Small Steps

So how do you eat an elephant?  One bite at a time.  That's a cute saying, but there's really a lot of truth in that.  To accomplish anything in life, you just have to take one small step at a time.

I've found that to be especially true in my recovery from surgery.  After my surgery in January 2014, I could hardly even move my right arm.  I couldn't do anything with that arm.  Even simple tasks like picking up my water cup was nearly impossible.  That's a big deal because I drink A LOT of water!  I'm sure the nurses got tired of coming in to hand me a drink.

I also could hardly change the channel on the remote or type on the keyboard like I'm doing here.  I was in bad shape.  The neurosurgeon said I could regain use of that arm, but it could take up to a year before I began to see any improvement.  It has now been a year and a half, but I'm finally seeing my strength returning in that arm.

It didn't come easy, though.  Through small steps -- even baby steps -- I'm able to do some of those simple tasks, like typing this blog.  I started out typing only a few words at a time.  Now, I can usually type a whole post in one sitting.  My computer use is at the level I had before my surgery.  Overall, I'd say I've regained about 75 percent of the function that I had before.  That's a great feeling!

I recently reached another goal.  I can transfer from my scooter to the bed with only minimal assistance.  It used to take two people to put me in bed, and I sometimes had to wait 30 minutes or an hour until they got two aides to help me.  So this was a big accomplishment for me, but it only came by taking one small step at a time!

#BTR

Bring the rain!  I say, 'Bring the rain!'  Pastor Lynn began an exciting sermon series on #BTR: Bring the Rain.  He's teaching us to look for -- and pray for -- the rain of God in our everyday lives.

As believers, we are blessed in so many ways, but this is only a trickle compared to the rain God wants to bring into our lives.  Right now, we're seeing the drizzle.  God wants to send an abundace of rain.  We have to pray for the rain.  We have to pray persistantly like Elijah when he prayed for rain to come after three-and-a-half years of drought.

In 1 Kings 18:43-44, it says, "Seven times Elijah told him to go and look. Finally the seventh time, his servant told him, “I saw a little cloud about the size of a man’s hand rising from the sea.”  Then Elijah shouted, “Hurry to Ahab and tell him, ‘Climb into your chariot and go back home. If you don’t hurry, the rain will stop you!’”

Right now, we may only see a little cloud, but the rain is coming.  Pray expectantly.  Elijah expected results when he prayed.  He expected God to answer his prayer.  He was persistent, and he had expectation.

Even if we don't see results right away, don't give up!  "God's delay doesn't mean His denial," Pastor Lynn said.

The clouds are gathering, and rain is on its way!  Hold on!  I hear the sound of the abundance of  rain!

Remembering Jesse

JESSE SMITH

A friend of mine died this week.  Jesse Smith was my friend and neighbor here at Pampa Nursing Center.  I only knew her about a year, but she impressed me with the way she made everyone feel at home around her.

When new residents arrived here, Jesse made a point of finding out their name and something about them.  Then when she saw them in the halls, she'd always call them by name and ask about their day.  She knew all about the staff and their families.  She was funny and had just a great sense of humor.

Jesse was a former educator and coach.  I can only imagine how many young lives she helped shape in her career.  And even though she was a staunch Democrat, I enjoyed talking to her.

Rest in peace, Jesse!  We're going to miss you!

Wondering....

There are some things you just have to wonder about....

Why does the media defend Obama, insisting he's a Christian, but the same lame-stream media ridicules godly men like Mike Huckabee and Ben Carson who live out their Christianity with their actions?

What's wrong with Carson saying he wouldn't support a Muslim for president?  Isn't he allowed to state his opinion?   

Why is it OK for Trump to insult John McCain and Carly Fiorina but the media pounced on him because he didn't challenge a supporter who said Obama is a Muslim?

When did it become a slur to call someone a Muslim anyway?

Does anyone actually believe Obama is a Christian?
 

Why all the hoopla over the pope's visit?  Do you think Jesus will get the same reception when he returns?

Shouldn't the pope stick to warning people about the heat in hell instead of worrying about global warming?

When the pope was talking about climate change, poverty and same-sex marriage, do you think he left any mention of Jesus out of his speech by accident?

Isn't it time for the pope to go home so the media can take its sensationalized coverage off of him and put it back on Trump?

I was just wondering.

Praise God

Pampa's Celebration of Hope crusade saw more than 800 decisions for Christ last week.  That's 800 new souls in the kingdom, and that number is probably a lot higher because sone people never go down during the altar call but make a decision in their hearts.  God looks at the heart and knows who makes a sincere commitment.

