Prayer and Big Red Fire Engines

 

There’s still a part of me that likes seeing trucks, trains and cars with sirens on them (except when they’re hiding along the highway). I’m blessed by the fact that when I need to go into the city, I get to ride a train and sometimes along the way, my commuter train passes a freight train that runs on a parallel track just after we cross into Philly. Just the sound of a diesel locomotive takes me back to fun times playing with toy trains as a kid as I try to guess from its sounds if the train is running loaded or empty.

Then there’s the joy of seeing an 18-wheeler cruising down the highway, be it a flatbed, a dry van or a car carrier. Those remind me of times crawling around with an old Tanka, back when they were made of metal and were as tough as any other toy out there. I wish I still had some of my old Tanka trucks or even my old Tanka crane which easily stood four feet in the air when its boom was raised to its highest point.

Speaking of childhood, there’s a young child who lives in my neighborhood who seems to love pretending to be a fireman. I’ve seen him riding around in a fireman’s turnout coat as he makes what sounds like a real siren, heading for a pretend emergency. It looks and sounds like he’s having fun, almost as much fun as it would be to ride on a big red fire truck. But for me, the sound of a siren always triggers mixed feelings. Hearing one reminds me of pretending to be a policeman or a fireman, but as an adult, it also reminds me of the dangers our first responders often face as well as the fact that someone at some destination needs emergency help in one form or another.

So, while I enjoy the sights and sounds of an emergency vehicle, they have also become a reminder that someone needs prayer. I pray for the person or people who are waiting for a First Responder to arrive. I pray for the police officer(s), or firemen, or paramedics who are responding to the call, often without truly knowing what they are getting ready to walk into. They need divine protection and I thank God that He goes into each situation with those who run towards danger.

For me, a red fire engine is a reminder to salute our First Responders, being thankful for all they do. It is also a reminder that they need our support and our prayer, as they put their lives on the line to protect all of us.

Struggling With God’s Identity

 

That’s a weird title for a blog post, isn’t it? But I find myself thinking that a lot of the things I struggle with as a Christian, really come down to not accepting that God is Whom He says He is. For example, I sometimes worry about money, which seems like something Christians just shouldn’t worry about. After all, the Bible promises that God will provide for all my needs (Philippians 4:19), which means my worries (my lack of faith) is unwarranted. So why, in the face of this promise, do I worry?

Thinking about it, I do not doubt God’s ability to provide, He is after all the Almighty and everything belongs to Him. I can’t begin to fathom what the Bible means by “His riches in glory” but it seems to indicate that He has the resources needed to take care of me and my family. In fact, there have been many times when I have reminded others of Philippians 4:19, so why would I struggle to apply it to my own life? After pondering this contradiction, I’ve concluded that my problem is not with the idea of God providing. Instead, my problem is with God’s identity as my Father.

The Bible promises that those who receive Jesus and believe in His name have been given the right to become children of God (John 1:12). That sounds good but what kind of relationship is the Bible talking about? My earthly father and my mother were not perfect nor were they all powerful. They did their best (and I love them both) but they were limited, not having riches in glory like God. They both had their own laundry list of problems (just like everyone else’s parents) and some of these became the wedge which eventually led to their divorce and to my not seeing my dad very often. In short, my view of the father-son relationship was tainted by problems in my family: problems that go back all the way to Adam.

My dad was less than perfect, and he got stuck with a less than perfect son. Together we forged a less than perfect father-son relationship. So, how do I go from that to the relationship offered in the Bible: A relationship where I am still less than perfect, trying to relate to a perfect Heavenly Father? I find that it’s His identity as Heavenly Father that I struggle with as I wonder what the Creator of the Universe means when He says that He is my Father.

The offer is clear: Believe in the name of Jesus and you receive the right to become a child of God. It’s the relationship itself that is less clear and any attempt on my end to define it falls way short of what God desires. Instead of struggling we need to accept God at His word, letting Him describe the relationship. Only then will you and I learn that we need not struggle with God’s identity and with what it means for Him to be our Father.

Are You Where You Should Be?

While walking with my headphones the other day I heard an ad for a career coaching service that caught my attention. The ad began with a voice that was supposed to be AI generated, describing how it had scanned several databases where it discovered that a large percentage of “humans” are unhappy in their jobs. In the past, I would be one of those unhappy humans if God had not gotten my attention and changed my approach to the daily grind.

For me, things changed when God asked a very simple question. Was I where I should be? I wanted to say no but that answer presented a bit of a problem. If I was not where I should be then either God was not in control, or I was not fully yielded to Him. Well, I knew that God was in control, so if the answer was no then it was a sign of my own rebellion. I realized that to be fully yielded to Him, I had to let Him answer the question. Fortunately, the answer was yes, I was where I should be.

But if I was where I should be, why was I unhappy? This led me to another question, or I should say God asked me another question. Was I there for the right reason? To this I had to answer a resounding, “No!”. God helped me see that my reason for being there was for the paycheck and out of fear that I could not provide for my family if I didn’t stick things out. I wasn’t there to serve God, although if you had asked, I would have told you that was the reason. I was telling myself a lie and God called me on it.

