(we're still making these..email me if you're interested!!)
About Me
- AndreaBeth
- Welcome! We are a homeschooling family of 12 living a smallish home, with a Lab named Samson, a Morkie named Cookie, and square foot gardens. Loving the Lord and learning as we go!
Us.
Wednesday, October 31, 2007
Saturday, September 15, 2007
Kitchen remodeling!!!
In August, during a severe t-storm, lightening struck and "fried" our kitchen range! So..getting a new range set things in motion to completely remodel (and finally finish) our kitchen! We've lived here 7 years and have yet to do anything to this room, except tear out the chimney that run up through the center of our house, behind where the range is in this first pic. Here's a few progression pics... I'll post more when we're finished!
Tearing out the brick wall covering.
Before pic of the flooring. We left the old stuff down underneath the brown linoleum. I had to pound down a million or so tacks though.
The laminate flooring.
The new range..and Isaac!
New sink, counter top and window!
We're working on the cupboards and cabinets now. We bought a rich cream paint for the cupboards, and "frosty melon" for the walls. It's gonna be orange! But we like it. I'll wait till we're completely finished painting before posting new pictures. We have paint, trim, ceiling and light fixtures yet to do. Then..organizing! There's gonna be a challenge LOL!
Tearing out the brick wall covering.
Before pic of the flooring. We left the old stuff down underneath the brown linoleum. I had to pound down a million or so tacks though.
The laminate flooring.
The new range..and Isaac!
New sink, counter top and window!We're working on the cupboards and cabinets now. We bought a rich cream paint for the cupboards, and "frosty melon" for the walls. It's gonna be orange! But we like it. I'll wait till we're completely finished painting before posting new pictures. We have paint, trim, ceiling and light fixtures yet to do. Then..organizing! There's gonna be a challenge LOL!
Saturday, July 21, 2007
It's a GIRL!!!
We had our ultrasound on July 20th...it's a girl!!! The five Watson brothers will have a little sister! Eliahna Rose :o) (Eliahna is derived from Elijah..and means "God answers")
Tuesday, May 01, 2007
Saturday, April 07, 2007
#6 is on the way!!!
I found out on Monday, April 2nd (baby Megan's birthday!!)..Watson baby number 6 is on the way!! I thought AF came Sunday..but by Monday morning she was gone. So I "knew"..and took a test strip that evening (from birthjunkie.com...not a bad thing for any momma to have on hand..5 tests for 6 bucks) I got a very faint line. I told Gabe that night. We waited to tell anyone until Friday, because I wanted to retest and make sure the line was getting darker. I took two more test strips throughout the week..and they were "slightly" darker..but on Friday morning..line showed up right away..nice and pink (I miscarried a few years ago, twice at 5 weeks). I believe I'm due anywhere from December 14th-19th. What a blessing! My mother's birthday is Dec. 14th. The boys are all excited. After the initial shock..so is everyone else. Obie James is only 9 months old..but will be almost 18 months in Dec., so that really isn't too bad. The Lord knows best! We'll be doing some rearranging in our home. Ethan and Isaac will be moving their room to the basement den..not sure where we'll put the tv..might have to stay down there for a while (that would just break their heart!) Noah and Mikey will share a room upstairs..and Obie will get Mikey's little room, and baby with us, until we "shift" again. (Obie going in with Mikey and Noah and baby in the little room) It'll work! We can fit a family of 8 in 1500 sq ft!!! (+3 dogs and a cat!) The Lord is good! Happy Easter!!!!!!
Monday, March 12, 2007
In prayer..
Always be joyful. Keep on praying. No matter what happens, always be thankful, for this is God's will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.
~1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
My mom's in the hospital again. This is the verse I came to.
~1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
My mom's in the hospital again. This is the verse I came to.
Saturday, January 06, 2007
Mikey's infected lymph node
Well..it's been a while since I've posted on this blog. Happy New year by the way! Here's a few pictures of Michael when he had the swollen infected lymph node in the hospital back in August.
And one of him after the drainage tube was put in.
Monday, August 21, 2006
Mikey's hospital adventure
Philippians 4:5-7
It all began on Monday, July 24th when Mikey came down with a fever. There were no other symptoms. I assumed he was getting the stomach virus that hit our extended family over the weekend. Not so. By Wed. his fever shot up to 103.5. Alternating Tylenol and Motrin seemed to help bring it back down. On Friday he was still getting the fever, so instead of waiting over the weekend, I took him in to see his pediatrician. Dr. Petrikin couldn't find anything wrong with him. He did have a pimply rash in his diaper area, but it could have been because of the fever. He wasn't too concerned about it.
That evening we were having a birthday dinner for Dustin at his house. Around 8pm Pa noticed Mikey's jaw was swelling a bit. Within an hour it was pretty swollen. I called the ER and talked to a nurse, who put a Ped. on the phone and she said it sounded like a swollen lymph node, which is fine and normal since he's had a fever. Of course, I Googled lymph nodes online and educated myself a bit.
The next evening our home was hit with the stomach flu. Mikey's jaw was still swollen. By Sunday his fever was gone but he, too, came down with the stomach flu. It was also his 2nd birthday. Unfortunately, we had to postpone it. No fun when you're all sick. I emailed his Ped. and asked him about the swollen node on Monday. He wrote back and told me the things to watch for. Specifically, " Overlying redness, size bigger then about 2 cm, not being able to move it readily, not being able to easily find its edges, a feeling of fluctuance (like a water balloon)."
Monday the swollen node was red. We couldn't take him in to the Dr. because we were still recovering from the flu. So we took him in Tuesday. It was larger than our Dr. anticipated. He gave us a prescription for Augmentin and scheduled an ultrasound on it for the following day at 8am. He wanted to be absolutely sure it was a lymph node. We were pretty nervous..if it wasn't a lymph node, what else could it be?? cancer? We were all in prayer for Mikey. We waited all day the next day for the nurse to call back with the results. It was an infected lymph node that had abscessed! Praise the Lord! (not cancer!). The Augmentin should take care of it. She told us what to watch for. If his fever returns, or it starts to come to a "point", to bring him back in right away.
Aug. 8th-
Fast forward 8 days, to August 8th. Mikey's jaw is still red and still swollen. It was actually starting to change shape a bit. I emailed the dr. again. He told us to finish out the antibiotic (10 day course)..and if not drastic improvement to bring him back in. Gabe had the next day off from work, Tuesday, and Mikey's face looked aweful. Gabe insisted we bring him in..and I'm so glad. I wanted to bring him in, and then I wasn't sure whether we should just wait it out like the Dr. said, or not. Turns out Dr. Petrikin wasn't even in the office all week. We saw Dr. Yttrburg, who read over Mikey's notes and immediately refered us to Dr. Orvidas, an ENT.
Dr. Orvidas, and two others, Dr. Koch and Dr. Roeser were there and were examining him. They sent us for blood tests (in another building of course), a TB test, and a cat scratch test. We then had to hurry over to St. Marys to have a CT scan done (it was crazy. We had Noah and Obie with us and had only 30 minutes to get there. It was a few blocks away, plus finding parking at St.Mary's was insane.) We made it JUST in time. They said we had to be there before 12:30 because they were so busy. Then we sat and waited for 1 HOUR. Go figure.
Well, after the tests we had some time since his next apptointment with Drs. Orvidas and Roeser and Koch weren't until 4:15. So, we headed to Walmart to get some things to eat.
Dr. Orvidas showed us the cat scan images on the computer. It was amazing. It was so huge compared to the other side of his face. The fact that he was still such a sweetheart, you'd think he'd be really irritable. Dr. Orvidas recommended we admit him to the hospital for IV antibiotics. Anyway, after the appt. we went over to St. Mary’s to be admitted. We sent Noah home with Papa once he was off work. Once we were settled in, around 7pm, Gabe went home.
I decided that night to take notes and journal some stuff. I had a zippered notebook with me to keep records and stuff. And I took pictures every day.
Aug. 9th
This was a pretty quiet day. The lump actually seemed a little bit squishier. These were the only notes I wrote down that day.
Aug. 10th
The worst day was when he lost his IV the first time. He had it in is foot. So we took him to a different room and had the NIC nurses try to put one in. They tried twice and that's the most they will try before they called someone else to try. They called the Flight Team, also known as Transport. They're really good at dealing with tiny veins, they told me. They tried. Mikey cried and cried. I cried. It didn't work, and they felt bad. The guy said he wouldn't have tried it if he didn't think he could do it. Mikey still high-fived him after that whole ordeal. What a guy! I swear, my nerves were so shot. Because right in the middle of all that Obie was crying in his car seat and so another nurse in there, Lois, held him for me.
I just needed to CRY..and I took him back to our room and closed the door and just cried and prayed. It was the first time I lost it since we got in here. I felt alot better afterward.
Well since he lost his IV he was able to get down and play. I then realized I could give him a bath! He hadn’t had one in three days!
Later that day, the anesthesiologist (Dr. Sheer?) came and he got the IV in Mikey's hand the first try. He told us to baby it because it was delicate. If that hadn't worked, they were going to do a PIC line.
Dr. Orvidas scheduled surgery for the following Tuesday to remove the lymph node unless the antibiotics do the trick all on their own.
