You Are Cordially Invited To:
A BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION*
Guest of Honor: Jesus Christ
Date: Every day. Traditionally December 25, but He’s always around, so the date is flexible.
Time: Whenever you’re ready, (please don’t be too late, though; or you’ll miss out on all the fun!!).
Place: In your heart ... He’ll meet you there (you’ll hear Him knock).
Attire: Come as you are ... grubbies are okay. He’ll be washing our clothes anyway. He said something about new white robes and crowns for everyone who stays till the last.
Tickets: Admission is free. He’s already paid for everyone. (He says you would not have been able to afford it ... it cost Him everything He had!!).
Refreshments: New wine, bread and a far-out drink He calls “living water”, followed by a supper that promises to be out of this world!!
Gift Suggestions: Your heart. He’s one of those people who already has everything else. (He’s very generous in return though; just wait until you see what He has for you).
Entertainment: Joy, Peace, Truth, Light, Life, Love, Real Happiness, Communion with God, Forgiveness, Miracles, Healing, Power, Eternity in Paradise, and much more! (All rated “G” so bring your family and friends).
R.S.V.P: Very Important! He must know ahead so He can reserve a spot for you at the table. Also, he’s keeping a list of His friends for future reference. He calls it the “Lamb’s Book of Life”).
Party Being Given By: His Kids (That’s us!) Hope To See You There!
“Let us rejoice and be glad and give him glory! For the wedding of the Lamb has come, and his bride has made herself ready. Fine linen, bright and clean, was given her to wear.” (Fine linen stands for the righteous acts of the saints.) ...
“Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb!”
-- Author Unknown
*Thanks to Staci Osterman for letting me borrow this awesome invitation from her site.
Monday, December 25, 2006
Saturday, December 23, 2006
Sabbath Blessings...
Well today we decided to be un-traditional, and rather than going to church, we stayed at home and had a Bible study on Daniel. I haven't really thoroughly studied Daniel and Revelation since I was required to in highschool Bible, but have been wanting to get back to it and really understand the different prophecies for some time now.
This summer, while doing an Evangelistic series with Share-Him, I did actually preach on some of the prophecies...and that was a start, but not enough for my satisfaction. (And besides I had a script!) I want to know the Bible and prophecies and how they flow together, really know them from my heart...as well as the supporting facts and references, not just recite something I've heard all my life. (One reason I was really looking forward to attending AFCOE's intensive course!) However, since God has led me in a new direction in my life and ministry, I've realized I'm going to have to press forward on my own as I seek to build a stronger foundation of Biblical knowledge. I'm not the strongest analytical thinker in our family, so this has been a real challenge, but hopefully it will prove to be a real avenue of growth in my life spiritually. (Actually, I've no doubt it will!)
What brought about the Bible study of today? Well, last night we all got into quite the conversation about prophecy, the tests of a true prophet, and how we determine Biblical prophecy to be true. So Daniel was a logical place to start. Kinda elementary I suppose, but I enjoyed it thoroughly. This afternoon, we may do some more. But right now, we are just getting ready to enjoy some time with grandma and grandpa.
Sunny didn't make it home this weekend due to blizzards in Denver, and now wont be able to be here for Christmas. :-( It's not going to be the same without her, but I guess everything doesn't always go as hoped or planned. We're all pretty disappointed though.
This summer, while doing an Evangelistic series with Share-Him, I did actually preach on some of the prophecies...and that was a start, but not enough for my satisfaction. (And besides I had a script!) I want to know the Bible and prophecies and how they flow together, really know them from my heart...as well as the supporting facts and references, not just recite something I've heard all my life. (One reason I was really looking forward to attending AFCOE's intensive course!) However, since God has led me in a new direction in my life and ministry, I've realized I'm going to have to press forward on my own as I seek to build a stronger foundation of Biblical knowledge. I'm not the strongest analytical thinker in our family, so this has been a real challenge, but hopefully it will prove to be a real avenue of growth in my life spiritually. (Actually, I've no doubt it will!)
What brought about the Bible study of today? Well, last night we all got into quite the conversation about prophecy, the tests of a true prophet, and how we determine Biblical prophecy to be true. So Daniel was a logical place to start. Kinda elementary I suppose, but I enjoyed it thoroughly. This afternoon, we may do some more. But right now, we are just getting ready to enjoy some time with grandma and grandpa.
Sunny didn't make it home this weekend due to blizzards in Denver, and now wont be able to be here for Christmas. :-( It's not going to be the same without her, but I guess everything doesn't always go as hoped or planned. We're all pretty disappointed though.
Thursday, December 21, 2006
The night is coming...
Work while it is yet day, for the night is coming when no man can work. (Paraphrase John 9:4)
A few days of Mercy...
I'd been working on the Oncology Unit at Mercy Hospital since 6:30 am. It was now 11am. The day was going well, and my patient load for the day was a breath of fresh air compared to what I've been dealing with in San Diego for the last 3 months. So, I was humored when the charge nurse asked, "Are you ok? We're not overloading you are we?" For pity's sake, I only had 4 patients, and they were the sweetest little old people...with the sweetest laughs and smiles and jokes, despite the fact that some of them were dying. No, I was not overloaded, if anything, I was a little bored, so had been helping some of the other nurses - start difficult IV's, do admission paperwork etc. Then my eyes fell across the morning paper's headlines: "Earthquake rocks Midwest City!"
"What?" I exclaimed! "This is Oklahoma!" But I hadn't been mistaken. Evidently last night on December 20th, 2006 at about 8:30 pm there was a 2.6 magnitude earthquake about 30 miles from where we live. Of course, it was sooooo small, that only people 10-15 miles away from the epicenter actually felt it. (Thus my apparent ignorance) but it was large enough that it brought in a flood of phone calls to the police department, as houses had rattled and the ground shook. And here I thought in Oklahoma we were immune to such events. But I guess not...at least not for long.
My day continued smoothly...but my thoughts were far away. On a book I just finished reading, and on how things can change so quickly in what seems to be a stable world.
The name of the book that had my attention, for at least one day this last week, was "Between Hell & High water - God was there!" by Kay Kuzma and Brenda Walsh. It's about survival stories and miracles from Hurricane Katrina. I remember watching a few things on the news when I was at work, and knowing that we were going to be getting some patients from Louisiana hospitals not long after the disaster, but besides that, it seems we were pretty ignorant and immune to what really happened in the aftermath of that terrible hurricane even though we were only a few hundred miles away from the disaster. (That's what we get for not having a T.V. at home, I suppose!)
However, this book shared stories of hope and faith as well as giving one an idea of what might be about to come on our whole world. Kay started off by giving some demographic info about New Orleans, and the highway system. She shared how everyone North of I-10 thought they would be safe, they had nothing to fear...then...FLASH, I-10 collapsed and was underwater! And their last hopes were sinking too. She goes on:
"The fact is, most of us think we're living north of I-10. We're safe! We're not going to get caught in the storms of life. Bad things happen to other people, but not to us. Other people suffer, other people get hurt, sick, lost and abused. Other people have to endure pain, worry, anxiety, paranoia, fear, and frustration. But not us! We know a time of trouble - such as never before - is coming. But we somehow think we are magically immune. We read stories of other people who have found themselves trapped "between hell and high water," but it's not us. We're lukewarm frankly; we have credit cards and pocket money, and although we may want lots of things, we're pretty much in need of nothing..." (See Rev 3:16,17) Scary, and yet so true!
Kay and Brenda went on to share how people have actually been predicting the "big one" in New Orleans for years.
In the Scientific American, October 2001, it was written:
"A major hurricane could swamp New Orleans under twenty feet of water, killing thousands....New Orleans is a disaster waiting to happen."
An article in the American Prospect, "Thinking Big about Hurricanes," described the aftermath of a major storm surge. This was written in May of 2005, only three months before Katrina hit.
"Soon the geographical bowl of the Crescent City would fill up with waters of the lake, leaving those unable to evacuate with little option but to cluster on rooftops - terrain they would have to share with hungry rats, fire ants, snakes, and perhaps alligators. The water itself would become a festering stew of sewage, gasoline, refinery chemicals, and debris." (And that was exactly what happened.)
They went on to share story after story of those that barely escaped with their lives, some in attics, some on their roof-tops, and some left floating on debris or clinging to trees along with rats, frogs, snakes and other creepy crawlys clinging to them. One man actually got confined in his attic with the rising water, but managed to stick a PVC pipe through the roof which he used to breath through for about 20-30 minutes as water covered his head and body. (Imagine the horror, not knowing if the water would ever go down, or if the top of his breathing pipe would also be submerged! But obviously, he survived to tell the story.) Others shared how they'd been inches from having their roofs collapse on them, or mini-tornadoes sweep them away, when they'd cried out to God to save them, and he did! One of the most precious stories was of a lady who was devastated because she had lost her Bible...she felt alone and forsake by God. Then, when digging through a box of donated items, she found a Bible with her name in it...it was actually the name of the former owner, but they had the same name. Along with it was a note of what seemed like divine encouragement. Yes, God cares even about the little details and desires of our hearts!
However, the saddest of all was the stories of those who were given the option to evacuate and to escape, but who refused to budge because they wanted to protect their possessions, their homes, or simply their pets or pot-bellied pigs! Later, when the police and rescue workers returned, they found their homes and lives had all been washed away. "There is a way that seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof is the way of death." Prov 14:12
So many had warning, yet, they still did not heed the call to safety. Yet, are they the only ones that are guilty of this? As I read the Bible and Great Controversy, I'm reminded that even a greater disaster than Katrina is looming on our horizon. And we’ve had warning.
"We are living in the most solemn period of this world’s history. The destiny of earth’s teeming multitudes is about to be decided. Our own future well-being and also the salvation of other souls depend upon the course which we now pursue. We need to be guided by the Spirit of truth. Every follower of Christ should earnestly inquire: "Lord, what wilt Thou have me to do?" We need to humble ourselves before the Lord, with fasting and prayer, and to meditate much upon His word, especially upon the scenes of the judgment. We should now seek a deep and living experience in the things of God. We have not a moment to lose. Events of vital importance are taking place around us; we are on Satan’s enchanted ground. Sleep not, sentinels of God; the foe is lurking near, ready at any moment, should you become lax and drowsy, to spring upon you and make you his prey." GC 601
Are we ready for whatever is to come, or are we asleep, oblivious to the times around us??
"The season of distress and anguish before us will require a faith that can endure weariness, delay and hunger - a faith that will not faint though severely tried. The period of probation is granted to all to prepare for that time. Jacob prevailed because he was persevering and determined. His victory is an evidence of the power of importunate prayer. All who will lay hold of God’s promises, as he did, and be as earnest and persevering as he was, will succeed as he succeeded. Those who are unwilling to deny self, to agonize before God, to pray long and earnestly for his blessing, will not obtain it. When waves of despair which no language can express sweep over the suppliant, how few cling with unyielding faith to the promises of God." GC 621
Brenda and Kay go on as they portray the Hurricane tragedy that affected so many thousands: You’d have thought that once the storm hit, everyone would be seeking to help each other. And there were many that did just that. But sadly, adding to the horror of the nightmare were those that did not stay to protect, but rather to steal, plunder, kill and destroy.
Something interesting about disasters. Crisis often causes people to respond in the extreme. It brings out either the best in human nature or the worst. As Max Lucado said: "Katrina blew more than the roofs off buildings; it blew the mask off of the nature of humanity. The major problem in the world is not Mother nature, but human nature. Strip away the police barricades, blow down the fences, and the real self is revealed. We are barbaric to the core..."
When the Katrina's of life blow in, our true nature is revealed and our deepest need is unveiled: a need deeper than food, more permanent than firm levees. We need, not a new system, but a new nature. We need to be changed from the inside out.
And truly, that is the only way any of us can be saved from the Katrina’s of this world, or for the coming crisis. "Create in me a clean heart O God, and renew a right spirit within me..." Ps 51:10
I was strengthened and encouraged as I read, and my prayer for all of us is that God will help us to be prepared spiritually for the coming crisis, and to be rooted and grounded in Him and His Word.
"None but those who have fortified the mind with the truths of the Bible will stand through the last great conflict. To every soul will come the searching test: "Shall I obey God rather than man?" GC 593
He's still given us a few days of mercy...how are we using them?
"What?" I exclaimed! "This is Oklahoma!" But I hadn't been mistaken. Evidently last night on December 20th, 2006 at about 8:30 pm there was a 2.6 magnitude earthquake about 30 miles from where we live. Of course, it was sooooo small, that only people 10-15 miles away from the epicenter actually felt it. (Thus my apparent ignorance) but it was large enough that it brought in a flood of phone calls to the police department, as houses had rattled and the ground shook. And here I thought in Oklahoma we were immune to such events. But I guess not...at least not for long.
My day continued smoothly...but my thoughts were far away. On a book I just finished reading, and on how things can change so quickly in what seems to be a stable world.
The name of the book that had my attention, for at least one day this last week, was "Between Hell & High water - God was there!" by Kay Kuzma and Brenda Walsh. It's about survival stories and miracles from Hurricane Katrina. I remember watching a few things on the news when I was at work, and knowing that we were going to be getting some patients from Louisiana hospitals not long after the disaster, but besides that, it seems we were pretty ignorant and immune to what really happened in the aftermath of that terrible hurricane even though we were only a few hundred miles away from the disaster. (That's what we get for not having a T.V. at home, I suppose!)
However, this book shared stories of hope and faith as well as giving one an idea of what might be about to come on our whole world. Kay started off by giving some demographic info about New Orleans, and the highway system. She shared how everyone North of I-10 thought they would be safe, they had nothing to fear...then...FLASH, I-10 collapsed and was underwater! And their last hopes were sinking too. She goes on:
"The fact is, most of us think we're living north of I-10. We're safe! We're not going to get caught in the storms of life. Bad things happen to other people, but not to us. Other people suffer, other people get hurt, sick, lost and abused. Other people have to endure pain, worry, anxiety, paranoia, fear, and frustration. But not us! We know a time of trouble - such as never before - is coming. But we somehow think we are magically immune. We read stories of other people who have found themselves trapped "between hell and high water," but it's not us. We're lukewarm frankly; we have credit cards and pocket money, and although we may want lots of things, we're pretty much in need of nothing..." (See Rev 3:16,17) Scary, and yet so true!
