God's Fire Extinguishers

God’s Fire Extinguishers

7/24/12

God will always provide a way.  This statement many of us in the world have heard or repeated at some point in our lives.  The reason that we have stated this phrase is because all humans have been in predicaments that warrant a statement of this magnitude.  But have we ever stopped to think about the options that we have while we are trying to escape or go through the circumstances that we have found ourselves in?  God does provide a means of escape or a means of protection before things can accrue to their ultimate destructing potential.  It is our responsibility to recognize these avenues of protection within our spirits and also know when and how to use them in times of need.

I remember one time I was on a trip and my destination that I was taking required me to fly to reach that destination.  Now all of us who have flown have sat in our seats and listened to the stewards and stewardesses make their recorded speeches concerning of what to do if the plane loses cabin pressure, or what to do if the plane goes down over water, etc, etc.  We all pay close attention to these instructions as they are given out to everyone and since we are all in one compartment we joyously glue our eyes and ears to these instructions, right?  Wrong!!!

I cannot tell you how many times I have flown around the world and have heard these instructions over and over and actually have heard them in a couple of different languages.  Now there is one section of the plane that one may occupy that requires the person sitting there to actually help do something if an actual emergency occurs and that is the location of where the emergency exits are located.  The person sitting there needs to be aware of the procedures that they must complete if ever something happens, and during the flight attendant’s speech they will address the fact that if the people sitting in these seats cannot perform these duties then they need to request to be reseated, which makes perfect sense.

On one of my trips I was lucky enough to be assigned to this seat and of course with all of my flying experiences I did not bother to listen to the flight attendant’s speech because I was busy looking at one of the onboard magazines instead.  Even though I was not paying attention to what she was saying she was paying attention of my lack of listening skills to what she was saying.  So, after she completed her spiel she calmly came over to my seat and began to ask me if everything was alright.  I politely said yes in response.  Then she asked me the real question of if I had understood her instructions concerning the emergency exit procedures and I said yes.  So then she promptly asked me to repeat them back to her.  I was busted.  Even though I knew the basic idea of how to get the door open and what to do afterwards, I could not provide accurate details of the entire procedure.  Now, it is not necessary for us to know everything about that procedure but she made it very clear to me that I should pay attention to the major issues when something like an emergency should occur.  I was not mad or upset but I was embarrassed because other people heard our conversation and took notice of her using me as an example. 

Nothing happened to warrant me using my newly trained knowledge concerning the emergency exit doors on that plane and to be honest I hope I never have to be involved in any situation that would warrant any action of that kind.  I have never seen that flight attendant again and to be honest would not even recognize her if I ever did see her again.  She made the instructions very clear and I ignored her and it was my fault for showing me the error of my ways.  She was placed there for a reason and it was not only for keeping me comfortable during the flight but also for protection if need be.  I never thought about thanking her for correcting me but I know I should have since she was ultimately responsible for me if anything happened.

Fire extinguishers are sometimes located in unusual places and we wonder why they are there.  For some reason or code one must be placed in these strategic spots in order to provide the maximum protection possible.  We also know as we walk by them that we believe we know how to use them correctly and adequately.  This brings us to quickly rehearsing the steps in our mind so that we will know what to do in case that situation ever arose.  How many of us would be prepared to use these safety instruments accurately when needed?  They do not take much training to operate and the steps necessary are quite simple and short but when in a time of panic how will our mind function and will it do the job properly.

This is why we need to have a continual training on how to operate these instruments, our life or someone else’s life could depend upon its function down the road.  Are we so independent and self centered that all we would do would be to run out of the building if there ever was a fire?  We joke about that sometimes but when it comes down to the actual act how would we act or would we even know what to do or where to go to escape to safety?  In our organization we have a safety course that shows us how to effectively use a fire extinguisher.  It shows us what type of fire extinguisher to use on specific types of fires because not every type of fire extinguisher can be used on every kind of fire.  There are certain types of extinguishers for different types of fires and it is our responsibility to understand which types work.

I dare to say that the majority of the people in some organizations or work places do not know where their fire extinguishers are located, even though they walk past them each day and may even walk by tem many times in just one shift.  We have become so accustomed to having everything secure in our lives that we place our safety on the backburner of our minds and we tend to ignore the instructions that have been put into place by those who are responsible for our lives.  What will happen when an emergency does occur in your environment and you look for the nearest fire extinguisher, grab it, try to put out a fire with the one you have and when you squeeze the handle some part of the process does not work properly because some part of the instructions that you have heard before were not followed and now it is too late to stop the problem.

