tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15729247648749588372024-03-19T23:48:51.180-07:00When Suffering Doesn't Stop: A Life with Chronic PainA blog about the daily struggle of living with chronic pain written by a victim of a chronic illness. Topics include anxiety, suffering, anger, grief, and depression and are addressed from a Christian worldview.Smittyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16126018547283755421noreply@blogger.comBlogger222125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1572924764874958837.post-80568901804261405022020-06-08T11:24:00.000-07:002020-06-08T11:24:05.144-07:00UPS Ruined $5,000 of Medication and Put My Health at Risk<p align="center" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font face="verdana" size="4" style="line-height: 1.15;"><b style="line-height: 1.15;">...Because
Medication is Scarce and People’s Health is at Risk</b></font></font></p><p align="center" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0in;"><i style="line-height: 1.15; text-align: left;"><font face="verdana" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">by
a </font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">Person
Who Has Been </font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">Chronically
Ill </font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">and
Medication Dependent for over a Decade</font></font></font></i></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnkOUNEu1uAv9NTZb0mDQK_bFpOBHV68MCebXH_MApAGzEpaacB4r44HoMt_Vv6pbb_0-KwRmOL_euWybHu2hapfzghAfUmJEkH8rPqzMHsDSEbEOCRx4jE25FeJPKRPWDkG0IBsJHwOKk/s622/Brace+yourselves.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="477" data-original-width="622" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnkOUNEu1uAv9NTZb0mDQK_bFpOBHV68MCebXH_MApAGzEpaacB4r44HoMt_Vv6pbb_0-KwRmOL_euWybHu2hapfzghAfUmJEkH8rPqzMHsDSEbEOCRx4jE25FeJPKRPWDkG0IBsJHwOKk/s320/Brace+yourselves.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;">
</p><p style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><font face="verdana" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;"><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="font-size: medium; line-height: 1.15; text-align: left;"><font style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;"><i style="line-height: 1.15;">**</i></font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="font-size: medium; line-height: 1.15; text-align: left;"><font style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;"><i style="line-height: 1.15;">PSA #1: </i></font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="font-size: medium; line-height: 1.15; text-align: left;"><font style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;"><i style="line-height: 1.15;">T</i></font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="font-size: medium; line-height: 1.15; text-align: left;"><font style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;"><i style="line-height: 1.15;">his article is not meant to shame, berate, or i</i></font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="font-size: medium; line-height: 1.15; text-align: left;"><font style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;"><i style="line-height: 1.15;">n any way</i></font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="font-size: medium; line-height: 1.15; text-align: left;"><font style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;"><i style="line-height: 1.15;"> disrespect the hardworking and brave individuals who are maintaining contact with the general public </i></font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="font-size: medium; line-height: 1.15; text-align: left;"><font style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;"><i style="line-height: 1.15;">during this global pandemic </i></font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="font-size: medium; line-height: 1.15; text-align: left;"><font style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;"><i style="line-height: 1.15;">in order to fulfill our needs. This article is meant to point out a d</i></font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="font-size: medium; line-height: 1.15; text-align: left;"><font style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;"><i style="line-height: 1.15;">angerous</i></font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="font-size: medium; line-height: 1.15; text-align: left;"><font style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;"><i style="line-height: 1.15;"> flaw in UPS’s response to the Covid 19 crisis that is putting the health </i></font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="font-size: medium; line-height: 1.15; text-align: left;"><font style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;"><i style="line-height: 1.15;">of vulnerable people at risk </i></font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="font-size: medium; line-height: 1.15; text-align: left;"><font style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;"><i style="line-height: 1.15;">and contributing to </i></font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="font-size: medium; line-height: 1.15; text-align: left;"><font style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;"><i style="line-height: 1.15;">medication</i></font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="font-size: medium; line-height: 1.15; text-align: left;"><font style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;"><i style="line-height: 1.15;"> shortages</i></font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="font-size: medium; line-height: 1.15; text-align: left;"><font style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;"><i style="line-height: 1.15;">.**</i></font></font></font></font></font></p><p style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><font face="verdana" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">Unless
you’re living under a rock that I would very much like to be living
under, you are</font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">
well aware </font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">that
</font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">we
are currently e</font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">nduring
</font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">an
unprecedented crisis. I don’t mean the pandemic. That has
precedent. </font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">I
don’t mean the riots either. </font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">That
has l</font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">ots
of precedent. I mean the delivery delays we are experiencing as a
result of people flocking online to buy things they would normally
buy in stores, or in s</font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">ome</font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">
cases </font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">normally
</font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">wouldn’t
buy at all.</font></font></font></p>
<p style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><font face="verdana" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">UPS
</font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">(United
Parcel Service)</font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">
is a major carrier when it comes to US post. In fact, UPS used to be
my favorite carrier. …until they chose to leave my $5,000 shipment
of </font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">refrigerated
biologic </font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">m</font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">edication</font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">
in their warehouse over </font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">the</font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">
weekend instead of the next day delivery that was necessary for m</font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">y</font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">
medication to stay viable in favor of delivering other nonperishable
items. </font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">Now
FedEx is my favorite carrier because, even though FedEx has messed up
more deliveries for me than UPS has (a lot more), they came through for
me when it actually counted and saved my health.</font></font></font></p>
<p style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><font face="verdana" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">This </font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">medication
</font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">i</font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">s</font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">
not</font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;"> </font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">s</font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">omething</font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">
I c</font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">an</font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">
just pick up at my local pharmacy, </font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">or
any pharmacy for that matter</font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">.
I have </font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">no
choice but</font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">
to order it through a specialty pharmacy and </font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">t</font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">o
have it delivered. Enbrel, </font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">a
weekly subcutaneous injection </font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">t</font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">hat’</font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">s
used to treat autoimmune arthritis like </font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">r</font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">heumatoid
</font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">a</font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">rthritis—a
fairly new diagnosis for me—lose</font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">s</font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">
its viability once it r</font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">eaches</font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">
room temperature. It cannot be chilled again, </font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">and
it cannot be used after sitting at room temperature for longer than
30 minutes</font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">.
</font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">Yeah.
I</font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">t’s
awfully unstable for something that costs </font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">my
insurance </font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">$60,000
a year, but there you have it.</font></font></font></p><p style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><font face="verdana" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"></font></font></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><font face="verdana" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSq9jpucVjAJTmByltbRBbu5cptJatxQu-pF7OG5aNID0b0GLyj8f5cwMqv4-4IVpz9ZExKKlelOtZALSelmgy2C-lNq0VIIQthvKccNrlNqVaR_WnGgNrTqTMAWrUiU4wfaHqgl3D6m5H/s435/expensive+meds2.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="359" data-original-width="435" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSq9jpucVjAJTmByltbRBbu5cptJatxQu-pF7OG5aNID0b0GLyj8f5cwMqv4-4IVpz9ZExKKlelOtZALSelmgy2C-lNq0VIIQthvKccNrlNqVaR_WnGgNrTqTMAWrUiU4wfaHqgl3D6m5H/s320/expensive+meds2.jpg" width="320" /></a></font></font></div><p></p>
<p style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><font face="verdana" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">This
volatile </font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">medication
</font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">i</font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">s</font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">
not shipped in a</font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">n
anonymous </font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">plain
brown package. I</font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;"><span style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 1.15;">t
i</span></font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;"><span style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 1.15;">s</span></font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;"><span style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 1.15;">
transported in </span></font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;"><span style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 1.15;">a
l</span></font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;"><span style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 1.15;">arge</span></font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;"><span style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 1.15;">
</span></font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;"><span style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 1.15;">s</span></font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;"><span style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 1.15;">tyrofoam
co</span></font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;"><span style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 1.15;">oler
t</span></font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;"><span style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 1.15;">hat</span></font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;"><span style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 1.15;">
</span></font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;"><span style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 1.15;">i</span></font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;"><span style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 1.15;">s</span></font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;"><span style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 1.15;">
very clearly marked “</span></font></font><u><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;"><b style="line-height: 1.15;">REFRIGERATE
U</b></font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;"><b style="line-height: 1.15;">PON
ARRIVAL</b></font></font></u><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">”
with bright red tape. Its sender i</font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">s</font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;"> very clearly a “</font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">Specialty
</font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">P</font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">harmacy,”
and the o</font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">rders</font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">
s</font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">tipulate</font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">
N</font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">ext</font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">
D</font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">ay</font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">
</font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">D</font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">elivery,
</font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">not
2-day shipping or </font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">5-day
shipping or </font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">a</font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">ny
other kind of shipping.</font></font></font></p>
<p style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><font face="verdana" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">And
yet </font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">someone
at </font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">UPS,
</font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">someone
</font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">who
had full access to this information,</font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">
m</font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">ade
the decision</font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">
to leave m</font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">y</font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">
obviously time-sensitive and essential </font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">parcel
out of t</font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">hat</font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">
day’s delivery A</font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">ND</font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">
the following day’s delivery to make room for other items. T</font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">he next day was Sunday. I did not receive my </font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">medication
until the following Monday, </font></font><b><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;"><span style="line-height: 1.15;">A
FULL 4</span></font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;"><span style="line-height: 1.15;"> DAYS AFTER IT HAD BEEN SHIPPED</span></font></font></b><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">. </font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">Needless
to say, the medication</font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">
was no longer viable.</font></font></font></p><b><div style="text-align: center;"><b><i><font face="georgia" size="4"><br /></font></i></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><i><font face="georgia" size="4">UPS ruined $5,000 of medication because of “volume issues.”</font></i></b></div></b><p style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><font face="verdana" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">To
compound the problem, UPS d</font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">id</font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">
not</font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">
</font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">notify
me (the recipient) or my specialty pharmacy (the sender) of their
choice to delay m</font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">y</font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">
</font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">perishable
</font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">parcel.
I didn’t even know there would be a problem </font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">at
all </font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">until
</font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">the
next day, which was</font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">
Saturday. </font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">To
compound the problem </font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">further </font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">still</font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">,</font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">
UPS d</font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">oes</font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">
not to have any form of customer service </font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">available</font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">
on weekends. </font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">So
w</font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">hen
I tried to c</font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">ontact</font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">
UPS to beg (</font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">and
</font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">I do </font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">mean</font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">
</font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;"><u style="line-height: 1.15;"><b style="line-height: 1.15;">BEG</b></u></font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">)
s</font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">omeone</font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">
to put my </font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">clearly-marked,
</font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">e</font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">ssential</font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">
medication in a refrigerator </font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">so
perhaps it could still be viable when </font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">it
was (hopefully)</font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">
delivered t</font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">he
following</font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">
Monday</font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">,
I got an a</font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">utomated</font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">
</font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">response
</font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">feeding
me some </font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">vague</font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">
</font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">c</font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">laims</font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">
</font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">about
</font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">how</font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">
the Covid 19 crisis </font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">is
affecting things</font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">
and thanking me for my patience.</font></font></font></p>
<b><div style="text-align: center;"><b><i><font face="georgia" size="2"> </font></i></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><i><font face="georgia" size="4">Well. That’s mighty presumptive of you, UPS.</font></i></b></div></b><p style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><font face="verdana" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">J</font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">ust
how </font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">patient
</font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">do
you think I should be</font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">?
It’s not like you’re delaying d</font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">elivery</font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">
of a pair of socks I ordered last week without telling me and as a result my feet might unexpectedly get a little cold. You are putting my health in </font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">serious
</font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">jeopardy without notification </font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">and
being ridiculously wasteful regarding essential resources </font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">when
you have </font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">the
option</font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">
to </font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">do
otherwise </font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">by
</font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">simply
choosing</font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">
a </font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">non</font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">perishable
item to delay </font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">in</font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">
place </font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">of
</font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">the</font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">
***</font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;"><i style="line-height: 1.15;">clearly
marked</i></font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;"><i style="line-height: 1.15;">
perishable medi-freaking-cation.</i></font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;"><span style="font-style: normal; line-height: 1.15;"><span style="line-height: 1.15; text-decoration: none;">*** </span></span></font></font></font></p>
<p style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><font face="verdana" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">Not
only was this a </font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">colossal</font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">
</font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">and
totally avoidable </font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">waste
of resources during a time of severe drug shortages, but </font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">I
</font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">w</font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">as
forced</font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">
to </font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">miss
a dose of my m</font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">edication</font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">.
I had to </font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">order
a replacement shipment </font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">of
Enbrel </font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">t</font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">hat</font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">
Monday and ended up waiting </font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">5</font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">
days for the replacement to clear </font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">all
the red tape </font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">and
for it to arrive. My meds were supposed to be in my possession on
5/29. I did not receive them until 6/</font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">5,
and that was only thanks to </font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">my
pharmacy losing faith in UPS and choose FedEx, who apparently have an actual </font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">commitment to same-day delivery of medication even in a crisis</font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">.
</font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">M</font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">y
next dose h</font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">ad
been</font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">
due on 6/4, </font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">and
thank </font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">you
</font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">my
sweet merciful Savior, the 24 hour lapse didn’t seem to have an
effect on m</font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">y
</font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">physical
</font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">health</font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">
as far as I can tell</font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">.</font></font></font></p>
<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><b><i><font face="georgia" size="4">But the effect on my physical health could have easily been devastating, </font></i></b><b><i><font face="georgia" size="4">and the effect on my mental health definitely was.</font></i></b></div><p style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><font face="verdana" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">The
stress of not knowing when I would have my next dose </font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">of
medication </font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">was
brutal at a time when I am already feeling immense stress like most of the world. </font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">No,
I w</font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">ouldn’t</font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">
h</font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">ave
died</font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">
without t</font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">he
meds</font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">,
</font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">and
</font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">I
w</font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">ouldn’t
have gone</font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">
through any kind of shock-inducing withdrawal </font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">f</font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">rom
the sudden stop (these are real life consequences of abruptly stopping some medications)</font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">.</font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;"> For me, suddenly stopping this medication meant that my </font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">incredibly
debilitating, </font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">incredibly
</font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">painful</font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">
</font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">chronic
illness, which had just been </font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">c</font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">om</font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">ing</font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">
under control for the first time since August 2019, </font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">could
have </font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">flared
again w</font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">ith</font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">
full force. I</font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">f
that had been the case, or if that is ever the case in the future, it
is unknown </font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">if
Enbrel </font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">c</font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">ould
c</font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">atch
up </font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">and
bring me the same relief it once did</font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">,
as it </font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">i</font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">s
not a medication one can just stop and restart </font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">willy
nilly </font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">a</font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">nd
expect</font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">
the same results</font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">.
</font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">I
might have to start all over again with a new medication, which
anyone with a chronic illness w</font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">ill
tell you</font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">
is as expensive as it is </font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">tedious
</font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">and
exhausting.</font></font></font></p>
<p style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><font face="verdana" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">Is
it too much to ask that UPS be </font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">r</font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">easonably</font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">
</font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">discerning
when it comes to what parcels they choose to delay during this
crisis?</font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">
</font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">Amazon
</font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">says</font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">
they’re</font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">
doing it, and they don’t even ship medication. </font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">I</font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">s
it too high of an expectation for</font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">
UPS </font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">to
</font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">employ
a triage system </font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">to</font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">
ensure that instead of Sally getting her bread machine on time, Frank
will get his insulin </font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">without
need</font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">ing</font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">
to spend a week reordering it </font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">s</font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">o
he can</font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">
</font></font><b><u><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">L</font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">IVE</font></font></u></b><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">??
</font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">Is
it too much to ask that UPS not be </font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">so
</font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">cavalier
when handling perishable items so they don’t contribute the
</font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">appalling
amount of </font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">waste
we as a society simply cannot afford a</font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">n</font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">ymore</font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">?</font></font></font></p>
<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><b style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><i>Apparently it is. </i></b></div><font face="georgia" size="4"><i><div style="text-align: center;"><b>So now I hoard my medication in order to protect myself. </b></div><b><div style="text-align: center;"><b>And you should, too.</b></div></b></i></font><p style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"></font></p><p style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJra1k0bhpVHRvJfM5zHJWoHhv7UgnxU-RUSrpxRCo-zdbbwUkIminHQlC7ygVHndWAA-UD3RyJImSo_4XABNlcex_fCzaIX8nTsJGoMtfvGx1tvHAmJNbpAwfiIYx1W2QNCpHINtLzrDc/s512/hoarding.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="342" data-original-width="512" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJra1k0bhpVHRvJfM5zHJWoHhv7UgnxU-RUSrpxRCo-zdbbwUkIminHQlC7ygVHndWAA-UD3RyJImSo_4XABNlcex_fCzaIX8nTsJGoMtfvGx1tvHAmJNbpAwfiIYx1W2QNCpHINtLzrDc/s320/hoarding.jpg" width="320" /></a><font face="verdana" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">D</font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">on’t
get me wrong.</font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">
I</font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">
a</font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">m
</font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">v</font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">ery
well</font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">
</font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">aware
</font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">that
hoarding anything, especially essential items like medication,</font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">
creates </font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">serious
</font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">problems
of its own </font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">(like
the delivery delays that started all </font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">of
</font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">this,
for </font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">an </font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">e</font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">xample,
</font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">and creating scarcity and even waste in </font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">the
form of </font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">expired
a</font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">nd</font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">
unused m</font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">edication</font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">). </font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">I
try not to be a prophet of doom who contributes to the
pan</font></font></font><font face="verdana" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">icked state so many of us are f</font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">alling
victim to</font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">, but </font></font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 1.15;"><font style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">the objective fact is that a</font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 1.15;"><font style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">ny
one of us</font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 1.15;"><font style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">
may very well </font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 1.15;"><font style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">have
to go without our medication for a </font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 1.15;"><font style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">period
of</font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 1.15;"><font style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">
time. You </font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 1.15;"><font style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">could
</font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 1.15;"><font style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">end
up losing all the progress you’ve made like me, or you c</font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 1.15;"><font style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">ould</font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 1.15;"><font style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">
end up in the ER, </font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 1.15;"><font style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">or
you c</font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 1.15;"><font style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">ould</font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 1.15;"><font style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">
suffer </font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 1.15;"><font style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">even
</font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 1.15;"><font style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">worse
consequences than that</font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 1.15;"><font style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">.