Kay and Brenda went on to share how people have actually been predicting the "big one" in New Orleans for years.
In the Scientific American, October 2001, it was written:
"A major hurricane could swamp New Orleans under twenty feet of water, killing thousands....New Orleans is a disaster waiting to happen."
An article in the American Prospect, "Thinking Big about Hurricanes," described the aftermath of a major storm surge. This was written in May of 2005, only three months before Katrina hit.
"Soon the geographical bowl of the Crescent City would fill up with waters of the lake, leaving those unable to evacuate with little option but to cluster on rooftops - terrain they would have to share with hungry rats, fire ants, snakes, and perhaps alligators. The water itself would become a festering stew of sewage, gasoline, refinery chemicals, and debris." (And that was exactly what happened.)
They went on to share story after story of those that barely escaped with their lives, some in attics, some on their roof-tops, and some left floating on debris or clinging to trees along with rats, frogs, snakes and other creepy crawlys clinging to them. One man actually got confined in his attic with the rising water, but managed to stick a PVC pipe through the roof which he used to breath through for about 20-30 minutes as water covered his head and body. (Imagine the horror, not knowing if the water would ever go down, or if the top of his breathing pipe would also be submerged! But obviously, he survived to tell the story.) Others shared how they'd been inches from having their roofs collapse on them, or mini-tornadoes sweep them away, when they'd cried out to God to save them, and he did! One of the most precious stories was of a lady who was devastated because she had lost her Bible...she felt alone and forsake by God. Then, when digging through a box of donated items, she found a Bible with her name in it...it was actually the name of the former owner, but they had the same name. Along with it was a note of what seemed like divine encouragement. Yes, God cares even about the little details and desires of our hearts!
However, the saddest of all was the stories of those who were given the option to evacuate and to escape, but who refused to budge because they wanted to protect their possessions, their homes, or simply their pets or pot-bellied pigs! Later, when the police and rescue workers returned, they found their homes and lives had all been washed away. "There is a way that seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof is the way of death." Prov 14:12
So many had warning, yet, they still did not heed the call to safety. Yet, are they the only ones that are guilty of this? As I read the Bible and Great Controversy, I'm reminded that even a greater disaster than Katrina is looming on our horizon. And we’ve had warning.
"We are living in the most solemn period of this world’s history. The destiny of earth’s teeming multitudes is about to be decided. Our own future well-being and also the salvation of other souls depend upon the course which we now pursue. We need to be guided by the Spirit of truth. Every follower of Christ should earnestly inquire: "Lord, what wilt Thou have me to do?" We need to humble ourselves before the Lord, with fasting and prayer, and to meditate much upon His word, especially upon the scenes of the judgment. We should now seek a deep and living experience in the things of God. We have not a moment to lose. Events of vital importance are taking place around us; we are on Satan’s enchanted ground. Sleep not, sentinels of God; the foe is lurking near, ready at any moment, should you become lax and drowsy, to spring upon you and make you his prey." GC 601
Are we ready for whatever is to come, or are we asleep, oblivious to the times around us??
"The season of distress and anguish before us will require a faith that can endure weariness, delay and hunger - a faith that will not faint though severely tried. The period of probation is granted to all to prepare for that time. Jacob prevailed because he was persevering and determined. His victory is an evidence of the power of importunate prayer. All who will lay hold of God’s promises, as he did, and be as earnest and persevering as he was, will succeed as he succeeded. Those who are unwilling to deny self, to agonize before God, to pray long and earnestly for his blessing, will not obtain it. When waves of despair which no language can express sweep over the suppliant, how few cling with unyielding faith to the promises of God." GC 621
Brenda and Kay go on as they portray the Hurricane tragedy that affected so many thousands: You’d have thought that once the storm hit, everyone would be seeking to help each other. And there were many that did just that. But sadly, adding to the horror of the nightmare were those that did not stay to protect, but rather to steal, plunder, kill and destroy.
Something interesting about disasters. Crisis often causes people to respond in the extreme. It brings out either the best in human nature or the worst. As Max Lucado said: "Katrina blew more than the roofs off buildings; it blew the mask off of the nature of humanity. The major problem in the world is not Mother nature, but human nature. Strip away the police barricades, blow down the fences, and the real self is revealed. We are barbaric to the core..."
When the Katrina's of life blow in, our true nature is revealed and our deepest need is unveiled: a need deeper than food, more permanent than firm levees. We need, not a new system, but a new nature. We need to be changed from the inside out.
And truly, that is the only way any of us can be saved from the Katrina’s of this world, or for the coming crisis. "Create in me a clean heart O God, and renew a right spirit within me..." Ps 51:10
I was strengthened and encouraged as I read, and my prayer for all of us is that God will help us to be prepared spiritually for the coming crisis, and to be rooted and grounded in Him and His Word.
"None but those who have fortified the mind with the truths of the Bible will stand through the last great conflict. To every soul will come the searching test: "Shall I obey God rather than man?" GC 593
He's still given us a few days of mercy...how are we using them?
Tuesday, December 19, 2006
A taste of Heaven...
As most people know, I love the jungle, I love flowers, I love being with the Hollands, and I love taking pictures! Well, last night I got the best of all worlds, as we took advantage of a free trip to Oklahoma City's Crystal Bridge...one of the most scenic and beautiful little inside gardens that I've ever been in. Each time we visit, I find myself filled with new awe and wonder at the beauty of God's creation, the delicate flowers, the lush vegetation, and the rippling waterfalls. The only problem was, every one else in OKC was also taking advantage of the "free admission" as well. So it was very crowded. But up in heaven, just imagine, there will be plenty of space for all...and the beauty will never run out!
Reminds me of the verse, "Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither hath entered into the heart of man the things that God has prepared for them that love Him." I Cor 2:9
(See pictures above!)
Reminds me of the verse, "Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither hath entered into the heart of man the things that God has prepared for them that love Him." I Cor 2:9
(See pictures above!)
Sunday, December 17, 2006
"Why I left the Contemporary Christian Music Movement..."
I'm sure the above title is going to raise a few eyebrows in my circle of friends and associates. But I've been more and more convicted lately, that CCM isn't really that great for us, and we need to be even more careful in our music selections. As promised, I'm going to share some of what I've been learning from a book with the above title that I purchased from Amazing Facts awhile back.
Dan Lucarini, the author, shows how we are to use God's Word as the final authority in our lives, and that includes our choice of music. He starts off by sharing his testimony, a former rock 'n roll music performer, which came with the whole sex, drugs and alcohol lifestyle. Then some caring Christians witnessed to him and challenged him to read the Word of God. He shared how that was enough to convict him of sin and draw him to God. He didn't need rock music, CCM music, or any other entertainment "seeker-sensitive" philosophy to win him. He just needed the truth."
However, when he became involved in the church, he was exposed to a variety of worship styles and also became a worship leader. And this brought him into the midst of quite a bit of conflict between the traditionals and conservatives in music taste (which is still going on today). Eventually he finally began to study and really seek to understand the issues behind the conflict for himself. This book was the result of his search for truth.
First off, he shared how one "seeker-sensitive church" (which basically refers to an evangelistic ministry that focuses primarily on the needs of the person seeking God) was so focused in its efforts to create a non-judgemental atmosphere, that the pastor promoted "God accepts us as we are" philosophy. This goes hand in hand with CCM. Why was this a problem? Because this teaching produces a church that attracts people who want God in their lives, but do not want God to change their lifestyles. Hmmmmm......I've never thought about this mentality being connected with CCM. But keep reading.
We've probably all heard about Pastor Rick Warren and the Purpose Driven Church. Amazingly, his philosophy of music is largely shaping the worship styles in America. And his is a "Seeker-sensitive" philosophy...encouraging people that Church is a place for you to come as you are. He puts it this way in his book.
"We use the style of music the majority of people in our church listen to on the radio. They like bright, happy, cheerful music with a strong beat. Their ears are accustomed to music with a strong bass line and rhythm. For the first time in history, there exists a universal music style that can be heard in every country of the world. It's called contemporary pop/rock."
Pastor Warren continues: "Music sets the atmosphere of the church service, communicates doctrine through singing, and expresses our view of what God is like. The style of music you choose to use in your service may be the most influential factor in determining who your church reaches for Christ and whether or not your church grows."
Pastor Warren's quotes demonstrate how unquestionably important CCM has become as the key to success for the contemporary church. But he gives no biblical basis for attributing such lofty status to CCM - only his opinion.
Let's quickly compare the Traditional and the Contemporary Service.
What is the primary purpose for the Worship service?
Traditional - To prepare hearts for the preaching
Contemporary - To usher people into the presence of God
What tends to be emphasized?
Traditional - The Preaching
Contemporary - The Music
What is the primary motive in selecting music?
Traditional - Does God like it
Contemporary - Do the people like it
What is the secondary motive for selecting music?
Traditional - Do people like it
Contemporary - Does God like it
What is the primary indicator of a successful service?
Traditional - I was really convicted by the Word of God today (Truth based!)
Contemporary - I really worshiped God today (Experienced based!)
From reading, I realized that while an "Experience" is important...it should not be the foundation for our worship or beliefs. Truth must be! And music is an avenue into our minds that actually bypasses our conscious brain, and thus can communicate a message or doctrine (as Pastor Rick Warren so rightly stated) and influence our thinking without our rational thought being involved. Thus, if the music is not good, it has incredible power for evil. But wait a minute, I ask, as do many other readers. Is CCM evil?
Author, Dan Lucarini picks up: The key premises in the CCM industry and mentality is that music is amoral. God accepts all music styles, and no one should judge anothers preference or taste. Any contemporary music style can be used in the worship setting, and God accepts it. This philosophy comes directly out of the popular teaching in most contemporary churches now days that "God accepts us just as we are." That is partly true...He does, but then He changes us and makes us into a new person, and that is what CCM leaves out and rebels against. In fact, when anyone mentions standards or guidelines for music, or anything else for that matter, they are labeled as a "legalist." Thus Dan stresses the importance of people realizing the powerful effect of this teaching and how it neutralizes the proper role of biblical discernment and guideship.
He goes on to stress that, "If you are really seeking to be a Christian and live for Christ, you need to realize that there are plenty of guidelines and judgements in the Bible. In fact, Christ has a definite agenda for our lives and it has nothing to do with staying inside our comfort zone. Discipleship is not a self-esteem journey; growth means change, and change always includes loss, and loss is always painful."
He goes on to state: "Of course there is nothing that we can do to earn salvation. We cannot make ourselves clean enough to be acceptable to God. We must come as we are...but then does that mean we also stay as we are? No! The New Testament clearly teaches that genuine conversion produces a changed - and changing - life. The metamorphosis begins on the inside with a new heart and a new spirit (Ezek 36:26), and as we feed on God's word and offer our very lives to him rather than to the world, our minds are renewed in such a way that we are being transformed into the same image - the image of Christ. (Rom 8:29, II Cor 3:18)."
We cannot come to God just as we are, with our sin unconfessed or ignored or draped all over us, and still expect his acceptance. We cannot drag our favorite worldly music styles, dress and language into church, and expect a blessing if we plan to stay that way.
"Not everyone why says to me, Lord lord, shall enter the kingdom of Heaven, but he who does the will of my father in Heaven." Matt 7:21
Back to Pastor Rick Warren, CCM advocate: "You do not need a bunch of rules in music, it's the heart of worship that matters!"
But Dan Lucarini counters: "Can the pottery choose how to respond to the potter's touch? Would God be angry with us if we use ourselves as the measure of how to worship him, rather than His Word? Our worship practices have strayed far away from the true biblical heart of worship because we have failed to base our practices on the Word of God and instead have built the foundation on the needs of man. But biblically, the true heart of worship is when we approach God with an attitude of complete submission and surrender. It's not about me, or my way, it's about Him. We have nothing to offer God, but our total devotion and obedience. The true heart of worship is the heart that bows before God and submits to his Word, no more no less."
Dan continues to go on...sharing the background of contemporary, and it's relation to rock and other rebellion driven styles, and then how in Bible times the Israelites tried to pull the pagan styles of worship into their own, and how time and time again it brought their downfall. It's hard to think that CCM could be doing the same thing in our generation, and I admit that it's not been an easy thing for me to be willing to see. Some of my favorite singers over the years have been CCM artist. And to give us all a break, it's not as bad as real rock music right? We're not singing about drugs and sex! But...like Dan points out, "Are we to decide what is best, or is it God?"
There's much more I'd like to share here, but maybe I can convince a few people just to get the book and study the issue out more thoroughly for themselves.
However, before I bring this long epistle to a close, there's a couple more things I have to share.
I've heard from many of my friends and others... "Show me where the Bible says that rock music is evil." Dan shares other such "show me arguments from the hall of fame:
- Show me where the Bible says it's wrong to have a few beers
- Show me where the Bible says I should not smoke
- Show me where the Bible says that I should not get high on marijuana
- Show me where the Bible says it's wrong to spend holidays in Las Vagas
- Show me where the Bible says I should not play the lottery
And the favorite among contempories:
- Show me where the Bible says that we should only use hymns in church
But on the other hand, Dan encourages his readers...
Show me where the Bible says that...
- God is pleased when you chose the same music style as Madonna, Hootie and the Blowfish, and the Dave Matthews Band.
- You should vigorously defend your favorite music style of this world.
- It's ok to use the same music style as the sex and drug culture use
- God waived the "abstain from all appearance of evil" clause just for you!
"Be holy" is a command to God's people that is found throughout scriptures. Personal holiness is demanded by Christ, the Apostles and the entire Old & New testament. Holiness means to be set apart for God from the world. But reality is tough, and the highway to holiness is very narrow as it winds through our culture of sensuality and materialism. Yet as Christians, we are called to walk that straight and narrow path, and avoid anything that even hints of immorality.
In summary, Dan shares a few principles for help in music choices and ministry.
1. Avoid any preference or style that can be associated with evil. (Both in church and in our private lives!)
2. Freedom in Christ has limits. (In other words, everything we do should be both for the good of others and ourselves. If it's not beneficial for all concerned, I should not choose to do it.)
3. Be a builder, not part of the demolition crew! (We should be builders in the body of Christ, not destroyers. Most CCM worship leaders chase the older more conservative traditional Christians away in the name of "change," and this is wrong!)
4. Learn to live by principles and not just feelings. (It should not even contain a hint of immorality - guilt by association - nor should it be offensive to other Christians.)
