Last night

I did not have an opportunity to write a post last night, so I wanted to do it tonight. I needed last night, it was good for my soul. I am glad that my father-in-law was here to be with Stace and that she was understanding enough to let me make it a reality.

We, the student ministry, went to a concert last night at a local coffee house. The mocha was decent, not great. But, I loved sitting at a table with 6 individuals from the church and listening to very good music while fellowshipping with them. Bread of Stone did a few worship songs and that was very nice.

The attendance was 'low' but I enjoyed the night. It is a shame that a local coffee house is trying to connect individuals and only about 50 individuals from the community come out and support it. I am not sure how many people know about it though. Wabash Ave may not be a hot spot though for the Lafayette crowd. But, I appreciate their effort. If you are from here, go check them out: SG Coffee House

I think we may go there once or twice a month.

Unknown

The unknown is what makes life so difficult. I just wish that I had some answers. I just wish that I had some true directions. I know that "life is not easy". But, I really do not think that life should be this difficult.

As I walk in the midst of this storm, I am however, so greatful that there are individuals who will and are walking through this with me. My words can not express the gratitude to you enough.

Thanks for loving me and my family.

The Solution ??

Humira may be the solution for my wife. I have contacted the drug company and am filling out paper work along with the surgeon in the up-coming week to see if we can get a discount for the drug.

My wife is not too thrilled about the shot, but I think that she will be able to give herself the shot. From information that I have read, this drug at times work much better than Remicade - however with everything in life - each individual and each situation is a little different.

I just got off the phone with the pharmacy to see how much money it is going to cost us. It is a little cheaper than I thought but it is still expensive. The initial month is the most expensive ( more doseages ). The you go into "maintenance mode. The first month prescription is $ 4,307.25 and the monthly maintenance dose is $1,435.75. If my caluclations are right, that means the following:

Year 1 - $ 20,100.50
Year 2 - $ 17,229.00

We will need to see if the specialtist believes that this could do the trick and then we will try to work some magic and get her on the drug.

Thank-You

The picture above is a picture of NCCC. That church building no longer exists but the church and the people of the church do exist. To me, it is an amazing church. From a church growth expert opinion, they would not label it as such. But it is. It is a church that cares about its members, communities and world. They do great things for those who are hurting.

They have helped me out with numerous things over the years. They sent me to England/Wales in 1990 cor a convention and a mission trip. In 1995/6, they gave us a discount on an apt. over the garage of the parsonage while I was in graduate school. They gave me a genrous donation in 2001 when I went to Africa and they are helping again.

The mission team is sending us money ( generous amount ) to help us with our medical expense. They also are going to do a fundraiser and the proceeds will be to help us buy prescription meds for Stacey.

To The church - THANK-YOU

Red Sox: They Did What ?

From CNN News:

BOSTON (AP) -- It took the Boston Red Sox 10 pitches to hit four straight homers and three days to complete a sweep of the New York Yankees.

In another thrilling chapter in a rich rivalry, the Red Sox tied a major league record with the home run streak and got their third consecutive comeback win with a 7-6 victory Sunday night despite Daisuke Matsuzaka's shaky debut against the Yankees.

"It certainly brought some life back into the ballpark in a hurry," Red Sox manager Terry Francona said of the third-inning homers off rookie Chase Wright that gave Boston a 4-3 lead.

Mike Lowell hit one of those homers, then connected for a go-ahead, three-run shot in the seventh.

"I haven't been part of anything like that, not even in Little League," Lowell said. "The dugout was going crazy. It was really a cool feeling."


WoW, 4 home runs in a row, that is amazing. Of course for Red Soxs fans, they would have it no other way - then to do it against the Yanks.

Stacey Recovering

Well, she had another surgery. She had the surgery last night. She is now at home attempting to rest. She is doing a pretty good job at that at the present time. I am thankful for everyone that has asked me how she is doing. The tough aspect is not repeating the story 10-15 times today. The tough part is that I really do not know how to respond.

I think that we will know more on Monday night after we see the specialtist in Indy. right now, the surgeon did everything he could do. They are draining "the junk" out of her body. She (my wife) is a little "too much' for them; thus the reason that they are sending her to Indy.

I am just praying that we will get some answers. If it is good news that will be great. If it is bad news, at least we will know what we are dealing with and can begin to take the steps to treat her.

Once again, thanks for the following this week:

- Individuals who watched the kids over night
- Individuals who picked up from school
- Individuals who visited the hospital
- individuals who asked how she was doing
- Individuals who covered the confirmation Retreat
- Individuals who prayed
- Individuals who are covering for stacey's work
- Individuals who are going to cover dinner at church tomorrow

Loves

Life

Life is very difficult at the present time. I am having a difficult time keeping my head above the water. I am keeping it above water, even though I think that I have went under a few times and am bobbling up and down as I float down the river.

