I am taking an online course through Boston College's School of Theology. One of the questions in this week's assignment reminded me of one of my favorite movies. It is called Lorenzo's Oil.
Lorenzo's Oil is a movie based on the true story of Augusto and Michaela Odone and their fight to save the life of their son, Lorenzo. They are a Catholic family, and their faith in God is front and center in their family's life and plight.
Lorenzo, who was diagnosed in early 1984 with ALD (a then- incurable neuro-degenerative disorder) was beyond the help of conventional medicine. Unwilling and unable to give up or give in, they began their own research into the disease to help find a treatment and cure.
Lorenzo's Oil is about a family's struggle, the quest for knowledge, and the victory of hope through perseverance. For two hours, we witness each battle and each triumph. The Odone's, a family who hold on despite tremendous grief, guilt and pain, strive to help their son (and all boys). They are models of faith, hope, courage, and wisdom.
I have purchased copies of the film over the years for friends and family members because of its realisitic portrayal of a family dealing with their child's life-threatening illness. I frequently watch my own copy of the movie -- it helps me access my emotions when they are closed up tightly, and it has given me strength when I have felt tired or beaten down.
A friend told me a few weeks ago that courage is fear that has said its prayers. So friends, let us join together and pray.
PRAYER: Father, we thank You for our lives. We open ourselves to Your presence. We know that there are times when we must embrace difficulties and pain. You tell us in Ecclesiastes that there is a time to laugh and a time to mourn. We ask that You, our Prince of Peace, remind us that Your hand is always upon us, guiding us through our day. We know that You always have a plan for our lives, even we we cannot see what it is. AMEN.
Love, Theresa
And gently lead those that are with young. Isaiah 40:11
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Thursday, October 15, 2009
Life Is Short -- This Is Your Time, Make It Count
Short and Sweet
by Charles R. Swindoll
Average life spans are shorter than most of us realize. For instance, a face-lift lasts only six to ten years; a dollar bill lasts for only eighteen months; a painted line on the road remains only three to four months; and a tornado seldom lasts more than ten minutes.
There are differences of opinion, but most agree that the human life span averages somewhere between seventy-five and eighty years. That may sound encouraging to the young and disturbing to those in their sixties, seventies, and eighties. The simple fact is, however, nobody knows for sure how long he or she may live.
When we read and believe the warnings in Scripture, there is little doubt that life is short. James pulls no punches when he writes, "You are just a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away" (4:14).
The average life span may be seventy-five to eighty years, but who can say you or I have that long? We may have less than two years or, for that matter, less than two weeks. Vanishing vapors aren't known for longevity.
Since this is true, let's do our best to make the time we have count. Rather than live with reluctance, let's live with exuberance. Instead of fearing what's ahead, let's face it head-on with enthusiasm. And because life is so terribly short, let's do everything we can to make it sweet.
How? Three thoughts come to mind.
First, act on your impulse. Don't wait for the perfect moment. A woman in my former church took these words to heart and contacted a person she hadn't talked to for a long time. The person was surprised and thrilled. "You have no idea how much your call has meant to me," she said. Later the woman who had received the call admitted she had planned to take her life that very afternoon. The call had changed her mind.
Second, focus on the positive. Merchants of negativism may be strong and sound convincing, but their message is debilitating. Life's too short for that. Spread germs of cheer. Joy is contagious.
Third, traffic in the truth. Refuse to stake your claim on hearsay. Check out the facts. Be discerning. If you are a conduit of communication, speak only the truth. If you're not absolutely sure, keep quiet. Lies can outlive lives, unfortunately.
Short and sweet. That's the only way to go.
Have you been putting off something you really want or need to do?
You don't have forever. Get at it!
Excerpted from Day by Day with Charles Swindoll, Copyright © 2000 by Charles R. Swindoll, Inc. (Thomas Nelson Publishers). All rights reserved worldwide.
Saturday, October 10, 2009
What Do Martin Luther, Neil Young, Napoleon Bonaparte And Danny Glover Have In Common?
ANSWER: They are all famous people with epilepsy.
