For a little over six years now, I have been giving you my thoughts as God shared them with me. However, today I want to share with you exactly what I think and I truly believe God will go along with me on this.
In my 60 years of life, I have been blessed with 3 wonderful children, 6 tremendous grandchildren and lifetime partner (wife) who has surpassed all expectations. She just naturally flowed into my caregiver as I got sicker and sicker and I seldom even gave her a "pat on the back" for her loving efforts. For over 6 years she has been there for the little things as much as the big things. How a person does not lose their mind in the process, I will never understand. But to me, Barb Stallings, my wife of 40 years is a "saint",
Today, Barb and I were invited up in church to share our lives and try to explain how in the middle of the chaos we remain joyful and caring of others. It was a wonderful experience and I wish I could share it again and again to other fellowships because what we have (which is a supernatural experience) is something out of our reach and others need to hear.
In a week from todas, Barb and I will pack up the 5th Wheel and head, once again, back to Redlands (at least for the first 20 days while they do all their testing at City of Hope). Can't say it's not an anxious move but I always remember the Lord's command at the end of the book of Matthew "...and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." This shouldn't take 30 days so I'll be admitted into the hospital and they will begin to administer the harsh chemotherapy and radiation that will erradicate all of my own Bone Marrow over a 10 a day period. On day 11 they will transplant me with my brother's healthy (please pray he will pass all physicals and tests) Bone Marrow and they consider that "plus day one." From there they will count forward and it is up to my body to respond to the transplant.
I have a 60% chance of getting through this as long as my other organs hold together as they are supposed to. I do have hepatitis C which can cause some difficulties and so they will be treating the liver before we even get started but there is a problem called VOD Venus Occlusion Disease involving the liver that will not be a good thing if that happens and things could go bad very quickly they tell us.
Finally, I told all of you at church this morning that your communion with God over my condition has more value to me and any amount of your money or possessions possibly could. My complete faith and trust is in the ONE who made me. If He has that power, which He does, He can watch over me in a hopital bed.
I think we are on the right path and and convinced by God that this is the right path, however, if God has chosen differently, remember the one sentence I said to you from the stage: "I Win Either Way".
I love and cherish your faith and prayer support.
This is where "What Dave Thinks" takes a turn in the road. My plan is to start a new blog with this experience and be able to share all the good, bad and indifferent things that got me through it.
Remember if you're struggling with God, I have a link to the 4 spiritulal laws on this site that will help you completely understand your ability to relate to God. He loves me, and He loves you too.
Dave
Crazy Papa
I'll make 'um an offer
Sunday, October 2, 2011
Saturday, August 13, 2011
A Thought To Ponder
Some of you already know that we have made arrangements to see ANOTHER doctor out here in California at the City of Hope. They seem to be really genuine and really wanting their doctors to review my case as it is difficult at best.
Problem is that we cannot see him until the supplemental coverage in Arizona drops me from the plan which is September 1, 2011. So we have to WAIT once again. Boy what a "Waiting Game" cancer can be. Hard on your emotions, your body, your family. Just difficult. But we are still strong in our fight so we will wait.
As I thought about that it reminded me of a scripture in Genesis. It's in the 3rd chapter and the 15th verse which says, "And I will put enmity (hatred) between you and the woman. And between your seed and her seed; He shall bruise you on the head, (Devil) and you shall bruise him on the heel." Why would God bring me to this verse? Well, He is constantly reminding me that He and He ALONE is the miracle maker so something I gleaned from this verse years ago is that, the "woman" has "NO SEED!" Now if you think about the statement, God is telling Satan that there will come a time in the future that a woman, a virgin woman will have "seed". This is literally the 1st Biblical mention of the miracle birth of Jesus Christ! Can you see it. Woman has no seed yet God warns Satan of a virgin to come, producing the seed of Jesus Christ and His Miracle Birth.
What's so difficult about that. Anyone who studies the Bible can easily come to the same conclusion. Well, so did I. And it has helped me over the years to understand that if our God has the ability, not only to produce the "seed" in the woman, and tell about it several thousand years earlier, then He surely has the ability to produce a Miracle in my life today by producing sufficient clean blood cells to rid me of this "Death Inducing" disease known as leukemia. Get it? Early on, close to the beginning of EVERYTHING God introduces this Miracle yet to come. And He is still in the Miracle making business.
So, where does that leave me? Well, I have an appointment with doctors whose only job is to fix in mankind, disabled blood cells and help continue life. Am I right? You bet I am. So just short of a month now, we stand before these gentlemen, and listen to their recomendations concerning, "literally, my seed!" WOW! Doesn't that grab you by the hair and throw you around the room a little? It sure does me (now that I have some hair back).
God is still here, still directing our paths as Barb and I continue to search for His perfect will while we keep sharing the Gospel of Christ with all that we meet.
I hope your day will be as good as mine, tomorrow.
God's Best,
Dave
Problem is that we cannot see him until the supplemental coverage in Arizona drops me from the plan which is September 1, 2011. So we have to WAIT once again. Boy what a "Waiting Game" cancer can be. Hard on your emotions, your body, your family. Just difficult. But we are still strong in our fight so we will wait.
As I thought about that it reminded me of a scripture in Genesis. It's in the 3rd chapter and the 15th verse which says, "And I will put enmity (hatred) between you and the woman. And between your seed and her seed; He shall bruise you on the head, (Devil) and you shall bruise him on the heel." Why would God bring me to this verse? Well, He is constantly reminding me that He and He ALONE is the miracle maker so something I gleaned from this verse years ago is that, the "woman" has "NO SEED!" Now if you think about the statement, God is telling Satan that there will come a time in the future that a woman, a virgin woman will have "seed". This is literally the 1st Biblical mention of the miracle birth of Jesus Christ! Can you see it. Woman has no seed yet God warns Satan of a virgin to come, producing the seed of Jesus Christ and His Miracle Birth.
What's so difficult about that. Anyone who studies the Bible can easily come to the same conclusion. Well, so did I. And it has helped me over the years to understand that if our God has the ability, not only to produce the "seed" in the woman, and tell about it several thousand years earlier, then He surely has the ability to produce a Miracle in my life today by producing sufficient clean blood cells to rid me of this "Death Inducing" disease known as leukemia. Get it? Early on, close to the beginning of EVERYTHING God introduces this Miracle yet to come. And He is still in the Miracle making business.
So, where does that leave me? Well, I have an appointment with doctors whose only job is to fix in mankind, disabled blood cells and help continue life. Am I right? You bet I am. So just short of a month now, we stand before these gentlemen, and listen to their recomendations concerning, "literally, my seed!" WOW! Doesn't that grab you by the hair and throw you around the room a little? It sure does me (now that I have some hair back).
God is still here, still directing our paths as Barb and I continue to search for His perfect will while we keep sharing the Gospel of Christ with all that we meet.
I hope your day will be as good as mine, tomorrow.
God's Best,
Dave
Thursday, August 11, 2011
Comments from a precious sister in the Lord!
Hi Dave,
Have just been doing some catch-up on your blog, which I do from time to time...just wanted to say a heartfelt "thank you!" again for what you write...I know it comes straight from your heart.
I thank you for how it continually points me to the Lord, and you always hit the nail on the head with your topics and thoughts about this life, hard as it is sometimes, and the life to come.
Your writings always create a peace in my soul, as I read of how much God loves me, and how He always keeps His promises to those who believe on His name and live for Him. Thank you so much!!!!
I am so sorry for the awful shock that you and Barb got today as you went to that long anticipated first appointment with the specialist...just incredible how that got messed up for you all...and how
costly it was. I pray that somehow God will use that experience in your favor...that is pretty much my prayer right now for you guys, that you will receive God's favor in the days ahead. Please know that
you are always on my mind and in my prayers...sweet, blessed folks!
With Love,
Ruth
Have just been doing some catch-up on your blog, which I do from time to time...just wanted to say a heartfelt "thank you!" again for what you write...I know it comes straight from your heart.
I thank you for how it continually points me to the Lord, and you always hit the nail on the head with your topics and thoughts about this life, hard as it is sometimes, and the life to come.
Your writings always create a peace in my soul, as I read of how much God loves me, and how He always keeps His promises to those who believe on His name and live for Him. Thank you so much!!!!
I am so sorry for the awful shock that you and Barb got today as you went to that long anticipated first appointment with the specialist...just incredible how that got messed up for you all...and how
costly it was. I pray that somehow God will use that experience in your favor...that is pretty much my prayer right now for you guys, that you will receive God's favor in the days ahead. Please know that
you are always on my mind and in my prayers...sweet, blessed folks!
With Love,
Ruth
Wednesday, August 10, 2011
A Day To Remember...Or Not!
Today was my long awaited appointment in Southern California at the University of California Medical Center with Dr. Buxbaum, an expert in the cancer "MDS" which works it's way into full blown Leukemia. We were extremely excited and anxious as this would let us know if I had a chance to get a Bone Marrow Transplant or not.
My wife has spent the last 4 months with my Oncologist and office assistants in order to have all records and necessary information in the hands of this doctor by the time we arrived at 1:30 PM today. Well, we arrived early so forms could be completed and we could argue over the fact that we had to pay cash for the visit (along with a "facility fee" of $65.00 just for seeing the doctor at USC...WOW)!
Okay, most of it is settled and she asked us if we were there with the ability to pay up to $610.00 for this single consult. Well, after some discussion back and forth (and a small amount of SHOCK), finally they took a blank check to hold until we finished with the doctor. We're In! Whoo Hoo!
Barb and I are sitting in the room waiting to see this VERY SPECIAL doctor ($610.00 for initial visit, Whoo)!
He comes in, introduces himself, he is indeed, Dr. Buxbaum (I notice his name on his lab coat) and asks us what brings us to his office. "Well, we were referred here by my Oncologist so that you could determine my qualifications, based on my MDS, for a Bone Marrow Transplant. His first statement is, "What is MDS?" Of course we laugh as though he were just jousting with us. Then he asks again. "No really, what is MDS?"
ARE YOU SERIOUS? Very much so was his reply. As we talked, we learned that he was not an MDS Specialist but rather a GI/Liver Specialist! somehow, with 4 months of leg work for our visit, we were hooked up with a GI/LIVER Specialist instead of an MDS Specialist. We are a long way from home for this kind of mistake but it is true. Barb and I are in shock and do not now, know what to do.
Anyway, in our messy life, things go wrong. From what I started with above, one would think that the office visit would have gone off without a "hitch." But it went anything but right. A lot of people use a favorite quote about "Murphy's Law" saying, "Anything that can go wrong, will go wrong." I'm trying not to look at it that way but rather, "for if Christ is for me, who can be against me?" This mistake, though VERY big in the scheme of our lives, cannot sway Christ from His purpose for me. I am His child, adopted with a purpose and working together with His Spirit for the kingdom of God.
So we came back to the RV and will regroup, ask God for His help and try to find the right doctor next time. Lots of time, money and stress went into this planned doctor's visit just for EVERYTHING to go wrong. But we are still looking for God's purpose here.
BUT, I didn't get a chance to share with you ALL THE THINGS THAT WENT "RIGHT" during this visit to Southern California. I'll keep that for another time but just remember, God has His hand right in the middle of my need to see this MDS SPECIALIST and as it is or is not His will for me, we will surge forward.
God loves you,
Dave
UNBELIEVABLE!!!!!!
My wife has spent the last 4 months with my Oncologist and office assistants in order to have all records and necessary information in the hands of this doctor by the time we arrived at 1:30 PM today. Well, we arrived early so forms could be completed and we could argue over the fact that we had to pay cash for the visit (along with a "facility fee" of $65.00 just for seeing the doctor at USC...WOW)!