I had to humble myself and choose to trust that God would provide, no matter what. My focus moved from the paycheck to seeking Him and doing what He wants me to do. When my focus changed, I began to find fulfillment in my job. My tasks got easier and a problem coworker became less of a problem. Eventually, God moved me into a different position which is even more fulfilling than the previous one and pays more as well. But my focus is still the same and I start each workday by thanking God and asking Him what He wants me to do.

I’m not against anyone using a career coaching service but I do believe that before doing so, one should seek God. Whether or not you are happy with your job, you need to be humble before the Lord, asking Him if you are where you are supposed to be and are you there for the right reasons. Ultimately, we all should be looking to God for fulfillment and not the job or the paycheck. Ask daily and let God lead you where He wants you to go so that you can truly serve Him. Let God put you where you should be and for the right reasons. 

Should A Restaurant Keep Its Word?

 Is it too much to expect people to keep their word? What about a restaurant?

I’m thinking about adding a new restaurant to my “never go to” list after what can only be described as bad service this past Valentine’s Day. Knowing that everyone and their momma would be out that night, I made a reservation at a nearby P.F. Chang’s. We headed there early, to make sure we were there well before our reserved time. And when I saw the crowd standing in the lobby, I was glad that we had a reservation.

The two young hostesses were very polite as they checked us in and explained that we would receive a text when our table was ready. As it was chilly outside, we decided to find a spot in the lobby so that we could remain inside. From where we were standing, we could see into the dining room and as we looked upon the diners enjoying their food, I thought about how lucky we were to have a reservation.

And then the time for our reservation passed and we began to wonder how much longer we would be standing there. That’s when we overheard a conversation between another customer and our hostesses, the gist of which was that his reservation was for fifteen minutes before ours and he still had an estimated 45-minute wait. When asked how he would have to wait until a total of 60 minutes to get his reserved table, the hostesses admitted that their system had overbooked. Looking at the crowd in the lobby, I think that was an understatement. That’s when we cancelled our reservation and walked out of the restaurant.

Fortunately, as we walked to the car, we spotted a restaurant called Blue Agave which advertised as an authentic Mexican restaurant. They were able to seat us in less than five minutes, and we enjoyed a wonderful meal with really good service. In fact, I think it was better than what we would have gotten had we waited for over an hour at the other place. If you’re in or near Warrington, PA, I highly recommend making a trip to Blue Agave.

As for P.F. Chang’s? As I said earlier, it might go on my “never go to” list joining T.G.I. Friday’s after an incident years ago at one of its franchises. The way I see it, a reservation is a restaurant giving me its word that there will be a table for me when I arrive. In exchange, I agree to show up and spend money. On Valentine’s Day, I showed up cash in hand but found no table available. The restaurant did not keep its word.

See also: The Worst Restaurant Service Ever

The Dexcom Stelo: A CGM on Your Terms

 

2025 started with a new health insurance company and with a denial of coverage for my use of a constant glucose monitor (CGM). This was unfortunate as I still believe that CGMs should be made available to everyone who has been diagnosed with diabetes and even those who fall into the pre-diabetes category. Well, Dexcom has come through with an over-the-counter CGM called the Stelo, which is approved by the FDA for people who are not on insulin. And just like the G7 and other prescription CGMs, the Stelo is another game changer.

I am using the Stelo for the first time and recently completed the 15-day period before needing to change to a second unit. That is one difference between the Stelo and the standard G7 as the latter last 10 days before needing to be changed. Dexcom does have a 15-day version of the G7 which just rolled out this month, and it should soon be readily available for people over the age of 18.

Both the Stelo and the G7 have a 12-hour grace period, giving a time cushion before they absolutely need to be changed but my first Stelo seemed to develop an intermittent problem during the grace period where it would stop taking readings. I’ll know in about two weeks if this is a common issue or if it was just an issue with that first unit.

Out of the box the Stelo looks just like the G7, using the same applicator and application method. The sensor even looks like a G7 sensor and the Stelo can send information to a smartphone just like its prescription cousin. While I did have to download a new app, I appreciate the fact that I can use my existing Dexcom account with the Stelo. As a result, it took less than five minutes to get things rolling and to start the warmup time that is common with Dexcom CGMs.

The graph generated by the Stelo looks just like the one in the G7 app but that is where the similarities end. Unlike the G7, the Stelo will not sound an alarm when your glucose levels go too high or too low. The Stelo is not compatible with insulin pumps, which I suspect is why it is not recommended for people who are on insulin. But the Stelo will give the information needed to help manage glucose levels, including summaries of trends that the software learns while you are wearing, letting you know if, for example, you have a spike at the same time each day. This allowed the Stelo to recognize that I tend to see a dawn phenomenon each morning which sometimes puts me near or even out of range.

I am a fan of wearables, and I believe that the health information made available by them is very valuable. They are not a substitute for the tests and advice received by a trained medical expert, but they are good tools for use in achieving the goals that come with living a healthy lifestyle. I’m glad to have returned to the ranks of those who wear CGMs and am thankful to Dexcom for moving the insurance company away from making health decisions for me, at least in this one area.

Dick Cheney Proved that Failure is not the End

 

Former vice president of the United States, Dick Cheney passed away on November 3^rd of this year, and whether you agreed with him or not, you must admit that he had a direct impact on the path of this nation. During his career, Mr. Cheney served in the U. S. House of Representatives and held various offices under three different presidents. By most measures he was successful even though there will always be questions about his role in the War in Iraq.