</font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 1.15;"><font style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">That
is the reality UPS has s</font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 1.15;"><font style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">hown</font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 1.15;"><font style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">
me this week.</font></font></p><p style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><font face="verdana" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">I feel morally compelled to suggest that all medication-dependent individuals build up supplies for the time being to keep themselves safe, and so I am writing my first post in years in the hopes that I might spare some of my own the same pain. Normally this would be the last advice I would give, but I challenge anyone to please give me a better option. </font></font></font></p><p style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><i><font face="georgia" size="4">Talk to your doctor and come up with a plan.</font></i></b></p><p style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><font face="verdana" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;"><span style="line-height: 1.15;">***</span><i style="line-height: 1.15;">PSA
#2: In order to start s</i></font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;"><i style="line-height: 1.15;">tockpiling</i></font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;"><i style="line-height: 1.15;">
surplus</i></font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;"><i style="line-height: 1.15;">
medication, you must speak to your prescribing physician!!! </i></font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;"><span style="font-style: normal; line-height: 1.15;"><b style="line-height: 1.15;">DO NOT EVER under any circumstances adjust your own doses </b></span></font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;"><span style="font-style: normal; line-height: 1.15;"><b style="line-height: 1.15;">or</b></span></font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;"><span style="font-style: normal; line-height: 1.15;"><b style="line-height: 1.15;">
skip doses </b></span></font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;"><span style="font-style: normal; line-height: 1.15;"><b style="line-height: 1.15;">to
conserve medication </b></span></font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;"><span style="font-style: normal; line-height: 1.15;"><b style="line-height: 1.15;">without
consulting the prescribing physician</b></span></font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;"><span style="font-style: normal; line-height: 1.15;">.</span></font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;"><i style="line-height: 1.15;">
</i></font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;"><i style="line-height: 1.15;">Doing
so is incredibly dangerous and will piss off you</i></font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;"><i style="line-height: 1.15;">r</i></font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;"><i style="line-height: 1.15;">
medical team like nothing else will.</i></font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;"><i style="line-height: 1.15;">***</i></font></font></font></p><p style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><font face="verdana" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;"><span style="line-height: 1.15;"><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="font-size: medium; line-height: 1.15;"><font style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;"><span style="line-height: 1.15;">It may be possible for your doctor to prescribe </span></font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="font-size: medium; line-height: 1.15;"><font style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;"><span style="line-height: 1.15;">a </span></font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="font-size: medium; line-height: 1.15;"><font style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;"><span style="line-height: 1.15;">back-up dose </span></font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="font-size: medium; line-height: 1.15;"><font style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;"><span style="line-height: 1.15;">or two </span></font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="font-size: medium; line-height: 1.15;"><font style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;"><span style="line-height: 1.15;">of essential medication</span></font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="font-size: medium; line-height: 1.15;"><font style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;"><span style="line-height: 1.15;"> with</span></font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="font-size: medium; line-height: 1.15;"><font style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;"><span style="line-height: 1.15;"> each r</span></font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="font-size: medium; line-height: 1.15;"><font style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;"><span style="line-height: 1.15;">efill</span></font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="font-size: medium; line-height: 1.15;"><font style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;"><span style="line-height: 1.15;"> so that you have it on hand in case of a </span></font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="font-size: medium; line-height: 1.15;"><font style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;"><span style="line-height: 1.15;">delay</span></font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="font-size: medium; line-height: 1.15;"><font style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;"><span style="line-height: 1.15;">. It might also be possible for your insurance </span></font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="font-size: medium; line-height: 1.15;"><font style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;"><span style="line-height: 1.15;">company</span></font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="font-size: medium; line-height: 1.15;"><font style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;"><span style="line-height: 1.15;"> to approve larger refills (i.e. </span></font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="font-size: medium; line-height: 1.15;"><font style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;"><span style="line-height: 1.15;">a </span></font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="font-size: medium; line-height: 1.15;"><font style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;"><span style="line-height: 1.15;">90-day suppl</span></font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="font-size: medium; line-height: 1.15;"><font style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;"><span style="line-height: 1.15;">y</span></font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="font-size: medium; line-height: 1.15;"><font style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;"><span style="line-height: 1.15;"> as opposed to 30</span></font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="font-size: medium; line-height: 1.15;"><font style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;"><span style="line-height: 1.15;">-</span></font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="font-size: medium; line-height: 1.15;"><font style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;"><span style="line-height: 1.15;">day) </span></font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="font-size: medium; line-height: 1.15;"><font style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;"><span style="line-height: 1.15;">to give</span></font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="font-size: medium; line-height: 1.15;"><font style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;"><span style="line-height: 1.15;"> you breathing room </span></font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="font-size: medium; line-height: 1.15;"><font style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;"><span style="line-height: 1.15;">while the delivery system catches up to demand</span></font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="font-size: medium; line-height: 1.15;"><font style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;"><span style="line-height: 1.15;">. </span></font></font></span></font></font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 1.15;"><font style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;"><span style="line-height: 1.15;">Your
pharmacist can also offer professional advice on </span></font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 1.15;"><font style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;"><span style="line-height: 1.15;">remaining
</span></font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 1.15;"><font style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;"><span style="line-height: 1.15;">safely
</span></font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 1.15;"><font style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;"><span style="line-height: 1.15;">medicated
through this crisis. </span></font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 1.15;"><font style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;"><span style="line-height: 1.15;">K</span></font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 1.15;"><font style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;"><span style="line-height: 1.15;">eep
in mind that it is</span></font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 1.15;"><font style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;"><span style="line-height: 1.15;">
</span></font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 1.15;"><font style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;"><span style="line-height: 1.15;">illegal
to hoard controlled substances. </span></font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 1.15;"><font style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;"><span style="line-height: 1.15;">Be
sure</span></font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 1.15;"><font style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;"><span style="line-height: 1.15;">
</span></font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 1.15;"><font style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;"><span style="line-height: 1.15;">to
</span></font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 1.15;"><font style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;"><span style="line-height: 1.15;">ask
your doctor and pharmacist what to expect if you miss a dose of your
medication </span></font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 1.15;"><font style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;"><span style="line-height: 1.15;">before
it happens so that you don’t have to scramble for that scary
information on top of everything else you’re probably dealing
with</span></font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 1.15;"><font style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;"><span style="line-height: 1.15;">.</span></font></font></p>
<p style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><font face="verdana" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">Now before anyone reading this goes nuts, I am not advocating that we should all stockpile enough medication to get through the next year or half a year or the next several months. Personally, I feel comfortable having a 1 month surplus of necessary medications, whereas before this fiasco, I was perfectly comfortable with the traditional 3-day overlap most insurance plans allow. That of course is subject to change with the winds of this pandemic and its effects.</font></font></font></p><p style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><font face="verdana" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">Another bit of advice for the medication-dependent is to not schedule medication deliveries for Fridays or Saturdays. This might not be possible for some, since people do have lives and jobs and things and someone has to be present to accept these expensive and important deliveries, but do what you can to avoid those 2 days so that if there is an issue, customer service is more likely to be around to help. You'll also be less likely to have the non-delivery day of Sunday to contend with.</font></font></font></p><p style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><font face="verdana" style="line-height: 1.15;"><b><u><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">F</font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">or
the</font></font></u></b><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;"><b><u>
general public</u></b>: t</font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">he
next time you feel like b</font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">erating
a delivery person</font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">
because your t</font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">oilet
paper shipment </font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">arrived
a few days </font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">after
t</font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">he
shipping d</font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">ate</font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">
you paid for</font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">,
please remember s</font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">ome</font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">
of us ar</font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">e
having our health ruined as a result of over-buying. Your package
might have arrived late in favor of making space for a parcel that
kept a vulnerable person healthy</font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">.
The next time you</font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">
</font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">shop</font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">
on Amazon, please </font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">stop
and </font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">ask
yourself if you are ordering something </font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">that
</font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">you
</font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">honestly</font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">
need </font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">at
t</font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">his</font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">
time </font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">before
proceeding to check out. </font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">If
it can wait until the parcel post system catches up with </font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">this
increased </font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">demand,
then kindly wait to order or choose relaxed shipping options regardless of the speed you qualify for just until we all either get back to normal, or adjust to this new normal.</font></font></font></p><div style="text-align: center;"><b><font size="4"><br /></font></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><font size="4"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFcZJMymRfEJ1IaM9hjSJqtS0ehnmzpsZzAnH4ejEju_Gz1DNh6U2DMYiKvblBqF9KwRsE_2Y316iuzHYcIVFOZqBFLdTpQN_9kfEZeasi1eGea1GGUFGS9iHZbEXfxwUAZX1ysGmsdwsr/s4048/IMG_20200520_125210.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3036" data-original-width="4048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFcZJMymRfEJ1IaM9hjSJqtS0ehnmzpsZzAnH4ejEju_Gz1DNh6U2DMYiKvblBqF9KwRsE_2Y316iuzHYcIVFOZqBFLdTpQN_9kfEZeasi1eGea1GGUFGS9iHZbEXfxwUAZX1ysGmsdwsr/s320/IMG_20200520_125210.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><font size="4"><br /></font></b></div>AND ABOVE ALL, BE KIND TO YOUR DELIVERY PERSON. </font></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><font size="2">THE DELAYS ARE NOT THEIR FAULT. </font></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><font size="2">THEIR FULL TRUCKS ARE NOT THEIR FAULT. </font></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><font size="2">PEOPLE THINKING THEY NEED ENOUGH TOILET PAPER TO GET THROUGH CHRISTMAS IS NOT THEIR FAULT. </font></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><font size="2"><br /></font></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>(Btw I am very sorry my giant dog keeps jumping into your truck. Y</b><b>ou do bring him treats, so you're pretty much his best friend).</b></div><div><br /></div><br /><p></p><p></p><p style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><font face="verdana" style="line-height: 1.15;"><b><u><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">F</font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">or</font></font></u></b><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;"><b><u>
UPS and all other carriers</u></b>: please please </font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;"><u style="line-height: 1.15;"><b style="line-height: 1.15;">PLEASE</b></u></font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">
employ a system of parcel triage to ensure this doesn’t happen to
ag</font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">ain</font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">.
</font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">C</font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">hronically
ill </font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">individuals
like myself </font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">are
already more vulnerable to this pandemic than the general public.
Your haphazard </font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">and
decidedly uncaring response </font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">to
the crisis</font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">
has left chronically ill and medication-dependent </font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">people
</font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">out
in the cold. </font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">You
are</font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">
</font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">creating
an insane amount of stress for individuals who are already stressed
to their limits.</font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">
</font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">In
the meantime, please make a very public, </font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">detailed
</font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">and
honest </font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">announcement
alerting a</font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">ll
those</font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">
who use your services for life-sustaining items that the</font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">
</font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">medication
</font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">and
equipment </font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">they
r</font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">equire</font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">
to function </font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">might
</font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">very
well </font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">be
delayed along with t</font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">heir</font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">
neighbor’s </font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">Nicholas Cage pillow</font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">,
</font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">and
that they need to plan accordingly </font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">to
protect themselves</font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">.</font></font></font></p>
<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><b><font face="georgia" size="4"><i>And give a thought to the waste, would you please? </i></font></b></div><b><div style="text-align: center;"><b><font face="georgia" size="4"><i>It’s not 2010 anymore.</i></font></b></div></b><p style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><font face="verdana" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;"><b><u>For pharmacies</u></b>: when shipping time and temperature sensitive medications during a crisis, the label cannot be clear enough. I understand that pharmacies must respect the privacy of patients both ethically and legally, and it's no one's business that anyone is taking medication at all, nor do we want to give a thief hope of finding some worthwhile drugs inside, but perhaps it's time for US pharmacies to employ a "<b>ESSENTIAL </b></font></font></font><b style="font-family: verdana; font-size: 10pt;">ITEMS: DO NOT DELAY</b><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: 10pt;">" label when applicable in addition to the usual labels.</span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: 10pt;"> Just a thought.</span></p><p style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><font face="verdana" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;"><b><u>TLDR</u>?</b></font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">
</font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">UPS
and other post carriers currently have no choice but to delay
delivery of some packages. Space, delivery p</font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">ersonnel, and hours in the day </font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">are
all finite resources, </font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">while
the demand for them seems infinite.</font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">
What UPS and other carriers do have is the information necessary to
make smart, respectful decisions about which packages they delay: </font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">all
they have to do is glance at the boxes</font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">.
U</font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">PS</font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">
c</font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">hose
</font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">not
to utilize that information </font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">in
my case </font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">and
likely other cases</font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">,
contributing to the medication scarcity we are currently seeing and
leaving the most vulnerable members of our society without the
medication they need to </font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">function
and to </font></font><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">survive.</font></font></font></p><p style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><font face="verdana" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.15;">*</font></font></font></p><div style="text-align: center;"><b><i><font face="georgia" size="4">A heartfelt thank you to all the individuals working through this crisis to aid the public in our survival. </font></i></b></div><b><div style="text-align: center;"><b><i><font face="georgia" size="4">We could not do this without you.</font></i></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><i><font face="georgia" size="4">In my case, quite literally.</font></i></b></div></b><p align="center" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">*</p><div style="text-align: center;"><font face="trebuchet" size="4"><b>“I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, </b></font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><font face="trebuchet" size="4"><b>urge you to walk in a manner worthy </b></font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><font face="trebuchet" size="4"><b>of the calling to which you have been called, </b></font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><font face="trebuchet" size="4"><b>with all HUMILITY </b></font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><font face="trebuchet" size="4"><b>and GENTLENESS, </b></font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><font face="trebuchet" size="4"><b>with PATIENCE, </b></font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><font face="trebuchet" size="4"><b>bearing with one another in LOVE, </b></font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><font face="trebuchet" size="4"><b>eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of PEACE. </b></font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><font face="trebuchet" size="4"><b>There is one body and one Spirit </b></font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><font face="trebuchet" size="4"><b>—just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call— </b></font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><font face="trebuchet" size="4"><b>one LORD, </b></font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><font face="trebuchet" size="4"><b>one FAITH, </b></font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><font face="trebuchet" size="4"><b>one BAPTISM, </b></font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><font face="trebuchet" size="4"><b>one GOD</b></font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><font face="trebuchet" size="4"><b>and FATHER of all who is OVER ALL </b></font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><font face="trebuchet" size="4"><b>and THROUGH ALL </b></font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><font face="trebuchet" size="4"><b>and IN ALL.” </b></font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><font face="trebuchet"><b><a href="https://www.esv.org/Ephesians+4/">St. Paul’s Letter to the Ephesians 4:1-6</a></b></font></div><p></p>Smittyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16126018547283755421noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1572924764874958837.post-11989322536510605472016-05-06T13:16:00.002-07:002016-05-06T13:24:52.433-07:00Pastor, Where Is Everybody?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<i><i><span style="font-size: large;">A Short Note About the Church, Change, Dwindling Attendance,</span></i></i></div>
<i></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-size: large;">Bringing Back the Youth, & Capturing the Elusive Millennials.</span></i></div>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></b></span>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhchOUKB_Wtudf_JkRq6eveuOG0n7KguDSjilgx50zYLH-w7NT8rfZiNQMyWAsFsduCApL8iNfFoie9GMUDjcbRsjDexsgCYU8wWhNbHlhzZj4a64c2_i79TakO7loUHGNUNooi-S9FK-NN/s1600/People+on+Path.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhchOUKB_Wtudf_JkRq6eveuOG0n7KguDSjilgx50zYLH-w7NT8rfZiNQMyWAsFsduCApL8iNfFoie9GMUDjcbRsjDexsgCYU8wWhNbHlhzZj4a64c2_i79TakO7loUHGNUNooi-S9FK-NN/s1600/People+on+Path.jpg" /></a></div>
<b><span style="color: #073763; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">"Enter</span><span style="color: #073763; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"> by the </span><span style="color: #073763; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">NARROW GATE. For </span><span style="color: #073763; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">the gate is </span><span style="color: #073763; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">WIDE</span><span style="color: #073763; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"> and the </span><span style="color: #073763; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">way</span><span style="color: #073763; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"> is </span><span style="color: #073763; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">EASY </span><span style="color: #073763; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">that </span></b><span style="color: #073763; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b style="font-size: x-large;">leads to DESTRUCTION,</b><span style="font-size: large;"> >>> and those who enter by it are many. <<< </span><b><span style="font-size: large;">For</span> the gate is <span style="font-size: large;">Narrow</span> and the way is <span style="font-size: large;">HARD</span> that leads to <span style="font-size: large;">Life </span>and <span style="font-size: large;">THOSE who find it are few." </span></b></span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="color: #073763;">(</span><a href="http://www.esvbible.org/Matthew+7/" style="color: #073763;" target="_blank">Matthew 7:13-14</a><span style="color: #073763;">)</span></span></div>