Okay, most of it is settled and she asked us if we were there with the ability to pay up to $610.00 for this single consult. Well, after some discussion back and forth (and a small amount of SHOCK), finally they took a blank check to hold until we finished with the doctor. We're In! Whoo Hoo!
Barb and I are sitting in the room waiting to see this VERY SPECIAL doctor ($610.00 for initial visit, Whoo)!
He comes in, introduces himself, he is indeed, Dr. Buxbaum (I notice his name on his lab coat) and asks us what brings us to his office. "Well, we were referred here by my Oncologist so that you could determine my qualifications, based on my MDS, for a Bone Marrow Transplant. His first statement is, "What is MDS?" Of course we laugh as though he were just jousting with us. Then he asks again. "No really, what is MDS?"
ARE YOU SERIOUS? Very much so was his reply. As we talked, we learned that he was not an MDS Specialist but rather a GI/Liver Specialist! somehow, with 4 months of leg work for our visit, we were hooked up with a GI/LIVER Specialist instead of an MDS Specialist. We are a long way from home for this kind of mistake but it is true. Barb and I are in shock and do not now, know what to do.
Anyway, in our messy life, things go wrong. From what I started with above, one would think that the office visit would have gone off without a "hitch." But it went anything but right. A lot of people use a favorite quote about "Murphy's Law" saying, "Anything that can go wrong, will go wrong." I'm trying not to look at it that way but rather, "for if Christ is for me, who can be against me?" This mistake, though VERY big in the scheme of our lives, cannot sway Christ from His purpose for me. I am His child, adopted with a purpose and working together with His Spirit for the kingdom of God.
So we came back to the RV and will regroup, ask God for His help and try to find the right doctor next time. Lots of time, money and stress went into this planned doctor's visit just for EVERYTHING to go wrong. But we are still looking for God's purpose here.
BUT, I didn't get a chance to share with you ALL THE THINGS THAT WENT "RIGHT" during this visit to Southern California. I'll keep that for another time but just remember, God has His hand right in the middle of my need to see this MDS SPECIALIST and as it is or is not His will for me, we will surge forward.
God loves you,
Dave
UNBELIEVABLE!!!!!!
Sunday, July 31, 2011
Standing With God Through It All!
Well, some of you may know that Barb and I are leaving tomorrow night for Southern California for the purpose, first of all, to meet with the MDS Specialist on the 9th of August. It was a visit that my Oncology Doctor has encouraged (even though he doesn't see much in it himself). So we have made arrangements to park our 5th Wheel at Mission RV Park in Redlands, California.
Once we arrive, our first priority is to get California ID's so we will have a part-time residence. I have already set up a banking account there so we have more documentation for our dual residence. Then we will go to the Department of Economic Services (DES) and complete the process of applying for State Aid. This is the only way, according to the City of Hope, in Los Angeles, for me to have sufficient insurance to get through this battle.
I don't know how long we will be there. We may see the specialist and he may tell us we've wasted our time and we might as well go back home (hopefully that won't be the case), or he could have a completely different view of my medical situation. They have all of my medical records and I am really up and looking forward to this meeting. I will say that because I have always allowed God to control my emotions concerning these multiple cancers, I "will not be moved" according to his thoughts.
My favorite scripture passage in all of the Word of God is the promise from Jesus in John 14 where He says, "Do not be afraid, you believe in God, believe also in Me. In my Father's house are many dwelling places. If it were not so, I would have told you that I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go, I will come again and receive you unto Myself, that where I am, there you may be also." (paraphrased)
There is not a one of us that has an "expiration date" stamped on the bottom of our feet. Our lives are preciously laid in the Perfect hands of God and I trust Him completely. For some of you who may have trouble with my attitude, know that your most important trust factor in life is the One who created you.
My prayers for all of you is that you find that trust, that you receive that "peace that passes all understanding", that walk with the Father that fills your spirit with joy. I wish to be known forevermore as a man who, first of all "walked with God" and secondly made His presence known to everyone I met. I know that my body is very, very sick...but God!
(our email addresses and phone number are always the same...papadave3@gmail.com & grammybarb2@gmail.com and 623-243-2030 is Barb's phone number)
Dave
Once we arrive, our first priority is to get California ID's so we will have a part-time residence. I have already set up a banking account there so we have more documentation for our dual residence. Then we will go to the Department of Economic Services (DES) and complete the process of applying for State Aid. This is the only way, according to the City of Hope, in Los Angeles, for me to have sufficient insurance to get through this battle.
I don't know how long we will be there. We may see the specialist and he may tell us we've wasted our time and we might as well go back home (hopefully that won't be the case), or he could have a completely different view of my medical situation. They have all of my medical records and I am really up and looking forward to this meeting. I will say that because I have always allowed God to control my emotions concerning these multiple cancers, I "will not be moved" according to his thoughts.
My favorite scripture passage in all of the Word of God is the promise from Jesus in John 14 where He says, "Do not be afraid, you believe in God, believe also in Me. In my Father's house are many dwelling places. If it were not so, I would have told you that I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go, I will come again and receive you unto Myself, that where I am, there you may be also." (paraphrased)
There is not a one of us that has an "expiration date" stamped on the bottom of our feet. Our lives are preciously laid in the Perfect hands of God and I trust Him completely. For some of you who may have trouble with my attitude, know that your most important trust factor in life is the One who created you.
My prayers for all of you is that you find that trust, that you receive that "peace that passes all understanding", that walk with the Father that fills your spirit with joy. I wish to be known forevermore as a man who, first of all "walked with God" and secondly made His presence known to everyone I met. I know that my body is very, very sick...but God!
(our email addresses and phone number are always the same...papadave3@gmail.com & grammybarb2@gmail.com and 623-243-2030 is Barb's phone number)
Dave
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
Comment From A Close Friend
Hi Dave!
I just read your recent blog post, and it gave me chills!!! I just finished watching one of the last Glenn Beck TV episodes we recorded, and he was saying the same thing... that our country and this world is most definitely changing at an alarming pace, but America has its head stuck in the sand. So these thoughts were circulating in my mind when I logged on to the internet and read your post.
Praise God, we know who "sets up kings and deposes them" for His purposes and in His timing! We know Who is ultimately in control of ALL things and Who is writing HIStory!! Many times I become concerned for what lies ahead for all of us, but more concerning is what our children and grandchildren will face, but I know the Lord will remain ever faithful to His children no matter what lies ahead.
A favorite verse of mine is Isaiah 26:3 "Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on Thee: because he trusteth in Thee."
Thank you for consistently pointing toward Heaven and the Hope and Salvation Jesus freely offers to anyone who will believe. I can't imagine facing this life without it! Lauren recently shared a song with Barb written by Laura Story, titled "Blessings". I am sure she shared it with you. My favorite lyrics in the song are:
What if my greatest disappointments
Or the aching of this life
Is the revealing of a greater thirst
This world can't satisfy?
We will never know complete peace and joy until our spiritual thirst is finally satisfied in the presence of our Lord and Savior! I am looking forward to sharing eternity with you and Barb and so many other friends and family, as we worship at the feet of our Lord!
Praying for you, dear friend...
Amy
I just read your recent blog post, and it gave me chills!!! I just finished watching one of the last Glenn Beck TV episodes we recorded, and he was saying the same thing... that our country and this world is most definitely changing at an alarming pace, but America has its head stuck in the sand. So these thoughts were circulating in my mind when I logged on to the internet and read your post.
Praise God, we know who "sets up kings and deposes them" for His purposes and in His timing! We know Who is ultimately in control of ALL things and Who is writing HIStory!! Many times I become concerned for what lies ahead for all of us, but more concerning is what our children and grandchildren will face, but I know the Lord will remain ever faithful to His children no matter what lies ahead.
A favorite verse of mine is Isaiah 26:3 "Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on Thee: because he trusteth in Thee."
Thank you for consistently pointing toward Heaven and the Hope and Salvation Jesus freely offers to anyone who will believe. I can't imagine facing this life without it! Lauren recently shared a song with Barb written by Laura Story, titled "Blessings". I am sure she shared it with you. My favorite lyrics in the song are:
What if my greatest disappointments
Or the aching of this life
Is the revealing of a greater thirst
This world can't satisfy?
We will never know complete peace and joy until our spiritual thirst is finally satisfied in the presence of our Lord and Savior! I am looking forward to sharing eternity with you and Barb and so many other friends and family, as we worship at the feet of our Lord!
Praying for you, dear friend...
Amy
Monday, July 25, 2011
A Time To Do Some Serious Thinking
Does the thought of a "White Horse with a rider" coming out of the sky concern you at all or even "peek" your curiosity? Well it doesn't peek my curiosity because I've read the end of the book, however we in American and around the world are as "UNPREPARED" for an event like this more now than ever before.
Back in November, I made a small investment in a Foreign currency deal and have spent a lot of time reading news about it and what is happening all over the world. Today I believe that it is entirely possible for the powers that be to be controlled ABSOLUTELY by God to usher into being the "Second Coming of Christ and the Millennium, Armageddon and all that goes along with it. I've read articles about our president and the Prime Minister of Israel having very UNCOMFORTABLE conversations as to which leader will win his battle concerning God's land that He "gave to the Jews". I read stories of reactor damage in Japan that is just now beginning to affect our shores, Washington States to be exact.
I read stories of the beginnings of food shortages and the affect of the high prices oil on our lives. I've read very disturbing stories that will affect my children and grandchildren and I believe that today we live in a society that has their heads "stuck in the sand". I think that their philosophy is "if we don't see it, it cannot happen." That kind of reminds me of my childhood days when I was afraid of a "Monster" in the room. I would just cover my head and could not be harmed.
We as a people, forget America (not even mentioned in the end times) we are failing as a people of a Nation founded on the principles of God and swiftly, these foundations are being jackhammered right out from under us. No "God" in school. Gayness has become an extreme social advancement in the socioeconomic way of life to the extent that we just don't even concern ourselves anymore.
Our Pastor discussed the importance of "integrity" in our everyday lives and out of about 150, I fear that no more than perhaps 10 even gave it a second thought (by the way, Pastor Marty, very informative and convicting message).
The Bible says in 1st Corinthians 15:52, "in a moment, in a twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet; for the trumpet with sound, and the dead raised imperishable, and we shall ALL be changed." (can you imagine how quickly a "twinkling" of an eye will be?)We shall All see the Christ Jesus (but perhaps not ALL changed) in all of His glory, prepared not only for battle, but to take His church out of this chaos and into it's much needed eternity. You may NOT choose to see this as a fact, however I would argue with you that the Bible is the only written directive that is of ABSOLUTE nature as it was pinned by our God Himself.
You may choose to walk away and bury your head in the sand so you cannot see the changes taking place, but they are changing none the less. Being left behind (especially because of a stubborn attitude) would be one of the "most high" mistakes a candidate as a "child of the King" could every choose to accept.
Now is the time, more so than any other time in history to surrender EVERYTHING (regardless of it's current place in your life, fall to your knees and find your peace with God. Most of you know me, know of my medical situation and also know that my "story" coincides with God's so I really have nothing to fear in this life or the next. Situation not quite the same with some of you. Time to sit down and have a heart to heart with God (a "come to Jesus" meeting sort of) and let Him guide you. Of course, I am always available and if I cannot give you a good and decent answer to your questions, I'll find someone who can. Jesus Christ is close, like the investment I made in currency. But I believe that Jesus has the upper hand. You can reach me at papadave3@gmail.com. I promise I will not ignore your mail. Just one more thing and that is that I feel we are so close to seeing Jesus' triumphal return, When it is real quiet and calm, I can almost feel the "brush of angel wings" against my cheeks as they begin to surround us with their protection.
