Dave and I heard an awesome message last night at church….It really spoke to me about the fact that I have such distorted expectations of God and when “my expectations” are not met that I immediately take that as God not hearing me…or God being distant or even worse…Not wanting to help me…and the Holy Spirit really showed me that my heart had a huge stone rolled in front of it from thinking that God has abandoned me or has forgotten about me..instead of looking at all of these trials as being “exactly” where He needs me to be so that the “Glory of God” might be shown to all…..I need to know this and I need to believe this…because I have no control over the next year or its circumstances….all I have is “God”…all I have is the promise that He would never leave me or forsake me…but is that enough???? I pray it will be….
Our pastor based it on John 11 – The death of Lazarus and a family in crisis….
Mary, Martha and Lazarus were “loved” deeply by Jesus…but they found themselves in crisis…Mary had just shortly before this crisis “anointed Jesus’ feet with expensive perfume/oil and her tears”….She had a “mountain-top” experience with the Lord….How many times do we have that and then we quickly fall flat on our face…? Mary, Martha and Lazarus “truly” believed that Jesus was who He said He was….but…..
But now they were a family in “crisis”, like many of us find ourselves…..whether it’s a health crisis, financial, marriage, rebellious children, or all of these or something else…they now “needed” Jesus and they needed Him fast….they KNEW he was “able” to make it all better…they KNEW if they could only reach Him that He would come immediately and heal Lazarus….
So, Mary sends word to Jesus who is away…and says, “Lord, the one YOU LOVE is sick”….She believed that Jesus really did love her brother. She also knew that “Jesus” was the only one who could make a difference in her brother’s life…that she was helpless without Him….and she also shows us that no matter who we are… “we all have expectations” of God and how “He” should respond to our needs.
However…the hard lesson… the most important lesson of this study was and still “is”…that the way God responds to our needs…..our crisis… may not meet our “expectations” of God…
Jesus’ response to this family’s crisis was:
1. Yes…I love Lazarus and I am in deep sorrow about his health…..
2. Yes… I am the only one who can make a difference in this situation…and I will…
3. But…. I don’t do things the way you may want to see them done…but I do them so the “glory of God” may be shown…
So…Jesus stayed put where he was for “two more days”….TWO MORE DAYS??? LORD did you not hear what I said…We are IN CRISIS here….WE NEED YOU NOW and WE EXPECT YOU TO HEAL LAZARUS !!!! Do you think this was an easy thing for Jesus??? It wasn't … he was deeply grieved…but KNEW that the timing was as such that God was preparing for HIS GLORY to be shown in all of this….
You see…there’s “our plan” and then there’s “God’s plan”…..God’s timing and His ways may sometimes cause us pain…We just don’t understand that God is preparing to reveal Himself to US and to others who do not know Him….
Can you imagine how Mary and Martha must have felt??? I can….I have felt it many times….especially over the past two years….my pillow saturated with my tears and crying out to God….”God…where are you?????” “God…please no more…not now” !! “God…when will you come and relieve us of some of these problems?”….”God are YOU NOT LISTENING?????!!!!”….”God…why me????”…..and my main plea…”God I CAN’T TAKE ANYMORE”…..(can ANYONE relate with me on this???)
Jesus told the disciples that he must wait so that the “Glory of God” may be shown to an unbelieving world…
When Jesus did show up…Lazarus had been dead and in the tomb for FOUR DAYS…Now this is a dismal picture in our frail “worldly minds” isn’t it?? And even though Mary “believed” that Jesus was who He said He was…she still said to Him when he arrived…”Lord..IF YOU’D ONLY BEEN HERE MY BROTHER WOULD NOT HAVE DIED !!!” She obviously didn’t understand still who “Jesus” was….or else she wouldn’t have been in such despair……(sound familiar????? Lord…if you only had given me that job we wouldn’t be going through this…Lord….if only you’d give me a breather I could do more for you and your Kingdom….and Oh..my most recent…Lord..if only you’d grant Dave’s prayers so he can travel…yeah..I’ve been very wrapped up in that one ! As if God is genie in a bottle ! Lord…Lord…Lord…if only..if only..if only !) LOL ! (you gotta laugh at some of this stuff…)
At this point, the scriptures state that “Jesus wept”…not only because of the fact that Lazarus had suffered and died...but also because of the “unbelief” of those who He thought “knew” Him intimately…I wonder how many times I cause the Lord to weep because of my “unbelief”….
Jesus said….”remove the stone from the tomb”…and this time “Martha” pipes in ! (she questions the Lord of the universe…)…”But Lord…He has been dead for four days..the stench will be unbearable!”…
And Jesus says…”Didn’t I tell you …didn’t I show you so many, many times….that IF YOU BELIEVED you would see the GLORY of GOD??”
And most of us know the rest of the story….Lazarus was raised from the dead for all to see that day…and EVEN with that…EVEN with that….there were those there that day who did not believe…BUT….Mary and Martha never questioned Him again….The next time we see them, it’s at Jesus’ tomb…running towards it…believing that HE WAS INDEED ALIVE !! (not wavering at all….but running towards Him…in the world’s view…it was as bleak as ever…but Mary KNEW this time….)
When we think like this…when we think that in the midst of our sorrow and pain…..that God is not there…..or He is not listening……or He is not “able”… it changes our viewpoint about God…we start to doubt Him and see Him as “distant and cold”….uncaring or even “unwilling”…and we start leaning on our “own understanding” and that is a dangerous place to be…God IS there…God IS able…God IS listening…GOD is going to bring us through…God IS all that we say we believe Him to be and more…
Finding God’s presence in ALL circumstances……whether we get the answer we “want” or not… brings healing to our unresolved pain…(and I realized last night that I have a lot of this floating around in my heart….unresolved pain…the pain of watching my husband suffer and go through chemotherapy…the pain of lost friends…lost time…..the pain of my own physical limitations……the pain of the “what ifs”……and the “whys???”)
How do we find God in the “circumstances” that we find ourselves in…in the health crisis..in the marital conflict…financial struggles..etc… ?
We HAVE to let go of our perceived expectations that God has to rescue us according to “our thinking” and “our timing”..….Mary and Martha obviously did not see God’s plan…until it was unveiled….until they “saw” that Lazarus was alive….How many times do we have to “see” an outcome to “believe” that God is in control??? I know that I fall into that category way too many times to count on my fingers and toes….
We need to “want” to find God’s presence in whatever the situation is…to find that “quiet place”…where He beckons us to “come and rest our weary souls”….”to be still and KNOW that I AM GOD”…It takes “faith” on our end….Faith in the God of the Universe…who raised Lazarus from the dead…to “find his presence” in all things…It’s time we “let go” of the expectations and trust that God will be faithful EVEN when we don’t see anything happening on our time frame.
I have a friend who almost every time I see this person I ask how they are and they say “Oh…Life is good…I got money in the bank…jobs on the horizon…and I’m feeling great”!! I always wonder “what if” life wasn’t “great”…what if the bank had no money in it…what if there were no jobs…what if they just got a diagnosis of “cancer” or “fibromyalgia” or some other disease….What would they say then?? Would life still be “great”???? Would there still be excitement in this person’s life?? Would there still be the sound of happiness and contentment?? I don’t know…but I pray and I hope that I can be that person that says “Life is great and God is still ABLE…God is still with me…God deeply loves me”….no matter what the circumstance…I know I will still have my “fleshly” moments…I am human…I have limitations….I get tired…I get weary….I don’t want to see suffering….but I pray that from this day forward, I can remember and take hold of the fact that God never ever ever leaves me…He never forgets me…He never is “not able” to do something exceedingly wonderful in my life EVEN IF the outcome is looking bleak….all I need to do is “believe”…God help me in my “unbelief”….
