"We all need some Christmas love
Gonna get my Christmas love
We all need some Christmas love" - Billy Idol - Christmas Love
Yes Poppin' Fresh. I named this one for you.
Lindsey did not have to work Christmas Eve, Christmas Day or the weekend. So we got to have her home for a nice four day Christmas weekend. She did however, have to work Mon-Wed on the days leading up to Christmas. So I got three days in a row with the kids where I was responsible from the time they woke until bed time since Lindsey was working 7AM-7PM. Then there was the Christmas Gauntlet starting with the Candlelight service at Church on Wed night and going thru the last Christmas service on the 27th.
I've had a lot of you ask what's it like staying at home and how am I adjusting? I can sum it all up in two words: Exhausting & Fun.
Our last day of Home School we made Clay Tablets in History class.
This one told about a Snail in Egypt.
This one told a story about Cupcakes.
We made Christmas Cookies & Cards at 4H.
We played Power Ranger Uno. It's like regular UNO only there is also Power Rangers.
We Snuggled on the couch and watched Christmas Movies.
We made pancakes with Gpa!
and of course there was a visit from your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Men.
Look out! He is the Spider-Sam!
We sang at Cambridge with the Choir.
A GREAT BIG THANK YOU!
Over all we feel extremely blessed this CHRIST mas. The amount of cards, gifts, prayers and well wishes this holiday season has us feeling overwhelmed, humbled and unworthy. We just felt grace upon grace this December. I think we got a card or present in the mail every single day since Thanksgiving. We are very blessed to have such wonderful friends and family. So if I we didn't get to tell you individually (which we did try!) THANK YOU for your love and generosity.
Phil 1:3-5 "I thank my God every time I remember you.4 In all my prayers for all of you, I always praywith joy5 because of your partnershipin the gospel from the first dayuntil now,"
By Popular request I tried to journal the rest of week one. For the record I have no idea how Lindsey ever got anything done across the last 3 years.
Tuesday After the relative success of monday I was looking forward to tuesday. Tuesday didn't have co-op or a trip to the grocery store. All we had to do was go to Spanish Club at 10AM which is about 5 minutes down the road from us and Lindsey didn't have to be at work until 8:30AM which meant I had her help a bit longer in the morning. I was looking forward to Tuesday.
The same way someone looks forward to a monopoly game at a family get together. You know at Thanksgiving, the food is eaten, you don't like football so you break out monopoly. You have the time and the people you might even finish a game! Everyone is excited at first, you select your piece, get your money handed out to you and you even get a property or two that you wanted. However, like all monopoly games, it always ends like this.
That was Tuesday.
Wednesday Wednesday I woke up at 5:30 with really good intentions of getting an early start on the day! I was going to shower, have coffee, some quiet time with a devotional and zzzzzz. Then it was 7AM and Anna was taping me on the face letting me know it was time to get up. In all honesty I was still pouting from yesterday's disaster of a day. I sat next to Sam and Lindsey on the couch and Sam is frustrated that he's not hitting a home run every time in his game. Then the following conversation occurs.
Sam: Oh Man! I never hit a home run! Me: You can't hit a home run every time Sam.
*Wife gives me the look* Me: Which is a lesson your dad needs to learn also.
I did not make the mistake this time of attempting to make breakfast, dress everyone, and do home school all before having to be somewhere at 10AM again like yesterday. We'll do school in the afternoon. It appears that being a Stay at Home Dad that Home Schools is a marathon not a sprint.
We went to Cambridge Hills as part of our 4H group to sing Christmas carols and hand out gifts to all the residents. As an added bonus, one of the residents is my mother. Lindsey was able to join us today since she didn't have to go into work until later. I was so proud of all the kids going from room to room handing out presents, singing their hearts out and giving hugs. If you ever want a blessing come with me to Cambridge sometime and meet some of the people there.
4H Group at Cambridge
We got home, we eat lunch, Lindsey goes to work and I start school with the kids. I also have to make more coffee because I can barely keep my eyes open at this point. We finish school and Lindsey comes home early since her training class was cancelled. I snuggle on the couch with Anna and apparently fall asleep for 45 minutes. We then head off to church for the night.
Thursday Here it comes! The longest day yet! Lindsey is working 11-12 hours today! She heads out the door at 7:30. At least I was able to get a shower before she leaves. I start on breakfast. You know just keeping these kids fed is pretty much a full time job. How can people so small eat so much food? And then still be hungry 30 minutes later? I think Food Lion & Coscto should open a special VIP lane for us.