God loves you and so to I,
Dave
Back in November, I made a small investment in a Foreign currency deal and have spent a lot of time reading news about it and what is happening all over the world. Today I believe that it is entirely possible for the powers that be to be controlled ABSOLUTELY by God to usher into being the "Second Coming of Christ and the Millennium, Armageddon and all that goes along with it. I've read articles about our president and the Prime Minister of Israel having very UNCOMFORTABLE conversations as to which leader will win his battle concerning God's land that He "gave to the Jews". I read stories of reactor damage in Japan that is just now beginning to affect our shores, Washington States to be exact.
I read stories of the beginnings of food shortages and the affect of the high prices oil on our lives. I've read very disturbing stories that will affect my children and grandchildren and I believe that today we live in a society that has their heads "stuck in the sand". I think that their philosophy is "if we don't see it, it cannot happen." That kind of reminds me of my childhood days when I was afraid of a "Monster" in the room. I would just cover my head and could not be harmed.
We as a people, forget America (not even mentioned in the end times) we are failing as a people of a Nation founded on the principles of God and swiftly, these foundations are being jackhammered right out from under us. No "God" in school. Gayness has become an extreme social advancement in the socioeconomic way of life to the extent that we just don't even concern ourselves anymore.
Our Pastor discussed the importance of "integrity" in our everyday lives and out of about 150, I fear that no more than perhaps 10 even gave it a second thought (by the way, Pastor Marty, very informative and convicting message).
The Bible says in 1st Corinthians 15:52, "in a moment, in a twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet; for the trumpet with sound, and the dead raised imperishable, and we shall ALL be changed." (can you imagine how quickly a "twinkling" of an eye will be?)We shall All see the Christ Jesus (but perhaps not ALL changed) in all of His glory, prepared not only for battle, but to take His church out of this chaos and into it's much needed eternity. You may NOT choose to see this as a fact, however I would argue with you that the Bible is the only written directive that is of ABSOLUTE nature as it was pinned by our God Himself.
You may choose to walk away and bury your head in the sand so you cannot see the changes taking place, but they are changing none the less. Being left behind (especially because of a stubborn attitude) would be one of the "most high" mistakes a candidate as a "child of the King" could every choose to accept.
Now is the time, more so than any other time in history to surrender EVERYTHING (regardless of it's current place in your life, fall to your knees and find your peace with God. Most of you know me, know of my medical situation and also know that my "story" coincides with God's so I really have nothing to fear in this life or the next. Situation not quite the same with some of you. Time to sit down and have a heart to heart with God (a "come to Jesus" meeting sort of) and let Him guide you. Of course, I am always available and if I cannot give you a good and decent answer to your questions, I'll find someone who can. Jesus Christ is close, like the investment I made in currency. But I believe that Jesus has the upper hand. You can reach me at papadave3@gmail.com. I promise I will not ignore your mail. Just one more thing and that is that I feel we are so close to seeing Jesus' triumphal return, When it is real quiet and calm, I can almost feel the "brush of angel wings" against my cheeks as they begin to surround us with their protection.
God loves you and so to I,
Dave
Thursday, July 21, 2011
Think Our Founding Fathers Had An "Inside Track"?
When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.--That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, --That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn, that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpation's, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security.--Such has been the patient sufferance of these Colonies; and such is now the necessity which constrains them to alter their former Systems of Government. The history of the present King of Great Britain is a history of repeated injuries and usurpation's, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute Tyranny over these States. To prove this, let Facts be submitted to a candid world.
Just sayin'
Dave
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.--That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, --That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn, that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpation's, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security.--Such has been the patient sufferance of these Colonies; and such is now the necessity which constrains them to alter their former Systems of Government. The history of the present King of Great Britain is a history of repeated injuries and usurpation's, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute Tyranny over these States. To prove this, let Facts be submitted to a candid world.
Just sayin'
Dave
Tuesday, July 12, 2011
I Think I'll Change My Mind
Do you think that God ever changes His mind? Not a trick question. Really! Do you, as a "fully devoted follower of Jesus Christ" (a Christian) think that God changes His mind? Can He change His mind? After all, we've been these very "dogmatic" believers who have preached for years that certainly God knows everything (which He does) and He has everything etched in stone (something like the 10 Commandments). But really, ask yourself. Does God sometimes change His mind?
I think back in Exodus when the children of God were running for their very lives to get away from the awful Pharaoh and try to get to the "Promised Land" for which Moses helped them set out for. What about when they arrived at the Red Sea; What if God at first wanted then to turn left and take a leisurely stroll up the coastline of the Red Sea, enjoying the scenery and relaxing as they organized their families and walked their way to freedom? And then suddenly, as if from out of nowhere, here comes Pharaoh's massive army, chasing God's children and He said to Moses, "Okay, just have them stop right here! I'll cut this sea in half so that you all can walk across on dry land!" We know that happened because it is written in scripture but do we really know and understand that there are circumstances that COULD POSSIBLY cause God to change His mind? Just sayin', you know.
I had a very long discussion with God this morning and most of you know that I have what the medical industry considers a disease with little hope of fixing. BUT, what if God changed His mind? He knows I have been giving Him ALL the GLORY, in good days and bad. What if He decided He wanted to use me to astonish the medical society much like Jesus did as He dealt with the sick servant of the Centurion who eventually died before Jesus got there (Luke 7). He died and Jesus decided that he should live some more so He healed him. Amazing to those around Him.
I've spent a lot of the last few years praying for and asking God for miracles for others I have watched suffer tremendous pain and suffering and a time or two, I've mentioned my own ordeal. But this morning, we talked for what seemed like an hour about what I want and what God wants. I mentioned to Him that I was settled on His decision, but it didn't mean that I didn't want to see some of the "life-changing" events that my children and grand-children would go through over the next 20 years or so. I tried not to be selfish but making sure God understood I was ready but still wanting.
Truly, in the medical field, there is not anything that can fix what I have short of this Bone Marrow Transplant, and we're not even really sure of that! But what if God changed His mind as His children reached the Red Sea with nowhere else to go? What was it that caused Jesus to raise this Centurion's servant, even after he had already died?
Can God change His mind? Does God change His mind? Can I be a "miracle in progress" for His Glory? Suddenly, I'm not so "Dogmatic" in my way of thinking. Can God change His mind about me? I don't know; He's God, not me. But just a little confession...I did ask!
I hope you are reading and getting something from my devotions. They are "richly" inspired by my time with God. And if you don't take the time to read them, there is some beautiful music on this blog that will fill your own quiet time with His love.
This morning I feel like a million bucks. By 2:00 O'clock this afternoon I may only feel like $85,000.00, but that's still more than I have in my bank account...lol.
Does God change His mind sometimes? I don't know. Why don't we just wait and see!
Dave
I think back in Exodus when the children of God were running for their very lives to get away from the awful Pharaoh and try to get to the "Promised Land" for which Moses helped them set out for. What about when they arrived at the Red Sea; What if God at first wanted then to turn left and take a leisurely stroll up the coastline of the Red Sea, enjoying the scenery and relaxing as they organized their families and walked their way to freedom? And then suddenly, as if from out of nowhere, here comes Pharaoh's massive army, chasing God's children and He said to Moses, "Okay, just have them stop right here! I'll cut this sea in half so that you all can walk across on dry land!" We know that happened because it is written in scripture but do we really know and understand that there are circumstances that COULD POSSIBLY cause God to change His mind? Just sayin', you know.
I had a very long discussion with God this morning and most of you know that I have what the medical industry considers a disease with little hope of fixing. BUT, what if God changed His mind? He knows I have been giving Him ALL the GLORY, in good days and bad. What if He decided He wanted to use me to astonish the medical society much like Jesus did as He dealt with the sick servant of the Centurion who eventually died before Jesus got there (Luke 7). He died and Jesus decided that he should live some more so He healed him. Amazing to those around Him.
I've spent a lot of the last few years praying for and asking God for miracles for others I have watched suffer tremendous pain and suffering and a time or two, I've mentioned my own ordeal. But this morning, we talked for what seemed like an hour about what I want and what God wants. I mentioned to Him that I was settled on His decision, but it didn't mean that I didn't want to see some of the "life-changing" events that my children and grand-children would go through over the next 20 years or so. I tried not to be selfish but making sure God understood I was ready but still wanting.
Truly, in the medical field, there is not anything that can fix what I have short of this Bone Marrow Transplant, and we're not even really sure of that! But what if God changed His mind as His children reached the Red Sea with nowhere else to go? What was it that caused Jesus to raise this Centurion's servant, even after he had already died?
Can God change His mind? Does God change His mind? Can I be a "miracle in progress" for His Glory? Suddenly, I'm not so "Dogmatic" in my way of thinking. Can God change His mind about me? I don't know; He's God, not me. But just a little confession...I did ask!
I hope you are reading and getting something from my devotions. They are "richly" inspired by my time with God. And if you don't take the time to read them, there is some beautiful music on this blog that will fill your own quiet time with His love.
This morning I feel like a million bucks. By 2:00 O'clock this afternoon I may only feel like $85,000.00, but that's still more than I have in my bank account...lol.
Does God change His mind sometimes? I don't know. Why don't we just wait and see!
Dave
Wednesday, July 6, 2011
A Giant Has Died Today
"Jesus wept", John 11:35 is considered (in fact is) the shortest verse of the Bible. Having only two words in this verse, it makes some very powerful statements about our faith.
Over the years dealing with hundreds of people going through the trials of "cancer", I've had many, many opportunities to meet very interesting and very unique people. For instance, about 3 weeks ago, I had an encounter with Shirley. As she sat in her chair, tears streaming down her face and fumbling with her blanket, I felt compelled to go to her and she was having trouble separating her blanket so she could cover her cold body up. I helped her then as I hugged her, I whispered into her fragile little ear, "God loves you very much and He cares that you are here!" Of course that started an almost "never ending" conversation to which she received peace in her day.
I've made several friends during my treatments in chemotherapy, because that's just who I am. A loud-mouthed, wanna be, know-it-all, and I want everyone else to know it too. I'm talking about Jesus Christ of course.
One of the friends I've considered very close, even though our relationship only lasted about 7 months was Dennis. Dennis and I have had conversations (mostly about God) and laughed together and began a relationship that "clicked" so quickly, our wives were attempting to schedule our chemo on the same days and close to the same times so we would be able to have time to visit together.
Yesterday was another day we had scheduled together and I was really looking forward to it. While they were poking me with a needle, my wife, Barb got a phone call. It was from Dennis' wife, April. She told Barb that Dennis would not be coming to chemo as he was in the hospital and it REALLY DID NOT look good. So before I go any further with my friend Dennis, let me pause here and explain a small portion of this GIANT two word scripture I quoted.
One of Jesus' closest friends had died and Jesus was a few villages away. When He was summoned about the death of His good friend, Lazarus, He tarried yet a couple more days and finally stood before the grave of Lazarus where He carried on a conversation with Martha (she was "not at all" pleased that Jesus was so long in arriving). In John 11:25, 26 Jesus said, "I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me shall live even if he dies, and everyone who lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?" Martha's response said everything that Jesus expected as Martha's faith was first of all, limited and secondly, it was a fundamental faith. She had mentioned earlier that had Jesus been there, her brother would not have died, describing her "limited" faith. Her response to Jesus was in verse 27, "Yes, Lord; I have believed that You are the Christ, the Son of God, even He who comes into the world." So her response sounded a little like a "canned presentation" she'd learned perhaps in Sunday school.