Let’s find God today in our “here and NOW” and still know that He loves us…deeply…that He weeps with us when we hurt…but He mostly hurts when we think that He just does not care or is not “there” in the darkest parts of our lives…
Just a few thoughts from what I heard last night….and thought I would share with you all.
Love..Barbie
Crazy Papa
I'll make 'um an offer
Sunday, December 30, 2007
Wednesday, December 26, 2007
"And So This Is Christmas" (John Lennon)
And so another Christmas has come and gone. Today, people are saying goodbye to loved ones who are traveling across the country and around the world to make their way back home. Some are standing in lines waiting to return and "unwanted" or "wrong size" gift in exchange for something bigger or better. Some people are returning to the job needing to finish out the week at work. And some are continuing in their lifestyle as NORMAL TRAFFIC PATTERN Christians, continuing to share the "Good News" that Jesus Christ has come into the world to save sinners, like me; and you.
Today is no different from yesterday, the day before or any other day in our calander year. Even as we put it up to our celebration of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ on Easter Sunday morning. Today is the BEST day given to you to share your faith in Christ as one of His soldiers. The world is quickly "caving in" physically, emotionally, and most of all politically. A day will come when sharing your faith may jeopardize your very freedom.
So as it has been said before "Today is the first day of the rest of your life." Don't waste it. That co-working sitting beside you is going to Hell if he or she doesn't know Jesus Christ personally. That traveler sitting next to you on the plane will never see the Gates of Heaven if he or she doesn't know Christ. That grumpy old man standing behind you in line, waiting to exchange a gift he doesn't appreciate or cannot use is speeding like a missile toward Hell, and you may be his only hope.
Today, not January 1st, is the time to make a NEW RESOLUTION that you will take advantage of the opportunities that God gives you to lead another soul to Heaven by sharing your testimony about Christ. And you may think, "I'm not a soul winner, I can't do this!" But don't forget the blind man who was healed and ran off declaring "I don't know who He is. I only know that 'once I was blind, and now I see!'"(paraphrase) You can be that tool that wipes the blinding scales off the eyes of a lost person today, just by sharing the Love of Christ.
Enough preaching, God is Great. You are all loved and He is waiting to share His love with others in the world that need to know Him. I hope you had a blessed Christmas and that "today" will be the best evangelistic day of your life.
Merry Christmas because God Loves You!
Dave
Today is no different from yesterday, the day before or any other day in our calander year. Even as we put it up to our celebration of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ on Easter Sunday morning. Today is the BEST day given to you to share your faith in Christ as one of His soldiers. The world is quickly "caving in" physically, emotionally, and most of all politically. A day will come when sharing your faith may jeopardize your very freedom.
So as it has been said before "Today is the first day of the rest of your life." Don't waste it. That co-working sitting beside you is going to Hell if he or she doesn't know Jesus Christ personally. That traveler sitting next to you on the plane will never see the Gates of Heaven if he or she doesn't know Christ. That grumpy old man standing behind you in line, waiting to exchange a gift he doesn't appreciate or cannot use is speeding like a missile toward Hell, and you may be his only hope.
Today, not January 1st, is the time to make a NEW RESOLUTION that you will take advantage of the opportunities that God gives you to lead another soul to Heaven by sharing your testimony about Christ. And you may think, "I'm not a soul winner, I can't do this!" But don't forget the blind man who was healed and ran off declaring "I don't know who He is. I only know that 'once I was blind, and now I see!'"(paraphrase) You can be that tool that wipes the blinding scales off the eyes of a lost person today, just by sharing the Love of Christ.
Enough preaching, God is Great. You are all loved and He is waiting to share His love with others in the world that need to know Him. I hope you had a blessed Christmas and that "today" will be the best evangelistic day of your life.
Merry Christmas because God Loves You!
Dave
Thursday, December 20, 2007
Maintenance Cheomotherapy Completed
Today, December 20, 2007, I completed my final maintenance therapy treatment at the oncology office. It took 2 & 1/2 years to get here and to tell you the truth, I am very tired. First it was the horrific 6 months of very harsh chemical treatment that gave me 44 days of hospital time, with my blood count so low they though I might just leave the earth at any time. In fact, I was not able to complete the entire protocol as there should have been 6 treatments and I only had five. They should have been at 100 percent and I only had two at 100 percent dosage. The remaining 3 treatments were cut back due to the bad reaction I was having to the CHOP therapy.
And so we got through that and then we started the 2 year maintenance therapy treatment which required "Rituxin" which was a less harsh chemical. I handled this treatment without even one hospitalization, however, the treatment knocked me down for a few days each week. The treatments went on for 2 years (once per week for 4 weeks every 6 months).
Praise the Lord God in Heaven, it is finally over! And it is only through His strength that I have gotten through all of this. I have tried to maintain an attitude of gratefulness throughout this time and feel I have done rather well. Oh, there have been times when I moaned and groaned, cried and slept (mostly slept). There were some lower moments as you watch your youthful life change and see that there are things you have always done in life that you cannot do anymore. Sometimes just taking out the trash seems like an 8 hour work day. I have felt every kind of emotion possible to mankind, I believe. I have felt good and bad, I have felt happy and sad, and yes, I have felt depression during this process. There have been times when I have asked God why He was keeping me here. And of course, He always had a great answer, like someone else needed me. There have been so many "someone Else's" in my life since this all began and I couldn't be more thankful. I have helped people with new shoes, with food to eat, and OH YES, God even granted me the grace to lead a few to Him during this time frame.
So I suppose, to sum it all up what I really feel like is that I have been blessed beyond human recognition. I know that sounds hard to grasp or understand, but throughout all of the ups & downs, the good & bad times, the "great attitudes" and the "grumpy ones", God has never left my side. He has shown me a side of Him that I may never have seen otherwise. So don't feel sorry for me (your going to die someday too). I have been living with the King in my spirit like few people get a chance to experience. And it has been wonderful. My faith has grown to such an extent, that I cannot express it to you in words (you just had to be there).
You have all prayed for me and I am thankful(by the way, I have incurable cancer, so the prayers shouldn't stop). People I have never met have sent me well wishes, knitted angels (boy did they come in handy) and yes, some people are still sending financial gifts to see that Barb and I get by. You see, this is a side of God that few of us get an opportunity to see in our lifetimes, unless our physical health faulters and these faithful ones go into action and they give of their lives in such a way that it is difficult to explain. Barb and I have even had the opportunity to drive to Denver Colorado, and personally meet a couple (Bill & Mimi) who have been holding us up in prayer for so long and supporting us in unbelievable way that we wonder WHO is holding them up. It reminds me of Moses and Aaron in the desert. When Moses held his arms up the army would win and when he could no longer hold them up the army would lose, so Aaron took over for Moses, holding up the arms of Moses until victory. It is people like these who have held our arms up for so long and now we have reached a milestone in this disease. You know, they say we can't beat it, but after 2 & 1/2 years of this kind of support, I think we have a chance; a great chance since God is on our side.
Well, it was important for me to recognize this milestone in my life with cancer and our prayers now are that these cells just fall off to sleep like Rumpelstiltskin and never wake up again. We (Barbara and I) are very grateful to be able to call all of you "our friends" and more importantly, our brothers and sisters in Christ Jesus.
"If we don't see you down here, we'll see you in the air!"