Following Cheney’s death, the YaleNews posted a very good article about his life, pointing out that he started his college career at the Ivy League university. However, the article leaves out the year that Cheney graduated because…well…he didn’t. In fact, he flunked out of the school: twice. Eventually he would earn both undergraduate and graduate degrees while attending the University of Wyoming, but Yale would stand as a blotch on Cheney’s academic record. Fortunately, that failure did not stop Cheney from becoming what the article describes as, “Widely considered one of the most powerful vice presidents in U.S. history.” So even the school where Cheney met failure admits that in the long run the man was quite successful.

All too often we paint failure as the end, especially for someone who fails school. But failure is one of the consequences that sometimes comes with not standing still on the path of life. Yes, it may be a sign that a course change is needed but it does not have to be the end. In the long run, whether a person fails is much less important than how that person handles it when they fail. Dick Cheney changed course after his failure and went on to live what the YaleNews calls “a consequential public life.” Of his many great successes, proving that failure is not the end might be his most meaningful message to the world.

From the YaleNews - For Cheney, a Yale start and a consequential public life

Food App Mis-H-App

 

If you will indulge me, I would like to complain for a minute or two about Food Apps. Yes, those apps on the phone that most of us use here in the United States to order food. Sometimes I use them for delivery and sometimes I use them to save time when I go to pick up our food for my family. Sometimes the app is one that orders directly from the restaurant and sometimes it’s from a delivery service of one kind or another. Most of the time these apps are a wonderful convenience. Unfortunately, there have been numerous times when various restaurants got the order wrong and using these apps was anything but convenient.

I once had a restaurant cancel my order without explanation and without so much as a text. They did send an email, but I didn’t see it until after we had waited way too long for our food. Then there was the time when the app confirmed the order, and even charged my credit card, but when I arrived to pick up the food, the restaurant had no record of the order. The cashier explained that they had been having trouble with the app all evening and said I had to call customer service at their national headquarters. Customer service directed me back to the local franchise. Eventually someone, or something, must have caught the mistake because they refunded my money. Still, the ordeal left me wondering if I would ever go back to that chain.

More often than not, my app mishaps do not involve entire orders that evaporate into the cloud, but I have had several deliveries where one or two items were missing. That happened the last two times I ordered delivery, from two different restaurants. Once again these were national chains, and their customer service departments were good about it. One gave me a credit towards a future purchase (better than nothing). The other (Chick-fil-A) gave me a refund for the missing item.

While I enjoy the convenience of using these food apps, I think I’ll go back to driving to restaurants myself. That will allow me to check the order before I walk away. Plus, I figure if I have to make any more claims to customer service, someone is going to investigate whether or not I’m pulling a scam. It definitely beats having to figure out which family member goes hungry because the order was missing their item. (Just kidding.) It’s time to avoid food app mishaps and that means doing things the old-fashioned way. Now, where are my car keys?

The Servant-God

{The following is an entry from my personal journal dated January 9, 2020, and is sort of a free flow of thought that came to me after reading Matthew 20:28.}

Matthew 20:28

Jesus was all powerful before the incarnation. Even in the flesh He was powerful. He could have used His power for His own gain. He could have demonstrated His power in order to make people bow before Him. Instead, He used His power to serve, coming as a servant by His own declaration. This has implications for how I understand fear as it is used in verses like Psalm 145:19. It has implications for how I should see my relationship with Him. It also has implications for how I see my own relationship with others.

Is the fear spoken of in Psalm 145:19 really the trembling kind? I think of the pillar that led Israel through the wilderness. To the Egyptians it was something to be feared to the point where they stopped in God’s presence and did not advance upon the people. To Israel it was something that brought comfort and leadership, though they feared it when they rebelled. Salvation makes a big difference in how I stand before God. I can stand in reverence and need not shake from fear. This seems like what the servant Jesus wanted.

I revere God but do I see that He wants to use His power for my good? This is where things get tough. A servant-God sounds like an oxymoron. Yet, that is the picture painted of Christ by His words and deeds. He could call down a legion of angels to destroy all mankind, yet He came to serve mankind. I only exist at His pleasure, yet He wants to work all things for my good. I understand Peter’s hesitation when Jesus wanted to wash his feet. God is awesome and wonderful and powerful, and it would freak me out to no end if He suddenly wanted to wash my feet. This is the best description of my daily faith struggle. God could crush me in a blink of an eye. He deserves my praise and worship. He wants that but He also wants to serve me.

Because God wants to serve, I likewise should want to serve others. Any power God gives me is intended for this very cause. Any gift He gives me is so that I can serve those around me. Even His love is intended for service in the lives of others. I need to follow my Lord and serve those whom He brings into my life.

I pray the Holy Spirit helps me come to terms with the oxymoron: the servant-God. I pray the Holy Spirit helps me follow in His shoes.

When God Uses Prayer to Reveal Your Calling

Exodus 3:9-10

In earlier posts I described how prayer is so much more than us just telling God what we want. Prayer should be a conversation with God, and as such we should give Him time to speak. But when you let God speak, you should be prepared as He might ask you to do something. That’s when prayer becomes a chance for God to reveal a very important aspect of your relationship with Him. That’s when prayer becomes a chance for God to reveal your calling.