Jesus was looking for the "Unlimited Faith" that would have caused HER to order the stone rolled away because the Christ was here and prepared to perform a miracle.
So what does this really have to do with me and my good friend Dennis? Well we asked my nurse to speed up the treatment for me as we needed to go directly to the hospital, our friends, Dennis and April needed us. When we arrived, my precious friend was already being kept alive artificially by machines which were April's request. She wanted Dennis to hear from me before passing. I leaned down close to his ear and reminded him that "Jesus wept" because of the limited and fundamental faith of believers, two of which, we were NOT. I explained that Jesus was standing at the opening of his grave waiting for the opportunity to retrieve his Spirit from his body. He was free and able to go home at any time, and that he should just expect to see Jesus Christ, his Lord as he arrived.
Within moments the nurses came in and removed all of the artificial devices that were keeping Dennis here and I believe that within a minute, two at the most, MY GOOD FRIEND, was receiving the biggest "bear hug" he had ever experienced.
So listen and I've said this before: "None of us are going to make it out of this alive.” However it is our strong faith, not our "limited" faith or our "fundamental" understanding of God's Word that causes us to believe. It is that still small voice that can only be heard by your heart that whispers, "I'm here, let go, I'll catch you." Lazarus came out of that grave in his resuscitated body, but Dennis came out of his in his resurrected, glorified body, ready to meet God face-to-face. Good bye, my wonderful friend and thanks for bringing me such joy. You will be truly missed; however I plan to see you again.
You’re Chemo Buddy, Dave
Over the years dealing with hundreds of people going through the trials of "cancer", I've had many, many opportunities to meet very interesting and very unique people. For instance, about 3 weeks ago, I had an encounter with Shirley. As she sat in her chair, tears streaming down her face and fumbling with her blanket, I felt compelled to go to her and she was having trouble separating her blanket so she could cover her cold body up. I helped her then as I hugged her, I whispered into her fragile little ear, "God loves you very much and He cares that you are here!" Of course that started an almost "never ending" conversation to which she received peace in her day.
I've made several friends during my treatments in chemotherapy, because that's just who I am. A loud-mouthed, wanna be, know-it-all, and I want everyone else to know it too. I'm talking about Jesus Christ of course.
One of the friends I've considered very close, even though our relationship only lasted about 7 months was Dennis. Dennis and I have had conversations (mostly about God) and laughed together and began a relationship that "clicked" so quickly, our wives were attempting to schedule our chemo on the same days and close to the same times so we would be able to have time to visit together.
Yesterday was another day we had scheduled together and I was really looking forward to it. While they were poking me with a needle, my wife, Barb got a phone call. It was from Dennis' wife, April. She told Barb that Dennis would not be coming to chemo as he was in the hospital and it REALLY DID NOT look good. So before I go any further with my friend Dennis, let me pause here and explain a small portion of this GIANT two word scripture I quoted.
One of Jesus' closest friends had died and Jesus was a few villages away. When He was summoned about the death of His good friend, Lazarus, He tarried yet a couple more days and finally stood before the grave of Lazarus where He carried on a conversation with Martha (she was "not at all" pleased that Jesus was so long in arriving). In John 11:25, 26 Jesus said, "I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me shall live even if he dies, and everyone who lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?" Martha's response said everything that Jesus expected as Martha's faith was first of all, limited and secondly, it was a fundamental faith. She had mentioned earlier that had Jesus been there, her brother would not have died, describing her "limited" faith. Her response to Jesus was in verse 27, "Yes, Lord; I have believed that You are the Christ, the Son of God, even He who comes into the world." So her response sounded a little like a "canned presentation" she'd learned perhaps in Sunday school.
Jesus was looking for the "Unlimited Faith" that would have caused HER to order the stone rolled away because the Christ was here and prepared to perform a miracle.
So what does this really have to do with me and my good friend Dennis? Well we asked my nurse to speed up the treatment for me as we needed to go directly to the hospital, our friends, Dennis and April needed us. When we arrived, my precious friend was already being kept alive artificially by machines which were April's request. She wanted Dennis to hear from me before passing. I leaned down close to his ear and reminded him that "Jesus wept" because of the limited and fundamental faith of believers, two of which, we were NOT. I explained that Jesus was standing at the opening of his grave waiting for the opportunity to retrieve his Spirit from his body. He was free and able to go home at any time, and that he should just expect to see Jesus Christ, his Lord as he arrived.
Within moments the nurses came in and removed all of the artificial devices that were keeping Dennis here and I believe that within a minute, two at the most, MY GOOD FRIEND, was receiving the biggest "bear hug" he had ever experienced.
So listen and I've said this before: "None of us are going to make it out of this alive.” However it is our strong faith, not our "limited" faith or our "fundamental" understanding of God's Word that causes us to believe. It is that still small voice that can only be heard by your heart that whispers, "I'm here, let go, I'll catch you." Lazarus came out of that grave in his resuscitated body, but Dennis came out of his in his resurrected, glorified body, ready to meet God face-to-face. Good bye, my wonderful friend and thanks for bringing me such joy. You will be truly missed; however I plan to see you again.
You’re Chemo Buddy, Dave
Sunday, June 26, 2011
"I Am" Always With You
Today and yesterday has been a very "down" day emotionally for me. Surely I had good cause to be MORE than joyful as my blood tests are increasing on their own which is a good thing but I'm experiencing some emotional downtime between friends and loved ones that just should not be.
Except for writing, I am a poor communicator and sometimes things in my head get so "jumbled" up that they are not even understandable for me. And so there are times when I speak and it comes out like "lightening". Don't feel too bad, you all have similar difficulties when it comes to communication.
But as I sit here in my recliner the Lord has reminded me that I should not fear or be overly concerned with the things that may be lost (even in communication) here on earth, because His reward for me in heaven is 1000 fold better than that which I may someday leave behind.
I have an overwhelming love for those close to me, my friends and family and time is too, too, short for me, and others to live with our "shoes in our mouths". So tonight as I remove the shoe laces from my teeth and replace them where they belong, I do not fear, for I was "Wonderfully made" for the purpose of receiving the love from the Father.
If you feel unloved tonight remember that you too, were "Wonderfully created" in the image of God simply for fellowship with Him. All else is secondary to that love and fellowship. Go to the Father and let Him place His arms around you and assure you of His love, the love that lasts an eternity.
Dave
Except for writing, I am a poor communicator and sometimes things in my head get so "jumbled" up that they are not even understandable for me. And so there are times when I speak and it comes out like "lightening". Don't feel too bad, you all have similar difficulties when it comes to communication.
But as I sit here in my recliner the Lord has reminded me that I should not fear or be overly concerned with the things that may be lost (even in communication) here on earth, because His reward for me in heaven is 1000 fold better than that which I may someday leave behind.
I have an overwhelming love for those close to me, my friends and family and time is too, too, short for me, and others to live with our "shoes in our mouths". So tonight as I remove the shoe laces from my teeth and replace them where they belong, I do not fear, for I was "Wonderfully made" for the purpose of receiving the love from the Father.
If you feel unloved tonight remember that you too, were "Wonderfully created" in the image of God simply for fellowship with Him. All else is secondary to that love and fellowship. Go to the Father and let Him place His arms around you and assure you of His love, the love that lasts an eternity.
Dave
Friday, June 17, 2011
Looking To The Reward
Heb. 11:24-26 says, "By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter; choosing rather to endure ill-treatment with the people of God, than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin; considering the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures of Egypt; for he was looking to the reward."
When you have an individual physical problem, there always seems to be "left turns when you were expecting right turns." First there is a cancerous disease, that slows life down to a turtle's pace. Then after years of treatment and the normal "ups and downs" other difficulties are added to the mix. Some people (referring to myself) just so happen to acquire additional diseases simply from accepting the treatment in the first place (boy is this disturbing to a person who tries to stay on the "up" side).
At any rate, my wife and I have continued to pray, as we have, from the beginning, left the "hard stuff" in the hands of the Lord, knowing that His Grace has always been sufficient. As I mentioned, there are "highs and lows" as you go through these treatments. I've met some wonderful people in chemo that I pray for and am sure that they pray for me. In fact, a good friend named Dennis, has begun to discuss Godly things with me which is what I believe for both our lives, this is what God wants.
Some of you may know that Barb and I have been trying for 4 months to get a Liver Biopsy done so we can at least know if I qualify for a Bone Marrow Transplant in the future. Well that biopsy finally was completed a few days ago and we got a call from the Liver doctor to let us know what it actually looks like. We were "stunned" to say the least and in "SHOCK" at this moment, still.
Barb wrote down what he read off the report and I want to share it in its entirety so you can see the reason we seem to be walking a couple of inches off the floor:
Diagnosis: Liver, needle core biopsy:
Minimal portal hepatitis with mild steatosis, compatible with clinical history of chronic hepatitis C (grade 1 inflammation, stage 0 fibrosis) (grade1 & stage0 are lowest levels of difficulty)
Comments:
Sections show portions of benign liver tissue in which the architecture is normal. There is minimal portal inflammation composed of lymphocytes. There is no interface activity or bile duct damage. the hepatic lobules show no significant inflammatory component. There is mild macrovesicular fatty change. No pigment deposition, granulomatous inflammation or metastatic tumor is identified. an iron stain shows minimal iron deposition. A trichrome stain shows no evidence of fibrosis. (end of report).
Of course there was a lot more but this was what was so amazing. When I had my first Liver Biopsy, it was much, much worse than this and I have never been treated for my liver because of other, more pressing issues. Can anyone say "Miracle of God"?
Heb. 2: 1-4 says, "For this reason we must pay closer attention to what we have heard, lest we drift away from it. For if the word spoken through angels proved unalterable, and every transgression and disobedience received a just recompense, how shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation? After it was at the first spoken through the Lord, it was confirmed to us by those who heard. God also bearing witness with them, both by signs and wonders and by various miracles and by gifts of the Holy Spirit according to His own will."
How can all of this have anything to do with my Liver Biopsy? Because it has been continually "spoken through the Lord and unalterable angels so as to bring forth a miracle of great magnitude. MY LIVER IS VERY NEARLY PERFECT after all the chemotherapy, after all the antibiotics, after all the blood transfusions and platelet transfusions, not to mention the diagnosis of hepatitis C over 8 years ago.
In the beginning I quoted a passage of scripture explaining how Moses would rather live with the difficulties of his life than to "STOP LOOKING FOR HIS REWARD." Is this what we do? It is what I do. And I know, without doubt that "THOUSANDS" of wonderful Christian men and women have continued through the years to lift me up to the Father for HIS REWARD. Today, I believe I received a portion (a LARGE portion of that reward) and the results of these findings brings me ONE major step closer to a Bone Marrow Transplant, which they have always said was the only step to get to as a "life saving" step.
What a joy to wait on the Lord and finally see His marvelous miracles at work. How thankful I am that I experienced "so great a salvation".
There are too, too, many to say thanks to so just let me say, God loves you, just like He loves me. Keep looking for that reward because you have "so great a salvation."
Dave
When you have an individual physical problem, there always seems to be "left turns when you were expecting right turns." First there is a cancerous disease, that slows life down to a turtle's pace. Then after years of treatment and the normal "ups and downs" other difficulties are added to the mix. Some people (referring to myself) just so happen to acquire additional diseases simply from accepting the treatment in the first place (boy is this disturbing to a person who tries to stay on the "up" side).