5. If it's got the swing, it's probably not the best to sing. (Read more background on these styles to grasp why this is sooooo imporant and destructive in music!)
6. Break up the praise band and put away the microphones. (It puts everyone on the same playing field, and takes away the performance aspect while also putting the focus where it should be, on God!)
7. Keep the emphasis on the melody and harmony, not the beat. (Hymns are usually the safest, although some contemporary songs are acceptable, as long as it's not emphasizing a syncopated beat.)
8. Above all, think of who you are singing or listening to music for: Yourself or God! (There is a difference, and there's a reason He's given us instruction to stay away from worldy styles and influences...And it's for our best!)
Hmmmm....that should give us all something to think about and chew on for a few days! Hopefully this summary was as much fun to read as it was for me to write. But more importantly, maybe it will challenge all my reading friends to dig in and study for themselves...what is God calling us to do?? Is the "wide road" really the safest place to be?
Dan Lucarini, the author, shows how we are to use God's Word as the final authority in our lives, and that includes our choice of music. He starts off by sharing his testimony, a former rock 'n roll music performer, which came with the whole sex, drugs and alcohol lifestyle. Then some caring Christians witnessed to him and challenged him to read the Word of God. He shared how that was enough to convict him of sin and draw him to God. He didn't need rock music, CCM music, or any other entertainment "seeker-sensitive" philosophy to win him. He just needed the truth."
However, when he became involved in the church, he was exposed to a variety of worship styles and also became a worship leader. And this brought him into the midst of quite a bit of conflict between the traditionals and conservatives in music taste (which is still going on today). Eventually he finally began to study and really seek to understand the issues behind the conflict for himself. This book was the result of his search for truth.
First off, he shared how one "seeker-sensitive church" (which basically refers to an evangelistic ministry that focuses primarily on the needs of the person seeking God) was so focused in its efforts to create a non-judgemental atmosphere, that the pastor promoted "God accepts us as we are" philosophy. This goes hand in hand with CCM. Why was this a problem? Because this teaching produces a church that attracts people who want God in their lives, but do not want God to change their lifestyles. Hmmmmm......I've never thought about this mentality being connected with CCM. But keep reading.
We've probably all heard about Pastor Rick Warren and the Purpose Driven Church. Amazingly, his philosophy of music is largely shaping the worship styles in America. And his is a "Seeker-sensitive" philosophy...encouraging people that Church is a place for you to come as you are. He puts it this way in his book.
"We use the style of music the majority of people in our church listen to on the radio. They like bright, happy, cheerful music with a strong beat. Their ears are accustomed to music with a strong bass line and rhythm. For the first time in history, there exists a universal music style that can be heard in every country of the world. It's called contemporary pop/rock."
Pastor Warren continues: "Music sets the atmosphere of the church service, communicates doctrine through singing, and expresses our view of what God is like. The style of music you choose to use in your service may be the most influential factor in determining who your church reaches for Christ and whether or not your church grows."
Pastor Warren's quotes demonstrate how unquestionably important CCM has become as the key to success for the contemporary church. But he gives no biblical basis for attributing such lofty status to CCM - only his opinion.
Let's quickly compare the Traditional and the Contemporary Service.
What is the primary purpose for the Worship service?
Traditional - To prepare hearts for the preaching
Contemporary - To usher people into the presence of God
What tends to be emphasized?
Traditional - The Preaching
Contemporary - The Music
What is the primary motive in selecting music?
Traditional - Does God like it
Contemporary - Do the people like it
What is the secondary motive for selecting music?
Traditional - Do people like it
Contemporary - Does God like it
What is the primary indicator of a successful service?
Traditional - I was really convicted by the Word of God today (Truth based!)
Contemporary - I really worshiped God today (Experienced based!)
From reading, I realized that while an "Experience" is important...it should not be the foundation for our worship or beliefs. Truth must be! And music is an avenue into our minds that actually bypasses our conscious brain, and thus can communicate a message or doctrine (as Pastor Rick Warren so rightly stated) and influence our thinking without our rational thought being involved. Thus, if the music is not good, it has incredible power for evil. But wait a minute, I ask, as do many other readers. Is CCM evil?
Author, Dan Lucarini picks up: The key premises in the CCM industry and mentality is that music is amoral. God accepts all music styles, and no one should judge anothers preference or taste. Any contemporary music style can be used in the worship setting, and God accepts it. This philosophy comes directly out of the popular teaching in most contemporary churches now days that "God accepts us just as we are." That is partly true...He does, but then He changes us and makes us into a new person, and that is what CCM leaves out and rebels against. In fact, when anyone mentions standards or guidelines for music, or anything else for that matter, they are labeled as a "legalist." Thus Dan stresses the importance of people realizing the powerful effect of this teaching and how it neutralizes the proper role of biblical discernment and guideship.
He goes on to stress that, "If you are really seeking to be a Christian and live for Christ, you need to realize that there are plenty of guidelines and judgements in the Bible. In fact, Christ has a definite agenda for our lives and it has nothing to do with staying inside our comfort zone. Discipleship is not a self-esteem journey; growth means change, and change always includes loss, and loss is always painful."
He goes on to state: "Of course there is nothing that we can do to earn salvation. We cannot make ourselves clean enough to be acceptable to God. We must come as we are...but then does that mean we also stay as we are? No! The New Testament clearly teaches that genuine conversion produces a changed - and changing - life. The metamorphosis begins on the inside with a new heart and a new spirit (Ezek 36:26), and as we feed on God's word and offer our very lives to him rather than to the world, our minds are renewed in such a way that we are being transformed into the same image - the image of Christ. (Rom 8:29, II Cor 3:18)."
We cannot come to God just as we are, with our sin unconfessed or ignored or draped all over us, and still expect his acceptance. We cannot drag our favorite worldly music styles, dress and language into church, and expect a blessing if we plan to stay that way.
"Not everyone why says to me, Lord lord, shall enter the kingdom of Heaven, but he who does the will of my father in Heaven." Matt 7:21
Back to Pastor Rick Warren, CCM advocate: "You do not need a bunch of rules in music, it's the heart of worship that matters!"
But Dan Lucarini counters: "Can the pottery choose how to respond to the potter's touch? Would God be angry with us if we use ourselves as the measure of how to worship him, rather than His Word? Our worship practices have strayed far away from the true biblical heart of worship because we have failed to base our practices on the Word of God and instead have built the foundation on the needs of man. But biblically, the true heart of worship is when we approach God with an attitude of complete submission and surrender. It's not about me, or my way, it's about Him. We have nothing to offer God, but our total devotion and obedience. The true heart of worship is the heart that bows before God and submits to his Word, no more no less."
Dan continues to go on...sharing the background of contemporary, and it's relation to rock and other rebellion driven styles, and then how in Bible times the Israelites tried to pull the pagan styles of worship into their own, and how time and time again it brought their downfall. It's hard to think that CCM could be doing the same thing in our generation, and I admit that it's not been an easy thing for me to be willing to see. Some of my favorite singers over the years have been CCM artist. And to give us all a break, it's not as bad as real rock music right? We're not singing about drugs and sex! But...like Dan points out, "Are we to decide what is best, or is it God?"
There's much more I'd like to share here, but maybe I can convince a few people just to get the book and study the issue out more thoroughly for themselves.
However, before I bring this long epistle to a close, there's a couple more things I have to share.
I've heard from many of my friends and others... "Show me where the Bible says that rock music is evil." Dan shares other such "show me arguments from the hall of fame:
- Show me where the Bible says it's wrong to have a few beers
- Show me where the Bible says I should not smoke
- Show me where the Bible says that I should not get high on marijuana
- Show me where the Bible says it's wrong to spend holidays in Las Vagas
- Show me where the Bible says I should not play the lottery
And the favorite among contempories:
- Show me where the Bible says that we should only use hymns in church
But on the other hand, Dan encourages his readers...
Show me where the Bible says that...
- God is pleased when you chose the same music style as Madonna, Hootie and the Blowfish, and the Dave Matthews Band.
- You should vigorously defend your favorite music style of this world.
- It's ok to use the same music style as the sex and drug culture use
- God waived the "abstain from all appearance of evil" clause just for you!
"Be holy" is a command to God's people that is found throughout scriptures. Personal holiness is demanded by Christ, the Apostles and the entire Old & New testament. Holiness means to be set apart for God from the world. But reality is tough, and the highway to holiness is very narrow as it winds through our culture of sensuality and materialism. Yet as Christians, we are called to walk that straight and narrow path, and avoid anything that even hints of immorality.
In summary, Dan shares a few principles for help in music choices and ministry.
1. Avoid any preference or style that can be associated with evil. (Both in church and in our private lives!)
2. Freedom in Christ has limits. (In other words, everything we do should be both for the good of others and ourselves. If it's not beneficial for all concerned, I should not choose to do it.)
3. Be a builder, not part of the demolition crew! (We should be builders in the body of Christ, not destroyers. Most CCM worship leaders chase the older more conservative traditional Christians away in the name of "change," and this is wrong!)
4. Learn to live by principles and not just feelings. (It should not even contain a hint of immorality - guilt by association - nor should it be offensive to other Christians.)
5. If it's got the swing, it's probably not the best to sing. (Read more background on these styles to grasp why this is sooooo imporant and destructive in music!)
6. Break up the praise band and put away the microphones. (It puts everyone on the same playing field, and takes away the performance aspect while also putting the focus where it should be, on God!)
7. Keep the emphasis on the melody and harmony, not the beat. (Hymns are usually the safest, although some contemporary songs are acceptable, as long as it's not emphasizing a syncopated beat.)
8. Above all, think of who you are singing or listening to music for: Yourself or God! (There is a difference, and there's a reason He's given us instruction to stay away from worldy styles and influences...And it's for our best!)
Hmmmm....that should give us all something to think about and chew on for a few days! Hopefully this summary was as much fun to read as it was for me to write. But more importantly, maybe it will challenge all my reading friends to dig in and study for themselves...what is God calling us to do?? Is the "wide road" really the safest place to be?
Friday, December 15, 2006
Happy Anniversary Hollands!
Well we just sent Hollands off for a "romantic no-kids weekend." :-) I first met this sweet couple when they'd been married 4 years and now they've been together 21. Where have the years gone?
Usually each year, one of them does something for each other, but this year Mrs. Holland really out-did herself, and I got to help. The planning started only about 2 weeks ago. Mrs. Holland asked if I'd help her find a cabin or get-away place for her and her husband. We found this perfect beautiful "couples cabin" an hour or so South of here, near Sulphur in the Arbuckle mtns. But then it was reserved for this weekend. Bummer deal! We looked everywhere else, but either the cabins were too far away, or they were too expensive. I was getting discouraged and told her we should have started planning sooner. But then I got an e-mail from the lady that owned the cabin that we liked best, and she said there was an opening. Praise the Lord!!! So we reserved. This was just a secret between us girls though, as Mr. Holland had no clue. She did tell him a couple days ago that she was going to take him out for the afternoon so he wouldn't make plans.
So with the cabin reserved, plans continued. Mrs. Holland was excited, and I was really excited. (And I wasn't even the one going anywhere!) While Mr. Holland was away, we packed up food and their personal items and put them in the trunk of the car. Then after lunch, she asked him, "Are you ready to go?" He's like, "Yeah.....am I ok just like this?" "Yep!" she replied. And they took off out the door. Sandra had taken toothpaste and put hearts on the windows, and then wrote just married on the back window. It was great! After kissing us goodbye, they drove away. He had no idea where they were going or that all his stuff was in the trunk of their car. So funny....
They also had no idea that at the cabin I had ordered flowers, sparkling red grape juice, and candles to be waiting for them. :-) I can't wait to hear how they liked it all!!!
Ahhhh....it's so much fun to plan surprises!!! Especially when they involve a beautiful love story, like what they have. Hollands are such an inspiration and blessing to me. If it is ever God's will for me to marry, I hope to marry someone that is going to be a "best friend" and "spiritual soul-mate" like they've been to each other. They are a living example that "true love is worth waiting for" and part of the inspiration for the title of a program series I am working on for CCBN.
"Thank you God, that in this world of darkness and sin, there are still a few shining lights and examples of your love..."
Usually each year, one of them does something for each other, but this year Mrs. Holland really out-did herself, and I got to help. The planning started only about 2 weeks ago. Mrs. Holland asked if I'd help her find a cabin or get-away place for her and her husband. We found this perfect beautiful "couples cabin" an hour or so South of here, near Sulphur in the Arbuckle mtns. But then it was reserved for this weekend. Bummer deal! We looked everywhere else, but either the cabins were too far away, or they were too expensive. I was getting discouraged and told her we should have started planning sooner. But then I got an e-mail from the lady that owned the cabin that we liked best, and she said there was an opening. Praise the Lord!!! So we reserved. This was just a secret between us girls though, as Mr. Holland had no clue. She did tell him a couple days ago that she was going to take him out for the afternoon so he wouldn't make plans.
So with the cabin reserved, plans continued. Mrs. Holland was excited, and I was really excited. (And I wasn't even the one going anywhere!) While Mr. Holland was away, we packed up food and their personal items and put them in the trunk of the car. Then after lunch, she asked him, "Are you ready to go?" He's like, "Yeah.....am I ok just like this?" "Yep!" she replied. And they took off out the door. Sandra had taken toothpaste and put hearts on the windows, and then wrote just married on the back window. It was great! After kissing us goodbye, they drove away. He had no idea where they were going or that all his stuff was in the trunk of their car. So funny....
They also had no idea that at the cabin I had ordered flowers, sparkling red grape juice, and candles to be waiting for them. :-) I can't wait to hear how they liked it all!!!
Ahhhh....it's so much fun to plan surprises!!! Especially when they involve a beautiful love story, like what they have. Hollands are such an inspiration and blessing to me. If it is ever God's will for me to marry, I hope to marry someone that is going to be a "best friend" and "spiritual soul-mate" like they've been to each other. They are a living example that "true love is worth waiting for" and part of the inspiration for the title of a program series I am working on for CCBN.
"Thank you God, that in this world of darkness and sin, there are still a few shining lights and examples of your love..."
Wednesday, December 13, 2006
A comedy of errors...so much for special plans!
