Adding a Special Touch

“Give, and it shall be given unto you...”  --Luke 6:38

Josh, a young man from our church, celebrated his seventeenth birthday yesterday.  My oldest son held a gaming day in our home in his honor, and my daughter made a scrumptiously rich chocolate ganache cake for him.

Do you ever find yourself wanting to go the extra mile or add that special touch for someone?  Why?  My daughter, Tiffany, is very creative and likes to add special touches to things, so maybe you’re just one of those people.  But isn’t it easier to do it for someone who is either kind and lovable or who seems to need it?  Josh is both kind and lovable, even though he can be a bit weird at times... but what teenaged boy isn’t?  So although Tiffany probably would have added that special touch for almost anyone, Josh has made it easy to find delight in doing so.  Happy birthday, Josh!

Ting-a-Ling-a-Ling

“Then said he unto them, Therefore every scribe which is instructed unto the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is an householder, which bringeth forth out of his treasure things new and old.”  --Matthew 13:52

My son, Max, caught the flu.  His new wife recently became pregnant, so most everyone thought it best for them to be apart until he is no longer contagious.  She went to stay with her parents, while he came to stay with us.


Our pastor has on occasion lightheartedly teased our family for communicating to each other through e-mail while living in the same household, not to mention those who text each other while in close proximity.  Although I think he’d perfectly understand, I can only imagine his amused expression to learn that my son has been using his cell phone instead of a ‘sick bell’ while he has been under ‘quarantine’.  Hey, while it may not be as nostalgic and cute as a ‘sick bell’, it’s more timely.  And I can still set my alert tone to sound like a bell if I become wistful.

My Friend Mya

“A righteous man has regard for the life of his animal, But even the compassion of the wicked is cruel.”  --Proverbs 12:10

Have you ever noticed that look of love and trust in the eyes of a horse or a dog when its owner approaches?  You’ll usually also see it nuzzle its owner as it tries to get as close as possible to him or her.

I was pondering the second half of Proverbs 12:10, “... but even the compassion of the wicked is cruel”.  How can that be?  How can compassion or tender mercies be cruel?  They are cruel when they are inconsistent and mixed with indifference and callousness, because the recipient doesn’t know what to expect.  Instead of love, trust, and nuzzles, you’ll find apprehension and distance.  I'd rather have nuzzles, wouldn't you?

Keep the Fire Burning?

“...if two lie together, then they have heat: but how can one be warm alone?”  --Ecclesiastes 4:11

As I was preparing to build a fire in the fireplace on this chilly morning, I thought about what it takes to start and make a good fire, and how a fire burns more efficiently when two or more pieces burn together.  I don’t understand all the physics behind it, but they seem to ‘reflect’ the heat toward each other and help to sustain the fire hotter and longer.

Well, if you know me, although I tend to think concretely and wish I could think more abstractly on the spur of the moment, I also tend to ponder things and form analogies from the things I observe and experience.  Fire seeks to consume, and because it is a form of energy and is fluid, it moves.  I do know that much about physics.  The same is true with strong emotions moving within and between people, because emotions can be quite fluid... and consuming.

Anger consumes and destroys.  Proverbs 26:21 says, “As coals are to burning coals, and wood to fire; so is a contentious man to kindle strife”.  One angry, bitter person can create a firestorm if others join him in his cause, and then they all end up getting burned.  Proverbs 22:24 says, “Make no friendship with an angry man; and with a furious man thou shalt not go.”  Be careful to keep your distance from someone given to anger, lest you become fuel and begin to reflect it also.

While anger consumes and destroys, love provides life and healing.  1 John 3:16 says, “Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren,” and Proverbs 17:22 says, “A merry heart does good like a medicine”.  For love to spread, it must touch the lives of others, just as a fire needs fuel to continuously generate warmth and light.

What’s the difference between a fire providing warmth and comfort versus the raging, consuming firestorm resulting in destruction?  Caution and control.  If we recognize the flames for what they are and how they are used, we will recognize the danger when the flames move and spread, and we will prevent it from burning and destroying that which it was never intended to touch.

The Spreading of the Clouds

 "And can any understand the spreadings of the clouds...?"  --Job 36:29a

On Friday, we drove to Lancaster, Pennsylvania to see the Sight & Sound production In the Beginning.  It was amazing!  The way the story was told and performed brought to life the events of the Creation and Fall to the death of Adam.  Tears streamed down my face, and I felt like weeping.

On the ride home, the play went through my head... the life of peace, fellowship, and blessing Adam and Eve enjoyed before the Fall, and the fear, isolation, and suffering they endured afterward.  I thought about my own struggles, and a song went through my head that had come to mind the day before on the ride up... Rejoice in the Lord  by Ron Hamilton.

God never moves without purpose or plan
When trying His servant and molding a man.
Give thanks to the LORD though your testing seems long;
In darkness He giveth a song.

I could not see through the shadows ahead;
So I looked at the cross of my Savior instead.
I bowed to the will of the Master that day;
Then peace came and tears fled away.

Now I can see testing comes from above;
God strengthens His children and purges in love.
My Father knows best, and I trust in His care;
Through purging more fruit I will bear.

O Rejoice in the LORD
He makes no mistake,
He knoweth the end of each path that I take,
For when I am tried
And purified,
I shall come forth as gold.

I had asked Max and Emily if they'd like to sing it together in light of the fact our church hasn't had choir since the change from an evening service to an afternoon one.  It's difficult to get everyone together to practice.  They agreed.