We love you...Dave & Barb
And so we got through that and then we started the 2 year maintenance therapy treatment which required "Rituxin" which was a less harsh chemical. I handled this treatment without even one hospitalization, however, the treatment knocked me down for a few days each week. The treatments went on for 2 years (once per week for 4 weeks every 6 months).
Praise the Lord God in Heaven, it is finally over! And it is only through His strength that I have gotten through all of this. I have tried to maintain an attitude of gratefulness throughout this time and feel I have done rather well. Oh, there have been times when I moaned and groaned, cried and slept (mostly slept). There were some lower moments as you watch your youthful life change and see that there are things you have always done in life that you cannot do anymore. Sometimes just taking out the trash seems like an 8 hour work day. I have felt every kind of emotion possible to mankind, I believe. I have felt good and bad, I have felt happy and sad, and yes, I have felt depression during this process. There have been times when I have asked God why He was keeping me here. And of course, He always had a great answer, like someone else needed me. There have been so many "someone Else's" in my life since this all began and I couldn't be more thankful. I have helped people with new shoes, with food to eat, and OH YES, God even granted me the grace to lead a few to Him during this time frame.
So I suppose, to sum it all up what I really feel like is that I have been blessed beyond human recognition. I know that sounds hard to grasp or understand, but throughout all of the ups & downs, the good & bad times, the "great attitudes" and the "grumpy ones", God has never left my side. He has shown me a side of Him that I may never have seen otherwise. So don't feel sorry for me (your going to die someday too). I have been living with the King in my spirit like few people get a chance to experience. And it has been wonderful. My faith has grown to such an extent, that I cannot express it to you in words (you just had to be there).
You have all prayed for me and I am thankful(by the way, I have incurable cancer, so the prayers shouldn't stop). People I have never met have sent me well wishes, knitted angels (boy did they come in handy) and yes, some people are still sending financial gifts to see that Barb and I get by. You see, this is a side of God that few of us get an opportunity to see in our lifetimes, unless our physical health faulters and these faithful ones go into action and they give of their lives in such a way that it is difficult to explain. Barb and I have even had the opportunity to drive to Denver Colorado, and personally meet a couple (Bill & Mimi) who have been holding us up in prayer for so long and supporting us in unbelievable way that we wonder WHO is holding them up. It reminds me of Moses and Aaron in the desert. When Moses held his arms up the army would win and when he could no longer hold them up the army would lose, so Aaron took over for Moses, holding up the arms of Moses until victory. It is people like these who have held our arms up for so long and now we have reached a milestone in this disease. You know, they say we can't beat it, but after 2 & 1/2 years of this kind of support, I think we have a chance; a great chance since God is on our side.
Well, it was important for me to recognize this milestone in my life with cancer and our prayers now are that these cells just fall off to sleep like Rumpelstiltskin and never wake up again. We (Barbara and I) are very grateful to be able to call all of you "our friends" and more importantly, our brothers and sisters in Christ Jesus.
"If we don't see you down here, we'll see you in the air!"
We love you...Dave & Barb
Wednesday, December 19, 2007
Don't Worry, Be Happy
"Do not be anxious then, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'With what shall we clothe ourselves?'"(Matt 6:31)
Today it came to me as to WHY this is such a powerful scripture verse. Yesterday was a very worrisome day for me. I don't know why. I don't usually get "overly concerned" with these things. Living on Social Security has it's benefits. At least you know how little you will get each month. But for some reason I was extremely worried about our finances. I've never slept outside nor have I ever missed a meal. But all day it seemed, I was full of worry.
I found myself going from my recliner to the computer, looking up the bank account and checking assets against outstanding checks and debts; probably half a dozen times yesterday. It continued throughout the day and on into the night as I lay in bed with numbers continually floating through my head.
I woke up this morning with extreme back pain and weakness in my left leg. Some of you may know that I have a 3 inch Titanium Cage in my lower back as a fusion. It was hurting something terrible. It was so bad, that my leg was getting so weak I feared falling down. Barb and I called the pain doctor and they were able to see me right away. He put a 3 inch needle in my low back and filled the joint full of some sort of medication which very shortly "numbed" everything, relieving some of the pain.
We came home and rested but the events of yesterday kept popping up in my head. Why was I so worried? What concerned me so? The check always comes! The rent always gets paid. Well, now it is 1:19am the next morning and I am sitting here in front of my blog, writing because God has spoken yet again. He gave me the verse above and a couple other verses that say (continuing in vs 32), "For all these things the Gentiles eagerly seek; for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added to you. therefore do not be anxious for tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own." Kinda makes me wonder where the severe backache came from. Worrying about things I cannot control when the King of the Universe is trying to speak to me.
I know you are probably hurting tonight, but are you worrying? "Seek first His Kingdom and righteousness..." and let tomorrow take care of itself. By the way, the numbers never changed. Each time I calculated them, they continued to remain the same. Today, the debts are current! Ain't God Great?
Today it came to me as to WHY this is such a powerful scripture verse. Yesterday was a very worrisome day for me. I don't know why. I don't usually get "overly concerned" with these things. Living on Social Security has it's benefits. At least you know how little you will get each month. But for some reason I was extremely worried about our finances. I've never slept outside nor have I ever missed a meal. But all day it seemed, I was full of worry.
I found myself going from my recliner to the computer, looking up the bank account and checking assets against outstanding checks and debts; probably half a dozen times yesterday. It continued throughout the day and on into the night as I lay in bed with numbers continually floating through my head.
I woke up this morning with extreme back pain and weakness in my left leg. Some of you may know that I have a 3 inch Titanium Cage in my lower back as a fusion. It was hurting something terrible. It was so bad, that my leg was getting so weak I feared falling down. Barb and I called the pain doctor and they were able to see me right away. He put a 3 inch needle in my low back and filled the joint full of some sort of medication which very shortly "numbed" everything, relieving some of the pain.
We came home and rested but the events of yesterday kept popping up in my head. Why was I so worried? What concerned me so? The check always comes! The rent always gets paid. Well, now it is 1:19am the next morning and I am sitting here in front of my blog, writing because God has spoken yet again. He gave me the verse above and a couple other verses that say (continuing in vs 32), "For all these things the Gentiles eagerly seek; for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added to you. therefore do not be anxious for tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own." Kinda makes me wonder where the severe backache came from. Worrying about things I cannot control when the King of the Universe is trying to speak to me.
I know you are probably hurting tonight, but are you worrying? "Seek first His Kingdom and righteousness..." and let tomorrow take care of itself. By the way, the numbers never changed. Each time I calculated them, they continued to remain the same. Today, the debts are current! Ain't God Great?
Saturday, December 15, 2007
God Bless The Lonely Saints
Luke 22:31,32 says, "Simon, Simon, behold, Satan has demanded {permission} to sift you like wheat; but I have prayed for you, that your faith may not fail; and you, when once you have turned again, strengthen your brothers."
Tammi’s devotion from Rest Ministries yesterday really hit a “chord” with Barb and I,as we have experienced severe loneliness and loss of relationship since my cancer diagnosis and I was “re-reminded” of it in a huge way this past week when I ran into someone who, prior to my cancer, we considered our “best friends”, his wife is actually a breast cancer survivor and I remember the “saints” of our church ministering to their family while they went through this, but when I received my diagnosis, my “best friend” said “he could not handle it”and so, I have not seen or heard from him, nor Barb, from his wife since finding out I had cancer.
Seeing him this week reminded me of the fact that the “church” (the body of believers) is not really carrying their weight and failing miserably in this area of ministry to those who are sick and for some reason, they look at illness as a “lack of faith” and/or “contagious” and if we hang with these people, we may end up like them. I have to say that I would not change my position that I am in today for anything. God has worked in me, in 2 & 1/2 years, what would normally take a lifetime to work in people and many people even some Christians never will “get it”!