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<i><span style="color: #073763; font-family: inherit;">STOP. Go back and read those 2 verses from Matthew again.</span></i></div>
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<i><span style="color: #073763; font-family: inherit;">Now read them a 3rd time, this time outloud.</span></i></div>
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<i><span style="color: #073763; font-family: inherit;">Think about them for a few minutes before reading on.</span></i><br />
<b style="color: #073763;"><span style="font-size: large;">*</span></b><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large; text-align: justify;">Whenever </span><span style="font-size: large; text-align: justify;">the number</span><span style="text-align: justify;"> of people in our pews or Confirmation seats or Sunday School folding chairs or whatever-else-have-you starts to decline or even remains stagnant, we are always so quick to assume that we (the pastor and the church workers) are doing something wrong. Our congregations can be quick to point fingers at us, too. Mostly, we tend to believe that we're not making church or Bible Study "fun" enough to attract people, especially "the youth," or "interesting" enough to attract those hard-to-reach "millennials."</span></div>
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It happens again and again and again, and my heart breaks. We throw out the premise that not everything in life should be fun, especially when it comes to the seriousness of our eternal damnation & salvation, and we scramble to change. Sometimes, this is necessary. We're not perfect, and we can be just as wrong as anybody. Some of us have some spiritual gifts, and some of us have others (<a href="http://www.esvbible.org/1+Corinthians+12/" target="_blank">1 Corinthians 12</a>). <span style="text-align: left;"><b>“Is there something we should be doing differently?”</b> </span><span style="text-align: left;">is always a good question to ask ourselves, </span><span style="text-align: left;">but we need to answer it carefully, thoughtfully, and conservatively </span><span style="text-align: left;">because more often than not,</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;"><b style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #073763; font-size: large;">We are not the problem.</span></b></span></b></div>
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And we can't fix the problem. We jump to the conclusion that people aren't coming to church because the liturgy is boring or because we're boring or the Catechism is boring or because we're asking too much of our congregation by having them memorize the Ten Commandments and their meanings and take tests and sermon notes or endure twelve hour-long sessions of premarital counseling because the world has a grip on us, too, and we find it just as difficult as anyone else to trust that God is working in this negative event like He is working in Bill's cancer or Lucy's husband's & Cara's father's early death or John & Julie's home foreclosure. <b>BUT we must never forget the fact that we are preaching and teaching</b> <span style="color: #073763; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>“Christ crucified: a stumbling block to the Jews and folly to the Gentiles,”</b></span><b> ever since it happened</b> (<a href="http://www.esvbible.org/1%20Corinthians%201%3A18-31/" target="_blank">1 Corinthians 1:18-31</a>).<br />
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Remember, Christ Himself lost followers in droves after He preached on the Lord's Supper (<a href="http://www.esvbible.org/John%206%3A60-71/" target="_blank">John 6:60-71</a>). And who could have been a better preacher and teacher than Him? The Word of God Incarnate?? <b><span style="color: #073763;">The Truth drove those people away, not Jesus' lack of style or old, boring theology.</span></b> They left because the thought of eating human flesh and drinking human blood for the forgiveness of sins is offensive. Well, no one likes to be called a sinner. No one likes to have their sins pointed out in sermons or anywhere else; no one likes to be reminded of their weaknesses, failures and imperfections and no one likes to need a Savior. It's not <i>fun </i>to be a sinner in need of a Savior. It's weak. But it also happens to be reality.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #073763;"><b>If everything about church needs to be fun, we'll have to leave </b></span><b style="color: #073763;">Jesus out back with the organ & crucifixes </b><b style="color: #073763;">those big screens & drum set replaced in the Sanctuary.</b></span></div>
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There is no way to make being tortured, ridiculed, and murdered on a cross both <i>by </i>and <i>for </i>people who hate you "fun." So my point of encouragement to all you weary, heavy-laden pastors and church workers out there who have the blame of waning attendance weighing so heavily on your shoulders<span style="line-height: 16px;">—</span>either coming from yourself or from members of your congregation or from Satan or from all of the above<span style="line-height: 16px;">—</span><b><span style="color: #073763;">DO NOT</span></b> sacrifice sound Lutheran Doctrine and Biblical Teaching & Preaching for numbers. That is exactly what Satan wants. Jesus might have gotten a lot of those followers back in John 6 if He'd back-stepped and called out after them:<br />
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<b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="color: #073763;">“Wait! You don't really have to eat My flesh and drink My blood for the forgiveness of sins! Ha! I'm actually not the Bread of Life! </span></span><span style="color: #073763; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I was only joking!</span><span style="color: #073763; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> There's no </span><i style="color: #073763; font-family: georgia, 'times new roman', serif;">real </i><span style="color: #073763; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">flesh and blood here!”</span></b></blockquote>
And most Christian denominations have done just that to the Lord's Supper, haven't they. And they will pay dearly for it on the Last Day. But Jesus would have been lying if He'd said that, and that would have been impossible because it would have been a sin (something that comes as easily to you and me as breathing). And so Christ did not throw out the Lord's Supper to bring the droves of wayward people back. He made no apologies for the Truth, He didn't dress it up or try to make it something it's not, like "fun." He simply let them go. (<a href="http://www.esvbible.org/John+6/" target="_blank">John 6</a>)<br />
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<b><span style="color: #073763; font-size: large;">THOU SHALT </span><span style="color: #073763; font-size: x-large;">NOT</span><span style="color: #073763; font-size: large;"> LIE.</span></b></div>
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Don't omit the Law from your preaching and teaching. Don't allow sin to go unanswered in your congregation because someone might get upset and leave. The consequences are severe indeed, for you and for your sheep, much more severe than if they do leave your fold. Instead, pass the blame off to those who deserve it: Satan and the people who would rather go to a hockey tournament or sleep in than worship their Savior and learn the Word of God and our sound Lutheran doctrine. Everyone has a CHOICE, and some are bound to make the wrong one no matter how we plead or what music we play or how many screens we have hanging in our Sanctuary.<br />
<span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span><span style="text-align: center;">If our church services, Bible studies, and Confirmation classes become simple social gatherings where the ugliness of sin is never mentioned, and the need for Jesus is forgotten as we bask in our collective "perfection," a whole bunch more people will be going to hell, starting with those of us who led them there (<a href="http://www.esvbible.org/Matthew+18/" target="_blank">Matthew 18:6</a>; <a href="http://www.esvbible.org/Mark+9:42/" target="_blank">Mark 9:42</a>; <a href="http://www.esvbible.org/Luke+17/" target="_blank">Luke 17:2</a>).</span><i style="text-align: center;"> </i>We don't have to be more “fun” or more “interesting” or more “worldly” and “exciting” if we preach and teach the Truth of Christ crucified and risen for a world full of sinners and administer His Sacraments rightly. You'll find all of the necessary instructions for doing so in that inerrant <a href="http://www.esvbible.org/" target="_blank"><b>Bible</b></a> and in our tried-and-true-stand-on-the-shoulders-of-giants-<i>quia</i>-subscription-to-it-which-is-what-makes-us-LCMS <a href="http://www.bookofconcord.org/" target="_blank"><b>Book of Concord</b></a>.<br />
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The world will always hate us for proclaiming the Truth, and our membership will always be small. We can't get around it: it's written in Scripture (<a href="http://www.esvbible.org/John%2015%3A18-27/" target="_blank">John 15:18-27</a>; <a href="http://www.esvbible.org/Matthew+7/" target="_blank">Matthew 7:13-14</a>). That's probably why Jesus says,<span style="color: #073763;"> <span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>"Where <u>TWO</u> or <u>THREE</u> are gathered my My name, there am I among them,"</b></span></span> not two or three THOUSAND or even two or three HUNDRED (<a href="http://www.esvbible.org/Matthew+18:20/" target="_blank">Matthew 18:20</a>). Satan will always try to steal our sheep and oftentimes, he will succeed (<a href="http://www.esvbible.org/Acts%2020%3A18-35/" target="_blank">Acts 20:18-35</a>). Trust that God will not stop seeking lost and neither will we (<a href="http://www.esvbible.org/John%2010%3A1-21/" target="_blank">John 10:1-21</a>).<br />
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<span style="color: #073763; font-size: large;"><b>But eventually, we have to shake the dust from our feet</b></span><br />
<span style="color: #073763; font-size: large;"><b>just like Jesus had to do in His very own hometown</b></span><br />
<b style="color: #073763;"><span style="font-size: large;">and give it up to the Trinity in prayer.</span></b><br />
<span style="color: #073763;">(<a href="http://www.esvbible.org/Mark+6/" target="_blank">Mark 6:11</a>)</span></div>
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Let the entirety of our loving God do His part in bringing His prodigal sons and daughters home because there is only so much we as flawed people and forgiven sinners can do. (Pastors, that includes <b><u>YOU</u></b>!) So <i>please</i>, give yourselves a break when it comes to the empty pews in your church and the full pews in the heterodox and even blasphemous church down the street. Re-read and re-study <b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Matthew 13:1-9; John 6:60-71; 10:1-21; 15:18-27; 1 Corinthians 1:18-31</span>; </b>& <b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Acts 20:18-35</span></b> <u>with your elders and the other leaders in your congregation before making changes in your church</u> to try and “bring back the youth” and attract those shifty millennials, keeping in mind that <i>their choice</i> to worship God or to walk away from Him is just that: <b><u>THEIRS</u></b>.</div>
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<span style="color: #073763; font-size: large;"><b><u>TRUST GOD, not the works of your hand</u>.</b></span></div>
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It all boils down to trust. Trust that not a single person goes to hell if they don't belong there. That's a hard fact to swallow, but it's the truth. We can choose to walk away from Christ and we can choose to come back; we can choose to lead people away from the Truth and we can choose lead them to it, but only God knows where every one of our choices ends.<b><span style="color: #073763;"> >>> The bottom line is that we have to trust God, not ourselves and our own cleverness: His Word, His Sacraments, His promise, His TRUTH, and not our own works when it comes to the salvation of our sheep. <<<</span> </b>Trust that God won't let anyone remain fallen away from the faith if He means to keep them faithful. </div>
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But do not go so far as to think that you're helpless, or that your calling and your work here is meaningless! God's plan for each person is known only by Him. We don't always know what part we play in it, which is as frustrating as it is liberating. And so in our ignorance, we must err on the side of grace and assume that each soul we meet is meant to be saved and do our best in leading them on that narrow path to life. Then we must rest assured should we happen to make a mistake or drop the ball, someone else is already chosen by God to pick it up, <span style="color: #073763;"><b>but we cannot force, manipulate, trick, guilt, reason, charm or party anyone into heaven</b>.</span> All we can do is preach and teach Jesus Christ and Him crucified. (<a href="http://www.esvbible.org/John%206%3A44/" target="_blank">John 6:44</a>; <a href="http://www.esvbible.org/John+15/" target="_blank">John 15:16</a>; <a href="http://www.esvbible.org/Romans+9/" target="_blank">Romans 9</a>; <a href="http://www.esvbible.org/Romans%2011%3A28-36/" target="_blank">Romans 11:28-36</a>; <a href="http://www.esvbible.org/1+Corinthians+2/" target="_blank">1 Corinthians 2:1-5</a>; <a href="http://www.esvbible.org/Revelation%2013%3A8/" target="_blank">Revelation 13:8</a>)</div>
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<b><span style="color: #073763; font-size: large;">So please, prayerfully consider the fact that maybe</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="color: #073763; font-size: large;">people are </span></b><b><span style="color: #073763; font-size: large;">leaving your congregation for the same</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="color: #073763; font-size: large;">reason so many left Jesus' </span></b><b style="color: #073763;"><span style="font-size: large;">2000 years ago:</span></b></div>
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<b style="color: #073763;"><span style="font-size: large;">because you've got it <u>RIGHT</u>.</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">"That </span><span style="font-size: large;">same day </span>Jesus went out of the house and sat beside the sea. And GREAT CROWDS GATHERED about Him, so that He got into a BOAT and sat down. And the whole crowd stood on the beach. And He TOLD THEM MANY THINGS in parables, saying: <span style="font-size: large;">“A sower went out to sow</span>. And as he sowed, <span style="font-size: large;">some seeds fell</span> along the <span style="font-size: large;">PATH</span>, and the <span style="font-size: large;">birds came</span> and <span style="font-size: large;">devoured </span>them<span style="font-size: large;">. Other seeds fell on ROCKY GROUND</span>, where they did not have much soil, <span style="font-size: large;">and </span>immediately they sprang up, <span style="font-size: large;">>>> <b>since they had no depth of soil</b>, <<< </span>but when the sun rose they were scorched. And since they had no root, <span style="font-size: large;">they <b>withered</b> away. </span>Other seeds <span style="font-size: large;">fell among THORNS</span>, and the thorns grew up and <span style="font-size: large;">choked them.</span> Other seeds fell on <span style="font-size: large;">GOOD SOIL</span> and produced <span style="font-size: large;">GRAIN, <i>some a <u>hundredfold</u>, some <u>sixty</u>, some <u>thirty</u></i>.</span> He who has ears, let him hear.” (<a href="http://www.esvbible.org/Matthew+13/" target="_blank">Matthew 13:1-9</a>)</span><br />
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Smittyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16126018547283755421noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1572924764874958837.post-61164129426133052222016-05-05T16:21:00.000-07:002016-05-17T20:30:17.142-07:00Pastor, Where Is Everybody?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<i><i><span style="font-size: large;">A Short Note About the Church, Change, Dwindling Attendance,</span></i></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-size: large;">Bringing Back the Youth, & Capturing the Elusive Millennials.</span></i></div>
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<span style="color: #073763;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">"</span><span style="font-size: x-large;">Enter</span> by the <span style="font-size: large;">NARROW GATE. For </span>the <span style="font-size: large;">gate</span> is <span style="font-size: large;">WIDE</span> and the <span style="font-size: large;">way </span>is <span style="font-size: large;">EASY</span> that leads to <span style="font-size: large;">DESTRUCTION, >>> </span></b><span style="font-size: large;"><i>and those who enter by it are many</i>. <b><<<</b> </span><b style="font-size: x-large;">For</b><b> the</b><b style="font-size: x-large;"> gate </b><b>is </b><b style="font-size: x-large;">Narrow</b><b> and the </b><b style="font-size: x-large;">way </b><b>is </b><b style="font-size: x-large;">HARD</b><b> that leads to <span style="font-size: large;">L</span></b><b style="font-size: x-large;">ife,</b><b> and <span style="font-size: large;">THOSE</span> who find it </b><b style="font-size: x-large;">are few."</b></span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> (<a href="http://www.esvbible.org/Matthew+7/" target="_blank">Matthew 7:13-14</a>)</span></span></div>
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<i><span style="color: #073763; font-family: inherit;">STOP. Go back and read those 2 verses from Matthew again.</span></i></div>
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<i><span style="color: #073763; font-family: inherit;">Now read them a 3rd time, this time outloud.</span></i></div>
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<i><span style="color: #073763; font-family: inherit;">Think about them for a few minutes before reading on.</span></i><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large; text-align: justify;">Whenever </span><span style="font-size: large; text-align: justify;">the number</span><span style="text-align: justify;"> of people in our pews or Confirmation seats or Sunday School folding chairs or whatever-else-have-you starts to decline or even remains stagnant, we are always so quick to assume that we (the pastor and the church workers) are doing something wrong. Our congregations can be quick to point fingers at us, too. Mostly, we tend to believe that we're not making church or Bible Study "fun" enough to attract people, especially "the youth," or "interesting" enough to attract those hard-to-reach "millennials."</span></div>
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It happens again and again and again, and my heart breaks. We throw out the premise that not everything in life should be fun, especially when it comes to the seriousness of our eternal damnation & salvation, and we scramble to change. Sometimes, this is necessary. We're not perfect, and we can be just as wrong as anybody. Some of us have some spiritual gifts, and some of us have others (<a href="http://www.esvbible.org/1+Corinthians+12/" target="_blank">1 Corinthians 12</a>). <span style="text-align: left;"><b>“Is there something we should be doing differently?”</b> </span><span style="text-align: left;">is always a good question to ask ourselves, </span><span style="text-align: left;">but we need to answer it carefully, thoughtfully, and conservatively </span><span style="text-align: left;">because more often than not,</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;"><b style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #073763; font-size: large;"><b>We are not the problem.</b></span></b></span></b></div>
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And we can't fix the problem. We jump to the conclusion that people aren't coming to church because the liturgy is boring or because we're boring or the Catechism is boring or because we're asking too much of our congregation by having them memorize the Ten Commandments and their meanings and take tests and sermon notes or endure twelve hour-long sessions of premarital counseling because the world has a grip on us, too, and we find it just as difficult as anyone else to trust that God is working in this negative event like He is working in Bill's cancer or Lucy's husband's & Cara's father's early death or John & Julie's home foreclosure. <b>BUT we must never forget the fact that we are preaching and teaching</b> <span style="color: #073763; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>“Christ crucified: a stumbling block to the Jews and folly to the Gentiles,”</b></span><b> ever since it happened</b> (<a href="http://www.esvbible.org/1%20Corinthians%201%3A18-31/" target="_blank">1 Corinthians 1:18-31</a>).<br />
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Remember, Christ Himself lost followers in droves after He preached on the Lord's Supper (<a href="http://www.esvbible.org/John%206%3A60-71/" target="_blank">John 6:60-71</a>). And who could have been a better preacher and teacher than Him? The Word of God Incarnate?? <b><span style="color: #073763;">The Truth drove those people away, not Jesus' lack of style or old, boring theology.</span></b> They left because the thought of eating human flesh and drinking human blood for the forgiveness of sins is offensive. Well, no one likes to be called a sinner. No one likes to have their sins pointed out in sermons or anywhere else; no one likes to be reminded of their weaknesses, failures and imperfections and no one likes to need a Savior. It's not <i>fun </i>to be a sinner in need of a Savior. It's weak. But it also happens to be reality.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #073763;"><b>If everything about church needs to be fun, we'll have to leave </b></span><b style="color: #073763;">Jesus out back with the organ & crucifixes </b><b style="color: #073763;">those big screens & drum set replaced in the Sanctuary.</b></span></div>
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There is no way to make being tortured, ridiculed, and murdered on a cross both <i>by </i>and <i>for </i>people who hate you "fun." So my point of encouragement to all you weary, heavy-laden pastors and church workers out there who have the blame of waning attendance weighing so heavily on your shoulders<span style="line-height: 100%;">—</span>either coming from yourself or from members of your congregation or from Satan or from all of the above<span style="line-height: 16px;">—</span><b><span style="color: #073763;">DO NOT</span></b> sacrifice sound Lutheran Doctrine and Biblical Teaching & Preaching for numbers. That is exactly what Satan wants. Jesus might have gotten a lot of those followers back in John 6 if He'd back-stepped and called out after them:<br />
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<b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="color: #073763;">“Wait! You don't really have to eat My flesh and drink My blood for the forgiveness of sins! Ha! I'm actually not the Bread of Life! </span></span><span style="color: #073763; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I was only joking!</span><span style="color: #073763; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> There's no </span><i style="color: #073763; font-family: georgia, 'times new roman', serif;">real </i><span style="color: #073763; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">flesh and blood here!”</span></b></blockquote>
And most Christian denominations have done just that to the Lord's Supper, haven't they. And they will pay dearly for it on the Last Day. But Jesus would have been lying if He'd said that, and that would have been impossible because it would have been a sin (something that comes as easily to you and me as breathing). And so Christ did not throw out the Lord's Supper to bring the droves of wayward people back. He made no apologies for the Truth, He didn't dress it up or try to make it something it's not, like "fun." He simply let them go. (<a href="http://www.esvbible.org/John+6/" target="_blank">John 6</a>)<br />
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<b><span style="color: #073763; font-size: large;">THOU SHALT </span><span style="color: #073763; font-size: x-large;">NOT</span><span style="color: #073763; font-size: large;"> LIE.</span></b></div>
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Don't omit the Law from your preaching and teaching. Don't allow sin to go unanswered in your congregation because someone might get upset and leave. Consequences are severe for you and for your sheep if you change doctrine in a desperate plea to get them to stay, much more severe than if you just let them go. So, pass the blame off to those who deserve it: Satan and the people who choose a hockey tournament or sleeping in over worshipping their Savior and learning the Word of God and our sound Lutheran doctrine. Everyone has a CHOICE, and some are bound to make the wrong one no matter how we plead or what music we play or how many screens we have hanging in our Sanctuary.<br />
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<span style="text-align: center;">If our church services, Bible studies, and Confirmation classes become simple social gatherings where the ugliness of sin is never mentioned, and the need for Jesus is forgotten as we bask in our collective "perfection," a whole bunch more people will be going to hell, starting with those of us who led them there (<a href="http://www.esvbible.org/Matthew+18/" target="_blank">Matthew 18:6</a>; <a href="http://www.esvbible.org/Mark+9:42/" target="_blank">Mark 9:42</a>; <a href="http://www.esvbible.org/Luke+17/" target="_blank">Luke 17:2</a>).</span><i style="text-align: center;"> </i>We don't have to be more “fun” or more “interesting” or more “worldly” and “exciting” if we preach and teach the Truth of Christ crucified and risen for a world full of sinners and administer His Sacraments rightly. You'll find all of the necessary instructions for doing so in that inerrant <a href="http://www.esvbible.org/" target="_blank"><b>Bible</b></a> and in our tried-and-true-stand-on-the-shoulders-of-giants-<i>quia</i>-subscription-to-it-which-is-what-makes-us-LCMS <a href="http://www.bookofconcord.org/" target="_blank"><b>Book of Concord</b></a>.<br />
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The world will always hate us for proclaiming the Truth, and our membership will always be small. We can't get around it: it's written in Scripture (<a href="http://www.esvbible.org/John%2015%3A18-27/" target="_blank">John 15:18-27</a>; <a href="http://www.esvbible.org/Matthew+7/" target="_blank">Matthew 7:13-14</a>). That's probably why Jesus says,<span style="color: #073763;"> <span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>"Where <u>TWO</u> or <u>THREE</u> are gathered my My name, there am I among them,"</b></span></span> not two or three THOUSAND or even two or three HUNDRED (<a href="http://www.esvbible.org/Matthew+18:20/" target="_blank">Matthew 18:20</a>). Satan will always try to steal our sheep and oftentimes, he will succeed (<a href="http://www.esvbible.org/Acts%2020%3A18-35/" target="_blank">Acts 20:18-35</a>). Trust that God will not stop seeking lost and neither will we (<a href="http://www.esvbible.org/John%2010%3A1-21/" target="_blank">John 10:1-21</a>).<br />
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<span style="color: #073763; font-size: large;"><b>But eventually, we have to shake the dust from our feet</b></span><br />
<span style="color: #073763; font-size: large;"><b>just like Jesus had to do in His very own hometown</b></span><br />
<b style="color: #073763;"><span style="font-size: large;">and give it up to the Trinity in prayer.</span></b><br />
<span style="color: #073763;">(<a href="http://www.esvbible.org/Mark+6/" target="_blank">Mark 6:11</a>)</span></div>