At any rate, my wife and I have continued to pray, as we have, from the beginning, left the "hard stuff" in the hands of the Lord, knowing that His Grace has always been sufficient. As I mentioned, there are "highs and lows" as you go through these treatments. I've met some wonderful people in chemo that I pray for and am sure that they pray for me. In fact, a good friend named Dennis, has begun to discuss Godly things with me which is what I believe for both our lives, this is what God wants.
Some of you may know that Barb and I have been trying for 4 months to get a Liver Biopsy done so we can at least know if I qualify for a Bone Marrow Transplant in the future. Well that biopsy finally was completed a few days ago and we got a call from the Liver doctor to let us know what it actually looks like. We were "stunned" to say the least and in "SHOCK" at this moment, still.
Barb wrote down what he read off the report and I want to share it in its entirety so you can see the reason we seem to be walking a couple of inches off the floor:
Diagnosis: Liver, needle core biopsy:
Minimal portal hepatitis with mild steatosis, compatible with clinical history of chronic hepatitis C (grade 1 inflammation, stage 0 fibrosis) (grade1 & stage0 are lowest levels of difficulty)
Comments:
Sections show portions of benign liver tissue in which the architecture is normal. There is minimal portal inflammation composed of lymphocytes. There is no interface activity or bile duct damage. the hepatic lobules show no significant inflammatory component. There is mild macrovesicular fatty change. No pigment deposition, granulomatous inflammation or metastatic tumor is identified. an iron stain shows minimal iron deposition. A trichrome stain shows no evidence of fibrosis. (end of report).
Of course there was a lot more but this was what was so amazing. When I had my first Liver Biopsy, it was much, much worse than this and I have never been treated for my liver because of other, more pressing issues. Can anyone say "Miracle of God"?
Heb. 2: 1-4 says, "For this reason we must pay closer attention to what we have heard, lest we drift away from it. For if the word spoken through angels proved unalterable, and every transgression and disobedience received a just recompense, how shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation? After it was at the first spoken through the Lord, it was confirmed to us by those who heard. God also bearing witness with them, both by signs and wonders and by various miracles and by gifts of the Holy Spirit according to His own will."
How can all of this have anything to do with my Liver Biopsy? Because it has been continually "spoken through the Lord and unalterable angels so as to bring forth a miracle of great magnitude. MY LIVER IS VERY NEARLY PERFECT after all the chemotherapy, after all the antibiotics, after all the blood transfusions and platelet transfusions, not to mention the diagnosis of hepatitis C over 8 years ago.
In the beginning I quoted a passage of scripture explaining how Moses would rather live with the difficulties of his life than to "STOP LOOKING FOR HIS REWARD." Is this what we do? It is what I do. And I know, without doubt that "THOUSANDS" of wonderful Christian men and women have continued through the years to lift me up to the Father for HIS REWARD. Today, I believe I received a portion (a LARGE portion of that reward) and the results of these findings brings me ONE major step closer to a Bone Marrow Transplant, which they have always said was the only step to get to as a "life saving" step.
What a joy to wait on the Lord and finally see His marvelous miracles at work. How thankful I am that I experienced "so great a salvation".
There are too, too, many to say thanks to so just let me say, God loves you, just like He loves me. Keep looking for that reward because you have "so great a salvation."
Dave
Thursday, June 9, 2011
Well Did I Happen To Mention
...That NOTHINGS gonna keep me from God, because His Word is forever hidden in my heart? Wasn't sure so I needed to get back up and clarify that point...lol
God Best Blessing on you today,
Dave (Papa Dave-which is my highest title here on earth)
God Best Blessing on you today,
Dave (Papa Dave-which is my highest title here on earth)
Hard Questions Reveal Very Difficult Answers
Today I had my last in this round of chemotherapy and after, an appointment with the Oncologist to get a final reading of the last Bone Marrow Biopsy. I was my jovial self throughout chemo treatment, however I could feel anxiety building up as I waited in the Doctor's office. Of course, we had read some of the report as we HAD to chase it down for the Doctor's office and naturally some of the 19 letter words were a little baffling.
So we asked all of our questions, as difficult as they were and were given difficult responses which left the decisions for my treatment right back in my lap. Ever wish someone in the car would just decide where we are going to eat and go there? Well, I kind of felt like that this afternoon. My Son and Daughter-in-Law were there to hear his findings.
My wife and I have battled "valiantly" against these diseases for coming up on 6 years now and have been very strong and God-inspired about the treatment. However, at this point the options (or rules) have changed. The MDS consults from UCLA in California were without emotional involvement, naturally so the results left us needing to make some very critical decisions.
Since the day it was announced that I had cancer, it has always been a "God" problem with me and tonight that remains the same. We have to make some very critical decisions for which we will continue to ask for God's guidance. I have lived my adult Christian life with the idea that "I can do all things through Christ who is my strength"!
I wrote this tonight knowing that most who read this will get it in the morning and honor me with prayer along with my wife and family who all have pressing decisions to make by the end of the month.
God bless you all and I will try to right again soon,
Dave
So we asked all of our questions, as difficult as they were and were given difficult responses which left the decisions for my treatment right back in my lap. Ever wish someone in the car would just decide where we are going to eat and go there? Well, I kind of felt like that this afternoon. My Son and Daughter-in-Law were there to hear his findings.
My wife and I have battled "valiantly" against these diseases for coming up on 6 years now and have been very strong and God-inspired about the treatment. However, at this point the options (or rules) have changed. The MDS consults from UCLA in California were without emotional involvement, naturally so the results left us needing to make some very critical decisions.
Since the day it was announced that I had cancer, it has always been a "God" problem with me and tonight that remains the same. We have to make some very critical decisions for which we will continue to ask for God's guidance. I have lived my adult Christian life with the idea that "I can do all things through Christ who is my strength"!
I wrote this tonight knowing that most who read this will get it in the morning and honor me with prayer along with my wife and family who all have pressing decisions to make by the end of the month.
God bless you all and I will try to right again soon,
Dave
Monday, June 6, 2011
My Redeemer Lives
Here is sit, the hour approaching 3 AM and I have just finished listening to a CD of songs sung by a famous Christian Artist, Steve Greene, and he finished his CD with "I know that My Redeemer lives" and it brought me to my feet and out into the living room where my trusty laptop sits and waits patiently for Words from God.
My thoughts turn to Revelation where Jesus Christ says, "I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last" and it helps me to realize that My Redeemer does indeed live, within my heart and as I lay in bed, hands and arms lifted in praise to Him, I want all who can hear (read) my thoughts to know that it is an awesome picture just to see and believe that our Lord Jesus, not only lives, but sits at the right hand of the Father, continually making intercession for us here.
These last few days have been difficult for me emotionally, as I have pondered the news about my bone marrow and the trouble it continues to cause my body, however, as I found myself lifting my hands toward the Lord while the music was playing, I thought of how much I wish to be with my Heavenly Father, along with my Lord, Jesus Christ and His Holy Spirit, in worship 24/7 in my new home which He has prepared for me...that promise is in John chapter 14 and He is just waiting the Father's command to come for another of His little ones for an eternity.
I wonder! Are there others of you who think like that? Surely I am not the only one who "Yearns" for the return of the Lord, Jesus or waits "impatiently" for my opportunity to go to Him. Some of you MUST feel this way, yet I never get responses from anyone saying that they are so in love with the Lord that their every thought is in His second coming or our coming home to Him.
Well, I just wanted to tell you so that there is no doubt, that I humbly, impatiently, absolutely, definitely, anxiously, happily, filled with joy, anticipate His soon return for His Bride, the church, or our departure from this temporary home to be with Our Father, His Son, and the Holy Spirit so I can daily sit and worship His glory.
Sound a little mushy, maybe? Well, I'm not ashamed. That act alone completes the reason I was created onto this earth, to finally have eternally communion with the Lord. Are you that anxious? If you're not, I think that you might have your seeds planted too deep in this temporal earth where our time is limited, whereas our time in Heaven is eternal...eliminating all time and space as we worship. God.
Just thought I'd bring that to your attention. Longing for the return of the Lord or your day of meeting Him face-to-face, should be uppermost in your mind and heart as you stroll this earth sharing the Good News of Jesus Christ.
I love you, and I definitely Love the Lord.
Dave
My thoughts turn to Revelation where Jesus Christ says, "I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last" and it helps me to realize that My Redeemer does indeed live, within my heart and as I lay in bed, hands and arms lifted in praise to Him, I want all who can hear (read) my thoughts to know that it is an awesome picture just to see and believe that our Lord Jesus, not only lives, but sits at the right hand of the Father, continually making intercession for us here.
These last few days have been difficult for me emotionally, as I have pondered the news about my bone marrow and the trouble it continues to cause my body, however, as I found myself lifting my hands toward the Lord while the music was playing, I thought of how much I wish to be with my Heavenly Father, along with my Lord, Jesus Christ and His Holy Spirit, in worship 24/7 in my new home which He has prepared for me...that promise is in John chapter 14 and He is just waiting the Father's command to come for another of His little ones for an eternity.
I wonder! Are there others of you who think like that? Surely I am not the only one who "Yearns" for the return of the Lord, Jesus or waits "impatiently" for my opportunity to go to Him. Some of you MUST feel this way, yet I never get responses from anyone saying that they are so in love with the Lord that their every thought is in His second coming or our coming home to Him.
Well, I just wanted to tell you so that there is no doubt, that I humbly, impatiently, absolutely, definitely, anxiously, happily, filled with joy, anticipate His soon return for His Bride, the church, or our departure from this temporary home to be with Our Father, His Son, and the Holy Spirit so I can daily sit and worship His glory.
Sound a little mushy, maybe? Well, I'm not ashamed. That act alone completes the reason I was created onto this earth, to finally have eternally communion with the Lord. Are you that anxious? If you're not, I think that you might have your seeds planted too deep in this temporal earth where our time is limited, whereas our time in Heaven is eternal...eliminating all time and space as we worship. God.
Just thought I'd bring that to your attention. Longing for the return of the Lord or your day of meeting Him face-to-face, should be uppermost in your mind and heart as you stroll this earth sharing the Good News of Jesus Christ.
I love you, and I definitely Love the Lord.
Dave
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
To Live In Glory
Have you ever wanted something so bad that you were willing to give up most anything in the world to obtain it? Sure you have. We have all been there. As children, we NEEDED that special toy, as adolesence' we MUST HAVE that boyfriend or girlfriend (no matter the cost), as young teenagers, if we don't get that "iPad" "iPod" "I',m Peeved" or whatever the latest electronic sensation was, we were MOSTLY DEAD!
Life is like that..."we want what we want when we want it" and that's just the total sum of our patience as human beings. Let me tell you why I bring this up (I was going to anyway).
Over the last 4 or 5 weeks, Barb and I, in the middle of our "Valley of Baca or Way of Sorrow" (Ps. 84:6) had the pleasure of visitors all from out of state and one even out of the country. First our precious friend came from Cabo St. Lucas to visit us, he came as our friend and ministered to our hearts. He came without invitation (not that that matters, of course) but he wanted to see for himself how Dave and Barb were doing and he is so prayerful for us knowing what we are involved in health wise. In fact he is the one I wrote about a couple of devotions ago. Then guess what? My Mother calls and plans to come to physically check on her son. It was a short but sweet visit and I loved it I'm not finished.
Not very long after my Mother's visit we get a call from, would you believe it, we got a call from a couple that we grew very close to and have known for decades and they drove their Harley Davidson motorcycle out, to spend a few days with us. Naturally they are precious friends and we absolutely had a "blast".