I have another quick example to give that will also lead into the next portion of this message.  Back in the 1980s there was a movie that came out about a small town and how it housed a vampire.  I know that vampires do not exist and that they are creatures of horror but the story also brought into account the local church and the beliefs that it had taught the local people.  When the “truth” came out about the vampire and his existence the main character, which was fighting for his life, called upon the local “supernatural guru” to help him out.  The guru when confronted by the vampire tried to use his Christian powers against the vampire.

As the stories go with vampires they cannot stand the sight of the cross or holy water and there are just a few ways of “killing” a vampire which one of them is by using the same type of wood that was used to crucify Christ driven through the vampire’s heart.  Anyway when the local guru, who was also a churchgoer, tried to use the crucifix against the vampire the vampire already knew that the guru’s faith was not active and the effects of the crucifix did not work on the vampire.  The guru was shocked at the fact that the crucifix did not work and in the same scene the vampire actually told the guru why it did not work and it was because the guru did not really believe in his faith and what it actually stood for.  In other words he knew it was there, went bye it every day and chose not to believe in what it stood for which made it dead to the man even though he attended the church.

Let me now talk about the safety issues that God has placed within our lives, our spiritual buildings if you may.  The topic that I am going to share with you relates to fire extinguishers.  All of us have some level of understanding of why these instruments are placed in buildings, they are to help us put out fires so that we can get to safety or to prevent a small fire from becoming larger.  We walk by them every day and some of even stop and look at them and notice what type of extinguisher is located along our path.  How often do we perform these exact patterns when it comes to the Bible and even though we know the concepts within the Bible our faith is so stagnant that its effectiveness is useless when times of need arises.

Even though the numbers might be smaller than earlier decades, I can guess that the majority of the households within the western cultures would have a Bible in them or have direct access to one within a few minutes of looking.  This proves that the concepts of the Bible have been engrained into our lives at some point in our pasts, which could even be included to the generations of our great grandparents or even further back.  But having the background or the heritage within our families does not automatically secure us for present and future altercations with our enemy.  It actually intensifies our enemy’s activities against us since the Bible’s mere presence represents conflict to his kingdom.

But as in the fire extinguisher the Bible and everything that it stands for against our enemy’s kingdom is rendered powerless if we do not have it within our minds, hearts and spirits and know exactly what it means.  The only way that we can prevail against our enemy is with the continual ingestion of the words that are printed in the Bible.  These words are the only thing that will cause nations to live in peace, these words are the only way that our minds will continually produce productive and righteous thoughts and the words from this Book are the only defense we have against the constant attacks that are hurled towards us.  We cannot afford to pass the words by and not take notice of their meaning for when we do and the time comes to use the words for our escape, they will fall on the ground and lay silent while we are destroyed.

It is time that we pick up the Bible once again and begin to apply its words into our hearts.  It is time that the church, that is you, takes a firm grip around these words and let your voices be heard again to the dying world.  It is time once again to stop and to repent of our lazy ways and to believe in the Bible once again.  The Bible and what it stands for is the only way that this nation, your nation, you will ever find peace again. 

God has placed this fire extinguisher within our reach and we have turned away from it on a routine basis.  For whatever reason we have neglected the Godly contents for long enough that we are now seeing the consequences of our neglect.  God did not intend for us to go through such hard trials especially the ones that we have created ourselves and are easily resolved with one simple solution.  Spiritual fires can be easily extinguished by the Word of God through our lives no matter when the fires appear. 

The time has come church for you to stand up and fight for your spiritual existence.  It is time that we understand that the Word of God is all about restoration and how to prevent major catastrophes from occurring within our lives and nations.  Locate your spiritual fire extinguisher once again and learn how to use it to your spiritual advantage and protection.  Don’t leave these extinguishers on the proverbial wall and look at it while you pass by, open it and nourish your spirit and strengthen it so that you can withstand all attacks from the enemy.