In Moses’ case the calling is described in verse 10 where God tells him that he is being sent to Pharoah. Once back in Egypt, Moses’ job was to bring the people of Israel out. In other words, Moses was being sent to serve as God’s answer to the people crying out to God (praying) as He described in verse 9. This was God’s calling upon Moses’ life and it became the legacy by which we know Moses today. All of it started first with the prayer of the people of Israel crying out to God and then with the conversation (the prayer) between Moses and God.

Up to this point Moses has only said one thing, “Here I am.” The rest of the conversation is God revealing His plans. The dictionary definition of prayer does not seem to leave room for this sort of interaction. Does your prayer life leave room? Do you hold two-way conversations with God that allow for your prayers to become a chance for God to reveal your calling?

Which One Do You Follow?

The Bible says one thing. Your heart says something completely different. The people around you give yet another suggestion. Which one do you believe? Two of the suggestions are misguided and one involves believing the truth but at times making the right choice is difficult. That’s when our real beliefs are exposed and we either pass or fail the test of our faith. This is a test that comes with one major question: A question that is both simple and at the same time very difficult. What is this pass or fail question? When confronted with a choice between the words of the Bible, the voice in your own head and the voices of those around us, which one do you follow?

In chapter 27 Matthew describes Jesus’ crucifixion. While He was on the cross, the people around him taunted Him and challenged Him to come down from the cross. In their eyes Jesus was a fraud, someone to be ridiculed for finding Himself in the position He was in. I suspect that in their taunts we see their belief of what should have happened if Jesus were really the Son of God. In their minds, the Son would be able to come down or would be saved from the cross by His Father. This was their view of God and anything other than what they chose to believe had to be fake.

Human wisdom says that God would never let His Son die on a cross and that anyone with the power of Christ would come off the cross. The world around Jesus believed that anyone with the power of the Savior would fight before suffering, hence why one of His disciples initially chose the sword over standing by while Jesus was arrested (Matthew 26:51). In the eyes of those around Jesus, the cross could never be the will of the Father and using Christ’s power to work a miracle escape sounded like a good idea.

Christ heard their taunts, and I wonder if they sounded like a good idea. In a way the suggestions/taunts must have sounded a lot like Jesus’ prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane (Matthew 26:39). While praying, Jesus revealed a desire that He knew conflicted with the will of His Father. He asked if there was a way that this cup, this plan for His death, could pass from Him. Like us, Jesus would have chosen an easier path, even mentioning this to His Father. But He was more interested in doing His Father’s will than He was in giving into temptation.

As I read Matthew 26 and 27, I find myself wondering what it was like to be bombarded with so many ideas that, for a normal human, would have seemed more palatable than the path ahead. How many times have I called out to God asking Him to do something different: asking Him to help me avoid the trial that He wants me to go through. How many times have I (though I hate to admit it) entertained suggestions that if God were loving He would help me avoid the trials or He would keep those around me from suffering. It’s easy to believe that the easy road is the best choice and that I know better than God. It’s also foolish to believe that and Jesus understood this as He obeyed His Father’s will over the other choices (be they serious or choices delivered as a part of taunting).

When confronted with multiple choices on what we should do, there is a right answer: Follow God’s will. Doing so comes because of our faith in God. Any other choice is us saying we know better than God and that is a form of idolatry. So, in difficult times, where do you put your trust? Which path do you follow?

The Worst Restaurant Service Ever

What’s the worst experience that you have had at a restaurant?

I still remember a particularly bad situation which for a long time caused me to avoid an entire restaurant chain. Our local franchise has since closed but even when I travel, that restaurant chain is never going to be my first choice. In fact, I’ve only eaten at that chain one time since this incident happened.

I thought about the incident over the weekend when my wife and I wanted to find a decent slice of cake to finish off a very pleasant evening spent together. We stopped at a local Cheesecake Factory where we had previously received bad service, giving the franchise a second chance. They redeemed themselves with good service and we likely will go back. But while our previous Cheesecake Factory experience was bad, it was nowhere near the worst service we have ever received. That incident happened at a restaurant which shall not be named in this post: a restaurant where the staff and management completely dropped the ball, almost like they did not want my business.

I should name the restaurant, but I’ll be nice. It was a place where we had gone several times before because we knew that the quality would be the same across the country, even if it wasn’t the best food in the area. My wife and I, along with our son (we only had one at the time) walked into the lobby of the restaurant and asked how long we would have to wait. The woman who was greeting customers told us it would be 20-30 minutes, so we gave her my name.

Because it was a bit crowded, we stepped into the hallway of the mall where the restaurant was located, where we stood just outside the door for about 15 minutes. The people who were there before us were just being seated, so we figured that we had to be coming up on the list. After another 15 minutes we asked the greeter if she had an estimate of how much longer we would have to wait. The woman responded by having some sort of breakdown and ran back into the restaurant. We all have bad days and at that point I was more concerned about her well-being than I was about our table.

It took another five minutes for her replacement to come to the door, at which time we again asked if our name was going to be called soon. This new greeter, without any real knowledge of the situation, told us that we missed our name being called and that we should have stayed in the lobby. I’m not sure what she based her answer on since she was not around to see what had happened prior to her coworker running away. And even if we had missed our names while in the mall, her response was not very customer friendly.

