So, one way you know you love the world and consequently are an enemy of God is when your values are contrary to the six petitions of the Lord’s Prayer (Matt. 6:9-13). As a baptized and professing follower of the Lord Jesus you ought to be all about hallowing God’s name, seeking his glory above everything else in your life. You ought to be all about the salvation of sinners in all the nations of the world. You ought to be zealous in submitting joyfully to God in every circumstance of life, of being content with your daily bread, of being able to forgive others who have wronged you, of being so zealous for holiness that you are careful to avoid temptation that could plunge you into eternal ruin (Heb. 10:26-31). If you are not 'all about' these things then you are an enemy of God. And on the other hand, if you are 'all about' seeking first the kingdom of heaven, of earnestly praying for, labouring for, and delighting in the six petitions of the Lord’s Prayer, then you are a friend of God. His smile is on your life. He is pleased with you.

Your children are watching you. What are they seeing? Do they see a parent who says he loves Jesus but who exhibits a love for the world, whose life is set on mammon, who lives contrary to the Lord’s Prayer? Surely we all fail in this to some degree, but we must repent. How? Get a fresh glimpse of the beauty and loveliness of Jesus, remembering how you were an enemy of God, how you were without hope and without God, how you were headed to perdition. Then remember God’s mercy to you in Christ. Dwell on his glory and power. Ask the Holy Spirit to stir within you a love for the things he loves and a hatred for the things he hates. The only way to get it is to go daily into the 'sanctuary' (Psa. 63:1-2, 73:15-20), to spend long periods of time in sweet communion with him.

This article by:
Rev. Allen M Baker, Pastor of Christ Community Presbyterian Church in West Hartford, Connecticut.

Saturday prayer

2011-04-30T12:45:00.000-04:00

My Mom on the left with guitar.

Thank you Father my Mom is
still here.
Thank You for Your continued grace
and mercy to each of us.
Thank You that I am able to help her
do what needs doing, and sometimes
that involves just listening to her
talk.
Being patient.
Not wanting to hurry her thoughts.
Understanding when it takes longer to gather her thoughts then it used to.
She's not 16 anymore as she was in this photo.
And she's lived a long and healthy life until these past months.
Thank you.
And she's still smiling!
Thank you!

Friday prayer

2011-04-29T08:52:00.000-04:00

Thank you Lord
for another day.
Only You know what it will hold
And I trust You,
because You hold the day.
Thank you that Mom is
getting the help she needs.
The process is going slower
than expected, but she's leaning
on You.
Thank You that I have recovered
enough to help her.
Thank you for Your grace and mercy.
Amen.

Worry

2011-04-28T13:07:00.000-04:00

This is from Randy Alcorn:

"Worry is momentary atheism crying out for correction by trust in a good and sovereign God. Paul, whom we seldom think of as vulnerable, wrote, “For we were so utterly burdened beyond our strength that we despaired of life itself. … But that was to make us rely not on ourselves but on God who raises the dead” God uses suffering to break us of self-dependence and bring us to rely on him."

http://ref.ly/2Co1.8f).

Who has your back?

2011-04-27T11:22:00.002-04:00

The Crucifixion of Jesus

2011-04-22T18:18:00.000-04:00

Crucifixion

A medical explanation of what Jesus endured on the day He died
By Dr. C. Truman Davis*

A Physician Analyzes the Crucifixion.

From New Wine Magazine, April 1982.
Originally published in Arizona Medicine,
March 1965, Arizona Medical Association.

Several years ago I became interested in the physical aspects of the passion, or suffering, of Jesus Christ when I read an account of the crucifixion in Jim Bishop's book, The Day Christ Died. I suddenly realized that I had taken the crucifixion more or less for granted all these years - that I had grown callous to its horror by a too-easy familiarity with the grim details. It finally occurred to me that, as a physician, I did not even know the actual immediate cause of Christ's death. The gospel writers do not help much on this point. Since crucifixion and scourging were so common during their lifetimes, they undoubtedly considered a detailed description superfluous. For that reason we have only the concise words of the evangelists: "Pilate, having scourged Jesus, delivered Him to them to be crucified ... and they crucified Him."

Despite the gospel accounts silence on the details of Christ's crucifixion, many have looked into this subject in the past. In my personal study of the event from a medical viewpoint, I am indebted especially to Dr. Pierre Barbet, a French surgeon who did exhaustive historical and experimental research and wrote extensively on the topic.

An attempt to examine the infinite psychic and spiritual suffering of the Incarnate1 God in atonement for the sins of fallen man is beyond the scope of this article. However, the physiological and anatomical aspects of our Lord's passion we can examine in some detail. What did the body of Jesus of Nazareth actually endure during those hours of torture?

Gethsemane
The physical passion of Christ began in Gethsemane. Of the many aspects of His initial suffering, the one which is of particular physiological interest is the bloody sweat. Interestingly enough, the physician, St. Luke, is the only evangelist to mention this occurrence. He says, "And being in an agony, he prayed the longer. And his sweat became as drops of blood, trickling down upon the ground" (Luke 22:44 KJV).

Every attempt imaginable has been used by modern scholars to explain away the phenomenon of bloody sweat, apparently under the mistaken impression that it simply does not occur. A great deal of effort could be saved by consulting the medical literature. Though very rare, the phenomenon of hematidrosis, or bloody sweat, is well documented. Under great emotional stress, tiny capillaries in the sweat glands can break, thus mixing blood with sweat. This process alone could have produced marked weakness and possible shock.

Although Jesus' betrayal and arrest are important portions of the passion story, the next event in the account which is significant from a medical perspective is His trial before the Sanhedrin and Caiaphas, the High Priest. Here the first physical trauma was inflicted. A soldier struck Jesus across the face for remaining silent when questioned by Caiaphas. The palace guards then blindfolded Him, mockingly taunted Him to identify them as each passed by, spat on Him, and struck Him in the face.

Before Pilate

In the early morning, battered and bruised, dehydrated, and worn out from a sleepless night, Jesus was taken across Jerusalem to the Praetorium of the Fortress Antonia, the seat of government of the Procurator of Judea, Pontius Pilate. We are familiar with Pilate's action in attempting to shift responsibility to Herod Antipas, the Tetrarch of Judea. Jesus apparently suffered no physical mistreatment at the hands of Herod and was returned to Pilate. It was then, in response to the outcry of the mob, that Pilate ordered Barabbas released and condemned Jesus to scourging and crucifixion.

Preparations for Jesus' scourging were carried out at Caesar's orders. The prisoner was stripped of His clothing and His hands tied to a post above His head. The Roman legionnaire stepped forward with the flagrum, or flagellum, in his hand. This was a short whip consisting of several heavy, leather thongs with two small balls of lead attached near the ends of each. The heavy whip was brought down with full force again and again across Jesus' shoulders, back, and legs. At first the weighted thongs cut through the skin only. Then, as the blows continued, they cut deeper into the subcutaneous tissues, producing first an oozing of blood from the capillaries and veins of the skin and finally spurting arterial bleeding from vessels in the underlying muscles.

The small balls of lead first produced large deep bruises that were broken open by subsequent blows. Finally, the skin of the back was hanging in long ribbons, and the entire area was an unrecognizable mass of torn, bleeding tissue. When it was determined by the centurion in charge that the prisoner was near death, the beating was finally stopped.

Mockery

The half-fainting Jesus was then untied and allowed to slump to the stone pavement, wet with his own blood. The Roman soldiers saw a great joke in this provincial Jew claiming to be a king. They threw a robe across His shoulders and placed a stick in His hand for a scepter. They still needed a crown to make their travesty complete. Small flexible branches covered with long thorns, commonly used for kindling fires in the charcoal braziers in the courtyard, were plaited into the shape of a crude crown. The crown was pressed into his scalp and again there was copious bleeding as the thorns pierced the very vascular tissue. After mocking Him and striking Him across the face, the soldiers took the stick from His hand and struck Him across the head, driving the thorns deeper into His scalp. Finally, they tired of their sadistic sport and tore the robe from His back. The robe had already become adherent to the clots of blood and serum in the wounds, and its removal, just as in the careless removal of a surgical bandage, caused excruciating pain. The wounds again began to bleed.

Golgotha

In deference to Jewish custom, the Romans apparently returned His garments. The heavy patibulum of the cross was tied across His shoulders. The procession of the condemned Christ, two thieves, and the execution detail of Roman soldiers headed by a centurion began its slow journey along the route which we know today as the Via Dolorosa.

In spite of Jesus' efforts to walk erect, the weight of the heavy wooden beam, together with the shock produced by copious loss of blood, was too much. He stumbled and fell. The rough wood of the beam gouged into the lacerated skin and muscles of the shoulders. He tried to rise, but human muscles had been pushed beyond their endurance. The centurion, anxious to proceed with the crucifixion, selected a stalwart North African onlooker, Simon of Cyrene, to carry the cross. Jesus followed, still bleeding and sweating the cold, clammy sweat of shock. The 650-yard journey from the Fortress Antonia to Golgotha was finally completed. The prisoner was again stripped of His clothing except for a loin cloth which was allowed the Jews.

The crucifixion began. Jesus was offered wine mixed with myrrh, a mild analgesic, pain-reliving mixture. He refused the drink. Simon was ordered to place the patibulum on the ground, and Jesus was quickly thrown backward, with His shoulders against the wood. The legionnaire felt for the depression at the front of the wrist. He drove a heavy, square wrought-iron nail through the wrist and deep into the wood. Quickly, he moved to the other side and repeated the action, being careful not to pull the arms too tightly, but to allow some flexion and movement. The patibulum was then lifted into place at the top of the stipes, and the titulus reading "Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews" was nailed into place.

The left foot was pressed backward against the right foot. With both feet extended, toes down, a nail was driven through the arch of each, leaving the knees moderately flexed. The victim was now crucified.

On the Cross

As Jesus slowly sagged down with more weight on the nails in the wrists, excruciating, fiery pain shot along the fingers and up the arms to explode in the brain. The nails in the wrists were putting pressure on the median nerve, large nerve trunks which traverse the mid-wrist and hand. As He pushed himself upward to avoid this stretching torment, He placed His full weight on the nail through His feet. Again there was searing agony as the nail tore through the nerves between the metatarsal bones of this feet.

At this point, another phenomenon occurred. As the arms fatigued, great waves of cramps swept over the muscles, knotting them in deep relentless, throbbing pain. With these cramps came the inability to push Himself upward. Hanging by the arm, the pectoral muscles, the large muscles of the chest, were paralyzed and the intercostal muscles, the small muscles between the ribs, were unable to act. Air could be drawn into the lungs, but could not be exhaled. Jesus fought to raise Himself in order to get even one short breath. Finally, the carbon dioxide level increased in the lungs and in the blood stream, and the cramps partially subsided.

The Last Words

Spasmodically, He was able to push Himself upward to exhale and bring in life-giving oxygen. It was undoubtedly during these periods that He uttered the seven short sentences that are recorded.

The first - looking down at the Roman soldiers throwing dice6 for His seamless garment: "Father, forgive them for they do not know what they do."

The second - to the penitent thief: "Today, thou shalt be with me in Paradise."

The third - looking down at Mary His mother, He said: "Woman, behold your son." Then turning to the terrified, grief-stricken adolescent John , the beloved apostle, He said: "Behold your mother."

The fourth cry is from the beginning of Psalm 22: "My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?"

He suffered hours of limitless pain, cycles of twisting, joint-rending cramps, intermittent partial asphyxiation, and searing pain as tissue was torn from His lacerated back from His movement up and down against the rough timbers of the cross. Then another agony began: a deep crushing pain in the chest as the pericardium, the sac surrounding the heart, slowly filled with serum and began to compress the heart.

The prophecy in Psalm 22:14 was being fulfilled: "I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint, my heart is like wax; it is melted in the midst of my bowels."

The end was rapidly approaching. The loss of tissue fluids had reached a critical level; the compressed heart was struggling to pump heavy, thick, sluggish blood to the tissues, and the tortured lungs were making a frantic effort to inhale small gulps of air. The markedly dehydrated tissues sent their flood of stimuli to the brain. Jesus gasped His fifth cry: "I thirst." Again we read in the prophetic psalm: "My strength is dried up like a potsherd; my tongue cleaveth to my jaws; and thou has brought me into the dust of death" (Psalm 22:15 KJV).

A sponge soaked in posca, the cheap, sour wine that was the staple drink of the Roman legionnaires, was lifted to Jesus' lips. His body was now in extremis, and He could feel the chill of death creeping through His tissues. This realization brought forth His sixth word, possibly little more than a tortured whisper: "It is finished." His mission of atonement had been completed. Finally, He could allow His body to die. With one last surge of strength, He once again pressed His torn feet against the nail, straightened His legs, took a deeper breath, and uttered His seventh and last cry: "Father, into Your hands I commit My spirit."

Death

The common method of ending a crucifixion was by crurifracture, the breaking of the bones of the leg. This prevented the victim from pushing himself upward; the tension could not be relieved from the muscles of the chest, and rapid suffocation occurred. The legs of the two thieves were broken, but when the soldiers approached Jesus, they saw that this was unnecessary.