DLB

Heart Condition Part XXI

Heart Condition Part XXI

7/17/12

With my dinner complete and Bonnie and the girls safely home for the evening, I became board very quickly.  Continually lying in a hospital bed, in my own place of employment, was one of the worst situations that I could imagine.  Yes, everyone was nice and friendly and I received top of the line care.  My coworkers were light hearted and casual around me which is what I wanted them to be.  There was no need in getting all uptight and edgy around me since that was not who they were and it was not my personality either.  I knew that all of them were doing their jobs as instructed and that they expected me to comply with the rules, which I did for the most part.

This time of the evening was very difficult for me since it was my normal time to be working, running up and down these same halls poking people with needles and completing the tests that the doctor wanted on a timed basis.  Instead I was stuck in a bed and waiting for my co-workers to come and perform these tests on me which in truth I am not a very good patient and sometimes do not comply with the same instructions I tend to give out.

It was time for my next round of vital signs which meant a visit from the nurse aide.  As I lay in the bed I thought about my pain in my shoulder which was slightly less annoying than previously thought about.  It still was a weird feeling and one that I really did not think about too much unless I thought about it but I did notice that it was better.  The blood pressure cuff began its work and as soon as it did I found a thermometer inching towards me.  I looked at it to ensure its color and then opened my mouth and allowed the aide to take my temperature.  The cuff continued its climb but I noticed that it did not seem as tight as one previous measurements.  I anxiously waited for the circulation to return to my fingers as the cuff relaxed its tight hold on my arm which also seemed like sooner than before.  I had a thought come to my mind as the cuff released its grip I wonder if my pressure is lower?  Just then the aide said that my pressure was lower than before which made me happy, but she then informed me that my heart rate was still really high.

Good news and bad news I guess I had to take it both ways, but it looked more and more likely that all I had going on was a case of high blood pressure since all of my tests had been unremarkable.  It was approaching eight o’clock and I heard my doctor’s voice out in the hall so I knew it would not be too much longer before I received a visit from him.  My doctor usually made his rounds about this time of the evening which not everyone liked since it was later in the evening and with many of his patient’s being elderly it kind of posed a problem with some of them and their families.  But to me it did not matter all of my family had previous experiences with hospital settings and understood almost every sort of detail imaginable.

The doctor finally strolled in and greeted me in his usual manner.  He did not seem to have a worried or concerned look on his face when he entered the room.  He had my bedside chart with him and was looking at it carefully as he walked into the room.  No scowl on his face and in a good mood, it seemed like his demeanor was confirming my diagnosis.  We began to talk about how I was feeling and I told him I was ok except that now I had this pain in my shoulder, but I did not give him my theory about it yet.  He then asked me again about how all of this began and I explained to him the story once again.  My nurse came in with my entire chart and gave it to him; it had the latest EKG results and the current vital signs as well.  He glanced over them quickly and then looked at me and asked me to lie back on the bed.

He poked and prodded for a few minutes to make sure that I had adequate blood flow to my hands and feet.  He pressed on my foot to feel for pulses and said that they were fine.  My abdomen was next as he began to thump his way around my liver, gallbladder and ribs.  He then moved around to the other side of the bed and began the same process with my pancreas and spleen asking all the time if I hurt anywhere as he “thumped” my skin.  I had no pain in my body with the exception of my left shoulder which it was relaxing as time went along. 

He then asked me to relax a bit as he placed his stethoscope in his ears.  He began to listen to my bowels and asked if I had any problems with them, and I promptly said no.  He said they sounded fine and then moved up to my chest.  He placed the stethoscope in the center of my heart and left it there for about a minute.  He then moved it around to both sides of my lungs asking to breathe normally.  He then asked me to sit up and I had no problems completing this action.  I sat up and he immediately placed the stethoscope back on my chest and left it there again for a while.  He then moved it around but asked me to take deep breaths this time.  When he finished he said I could lie back down and then said that everything sounded ok. 

He sat down next to the bed in the big chair that was in the room.  E started telling me the official results of the CT scan which I already had been told but I listened contently as he was explaining the results to me.  Nothing had shown in the scan and everything looked ok which took a worry off of his mind.  All of my lab work was normal he stated and my EKG results were unremarkable also.  He then said at this point that he did not know what was going on inside me but he was not willing to let me go home until some type of answer presented itself.  I reluctantly agreed even though it was my desire to get out of that place but I knew that if I was released and any part of my family found out that I had something to do with it my head would be on a platter as John the Baptist’s was. 