At this point I asked to speak with a manager but instead of a manager I found myself talking to yet another greeter who told me that they did not have a table large enough to seat my family. This answer came after they had already called in two groups that were much larger than my own, so I asked how they had tables that could hold six people but not a table that could hold three. Her response was enough to trigger protests from other customers who stepped in to defend me and my family after witnessing how we were being treated. I knew things were bad when bystanders were getting upset about the service that I was receiving and yet this new greeter stood her ground as if defending some cherished land.

I asked for the second time to speak to a manager and an assistant manager came to the lobby. Once again, I explained what happened and asked if there was a number I could call to contact their corporate parent. In response the assistant manager gave yet another excuse, telling me that the restaurant was having trouble because they had no hot water. At this point I was thinking it was time to call the health department as I’m fairly certain they were not supposed to be open without hot water.

Eventually we were given a table and the manager gave us a complimentary meal, which we reluctantly accepted. Something about not knowing how they were washing their hands without hot water made us hesitant to try the food. We ate and didn’t get sick (thank God) and I still tipped the waitress. After all, it wasn’t her fault that we received such bad service, but we never again set foot in that particular franchise.

I understand that people make mistakes and that in all likelihood the first greeter overlooked our names. I’m even willing to accept that the mistake may have been on our end and that we may have missed hearing our name called. However, there were several better ways to handle this situation without the breakdown and without all of the questionable explanations. Because of this, the situation ranks as the worst service I’ve ever received, not just at a restaurant but in any business.

What’s the worst service that you have ever received? Has anyone ever done something that cost them your business?

Faith or Extraction?

Every now and then a TV show reminds me of what Christians deal with as we try to serve our Lord, and this season one show in particular served as a reflection of one of the more difficult aspects of a life of faith. Recently Fox Television introduced a reality series called Extracted in which twelve teams work together to try to win $250,000. The teams were made up of one amateur survivalist who attempted to live in the woods of British Columbia and two family members or friends who lived in a nearby cabin, serving as a support team for the survivalist. The support teams competed to earn equipment and food that was sent to the survivalists, with the possibility that the losing team of each round might wind up sending an empty crate out to their teammates.

The support teams could see and hear the survivalists and had the ability to pull their survivalists out of the game by hitting a big red “Extraction” button but doing so would mean the end of the game for both the survivalists and the support teams. This set up left the support teams with two questions. What were they willing to do to earn the best supplies for their survivalist teammates? As suspected, some of them were willing to lie and manipulate others to improve their odds of winning. Then there was the big question. How much suffering would any support team allow before hitting the button and extracting their teammate from the woods?

There are times in my life where I feel like I am in a reality competition like Extracted, times where I feel like I am a survivalist enduring trial after trial while God watches from a nearby cabin. At times I feel like I am in the middle of nowhere with my very survival at stake and my only hope is that God is doing everything He can to get me what I need. Then there are times when life gets so difficult that I wish God would hit the “extract” button, doing something miraculous to pull me out of whatever I find myself in. I often wish He would help me avoid difficulty, but He often allows life to crash in, while telling me to, “Have faith!”

When I hear those words, I know I have a choice. I can choose to trust in God, knowing that His plan is perfect and it involves me reaching the goal He has set before me. I can choose to have faith, or I can ask to be extracted: pulled out of the situation without trusting that God has everything under control. I know which one I should choose but I don’t always act like it. Which one do you choose? Faith or extraction?

Like Christ, Go and Change Lives

Matthew 8:3 tells us that Jesus touched a leper and completely changed the man’s life. He could have simply given a command and the man would have been healed. Instead, Jesus touched one who was an outcast and I believe this is still how God responds to broken people. He touches them and He invests Himself in each individual person, no matter what situation they are in.

According to the law, a leper was to be declared unclean by the priest who examined him/her (Leviticus 13:3, 8). Jesus, by touching the leper, should also have been declared unclean but instead the leper was healed. Jesus then sends the former leper away to follow the law as prescribed for the day of cleansing healed lepers in Leviticus 14.

By touching the leper Jesus proved that He is not bound by the law in the same way that a mere human would have been. If He were a pagan we could accept this as Him simply being someone who was not born under the covenant between God and Israel, although we would still expect Him to contract leprosy. As Mary’s child, Jesus was Jewish and thus born under the covenant. As such the law should have applied and He should have been unclean immediately after touching the leper. The fact that the leper was immediately healed shows that this is not the case.

Assuming the law to be true, there is only one other explanation. Jesus was something or someone Who by nature was not governed by the same weaknesses that other people experienced. His lineage was also the Holy Spirit, making Him the Son of God. By His very nature He was on the other side of the Old Covenant: The side held, not by a human but by God Himself. The rules on that side of the agreement were different as they called for God to be Lord and to deliver. Jesus was God and Lord and He routinely delivered people. The healing of the leper was the evidence of this delivery and of the fact that Jesus is God.

It was Jesus’ nature as God incarnate that not only kept Him from becoming unclean but also gave Him the power to cleanse that which was by nature unclean. That same nature dwells in all of God’s children in the form of the Holy Spirit of God. By nature, He cleanses us and by nature keeps us clean with His word. Thus, by nature we are to touch broken people like Jesus did, even when we are afraid of being made unclean. We are to let Jesus touch them through us so that instead of us becoming unclean, they are cleansed by the power of the Spirit of God. And we are to know by His power that Jesus is God and LORD of all.