Sir Isaac Newton - (4 January 1643 – 31 March 1727)
Neil Young - (born November 12, 1945, Toronto, Ontario) A musician known for his meaningful lyrics and also a spokesman for environmental issues, Neil Young has been labeled one of the greatest guitarists of his time.
Napoleon Bonaparte - (15 August 1769–5 May 1821)
Agatha Christie - Dame Agatha Mary Clarissa, Lady Mallowan, DBE (15 September 1890 – 12 January 1976), commonly known as Agatha Christie, was an English crime fiction writer.
Charles Dickens - Charles John Huffam Dickens, FRSA (17 February 1812 – 9 June 1870), pen-name "Boz", was the foremost English novelist of the Victorian era, as well as a vigorous social campaigner. The Victorian author of such classic books as A Christmas Carol and Oliver Twist had epilepsy, as did several of the characters in his books.
Alexander the Great - Alexander the Great (July 20, 356 BC – June 10, 323 BC), also known as Alexander III, was an ancient Greek king (basileus) of Macedon (336–323 BC).
Danny Glover - (Born July 22, 1947) A great actor in both Lethal Weapon with Mel Gibson and Predator 2. Danny Glover suffered dyslexia at school when he was younger and the school staff would label him retarded. Danny Glover also had epilepsy and at an appearance on the Rosie O'Donnell Show told how he had developed epilepsy at the age of 15, and in one cross-country trip with his family had experienced six seizures in a row.
Alfred Nobel - Alfred Bernhard Nobel (October 21, 1833, Stockholm, Sweden – December 10, 1896, Sanremo, Italy) was a Swedish chemist, engineer, innovator, armaments manufacturer and the inventor of dynamite. By the time of his death he held more than 350 patents and controlled factories and laboratories in 20 countries. William Gordon Lennox wrote that “Nobel was subject to migraines and convulsions from infancy.” Nobel had epileptic seizures as a young child, which later made him write of convulsions and agony in a poem. The foundations of the Nobel Prize were laid in 1895 when Alfred Nobel wrote his last will, leaving much of his wealth for its establishment. Since 1901, the prize has honored men and women for outstanding achievements in physics, chemistry, medicine, literature, and for work in peace.
Michelangelo - (March 6, 1475 – February 18, 1564) The sculptor of many of the most renowned sculptures of all times. Michaelangelo was a respected renaissance man only rivaled by Leonardo Da Vinci.
Leonardo Da Vinci - (April 15, 1452 – May 2, 1519) The man responsible for some of the greatest religious paintings in history Leonardo Da Vinci excelled not only in painting but in numerous other disciplines as well. He was a Tuscan polymath: architect, botanist, musician, scientist, mathematician, engineer, inventor, anatomist, painter, sculptor, and writer. His most famous work is definetely the paintings of both Mona Lisa and the Last Supper of Jesus Christ which have both been the most reproduced religious paintings of all times.
Julius Caesar - (July 13, 100 BC – March 15, 44 BC),
Edgar Allen Poe - (January 19, 1809 – October 7, 1849) Edgar Allen Poe is a member of the Romantic Movement, mostly as an author and literacy critic. He has written books and short stories and he is best known for his macabre and mysteries, he is the one who invented the Detective-Fiction genre.
Aristotle - (384 BC – 322 BC) Aristotle was a Greek philosopher writing on many different subjects including zoology, biology, ethics, government, politics, physics, metaphysics, music, poetry and theater. He was also a great teacher for Alexander the Great.
Theodore Roosevelt - 26th President of the U.S. (October 27, 1858 – January 6, 1919) Roosevelt was a soldier , historian, explorer, naturalist, author, and Governor of New York later becoming the President of the United States at the age of 42 years old. He was well known for having a vast range of objectives and achievements, all with an energetic determination and a hard ''cowboy'' persona. He was subject to epileptic seizures, his eyesight was bad, and he also suffered from asthma, but was still a man of courage and strength appreciated by many.
Alfred the Great - (c. 849 – 26 October 899) Alfred the Great was king of the Anglo-Saxon kingdom of Wessex from 871 to 899.
Bud Abbott - (October 2, 1895 – April 24, 1974) Bud Abott was an American producer, comedian and actor.