Aug. 11th-
He lost his IV around noon, about an hour after Dr. Orvidas did her rounds. I was so upset! But, there’s always some good; Mikey could run around again. :o) He was receiving Unasyn (antibiotic) but Dr. Orvidas decided not have the IV put back in just yet and to give him Rocephin shots every 24 hours until they decided what to do. She mentioned an infectious disease specialist coming in that afternoon to talk with me. (Dr. Boyce) He went over some things with me and explained their decision to drain some of it and test it first. He said that they all "pow-wowed" together to come up with the best plan. They needed to grow some of the bacteria and see which antibiotic would work best. Then, of course, he wanted to take pictures of Mikey's jaw for research and education purposes. LOL! He had to ask my permission first. This is the "second" time pictures have been taken of him. They took pictures before we were admitted when he had his blood drawn.
It was a little unnerving having these Mayo clinic specialist not really knowing what was wrong with my son, what kind of infection was in his little body, or how to go about treating it. They seemed perplexed as to why the antibiotics were not fighting it off. They were concerned that it was a resistant strain. All this just shows that only God is in control and only He can heal, or give the Dr.'s the wisdom to heal. Although it was something I knew already, it just really hit me in there. You think since you're at the hospital everything will be ok now. But not necessarily so. These Dr.'s are only human. They can make mistakes. They can not know something. Only God could heal Mikey.
Aug. 12th-
Mikey had to fast all night. They decided the evening before that they wanted to drain some of it to see what it was exactly. I had Gabe come in early, even though Mikey wasn't scheduled for surgery until 11am. They had to put him under with gas. Gabe held him, and I sat in a chair and held Obie and watched. Then we left the room. Ma and Mandy came by to visit. The whole procedure took about 45 minutes from start to finish. They decided to put the drainage tube in even though anesthesia normally doesn't make those decisions, but it turned out to be a good one. It was soo full of pus. They mentioned it could be caused from a tonsil. The pediatric team would determine that. That evening a Dr. in light blue scrubs..(boy, that narrows it down huh?) came in and said that it tested posative for staph, but not sure about strep yet. We were just going to continue the antibiotic Rocephin through the IV until they can determine what other antibiotic to use that will work best. They will have to grow some of the bacteria. Surgery is still scheduled (tentative) for Tuesday. Dr. Boyce came in and said that even though draining this and using the new antibiotics does decrease the risk of surgery..it doesn't decrease it that much..so surgery is still likely. ~sigh~ 8/13- His IV site still looked good today. He started two antibiotics; Ampicillin/Sulbactam and Vancomycin. The Vancomycin is really strong. They gave him that in case this staph is a resistant one. They will know more Monday. I was reading through the "Welcome to Mayo Eugenio Litta Children's Hospital" book and saw that Child Life services would provide laptops for patients/family to use. Yippee!! There's usually a waiting list but the nurse contacted her and she had one. Yipppeee again! This way I could contact Gabe and family through email instead of using up our calling card every time I had an update.
When they started the antibiotic Vancomycin, the nurse offered to print me up some information sheets on his meds to keep in my notebook. So I was reading through the side effects, and I'm looking at Mikey, and he's itching is eyes. I thought at first it was still just a little red from the tape they had on his face yesterday, but no, it was getting puffy. Exactly what it said under side effects/reactions to the med. Then just underneath his eyes they started to turn white and puffy to I ran out and got the nurse. Good grief! Anyway, it was a common side effect. They just had to give him Benedryl before each dose. Thank the Lord, because he needed this antibiotic. My neighbor works there at St. Marys so she popped in the room and while the nurse was in with Mikey, we ran down to the cafeteria and she bought me some lunch to bring back up. Chicken stir fry..yum!
So the rest of the day was pretty calm. Mikey stayed in his crib alll..dayyy...loong. Poor guy. He watched Barney and Sesame Street several times. About a half an hour before nurse Bethany's shift was to end, we took him for a little walk to the toddler play area. Neither one of the boys would settle down and go to sleep that night. Mikey was awfully fussy. I think the Benedry made him irritable and he might’ve been getting a little anxious when the nurses came in to fiddle with his IV thinking it's going to hurt. He finally fell asleep close to 10 that night.
Aug.14th
The next day Gabe and the boys came in to visit. This is the longest Gabe and I have ever been separated. I thought it was bad enough when we had a baby and were apart for 2 nights. Gabe came in every day except Sunday. I was really missing my boys. I talked to Isaac that night and nearly cried when I got off the phone, and the same when I talked to Noah. I'm never away from any one of them for more than a few hours. I tried not to dwell on that though. I knew the kids were fine. Mikey is the one who needed me now and my focus was on him. Obie was there with me, too. it did get frustrating when Obie was nursing or fussy and Mikey cried for me to hold him, but I always ended up figuring something out.
Dr. Roeser came in at 7am and said we would find out more about the bacteria today or tomorrow. Whether it was a resistant strain and what antibiotic would work. Hopefully an oral one. Surgery is still scheduled but Dr. Orvidas would make that final decision when she did her rounds. If the swelling had gone down enough he may not need it! Since the drainage tube had been put in, it had gone down a lot though.
They were supposed to take Mikey back to the radiology where they did the surgery for the tube and inject some dye in to his cheek (via the tube) to see what's going on in there. We waited around all day. Gabe stayed with the boys just in case we needed his help.
Dr. Henry, an infectious disease specialist (like Dr. Boyce) came in and said we were still waiting on the results from the lab. The way she explained it was that staph is a smart bacteria that will actually build a wall around itself to protect it. Since it was in the lymph node, it just took over and the lymph node couldn’t kill it, and neither could the antibiotics get to it.
Around 1pm he lost his IV again! Andrea from Transport was able to get it back in on the first try. Dr. Roeser called radiology to see what was going on. They were supposed to do the surgery that morning. They said they’d do it tomorrow and she told them to forget it. If we end up doing surgery to remove the lymph node, there’s no point to it.
Gabe was ready to go home later that afternoon, but the nurses asked us to stay in the room. There was a child coming up from the OR who had chickenpox and we had to wait till they were settled in the room.
We found out a while later it was a common staph bacteria. So the Unysn should be enough!
Aug15th-
Mikey had to fast again overnight for surgery today. Gabe came in at 6am. I woke up at 4am. Dr. Roeser came in at 730am. So far she said surgery was still a go, but Dr. Orvidas will make the final decision when she does her rounds early that morning. He would at least be getting the tube out.
Around 1030am Dr. Orvidas finally came by. She said it looks so much better. Only a tenth of the size that it was! She said we could go home! Back on Augmentin. We needed to see her at the clinic in one week. If it started to swell again, or he developed a fever we would have to schedule surgery.
Yippee!! Home!
It took a couple hours for all the discharge stuff to get settled. Mikey was so ready to leave! He sat in the stroller waiting for half an hour, watching cartoons. We took him outside to play while we waited for his prescription to be filled. He chased a chipmunk around the sidewalks. It was a beautiful day! Amazing how much more beautiful it is when you haven’t left a hospital room for 7 days straight!
Aug. 20th-
Mikey’s face is healing up very well. The swelling is completely gone now and it’s just a little red from the wound where the tube was. Tomorrow morning is Mikey's check up with Dr. Orvidas. It’s been almost one month since he first developed the fever. I’m so thankful he’s finally on the mend. Praise the Lord!
Philippians 4:5-7!!
It all began on Monday, July 24th when Mikey came down with a fever. There were no other symptoms. I assumed he was getting the stomach virus that hit our extended family over the weekend. Not so. By Wed. his fever shot up to 103.5. Alternating Tylenol and Motrin seemed to help bring it back down. On Friday he was still getting the fever, so instead of waiting over the weekend, I took him in to see his pediatrician. Dr. Petrikin couldn't find anything wrong with him. He did have a pimply rash in his diaper area, but it could have been because of the fever. He wasn't too concerned about it.
That evening we were having a birthday dinner for Dustin at his house. Around 8pm Pa noticed Mikey's jaw was swelling a bit. Within an hour it was pretty swollen. I called the ER and talked to a nurse, who put a Ped. on the phone and she said it sounded like a swollen lymph node, which is fine and normal since he's had a fever. Of course, I Googled lymph nodes online and educated myself a bit.
The next evening our home was hit with the stomach flu. Mikey's jaw was still swollen. By Sunday his fever was gone but he, too, came down with the stomach flu. It was also his 2nd birthday. Unfortunately, we had to postpone it. No fun when you're all sick. I emailed his Ped. and asked him about the swollen node on Monday. He wrote back and told me the things to watch for. Specifically, " Overlying redness, size bigger then about 2 cm, not being able to move it readily, not being able to easily find its edges, a feeling of fluctuance (like a water balloon)."
Monday the swollen node was red. We couldn't take him in to the Dr. because we were still recovering from the flu. So we took him in Tuesday. It was larger than our Dr. anticipated. He gave us a prescription for Augmentin and scheduled an ultrasound on it for the following day at 8am. He wanted to be absolutely sure it was a lymph node. We were pretty nervous..if it wasn't a lymph node, what else could it be?? cancer? We were all in prayer for Mikey. We waited all day the next day for the nurse to call back with the results. It was an infected lymph node that had abscessed! Praise the Lord! (not cancer!). The Augmentin should take care of it. She told us what to watch for. If his fever returns, or it starts to come to a "point", to bring him back in right away.
Aug. 8th-
Fast forward 8 days, to August 8th. Mikey's jaw is still red and still swollen. It was actually starting to change shape a bit. I emailed the dr. again. He told us to finish out the antibiotic (10 day course)..and if not drastic improvement to bring him back in. Gabe had the next day off from work, Tuesday, and Mikey's face looked aweful. Gabe insisted we bring him in..and I'm so glad. I wanted to bring him in, and then I wasn't sure whether we should just wait it out like the Dr. said, or not. Turns out Dr. Petrikin wasn't even in the office all week. We saw Dr. Yttrburg, who read over Mikey's notes and immediately refered us to Dr. Orvidas, an ENT.
