Posts

Posted on

It’s Baaack!

On December 1, 2004, my life was forever changed by a diagnosis of 4th stage Follicular B-cell Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. A couple of harrowing months later, I was “in remission” (no sign of cancer in my body). For sixteen years, I have always attributed that success to the many prayers of friends, family, and strangers; a great oncologist who prescribed an amazing drug called Rituxin; and the amazing grace of my Lord and Saviour who (for reasons unknown to me) loves me way more than I deserve.

For a disease that is measured by “5-year survival rate”, sixteen years of remission is pretty darn good. I have been blessed indeed.

Sixteen years ago, they did say that my form of cancer was not curable. They said that they it would return someday. Well, I guess “someday” is today.

Continue reading “It’s Baaack!”
Posted on

How I Stopped Being Angry All the Time

One of the best “life lessons” I’ve ever learned came out of my divorce in 1996.  Back then, I was angry a lot!  I was told that it was a primary reason that my wife left me.  She thought it was just a matter of time before my anger turned into physical abuse.  Now, that would have never happened.  But looking back, I can see why she felt that way.  I made her fearful; and fear is fear, whether I think the reasons for it are rational or not.

Now Anger is not necessarily a bad thing. Even Jesus got angry when he flipped over the tables of the money-changers in the temple  (Matthew 21:12-13).  But His was a purposeful, meaningful anger; and more importantly, He knew exactly what he was doing.  Me?  I was out of control.   When I say I was angry, I don’t mean just being a little grouchy or ornery.  I certainly didn’t have a righteous anger like Jesus.  No, I was out-of-control, yelling at the top of my lungs, stomping around, pounding the table, and breaking things angry.  I was like this on a very regular basis (especially at home).  That kind of anger (was) is a problem.  And it usually ended with me coming back later feeling shame or guilt.

So I did some soul-searching.  I asked myself the most important question:  Continue reading “How I Stopped Being Angry All the Time”

Posted on

The Washington Adventure!

A new adventure in faith has turned my life upside down. It all started back in November of 2011. I had been working out early in the mornings (surprised?  me too!) Anyway, after working out, I got into this great routine:  I’d find this nice, quiet place in the gym and spend some time reading my bible and praying.  I was really feeling connected to God.   One morning, I had remembered a prayer that my friend Terry likes to use:  “God, please tell me what is the Next Right Thing to do”.  Now this, my friends… is a dangerous prayer.  But that morning, that was my prayer.  I said, “God you just tell me what is the Next Right Thing to do for you, and I will do it.”

Now folks, Lily Tomlin has this great line:
“Why is it that when we talk to God, they say call that  ‘praying’,
but when God talks to us, they call us schizophrenic?”

Well, at the risk of sounding schizophrenic, I think God talked to me.  I think He said, Continue reading “The Washington Adventure!”

Posted on

Be a leaf

red_leafWho doesn’t love seeing the beauty of the leaves changing color in Autumn?  It always makes me reflect on why God would go to the trouble of making leaves so pretty before they die. I mean, it seems like it would have been easier to just drop the leaves without changing color; or maybe just take all the color out if them: let the leaves turn gray or black as death and let them drop to the ground.

But I think God chose to make Autumn beautiful on purpose. Continue reading “Be a leaf”