Hooray- thanks for the prayers.
After waiting a month, a prayer & a phone call got me a return call with not ONE but TWO appointments to have an MRI See: What’s an MRI? & an arthrogram (See: What’s an Arthrogram?)
The plan comes together on 9/14 in the afternoon 1:33-ish, – & depending on my speedy recovery, I should be up & ready to go for Johnny’s game @ 5 p.m., followed by my speeching on Matthew 5:14-16ish at InterVarsity.
I ask for & value your prayers as I continue this process.
Still waiting for the call on the MRI that will allow the doctor to see just exactly how much cutting needs to be done on the shoulder. At this point, I’m using my Jedi-pain management techniques, but am rapidly succumbing to the dark side. I’m finding myself looking for the advil bottle more frequently, & am having the “puppy whimpering noise” that inadvertently comes out of my mouth when I overextend the shoulder, or open the door, or turn on the gas bbq, or move.
My defense shield has failed, & the warp-drive containment shield is deteriorating. I don’t know how much more she can stand, Captain.
A side note; being in pain causes pain in other ways – I find that my interpersonal relationships are suffering from the “in pain & I’m being short & gruff w/everyone” issues, resulting from the inner-moron being released on a more regular basis. Or something like that.
Anyone else ever have a similar experience?
In looking through potential homes, we came across one that had been empty for about a year. One of the reasons for this was that it had a bit of a pet-urine odor. Like Tiger Woods is a bit of a golfer, or Starbucks is a bit of a coffee chain store. Like “cover my nose, fight the ammonia pee smell waves so that they don’t take over my consciousness” smell. 
We spoke w/the owner’s realtor & she claimed ignorance of any smell. Feigned would be a good word. She said it sounded like a ploy on my part to bring down the price on the house. Hmmm. WWMD? (What would Macgyver do?)
Then it came to me. A black light, if its powerful enough, will illuminate bodily fluids that are normally invisible to the naked eye (can’t remember where I learned this… but it is a WWMD moment for sure…) We took it into the house & turned it on. It worked. Well.
Pee stains glowed white. Everywhere. There was an occasional spot of carpet w/o any pee spots, but it was a veritable treasure-trove of pet-urine.
And now, we have evidence that this isn’t just a ploy to drop the price. Hooray…
My next mission is to take it around my house.
LDL
Upside down. Prayers have been answered & the year long renovation & repairs from the water damage are proceeding at breakneck (ok, a snail’s) pace. My house is in construction mode. Plastic covers the rooms. My cave has been dismantled, awaiting a fresh coat of paint. And a floor replacement. The living room is full of our family room furniture. My routine is completely upside down. I miss the familiar sameness of my early morning… Hooray. I’m growing. I think.
Its been an interesting week.
Tuesday, 8/1 – I met for a prayer time w/D&G. Good stuff, came out of it – believing that some wrong attitudes about money (me having/getting it) were redirected. I also became aware of some curses that had been spoken against me & the church family – along the lines of:
“Your work here will be fruitless. You will have nothing, & do nothing of lasting value. There will never be enough resources & money.”
Got a really strong encouragement that the truth of the matter was that God wants to lavish (word chosen specifically & carefully,) His blessings & favor on me & on Hillside, using us as an example of His goodness & power. Sounds different than the “nothing” business, don’t it? So what to do?
Scoff at the curse. Reject it. 1Kings 18 Elijah-style scoffing. On Sunday, 8/6. So I/we did. & there was something broken & something made right.
What a week.
Feels like I’m rolling in it. Blessing, that is.
Its only when viewing the whole picture that a general sense of rest comes to me – its not just my stairwell that is messed up, its everybodys stairwells. Relief. Wonder.
One of the joys of being done with this round of school is that I have a little more time for the worthwhile, special things that really matter. Like Fantasy football.
To celebrate this newfound availability, i have created an ESPN league to go with the old Standby league (known as Haro Super Joe), & I’ve also joined another Yahoo league.
Now I’m wondering: what about a Fantasy Football small group? We’re launching in just about 3 weeks – & its a perfect fit with the start of the football season.
WHAT IS NEEDED:
Thoughts? Interest?
In going through the nightly ritual of “Tucking In” of the Weez, we had one of our “deep thoughts” conversations.
Daddy: Good night Now! {the Jim Rome voice & reference}
Weez: I love you so much daddy.
Daddy: Why is that Weezer-brooks? {one variation of 50 that are commonly used as a term of endearment}
Weez: Because you are a pretty nice guy.
Daddy: do you really think so?
Weez: Well, most of the time. Pretty much. And your belly doesn’t touch your knees.
Daddy: Are you happy about that?
Weez: Yes. {talking speed increases 20x} Because at Super Walmart, there was a girl who’s hair came out wrong – I’m pretty sure it was wrong because it was red & green & blue & she was sooo skinny she looked like a toothpick, a real toothpick & her hair came out just wrong. And she was kissing on some guy that was her boyfriend probably her boyfriend because they were kissing, like really kissing each other and it was gross but he had a small shirt on & his belly went all the way down to his knees and it was gross & the girl looked like a toothpick & the guy had a belly that went to his knees & they were kissing & it was weird & gross. {deep breath} I love you so much, daddy.
July 10, 2006 (CBS)
At a church in Washington, hundreds of committed Christians met recently and tried to map out a strategy to get their values into the political debate.
But these are not the conservative Christian values which have been so influential lately. This is the religious left.
“Jesus called us to love our neighbor, love our enemy, care for the poor, care for the outcast, and that’s really the moral core of where we think the nation ought to go,” Dr. Bob Edgar, General Secretary of the National Council of Churches told CBS News correspondent Russ Mitchell.
The National Council of Churches represents about 50 million Christians in America — the majority of them mainline Protestants.
“Jesus never said one word about homosexuality, never said one word about civil marriage or abortion,” Edgar said.
He calls this movement the “center-left” — and it’s seeking the same political muscle as the conservative Christians, a group with a strong power base in the huge Evangelical churches of the South.
But the left has its own Evangelical leaders, such as the Rev. Tony Campolo.
“We are furious that the religious right has made Jesus into a Republican. That’s idolatry,” Campolo said. “To recreate Jesus in your own image rather than allowing yourself to be created in Jesus’ image is what’s wrong with politics.”
Read the full article Jesus & Politics, Part Deux
What can happen when you don’t toe the Christian church party line? Check out this article – thanks to Ope for the heads up.
By LAURIE GOODSTEIN
Published: July 30, 2006
MAPLEWOOD, Minn. — Like most pastors who lead thriving evangelical megachurches, the Rev. Gregory A. Boyd was asked frequently to give his blessing — and the church’s — to conservative political candidates and causes.
Bill Alkofer for The New York Times
The Rev. Gregory A. Boyd leads a congregation outside St. Paul.
The requests came from church members and visitors alike: Would he please announce a rally against gay marriage during services? Would he introduce a politician from the pulpit? Could members set up a table in the lobby promoting their anti-abortion work? Would the church distribute “voters’ guides” that all but endorsed Republican candidates? And with the country at war, please couldn’t the church hang an American flag in the sanctuary?
After refusing each time, Mr. Boyd finally became fed up, he said. Before the last presidential election, he preached six sermons called “The Cross and the Sword” in which he said the church should steer clear of politics, give up moralizing on sexual issues, stop claiming the United States as a “Christian nation” and stop glorifying American military campaigns.
The result? 20% of the congregation (1000 people) bailed because the church was “no longer doing what it was supposed to be doing: supporting the Republican way.”
Read the whole article at:
Jesus & Politics