I’m not trying to make this blog a “pity party”. It’s just a reality, and we need to speak about it. It’s reality and it’s rampant in the “church body”. Very sad! This is NOT to say that this type of ministry is not going on but it seem, not only to me, but a large group of others, going through some kind of pain and suffering, are experiencing the same things.
So, when I saw this “friend” of mine this week, I actually stopped him and asked him why he never contacted us in the last 2 & 1/2 years and his reply was “that’s just the wimpy side of me.” Well I do not remember reading anywhere in my bible where Jesus said, "All the Wimps line up on this side and all the strong Christians line up on the other side. I will not share with you what I told him after that, but I did speak the “truth” to him, and I feel pretty safe in saying that he probably is thinking long and hard about his role as a Christian man today!
Now with all of that being said, I could not stop this blog without telling you about the people that GOD has brought into our lives. People we would have never met or had the chance for fellowship or ministering to if I had not been given this cancer. And so, even though I do NOT like this cancer situation, would I go back to 2-1/2 years and miss out on what God did bless Barb and I with? NO WAY. Do I want to beat this cancer? You bet! But I am grateful for the road he has brought Barb and I to and through so far, and my only prayer is that we can continue to minister to the hurting, the sick, the poor, the needy. Just remember some day as you lean down to pray with someone who is hurting, you may by “entertaining” an angel.
Some may take offense at these comments and that is NOT my intention. Rather I would like to raise awareness that Christian men and women may miss out of "sitting with an angel" if they fail to follow the scripture verse above. It is easy to see that those who are ill and hurting are trying to be good stewards of God's presence in their lives.
Dave
Tammi’s devotion from Rest Ministries yesterday really hit a “chord” with Barb and I,as we have experienced severe loneliness and loss of relationship since my cancer diagnosis and I was “re-reminded” of it in a huge way this past week when I ran into someone who, prior to my cancer, we considered our “best friends”, his wife is actually a breast cancer survivor and I remember the “saints” of our church ministering to their family while they went through this, but when I received my diagnosis, my “best friend” said “he could not handle it”and so, I have not seen or heard from him, nor Barb, from his wife since finding out I had cancer.
Seeing him this week reminded me of the fact that the “church” (the body of believers) is not really carrying their weight and failing miserably in this area of ministry to those who are sick and for some reason, they look at illness as a “lack of faith” and/or “contagious” and if we hang with these people, we may end up like them. I have to say that I would not change my position that I am in today for anything. God has worked in me, in 2 & 1/2 years, what would normally take a lifetime to work in people and many people even some Christians never will “get it”!
I’m not trying to make this blog a “pity party”. It’s just a reality, and we need to speak about it. It’s reality and it’s rampant in the “church body”. Very sad! This is NOT to say that this type of ministry is not going on but it seem, not only to me, but a large group of others, going through some kind of pain and suffering, are experiencing the same things.
So, when I saw this “friend” of mine this week, I actually stopped him and asked him why he never contacted us in the last 2 & 1/2 years and his reply was “that’s just the wimpy side of me.” Well I do not remember reading anywhere in my bible where Jesus said, "All the Wimps line up on this side and all the strong Christians line up on the other side. I will not share with you what I told him after that, but I did speak the “truth” to him, and I feel pretty safe in saying that he probably is thinking long and hard about his role as a Christian man today!
Now with all of that being said, I could not stop this blog without telling you about the people that GOD has brought into our lives. People we would have never met or had the chance for fellowship or ministering to if I had not been given this cancer. And so, even though I do NOT like this cancer situation, would I go back to 2-1/2 years and miss out on what God did bless Barb and I with? NO WAY. Do I want to beat this cancer? You bet! But I am grateful for the road he has brought Barb and I to and through so far, and my only prayer is that we can continue to minister to the hurting, the sick, the poor, the needy. Just remember some day as you lean down to pray with someone who is hurting, you may by “entertaining” an angel.
Some may take offense at these comments and that is NOT my intention. Rather I would like to raise awareness that Christian men and women may miss out of "sitting with an angel" if they fail to follow the scripture verse above. It is easy to see that those who are ill and hurting are trying to be good stewards of God's presence in their lives.
Dave
Thursday, December 13, 2007
Share the Sufferings of Christ
1 Peter 4:12,13 says, "Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal among you, which comes upon you for your testing, as though some strange thing were happening to you; but to the degree that you share the sufferings of Christ, keep on rejoicing; so that also at the revelation of His glory, you may rejoice with exultation".
I had my third session of chemo today and as I walked through the door of the Oncology office, I had to take a deep breath. Because I knew that the treatment they were planning to issue to me would create a suffering in my body for the remainder of the day and on into the week, as it tore down my bodies defense system and allowed me to experience extreme pain and fatigue. I arrived home from today's treatment and just like all of the other times, retired immediately to my recliner to sleep and rest from the fight that waged on the inside. Some of you can understand what I mean when I refer to it as the "fight that waged on the inside". As the body gets weaker, the fight becomes more difficult until there are times when you cannot even raise your shield with your arms, for being so weak. And that is just why the Lord wants us to "hide" His word deep in our hearts. So that when we reach this stage of suffering physically, we still have the ability to quote, if only in our hearts, the verses and promises He has given us. Like the one above in verse 13; ..."to the degree that you share the sufferings of Christ". Here Jesus allows us to look at the pain as His pain as we "suffer with Christ". Ever think of that? But from the cross Jesus suffered our pain, our sin, our misfortunes, just so we could be free from them someday. Oh, they are here on this earth, but guess what? This earth is not our home; we are only passing through.
He goes on in verse 14 to say "If you are reviled for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you". Its hard for us as "finite" beings to think of God's Glory "resting upon us". But that is just what the promise conveys! Our rest comes from the "Finished" work of Christ, on the Cross of Calvary (John 19:30 "It Is Finished").
Some of us will go on hurting, suffering, experiencing pain from this world. But Jesus says to ALL of us "...take courage, for I have overcome the world". That means You Win, Man! Take courage in your Lord Jesus because He has come to Set You Free! And you can take that to the bank.
My prayer is for God's peace for you tonight (or whenever you read this). He is standing right beside you and will not abandon you. You are truly blessed of God.
Your friend, Dave
I had my third session of chemo today and as I walked through the door of the Oncology office, I had to take a deep breath. Because I knew that the treatment they were planning to issue to me would create a suffering in my body for the remainder of the day and on into the week, as it tore down my bodies defense system and allowed me to experience extreme pain and fatigue. I arrived home from today's treatment and just like all of the other times, retired immediately to my recliner to sleep and rest from the fight that waged on the inside. Some of you can understand what I mean when I refer to it as the "fight that waged on the inside". As the body gets weaker, the fight becomes more difficult until there are times when you cannot even raise your shield with your arms, for being so weak. And that is just why the Lord wants us to "hide" His word deep in our hearts. So that when we reach this stage of suffering physically, we still have the ability to quote, if only in our hearts, the verses and promises He has given us. Like the one above in verse 13; ..."to the degree that you share the sufferings of Christ". Here Jesus allows us to look at the pain as His pain as we "suffer with Christ". Ever think of that? But from the cross Jesus suffered our pain, our sin, our misfortunes, just so we could be free from them someday. Oh, they are here on this earth, but guess what? This earth is not our home; we are only passing through.
He goes on in verse 14 to say "If you are reviled for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you". Its hard for us as "finite" beings to think of God's Glory "resting upon us". But that is just what the promise conveys! Our rest comes from the "Finished" work of Christ, on the Cross of Calvary (John 19:30 "It Is Finished").