I was feeling so unworthy to serve the Lord, and as I prayed, I looked up into the blue sky to see a cloud with a void in the middle with the shape of the number 5.  Five... five what?  It was a distinct shape, and as I continued looking and wondering, a cloud formation beside it slowly formed the numbers 1 and 3 in the same manner... a void, and when I looked back at the 5, it had turned into a 6.  "What does it mean?" I wondered.  The numbers were too distinct to be a mere coincidence, but I told myself that we shouldn't trust in signs and seek to hear from the Lord that way.  I couldn't help praying to ask if it was significant, and as I did, a car passed by, and I just happened to notice the last three numbers of it's license plate... 613.  Another coincidence?  It was too much, so I asked what it meant, and a thought came to mind.  The 5 represented the fifth book of the Bible, and the 6 and 13 represented the chapter and verse.  I asked Matt, who was sitting across the aisle from me, if I could borrow his Bible for a minute.  This is what Deuteronomy 6:13 says, "Thou shalt fear the LORD thy God, and serve him, and shalt swear by his name."   Is it just a coincidence that it directed me to God's Word and fit the occasion of my prayer?  I don't think so.

Reminders

A macro shot of red berries on an American barberry bush. This bush also has thorns in the midst of the green leaves. When the leaves drop off in the winter, leaving the thorns and red berries, it reminds me of the crown of thorns put upon Jesus' head and the drops of blood He shed on our behalf. I actually made a mini crown of thorns from parts of a barberry bush. You can see the photo of the little crown of thorns and read a dialogue between a Roman and me as to why Jesus came to die if you click here: This Is Love.

Cow Brain & Pregnancy

My teenage daughter had been experiencing unusual fatigue, along with some dizziness and nausea, so like any good mother would, I took her to the doctor.  Although my daughter assured her she wasn’t pregnant, the doctor had her pee in a cup and tested her for pregnancy without her knowledge.  I found out about it later when I saw the itemized bill.  I called the doctor’s office expressing my displeasure and politely refused to pay that portion of the bill.  A blood test was also done and revealed nothing out of the ordinary.

After doing some research online, trying a few things at home and not really being able to pinpoint the problem, we visited the doctor again a couple of months later.  The nurse asked a series of questions suggested by her laptop, and the findings were still inconclusive.  The doctor came in and asked more questions, and because my daughter mentioned some ‘burning’ in her stomach, the doctor prescribed an antacid and recommended a few therapists.  Have you ever been told, “It’s all in your head”?

Not satisfied with the diagnosis of teenage girl angst, I called a naturopathic doctor upon the recommendation of my sister-in-law.  He asked several questions and seemed a bit puzzled but undaunted.  He gave her a vitamin B shot and a few general suggestions, and we made an appointment to see him again in a week.

When we went back to see him, it was obvious he had done some research.  He wanted to test a theory, so he had her lie on the exam table, checked her blood pressure and pulse, had her stand up, and did the same.  Hmmm... it appeared she was experiencing some form of orthostatic hypotension... or in layman’s terms, ‘standing low blood pressure’.  You know when you stand up really quickly from a reclined position and you feel momentarily dizzy?  Well, it’s like that, except her blood pressure and pulse did not recover as quickly as it should have.  He suggested she increase her salt intake.  Now, how many doctors do you know would suggest you eat more salt?  He also suggested we have her blood tested for food allergies and then follow a month long prescribed diet according to the findings of the test.

She followed the diet, and while she did feel a little better, she still didn’t feel quite right, so we went back to the doctor again.  This time he suggested we do an adrenal test that is more accurate than the blood test.  She had to fill four small vials with saliva at different times throughout the day.  The results revealed lower than normal cortisol levels, so he prescribed an adrenal support supplement.  On the way home, my daughter looked at the ingredients, because she checks ingredients more now after having done the food allergy diet.  Anyway, she slowly read, “Adrenal whole bovine”.

“Bovine?” I queried.  “That’s cow!”

“What?  Cow?  Are you sure?”  she skeptically asked.  She sounded out the next ingredient, “Adrenal cortex bovine."

“Cortex?” I laughed.  “That’s brain!  Cow brain!”

“You’re joking with me, right?” she asked.

“No, I’m serious,” I replied as I continued to laugh.

There were other ingredients as well, but she didn’t hesitate to do a Google search when we returned home and found, indeed, that I was right... well, sort of.

A couple of mornings later, I read an article in the magazine Above Rubies, and I proceeded to tell my daughter about it.  The article contained scientific evidences that support the physical side of the Bible verse in 1 Timothy 2:15 which says, “Notwithstanding she shall be saved in childbearing, if they continue in faith and charity and holiness with sobriety.”  The part that caught my eye was for the section subtitled “Adrenal Fatigue”.

“Yeah,” I continued, “The article went on to say that a woman, who had experienced panic attacks due to adrenal burn out, was afraid to get pregnant until she read that pregnancy actually helps heal adrenals.”

When my 18-year-old daughter reacted with a look of puzzled disbelief, I laughed and continued, “Not that I’m suggesting you get pregnant.  I just found it interesting.”

Anyway, she's been feeling even better since taking the adrenal support supplement.  So, if you’ve been feeling unusually tired, weak, dizzy, nauseous, or having random feelings of anxiety for no apparent reason, don’t believe the doctor who suggests it’s all in your head.