So, what is occurring at the present time. Everything really.

We are in the midst of moving from one ministry to three. The planning is becoming time consumming but it is coming along. I think that this transition is going to occur w/o too much of a hitch. We have a lot more ministry opportunities for adults and the positions are getting filled.

My wife is not feeling good and the news does not seem to be getting better. I am wanting / hoping / praying that an answer will come soon for her health. The doctors here seem to have given up on her. They have labeled her "the problem child". Thus, they are sending her to Indy. Hopefully, the specialtiest will be able to figure out a solution.

This weekend is going to be a crazy weekend. We have a confirmation retreat this weekend. My wife may be going to the doc / hospital. My kids are going to be in different homes and individuals will be checking in with my wife. On Sunday, we have church / young adult ss / youth ministry at night.

I want to thank all my YMX friends, my church family for their (your) prayers and supports. They are greatly appreciated. The schedule is a little hecting with taking care of family matters and keeping the ministry afloat. Thanks for helping me keep my sanity.

Gandhi & Christianity

Gandhi & Christianity. Those are not two words that most people would associate together. However, I feel that Gandhi has some powerful insight into Christianity and we need to hear his voice. I know this may be uncomfortable for some to hear or see but please follow along and maybe we can hear a whisper from God in a very unusual place - Gandhi.

This may be my longest post that I have put on this blog but I believe that this post may be one of my more profound ones as I wrestle with how we act and react in our christian communities.

Gandhi had a great admiration for the Holy Scripture. He thought if individuals would follow the Scriptures, great things would occur. When speaking of the beatitudes, this is what he had to say about them: "They contain a message that would save the world. What a pity that Christians have been listening to the message for two thousand years, but they [the Christians] are like stones lying in the water for centuries, never soaking up a single drop.

Why can't we soak in the beatitudes and live them out ??

Maybe the following story can give us an insight on why Gandhi did not have problem speaking of scripture and knowing it. There was a ministry who really wanted to witness to the Hindu crowd and this is what occurred:

Once when the missionary E. Stanley Jones met with Ghandi he asked him, "Mr. Ghandi, though you quote the words of Christ often, why is that you appear to so adamantly reject becoming his follower?" Ghandi replied, "Oh, I don't reject your Christ. I love your Christ. It's just that so many of you Christians are so unlike your Christ."

Later on in life Stanley jones spoke of gandhi with high respect and said the following: E. Stanley Jones said of him: 'He taught me more of the spirit of Christ than anyone in East or West.'

Why can't we be like our Christ ?

I am sure you may be wondering if there was a single moment in his life where he "rejected" Christianity .... The answer is YES. He got kicked out of a church with an elder telling him never come near our church again. Gandhi came to worship and he was turned away. He then made the following statement: How we treat those others tells people MORE about what we believe, and what following Jesus means to us than all tracts we pass out, or all the fine semons we deliver.

So, how are you treating people ?

I think that one of the most interesting statements that he ever made was the following statement: If Christians would really live according to the teachings of Christ, as found in the Bible, all of India would be Christian today. But, almost in the same breath, he states the following: there is nothing that really stands out in scripture that relates to how people live.

Is the life you are living impacting individuals ?

The distaste he had and his full grasping did not occur but once again, he has a statement that grabs me. Here is a quote from a book on Gandhi & Christianity:

"The message of Jesus as I understand it," said Gandhi, "is contained in the Sermon on the Mount unadulterated and taken as a whole... If then I had to face only the Sermon on the Mount and my own interpretation of it, I should not hesitate to say, 'Oh, yes, I am a Christian.' But negatively I can tell you that in my humble opinion, what passes as Christianity is a negation of the Sermon on the Mount... I am speaking of the Christian belief, of Christianity as it is understood in the west."

There is so much more that I can go with. I know that I focused on the positives for the majority of the post and there is a reason for that .... I was asked to write on this subject and how he may give us hope for the messiness in our world.

In simple terms, life really is easy. It is saying yes to God and following God. It does not matter what people do to you, what they say and that dreams around you get shattered. What life is about is loving God and loving others and allowing the Holy Scriptures to seep out of you and run into everyone that you meet.

In time of hurt, I will listen for God's voice in the words of Gandhi when he said .... The gentle figure of Christ, so patient, so kind, so loving, so full of forgiveness that he taught his followers not to retailate when abused or struck, but to turn the other cheek ...