I asked him what the plan was for the remainder of the night.  He said that it looked like my blood pressure was beginning to come down so some of the vital sign regulations would ease a bit.  He also said that I would have at least two more EKGs during the evening and night to see if anything appeared and that I would have a blood draw at about three o’clock in the morning.  I quickly did the math in my head and then said so my admitting diagnosis is stable angina in which he replied with a “yes”.  I could accept that diagnosis which meant that they were concerned about my pains but really did not think it was heart related, yet.  He asked me if I needed anything else and I said no and then thanked him for coming in to see me.  He said that he would see me in the morning or if anything transpired before that he would pop his head in the door.

The nurse came into the room shortly after my doctor had left.  She asked me if I needed anything and I in turn asked her if she had any orders to get rid of the oxygen situation and she stated no and that I had to leave that thing on.  I gave a long hard sigh and said ok and began my pouting session.  A few seconds later as she was washing her hands the phone rang.  The double ring signaled that the call originated from an outside line which I knew it would be either mom or Bonnie.  Bonnie’s voice was on the other end of the line after I said the typical greeting of “hello”.  She asked me how I was doing and if the doctor had been in to see me yet.  I stated that I was fine and that yes he had just left a few minutes before she called.  After a few minutes of letting her know what the doctor said Bonnie said that the girls wanted to say goodnight to me, so the next few minutes was wonderful bliss as I got to hear the little girls say good night to me and that they loved me.  Bonnie and I then said our own personal goodbyes and I hung up the phone.

The minutes seemed to drag on what felt like an eternity and I was dying to get up and do something.  As far as I knew I was not on any bed restrictions so I decided to get up and take a short walk.  It was approaching nine o’clock in the evening and I knew that some type of activity would be going on in the lab since the night tech would be getting there soon.  So, I unhooked myself from the oxygen, actually I just left the cannula lying on the bed, unwrapped my blood pressure cuff and left it on the bed as well.  I sat up on the side of the bed and located the pair of socks that Bonnie had brought up for me some time back.  I put them on and stood up and headed for the door.  I pulled my door open which drew the attention of everyone sitting at the nurse’s station.  I looked at them and gave them a quick smile and looked both ways in the hall before stepping foot outside of my room. 

I was quickly joined by one the aides who immediately grabbed my arm to make sure I was going to be ok while I was walking.  I looked at her and asked why she was doing this and she replied to make sure I could stand properly.  “Are you kidding me?” I asked her and she immediately let go of my arm.  The nursing supervisor met me right by her desk which was close to the nurse’s station and promptly asked me where I was going.  I clasped both of my hands behind my back and told her that I was board and I wanted to see what was happening in the lab.  She gave me a disgruntled look but there was not much she could do since I had no restrictions on me.  Yeah, she could have been ugly about things and made me carry an oxygen tank with me but I believed that she knew better to force the matter.  I really was not trying to get people excited and I knew that they were just doing their jobs but I just wanted out of my room and that bed for a few minutes and a walk seemed like the best idea at the time.

Reluctantly the nursing supervisor allowed me to continue my journey down the hall after I had told her where I was going and how long I would be, I felt like I was on a leash.  I thought to myself I don’t know why they are so worried I was hooked up to the heart monitor and if anything went wrong bells and whistles would sound and someone from the nursing staff would locate me in hurry.  But in reality I did know why they were concerned because for all they knew I was ticking time bomb just waiting to explode with the cost of my life.  How much I did not know that the damage had already been done and that if things did not change pretty soon that I would be a candidate for the morgue and with the condition that my heart was in that time was approaching rapidly.

My walk down to the lab was not a very quick one I was milking this opportunity for everything I could.  The bed was hard and really not comfortable but for most hospital standards it was fine.  I was totally annoyed that I was in the hospital and it seemed like nothing serious was going on inside my body, I had people scrambling all around me doing things for me when I could do them for myself and I was constantly watched even while I was on my little excursion down the hall I could feel the rays of eyes watching me.  So, I took my time and looked at almost every painting that hung on the walls and even made a pass through the small waiting room across from the nurse’s break room.  As I was coming out of the waiting area I looked both ways before coming back into the hallway and I noticed one of the aides looking in my direction.  I waved and smiled and then turned to continue my walk of defiance of my room. 

I turned to the left after looking both ways and continued my walk to the laboratory which took me by the back entrance of the hospital, dietary and the CT room which was the place where all of my fun began.  I then made another left and entered into the short hallway that led to the lab.  I then reached the lab and turned right and approached the lab door.  I stood there for a moment looking through the window in the door debating if I really wanted to go in but that was quickly erased as my hand reached for the door handle.  I pushed the door open and walked inside as the door closed behind me. 