Some of us will go on hurting, suffering, experiencing pain from this world. But Jesus says to ALL of us "...take courage, for I have overcome the world". That means You Win, Man! Take courage in your Lord Jesus because He has come to Set You Free! And you can take that to the bank.
My prayer is for God's peace for you tonight (or whenever you read this). He is standing right beside you and will not abandon you. You are truly blessed of God.
Your friend, Dave
Wednesday, December 12, 2007
Testimony of Bush's Press Secretary
Comment from Dave: I read Tony's testimony and thought I would be honored to have his words on my blog. It will take a good 6 to 10 minutes to read but his testimony encapsulates everything I have been saying for over two years now. Please take the time to read this passionate testimony from a person who experiences peace in his heart.
Dave
A Testimony to Share!
This is an outstanding testimony from Tony Snow, President Bush's Press Secretary, and his fight with cancer. Commentator and broadcaster Tony Snow announced that he had colon cancer in 2005. Following surgery and chemo-therapy, Snow joined the Bush Administration in April 2006 as press secretary.
Unfortunately, on March 23, 2007 , Snow, 51, a husband and father of three, announced the cancer had recurred, with tumors found in his abdomen,- leading to surgery in April, followed by more chemotherapy. Snow went back to work in the White House Briefing Room on May 30, but has resigned since, "for economic reasons," and to pursue " other interests."
---------------------------------------------------------------------
"Blessings arrive in unexpected packages, - in my case, cancer. Those of us with potentially fatal diseases - and there are millions in America today - find ourselves in the odd position of coping with our mortality while trying to fathom God's will. Although it would be the height of presumption to declare with confidence "What It All Means," Scripture provides powerful hints and consolations.
The first is that we shouldn't spend too much time trying to answer the "why" questions: Why me? Why must people suffer? Why can't someone else get sick? We can't answer such things, and the questions themselves often are designed more to express our anguish than to solicit an answer.
I don't know why I have cancer, and I don't much care. It is what it is, a plain and indisputable fact. Yet even while staring into a mirror darkly, great and stunning truths begin to take shape. Our maladies define a central feature of our existence: We are fallen. We are imperfect. Our bodies give out.
But despite this, - or because of it, - God offers the possibility of salvation and grace. We don't know how the narrative of our lives will end, but we get to choose how to use the interval between now and the moment we meet our Creator face-to-face.
Second, we need to get past the anxiety. The mere thought of dying can send adrenaline flooding through your system. A dizzy, unfocused panic seizes you. Your heart thumps; your head swims. You think of nothingness and swoon. You fear partings; you worry about the impact on family and friends. You fidget and get nowhere.
To regain footing, remember that we were born not into death, but into life,- and that the journey continues after we have finished our days on this earth. We accept this on faith, but that faith is nourished by a conviction that stirs even within many non believing hearts - an intuition that the gift of life, once given, cannot be taken away. Those who have been stricken enjoy the special privilege of being able to fight with their might, main, and faith to live fully, richly, exuberantly - no matter how their days may be numbered.
Third, we can open our eyes and hearts. God relishes surprise. We want lives of simple, predictable ease,- smooth, even trails as far as the eye can see, - but God likes to go off-road. He provokes us with twists and turns. He places us in predicaments that seem to defy our endurance; and comprehension - and yet don't. By His love and grace, we persevere. The challenges that make our hearts leap and stomachs churn invariably strengthen our faith and grant measures of wisdom and joy we would not experience otherwise.
'You Have Been Called'. Picture yourself in a hospital bed. The fog of anesthesia has begun to wear away. A doctor stands at your feet, a loved one holds your hand at the side. "It's cancer," the healer announces.
The natural reaction is to turn to God and ask him to serve as a cosmic Santa. "Dear God, make it all go away. Make everything simpler." But another voice whispers: "You have been called." Your quandary has drawn you closer to God, closer to those you love, closer to the issues that matter,- and has dragged into insignificance the banal concerns that occupy our "normal time."
There's another kind of response, although usually short-lived an inexplicable shudder of excitement, as if a clarifying moment of calamity has swept away everything trivial and tiny, and placed before us the challenge of important questions.
The moment you enter the Valley of the Shadow of Death, things change. You discover that Christianity is not something doughy, passive, pious, and soft. Faith may be the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. But it also draws you into a world shorn of fearful caution. The life of belief teems with thrills, boldness, danger, shocks, reversals, triumphs, and epiphanies. Think of Paul, traipsing through the known world and contemplating trips to what must have seemed the antipodes ( Spain ), shaking the dust from his sandals, worrying not about the morrow, but only about the moment.
There's nothing wilder than a life of humble virtue, - for it is through selflessness and service that God wrings from our bodies and spirits the most we ever could give, the most we ever could offer, and the most we ever could do.
Finally, we can let love change everything. When Jesus was faced with the prospect of crucifixion, he grieved not for himself, but for us. He cried for Jerusalem before entering the holy city. From the Cross, he took on the cumulative burden of human sin and weakness, and begged for forgiveness on our behalf.
We get repeated chances to learn that life is not about us, that we acquire purpose and satisfaction by sharing in God's love for others. Sickness gets us part way there. It reminds us of our limitations and dependence. But it also gives us a chance to serve the healthy. A minister friend of mine observes that people suffering grave afflictions often acquire the faith of two people, while loved ones accept the burden of two peoples' worries and fears.
'Learning How to Live'. Most of us have watched friends as they drifted toward God's arms, not with resignation, but with peace and hope. In so doing, they have taught us not how to die, but how to live. They have emulated Christ by transmitting the power and authority of love.
I sat by my best friend's bedside a few years ago as a wasting cancer took him away. He kept at his table a worn Bible and a 1928 edition of the Book of Common Prayer. A shattering grief disabled his family, many of his old friends, and at least one priest. Here was an humble and very good guy, someone who apologized when he winced with pain because he thought it made his guest uncomfortable. He retained his equanimity and good humor literally until his last conscious moment. "I'm going to try to beat [this cancer]," he told me several months before he died. "But if I don't, I'll see you on the other side."
His gift was to remind everyone around him that even though God doesn't promise us tomorrow, he does promise us eternity, - filled with life and love we cannot comprehend, - and that one can in the throes of sickness point the rest of us toward timeless truths that will help us weather future storms.
Through such trials, God bids us to choose: Do we believe, or do we not? Will we be bold enough to love, daring enough to serve, humble enough to submit, and strong enough to acknowledge our limitations? Can we surrender our concern in things that don't matter so that we might devote our remaining days to things that do?
When our faith flags, he throws reminders in our way. Think of the prayer warriors in our midst. They change things, and those of us who have been on the receiving end of their petitions and intercessions know it. It is hard to describe, but there are times when suddenly the hairs on the back of your neck stand up, and you feel a surge of the Spirit. Somehow you just know: Others have chosen, when talking to the Author of all creation, to lift us up, - to speak of us!
This is love of a very special order. But so is the ability to sit back and appreciate the wonder of every created thing. The mere thought of death somehow makes every blessing vivid, every happiness more luminous and intense. We may not know how our contest with sickness will end, but we have felt the ineluctable touch of God.
What is man that Thou art mindful of him? We don't know much, but we know this: No matter where we are, no matter what we do, no matter how bleak or frightening our prospects, each and every one of us who believe, each and every day, lies in the same safe and impregnable place, in the hollow of God's hand." T. Snow
Dave
A Testimony to Share!