Richard Burton - (November 10, 1925 – August 5, 1984)
George Frederick Handel - (Friday 23 February 1685 – Saturday 14 April 1759) was a German-born Baroque composer who is famous for his operas, oratorios and concerti grossi. Since the 1960s, with the revival of interest in baroque music, original instrument playing styles, and the prevalence of countertenors who could more accurately replicate castrato roles, interest has revived in Handel's Italian operas, and many have been recorded and performed onstage.
Charles V of Spain - Charles V (24 February 1500 – 21 September 1558) was ruler of the Holy Roman Empire from 1519 until his abdication in 1556 and also ruler of the Spanish realms from 1516 until 1556.
Pythagoras - Pythagoras was the first man to call himself a philosopher, ''lover of wisdom'' and was the most able philosopher among the Greeks. He was know as ''the father of numbers'' and greatly contributed to mathematics. It is even said that many of his ideas had directly influenced Plato. Many of his teachings were only passed down by some of his students, none of his work had seen the day and none can be sure of exactly how wise Pythagoras was. Although he had made huge contributions to both philosophy and religion in the late 6th century BC.
Hannibal - Carthaginian military commander and tactician, later also working in other professions, who is popularly credited as one of the finest commanders in history. He lived during a period of tension in the Mediterranean, when Rome (then the Roman Republic) established its supremacy over other great powers such as Carthage, Macedon, Syracuse, and the Seleucid empire. His most famous achievement was at the outbreak of the Second Punic War, when he marched an army, which included war elephants, from Iberia over the Pyrenees and the Alps into northern Italy.
Hector Berlioz - Louis Hector Berlioz (December 11, 1803 – March 8, 1869) was a French Romantic composer, best known for his compositions Symphonie fantastique and Grande Messe des morts (Requiem). Berlioz made great contributions to the modern orchestra with his Treatise on Instrumentation and by utilizing huge orchestral forces for his works, sometimes calling for over 1,000 performers.
James Madison - During his teens and early twenties, Madison complained of a voice impairment. This was a functional disability that prevented his public speaking until age 30. Madison believed he would “ have a short life due to the illness he believed was epilepsy.
Lord Byron - Baron Byron, of Rochdale in the County Palatine of Lancaster, is a title in the Peerage of England. It was created in 1643, by letters patent, for Sir John Byron, a Cavalier general and former Member of Parliament. Some biographies suggest that Lord Byron experienced epileptic seizures and in various passages he writes of symptoms reminiscent of epilepsy.
Louis XIII of France - (September 27, 1601 – May 14, 1643) ruled as King of France and Navarre from 1610 to 1643. Louis XIII ascended to the throne in 1610, at the age of eight and a half, upon the assassination of his father.
Margaux Hemingway - (February 16, 1955 – July 1, 1996) was an American model and film actress who appeared in several movies.
Martin Luther - (November 10, 1483–February 18, 1546) was a German monk, theologian, and church reformer. Luther's theology challenged the authority of the papacy by holding that the Bible is the sole source of religious authority and that all baptized Christians are a priesthood of believers. Luther had many documented illnesses, but any recurrent attacks were probably due to Ménière’s disease.
Nicolo Paganini - (October 27, 1782 – May 27, 1840) was an Italian violinist, violist, guitarist, and composer. He is widely considered to be one of, if not the greatest violinist who ever lived and it is believed to he had epilepsy.
Paul I of Russia - Pavel (Paul) I Petrovich of Russia (October 1, 1754 – March 23, 1801) was the Emperor of Russia between 1796 and 1801.
Peter Tchaikovsky - Russian composer of the Romantic era. Tchaikovsky, is believed to have had epilepsy. Pyotr began piano lessons at age five with a local woman, Mariya Palchikova within three years he read music as well as his teacher. Tchaikovsky died on November 6, 1893, nine days after the premiere of his Sixth Symphony, the Pathétique. His death has traditionally been attributed to cholera, most probably contracted through drinking contaminated water several days earlier.
Peter the Great - Peter I the Great or Pyotr Alexeyevich Romanov (9 June 1672 – 8 February 1725) Both Peter's hands and feet were small, and his shoulders narrow for his height; likewise, his head was also small for his tall body. Added to this were Peter's facial tics, and, judging by descriptions handed down, he may have suffered from petit mal, a form of epilepsy.