We do homeschool during Squishy's nap and then when he wakes up we head to Cambridge to visit mom. I try to visit her 3-4 times a week if I can. It's nice now that I can see her more frequently and take the kids with me.
After Cambridge we head to the bank and in the bank parking lot I reach for the diaper bag which is not in the van. It's still at Cambridge. This makes the 3rd time I have forgotten this bag in 4 days. I really need to figure out a system for not forgetting the bag. At least I hadn't forgotten any kids yet. We leave the bank and I run back into Cambridge to get the bag. We get home and its 12:30 and no one has had lunch yet.
I feed them, put squish down for a nap and attempt school. Attempt is a good choice of words because it wasn't really all that successful. Anna shuts down on me frustrated at her sight words and Madison wants to do Anna's work for her, because it's easier, but under the guise of helping her sister. I call it early and say we will pick up again on Friday.
Dinner. Oh wait my wife isn't home and I have to fix dinner and we need to go to the grocery store. What do I find on Twitter? 50% Online Papa Johns! Dinner is saved! Night time activities? Pizza and Christmas Movies! Lindsey gets home about 8 and the kids were in bed successfully a few minutes before. I made it! She doesn't have to work again until Monday!
It's day one of the rest of my life
It's day one of the best of my life
I'm marching on to the beat of a brand new drum
Yeah, here I come
The future has begun
Day one" - Matthew West - Day One Our last post was our most popular one ever. In fact it had double the amount of views then our previous most popular. That was the one where we announced our role reversal. My last day with Spuntech was Monday Nov 30th. They gave me a very nice farewell party.
Lindsey's first day with PMH was today Monday Dec 14th. If you notice there's a two week gap in there. It was quite lovely. Lindsey got to show me the ins and outs of being the one at home with the kids. However, there's not really a lot of time during the day where we are actually at home. There is CO-OP, Spanish Club, 4H, Swim Lessons not to mention trips to the grocery store, bank, park, library, etc. When we are home there is Laundry, Dishes, play time, breakfast/lunch to be made, as well as Home Schooling via the Piney Grove Academy.
I made one very crucial discovery about a week into this. I need an espresso machine. I guess these will do for now.
If you would like to purchase an Espresso Machine for the Piney Grove Academy you can do so here:
Ok so technically it's a coffee bar. It's all about the caffeine.
Somewhere around Thursday of last week I crashed just from exhaustion and my very gracious wife allowed me a 4 hour nap. Yes, 4 hours. In all fairness I was exhausted when I started and our schedule is particularly busy in December, however Lindsey was doing all the things I was and I simply could not keep up.
Stay at home parents, teachers, people who somehow operate on little to no sleep consistently, I salute you all.
Today being Lindsey's First day with PMH was considered day one for our new normal. I woke up at 6:30 and started getting ready. Lindsey was already up since she had to be at orientation at 8AM. I was able to get in a shower and got up to find the girls already awake and on the couch watching Odd Squad. Love that show. I watch even if they aren't here.
We got everyone sorted for Breakfast and I started making sure everything was set and packed for Co-Op. By 7:40 lindsey was out the door for work. Deep Breathe. This is it!
By 8AM Mr. Squishy had already drank his first bottle of the day. With Squish settled I got everyone dressed, and prepped and int he van 9AM. Co-Op doesn't start until 9:30 so thing were looking good!
On the way to co-op we were playing a game and everyone was cheery. Halfway there I notice a crucial mistake I had made. I forgot to place the diaper bag in the van. Quick U turn to home, run in the house, grab the bag, dash back out and only get to co-op a few minutes late. Co-op starts and right at the beginning of class Mr Squishy becomes Mr. Fussy. I run him up to the nursery where he promptly settles down for the lovely ladies who work there.
After that Class went really well. Sarah was very helpful and kind towards a first time teacher showing me the ropes.
Class ends with no one having glued their hands to their face (myself included!) sounds like success to me.
Co-Op has two classes on monday. For you child to participate you have to teach one class. Then for the second class you can relax in the break room with the other parents. After Class I pick Squishy back up and feed him his second bottle of the day. Milk Comma ensues. I enjoy talking to the other parents and soon. Next thing I know it is noon and Co-Op is over! I let the kids play on the playground a bit and then we have to swing by Food Lion for we are out of a couple of things.