This is an outstanding testimony from Tony Snow, President Bush's Press Secretary, and his fight with cancer. Commentator and broadcaster Tony Snow announced that he had colon cancer in 2005. Following surgery and chemo-therapy, Snow joined the Bush Administration in April 2006 as press secretary.
Unfortunately, on March 23, 2007 , Snow, 51, a husband and father of three, announced the cancer had recurred, with tumors found in his abdomen,- leading to surgery in April, followed by more chemotherapy. Snow went back to work in the White House Briefing Room on May 30, but has resigned since, "for economic reasons," and to pursue " other interests."
---------------------------------------------------------------------
"Blessings arrive in unexpected packages, - in my case, cancer. Those of us with potentially fatal diseases - and there are millions in America today - find ourselves in the odd position of coping with our mortality while trying to fathom God's will. Although it would be the height of presumption to declare with confidence "What It All Means," Scripture provides powerful hints and consolations.
The first is that we shouldn't spend too much time trying to answer the "why" questions: Why me? Why must people suffer? Why can't someone else get sick? We can't answer such things, and the questions themselves often are designed more to express our anguish than to solicit an answer.
I don't know why I have cancer, and I don't much care. It is what it is, a plain and indisputable fact. Yet even while staring into a mirror darkly, great and stunning truths begin to take shape. Our maladies define a central feature of our existence: We are fallen. We are imperfect. Our bodies give out.
But despite this, - or because of it, - God offers the possibility of salvation and grace. We don't know how the narrative of our lives will end, but we get to choose how to use the interval between now and the moment we meet our Creator face-to-face.
Second, we need to get past the anxiety. The mere thought of dying can send adrenaline flooding through your system. A dizzy, unfocused panic seizes you. Your heart thumps; your head swims. You think of nothingness and swoon. You fear partings; you worry about the impact on family and friends. You fidget and get nowhere.
To regain footing, remember that we were born not into death, but into life,- and that the journey continues after we have finished our days on this earth. We accept this on faith, but that faith is nourished by a conviction that stirs even within many non believing hearts - an intuition that the gift of life, once given, cannot be taken away. Those who have been stricken enjoy the special privilege of being able to fight with their might, main, and faith to live fully, richly, exuberantly - no matter how their days may be numbered.
Third, we can open our eyes and hearts. God relishes surprise. We want lives of simple, predictable ease,- smooth, even trails as far as the eye can see, - but God likes to go off-road. He provokes us with twists and turns. He places us in predicaments that seem to defy our endurance; and comprehension - and yet don't. By His love and grace, we persevere. The challenges that make our hearts leap and stomachs churn invariably strengthen our faith and grant measures of wisdom and joy we would not experience otherwise.
'You Have Been Called'. Picture yourself in a hospital bed. The fog of anesthesia has begun to wear away. A doctor stands at your feet, a loved one holds your hand at the side. "It's cancer," the healer announces.
The natural reaction is to turn to God and ask him to serve as a cosmic Santa. "Dear God, make it all go away. Make everything simpler." But another voice whispers: "You have been called." Your quandary has drawn you closer to God, closer to those you love, closer to the issues that matter,- and has dragged into insignificance the banal concerns that occupy our "normal time."
There's another kind of response, although usually short-lived an inexplicable shudder of excitement, as if a clarifying moment of calamity has swept away everything trivial and tiny, and placed before us the challenge of important questions.
The moment you enter the Valley of the Shadow of Death, things change. You discover that Christianity is not something doughy, passive, pious, and soft. Faith may be the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. But it also draws you into a world shorn of fearful caution. The life of belief teems with thrills, boldness, danger, shocks, reversals, triumphs, and epiphanies. Think of Paul, traipsing through the known world and contemplating trips to what must have seemed the antipodes ( Spain ), shaking the dust from his sandals, worrying not about the morrow, but only about the moment.
There's nothing wilder than a life of humble virtue, - for it is through selflessness and service that God wrings from our bodies and spirits the most we ever could give, the most we ever could offer, and the most we ever could do.
Finally, we can let love change everything. When Jesus was faced with the prospect of crucifixion, he grieved not for himself, but for us. He cried for Jerusalem before entering the holy city. From the Cross, he took on the cumulative burden of human sin and weakness, and begged for forgiveness on our behalf.
We get repeated chances to learn that life is not about us, that we acquire purpose and satisfaction by sharing in God's love for others. Sickness gets us part way there. It reminds us of our limitations and dependence. But it also gives us a chance to serve the healthy. A minister friend of mine observes that people suffering grave afflictions often acquire the faith of two people, while loved ones accept the burden of two peoples' worries and fears.
'Learning How to Live'. Most of us have watched friends as they drifted toward God's arms, not with resignation, but with peace and hope. In so doing, they have taught us not how to die, but how to live. They have emulated Christ by transmitting the power and authority of love.
I sat by my best friend's bedside a few years ago as a wasting cancer took him away. He kept at his table a worn Bible and a 1928 edition of the Book of Common Prayer. A shattering grief disabled his family, many of his old friends, and at least one priest. Here was an humble and very good guy, someone who apologized when he winced with pain because he thought it made his guest uncomfortable. He retained his equanimity and good humor literally until his last conscious moment. "I'm going to try to beat [this cancer]," he told me several months before he died. "But if I don't, I'll see you on the other side."
His gift was to remind everyone around him that even though God doesn't promise us tomorrow, he does promise us eternity, - filled with life and love we cannot comprehend, - and that one can in the throes of sickness point the rest of us toward timeless truths that will help us weather future storms.
Through such trials, God bids us to choose: Do we believe, or do we not? Will we be bold enough to love, daring enough to serve, humble enough to submit, and strong enough to acknowledge our limitations? Can we surrender our concern in things that don't matter so that we might devote our remaining days to things that do?
When our faith flags, he throws reminders in our way. Think of the prayer warriors in our midst. They change things, and those of us who have been on the receiving end of their petitions and intercessions know it. It is hard to describe, but there are times when suddenly the hairs on the back of your neck stand up, and you feel a surge of the Spirit. Somehow you just know: Others have chosen, when talking to the Author of all creation, to lift us up, - to speak of us!
This is love of a very special order. But so is the ability to sit back and appreciate the wonder of every created thing. The mere thought of death somehow makes every blessing vivid, every happiness more luminous and intense. We may not know how our contest with sickness will end, but we have felt the ineluctable touch of God.
What is man that Thou art mindful of him? We don't know much, but we know this: No matter where we are, no matter what we do, no matter how bleak or frightening our prospects, each and every one of us who believe, each and every day, lies in the same safe and impregnable place, in the hollow of God's hand." T. Snow
Men delivered from manifold troubles
My bible gives a sub-title to Psalm 107 and it reads: The Lord Delivers Men from manifold Troubles. Listen to what it says in PS. 107:23-31 "Those who go down to the sea in ships, Who do business on great waters; They have seen the works of the Lord, And His wonders in the deep. For He spoke and raised up a stormy wind, Which lifted up the waves of the sea. They rose up to the heavens, they went down to the depths; Their soul melted away in their misery. They reeled and staggered like a drunken man, And were at their wits' end. Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble, And He brought them out of their distresses. He caused the storm to be still, So that the waves of the sea were hushed. Then they were glad because they were quiet; So He guided them to their desired haven. Let them give thanks to the Lord for His lovingkindness, And for His wonders to the sons of men!"