Apparently, to make doubly sure of death, the legionnaire drove his lance between the ribs, upward through the pericardium and into the heart. John 19:34 states, "And immediately there came out blood and water." Thus there was an escape of watery fluid from the sac surrounding the heart and the blood of the interior of the heart. This is rather conclusive post-mortem evidence that Jesus died, not the usual crucifixion death by suffocation, but of heart failure due to shock and constriction of the heart by fluid in the pericardium.

Resurrection

In these events, we have seen a glimpse of the epitome of evil that man can exhibit toward his fellow man and toward God. This is an ugly sight and is likely to leave us despondent and depressed.

But the crucifixion was not the end of the story. How grateful we can be that we have a sequel: a glimpse of the infinite mercy of God toward man--the gift of atonement, the miracle of the resurrection, and the expectation of Easter morning.

*Dr. C. Truman Davis is a graduate of the University of Tennessee College of Medicine. He is a practicing ophthalmologist, a pastor, and author of a book about medicine and the Bible.

A better god?

2011-04-09T11:36:00.001-04:00

"A better god has been discovered by the heretics: one who never takes offense, is never angry, never inflicts punishments, has prepared no fire in Gehenna, and requires no gnashing of teeth in the outer darkness! He is purely and simply 'good.' He forbids all delinquency-but only in word, for sake of appearances, so that you may seem to honor God. For He does not want your fear."

Tertullian, 200 AD

I copied this from Randy Alcorn on Facebook today...and it fits perfectly with what is happening in our country...few believe what the Bible says and those who do are considered 'out of step' with reality. We, as God-fearing, born again believers, are in the minority. We are prompted to fit in with the seeker-sensitive movement, whose God is pretty well described above.

What happened? I personally think we've gotten away from teaching the Word of God to teaching specifically for those who have itching ears. And those of us who do desire the sincere meat of the Word find ourselves going hungry all too often.

May God have mercy on us. We pray for our country, we pray for our military, (as we should); we pray for comfort and convenience, but do we really pray to the God who created this universe and all it holds to BE the LORD of all? For if He is LORD, we, His slaves, will be inconvenienced and uncomfortable and we may not see peace as we'd like it. He comes to bring a sword. He comes to divide. But we have forgotten that.

May God have mercy upon us. May we draw ever close to Him. May things of this earth be held ever so lightly so that we may release them freely and quickly should He ask us to. May our lamps be filled with oil and He not find us lacking when He comes.

Father, be merciful to us, Your children.

No Hypocrites!

2011-04-07T11:49:00.001-04:00

In reading the devotional, Pearls of Great Price, I came upon this just this morning:

"One of the goals of my life is exactly the same as yours. I don't want to be a hypocrite. Every day I want to shorten the distance between that which I profess and that which I actually live. I want no gaps between my "talk" and my "walk".

It's why I like to repeat every day for the next month, this "Text for Self-Evaluation," proposed by John Wesley. The questions reflect the heart of Scripture, so every morning we should ask ourselves:

Am I consciously or unconsciously creating the impression that I'm a better person that I really am?
Do I laugh at the mistakes of others, reveling in their errors and misfortunes?
Do I insist on having my own way?
Is there a tendency for me to put others down so that I'll be thought of more highly?
Do I pass on to others what is told to me in confidence?
Am I thoughtful in expressing 'thanks' to people for what they've done for me, no matter how insignificant it seems?
Am I a slave to dress, friends, work, or habits?
Am I self-conscious, self-pitying or self-justifying?
Did the Bible live in me yesterday?
Did I disobey God in anything yesterday?
Did I insist on doing something about which Whenmy conscience was uneasy?
Did I handle discouragement well or did I have to be coddled?
Am I enjoying prayer?
When did I last speak to someone about Christ?
Is there anyone whom I fear, dislike, disown, criticize, or hold resentment toward? If so, what am I doing about it?
Is Christ real to me?

As I read these questions, I was convicted of areas in my life that I need help in. Areas where I fall short and need to change. In light of eternity, we are only here for a short time and this helps me make the most of each and every day. This will be posted on my refrigerator, not only so I can read it, but others can too. Perhaps it will speak to their hearts and perhaps they'll see a change in me.

Blessings.

The Passion of the Christ

2011-04-02T14:11:00.000-04:00

The Passion of the Christ

"He is before all things, and in him all things hold together."

Colossians 1:17

When I saw the movie The Passion of the Christ, I was struck by the brute cruelty with which the soldiers treated Jesus. Like a bunch of poorly paid drunken legionnaires, they couldn't wait to take out all their frustrations on who they thought was a stupid, luckless Jew. They beat and abused him mercilessly.

The face that Moses had begged to see - was forbidden to see - was slapped bloody (Exodus 33:19-20). The thorns that God had sent to curse the earth's rebellion now twisted around his brow. The back of Jesus' legs felt the whip - soon the body of the Savior would look like a plowed Judean field. By the time the spitting is through, more saliva is on Jesus than in him. When the soldiers raised the mallet to sink the spikes into Jesus' hands, it occurred to me that the Son of God whom they were crucifying was the very One sustaining their lives! Someone must sustain their lives minute by minute, for no man has this power on his own. Who supplies breath to his lungs? Who gives energy to his cells? Who holds a man's molecules together? Only by the Son do "all things hold together" Colossians 1:17. How amazing, how incomprensible that the Son, the victim, is granting breath and being to his own executioners!

Close your eyes and think deeply on the things you just read. Consider so great a Savior who would submit himself to such torture ... for your salvation. Think of the cost and sacrifice involved in Jesus' crucifixion. Then, commit afresh and anew to live on a higher, more sanctified level as you trust and obey him with new resolve. Praise your Savior for granting you breath and being, as well as life eternal.

Dear Savior, I am awestruck that you did not turn away from the cross, but traveled the road to Calvary for me. May my life today reflect my love and devotion to you.

From The Pearl of Great Price by Joni Eareckson Tada, April 1

What the Son Endured...

2011-04-02T12:16:00.002-04:00

What the Son Endured

"Anyone who is hung on a tree is under God's curse."

Deuteronomy 21:23

The pain and humility Jesus physically suffered leading up to his death was a mere warm-up to the real dread he faced. As he hung on the cross, he began to feel a foreign sensation. Somewhere during those hours that his body was impaled, an earthly, foul odor must have wafted, not around his nose, but in his heart. He felt dirty. Human wickedness began to crawl upon his spotless being - the living excrement from our souls. The apple of the Father's eye began to turn brown with the rot of our sin.

From heaven, the Father roused himself like a lion disturbed, shook his mane, and must have roared against the shriveling remnant of a man hanging on a cross. Never has the Son seen the Father look at him so, never felt even the least of His hot breath. It was the wrath of God being poured our like hot oil on the wounded heart of the Son of Man. And the Father watched as his heart's treasure, the mirror-image of himself sank drowning into raw, liquid sin. Jehovah's stored rage against humankind exploded in a single direction. The Trinity had planned it. The Son endured it. The Spirit enabled him. The Father rejected the Son whom he loved; the God-man from Nazareth, perished.

This is who asks you to trust him when he calls you to suffer. This is the One who asks you to obey him when it's hard, when your flesh is itching to have a little worldly candy. This is the One who asks you to honor him when you face tough choices. Jesus Christ bore the wrath of hell so that you might enjoy a home in heaven with him, the Father, and the Holy Spirit. Celebrate this marvelous gift as you reflect on Easter Sunday.

Father, thank you for giving me the gift of your Son. May my life be to the praise of Your glory!

From the devotional Pearls of Great Price, by Joni Eareckson Tada, April 2

Kill your sins...

2011-03-15T18:46:00.000-04:00

"In April, 1983, Robert Vierling of Winchester, Missouri, was found on his bed, crushed to death by his sixteen-foot, one-hundred-pound, per Burmese python. Vierling's wife said he had complete trust in the snake and often played with it on the bed. Each of us lives with many unseen snakes, all more deadly than a Burmese python. These snakes, which are constantly with us, are called 'sins' in the Bible. The process of killing them is called mortification. The doctrine of mortification is seldom heard today, partly because the word mortify is a King James term that's rendered 'put to death' in modern translations. But mortification is absolutely critical, for the Bible says that even though killing the snakes of sin in our lives won't get us to Heaven - only the life and death of Jesus Christ can do that - unless we bring deadly violence against them all our lives, we've never experienced the saving work of Christ.

God's Word teaches this in Romans 8:12-13: "Therefore, brethren, we are debtors - not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. For if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live." In other words, if we complacently live by the deeds and desires God calls sinful, we will suffer certain spiritual death and its eternal consequences. But if, by the Holy Spirit, we constantly struggle to kill these sinful deeds and desires, we show that we really possess and will forever enjoy eternal life through Jesus Christ.

Mortification of sin is extremely important, but why mention it in a book on simplifying our spirituality? It's here because mortification does simplify the spiritual life by telling us clearly what we must do with the single most complicating factor in our lives - sin - and why. The Bible says we must kill our sins, not tolerate or expose them in the name of grace, or they will kill us.

In our ongoing war with our sins, we should also remember other Bible truths that complement our understanding and practice of mortification. These include the eternal forgiveness of all the sins of all believers through the cross of Jesus, the grace of God preserving His people to the end, and the truth that in this life we'll never experience the permanent removal of all sin or the desire to sin. Consistent with them all is this teaching in Romans 8:12-13 that, regardless of our professed beliefs, one evidence that Christ has truly saved us is a lethal, lifelong fight against every sin we commit.

In January, 2001, the Reuters news network reported the story of South African Lucas Sibanda, who was attacked by a python. Trapped in the snake's constricting coil, Sibanda bit the reptile below the head and kicked and punched until it released its grip. Then he killed the python with a stick.

Pythons of sin will attack and fight against us all our lives. Unless by the Holy Spirit we fight back like Lucas Sibanda, we show that there is spiritual life in us.

Get deadly with your sins."

Donald S. Whitney, Simplify Your Spiritual Life, pg. 128-19

Prayer Need

2011-03-12T18:40:00.000-05:00

Dear Friends, I received this today from a friend...some of you know him. His sister Lori is in a local hospital .. the John that's mentioned is Lori's husband.

"As far as my sister, she went unconscious last night in the hospital and her heart stopped. They got it going again thank the Lord, and they put her on a ventilator to keep her breathing. They medicated her heavily last night so she would not fight and try to pull out the tubes and IV's. We will keep praying until He gets the glory out of this. I know something good is gonna happen, the drs are amazed that she has lasted this long. Also be praying for my mother as well as this is very hard on her.

Please have your church pray tomorrow. There is power in agreement of many brothers and sisters.

Also be praying for John he really needs a personal encounter with the Father. John needs to know HIM personally and not just mentally or generally. He needs to know who is he is, Christ, and what authority he has in prayer."

Thank you all!

Blessings!

Something to think about...

2011-03-07T10:21:00.000-05:00

"I want God and spirituality, but not the church."

More people say this today than ever. Spirituality is in; church is out. Why? For some, the painful memories of previous church experiences keep them away. For others, church problems aren't worth the hassle. For many, church just "We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love the brethren." A sacrificial love for Christian brothers and sisters is one of the first, best, and more reliable evidences of having passed from spiritual death into eternal life through Christ. Anyone who claims to possess this love for God's people. but avoids their regular gatherings, needs to reexamine his relationship with the Father of this family.

Second, anyone who calls Jesus "Lord" must submit to the authority of His Word when it warns against "forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some" (Hebrews 10:25). The New Testament knows nothing of the individualized spirituality of today and nothing of a Christianity that exists apart from the local church.

Remember too that the church is Jesus' idea, not man's. More than that, the church is His body. The apostle Paul reminds us, "Christ is the head of the church; and He is Savior of the body," and "we are members of His body" (Ephesians 5:23,30). Even though it may sometimes appear otherwise, the body of Christ has not been severed from its Head; Jesus is still the Head of the church. Why wouldn't anyone want to actively participate in the only organization on earth where Jesus Christ is the Head? When one of His earliest promises was, "I will build My church" (Matthew 16:18), why wouldn't anyone want a part in what Jesus Himself is building?

Look at Jesus' own example. He wasn't a spiritual loner. Twelve disciples always traveled with Him, often teaching and ministering as well. Furthermore, Luke 4:16 reminds us that, "as His custom was, He went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day." Why did Jesus make it His custom to go to the synagogue every Sabbath? Because He would hear the Word of God, worship God, and fellowship with His people there.

That's how participation in congregational spirituality builds our individual spirituality. When we're fed by the preaching and teaching of Scripture, receive the Lord's Supper, sing praises and pray with Christ's people, and talk about the things of God together, the Spirit strengthens us in ways that do not occur when we're alone.

So attend, join, worship in, learn in, give to, fellowship with, and spiritually thrive in a local body of
Christ that's faithful to God's Word. Find teachers and models there who can help with simplifying your spiritual life. Failing this, consider starting some type of small group in the church to discuss or study a book on the subject.

Christian spirituality is not an isolationist, self-absorbed spirituality. True spirituality is relational - not only toward God, but also with the people of God. Proverbs 18:1 teaches, "A man who isolates himself seeks his own desire; he rages against all wise judgment." Don't isolate yourself from the people of God. Take God, spirituality, and the church. That's God's plan. His ways are simpler and healthier for our souls than any we contrive on our own."