The look on the face of the night tech that had just arrived on shift was priceless.  He was in shock to see me walk through the door and instead of saying hi or how are you feeling the first words out of his mouth were “do the nurses know you are down here?”  This was a typical response from him and it would be so much better illustrated if you would know him; I laughed and said yes they knew where I was and I also said that he would not get into trouble for allowing me into the lab.  Then we began to talk a bit about my health, conditions, etc before the tech who was working my shift came in and basically had the same shocked look on her face as the night tech did.  A quick hug from her and then the ranting began and I knew my time was up from the “nice” department and I said it was time for me to go back to my room.  She agreed and pointed her finger at the door and told me to go through it without hesitation.

I smiled and turned around and went back to the front door of the lab and opened it and then I took myself out of the lab and closed the door behind me.  I then walked out of the laboratory lobby and turned left and headed back towards the CT room.  I stopped at the “intersection” and then decided to make my way back to my room.  So I turned right and began the walk back down the hallway.  It did not take me too long to make it back down by the nurse’s break room in which I looked in to see if anyone was in there, which there was not so I continued my journey towards my room.  As I was approaching the nurse’s station I was greeted with the nursing supervisor who was headed down to the emergency department to see about another admit.  She just looked at me and rolled her eyes and passed me without saying anything.

I stopped at the nurse’s station to see what was transpiring but everyone was away doing something so I had no choice but to return to my room.  I went into my room and then closed the door about half way and then walked over to the bed.  I sat on the corner of the bed for a few minutes and took a sip of water from my plastic mug that was on my bedside table.  I had no other option than to watch a little television, which this was Monday night so there was at least a football game on to watch.

I usually did not watch professional football but on this occasion I was out of options for entertainment and since I had not begun my writing career and did not have the opportunity to read a good book this was what was left.  I pulled myself back into my bed and turned on the television.  I positioned my bedside table close by and placed the call light on it.  I did not bother to put back on my oxygen because I could breathe well enough without it.  That would change in a few minutes when the aide came in to perform my vital signs.  At the same time that she entered the room it triggered my mind to think about my pain which was still there but it was even less now than the last check.  This would be the time that I could test my theory once again about the relationship of my pain to my blood pressure.

DLB

Heart Condition Part XX

Heart Condition Part XX

7/16/12

After a few minutes of chatting with the aides about how I was feeling, I looked around and wondered why the girls had not been in here yet.  Mom said she would go get them since they were down in the waiting room.  Neither of the little girls knew why I was in the hospital and if they did know what was happening they probably had no understanding its implications, all they knew was that daddy was in the hospital and that he was doing ok.  They entered the room and immediately began telling me about their day at Marla’s.  They said that they had so much fun playing with their friends.  I then asked them if they had learned anything in school in which I received a quick “yes” and then they continued with their playing activity information.  It was great to lay my eyes on them and to hear their voices.  Even though it had only been a few hours, their voices lifted my spirits as they did each day.

One of the aides came in the room to see if I had finished my dinner, which was still covered because I had not had the opportunity to eat it yet.  She quickly left after finding out the situation and I continued the conversation with the little girls.  Bonnie said that she was going to go and get Tatem and bring her up here and that she would be right back.  Mom and dad said that they would take the girls to get something to eat and then would coordinate things with Bonnie when they finished.  Bonnie looked at me and asked how I was feeling to which I responded that I was ok except for this single point located on my shoulder which was still there and letting me know about it.

It took a few more minutes for everyone to exit the room and then I could hear the nurses all listening to Rachel and Rebekkah’s stories as their voices faded down the halls.  The girls would talk to anyone and never met a stranger, which was a trait that I had when I was a little boy, either that or I always had something to say about things.  I pulled the bedside table over close to me and then took off the lid to my dinner plate.  It was typical hospital food for an inpatient which contained nothing with fat and not much seasoning on the meat.  As I began to eat I wondered what kind of diet changes I would have to make in order to keep my blood pressure intact.  I also began to wonder if there would ever be a time that I would be able to get off of the blood pressure medication which I knew I would begin starting here pretty quick.