I gave Mrs. Holland (Mom Holland) a gift certificate about a year ago for a "special meal of choice." And so, the other day she asked if she could redeem her gift certificate and if I'd make her favorite meal. Of course, I fix meals all the time, and even get inspired to make special dinners on occasion...but this one was going to be extra special! I love to cook and decorate and make things festive, so I set to work.
The day started off normal...if any days can be normal in the Holland household. After clean-up of breakfast (we eat early around here since everyone except me is rushing to school), I set about to peel potatoes so they would be ready to put in the pan at 11:30. Then I went to run a quick trip to Harrah (10 minutes away) to get a few groceries we didn't have. I wanted to get things ready so I could come back and work on other projects and not spend the whole morning cooking or running errands. Ahhhh......but such was not to be.
First my tire started going flat...so I had to find "air." Air is free...but I needed to find it in a tube, and for that I had to pay! Next, Harrah did not have what I needed, so then the only option was to drive to Midwest City - 30 minutes away. But when I got there, I discovered I had not brought enough money to buy what I needed, so I had to leave half the grocery cart behind at the register and only take bare essentials. How embarrassing and frustrating!
By this time, amidst all the errands and detours, it was almost 11am...yikes, the morning was almost gone. I raced home, while trying to avoid speeding, so I could get the potatoes on to boil. I then ran over to our local Academy Health food store to retrieve the items I hadn't had money to buy in town. (Thank goodness, Hollands have an account!) When I got back home, the house smelled like burned food....as the potatoe pot had boiled over and overflowed all over the stove. :-(((((( And if anyone has ever burned food, you know that it is nigh-on to impossible to get the smell out of the room.
Hollands were still at teacher's meeting so, thinking I still had half an hour to work, I continued to rush to get the smell out and things ready. I set and decorated the table, and went back to making food. But I realized I still didn't have everything, so rushed out for the missing ingredients. "Can I never get my head on straight? This is crazy," I moaned. When I came back, something else had burned! (I'm not this bad of a cook normally......I promise!!!) And then I saw Holland's walking home.....right in the middle of it all....the house stank from burned stove smell, and the food was not ready, nothing was right.....and I'd wanted it to be sooo perfect for them. I burst into tears. And when they walked in the door, I was still dribbling...
Needless to say, the food still ended up tasting good, and the candles were still just as pretty. But it made me think that maybe I was trying to play "Martha" a little too much, and maybe I needed to slow down and be more of a "Mary" again and focus on what is really important. Even if things don't work out perfectly as planned, God still has a plan. Thankfully, He is patient, and my character was strengthened once again.
The day started off normal...if any days can be normal in the Holland household. After clean-up of breakfast (we eat early around here since everyone except me is rushing to school), I set about to peel potatoes so they would be ready to put in the pan at 11:30. Then I went to run a quick trip to Harrah (10 minutes away) to get a few groceries we didn't have. I wanted to get things ready so I could come back and work on other projects and not spend the whole morning cooking or running errands. Ahhhh......but such was not to be.
First my tire started going flat...so I had to find "air." Air is free...but I needed to find it in a tube, and for that I had to pay! Next, Harrah did not have what I needed, so then the only option was to drive to Midwest City - 30 minutes away. But when I got there, I discovered I had not brought enough money to buy what I needed, so I had to leave half the grocery cart behind at the register and only take bare essentials. How embarrassing and frustrating!
By this time, amidst all the errands and detours, it was almost 11am...yikes, the morning was almost gone. I raced home, while trying to avoid speeding, so I could get the potatoes on to boil. I then ran over to our local Academy Health food store to retrieve the items I hadn't had money to buy in town. (Thank goodness, Hollands have an account!) When I got back home, the house smelled like burned food....as the potatoe pot had boiled over and overflowed all over the stove. :-(((((( And if anyone has ever burned food, you know that it is nigh-on to impossible to get the smell out of the room.
Hollands were still at teacher's meeting so, thinking I still had half an hour to work, I continued to rush to get the smell out and things ready. I set and decorated the table, and went back to making food. But I realized I still didn't have everything, so rushed out for the missing ingredients. "Can I never get my head on straight? This is crazy," I moaned. When I came back, something else had burned! (I'm not this bad of a cook normally......I promise!!!) And then I saw Holland's walking home.....right in the middle of it all....the house stank from burned stove smell, and the food was not ready, nothing was right.....and I'd wanted it to be sooo perfect for them. I burst into tears. And when they walked in the door, I was still dribbling...
Needless to say, the food still ended up tasting good, and the candles were still just as pretty. But it made me think that maybe I was trying to play "Martha" a little too much, and maybe I needed to slow down and be more of a "Mary" again and focus on what is really important. Even if things don't work out perfectly as planned, God still has a plan. Thankfully, He is patient, and my character was strengthened once again.
Tuesday, December 12, 2006
Sabbath in Sallisaw...
Doesn't the name "Sallisaw" just sound so adventurous?! Like the name I might have given my Indian home when I was playing "Little House on the Prairie" games as a child.
Well, this last Sabbath I went with the Oklahoma Academy music groups on their concert trip to Sallisaw Oklahoma...only about 3 hours drive East. It was a long, cool ride (since temperatures have been low lately), but we came bundled with our blankets, and the experience brought back more nostalgic memories! What fun I had as a student, bouncing along the Oklahoma roads in our old MCI bus...and it's still fun. Not comfortable necessarily, but fun...maybe because you feel like adventure is ahead. :-)
God really blessed in the program. It was kinda interesting, because initially people started clapping after the songs, but then, they stopped...it was like they could autmatically sense that this was not a "performance" but something more sacred... "A sermon in music form." The atmosphere was reverent, and some even had tears in their eyes. The service closed with a baptism, candelight service and prayer.
One highlight of the day was that I got to spend some time with my old childhood best friend Valerie. We've known each other since we were like 5 years old, but somehow btw 15 and 25, we kinda lost track of each other. But then the last few years, God brought us back together. It's kinda funny, because although living different lives and going to school at different places, our lives have paralleled in amazing ways. We are both Nurses, we both love missions and travel, we both drive gold Honda's, we both wear the same clothes styles, we both have had our hearts seriously broken, life hasn't gone as we planned, but we are still holding on to God, and we are both still seeking God with all our hearts! What a blessing to have such a "kindred spirit" in a friend!
I am downloading a few pictures from our day...my favorite though is the one of the candle...the picture is black and white, but the candle is the only color. Thus, we live in a dark cold world, buried and covered by sin, but God has given us His Light to share and bring hope and life back to our hearts. Also reminds me of one of my favorite childhood songs... "This little light of mine, I'm going to let it shine..."
Well, this last Sabbath I went with the Oklahoma Academy music groups on their concert trip to Sallisaw Oklahoma...only about 3 hours drive East. It was a long, cool ride (since temperatures have been low lately), but we came bundled with our blankets, and the experience brought back more nostalgic memories! What fun I had as a student, bouncing along the Oklahoma roads in our old MCI bus...and it's still fun. Not comfortable necessarily, but fun...maybe because you feel like adventure is ahead. :-)
God really blessed in the program. It was kinda interesting, because initially people started clapping after the songs, but then, they stopped...it was like they could autmatically sense that this was not a "performance" but something more sacred... "A sermon in music form." The atmosphere was reverent, and some even had tears in their eyes. The service closed with a baptism, candelight service and prayer.
One highlight of the day was that I got to spend some time with my old childhood best friend Valerie. We've known each other since we were like 5 years old, but somehow btw 15 and 25, we kinda lost track of each other. But then the last few years, God brought us back together. It's kinda funny, because although living different lives and going to school at different places, our lives have paralleled in amazing ways. We are both Nurses, we both love missions and travel, we both drive gold Honda's, we both wear the same clothes styles, we both have had our hearts seriously broken, life hasn't gone as we planned, but we are still holding on to God, and we are both still seeking God with all our hearts! What a blessing to have such a "kindred spirit" in a friend!
I am downloading a few pictures from our day...my favorite though is the one of the candle...the picture is black and white, but the candle is the only color. Thus, we live in a dark cold world, buried and covered by sin, but God has given us His Light to share and bring hope and life back to our hearts. Also reminds me of one of my favorite childhood songs... "This little light of mine, I'm going to let it shine..."
Friday, December 08, 2006
Musical Memories
Just came back from a beautiful evening of music with the Oklahoma Academy musical groups! Wow! They did such a good job...and it reminded me of all the beautiful Christmases that I've spent here at OA over the years, helping with the programs, singing in the choir, playing in the Bell Choir. It's hard to believe that it's been over 12 years now since I graduated...time moves on!
Above is a picture of part of the magical beautiful decorations they set up...and below are pictures of my time in Arkansas and the huge ice storm that we had come through!
Tomorrow (Sabbath) I'll be going with Hollands to more OA music concerts at some churches several hours away. So I get to hear this program 2 more times before the weekend is over. Ahhhhh.......how priviledged I am! (Thanks Holland Family, for encouraging me to come along and enjoy the memories!)
Above is a picture of part of the magical beautiful decorations they set up...and below are pictures of my time in Arkansas and the huge ice storm that we had come through!
Tomorrow (Sabbath) I'll be going with Hollands to more OA music concerts at some churches several hours away. So I get to hear this program 2 more times before the weekend is over. Ahhhhh.......how priviledged I am! (Thanks Holland Family, for encouraging me to come along and enjoy the memories!)
Monday, December 04, 2006
Thanksgiving #2 - in Arkansas
Well, I'm back to the beautiful Ozark Country again! And it seems that I've moved to a different world. (Of course, Southern CA and Northern Arkansas are about as different as night and day!)
Although it always takes some adjusting, it's been good to be back with my family for a week. Have gotten to see lots of old friends, and meet some new ones. Had our Thanksgiving celebration on Sunday (which my parents do instead of Christmas). Daniel got a new bike, and my brothers got leather jackets, which almost matched the one I just got recently. There were other little goodies too. I felt bad that I didn't really have any money to spend on gifts for them this year. (But I guess my ticket to come home is a big enough gift!)
Besides spending time with family or helping my mom on her 4,000 coon cap order, I mostly just worked on "Creators Call" projects. Seemed like I had a hard time getting back to the central time too...as I was up till midnight most every night. (But I rationalized it away, as it was afterall only 10pm Loma Linda time!)
Had some more time for reading extra-curriculars (that has been pretty sparse the last month with all my extra shifts, traveling to and from San Diego, and moving). Almost have the "Why I left the CCM Industry" book done! Wow - talk about powerful! Just wait....I still have more to share. Also had lots of intresting Biblical discussions with my growing brothers who are quite intelligent and fast surpassing us all in height. (I'm sooo proud of them!)
The highlight of the week was that I convinced them (along with my mom) to come with me to GYC this year in Baltimore!!! I know they will be sooo radically blessed by this. And they are getting more interested in missions, so I think it will really help them in that direction. Praise the Lord.
I was suppose to fly back to CA on Friday the 1st, but due to a big snow/ice storm that came through, I cancelled the flight. And last minute, since I don't have work for the next couple weeks in CA anyway, decided to just stay here in the central USA until January. So I spent an extra weekend with my Arkansas gang, then drove over to Oklahoma on Monday where I'll put in some extra shifts at Mercy Hospital and continue to work on CCBN projects and ministries.
I miss Sunny and my Loma Linda friends...but I'm enjoying some more relaxed time at home in Oklahoma, and I know that all too soon, I will once again be saying goodbye, as I head back West.
Although it always takes some adjusting, it's been good to be back with my family for a week. Have gotten to see lots of old friends, and meet some new ones. Had our Thanksgiving celebration on Sunday (which my parents do instead of Christmas). Daniel got a new bike, and my brothers got leather jackets, which almost matched the one I just got recently. There were other little goodies too. I felt bad that I didn't really have any money to spend on gifts for them this year. (But I guess my ticket to come home is a big enough gift!)
Besides spending time with family or helping my mom on her 4,000 coon cap order, I mostly just worked on "Creators Call" projects. Seemed like I had a hard time getting back to the central time too...as I was up till midnight most every night. (But I rationalized it away, as it was afterall only 10pm Loma Linda time!)
Had some more time for reading extra-curriculars (that has been pretty sparse the last month with all my extra shifts, traveling to and from San Diego, and moving). Almost have the "Why I left the CCM Industry" book done! Wow - talk about powerful! Just wait....I still have more to share. Also had lots of intresting Biblical discussions with my growing brothers who are quite intelligent and fast surpassing us all in height. (I'm sooo proud of them!)
The highlight of the week was that I convinced them (along with my mom) to come with me to GYC this year in Baltimore!!! I know they will be sooo radically blessed by this. And they are getting more interested in missions, so I think it will really help them in that direction. Praise the Lord.
I was suppose to fly back to CA on Friday the 1st, but due to a big snow/ice storm that came through, I cancelled the flight. And last minute, since I don't have work for the next couple weeks in CA anyway, decided to just stay here in the central USA until January. So I spent an extra weekend with my Arkansas gang, then drove over to Oklahoma on Monday where I'll put in some extra shifts at Mercy Hospital and continue to work on CCBN projects and ministries.
I miss Sunny and my Loma Linda friends...but I'm enjoying some more relaxed time at home in Oklahoma, and I know that all too soon, I will once again be saying goodbye, as I head back West.
Thursday, November 23, 2006
Thanksgiving #1 - in Loma Linda
It's sooo good to be up at Loma Linda...and no more commuting South! :-) Yipee!! Sunny came home from India just a couple nights ago, and it's been awesome to hear her stories and see some of her pictures. Showed her how to use Vagus Movie Maker, and she put together a little slide show to show her friends today.
I spent the morning packing and organizing (fly to Arkansas in the am), and then we had a wonderful Thanksgiving lunch (and wont need to eat for the next week) at a friends place. Carlos and Dafne and Lorinda and Lucinda, and others were also there. It was a fun relaxing day. After our bellies were full, and we'd heard "love stories" of how all the couples met, we played Taboo and Dutch Blitz and other group games.
Wow - days like this make me feel really selfish and spoiled! "God, why did you allow me...out of all the millions of people in the world, to grow up with plenty of love, plenty of friends, plenty of food, and most of all - plenty of resources and encouragements to point me to You? Why me!? Why me, when there are soooo many starving and hurting around the world?"
(And this is only my first Thanksgiving for this year...This weekend in Arkansas, will be my 2nd.)