Excerpt taken from Simplify Your Spiritual Life by Donald S.Whitney, pages 35-36

The Gospel & Prayer

2011-03-05T10:34:00.000-05:00

The Gospel and Prayer

"Because I teach and write about spirituality, occasionally I'm asked to comment on scientific studies about the efficacy of prayer. The research always seems to include the assumption that one person's prayers are essentially as acceptable as another's. One of the flaws with such studies is that they do not associate prayer with the gospel. No one can begin to understand prayer until he grasps what the gospel teaches us about prayer.

The Bible, rather than assuring everyone that God hears their prayers, slams heaven's door against all who think God will hear them despite their sins: 'But your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden his face from you so that he does not hear' (Isaiah 59:2). In one sense, of course, God hears everything. But in this text we're told that God does not hear with a view to answering those who sin against Him. And, of course, since every person except Jesus has sinned against God, the hopes of are dashed of everyone who thinks all it takes for God to hear is for them to pray.

In fact, the Bible is even more shockingly counterintuitive in Proverbs 15:8: 'The sacrifice (which includes the prayer) of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord.' Many people seem to think, 'It's true, I'm not a dedicated Christian; but if I get into a difficult situation and humble myself to pray, and I'm really sincere, surely God will accept my prayer.' Or they believe, 'Even though I'm not really a follower of Jesus, if God is merciful and loving, He will look favorably on the prayers of those who come to Him when they're in real need and pray hard enough.'

But this text tells us that, instead of being impressed, the Lord actually abominates these prayers. Why? Because such people believe God should hear their prayers based upon their temporary humility and piety. In other words, they believe their own righteousness - in this case, expressed in a short-lived acknowledgement that they need God's help - obligates God to answer.

Instead of being honored to receive the momentary sincerity of those who want something from Him, God is insulted by their prayers, for they imply that the work of Jesus wasn't necessary. It's as though they're saying, 'The life and death of Your Son weren't needed in my case; it was all a big mistake. I believe You should hear me based upon what I have done - especially in these prayers - and I don't need what Jesus did in order to be heard by You.' Could anything be more offensive to God?

When it comes to knowing God and being heard by Him, Jesus was unequivocal: 'I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me' (John 14:6). Confidence that our prayers are heard cannot come from our sincerity, humility, or need; rather, 'we have confidence to enter the holy places (the presence of God) by the blood of Jesus' (Hebrews 10:19). Until people come in repentance to God through faith in the person and work of Jesus Christ - who alone can remove the sin that separates us from God - their prayers will not be answered.

Does God ever answer the prayer of a non-Christian? Many stories claim that He does. In reality, are these 'answered prayers' simply God doing in His providence what He was going to do regardless of the prayers? The clearest ground biblically is this: except for those prayers leading to salvation, we can give no assurance to anyone outside of Christ that God will answer his prayer. It is only through the gospel that we truly begin to pray for only then - after Jesus has made us and our prayers acceptable to the Father - do the promises of prayer in the Bible apply to us.

Once we respond to the gospel in repentance and faith and are adopted into God's family, our newly begun relationship with our heavenly Father becomes markedly prayerful. No longer is prayer just an obligation or a hoop to jump through to get what we want, for the gospel makes prayer a desire and not a mere duty. Through the gospel we receive the Spirit who causes us to cry, 'Abba! Father! (Romans 8:15; Galatians 4:6) with a new heavenward, Fatherward orientation. In other words, the Spirit of God causes us to want to talk to God.

Prayer should still remain a discipline, for even with the God-given desire to pray, it's easy to be distracted from habits of prayer by the crush of the responsibilities. But thanks to the grace of God in the gospel, our prayers are always welcome."

Article taken from Tabletalk Magazine, March, 2011

Written by Donald S. Whitney, senior associate dean of the school of theology and professor of biblical spirituality at the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary.

Contented

2011-03-04T11:50:00.001-05:00

"I know what it is to be in need,
and I know what it is to have plenty.
I have learned the secret of being content in any
and every situation, whether well fed or hungry,
whether living in plenty or in want"
Philippians 4:12

I Am Thine!

2011-02-27T12:02:00.000-05:00

1. I am thine, O Lord, I have heard thy voice,

and it told thy love to me;

but I long to rise in the arms of faith

and be closer drawn to thee.

Refrain:

Draw me nearer, nearer, blessed Lord,

to the cross where thou hast died.

Draw me nearer, nearer, nearer, blessed Lord,

to thy precious, bleeding side.

2. Consecrate me now to thy service, Lord,

by the power of grace divine;

let my soul look up with a steadfast hope,

and my will be lost in thine.

(Refrain)

3. O the pure delight of a single hour

that before thy throne I spend,

when I kneel in prayer, and with thee, my God,

I commune as friend with friend!

(Refrain)

4. There are depths of love that I cannot know

till I cross the narrow sea;

there are heights of joy that I may not reach

till I rest in peace with thee.

(Refrain)

Written by Fanny Crosby

Andrew Peterson - Dancing in the Minefields (Official Video)

2011-02-25T09:23:00.000-05:00

For Robie...

2011-02-20T14:25:00.000-05:00

This is for Robie, who visited my blog earlier this week and left a comment:

I was touched by what you wrote and I thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts with me. You are indeed right when you said there is always someone a little worse off than we are. I too tell myself that quite often. While I'm not in a wheelchair, I have chronic health conditions that limit what I can do, especially since I had bilateral strokes in July of 2010.

I used to wonder 'why me' and now I say 'why not me?' Things happen to many of us that we'd rather not have to deal with. What I'm learning is that my attitude makes a world of difference when problems surface. I want to be known as someone who trusts what the Lord does in my life ... who ever seeks to give Him honor and glory for each day. May I be remembered, if I'm remembered at all, as someone who loved the Lord and loved His people.

Robie, I encourage you to keep in touch with me. I so appreciate hearing from others! One reason I write is in hopes it will minister to other people...those I know and those I don't.

May the Lord meet each need and may you come to understand your purpose in this life.

Blessings!

Knowing God

2011-02-19T17:58:00.000-05:00

"What matters supremely, therefore, is not, in the last analysis, the fact that I know God, but the larger fact which underlies it - the fact that he knows me. I am graven on the palms of His hands. I am never out of His mind. All my knowledge of Him depends on His sustained initiative in knowing me. I know Him because He first knew me, and continues to know me. He knows me as a friend, one who loves me; and there is no moment when His eye is off me, or His attention distracted from me, and no moment, therefore, when His care falters.

This is momentous knowledge. There is unspeakable comfort - the sort of comfort that energizes, be it said, not enervates - in knowing that God is constantly taking knowledge of me in love and watching over me for my good. There is tremendous relief in knowing that His love to me is utterly realistic based at every point on prior knowledge of the worst about me, so that no discovery now can disillusion Him about me, in the way I am so often disillusioned about myself, and quench His determination to bless me.

There is, certainly, great cause for humility in the thought that He sees all the twisted things about me that my fellow humans do not see (and I am glad!), and that He sees more corruption in me than that which I see in myself (which, in all conscience, is enough). There is, however, equally great incentive to worship and love God in the thought that, for some unfathomable reason, He wants me as His friend, and desires to be my friend, and have given His Son to die for me in order to realize this purpose. We cannot work these thoughts out here, but merely to mention them is enough to show how much it means to know not merely that we know God, but that He knows us."

from the book Knowing God, by J.I. Packer, pages 41-42

Devotionals...

2011-02-17T09:35:00.000-05:00

"Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But he said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness."

"I will never forget the day they moved me away from 'acute care' to 'chronic care' in the hospital. As they wheeled my stretcher under the sign, I got a lump in my throat. It meant 'the doctors don't know what else to do, and I won't regain use of my body'. My condition was chronic.

Why do some hardships never go away? You and and plead until your knees are sore, yet the pinched nerve doesn't heal, the multiple sclerosis doesn't halt, the Alzheimer's doesn't regress, the marriage doesn't get better, the job promotion never comes, and the engagement ring never arrives. After decades in a wheelchair, this is my conclusion:

The core of God's plan is to rescue us from sin and self-centeredness. Suffering - especially the chronic kind - is God's choicest tool to accomplish this. It is a long process. But it means that I can accept my paralysis as a chronic condition. When I broke my neck, it wasn't a jigsaw puzzle I had to solve fast or a quick jolt to get me back on track. My paralyzing accident was the beginning of a lengthy process of becoming like Christ.

May I share with you one of my 'chronic' Bible verses that won't go away? James 1:2-4 says 'When all kinds of trials crowd into your lives my brothers, don't resent them as intruders, but welcome them as friends! Realize that they come to test your faith and to produce in you the quality of endurance. But let the process go on until that endurance is fully developed' (Phillips). When that finally happens, the only thing that will be chronic is joy!

Lord, help me to embrace the chronic conditions in my life. I want endurance to be fully developed in my life. Help me to hang on."

This was today's reading in the devotional "Pearls of Great Price" by Joni Eareckson Tada and it spoke to my heart about the chronic conditions I live with. There is a good and Godly purpose to them. May her words minister to you today.

Blessings!

“If Only . . .” Living with Regrets | CCEF

2011-02-10T09:40:00.001-05:00

Take the time to go to this blog and read the article...please.

“If Only . . .” Living with Regrets CCEF

Snow & more snow...

2011-02-06T15:27:00.000-05:00

Saturday, Jan. 29

2011-01-29T20:36:00.000-05:00

May we all experience these things at some time in our life.....

Nothing can separate us...

2011-01-28T19:57:00.000-05:00

Charles Spurgeon

2011-01-27T10:22:00.000-05:00

"Holy wonder will lead you to grateful worship and heartfelt thanksgiving. It will cause within you godly watchfulness; you will be afraid to sin against such a love as this. Feeling the presence of the mighty God in the gift of His dear Son, you will put off your shoes from your feet, because the place whereon you stand is holy ground. You will be moved at the same time to glorious hope. If Jesus has done such marvelous things on your behalf, you will feel that heaven itself is not too great for your expectation. Who can be astonished at anything, when he has once been astonished at the manger and the cross? What is there wonderful left after one has seen the Savior?"

Charles H. Spurgeon

Something to think about...

2011-01-26T10:11:00.000-05:00

"We are too apt to forget that temptation to sin will rarely present itself in its true colors. Never when we are tempted will we hear sin say to us, "I am your deadly enemy ... I want to ruin your life." That's not how it works. Sin, instead, comes to us like Judas with a kiss ... But we cannot alter its nature and character in the sight of God."

J.C. Ryle

Prayer needs..

2011-01-25T10:53:00.000-05:00

Would you please pray with me for these needs?

#1. Craig, an Elder in our church, has pneumonia in both lungs and his kidneys aren't functioning as they should. He has been put on a ventilator and transferred to a larger hospital downtown.

#2. Mary, a lifelong friend of my Mom's ... was hospitalized this week suffering from delusions.

Thank you! Blessings.

Sanctity of Human Life Sunday

2011-01-23T14:48:00.000-05:00

We had a Sanctity of Human Life service at our church this morning. We need not only to pray for the groups that help women (Crisis Pregnancy Centers, etc.,) but also pray for those who work in abortion clinics. Pray that God will changed their hearts because unless and until there is a heart change, there will never be an end to abortion.

May God forgive us for our lack of care and committment to this need ... may He grant us wisdom in supporting and giving of our time in volunteering and praying for the groups who support life. Prayer does change things but only if we pray!

This was a living human being .... what would he have been like? What color were his eyes? What would his laugh have been like?
Oh God, forgive us, for we have sinned against You!

Saturday, Jan.22, 2011

2011-01-22T11:39:00.000-05:00

Oh it's COLD here in this part of the world!

So thankful for a warm house,

food in the cupboards,

shoes to wear,

a coat to put on should I need to go out..

We have so much to be thankful for!

Blessings!

Country roads...

2011-01-14T11:11:00.001-05:00

I don't live in an area like this, but on days like this, I wish I did.

I think.

Then I stop and think about country roads...

hard to maneuver in snowy weather.

Muddy and sloppy in wet weather.

Icy and slick in really cold weather.

But they're beautiful to look at especially

when you don't have to get out ...

so, I'll just think about them from time to time

and be grateful for what I have and where I am.

Thinking is good.

Psalm 23:2

2011-01-11T11:17:00.001-05:00

He makes me lie down in green pastures.

Psalm 23:2

The Lord is my shepherd...

2011-01-10T15:05:00.003-05:00

The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.

Psalm 23: 1

Immanuel

2011-01-08T10:55:00.003-05:00

Read this in my devotional this morning:

"We need never doubt the truth of God's presence with us. Jesus Christ is Immanuel - a name that literally means 'God with us'. Christ's life, death, and resurrection are the supreme evidence that God will go to any lengths - even paying the ultimate cost of His only Son - to dwell among His people.
God is truly with us ...
Wherever we are.
Whenever we feel abandoned or alone.
Whatever circumstances we are going through.
It is our privilege to be in relationship with God for eternity. This is why He came to earth, and this is why He died. May our lives be filled with Immanuel."

by Cynthia Heald, Abiding in Christ, pg. 31-32

Thought you'd like to read this. Blessings!