I thank God for the new Christians, and I pray for those who heard the salvation message and went away unchanged.  For some, that might be their last chance to hear the message and turn their lives over to God.  Jesus is coming soon.... sooner than some may think.

With 800 new born-again believers, the real work is just beginning.  It's now up to the churches and other Christians to take in the new ones and teach them to live for God.  It's one thing to make a decision for Christ and another thing to live it out day by day.  Even some of us older Christians have a hard time doing that.  It's a daily decision to live for the Lord.

The crusade was a good start.  Now the churches need to step up its efforts to reach the lost.  The evangalist for the crusade said something that shocked me.  He said more than 10,000 churches in America went a full year without seeing a single person saved in their services!  That's sad!  The mission of every church should be to see the lost saved.

What happened to hell-and-brimstone sermons?  We rarely even hear about sin and the need for repentance.  We want to hear messages that make us feel good.   We don't want to be confronted with our sins and messages that will literally scare the hell out of people. 

It's time to step up and tell others about Christ.  Their lives may depend on it.  Time is running out.  I'm ready for heaven, and I want to take as many with me as I can..

Friday Flashback 2

This week's flashhback is from October 2011 during the exciting presidential primary season....

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 6, 2011

Ins and Outs

He's in; he's out; he's in. Now, Chris Christie is definitely out of the race for president. Ask me if I care. I don't.

Chris Christie may be a good governor for New Jersey, but he's not a true conservative. I don't see why so many people were pushing him to get into the race. I want a true conservative as our next president, and Christie doesn't fill the bill. His views on gun control, civil unions for gays, immigration and global warming are all wrong. I'm glad he's finally ended the charade and made it clear that he won't run.

Sarah Palin has finally decided that she won't run either. It's about time. I was getting tired of watching her race around the country in her bus acting like she was already a candidate. I think she knew all along that she wasn't going to run. She just likes all the attention.

Palin is a true conservative, and I like her and what she stands for. But she's too polarizing to get elected. She's the Hilary Clinton of the Republican party. You either love her or hate her.

My man, Rick Perry, took a hit in the last debate, but he's still in the race. He made some mistakes in the debate, but so what? He'll be all right; he's a Texan. Unlike the Dallas Cowboys, Perry can still make a comeback. (Come on, Cowboy fans, you know it's true.) It will be fun to watch Perry claw his way back to the top of the polls.

You can't count Herman Cain out either. He's been on a roll lately. I like Cain but wonder if he has enough experience in foreign affairs. Then again, he has to be better than Obama. Anyone is better than Obama!

After the next debate, I think we'll see several of the candidates drop out, such as Jon Huntsman and Gary Johnson. They don't have much of a shot of winning the nomination. Michele Bachmann is fading fast, too. Newt and Santorum need to hustle if they want to stay competitive.

I think it will come down to a three-way race between Romney, Perry and Cain. Whoever comes out on top will take on Obama to make him a one-term president, and that's really all that matters.

Life Lessons

A friend of mine was put on hospice today and is in serious condition.  It makes me sad.

One of the hardest things I've found about living in a nursing home is the constant reminder of death and the finality of life.  By the time most people come here, they've already entered their end-of-life journey.  I can count 27 residents here who have passed away in the year and a half since I've been here.  I don't mean to sound morbid.  That's just the reality of living in a nursing home.  Death is a daily fact of life.

I've met a lot of great people here.  Some come for only a short time to take therapy.  Others come here to die.  All of this makes me think about my own life, and it has forced me to change some things.

None of us is guaranteed a long life.  Psalm 90:10 says, "Our days may come to 70 years or 80 if our strength endures; yet the best of them are but trouble and sorrow, for they quickly pass, and we fly away."

Time passes so quickly and before we know it we come to the end of our lives, and it's time to die.  I've come to realize what really matters:

• Put God first.  When you get your priorities straighf, everything else will fall into place.
• Love More.  Love the Lord with all your heart, mind, soul and strength.  Love your family, love your friends. Love life and live it to the full.
• Pray.  Pray about big things; pray about small things; pray about everything.  God cares about every detail of our lives.
• Cherish Every Moment.  Don't take life for granted.  Follow your heart and follow your dreams.
• Don't Worry.   Don't sweat the small stuff.... it's ALL small stuff.
• Live For Today.  Don't let the past overshadow the future.  Repent for past sins, forget  past mistakes, let go of past hurts, move on.
• Laugh.  Don't take yourself too seriously.  Live, love, laugh.
• One Day At A Time.  We're not promised tomorrow.  Live each day like it could be your last because it could be your last. 