The kids at this point are tired and squish needs a nap. Also, we hadn't had lunch yet. It really sounds like a terrible idea to go to food lion. However, we don't have any milk or cheerios so it can be terrible now or terrible in the morning. I suck it up and decide I gotta do this at some point so why not dive on in.
As a side note, I'm a terrible grocery shopper, or I'm the ideal customer as far as Food Lion is concerned. I go in with no plan, hungry and buy whatever. I had a plan this time! and stuck to it. Also, I bribed the kids with donuts if they helped me.
Squish didn't start fussing until right when we got to the check out line. We got checked out, loaded up and home a bit before 1pm. I fed Squish his third bottle of the day and he promptly took a nap. By time everyone eats lunch and school is done it is 4pm. Lindsey is on her way home! Whew what a day. Praise the Lord. It's day one.
Reunion "Change will come
Change is here
Love fades out
Then love appears
Now my water's turned to wine
And these thoughts I have
I now claim as mine
I'm coming home
" – Collective Soul – Reunion
Well, it has been a while since we’ve updated. We've had so much going on that certain things had to go and this was one of them. I’ve written several posts in my head since the last one, but they never made it out of my head. Typically, once I’ve prepared my Wednesday night message and my Sunday School message and the occasional newsletter article that’s all my writing time.
Well, recently we full on hit the Cray Button.
Now, for most of you thought the cray button was firmly pressed back when we decided to have our 4th kid Mr. Squishy.
Nope.
"You think we on 10, boy you ain't seen nothing 3-2-1 Cray Button" - LeCrae
After much prayer, Lindsey and I have decided to switch roles. She is going back to work and I am leaving the IT Field to become a Stay at Home Dad, as well as, be more available to the church.
I graduated high school in 1997. I enrolled into PCC in the IT program and started in the fall of 1997. I had plans of doing some kind of job that involved computers. Then something radical and totally unexpected happened. I got saved. That was Feb of 1998. Everything changed.
I graduated in May and had my first full time IT job in Sept of 1999 with a local company. I struggled with it. It was far more frustrating then I expected. I spent breaks/lunches studying the Bible which I had grown to find far more important and interesting then computers and IT things. In Dec of 1999 I had a job with benefits at the bank. I enjoyed it and really threw myself into it letting spiritual things slip to the side gradually across two years. I was rewarded with a promotion at the bank and a bonus. Career wise things looked good. They looked terrible everywhere else. My health declined. My girlfriend and I broke up. My walk with the Lord was questionable. Then my career started to suffer. I found that when all you love is the job the job does not love you back. The bank got bought out and the new management just wanted more and more and more out of me with me receiving anything in return. It took about a year (specifically all of 2002) for the Lord to straighten me out.
It was at that point that I first started seriously considering ministry/seminary. Even though now I can roll the clock back in my mind to when I was still at PCC that I started seeing the signs for my calling. The gentle, subtle and not to gentle, not so subtle prodding of the Lord. By the end of 2003 I felt I was back on track, not a smooth ride by any means, but pointing in the right direction at least. I had reconciled with my future wife and even served as an interim youth pastor for about 6 months. By 2004, I had a 50 minute commute to work which I despised. I felt a good 2 hours of my day was wasted just driving back and forth to a job I felt stuck in.
I tried to make the most productive use of that time that I could. I had the drive broken down into 3 segments. The first segment I would listen to the Bible on CD. The second segment I would listen to a Christian audio book or sermon. The third segment was Christian music. That was on the way to work. On the way home from work it was prayer time.
Now I don’t want you to read that and think "Oh, he’s such an awesome Christian no wonder he’s pastor." Far from it. I did all that just to try and keep a grip on life.
"Don't even know who I am no more
Can't recognize my own face
I'd burn it all and just walk away
For a moment of grace" – The Almost
Most days feel like a sinking ship that is begging for that moment of grace. By 2005 I was married and living in Greensboro with the love of my life. I once again had a job that I loved with the Bank but this time as a field service technician. I would drive around the Triad fixing things at various branches and moving on. There was little after hours or weekend work and when there was it was I get time off the next week. I had an expense account, a company vehicle, and I worked from home two days a week. It was my IT dreams come true.
Then out of the blue, at least to me, our beloved senior pastor sent me this horrible email. It said (paraphrasing here)
"The church is growing significantly, it’s more than two pastors can keep up with. I want you to pray about being our third pastor and moving back to Roxboro."