Christmas, 2010

2011-01-07T18:29:00.008-05:00

Christmas Pictures, 2010

My angel of a daughter-in-law, Jane and me

She helped me so much during my time in the hospital

this Summer.

My husband, our son David, Me. and our son Shawn

Christmas Day at home

L-R My husband "Fred", Stephanie, Sydney, Perri, me & Erica

(Four of our grandgirls)

Christmas Eve at my sister Rita's home
In this photo, l-r, my sister Sharon, Rita & Me

These are two of my four sisters

Choices

2011-01-06T19:05:00.003-05:00

In case you haven't noticed, I've been playing with the new design templates on my blog. Not sure which one I'll end up with ... maybe just keep changing them till I find one I like. Sometimes, too many choices is not a good thing!

Blessings to you!

2011-01-06T09:11:00.001-05:00

Hi Friends!

Happy Thursday to you all.

Blessings!

Thanksgiving, 2010

2010-11-25T09:17:00.000-05:00

Love to all & May our Lord bless!

2010-11-18T14:55:00.002-05:00

I've not fallen off the earth, at least I think not. Been in the hospital again but am home and doing well, thank the Lord.

Not much to write about I guess, so I'll say 'bye for now. Hope you're all well.

Blessings!

A new day

2010-10-29T11:01:00.004-04:00

A new day...a new way to look at things.

Yesterday I had to go for a phlebotomy, and after trying 4 veins and getting only 50cc
of the needed 250cc the nurses decided to call it quits. My veins it seems, are old and tired. Like the rest of me some days.

While I was there, a nurse called my hemotologist's nurse and she said an appointment would be set up for me soon to have a Picc line put in. This gives long term access to a vein near the heart and the sight for putting that in is usually the upper arm. You nurses will know what I'm talking about.

I've known this was coming, so why did it affect me the way it did? Because while we say we know something might 'some day' come, when it's reality, it's a different story.

While I was at the cancer center, I commented to the nurse that all you have to do is look around to find someone in worse shape than you are. Her answer to me was "but then again, most cancers are treated and people go on with their lives ... when you have a chronic, life-long condition, it's often harder to deal with" ...

Chronic and life-long ... that's what I have, two conditions actually. Sometimes I wish that chemo or radiation could help them. Then I could get on with my life!

But it is what it is and while I've prayed and asked God to take them away, or at least make them less bothersome, the answer I get is that His grace is sufficient. And I can honestly say that I am learning that for perhaps the first time in my life. And it isn't my life I need to get on with either...it's living to bring glory to Him. That's all that matters. When I am weak, then I am strengthened with His grace and that's all I need.

Today is a new day...His mercies are new this morning! He gives strength for us when we need it, not before. And how would we ever know we need it, if we weren't weak?

Blessings friends! We're almost Home.

Prayer need...

2010-10-21T19:37:00.002-04:00

Another prayer need:

My cousin David and his son Jason. Jason has severe lupus and has been hospitalized for the past two months, getting home yesterday. He's a young man, unable to work due to health issues.

Prayer needs

2010-10-14T09:44:00.002-04:00

Additional prayer requests:

Don in Ky - Going to a doctor in Lexington today, Oct. 14, think he may have had a stroke
(This is my Mom's brother-in-law)

Mildren in Indiana - Having another skin graft on her leg
(Mom's half-sister)

Norma in Kentucky - Dealing with cervical cancer

Brian in Michigan - Admitted to hospice - Dementia; pray for his wife Pauline also

I'm back, thank the good Lord.

2010-10-13T13:47:00.013-04:00

Dear Ones,

What a journey I've been on since I last wrote anything.

As some of you know, I suffered a stroke, actually bilateral strokes, on July 10. The day I came home from the hospital from the first time I had been there. I was admitted on July 5 for the pain. On July 7 I had a scope put into my stomach to see what was going on there...turned out I had non-erosive gastritis; then the spinal nerve block on July 8 to help with the foot pain (and it did, praise the Lord!).

I was released July 10, had been home about 3 hours, and while my husband went to the market I called my Mom. And just like that, I couldn't talk....it happened so quickly. She knew what was happening, and called our son Shawn who lives just 4 houses from us. He called 911 and then went to get his Dad. His wife stayed here with me.

The next thing I knew the fire rescue squad was here and they took me to a local hospital. I was transferred last that night to Henry Ford Hospital downtown. I can remember some things, others not so much.

An MRI was done late Sunday nite and it showed bilateral strokes, with things going every-which way in my brain. I couldn't talk and my right side was affected...I didn't know the severity of it and I'm glad I didn't.

There is so much I could write and perhaps I will, later on. I am blessed to tell you that I have regained my speech, albeit slowly at times. But that' s okay...slow is good. My speech therapist said that we have a tendency to talk too fast anyway. After leaving the main hospital, I was transferred to Wyandotte Rehab and spent a full week there. Most of my body has returned...some parts are numb and weak, but I can live with that also. "When we are weak, then He is strong" ... I've truly learned what that means.

As I said, there is much I could write, but mostly I want to share prayer requests with you:

#1. My neighbor, MaryAnn, is battling 3 types of cancer
#2. Tony & his wife Margaret & their daughters ... a rough family situation
#3. My nephew Jason...is still on drugs, please ask the Lord to free him and bring him to faith in Christ.

I will close for now. Hope you are all well.
Blessings!

Thursday

2010-07-01T21:24:00.002-04:00

It's been a difficult day ... severe headache pain and I've not taken Lyrica since yest. morning .. wondering if that was the cause after all ... I just don't know anymore ... am so very tired again ... didn't sleep well last nite ... will call neurologist tomorrow & see if I can get in to see her next week ... having difficulty eating again ... not much of an appetite, nothing sounds good today.

Will it be this way forever? That's what it feels like right now. I'm just weary.

Thank you for praying for me.

Wednesday

2010-06-30T12:48:00.002-04:00

Not doing too well today ... much pain from headache. I talked with neurologist earlier and she said Lyrica can cause headaches and told me to stop taking it.

Foot pain is worse also this week. Just when you begin to think things are easing up, something else comes along. Why? I don't know. Probably never will know this side of heaven.

Hope you are all well. My love to you all. I'm going to lie down for awhile.

Tuesday afternoon

2010-06-29T14:51:00.002-04:00

Hi all,

Just to let you know I'm still around. Had a good week-end then yesterday and today I'm dealing with a bit more pain.

Anyone out there know if Lyrica causes headaches? How about Vicodin? Does that cause them? Not sure what's going on, just that I'm having headaches daily and I'm not a headache person. I have a call in to the neurologist and will talk with her about it when she calls. The headaches didn't start until after I began Lyrica.

Hope this finds you all well and enjoying the weather. I'm going to go lie down for a while.

Thank you again for praying for me.

Friday

2010-06-25T21:55:00.002-04:00

Another day with less pain ... how grateful I am. My Fred left this morning for Ohio. He will spend 3 days visiting with his brother and I'm grateful that I'm well enough that he could go. He so needs this time away.

I've enjoyed this day ... I sat on our front porch for awhile this evening, doing some reading and just resting in the beauty of the day. When you're in pain, it distorts everything and it was difficult to see beauty in anything, or so it seemed. I did some laundry and went to my son's home later to celebrate his youngest daughter's birthday. Our 'baby' granddaughter is 9 yrs old today. Where has time gone?

I read earlier that Joni Eareckson Tada has breast cancer and will have surgery this Monday, June 28. To read more about this, go to her web site: www.joniandfriends.org. She is an amazing woman and her health issues make mine pale in comparison. She gives hope and inspiration to everyone. May this cancer be contained and her recovery swift.

I am finding myself asking God how does He want me to pray. Does that sound childish? Shouldn't I, after all these years, know how to pray? You might think so, but going through this episode has changed my outlook on many things. Prayer being one of them. A once-for-all prayer just doesn't get it. I need to bring specific people / needs / situations before Him and then wait until He allows me to see what is the best way to pray, and then ... pray! It's no longer a "God please bless ...." It's God, what is it You're wishing to do in the life of this person? How do I help in prayer? Show me Lord. I want my prayers to mean something for eternity and that will take some work.

I shall go for now and get ready for bed. Thank you so much for being with me through this experience. Thank you so much for praying for me and sharing words of encouragement. They mean much to me.

Blessings to you all. I love you.

Thursday

2010-06-24T21:39:00.003-04:00

Another day with less pain ... thank You Father! I saw lung dr and after testing learned my oxygen levels are down (I kinda knew that), plus I have a lung infection and will begin a 10-day course of antibiotics tomorrow. It was too late in the day to start it today. With other med's I'm taking I have to balance all of them out and an antibiotic will work best at lunch time.

My poor husband just shook his head when I came out of the doctor's office and told him what was going on. Since Christmas Day it's been one thing after another with me. I admire his patience and I am grateful he loves me. He leaves tomorrow for a 3-day visit with his brother in Ohio. He needs this time away and I'm grateful I feel well enough for him to go. Our son & his family live just down the street from us so should I need anything they are close. I want him to get away and hopefully not overly think about me or his Mom while he's gone.

Would you please pray for man named Greg? He's late 40's in age and it was learned today that he has renal cell carcinoma cells in his lungs. He had kidney cancer last year and it was thought treatment had cleared it out, but sadly it didn't. There is nothing they can do as chemotherapy nor radiation can help this type of cancer. He is a Christian but he and his family are taking this very hard. His parents attend our church and I cannot imagine what they are going through. The same for his wife and children.

Thank you dear ones, for being with me thru my health issues. I deeply appreciate it. I am going to bed now.

May our Lord bless each of you and may all your needs be met in Him.

I love you all.

Wednesday

2010-06-23T21:36:00.002-04:00

Praise be to our God, maker of heaven and earth! He alone is worthy of our praise!

I am so thankful to let you know that this has been a day of lessened pain. The combination of Lyrica & lowered doses of pain medication seem to be working in my favor. Praise be to God!!! The pain isn't completely gone, but it's better ... I was able to once again go downstairs & do a load of laundry ... giving thanks all the while ... I once again helped clean the kitchen after dinner ... thanking God for a husband who cooks and for the ability and the energy and the desire to WANT to help. I was actually hungry and my Fred noticed and commented on it.

Pat has shared with me about her husband's dealing with neuropathy and let me know that he too takes Lyrica. That was a blessing to know as I am overly cautious about new medications.

What I am asking God is to not let me forget what I'm learning through this time of pain.

What am I learning? That He is trustworthy beyond our ability to understand. That He is patient beyond comprehension. That He desires only our good and sometimes that involves walking through dark, hard, fiery places. That He truly IS the Potter and I am the clay ... He can do with me as He pleases and I dare not whisper a complaint. That His children are His forever ... nothing will take us from His hand. That His people are a blessing and we are here to serve and encourage and strengthen one another ... never tear down or hurt or cause harm of any sort. That I am loved.

This walk of ours isn't an easy one, but it is one that's worth the walk. When we all reach Home we will have so many stories to share won't we? Once Home, I will meet some of you for the first time (other than blogs & facebook that is). I will renew friendships with saints who have already reached Home. (Jean Vallis comes to mind...so does Mary Allen & Virginia Mobley). I will see my Dad and my sister Janice. Oh we have so much to look forward to!

I shall go for now & get ready for bed. I'm still resting a lot and going to bed early.

Thank you dear ones ... thank you for praying for me ... for thinking of me .. for remembering me during your days. I love you all!

Monday

2010-06-21T12:52:00.002-04:00

Another day this side of heaven.

Clyde took me for bloodwork this morning, the doctor ordered an oncology profile along with my usual CBC. That made me stop and give some serious thought to what's happening in this body of mine. Please, for those of you who know my Mom, please don't say anything. She has enough to deal with. Should something come from this additional bloodwork, then I'll talk with her.

I realize, we all do, that this life will end one day but with all I'm dealing with it makes me wonder if my time is closer than I might think. It could be, only God knows. While I wouldn't want to leave those I love, I am beginning to want my desire to be in God's will greater than staying here. Does that make sense?

Yesterday was a good day ... I was able to rest and dealt with pain on a good basis if that makes sense. Today is different ... more pain but dealing with it is easier. My appetite is improving ... thank You Lord and thank you all for praying for these answers to prayer. For some relief. For words of encouragement from folks who care and from those who deal with neuropathy also.

I'm learning to let go ... to open my clinched little hands and let go ... of all that can hinder and harm my walk with Christ. My fears, insecurities, doubts, hurts, and even the pain .... let it go and let the Lord truly be Lord of my life. I've said that He is ... believed that He is, but this episode of daily pain has shown me that to a large extent it's been words, not relationship. I've tried to be the good Christian and haven't wanted anyone to see the real me...the one God sees and loves in spite of me. I wanted to look good ... to have people think well of me and those aren't inherently wrong. Our reason for wanting them can be.

I'm learning that I want people to see Christ in me and that perhaps this pain is part of the peeling-off process to get there. It hurts like heck, and it burns like fire, but if this will make me more like our Lord, so be it. I've finally come to that place ... so be it.

