Encouragement: New Lease On Life

Hey Guys~

It's Friday with record high temperatures of 112 degrees here in Virginia and I'll be honest, I'm glad to be inside. Although after over a month of doctor appointments and hospital stays, I'm having my ups and downs with "cabin fever": you probably would to if you had daily infusions of antibiotics and you had to be home for weekly blood draws as well.

All in all, I'm happy to be alive. There's something to be said for hindsight because if you would have told me I would have a new lease on life after being in the hospital for a total of about three weeks (both of my hospital stays are included here), I would have said you were crazy. But it's so true. Life without the baclofen pump is so much happier. Doctors disagreed with me for years when I told them the baclofen flowing straight to my brain through my spinal fluid was causing my mood swings or feelings of depression saying there was no "conclusive" evidence linking the two. Maybe they're right, but I have never laughed more since having the pump out and taking oral baclofen. (For those of you who are new readers, the baclofen pump had to be taken out because of a severe infection in my back). Not only that, I feel like I can think clearer than I have been in years. Now, I feel like I am not only interacting with the world around me but enjoying my life.

Taking all of this into account, I came across this song "What Life Would Be Like" and it accurately describes the new lease on life that I feel I have. I am alive for a reason-to interact with the world and make it better by giving people hope in the midst of dark times. Just like God gave me hope

Please take the time to really listen to this song and examine your heart. You might be surprised at what you find...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qdbPynNI9Xo&ob=av3e

Does Working Really Matter?

It sounds like a funny question...

But is it really?


I mean, I can't tell how many times I find myself saying "I can't believe it's Monday already" after a great weekend.


Sad to say, but I too am only human-prone to the same thoughts and feelings as most people. That being said, I was enlightened by a recent sermon at my church entitled "Work Matters". In it, our pastor not only examines the monetary benefits of working, but the long-term benefits as it pertains to our Christian walk. Whether we know it or not, our work says a lot about who we are, what we believe and how we live.

In short, he told us that our work has the 3 W's.

1. Worth-not only in a modern sense, but everything we do stores us treasures in heaven. Remember, even Jesus was a servant.. "... Whatever you do for the least of these, you do for Me"


2. Our work is an act of worship. If you take a look at Ephesians 6:5-9, we should not only submit to our masters, but do so knowing that when we do, we are not only submitting to our earthly "Masters" (bosses) but to God as well.


3. Witness-In every sense of the word, our work can be a witness as to our Christian walk. Are we obedient to our bosses? Do we have integrity in our work? (Colossians 3: 22; Titus 2:9 or Ephesians 6:6). Not only that, how we deal with conflict says a lot about us too. Take for example Titus 2:9
   

Yet Another Personal Update

Hey Guys~

Okay, lately I realize my blog reads more like a medical transcript more than anything else. To make a long story short, I am home again (hopefully for good this time). Last time I'd written, doctors had performed blood tests finding once again that inflammation remained in my system. In the end, they suggested I go back to the hospital for some more tests. The next week week brought much debate as to whether doctors should open me up again and drain the inflamed area in my back or do a needle aspiration.

Honestly, I didn't really care which the doctors chose as long as they found out what was going on with me. I was still having high fevers and headaches at that point: I just wanted things to return to normal. Finally, a decision was made-the needle aspiration would be done. We awaited anxiously for the results, but to no avail. The inflamed area turned out to have not in infection, but a blood clot.

As of today, my doctors are still perplexed because some of my numbers still remain quite high (indicating infection) but we don't know why..

Switched at Birth New Show on ABC Family Where the Deaf Take Center Stage

Okay~

So the ABC Family show Switched At Birth isn't really that new, considering I've been gone a few weeks. But that's for another post.

Although the Switched At Birth storyline seems like one snatched from the headlines, it presents a interesting platform where the deaf community takes center stage. According to the ABC Family website, "Bay Kennish grew up in a wealthy family with two parents and a brother, while Daphne Vasquez, who lost her hearing at an early age due to a case of meningitis, grew up with a single mother in a working-class neighborhood. Things come to a dramatic head when both families meet and struggle to learn how to live together for the sake of the girls"

Most recently, the debate between cohlear implants and accepting one's disability became an issue.

For more information on the show, go to:http://abcfamily.go.com/shows/switched-at-birth

The Battle We All Face

Okay,

So I'm a day late in creating this post.. But as I learned, a lot can happen in a day;said that being said, I will give you a little update on my progress. Things continue to go well, although we have been concerned by a slight increase in temperature as well as a continued redness that in my back. We went to my regular doctor today and did some tests-hoping my white cells are still down and there is nothing to be concerned about...

This leads me to the topic of today's post-Releasing God's Power In Your Life. Sounds easy, right? After all, we are indwelt with the Holy Spirit at the time of our confession of faith. But learning how to harness this power is a completely different story. First, it's important to note that you are powerless within your own will to change your current circumstances. Second, we must be willing to commit our lives to God. That is where faith comes into play, turning our thoughts to "I can do this on my own" to "I can't but God can"

I haven't mastered all the steps: in fact, I haven't begun to understand all of the things God hopes to teach me through this time of difficulty. But then again, isn't that the battle we all face in the end. All it takes is the faith of a mustard seed.

*The idea came from Stanley's Early Light devotional entitled "Releasing the Power of the Holy Spirit"

Expedition Impossible

Hey Guys~
Okay, so my apologies for not posting the regular encouragement on Wednesday: but I'm still getting my strength and energy back. It figures that I would get sick when so many opportunities popped up. In short, I'm helping out our church by updating their website bios as well as some of other things.
Anyway, I'm getting ahead of myself. The real reason for this post is because I wanted to feature a new adventure/reality show on ABC. It's called Expedition Impossible: this one follows a number of teams as they make their way across America accomplishing different tasks. One of those teams, "No Limits" involves Eric, a blind man and his helper. This new show can be seen on ABC.com daily as well as on television every Thursday at 9 PM. I look forward to following Eric and his team as they continue their adventures..

http://www.seat42f.com/expedition-impossible-teams.html