Like Christ, His followers should be ready to touch those who are less fortunate, sharing the Gospel that sets people free. Are you ready to be like Christ? Are you ready to answer the call to change lives?

 

(Note: This is based on an entry I wrote in my journal back in 2019. While researching more recently I came across a webpage on evidenceunseen.com where James Rochford makes a similar argument about Matthew 8:3)

Have You Ever Prayed a Psalm 88 Prayer?

I’m writing this post during Holy Week, one of the most important times of the year for most Christians. Soon we will reflect upon the death and resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, celebrating the fact that He paid our sin debt. Because of His sacrifice, those who believe in Him have peace with God and those who believe in His name have been given the power to become children of God (John 1:12). But do you always feel like one of His children or are there times when you feel distanced from the Father: times when you wonder if He really cares? Are there times when you feel like He may have forgotten you? Are there times when you prayed a Psalm 88 prayer?

No, things are not going well

When I read Psalm 88, I see something that is very different from most of the other Psalms and very different from the advice often given by the church. This Psalm starts of like the others, with the writer crying out to God because things aren’t going very well. But in the other Psalms the writer eventually musters up a bunch of faith and ends by looking forward to the great things God will do. Whatever the need, even if it’s a need for vengeance upon those who have done wrong, the writers of the Psalms seem to always come back to some variation of “I trust in God.” But not Psalm 88.

Psalm 88 begins by asking God to listen, followed by a description of how the writer’s, “…soul is full of troubles.” The writer describes feeling, “Like the slain who lie in the grave,” and like one who God, “…remember(s) no more…” The Psalmist speaks of being in darkness and of how he feels like he is under God’s wrath. He talks about crying out to the Lord but feeling as if the Lord has cast off his soul. Psalm 88 paints a picture of personal suffering and then…? And then the Psalm comes to an end.

There is no, “God’s got this,” nor is there a declaration that the Psalmist will wait upon the Lord. Psalm 88 ends, leaving the reader wondering where the Psalmist’s faith is at this point. Does he make the seemingly quick recovery that we so often see in the Psalms and throughout the entire Bible? He may have but he doesn’t tell us here. Psalm 88 is an honest expression of how this writer felt at the time. Things were not good, and it seems as if he didn’t feel like ending on a high note.

So, what is a Psalm 88 prayer?

A Psalm 88 prayer is an honest prayer. It is a time of pouring out exactly what is on our hearts, even if we are struggling to see the light at the end of the tunnel. It’s a prayer that is covered in tears, driven by a feeling that all is not well and by a feeling that God is not close by. The fact that this type of prayer is in the Bible and inspired by God (2 Timothy 3:16) gives permission for us to pray this kind of honest prayer, following the example set by the Psalmist during a time of suffering.

Do you pray these kinds of honest prayers? I know I have all to often tried to clean up my prayers, praying what I thought God (and/or my church brethren) wanted to hear. But doing so is telling God a lie, something I’m no longer comfortable with. I want to be honest with God, just like Psalm 88 is honest. How about you? Is your relationship with God one where you pray a Psalm 88 prayer when needed?

Random Thoughts February 14, 2025

Mental Toughness

Earlier this week I watched the Fox Television Program, “Extracted.” For those who have never seen it, this is a reality game show where twelve amateur survivalists live on their own in the wilderness while family members watch back at their headquarters. The family can hear but cannot talk to the survivalists. If needed the family can hit an “extract” button to pull the survivalist out but that means the family misses out on $250,000.

I like watching competitions and am looking forward to the rest of the first season of Extracted but there were a couple of things that bothered me during the first two episodes. Just like on Survivor and other shows like this there is always someone, often a black person, who does not know how to swim. Blacks in America really should make sure our children learn how to swim, not just for survival competitions but for survival in life. There is also usually someone who is not mentally prepared for the competition. That was the case with the first person extracted on this show. When I see this I often wonder what that person thought they were getting themselves into.

I also find myself wondering if I am mentally tough enough to do something like that. A much younger version of me, to be honest, was not mentally tough enough. I probably would have quit the first time I faced any kind of hardship. I believe (I hope) I am different today. I don’t know for sure because I’ve never really faced that kind of hardship but I hope that I could. I don’t take any credit for this change as it is all work that God has done to help me overcome being lost in my mom’s alcoholism and all that comes with that. I have been changed and I thank God for healing me and setting me free.

Spiritually there is something I have to remember no matter the trial. God will provide what I need. I believe this would even apply if I was on a survival game show and in real life that helps me deal with the day to day. God is my provider

He Holds the Future

President Trump, with the help of Elon Musk and his Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), is doing exactly what he campaigned on: cutting government excess. I agree with the idea but I’m not comfortable with the process, which will have an indirect effect on my current day job. And as coworkers and people in the same industry (scientific research) share their (justified and very valid) fears, I am at peace. I’ve been here before: those situations where the future is cloudy. Each time God came through, opening the right doors and providing for my needs. This time will be no different. God holds the future!

Is It Constitutional?