Earlier today I was remembering when I was in the coma in 1979. God graciously brought me from darkness to light way back then. Gave me back my life when doctors said it was over, and then gave me new life in Christ. Today I saw that He has taken me from light into the darkness of pain so that He can continue the work He began in me. So be it Lord. So be it. Amen and amen. Your will be done.

I thank you all ... from the bottom of this sin-soaked heart, I thank you for caring for me ... for praying ... for your words of encouragement and hope. You cannot know what they have meant and what they mean to me when I read them.

May our Lord richly bless you and may all your needs be met in Him. I shall, Lord willing, write more later.

My love to you all.

Saturday night

2010-06-19T20:42:00.001-04:00

J. C. Ryle:

“There is nothing which shows our ignorance so much as our impatience under trouble. We forget that every cross is a message from God, and intended to do us good in the end. Trials are intended to make us think—to wean us from the world—to send us to the Bible—to drive us to our knees.” “Man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the LORD” (Deuteronomy 8:3).

Oh, how I needed to read this~ may it bless you as well.

Feeling a tad bit better this evening, praise the name of our good Lord!

Saturday

2010-06-19T09:53:00.002-04:00

Yesterday was a really bad day pain-wise. I keep asking myself, how do people live with this? When does relief come? What if it doesn't come?

My thoughts are scattered and I do my best to keep them in check, but when you're medicated and in pain, that's difficult to do. Lord help me, please!

My Fred bought me Ensure yesterday so I can supplement my meals with that. I know I have to eat in order to be well, but my appetite is pitifully low.

I began taking Lyrica yesterday afternoon, will take it twice daily now to see if it helps this nerve pain. Has anyone out there taken it? Do you know of anyone who did? Did it help?

Never, ever, have I been in a place like this. I would rather go Home than have to live like this. Not that I would hurt myself, but I find that Heaven looks better and better compared with what we deal with here. Perhaps that's been part of my problem ... too comfortable here ... not looking for His return ... not desiring Him more than life itself. God forgive me.

Thank you for praying for me .... I love you all.

Friday ....

2010-06-18T09:13:00.002-04:00

Pain! So much pain! Lord I cry out to You ... please Father, relieve this pain. Forgive me my sins and cleanse me from all unrighteousness. Help me Lord to lean only on You. Clear my thinking. Allow the stomach pain to ease also. Give me an appetite and help me keep food down.

All I know to do is cry out to You Lord.

Thank You for those who are praying for me.

Thursday

2010-06-17T11:52:00.003-04:00

Another day, praise the Lord for another day. His will be done.

I met with two neurologists yesterday. They seem to be very thorough and are attempting to find the root cause of the neuropathy. They asked if I did yard work and had I been exposed to pesticides. They ordered blood work that will check for toxins along with levels of mercury, copper, lead and arsenic. They are also looking for Lupus and Sclera-derma. These are things I never thought of but they can all cause nerve damage.

The appt. for the spinal nerve block has been set up for July 8 and hopefully that will give relief. A new medication was ordered (Lyrica) but my insurance must grant prior approval before saying yes to covering it. My doctor's nurse is working on that now. She has called me twice this morning for information.

Jacqueline, thank you for checking on me and please, pray for the home-bound and call them when you can. It means more than you can know unless you've been one who can't get out much. Trish, Pat, Amrita and all you other ladies, thank you! When the pain gets the worst I know someone is praying and that it will pass. It comes in waves and thankfully, if I lay on my back with my legs propped up, I can rest and the pain eases.

I find myself taking the time to quietly pray for those whom I know are hurting ... Hal, Bonnie, Gladys, Edie and others. I also find myself having been slowed to a near stop and resigning myself to the fact my times are truly in God's hands and He indeed orders my steps and directs my path, but I have been one to bolt ahead and rush to do what I thought was most important. Slowing down has shown me how off my sense of direction was. He is mericful and I am thankful.

I must go but before I do, I ask you to please pray for a little girl named Madeline. She is 7 yrs old and has brain cancer and is being taken to St. Jude's Hospital for treatment. My sister Linda told me about her this morning.

Thank you all again. You are deeply appreciated and I love you all.

Blessings.

"This is only for a season"

Tuesday morning...

2010-06-15T10:08:00.004-04:00

Thanks be to the good Lord I was able to sleep last night. It amazes me how much we need sleep and rest. I better understand how and why God rested (even though He surely didn't need to) on the seventh day. And why he gave us that day, if we will take it, to do the same.

I also better understand why he created darkness, and designed our bodies to need to sleep during that time. We cannot do much of anything in a proper manner, without sleep and rest. Why do we think we can?

Later this morning, Lord willing, my husband will take me to Target. A small outing to test the waters I suppose, but one I feel I would like to make. That store is easier to navigate than the larger stores so that's where I'll be testing my strength this morning. Pain? Still here, but I will do as Thara and my other friend have wisely advised and take pain medication before the pain overtakes me. Because I was able to sleep, my mental faculities seem more stable today and that is a big blessing.

I talked with my hematologist earlier this morning ... I will not need the phlebotomy this week after all. Thank the Lord. I will have blood taken next Monday and we'll go from there. Before he ended the call he said "Remember to keep the prayers going and hold your head up, this won't last forever". Bless him.

My love to you all. Thank you for reading and especially thank you for praying for this weary pilgrim.

Monday

2010-06-14T21:26:00.004-04:00

After not sleeping well last nite, and getting up earlier than I usually do, we made it to the dr's appts. downtown today.

My hematologist, a Godly Christian man, entered the exam room and saw how weary I looked, then leaned close to me and said "this is only for a season, it won't last forever, remember that, okay?" I cried and was so thankful for his sensitivity and caring and before long, there was a smile where tears had been. Did he promise me health on a silver platter? No. He just reinforced the fact that this won't last forever and that as Christians, we have so much waiting for us that one day, all this will simply fade into distant memory.

He decided to post-pone the phlebotomy when he saw how stressed and tired I was. He also ordered additional blood work and I will get the results tomorrow morning. If needed, I will have the phlebotomy done at a local cancer center rather than have to go back downtown to have it done.

He also determined that I need to stay off the platelet medication until we find out what's going on with my liver. It's enlarged and at times, causes pain. I will see a specialist in that field on July 6. He is hoping the platelet medication hasn't caused liver damage, which is a possibility with that drug.

I saw the neurosurgeon next and she confirmed that I do not need surgery. Good news. She showed me the MRI pictures and explained what can happen as we get older ... the disks in the lower back squeeze together and nerve endings end up in places they shouldn't be. She believes that is partly the cause of the foot pain and neuropathy. She prescribed a Medrol dose pak , believing that medication will enable the inflammation to go down and hopefully help the pain subside. I will be seeing a neurologist on a regular basis, she feels I need that, and my first appt. with that Dr. is this Wed. morning downtown. She also arranged for someone from their pain clinic to call & set up an appt. She said there are numerous ways to deal with pain, and hopefully they will have an answer as to what will work best for me. She mentioned the injection they put into your spine as one of the treatments. My mother-in-law has had this done and it helped her tremendously.

Something my hematologist said has stayed with me today..."we are not made for this world and much of our disappointment comes when things just don't seem to go as we think they should ... we need to understand that as Christians, our Home is yet to come and it is only there that we will find real answers to real problems. Suffering being among the big ones we face."

Again I thank you for praying for me. I pray for Hal each night and for others who I know are dealing with chronic health issues and the depression that comes along with them. I told my dr today that I have been in such a dark place and I feel as though I have been twisted into a shape I didn't recognize as me ... and he said "pain will do that, I understand".

That's what I need to offer to others ... the fact I know what pain can do ... turn you inside out and make you wonder about your own sanity ... make you question most everything you ever thought to be true ... and just when you think you can't handle another minute of it, relief comes ... however slight it may be, it comes and you can take a deep breath and relax just a bit before it hits again. Thank the Lord my dr was right when he said "this is only for a season ... it won't last forever ..."

My love to you all, always.

Thank You...

2010-06-13T09:49:00.003-04:00

Thank You Father for this new day.
Thank You that Your mercies are new every morning.
Thank You for friends who pray for me.
Thank You for grace ... undescribable, marvelous grace.
Thank You for this shell that houses the spirit You made alive in Christ.
Thank You that You are at work in me and that pain is part of the process, even though I don't like it.
Thank You for Jesus' blood that covers my sins.
Thank You that nothing can take me from Your hand.
Thank You for the fan that softly whirls in the background right now.
Thank You for this computer and internet that I use to communicate with friends.
Thank You for sunshine.
Thank You for Your precious Holy Spirit. My teacher, comforter and guide.
Thank You for medication to help my health issues.
Thank You for doctors who care.
Thank You for insurance.
Thank You for my Fred who loves me in spite of me.
Thank You for my grandgirls, even the one who doesn't talk to us.
Thank You for our 'daughters' ... Jane & Wendy.
Thank You for Shawn & David.
Thank You for our church.
Thank You for those few close friends who never leave regardless of how testy we can be.
Thank You ... O my God ... Thank you that one day I will slip from this 'house' and go Home!
Thank You my Lord for You, the greatest gift I have ever been given.
Thank You that You see us through the hard places and in Your time, give us hope.
Thank You that we can rest on what Your Word says is truth, not what our emotions tell us.
Thank You that You are our Rock.
Thank You that You are our Defender.
Thank You that You ever live to make intercession for us.
Thank You that You are our Advocate.
Thank You that You give us what we need and not what we deserve.
Thank You!!
Thank You!!
Thank You!!

One more day...

2010-06-12T21:30:00.002-04:00

Just one more day til I hopefully find out what's causing the pain. I received the MRI results in today's mail, and learned I have some protuding disks along my spine, but I don't understand what else was written. I will take that report with me to the neurosurgeon and have her interpret it for me. Any other time and I would have been googling those words on the internet, but today I just didn't care to find out. Too much effort.

I tried to do without pain medication longer than usual this morning, but that didn't last long. This burning, searing pain becomes unbearable and I remember what my friend said about stressing your body even more when we don't medicate on schedule. So I took the pill, laid back down and rested.

One good thing to report ... I actually chose what I wanted for dinner ... my Fred picked it up from the restaurant and I ate it! No pushing food around, no grimacing because I had to eat. Thank the Lord for that victory! One step forward is a major blessing at this stage.

A dear friend called tonight ... she and I went to church together for awhile ... have been friends for 39 years ... she is going thru a difficult time also. Physical challenges and grown children who are taxing her soul ... a husband who isn't a Christian and not supportive ... puts my problems into a new perspective. We can always learn of someone who's going thru just a bit more than we are and today, we don't have to look far to find them. Or so it seems.

Our granddaughter Erica came to the house this afternoon so her Papa could put air in a pool toy. She ran in and gave me a hug and a kiss and asked how I was doing. She saw my arm and the large bruise from the blown vein and asked me what had happened. I told her and she said "Oh, does it hurt?" And I said yes it does, a bit. When you're 8, almost 9, bruising and painful feet must seem as foreign to you as Mars. But I'm very thankful she and her sister Stephanie care enough about me to call or come & visit.

Will go and get ready for bed. Prayerfully rest will come and I can sleep. Not going to church tomorrow. Will stay in and continue resting as much as I can. Monday will be a busy day but I'm looking forward to getting answers.

May your evening be rest-filled and may your Sunday be blessed. Thank you all again for praying for me.

Counting ...

2010-06-11T21:45:00.003-04:00

I'm counting the days until I see the specialists on Monday. And praying / hoping they will have God-given answers to the pain & other health issues I'm dealing with.

Sleep was scarce last night ... too much pain for true sleep to come, even with medication. All I know to do in these times is cry out to the Lord and then pray for those I know are dealing with health issues of their own.

I find myself wondering "what if there is no medical answer?" and then shake that thought from my mind. There IS an answer, there is always an answer if you are a child of God! Ultimately, He holds all the answers anyway. He simply uses human beings as conduits from time to time. I also find myself saying that I simply want to be able to walk without pain again ... not do sprints or run marathons, just walk without pain. Such a simple thing for most people, but for those with chronic pain the simple often becomes the seemingly impossible.

The comments from friends, new and old, are a blessing. Thank you so much for reading and for praying and for taking the time to write your thoughts. They are a sort of life-line right now. You reach out to me and then talk to our Father on my behalf. Thank you. Some of you I may never meet this side of heaven, but I deeply appreciate you and look forward to the day we will meet in our new Home, and worship our Lord together, for all eternity.

Oh friends, I'm learning that I have been selfish in ways I didn't see until this happened. At times I felt as though I had too much to do to take the time to talk gently with someone on the phone. Phone calls can be divine interruptions if we'll only take the time to see that. My sense of 'self-importance' slowly seeped into the sewer as my seams unraveled these past few days. God has allowed me to see that my 'self' is nothing to brag about and there's nothing more important than time with Him and His people. May I remember these lessons in the days ahead. May I live what I'm learning and truly be a do-er of God's Word and not just a hearer. May I put into practice what He wants me to do ... live and love and be content with what He has supplied; ever looking to heaven for His soon return. Is this the day? Tomorrow? Soon.

I must go for now & get me to bed. Hopefully this night will bring sleep. I am tired.

Thank you again. May the Lord bless you and meet each need you may have.

Pain...

2010-06-10T18:24:00.003-04:00

Pain. Seemingly never-ending pain. Burning, searing pain.