I spent the morning packing and organizing (fly to Arkansas in the am), and then we had a wonderful Thanksgiving lunch (and wont need to eat for the next week) at a friends place. Carlos and Dafne and Lorinda and Lucinda, and others were also there. It was a fun relaxing day. After our bellies were full, and we'd heard "love stories" of how all the couples met, we played Taboo and Dutch Blitz and other group games.
Wow - days like this make me feel really selfish and spoiled! "God, why did you allow me...out of all the millions of people in the world, to grow up with plenty of love, plenty of friends, plenty of food, and most of all - plenty of resources and encouragements to point me to You? Why me!? Why me, when there are soooo many starving and hurting around the world?"
(And this is only my first Thanksgiving for this year...This weekend in Arkansas, will be my 2nd.)
Tuesday, November 21, 2006
Inside a whirlwind day of a Travel RN!
Well...hard to believe, my contract in San Diego has finally finished. The last 2 days were the most crazy and hectic of my whole three + months, I think. My mom says I just had to finish with a "blaze of glory." It was a "blaze" of something, though I'm not sure it was glory! :-)
The "blaze" went something like this:
6:30am - Report from off-going nurses, narcotic counts, and organization of patient loads
7:15 am - Start assessments and then organizing my first doses of am meds for my 5 patients. Usually don't finish this process til after 9am due to emergencies and needs, but this day, I was
still giving 8 o'clock routine meds at 10am!
7:30 am - Breakfast trays arrive, help CNA's pass out trays and smiles to patients. Some don't have what they requested, so I walk/run down to the Cafe personally to get the missing items since it would be 2 hours before the Cafe brought it up if I just called. (Whew - at least I got some extra exercise!)
8:00 am - Pt 4 had dressing coming off and needed to be changed. Long ordeal.
8:15 am - Request for Pain Meds IV push for Pt 1
8:20 am - Request for Pain Med IV Push for Pt 2
8:25 am - Pt request more coffee/drink...not good at making coffee (ha ha) so I put in too much mix in the coffee maker and about kill off all the coffee drinkers.... But how am I suppose to know, since I never make coffee!!! :-)
8:30 am - Request for Pain Med Oral for Pt 3
(Whoa....slow down, can't keep up with all these request!)
9:00 am - Still haven't finished all my assessments (I know, this is rediculous, but if you'd have been there, you'd have understood!)
9:10 am - Answer questions from irate family member that just missed seeing the doctor and is unhappy with what doctor is doing. Page doctor to discuss issue, doctor gets mad because he was just there and the family member wasn't there to talk....work to placify both parties!
9:15 am - Pain Med request IV for Pt 4
9:30 am - Cleaned up large BM for Pt 1....(Hey, at least I don't have to give that one a laxative!)
9:40 am - went to change another leaky bandage and wound Vac, but no supplies in supply room. Had to take elevator to Supply Dept on lower level to get supplies.
9:50 am - Spend few minutes visiting and praying with a discouraged pt - wish I had hours to do just this, but no....they are calling for me again!
10:00 am - Answered some phone calls from anxious family members....talked to more doctors, finished assessment on Pt 5 - thankfully, they were patient, and thankfully they weren't screaming for their IV narcotics every 2 hours.
10:15 - Request again from Pt. 1 for more IV Morphine....
10:20 - go looking for normal saline syringes and needles (since I've about depleted the supply with all my Narcotic IV's) but none are to be found. Run to unit on other wing to get supplies!
10:30 - Request from Pt 2 for more IV dilaudid (yep, I'm serious! Chronic pain issues, and the doc said she could have 1mg q 2 hours! Now isn't that a knock-out?!)
10:35 - Helped CNA bathe and clean up total care pt 3
10:45 - Request from pt 1 for more pain meds. (Sorry ma'm, you've already had your dose for the next 2 hours! What else could we do to help your pain?)
10:50 - I love being a nurse....but I just can't keep up with all the request, haven't even started charting! And now I need to start thinking about 11am med doses.
11:30 - Answer call lights...other nurses are ignoring them thinking a CNA will get them, but no CNA in sight. I think they are still giving bathes. I take my blood sugars. One is off the scale, a whopping 350, I give the Insulin and notify the doctor. He gives no orders and seems iritated that I called. Pt is on steriods and tube feeding, which doesn't help.
11:45 - More Pain med request - Trays arrive....pass out trays, deal with more food issues.
12:15 - Run for a quick lunch break....(It's required, or I'd skip!) Still have done no charting. Just giving pain meds or answering call lights or emergencies.
12:40 - Back from lunch...Pt 1 screaming for Pain Meds again, and Pts 2 & 3 soon follow suite.
And so the day continued...As it turned out, I gave over 25 Narcotic medications this shift (which is an unearthly number) and cleaned up about a dozen BM's. (One pt was obviously have diarrhea!) And I didn't start charting till 6:00 pm. We give report at 6:30 pm, so I ended up staying over a good hour and a half to get all my charting up to date!
How do I remember all the wonderful details??? Well, because I'm a nurse...and God gave Nurses an excellent memory! So good in fact, that it will wake me up at 2am in the morning! "Oh no! I forgot to chart the heparin flushes I gave Pt 2 & 3...or the feeding that Pt 4 received." I sigh and roll over. "At least I know I made a difference in a couple patient's lives, even if I didn't get every detail charted. But God, I don't know if I could handle one more day..."
And God softly replies... "My grace is sufficient..." I go back to sleep!
The "blaze" went something like this:
6:30am - Report from off-going nurses, narcotic counts, and organization of patient loads
7:15 am - Start assessments and then organizing my first doses of am meds for my 5 patients. Usually don't finish this process til after 9am due to emergencies and needs, but this day, I was
still giving 8 o'clock routine meds at 10am!
7:30 am - Breakfast trays arrive, help CNA's pass out trays and smiles to patients. Some don't have what they requested, so I walk/run down to the Cafe personally to get the missing items since it would be 2 hours before the Cafe brought it up if I just called. (Whew - at least I got some extra exercise!)
8:00 am - Pt 4 had dressing coming off and needed to be changed. Long ordeal.
8:15 am - Request for Pain Meds IV push for Pt 1
8:20 am - Request for Pain Med IV Push for Pt 2
8:25 am - Pt request more coffee/drink...not good at making coffee (ha ha) so I put in too much mix in the coffee maker and about kill off all the coffee drinkers.... But how am I suppose to know, since I never make coffee!!! :-)
8:30 am - Request for Pain Med Oral for Pt 3
(Whoa....slow down, can't keep up with all these request!)
9:00 am - Still haven't finished all my assessments (I know, this is rediculous, but if you'd have been there, you'd have understood!)
9:10 am - Answer questions from irate family member that just missed seeing the doctor and is unhappy with what doctor is doing. Page doctor to discuss issue, doctor gets mad because he was just there and the family member wasn't there to talk....work to placify both parties!
9:15 am - Pain Med request IV for Pt 4
9:30 am - Cleaned up large BM for Pt 1....(Hey, at least I don't have to give that one a laxative!)
9:40 am - went to change another leaky bandage and wound Vac, but no supplies in supply room. Had to take elevator to Supply Dept on lower level to get supplies.
9:50 am - Spend few minutes visiting and praying with a discouraged pt - wish I had hours to do just this, but no....they are calling for me again!
10:00 am - Answered some phone calls from anxious family members....talked to more doctors, finished assessment on Pt 5 - thankfully, they were patient, and thankfully they weren't screaming for their IV narcotics every 2 hours.
10:15 - Request again from Pt. 1 for more IV Morphine....
10:20 - go looking for normal saline syringes and needles (since I've about depleted the supply with all my Narcotic IV's) but none are to be found. Run to unit on other wing to get supplies!
10:30 - Request from Pt 2 for more IV dilaudid (yep, I'm serious! Chronic pain issues, and the doc said she could have 1mg q 2 hours! Now isn't that a knock-out?!)
10:35 - Helped CNA bathe and clean up total care pt 3
10:45 - Request from pt 1 for more pain meds. (Sorry ma'm, you've already had your dose for the next 2 hours! What else could we do to help your pain?)
10:50 - I love being a nurse....but I just can't keep up with all the request, haven't even started charting! And now I need to start thinking about 11am med doses.
11:30 - Answer call lights...other nurses are ignoring them thinking a CNA will get them, but no CNA in sight. I think they are still giving bathes. I take my blood sugars. One is off the scale, a whopping 350, I give the Insulin and notify the doctor. He gives no orders and seems iritated that I called. Pt is on steriods and tube feeding, which doesn't help.
11:45 - More Pain med request - Trays arrive....pass out trays, deal with more food issues.
12:15 - Run for a quick lunch break....(It's required, or I'd skip!) Still have done no charting. Just giving pain meds or answering call lights or emergencies.
12:40 - Back from lunch...Pt 1 screaming for Pain Meds again, and Pts 2 & 3 soon follow suite.
And so the day continued...As it turned out, I gave over 25 Narcotic medications this shift (which is an unearthly number) and cleaned up about a dozen BM's. (One pt was obviously have diarrhea!) And I didn't start charting till 6:00 pm. We give report at 6:30 pm, so I ended up staying over a good hour and a half to get all my charting up to date!
How do I remember all the wonderful details??? Well, because I'm a nurse...and God gave Nurses an excellent memory! So good in fact, that it will wake me up at 2am in the morning! "Oh no! I forgot to chart the heparin flushes I gave Pt 2 & 3...or the feeding that Pt 4 received." I sigh and roll over. "At least I know I made a difference in a couple patient's lives, even if I didn't get every detail charted. But God, I don't know if I could handle one more day..."
And God softly replies... "My grace is sufficient..." I go back to sleep!
Sunday, November 19, 2006
Encouragement from a new friend...
Well, I'm back to San Diego for my last three days of intensive hands-on character building! ;-) Actually, compared to some times lately, today was wonderful!!! Sundays usually are easier though, as we nurses aren't competing for our workspace with dozen's of therapist and doctors and others. So it was laid back and quiet, and my patients, although good at keeping me very occupied (what else do I go to work for anyway) were all really sweet and apologetic for any inconvenience they might be causing me. Like I said, why else am I there, but to serve them? But it sure does make it more joyful to do that when they are appreciative and grateful, rather than demanding and complaining, like most patients now days tend to be.
Today though, God had a special treat in store for me, as he gave me for a patient the most beautiful and sweet little old (yet energetic and charming) lady I've ever met. And to top it off, she was a Catholic Nun! We were talking about different things, and I was asking her questions about her faith, and then she asked me if I was "Christian." When I told her that I was indeed, she asked what denomination I belonged to. I smiled as I contemplated her question. "Are you sure you really want to know?" I asked. "Yes!" She eagerly responded. "I'm a Seventh-Day Adventist." I told her, waiting for her brow to furrow or her expression to cloud...but it didn't. She beamed. "That's awesome! I have some friends that are SDA and I HIGHLY respect Seventh-Day Adventist!" :-)
And so followed the most delightful day of conversations and interaction that I've had with any of my patients in a long time. She was in a lot of pain due to her illness that had hospitalized her, but not a word of complaint or griping did you hear. Her face was radiant as she shared about her life, and her faith. She definitely had (and still is) living for God with all her heart. I felt that I'd met a "kindred spirit," even if she was of a different faith and half a century ahead of me. But I also had to smile to myself...God does have a sense of humor, doesn't He?
But, somehow He knew that what I needed right now was a little Catholic Nun to remind me of the "joy of service despite pain and trials." I know she sure was an encouragement to me today, and I feel honored that God is letting me spend my last several days at Continental taking care of someone like her.
Today though, God had a special treat in store for me, as he gave me for a patient the most beautiful and sweet little old (yet energetic and charming) lady I've ever met. And to top it off, she was a Catholic Nun! We were talking about different things, and I was asking her questions about her faith, and then she asked me if I was "Christian." When I told her that I was indeed, she asked what denomination I belonged to. I smiled as I contemplated her question. "Are you sure you really want to know?" I asked. "Yes!" She eagerly responded. "I'm a Seventh-Day Adventist." I told her, waiting for her brow to furrow or her expression to cloud...but it didn't. She beamed. "That's awesome! I have some friends that are SDA and I HIGHLY respect Seventh-Day Adventist!" :-)
And so followed the most delightful day of conversations and interaction that I've had with any of my patients in a long time. She was in a lot of pain due to her illness that had hospitalized her, but not a word of complaint or griping did you hear. Her face was radiant as she shared about her life, and her faith. She definitely had (and still is) living for God with all her heart. I felt that I'd met a "kindred spirit," even if she was of a different faith and half a century ahead of me. But I also had to smile to myself...God does have a sense of humor, doesn't He?
But, somehow He knew that what I needed right now was a little Catholic Nun to remind me of the "joy of service despite pain and trials." I know she sure was an encouragement to me today, and I feel honored that God is letting me spend my last several days at Continental taking care of someone like her.
Friday, November 17, 2006
PALS, CCBN meetings, Chest X-ray of the left Hip, and cooking up songs
Wow...what a week! (As you can tell by the heading!) Spent the first part of it juggling PALS (Pedeatric Advanced Life Support) class here at Loma Linda, along with "Creator's Call" meetings and network planning. Then I drove down to San Diego for a couple more busy days at Continental Rehab Hospital. "Can we order a chest x-ray of the left hip" one nurse asked? We were all dumb-founded. "Is that what the doctor asked for? A "chest x-ray of the left hip?" How does one order that?" :-/ Our unit manager corrected the confusion on the orders, and educated the new hiree on the proper terms. Actually, she needed an x-ray of the left hip, minus the chest part. Needless to say, we were all chuckling the rest of the day...and several days after. How about ordering a "KUB of the right ankle"? or an "EGD of the bladder"? For those in the medical field, you know the terms behind the abreviations. A KUB actually refers to "kidneys, ureters, and bladder." While an EGD is a fancy term (and one of my favorite words) which stands for Esophagogastroduedenoscopy, and in short refers to a study of the GI tract. So obviously we can't do a test on something that the test isn't for, right? But again, hey...we might could try..."anyone willing to go for a chest x-ray of your left hip?"
To more serious notes and thoughts, Creator's Call is coming along slowly. At this last week's meeting we watched part of Desmond Doss's story and took notes on how the film was made. It was very educational. Part of the team also went to a big DV-Digital Media expo in LA. I didn't make that one though, since I had to work.