Dinner was nothing to get excited about but it was food and since I was hungry it tasted mighty fine.  I usually do not complain about food since all of us need it to function properly plus my parents always told me to be happy with what you receive to eat for some day you might not have any.  They did not tell me this to force me to eat but to understand that there are many people in the world that go to bed hungry and how blessed our family was to have an adequate food supply.  One of the aides came into my room with all of the vital sign equipment, right on schedule I might add.  She asked if I was done with the dinner tray and I said “yes”.  She parked her blood pressure pole and then approached the bedside table.  She took the entire tray and began to leave the room.  I scooted the table away from my bed and put it next to my bed where I could reach the water if I needed a drink. 

The aide shortly returned to the room and was followed by the evening supervisor which had a pill in a cup in her hand.  She approached my bed and stuck out her hand that contained the pill.  I looked in the cup and then said no thanks but that I appreciated the offer, everyone laughed.  A sarcastic “ok, fine” came out of my mouth and then I took the pill out of the cup and put it in my mouth, took a drink of water and swallowed it.  After I had swallowed the pill I then asked what I just took and she said it was a blood pressure pill.  Just then I heard the ripping of the blood pressure cuff Velcro and I asked if we could wait for a while so that the medication would have time to kick in, a polite “no” followed so I then raised my left arm for the ceremonial wrapping.  She placed the cuff on my arm and then I lowered it back to the bed, a few seconds later I heard that famous sound the instrument makes when it begins to press around my arm and at the same time I felt the cuff squeeze tight on my arm.

I have had my blood pressure taken enough times over the years to know that if the cuff continues its squeezing for a long time that means that it is having a difficult time finding the initial pulse of the artery, which means that the pressure is high.  This was the case with me since the cuff had to continue its climb twice before it was tight enough to initialize my pressure status.  As the nurse and aide stood close to monitor the results, I looked at the nurse and said sarcastically something along the lines of I told you we should have waited for the meds to kick in.  The cuff continued its release and it seemed like it took forever before it finally released which it was only doing its job since my pressure was so high.  The squeezing on my left arm made the pain in my shoulder increase in its magnitude but it was still tolerable just annoying.

Of course my blood pressure was still sky high and considered to be at a dangerous level, so I got to inherit the blood pressure cuff monitoring system on a permanent basis.  In other words, I had to wear that thing on my arm and was not allowed to take it off.  Since they had given me blood pressure medicine the nurse set the measuring increments for every twenty minutes.  So even though they had just checked my pressure it took an initial reading and set itself for twenty minutes.  The initial reading had not varied much from the previous reading which I did not think that it would.  The pain in my shoulder continued and was hurting more since I had my pressure checked two times in the last five minutes, which I was beginning to finalize that the pain had something to do with my blood pressure.

The blood pressure readings were a royal inconvenience to me but what I was struggling with the most was the nasal cannula that was jammed up into my nose supplying me with oxygen.  My oxygen saturation which was the overall amount of oxygen my lungs were producing to my limbs was well within the normal levels and not dropping at all.  This meant that my lung capacity was functioning normally which also meant that my heart was providing enough blood flow to my lungs to complete its task.  What I did not know is that my overall output was being stressed tremendously due to my problem which had not presented itself as of yet.  The cannula itself, if you do not know, has two prongs which stick up one in each nostril and streams air into your nose which then travels to your lungs as an aid for the production of proper lung function.  Anyway, the cannula was being a pain to me and was getting more uncomfortable as the minutes passed and since my oxygen levels had not been affected, I promptly took out the cannula when the nurses were not present in the room.

Bonnie and Tatem arrived back in the room shortly after the first few blood pressure checks had been recorded.  It was approaching 7 pm and the evening was settling in as another normally busy evening on the nursing floor.  I could hear the almost continual call lights beginning to sound which I knew everyone would eventually be scurrying around trying to keep everyone happy.  I knew this because when I would have to draw patients on the floor I would hear at least two call lights go off before I completed my task.  This was when I knew that the nursing staff on the evening shift earned their money, and they deserved a lot more if the truth be told.

Bonnie was asking me about how I was feeling and I was explaining things to her and Tatem.  Tatem was old enough to understand the seriousness of the situation and had a deep concerned look on her face.  I tried my best to reassure her that all would be ok, she said she was ok but a dad knows his daughter, especially when times of trouble or concern.  She knew that something was not right because of the way my physical condition looked, I had not realized it but my complexion had turned a little bit more gray / green in color which was an obvious sign that something was not right and even though I was actually feeling ok no one would believe me.  So, I had to continue telling people things that they did not believe.