I ignored that email. I had a good life in Greensboro. A good job. A good marriage. A nice apartment. We even found a church we liked. I was more interested in furthering my IT ambitions. The Lord quickly put a stop to that. I soon gave up on studying for an important IT certification and instead, one tearful night, enrolled in seminary. That was spring of 2006. By the fall of 2006 we had moved back to Roxboro and I had been voted in as Minister of Education at Antioch. By the spring of 2007 I was an ordained minister. As God would have it, shortly after I was ordained, my IT career halted. Since 2007 I’ve had roughly the same job/title/pay since then.
I applied for plenty of IT jobs, many of which would have advanced my career. I was qualified for the majority of them and even knew people within those companies. I got multiple interviews but no offers. I was one might imagine it was quite frustrating. The only career moves I was able to make were ones that allowed me to better serve family and church and not my IT Career. Praise the Lord.
When I was first saved and going to PCC I can remember walking around campus and praying . "God, let me be a Godly husband and father." This was before I met my wife and a good 10 years before I met my first child. God has been honoring that prayer for almost 20 years now.
Now once again I have a career change. Its purpose is to allow me to better serve my family and my church. Some of you understand that, some of you don’t. It’s ok. I’m finally home.
"Change has been
Change will be
Time will tell
Then time will ease
Now my curtain has been drawn
And my heart can go
Where my heart does belong
I'm going home" – Collective Soul – Reunion
Years ago there was a movie called “O Brother, Where are
thou?”and the success of movie
repopularized and old folk song from the great depression era named “Man of
Constant Sorrow”.
In the song the man
sings of how he’s seen trouble all his day, has no friends and has found no
pleasures here on this earth. A common theme during such a difficult part of
history.
Depression is a common part of the human experience.
Everyone occasionally feels blue or sad. Sometimes those feelings are short
lived and pass in a couple of days, sometimes they stick around and can
interfere with your ability to work, eat, sleep, study or just go about your
daily life. Major depressive disorder is one of the most common mental
disorders in the United States. Each year about 6.7% of U.S adults experience
major depressive disorder. We don’t like to talk about this in the church
though. We don’t like to admit that anything is wrong, as if it is some kind of
sin to feel sad, to feel worn down, to admit that we have no idea what God is
doing or why. We just come to church, put on a happy face and fake it until we
make it right?
Would it surprise you to find out that Jesus himself was a
man of constant sorrow? Isa 53:3 “A Man
of sorrows and acquainted with grief. At Easter we talk a lot about the
crucifixion and the physical pain that our Lord went through but we tend to
overlook the emotional pain that he experienced.
In fact I suppose if there was anything that dominated his
entire life it was suffering. Grief had been his constant companion all through
his life. Sin, disease, unbelief, doubt, disobedience, ignorance, rejection
were all around him all through his life and ministry. Our Lord faced sorrow
upon sorrow, yet no sorrow previously experienced can compare to the week
before the crucifixion. Before Jesus came to the cross, he came to the garden,
and we get a better understanding of his suffering on the cross by
understanding his suffering in the garden. When we understand his suffering in
the garden we get a deep insight into how painful the cross would be. We get a
great insight into how greatly he loved the father, how devoted he was to the
father's will, how greatly he and the father loved us sinners. Turn if you
would to Matthew 26:36-45
Matthew 26:36-45 36 Then
Jesus came with them to a place called Gethsemane, and said to the disciples, “Sit here while I go and pray
over there.”37 And
He took with Him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and He began to be
sorrowful and deeply distressed. 38 Then He said to them, “My soul is exceedingly
sorrowful, even to death. Stay here and watch with Me.”
The last supper is over, they sang a hymn and went out.
Judas is on his way to collect his 30 pieces of silver for betraying Jesus. It
is getting late and the darkest night of his life is upon him. They get to this
garden, named Gethsemane. While people lived in the city their gardens were on
the hillsides around the city. So they were away from the noise of being in
town and were in the quiet of the country side. Jesus has his disciples sit and
wait, and then takes Peter, James and John with him for encouragement and
prayer.
Throughout
the gospels Jesus has an inner circle within the disciples. Jesus had an inner circle comprised of Peter,
James, and John. He took them on special outings (see Matthew 17:1). He allowed
them to witness his greatest glory (see Mark 9:2–3) and his deepest temptation
(see Mark 14:33–34). He prayed with them (see Luke 9:28f). He taught them
things He did not teach the others (see Matthew 17:2; Mark 5:37–43). He even
introduced them to His heavenly family (see Matthew 17:3). They were his
closest friends and confidants.
