WW D&D Treatment

Lawn specialists will tell you that it is good to aerate your lawn from time to time. It gets the thatch loose and opens the way for the soil to soak up more water and nutrients. Fertilizer is also a good booster for lush lawns, dazzling blooms, and thick hedges.

Then said he unto the dresser of his vineyard, Behold, these three years I come seeking fruit on this fig tree, and find none: cut it down; why cumbereth it the ground? And he answering said unto him, Lord, let it alone this year also, till I shall dig about it, and dung it: And if it bear fruit, well: and if not, then after that thou shalt cut it down. Luke 13:7-9

Like the unproductive fig tree, we often need some disruptions to jump start new growth.

If the Shoe Fits...

So many things I would like to say right now. But you wouldn't believe or understand any of them. If you were me and walking in my shoes right now, you might not even get it. You might do things differently. You might have more strength, more wisdom, more courage. You might be more honest about your feelings, your actions, your sins. You might say and do exactly the right thing. In fact, you probably won't be in my shoes, because you are too smart for that.

BUT, if you ever are in my shoes, let me just say this. IF you ever find yourself in my shoes, be careful where you step. You just never know sometimes where all the poop landed after it hit the fan. And as Forrest Gump, my favorite movie character says, that's all I have to say about that.

Potty Mouth Prayer?

Having a potty mouth could be a form of prayer.

The cries of agony, loss or pain are expressed in many different ways. They are expressed in a wordless whimper, and God hears them. They are expressed in bloodcurdling screams, and God hears them. They are even expressed in a way that would offend the offhand listener. No matter how they are said, God knows how to interpret them, and God hears them.

The problem is we often close our hearts and our ears to the kind of language expressed in that level of pain. We do so because we think pain ought not be offensive. "Pain should be neat and controlled," we reason.

That's not the way the Psalmist saw it when he wrote, I cry aloud to the Lord; I lift up my voice to the Lord for mercy. I pour out my complaint before him; before him I tell my trouble. -- Psalm 142:1-2

And it certainly wasn't the way Job saw it when his entire family was taken away. Therefore I will not keep silent; I will speak out in the anguish of my spirit, I will complain in the bitterness of my soul. -- Job 7:11

I'm not saying this is the kind of language we encourage in everyday talk. I'm not saying it is appropriate. I am saying God hears even the most excruciating levels of pain. He doesn't turn his ears away from it. Why should we?

I like what Susan Lenzkes says about beating upon the chest of God with her anger. In her book, "When Life Takes What Matters," she says, "We beat on His chest from within the circle of His arms."

Taken from an article in the Jackson Sun and reprinted with permission from Chaplain Norris Burkes. You may read the full article at TheChaplain.net.

Looking to Jesus

Please continue to pray for the Green family. In a previous update I mentioned that sister's father-inlaw had actually improved. This turn in his health was short-lived. I received word this morning that his earthly journey had come to an end. The funeral will be on Friday.

The days ahead may be grievious, but they will not be unbearable. I know that the Comforter will be near. Thank you again for your prayers and words of encouragement.

He'll Do It Again

We don't want you in the dark, friends, about how hard it was when all this came down on us in Asia province. It was so bad we didn't think we were going to make it. We felt like we'd been sent to death row, that it was all over for us. As it turned out, it was the best thing that could have happened. Instead of trusting in our own strength or wits to get out of it, we were forced to trust God totally—not a bad idea since he's the God who raises the dead! And he did it, rescued us from certain doom. And he'll do it again, rescuing us as many times as we need rescuing. You and your prayers are part of the rescue operation—I don't want you in the dark about that either. I can see your faces even now, lifted in praise for God's deliverance of us, a rescue in which your prayers played such a crucial part.
2 Corinthians 1:8-11 The Message

Timothy, my child, Christ Jesus is kind, and you must let him make you strong. You have often heard me teach. Now I want you to tell these same things to followers who can be trusted to tell others. As a good soldier of Christ Jesus you must endure your share of suffering.
II Timothy 2:1-3 CEV

The Apostle Paul was an educated man, a Pharisee of Pharisees. But his education was of no comfort to him when he was persecuted. Neither was his lineage. Many times there was no earthly way out of his trial. No solution outside of the divine intervention of God Almighty. Through hardships he learned the value of fully trusting in the Lord. His perserverance earned him the right to pen the majority of the New Testament. Without a doubt, he knew in whom he had believed.

Prayer Changes Things

As you might guess, this past week has been exhausting both mentally and physically. Sandwiching in as much work as possible between hospital visits has left very little time for blogging and internet, but I did happen to see where Big Sis has been updating you all and requesting your prayers. I am very thankful for friends like you all who took the time to pray for us. At one point, I was sure that the only thing keeping me on my feet were the prayers of my family and friends.

I must admit my faith was weak. When you get a bad report from the doctors, who are generally less eager to give time frames, and they say 24-48 hours, it is hard to see any light at the end of the tunnel. Yes, we even began planning a funeral. But God has different plans for Mr. Green. It was not his time to go. Today he is talking, walking a few steps with a walker, and feeding himself. He has not lost his sense of humor either. He still gets disoriented, but he was doing that quite a bit before this hospitalization. We will talk to the doctor's tomorrow about moving him to a Skilled Nursing facility. They took his oxygen and IV's off today.