I’m not sure if all that the president and his administration are doing is constitutional but I’m not the courts. I agree that we need a smaller government but I think the president may have skipped some steps. For example, the proposed cuts at NIH seem as if they were made without really talking with the stakeholders. Ultimately, I trust that things will work out and I don’t believe we will have the constitutional crises that some fear. Will the limits of executive power be tested? That has already happened and will continue but I believe that the system will work as designed.

Fly Eagles Fly

As I type this, the Philadelphia Eagles’ Parade of Champions is moving through the city of Philadelphia on its way to the Philadelphia Museum of Art. My day job did not fully open today as we knew the city would be crazy, so I worked from home. (Hey, my work email is still open and visible on my desktop.) Back when the Phillies won the World Series I made the mistake of going into work on parade day. My trip home took forever as I wound up leaving right as the parade ended. They expect 1 million fans in the city for the Eagles’ celebration. Looking at the crowd on television, I think that estimate might be a bit low.

Having lived in Philadelphia for quite some time I’ve come to understand Philly fans, having suffered a number of deep disappointments with them. But today is about a celebration and I thank the Eagles for bringing the Vince Lombardi Trophy home.

Congrats to the Eagles and to the city of Philadelphia!

By the way, the best Super Bowl Commercial was the Nike “Love, Hurts,” commercial that aired after the final gun.

Coincidence or God’s Plan?

As a Christian I believe that my life is in God’s hands and that He puts me where He wants me, as long as I am willing to obey. Sometimes He puts me in the right place at the right time so that I can receive a blessing. Other times He puts me where I can be a blessing to others. Last week He put me in one of those situations where I am certain that His plan was for me to serve Him when someone else was truly in need.

It all began with the recent cold snap, during which the facilities team at my day job had difficulties dealing with a rebellious heating control system. As MLK Day was drawing to a close, the day job sent out a text asking all nonessential personnel to work from home the next day. This meant rescheduling a meeting, which wasn’t a problem, except that one of the other person wanted to meet face to face and could only fit me in on Wednesday. I normally work from home on Wednesdays but in this case I was outranked. So I took the Wednesday time slot, making sure I had my winter coat ready.

It was still really cold Wednesday morning, which forced me to change my routine. Usually when I go into the office I take the train down the William H. Gray III -30th Street Station in Philadelphia and then I take a thirteen minute walk down to the building where my office is located. But I’m not a fan of the cold, especially when the weather people are calling it a dangerous cold. So that day, instead of walking I took an underground train that runs through the middle of downtown.

When I stepped into the train car I noticed what looked like a homeless person in a wheelchair. In Philly this is not an odd sight, so I simply continued to mind my own business. As we approached my stop, the person in the wheelchair moved over in front of the door that I had planned to use to get off of the train. My first thought was to move to another door but something told me that I should stay where I was.

When the door opened, the man in the wheelchair moved forward and I followed, giving him the space he needed to get off of the train. Unfortunately the front wheels of his chair got stuck in the gap between the train and the platform and as he tried to move, one of the wheels turned so that it was going in the same direction as the gap. I quickly realized that the wheel was going to drop down into the gap which would have caused his chair to pitch forward, so I reached out and caught the frame of the chair, holding it and its passenger up while pushing the man off of the train. He was thankful for my help and I was glad that I had not moved to another door.

Before that moment I saw the cold and the rescheduled meeting as simply a part of the normal course of life. After I sat down in my office, it occurred to me that I was in the right place at the right time in order to prevent what might have been a serious accident. That is when I realized that everything that happened that morning, as well as the day before, was orchestrated to make sure I was there to help that man. Yes, it could just be a coincidence but I’ve had so many of these kinds of coincidences that I am convinced that this was God’s plan.

My prayer is that I will be more aware of what God is doing in my life. I pray the same for you in your life as our Creator works to reveal His love and compassion to you and to those around you.

What’s Better Than A Mountain Top Experience?

In both Exodus 24:9-18 and 34, God invites Moses to come up on Mt. Sinai to meet with Him which must have been one of the most awesome experiences anyone could have. I used to get really jealous when I read these passages. I mean, this would be a dream come true to hear the voice of God and to be able to stand in His cloud as He reveals His glory. Such an experience would truly be life altering as it was for Moses and it would be one of the greatest opportunities on earth. Imagine getting the chance to have a one on one with the Creator of the universe. I used to cry out for a mountain top experience like this one…that is until God showed me what I have every day and right at this moment.

Jesus ended the Great Commission with:

“...and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

Matthew 28:20 (NKJV)

Hebrews 13:5 says:

Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”

If you are a Christian then God is with you! In fact, He lives in us through His Spirit:

Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own?

1 Corinthians 6:19-20 (NKJV)

God is with us and He lives in us. This is the blessing that comes with receiving Jesus as Lord and Savior. And because He is with me, mountain top experiences come more often than I could have ever imagined.

The Battle Between My Ears

The end of 2024 is fast approaching which means it is time to update my ten year plan. This also means setting goals for 2025: goals that will help me take a step or two forward along my chosen path. I don’t really make New Year’s resolutions, although I guess in a way some of my goals fit the bill. But whether I call them goals or resolutions, I face the same problem that I hear others talking about year after year as we all take on new challenges without giving in by Quitters Day, something I only recently learned was a thing. (In 2025 it occurs on January 10th.)