While I've dealt with health issues for most of my 63 yrs on this earth, I have never dealt with pain like this. When I came out of the coma in 1979 I was told I had nerve damage in parts of my body. Okay I thought, I can live with that. Over the years I began to learn what nerve damage can mean. Pain.

Last year I began having too-frequent bouts of pain in my feet and lower legs. It would come and then leave and again I thought, I can live with that.

Earlier this year the pain came back and has persisted for 3 months. I was diagnosed with neuropathy in early April and given a new medication that was supposed to help. It did for about 3 days. The pain worsened, and swelling in my right foot and lower leg came with it.

I left with my Mom on May 18 to make the trip that would end with us planning and then attending her brother's funeral. We were gone for 8 days and I dealt with pain each hour of each day we were gone. I had not told my Mom beforehand what I was experiencing because, as the Mom of 7 children and ump-teen grandkids and great-grandkids, I didn't want to add one more thing to her plate. So I handled it the best I could until we got home. Then I began to come apart at the seams of this fragile thing we call Life.

We got home late Wed., May 26. I was in a doctor's office the morning of Friday, May 28 to have exrays done of my foot as I thought I had possibly broken a bone. I hadn't.

On Tuesday, June 1, I began dealing with vertigo & throwing up. My husband took me to ER where I was given medications and sent home. The seams unraveled even more.

On Wednesday, June 2, I had no appetite and was experiencing severe itching and had bruising similar to what I had in Dec. when I was hospitalized. I did some reading about the neuropathy medication and my platelet medication and began to realize I was undoubtedly having a bad reaction to either one or both of these medications. I stopped taking them the night of June 2 because nothing would stay down.

As of this writing, I still don't have an appetite. I eat because I have to, not because I want to. Nothing sounds good to me. Did you know that losing your apppetite is really difficult to handle? We have to eat to live, but when you have no desire for food, you must make yourself eat and that's difficult. At least it has been for me. And since my husband does the majority of the cooking, it's difficult for him too. What do I want to eat? What do I think I'd like to have for dinner? he asks. Whatever you want to fix is my answer.

After extensive emails to a friend who has worked for dr's, (friends are easier to reach than nurses and doctors) I realized I must take pain medication on a regular basis because not doing so when you're in extreme pain only adds stress to an already painful condition and can make said medication less effective. Okay. So yesterday, rather than biting the bullet and getting thru the day without anything, I took lower doses of the prescribed pain medication. I will continue to do so until this issue is resolved.

What am I learning from this? That I am a fragile human being who is totally dependent on the God who created the universe for my next breath. That I cannot fix some things in myself nor in others. That I need to humbly approach His throne and beg for mercy. That it is His grace alone that sustains me, in the dark places of my soul, it is He who sustains and keeps me. That I am not super-anything. That I will one day lie down and take my last breath and things will be left undone when I do.

You see, I am a person who wants things to be in order and organized. I want to plan my day and give space for "whatever God wills" on that calendar, but I have never wanted His will to involve this kind of pain. Do I trust Him enough to know He's with me in it? Do I trust Him to keep me when words fail me? Am I really His child? These are all questions that have been going through my mind these last two weeks.

Thankfully I can say, yes I am His. I can trust Him, even though He may slay me, I trust Him.

I have three appointments on Monday, June 14:
#1. My hemotologist at 9 am
#2. The neurosurgeon at 11:30 am
#3. A phlebotomy must be done at 2pm

Thankfully they're all at the main hospital downtown. Thankfully my husband can drive me and stay with me. Thankfully we have insurance to pay for all this.

Hopefully, prayerfully, my doctors will have answers and solutions can be worked out so that the pain will go away and prayerfully, stay away. I feel so old. So weary. So ready to lie down and let it all go. Maybe that's where I've needed to be and needed to do and just didn't know it until this happened. I need to lie down and rest and let all the other stuff go. If not forever, then at least for awhile.

I sincerely hope and pray you are all well ... mentally, physically, emotionally and spiritually well. For I am learning that when one area is off-balance it affects all the others and if we persist in plodding along without treating the one issue, our seams will fully unravel and we'll have to deal with much more than we expected.

May our Lord bless and keep you. May your needs be met in Him. Thank you for listening and reading.

Prayer need

2010-05-31T21:13:00.002-04:00

Please pray for Shawna & her daughter Ashlynn. My Mom called this evening after talking to Shawna's mother ... Ashlynn had a seizure. Please pray for her health. She has a debilitating illness that shortens one's life span.

Also pray for Shawna's parents. They want to sell their home & move to a larger one so that Shawna & Ashlynn can move in with them.

Thank you!

Azaria Update

2010-05-09T20:51:00.000-04:00

This is the latest update on Azaria. We appreciate your prayers for this young girl.

UPDATE:

Yesterday I received news from the hospital. Azaria had responded to reflex tests, moving her limbs slightly when prodded. She also opened her eyes momentarily. Also, she is beginning to breathe on her own, though the respirator is assisting her breathing. These are good signs, but the doctors were keen to stress that her condition is still critical. The swelling on her brain is increasing, and the tube to drain the fluid on the brain was dry yesterday morning requiring the doctor to manipulate it to the area in the brain where fluid is collecting.

The Infectious Disease Specialist is 95% sure that she knows which fungus is affecting Azaria, and strong treatment is being administered to combat the strongly suspected fungus, while monitoring the condition of the kidneys, as they can be affected by the strong medication. This specialist cautiously gave Azaria a 20% chance of some form of recovery.

Today, Azaria's condition is much the same. She opened her eyes, but was not focusing, and closed her eyes again. The doctors say that she remains in a coma.

Edwina's two other sisters will arrive soon from South Africa. And tomorrow, the family will move to an apartment nearer to the hospital.

Thank you for your continued prayer. God's peace is here.
Malcolm

The Wrath of God

2010-05-05T21:34:00.000-04:00

America follows Europe's lead, and as God has blessed the USA greatly with material blessings, we have become more and more hardenend in our thanklessness. We focus upon ourselves, our needs, and revel in our sins. Yes, of course the church has failed to clearly preach the gospel, clearly call for repentance, choosing a man-friendly version of "preaching" that allows you to avoid the scandal of the gospel. But a healthy, thriving church is a blessing on any nation, and the fact is, a nation in love with itself and at war with God does not deserve the blessing of a sound church. The two are intertwined. I truly believe that what we are seeing today with the perversion of marriage, the exaltation of deviancy, etc., is not what will bring the wrath of God, it is the wrath of God.

- Dr. James White

Prayer Need ...

2010-05-03T12:49:00.001-04:00

The following comes from missionaries that our church supports in Thailand. Please pray for this young girl and her family. Thank you!

May 3, 2010
Dear Friends and Family,

We are asking for your prayers concerning friends of ours that are missionaries here in Thailand. Their daughter - 14 year old, the same age as our daughter Hannah was admitted in the hospital about a week ago and since then the family has seen her condition only worsen. This is an update that a friend just sent to us so that we would continue to pray for her. Please be praying with us.

Thank you,
Dan and Laurie

UPDATE

I know that Joseph and Edwina feel the strength of your prayers. If any of you (in Thailand) wish to send Joseph and Edwina an SMS (text message) of encouragement, their mobile numbers are as follows: (It's probably better not to call as they will probably be keeping the phones open for calls with family).
Joseph: +66827164982Edwina: +66827164983

Yesterday, was an eventful day.The doctors had hoped that by relieving the pressure on the brain, Azaria's condition would improve. However, she did not wake from the operation and remains in a coma. The swelling on her brain continues. At lunchtime yesterday, the doctor wanted to take a further CAT scan as he was concerned by what he saw during the operation. The CAT scan confirmed his fears that the fungus has penetrated the brain and has reached the brain stem. Due to this, he had to tell Joseph and Edwina that there are no further surgical or medical options remaining. Azaria has lost much of the function of her brain.

Last night, the doctors assessed Azaria's condition and concluded that she was not brain dead, though her condition remains critical. The doctor added that if she survives, she could remain in a vegetative state. At the moment, the life-support equipment is keeping Azaria alive. It has to be said that the medical staff have been excellent. They have kept us well informed, they have shown sensitivity, and they have tried a number of different treatments. Dialysis continues at regular intervals.

Today Azaria's condition remained the same, though she looked slightly more swollen. Last night, Joel (8), Azaria's younger brother came to see his sister. Joseph and Edwina described how Azaria looked and explained that she may not survive. Joel decided that he wanted to see his sister and was in the ICU room for a couple of minutes. It was not easy for him. I traveled into Bangkok with Joel today and he wanted to talk about football and the World Cup in South Africa. When we arrived at the hospital, he said he wanted to see his sister again. He spent a minute with her. Please pray for Joel. These have not been easy months for him.

At the moment, the family are staying at a guesthouse in Bangkok. The youth pastor from their church is staying there with them, and tomorrow, Edwina's sister will arrive from South Africa to be with the family.

Spurgeon Still Speaks

2010-04-25T20:51:00.001-04:00

I know of no surer way of a people's perishing than by being led by one who does not speak out straight, and honestly denounce evil. If the minister halts between two opinions, do you wonder that the congregation is undecided? If the preacher trims and twists to please all parties, can you expect his people to be honest? If I wink at your inconsistencies will you not soon be hardened in them?

Like priest, like people. A cowardly preacher suits hardened sinners. Those who are afraid to rebuke sin, or to probe the conscience, will have much to answer for. May God save you from being led into the ditch by a blind guide.

And yet is not a mingle-mangle of Christ and Belial the common religion of the day? Is not worldly piety, or pious worldliness, the current religion of England? (America?) They live among godly people, and God chastens them, and they therefore fear him, but not enough to give their hearts to him. They seek out a trimming teacher who is not too precise and plain-spoken, and they settle down comfortably to a mongrel faith, half truth, half error, and a mongrel worship half dead form, and half orthodoxy.

God have mercy upon men, and bring them out from the world; for he will not have a compound of world and grace. "Come ye out from among them," saith he, "be ye separate: touch not the unclean thing." "If God be God, serve him: if Baal be God, serve him." There can be no alliance between the two. Jehovah and Baal can never be friends. "Ye cannot serve God and Mammon." "No man can serve two masters." All attempts at compromise or comprehensiveness in matters of truth and purity are founded on falsehood, and falsehood is all that can come of them. May God save us from such hateful doublemindedness.

C.H. Spurgeon

Prayer Needs

2010-04-25T20:49:00.004-04:00

Please pray for:

Our friend Nina, that her recovery will be unhindered by any set backs and that she regain her strength in a timely manner.

My Mom isn't feeling well and seems to have a virus of some sort. Is taking antibiotics and resting. That alone tells me she is sick.

Debbie, a lady who was taken to the hospital this morning with a severe headache. She's been experiencing them for a month and doctor's don't know the cause.

For safety for all our children and grandchildren as they go to work and school tomorrow.

Helen, the owner of Me-Maw's Restaurant. We learned yesterday that she's having financial difficulty.

Blessings my friends.

Prayer Needs

2010-04-20T09:18:00.003-04:00

Dear Ones, would you please say a prayer for the following ladies ...

Jenny (My Mom's cousin) ... isn't doing well mentally and physically.

Jenny's daughter Bess .... needs the Lord

Dana ... a young friend of Jenny's .... she's had both breasts removed because of cancer and is now facing bone cancer.

I thank you!

Blessings.

2010-04-07T14:19:00.002-04:00

I finished the book "Who Are You To Judge" this morning and my thoughts are even stronger than when I first opened its pages. Every Christian needs to read this book.

Here are more quotes:

"False teachers are driven by their desires and by their greed. People want to hear what pleases them; they will not want to have their sin exposed, but will listen only to those with whom their desires agree. They will set themselves up as their own standard and then find someone to validate them." Page 60

"We are so afraid of being accused of discrimination that we have forgotten that we are to be discriminating."

"Today the enemy is within our gates." Page 61 for both these quotes

"Let it be clearly said that if we want to find the devil in America we must begin by looking behind the pulpits of America; it is in the church and not in the world that the devil does his most deceptive work. Truth mixed with error is sometimes more deadly than errror all by itself." Page 68

"We must keep in mind that the Jesus we want is not necessarily the Jesus we need......
How do we detect this 'other Jesus'? " As you watch and listen to a pastor, evangelist, or prophet, ask: Is the preaching of the Cross central to his ministry? Does he emphasize the need for repentance, holiness and submission to God? Does he preach a Jesus who calls us to suffer, with the promise that He will walk with us through the suffering? Or does he present a Jesus whose primary function is to give us the blessing of heaven right now?" Page 94

"Paul's message and authority came from God; those of his detractors came from Satan. He argued that the marks of a true prophet are suffering and hardship, not health and wealth. Even Jesus did not change the world through miracles but through His suffering." Page 107

"I have often wished that faith healers would look into the television cameras and say to their audience, It is better to be holy than to be healed."

"We are never more like the devil than when we lie." Page 245

Folks, I encourage you once again to get this book, read it prayerfully and see for yourself how much we need discernment in the body of Christ.

May the Lord bless you as we journey toward Home.

Blessings!

