My favorite blogger

Sunday, June 10, 2012
by sherry

   David's Prayer (also public blog, Psalm 5:1-3)

"Give ear to my words, O LORD, consider my sighing.  

 Listen to my cry for help, my King and my God, for to you I pray. 

Morning by morning, O LORD, you hear my voice;  

 morning by morning I lay my requests before you and wait in expectation"

King David is my personal and favorite 'blogger';  he was crying "for help" through numerous "requests", and it seems that his problem is on-going because offers his prayer "morning by morning".

His prayer consists of three requests: "Give ear to my words", "consider my sighing", and "listen to my cry".  In these three requests, David uses three styles of communication: his "words", his "sighing", and his "cry":

Our "words" are usually reasoned, well thought-out expression and petitions to God.

Our "sighing" There are times, especially in times of trouble, when we are at a loss of words, we cannot even express our prayers. We have reasoned through our petitions, we have stated with words the result of our reasoning, then we run out of words. I am told (medically) that sighing is due to

shallow breathing (usually caused by anxiety) that's why deep breathing and meditation help; it calms you spirit and your body.  I catch myself sighing a lot.

Finally, David prays with a "cry".  David not only communicated through reasoned requests, and sighings, but also with emotive cries. Our emotions are an expression of our desire; they communicate the seriousness of your request.  Christ is our example in this: "For Jesus during his earthly life offered up prayers and entreaties, crying aloud and weeping as He pleaded with Him who was able to bring Him in safety out of death, and He was delivered from the terror from which He shrank".  (Heb. 5:7).  

There is nothing  disreputable in tears and no one should

 be ashamed to weep. The fact that the Son of God wept is a full demonstration that it is not disgraceful to weep. God has so made us as to express ourselves by tears. 'Religion' should not make the heart insensible and hard as stoical philosophy does; it makes it tender and susceptible to impression.

It's Sunday today.  Terence and I are pastors yet this morning he is not well enough to minister.

So, I thought I'd minister these word to ourselves and hopefully they will help you too;

"I am glad to know that the Lord hears our prayers, listens to our cries, and considers our sighs  (anxieties)".

Putting on my happy face

Putting on my happy face

6-9-12 

by sherry                                                                                                                                           

Sometimes I wish I could be like Jane Jetson who adorned her "morning mask" (she used it when she skyped in the mornings!)- oh how wonderful that would be! Oh wait!  How convenient that I have a cut out of one of my Facebook profile pictures!

Honestly though, some days it's truly difficult to put that happy face on. This past week has been "one of those days".  Anxiety snuck in and I became overwhelmed by the simplest things-laundry, mail, dishes.... not to mention helping Terence with his daily routine-but more than anything watching him try to overcome pain that had been engulfing him for days. It's overwhelming to watch him struggle like that and not be able to physically do anything for him.  It got to the point it was so bad (poor Terence!) that I could not bear to see him like that- I couldn't even look at Terence or be around him-  once when he was trying to tell me and show where his pains were, I was so overwhelmed that I threw a blanket over my face- I felt like I couldn't  take it any more. I didn't mean to block him out, I just needed a break from his pain!!!  (I know that sounds odd because he's the one in pain!).

Today (Saturday)- he's jacked up (or down?) on morphine- he hasn't been able to shake off the pain.  I haven't been able to shake off the anxiety.  I prayed for him while I was mowing the lawn. I prayed for him when I helped him in the shower. I prayed for him while making his lunch. I prayed, prayed, prayed. And then I got angry, irritated and frustrated that I still had the dishes, laundry  and dinner to take care of when I finished the lawn and to top it off, he was still in pain!  I could not find my happy place.  I had no happy face, except the cut out facebook profile- and though that may work for Jane Jetson, I didn't think that one would fool Terence or anyone else.

My sister in law (Mona) reminded me today that we need to use the word "joy" more often.  I thought about it and she's right.  Joy is not the same as happiness. True joy is attained by the Lord and it gives us an overwhelming sense of comfort and contentment that floods our soul. Happiness is based on our circumstances.        My circumstances are not very favorable right now nor are they very fun so I haven't been too happy (hence the need for the happy face).  But joy?  I can find joy in our tribulation because the God of Hope can fill me with joy.

Romans 15:13
Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

 I continue to pray for Terence  (I will never stop), but I will also ask the Lord to fill our hearts with joy and peace as we continue to believe for a miracle-----so we can abound in hope!

                                 ♪♫♪ I’ve got that joy, joy, joy, joy down in my heart … ♪♫♫

Jesus, take the wheel.....please!

“Jesus Take the wheel” please!

 June 5, 2012

by terence

Not many things scare me.  I’ve been through three years of poking and prodding, transfusions and chemo as well as a plethora of so many other procedures that are not so pleasant.  Renal failure was close and quite frankly having a urologist surgeon shove a catheter up my troubled urethra was traumatic and emotional- but never have I been fearful. Until recently.

Last Saturday was Gig Harbor’s Maritime festival.  Our grandchildren were in the parade and had a booth so Sherry and I were determined to attend regardless of how I was feeling.

Here I am safely parked and enjoying my lemonade.

Let me start the story by admitting that we are wheel chair ‘virgins’- not having any experience outside of hospital facilities where everything is flat and wheel chair friendly.   This community event was big enough to where I couldn’t walk so Sherry would need to wheel me around. 
We located a parking space. Since all roads were closed for the parade we parked several blocks away... only then realizing the festival was ‘slightly’ down hill.

I got into the wheel chair while Sherry prepared man the reigns…. I surveyed the road ahead and it looked  it was going to be a carnival ride/obstacle course. Only then did I briefly wonder about Sherry's "driver personality".  Sherry, not aware of my “reluctance” was busy navigating  the hill, people on the left and right and a large storm drain dead center on the sidewalk.  She maneuvered to the left but not far enough, leaving me to have to slump down in the chair and push my foot down on the grate to avoid a major spill (no seat belts in this thing).

Sherry (still not aware of my dilemma), continued to traverse the sidewalk and people defending herself against my ‘backseat’ driving.  My heart was racing…I was sure I’d be facing a painful topple or worse, attached to a run away wheel chair.

Fear had definitely set in and I quickly managed to locate the brakes on the wheel chair and began to ‘help’ Sherry on this downhill obstacle course. Once she realized I was using the brakes she  felt I was counter acting her attempts to safely drive the wheel chair  and ‘told me so’ (!).

 The closer we got to the pavilion the thicker the populace became and my voice grew louder  because  Sherry was busy zigging and zagging  trying to find her way through the crowd, jarring my back eventually colliding with a little boy  (unbeknownst to her) who was attempting to buy a snow cone.  Moving on and passing the Navajo Taco stand Sherry’s voice became louder than mine as she attempted to tell me to “relax, and stop telling me how to drive this thing!”.  

At this point a beautiful golden retriever appeared who was faithfully following his owner...I envisioned the wheel chair taking him out so I firmly and appropriately used the only appendage available to me and stuck my foot out and kicked the dog out of my way hoping to avoid a full on ‘collision’ all the while Sherry still telling me not to worry because  she had 

“everything under control”.

Finally we made it to the giant pirate ship where our grand kids were anxiously waiting. They ran off to discover the wonders of a maritime day while I sipped my fresh lemonade content to be ‘parked’ under a tree.

Sherry made it through the adventure with a strained back still completely unaware of the little “fender benders” and I came away with a lesson of overcoming fear; not of cancer, but of a feeling of loss of control!

“For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and a sound mind” 2 Timonthy 1:7