Robert Schumann - (June 8, 1810 – July 29, 1856) was a German composer, aesthete and influential music critic. He is one of the most famous Romantic composers of the 19th century.
Sir Walter Scott - (15 August 1771 – 21 September 1832) was a prolific Scottish historical novelist and poet popular throughout Europe during his time.
Socrates - (470 BCE–399 BCE) was a Classical Greek philosopher. He is best known for the creation of Socratic irony and the Socratic Method, or elenchus. Socrates developed the practice of a philosophical type of pedagogy, in which the teacher asks questions of the students to elicit the best answer, and fundamental insight, on the part of the student.
Truman Capote - born Truman Streckfus Persons in New Orleans, Louisiana (30 September 1924 – 25 August 1984) was an American writer whose stories, novels, plays, and non-fiction are recognized literary classics, including the novella Breakfast at Tiffany's and In Cold Blood.
Chanda Gunn - (born January 27, 1980 in Huntington Beach, California) is an American ice hockey player. She won a bronze medal at the 2006 Winter Olympics. As a female athlete with temporal lobe epilepsy, Chanda Gunn faces each day with a zest for life and the determination to live each day to its fullest. Gunn has received numerous awards, she is the first player ever to be named a finalist for both the Patty Kazmaier Award for the nation's best women's college hockey player and the Humanitarian Award for college hockey's finest citizen.
Dj Hapa - Diagnosed with epilepsy at age 17, HAPA was initially told he would not be able to attend college due to his condition. He attended UCLA on a Regents scholarship and today is the executive director of the Scratch DJ Academy.
Epilepsy is a common neurological disorder caused by disturbances in the normal eletrochemical functions of the brain. It is a condition that affects an estimated 2.7 million Americans, 50,000,000 worldwide, and impacts millions more. One in three adults reported that they know someone with the disorder and/or have witnessed a seizure. Approximately 200,000 new cases of epilepsy are diagnosed each year -- yet epilepsy remains one of the least understood of all the major chronic medical conditions.
One in 100 teenagers has it, it is not contagious, and it is not a mental illness. There are different kinds of seizures. Some are convulsive, some cause the person to stare, others create quick body jerks, tingly feelings or periods of confusion.
Please visit the Epilepsy Foundation's Website for more information on seizures and epilepsy. Someone you know may be depending upon it.
PRAYER: Heavenly Father, we thank You for all the doctors, nurses, researchers, and activists who are working to help those suffering from seizures and epilepsy. You hold each of us in the palm of Your hand, and we know that with You we will find the strength to endure the challenges set before us. AMEN.
FAMOUS PEOPLE WITH EPILEPSY: (Compiled From Internet Lists)
Sir Isaac Newton - (4 January 1643 – 31 March 1727)
Neil Young - (born November 12, 1945, Toronto, Ontario) A musician known for his meaningful lyrics and also a spokesman for environmental issues, Neil Young has been labeled one of the greatest guitarists of his time.
Napoleon Bonaparte - (15 August 1769–5 May 1821)
Agatha Christie - Dame Agatha Mary Clarissa, Lady Mallowan, DBE (15 September 1890 – 12 January 1976), commonly known as Agatha Christie, was an English crime fiction writer.
Charles Dickens - Charles John Huffam Dickens, FRSA (17 February 1812 – 9 June 1870), pen-name "Boz", was the foremost English novelist of the Victorian era, as well as a vigorous social campaigner. The Victorian author of such classic books as A Christmas Carol and Oliver Twist had epilepsy, as did several of the characters in his books.
Alexander the Great - Alexander the Great (July 20, 356 BC – June 10, 323 BC), also known as Alexander III, was an ancient Greek king (basileus) of Macedon (336–323 BC).
Danny Glover - (Born July 22, 1947) A great actor in both Lethal Weapon with Mel Gibson and Predator 2. Danny Glover suffered dyslexia at school when he was younger and the school staff would label him retarded. Danny Glover also had epilepsy and at an appearance on the Rosie O'Donnell Show told how he had developed epilepsy at the age of 15, and in one cross-country trip with his family had experienced six seizures in a row.