Good Friday

2010-04-02T13:40:00.001-04:00

As many were astonished at you– his appearance was so marred, beyond human semblance, and his form beyond that of the children of mankind.(Isaiah 52:14 ESV)

Who has believed what he has heard from us? And to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed? For he grew up before him like a young plant, and like a root out of dry ground; he had no form or majesty that we should look at him, and no beauty that we should desire him.He was despised and rejected by men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned–every one–to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all. (Isaiah 53:1-6 ESV)

He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth; like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent, so he opened not his mouth. By oppression and judgment he was taken away; and as for his generation, who considered that he was cut off out of the land of the living, stricken for the transgression of my people? And they made his grave with the wicked and with a rich man in his death, although he had done no violence, and there was no deceit in his mouth.(Isaiah 53:7-9 ESV)

Yet it was the will of the LORD to crush him; he has put him to grief; when his soul makes an offering for guilt, he shall see his offspring; he shall prolong his days; the will of the LORD shall prosper in his hand. Out of the anguish of his soul he shall see and be satisfied; by his knowledge shall the righteous one, my servant, make many to be accounted righteous, and he shall bear their iniquities. Therefore I will divide him a portion with the many, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong, because he poured out his soul to death and was numbered with the transgressors; yet he bore the sin of many, and makes intercession for the transgressors.(Isaiah 53:10-12 ESV)

Who Are You To Judge?

2010-03-29T20:34:00.005-04:00

Began a new book today .... "You Are You to Judge?" by Erwin Lutzer. I highly recommend it.

Here are some excerpts from the first chapter:

"We as Christians have settled down to a comfortable kind of Christianity that demands very little and therefore, in turn, makes very little difference in the wider culture. When the world takes a step in our direction, we embrace it without a twinge of conscience. But a church that has made its peace with the world is incapable of changing it."

"By and large the world of today has a favorable opinion of Christ only because it misinterprets Him. Remember this axiom: The better the world understand the purpose of Jesus' coming, the more it hates Him. What the world values, Christ despises, what He loves, it hates. Years ago, F.B. Meyer wrote, "Between such irreconcilable opposites as the church and the world, there cannot be but antagonism and strife. Each treasures and seeks what the other rejects as worthless. Each is devoted to ends that are inimical to the dearest interests of the other." And yet, just think, most Christians think it is possible to follow Jesus without turning their backs on the world!"

"Older Christians, who knew their hearts better than we knew our own, warned that if we began to tolerate worldliness, however it was defined, we would trip a series of dominoes and the day would come when the church would be filled with "worldly believers". That day is here."

"Why do we find it so difficult to say that some religious views are wrong? Or that some kinds of behavior are sinful? Why do we allow so much of Hollywood into our homes, pretending that we and our families are not influenced by the entertainment industry? Why do we allow false teachers and prophets to flourish without warning the people of God?"

"Truth has disappeared, and few have noticed."

"Mark this well: The love within the church attracts the world; the holiness within the church convicts the world. In the early church, great fear came upon the people when they saw the church committed to discipline and holy living. Unfortunately, as the world observes the church today it might see a commitment to love (which it views as tolerance), but I doubt that it sees a commitment to holy living. Yet we are called to both."

"If the call to holiness is to be obeyed, we must have discernment. To be set apart for God means that we identify the world's values and that we choose to live to the beat of a different drummer. To be in the world but not of it is the challenge before us."

This book should be read by every Christian. Please, please get it and read it prayerfully to uncover the truths we've abandoned. We are to be Holy, because our God is Holy. We are to be set apart for His use, not our own, and not that of the world. We are called out of darkness into marvelous light! We are to BE salt and light to a dying world. This book covers the following:

When You Judge Doctrine

When You Judge False Prophets

When You Judge Miracles

When You Judge Entertainment

When You Judge Appearances

When You Judge Neopaganism

When You Judge Ghosts, Angels, and Shrines

When You Judge Conduct

When You Judge Character

This book can be purchased at http://www.amazon.com/ or http://www.alibris.com/ (both offer discount prices for used books ... I paid about $5.00 for the hardback copy I received yesterday).

The Wonderful Cross

2010-03-28T20:56:00.002-04:00

When I survey the wondrous cross
On which the Prince of glory died,
My richest gain, I count but loss
And pour contempt on all my pride.

See from His head, His hands, His feet
Sorrow and love mingled down
Did ever such love and sorrow meet
Or thorns compose so rich a crown?

Oh the wonderful cross,
Oh the wonderful cross!
All who gather here by grace
Draw near and bless Your Name.

Were the whole realm of nature mine
That were an offering far too small
Love so amazing, so devine
Demands my soul, my life, my all.

Oh the wonderful cross,
Oh the wonderful cross!
Bids me come and die and find
That I may truly live.

Oh the wonderful cross,
Oh the wonderful cross!
All who gather here by grace
Draw near and bless Your Name.

Life so amazing, so devine
Demands my soul, my life, my all
And the beauty and the shame
In the glory of His Name
Oh, the wonderful cross!

Oh the wonderful cross,
Oh the wonderful cross,
Bids me come and die and find
That I may truly live.

Oh the wonderful cross,
Oh the wonderful cross!
All who gather here by grace
Draw near and bless Your Name.

written by
chris tomlin, jd walt, jesse reeves

2010-03-26T21:29:00.003-04:00

Thanks Trish & Margie for your comments on my last post. I guess I sounded rather rash and hard and I can be both those things at times.

What I'm seeing is that we're taking what "WE" want the church and its music and scripture, etc., to be, and to have it all meet "our" needs, desires, etc. and give little thought to 'does this glorify GOD?' Does this edify HIS body? Does it bring honor to HIS Name? Was it for this that HE died? Instead we ask ourselves, does it make ME feel good about ... being in church? Going to Bible study? Worshipping? Attending small groups? Helping the poor? If so, I'm all for it! If not, well, I'm outta here.

Many in the church have twisted all things pertaining to scripture so that it will attract people ... make people feel good about themselves ... give them a desire to come back to our church, and so on. Jesus left little room for that discussion. People either followed Him or they didn't.

Since writing that last post I've done some reading about 'Rap' music ... and of course, there are 3 distinct views: those for it; those opposed and those who are neutral. You'll find that with just about anything these days.

For me, I don't like rap music because of the vulgar connotations linked to it's beginnings. Granted, words have apparently changed for those who use it in a christian format, but for me, that beginning shadow lingers over that genre of music. I also don't like the loud, pulsating music that's played in some churches either. I attended a service with that kind of music and couldn't hear myself think, let alone concentrate on 'worship'. By the time the minister was ready to speak, I was ready to go home. A sure sign I am old. I also read more than one article that said "music is neutral" ... but I don't agree. Different music arouses different emotions in everyone who hears it. And it's not all good.

So we'll agree not to agree on this. And I respect your opinions.

As a parent and grandparent I simply find myself wondering .... what are we teaching children and grandchildren? That anything they want to do is okay as long as there is scripture somewhere in it? And, was it for this that Jesus died? Do we dare teach them that to follow Jesus means to deny self, take up their cross and follow Him? That the way Home is narrow and constricted and confining and it's not at all an easy road, nor a popular one? They may not like the song The Old Rugged Cross, but they need to know it was on that type of Cross that our Savior suffered, bled and died. And He didn't do it to the beat of anyone's drum. He did it in obedience to His Father.

Blessings friends. May you have a wonderful week-end.

2010-03-21T20:32:00.003-04:00

Dear Ones, I've not fallen off the earth. Just busy with other things. I have been checking up on your posts however.

Today was my first day back as co-teacher in our children's class at church. I will be teaching once every two weeks and I'm concentrating on getting the children to memorize Scripture. Our verse today is "Your Word I have hidden in my heart that I might not sin against You. Psalm 119:11" I gave examples of how we hide God's words in our hearts ... by reading the verse we want to learn again and again ... by writing the verse again and again ... by applying it to our lives ... by repeating it through-out the day ... by posting it on the fridge or other place where you'll see it daily.

We so need to know God's Word ourselves and to teach it, when we can, to little ones. We live in a day when just about anything goes in Christian circles and I find that sad and scary and it even makes me angry. Take music for example ....I don't believe there's such a thing as "Christian rap" ... how dare we take the music that basically feeds our flesh, add some 'christian' words and call it "Christian"? Weren't the Israelite people given strict instructions on worship? Were Aaron's sons not killed by God for offering strange fire? Who do we think we are? We've been grafted in, we're not His first choice as children; and yet many today live no differently than the world. We look like them, we act like them, we talk like them. For many the only difference is we go to church and they don't.

I know it sounds like I'm ranting and perhaps I am. But I'm tired of what I see ... in the news ... on TV ... now on Facebook ... people who say they're Christian using gutter language (or the abbreviations) and being offended that I object to it. Something's wrong here.

I become weary of TV 'preachers' and others fleecing God's people and I'm tired of God's people falling for it. I read recently of a man who had opportunity to sit with one of the well-known TV evangelists. The TV guy said to this regular guy "Why not sow $100 into my ministry?" Regular guy responds "No!" "Why not? God will give you a $1,000 return for sowing seed into this work." Again the answer "No!" The third time the TV person asks for money with a promise of a 10-fold return the regular guy looks at him and says "Then why don't YOU sow the money into your ministry? You'll be making more than I can give you." A dumb-founded look came upon the TV guy's face and he couldn't respond. That so makes sense to me.

As tired as I am of all this I'm reminded in the Bible (Matthew) that God knows that the enemy has sown tares with the wheat and tells the field hands to leave them alone, that in due time, His angels will come and do the sifting. So I leave it in His capable hands, and take time to examine ME to make sure I'm where I'm supposed to be and leave them all to Him.

Hold fast your confession my friends, test all things, and remember that we're just pilgrims and Home is in view. Thanks for reading.

Blessings.

2010-03-10T09:25:00.001-05:00

I received this via email today from a lady who serves as a missionary in this area, please say a prayer for these needs:

UZBEKISTAN - CHRISTIANS ARRESTED DURING PRIVATE PRAYER MEETING

On 24 January, Midet, a local church leader, and two women were meeting together to pray for their Christian brothers and sisters at Midet's home when police officers arrived, under the pretext of other matters. The police began to search the house, despite not having a search warrant, and found several Christian books. Midet and the women were arrested and taken to the police station, where officers demanded they write a statement about their church and other Christian activities. Midet was beaten and is covered in bruises; the women were also beaten and threatened with being stripped and tortured by electric shocks. Following these threats one of the women wrote a statement admitting that they had been attending a prayer meeting at Midet's home. All three were interrogated by the Office of the Public Prosecutor.

One of the women subsequently issued a complaint that they had been threatened by the police and that their statements had been given under duress. Reports suggest that her sister, who is not a Christian, has also been interrogated by the police, as a way of putting additional pressure on the Christians.

• Pray for Midet and the two women, that the Lord Jesus will heal any physical or emotional distress suffered during their ordeal.
• Pray for all believers in Uzbekistan, that they will be allowed to worship in the privacy of their own homes without fear of harassment, arrest and persecution.

Ponder this...

2010-03-07T09:04:00.000-05:00

‘In the matter of faith-healing, health is set before us as if it were the great thing to be desired above all other things. Is it so? I venture to say that the greatest earthly blessing that God can give to any of us is health, with the exception of sickness. Sickness has frequently been of more use to the saints of God than health has. . . . A sick wife, a newly-made grave, poverty, slander, sinking of spirit, might teach us lessons nowhere else to be learned so well. Trials drive us to the realities of religion.’

C.H. Spurgeon

Something to think about....

2010-03-06T11:19:00.004-05:00

"Discernment is not simply telling the difference between what is right and wrong;
rather, it is the difference between what is right and almost right."

-Charles Spurgeon

(Quote taken from http://www.atimetodiscern.blogspot.com)

2010-03-01T14:08:00.003-05:00

Dear Ones,

Please pray for my nephew Jason. He is on drugs again. I just talked with his Dad (my brother) and he's going to see if Jason will agree to go into Life Challenge, a Christian rehab program. Until then, we don't know what God has in store for him, but we do know God's reach isn't short ... He can go where we can't and only He can bring about eternal change.

Thank you very much & Blessings,
Louise

Prayer Need - Melanie

2010-02-21T15:54:00.003-05:00

Please pray for a young woman named Melanie. She's about 38 yrs old and has just been diagnosed with MS. She's in school to become a nurse and would greatly like to finish her training and find employment. She is married but they don't have health insurance. They also have one son.

Thank you so much for praying for this woman. She is a Christian.

Blessings!
Louise

2010-02-15T21:10:00.001-05:00

"When was the last time you heard of a church rebuking members for gossip, admonishing men for the immodest dress of their wives and daughters, or excommunicating a member for adultery? Today’s evangelical church may take a strong stand on fundamental doctrines like the divine nature of Christ and the inspiration of Scripture, but it too often denies this Christ and this inspired Word by not practicing a true Christian lifestyle. The pattern of life of most Christians is so much like the world around them that they blend right in and cannot serve as salt and light".