Dr. Orvidas, and two others, Dr. Koch and Dr. Roeser were there and were examining him. They sent us for blood tests (in another building of course), a TB test, and a cat scratch test. We then had to hurry over to St. Marys to have a CT scan done (it was crazy. We had Noah and Obie with us and had only 30 minutes to get there. It was a few blocks away, plus finding parking at St.Mary's was insane.) We made it JUST in time. They said we had to be there before 12:30 because they were so busy. Then we sat and waited for 1 HOUR. Go figure.
Well, after the tests we had some time since his next apptointment with Drs. Orvidas and Roeser and Koch weren't until 4:15. So, we headed to Walmart to get some things to eat.
Dr. Orvidas showed us the cat scan images on the computer. It was amazing. It was so huge compared to the other side of his face. The fact that he was still such a sweetheart, you'd think he'd be really irritable. Dr. Orvidas recommended we admit him to the hospital for IV antibiotics. Anyway, after the appt. we went over to St. Mary’s to be admitted. We sent Noah home with Papa once he was off work. Once we were settled in, around 7pm, Gabe went home.
I decided that night to take notes and journal some stuff. I had a zippered notebook with me to keep records and stuff. And I took pictures every day.
Aug. 9th
This was a pretty quiet day. The lump actually seemed a little bit squishier. These were the only notes I wrote down that day.
Aug. 10th
The worst day was when he lost his IV the first time. He had it in is foot. So we took him to a different room and had the NIC nurses try to put one in. They tried twice and that's the most they will try before they called someone else to try. They called the Flight Team, also known as Transport. They're really good at dealing with tiny veins, they told me. They tried. Mikey cried and cried. I cried. It didn't work, and they felt bad. The guy said he wouldn't have tried it if he didn't think he could do it. Mikey still high-fived him after that whole ordeal. What a guy! I swear, my nerves were so shot. Because right in the middle of all that Obie was crying in his car seat and so another nurse in there, Lois, held him for me.
I just needed to CRY..and I took him back to our room and closed the door and just cried and prayed. It was the first time I lost it since we got in here. I felt alot better afterward.
Well since he lost his IV he was able to get down and play. I then realized I could give him a bath! He hadn’t had one in three days!
Later that day, the anesthesiologist (Dr. Sheer?) came and he got the IV in Mikey's hand the first try. He told us to baby it because it was delicate. If that hadn't worked, they were going to do a PIC line.
Dr. Orvidas scheduled surgery for the following Tuesday to remove the lymph node unless the antibiotics do the trick all on their own.
Aug. 11th-
He lost his IV around noon, about an hour after Dr. Orvidas did her rounds. I was so upset! But, there’s always some good; Mikey could run around again. :o) He was receiving Unasyn (antibiotic) but Dr. Orvidas decided not have the IV put back in just yet and to give him Rocephin shots every 24 hours until they decided what to do. She mentioned an infectious disease specialist coming in that afternoon to talk with me. (Dr. Boyce) He went over some things with me and explained their decision to drain some of it and test it first. He said that they all "pow-wowed" together to come up with the best plan. They needed to grow some of the bacteria and see which antibiotic would work best. Then, of course, he wanted to take pictures of Mikey's jaw for research and education purposes. LOL! He had to ask my permission first. This is the "second" time pictures have been taken of him. They took pictures before we were admitted when he had his blood drawn.
It was a little unnerving having these Mayo clinic specialist not really knowing what was wrong with my son, what kind of infection was in his little body, or how to go about treating it. They seemed perplexed as to why the antibiotics were not fighting it off. They were concerned that it was a resistant strain. All this just shows that only God is in control and only He can heal, or give the Dr.'s the wisdom to heal. Although it was something I knew already, it just really hit me in there. You think since you're at the hospital everything will be ok now. But not necessarily so. These Dr.'s are only human. They can make mistakes. They can not know something. Only God could heal Mikey.
Aug. 12th-
Mikey had to fast all night. They decided the evening before that they wanted to drain some of it to see what it was exactly. I had Gabe come in early, even though Mikey wasn't scheduled for surgery until 11am. They had to put him under with gas. Gabe held him, and I sat in a chair and held Obie and watched. Then we left the room. Ma and Mandy came by to visit. The whole procedure took about 45 minutes from start to finish. They decided to put the drainage tube in even though anesthesia normally doesn't make those decisions, but it turned out to be a good one. It was soo full of pus. They mentioned it could be caused from a tonsil. The pediatric team would determine that. That evening a Dr. in light blue scrubs..(boy, that narrows it down huh?) came in and said that it tested posative for staph, but not sure about strep yet. We were just going to continue the antibiotic Rocephin through the IV until they can determine what other antibiotic to use that will work best. They will have to grow some of the bacteria. Surgery is still scheduled (tentative) for Tuesday. Dr. Boyce came in and said that even though draining this and using the new antibiotics does decrease the risk of surgery..it doesn't decrease it that much..so surgery is still likely. ~sigh~ 8/13- His IV site still looked good today. He started two antibiotics; Ampicillin/Sulbactam and Vancomycin. The Vancomycin is really strong. They gave him that in case this staph is a resistant one. They will know more Monday. I was reading through the "Welcome to Mayo Eugenio Litta Children's Hospital" book and saw that Child Life services would provide laptops for patients/family to use. Yippee!! There's usually a waiting list but the nurse contacted her and she had one. Yipppeee again! This way I could contact Gabe and family through email instead of using up our calling card every time I had an update.
When they started the antibiotic Vancomycin, the nurse offered to print me up some information sheets on his meds to keep in my notebook. So I was reading through the side effects, and I'm looking at Mikey, and he's itching is eyes. I thought at first it was still just a little red from the tape they had on his face yesterday, but no, it was getting puffy. Exactly what it said under side effects/reactions to the med. Then just underneath his eyes they started to turn white and puffy to I ran out and got the nurse. Good grief! Anyway, it was a common side effect. They just had to give him Benedryl before each dose. Thank the Lord, because he needed this antibiotic. My neighbor works there at St. Marys so she popped in the room and while the nurse was in with Mikey, we ran down to the cafeteria and she bought me some lunch to bring back up. Chicken stir fry..yum!
So the rest of the day was pretty calm. Mikey stayed in his crib alll..dayyy...loong. Poor guy. He watched Barney and Sesame Street several times. About a half an hour before nurse Bethany's shift was to end, we took him for a little walk to the toddler play area. Neither one of the boys would settle down and go to sleep that night. Mikey was awfully fussy. I think the Benedry made him irritable and he might’ve been getting a little anxious when the nurses came in to fiddle with his IV thinking it's going to hurt. He finally fell asleep close to 10 that night.
Aug.14th
The next day Gabe and the boys came in to visit. This is the longest Gabe and I have ever been separated. I thought it was bad enough when we had a baby and were apart for 2 nights. Gabe came in every day except Sunday. I was really missing my boys. I talked to Isaac that night and nearly cried when I got off the phone, and the same when I talked to Noah. I'm never away from any one of them for more than a few hours. I tried not to dwell on that though. I knew the kids were fine. Mikey is the one who needed me now and my focus was on him. Obie was there with me, too. it did get frustrating when Obie was nursing or fussy and Mikey cried for me to hold him, but I always ended up figuring something out.
Dr. Roeser came in at 7am and said we would find out more about the bacteria today or tomorrow. Whether it was a resistant strain and what antibiotic would work. Hopefully an oral one. Surgery is still scheduled but Dr. Orvidas would make that final decision when she did her rounds. If the swelling had gone down enough he may not need it! Since the drainage tube had been put in, it had gone down a lot though.
They were supposed to take Mikey back to the radiology where they did the surgery for the tube and inject some dye in to his cheek (via the tube) to see what's going on in there. We waited around all day. Gabe stayed with the boys just in case we needed his help.
Dr. Henry, an infectious disease specialist (like Dr. Boyce) came in and said we were still waiting on the results from the lab. The way she explained it was that staph is a smart bacteria that will actually build a wall around itself to protect it. Since it was in the lymph node, it just took over and the lymph node couldn’t kill it, and neither could the antibiotics get to it.
Around 1pm he lost his IV again! Andrea from Transport was able to get it back in on the first try. Dr. Roeser called radiology to see what was going on. They were supposed to do the surgery that morning. They said they’d do it tomorrow and she told them to forget it. If we end up doing surgery to remove the lymph node, there’s no point to it.
Gabe was ready to go home later that afternoon, but the nurses asked us to stay in the room. There was a child coming up from the OR who had chickenpox and we had to wait till they were settled in the room.
We found out a while later it was a common staph bacteria. So the Unysn should be enough!
Aug15th-
Mikey had to fast again overnight for surgery today. Gabe came in at 6am. I woke up at 4am. Dr. Roeser came in at 730am. So far she said surgery was still a go, but Dr. Orvidas will make the final decision when she does her rounds early that morning. He would at least be getting the tube out.
Around 1030am Dr. Orvidas finally came by. She said it looks so much better. Only a tenth of the size that it was! She said we could go home! Back on Augmentin. We needed to see her at the clinic in one week. If it started to swell again, or he developed a fever we would have to schedule surgery.
Yippee!! Home!