Weekend Update

I had a very uplifting weekend, and I needed it.  With all the bad news and violence in the headlines, it's downright depressing to watch the news or read the paper these days.  It's almost scary, hearing about the attacks on police and violent protests.  It starts to take its toll on you after a while.  I needed an emotional escape.

I got that emotional pick-me-up when I went over to the theater Friday night to see War Room.  I was actually surprised that our small local movie theater was even showing the movie.  The last two Christian-themed movies -- Left Behind  and Do You Believe? -- never made it to Pampa.  So I was excited when I went to the theater's web site Friday morning and saw that War Room was playing here.

War Room shows how our prayer life can change things.  When we get in our "prayer closet" and pray fervently, it will change us.  The "prayer closet" becomes our war room, where we call on God to change a situation or circumstances.

From the producers of Fireproof and Courageous, War Room is a compelling drama with humor and heart that explores the power that prayer can have on marriages, parenting, careers, friendships and every other area of our lives.  Everyone should see this movie.

My uplifting weekend continued Sunday at the opening night of the citywide Celebration of Hope crusade.  It was awesome to see hundreds of people fill the football stadium at the high school to praise God.  Evangelist Rick Gage brought a message of hope to Pampa.  Jesus is our hope, and without Him, we have no hope of salvation.  The four-night Go-Tell crusade is aimed at reaching the lost and showing them that Jesus is the only way to God.  Many responded to the altar call and went down to make a commitment to the Lord.

The evangelist said something that shocked me.  He said less than 10 percent of teen-agers today go to church and have a personal relationship with Christ.  That number just shocked me!  Wednesday night, the last night of the crusade, will be youth night.  I'm just praying that youths will come and that their lives will be changed by the message of hope.

It was a very good weekend, and I'm excited about all that's happening in Pampa.  I hope you all have a great week and experience God in some way this week!

Politically Incorrect

Now that I have an iPad right by my bed, I've been blogging a lot more.  I have a lot of ideas for blogs, but not long enough  for a separate blog.  This is just some random thoughts.  This will probably make half of you laugh and the other half mad.  That's what I call 'fair and balanced.'  Here goes:

Poor Hillary.  Her poll numbers are dropping faster than Bill Clinton's pants.  Hillary is pretty desperate.  She wants to add some spice to her campaign rallies by adding more heart.... she must have Planned Parenthood on speed dial.

Nazi Pelosi showed her support for Hillary, calling her a candidate with integrity. I don't know how Pelosi can say that with a straight face.  Must be the botox.

Joe Biden is considering a run for the presidency, but it may be too late for him to get in the race.  There's only room for one clown, and that's Trump!

There's a lot to say about Trump, but he's probably already said it about himself.  Trump would be the most narcissistic president since, well, Obama.  I'll have to admit that Trump is good for a few laughs.  He said he knows a bimbo when he  sees one... he's married three of them.  Frankly, a bimbo would be a step up from the first lady we have now.

Now that same-sex marriage is legal, does that mean Bruce Jenner can marry himself?  I hope they're very happy together.

Mom asks me ''what's this LGBT stuff I keep hearing about?' I say, Liberal Godless Boastful Transgressors.
.
Black lives matter.... except to other blacks.  They want to deny black-on-black violence.  It would be more accurate to say Black LIES Matter.

With the second GOP debate set for this week, the number of  candidates should start to be whittled down soon.  If the rapture does take place this fall, that will take about half of them out of the race.

These comments weren't meant to offend (that's just a side benefit).  If you are offended by anything I write, let me just say in the words of Hillary Clinton..... I'm s-s-s-sorry!

Flashback Friday

With Donald Trump dominating the headlines today, I went back and found this post I wrote about Trump in February 2011.  I thought it would be interesting to repost it for Flashback Friday.

***********

Monday, February 21, 2011

Trumped

Happy Presidents Day! Remember the brave patriotism of Washington, Adams, Jefferson, Lincoln and others. Jimmy Carter, though, deserves his own special day... It's called April Fools Day!

Speaking of presidents... The Donald for president? Real estate mogul Donald Trump says he is seriously considering running for president in 2012. Trump said the United States is faring poorly and has lost the respect of the world. That's true enough, thanks to our joke of a president Barack Obama.