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Let the entirety of our loving God do His part in bringing His prodigal sons and daughters home because there is only so much we as flawed people and forgiven sinners can do. (Pastors, that includes <b><u>YOU</u></b>!) So <i>please</i>, give yourselves a break when it comes to the empty pews in your church and the full pews in the heterodox and even blasphemous church down the street. Re-read and re-study <b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Matthew 13:1-9; John 6:60-71; 10:1-21; 15:18-27; 1 Corinthians 1:18-31</span>; </b>& <b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Acts 20:18-35</span></b> <u>with your elders and the other leaders in your congregation before making changes in your church</u> to try and “bring back the youth” and attract those shifty millennials, keeping in mind that <i>their choice</i> to worship God or to walk away from Him is just that: <b><u>THEIRS</u></b>.</div>
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<span style="color: #073763; font-size: large;"><b><u>TRUST GOD, not the works of your hand</u>.</b></span></div>
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It all boils down to trust. Trust that not a single person goes to hell if they don't belong there. That's a hard fact to swallow, but it's the truth. We can choose to walk away from Christ and we can choose to come back; we can choose to lead people away from the Truth and we can choose lead them to it, but only God knows where every one of our choices ends.<b><span style="color: #073763;"> >>> The bottom line is that we have to trust God, not ourselves and our own cleverness: His Word, His Sacraments, His promise, His TRUTH, and not our own works when it comes to the salvation of our sheep. <<<</span> </b>Trust that God won't let anyone remain fallen away from the faith if He means to keep them faithful. </div>
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But do not go so far as to think that you're helpless, or that your calling and your work here is meaningless! God's plan for each person is known only by Him. We don't always know what part we play in it, which is as frustrating as it is liberating. And so in our ignorance, we must err on the side of grace and assume that each soul we meet is meant to be saved and do our best in leading them on that narrow path to life. Then we must rest assured should we happen to make a mistake or drop the ball, someone else is already chosen by God to pick it up, <span style="color: #073763;"><b>but we cannot force, manipulate, trick, guilt, reason, charm or party anyone into heaven</b>.</span> All we can do is preach and teach Jesus Christ and Him crucified. (<a href="http://www.esvbible.org/John%206%3A44/" target="_blank">John 6:44</a>; <a href="http://www.esvbible.org/John+15/" target="_blank">John 15:16</a>; <a href="http://www.esvbible.org/Romans+9/" target="_blank">Romans 9</a>; <a href="http://www.esvbible.org/Romans%2011%3A28-36/" target="_blank">Romans 11:28-36</a>; <a href="http://www.esvbible.org/1+Corinthians+2/" target="_blank">1 Corinthians 2:1-5</a>; <a href="http://www.esvbible.org/Revelation%2013%3A8/" target="_blank">Revelation 13:8</a>)</div>
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<b><span style="color: #073763; font-size: large;">So please, prayerfully consider the fact that maybe</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="color: #073763; font-size: large;">people are </span></b><b><span style="color: #073763; font-size: large;">leaving your congregation for the same</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="color: #073763; font-size: large;">reason so many left Jesus' </span></b><b style="color: #073763;"><span style="font-size: large;">2000 years ago:</span></b></div>
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<b style="color: #073763;"><span style="font-size: large;">because you've got it <u>RIGHT</u>.</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">"That </span><span style="font-size: large;">same day </span>Jesus went out of the house and sat beside the sea. And GREAT CROWDS GATHERED about Him, so that He got into a BOAT and sat down. And the whole crowd stood on the beach. And He TOLD THEM MANY THINGS in parables, saying: <span style="font-size: large;">“A sower went out to sow</span>. And as he sowed, <span style="font-size: large;">some seeds fell</span> along the <span style="font-size: large;">PATH</span>, and the <span style="font-size: large;">birds came</span> and <span style="font-size: large;">devoured </span>them<span style="font-size: large;">. Other seeds fell on ROCKY GROUND</span>, where they did not have much soil, <span style="font-size: large;">and </span>immediately they sprang up, <span style="font-size: large;">>>> <b>since they had no depth of soil</b>, <<< </span>but when the sun rose they were scorched. And since they had no root, <span style="font-size: large;">they <b>withered</b> away. </span>Other seeds <span style="font-size: large;">fell among THORNS</span>, and the thorns grew up and <span style="font-size: large;">choked them.</span> Other seeds fell on <span style="font-size: large;">GOOD SOIL</span> and produced <span style="font-size: large;">GRAIN, <i>some a <u>hundredfold</u>, some <u>sixty</u>, some <u>thirty</u></i>.</span> He who has ears, let him hear.” (<a href="http://www.esvbible.org/Matthew+13/" target="_blank">Matthew 13:1-9</a>)</span><br />
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Smittyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16126018547283755421noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1572924764874958837.post-22824315537124826962015-02-22T20:59:00.000-08:002016-04-15T18:09:24.323-07:00The Why of This Blog<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 21px;">Suffering is bearable if you can find meaning in it. Pain feels a little less like an attack and a little more like a challenge if you can see some reason for it. I've been looking for that "why" ever since I got sick with ulcerative colitis in 2007 and never got better. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 21px;">Why...? I kept wondering why. What was the purpose of all this pain and humiliation? All these upset plans of mine? </span></span><span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 21px;">What? To make me better person? Wasn't I humble enough? Didn't I depend on God enough? Did I think too much of my work, my looks, my skills, my life? To make me stronger? Cripes, I've never been weaker in all my life in every sense of the word. Was I so terrible at my career that God would rather I be locked in my bedroom unable to share His Word? Would I be such a horrible mother that God put this here to keep me from having a family? What was God trying to tell me???</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I, I, I, I, me, me, me... It's funny how self-centered being trapped in your own body makes you. I admit it. It's hard to look past your own nose when you can't get out of your own bed. Well, I got out of my own bed, and it turns out my pain wasn't about me at all. It's about Christ. And it's about you. </span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 21px;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>"<span style="font-size: medium;">For we who live are always being given over to death for Jesus' sake, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested on our mortal flesh. So that death is at work in us, but life in you</span>."</b> (</span></span><span style="-webkit-transition: 0.3s; color: #b45f06; display: inline; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif; line-height: 21px; outline: none; text-decoration: none; transition: 0.3s;"><a href="http://www.esvbible.org/2%20Corinthians%204%3A7-18/" style="-webkit-transition: color 0.3s; display: inline; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; line-height: 21px; outline: none; text-decoration: none; transition: color 0.3s;" target="_blank">2 Corinthians 4:11-12</a></span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; line-height: 21px;">)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">If you really want someone to believe something, if their life truly depends on it, you don't stand on a soapbox and lecture. You get on your knees and you beg. The true rhetorical stance is on your knees, a wise man once told me and WOW, has the Lord ever brought me to mine. (Thank you, Charles, I shudder to think of living this life without that knowledge).</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">Consequently, when my Mayo Clinic Pain Rehab Bestie suggested that I start a blog, I couldn't say no. Although I am as hesitant as anyone to share my struggling for fear of some reprisal, I couldn't shake the reality that if by reading about death in me, life starts to work in you even a little, well... maybe that's a part of God's why to my pain. Selfishly enough, in you, my suffering has meaning. As far as fear of reprisal goes, my struggle--like my suffering--has very little to do with me. This is a public post about very private things in my life. Everything worth doing comes with a risk, but I hope that </span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">very few people would be malicious enough to use it as a tool of judgement against me. If they do, let's hope the good out ways the bad, and pray that their repentance isn't far behind.</span></span></div>
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<b style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, sans-serif; line-height: 19px;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">"</span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: medium;">I am an ambassador in chains, that I may declare it boldly, as I ought to speak</span></b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; line-height: 19px;"><b>."</b> (<a href="http://www.esvbible.org/Ephesians%206%3A10-20/" target="_blank">Ephesians 6:20</a>)</span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">And so, to those of you struggling with chronic pain, physical or emotional, injury or grief, sickness or sadness, whether your back hurts or your heart, I find solace in pointing you to Christ in hopes that you, too, will find some solace there. "And hope does not put us to shame," (from <a href="http://www.esvbible.org/Romans%205%3A1-5/" target="_blank">Romans 5:5</a></span><span style="font-family: inherit;">).</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-ZbEpLV183KUGBFGV4h0FYZoQ86ZyOZqqzvU0lbWSbUTUkTFcOaHpnsA1EZ0l_z9NpqQ_ys2GNHZF2Mix5Uc8s_YxKkYFDyLgd5PRyEd6KX0sS4EPSQf_pRXK_WCW37qK9PXWmf8LFMwd/s1600/Profile2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-ZbEpLV183KUGBFGV4h0FYZoQ86ZyOZqqzvU0lbWSbUTUkTFcOaHpnsA1EZ0l_z9NpqQ_ys2GNHZF2Mix5Uc8s_YxKkYFDyLgd5PRyEd6KX0sS4EPSQf_pRXK_WCW37qK9PXWmf8LFMwd/s200/Profile2.jpg" width="138" /></a><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;"><span style="line-height: 21px;">Click here for my first pos<span style="font-family: inherit;">t:</span></span></span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;"> "</span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large; line-height: 21px;"><b><a href="http://life-incessant.blogspot.com/2012/06/heal-me_06.html" target="_blank">Heal ME</a></b></span><b style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">.</span></b><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;"><span style="line-height: 21px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">" and come back to </span><b style="display: inline; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; outline: none;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="http://life-incessant.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">When Suffering Doesn't Stop: Life With Chronic Pain</a><span style="color: #007f00;"> </span></span></b><span style="font-family: inherit;">on your difficult days to visit posts that include Scripture, art, music, and humor, and are </span></span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 24px;">dedicated</span><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;"><span style="line-height: 21px;"> to making the unbearable </span></span><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 24px;">portions</span><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;"> of life bearable through meaning in <span style="font-family: inherit;">Christ</span></span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">.</span><span style="font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.4799995422363px;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;"> I more or less closed this blog on December 22nd, 2014 in order to begin a new project, <a href="http://www.momwithchronicillness.org/" target="_blank">Mother's With Chronic Illness</a> (MWCI), but I'd like to keep this blog up for a while and post on it every now and again. I enjoyed writing for this blog so very much, and I have no doubt that it helped me at least as much as it (hopefully) helped some of you. The following </span></span><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">is a rough outline of my posts by topic. Click on the topic that interests you to see articles, videos and devotionals on that subject. Thank you for your patience and prayers. </span></span></div>
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<a href="http://life-incessant.blogspot.com/search/label/Suffering%20and%20Pain"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">SUFFERiNG </span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">&</span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"> PAiN</span></a><span style="font-size: large;"> * </span><a href="http://life-incessant.blogspot.com/search/label/Difficult%20Day%20Box"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace; font-size: large;"><b>Healing or Lack Thereof</b></span></a><span style="font-size: large;"> * </span><span style="font-size: x-large;"><a href="http://life-incessant.blogspot.com/search/label/Anxiety%20and%20Fear">ANXiETy</a></span><span style="font-size: large;"> * </span><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://life-incessant.blogspot.com/search/label/Forgiveness">Forgiveness</a></span><span style="font-size: large;"> * </span><b><a href="http://life-incessant.blogspot.com/search/label/Patience%20and%20Trust">patience</a></b><span style="font-size: large;"> * </span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><a href="http://life-incessant.blogspot.com/search/label/Faith">FAiTH</a></span><span style="font-size: large;"> * </span><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://life-incessant.blogspot.com/search/label/Love">Love</a></span><span style="font-size: large;"> * </span><a href="http://life-incessant.blogspot.com/search/label/Hate" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: large;">H</span>ATE</a><span style="font-size: large;"> * </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><a href="http://life-incessant.blogspot.com/search/label/Death">Death & Grief</a></span><span style="font-size: large;"> * </span><i><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><a href="http://life-incessant.blogspot.com/search/label/Abandonment">Abandonment</a></span></i><span style="font-size: large;"> * </span><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://life-incessant.blogspot.com/search/label/Psalm%20or%20Prayer">PRAyER</a></span><span style="font-size: large;"> * </span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><a href="http://life-incessant.blogspot.com/search/label/Relaxation">Insomnia & Relaxation</a></span><span style="font-size: large;"> * </span><a href="http://life-incessant.blogspot.com/search/label/Music%20or%20Video">music & art</a><span style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large; text-align: justify;"> * </span><a href="http://life-incessant.blogspot.com/search/label/Difficult%20Day%20Box" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">DIFFICULT DAY BOX</a><span style="font-size: large; text-align: justify;"> * </span><a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC2iPPZzU46Ljs0npfuwYJ8A" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">YouTube</a><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace; font-size: large;"><b> </b></span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">*</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="color: #0b5394;"><i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Featured Post for April</span></i>: "<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><a href="http://life-incessant.blogspot.com/2012/08/jars-of-clay.html" target="_blank">Jars of Clay</a></span></span><span style="color: #0b5394;">"</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-size: large;">Published: August 17th, 2012</span></div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="line-height: 18.48px; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #073763; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "trebuchet" , sans-serif; font-size: medium; font-weight: bold;"><span style="color: black; line-height: 0.22in; text-align: justify;">“...<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Say
what I will, no matter what good comes from my pain, no matter how
I understand God to be working in it, no matter what I believe of God
and heaven, what I know with my mind and trust with all my
heart, some days the pain and the illness are just too much. On these
days, the only thing that brings me any kind of comfort at all is the
fact that Jesus chose to endure pain―not just pain *</span></span></span><span style="color: black; line-height: 0.22in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;"><i>like*</i></span><span style="color: black;">
mine, but </span><span style="color: black;"><u><b>MY
PAIN</b></u></span><span style="color: black;">...”</span></span></span> </span></span><span style="color: #073763;">[</span><a href="http://life-incessant.blogspot.com/2012/08/jars-of-clay.html" target="_blank">continue reading</a><span style="color: #073763;">]</span></blockquote>
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Smittyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16126018547283755421noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1572924764874958837.post-39822913440215327712015-02-02T05:35:00.001-08:002017-11-12T11:06:37.658-08:00Coming Soon: MWCI<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: "of wildflowers and wings";"><span style="font-size: 16pt;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "of wildflowers and wings";"><span style="font-size: 16pt;">...a
blog for when you're hugging your child, sobbing that you're not a
good enough Mom because your disease keeps you from being the Mom
your little one deserves. We discuss the challenges of parenting with
chronic illness and chronic pain, offer suggestions, tips and
how-to's to get through the bad days and to make the most of the good
days, wrestle with the guilt of being less than the world tells us we
ought to be, and tackle our self-hatred head on because we are not
weaker than everyone else. We are stronger. We have to be.</span></span></div>
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“<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: "typewriterscribbled" , monospace;">But
He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is
made perfect in weakness.”Therefore I will boast all the more
gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon
me.” </span></span><span style="font-family: "typewriterscribbled" , monospace; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 0.2in;">(</span><a href="http://www.esvbible.org/2+Corinthians+12/" style="font-family: TypewriterScribbled, monospace; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 0.2in;" target="_blank">2 Corinthians 12:9</a><span style="font-family: "typewriterscribbled" , monospace; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 0.2in;">)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "typewriterscribbled" , monospace; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 0.2in;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "typewriterscribbled" , monospace; font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 19.2000007629395px;"><a href="http://momswithchronicillness.blogspot.com/">Moms With Chronic Illness Blog</a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">My new blog will be unveiled on Mother's Day, 2015 </span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">with a new original post every month</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">and contributions from readers.</span></div>
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Smittyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16126018547283755421noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1572924764874958837.post-24879992628401913062014-11-09T08:38:00.003-08:002014-11-14T14:18:11.293-08:00I Believe<div style="border: 0px none; margin: 0px 10px; padding: 0px; text-align: center;">
<i><span style="font-family: inherit;">*I'm not sure who to credit with this beautiful song, but beautiful it is. I don't even know if it's Christian per say because it doesn't mention Christ, but I absolutely love it. Ebola and other epidemics, abortion, rampant reports of atrocious child abuse, never-ending pain... I've been refusing to take anti-depressants for years now, much to my doctors' extreme aggravation. Don't get me wrong: some people really need them. But for me, the cause of my depression is painfully clear and painfully physical, and to cure the depression without curing the cause just isn't right. So I choose to stand in the pain and silence because I know there is an end. </span></i><i><span style="font-family: inherit;">I know there is a sun even if it isn't shining. </span></i><br />
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<i><span style="font-family: inherit;">This, my friends, my fellow-victims, my loves, <u>THIS</u> is what baptism does in the here and now. Not only does it assure us a place in heaven, but it gives us the strength to endure hell on earth. <a href="http://locator.lcms.org/nchurches_frm/church.asp" target="_blank">Go to church</a> and be renewed. Enjoy.*</span></i></div>
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<u>I Believe in Love</u></div>
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How long will my prayers seem unanswered?<br />
Is there still faith in me to reach the end?<br />
I'm feeling doubt. I'm losing faith.<br />
But giving up would cost me everything,</div>
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So I'll stand in the pain and silence,<br />
And I'll speak to the dark night.<br />
<br style="border: 0px none; font-size: 1em; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" />
I believe in the sun even when it's not shining.<br />
I believe in love even when I don't feel it.<br />
And I believe in God even when He is silent.<br />
And I, I believe.<br />
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Though I can't see my story's ending,<br />
That doesn't mean this dark night has no end.<br />
It's only here that I find faith<br />
And learn to trust the One who writes my days.</div>
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So I'll stand in the pain and silence,<br />
And I'll speak to the dark night.<br />
<br style="border: 0px none; font-size: 1em; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" />
I believe in the sun even when it's not shining.<br />
I believe in love even when I don't feel it.<br />
And I believe in God even when He is silent.<br />
And I, I believe.</div>
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No dark can consume Light;<br />
No death is greater than His life.<br />
We are not forgotten.<br />
Hope is found when we stay,<br />
Even when He is silent.<br />
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I believe in the sun even when it's not shining.<br />
I believe in love even when I don't feel it.<br />
And I believe in God even when He is silent.</div>
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And I, I believe.<br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">"Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? As it is written, “For your sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.” No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord."</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> (</span><u style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><a href="http://www.esvbible.org/Romans%208%3A35-39/" target="_blank">Romans 8:35-39</a></u><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">)</span></div>
Smittyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16126018547283755421noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1572924764874958837.post-50089805511843452902014-09-03T18:17:00.003-07:002014-09-05T19:04:46.433-07:00Josie is Cooler than You ;)<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7s613Jme3ok6ZP6HNITKFcBRJKMDvNZLHXb_-tjSARJ6ZGSgPw4eHb6F9ZZsJHjI0dYs9n25cRbTU7c8ceYkMbct_Xm3BCxWlQuD_RkI0qI45e1GkmM82bHVHrdosOn_YLPUTlwHyV0dI/s1600/Josie+is+Cool.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7s613Jme3ok6ZP6HNITKFcBRJKMDvNZLHXb_-tjSARJ6ZGSgPw4eHb6F9ZZsJHjI0dYs9n25cRbTU7c8ceYkMbct_Xm3BCxWlQuD_RkI0qI45e1GkmM82bHVHrdosOn_YLPUTlwHyV0dI/s1600/Josie+is+Cool.JPG" height="400" width="244" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Josie is 1 year old today!<br />As sick as I am, I never thought I'd have the chance to celebrate a day like today.<br />Never give up hope. I am nowhere near healthy. But I am happy.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">"</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #363030; line-height: 22.4640007019043px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: large;">For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience."</span> </span><a href="http://www.esvbible.org/Romans%208%3A18-30/" style="line-height: 22.4640007019043px; white-space: pre-wrap;" target="_blank">Romans 8:24-25</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #363030; line-height: 22.4640007019043px; white-space: pre-wrap;">)</span></span></div>
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Smittyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16126018547283755421noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1572924764874958837.post-59984992460193341812014-08-31T20:11:00.002-07:002014-09-20T18:23:09.334-07:00Dear Grandma Lena<div style="text-align: justify;">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMDKY8sLu3UlQ3vK0dOC5n6RT1hzJK3D4PciNJ_nP9FKPJ_V6ASeRPv3yyWLT-aBTcyPVR4_AMz2txjMsIX4F22W3qYPHuVUr2Q5LiueKyqYIfC5QtEBgT1uiAyDfUQxKBCw1d_3mT0B_G/s1600/Josie+5-2-14+005.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: left;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMDKY8sLu3UlQ3vK0dOC5n6RT1hzJK3D4PciNJ_nP9FKPJ_V6ASeRPv3yyWLT-aBTcyPVR4_AMz2txjMsIX4F22W3qYPHuVUr2Q5LiueKyqYIfC5QtEBgT1uiAyDfUQxKBCw1d_3mT0B_G/s1600/Josie+5-2-14+005.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Josephina Ryann Smith</b></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I 'd like to talk about my Grandma Lena for a moment. Lately, I've been missing my Grandma more than I ever have before. She died in January of 2010. Maybe it's the recent decline in my health (both mental and physical), or the medication, or the stress, or all of the above, but the fact that she is truly separate from me, and that I really honestly can't talk to her, leaves me in tears. Sometimes it's hard being Lutheran. Our connection with the dead isn't strong like it is the Roman religion of my youth. That is, it isn't familiar. The saints who have died are in heaven with Christ, in paradise, outside of time. To them, it will seem like a blink of an eye until they see us again, while for us, it's a lifetime. We can't talk to them or expect help from them or </span>communicate<span style="font-family: inherit;"> through Ouija boards or anything like that, to anyone but demons I suppose, but we are so infinitely bonded by the love of God given to each of us in our Baptism that it ought to overshadow any feelings is missing and separation. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Now, I said "ought," and one should never turn an "ought" into an "is." We still miss, and we still cry, and we still want to talk to them. We will get to one day, but right now, Grandma Lena is busy with Jesus, and though I commune with her at the Lord's Supper, our every-day conversations will have to wait until I join her in heaven, which God willing won't be until my kiddo is fully grown and my husband is good and tired of me :)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">So, here's to Grandma and our lack of everyday conversations. I love you.</span><br />