It took a couple hours for all the discharge stuff to get settled. Mikey was so ready to leave! He sat in the stroller waiting for half an hour, watching cartoons. We took him outside to play while we waited for his prescription to be filled. He chased a chipmunk around the sidewalks. It was a beautiful day! Amazing how much more beautiful it is when you haven’t left a hospital room for 7 days straight!
Aug. 20th-
Mikey’s face is healing up very well. The swelling is completely gone now and it’s just a little red from the wound where the tube was. Tomorrow morning is Mikey's check up with Dr. Orvidas. It’s been almost one month since he first developed the fever. I’m so thankful he’s finally on the mend. Praise the Lord!
Philippians 4:5-7!!
Wednesday, May 17, 2006
First fishing experience of the season..
We bought our licenses last week and Ethan has been begging to go fishing. SOooo..last night we packed up all the gear in the van and went to a pond not far from home, only about 10 minutes. Dustin brought Xena and JLee too. There's also a playground at this place..so that's nice. He took Noah and JLee over to play when they got bored. I did catch a carp. Not good for anything. Ethan caught a tiny one..could've been a trout or a bass. I spent most of the time untangling people's lines. Then Gabe took Ethan and went under the bridge near us to fish..and I stayed put with Xena. Our van was parked close to us..and I had the doors open because Mikey had JUST woken up from his nap and I had just gotten him out and put in his stroller. Then this DOG comes along....someones German shorthair pointer..it started wading in the water right where we're fishing..no owner in sight. It would not go away! I even slepped it on the rump with my fishing pole..didn't phase him. Then it tried to get my bobber..so we knew we were pretty much done..and Xena is upset so she takes off up to the playground to Dustin saying that this dog is in the water scaring the fish away. Next thing I know..this guy comes along apologizing..he overheard Xena. So he's trying to coax his dog out of the water..(it's name was River..how appropriate)..he gets it to come out..but it certainly wasn't obedient..running all over the place..then it JUMPED IN MY VAN!
I had the sliding door open from when I got Mikey out..this dog jumped in and walked over both car seats..then in the front drivers seat..and the guy had to reach in and pull him out the passenger side. I mean..it was a little funny to watch, I was laughing a little..and B was giggling too...but not so funny once I saw my van. At least my van isn't the cleanest vehicle on earth..but I don't make a habit of dousing the seats with river water either. It was gross. The guy did apologize..he was angry at his dog..and embarassed..so I didn't want to make it worse for him. But YUCK! Now I have to disinfect my van today.
This is why they have leash laws!
I had the sliding door open from when I got Mikey out..this dog jumped in and walked over both car seats..then in the front drivers seat..and the guy had to reach in and pull him out the passenger side. I mean..it was a little funny to watch, I was laughing a little..and B was giggling too...but not so funny once I saw my van. At least my van isn't the cleanest vehicle on earth..but I don't make a habit of dousing the seats with river water either. It was gross. The guy did apologize..he was angry at his dog..and embarassed..so I didn't want to make it worse for him. But YUCK! Now I have to disinfect my van today.
This is why they have leash laws!
Thursday, April 06, 2006
I Know Whom I Have Believed--Chip Brogden
I Know Whom I Have Believed by Chip Brogden
The Scriptures exhort us to "grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ." Our spiritual growth may be generally discussed as occurring in three seasons of development. Please do not use this teaching to examine where others are, but use it to examine yourself and see if you are indeed growing and maturing in the knowledge of Christ.
I will use the terms "immature" and "childish", but not with the intention of disdaining the young. I am simply contrasting maturity with immaturity, adulthood with childhood. My children are immature, but I cannot expect them to be anything other than immature so long as they are children. I am lovingly committed to their long-term growth. In the same way, let us not despise the spiritually immature or the weak in faith. Instead, the Word tells us to receive them and watch over them. For those of you who are further along, never forget how many years of God's dealings it took to bring you to the level of experience you take for granted today.
With those words of introduction, let us discuss the beginning season of the Christian life. The Child Says, "I Know WHAT I Believe" In the beginning of the Christian walk we are primarily concerned with WHAT we believe. We depend heavily upon other Christians, the pastor, or the church to tell us what we should believe. Our belief systems are established according to what we hear, see, or are taught during these formative years of spiritual development. Not being experienced in the ways of the Lord we naturally give attention to those Christians who have known the Lord longer that we may learn the essential doctrines of our faith. Whoever or whatever influences us as a spiritual child will usually shape and mold us into what we will become twenty, thirty, or fifty years hence.
Participation in Sunday School classes, Bible studies, church attendance, retreats, conferences and seminars is seen as a desirable and necessary step towards becoming a strong Christian. Memorizing a catechism, statement of fundamental truths, or doctrinal position is often a prerequisite to church membership. As the particular belief system is identified and reinforced, the young Christian may come to identify with social labels such as Fundamentalist, Evangelical, Charismatic, or Conservative. Labels are important to the spiritually immature because it allows them to sum up an entire ideology in one succinct title which provides instant recognition and camaraderie with those of the same genre. Baptists believe certain things, as do the Methodists, the Presbyterians, the Lutherans, the Catholics, the Pentecostals, and even the so-called Non-Denominationals or Independents. Identifying yourself as one or the other immediately brings you into the good company, fellowship, and relationship with others whose particular belief systems most resemble your own.
New Christians (or old Christians who remain childish) are acutely interested in WHAT they believe, seeking to have all the I's and T's of their personal theology dotted and crossed. In the process they usually major in the minors and strain out a gnat to swallow a camel. Doctrinal discussion and religious wranglings are the seedbed of most vain speaking, arguments, hurt feelings, biting and devouring.
Once they are settled into WHAT they believe it is nearly impossible to convince them otherwise, and any perceived threat to their belief system is met with hostility, anger, confusion, even depression. I heard of a Bible study that was devoted to a particular issue. An outsider posed the question: WHY do you believe this? The indignant answer was, "Because the Bible says so" and a chapter and verse reference was given. But how do you know the Bible is true? Because the Bible is the Word of God. How do you know the Bible is the Word of God? Because the Bible says so. And so on.
Christians at this stage of spiritual growth cannot reply, except to say that you just have to believe it by faith (even though God has never required us to believe something without offering substantial, albeit invisible, proof - but that is a topic for another discussion). The leader of this Bible study could answer to WHAT she believed, but she could not reply to WHY she believed it because her particular belief system would not allow for a frank and open discussion on the inspiration of the very Scriptures she was citing. God said it (or the pastor said God said it) , I believe it, and that settles it. End of conversation.
Children are often told to do thus-and-so, and when they invariably ask why, the answer is usually, "Because I said so." Such an answer is sufficient for them at THAT stage, but when the child becomes a teenager a simple "Because I said so" is insulting. As an adult it is offensive. Why is this? Because it does not allow for input, feedback, or questions. What is lost? The experience of LEARNING and becoming mature.
Is the Bible the inspired Word of God? Well of course it is. But not because it says it is, and not because the pastor says so or the church says so, or I say so. Do you know WHY it is the inspired Word of God? Have you ever wondered why? "Because the Bible says so" is sufficient enough for a new Christian, but you must move beyond the elementary if you ever hope to experience or lead others into the full knowledge of Christ.
The Young Adult Says, "I Know WHY I Believe" The one who knows WHAT they believe is always threatened by the one who knows WHY. Unfortunately some never grow to the point that they ever ask why. They see no need to ask why, and therein lies the reason for their perpetual childhood, their incessant carnal fighting and vain blabbering. To ask why is to commit the unpardonable sin! To question the church, its leaders, or its teachings is to jeopardize your eternal soul! People with faith are not supposed to ask why. People properly submitted to authority are not supposed to ask why. If you don't know why, they say, focus on what, and don't worry about why.
Allow me to say it as plainly as I can: to discourage the asking of WHY is to stunt the spiritual growth of yourself and others. An immature Christian is one who does not permit himself or others to question anything incorporated into their belief system.
Yes, it is true that many who grow up in the church and begin asking WHY often appear to backslide or end up leaving the church altogether. This healthy questioning, searching, and seeking for truth Jesus called "hungering and thirsting after righteousness." The promise is, "They shall be filled." They are The Blessed, not The Backslidden. Jesus is simply leading them elsewhere because He cannot fill them where they are. The quest for Truth, and the subsequent filling, almost never takes place WHERE YOU ARE, but WHERE GOD WANTS TO BRING YOU. If you are hungry and thirsty for what is right, for what is true, then you will be filled. It did not say where or how, only THAT. I cannot presume to say where or how He may lead you, only that He will.
You see, knowing WHAT you believe brings a certain aura of satisfaction and security which is akin to nursing at your mothers breast. It is an important first step in the Christian life, but that is all a first step, a means to an end, not THE end. We are not suggesting that you do not have to know WHAT you believe. We are saying that real progress begins when you begin to get an inkling as to WHY you believe it. This is the middle stage of spiritual growth. Like knowing what, knowing why is an important step, but it is not the end either. It is merely a rite of passage between childishness and maturity. It is the literal enlargement of one's capacity for Truth, and of course, for Christ Who is Truth. It is the spiritual equivalent of puberty, a time of great change, rapid growth, and of great turmoil, emotionally and spiritually.
An exciting thing begins to happen in the spiritual life of the Christian who desires to grow and mature. It is hoped that after some progress in spiritual things, once the new Christian has experienced a few defeats or disappointments, that he or she will ask, "Is there more to the Christian life than what I am experiencing?" Oh, blessed question! How God has worked long and hard to bring the Christian to this point! And the Answer which God so desires to give us is, "Yes! There is more to this Life! You have but scratched the surface!" The Question often comes to us in the middle of a church service, when everyone else seems to be worshiping the Lord and having a good time. We try to join in but the Question continues to bother us week after week until we resolve to do something about it.