Alfred Nobel - Alfred Bernhard Nobel (October 21, 1833, Stockholm, Sweden – December 10, 1896, Sanremo, Italy) was a Swedish chemist, engineer, innovator, armaments manufacturer and the inventor of dynamite. By the time of his death he held more than 350 patents and controlled factories and laboratories in 20 countries. William Gordon Lennox wrote that “Nobel was subject to migraines and convulsions from infancy.” Nobel had epileptic seizures as a young child, which later made him write of convulsions and agony in a poem. The foundations of the Nobel Prize were laid in 1895 when Alfred Nobel wrote his last will, leaving much of his wealth for its establishment. Since 1901, the prize has honored men and women for outstanding achievements in physics, chemistry, medicine, literature, and for work in peace.
Michelangelo - (March 6, 1475 – February 18, 1564) The sculptor of many of the most renowned sculptures of all times. Michaelangelo was a respected renaissance man only rivaled by Leonardo Da Vinci.
Leonardo Da Vinci - (April 15, 1452 – May 2, 1519) The man responsible for some of the greatest religious paintings in history Leonardo Da Vinci excelled not only in painting but in numerous other disciplines as well. He was a Tuscan polymath: architect, botanist, musician, scientist, mathematician, engineer, inventor, anatomist, painter, sculptor, and writer. His most famous work is definetely the paintings of both Mona Lisa and the Last Supper of Jesus Christ which have both been the most reproduced religious paintings of all times.
Julius Caesar - (July 13, 100 BC – March 15, 44 BC),
Edgar Allen Poe - (January 19, 1809 – October 7, 1849) Edgar Allen Poe is a member of the Romantic Movement, mostly as an author and literacy critic. He has written books and short stories and he is best known for his macabre and mysteries, he is the one who invented the Detective-Fiction genre.
Aristotle - (384 BC – 322 BC) Aristotle was a Greek philosopher writing on many different subjects including zoology, biology, ethics, government, politics, physics, metaphysics, music, poetry and theater. He was also a great teacher for Alexander the Great.
Theodore Roosevelt - 26th President of the U.S. (October 27, 1858 – January 6, 1919) Roosevelt was a soldier , historian, explorer, naturalist, author, and Governor of New York later becoming the President of the United States at the age of 42 years old. He was well known for having a vast range of objectives and achievements, all with an energetic determination and a hard ''cowboy'' persona. He was subject to epileptic seizures, his eyesight was bad, and he also suffered from asthma, but was still a man of courage and strength appreciated by many.
Alfred the Great - (c. 849 – 26 October 899) Alfred the Great was king of the Anglo-Saxon kingdom of Wessex from 871 to 899.
Bud Abbott - (October 2, 1895 – April 24, 1974) Bud Abott was an American producer, comedian and actor.
Richard Burton - (November 10, 1925 – August 5, 1984)
George Frederick Handel - (Friday 23 February 1685 – Saturday 14 April 1759) was a German-born Baroque composer who is famous for his operas, oratorios and concerti grossi. Since the 1960s, with the revival of interest in baroque music, original instrument playing styles, and the prevalence of countertenors who could more accurately replicate castrato roles, interest has revived in Handel's Italian operas, and many have been recorded and performed onstage.
Charles V of Spain - Charles V (24 February 1500 – 21 September 1558) was ruler of the Holy Roman Empire from 1519 until his abdication in 1556 and also ruler of the Spanish realms from 1516 until 1556.
Pythagoras - Pythagoras was the first man to call himself a philosopher, ''lover of wisdom'' and was the most able philosopher among the Greeks. He was know as ''the father of numbers'' and greatly contributed to mathematics. It is even said that many of his ideas had directly influenced Plato. Many of his teachings were only passed down by some of his students, none of his work had seen the day and none can be sure of exactly how wise Pythagoras was. Although he had made huge contributions to both philosophy and religion in the late 6th century BC.
Hannibal - Carthaginian military commander and tactician, later also working in other professions, who is popularly credited as one of the finest commanders in history. He lived during a period of tension in the Mediterranean, when Rome (then the Roman Republic) established its supremacy over other great powers such as Carthage, Macedon, Syracuse, and the Seleucid empire. His most famous achievement was at the outbreak of the Second Punic War, when he marched an army, which included war elephants, from Iberia over the Pyrenees and the Alps into northern Italy.