Just wanted to stop in and share this news with you today. I love and appreciate each of you.

Update on the Family

Forgive me for the delay in posting. And thank you all for your prayers.

Mr.Green Sr. lay in a coma-like state for about 24 hours, then began to respond to family members and caretakers. At present he is feeding himself, talking a little bit, and will soon be transferred to a skilled rehab unit. God answers prayer.

Initially, I notified my supervisor that I might need a couple of days off pending Mr.Green's condition/demise. She and my co-workers agreed to be flexible under the circumstances. God still answers prayer.

My Golden Boy has been a real trooper. He has been faithful to pray for his grand-daddy. He has exhibited that child-like faith that we all should possess. Thank God for a child that has been taught the value of prayer.

Though the past few days have been difficult for this family, we have not been without comfort. Only the Lord knows what lays ahead for each of us. But there is one thing for certain. He will never leave or forsake us, nor leave us alone.

Like an Olive Tree

History tells us that all of the trees in and around Jerusalem were cut down when the Romans conquered the city in 70 AD. Yet there are olive trees there today. They could even be off-shoots of the trees that were growing in the days that Jesus walked the Earth. It has been said that olive trees can regenerate from their roots. This means they can be cut completely down and sometime later sprout, flourish, and bear fruit again.

"For there is hope for a tree, if it be cut down, that it will sprout again, and that its shoots will not cease. Though its root grow old in the earth, and its stump die in the soil, yet at the scent of water it will bud and put out branches like a young plant. But a man dies and is laid low; man breathes his last, and where is he? As waters fail from a lake and a river wastes away and dries up, so a man lies down and rises not again; till the heavens are no more he will not awake or be roused out of his sleep." Job 14:7-12 ESV

As long as there is breath in a man, there is hope. Hope for salvation. Hope for regeneration. Hope for an eternal life with Jesus Christ. We must never underestimate the power of the Holy Spirit. He searches the depths of man’s soul. He is the one who pricks the conscience of man. He is the one who draws man to the Father. He is the one understands the non-verbal communications of man.

God created man in His image. He put within man a place that can only be filled with Him. Many search the world over for something to satisfy. Drugs, alcohol, sex, and plastic surgery are a few things that have been sought to stop the gnawing of emptiness. Oftentimes a person will have to hit rock bottom before they realize that Jesus is the answer to their woes. But some only need to witness a life that is vibrant with the love of Jesus.

Our mandate is to go and tell. To that I add; and live well. So what if you have been battered and cut down? Let the Holy Spirit water you soul today and you will begin to sprout again. As long as you have breath, there is hope.

Calling All Intercessors

Dear Readers,

Just a quick post to alert all prayer warriors of an urgent need. My sister's father-inlaw has had a massive stroke and his death is expected in less than 24 hours. He has been sick for an extended period of time, but that does not lessen the pain of what is now evident.

The Green family needs your prayers. The usual ones for comfort and guidance will certainly be of value in this circumstance. But I am asking you to be sensitive to the leading of the Holy Spirit as you intercede. Surely He knows exactly what each member of the family needs during this difficult time.

Please offer continued prayers for my Golden Boy nephew. He is 8 years old and has experienced the pain of losing a grandmother, great-grandmother, and a great-grandad in his few years. He is a thoughtful child that ponders many things in his heart and is slow to share his feelings. I know that he would like for his Aunt Cala to be near to console him at this time. Due to work constraints, my time with him is somewhat limited.

This leads me to one more request. Pray for my employers to be lenient with me so I can be a help to my sister and the family, so I can be with "my boy" as I so often call him.

Thank you for your continued support. I will update as I am able. As always any comments or emails of encouragement will be appreciated.

Got Salt?

13"You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men.
14"You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. 15Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. 16In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven. Matthew 5:113-16

You may have heard that old cliche, "not worth his salt". I don't ever want that to be said of me and my Christian walk. I posted these verses today as a simple reminder that others are depending upon us to be salty. Not like the old sailors, but like the Light of the world.

where o where has my big sis gone?

Looking for Sista Cala and Worship Wednesday? Me too....Where are ya, Sis??? Did you work last night? Check back when you can. Maybe she's just runnin late.

The Faith of a Child

A beautiful thing happened to me nearly first thing this morning. It rained all night and was still storming when the alarm went off. Nine days straight of typing had taken its toll. I awoke with my arms aching and feverish. They felt like lead and hurt in all the joints.

What is beautiful about that, you ask? Well, as is our morning custom, my son and I pray together before he leaves for school. We pray for my neice and her husband in Iraq. We pray for my other neice and her husband and the pregnancy. We pray for protection for Chase at school. And this morning, I asked my child to pray for Mama's arms.

What followed was a precious moment. My 8-year-old son began rubbing my left arm and praying. And this is what he said: "Dear Lord, Help Mama's arms not to hurt today. Energize them, and let no weakness be in her hands. In Jesus'name, Amen."
I hugged him and told him how wonderful he was and sent him off to school. That was 20 minutes ago. There is no fever in my joints now. My fingers are beginning to loosen up. My arms do not feel as heavy.

God looked down from heaven and was touched by the faith of that little boy this morning. He saw a little boy who accepted God's Word at face value--without questioning or wavering. My heart is full this morning. My cup runneth over. I just wanted to share that with you this morning. It may be raining outside, but it is, nevertheless, a beautiful day!