Bonnie and Tatem stayed for about thirty minutes which was a great amount of time since I was due to have another EKG soon.  In fact, as the Cardiopulmonary tech came into the room Bonnie decided to call it a night and return to the house which was fine since Bonnie had to pick up the girls from my parent’s house.  As the tech began to attach me to the EKG machine Bonnie said goodbye and gave me a kiss.  She also told me not to give the nurses any problems, to listen and obey them and for me to remember that they were in charge not me.  I looked at her in shock as the cardiopulmonary tech began to laugh.  I told her that I was mortified with that statement which everyone in the room ignored.  I was told to lie back on the bed and lay still and quiet while the instrument recorded the electrical activity of my heart.  It did not take too long for this reading to print out and a quick overlook said basically nothing unusual going on with my heart.

This puzzled me as the blood pressure cuff began to squeeze my arm once again.  The cardiopulmonary tech asked me if I should be wearing my oxygen and I answered her yes and that I would put it back on as soon as she was done.  It had been approximately seven hours since my onset of pain and there were no abnormal EKG findings at all.  I know that the cardiopulmonary tech would not go into any details but she showed me the printout which had probable pattern displays on it which said nothing abnormal.  I held the printout in my right hand since the blood pressure cuff was in the process of squeezing my left arm off.  The only thing that the EKG shoed was that my heart rate was fast, which I knew that since I could feel each heartbeat as the blood flowed through the cuff on my arm.  To me it was looking like I had blood pressure problems and I might get out of having anything else done except inheriting a pill or two.

The cardiopulmonary tech and I talked for a few minutes and she gave me instructions to behave myself as she was leaving the room.  I had a few minutes alone to stop and think about some things.  So I looked at the last reading of my blood pressure and realized that it was down slightly.  I then turned my attention to the pain in my shoulder and after a few minutes I realized that even though the pain was still there it felt like it had eased up a bit.  The pressure was still there and in the same spot but it was somehow lighter and the “finger” pushing on my shoulder had relaxed.

Even though my process had started the results of my negligence had not appeared as of yet.  We as humans like to play around as much as we can by ignoring the things that are important for our well-being.  God tries His best to allow us to understand what is going on both in our physical lives and in our spiritual lives.  His process of getting our attention is at first subtle and then He has to work His way up to “knocking us about the head”.  When we look back at this Godly process and the physical ones as well, we see how blindly we were to all of the warning signs.  God does not like for us to get to the point where He has to use drastic measures on us so that we figure things out.

However, we have a tendency of forcing Him to act in this manner and then complain about it when His methods choose to appear.  There is no one else to blame but ourselves and it is useless to fight against His methods or to argue about them because in both cases His methods will not go away but only dig deeper into our world in order to make us restore our beliefs in Him once again.  Humans have been doing things by themselves for as long as time has had record, but it is not until we return to God that we realize our true purpose in life and the truth about how we are supposed to live.

DLB

Spiritually Stuffed

Spiritually Stuffed

7/14/12

Everyone who has taken communion has heard of the message that Jesus said to His disciples that evening.  All of us could recite this passage if we had to because it is one of the focal points that we have as Christians.  This passage sums up the entire ministry of Christ while He was on earth and even plants His Kingdom firmly into place before the true act of restoration occurs.  However, like most things that humans have been given we have taken this passage for granted and have even distorted its meaning for our own purpose.  We totally forget one area of this passage and it what the bread gives us and what it should be used for through our lives.

When Jesus and the disciples were having Passover, Jesus took bread and gave thanks, broke it and then gave some to the disciples and said along the lines of take this and eat, and then said that this was His body that was broken for each of them.  Most people stop here and reflect on Jesus’ body that was hanging on the cross, being beaten beyond recognition, other torturous methods employed by the Romans, but there is another side to this symbolic gesture that Jesus gives us.  Since the entire ceremony of Passover involves eating it would seem fitting that Jesus would portray Himself as food.

After His words he gave them the bread to eat.  He wanted them to eat the bread, didn’t at one point in time Jesus say He was the Bread of Life and that whoever came to Him would not be hungry?  If this is the case then the bread, which is Jesus, will give us energy and sustain us to complete His mission through our lives.  If we ingest physical food it gives us the ability to sustain the energy needs our bodies require to function and since our spiritual function is to advance the Kingdom of God, I guess the constant intake of Jesus is our source for our energetic needs to complete our goals.