Hector Berlioz - Louis Hector Berlioz (December 11, 1803 – March 8, 1869) was a French Romantic composer, best known for his compositions Symphonie fantastique and Grande Messe des morts (Requiem). Berlioz made great contributions to the modern orchestra with his Treatise on Instrumentation and by utilizing huge orchestral forces for his works, sometimes calling for over 1,000 performers.
James Madison - During his teens and early twenties, Madison complained of a voice impairment. This was a functional disability that prevented his public speaking until age 30. Madison believed he would “ have a short life due to the illness he believed was epilepsy.
Lord Byron - Baron Byron, of Rochdale in the County Palatine of Lancaster, is a title in the Peerage of England. It was created in 1643, by letters patent, for Sir John Byron, a Cavalier general and former Member of Parliament. Some biographies suggest that Lord Byron experienced epileptic seizures and in various passages he writes of symptoms reminiscent of epilepsy.
Louis XIII of France - (September 27, 1601 – May 14, 1643) ruled as King of France and Navarre from 1610 to 1643. Louis XIII ascended to the throne in 1610, at the age of eight and a half, upon the assassination of his father.
Margaux Hemingway - (February 16, 1955 – July 1, 1996) was an American model and film actress who appeared in several movies.
Martin Luther - (November 10, 1483–February 18, 1546) was a German monk, theologian, and church reformer. Luther's theology challenged the authority of the papacy by holding that the Bible is the sole source of religious authority and that all baptized Christians are a priesthood of believers. Luther had many documented illnesses, but any recurrent attacks were probably due to Ménière’s disease.
Nicolo Paganini - (October 27, 1782 – May 27, 1840) was an Italian violinist, violist, guitarist, and composer. He is widely considered to be one of, if not the greatest violinist who ever lived and it is believed to he had epilepsy.
Paul I of Russia - Pavel (Paul) I Petrovich of Russia (October 1, 1754 – March 23, 1801) was the Emperor of Russia between 1796 and 1801.
Peter Tchaikovsky - Russian composer of the Romantic era. Tchaikovsky, is believed to have had epilepsy. Pyotr began piano lessons at age five with a local woman, Mariya Palchikova within three years he read music as well as his teacher. Tchaikovsky died on November 6, 1893, nine days after the premiere of his Sixth Symphony, the Pathétique. His death has traditionally been attributed to cholera, most probably contracted through drinking contaminated water several days earlier.
Peter the Great - Peter I the Great or Pyotr Alexeyevich Romanov (9 June 1672 – 8 February 1725) Both Peter's hands and feet were small, and his shoulders narrow for his height; likewise, his head was also small for his tall body. Added to this were Peter's facial tics, and, judging by descriptions handed down, he may have suffered from petit mal, a form of epilepsy.
Robert Schumann - (June 8, 1810 – July 29, 1856) was a German composer, aesthete and influential music critic. He is one of the most famous Romantic composers of the 19th century.
Sir Walter Scott - (15 August 1771 – 21 September 1832) was a prolific Scottish historical novelist and poet popular throughout Europe during his time.
Socrates - (470 BCE–399 BCE) was a Classical Greek philosopher. He is best known for the creation of Socratic irony and the Socratic Method, or elenchus. Socrates developed the practice of a philosophical type of pedagogy, in which the teacher asks questions of the students to elicit the best answer, and fundamental insight, on the part of the student.
Truman Capote - born Truman Streckfus Persons in New Orleans, Louisiana (30 September 1924 – 25 August 1984) was an American writer whose stories, novels, plays, and non-fiction are recognized literary classics, including the novella Breakfast at Tiffany's and In Cold Blood.
Chanda Gunn - (born January 27, 1980 in Huntington Beach, California) is an American ice hockey player. She won a bronze medal at the 2006 Winter Olympics. As a female athlete with temporal lobe epilepsy, Chanda Gunn faces each day with a zest for life and the determination to live each day to its fullest. Gunn has received numerous awards, she is the first player ever to be named a finalist for both the Patty Kazmaier Award for the nation's best women's college hockey player and the Humanitarian Award for college hockey's finest citizen.