And just last night we said goodbye to a man and woman that we graduated from Seminary with back in the middle 80's. Yes, they called and had already booked a hotel room just a few miles from our home and they were taking these days away from home JUST to visit with us from Northern California. And tonight as I sit here thinking of all the goings on (of course, we're tired), I would have given up anything materialistic to experience this 4 to 5 week spread of great joy for Barb and I. And the last to come, Thom and Sandi, two of the most admirable people I know, showed us a VERY GOOD TIME and we laughed and cried, talked and ate (mostly ate) and had such a wonderful time in fellowship with them. AND I WANTED IT! I relished each visit willing to give up most anything I owned just to be in all of their company.
One day, a couple thousand years ago, a young man, in His prime, hung on a cross and said "Father, into Thy hands I commit My spirit" (Lu 24:46). Where can I go with this? The only place is to the Father in Heaven. You see, our Father wanted us so badly, as He created us so preciously to be His lifelong friend in fellowship and then made provisions for our eternity.
You see, even God, our Father in Heaven, wanted something so bad, that He was willing to give up ANYTHING, and He gave His Son who would cover our sins and create a path to heaven. I was watching my ALL TIME FAVORITE music video (which is on my blog) called "I can only Imagine" and as the tears rolled down my cheeks, God began to write and above is what He said.
I want money! I want a home! I want clothes! I want food! I want shelter! I REALLY want a motor home (a little selfish since I already have a 5th wheel, huh?)! I want peace! I want joy! I want LOVE! But most of all I want to be with Jesus. And I'd be glad to give up all those other things and more to stand in His presence. I'm including the link to "I Can Only Imagine" so you can get a taste of what I am saying and feeling.
http://andiesisle.com/icanonlyimagine.html
God Loves you just the right amount!
Dave
Life is like that..."we want what we want when we want it" and that's just the total sum of our patience as human beings. Let me tell you why I bring this up (I was going to anyway).
Over the last 4 or 5 weeks, Barb and I, in the middle of our "Valley of Baca or Way of Sorrow" (Ps. 84:6) had the pleasure of visitors all from out of state and one even out of the country. First our precious friend came from Cabo St. Lucas to visit us, he came as our friend and ministered to our hearts. He came without invitation (not that that matters, of course) but he wanted to see for himself how Dave and Barb were doing and he is so prayerful for us knowing what we are involved in health wise. In fact he is the one I wrote about a couple of devotions ago. Then guess what? My Mother calls and plans to come to physically check on her son. It was a short but sweet visit and I loved it I'm not finished.
Not very long after my Mother's visit we get a call from, would you believe it, we got a call from a couple that we grew very close to and have known for decades and they drove their Harley Davidson motorcycle out, to spend a few days with us. Naturally they are precious friends and we absolutely had a "blast".
And just last night we said goodbye to a man and woman that we graduated from Seminary with back in the middle 80's. Yes, they called and had already booked a hotel room just a few miles from our home and they were taking these days away from home JUST to visit with us from Northern California. And tonight as I sit here thinking of all the goings on (of course, we're tired), I would have given up anything materialistic to experience this 4 to 5 week spread of great joy for Barb and I. And the last to come, Thom and Sandi, two of the most admirable people I know, showed us a VERY GOOD TIME and we laughed and cried, talked and ate (mostly ate) and had such a wonderful time in fellowship with them. AND I WANTED IT! I relished each visit willing to give up most anything I owned just to be in all of their company.
One day, a couple thousand years ago, a young man, in His prime, hung on a cross and said "Father, into Thy hands I commit My spirit" (Lu 24:46). Where can I go with this? The only place is to the Father in Heaven. You see, our Father wanted us so badly, as He created us so preciously to be His lifelong friend in fellowship and then made provisions for our eternity.
You see, even God, our Father in Heaven, wanted something so bad, that He was willing to give up ANYTHING, and He gave His Son who would cover our sins and create a path to heaven. I was watching my ALL TIME FAVORITE music video (which is on my blog) called "I can only Imagine" and as the tears rolled down my cheeks, God began to write and above is what He said.
I want money! I want a home! I want clothes! I want food! I want shelter! I REALLY want a motor home (a little selfish since I already have a 5th wheel, huh?)! I want peace! I want joy! I want LOVE! But most of all I want to be with Jesus. And I'd be glad to give up all those other things and more to stand in His presence. I'm including the link to "I Can Only Imagine" so you can get a taste of what I am saying and feeling.
http://andiesisle.com/icanonlyimagine.html
God Loves you just the right amount!
Dave
Thursday, May 26, 2011
Make It A Spring
"How blessed is the man whose strength is in Thee. In whose heart are the highways to Zion! Passing through the valley of Baca they make it a spring. The early rain also covers it with blessings. They go from strength to strength, Every one of them appears before God in Zion." (Psalm 84: 5-7)
Today, Barb had her appointed time with our beloved Chiropractor, Dr. D., and ALWAYS, while there we have a Biblical discussion during her "bend and flex" session. And of course, today was no different than it has been for over a decade or two, perhaps.
Anyway, Dr. D asked me if there was anything that had settled in my heart during this week from God's Word and naturally (those of you who know me know that) I had a response. In fact, just last week in a home Bible study we had gone through the 3rd book of The Psalms and of course my second favorite verse of scripture in Psalms (second only to Psalms 51) is in chapter 84 and so I shared with him these verses and explained how important it is for us to recognize that we are not merely passing on scripture but "building wells" in life as people come after us, those who suffer some of life's difficulties that we have.
How important it is that as His disciples that while we are experiencing these difficult times in life, that we stop long enough to dig a well ("make it a spring") so that when these others pass this way, they too, will be able to be refreshed along the way. There is so much more joy than sorrow as we suffer trials if we know and truly understand God's Holy Word. We actually have the ability to help another that we may in fact, never meet in this life as they travel through this sorrow.
"The valley of Baca" also known as "the way of sorrow". Not much to look at and certainly not overwhelmingly encouraging, but God puts it in just a way that we can see His glory in the act.
Your facing a trial this very day, in your life. Are you sitting in a corner feeling very sorry, or are you making "the way of sorrow" a place of refreshment for another somewhere down the road. They say that "beauty is in the eye's of the beholder"! I say the gift of mercy is in the "heart of the sufferer."
Maybe we all should start carrying a shovel around with us.
To my precious friend...Dr. D
Dave
Today, Barb had her appointed time with our beloved Chiropractor, Dr. D., and ALWAYS, while there we have a Biblical discussion during her "bend and flex" session. And of course, today was no different than it has been for over a decade or two, perhaps.
Anyway, Dr. D asked me if there was anything that had settled in my heart during this week from God's Word and naturally (those of you who know me know that) I had a response. In fact, just last week in a home Bible study we had gone through the 3rd book of The Psalms and of course my second favorite verse of scripture in Psalms (second only to Psalms 51) is in chapter 84 and so I shared with him these verses and explained how important it is for us to recognize that we are not merely passing on scripture but "building wells" in life as people come after us, those who suffer some of life's difficulties that we have.
How important it is that as His disciples that while we are experiencing these difficult times in life, that we stop long enough to dig a well ("make it a spring") so that when these others pass this way, they too, will be able to be refreshed along the way. There is so much more joy than sorrow as we suffer trials if we know and truly understand God's Holy Word. We actually have the ability to help another that we may in fact, never meet in this life as they travel through this sorrow.
"The valley of Baca" also known as "the way of sorrow". Not much to look at and certainly not overwhelmingly encouraging, but God puts it in just a way that we can see His glory in the act.
Your facing a trial this very day, in your life. Are you sitting in a corner feeling very sorry, or are you making "the way of sorrow" a place of refreshment for another somewhere down the road. They say that "beauty is in the eye's of the beholder"! I say the gift of mercy is in the "heart of the sufferer."
Maybe we all should start carrying a shovel around with us.
To my precious friend...Dr. D
Dave
Saturday, May 21, 2011
The End Of The World!
Over the last couple of weeks, a Christian radio station here in the Phoenix area has been proclaiming, with more than plenty of support, that today, our world will end, and the Lord Jesus Christ will return for His bride, the church. Let me be one to say that I would not be able to be MORE happy if that were true, however having studied the Word of God for lots of years (probably just as this pastor from the radio), I would be the first to say this is a complete and utter falsehood and this pastor is in fact, a "false teacher".
Especially if he has studied his Bible, then he well knows that God's Word, straight from the mouth of Jesus claims that "no man knows the day or the hour, only our Father in heaven". In old testament times, if a prophet was found to be a false teacher, even if by only 5%, it would be suggested that he be "stoned" to death. In today's society, our only recourse (aside from boycotting his programs) is to be held as a "laughing stock" in the Christian world.
The non-believer already has plenty to look around the world and criticize we Christians about, we surely don't need another, who professes to study God's Word, "mocking" our faith. So here I sit at 12:20AM on May 21, 2011 wondering where these knuckleheads come from. I believe that they can come from a breed of people that truly do read God's Word and want to understand but really have a difficult time in getting their hearts in line with God's Word and so whatever thoughts they may conjure up at the moment become a reality to them and some, are sufficiently endowed with money so that they may disrupt the normal flow and continuity of God's Absolute plan. And they, "open their mouths" leaving all doubts behind.
Might I suggest to some that there is an alternative to such nonsense. And that is the exegetical study of God's Word, allowing His speaking and teaching to flow from us rather than trying to "squeeze" our thoughts into His Word and make them work.
Jesus said in John chapter 14 that, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No man comes to the Father but through Me," and this is written after Jesus has promised that He is going to prepare our eternity. The second a human being picks up God's Word and intentionally attempts to "cram" his/her thoughts into God's Holy Word and make them gospel, he/she, at that point, has "isogeticaly recreated" the message of God, away from the "Absolute" meaning of God, to some other philosophy of mankind.
We are NOT (any of us) the interpreter of God's Infinite thoughts but rather the recipient of His Grace "AS IT IS WRITTEN"!
My prayers as I sit here tonight trying to help us all better understand God's purpose, is that He TRULY does come today, May 21, 2011, and rapture His bride, the church from the chaos we find ourselves in currently, but even more importantly is that our faith teaches us from one day to the next that we are His children, subject to His word and not our humble desires.
In my physical condition, I have prayed many times, "Maranatha (come quickly) Lord Jesus" which continues to be my prayer tonight. However until I hear that "TRUMPET" and see my Savior, mounted upon His beautiful steed, I will remain, the disciple He called me to be, honest and true to His word and not to those who would, so recklessly, attempt to gain something by distortion.
We of faith are waiting on you, Lord Jesus. Please do come as soon as directed by our Father in Heaven.
Dave
Especially if he has studied his Bible, then he well knows that God's Word, straight from the mouth of Jesus claims that "no man knows the day or the hour, only our Father in heaven". In old testament times, if a prophet was found to be a false teacher, even if by only 5%, it would be suggested that he be "stoned" to death. In today's society, our only recourse (aside from boycotting his programs) is to be held as a "laughing stock" in the Christian world.
The non-believer already has plenty to look around the world and criticize we Christians about, we surely don't need another, who professes to study God's Word, "mocking" our faith. So here I sit at 12:20AM on May 21, 2011 wondering where these knuckleheads come from. I believe that they can come from a breed of people that truly do read God's Word and want to understand but really have a difficult time in getting their hearts in line with God's Word and so whatever thoughts they may conjure up at the moment become a reality to them and some, are sufficiently endowed with money so that they may disrupt the normal flow and continuity of God's Absolute plan. And they, "open their mouths" leaving all doubts behind.