But what usually happens? The church will often reassure the babes that all is well as long as they ignore how they feel, keep attending church, reading their Bibles, saying their prayers, etc. Nevertheless, the One asking the Question will not go away, and it indeed is the bidding of the Spirit of Truth Himself which ignites and fans into flame the holy desire to launch out into the Deep, the very Depths of Christ. WHAT they believe is no longer good enough, and they want to know WHY. Instead of discouraging these questions, we should welcome and invite them. We even ought to take the initiative and begin asking them of others.
What emerges after this period of soul searching, asking, seeking, and knocking is a core set of values and beliefs that are refined in the fiery furnace of real-life experience, not taught or learned out of a textbook or Sunday school class. It is the difference between singing, "Great Is Thy Faithfulness" because we know the words to the song or because we have truly experienced the great faithfulness of Jesus Christ. We know WHAT we are singing, but more importantly, we know WHY we are singing. And WHY we desire fellowship with other believers. And WHY the Bible is the inspired Word of God. And so on.
Most importantly, Christians at this stage of growth are liberated from the limiting beliefs imposed upon them by other people, even other good people. The younger children are full of argument, opinion, defense, and either/or thinking. For them, the less they think they know the more distressed they become. Pose a question to them that is not in their catechism (literal or figurative) and they will be off to look up the answer so they can impress you with the solution the next time you meet. They haven't yet learned that there will always be someone in the world who is smarter and can come up with a more brilliant argument, right or wrong. It seems their whole goal is to confound the world with WHAT they believe.
Not so the Christians with some maturity. The Christians at this stage realize they don't know as much as they thought they did, but they know what matters. They are no longer straining out the gnat while swallowing the camel. They do not have as many answers, but neither do they have as many questions. Their spiritual life follows a steady, even course.
The Mature Adult Says, I Know WHOM I Believe There is a certain downside to the intermediate stage of growth, and that is a danger to lean upon our own understanding. Now that we know WHY we believe we are apt to begin teaching the younger ones. People will look to us for answers. We tend to tell them all we know, even more than we know. We are in danger of falling prey to an intellectual faith instead of a Spirit walk. Naturally speaking, teenagers and college students have a lot of knowledge. In fact, according to their own mind, they are smarter and more enlightened than anyone over the age of thirty. Once they reach thirty they will realize how little they really knew about life. Academic learning is no substitute for experience, and experience takes time. In spiritual things we will always be growing. Even the spiritually mature will continue to grow and learn.
We must see the process of maturity through to completion. To illustrate, let us imagine that we here on earth desire to reach the moon. That is a definitive goal which we can see. We can measure the distance and make plans to reach the moon. To us here on earth that is the ultimate in space exploration. Now let us imagine that one day we reach the moon. Just as we become acclimated to this enormous triumph, our eyes turn upward yet again and we see the vast expanse of space, the innumerable stars, planets, and galaxies, stretched out before us for more than 15,000,000,000 light years, and enlarging its borders faster than we could ever hope to keep up. We will never get to the end of it.
Suddenly, we realize all that we have accomplished in reaching the moon is but a drop in the bucket. In the grand scheme of the universe it is so small as to be infinitesimal. Of course you had no idea that the universe was this large while confined to the atmosphere of Earth, but now, having journeyed a bit beyond, you see just how large it is.
This, in a nutshell, is what it is to find ourselves lost in the depths of Christ. The edge of the universe is beyond our reach, but even it is finite in terms of size. This vast universe is summed up into Christ. The Creator is larger than the creation. So it follows that the more we know of Him, the less we realize we know. All the learning and spiritual experience of all the saints since the foundation of the world hardly makes a dent into the richness of Christ.
Job was left speechless after his encounter with God. He entered into a dialogue with the Creator thinking he knew what he was talking about. Thoroughly confounded and reduced to nothing, Job regretted having spoken of things that he knew nothing about. His idea of God was totally shattered. Before he had heard about God, but having seen God, he realized he didn't know anything. Ironically, his confessed ignorance was higher and more noble than the wisdom of his counselors who claimed to know God, but had never seen Him.
This is the difference between revelation and head-knowledge, between seeing for yourself and merely hearing about. The man who says, "I don't know" is finally beginning to know. Once he can see, he can say, "I know whom I have believed" and be accurate, even though he doesn't know anything in and of himself. It is a case of owning nothing, but possessing everything. The Christian is poor in spirit, yet blessed with every spiritual blessing.
Christianity is a spiritual paradox designed to confound man's wisdom and reduce him to Christ. If it were only a teaching or a philosophy, it would be easy to follow. But Christianity is not a teaching or a philosophy, it is a Man. Take away the Man and there is no Christianity. It is all about giving up your own life in order to receive the Life of Another.
The more I write, the more I realize I don't know anything. A million words cannot convey HIM. Everything of me is filthy rags; who am I? Who am I, really? What do I know? Nothing, not one thing. Oh, I've seen a little fragment, and I can hardly express THAT, much less anything beyond that. I am a man of unclean lips, in a generation of people with unclean lips, and like Job there is not much else to do but sit in the ashes and loathe myself. There have been times when I laid down my pen or shut off my computer and said I would never write again. All that I thought I knew I realized I did not know. What I did know I could not find words to describe.
We don't know this Jesus we think we know. He is Wholly Other, totally, supremely, magnificently GOD. Only God can remain silent while we speak blasphemies and heresies in His name. He allows mankind to distort and misrepresent and bring people to a place of despair, just so He can then step in and reveal Himself for Who He really is. And He is never, ever, ever, ever what you thought. Nothing is as you have been told. And then, once you meet Him, you cannot describe Him, except to say He is nothing like what you had been told. Beyond description.
When we realize we don't know, then Christ becomes our Wisdom so we CAN know. When we are children we are apt to say, I know WHAT I believe. As we grow out of infancy and begin to wrestle with the deeper questions and issues of the Christian faith we will learn to say, I know WHY I believe. The ultimate experience, however, is to be brought to a place where we can say with confidence, I know WHOM I believe.
Knowing WHAT is a beginning. Knowing WHY is progress. Knowing WHO is maturity. There is a time in our life when we penetrate the veil and from henceforth we KNOW Whom we have believed. It is no longer a question of belief, reason, argument, or opinion. We simply know.
Wait a minute, someone will say. First you say we cannot know Him, then you say that we can know Him. Which is it? All I can say is, it is both.
The child is preoccupied by WHAT, the young adult is consumed by WHY, and the mature believer is obsessed with WHO. A brother wanted to know what holiness was. So, he found over 200 Scriptures on the subject, arranged them in order, and committed them to memory. Yet, he still didn't know what holiness was. He felt empty inside. Finally he met an elderly sister who was holy. He finally saw Holiness, and it struck him to the ground. He then knew, because he saw. What he saw was not a concept or a teaching, but Holiness living through the elderly saint. It was not a virtue or a code of conduct, but a Person, Who was expressing His holiness through a yielded vessel.
Another brother was in a similar situation. He was emphatic about what he believed until someone with equal or greater argument confronted him. This occurred one day and someone pointed out several supposed "errors" in the Bible. This caused the brother to be very alarmed. He went to the same elderly lady and informed her of these alleged errors and wanted to know her opinion. She simply stated that the knowledge of God did not depend upon the answering of these questions. He thought, perhaps not to you, but to me it is important! So he spent the next year investigating what this other person had told him and found it to be untrue. But, had he simply known God He would not have found it necessary to study the whole thing and reason it out. The elderly sister was right, the knowledge of God did not depend upon the answering of those questions. If you know Who, knowing what and why become less significant.
No one illustrates this better than Paul the apostle. As the final hours were upon him, what was his testimony? He did not say, "I know what I believe." A man of extraordinary intellect and education, he had forgotten more about Judaism and Christianity than most people will ever know.
He did not say, "I know why I believe". Of course he knew why he believed. He didn't have to say it. The years of persecution and prison had made him better, not bitter. For the first time in his life he knew what real joy was. But even knowing what and why would not be enough to carry him through this much suffering.
What was his secret? "I know WHOM I have believed, and I am confident that He is able to keep that which I have committed to Him."
You can start out with WHAT, sort through it with WHY, but it ultimately leads to WHO. Who else? Christ as all in all. Everything leads to Him. All the questions, all the answers. Everything is reduced to Him, for He is the sum of all spiritual things. When we are reduced to Him, then we will be satisfied. Let us lose our life that we may gain our Life and know Whom we have believed. Amen.
http://www.theschoolofchrist.org/
The Scriptures exhort us to "grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ." Our spiritual growth may be generally discussed as occurring in three seasons of development. Please do not use this teaching to examine where others are, but use it to examine yourself and see if you are indeed growing and maturing in the knowledge of Christ.
I will use the terms "immature" and "childish", but not with the intention of disdaining the young. I am simply contrasting maturity with immaturity, adulthood with childhood. My children are immature, but I cannot expect them to be anything other than immature so long as they are children. I am lovingly committed to their long-term growth. In the same way, let us not despise the spiritually immature or the weak in faith. Instead, the Word tells us to receive them and watch over them. For those of you who are further along, never forget how many years of God's dealings it took to bring you to the level of experience you take for granted today.