Came back up to LLU last night. I'll be sooo thankful when my commute between San Diego and Loma Linda is over. Spent the day cleaning (I have to get ready, because Sunny is coming home!), went and had a meeting with one of our producers/diretors for the Health series program we are working on, and then I made an ice-cream pie for tomorrow...simply because I was too exhausted and lazy to make something more fancy. If I had my own dishes and space, it might be easier, but I am still learning where all of Sunny's equipment is. I do love to cook, but it's hard to get motivated so much when I'm by myself and always on the move. But in time, maybe we can invite people over to our place, and then it'll be a blast to cook again.
Tonight I went to the famous LL singing bands again. I think tonight was one of the best nights yet...in that we had a great group, and everyone sang, and I even got to tell a story. I love to tell children stories and be more involved, but I'm still trying to get over my "shy streak" that I have whenever I am with a new group of people. It's not the kids that make me shy, but the other young adults that I am singing with. If they weren't there or would just go away, then I'd be fine!!! But progress is being made, and thankfully they encouraged me to be a little more assertive tonight! How I love to sing. Maybe we could even start a trio or octet or something at Advent Hope, like I use to sing in at Southern. We'll see...
So...in a nutshell, that was my week, as far as events. As far as what God has been teaching me spiritually...well, that's a whole bigger story. So more on that later...I just praise the Lord for another Sabbath to spend with Him!
To more serious notes and thoughts, Creator's Call is coming along slowly. At this last week's meeting we watched part of Desmond Doss's story and took notes on how the film was made. It was very educational. Part of the team also went to a big DV-Digital Media expo in LA. I didn't make that one though, since I had to work.
Came back up to LLU last night. I'll be sooo thankful when my commute between San Diego and Loma Linda is over. Spent the day cleaning (I have to get ready, because Sunny is coming home!), went and had a meeting with one of our producers/diretors for the Health series program we are working on, and then I made an ice-cream pie for tomorrow...simply because I was too exhausted and lazy to make something more fancy. If I had my own dishes and space, it might be easier, but I am still learning where all of Sunny's equipment is. I do love to cook, but it's hard to get motivated so much when I'm by myself and always on the move. But in time, maybe we can invite people over to our place, and then it'll be a blast to cook again.
Tonight I went to the famous LL singing bands again. I think tonight was one of the best nights yet...in that we had a great group, and everyone sang, and I even got to tell a story. I love to tell children stories and be more involved, but I'm still trying to get over my "shy streak" that I have whenever I am with a new group of people. It's not the kids that make me shy, but the other young adults that I am singing with. If they weren't there or would just go away, then I'd be fine!!! But progress is being made, and thankfully they encouraged me to be a little more assertive tonight! How I love to sing. Maybe we could even start a trio or octet or something at Advent Hope, like I use to sing in at Southern. We'll see...
So...in a nutshell, that was my week, as far as events. As far as what God has been teaching me spiritually...well, that's a whole bigger story. So more on that later...I just praise the Lord for another Sabbath to spend with Him!
Monday, November 13, 2006
Following the Creator's Call
Well...finally, the BIG NEWS!!! (No, I'm not engaged...nor am I even with anyone, so I am sorry to disappoint you friends afar that keep watching and hoping!) But the news is even better! :-) I believe God has finally led me to the ministry I've been praying for, and dreaming about for many years. It's a long story, actually, and if you want the details, let me know, and I'll fill you in.
But to make a long story short: Back at the AMEN conference that I attended in the end of September down in San Diego, David Gates made a challenge to all of us to more fully use the resources that God has given us to spread the gospel. (In this instance, that being web and t.v. media!) Well, as many of you know, I've been dreaming about and praying about starting a "youth network" for a couple years now. A network that focused on issues and needs that youth have, while at the same time providing them with a higher standard and mentoring directly from God's word. But while I've talked about my ideas with a few people, there has never been the time or resources to bring that dream together. Then at AMEN (which by the way, stands for Adventist Medical Evangelism Network), they decided to start a Health Network. I also have a huge burden for health ministry, especially in Preventative Lifestyle Education, and I believe with all my heart that it is the "right arm of the gospel" and we are not using our influence as we should. So I immediately volunteered and asked if I could be involved in this new organization, thinking this might be the direction God would lead me.
Eventually, a board member got back with me, and while she was excited about my enthusiasm, she said she'd have to get back with me to see if/and or/how that I could be involved. Well....time went on and I heard nothing. Meanwhile, my sister told me about a "youth network" that our friend Curtis had decided to start...also inspired at the AMEN conference. I was ecstatic to hear about this, and the next chance I got, I talked with Curtis about what his plans were, and about some ideas that I'd been brainstorming about. He was interested, and we planned to talk more. That was the next weekend I came back up to Loma Linda. I e-mailed him a list of programming ideas that I'd been thinking about and working on for awhile. He asked if I could come to the next volunteer meeting and present those ideas, and I did. Everyone was very receptive, and we talked about many more ideas and possible plans.
Since the hospital I've been working at in San Diego wasn't willing at the time, to renew my contract (they have since come and begged me to stay), I felt that God was leading me to move up to Loma Linda so that I could be more involved in either the youth network or AMEN. I prayed that whichever was God's best plan, He would open the doors that direction first. (My parents back in OK were rooting for Creator's Call - the youth network - while my family in AR was rooting for AMEN!)
Well, this past Sabbath, Curtis asked me to be the Director of Programming for Creator's Call. It's a position that would overwhelm me with it's vastness, except that I really believe this is where God is leading me, and I know that He is my sufficiency. I can do nothing of myself!!! And so instead of being overwhelmed, I am enthusiastic and excited about the possibilities ahead of us. In fact, I can't sleep completely through the night without waking up and thinking about all that there is to do...even with our limited resources. Of course, we are stepping out completely in faith as no one has the money or resources of their own, but I know that God is going to honor and provide as we help build a life-line of hope for youth.
I've taken my own step of faith in moving up here, since I do not have a job in this area yet, but that I believe God will provide as well.
So, that's my news! I guess that wasn't such a short version afterall. Anyway, all I can say is...God is sooooo good! If He hadn't brought me to CA to work, or if I hadn't been in San Diego, I wouldn't have attended AMEN, nor would I probably be one of the priviledged to get in on the ground-building work of this new ministry. Each step of my life, He has so perfectly orchestrated and planned, all I can do is say, "Praise God."
*Incidently, one of the AMEN board members called me the next day after I accepted the position with Creator's Call and earnestly requested that I take an "Administrative Assistant" position with the AMEN Network. And I dearly wanted to...as I believe in what they are seeking to do as well! Health Education, especially Preventative Lifestyle Education, is such a big interest of mine! However, I felt like God had directed me in the direction I should focus my life on, and that it would be counter productive to try to do both. So....the course of my future...determined by the difference of one day!
But to make a long story short: Back at the AMEN conference that I attended in the end of September down in San Diego, David Gates made a challenge to all of us to more fully use the resources that God has given us to spread the gospel. (In this instance, that being web and t.v. media!) Well, as many of you know, I've been dreaming about and praying about starting a "youth network" for a couple years now. A network that focused on issues and needs that youth have, while at the same time providing them with a higher standard and mentoring directly from God's word. But while I've talked about my ideas with a few people, there has never been the time or resources to bring that dream together. Then at AMEN (which by the way, stands for Adventist Medical Evangelism Network), they decided to start a Health Network. I also have a huge burden for health ministry, especially in Preventative Lifestyle Education, and I believe with all my heart that it is the "right arm of the gospel" and we are not using our influence as we should. So I immediately volunteered and asked if I could be involved in this new organization, thinking this might be the direction God would lead me.
Eventually, a board member got back with me, and while she was excited about my enthusiasm, she said she'd have to get back with me to see if/and or/how that I could be involved. Well....time went on and I heard nothing. Meanwhile, my sister told me about a "youth network" that our friend Curtis had decided to start...also inspired at the AMEN conference. I was ecstatic to hear about this, and the next chance I got, I talked with Curtis about what his plans were, and about some ideas that I'd been brainstorming about. He was interested, and we planned to talk more. That was the next weekend I came back up to Loma Linda. I e-mailed him a list of programming ideas that I'd been thinking about and working on for awhile. He asked if I could come to the next volunteer meeting and present those ideas, and I did. Everyone was very receptive, and we talked about many more ideas and possible plans.
Since the hospital I've been working at in San Diego wasn't willing at the time, to renew my contract (they have since come and begged me to stay), I felt that God was leading me to move up to Loma Linda so that I could be more involved in either the youth network or AMEN. I prayed that whichever was God's best plan, He would open the doors that direction first. (My parents back in OK were rooting for Creator's Call - the youth network - while my family in AR was rooting for AMEN!)
Well, this past Sabbath, Curtis asked me to be the Director of Programming for Creator's Call. It's a position that would overwhelm me with it's vastness, except that I really believe this is where God is leading me, and I know that He is my sufficiency. I can do nothing of myself!!! And so instead of being overwhelmed, I am enthusiastic and excited about the possibilities ahead of us. In fact, I can't sleep completely through the night without waking up and thinking about all that there is to do...even with our limited resources. Of course, we are stepping out completely in faith as no one has the money or resources of their own, but I know that God is going to honor and provide as we help build a life-line of hope for youth.
I've taken my own step of faith in moving up here, since I do not have a job in this area yet, but that I believe God will provide as well.
So, that's my news! I guess that wasn't such a short version afterall. Anyway, all I can say is...God is sooooo good! If He hadn't brought me to CA to work, or if I hadn't been in San Diego, I wouldn't have attended AMEN, nor would I probably be one of the priviledged to get in on the ground-building work of this new ministry. Each step of my life, He has so perfectly orchestrated and planned, all I can do is say, "Praise God."
*Incidently, one of the AMEN board members called me the next day after I accepted the position with Creator's Call and earnestly requested that I take an "Administrative Assistant" position with the AMEN Network. And I dearly wanted to...as I believe in what they are seeking to do as well! Health Education, especially Preventative Lifestyle Education, is such a big interest of mine! However, I felt like God had directed me in the direction I should focus my life on, and that it would be counter productive to try to do both. So....the course of my future...determined by the difference of one day!
Sabbath in the mountains...
Praise the Lord for another Sabbath!!!!
Friday night was inspirational as always, as I attended singing bands. I'm actually getting to where I look forward to it every week. Get's me in a different mode of ministry in the hospital, besides popping pills or dealing with emergencies, and that is a blessing. Seeing the faces of gratefullness of the patients, seeing the emotions and tears. There are sooo many hurting and in need of courage! I'm blessed to be apart of a team of encouragers and lifter-upers!
Sabbath, I'd been looking forward to ALL week! We drove up into the mtns for outdoor church. I rode with Curtis and Janine and enjoyed getting to know them more. And since we're going to be working a lot more together in the future, that was a blessing. But most of all, it was just good to get away from all the traffic and enjoy nature. After church, and a picnic lunch, a few of us hiked on up the trail and had a special prayer group, praying for ministries we feel strongly about. It was a special time. Then on our way down, it started snowing...well, it was more like sleet...or adolescent snow that hadn't made up it's mind yet what it was! But it was awesome, none the less! Then in the evening, Brad and Amber Strothers invited a few of us over for supper, and I got to enjoy learning more about them and how God has worked in their lives. What a blessing to be with fellow believers! God is sooo good!
Friday night was inspirational as always, as I attended singing bands. I'm actually getting to where I look forward to it every week. Get's me in a different mode of ministry in the hospital, besides popping pills or dealing with emergencies, and that is a blessing. Seeing the faces of gratefullness of the patients, seeing the emotions and tears. There are sooo many hurting and in need of courage! I'm blessed to be apart of a team of encouragers and lifter-upers!
Sabbath, I'd been looking forward to ALL week! We drove up into the mtns for outdoor church. I rode with Curtis and Janine and enjoyed getting to know them more. And since we're going to be working a lot more together in the future, that was a blessing. But most of all, it was just good to get away from all the traffic and enjoy nature. After church, and a picnic lunch, a few of us hiked on up the trail and had a special prayer group, praying for ministries we feel strongly about. It was a special time. Then on our way down, it started snowing...well, it was more like sleet...or adolescent snow that hadn't made up it's mind yet what it was! But it was awesome, none the less! Then in the evening, Brad and Amber Strothers invited a few of us over for supper, and I got to enjoy learning more about them and how God has worked in their lives. What a blessing to be with fellow believers! God is sooo good!
Is God in the Whirl wind?
Yes, I believe God is in the whirl-wind...as He is in the fire and in the storms, walking beside us! But boy was last week tough. For starters I shouldn't have volunteered to do my 4th twelve hour in a row. The patients were crazy...and we had no extra help (I guess that's why I volunteered). But I thought I was going to go crazy myself at the end of the day! I felt like crying more than once. "God, you've got to help me, because I do not feel like I can do this!" My poor guy that calls "Mama" all the time, was at it again. But unfortunately he wasn't my patient this time. I say "unfortunately" because the moment he saw me in the hall (I have taken care of him a lot and helped him stay calm) he started screaming, "Melody...Melody!!! Help me, Melody!" So then, I had to be in his room off and on all day, since his own nurse was already overwhelmed and tended to ignore him, and he kept calling for me. Tried to get her to trade patients with me, but I had my own set of difficult souls, and she didn't want them either (Which I don't blame her for), so I was involved with both. Wow...I can tell that I'm getting close to burn-out...at least keeping up the pace that I have been. Thankfully, I only have one more week, and my Travel contract in San Diego's Continental Rehab is finished. So, with the Lord's strength, I will make it! And I have learned a lot, so I can't really complain, but it's just been really challenging lately...especially when it seems no one is getting any better, and you just have to deal with the same thing day after day.
I had asked to extend until Christmas, but due to low patient census, they aren't sure that they can extend my contract. However, now I believe it's because God has another purpose for me...He doesn't close one door without opening another!
I had asked to extend until Christmas, but due to low patient census, they aren't sure that they can extend my contract. However, now I believe it's because God has another purpose for me...He doesn't close one door without opening another!
Monday, November 06, 2006
Musical Rapture
This past Sabbath was a real blessing, for a couple reasons.