- Philip Lancaster

Come Thou Fount

2010-02-14T20:36:00.008-05:00

I love the older hymns and I'm going to be posting some of the lyrics on the blog for awhile. I found a web site that gives a devotional and the story behind the hymn and I'd like to share them with you. Hope you are blessed by what you read:

Devotional:

You were like sheep going astray,

But now you have been returned to the Shepherd

and Overseer of your souls. 2 Peter 2:25

Prone to wander, Lord I feel it,
prone to leave the God I love (from the 3rd stanza of our hymn…)

William Cowper was a well-known minister and hymn writer. (Among the hymns he wrote are "There is a fountain filled with blood" and "God moves in a mysterious way".) Yet, he had wandered. He wrote these words,

"Where is the blessedness I knew
when first I saw the Lord?
Where is the soul-refreshing view
of Jesus and His Word?

What peaceful hours I once enjoyed,
how sweet their memory still,
But they have left an aching void
the world can never fill."

And so have many of us. Some have wandered by flirting with false teaching. Even in the early church, St. Peter warned that "false teachers…will secretly introduce false heresies." 2 Peter 2:1

Others wander by adopting a lifestyle that is at odds with God’s requirements. Recall the sorry story of the prodigal son. And then, think of one of the saddest sentences in the Bible: "Demas, because he loved this world has deserted me having loved this present world…" 2 Timothy 4:10.

And unfortunately, some have wandered from God taking both roads.

Thank God that Jesus came to seek and to save the lost—and the wandering. Remember the shepherd who left the 99 sheep to hunt, even at great peril to himself, the one who had wandered. Remember the woman who had lost a precious coin and would not stop searching until she found it?

The comic strip "Dennis the Menace" features a young boy constantly at odds with Mr. Wilson. Dennis says to his friend Joey, "Don’t every play hide and seek with Mr. Wilson. "He doesn’t seek!"

Thankfully, God does!The dearest idol I have known, whate’er that idol be, Help me to tear it from thy throne, so shall my walk be close with God…

William Cowper knew the joy of being found—and restored. And so can we! But, the most obvious question is: why would any of us "be prone to wander?" For as we know, it only brings grief. Why?
Here’s my heart, O take and seal it, Seal it for thy courts above.

Hymn Story:
Robert Robinson, following the tradition of ministers of the time, wrote "Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing" as a hymn-poem for the conclusion of his sermon for Whitsunday, 1758. He was 23 years old at the time. It was published the following year in A Collection of Hymns used by the Church of Christ in Angel Alley, Bishopsgate (1759). There has been some speculation that it was written by the Countess of Huntingdon, but it is generally agreed to be the work of Robinson.

Originally "Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing" had four stanzas. The fourth stanza was omitted by Martin Madan in Psalms and Hymns, 1860 and has not been used since.

The statement in stanza two, "Here I raise my Ebenezer" refers to I Samuel 7:12, "Then Samuel took a stone and set it up between Mizpah and Shen, and called its name Ebenezer, saying, "Thus far the LORD has helped us." Ebenezer is the Hebrew for "Stone of Help." Israel had suffered defeat because of its sin. But the people had repented of their sin, God had helped them and they were victorious. Samuel placed the stone to remind Israel that God had them, their victory was because of Him.

In stanza three, Robinson speaks of being "prone to wonder, prone to leave the God I love". This seems to be a forecast of his later life, when he lapsed into sin, unstableness and involvement with Unitarianism. There is a well-known story of Robinson, riding a stagecoach with a lady who was deeply engrossed in a hymnbook. Seeking to encourage him, she asked him what he thought of the hymn she was humming. Robinson burst into tears and said, "Madam, I am the poor unhappy man who wrote that hymn many years ago, and I would give a thousand worlds, if I had them, to enjoy the feelings I had then."

Lyrics:

Come, Thou Fount of every blessing,

Tune my heart to sing Thy grace;

Streams of mercy, never ceasing,

Call for songs of loudest praise.

Teach me some melodious sonnet,

Sung by flaming tongues above.

Praise the mount! I’m fixed upon it,

Mount of God's redeeming love.

Here I raise mine Ebenezer;

Hither by Thy help I’m come;

And I hope, by Thy good pleasure,

Safely to arrive at home.

Jesus sought me when a stranger,

Wandering from the fold of God;

He, to rescue me from danger,

Interposed His precious blood.

O to grace how great a debtor

Daily I’m constrained to be!

Let Thy goodness, like a fetter,

Bind my wandering heart to Thee.

Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it,

Prone to leave the God I love;

Here’s my heart, O take and seal it,

Seal it for Thy courts above.

Original 4th stanza
O that day when freed from sinning,

I shall see Thy lovely face;

Clothed then in blood washed linen

How I’ll sing Thy sovereign grace;

Come, my Lord, no longer tarry,

Take my ransomed soul away;

Send thine angels now to carry

Me to realms of endless day.

Taken from http://www.songsandhymns.org/

Prayer Need

2010-02-04T21:30:00.003-05:00

Please say a prayer for my Aunt Sheila. She's having trouble with a rash that is quite painful and can't get in to see a doctor until the end of this month.

Thank you!

2010-02-03T12:51:00.002-05:00

Who or what, do you wrestle with?

Scripture clearly tells us that "our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms". Ephesians 6:12

I've heard it said that we face three opponents:

The world, the flesh and the devil.

This morning I saw (again) that I am having difficulty winning the battle with my flesh, how in creation will I win over the other two?

Jesus! Relying totally upon Him. Calling on Him. Depending on His strength, not mine, in whatever situation I face.

Far too often I've attempted to deal with things on my own, in my own strength, forgetting that I have no strength apart from Christ. If I want to see answers that mean anything for eternity, my strength must be His.

May our focus be Him in all we do. May He be honored by our actions and our words. May our thoughts be brought captive to Him.

Blessings pilgrims .. Journey on .. Home is in view!

2010-02-01T21:38:00.003-05:00

Gracious Lord,

Marvelous Father ..

How in awe I need to be

of Your gifts to me.

The greatest?

Salvation.

Your choosing me to be Yours

long before I could ever say 'yes' to Your call.

How do I understand that?

How do I explain what You have done?

Words fail me.

All I can say is

"He loves me because He loves me"

and I am His

not because of anything I have done,

but solely because He chose me.

Thank You Father.

Thank You for loving me,

for making me Your own.

You truly looked beyond my faults

and saw my need.

You alone have the ability to do that.

You alone have the power to change me.

Thank You.

2010-01-22T21:21:00.002-05:00

Christmas Eve, 2009

My Mom, Me, my youngest sister Kay & her youngest daughter Megan

2010-01-17T21:34:00.002-05:00

This prayer need came from my sister Pat. Wanda is her close friend and Wanda's son Eddie is in Afghanistan. Please keep this young man and all our military in your prayers. Thank you.

"Eddie just called. He is a Gunny (Gunnery) Sergeant and is an operations chief of a company of Marines. He is over a truck company. I hate that, because he will be out on the roads, where they plant bombs.
He didn't know where he was and he doesn't know where he is going. His troops have not come in yet but when they do they will not be coming from his base in North Carolina. He is at Camp Leatherneck, Afghanistan. That is all he knew. I had hoped he was in supply but instead he is over 300 plus troops that will be patroling roads and going into homes.

He said as soon as the troops arrive that he will not be able to call. So far he has been able to communicate by facebook and phone. After his men get there it will be awhile before anyone will hear from him. I looked up where he is on the computer and it is awful.
Pray for him, please.
Love,
Wanda "

2010-01-17T17:34:00.002-05:00

Devotional by Roy Lessen

The Lord: Yahweh. The Eternal. Jehovah. I Am. The self-Existent One. The God of forever and ever.

Is: Not will be one day. Not someday. Not was a long time ago. Is now, at this very moment—as I draw each breath, as I take each step, as I face each circumstance of life.

My: Not just someone else’s. Not just the pastor’s. Not just the missionary’s. Not just the people in the Bible. Personal God. My God. Knowing me intimately, watching me carefully, loving me fully.

Shepherd: Pastor. The One who tends, keeps, guards, guides. The Good Shepherd; The Great Shepherd; The Chief Shepherd. The One who leads. The One who feeds. Life giver. Care giver. Watching every moment; protecting in every situation; providing every need. Laying down His life. Giving His all. Seeking me. Carrying me. Holding me close.

I: His hand is on me. I am the apple of His eye. I am His beloved. I am His child. I am His possession. I belong to Him. I am in His hands. I am in His thoughts. I am on His heart.

Shall Not: Never! Not once! Not in any circumstance; not in any trial; not at any age. I am certain, sure, persuaded, unmistaken, absolutely confident of His “Yes” to me.

Want: He is my supply. He is my provider. He is my provision. I shall not be given a stone instead of bread. I shall not come up empty, be destitute, find out that I have been forsaken. In Him, my Lord, my God, my Shepherd, my Pastor, I find no lack.

2010-01-10T21:42:00.002-05:00

Please pray for James Williams. He & his wife are friends of my Mom. James recently fell down a flight of stairs at his home and is quite sore.

2010-01-05T21:34:00.002-05:00

Hi All,

Just a note to let you know I'm feeling better. Thank you for praying for me. I had bloodwork today and will go tomorrow to see a neurologist and have an appointment with a gastroenterologist on Feb. 1.

Very thankful to be feeling more 'normal' once again.

Thank you again, and may the Lord bless.

Louise

2009-12-28T09:59:00.003-05:00

Dear Ones, just wanted you to know that I'm not feeling the way I'd like to. Went into ER on Christmas morning with severe nausea & vertigo. Was taken to the hospital later that day and stayed there until yesterday. The main concern my doctors have right now is that my platelet count has dropped drastically. I contacted my hemotologist to learn he's out of town, but thankfully he contacted his associate at the hospital downtown & I'm waiting on a call from her. I may need to go today for bloodwork & a check-up.

If you don't hear from me in a while please know I'm thinking of all of you. I must regain my strength once again. Along with a few other things. Being bed-ridden for 3 days sure takes a toll on you. I was told years ago that if you strapped an athlete to a bed for 24 hours he would be as weak as a kitten when he got up .. not sure how true that is, but it makes me feel better to know I'm at least standing.

Blessings to each of you. Take care.

2009-12-17T21:34:00.003-05:00

Another prayer need...

A close friend of my Mom, Pauline Osborne, is caring for her husband Brian, who has Alzheimers and is deteroriating quickly. Please pray for Pauline and Brian as they deal with this life-threatening illness.

Thank you.

2009-12-13T21:24:00.002-05:00

Merry Christmas from Louis

& Rocky

2009-12-12T21:05:00.002-05:00

Prayer updates....

Carson has been allowed to come home and his parents heard his first cry on Tuesday of this week.

Timmie has been diagnosed with a type of juvenile arthritis and is home, but fevers keep returning.

Geraldine Perkins has had a stroke and in in the hospital.

Thank you for praying for these folks.

2009-12-09T20:43:00.002-05:00

Please pray for JoAnn D ... she's been diagnosed with breast cancer and goes Friday, Dec. 11 to have a port put in for chemotherapy.

Thank you!

2009-12-08T20:55:00.003-05:00

Isn't this one of the cutest puppy faces you've seen in a while? This is Rocky, our Grandpup # 4. He lives just down the street and comes to stay with us during the day while his 'parents' work and his 'sisters' are at school. On some days, it is only his cuteness that makes us want to take care of him. After all, he IS a puppy ... which means 'a big dog in training'. At least that's how I see it.

Over all he's a joy to have around ... he sleeps a lot and will follow us around just to lie at our feet. Otherwise he prefers being next to us on the couch. His accidents are few and I'm grateful for that. But he's learning the joys of running around the back yard and refuses to come to us when he's called. We'll keep working on that.

I was grateful he was here today. My husband was out so it was just Rocky & me. I received an upsetting phone call and found myself wondering "what next? what now?" I came upstairs for just a bit and left Rocky downstairs. When I went back down he was sitting in our front room with the strangest expression on his face ... he looked kind of lost, if that's possible. When he saw me, he came and stood right in front of me as I sat on the bottom stair. I realized he might have thought I was gone and I began to pet him and told him "I'm here, I won't leave you. I love you". Somehow I firmly believe our pets know what we're saying and can pick up on our emotions.

As I continued telling him that, and then hugging him as he nestled closer to me, I sensed the Lord saying that very thing to me "I'm here, I won't leave you. I love you". And then tears came and my concern about the phone call lessened just a bit.

I walked into the kitchen a few minutes later and sure enough, Rocky followed and laid at my feet on the rug where I was standing. I then thought "he's perfectly content just being at my feet" ... and then I realized that was a perfect place for me to be today .... at the feet of Jesus, resting in the knowledge He knew about the upsetting phone call and He will see me through this.

He has seen me through so much and He will see me through whatever today or tomorrow or the next day will hold. All I must do is rest in Him. Tell Him what He already knows and rest in His providence and care.

I am thankful for Rocky and the lessons I'm learning through this little pup. Thankful that God teaches us in ways we can fully understand. Thankful that He loves me in spite of me and that He will never leave me nor forsake me. When I am afraid, I will trust in Thee....

2009-12-08T20:53:00.002-05:00

A prayer request:

Friends of mine will be meeting on Monday, Dec. 14 with attorneys to hopefully conclude business transactions that involve one of their family members. She is asking that we pray for successful outcomes for all parties involved.

Thank you!