With those words of introduction, let us discuss the beginning season of the Christian life. The Child Says, "I Know WHAT I Believe" In the beginning of the Christian walk we are primarily concerned with WHAT we believe. We depend heavily upon other Christians, the pastor, or the church to tell us what we should believe. Our belief systems are established according to what we hear, see, or are taught during these formative years of spiritual development. Not being experienced in the ways of the Lord we naturally give attention to those Christians who have known the Lord longer that we may learn the essential doctrines of our faith. Whoever or whatever influences us as a spiritual child will usually shape and mold us into what we will become twenty, thirty, or fifty years hence.
Participation in Sunday School classes, Bible studies, church attendance, retreats, conferences and seminars is seen as a desirable and necessary step towards becoming a strong Christian. Memorizing a catechism, statement of fundamental truths, or doctrinal position is often a prerequisite to church membership. As the particular belief system is identified and reinforced, the young Christian may come to identify with social labels such as Fundamentalist, Evangelical, Charismatic, or Conservative. Labels are important to the spiritually immature because it allows them to sum up an entire ideology in one succinct title which provides instant recognition and camaraderie with those of the same genre. Baptists believe certain things, as do the Methodists, the Presbyterians, the Lutherans, the Catholics, the Pentecostals, and even the so-called Non-Denominationals or Independents. Identifying yourself as one or the other immediately brings you into the good company, fellowship, and relationship with others whose particular belief systems most resemble your own.
New Christians (or old Christians who remain childish) are acutely interested in WHAT they believe, seeking to have all the I's and T's of their personal theology dotted and crossed. In the process they usually major in the minors and strain out a gnat to swallow a camel. Doctrinal discussion and religious wranglings are the seedbed of most vain speaking, arguments, hurt feelings, biting and devouring.
Once they are settled into WHAT they believe it is nearly impossible to convince them otherwise, and any perceived threat to their belief system is met with hostility, anger, confusion, even depression. I heard of a Bible study that was devoted to a particular issue. An outsider posed the question: WHY do you believe this? The indignant answer was, "Because the Bible says so" and a chapter and verse reference was given. But how do you know the Bible is true? Because the Bible is the Word of God. How do you know the Bible is the Word of God? Because the Bible says so. And so on.
Christians at this stage of spiritual growth cannot reply, except to say that you just have to believe it by faith (even though God has never required us to believe something without offering substantial, albeit invisible, proof - but that is a topic for another discussion). The leader of this Bible study could answer to WHAT she believed, but she could not reply to WHY she believed it because her particular belief system would not allow for a frank and open discussion on the inspiration of the very Scriptures she was citing. God said it (or the pastor said God said it) , I believe it, and that settles it. End of conversation.
Children are often told to do thus-and-so, and when they invariably ask why, the answer is usually, "Because I said so." Such an answer is sufficient for them at THAT stage, but when the child becomes a teenager a simple "Because I said so" is insulting. As an adult it is offensive. Why is this? Because it does not allow for input, feedback, or questions. What is lost? The experience of LEARNING and becoming mature.
Is the Bible the inspired Word of God? Well of course it is. But not because it says it is, and not because the pastor says so or the church says so, or I say so. Do you know WHY it is the inspired Word of God? Have you ever wondered why? "Because the Bible says so" is sufficient enough for a new Christian, but you must move beyond the elementary if you ever hope to experience or lead others into the full knowledge of Christ.
The Young Adult Says, "I Know WHY I Believe" The one who knows WHAT they believe is always threatened by the one who knows WHY. Unfortunately some never grow to the point that they ever ask why. They see no need to ask why, and therein lies the reason for their perpetual childhood, their incessant carnal fighting and vain blabbering. To ask why is to commit the unpardonable sin! To question the church, its leaders, or its teachings is to jeopardize your eternal soul! People with faith are not supposed to ask why. People properly submitted to authority are not supposed to ask why. If you don't know why, they say, focus on what, and don't worry about why.
Allow me to say it as plainly as I can: to discourage the asking of WHY is to stunt the spiritual growth of yourself and others. An immature Christian is one who does not permit himself or others to question anything incorporated into their belief system.
Yes, it is true that many who grow up in the church and begin asking WHY often appear to backslide or end up leaving the church altogether. This healthy questioning, searching, and seeking for truth Jesus called "hungering and thirsting after righteousness." The promise is, "They shall be filled." They are The Blessed, not The Backslidden. Jesus is simply leading them elsewhere because He cannot fill them where they are. The quest for Truth, and the subsequent filling, almost never takes place WHERE YOU ARE, but WHERE GOD WANTS TO BRING YOU. If you are hungry and thirsty for what is right, for what is true, then you will be filled. It did not say where or how, only THAT. I cannot presume to say where or how He may lead you, only that He will.
You see, knowing WHAT you believe brings a certain aura of satisfaction and security which is akin to nursing at your mothers breast. It is an important first step in the Christian life, but that is all a first step, a means to an end, not THE end. We are not suggesting that you do not have to know WHAT you believe. We are saying that real progress begins when you begin to get an inkling as to WHY you believe it. This is the middle stage of spiritual growth. Like knowing what, knowing why is an important step, but it is not the end either. It is merely a rite of passage between childishness and maturity. It is the literal enlargement of one's capacity for Truth, and of course, for Christ Who is Truth. It is the spiritual equivalent of puberty, a time of great change, rapid growth, and of great turmoil, emotionally and spiritually.
An exciting thing begins to happen in the spiritual life of the Christian who desires to grow and mature. It is hoped that after some progress in spiritual things, once the new Christian has experienced a few defeats or disappointments, that he or she will ask, "Is there more to the Christian life than what I am experiencing?" Oh, blessed question! How God has worked long and hard to bring the Christian to this point! And the Answer which God so desires to give us is, "Yes! There is more to this Life! You have but scratched the surface!" The Question often comes to us in the middle of a church service, when everyone else seems to be worshiping the Lord and having a good time. We try to join in but the Question continues to bother us week after week until we resolve to do something about it.
But what usually happens? The church will often reassure the babes that all is well as long as they ignore how they feel, keep attending church, reading their Bibles, saying their prayers, etc. Nevertheless, the One asking the Question will not go away, and it indeed is the bidding of the Spirit of Truth Himself which ignites and fans into flame the holy desire to launch out into the Deep, the very Depths of Christ. WHAT they believe is no longer good enough, and they want to know WHY. Instead of discouraging these questions, we should welcome and invite them. We even ought to take the initiative and begin asking them of others.
What emerges after this period of soul searching, asking, seeking, and knocking is a core set of values and beliefs that are refined in the fiery furnace of real-life experience, not taught or learned out of a textbook or Sunday school class. It is the difference between singing, "Great Is Thy Faithfulness" because we know the words to the song or because we have truly experienced the great faithfulness of Jesus Christ. We know WHAT we are singing, but more importantly, we know WHY we are singing. And WHY we desire fellowship with other believers. And WHY the Bible is the inspired Word of God. And so on.
Most importantly, Christians at this stage of growth are liberated from the limiting beliefs imposed upon them by other people, even other good people. The younger children are full of argument, opinion, defense, and either/or thinking. For them, the less they think they know the more distressed they become. Pose a question to them that is not in their catechism (literal or figurative) and they will be off to look up the answer so they can impress you with the solution the next time you meet. They haven't yet learned that there will always be someone in the world who is smarter and can come up with a more brilliant argument, right or wrong. It seems their whole goal is to confound the world with WHAT they believe.
Not so the Christians with some maturity. The Christians at this stage realize they don't know as much as they thought they did, but they know what matters. They are no longer straining out the gnat while swallowing the camel. They do not have as many answers, but neither do they have as many questions. Their spiritual life follows a steady, even course.
The Mature Adult Says, I Know WHOM I Believe There is a certain downside to the intermediate stage of growth, and that is a danger to lean upon our own understanding. Now that we know WHY we believe we are apt to begin teaching the younger ones. People will look to us for answers. We tend to tell them all we know, even more than we know. We are in danger of falling prey to an intellectual faith instead of a Spirit walk. Naturally speaking, teenagers and college students have a lot of knowledge. In fact, according to their own mind, they are smarter and more enlightened than anyone over the age of thirty. Once they reach thirty they will realize how little they really knew about life. Academic learning is no substitute for experience, and experience takes time. In spiritual things we will always be growing. Even the spiritually mature will continue to grow and learn.
We must see the process of maturity through to completion. To illustrate, let us imagine that we here on earth desire to reach the moon. That is a definitive goal which we can see. We can measure the distance and make plans to reach the moon. To us here on earth that is the ultimate in space exploration. Now let us imagine that one day we reach the moon. Just as we become acclimated to this enormous triumph, our eyes turn upward yet again and we see the vast expanse of space, the innumerable stars, planets, and galaxies, stretched out before us for more than 15,000,000,000 light years, and enlarging its borders faster than we could ever hope to keep up. We will never get to the end of it.
Suddenly, we realize all that we have accomplished in reaching the moon is but a drop in the bucket. In the grand scheme of the universe it is so small as to be infinitesimal. Of course you had no idea that the universe was this large while confined to the atmosphere of Earth, but now, having journeyed a bit beyond, you see just how large it is.
This, in a nutshell, is what it is to find ourselves lost in the depths of Christ. The edge of the universe is beyond our reach, but even it is finite in terms of size. This vast universe is summed up into Christ. The Creator is larger than the creation. So it follows that the more we know of Him, the less we realize we know. All the learning and spiritual experience of all the saints since the foundation of the world hardly makes a dent into the richness of Christ.