Might I suggest to some that there is an alternative to such nonsense. And that is the exegetical study of God's Word, allowing His speaking and teaching to flow from us rather than trying to "squeeze" our thoughts into His Word and make them work.
Jesus said in John chapter 14 that, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No man comes to the Father but through Me," and this is written after Jesus has promised that He is going to prepare our eternity. The second a human being picks up God's Word and intentionally attempts to "cram" his/her thoughts into God's Holy Word and make them gospel, he/she, at that point, has "isogeticaly recreated" the message of God, away from the "Absolute" meaning of God, to some other philosophy of mankind.
We are NOT (any of us) the interpreter of God's Infinite thoughts but rather the recipient of His Grace "AS IT IS WRITTEN"!
My prayers as I sit here tonight trying to help us all better understand God's purpose, is that He TRULY does come today, May 21, 2011, and rapture His bride, the church from the chaos we find ourselves in currently, but even more importantly is that our faith teaches us from one day to the next that we are His children, subject to His word and not our humble desires.
In my physical condition, I have prayed many times, "Maranatha (come quickly) Lord Jesus" which continues to be my prayer tonight. However until I hear that "TRUMPET" and see my Savior, mounted upon His beautiful steed, I will remain, the disciple He called me to be, honest and true to His word and not to those who would, so recklessly, attempt to gain something by distortion.
We of faith are waiting on you, Lord Jesus. Please do come as soon as directed by our Father in Heaven.
Dave
Wednesday, May 18, 2011
Update From Previous Post
My wife received a phone call from Juan in Mexico City and he is doing fine and returned to his homeland safely. What was "very" exciting about his phone call is that he told my wife that he cannot get my conversation with him about Jesus Christ out of his heart. Perhaps now that a seed has been planted, the Holy Spirit will take over.
A real quick request would be to pray for Juan. He knows of God. Now he needs to take action and follow the leadership of the Holy Spirit by asking Christ into his heart. We remain in contact with him.
God is Good.
(Yeah, it's 3:30 in the morning. Having a lot of trouble getting to sleep).
Dave
A real quick request would be to pray for Juan. He knows of God. Now he needs to take action and follow the leadership of the Holy Spirit by asking Christ into his heart. We remain in contact with him.
God is Good.
(Yeah, it's 3:30 in the morning. Having a lot of trouble getting to sleep).
Dave
Wednesday, May 11, 2011
Chalk Up Another Day For Christ
Morning everyone. Yesterday was my normal day for chemo, however it was anything but normal. You see, while Barb was busy working all those years with "Fearful Flyers" she ran into a person who lived in Mexico City and was a fearful flyer.
His precious mother was dying of cancer and he desperately needed to get on a plane to Houston, Texas to be by her side. Obviously, Barb is pretty good at talking people through their fears and she managed to (via cell phone) walk this man through the fear he had of flying and he was able to get on the plane to get to his mother's bedside (that's wonderful now here's the story).
We became good friends over the years and even planned a 3-day get together in Las Vegas, Nevada and had such a wonder full time. To bring the story up-to-date, we had not seen him or her since, until today when he flew into Phoenix just to come and sit with me and Barb while I had my chemo treatment.
I thought that was very generous of him and we talked about a lot of everything and then at one point he said, "David, I do not share in this peace that you seem to have while you visit with these doctors and nurses and you are going through such terrible treatment" (Barb has kept him up to date on my treatment). What a wonderful intro into the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
So for the next 20 minutes or so, I had his undivided attention as I explained what it was that allowed for the peace in my life. We laughed together and cried together and our relationship was even more deeply renewed. However, I explained to him that "now he had a decision to make about Christ." He had always considered himself a Christian man (with a Catholic background) however he had never been confronted with his own sin and mortality until today. I explained to him that he needed to dwell on our conversation and we would come back together and gather his thoughts. Through his tears, he hugged me and was so grateful that someone would take the time to explain the "Truth of the Gospel of Christ" and he would, indeed take to heart our conversation.
So now that you are all informed, you, as Christian men and women are obligated to pray that the seeds planted in Juan's heart will "take hold" and he will start searching and understanding the truth that was shared with him.
Such a wonderful, kind and loving man, I explained that even though that may be so about him, his destiny lay between heaven and hell based on his decision about Christ. And so we will be visiting with him for a few days and you can be sure that "closure" will come to that conversation with our "Good Friend, Juan".
God Bless him and all of you as well,
Dave
(just another sleepless night so let's give God the glory)
His precious mother was dying of cancer and he desperately needed to get on a plane to Houston, Texas to be by her side. Obviously, Barb is pretty good at talking people through their fears and she managed to (via cell phone) walk this man through the fear he had of flying and he was able to get on the plane to get to his mother's bedside (that's wonderful now here's the story).
We became good friends over the years and even planned a 3-day get together in Las Vegas, Nevada and had such a wonder full time. To bring the story up-to-date, we had not seen him or her since, until today when he flew into Phoenix just to come and sit with me and Barb while I had my chemo treatment.
I thought that was very generous of him and we talked about a lot of everything and then at one point he said, "David, I do not share in this peace that you seem to have while you visit with these doctors and nurses and you are going through such terrible treatment" (Barb has kept him up to date on my treatment). What a wonderful intro into the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
So for the next 20 minutes or so, I had his undivided attention as I explained what it was that allowed for the peace in my life. We laughed together and cried together and our relationship was even more deeply renewed. However, I explained to him that "now he had a decision to make about Christ." He had always considered himself a Christian man (with a Catholic background) however he had never been confronted with his own sin and mortality until today. I explained to him that he needed to dwell on our conversation and we would come back together and gather his thoughts. Through his tears, he hugged me and was so grateful that someone would take the time to explain the "Truth of the Gospel of Christ" and he would, indeed take to heart our conversation.
So now that you are all informed, you, as Christian men and women are obligated to pray that the seeds planted in Juan's heart will "take hold" and he will start searching and understanding the truth that was shared with him.
Such a wonderful, kind and loving man, I explained that even though that may be so about him, his destiny lay between heaven and hell based on his decision about Christ. And so we will be visiting with him for a few days and you can be sure that "closure" will come to that conversation with our "Good Friend, Juan".
God Bless him and all of you as well,
Dave
(just another sleepless night so let's give God the glory)
Wednesday, May 4, 2011
I Don't Know; You Tell Me
Tonight, Barb and I shared an wonderful evening with our friends who used to be our next door neighbors and we got to talking about a healing service that they attended while I was in the hospital last weekend (I was supposed to be there with them). Anyway, the doctors were checking my viral loads for the liver (for possible bone marrow transplant) and the last time they were checked they were well over the 300,000 level. Today we get a call from the doctor's office to tell us that the viral load on this current test are practically "non-existent". WHAT???
Okay, so here's the kicker (this is GREAT news of course). We find out tonight that Kim, while at the healing service brought up a photo of me to the front and the pastor laid hands on her cell phone and today we get this news.
I DON'T KNOW; YOU TELL ME. Got a feeling God is already looking for a bone marrow Donner for me. Starting to get exciting.
"For we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose" (Romans 8:28).
Any feedback?
Dave
When things look their darkest, we should always remember, we have a BIG, BIG GOD! I'm betting you guys already knew that.
Okay, so here's the kicker (this is GREAT news of course). We find out tonight that Kim, while at the healing service brought up a photo of me to the front and the pastor laid hands on her cell phone and today we get this news.
I DON'T KNOW; YOU TELL ME. Got a feeling God is already looking for a bone marrow Donner for me. Starting to get exciting.
"For we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose" (Romans 8:28).
Any feedback?
Dave
When things look their darkest, we should always remember, we have a BIG, BIG GOD! I'm betting you guys already knew that.
Monday, April 25, 2011
The Sacrifice Paid Was Too High
Today was Easter Sunday 2011. I like to refer to it as "Resurrection Sunday" simply because that says to me exactly what day and event we are celebrating. I hope that everyone enjoyed their day and I truly believe that some us "met" with our Lord today. My wife and I personally enjoy the fellowship of our entire family for church, lunch and a wonderful afternoon of fellowship with the family in our son and daughter-in-law's home.
Our Pastor shared such a "3 dimensional" picture of our Father's love that is was impossible not to see the "resurrection" in his message.
In his message he helped me to understand that even though I think I try daily (even hourly) to say or do something to present our Lord to the public "The Sacrifice Paid Was Too High" for my efforts put forth from time to time. When I dwell on that statement, it is hard not to realize how much was paid for my salvation. Over and above everything in my life, my greatest care for advancement is for the Lord Jesus Christ. I always try to bring God into every conversation day in and day out. I even have more opportunities when we go for chemo treatment. We have had several intimate Godly conversations while sharing time with these patients.
So, as we close the day on another perfect celebration of the Resurrection of our Lord, Jesus Christ my biggest concern is my thought about "The Sacrifice Paid Was Too High". Pastor used this scripture in his message: "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life" (John 3:16)
Today I realized even though I feel that most of the time I put "my best foot forward" for my Lord, "The Sacrifice Paid Was Too High" for the effort I have applied. Jesus Christ is my strength, hope and life and I want to be thought of as a "warrior for Christ" when my time is done here.
Was the sacrifice too high for your efforts? How much do you want to give to your Savior?
Happy "Resurrection Sunday"
Dave
Our Pastor shared such a "3 dimensional" picture of our Father's love that is was impossible not to see the "resurrection" in his message.
In his message he helped me to understand that even though I think I try daily (even hourly) to say or do something to present our Lord to the public "The Sacrifice Paid Was Too High" for my efforts put forth from time to time. When I dwell on that statement, it is hard not to realize how much was paid for my salvation. Over and above everything in my life, my greatest care for advancement is for the Lord Jesus Christ. I always try to bring God into every conversation day in and day out. I even have more opportunities when we go for chemo treatment. We have had several intimate Godly conversations while sharing time with these patients.
So, as we close the day on another perfect celebration of the Resurrection of our Lord, Jesus Christ my biggest concern is my thought about "The Sacrifice Paid Was Too High". Pastor used this scripture in his message: "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life" (John 3:16)
Today I realized even though I feel that most of the time I put "my best foot forward" for my Lord, "The Sacrifice Paid Was Too High" for the effort I have applied. Jesus Christ is my strength, hope and life and I want to be thought of as a "warrior for Christ" when my time is done here.
Was the sacrifice too high for your efforts? How much do you want to give to your Savior?
Happy "Resurrection Sunday"
Dave
Thursday, April 21, 2011
Light Be!
Today, I went to my regular doctor to get some suggestions on sleeping (as I am having a difficult time) and of course, his answer was more drugs and at a greater strength, so here I sit at 2:53 AM, having taken the prescribed drugs at the greater strength, but for some reason, I feel nothing more than, I suppose "Lethargic"(sp?) but cannot sleep.
Then God reminded me that I was reading through a book on one of my favorite books (Genesis) and I thought about a phrase that I read last night and wanted to share it. (Quoting) "God said, Light be, and light was. Nobody, even today, can tell us what light is. We know what light does, but not what light is. It is one of the most mysterious entities in the universe. In physics it has become the new absolute. And as such, it is at the heart of the famous equation "E=mc2" (energy equals mass multiplied by the speed of light squared) which in turn, ushered in what we know today as the "atomic age" (end quote).
God said, "Light be and light was." That says something very important to me. God's Words are not only legislative but they are very much "executive". When the President of the United States sits down to sign his name to a bill passed by the legislative branch of the Government it becomes "executive". Jesus woke from a sound sleep to "calm the seas" and it became not only legislative but executive as well. His voice saying, "Peace, be still" was not only written into law but it became an "executive" order by the creator of the universe Himself.