Most of you have read my wife's email concerning my liver condition and what "appears" to be NEXT for us physically. And I, not unlike my wife, was thinking that "just two more sessions of chemo" then we get a break; then the liver function tests seem to want to prove different. So many of you out there are experiencing similar situations. You are tossed to and fro, like a little life raft out on the magnificent ocean of life. You stagger around as if "drunken" and still your feet remain "steadfast" to the deck of the boat of your life. One wave after another and you continue to get up, dust yourself off, and continue on the mission that God has chosen for you.
Well, nothing has changed here in our lives. We get up, thank God for His grace, and continue on in the direction He has sent us. For my liver function to go from 100k to 1.62 million is very dramatic in man's eyes; "But God"! Up to and including today, God has provided me with a ministry of such tremendous magnitude and there is nothing that can stop it now. Psalms 46:10 says: "Cease striving and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth". That helps to remind me that NONE of this is "for me". Be still and know that I am God. I'm here and I'm working it out. Just believe in Me and see the Glory of God.
Are you standing in the boat tonight, swaying to and fro from the treacherous winds of your life, not knowing where to place your next step. Anchor Deep. Stand Still. Remember that He is God! And let Him have His way with your life. You'll be at more peace when you do. You wonder, "How can you know for sure, Dave"? Well, all I can say is "I'm standing in the boat"!
Be at peace.
About the Author
-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*
Dave Stallings lives in Phoenix, Arizona with his wife of 36 years, Barbara, Who also suffers a serious chronic illness, and their dog, Captain Jack…along with their kids and grand kids ! Dave is a semi-retired pastor and loves to blog on his personal web page since being diagnosed with Stage IV incurable non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma two and a half years ago..his motto is “It is what it is and God is not surprised”….his blog is http://www.nowwhataz.blogspot.com/, his personal testimony can be read at http://www.nowwhataz.org/ and he can be reached by email at dstallings2@qwest.net.
Most of you have read my wife's email concerning my liver condition and what "appears" to be NEXT for us physically. And I, not unlike my wife, was thinking that "just two more sessions of chemo" then we get a break; then the liver function tests seem to want to prove different. So many of you out there are experiencing similar situations. You are tossed to and fro, like a little life raft out on the magnificent ocean of life. You stagger around as if "drunken" and still your feet remain "steadfast" to the deck of the boat of your life. One wave after another and you continue to get up, dust yourself off, and continue on the mission that God has chosen for you.
Well, nothing has changed here in our lives. We get up, thank God for His grace, and continue on in the direction He has sent us. For my liver function to go from 100k to 1.62 million is very dramatic in man's eyes; "But God"! Up to and including today, God has provided me with a ministry of such tremendous magnitude and there is nothing that can stop it now. Psalms 46:10 says: "Cease striving and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth". That helps to remind me that NONE of this is "for me". Be still and know that I am God. I'm here and I'm working it out. Just believe in Me and see the Glory of God.
Are you standing in the boat tonight, swaying to and fro from the treacherous winds of your life, not knowing where to place your next step. Anchor Deep. Stand Still. Remember that He is God! And let Him have His way with your life. You'll be at more peace when you do. You wonder, "How can you know for sure, Dave"? Well, all I can say is "I'm standing in the boat"!
Be at peace.
About the Author
-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*
Dave Stallings lives in Phoenix, Arizona with his wife of 36 years, Barbara, Who also suffers a serious chronic illness, and their dog, Captain Jack…along with their kids and grand kids ! Dave is a semi-retired pastor and loves to blog on his personal web page since being diagnosed with Stage IV incurable non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma two and a half years ago..his motto is “It is what it is and God is not surprised”….his blog is http://www.nowwhataz.blogspot.com/, his personal testimony can be read at http://www.nowwhataz.org/ and he can be reached by email at dstallings2@qwest.net.
Saturday, December 8, 2007
God's Best from the Stallings Household
Barb and I wanted to do something special for those of you who are always taking the time to read my blog and pray for us. You have all been so special and we will never forget anyone of you. Know that we love you and we wish you a Merry Christmas and the happiest of New Years Joy. Jesus Christ is why we are here and we will be sure to ALWAYS give Him the glory.
Our prayer is that everyone of you are at peace this Christmas Season.
We love you all very much,
Dave, Barb, 'Capt. Jack'
If this link does not work, just copy and paste to your address bar.
http://www.elfyourself.com/?id=1246648685
PS. This download is "Safe"
Our prayer is that everyone of you are at peace this Christmas Season.
We love you all very much,
Dave, Barb, 'Capt. Jack'
If this link does not work, just copy and paste to your address bar.
http://www.elfyourself.com/?id=1246648685
PS. This download is "Safe"
Friday, December 7, 2007
Giving Thanks for ALL Things
Ephesians 6:18-20 says "And do not get drunk with wine, for that is dissipation, but be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody with your heart to the Lord; always giving thanks for all things in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to God, even the Father"
My prognosis remains the same today. I still carry around with me, blood cells labeled "Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma (in fact, in two more weeks I will have finished my 2 year maintenance program). At that point I go on a "Wait & Watch" program where they do nothing until my symptoms resurface. I try to wear a smile every single day. I am grateful to my God for the blessings He has shared with me throughout this ordeal. My family has never been closer in our 37 years of existence. All of the studies to date indicate that I will have fewer years on this earth than most men my age and I remain grateful for the experiences that have been given to me over the last 2 1/2 years. These are blessings that could have never come without this particular difficulty in my life.
I think of Sandy and her probing questions while sitting in the chemotherapy room time and again. Today I feel confident that Sandy has her own personal relationship with God because he brought both Sandy and I together one day. As I knelt there in front of her chemo chair with a needle stuck in my chest, I remember that it was that day that she asked Jesus to control her life. I think of Steve who today wears a different pair of shoes because someone wanted to be a blessing to him through Barb and I.
I think (quite often) of my good friend Mike, who left us in December of 2005, to go and be with the Lord. My wife and I were at his bedside two days before he went home to be with the Lord. He was sleeping peacefully, little if any expression on his face. I walked into the room, bent over his bed and kissed him on the forehead and spoke his name. He never opened his eyes, but he smiled. I don't believe it was a smile brought on by his facial muscles but rather his heart as he recognized my voice. I talked to him, I read about God to him and prayed (I'm sure) with him and within the next 48 hours he was sitting at the feet of Jesus without any pain, without any tears other than perhaps tears of joy as he was ushered into his heavenly home. I remember saying to Mike during that time, "Michael, when we come to the edge of all the light we know, and are about to step off into the darkness of the unknown, faith is knowing one of two things will happen; either there will be something solid to stand on, or we will be taught how to fly," and I truly believe that Michael learned to fly that day.
I live every day of my life in pain and if you are reading this blog you probably experience the same thing. It is tough and sometimes it looks as though there is "no way out". And for some of us, this is true. However, just the mention of our Lord, Jesus Christ, brings a smile to my face because I know with every confidence that He is building a mansion for me and if it is tomorrow or 5 years from now, He will just be placing the last nail in my home in glory. That's is REALLY something to look forward to.
"Be strong in the Lord and the power of His might"!
About the Author
-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*
Dave Stallings lives in Phoenix, Arizona with his wife of 36 years, Barbara, Who also suffers a serious chronic illness, and their dog, Captain Jack…along with their kids and grand kids ! Dave is a semi-retired pastor and loves to blog on his personal web page since being diagnosed with Stage IV incurable non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma two and a half years ago..his motto is “It is what it is and God is not surprised”….his blog is http://www.nowwhataz.blogspot.com/, his personal testimony can be read at http://www.nowwhataz.org/ and he can be reached by email at dstallings2@qwest.net.