1. I've recently started reading a book called "Why I left the Contemporary Christian Music Movement." (Before you jump to conclusions or judge too quickly, you should check it out!) It's awesome on helping us understand the meaning behind the music and why it makes such a difference what we listen to. I've been thinking about this for awhile, but just so happened to start reading the book this weekend. And at Advent hope, we had a speaker, Eric Walsh, that was speaking on this very topic!!! It was very interesting and incredibly inspiring. Check it out at www.audioverse.org
I will have more to say on this topic when I finish the book. It's already underlined like crazy, so watch out world!
2. The second highlight of my weekend was after the Sabbath sermon. Had lunch at a friends place and then in the afternoon, we got into a Bible study on the rapture and how from the Bible you can show people that's it's not a true teaching. It wasn't so much the topic that we studied, but just the refreshing atmosphere of being with people that were digging into the Bible for truth. How I have missed that since I left Southern. I still don't have all the answers on the tip of my tongue, nor do I understand all the prophecy's in revelation completely, but I love to study the Bible, and I want to continue to grow in my ability to share my faith with others, so the study was encouraging. I would say that I'm looking forward to AFCOE, but now with some new ministry developments beginning to take place (more on that later) I'm not sure I am going to be going North afterall. :-((((( But, I know God will continue to help me as I seek Him, wherever I am. So I give my plans and dreams to Him.
Next week for Advent Hope, we are going to the Mountains!!!! Yeah!!! I'm looking forward...
1. I've recently started reading a book called "Why I left the Contemporary Christian Music Movement." (Before you jump to conclusions or judge too quickly, you should check it out!) It's awesome on helping us understand the meaning behind the music and why it makes such a difference what we listen to. I've been thinking about this for awhile, but just so happened to start reading the book this weekend. And at Advent hope, we had a speaker, Eric Walsh, that was speaking on this very topic!!! It was very interesting and incredibly inspiring. Check it out at www.audioverse.org
I will have more to say on this topic when I finish the book. It's already underlined like crazy, so watch out world!
2. The second highlight of my weekend was after the Sabbath sermon. Had lunch at a friends place and then in the afternoon, we got into a Bible study on the rapture and how from the Bible you can show people that's it's not a true teaching. It wasn't so much the topic that we studied, but just the refreshing atmosphere of being with people that were digging into the Bible for truth. How I have missed that since I left Southern. I still don't have all the answers on the tip of my tongue, nor do I understand all the prophecy's in revelation completely, but I love to study the Bible, and I want to continue to grow in my ability to share my faith with others, so the study was encouraging. I would say that I'm looking forward to AFCOE, but now with some new ministry developments beginning to take place (more on that later) I'm not sure I am going to be going North afterall. :-((((( But, I know God will continue to help me as I seek Him, wherever I am. So I give my plans and dreams to Him.
Next week for Advent Hope, we are going to the Mountains!!!! Yeah!!! I'm looking forward...
I'm an Orphan!
Ok, so I'm really not, but it's kinda lonely around here since my sister Sunny deserted me to go to India! Lucky girl! How I wished I could go with her, but I couldn't even go to the airport to see her off as I had to work on Sunday. But I know it's going to be an awesome experience for her, and it's so exciting to see how God has worked all the details out! This is going to be one mission trip I'm sure she'll never forget.
Now...that she's away...the mice will play! :-) Well, not really, but since there have been some new exciting things happening in my life recently in the area of a ministry, it's looking like I'm going to be moving up here to Loma Linda to work for awhile. So while she's gone, I'll be moving in...until God works out the rest of the details for me here in this community. I find it ironic that I am once again doing something that I said I would never do! Coming to live in the surrounding cities of LA!! The last place on earth I ever wanted to be...God must be chuckling right now, or maybe it is me that needs to see the humor! Ho hum...I am trying to remember what else I said I would never do...cause I'm sure, it's probably about to come true! :-)
Well, on a more serious note, I just praise the Lord for blessing and giving me strength this past Sunday at work. My shifts have been long and difficult lately, and already being tired, since Sunny and I were up til almost 1am getting her ready to go, plus getting up at 4am to start driving down to San Diego to work, did not make things easier. But the day went beautifully, and everyone was good. What a blessing! You don't realize how big a blessing that was, until you realize the patients I was taking care of for three days in a row last week. One man's greeting reached my ears before I could even finish getting report. "Mama, mama" he bellowed at the top of his lungs. He'd done it all night, and was reportedly one of the most difficult on the floor. I got him calmed down, with God's help, but I was at his side most of the shift to keep him that way. Another lady had the most incredible C-diff I have ever seen. She was a constant swimming pool of brown mush (don't you love me for sharing) and I thought we'd never get her clean. Bless her heart. On and on it went...Then there was the lady that was nasueated and having chest pain....hmmmm, is this just indigestion or a more serious heart issue?! So...as you can imagine, having a calm day for a change was a real miracle. Praise God! Now, whatever awaits me when I get to the floor tomorrow - I'm recooped and ready! So watch out Continental, because here I come.
Now...that she's away...the mice will play! :-) Well, not really, but since there have been some new exciting things happening in my life recently in the area of a ministry, it's looking like I'm going to be moving up here to Loma Linda to work for awhile. So while she's gone, I'll be moving in...until God works out the rest of the details for me here in this community. I find it ironic that I am once again doing something that I said I would never do! Coming to live in the surrounding cities of LA!! The last place on earth I ever wanted to be...God must be chuckling right now, or maybe it is me that needs to see the humor! Ho hum...I am trying to remember what else I said I would never do...cause I'm sure, it's probably about to come true! :-)
Well, on a more serious note, I just praise the Lord for blessing and giving me strength this past Sunday at work. My shifts have been long and difficult lately, and already being tired, since Sunny and I were up til almost 1am getting her ready to go, plus getting up at 4am to start driving down to San Diego to work, did not make things easier. But the day went beautifully, and everyone was good. What a blessing! You don't realize how big a blessing that was, until you realize the patients I was taking care of for three days in a row last week. One man's greeting reached my ears before I could even finish getting report. "Mama, mama" he bellowed at the top of his lungs. He'd done it all night, and was reportedly one of the most difficult on the floor. I got him calmed down, with God's help, but I was at his side most of the shift to keep him that way. Another lady had the most incredible C-diff I have ever seen. She was a constant swimming pool of brown mush (don't you love me for sharing) and I thought we'd never get her clean. Bless her heart. On and on it went...Then there was the lady that was nasueated and having chest pain....hmmmm, is this just indigestion or a more serious heart issue?! So...as you can imagine, having a calm day for a change was a real miracle. Praise God! Now, whatever awaits me when I get to the floor tomorrow - I'm recooped and ready! So watch out Continental, because here I come.
Sunday, October 29, 2006
Back to the Ozarks
Well, I came home to the REAL country...about an hour and a half from civilization way out in the Ozark paradise! It was such a beautiful peaceful drive up through the mountains, and the fall colors were glorious. Since I'm working in San Diego right now, I'm kinda in "season withdrawals" since we really don't have the signs of fall there. So it has been nice to catch up on some of the color and cool crisp air both at home in Oklahoma and back here in Arkansas.
My grandma has been really sick, so that is the main reason I came back to Arkansas on this trip. I was hoping my dad and Homer would be back from their forestry job up in Minnesota, but they come back next week. Oh well. At least I got to surprise mother and grandma and Daniel! We had a good time, and it was awesome to catch up on life a little face to face, rather than over the phone.
Again, I am sooo blessed to have such a great family and support network!!
My grandma has been really sick, so that is the main reason I came back to Arkansas on this trip. I was hoping my dad and Homer would be back from their forestry job up in Minnesota, but they come back next week. Oh well. At least I got to surprise mother and grandma and Daniel! We had a good time, and it was awesome to catch up on life a little face to face, rather than over the phone.
Again, I am sooo blessed to have such a great family and support network!!
Day out with Mom
Well, Mrs. Holland and I had a blast...and boy was she surprised! We took off bright and early, and she had no idea where we were going, although she sure tried to guess! And as I headed south on I-35 toward Ardmore, her choice narrowed. But she was still surprised when we pulled up at the YMCA and I told her we were gonna play Racquetball. But it was good exercise and we had a blast, and as usual, she made me work hard. Mrs. Holland is a natural at hitting the ball...and I'm still learning. But it was fun!
Then we went out to Vege's to eat lunch. Then in the afternoon, after 1 more game of racquetball, I took her to the "Therapy Station" for a massage. Actually, we both had one. It was fun to be in the same room together and the therapist were really good. So it was a perfect ending on our day out.
The rest of the weekend went great, although it was too short. And now I'm getting ready to have to tell Holland's goodbye, as I head back to California's concrete jungle!
Then we went out to Vege's to eat lunch. Then in the afternoon, after 1 more game of racquetball, I took her to the "Therapy Station" for a massage. Actually, we both had one. It was fun to be in the same room together and the therapist were really good. So it was a perfect ending on our day out.
The rest of the weekend went great, although it was too short. And now I'm getting ready to have to tell Holland's goodbye, as I head back to California's concrete jungle!
Thursday, October 26, 2006
Young Again!!
If you haven't noticed, I've blogged a lot today catching up on things I wanted to share from this past week...too bad you can't reset the date for the proper date of event, but anyway!
This afternoon as I was cleaning the house for mom and dad and sorting the mail I came upon an interesting but all too familar advertisement. The funny thing is, it was addressed to me!! The title of the add was "To help you be young again!" I started laughing. I'm like, "Wait a second! I didn't know I'd turned old!!"
Yes, this year I turned 30, and in fact, in several short months I'll be 31! And while I don't always like the thought of increasing the size of the numbers, it's definitely better than the alternatives, and I'm excited to be getting closer and closer each day to meeting Jesus face to face.
But the age thing has been pretty funny lately. I guess since I'm "unmarried without kids" no one thinks I am as old as I am, and I run into some pretty interesting comments and questions quite often. But the best of all happened this summer while I was in Kenya. My dear roommate Kimberly, a freshmen from Southern Adventist University, was talking about a 26 year old and how he was sooooo old...and I was like, "Darling - that's not old! That's young!" And she's like, "That's old!" And then I asked her how old she thought I was, and she told me that she thought I was 19 when she first saw me! (Of course I loved her for that!) Then she said when she heard more about my travels and found out I was a nurse that she figured I was at least 23 or 24. When I told her no, she started going up the scale and her eyes got bigger and bigger. At about 28 she asked if she was going the wrong direction! (I loved her even more!) I told her, "No...keep going!" When she got to 30, her eyes were so big...you'd have thought she just found out that I was 100! :-) It was priceless...and though I doubt it will ever happen again, I will always remember dear Kimberly and her reaction!
I guess I can be thankful though that people don't think I'm an adolescent like my friend Rachel Nelson gets asked - and she's even a doctor and married! Bless her heart, she's working in the Pediatric department, and regularly has people question her credentials because she looks so young! Sometimes it's nice to look your age!! But then again...
But age and time, what is our few years in comparison with eternity??! Last Sabbath at Advent Hope in Loma Linda, the speaker talked about time and how we only have just a few short years to live and wait and work for Christ before our "timeline" is over. It made me realize in a new way that it doesn't matter whether God gives me 100 years on this planet, or only 1 more day. The point is, what am I doing with the time that I have? For when I go to sleep (depending on how I used my time), the next thing I know I'll see Jesus! The sermon was great, and it made me desire to even more to live each day to the fullest...to make a difference...to show Christ Character of love. Because, today is all I have to make a difference for eternity!
As usual, attending Advent Hope continues to be a big blessing!
This afternoon as I was cleaning the house for mom and dad and sorting the mail I came upon an interesting but all too familar advertisement. The funny thing is, it was addressed to me!! The title of the add was "To help you be young again!" I started laughing. I'm like, "Wait a second! I didn't know I'd turned old!!"
Yes, this year I turned 30, and in fact, in several short months I'll be 31! And while I don't always like the thought of increasing the size of the numbers, it's definitely better than the alternatives, and I'm excited to be getting closer and closer each day to meeting Jesus face to face.
But the age thing has been pretty funny lately. I guess since I'm "unmarried without kids" no one thinks I am as old as I am, and I run into some pretty interesting comments and questions quite often. But the best of all happened this summer while I was in Kenya. My dear roommate Kimberly, a freshmen from Southern Adventist University, was talking about a 26 year old and how he was sooooo old...and I was like, "Darling - that's not old! That's young!" And she's like, "That's old!" And then I asked her how old she thought I was, and she told me that she thought I was 19 when she first saw me! (Of course I loved her for that!) Then she said when she heard more about my travels and found out I was a nurse that she figured I was at least 23 or 24. When I told her no, she started going up the scale and her eyes got bigger and bigger. At about 28 she asked if she was going the wrong direction! (I loved her even more!) I told her, "No...keep going!" When she got to 30, her eyes were so big...you'd have thought she just found out that I was 100! :-) It was priceless...and though I doubt it will ever happen again, I will always remember dear Kimberly and her reaction!
I guess I can be thankful though that people don't think I'm an adolescent like my friend Rachel Nelson gets asked - and she's even a doctor and married! Bless her heart, she's working in the Pediatric department, and regularly has people question her credentials because she looks so young! Sometimes it's nice to look your age!! But then again...
But age and time, what is our few years in comparison with eternity??! Last Sabbath at Advent Hope in Loma Linda, the speaker talked about time and how we only have just a few short years to live and wait and work for Christ before our "timeline" is over. It made me realize in a new way that it doesn't matter whether God gives me 100 years on this planet, or only 1 more day. The point is, what am I doing with the time that I have? For when I go to sleep (depending on how I used my time), the next thing I know I'll see Jesus! The sermon was great, and it made me desire to even more to live each day to the fullest...to make a difference...to show Christ Character of love. Because, today is all I have to make a difference for eternity!
As usual, attending Advent Hope continues to be a big blessing!
Well I am back in Oklahoma Again. At least for 5 days! I had a free ticket that I’d almost forgotten I had to use before November. (It was remnants from the Ghana trip I’d planned and then switched airlines on last year!) So I was looking at the schedule and realized I had a long weekend, and Hollands were also off this weekend at OA, so I flew back and surprised them. Well, actually Mr.s Holland knew, because I had to make a few arrangements, but Mr. Holland and my sisters didn't. It was great!
I called Mr. Holland on the phone and asked how things were going since it had been a few days since we talked. He started going on about this and that, and two minutes into the conversation, I walked in the door with cell phone to my ear as he talked away. He was like, "What??? You turkey!!" And he started laughing! It was awesome!!! I love surprising people!