Job was left speechless after his encounter with God. He entered into a dialogue with the Creator thinking he knew what he was talking about. Thoroughly confounded and reduced to nothing, Job regretted having spoken of things that he knew nothing about. His idea of God was totally shattered. Before he had heard about God, but having seen God, he realized he didn't know anything. Ironically, his confessed ignorance was higher and more noble than the wisdom of his counselors who claimed to know God, but had never seen Him.
This is the difference between revelation and head-knowledge, between seeing for yourself and merely hearing about. The man who says, "I don't know" is finally beginning to know. Once he can see, he can say, "I know whom I have believed" and be accurate, even though he doesn't know anything in and of himself. It is a case of owning nothing, but possessing everything. The Christian is poor in spirit, yet blessed with every spiritual blessing.
Christianity is a spiritual paradox designed to confound man's wisdom and reduce him to Christ. If it were only a teaching or a philosophy, it would be easy to follow. But Christianity is not a teaching or a philosophy, it is a Man. Take away the Man and there is no Christianity. It is all about giving up your own life in order to receive the Life of Another.
The more I write, the more I realize I don't know anything. A million words cannot convey HIM. Everything of me is filthy rags; who am I? Who am I, really? What do I know? Nothing, not one thing. Oh, I've seen a little fragment, and I can hardly express THAT, much less anything beyond that. I am a man of unclean lips, in a generation of people with unclean lips, and like Job there is not much else to do but sit in the ashes and loathe myself. There have been times when I laid down my pen or shut off my computer and said I would never write again. All that I thought I knew I realized I did not know. What I did know I could not find words to describe.
We don't know this Jesus we think we know. He is Wholly Other, totally, supremely, magnificently GOD. Only God can remain silent while we speak blasphemies and heresies in His name. He allows mankind to distort and misrepresent and bring people to a place of despair, just so He can then step in and reveal Himself for Who He really is. And He is never, ever, ever, ever what you thought. Nothing is as you have been told. And then, once you meet Him, you cannot describe Him, except to say He is nothing like what you had been told. Beyond description.
When we realize we don't know, then Christ becomes our Wisdom so we CAN know. When we are children we are apt to say, I know WHAT I believe. As we grow out of infancy and begin to wrestle with the deeper questions and issues of the Christian faith we will learn to say, I know WHY I believe. The ultimate experience, however, is to be brought to a place where we can say with confidence, I know WHOM I believe.
Knowing WHAT is a beginning. Knowing WHY is progress. Knowing WHO is maturity. There is a time in our life when we penetrate the veil and from henceforth we KNOW Whom we have believed. It is no longer a question of belief, reason, argument, or opinion. We simply know.
Wait a minute, someone will say. First you say we cannot know Him, then you say that we can know Him. Which is it? All I can say is, it is both.
The child is preoccupied by WHAT, the young adult is consumed by WHY, and the mature believer is obsessed with WHO. A brother wanted to know what holiness was. So, he found over 200 Scriptures on the subject, arranged them in order, and committed them to memory. Yet, he still didn't know what holiness was. He felt empty inside. Finally he met an elderly sister who was holy. He finally saw Holiness, and it struck him to the ground. He then knew, because he saw. What he saw was not a concept or a teaching, but Holiness living through the elderly saint. It was not a virtue or a code of conduct, but a Person, Who was expressing His holiness through a yielded vessel.
Another brother was in a similar situation. He was emphatic about what he believed until someone with equal or greater argument confronted him. This occurred one day and someone pointed out several supposed "errors" in the Bible. This caused the brother to be very alarmed. He went to the same elderly lady and informed her of these alleged errors and wanted to know her opinion. She simply stated that the knowledge of God did not depend upon the answering of these questions. He thought, perhaps not to you, but to me it is important! So he spent the next year investigating what this other person had told him and found it to be untrue. But, had he simply known God He would not have found it necessary to study the whole thing and reason it out. The elderly sister was right, the knowledge of God did not depend upon the answering of those questions. If you know Who, knowing what and why become less significant.
No one illustrates this better than Paul the apostle. As the final hours were upon him, what was his testimony? He did not say, "I know what I believe." A man of extraordinary intellect and education, he had forgotten more about Judaism and Christianity than most people will ever know.
He did not say, "I know why I believe". Of course he knew why he believed. He didn't have to say it. The years of persecution and prison had made him better, not bitter. For the first time in his life he knew what real joy was. But even knowing what and why would not be enough to carry him through this much suffering.
What was his secret? "I know WHOM I have believed, and I am confident that He is able to keep that which I have committed to Him."
You can start out with WHAT, sort through it with WHY, but it ultimately leads to WHO. Who else? Christ as all in all. Everything leads to Him. All the questions, all the answers. Everything is reduced to Him, for He is the sum of all spiritual things. When we are reduced to Him, then we will be satisfied. Let us lose our life that we may gain our Life and know Whom we have believed. Amen.
http://www.theschoolofchrist.org/
Sunday, April 02, 2006
O. Hallesby
I just finished reading Prayer by O. Hallesby. I devoured it, actually. So I should probably go back and read it again. I'd love to post quotes, and bits of the book on here..but I'm afraid it would take pages and pages. I might sit down and sift through it to choose a few to post later on.
I started reading his book "Why I Am A Christian" before I started the one on prayer, but I stopped halfway through it to start this other one, so I began to read it again this morning. I'm a bit of a book hopper anyhow :o)
Here's a quote from the book..
Have you life in God?
You may answer perhaps: "I was baptized as a child. I was instructed in the Christian faith. I pray and I read the word of God. I go to church and do church work as well as I can in my humble way."
All of which is good and well. But that is not what I am asking you. I am asking you if you have life in God, that is, if it is love which brings you to God, if you are living free, joyous, and blessed life of a child of God? Or is it the onerous, unwilling life of the regenerate heart that you are living with God?
Examine yourself. Be earnest. Your eternal destiny hinges upon the answer you give to this question.
Remember the plain words of Jesus: "Except one be born anew, he can not see the kingdom of God." "That which is born of the flesh is flesh."
Have you experienced what the apostle speaks of when he says: "Wherefore, if any man is in Christ, he is a new creature: the old things are passed away; behold, they are become new?"
Does your moral and religious life consist of what Scripture calls "dead works," that is, works which are good and proper, outwardly considered, but which do not spring naturally and vitally from a saved and grateful heart?
At this point many deceive themselves.
Today this form of self-deception lies closer at hand than has been the case for the last two generations. True, there has been awakened again a wide-spread interest in things religious after the religiously lean years of materialism. But there are too many who are satisfied with religiousity, being unwilling to press on through the narrow gate to real Christianity. They are content with seeking after God instead of persevering until they find and experience Him.
The temptation to do this is very great for many, because up to this time they have lived very far away even from religiousity. They think that because there has been somewhat of a change in their inner as well as in their outward life, therefore they have become Christians. The religious longings which they now experience and the religious activity to which they now feel impelled, such as prayer, reading, meditation, and Christian work, seem to them to constitute such a great change of heat that they think they have experienced Christian conversion.
For many it is very easy to make this mistake, because they are ignorant of what true Christianity is. This ignorance is quite general and very profound, especially among the higher classes of society. In very recent times this ignorance seems to have spread rapidly also among large numbers of the laboring classes.
I ask, therefore, again: Have you experienced the miracle of the new life? Have you been lifted by God Himself into a new relationship with Him? Or does your religion consist in worshipping and serving God with your old, obdurate and unwilling heart? Is your ethical life a requirement forced upon you by your conscience, a demand wihich you would prefer to ignore and to which you submit unwillingly at best; or has it by the divine miracle of regeneration become your life and your delight. ~O. Hallesby "Why I Am A Christian"
I started reading his book "Why I Am A Christian" before I started the one on prayer, but I stopped halfway through it to start this other one, so I began to read it again this morning. I'm a bit of a book hopper anyhow :o)
Here's a quote from the book..
Have you life in God?
You may answer perhaps: "I was baptized as a child. I was instructed in the Christian faith. I pray and I read the word of God. I go to church and do church work as well as I can in my humble way."
All of which is good and well. But that is not what I am asking you. I am asking you if you have life in God, that is, if it is love which brings you to God, if you are living free, joyous, and blessed life of a child of God? Or is it the onerous, unwilling life of the regenerate heart that you are living with God?
Examine yourself. Be earnest. Your eternal destiny hinges upon the answer you give to this question.
Remember the plain words of Jesus: "Except one be born anew, he can not see the kingdom of God." "That which is born of the flesh is flesh."
Have you experienced what the apostle speaks of when he says: "Wherefore, if any man is in Christ, he is a new creature: the old things are passed away; behold, they are become new?"
Does your moral and religious life consist of what Scripture calls "dead works," that is, works which are good and proper, outwardly considered, but which do not spring naturally and vitally from a saved and grateful heart?
At this point many deceive themselves.
Today this form of self-deception lies closer at hand than has been the case for the last two generations. True, there has been awakened again a wide-spread interest in things religious after the religiously lean years of materialism. But there are too many who are satisfied with religiousity, being unwilling to press on through the narrow gate to real Christianity. They are content with seeking after God instead of persevering until they find and experience Him.
The temptation to do this is very great for many, because up to this time they have lived very far away even from religiousity. They think that because there has been somewhat of a change in their inner as well as in their outward life, therefore they have become Christians. The religious longings which they now experience and the religious activity to which they now feel impelled, such as prayer, reading, meditation, and Christian work, seem to them to constitute such a great change of heat that they think they have experienced Christian conversion.