Why those three and
not the others? My guess comes from John 16:12 "“I still have many things
to say to you, but you cannot bear them now." I think he
showed those that would understand the most. The others may have been
overwhelmed by what they would have seen there. What does he say to them?
My soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even to death. Stay here and watch
with Me. The greek word for distressed in verse 37 is the strongest of three
greek words in the NT for depression. It signifies such a sorrow that makes a
man neither fit for company nor desirous of it. Like a heavy weight upon the
chest.
Psalm
22:14-15”I am poured out like
water, And all My bones are out of joint; My heart is like wax; It has melted within Me. 15 My strength is dried up like a potsherd, And My tongue clings to My jaws; You have brought Me to the dust of death”
Have you ever been there? Not everyone has. It’s
a miserable place to be. I’ve spent the better part of this month there. It’s
been difficult, and it’s hard to even share that out loud with you today. The
month started with a two week visit from 4 high ranking VIP’s at work. A visit
from one of them is a full time job with 4 of them it was insanity running
between all the “urgent” requests. We upgraded all of our servers which knocked
a lot of people offline temporarily who also were trying to get urgent things
done from the VIP’s which involved a lot of blaming and anger towards me over
things not in my control. I was working 10-11 hour days and that didn’t even
involve the things I normally do all of which were having to be put on hold for
two weeks. By the time I would get home my kids would in bed or getting ready
for it and since I leave before they wake up I didn’t get to see them much.
To add to this I also take care of my mom who
is 3+ years into dementia and towards the end of her ability to stay by
herself. I pay her bills, run her errands, buy her groceries and visit her
daily. She expects me at a certain time and when I’m not there at that time she
gets upset and starts calling me. She got upset a lot the first half of this
month. I prayed a lot in these two weeks. But every time I did it seemed to
make things worse. I prayed for help and a server crashes. I prayed for help
and I get thrown under the bus by a co-worker. I pray for help and my mom’s
refrigerator dies and leaks all over the floor. Disheartening to say the least.
Finally, the two weeks are up and it’s
Friday, Friday the 13th. The
VIP’s have gone back home. I leave at lunch time and try to catch up with life.
I get a couple of errands done and finally with my house almost in sight after
being gone for so long my work phone rings. A pipe burst in the facility and
soaked a key workstation that I have to replace immediately. My frustration
with life and with God is close to boiling over because I can’t seem to catch a
break and I start to ask God what he is doing, why this is happening, how could
this be loving and is he enjoying watching me suffer? I’m reminded that God
loves me and I soldier on.
I get home hug my family and then turn around and go right back to work,
working late again to replace the computer. Saturday morning I wake up sick, by
Saturday evening I have a fever and chills which I would eventually lead to
flu/pneumonia, Monday I wake up with no voice and a severe sore throat. I
attempt to go to work Tuesday/Wednesday but by Thursday morning I almost pass
out in the shower and Lindsey takes me to urgent care.
Now I’m at the urgent care about once/twice a year usually with some kind of
stomach bug. So I go to check in explain my symptoms and they pull my
information. I accidently hand them my mom’s insurance card instead of mine. I
can’t find mine. This sets off 30 minutes of the people at the front running
around typing furiously and then running around more. Then they tell me that
BCBS has dropped me and I don’t have insurance. I tell them that they are
mistaken and that I’ve had the same job and same insurance for 5 years and if
they would just check what they have on file it should be fine. They don’t want
to do this for whatever reason and then proceed to tell me that they can’t help
me since I don’t have insurance or a huge wade of and that I need to leave. I
call Lindsey who is across town and she is on her way to get me but it will be
about 15 minutes. I hang up, sitting there, barely able to stay awake and look
to God too sick to even muster the slightest bit of anger andI ask “Are you sure you don’t hate me right
now?” and then silence.
Have you been there? Not all of you have but I see on your faces that some
of you might be there right now. I’m here to tell that it’s ok, everything is
not awesome and the struggle is real. Our Lord faced the same struggle.
39 He
went a little farther and fell on His face, and prayed, saying, “O My Father, if it is
possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will.” 40 Then
He came to the disciples and found them sleeping, and said to Peter, “What! Could you not watch with
Me one hour?41 Watch and pray, lest you enter
into temptation. The spirit indeed is
willing, but the flesh is
weak.”