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<i>Hallo </i>Grandma, <i>und wie ghets</i>?</div>
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I hope that you are well on that side of Heaven's gates.</div>
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I have a lot of regrets, wouldn't you know it?</div>
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It's about time I swallow my pride and show it.</div>
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I missed your funeral after you had died.</div>
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I know I was sick, and I'm sorry, I still should have tried.</div>
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I wish I would have called every time I had the chance,</div>
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and learned all your recipes, your hopes and dreams, and how to polka dance.</div>
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I wish I would have just done the dishes and listened to you talk,</div>
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instead of standing up for feminists and making myself someone for Grandpa to mock.</div>
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I wish I would have paid attention along our garden walks,</div>
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to what kind of bird was singing, or if that was that an eagle or a red-tailed hawk.</div>
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I'm not sure why--maybe because you are so sweet and kind--</div>
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but today, I wish you were still alive.</div>
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I wish you'd met my daughter, Grandma, now she's nearly one.</div>
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She'd have loved you so, I know, you two would have so much fun.</div>
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The truth is that I'm sick now, Grandma, sicker than before,</div>
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Sicker than I was when my body started its pointless civil war.</div>
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They're not sure if I'll ever get better,</div>
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and that is why I'm writing you this selfish letter.</div>
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I'm scared and I am lonely, life is changing way too fast.</div>
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Now I wish I would have asked you all about your life and past.</div>
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I wish I would had asked you how you stayed alive </div>
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when your life got so hard that you could have easily just died.</div>
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But you silently endured the tragic drowning of your 7-year-old son,</div>
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then the nasty anger and hatred of yet another one.</div>
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You felt the crippling of the accident of a grandchild you weren't allowed to know,</div>
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and the death of another grandson taken from us all so fast, he wasn't meant for you to hold.</div>
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Your home-life wasn't as happy as many thought it to be.</div>
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Grandpa was nice to some, but to you, he was as mean as mean could be.</div>
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Still your joy was real. Somehow, your happiness wasn't fake.</div>
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There are so many lessons from you I wish I could retake.</div>
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But we Lutherans never wish: instead, we're taught to pray,</div>
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And we'll get our answers, but not 'til Judgement Day.</div>
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I pray for you to live again, and I know that you will.</div>
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Your baptism into Christ sealed that blessed, loving deal.</div>
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I pray that I'd have used my time with you in a better way.</div>
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Well, no one can change the past, but God can make the past not matter someday.</div>
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Heaven holds no grudges and carries no ill will,<br />
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<span style="text-align: justify;">so alive or dead, I know I'd be forgiven still.</span></div>
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Christ took my regret and all your broken-hearted pain to that holy Cross,</div>
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and that is the only way you could ever bear your loss.</div>
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One moment of His agony was endured just for you, </div>
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for all the things you did and didn't do, but mostly for what was done to you.</div>
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You knew what that meant, and so your smile was so very bright.</div>
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You knew that Christ would plead your case, and everything would be made right.</div>
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You were stronger than most anyone, and far more faithful than I can be,</div>
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but still, you're someone I can strive to be.</div>
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I am sick, Grandma, very sick, but I'll be okay.<br />
And if I die tomorrow, I'd still say the same.<br />
I'll still be sad sometimes, God allows that, too,<br />
but mostly I'll be happy knowing that His Word is true.<br />
I'll still miss you because things are other than they ought to be;<br />
and I'll keep missing you until it's finally your face I get to see.<br />
Tell Jesus to come back soon: things here are getting worse.<br />
People are dying left and right, the Middle East is in a living curse.<br />
More babies here are dying every hour, inconvenient and unloved.<br />
Nothing I do changes that. I pray for God to change it from above.<br />
I'm running out of hope each time I hear the news,<br />
So please remind our Savior that He promised our side wouldn't lose.<br />
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I will see you soon, Grandma, but not too soon, don't worry.<br />
Even though it's scary here, I am in no hurry.<br />
I can love my life, even when life is hard to live<br />
because you and I both know Christ had nothing but Himself to give.</div>
Smittyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16126018547283755421noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1572924764874958837.post-80814387101251205752014-07-10T04:48:00.000-07:002014-07-10T11:41:11.108-07:00American Exceptionalism: the New Idolatry<div style="text-align: justify;">
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<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 22.464000701904297px; text-align: start; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #444444; font-size: large;">"He [Jesus] said to them, “Then render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's." </span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #363030; font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 17px; line-height: 22.464000701904297px; text-align: start; white-space: pre-wrap;">(<a href="http://www.esvbible.org/Luke+20:22/" target="_blank">Luke 20:25</a>)</span></blockquote>
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The notion of American Exceptionalism, the belief that the United States is somehow qualitatively better than other nations, is a hard one for me to wrap my head around. It's even harder to swallow, and even more destructive, when God gets dragged into it and people start advocating that it's God's will for the Unites States to have a Christian government and be a "Christian nation," and even to spread itself across the globe in the form of little uninvited democracies here and there. American Expectionalism becomes idolatry when we begin to count on our country for happiness, to trust it to take care of us, to always be there to save us. </div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 22.464000701904297px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #444444; font-size: large;">"Then comes the end, when He delivers the kingdom to God the Father after destroying every rule and every authority and power."</span> </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 22.464000701904297px; white-space: pre-wrap;">(<a href="http://www.esvbible.org/1+Corinthians+15/" target="_blank">1 Corinthians 15:24</a>)</span></blockquote>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu1axrE4afwgnedU22S9KKpaX42HMx7QYqPwzH0h7-5CRS6f75r4-0YcjyR-LGG6-rVWJdkM-ODHM_720lKPgP0JCQRbH8uPINHfjPowQDj9zqFPOL98iqRkQWZPP49Glk8pjDpyrcnrbf/s1600/Normal+Rockwell+Four+Freedoms.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu1axrE4afwgnedU22S9KKpaX42HMx7QYqPwzH0h7-5CRS6f75r4-0YcjyR-LGG6-rVWJdkM-ODHM_720lKPgP0JCQRbH8uPINHfjPowQDj9zqFPOL98iqRkQWZPP49Glk8pjDpyrcnrbf/s1600/Normal+Rockwell+Four+Freedoms.jpg" height="400" width="293" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;"><a href="http://www.biography.com/people/norman-rockwell-37249" target="_blank">Norman Rockwell</a><br /><a href="http://www.nrm.org/2013/08/norman-rockwells-four-freedoms/" target="_blank">Four Freedoms</a>, 1942</span></td></tr>
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People who advocate American Exceptionalism can't be blind to the problems facing this country that make it decidedly not Christian. America began with a revolution over what the colonists believed was unfair treatment by their king even though the Bible clearly states that we are to remain obedient to our governing authorities, even the unjust ones, unless that authority commands us to sin, wherein we are to obey God over man and take our punishment gladly (<a href="http://www.esvbible.org/Romans+13/" target="_blank">Romans 13</a>; Luther's <a href="http://projects.ecfs.org/eih/documents/LutherAdmon.html" target="_blank">"Admonition to Peace"</a> and <a href="https://umdrive.memphis.edu/jjsledge/public/1102%20-%20Fall%202011/Week%201/Martin%20Luther%20-%20Against%20the%20Robbing%20and%20Murdering%20Hordes%20of%20Peasants%20(1525).pdf" target="_blank">"Against the Murderous, Thieving Hordes of Peasants"</a>).<br />
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America is a country that unabashedly <a href="http://www.lutheransforlife.org/" target="_blank">legally kills</a> its most defenseless citizens and then defends those murders by calling them a <i>right</i>. It allows its veterans to die <a href="http://www.cnn.com/2014/04/23/health/veterans-dying-health-care-delays/" target="_blank">waiting for doctors</a>. It has the<a href="http://www.geographic.org/country_ranks/educational_score_performance_country_ranks_2009_oecd.html" target="_blank"> lowest education rating</a> and the <a href="http://www.nationmaster.com/country-info/stats/Crime/Total-crimes" target="_blank">highest violent crime rate</a> of any developed nation, along with the <a href="http://www.latimes.com/business/hiltzik/la-fi-mh-the-us-healthcare-system-20140617-column.html" target="_blank">worst health care system</a>, one of the highest rates of <a href="http://www.nationmaster.com/country-info/stats/Economy/Debt/External/Per-capita" target="_blank">personal debt</a> per capita, and a whopping <a href="http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2013/oct/18/us-debt-jumps-400-billion-tops-17-trillion-first-t/" target="_blank">$17 trillion</a> debt of its own. It claims to be a "melting pot" of ethnicity, a refuge for the downtrodden and rejected from all countries, but the racism I have personally encountered, and the fierce <a href="http://life-incessant.blogspot.com/2014/04/give-me-your-tired-your-poor.html" target="_blank">anti-immigrant sentiment</a> of much of the nation, beg the opposite.</div>
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It's impossible for anyone to live on <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2014/02/09/opinion/minimum-wage.html" target="_blank">minimum wage</a>, leaving one to wonder what the "minimum" is for, and it's getting harder and harder for anyone to live on <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/news/social-security-cuts/" target="_blank">Social Security</a>, leaving one to wonder what the "Security" is for, and then we complain that people need government assistance to get by. All the while, the large salaries, benefits, and retirement funds for our elected officials remain uncut. Those same well-paid elected officials make a bigger deal about hating and blaming the other than they do about their jobs of public servitude, and meanwhile <a href="http://www.okhorizon.com/blog/face-the-facts/income-gap-between-rich-middle-class-and-poor-widens" target="_blank">the gap</a> between the very rich and the average continues to widen to an absolutely ludicrous degree as we pay far more in taxes than our millionaire and billionaire brothers and sisters, and the poor have little choice but to stay poor as modern-day <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Horatio_Alger,_Jr." target="_blank">Horatio Alger</a> stories usually end up in prison.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;">1950s Magazine Ad<br />Origin Unknown</span></td></tr>
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Some blame the changing times and moral shifts. America used to be different, they say. When marriage followed natural law, when moms stayed at home, when kids walked to school unescorted and separated by race, when black men were <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/13/arts/television/13lynch.html?_r=0" target="_blank">lynched</a> for talking to white women, when lives were threatened in regard to seat choice on a public bus... If we go back further into American's sordid past, we find an economic system deeply rooted in race-based slavery, and even our venerated founding fathers, who <a href="http://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/founding-fathers-and-slaveholders-72262393/" target="_blank">supposedly freed their slaves</a> on their deathbeds (a gesture that would have meant a great deal more had it been done <i>prior </i>to their deaths) believed that while "all men are created equal," a black man was not really a man at all, but that he still counted for more than a woman of any color. This concept was only abolished after a barbaric Civil War in which <a href="http://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org/articles/history-archaeology/shermans-march-sea" target="_blank">civilians were targeted</a> and the Constitution was <a href="http://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/habeas_corpus" target="_blank">stomped on</a> repeatedly, and even after that, it took a century to establish equal rights for Black people. Further back still, and we find the contrived notion of <a href="http://www.ushistory.org/us/29.asp" target="_blank">Manifest Destiny</a> as we displaced and decimated an entire native population in the name of God's will when in fact nothing could have been further from His will as it is clearly declared in Scripture: "You shall love your neighbor as yourself." (<a href="http://www.esvbible.org/Mark+12:31/" target="_blank">Mark 12:31</a>)</div>
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Well, nothing's perfect, right? America's made mistakes, corrected many of them, continues to make more, and the process goes on and on. Focus on the worst parts of anything, and it's bound to look bad. Look at Germany's past. Or Russia. Or Rawanda. Or present-day Serbia. Or ancient Rome. ISIS. That's exactly my point. <i>Nothing </i>is perfect apart from Christ, and America is no exception. No country should be counted on for salvation of any kind because each has its faults because each is equally riddled with the sin of this fallen world. We have to do our best with them according to their laws, and in America, that means voting for what's right and against what's wrong. But no government is a friend of Christ, and He didn't expect any to be. Jesus very clearly says,</div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="color: #444444; font-size: large;">“My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would have been fighting, that I might not be delivered over to the Jews. But my kingdom is not from the world.”</span> (<a href="http://www.esvbible.org/John+18:36/">John 18:36</a>)</span></div>
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Likewise, Christians should expect no government to be a friend of ours.</div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="color: #444444; font-size: large;">"You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God."</span> (<a href="http://www.esvbible.org/James+4/">James 4:4</a>)</span></blockquote>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidik9vDi51iRKFqwTfX3Gnkz9DC70FBLCLii1pbFyWy6c6vlv11rQVz7SPN9t0V9klSqgVB-NK6CB1k5AsdApWgflvMLVaosekBy-Dt-eWKsvpTZUegOisVXUTPFt4kZgw1Zi-7pKFl6Xp/s1600/roman_nero.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidik9vDi51iRKFqwTfX3Gnkz9DC70FBLCLii1pbFyWy6c6vlv11rQVz7SPN9t0V9klSqgVB-NK6CB1k5AsdApWgflvMLVaosekBy-Dt-eWKsvpTZUegOisVXUTPFt4kZgw1Zi-7pKFl6Xp/s1600/roman_nero.jpg" height="320" width="192" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;"><a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/historic_figures/nero.shtml" target="_blank">Nero</a><br />37 - 68 AD</span></td></tr>
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Governments of every type have been throwing us to the lions for millennia all over the world, and they're not going to stop any time soon as the freedom <i><u>from</u></i> hearing, "Merry Christmas" trumps the freedom <i><u>to</u> </i>say it. Governments are a necessary evil, and they are comprised of people who are just as sinful as anybody else (no more, and no less). The division of countries itself is the indirect result of man's sin: the <a href="http://www.esvbible.org/Genesis+11/" target="_blank">Tower of Babel</a>. The idea that God would prefer one man-made country over another is laughable.</div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"> "Put not your trust in princes,<br /> in a son of man, </span><br />
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"> in whom there is no salvation.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"> When his breath departs, </span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"> he returns to the earth; </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="color: #444444;"><span style="font-size: large;"> on that very day his plans perish."</span> </span><br /> (<a href="http://www.esvbible.org/Psalm+146/">Psalm 146:3-4</a>)</span><br />
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All governments exist because God ordains them so. And I mean <i>all</i>, even the really bad ones (<a href="http://www.esvbible.org/Romans+13/" target="_blank">Romans 13</a>). His has His reasons:<br />
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">"Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and how inscrutable His ways!"</span> (<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><a href="http://www.esvbible.org/Romans+11:33/" target="_blank">Romans 11:33</a></span>).</blockquote>
All governments come to an end for the same reason. God has no preference for any earthly government and none will last into eternity. Christ didn't die for the United States. He died for the world: that is, everyone in it. I don't mean to sound as though I hate America, though I suppose some will call me un-American. That's fine. I don't hate America at all, though I don't share the same fierce pride that some display (<a href="http://www.esvbible.org/1+Corinthians+1:31/" target="_blank">1 Corinthians 1:26-31</a>). I am grateful for the freedom and comfort we enjoy as American citizens, freedom that allows for the posting of articles like this without fear of censorship or arrest, for example, and I intend to use my vote to try and keep that freedom. Our soldiers don't fight and die in vain, but for us: their neighbors, and that act of love makes them heroes in my eyes and in God's (<a href="http://www.esvbible.org/John+15:13/" target="_blank">John 15:13</a>; <a href="http://www.esvbible.org/Mark%2012%3A30/" target="_blank">Mark 12:31</a>). I have no intention of moving to another country because every country has its faults. America is as good a country as any: better than some in some ways, worse than others in other ways.</div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">"There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus."</span><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"> (<a href="http://www.esvbible.org/Galatians+3:28/">Galatians 3:28</a>)</span></blockquote>
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I am realistic, even pragmatic when it comes to government, and so is God. So long as I can serve God as He commands it under the government's watchful eye, I can be at home (<a href="http://www.esvbible.org/Philippians+4:11/" target="_blank">Philippians 4:11-13</a>). If despite my efforts to change things for the better within the parameters of the law, I can no longer do that, then God-willing, I will move someplace else. If not, I will try with the help of God to be strong enough to take whatever punishment the government has in store for me, even unto death. I would continue to be just as Christian even if, may God forbid it, the United States ceases to exist in my lifetime. But if you believe that the loss of our country or our freedom would be the end of your life, the end to all meaning and hope, you are worshiping an idol and not God (<a href="http://www.esvbible.org/1+Corinthians+10/" target="_blank">1 Corinthians 10</a>) and you are wasting energy fighting the wrong fight <a href="http://www.esvbible.org/1%20Timothy%206%3A3-21/" target="_blank">(2 Timothy 4:3-21</a>).</div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 22.464000701904297px; text-align: start; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #444444; font-size: large;">"Our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ." </span>(</span><a href="http://www.esvbible.org/Philippians+3/" style="font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 22.464000701904297px; text-align: start; white-space: pre-wrap;" target="_blank">Philippians 3:20</a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 22.464000701904297px; text-align: start; white-space: pre-wrap;">)</span></div>
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Smittyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16126018547283755421noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1572924764874958837.post-37186737002337953112014-07-02T11:53:00.000-07:002014-07-03T12:43:39.130-07:00Suicide<div style="text-align: justify;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-sJRIfKG6V-N0z1K0ZL-P4KmMGbZLcYUyb6l3QFEjbi4w_9obuHeC47W0lHZEINdhSHXs25PhKPGKZCDTpA3vMrqp1Empf4Yz5soXj6M-iN7DWR81o1e5CBevfIJCsBwkwV9gpBYb8I73/s1600/She+Paints+Quote.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-sJRIfKG6V-N0z1K0ZL-P4KmMGbZLcYUyb6l3QFEjbi4w_9obuHeC47W0lHZEINdhSHXs25PhKPGKZCDTpA3vMrqp1Empf4Yz5soXj6M-iN7DWR81o1e5CBevfIJCsBwkwV9gpBYb8I73/s1600/She+Paints+Quote.jpg" height="320" width="261" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #363030; font-family: Georgia, serif; line-height: 0.23in;">"<span style="font-size: large;">B</span><span style="font-size: x-small;">E PATIENT</span>, therefore, brothers, until the coming of the Lord. See how
the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, being patient
about it, until it receives the early and the late rains. You also,
be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at
hand."</span> <span style="background-color: white; color: #363030; font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 22.464000701904297px; text-align: start; white-space: pre-wrap;">(<a href="http://www.esvbible.org/James+5/" target="_blank">James 5:7-8</a>)</span></div>
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Christians know suicide is not an option. It's a sin. It's murder, simple as that (<a href="http://www.esvbible.org/Exodus+20/" target="_blank">Exodus 20:13</a>). Even so, I've thought about it. (This was long before I had a kid). I'm willing to bet that everyone with a chronic illness has considered suicide at one point or another. Someone very dear to me attempted it at the same time I was contemplating it, making it somehow more realistic for me to do, more attainable, and yet the pain it causes others is simply too high a price to bring an end to my own suffering, the sinfulness of the act notwithstanding.</div>
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No matter how unbearable living life gets, our Savior suffered far worse on our behalf, and to taste of His suffering is--believe it or not--<a href="http://life-incessant.blogspot.com/2012/06/enigma-of-job.html" target="_blank">a blessing</a> (<a href="http://www.esvbible.org/2+Corinthians+4:7/" target="_blank">2 Corinthians 4:7-18</a>; <a href="http://www.esvbible.org/1+Peter+4/" target="_blank">1 Peter 4</a>). But it is so hard. It's so hard that Satan, the clever liar that he is, whispers to us in our darkest moments that we can choose to be with God on our own terms and finally be at peace. After all, He says He loves us, right?</div>
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Right. And Christ died for the sin of suicide, too (<a href="http://www.esvbible.org/Mark%203%3A28/" target="_blank">Mark 3:28-30</a>). For the baptized children of God who succumb to the lies of sweet release, we understand. God knows their hearts, and while He punishes the unrepentant who commit sins willingly, He does not punish the weak for losing a battle with their weakness. He died for the weak (<a href="http://www.esvbible.org/Romans+5/" target="_blank">Romans 5:6</a>). He died for our darkest moments and for what those moments drive us to, for our <a href="http://life-incessant.blogspot.com/2013/02/our-dark-gethsemane.html" target="_blank">Gethsemane</a> when the strength of angels is not enough for we who are not perfect.</div>
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All I can say is that if you feel like going home, <a href="http://locator.lcms.org/search.asp" target="_blank">go to church</a>. There is your home until God calls you Home for good and in His own time. And He will call you when He, and you, are ready. Your suffering is not forever. There are so few things in this life we can count on, but we can count on the fact that Christ saw to that for you (<a href="http://www.esvbible.org/Revelation+21/" target="_blank">Revelation 21:4</a>; <a href="http://www.esvbible.org/John+16:22/" target="_blank">John 16:22</a>).</div>
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*Please note that "some American dude" is country musician and song writer <a href="http://www.biography.com/people/charlie-rich-54860" target="_blank">Charlie Rich</a>, also known as the "Silver Fox," now deceased.</div>
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*</div>
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<i>Suggested verse to repeat if it's a difficult day is from <a href="http://www.esvbible.org/2%20Corinthians%204%3A7-12/" target="_blank">2 Corinthians 4:9</a></i></div>
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<i>Pain Rehab buddies, remember to breathe!</i></div>
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<i>"We are struck down, -------> 5 count inhale</i></div>
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<i>but not destroyed." -------> 5 count exhale</i></div>
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<a href="http://www.suicidepreventionlifeline.org/" target="_blank">National Suicide Prevention Lifeline</a>: 1-800-273-8255</div>
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Smittyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16126018547283755421noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1572924764874958837.post-43257058357007119242014-06-19T06:52:00.002-07:002014-06-19T09:50:45.488-07:00Prayers, Food, & Physical Labor<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large; line-height: 22.464000701904297px; text-align: start; white-space: pre-wrap;">"God is our refuge and strength,
a very present help in trouble.