When I think about it, Trump might actually make a good president. He certainly has more executive experience than Obama had. Trump's also a brilliant businessman. He's worth an estimated $2 billion from his successful real estate deals in New York City. Trump has also made it big as star of TV's "The Apprentice," where he gets $3 million per episode.

As for foreign affairs, Trump even has experience dealing with other nations. He is, after all, the organizer of the Miss Universe pageant. That's more than Obama, the "community organizer," had when he ran for president.

Trump can be a tough leader. If one of his Cabinet members doesn't do a good job, Trump will simply say "You're fired!" You can bet he won't mince words either. Remember the feud he got into with Rosie O'Donnell? He called her a "fat pig." Well, at least he's honest. Imagine if he would use that tactic with our enemies around the world. It would certainly make things interesting.

Actually, I think Trump is talking about running for president just to get publicity. That's really what he's all about: grabbing the spotlight to promote himself and his business. But who knows? Maybe he really is serious about wanting to improve the country. With all his resources, he could even solve the debt problem.

I don't know if I would support Trump for president. But America could do a lot worse, and it has. Do I really need to mention Jimmy Carter again?

Take Your Stand

When I was little, a missionary came to the church and talked about how Christians in some third-world countries were being persecuted and even jailed because of their beliefs.  He said someday that would happen in the United States.  I laughed.  I thought he was nuts.  This is America -- land of the free!  That could never happen here!  Or so I thought....

Fast-forward about 35 years....

A county clerk in Kentucky was sentenced to jail last week because she refused to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples.  A judge found Kim Davis in contempt of court because she said she could not and would not issue the licenses to gays based on her biblical beliefs.  That's right, she went to jail because of her faith.

Davis spent six days in jail before the same nutball judge releaased her.   Kim Davis held to her convictions and didn't back down.  She has vowed to keep fighting even if it means  going back to jail.

Many on the left and even some on the right, including several of the Republican candidates for president, said Davis was wrong.  They argued that same-sex "marriage" is the law of the land, and Davis must uphold the law.

That's wrong.  It is not the law.  It is the opinion of five unelected judges on the Supreme Court.

Perhaps this would be a good time to review a basic civics lesson that I learned in Mr. Peet's high school government class: The Supreme Court cannot make laws. It can interpret laws and issue an opimion, but it cannot legislate from the bench.  That's exactlly what the court did with its invalid same-sex "marriage" ruling.

Kim Davis was right to ignore the Supreme Court's opinion, and other clerks should follow her example.

I'm disappointed that some of the candidates didn't support Davis.  I expected that from Hillary but not from Jeb Bush or Trump. This says a lot about their character.  Ted Cruz and Mike Huckabee backed Davis and weren't afraid to voice their support.

Kim Davis is a hero of the faith.  She has shown she's willing to stand firm in her faith no matter the cost.  The words of that missionary have never been truer.  He said Christians in the United States would be persecuted and even jailed because of their faith some  day.  That day is here, and it's only going to get worse.  When that time comes, will you take a stand?

Ephesians 6:13:  "Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand."

Goodbye, Summer!

Monday was Labor Day and the unofficial end to summer.  Today, kids are back in school and people are back at work.  I rode by the water park, and they were stacking lounge chairs and taking down the tables to store for the winter months.  It won't  be long before the weather turns colder.

 

Reflecting on the summer, it was a pretty good one compared to past summers.  We had cooler temperatures and more rain in the Texas Panhandle than any other summer in the last 40 years.  It was nearly perfect weather for my morning scooter rides around town.  I took advantage of the cooler weather to get out any chance I got.

 

One of the highlights of my summer would have to be the trek over to Palo Duro Canyon with a few friends from church to see the musical-drama TEXAS.  I had seen it before, but it had been a long time.  I love the Palo Duro Canyon.  It's really an awesome place.  It was good just to get away for a while and spend a fun evening with friends.

The Fourth of July was also a fun time with my church family.  We went to Recreation Park for a picnic and field games.  Then we had a front-row seat to watch the city's fireworks show.  

 

Other memorable moments from the summer were spent with family celebrating my mom's 80th birthday and my sister's 50th birthday.  We gathered both times at The Plaza restaurant.  They were supposed to be a surprise, but neither party actually was.   I'm thankful I have my mom and sister and that we were able to celebrate these milestones and many more to come.

That was my summer.  It seemed to go by quickly, even though I didn't do much.  It was the little things in life that make each day special and a gift from God!

God is Good

You've probably heard or even done this: The pastor will say "God is good!" and the audience will respond "All the time!" Then the pastor says "All the time!" and the people answer "God is good!" But is this just rote repetition or do we really believe it? That's the question Pastor Lynn posed in his Sunday sermon.