So in his pain, our Lord turns to prayer. The
struggle now is a struggle over whether he is willing to go the cross. It is frightening,
terrifying and he asks if there's any way it can be avoided. Maybe the echo of
Satan's temptation from Matthew 4 when he went into the wilderness, and Satan tempted
him the gist of Satan's temptation was you're the son of God. You're the son of
God, why should you be hungry? You're the son of God, why should you be
rejected? You're the son of God, why shouldn't you rule? Grab some
satisfaction. You're entitled to it. That temptation may have come back. Why
are you anticipating this pain? Why are you looking at this suffering? You're
the son of God, you don't deserve this. Yet, the father’s will does not change,
the plan stays track. In his anguish he turns to his friends and finds them
sleeping. No help is found there. No relief.
42 Again,
a second time, He went away and prayed, saying, “O My Father, if this cup cannot pass away
from Me unless[e] I drink it, Your will be
done.”43 And
He came and found them asleep again, for their eyes were heavy.
What is the cup? In John 18, In Matthew 20
Jesus said “There’s a cup and I have to drink it”. The cup is tied to Divine
wrath. You see in both the Old and New Testaments. It represents the punishment
of God against sin and he is saying I don’t want to drink from this cup. On the
cross Christ did not become a sinner, but He drank the cup of God’s wrath
against all sinners. He came to seek and save the lost. The thought of drinking
this cup was almost more than he could bear. Luke we see that he was so
sorrowful, so anxious that he began to sweat great drops of blood. In verse 38
Jesus says that His soul is sorrowful even to death. At this point he is
sweating blood so it was no mere figure of speech. He was well on his way to
dying long before the first lash hit his back, the first nail pierced his skin.
I wonder if on the cross rather than dying from the thorns, the lashing, the
spear, the nails and asphyxiation. I wonder if he died of a broken heart. That
he died of a broken heart because of the sheer agony of the cross. The anguish
before he even gets there is enough to threaten his life.
Those of you familiar with both emotional and
physical pain a lot of the time will point to the emotional pain being worse.
There’s medicine we can take often for physical pain. There are procedures and
surgeries we can have. Yet, there’s no pill for a broken heart. Sure, we try to
do things to numb the pain of it but they are all temporary and most of them
are self-destructive.Christ in the apex of human emotional
suffering does none of those things. Instead he says 4 words. “Your will be
done.”
44 So He left them, went away again, and
prayed the third time, saying the same words. 45 Then He came
to His disciples and said to them, “Are you still sleeping and resting? Behold,
the hour is at hand, and the Son of Man is being betrayed
The disciples are still
asleep. Through the olive trees he sees the torches, he sees the mob coming
towards him. He maybe even sees Judas in the front leading the group. The hour
is now. The last temptation is over. He has committed himself to the father’s
will, he is facing the cross. He doesn’t tell the disciples pretend to keep
sleeping, or let’s run away. He says Arise. Get up. Let’s go forward and face
this head on. Devotion to his father’s will, trust in His father’s plan,
knowledge of his father’s love not only allowed him to face his betrayer, but
to walk into it head on.
Those of that are struggling
with pain, sadness, depression I am here to tell you that our hope does not
reside in our ability to preserve a good mood but in His ability to bear us up.
Jesus will never abandon us because of our downcast heart. Charles Spurgeon,
one of the best preachers & authors the church has produced, was no
stranger to depression himself. He said “Let your weakness plead with God
through Jesus Christ. His mercies are large enough, deep enough, wide enough,
high enough to hold secure what you cannot. Grace for your need rises to the
occasion.” Our hope is not our health mental or physical health but His ability
to be the strength we need.
Back at the urgent care I told you in my pain
and sorrow I cried out “God are you sure you don’t hate me?” and then silence.
I just sat there for a couple of minutes broken, defeated, lost. Then God
answered me, in one of the surest signs he has ever given me that He loves me.
My wife. Lindsey shows up with BCBS on the phone. Now if you know my wife you
know she is very peaceful and non-confrontational. However, once you’ve gotten
her angry enough to where she isn’t apologize, immediately, repent in sack
cloth and ashes it is not something you want to experience. People have lost
their teeth. She goes to the front desk and sets them straight, quickly and
authoritatively. I got some much needed medical attention and began the long
road to healing.
Man of Constant sorrows ended with this lyric “But
there is one promise that is given
I'll meet you on God’s golden shore.”
The glory of Easter, of the resurrection of Jesus is this Hebrews
4:15 “For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our
weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as
we are, yet without sin.” –Jesus
understands what you are dealing with even when no one else does. Therefore we
can boldly go to the throne of Grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace
to help in time of need.