Therefore we will not fear though the earth gives way,
though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea,
though its waters roar and foam,
though the mountains tremble at its swelling."</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #363030; font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 17px; line-height: 22.464000701904297px; text-align: start; white-space: pre-wrap;">
(<a href="http://www.esvbible.org/Psalm+46/" target="_blank">Psalm 46:1-3</a>)</span><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Last night, a tornado ripped through the very heart <a href="http://www.nbcnews.com/news/weather/tornado-leaves-path-destruction-through-se-south-dakota-n135166" target="_blank">Wessington Springs, SD</a>. One injury and no fatalities, thank God, as all the townspeople were accounted for in a matter of hours. (I love South Dakota). Prayers, food and water, and physical labor are all equally useful and greatly appreciated. </blockquote>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig0H5FpTM2euxTDEd3VIM09DpI2BSBlWB6DdffFsSZd8fQcw4IfDe02P-S9NvzSpk4rmWCLh2A8024yhoetRU-mwz4DmuAkDrIlBg97Nud7jdf0Ff1tNjzlBQ8T-mWpXLHq0Xt_2-kiunD/s1600/Wessington+Springs+SD+NBC.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig0H5FpTM2euxTDEd3VIM09DpI2BSBlWB6DdffFsSZd8fQcw4IfDe02P-S9NvzSpk4rmWCLh2A8024yhoetRU-mwz4DmuAkDrIlBg97Nud7jdf0Ff1tNjzlBQ8T-mWpXLHq0Xt_2-kiunD/s1600/Wessington+Springs+SD+NBC.jpg" height="226" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: small;">Wessington Springs, SD 6/18/14<br />Photo Credit: <a href="http://www.nbcnews.com/news/weather/tornado-leaves-path-destruction-through-se-south-dakota-n135166" target="_blank">NBC</a></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #444444; font-size: large;">"But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us. We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed."</span> (<a href="http://www.esvbible.org/2+Corinthians+4/">2 Corinthians 4:7-9</a>)</div>
</span>Smittyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16126018547283755421noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1572924764874958837.post-85509108363834411152014-06-15T13:26:00.002-07:002014-06-15T13:26:30.920-07:00Happy Father's Day!!!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHmg6tlKSxBjigPbfl_YZ5CL0b6yYK0E33mYesHzdqJm_f-1rEUbXcKaOZgzO5roFiwujzI8SK1_I5iaFBhcT0RAswucyh6R2w-FS-LbCnsZ2LPpFrCe4w4fGXD6n9K0Pi4fS_C7usQk5A/s1600/Josie+3-2014+015.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHmg6tlKSxBjigPbfl_YZ5CL0b6yYK0E33mYesHzdqJm_f-1rEUbXcKaOZgzO5roFiwujzI8SK1_I5iaFBhcT0RAswucyh6R2w-FS-LbCnsZ2LPpFrCe4w4fGXD6n9K0Pi4fS_C7usQk5A/s1600/Josie+3-2014+015.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
Smittyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16126018547283755421noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1572924764874958837.post-11716134574832756042014-06-06T04:41:00.000-07:002014-06-06T04:41:13.068-07:00Humble Yourselves<div style="text-align: justify;">
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmmVUl7D49re8RWlB17g7HkgJ5v0_wHHoGkp2uvXkIAYKG4ZihB_Sou_KEk8eDQthJ2rrJbh1chsFYF9EZVeHjnwIP2mNZ419L6mjpEqRbd-EIsCdcERiLxD_PbKv7xlKL_wuqEyqwzcl0/s1600/Homeless+Jesus.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmmVUl7D49re8RWlB17g7HkgJ5v0_wHHoGkp2uvXkIAYKG4ZihB_Sou_KEk8eDQthJ2rrJbh1chsFYF9EZVeHjnwIP2mNZ419L6mjpEqRbd-EIsCdcERiLxD_PbKv7xlKL_wuqEyqwzcl0/s1600/Homeless+Jesus.jpeg" height="216" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Homeless Jesus</span><br /><a href="http://www.sculpturebytps.com/" target="_blank">Timothy P. Schmalz</a></span></td></tr>
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<span style="color: #444444;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: medium; line-height: 0.25in;">"</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 0.25in;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">H</span></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large; line-height: 0.25in;">umble
yourselves</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: medium; line-height: 0.25in;">, therefore, under the mighty HAND of G</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 0.25in;">OD</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: medium; line-height: 0.25in;"> so that at the
proper time He may exalt you, casting all your </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 0.25in;">A</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: medium; line-height: 0.25in;">nxieties on Him,
because He cares for you. </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 0.25in;"><span style="font-size: large;">B</span>E <span style="font-size: large;">so</span>B<span style="font-size: large;">er-min</span>D<span style="font-size: large;">e</span>D; <span style="font-size: large;">be watchful.</span></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: medium; line-height: 0.25in;"> Your
adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking
someone to devour. </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large; line-height: 0.25in;">R</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 0.25in;">ESIST</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 0.25in;"> HIM</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: medium; line-height: 0.25in;">, firm in your faith, knowing that </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 0.25in;"><span style="font-size: large;">the
same kinds of suffering</span></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: medium; line-height: 0.25in;"> are being experienced by your brotherhood
throughout the world. And after you have suffered a little while, the
God of all grace, who has called you to His eternal glory in Christ,
will Himself R</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 0.25in;"><span style="font-size: large;">es</span>T<span style="font-size: large;">o</span>R<span style="font-size: large;">e</span>, C<span style="font-size: large;">on</span>F<span style="font-size: large;">i</span>R<span style="font-size: large;">m</span>, <span style="font-size: large;">s</span>T<span style="font-size: large;">reng</span>TH<span style="font-size: large;">e</span>N, and E<span style="font-size: large;">s</span>T<span style="font-size: large;">a</span>BL<span style="font-size: large;">is</span>H <span style="font-size: large;">you</span></span></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 0.25in;"><span style="color: #444444;"><span style="font-size: medium;">. To Him
be the dominion forever and ever. </span><span style="font-size: large;">A</span><span style="font-size: medium;">MEN."</span></span><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #363030; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 22.464000701904297px; white-space: pre-wrap;">(</span><a href="http://www.esvbible.org/1+Peter+5/" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 22.464000701904297px; white-space: pre-wrap;" target="_blank">1 Peter 5:6-11</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #363030; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 22.464000701904297px; white-space: pre-wrap;">)</span><br />
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<b>Humility</b>: a low view of one's own importance. That's what the dictionary says. The Bible says something quite different. Our Lord perfected humility when He came down from heaven, was incarnate by the Holy Spirit and became man (<a href="http://bookofconcord.org/creeds.php" target="_blank">Nicene Creed</a>).<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="color: #444444;">"But we see Him who for a little while was made lower than the angels, namely Jesus, crowned with glory and honor because of the suffering of death, so that by the grace of God He might taste death for everyone." </span>(<a href="http://www.esvbible.org/Hebrews+2/">Hebrews 2:9</a>)</span></blockquote>
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Perfect humility. Christ didn't think of Himself as less important. He <i>became </i>less important: less important than the angels, and less important than you and I. As for the rest of us, humility is a daily battle with sin, with <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Incurvatus_in_se" target="_blank">incurvatus in se</a>. St. Augustine and Martin Luther argued that it's the nature of sin to be curved in on itself. Nothing proves this fact more so than chronic pain, the result of living in fallen bodies. Our bodies constantly cry out to be the center of our attention. We would love to be able to focus on something else, anything else, but these bodies keep us in chains. They keep us confined, more than keeping us from thinking of others, they keep us from doing things for others.</div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="color: #444444;">"But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me was not in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me."</span> (<a href="http://www.esvbible.org/1+Corinthians+15/">1 Corinthians 15:10</a>)</span></blockquote>
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We know how unimportant we are. Our phones never ring because friends gave up on us long ago. Our doctors have given up on us. Our spouses, our employers... Whoops, look who the center of attention is again. True humility, oddly enough, is NOT thinking about how unimportant we are. It's not a low view of our own importance. It's that our own importance isn't even in view.</div>
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<a href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ENwsg4McrcI-l9w_KH_JrzfWkxfC2S3fZjY5lxiuZKw/edit?hl=es" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRdU0kZqGhlCC-ZiPD-yr7YYISnlYX2nlC55CufSQ9bz1EU-UpAxQmuhxahHAS984GYYY-gVaJDMMKN0EUeNl7L9VyQik86jsV8IWQUHXjLUcu7Q0Z-_QPHnwjwoYCjAas6zYYwRLX-_aK/s1600/Humility.jpg" height="178" width="320" /></a></div>
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Misery loves company, they say. So we compare problems. Whatever terrible thing we're going though, rest assured someone somewhere has had it worse. Humility begins to creep in, and maybe even a little guilt, as we go down the line of long-suffering sinful, fallen people in sinful, fallen bodies living in a sinful, fallen world until finally we end at Christ: He who suffered the fate of all so that those who believe in Him would be given eternal life through Him. No one has suffered more than He. Because of Him, we never, ever suffer alone. (See <a href="http://life-incessant.blogspot.com/2013/02/my-song-is-love-unknown.html" target="_blank">My Song is Love Unknown</a>).</div>
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It's not that your problems are unimportant. It's that they've already been solved, and you know it. Talk to someone who doesn't know it. Resist the devil's urge to make you stare at your own belly button and <i>humble yourselves</i>. Do whatever it takes to step outside yourself. <a href="http://locator.lcms.org/" target="_blank">Go to church</a>. Visit a friend. Think about Christ and what He did for you. Think about your neighbor and do what you can for them. You are stronger than your body because you have been made so by the grace of God.<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="color: #444444;">But He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”</span> (<a href="http://www.esvbible.org/2+Corinthians+12/">2 Corinthians 2:9a</a>)</span></blockquote>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #363030; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 22.464000701904297px; white-space: pre-wrap;">Suggested verse to repeat if it's a difficult day is from <a href="http://www.esvbible.org/Psalm+25/" target="_blank">Psalm 25:2a</a>.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #363030; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 22.464000701904297px; white-space: pre-wrap;">PRC buddies, remember to breathe!</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #363030; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 22.464000701904297px; white-space: pre-wrap;">"O my God, in You -------> 5 count inhale</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #363030; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 22.464000701904297px; white-space: pre-wrap;">I trust." -------> 5 count exhale</span></div>
Smittyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16126018547283755421noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1572924764874958837.post-68979823562367678102014-05-31T04:04:00.000-07:002014-05-31T04:38:45.837-07:00Difficult Day Box #23<br />
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Smittyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16126018547283755421noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1572924764874958837.post-36093430543337594412014-05-23T07:56:00.001-07:002014-06-05T04:59:37.986-07:00For the Bullied<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwlGwtaKSy05lIu5-Ghaw0Pv-QgfoXRlYCAh-RELT5j_SPscUy5gnUXiNtENnGhXfhsl8aKC5KMGqH3E9oJlGAgfdXgyj-Pztyh_KRIql0-5brV8TEAWNZXmqWslumX9RoS6KIaWruenMx/s1600/Jesus+Mocked+van+Baburen+1623.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwlGwtaKSy05lIu5-Ghaw0Pv-QgfoXRlYCAh-RELT5j_SPscUy5gnUXiNtENnGhXfhsl8aKC5KMGqH3E9oJlGAgfdXgyj-Pztyh_KRIql0-5brV8TEAWNZXmqWslumX9RoS6KIaWruenMx/s1600/Jesus+Mocked+van+Baburen+1623.jpg" height="253" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;">Crowning with Thorns<br /><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dirck_van_Baburen" target="_blank">Dirk van Baburen</a>, 1623</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><a href="http://www.esvbible.org/Matthew+27:27/" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: small;">Matthew 27:27-31</span></a><br /><span style="color: white; font-size: small;">\</span></span></td></tr>
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<span style="color: #444444;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">"</span><span style="font-size: x-large;">N</span><span style="font-size: large;">ow
</span><span style="font-size: medium;">who is there to harm you if you are zealous for what is good? But
even if you should suffer for righteousness' sake, you will be
blessed. <b>Have no fear of them, nor be troubled, but in your hearts
honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a
defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in
you</b>; yet do it with gentleness and respect, having a good conscience,
so that, when you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior
in Christ may be put to shame. For it is better to suffer for doing
good, if that should be God's will, than for doing evil." (</span></span><a href="http://www.esvbible.org/1+Peter+3/" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">1 Peter 3:13-17</span></span></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">)</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">For the purposes of this article, "bullying" will be defined as unwarranted aggressive physical or verbal abuse that is meant to make the target feel inferior. Through the detached pseudo-anonymity provided by sites like Facebook and YouTube, we feel able to type horrible things each other with our keyboards we'd never dream of saying with our mouths. But this behavior isn't unique to children. Adults endure it in all sorts of forms: from our spouses, our bosses and coworkers, our neighbors and our friends, and as Christians are becoming an increasingly popular and accepted target for bullies, from <a href="http://theoatmeal.com/comics/religion" target="_blank">people we don't even know</a>. Being bullied is one of the most difficult forms of persecution for anyone to endure, and it's one of the many abuses our Lord endured during His <a href="http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/11527b.htm" target="_blank">passion</a> that finally ended in His death. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;">Christ on the Cross</span></div>
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<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Francisco_de_Zurbar%C3%A1n" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;">Fransisco de Zurbaránn</span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;">1598-1664</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, serif; line-height: 0.25in;"><span style="background-color: white;">"<b>For this is the will of God, that by doing good you should put to silence the ignorance of foolish people. </b>Live as people who are free, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but living as servants of God. Honor everyone. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the emperor. Servants, be subject to your masters with all respect, not only to the good and gentle but also to the unjust." (</span></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; line-height: 0.25in;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: white;"><b><a href="http://www.esvbible.org/1+Peter+2/" style="line-height: 0.25in;" target="_blank">1 Peter 2:15-18</a></b></span></span></span><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, serif; line-height: 0.25in;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: white;">)</span></span></span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Now the hardest part: we are called to endure this abuse in kindness. That doesn't mean that we don't stand up for ourselves, and it doesn't mean that we suffer silence, but all that we do to "silence the ignorance of foolish people," we do out of love for them and for God (<a href="http://www.esvbible.org/Ephesians+4/" target="_blank">Ephesians 4:15</a>). We protect ourselves and those who are weaker than us, but we don't fight violence with violence. For the sake of the other, it's our responsibility to help our brothers and sisters who are continually sinning (<a href="http://www.esvbible.org/Matthew+18/" target="_blank">Matthew 18:15-17</a>) (and yes, even those who hate us are our neighbors whom we are called to love -- <a href="http://www.esvbible.org/Matthew+5:43/" target="_blank">Matthew 5:43</a>). </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #444444;">In short, we <i>lovingly</i> tell the bully that what they're doing is wrong, we turn the other cheek </span>(<a href="http://www.esvbible.org/Matthew%205%3A38/" target="_blank">Matthew 5:39</a>)<span style="color: #444444;">, and we tell them and anyone else who might be watching why </span>(<a href="http://www.esvbible.org/1+Peter+3:14/" target="_blank">1 Peter 3:14</a>).</span></blockquote>
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Bullying is a sin (<a href="http://www.esvbible.org/Mark%2012%3A31/" target="_blank">Mark 12:31</a>). It's a sin against you, and it's a sin against God who loves you, and those who deliberately continue in sin receive no mercy on account of Christ's sacrifice, but only judgement (<a href="http://www.esvbible.org/Hebrews%2010%3A26/" target="_blank">Hebrews 10:26</a>). It's a fate far worse than the taunting and ridicule we endure—even though that taunting hurts us to our very core—and one we should never, ever wish it on even the most despicable of people (<a href="http://www.esvbible.org/Luke%209%3A51/" target="_blank">Luke 9:51-56</a>). So, we (or our parents) call the bully out in private and point their sin out to them. If the bully doesn't listen to us, we ask for help from teachers, parents, friends, and other authorities (<a href="http://www.esvbible.org/Matthew+18/" target="_blank">Matthew 18:15-17</a>). If that still doesn't work and life is being made unbearable, we finally "shake off the dust" and change schools or jobs or whatever we have to in order to remove ourselves from the abuse (<a href="http://www.esvbible.org/Luke+9/" target="_blank">Luke 9:1-6</a>).<br />
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Our response would look a lot different if our primary goal was to get the bullying to stop, to make the bully feel as bad as they make us feel, or our own personal safety and well-being. It's not. Our primary goal is always to bring all people--no matter who they are or what they've done--to Christ in love.<br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Way, way, way easier said than done. But do not lose heart. Your fight to endure ridicule and cruelty while remaining kind was ultimately won by Christ on the cross when He uttered the kindest words ever spoken on behalf of any tormentor:</span><b><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"> "Forgive them Father, for they know not what they do."</span></b><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"> (</span><a href="http://www.esvbible.org/Luke+23:34/" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;" target="_blank">Luke 23:34</a><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">) Can we do the same? We are not God. All we can do is our best to love those who hate us, and that's all we need to do because Christ died for those who hated Him. And that includes you, me, and the bully.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="background: #ffffff;">"For
Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the
unrighteous, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the
flesh but made alive in the spirit." (</span></span></span><a href="http://www.esvbible.org/1+Peter+3/" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="background: #ffffff;"><b>1 Peter 3:18</b></span></span></span></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: white;">)</span></span></span></span></blockquote>
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Smittyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16126018547283755421noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1572924764874958837.post-6847310096186686452014-05-18T04:35:00.000-07:002017-12-12T17:54:58.082-08:00Believe in ...Yourself?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span class="selected" original-title="" style="font-family: "georgia" , "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #444444; line-height: 22.464000701904297px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-indent: 25.920001983642578px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="woc" style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="selected" original-title="" style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">"<span style="font-size: x-large;">Let not your hearts</span> be troubled. </span><span class="" style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Believe in God;</span><span class="" style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> believe also in Me.</span></span><span class="verse-num woc" id="v43014002-1" style="border: 0px; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-weight: bold; line-height: 16px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-indent: 0px; vertical-align: top;"> </span><a alt="esv_01" class="va" href="https://www.blogger.com/null" rel="v43014002" style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"></a><span class="woc" style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="" style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: large;">I</span>n </span><span class="" style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">MY </span>Father's house are many rooms. <span style="font-size: large;">I</span>f it were<span style="font-size: large;"> not</span> so, would I have told you that </span><span class="" style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">I go to PREPARE a place for you?</span></span><span class="verse-num woc" id="v43014003-1" style="border: 0px; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-weight: bold; line-height: 16px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-indent: 0px; vertical-align: top;"> </span><a alt="esv_01" class="va" href="https://www.blogger.com/null" rel="v43014003" style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"></a><span class="woc" style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="" style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: large;">A</span>nd if I GO and <span style="font-size: large;">prepare </span>a place for you, I WILL COME AGAIN and will <span style="font-size: x-small;">TAKE YOU</span> </span><span class="" style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">to myself, that </span><span class="" style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">where I am you may be also.</span></span><span class="" style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> </span></span></span><span class="woc" style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="" style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="selected" original-title="" style="font-family: "georgia" , "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;">A</span>nd <span style="font-size: large;">you know the way</span> to where I am going." </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #363030; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit;">(</span></span><a href="http://www.esvbible.org/John+14/" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>John 14:1-4</b></span></a><span class="selected" original-title="" style="font-family: "georgia" , "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #363030; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit;">)</span></span></span></span></div>
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Against my better judgement, but owing to my increasingly vexing desperation, I've been on a recent prednisone binge. Or "burst," as they call it. Binge sounds more appropriate. For those of you who don't know, that's a short series of high doses of steroids, medication that makes most people feel great. <i> </i><br />
<br />
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<i>I. feel. awful.</i></div>
<br />
It's horrible and yet morbidly interesting to watch myself go from a moderately reasonable person to a person who has to work very very hard to act even a little bit reasonable. I see myself being unreasonable, and like a car wreck, I can neither stop it nor look away. A spider on the floor elicits a shriek for my husband to come running as opposed the usual cringe and semi-frantic quest for a shoe. The washer going off balance triples my already-speedy heart rate, a disturbing news story causes me to obsess for days, and sleep? Peh. Not without liberal doses of sedatives, which of course carry their own compounding list of side effects. All of this leaves me to wonder just who the h*** am I, anyway?<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #363030; font-family: "georgia" , "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 17px; line-height: 22.464000701904297px;">"Jesus Christ is </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #363030; font-family: "georgia" , "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 17px; line-height: 22.464000701904297px;">the same yesterday and today and forever." </span><a href="http://www.esvbible.org/Hebrews+13/" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Hebrews 13:8</b></span></a></blockquote>
Things often happen to make it glaringly obvious that I cannot, indeed <i>should </i>not, believe in myself. If something as little as a pill a day can change who I am, or at least who I thought I was, what is there to believe in? But thankfully I am not called to believe in myself. Sure, it's our current culture's battle cry, but the only One who matters shares a different mantra with us:<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b> "Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in Me." </b></span>Whew. What a relief because today, I am making absolutely no sense.<br />
<br />
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<i><span style="color: #444444;">Suggested verse to repeat if it's a difficult day is from <a href="http://www.esvbible.org/John+14/" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">John 14:1</span></a></span></i></div>
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<i><span style="color: #444444;">PRC buddies, remember to breathe!</span></i></div>
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<i><span style="color: #444444;">"Believe in God; -------> 5 count inhale</span></i></div>
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<i><span style="color: #444444;">believe also in Me." -------> 5 count exhale</span></i></div>
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Smittyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16126018547283755421noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1572924764874958837.post-75126098086899323332014-05-11T04:28:00.000-07:002014-05-12T06:55:54.572-07:00Te Lucius Ante Terminum<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/-EsWhz-964U?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
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Here is a beautiful 16th century nighttime prayer<br />
and lullaby composed by <a href="http://www.medieval.org/emfaq/composers/tallis.html" target="_blank">Thomas Tallis</a><br />
and performed by Stile Antico. </div>
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HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!!!</div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><b>"Can a woman forget her nursing</b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>child, </b></span><b style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">that she should have no compassion </b><b style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">on the son of her womb? </b><b style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Even these may forget,</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><b>yet I will not forget you."</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://www.esvbible.org/Isaiah+49/" target="_blank">Isaiah 49:15</a></span><br />
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Smittyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16126018547283755421noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1572924764874958837.post-29813842147593991412014-05-04T18:29:00.003-07:002015-06-02T12:41:05.509-07:00My Emmaus<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbCM-xUs-bQ14ai4QLag_nDVyuXYJ8YZd2N1R5YFg90Qs74jN2MBJoJZhVAYy5FTMSGe2TyCZaLi4MBGrCnonM23lp_8cFlwWlBTufVp0__cRhMi2TAlcmwI5B84-3cioqbcaYq17AU2pX/s1600/the-road-to-emmaus-daniel-bonnell.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="235" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbCM-xUs-bQ14ai4QLag_nDVyuXYJ8YZd2N1R5YFg90Qs74jN2MBJoJZhVAYy5FTMSGe2TyCZaLi4MBGrCnonM23lp_8cFlwWlBTufVp0__cRhMi2TAlcmwI5B84-3cioqbcaYq17AU2pX/s1600/the-road-to-emmaus-daniel-bonnell.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Road to Emmaus<br />
<a href="http://fineartamerica.com/profiles/bonnell.html" target="_blank">Daniel Bonnell</a><br />
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<div style="line-height: 0.23in; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #444444;"><span style="font-family: Gentium Basic;"><span style="font-size: large;">"On
the Road to Emmaus</span> that very day two of them were going to a village
named Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem, and they were talking
with each other about all these things that had happened. While they
were talking and discussing together, Jesus himself drew near and
went with them. But their eyes were kept from recognizing him. And he
said to them, “What is this conversation that you are holding with
each other as you walk?” And they stood still, looking sad. <a href="http://www.esvbible.org/Luke+24/" target="_blank">[…]</a>
And He said to them, “O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe
all that the prophets have spoken! Was it not necessary that the
Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory?”</span><span style="font-family: Gentium Basic;">
</span><span style="font-family: Gentium Basic;">(from
<a href="http://www.esvbible.org/Luke+24/" target="_blank">Luke 24:13-26</a>)</span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Gentium Basic;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span></span>
</div>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">“But their eyes were kept from recognizing Him.” (<a href="http://www.esvbible.org/Luke+24/">Luke 24:15</a>)</span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"> A passive voice in the Greek generally means it's an act of God. That is, Jesus Himself kept the disciples' eyes from recognizing Him for His own purpose until the time was divinely right. Sometimes, my pain is so severe, it's all I can see. I live (or don't) according to it. I define myself by it. Who am I? A chronic pain sufferer. A victim of chronic illness. Sedated, fatigued, and confined. Who are you? Lucky, that's who you are, because you're not me.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">
</span>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Foolish and slow of heart... that's me. Yes, I suffer every day. Yes, I'm in more pain than a lot of people I know, and in less pain than others. Yes, my life is harder than I think it should be, but Christ died and rose for me. He finished the fight. He's walking alongside me, newly resurrected in His glory, watching me in some awe of my failure to understand all that has been shown to me, keeping Himself strategically unrecognizable amid this sadness and suffering that doesn't even begin to compare to the joy of what He's done.</span></div>
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</span>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Christ knows I (by myself) can't believe what I see: that I am saved and sick all at once, that the Christ should lose to be victorious. He doesn't shout, “COME ON! WHAT, ARE YOU BLIND?!” How patiently He teaches me. How slowly He explains the Scriptures to me, a little bit each Sunday as we walk along this sad and lonely road together. My pain, my illness, my suffering, my agony, my sadness is my Emmaus that leads to Christ's sacrifice. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Whatever road you're on, so long as that road leads to <a href="http://locator.lcms.org/search.asp">church</a>—Word and Sacrament just like the disciples' road did—when the time is right, your eyes will be opened, too, just like the disciples' eyes were </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">(<a href="http://www.esvbible.org/Luke+24/">Luke 24:27-31</a>)</span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">. Who am I? Oh, yeah, I see it now. I'm a child of God, redeemed by Christ through baptism. But that's not nearly so important as the answer to the question, “Who is He?”</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">
</span>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><i>Suggested verse to repeat if it's a difficult day is from <a href="http://www.esvbible.org/Psalm+116/">Psalm 116:7a</a></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><i><a href="http://www.mayoclinic.org/departments-centers/physical-medicine-rehabilitation/minnesota/pain-rehabilitation-center/overview">PRC</a> buddies, remember to breathe!</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><i>“Return, O my soul, -------> 5 count inhale</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><i>to your rest.” -------> 5 count exhale</i></span></div>
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Smittyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16126018547283755421noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1572924764874958837.post-10365741284678777842014-04-27T04:42:00.000-07:002015-07-06T08:47:28.212-07:00Give Me Your Tired, Your Poor...<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<b style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">"<span style="font-size: large;">...your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, the wretched refuse of your teeming shore. Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed to me, I lift my lamp beside the golden door!</span>"</span> </b><span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 100%;">Emma Lazarus as carved on the Statue of Liberty.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 100%;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>...but
we'd prefer they be white and already speak English. You understand.