He showed us that goodness is not just an attribute of God.... it's who He is. Psalm 119:68 says, "You are good and do good." So God is completely good, and everything He does is good.

The creation story in Genesis 1 demonstrates this. God said 'Let there be light,' and there was light. God saw that it was good. In everything He created, God saw it was good... very good!

The only thing that wasn't good was when God said it's not good for man to be alone. In His goodness, God created woman. And in His goodness we were created. We were created in His image.

Everything God does is for our good. Romans 8:28 says 'Everything works together for GOOD for those who love the Lord.' It may not seem like it at the time, but over time we can look back and see God was working things out for our good.

There are some things that we may not realize were good until we get to heaven. We must choose goodness. When we choose God, we get His goodness toward us.

If something bad happens in our lives, that's NOT from God. It may be because of our own bad decisions or it may be from the devil, but it's not from God. God is good ALL THE TIME!

Ready or Not

A friend and I recently watched the latest Last Behind movie.  WOW!  The movie shows what it will be like minutes after the Rapture.  In the blink of an eye, millions of people instantly disappear from the face of the earth.  The sad part is millions more will be left behind.

If we're not very careful, any one of us could end up in the left-behind group.  That would be a real tragedy.  We don't have to be left behind.  There's still time, but time is running out.  Today is the day of decision.

Something big is about to happen.  Something REALLY BIG!

There's been a lot of speculation about September 2015 among watchers of biblical prophecy as well as financial experts, politicians and middle-east news junkies.  This month, we will see an alignment of major events relating to biblical prophecies of the end times that will never happen again.

One prophesy expert said it this way: "September 2015 Just Plain Lines Up With Bible Prophecy ... too perfectly!"

One of the signs that everyone's talking about is the four blood moons. The teaching of the blood moon says that, when four consecutive blood moons fall on Jewish feast days, a major event affecting the Jewish people will occur in close proximity to that time.  Three of the four blood moons have already occurred, and the fourth is this month:

April 15, 2014—Passover

October 8, 2014—Feast of Tabernacles

April 4, 2015—Passover

September 28, 2015—Feast of Tabernacles

Some prophecy teachers are declaring boldly that this fall signals that something is getting ready to happen, which will change the world forever.  I don't understand what all this means, but it's exciting! If you want read more about prophesies, google "September 2015 Prophesy."  There's a ton of information!

Are we at a time in history that a big change happens to Israel, the church and the world? You be the judge.  Even if you don't believe something big is on the horizion, why risk being left behind?  Don't take a chance.... Call on God and get your life right with Him today!   Today is the day of decision!

Technology

Technology is great.  I've had a love affair with technology ever since I got my first manual typewriter.  I used to pound out stories about my family on that old Remington typewriter that someone gave me.  It wasn't until I was in high school that I got an electric typewriter, and I'd never even used a computer until I was in college.

The journalism department at WT had one big-screen computer and six or eight smaller Macintosh computers with tiny, tiny screens.  It was hard enough writing news stories on that early version of the widely popular Apple Macintosh computer.  Just imagine trying to lay out the entire newspaper on those dinky screens!  We fought over who got to use the  big-screen computer, which we affectionately referred to as "Big Mama."  I loved Big Mama!

The smaller Macs were named after characters from "Leave It To Beaver."  We had Ward, June, Wally, Eddie, Lumpy and Jerry Mathers as the Beaver.  That's how we kept track of which computer our stories were stored on.  I managed to borrow the computer from my office so I could work on editorials and last-minute stories in my dorm room instead of another all-nighter in the newsroom.  Then, in my senior year, I got my own personal computer: a portable Mac.

That was 1990.  Fast-forward 25 years to today.  Technology has  exploded.  Everyone has at least two or three devices with them at all times so they can make phone calls, check e-mail, post status updates on Facebook and follow others on Twitter.

In my small room at the nursing center, I have a table full of electronics and gadgets, everything from a laptop and iPad to a printer and several radios.  I have a WiFi radio that lets me listen to stations and streaming music from around the world, and I can watch movies on demand with my Roku device.  I'm surprised I haven't blown a fuse with all the gadgets I have plugged in.

Thank God for all the advances in technology that make things more convenint and make life a little easier.  I'm actually typing this post on my iPad while I lay comfortably in my bed (Actually, I'm retyping this post after I accidentally deleted the whole thing!)  I'm thankful for all this modern technology, even though to this day I still don't own a cell phone!