It’s good to be back. I miss the peacefulness of the surrounding hills and quiet streets here, and not having to lock your doors at night or worry about your car being broken into.
Tomorrow Mrs. Holland and I are taking a "Girl's Day Out" together. Imagine that, getting the busy Mrs. Holland away for a whole day to myself! I am soooo excited! And I have some really special things planned, but of course I can’t tell anyone as word might get back to her about it. So...stay tuned for the report!
Time is short, but I just praise the Lord for another opportunity to be with those that I love!
I called Mr. Holland on the phone and asked how things were going since it had been a few days since we talked. He started going on about this and that, and two minutes into the conversation, I walked in the door with cell phone to my ear as he talked away. He was like, "What??? You turkey!!" And he started laughing! It was awesome!!! I love surprising people!
It’s good to be back. I miss the peacefulness of the surrounding hills and quiet streets here, and not having to lock your doors at night or worry about your car being broken into.
Tomorrow Mrs. Holland and I are taking a "Girl's Day Out" together. Imagine that, getting the busy Mrs. Holland away for a whole day to myself! I am soooo excited! And I have some really special things planned, but of course I can’t tell anyone as word might get back to her about it. So...stay tuned for the report!
Time is short, but I just praise the Lord for another opportunity to be with those that I love!
Fallen, but not cast down!
This last three days of work has been one of the busiest and most hectic of my time here. Seems I have been running constantly, have had lots of admissions (which is unusual since I didn't have any for the first 2 months I was here), have had very seriously sick patients, have had very little help since we are under-staffed, and often can't even get to all the tedious paper charting until late afternoon due to continual emergencies, thus I have been leaving work late every night.
Well, on one particular harried day (I think it was Monday), I had just drawn some blood cultures and had needles and viles in both my hands. As I stepped away from the bed, my feet got tangled in the call-light cords and since my hands were full of very precious cargo, I had nothing to catch myself, so I crashed out full force on my right side to the hard tile floor. Of course it was a horrific crash, and everyone came to see what had fallen - only me, of course, the tall green giant! I may not be the most athletic, but I am usually good with my feet, so it's been many a year since I've had such a fall...and my bones and joints don't take so kindly to such now (at the splendid age of 30) as they did when I was a teen. Ouch, that hurt!!! :-(
I pulled myself and my pride off the floor very slowly...bottles and needles still intact. At first I thought it was going to be my knee that would hurt me, since I had skinned the side of it in the fall. But no, it was my lower back. I hobbled around like an old lady the rest of the afternoon, and the next morning, my back hurt so badly to sit up, I didn't think I could get out of bed. But stubborness kicked in, and I made myself get up anyway! And as the day wore on, the stiffness and pain lessened. (I've been to a Chiropractor now and am feeling much better!)
There have been many difficult and yet faith-building circumstances in my life lately it seems. And sometimes I am tempted to get overwhelmed. But the experience of my fall reminded me of a verse in Psalms that I memorized many years ago. "The steps of a good [woman] are ordered by the Lord and he delighteth in [her] way. Though [she] fall, [she] shall not be utterly cast down for the Lord upholdeth [her] with his hand." Ps 37:23,24 (Feminine aspects added)
So, despite the fall, and despite the trials...I thank God that he holds me safely in his hands!
Well, on one particular harried day (I think it was Monday), I had just drawn some blood cultures and had needles and viles in both my hands. As I stepped away from the bed, my feet got tangled in the call-light cords and since my hands were full of very precious cargo, I had nothing to catch myself, so I crashed out full force on my right side to the hard tile floor. Of course it was a horrific crash, and everyone came to see what had fallen - only me, of course, the tall green giant! I may not be the most athletic, but I am usually good with my feet, so it's been many a year since I've had such a fall...and my bones and joints don't take so kindly to such now (at the splendid age of 30) as they did when I was a teen. Ouch, that hurt!!! :-(
I pulled myself and my pride off the floor very slowly...bottles and needles still intact. At first I thought it was going to be my knee that would hurt me, since I had skinned the side of it in the fall. But no, it was my lower back. I hobbled around like an old lady the rest of the afternoon, and the next morning, my back hurt so badly to sit up, I didn't think I could get out of bed. But stubborness kicked in, and I made myself get up anyway! And as the day wore on, the stiffness and pain lessened. (I've been to a Chiropractor now and am feeling much better!)
There have been many difficult and yet faith-building circumstances in my life lately it seems. And sometimes I am tempted to get overwhelmed. But the experience of my fall reminded me of a verse in Psalms that I memorized many years ago. "The steps of a good [woman] are ordered by the Lord and he delighteth in [her] way. Though [she] fall, [she] shall not be utterly cast down for the Lord upholdeth [her] with his hand." Ps 37:23,24 (Feminine aspects added)
So, despite the fall, and despite the trials...I thank God that he holds me safely in his hands!
Soup in a Bag...
Last Sabbath night, Sunny and I went to a "house-warming." (I guess it wasn't warm enough already, so we had to help! JK!) Anyway, while there were lots of people I didn't know, there were a few old friends that I enjoyed catching up with (like Janine and Tim and Chris) and I enjoyed getting to know the others that were there as well.
However, the experience made me think of two things:
1. What is the housewarming going to be like when we get to Heaven and God introduces us to our new homes?? What a celebration that will be!!! Can you imagine the "warmth" that will bring to our hearts? Wow, just gives me excited shivers thinking about it!! I could go on, but that's the concept in a nut-shell for now.
2. After everyone had left, a few of us stayed behind to clean up the scraps and wash the dishes (my favorite part!) and we also benefited from a few left-overs. They had tons of soup, but no containers to put the soup in, so they got out their zip-lock bags and started pouring soup into bags and handing it to everyone! What fun it was!!
What was really fun though, was when I got to work the next day...I didn't have time to go back home and get anything since I had come from Sunny's, so I took my "Soup in a bag." You should have seen the look on my co-workers faces when I pulled my bag out and stuck it in the microwave and then rolled down the flaps and started eating it along with my (also donated) french bread!
They're like, "Melody - can you not afford a bowl?" :-) But would having a bowl have made it taste any better?? I don't think so! I actually enjoyed it immensely. And it also reminded me of how incredibly blessed I am. How many homeless and hurting and hungry souls around the world would love a "bag of soup." Yet, we are so stiff and picky that we usually turn up our noses at such...infact, we even complain about the fancy "bowls" that God does give us. Oh that we could be grateful for what God has given, and focus our means on what is really important...on finding and helping save those lost souls.
However, the experience made me think of two things:
1. What is the housewarming going to be like when we get to Heaven and God introduces us to our new homes?? What a celebration that will be!!! Can you imagine the "warmth" that will bring to our hearts? Wow, just gives me excited shivers thinking about it!! I could go on, but that's the concept in a nut-shell for now.
2. After everyone had left, a few of us stayed behind to clean up the scraps and wash the dishes (my favorite part!) and we also benefited from a few left-overs. They had tons of soup, but no containers to put the soup in, so they got out their zip-lock bags and started pouring soup into bags and handing it to everyone! What fun it was!!
What was really fun though, was when I got to work the next day...I didn't have time to go back home and get anything since I had come from Sunny's, so I took my "Soup in a bag." You should have seen the look on my co-workers faces when I pulled my bag out and stuck it in the microwave and then rolled down the flaps and started eating it along with my (also donated) french bread!
They're like, "Melody - can you not afford a bowl?" :-) But would having a bowl have made it taste any better?? I don't think so! I actually enjoyed it immensely. And it also reminded me of how incredibly blessed I am. How many homeless and hurting and hungry souls around the world would love a "bag of soup." Yet, we are so stiff and picky that we usually turn up our noses at such...infact, we even complain about the fancy "bowls" that God does give us. Oh that we could be grateful for what God has given, and focus our means on what is really important...on finding and helping save those lost souls.
Sunday, October 22, 2006
Sabbath rest...
Sabbath afternoon Sunny and Kathryn and I took off for the mtns up above San Bernadino. We entered what was called "San Bernadino National Forest." At first I was thinking, "what forest?" for there was only weeds and scrub brush as we climbed the mountain in our car. But as we got closer to the top, the tall pines and firs began to grow and pretty soon we were in the midst of a beautiful forest, and the world of city life was left behind. Ahhhh, what a blessing!
We took a small hike (for we didn't have much time) but it was so refreshing. And it made me homesick, not only for the peaceful country life that I was raised in, but for Heaven. Oh to be free from the cares and the hustle and bustle of the world. To be free of the traffic and people and the sights and sounds that constantly harrass and attack my senses and try to turn me from God. It was a short interlude, our time up in the mtns, but it left me engergized and refreshed, and gave me courage for the mission field that God is preparing me for. Even if it's not in the location I would prefer, and even if I have to be away from home a long time, I know God will be with me and give me strength. So it is with this courage that I go back to the city. Yet no matter where I go, I believe my heart will always be in the mountains!
"For I lift up mine eyes unto the hills from whence cometh my help." Ps 121:1
We took a small hike (for we didn't have much time) but it was so refreshing. And it made me homesick, not only for the peaceful country life that I was raised in, but for Heaven. Oh to be free from the cares and the hustle and bustle of the world. To be free of the traffic and people and the sights and sounds that constantly harrass and attack my senses and try to turn me from God. It was a short interlude, our time up in the mtns, but it left me engergized and refreshed, and gave me courage for the mission field that God is preparing me for. Even if it's not in the location I would prefer, and even if I have to be away from home a long time, I know God will be with me and give me strength. So it is with this courage that I go back to the city. Yet no matter where I go, I believe my heart will always be in the mountains!
"For I lift up mine eyes unto the hills from whence cometh my help." Ps 121:1
Saturday, October 21, 2006
LLU Singing Bands
Last night I had the priviledge of being a part of the singing band ministry that goes throughout the Loma Linda Hospital cheering people up with song and prayer. This was only my second time to attend as Sunny just introduced me to the ministry last week. I can't believe I've been here over 2 months now, and I never knew what I was missing. :-( But...now I do, and I will enjoy it as much as I can!
At the end of singing bands, we always gather around to talk about prayer request and thoughts from the evening. Last week, one girl shared something that I thought was a blessing. She talked about how she couldn't imagine being confined to a body that no longer worked or had been crushed by some deadly tragedy. "Lord, how could you allow this?" she wondered as she observed different patients. Then it was like the Lord reprimanded her gently, "What? I survived that! I came to earth and was confined to a body that was not my own...And so, if anyone understands, I do. But I did it for you." What a blessing that little illustration was.
Last week I went with the Adult group singing bands. This week I wanted to see what the Peds group was like. And I was again blessed and refreshed. There were many children too young to recognize our presence, too young to understand the world of pain and caus that they have been involuntarily thrust into. But none the less, they are here. Will they live another week or another year? Will they grow up to know Jesus? Will someone tell them of His love? How my heart aches to see the pain of the little children...I wish I could make them well and then take them home and love them and shield them from the hard knocks that life inevitably will bring. But I can't...all I can do is reach out in the little avenues God has given me...and last night it was singing bands. "Someone needs to tell them, someone needs to care...someone needs to show them that Jesus is there..."
At the end of singing bands, we always gather around to talk about prayer request and thoughts from the evening. Last week, one girl shared something that I thought was a blessing. She talked about how she couldn't imagine being confined to a body that no longer worked or had been crushed by some deadly tragedy. "Lord, how could you allow this?" she wondered as she observed different patients. Then it was like the Lord reprimanded her gently, "What? I survived that! I came to earth and was confined to a body that was not my own...And so, if anyone understands, I do. But I did it for you." What a blessing that little illustration was.
Last week I went with the Adult group singing bands. This week I wanted to see what the Peds group was like. And I was again blessed and refreshed. There were many children too young to recognize our presence, too young to understand the world of pain and caus that they have been involuntarily thrust into. But none the less, they are here. Will they live another week or another year? Will they grow up to know Jesus? Will someone tell them of His love? How my heart aches to see the pain of the little children...I wish I could make them well and then take them home and love them and shield them from the hard knocks that life inevitably will bring. But I can't...all I can do is reach out in the little avenues God has given me...and last night it was singing bands. "Someone needs to tell them, someone needs to care...someone needs to show them that Jesus is there..."
Wednesday, October 18, 2006
Have decided to take up a new hobby ~ Sewing! Of all things! (I can see my mommy smiling!) She of course is a professional seamstress, and has tried to get me to sew for years. And I have done a little, a dress here and there, and every now and then a few skirts. But I seem to struggle when it comes to patience with a thread and needle that went the wrong way, so I mostly have shoved my projects back into her lap, "Here, you do it - you are so much better at it anyway!" But my sister Sunny is having a good influence on me, and I decided to give it a try again. So...here I go! "Lord give me patience, and I want it right now!!!!" :-)
A pile of glass ~ After my car break-in
A pile of glass ~ After my car break-in
Originally uploaded by EchoHisLove.
My joys of California city life...
Car Break-in
This last week has taught me some more lessons along the road of self-surrender. Came up to visit Sunny for the weekend at LLU, and had my car broken into. MY CAR!!!! Of all cars! I know it happens to other people all the time, but to me? Well...yes, even to me! But even through this small trial (and it is small) God has given me more of His strength and grace to trust Him and to rejoice that He is still looking after me and is in control. I lost my medical equipment, and a very precious notebook from my nursing days at Southern, as well as my favorite CD's and a few other odds and ends, and am having to rent a car to drive back and forth to San Diego to work, while my car is in repair shop. But...I also lost some awesome witnessing books, that were in my medical backpack, so I pray that whoever took them will read them and be changed. Only God knows why it was "my car" that was hit! I will praise and trust Him.
Monday, October 16, 2006
Wait ~ I'm behind!!!
Wow! It's been forever since I've made any post on my blog...where has the time gone! I finally left my little cozy corner in Oklahoma, and ventured out again...first to TX for my first Travel Nursing job, then to Kenya Africa to do Evangelism. I am now working as a "Travel Nurse" in San Diego California. I'm in the process, Lord willing, of becoming part of a full-time ministry. The Lord has been teaching me many lessons the last few months, and I am excited to see what He has around the corner. I will try to keep more updates on my life and thoughts and the lessons He has been teaching me. "Trust in the Lord with all thine heart and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge Him and He shall direct thy paths..." Prov 3:5,6
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