Setting goals is a relatively new thing for me. I think I made my first serious attempt at creating a ten year plan at the end of 2017. It sounds funny to admit that I never set any real goals for the first fifty years of my life but before then I simply did what others said was best for me. I suspect this was a direct result of growing up as a codependent, where my mom’s alcoholism too often derailed my attempts at achieving something in life. Codependency meant giving up trying to succeed back when I was a teen, becoming convinced that setting goals would only remind me that I was a failure. (I didn’t understand it back then but a lot of that came from the toxic language that was the norm in my home, especially on the days that the bottle was in control.) By letting others direct my path, I could blame them when I failed even though that really did not help me feel any better about the results.

By 2017 I was ready to set real goals but I was not ready to achieve those goals. All too often I lost the battle between my ears. This battle came in the form of an internal voice which generally focused on my fears and my own perceived limitations. As a Christian, I often encouraged others to believe that God would bless them and that they could do all things through Christ who strengthens them (Philippians 4:13). At the same time I often talked myself out of living with that kind of faith, allowing that voice to have too much control even as I recognized that it was an echo of my life before I became a Christian. As a result I fell short when it came to achieving my goals and in moving forward in life according to the will of God.

This internal, codependent, and negative voice talked me out of doing the things that I said I wanted to do, while talking me into wasting time with things that often derailed my progress. Fortunately I’ve learned to argue with this voice, talking myself into doing the things that I know will help me achieve my goals. I’ve found that for me the, “...all things in Christ…,” begins with being able to win the battle between my own ears. God has freed me from bondage to that voice and He has also empowered me to move forward where I once held myself back. Now I am free of the excuses and of blaming others and I am ready to follow God’s perfect will for my life.

With this change in my own thinking I am prepared to update my ten year plan and to set my goals for 2025. Up until now my track record has not been great but as I win my own internal battle I expect that the results in 2025 will be something to brag about by this time next year.

Diabetes: A Journey, Not A Battle

It’s been a while since I posted anything about having diabetes. As you can tell from the title of this post, I’ve changed my point of view. No longer do I see myself in a battle against something. Instead I see myself as on a journey and Diabetes is a traveling companion sent to teach me a few things along the way. No, that does not mean I’ve walked away from my goal which is to start seeing health numbers that look, “normal.” But now I’ve taken advice from another Christian who taught about how a much more serious illness was in fact working to disciple him in his walk as a Christian.

Before I mention where I am on my journey I want to mention that the American Diabetes Association released its, “Standards of Care in Diabetes - 2025,” which includes, “Consideration of continuous glucose monitor (CGM) use for adults with type 2 diabetes on glucose-lowering agents other than insulin.” This reminded me of my post, “Continuous Glucose Monitors Are Game Changers,” where I wrote about how, “...living with diabetes and not having a CGM was living with one hand tied behind my back.” I believe a CGM should become a part of the standard of care for most, if not all diabetics, so it was good to see the American Diabetes Association recommend this in their standards.

With the help of my CGM my last blood test was very good. My fasting glucose reading was a 98 with an A1c of 6.5. That’s still in the diabetic range but only by 0.1. My goal for my next check is to get my A1c below 6.3 which would be the equivalent of being in a prediabetic stage. In the meantime, my companion on this journey has helped teach me that I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me (Philippians 4:13). I’ve also learned the importance of getting enough protein in my diet and how small changes in my daily habits can pay off with huge rewards.

I’m looking forward to 2025 and to a blood test where every measure is in the green. As I approach that goal, my journey and my learning continue with thanksgiving to God.

Fear of Facing Our Own Shortcomings

I keep a journal where I have become comfortable with being brutally honest with myself. I am also in the habit of going back and reading old entries in this journal which means my younger self gets the chance to be brutally honest with me right now. This happened recently when I came across one of my journal entries in which I wrote about my own pride and my own insecurities. What stood out as I read my own writings was how easy it was to turn the focus on the actions of others. I even wrote a blog post in which I talked about how Christians should deal with someone else’s pride. And while I believe what I wrote on that post to be true, it left out something very important. Sometimes we’re the one with the pride problem or with some other character flaw. And while it is true that our brothers and sisters in Christ should prayerfully and patiently guide us, at some point, when confronted with our own shortcomings, we have to choose to surrender ourselves to the Lord and to allow Him to work in us to get rid of the problem.

My original post was called “Pride or Termites: How Christians Respond to the Problem” in which I described how pride often is a mask covering the real problem of insecurity. I described how we can deal with this real problem in the lives of others instead of knocking them down for the pride that is only a symptom of something bigger. But even if we are prayerfully in full alignment with God, the simple fact is that you can lead a horse to water but you can’t make him drink. Likewise, a brother/sister in Christ can help you see you have a problem but they can’t make YOU do anything about it.

Back when I wrote the termite post I was ready to admit my own pride but I was not ready to do anything about it. It was much easier to turn the focus towards someone else in the form of, “this is what THEY should do,” with the “THEY” being the rest of the church. I should have been asking myself and writing about what I should do. I write this now because I believe this should be a routine aspect of the Chrisitian walk and I am being brutally honest with myself again. Instead of looking at others, Chistians (with an emphasis on me this time) should be talking about what we should do. What should I do when God reveals an area of pride in my own heart? It all starts with yielding to God and being the person He has created me to be.