When we speak, are our words pondered as legal statements? When we attempt to explain to another that Jesus Christ is Lord, do we speak with the authority as though we have just written, proposed, and signed into "executive order" that Jesus Christ IS INDEED Lord and that is fact?
It reminds me of a sermon I wrote a couple of years back which I titled "My Resume" (I'll explain later). Does our "yay" mean "yay" and our "nay" mean "nay"? If not, then perhaps we could learn a valuable lesson from the first Chapter of Genesis where God said, "Light be" and light was.
Dave
Then God reminded me that I was reading through a book on one of my favorite books (Genesis) and I thought about a phrase that I read last night and wanted to share it. (Quoting) "God said, Light be, and light was. Nobody, even today, can tell us what light is. We know what light does, but not what light is. It is one of the most mysterious entities in the universe. In physics it has become the new absolute. And as such, it is at the heart of the famous equation "E=mc2" (energy equals mass multiplied by the speed of light squared) which in turn, ushered in what we know today as the "atomic age" (end quote).
God said, "Light be and light was." That says something very important to me. God's Words are not only legislative but they are very much "executive". When the President of the United States sits down to sign his name to a bill passed by the legislative branch of the Government it becomes "executive". Jesus woke from a sound sleep to "calm the seas" and it became not only legislative but executive as well. His voice saying, "Peace, be still" was not only written into law but it became an "executive" order by the creator of the universe Himself.
When we speak, are our words pondered as legal statements? When we attempt to explain to another that Jesus Christ is Lord, do we speak with the authority as though we have just written, proposed, and signed into "executive order" that Jesus Christ IS INDEED Lord and that is fact?
It reminds me of a sermon I wrote a couple of years back which I titled "My Resume" (I'll explain later). Does our "yay" mean "yay" and our "nay" mean "nay"? If not, then perhaps we could learn a valuable lesson from the first Chapter of Genesis where God said, "Light be" and light was.
Dave
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
Another Little Walk With Jesus
A precious member of the Hospital Ministry of Calvary Chapel Surprise came by to visit me and Barb, and what a blessing it was. Let me first share with you what he quoted to us:
"The Lord is my Shepard, I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures, He leads me beside quiet waters. He restores my soul; He guides me in the paths of righteousness for His name's sake. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil; for Thou art with me; Thy rod and Thy staff, they comfort me. Thou doest prepare a table before me and mine enemies; Thou hast anointed my head with oil; My cup overflows. Surely goodness and lovingkindness will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord FOREVER! (emphasis added).
Now what I would like to do is go through passage of scripture in red ink and tell you how it spoke to me, please.
"The Lord is my Shepard, I shall not want. As I have looked back over my life, God has surely granted me more than I could have ever wanted in life. I live with the most precious "Caregiver" in the Universe, namely Barb (she also goes by Mom, Barbie and Grammy). I have also, been blessed with 3 of the most adorable children that God could have ever chosen for my temperment, lifestyle and life ideas. Boastfully speaking, I know with assurance that these three children of mine look at me as a "Hero". Not because of my unwavering decisions in life or my extra unusual success in the business world, but rather because they have always gleaned a level of Spirituality from me, that not of my own but from the giver of life, Himself. The only thing I KNOW I did right with my kids was to introduce them to Christ. He took over from there. He makes me lie down in green pastures, (He has given me mental rest like no other). He leads me beside quiet waters. (He has granted me peace like no other). He restores my soul; He guides me in the paths of righteousness for His name's sake. (He has been my morning wake-up call and evening bedtime chat for multiplied years now and He's got a lot to say). Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil; for Thou art with me; Thy rod and Thy staff, they comfort me. Thou doest prepare a table before me and mine enemies; (He knew before I was even conceived that I would walk this particular trial and used a lot of years preparing my heart to deal with it. I am proud that He wanted me as a "tool" in the middle of these trials. I have learned that it is better to mention Jesus to someone than to have them pay you a weekly income until you retire. (BTW, I've been fired for that...Praise God. He knew that a little old lady would be frightened to death in a desperate situation, not unlike mine and decided that I would be the one to sit next to her when the prompt came to share (her name is Sandy and she now walks with God). He has (and this has been a rough one) taught me over the years to pray for those who mean me harm. Over the last 35 years, He has been molding and shaping my heart, for His Glory. Thou hast anointed my head with oil; (Last night, Sunday, was only the second time in my 59 years of life that someone has put his hands on me in prayer and anointed me with oil. And freaky or not, I had a very warm and fuzzy feeling all night long. My cup overflows. (The love and compassion in my heart has grown 1000 fold over the years and I see "tears" in my saucer these days). Surely goodness and lovingkindness will follow me all the days of my life, No matter what the home, life, or health situation looks like on the outside, I am 'blessed of ALL men' in my life) and I will dwell in the house of the Lord FOREVER! (emphasis added). (and to top the whole thing off, I have a home in glory that will surpass anything the nails could build down here)
Now I was privileged to meet this man for the first time in my life, last night as he came into my home to share the love and faith of Christ with a "troubled physical body" and today he has already called back to check on me after my first day of chemo to see how I was doing. Sometimes we open our doors and allow "ANGELS" to come in and dine with us and we don't even know it.
Well God has given me over 5 years since the original diagnosis and I am happy with that, but wanna know what I think? My faith in God tells me that I can beat this one too. Now don't think if I say that being with Jesus in Paradise is a "cop-out" for "beating this one too because it''s not. My doc told me I could get another couple years of remission from this new cancer with this treatment and it was God who was the deciding factor. BTW, I know it was just the first treatment today, however, I feel fine.
Ain't God Great?
Dave
"The Lord is my Shepard, I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures, He leads me beside quiet waters. He restores my soul; He guides me in the paths of righteousness for His name's sake. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil; for Thou art with me; Thy rod and Thy staff, they comfort me. Thou doest prepare a table before me and mine enemies; Thou hast anointed my head with oil; My cup overflows. Surely goodness and lovingkindness will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord FOREVER! (emphasis added).
Now what I would like to do is go through passage of scripture in red ink and tell you how it spoke to me, please.
"The Lord is my Shepard, I shall not want. As I have looked back over my life, God has surely granted me more than I could have ever wanted in life. I live with the most precious "Caregiver" in the Universe, namely Barb (she also goes by Mom, Barbie and Grammy). I have also, been blessed with 3 of the most adorable children that God could have ever chosen for my temperment, lifestyle and life ideas. Boastfully speaking, I know with assurance that these three children of mine look at me as a "Hero". Not because of my unwavering decisions in life or my extra unusual success in the business world, but rather because they have always gleaned a level of Spirituality from me, that not of my own but from the giver of life, Himself. The only thing I KNOW I did right with my kids was to introduce them to Christ. He took over from there. He makes me lie down in green pastures, (He has given me mental rest like no other). He leads me beside quiet waters. (He has granted me peace like no other). He restores my soul; He guides me in the paths of righteousness for His name's sake. (He has been my morning wake-up call and evening bedtime chat for multiplied years now and He's got a lot to say). Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil; for Thou art with me; Thy rod and Thy staff, they comfort me. Thou doest prepare a table before me and mine enemies; (He knew before I was even conceived that I would walk this particular trial and used a lot of years preparing my heart to deal with it. I am proud that He wanted me as a "tool" in the middle of these trials. I have learned that it is better to mention Jesus to someone than to have them pay you a weekly income until you retire. (BTW, I've been fired for that...Praise God. He knew that a little old lady would be frightened to death in a desperate situation, not unlike mine and decided that I would be the one to sit next to her when the prompt came to share (her name is Sandy and she now walks with God). He has (and this has been a rough one) taught me over the years to pray for those who mean me harm. Over the last 35 years, He has been molding and shaping my heart, for His Glory. Thou hast anointed my head with oil; (Last night, Sunday, was only the second time in my 59 years of life that someone has put his hands on me in prayer and anointed me with oil. And freaky or not, I had a very warm and fuzzy feeling all night long. My cup overflows. (The love and compassion in my heart has grown 1000 fold over the years and I see "tears" in my saucer these days). Surely goodness and lovingkindness will follow me all the days of my life, No matter what the home, life, or health situation looks like on the outside, I am 'blessed of ALL men' in my life) and I will dwell in the house of the Lord FOREVER! (emphasis added). (and to top the whole thing off, I have a home in glory that will surpass anything the nails could build down here)
Now I was privileged to meet this man for the first time in my life, last night as he came into my home to share the love and faith of Christ with a "troubled physical body" and today he has already called back to check on me after my first day of chemo to see how I was doing. Sometimes we open our doors and allow "ANGELS" to come in and dine with us and we don't even know it.
Well God has given me over 5 years since the original diagnosis and I am happy with that, but wanna know what I think? My faith in God tells me that I can beat this one too. Now don't think if I say that being with Jesus in Paradise is a "cop-out" for "beating this one too because it''s not. My doc told me I could get another couple years of remission from this new cancer with this treatment and it was God who was the deciding factor. BTW, I know it was just the first treatment today, however, I feel fine.
Ain't God Great?
Dave
Monday, January 31, 2011
Just Some Thoughts
I have prayed hard and discussed, in detail with my family, the options given whether chemotherapy again or no chemotherapy and have decided that it is God's Will that I proceed with the treatment so I have only one point I want to make clear and hopefully it will not have to be made until some years in the future:
I don't want it said of me, at my memorial, that "he stands before Jesus Christ because of those he may have taught or lead toward Christ."
I don't want it said of me, at my memorial, that "he stands before Jesus Christ because of those he may have ministered to or assisted in some Godly fashion."
I want it said of me, at my memorial, that "he KNEELS before his Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, in grateful humility because he knew the importance of the sacrifice of his soul to a Holy God."
David Stallings
(Serving a Holy God until He comes for me)
Presently chemotherapy is set to begin on February 14, 2011...Happy Valentine's Day, to my sweetheart of 40 years.
I don't want it said of me, at my memorial, that "he stands before Jesus Christ because of those he may have taught or lead toward Christ."
I don't want it said of me, at my memorial, that "he stands before Jesus Christ because of those he may have ministered to or assisted in some Godly fashion."
I want it said of me, at my memorial, that "he KNEELS before his Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, in grateful humility because he knew the importance of the sacrifice of his soul to a Holy God."
David Stallings
(Serving a Holy God until He comes for me)
Presently chemotherapy is set to begin on February 14, 2011...Happy Valentine's Day, to my sweetheart of 40 years.
Thursday, January 27, 2011
Hello
Yes, it's me, Dave...I'm back...for now. Some very extreme changes in my health (which are not really an excuse for not writing) but what the heck. I needed some time to clear my brain. The good thing is that it is small enough so that I didn't have to take too much time.
Anyway, just a note tonight to let you know, I will try to get back into the devotional "saddle" and start sending once again. Lot's of changes in my life over the past several months but since I love talking about myself, I am sure you'll hear about them.
In the meantime, God is STILL in control and will be posting again in a few days. Hope you are all still out there. And of course, BTW, I need more prayer than I have every needed before so if you can, won't you please petition God for me when you think about it?
Dave
Anyway, just a note tonight to let you know, I will try to get back into the devotional "saddle" and start sending once again. Lot's of changes in my life over the past several months but since I love talking about myself, I am sure you'll hear about them.
In the meantime, God is STILL in control and will be posting again in a few days. Hope you are all still out there. And of course, BTW, I need more prayer than I have every needed before so if you can, won't you please petition God for me when you think about it?
Dave
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