Dj Hapa - Diagnosed with epilepsy at age 17, HAPA was initially told he would not be able to attend college due to his condition. He attended UCLA on a Regents scholarship and today is the executive director of the Scratch DJ Academy.
Thursday, September 10, 2009
A Prayer For Calm
God be gracious to us and bless us,
And cause His face to shine upon us---Selah.
(Psalm 67:1)
Lord, we are gathered around our Standard. We are bowed before our great God who offers His peace when so many panic. You are our refuge, our chasah. Rivet that into our minds. Show us how to pause, and let it sink in. Remind us of Your power and presence when the songs in the evening change into the fearful tears of the night. Remind us of that when the shrill ring of the phone awakens us. Remind us of that when we sit down and read the morning headlines. Remind us, oh great God, that You are our refuge and strength. Remind us, even when we don't understand the why of what's happening, that we have no reason to fear, that we need not be moved, and that our future is never uncertain with You.
Author Unknown
And cause His face to shine upon us---Selah.
(Psalm 67:1)
Lord, we are gathered around our Standard. We are bowed before our great God who offers His peace when so many panic. You are our refuge, our chasah. Rivet that into our minds. Show us how to pause, and let it sink in. Remind us of Your power and presence when the songs in the evening change into the fearful tears of the night. Remind us of that when the shrill ring of the phone awakens us. Remind us of that when we sit down and read the morning headlines. Remind us, oh great God, that You are our refuge and strength. Remind us, even when we don't understand the why of what's happening, that we have no reason to fear, that we need not be moved, and that our future is never uncertain with You.
Author Unknown
Friday, September 4, 2009
We Have Only Today
As we approach 9/11's anniversary, newly declassified photographs of the events at Ground Zero have been released.
The images bring it all back. They remind us of the thousands who said good bye to their families and friends that morning and boarded the ill-fated planes or went to work at the Pentagon and World Trade Center.
And they reminded me of something I read many years ago. Three little questions:
1) Who would you call if you learned you had only 3 minutes left to live?
2) What would you say?
3) Why are you waiting?
PRAYER: Lord, I ask You to fit my tongue with your readiness and grace. Help me tell the ones I love how much they mean to me. Help me reach out to those with whom I am in disagreement so that we may find forgiveness and peace. Guide my thoughts, intentions and words. Help me to remember that each day is a precious gift that You have made. Give me Your eternal perspective so that I can see how my time upon this earth is to be used, and how I may live it in mercy and love. Amen.
"Yesterday is gone. Tomorrow has not yet come. We have only today. Let us begin." Mother Teresa
The images bring it all back. They remind us of the thousands who said good bye to their families and friends that morning and boarded the ill-fated planes or went to work at the Pentagon and World Trade Center.
And they reminded me of something I read many years ago. Three little questions:
1) Who would you call if you learned you had only 3 minutes left to live?
2) What would you say?
3) Why are you waiting?
PRAYER: Lord, I ask You to fit my tongue with your readiness and grace. Help me tell the ones I love how much they mean to me. Help me reach out to those with whom I am in disagreement so that we may find forgiveness and peace. Guide my thoughts, intentions and words. Help me to remember that each day is a precious gift that You have made. Give me Your eternal perspective so that I can see how my time upon this earth is to be used, and how I may live it in mercy and love. Amen.