Who do you need to love and be kind to ?

3 and Done

This is my third and final test. So, here is the score card:

Jones Test: No Clue What It Means

Vocab Test: B- was the story of my life

Number Test: I don't think So ...

You Are 6: The Loyalist

You have strong relationships and are intensely loyal. People find you easy to love and care for. You like your world to be stable and secure, no surprises. You're cautious. You prefer your inner circle to the outside world.

What Number Are You?

Gonna grab me a cookie and slide into bed and watch Baseball Tonight till I go to ZZZZ land. Or maybe I will put it on Nick @ Night

Relieving Stress

yes, that is what I am doing tonight by taking some dumb quizzes. My mind is doing meanlingless task as I listen to Bowzer snore and ESPN in the background.

Your Vocabulary Score: B-

You have a zealous love for the English language, and many find your vocabulary edifying. Don't fret that you didn't get every word right, your vocabulary can be easily ameliorated!

How's Your Vocabulary?

The Jones Drink

You Are Smoked Salmon Pate Soda

Tasting like fish ain't so bad!

What Jones Holiday Soda Are You?

I decided to take the Jones Drink Test. There it is. I gotta tell you though, I miss my "Jones". For about 2 months, we bought a Jones after Sun night and drank it as we "wined" down. I liked the Bubble Gum and Sour Apple.

No Answer

No answer came tonight .. but that is okay.

The meeting tonight ... done.

How was it ?? I have no clue.

The cards are on the table.

Tonight

Tonight ... could be the night

Snow ?? !! ??

Okay, I wake up and look out the window - it is SNOWING !!!! This is crazy and insane. It is April 12, it should be warm. So, then, I did something dumb. I punched in the area code 35216 where we lived this time last year --- sunny and 77 today.

Is it over, Yet ???

In this March 20, 2007 file picture, Anna Nicole Smith's former boyfriend Larry Birkhead pumps his fist as he walks out of the Bahamian Supreme Court after attending a hearing in the ongoing paternity case for the late Anna Nicole



Yes, I told you, I was the dad !

Anna Nicole news can now be put to bed ... maybe.

Establishing Priorities

We need to establish priorities if we want to be successful and if we want to see our dreams become a reality. Too many times, we do not place priorities down in our life and w/o the priorities, we are floating around without a paddle.

After setting a goal, you need to then look at the priorities ( game plan ) and set them in place - highest to the lowest and get them accomplished.

You will not achieve the goal ( at least easily ) if you do not prioritize. What do you want to do - how are you going to get it done.

Go Do it !

My Crowder

Well, the pic is way to close and it does not show the who beard .. but it is growing. I have been growing it since December. No, my wife does not like it. I will get rid of it eventually, I promise.

A-rod: Strong Finish

From Yahoo Sports: New York Yankees' Alex Rodriguez (13) waves to the crowd after hitting a game-winning grand slam in the ninth inning of baseball action against the Baltimore Orioles Saturday, April 7, 2007 at Yankee Stadium in New York. The Yankees won the game 10-7.

Congrats A-Rod. I am a fan of yours and I am glad to see him have a great start. I know it is early in the season and individuals will wait to see if he can produce in October. But, congrats to a great start to the season and a fantastic way to end a game in the Bronx.

Florida Wins

The Gators are Champions ! They were very impressive during the tourney and really took it to Ohio State. OSU was never able to rally. Everytime they came close, the Gators "rained" 3's.

Congrats to the Gators. It is unbelieveable that they won both the football and basketball championship. However, you must give OSU props as well for being runner-ups in both.

I am not much of a Gator fan but I was rooting for them in both games ... Gooooo Gators. You represented the SEC well. No, I have not become a Big Ten (11) convert.

Weekend Services

Today, I had the opportunity to preach at all three services at our church. The Senior Pastor had to go out of town. So, on Tuesday, he asked me if I would be willing to preach. I said yes. I enjoyed having the opportunity to speak.

My "task" was to take a look at one aspect of the last week of Jesus life. I chose the footwashing aspect. I think that this intimate moment in the midst of turmoil is a great example of how we are suppose to live our lives.

We are called to love and to serve one another. We need to do this even to those who have hurt us and have grieved us. It is very difficult to show that love and to serve. But, we are called to Be Like Jesus. Jesus served individuals who would deny him, betray him and were bunch of cowards and did not stand up for Him.

So, how can we do it ? It is very difficult to do but in the same light, it is very simple to follow. Here is the statement: When you see a need, meet it.

Thus, as we are journeying through our daily lives, we need to look around and when we see a need, we need to meet it.