My prognosis remains the same today. I still carry around with me, blood cells labeled "Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma (in fact, in two more weeks I will have finished my 2 year maintenance program). At that point I go on a "Wait & Watch" program where they do nothing until my symptoms resurface. I try to wear a smile every single day. I am grateful to my God for the blessings He has shared with me throughout this ordeal. My family has never been closer in our 37 years of existence. All of the studies to date indicate that I will have fewer years on this earth than most men my age and I remain grateful for the experiences that have been given to me over the last 2 1/2 years. These are blessings that could have never come without this particular difficulty in my life.
I think of Sandy and her probing questions while sitting in the chemotherapy room time and again. Today I feel confident that Sandy has her own personal relationship with God because he brought both Sandy and I together one day. As I knelt there in front of her chemo chair with a needle stuck in my chest, I remember that it was that day that she asked Jesus to control her life. I think of Steve who today wears a different pair of shoes because someone wanted to be a blessing to him through Barb and I.
I think (quite often) of my good friend Mike, who left us in December of 2005, to go and be with the Lord. My wife and I were at his bedside two days before he went home to be with the Lord. He was sleeping peacefully, little if any expression on his face. I walked into the room, bent over his bed and kissed him on the forehead and spoke his name. He never opened his eyes, but he smiled. I don't believe it was a smile brought on by his facial muscles but rather his heart as he recognized my voice. I talked to him, I read about God to him and prayed (I'm sure) with him and within the next 48 hours he was sitting at the feet of Jesus without any pain, without any tears other than perhaps tears of joy as he was ushered into his heavenly home. I remember saying to Mike during that time, "Michael, when we come to the edge of all the light we know, and are about to step off into the darkness of the unknown, faith is knowing one of two things will happen; either there will be something solid to stand on, or we will be taught how to fly," and I truly believe that Michael learned to fly that day.
I live every day of my life in pain and if you are reading this blog you probably experience the same thing. It is tough and sometimes it looks as though there is "no way out". And for some of us, this is true. However, just the mention of our Lord, Jesus Christ, brings a smile to my face because I know with every confidence that He is building a mansion for me and if it is tomorrow or 5 years from now, He will just be placing the last nail in my home in glory. That's is REALLY something to look forward to.
"Be strong in the Lord and the power of His might"!
About the Author
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Dave Stallings lives in Phoenix, Arizona with his wife of 36 years, Barbara, Who also suffers a serious chronic illness, and their dog, Captain Jack…along with their kids and grand kids ! Dave is a semi-retired pastor and loves to blog on his personal web page since being diagnosed with Stage IV incurable non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma two and a half years ago..his motto is “It is what it is and God is not surprised”….his blog is http://www.nowwhataz.blogspot.com/, his personal testimony can be read at http://www.nowwhataz.org/ and he can be reached by email at dstallings2@qwest.net.
Sunday, December 2, 2007
"Blessed is the caregiver"
Matthew 5 says: "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. Blessed are the gentle, for they shall inherit the earth. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied. Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God."
I've been watching these devotions for some time now and I read of so much pain and suffering. It is difficult to continue to "fight the good fight" with the pain and illness that those who write deal with everyday. My heart goes out to them. Above is a "sampling" of The Beatitudes from the Sermon on the Mount from our Lord Jesus Christ. I cannot think of a better way to describe my "caregiver", Barb, my wife.
And tonight I think about those who suffer the "everyday" struggle of caring for a loved one who has a chronic illness and especially those who are watching their loved ones die. As my wife and I sat at the dinner table tonight I made a comment (not thinking ahead, naturally), about my future which cut her like a knife. I suggested to her that we should go ahead and arrange a trip we were planning because "when this cancer wakes up"...that was all I was able to get out when she burst into tears. How often do our caregivers think of the future and what it holds for them. How strong they must be to constantly give the care needed without breaking down, in tears, over what the future holds for them. My wife wonders what she will do without me; where she will live; how she will survive; where will the money come from. But she NEVER burdens me with those thoughts from day to day. She just continues to do what Jesus has called her to do and that is to be a caregiver for me.
My precious wife will be blessed by the "kingdom of heaven"; She will be blessed as the Father "comforts" her; It will be a blessing for her as she "inherits the earth"; She will be blessed as she is "satisfied" by God's grace. Blessings will be hers as she receives "mercy" from the Father; and mostly, she will be blessed when "she sees God".
But for now, she is fulfilling her calling of God by caring for me and the cancer that assures us that it will "awaken". I have researched my blog and found that it is read in over 41 States across the United States and on 2 other continents by hundreds of people who all wish me well. Tonight I am calling on all of you (and all of your Internet friends) to send a word of encouragement to my wife, Barbara (and others you know who have been called to this task). Please take a moment out of your busy day to write to her at grammybarb@qwest.net and let her know that we all realize how important she and others are in our lives. After all, who could care for us like they do?
Dave Stallings lives in Phoenix, Arizona with his wife of 36 years, Barbara, Who also suffers a chronic illness, and their dog, Captain Jack…along with their kids and grand kids ! Dave is a semi-retired pastor and loves to blog on his personal web page since being diagnosed with Stage IV incurable non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma two years ago..his motto is “It is what it is and God is not surprised”….his blog is www.nowwhataz.blogspot.com, his personal testimony can be read at www.nowwhataz.org and he can be reached by email at dstallings2@qwest.net.
I've been watching these devotions for some time now and I read of so much pain and suffering. It is difficult to continue to "fight the good fight" with the pain and illness that those who write deal with everyday. My heart goes out to them. Above is a "sampling" of The Beatitudes from the Sermon on the Mount from our Lord Jesus Christ. I cannot think of a better way to describe my "caregiver", Barb, my wife.
And tonight I think about those who suffer the "everyday" struggle of caring for a loved one who has a chronic illness and especially those who are watching their loved ones die. As my wife and I sat at the dinner table tonight I made a comment (not thinking ahead, naturally), about my future which cut her like a knife. I suggested to her that we should go ahead and arrange a trip we were planning because "when this cancer wakes up"...that was all I was able to get out when she burst into tears. How often do our caregivers think of the future and what it holds for them. How strong they must be to constantly give the care needed without breaking down, in tears, over what the future holds for them. My wife wonders what she will do without me; where she will live; how she will survive; where will the money come from. But she NEVER burdens me with those thoughts from day to day. She just continues to do what Jesus has called her to do and that is to be a caregiver for me.
My precious wife will be blessed by the "kingdom of heaven"; She will be blessed as the Father "comforts" her; It will be a blessing for her as she "inherits the earth"; She will be blessed as she is "satisfied" by God's grace. Blessings will be hers as she receives "mercy" from the Father; and mostly, she will be blessed when "she sees God".
But for now, she is fulfilling her calling of God by caring for me and the cancer that assures us that it will "awaken". I have researched my blog and found that it is read in over 41 States across the United States and on 2 other continents by hundreds of people who all wish me well. Tonight I am calling on all of you (and all of your Internet friends) to send a word of encouragement to my wife, Barbara (and others you know who have been called to this task). Please take a moment out of your busy day to write to her at grammybarb@qwest.net and let her know that we all realize how important she and others are in our lives. After all, who could care for us like they do?
Dave Stallings lives in Phoenix, Arizona with his wife of 36 years, Barbara, Who also suffers a chronic illness, and their dog, Captain Jack…along with their kids and grand kids ! Dave is a semi-retired pastor and loves to blog on his personal web page since being diagnosed with Stage IV incurable non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma two years ago..his motto is “It is what it is and God is not surprised”….his blog is www.nowwhataz.blogspot.com, his personal testimony can be read at www.nowwhataz.org and he can be reached by email at dstallings2@qwest.net.
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