Thanks.</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">It comes as somewhat of a
surprise just how racially diverse the rural Midwest is becoming with a rapid influx of Mexican immigrants and Asian refugees. I
would assume that in 2015, this fact would come with a sense of pride
for our rural churches, perhaps even a sense of adventure for the
rare opportunity of real mission work in our own backyard. An in some cases, it has. But in many other cases, I have
been woefully mistaken. It seems that above all we're offended,
as though our territory is being unjustly usurped by those who,
instead of trying to be like us, simply want a better life for
themselves and their families just the way they are.</span></div>
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="color: black;"><b>“</b><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">I
tell you, on the day of judgment people will give account for every
careless word they speak</span>.”</b> (<a href="http://www.esvbible.org/Matthew+12/" target="_blank">Matthew 12:36</a>)</span></span></blockquote>
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<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">But how can we, the
proprietors of the Great American Spirit that is etched into the
metal of our very own Statue of Liberty, begrudge the transformation
of our American culture when we were the ones who started it down its
transient path in the first place? The only difference is that the people's whose
culture has now become a <a href="http://www.storyofthebison.com/" target="_blank">novelty attraction for tourists</a> were at the
time in far greater fear of losing their lives than their language.
Indeed, as we reflect upon our roots, on our grandparents who came to
this great country on dirty, crowded boats banking on the same prosperity and
freedom as our Mexican and Burmese cousins, the most patriotic thing
that we as Americans can do is sit back and watch the foods in our
grocery store aisles change, try some enchiladas for supper, and
smile as we press 1 for English.</span></div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">I digress. If someone wants to make the argument that all immigrants should be assimilated into our contemporary American culture without a trace, fine. There might be some merit. The point of this article is to not let those ideals (misguided or not) interfere the work of the church. If a place of business
wants to sacrifice serving our new demographic in favor of mandating
a strict English-only policy, it's their choice (albeit not a wise
one in terms of revenue). The church, however, is not a business.
There are places where the use of the English language ought to be
enforced: namely school. The church is also not a school. <span style="font-size: large;"><b>The
church </b><b>is</b><b> called to proclaim Christ is Lord to ALL people</b></span>, even if we have to
change the way we teach that belief, and what language we teach it in
(<a href="http://www.esvbible.org/1+Corinthians+2/" target="_blank">1 Corinthians 2:2</a>). WE DO NOT UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES CHANGE THAT BELIEF WITH THE TIDES OF THE CULTURE.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfiOb0QjgIUapU7MTMSLe6PE4pFwaWp9RA58-LezMDhviELjSq5d9MgMJxT18UJKpDMVQDJs0668RiXqk6A9H8mRcIC3hP5HHMY0XjpAzMTdeGhFPkFHcWHso8R4RQ1qJiARKlsFX2L-tf/s1600/American+Flag.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="185" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfiOb0QjgIUapU7MTMSLe6PE4pFwaWp9RA58-LezMDhviELjSq5d9MgMJxT18UJKpDMVQDJs0668RiXqk6A9H8mRcIC3hP5HHMY0XjpAzMTdeGhFPkFHcWHso8R4RQ1qJiARKlsFX2L-tf/s1600/American+Flag.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Sharing the love of
Christ through pure doctrine does not mean keeping people who are
different than we are out by making them feel unwelcome or by shaming
them into learning English before they can hear the Gospel (<a href="http://www.esvbible.org/James+2/" target="_blank">James 2:1-7</a>).
It does mean choosing <b>TRUTH </b>over <b>PRIDE </b>and making an effort to meet
people outside our doors—whomever they are, wherever they
are—regardless of what language they speak, where they came from,
what color their skin is, what government checks they receive, or
what they had for supper the night before (<a href="http://www.esvbible.org/1+Corinthians+9/" target="_blank">1 Corinthians 9:19-23</a>) because regardless of all of that, <u><b>CHRIST
DIED FOR THEM TOO</b></u> (<a href="http://www.esvbible.org/Galatians+3/" target="_blank">Galatians 3:23-29</a>). Period.
</span></div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Sharing that reality through Word and Sacrament is the church's primary function, followed closely by ensuring our
members have enough food to eat and are warm enough in the winter to
survive (<a href="http://www.esvbible.org/James+2/" target="_blank">James 2:14-17</a>), because we serve
a god greater than our country, greater than our ideals, and greater
than our customs. We serve God alone on His terms, not on ours
(<a href="http://www.esvbible.org/Matthew+6/" target="_blank">Matthew 6:24</a>). So put down that man-made flag and replace it with the Cross of Christ, which has no country.</span></div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="line-height: 0.23in; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>"</b></span></span><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 22.464000701904297px; text-align: start;">But our citizenship </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 22.464000701904297px; text-align: start;">is in heaven</span></span></b><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 22.464000701904297px; text-align: start;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ</span>." </b><span style="font-size: 17px;">(</span><a href="http://www.esvbible.org/Philippians+3:20/" style="font-size: 17px;" target="_blank">Philippians 3:20</a><span style="font-size: 17px;">)</span></span></blockquote>
</div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
How? By deliberately exercising the
fact that the Bible was not written in English, that's how. I realize that churches are just trying to stay open these days in today's do-what-you-feel-unless-you-feel-like-disagreeing-with-my-lifestyle-then-you're-a-bigot climate, using all their strength to keep their doctrine pure while not being charged with a hate crime. Oh, how Satan loves to distract us while he steals souls from our own backyard! <u>REMEMBER:</u> real salvation is at stake here (<a href="http://www.esvbible.org/Mark+16/" target="_blank">Mark 16:16</a>; <a href="http://www.esvbible.org/Luke+13/" target="_blank">Luke 13:3</a>; <a href="http://www.esvbible.org/John+6/" target="_blank">John 6:54</a>, <a href="http://www.esvbible.org/John+14/" target="_blank">14:6</a>; <a href="http://www.esvbible.org/Hebrews+4/" target="_blank">Hebrews 4:2</a>). The survival of the American culture the Baby Boomers are used to SIMPLY DOES NOT MATTER in light of that fact (<a href="http://www.esvbible.org/James+4/" target="_blank">James 4:4</a>). Love your neighbor AS YOURSELF regardless of what language they speak: t<span style="text-align: left;">hat's an order, not a suggestion, Jesus says! </span><span style="text-align: left;">(</span><a href="http://www.esvbible.org/Mark+12:31/" style="text-align: left;" target="_blank">Mark 12:31</a><span style="text-align: left;">). </span><br />
<br />
Not all churches can do all things, nor can we neglect our current flock for the sake of taking on another. That wouldn't make sense. I don't intend to learn Spanish in order to be a good Christian, either. But here are some things we can do to welcome our ethnic brothers and sisters into Christ's church.</div>
<ol>
<li>Don't expect your pastors to take the lead on this, all ye Boards of Evangelism (<a href="http://www.esvbible.org/1+Timothy+1/" target="_blank">1 & 2 Timothy</a>).</li>
<li><div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in; page-break-before: auto;">
Learn how to say, “Welcome,”
in Spanish or whatever language is used in
your area.</div>
</li>
<li>Learn about the situation the immigrants and refugees are coming from (<a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/6397243.stm" target="_blank">Life on the Thai-Burma Border</a> and <a href="http://blog.compassion.com/mexico-poor-suburban/" target="_blank">Life for the Mexican Suburban Poor</a>). Would you wait until you were fluent in English (one of the most difficult languages for non-native speakers to learn: See "<a href="http://www.economist.com/blogs/prospero/2013/08/learning-english" target="_blank">Learning English</a>") before you got your family the heck out of there? I sure hope not.</li>
<li><div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Make it a priority
to add someone to the church staff who is at least partially fluent in Spanish or in
another language common to your area. Or better yet, take someone
who is already on staff (and who is willing and has the time to learn a
new language) and pay for him or her to take a course at your local college or online.</div>
</li>
<li>Make a point to form a presence in your local sub-culture. Elders, this means you. Go and visit, let the community know who you are (and mostly who Christ is).</li>
<li><div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Start a free
<a href="http://www.rong-chang.com/" target="_blank">English as a Second Language</a> (ESL) course at the church. No, you
don't have to speak another language in order to do this. You just
have to be willing to put in the work, and it is a lot of work, but it's also kindest service we can offer our refugee brothers and sisters.</div>
</li>
<li><div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Very few churches can offer a whole service in another language. So, print bulletins or newsletters in
the prominent languages in your area (<a href="http://translate.google.com/" target="_blank">Google Translate</a> is an
excellent free resource) complete with sermon notes and Sunday
school/Bible study information.</div>
</li>
<li><div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Put some Spanish
or another language on that new investment of a
light-up sign out front, or on your tried and true letter-by-letter signs.</div>
</li>
<li><div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
For the love of
God, <u>literally</u>, put up signs that enable our brothers and sisters
to find the bathroom once they are inside our walls. For crying
out loud, I have to suggest this? Oy.</div>
</li>
<li>Just deal with the awkwardness of not knowing what the other person is saying, and them not knowing what you're saying and brave an old fashioned "Hi." A smile goes a long way in any language.</li>
</ol>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Will Christ's churches
here on earth accept the fact that for the first time in our
privileged American lives being a Christian actually entails us doing
something we'd prefer not to do? Will we do as the Lord has called us
to do and “<b><u>GO</u></b> therefore and <b><u>MAKE</u> </b>disciples of all nations?”
(<a href="http://www.esvbible.org/Matthew+19/" target="_blank">Matthew 19:28a</a>) Or will we be left to answer the question posed to
us on Judgment Day, “Why didn't you do unto the least of these my
brothers?” (<a href="http://www.esvbible.org/Matthew+25/" target="_blank">Matthew 25:40</a>) by stuttering, “Well, ah, you see Lord,
they didn't speak English, and well, Lord, they owed us at least
that...” I don't have to tell you
where that belief lands us. Christ Himself has already made it
abundantly clear, saying something about a millstone and drowning being preferable to what awaits us should we continue to choose the salvation of our culture over the salvation of our neighbor: <a href="http://www.esvbible.org/Matthew+18/" target="_blank">Matthew 18:6</a>;
<a href="http://www.esvbible.org/Luke+17/" target="_blank">Luke 17:2</a>; <a href="http://www.esvbible.org/Mark+9/" target="_blank">Mark 9:42</a>. (See also <a href="http://www.esvbible.org/Matthew+19/" target="_blank">Matthew 19:13</a>; <a href="http://www.esvbible.org/Luke+18/" target="_blank">Luke 18:16</a>; <a href="http://www.esvbible.org/Mark+10/" target="_blank">Mark 10:14</a>).</div>
</div>
Smittyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16126018547283755421noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1572924764874958837.post-51238130219352472832014-03-02T13:01:00.000-08:002015-09-28T13:12:15.670-07:00Transfigured<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">“</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">And </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">as </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-large;">Jesus </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">was </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">praying</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">, THE appearance</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"> of </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-large;">His face </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">was </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">ALTERED</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">, </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">& </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">His clothing </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">became </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">dazzling </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-large;">white</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">. And </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">BEHOLD</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">, two men </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">were </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-large;">talking </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">with Him</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">, Moses</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"> </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">&</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"> </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Elijah,</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"> who appeared in </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-large;">GLORY </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">& </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">spoke </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">of</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"> His D</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-large;">epar</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">T</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-large;">ure</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">, </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">which </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">H</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">E</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"> WAS </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">about to</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"> A</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-large;">ccom</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">P</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-large;">lish </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">at </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-large;">Jerusalem</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">.”</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"> </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">(<a href="http://www.esvbible.org/Luke%209%3A28-36/" target="_blank">Luke 9:29-31</a>)</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
For that one fleeting moment, Jesus looked how we would expect the Son of God to look: dazzlingly bright, standing in a cloud with Moses and Elijah while the Father's booming voice commands that we listen to Him. It's not surprising that Peter wanted to stay there. He didn’t know what he was saying because he didn't understand what Jesus would accomplish at Jerusalem, what His "departure" would be. He didn't understand the necessity for Jesus to give up His throne in heaven, His glory, in order that we all might be transfigured.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaMregR54C5-IqDQim3otuy8zxnU6Mn9MXENGPvWh8YsVIFsVfrWLMtXeceFF2-nTUvzex-3USAF_BBiDdLRl64b7ihKRKhcih2d2R2XglVCDU7Sln3UtPNOV6hy5aW3lzfWXa9CyW7ltg/s1600/Warner+Sallman's+Jesus.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaMregR54C5-IqDQim3otuy8zxnU6Mn9MXENGPvWh8YsVIFsVfrWLMtXeceFF2-nTUvzex-3USAF_BBiDdLRl64b7ihKRKhcih2d2R2XglVCDU7Sln3UtPNOV6hy5aW3lzfWXa9CyW7ltg/s1600/Warner+Sallman's+Jesus.jpg" width="147" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"The Head of Christ"<br />
by <a href="http://www.warnersallman.com/collection/images/head-of-christ/" target="_blank">Warner Sallman</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfCsIHBYGJNZ_k_nIXftHZJ5CDDf8OohPmd0QTfT5Xq-vhd4-rLsuvGf-abOx7reg_gYxMjUc9I9XIedAs18Ljd8smanoBAmpfps88ebIEi8sVEF4z8GTE0PhM1UTgQFjKr5M9b_Yy779U/s1600/Jewish+man.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfCsIHBYGJNZ_k_nIXftHZJ5CDDf8OohPmd0QTfT5Xq-vhd4-rLsuvGf-abOx7reg_gYxMjUc9I9XIedAs18Ljd8smanoBAmpfps88ebIEi8sVEF4z8GTE0PhM1UTgQFjKr5M9b_Yy779U/s1600/Jewish+man.gif" width="166" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Orthodox Jewish Man<br />
Origin Unknown</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Peter didn't understand that this beautiful, dazzling Messiah had to die a sinner's death. Who would? Except for this single moment in time, Jesus, the Son of God, looked like an average Jewish Arabic man: dark skin and eyes, short black hair with long sideburns and an untrimmed beard. He probably looked more like the man to your right than the westernized version we're all so familiar with, for whatever it's worth (practically nothing). Peter wanted to stay on that mountain because there was the God he expected. There was the God we all expected. We do not expect a God, certainly not <b><i>thee </i></b>God, to become one of us, indeed worse than any of us as He took all the sin in all the world onto Himself, and die for us.</div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>"For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die—but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us."</b> (<a href="http://www.esvbible.org/Romans+5/" target="_blank">Romans 5:6-8</a>)</span></blockquote>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
I don't look saved. Inside or out. I don't feel like an heir to the Kingdom of God. I don't look like someone the Son of God would die for, someone God the Father would give His only Son for. I don't feel like someone God loves, most of the time I don't act like someone God loves, and I don't expect Him to love me.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Expectations are rarely met, and while most often their misses leave lingering disappointment, this missed expectation leaves joyful awe. I <u>am</u> someone God loves, whatever I feel or look like. You are someone God loves. But for the time being, our true baptized selves are hidden in rags of our own: a body that's ravaged by crosses just like Jesus' was. Because He was ravaged, we too will be transfigured into dazzling bright, beautiful people of God one day and for good, but like Peter did, we have to wait a little longer before we can stay in that heavenly cloud.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
*</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>Suggested verse to repeat if it's a difficult day is from <a href="http://www.esvbible.org/Romans+5/" target="_blank">Romans 5:6b</a></i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>PRC buddies, remember to breathe!</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>"Christ died -------> 5 count inhale</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>for the ungodly." -------> 5 count exhale</i><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3YCZZUHm6LITdTU8TrgbFSWNkzw3kYOipbEHdoULA8ue3ooJYXsYFmDaYNgj_e3KHrXNTi8or5ZCbD1M4bbgGGsRh-30uj3QclWNWvmpXy_46G7QK2bD2WMM9vdOCQ8-WkEdzFhyvLvtL/s1600/transmogrifier.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="398" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3YCZZUHm6LITdTU8TrgbFSWNkzw3kYOipbEHdoULA8ue3ooJYXsYFmDaYNgj_e3KHrXNTi8or5ZCbD1M4bbgGGsRh-30uj3QclWNWvmpXy_46G7QK2bD2WMM9vdOCQ8-WkEdzFhyvLvtL/s1600/transmogrifier.png" width="640" /></a></div>
<i><br /></i></div>
</div>
Smittyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16126018547283755421noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1572924764874958837.post-63185898752263418152014-01-27T06:04:00.004-08:002017-12-12T18:28:02.525-08:00Things We Don't Need to Carry in Our Hearts<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>...because Jesus carried them to the cross.</i></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: right;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCLGHXL7uTUDLEqOgX-BndI7NOq5K4lVX2FpaTG5lVC3NaAy6Iw4DkzqGVhJ32-3KEFjgcU7QbkpwqszYbi72EjfjW7pqmzlth0i_ylV0aK81ZCNuiGDrVpLGXWd71mNhyoWxk9fhay2Dg/s1600/edvard+munch+Golgatha.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCLGHXL7uTUDLEqOgX-BndI7NOq5K4lVX2FpaTG5lVC3NaAy6Iw4DkzqGVhJ32-3KEFjgcU7QbkpwqszYbi72EjfjW7pqmzlth0i_ylV0aK81ZCNuiGDrVpLGXWd71mNhyoWxk9fhay2Dg/s1600/edvard+munch+Golgatha.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace; font-size: small;">"Golgatha" 1900<br /><a href="http://arthistory.about.com/od/from_exhibitions/ig/becoming_edvard_munch/bem_aic_09_19.htm" target="_blank">Edvard Munch</a></span></td></tr>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "georgia" , "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 17px; line-height: 22.464000701904297px; text-indent: 25.920001983642578px;">"</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "georgia" , "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: x-large; line-height: 22.464px; text-indent: 25.92px;">SINCE </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "georgia" , "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 17px; line-height: 22.464000701904297px; text-indent: 25.920001983642578px;">therefore the children share in </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: 17px; line-height: 22.464000701904297px; text-indent: 25.920001983642578px;"><b>FLESH & BLOOD</b></span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "georgia" , "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 17px; line-height: 22.464000701904297px; text-indent: 25.920001983642578px;">, He Himself LIKEWISE </span><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 22.464px; text-indent: 25.92px;"><i style="font-size: 17px;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">partook </span></i><span style="font-family: georgia, times, "times new roman", serif; font-size: x-small;">of the</span></span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "georgia" , "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 17px; line-height: 22.464000701904297px; text-indent: 25.920001983642578px;"> same things</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: 17px; line-height: 22.464000701904297px; text-indent: 25.920001983642578px;">...</span><br />
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<b><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 17px; line-height: 22.464px; text-indent: 25.92px;"> that </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 17px; line-height: 22.464px; text-indent: 25.92px;">through </span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 17px; line-height: 22.464px; text-indent: 25.92px;">DEA</span><span style="background-color: white; font-size: large; line-height: 22.464px; text-indent: 25.92px;">t</span><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 17px; line-height: 22.464px; text-indent: 25.92px;">H</span></span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 17px; line-height: 22.464px; text-indent: 25.92px;"> He might</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: x-large; line-height: 22.464px; text-indent: 25.92px;">> destroy <</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 17px; line-height: 22.464px; text-indent: 25.92px;">the one who has </span></b><b><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 17px; line-height: 22.464px; text-indent: 25.92px;">the power <i>of </i>death</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 17px; line-height: 22.464px; text-indent: 25.92px;">, </span></b></div>
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<b><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 17px; line-height: 22.464px; text-indent: 25.92px;">that is, </span></b><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 17px; line-height: 22.464px; text-indent: 25.92px;"><b>the </b></span><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 22.464px; text-indent: 25.92px;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;"><b>DEViL</b></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: 17px;">...</span></span></div>