For many it is very easy to make this mistake, because they are ignorant of what true Christianity is. This ignorance is quite general and very profound, especially among the higher classes of society. In very recent times this ignorance seems to have spread rapidly also among large numbers of the laboring classes.
I ask, therefore, again: Have you experienced the miracle of the new life? Have you been lifted by God Himself into a new relationship with Him? Or does your religion consist in worshipping and serving God with your old, obdurate and unwilling heart? Is your ethical life a requirement forced upon you by your conscience, a demand wihich you would prefer to ignore and to which you submit unwillingly at best; or has it by the divine miracle of regeneration become your life and your delight. ~O. Hallesby "Why I Am A Christian"
Tuesday, March 28, 2006
Bugs..at the dinner table.
There's just never a dull moment in this house.
Isaac and Noah were catching bugs this afternoon and putting them in a jar. Well, after they came in the house, Isaac started to build something out of a cardboard box. He kept coming to me and asking if he could have another freezer baggy. I said "OK" each time...without inquiring why. (shame on me!)
So..I have dinner ready. As we were sitting down, Isaac was still working on his project, taping, etc. When I realized WHAT he was doing. He made a huge "house" for his bugs. Taping cut up freezer bags resembling a "green house" for bugs. It wasn't taped very well. And his bugs were crawling all over inside..and escaping out the areas where he lacked tape. Well..I told him to clean it up, because we're eating now. (There were mostly potato bugs, etc. Seemingly harmless..not enough to make me squeemish)
So..I begin our prayers of thanks for our food...when suddenly..Ethan hollars out..LOOK, LOOK! I opened my eyes to see a huge centipede type creature crawling from behind my bowl of food! (and then mommy screamed) "Isaac...get your bug away from my food NOW!"
Needless to say..the bug house is going OUTSIDE..and so are the bugs. No more bugs at the dinner table.
:o)
Isaac and Noah were catching bugs this afternoon and putting them in a jar. Well, after they came in the house, Isaac started to build something out of a cardboard box. He kept coming to me and asking if he could have another freezer baggy. I said "OK" each time...without inquiring why. (shame on me!)
So..I have dinner ready. As we were sitting down, Isaac was still working on his project, taping, etc. When I realized WHAT he was doing. He made a huge "house" for his bugs. Taping cut up freezer bags resembling a "green house" for bugs. It wasn't taped very well. And his bugs were crawling all over inside..and escaping out the areas where he lacked tape. Well..I told him to clean it up, because we're eating now. (There were mostly potato bugs, etc. Seemingly harmless..not enough to make me squeemish)
So..I begin our prayers of thanks for our food...when suddenly..Ethan hollars out..LOOK, LOOK! I opened my eyes to see a huge centipede type creature crawling from behind my bowl of food! (and then mommy screamed) "Isaac...get your bug away from my food NOW!"
Needless to say..the bug house is going OUTSIDE..and so are the bugs. No more bugs at the dinner table.
:o)
Monday, March 27, 2006
Rick Warren
Rick Warren waters down the Gospel.
Prof. Johan Malan University of the North South Africa
http://www.bibleguidance.co.za/Engarticles/Rick.htm
The following websites can be visited for further information on Rick Warren: www.crossroad.to, www.discernment-ministries.com, www.deceptioninthechurch.com .
Prof. Johan Malan University of the North South Africa
http://www.bibleguidance.co.za/Engarticles/Rick.htm
The following websites can be visited for further information on Rick Warren: www.crossroad.to, www.discernment-ministries.com, www.deceptioninthechurch.com .
Friday, March 24, 2006
Oswald Chambers.....
The daily thoughts (My Utmost for His Highest) from Oswald always seem to coincide with what is going on in life at the time. It never ceases to amaze me!!! Of course, I didn't read these until after the fact..just a few minutes ago. I read Mar.24th first, and went back a day to read the 23th. :o)
March 23rd.
AM I CARNALLY MINDED?
"Whereas there is among you jealousy and strife, are ye not carnal?" 1 Corinthians 3:3
No natural man knows anything about carnality. The flesh lusting against the Spirit that came in at regeneration, and the Spirit lusting against the flesh, produces carnality. "Walk in the Spirit," says Paul, "and ye shall not fulfil the lusts of the flesh"; and carnality will disappear.
Are you contentious, easily troubled about trifles? "Oh, but no one who is a Christian ever is!" Paul says they are, he connects these things with carnality. Is there a truth in the Bible that instantly awakens petulance in you? That is a proof that you are yet carnal. If sanctification is being worked out, there is no trace of that spirit left.
If the Spirit of God detects anything in you that is wrong, He does not ask you to put it right; He asks you to accept the light, and He will put it right. A child of the light confesses instantly and stands bared before God; a child of the darkness says - "Oh, I can explain that away." When once the light breaks and the conviction of wrong comes, be a child of the light, and confess, and God will deal with what is wrong; if you vindicate yourself, you prove yourself to be a child of the darkness.
What is the proof that carnality has gone? Never deceive yourself; when carnality is gone it is the most real thing imaginable. God will see that you have any number of opportunities to prove to yourself the marvel of His grace. The practical test is the only proof. "Why," you say, "if this had happened before, there would have been the spirit of resentment!" You will never cease to be the most amazed person on earth at what God has done for you on the inside.
Now for MARCH 24!
March 24th.
DECREASING INTO HIS PURPOSE
"He must increase, but I must decrease." John 3:30
If you become a necessity to a soul, you are out of God's order. As a worker, your great responsibility is to be a friend of the Bridegroom. When once you see a soul in sight of the claims of Jesus Christ, you know that your influence has been in the right direction, and instead of putting out a hand to prevent the throes, pray that they grow ten times stronger until there is no power on earth or in hell that can hold that soul away from Jesus Christ. Over and over again, we become amateur providences, we come in and prevent God; and say - "This and that must not be." Instead of proving friends of the Bridegroom, we put our sympathy in the way, and the soul will one day say - "That one was a thief, he stole my affections from Jesus, and I lost my vision of Him."
Beware of rejoicing with a soul in the wrong thing, but see that you do rejoice in the right thing. "The friend of the Bridegroom . . . rejoiceth greatly because of the Bridegroom's voice: this my joy therefore is fulfilled. He must increase, but I must decrease." This is spoken with joy and not with sadness - at last they are to see the Bridegroom! And John says this is his joy. It is the absolute effacement of the worker, he is never thought of again.
Watch for all you are worth until you hear the Bridegroom's voice in the life of another. Never mind what havoc it brings, what upsets, what crumblings of health, rejoice with divine hilarity when once His voice is heard. You may often see Jesus Christ wreck a life before He saves it. (Cf. Matt. 10:34.)
Amen and AMEN!!!
March 23rd.
AM I CARNALLY MINDED?
"Whereas there is among you jealousy and strife, are ye not carnal?" 1 Corinthians 3:3
No natural man knows anything about carnality. The flesh lusting against the Spirit that came in at regeneration, and the Spirit lusting against the flesh, produces carnality. "Walk in the Spirit," says Paul, "and ye shall not fulfil the lusts of the flesh"; and carnality will disappear.
Are you contentious, easily troubled about trifles? "Oh, but no one who is a Christian ever is!" Paul says they are, he connects these things with carnality. Is there a truth in the Bible that instantly awakens petulance in you? That is a proof that you are yet carnal. If sanctification is being worked out, there is no trace of that spirit left.
If the Spirit of God detects anything in you that is wrong, He does not ask you to put it right; He asks you to accept the light, and He will put it right. A child of the light confesses instantly and stands bared before God; a child of the darkness says - "Oh, I can explain that away." When once the light breaks and the conviction of wrong comes, be a child of the light, and confess, and God will deal with what is wrong; if you vindicate yourself, you prove yourself to be a child of the darkness.
What is the proof that carnality has gone? Never deceive yourself; when carnality is gone it is the most real thing imaginable. God will see that you have any number of opportunities to prove to yourself the marvel of His grace. The practical test is the only proof. "Why," you say, "if this had happened before, there would have been the spirit of resentment!" You will never cease to be the most amazed person on earth at what God has done for you on the inside.
Now for MARCH 24!
March 24th.
DECREASING INTO HIS PURPOSE
"He must increase, but I must decrease." John 3:30
If you become a necessity to a soul, you are out of God's order. As a worker, your great responsibility is to be a friend of the Bridegroom. When once you see a soul in sight of the claims of Jesus Christ, you know that your influence has been in the right direction, and instead of putting out a hand to prevent the throes, pray that they grow ten times stronger until there is no power on earth or in hell that can hold that soul away from Jesus Christ. Over and over again, we become amateur providences, we come in and prevent God; and say - "This and that must not be." Instead of proving friends of the Bridegroom, we put our sympathy in the way, and the soul will one day say - "That one was a thief, he stole my affections from Jesus, and I lost my vision of Him."
Beware of rejoicing with a soul in the wrong thing, but see that you do rejoice in the right thing. "The friend of the Bridegroom . . . rejoiceth greatly because of the Bridegroom's voice: this my joy therefore is fulfilled. He must increase, but I must decrease." This is spoken with joy and not with sadness - at last they are to see the Bridegroom! And John says this is his joy. It is the absolute effacement of the worker, he is never thought of again.
Watch for all you are worth until you hear the Bridegroom's voice in the life of another. Never mind what havoc it brings, what upsets, what crumblings of health, rejoice with divine hilarity when once His voice is heard. You may often see Jesus Christ wreck a life before He saves it. (Cf. Matt. 10:34.)
Amen and AMEN!!!
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