Its been a few weeks since anything has appeared from me on the blog. This has been a very difficult month indeed. Tom went from being worrisome on a day here and there to WHY won't_my_stubborn_spouse_let_me_get_him_to_a_hospital_already??!!! Ironically, the extreme bad turn he took actually prevented them from getting him in to be treated for what set this up in the first place.
I broke down by day five and went from general hints to only a few good friends to seriously asking as many real Christians as I could reach for prayer support..and thats what has turned the corner. Within 4 hrs of the email going out, the worst pains ceased. Within 24 hrs Tom could actually eat a little. He has improved steadily since. Today he will actually be able to eat the nice roast lamb now in the oven. Hallelujah!!
All of you who prayed for us..thank you again
and please remember us when you can. Its not over yet.
I am concerned about what the surgeon has in mind, though I comprehend why the doctor wants to try it. Its now been established that open surgery for Tom's unusual condition would be very involved, lengthy, and possibly have lasting side-effects. Another new wonderful invention of recent years has now been proposed involving surgical glue, lasers and such. Guess we'll see how good it is soon.
Its been an unusal Easter season. It feels way too early for one thing & because they were talking about rushing Tom into surgery before, I went ahead and ordered predone baskets. First time I've used 'boughten' baskets but it came out well enough. Had to replace Rebecca's at the last moment but she was the winner for it as we found a much nicer one locally than she had chosen in the catalogue. I was planning the Incredibles for tonight's film, but we didnt wait that long. Happy to see Tom enjoyed it as much as I thought he would. My favorite bit is "Boundin' " ~ the Pixar short. I rarely see anything that resonates so well with me. I just love that river-dancing sheepy. :D
So, I've been very busy here at the house, which doesn't mean I wasn't writing, thinking, or being otherwise creative. All nighters give you plenty of time to ponder. I thought & prayed constantly, and wrote down little thoughts here and there. I even have the outline for a new book. It will be my first mystery novel, which I've never had inspiration for before. I'm highly tempted to backdate the happy tidbits I wrote while I was too busy to post but I'll save it for the days ahead. No sense copying the behavior of she_who_should_not_be_named. LOL
I've also read several more books, got to a new stuck place in Feeble Files, tried several more rounds with Myst IV's spider chair o' doom. Now I'm just to the timed bit. ick. Lady K likes it but I don't think its a very well constructed puzzle. Not referring to the difficulty, though it certainly is hard to work out what you are supposed to do. No, the biggest problem is the interface on the timed part. Their "close-up" points are too close to the sliders. Finally remembered to share myMyst IV journal entries thus far ~ as I promised James & Becky I would. I hadn't planned to write one initially, but now I'm glad I did. That sort of thing is easy & fun for me. Don't know if I will continue up through Serenia though. I've now heard enough from others to make me wonder how repugnant the pagan elements became.
Big thought on my mind today is that I did *not* pass lightly over this holiday, not for myself or any other. I've been dealing with active slander for a long while now & its become a continuing scripture study. It looks like it wants to be a Bible study pamphlet or maybe another book. Recently I realized that Christ was killed on the basis of slander, as no real charge stuck. It also occurred to me that the whole church will go through the same thing...and soon as we are definitely in the last days. "Ye shall be hated of (in) all the nations for My name's sake." Matt 24:9b KJV Okay, some of those who pretend to be believers don't exactly help the reputation of the Church. But Christ actually says the REAL believers would be hated like he was & because of His name. Christ's grace still abounds even as His name continues to be slandered ~ and we share His disgrace.
How could we deserve this? As Paul says, those who follow Christ will seek the virtues 'against which there is no law.' What could the instrument be for this then but slander?
MT 10:24 "A student is not above his teacher, nor a servant above his master. 25 It is enough for the student to be like his teacher, and the servant like his master. If the head of the house has been called Beelzebub, how much more the members of his household!" NIV
And what are we to do about it? Love our enemies. Bless them that curse us. Do good to those who hate us, and pray for those who despitefully use us. (Matt 5: 44) Forgive. Turn the other cheek and forgive again.
Just as Christ forgave us when we were still His enemies.
I've been trying to live these words 'for real' for a very long time, and it feels longer as I still wait for my Savior to vindicate me. I know I've been called an idiot, a liar, a hypocrite and worse. Its irritating to be slandered by someone who so perfectly fits the coat they've been trying to hang on you, but thats not unusual. Heck, its often their coat! They may even claim the virtues you strive for. And as badly as you may want to tell them off, Jesus says you are still supposed to pray for their well-being and salvation..and leave any vengence to Him.
Its hard. very hard. Without Jesus its impossible.
You really have to believe God. He says He can cause even hearts like rock to break and seek true repentence. Your prayers aren't wasted. If you are persistent some WILL repent. God says all things work together to good for those who love Him. So dedicating even the pain and ashes of such things will only do you good as you trust Him. God promises to provide for His own flock. Thus you can afford to be generous even when it looks like you've been ripped off.
He also says vengence is His and he will repay. So those who do not repent from evil ways will find additional coals of fire on their head. God promised that we have Abraham's blessing upon us. He will bless those who bless us and curse those who curse us. So no matter what, if you stick with God, you win.
"Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. Rejoice, and be exceedingly glad; for great is your reward in heaven; for so persecuted they the prophets who were before you. " Matt 5:11-12 KJV
Anyway, all that study led to my doing something yesterday that was very bold, even for me. I felt led to. I told some of those folks (and a few real friends) that Jesus was a friend to those who maligned him. He had forgiven those who hated Him and paid a terrible price to be able to do it. He loved every one of them. (and thanks to His grace on me, so do I.) What you want to bet some of them are offended today?
But that is what Easter is really about.
Bye. Gotta go check the lamb.
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