"Yesterday is gone. Tomorrow has not yet come. We have only today. Let us begin." Mother Teresa
Wednesday, August 5, 2009
God's Strength Is Perfect When Ours Is Gone
| "God does not want our deeds; God wants the love that prompts them." St. Teresa of Avila Life can be full of hardships and pain, and I have had my share the past few months. Each step of the race, each day, each hour depended upon the Lord helping me to limp through. Are you running a long, hard race right now, too? Are you exhausted by fear, sadness, or overwork? If so, I encourage you to reach out to the Lord who is there beside you. The Starter of your race is waiting to give you strength until your own strength returns. He wants to encourage you to hold on, to have faith in His bigger picture, for there is so much more to your life and the life of your child than today's struggles. Is the sun shining? Are flowers blooming? Did a friend call? Consciously look for a little blessing, no matter how small. Receive the permission to live this day the best that you can -- and know that is enough. Be assured that the storm will ebb. Your soul shall be renewed. You shall rise again, yes mother, you shall rise again. PRAYER: Dear Reader, Meet Me wherever and whenever you want. I love you. (Signed) God Before motherhood, I read the poem below as a love poem between a man and a woman. But at the moment of my son's birth, the poem became one between a mother and child. I recited it aloud as they laid my newborn in my arms right there in the labor and delivery room. This is for you and your child. Love, Theresa somewhere i have never travelled, gladly beyond | | |
| by E. E. Cummings | ||
somewhere i have never travelled,gladly beyond | ||
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
Stigma, Prejudice, and Segregation: When The Public Tone Turns Ugly Against Persons With Disabilities
There it was again in the paper this morning. The headline about special education students taking away money and resources from "normal" children. Interesting that we never see these same headlines about magnet schools or "gifted and talented" children taking away resources from "normal" children.
More and more I seem to be reading stories about children with disabilities being turned away from communities of all kinds -- including the spiritual. There was a recent story of a boy with autism whose church took out a restraining order against him so he would not be able to attend church services with them. There were stories of children in hospitals and residential facilities being denied their church's sacraments. It is all terribly hurtful and disturbing.
When the public tone towards persons with disabilities becomes ugly or unfair, we must take it to the Lord at once. He will tell us the best way to handle it. He might ask us to step forward and publicly speak out, He might ask us to volunteer to help a family in our community, He might call us in a legal direction, or He may ask us to simply pray and meditate. He can, and will, use the situation for good. He always has a plan. Our job is to listen, and to say yes to what He asks.
With God we can stay in the process, even when we encounter unjust, harsh criticism. With Him we can be strong even when we feel timid. We can be courageous. We can teach. We can be still. We can continue getting the road ready for the families that are coming behind us. For isn't that part of why we are here? Jesus came to show us the way. He left us here to help bring His people along that path.
Below is a wonderful sermon by Charles Swindoll in which I think all parents of children with special needs and illnesses can find strength. Peace and love, Theresa
Criticism
by Charles R. Swindoll
Looking for a role model on how to handle criticism? It would be worth your while to check out the book of Nehemiah. On several occasions this great-hearted statesman was openly criticized, falsely accused, and grossly misunderstood. Each time he kept his cool . . . he rolled with the punch . . . he considered the source . . . he refused to get discouraged . . . he went to God in prayer . . . he kept building the wall (Nehemiah 2:19-20; 4:1-5).
One of the occupational hazards of being a leader is receiving criticism (not all of it constructive, by the way). In the face of that kind of heat, there's a strong temptation to "go under," "throw in the towel," "bail out." Many have faded out of leadership because of intense criticism. I firmly believe that the leader who does anything that is different or worthwhile or visionary can count on criticism.
Along this line, I appreciate the remarks made by the fiery president of a past generation, Theodore Roosevelt:
It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbled or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena; whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, and comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; who does actually try to do the deed; who knows the great enthusiasm, the great devotion and spends himself in a worthy cause; who, at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly.
Far better is it to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs even though checkered by failure, than to rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy nor suffer much because they live in the gray twilight that knows neither victory nor defeat.
To those words I add a resounding amen.
A sense of humor is of paramount importance to the leader. Many of God's servants are simply too serious! There are at least two tests we face that determine the extent of our sense of humor:
- the ability to laugh at ourselves
- the ability to take criticism
Believe me, no leader can continue effectively if he or she fails these tests! Equally important, of course, is the ability to sift from any criticism that which is true, that which is fact. We are foolish if we respond angrily to every criticism. Who knows, God may be using those words to teach us some essential lessons, painful though they may be.
Isn't this what Proverbs 27:5-6 is saying?
Better is open rebuke
Than love that is concealed.
Faithful are the wounds of a friend,
But deceitful are the kisses of an enemy.
And let me call to your attention the word friend in these verses. Friendship is not threatened but strengthened by honest criticism. But---when you are criticized by one who hardly knows you, filter out what is fact . . . and ignore the rest!
Nehemiah did that . . . and he got the wall built.
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