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "georgia" , "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 17px; line-height: 22.464000701904297px; text-indent: 25.920001983642578px;">and <b><u>deliver all</u> </b>those who </span><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 17px; line-height: 22.464000701904297px; text-indent: 25.920001983642578px;"><span style="font-family: georgia, times, times new roman, serif;">through FEAR of DEATH were subject to</span><b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> </span></b></span><b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 22.464px; text-align: center; text-indent: 25.92px;"><span style="font-size: medium;">LIFELONG </span></span><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 22.464px; text-align: center; text-indent: 25.92px;">SLAVERY</span></span></b><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "georgia" , "times" , "times new roman" , serif; line-height: 22.464px; text-align: center; text-indent: 25.92px;">. </span><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 22.464px; text-indent: 25.92px;"><b style="font-family: georgia, times, "times new roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">F</span></b><b style="font-family: georgia, times, "times new roman", serif;">OR</b><span style="font-size: 17px;"><span style="font-family: georgia, times, times new roman, serif;"> surely it is </span><i><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">NOT ANGELS</span></i><span style="font-family: georgia, times, times new roman, serif;"> that He helps, </span><u><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">but He </span></u></span></span><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 17px; line-height: 22.464px; text-indent: 25.92px;"><u><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">helps the offspring of Abraham</span></u><span style="font-family: georgia, times, times new roman, serif;">. >>></span></span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: 17px; line-height: 22.464px; text-indent: 25.92px;"><b>Therefore He had </b></span><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 17px; line-height: 22.464px; text-indent: 25.92px;"><b><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">to be made like his brothers in every respect</span></b><span style="font-family: georgia, times, times new roman, serif;"><<< </span></span><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 22.464px; text-indent: 25.92px;"><span style="font-family: georgia, times, times new roman, serif; font-size: 17px;">so that He might become a </span><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><i>merciful </i>& </span><i><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">faithful</span> </i><span style="font-family: georgia, times, times new roman, serif; font-size: 17px;">high priest </span></span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "georgia" , "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 17px; line-height: 22.464px; text-indent: 25.92px;">in the service of </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large; line-height: 22.464px; text-indent: 25.92px;">God</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "georgia" , "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 17px; line-height: 22.464px; text-indent: 25.92px;">, to make </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "georgia" , "times" , "times new roman" , serif; line-height: 22.464px; text-indent: 25.92px;"><span style="font-size: large;">PROPiTiATION </span></span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "georgia" , "times" , "times new roman" , serif; line-height: 22.464px; text-indent: 25.92px;"><span style="font-size: 17px;">for the </span><b><span style="font-size: large;">SINS </span></b><span style="font-size: 17px;">of the people. </span></span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "georgia" , "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 17px; line-height: 22.464px; text-indent: 25.92px;">For because</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: 17px; line-height: 22.464px; text-indent: 25.92px;"><b> He Himself has </b></span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large; line-height: 22.464px; text-indent: 25.92px;"><b>SUFFERED </b></span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "georgia" , "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 17px; line-height: 22.464px; text-indent: 25.92px;">when </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 17px; line-height: 22.464px; text-indent: 25.92px;"><i>tempted</i></span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "georgia" , "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 17px; line-height: 22.464px; text-indent: 25.92px;">, He is able to help those who are being </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 17px; line-height: 22.464px; text-indent: 25.92px;"><i>tempted</i></span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "georgia" , "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 17px; line-height: 22.464px; text-indent: 25.92px;">."</span><span class="extra_text" style="background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: "georgia" , "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 17px; line-height: 22.464px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-indent: 25.92px; vertical-align: baseline;"> (<a href="http://www.esvbible.org/Hebrews+2/" target="_blank">Hebrews 2:14-18</a>)</span></div>
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I have a hard time letting go of control. I suppose I'm what some would call a "Type A" personality. I read somewhere a long, long time ago, probably in a Psychology text book in college, that people who are clinically depressed have a more accurate assessment of the control they have over things like their bodies, their families, their kids, their wealth, their future... And it depresses them. Reality depresses us. "Healthy" people are (at least slightly) deluded.</div>
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<b>OK whatever. I should, at the very least, be able to control my own body, right? Right? RIGHT??</b></div>
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Oh so very wrong. And that fact bothers me to no end because I get it stuck in my head that <span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://life-incessant.blogspot.com/2012/08/the-peace-he-left-with-me.html" target="_blank">if only</a></span> I could control my body, then I could control everything else, too. And just when I think I've given up the fight and "owned" my... self (I guess), something snaps in my brain and I'm up all night lamenting the fact that I can't work, that I can't get on the floor and play with my kid, that I can't make it to church every week, that I need medication, that I'm in pain all the time, that there is <a href="http://life-incessant.blogspot.com/2012/10/i-hate-this-part.html" target="_blank">NOTHING I CAN DO ABOUT IT</a>. </div>
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<b>Come on, I do not need things to be perfect, but I would like them to be bearable.</b></div>
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Reality is depressing. But take a deep breath. Christ had absolute control, and He allowed chaos to consume Him. He could have smote the lot crucifying Him, saved Himself and established a New Kingdom right then and there, sending all who didn't march in line to the lake of fire and making the world a perfect place. He didn't. He didn't defeat evil with might. He defeated it with weakness. He submitted to it. He allowed it to consume Him,<br />
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<b>He who did not deserve to be consumed, for the sake of those who did.</b></div>
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So, swallow hard, lift your head up and heave a heavy sigh. Give up some responsibility and fight the good fight, not the meaningless one. It's not you against the world: it's Christ against the world for you. He owned that chaos all right, now follow His lead and do the same. Whenever you feel bogged down by things you don't need to carry in your heart, set them down at the foot of the cross. That's where they all ended up anyway.</div>
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<i>Suggested verse to repeat if it's a difficult day comes from <a href="http://www.esvbible.org/Psalm+84/" target="_blank">Psalm 84:3a</a></i></div>
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<i>PRC buddies, remember to breathe!</i></div>
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<i>"Even the sparrow -------> 5 count inhale</i></div>
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<i>finds a home." -------> 5 count exhale</i></div>
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Smittyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16126018547283755421noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1572924764874958837.post-62529048176568989742013-12-17T06:46:00.001-08:002014-12-05T10:55:37.226-08:00Angels We Have Heard<div align="CENTER" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><b>“Shepherds, why this jubilee?</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><b>Why your joyous strains prolong?</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><b>What the glad tidings be</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><b>which inspire your heavenly song?”</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">“Angels We Have Heard on High”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Author Unknown, of French origin</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">translated by James Chadwick</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">England, 1862</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhp4NTq9ExJpvI2J_sZ1AeikMnCw6q0Ilhf6CGF4qX3GbgfJhDEIUPpoBqq48a7QAsNcwj6UFyEbNc8BoIx1bbq3UKUO7Y_e36Qq-ima658KWDMNqdLr9O2bNGH9VUrsp2QUB0UvHKph8Ra/s1600/nativity+glass+shepherds.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: -webkit-left;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhp4NTq9ExJpvI2J_sZ1AeikMnCw6q0Ilhf6CGF4qX3GbgfJhDEIUPpoBqq48a7QAsNcwj6UFyEbNc8BoIx1bbq3UKUO7Y_e36Qq-ima658KWDMNqdLr9O2bNGH9VUrsp2QUB0UvHKph8Ra/s400/nativity+glass+shepherds.jpg" height="400" width="335" /></a></td></tr>
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">That’s a good question. Why would shepherds rejoice at the birth of a simple poor baby boy born in a manger miles away to parents they probably didn't even know? Because the Scriptural promise of thousands of years past had finally been fulfilled: Christ came at long last to save the world, but He came in such away that if hosts of </span>humongous<span style="font-family: inherit;"> angels hadn't come down from heaven to tell us what happened, we wouldn't even have noticed.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: inherit;">That’s why the world often asks us why we're still singing. The world might see angels if they appeared again, but it still wouldn't see the significance of a poor baby in a manger. We sing because we do.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>“And the shepherds returned, </b></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>glorifying and praising God </b></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="color: black;"><b>for all they had heard and seen, </b></span></span><b style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">as it had been told them.”</b></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.esvbible.org/Luke+2/" style="background-color: white;" target="_blank">Luke 2:10</a></span></div>
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Smittyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16126018547283755421noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1572924764874958837.post-41307419600416026732013-12-09T11:18:00.001-08:002014-07-03T12:52:24.395-07:00God, Just Get Me Through Christmas<div style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px 0px 0in; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: medium;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: medium;">“<b>Let all mortal flesh keep silence</b><b>,</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: medium;"><b>and with fear and trembling stand</b>.</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: medium;">Ponder nothing earthly-minded,</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: medium;">for with blessing in His hand:</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: medium;">Christ our God to earth descending,</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: medium;"><b>our full homage to demand</b>.”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">“Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silence”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">from the Liturgy of St. James</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Jerusalem, ca. 1<span style="font-size: xx-small;">st </span></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">century</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;">* * *</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;">Did you groan when you saw the Christmas trees in Walmart? ...in September? How about when you saw the first snow? Ugh... We can almost hear the whole world groan when winter starts. It feels stiff and hollow under its new frost, like it’s holding its breath, waiting to be released from the bondage of ice and brightly lit Christmas cheer. But m</span><span style="font-family: inherit;">aybe it's not the snow or the several months of Christmas music that gets us down. Maybe it's the prospect of another Christmas season altogether that we can't stand. Just another reminder of how alone we are, how unhappy we are, how happy everyone else is, how sick we are, how much we hurt, how much Christmas hasn't been the same since we got hurt, since our wife died or our mom, since we've been suffering from chronic pain, since...</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">So the penitential season of Advent begins. And no, we're not celebrating, despite whatever show the world puts on. What the world generally refers to as the “Christmas Season” is actually the season of Advent. During Advent, we—like our winter-bound world—are asked to hold our breath in hopeful expectation. We let our mortal flesh: the pain and desires for things and family alike, keep silence and go to church a little more often to prepare for the fulfillment of the promise of redemption: the advent, or the coming, of the Christ.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Our ice is sin. It's the cause of our loneliness and unhappiness, our ailments and our injuries, of all the bad things we do, feel, and think, and of all the bad things that are done to us. Our spring began on that very first Christmas Day with the birth of the Son of God, a perfect sacrifice sent in the form of a poor, infant boy who would die for a world frozen in sin. And while we prepare to celebrate His first advent, we are also preparing for His second advent when He will return to set all things right.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Advent is not a happy time, so don't expect happiness. But it is a hopeful time. So hope. He's coming back for you, and in the meantime, God will help you through the world's Christmas Season. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Bookmark "<a href="http://life-incessant.blogspot.com/search/label/God%20Just%20Get%20Me%20Through%20Christmas" target="_blank"><b>God, Just Get Me through Christmas</b></a>" on <b><a href="http://life-incessant.blogspot.com/" style="color: #2b256f; display: inline; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; outline: none;" target="_blank">When Suffering Doesn't Stop</a> </b>this holiday season for help getting through Christmas one day at a time. Make a path to a meaningful, if not merry, Christmas.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"<b>Prepare the way of the LORD</b>; <b>make His paths straight</b>."</span> <b style="-webkit-transition: color 0.3s; color: #2b256f; display: inline; font-family: Bentham; outline-style: none; transition: color 0.3s;"><a href="http://www.esvbible.org/Matthew%203%3A1-12/" style="-webkit-transition: color 0.3s; color: #2b256f; display: inline; outline: none; transition: color 0.3s;" target="_blank">Matthew 3:3b</a></b></span></div>
Smittyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16126018547283755421noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1572924764874958837.post-70713134260205154302013-11-04T06:06:00.002-08:002014-09-06T17:49:56.881-07:00The Why of This Blog<div style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-align: justify;">
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 21px;">Suffering is bearable if you can find meaning in it. Pain feels a little less like an attack and a little more like a challenge if you can see some reason for it. I've been looking for that "why" ever since I got sick with ulcerative colitis in 2007 and never got better. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 21px;">Why...? I kept wondering why. What was the purpose of all this pain and humiliation? All these upset plans of mine? </span></span><span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 21px;">What? To make me better person? Wasn't I humble enough? Didn't I depend on God enough? Did I think too much of my work, my looks, my skills, my life? To make me stronger? Cripes, I've never been weaker in all my life in every sense of the word. Was I so terrible at my career that God would rather I be locked in my bedroom unable to share His Word? Would I be such a horrible mother that God put this here to keep me from having a family? What was God trying to tell me???</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I, I, I, I, me, me, me... It's funny how self-centered being trapped in your own body makes you. I admit it. It's hard to look past your own nose when you can't get out of your own bed. Well, I got out of my own bed, and it turns out my pain wasn't about me at all. It's about Christ. And it's about you. </span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 21px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>"<span style="font-size: medium;">For we who live are always being given over to death for Jesus' sake, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested on our mortal flesh. So that death is at work in us, but life in you</span>."</b> (</span></span><span style="-webkit-transition: color 0.3s; color: #b45f06; display: inline; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; line-height: 21px; outline: none; text-decoration: none; transition: color 0.3s;"><a href="http://www.esvbible.org/2%20Corinthians%204%3A7-18/" style="-webkit-transition: color 0.3s; display: inline; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; line-height: 21px; outline: none; text-decoration: none; transition: color 0.3s;" target="_blank">2 Corinthians 4:11-12</a></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21px;">)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">If you really want someone to believe something, if their life truly depends on it, you don't stand on a soapbox and lecture. You get on your knees and you beg. The true rhetorical stance is on your knees, a wise man once told me and WOW, has the Lord ever brought me to mine. (Thank you, Charles, I shudder to think of living this life without that knowledge).</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Consequently, when my Mayo Clinic Pain Rehab Bestie suggested that I start a blog, I couldn't say no. Although I am as hesitant as anyone to share my struggling for fear of some reprisal, I couldn't shake the reality that if by reading about death in me, life starts to work in you even a little, well... maybe that's a part of God's why to my pain. Selfishly enough, in you, my suffering has meaning. As far as fear of reprisal goes, my struggle--like my suffering--has very little to do with me.</span></div>
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<b style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, sans-serif; line-height: 19px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">"</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: medium;">I am an ambassador in chains, that I may declare it boldly, as I ought to speak</span></b><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 19px;"><b>."</b> (<a href="http://www.esvbible.org/Ephesians%206%3A10-20/" target="_blank">Ephesians 6:20</a>)</span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">And so, to those of you struggling with chronic pain, physical or emotional, injury or grief, sickness or sadness, whether your back hurts or your heart, I find solace in pointing you to Christ in hopes that you, too, will find some solace there. "And hope does not put us to shame," (from <a href="http://www.esvbible.org/Romans%205%3A1-5/" target="_blank">Romans 5:5</a></span><span style="font-family: inherit;">).</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;"><span style="line-height: 21px;">Click here for my first pos<span style="font-family: inherit;">t:</span></span></span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;"> "</span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large; line-height: 21px;"><b><a href="http://life-incessant.blogspot.com/2012/06/heal-me_06.html" target="_blank">Heal ME</a></b></span><b style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">.</span></b><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;"><span style="line-height: 21px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">" and come back to </span><b style="display: inline; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; outline: none;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="http://life-incessant.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">When Suffering Doesn't Stop: Life With Chronic Pain</a><span style="color: #007f00;"> </span></span></b><span style="font-family: inherit;">on your difficult days to visit posts that include Scripture, art, music, and humor, and are </span></span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 24px;">dedicated</span><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;"><span style="line-height: 21px;"> to making the unbearable </span></span><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 24px;">portions</span><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;"> of life bearable through meaning in Christ</span><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">. </span></span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.4799995422363px;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">Due to a drastic and stubborn decrease in my health in August 2014, I regret to report that I will not be posting anything new until (hopefully) Advent. The following </span></span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">is a rough outline of my posts by topic. Click on the topic that interests you to see articles, videos and devotionals on that subject. Thank you for your patience and prayers. </span></div>
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<a href="http://life-incessant.blogspot.com/search/label/Suffering%20and%20Pain"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">SUFFERiNG </span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">&</span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"> PAiN</span></a> * <a href="http://life-incessant.blogspot.com/search/label/Difficult%20Day%20Box"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"><b>Healing or Lack Thereof</b></span></a> * <a href="http://life-incessant.blogspot.com/search/label/Anxiety%20and%20Fear"><span style="font-size: x-large;">ANXiETy</span></a> * <a href="http://life-incessant.blogspot.com/search/label/Forgiveness"><span style="font-size: large;">Forgiveness</span></a> * <a href="http://life-incessant.blogspot.com/search/label/Patience%20and%20Trust"><b>patience</b></a> * <a href="http://life-incessant.blogspot.com/search/label/Faith"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">FAiTH</span></a> * <a href="http://life-incessant.blogspot.com/search/label/Love"><span style="font-size: large;">Love</span></a> * <a href="http://life-incessant.blogspot.com/search/label/Hate" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: large;">H</span>ATE</a> * <a href="http://life-incessant.blogspot.com/search/label/Death"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Death & Grief</span></a> * <a href="http://life-incessant.blogspot.com/search/label/Abandonment"><i><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Abandonment</span></i></a> * <a href="http://life-incessant.blogspot.com/search/label/Psalm%20or%20Prayer"><span style="font-size: large;">PRAyER</span></a> * <a href="http://life-incessant.blogspot.com/search/label/Relaxation"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Insomnia & Relaxation</span></a> * <a href="http://life-incessant.blogspot.com/search/label/Music%20or%20Video">music & art</a> * <span style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://life-incessant.blogspot.com/search/label/Difficult%20Day%20Box" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-large; font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">DIFFICULT DAY BOX</a><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large; font-weight: bold;"> </span><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>*</b></span><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large; font-weight: bold;"> </span><a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC2iPPZzU46Ljs0npfuwYJ8A" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"><b>YouTube</b></span></a></span></div>
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Smittyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16126018547283755421noreply@blogger.com29tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1572924764874958837.post-74821045849572455442013-10-14T05:39:00.001-07:002022-06-12T11:39:40.798-07:00An Infant in Tears<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: 30px;">I am pleased to report that Josie was born in perfect health, but </span><span style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: 30px;">I got a whole lot sicker than ever before. I didn't think it was possible, to be honest. How on earth could I possibly get any sicker? Well, I went from using the bathroom 20x a day to 40x, from being in pain at 4 </span><span style="text-indent: 30px;">on a 0-10 scale </span><span style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: 30px;">to an 8, from one medication to control the disease to several... </span><br />
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<span style="text-indent: 30px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">You get the idea. Sure, the physical and emotional exhaustion stemming from the struggle of caring for a newborn has something to do with the worsening of my symptoms, as does the subsequent hormone insanity and the horrible delivery experience I had (46hrs of non-progressing labor followed by a c-section I had to beg for during which the spinal stopped working before they were finished, and the pharmacy didn't have the right </span>anesthesia<span style="font-family: inherit;"> on hand. Yes, I remember everything. Small towns are great for raising children but not so great for having them). But all in all, my disease just plain got worse, and there is/was/will be nothing that I can do about it. </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">"It is very dangerous to promise ourselves the security of even one hour, for very frequently in that one brief hour this fleeting life comes to an end." (Johann Gerhard, "<a href="http://www.cfwwalther.com/gerhard/Meditation%20XXXVIII.htm" target="_blank">What Is Human Life?</a>")</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large; text-indent: 30px;"><b>I gave birth to a healthy baby: an absolute gift from God. I promised myself that I would be happy with that, and yet here I am wanting more.</b></span></div>
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Disappointment runs rampant in our sinful, fallen world. I'm not able to enjoy motherhood the way a healthy woman would. I can't take my daughter out and show her off as often as I'd like. I can't take care of her and the house at the same time. I'm often forced to set her down in the middle of nursing so that I can run to the bathroom, and I hear her cry for me loud enough to break anyone's heart. I'm not even able to produce enough milk for her so we have to supplement with formula, an immense failure in our current breastfeed-exclusively-for-one-year-for-better-health-for-your-baby-and-it's-only-natural-or-you're-a-bad-mom culture.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwgmoSmX5zZ37M_gSUziuU6ZviW6nzyq_tSgsyZU-obQxvgj0bSPJz69XyRa2EoX93942CrGx3LF2ToEt1ASYjZEap2s8SolS0RICZIN4mCBIzG3X_4v-O2LN6YKKQ0CfTpxH1xF9pUsLn/s1600/Josie+March+2014+Cropped.JPG" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwgmoSmX5zZ37M_gSUziuU6ZviW6nzyq_tSgsyZU-obQxvgj0bSPJz69XyRa2EoX93942CrGx3LF2ToEt1ASYjZEap2s8SolS0RICZIN4mCBIzG3X_4v-O2LN6YKKQ0CfTpxH1xF9pUsLn/s1600/Josie+March+2014+Cropped.JPG" width="121" /></a><b><span style="font-size: large;">All this leaves me with a whole lot of guilt and tremendous (and viciously accurate) feelings of inadequacy.</span></b><br />
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Christ didn't just die for all the bad things that we do. He died for all the good things that we can't do. I do what I can, and it's never enough. <a href="http://life-incessant.blogspot.com/2012/09/a-broken-and-contrite-heart.htmlhttp://life-incessant.blogspot.com/2012/09/a-broken-and-contrite-heart.html" target="_blank">I am inadequate</a>. It's an objective fact. And it's why I need Jesus. What I can do isn't enough for perfect, but it is <i><u>enough</u></i> because God has done the rest for me and for my daughter who has to get by without being exclusively breastfed. And so when the guilts threaten to own me, I step away from that nasty mirror Satan brandishes in my darkest moments and I look to the Cross. As for not always cherishing this life as the gift that it is, well...<br />
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<b><a href="http://www.britannica.com/biography/Johann-Gerhard" target="_blank">Johann Gerhard Biography</a> </b></div>
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Smittyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16126018547283755421noreply@blogger.com3