So, if we continually ingest the food that is set before us I guess we need to be burning off that energy because if we do not, then it becomes a liability to our bodies and “big trouble in little China” will occur if something does not change soon.  Most of us have sat around and let our deposits store up also known as sitting in the pughs and waiting for God to return instead of using the energy that Jesus has provided for us to advance His Kingdom.  The same occurrence can and will happen on the spiritual side of things as well.

See when we go to church and receive God’s words into our ears those words infiltrate our spirit and stay within us as a spiritual energy source to combat our enemy.  That energy source will continually be fed into our lives as we endure the flawless words of God.  Each time we listen to these words, or read His words we are spiritually fed with this spiritual energy.  Now spiritual energy is the same as physical energy in the fact that when it is received it is ready to be used and actually is meant to be used as soon as possible.  Yes, there are times that we need to have spiritual energy stored up but spiritual energy has never been intended to sit around and not be on active duty as the case may be.

We have sat in our churches and stored up the spiritual energy that has been fed to our lives and have not used hardly any of it for the advance of God’s Kingdom.  This energy that we have been storing up has become useless in the world because we refuse to go out into the world and use it as we have been instructed.  This energy is not intended for us to store it up for a rainy day it is meant to be used on a daily basis.  Jesus was constantly out on the streets using the energy that He received from talking with His father; you never read where Jesus was sitting around in the Synagogue listening to the sermons and then going home and not doing anything about what He had received.  In fact, even though we know Jesus went to the Synagogue you hardly ever read that He was in there on a routine basis which brings up an interesting thought that many of the times that we do read about Him being in the Synagogue He was challenging the routine laws of said Synagogue.

We have sat in the same chairs within the church for so long that I dare say we have become “gluten intolerant” towards the meaning of Jesus’ spiritual bread of life.  Our spiritual stomachs have been so full for so long that the church has become lazy and fat and have even created a “diabetic” state in which the spiritual energy that the spiritual bread has actually began to work against us instead of its intended usage.  We have stuffed our spiritual stomachs so much that we in our current spiritual state cannot function properly as a church and could not walk towards the outside world even if we wanted to use this energy for its rightful intentions.  And while the church sits in its chairs we cannot understand why the world finds us so sickening and laughs at us when we try to stand up for attacks on our foundational beliefs.

Jesus expects us to take this spiritual food and use it for His Kingdom, not only for witnessing to the world but also for our defense against the spiritual attacks against us that occur on a routine basis.  Many of us in the western culture have at one time been involved in the church and have received this spiritual food.  This food stays with us and it is recognized by our enemy as a target and if it sits dormant long enough it will turn into fat and become useless in that current state.  Our enemy loves to see spiritually dormant fat within us because he knows that we are not actively using it against his kingdom by not applying the Word of God.

It is time, now, not tomorrow to begin to change our current status of the church and let the world know that we are alive and that we do know how to function as the church is supposed to.  It is time that we show our enemy that we know how to stand up and fight against his attacks and that we know how to advance God’s Kingdom.  However, the only way we can complete this process is if we get out of our chairs and fall on our knees and pray for repentance, this is the first and most important step that we need to do.  Then we can begin our rehabilitation or restoration process so that we can once again begin to convert the spiritual energy that we have received from the “spiritual fat” that we have into the spiritual energy that Jesus has provided us.  It is the provision of new energy that will convert our old stored up “fat” into the energy necessary to complete the works that Jesus commanded us to do.  I guess now we can understand why Jesus actually commanded us to go and to use this energy on a continual basis, because if we didn’t then we would look like we do today.

Our enemy will not be going away anytime soon, but we do not need to allow him more access to our spiritual lives so it is imperative that we begin the restoration process now and not wait another day.  As with my own personal and physical experience I have noticed a huge difference when I exercise and how I feel afterwards compared to when I do not exercise, and I have witnessed the consequences of those times when I did not exercise for an extended period of time as well. 

By beginning the spiritual exercise plan we will fall back into the category of “remembering” Jesus and what His body represents in our lives.  It does not come easy for us to remember to exercise, something always gets in our way or something else comes along that causes us not to complete the necessity of this process.  We cannot afford to spiritually sit around any longer, we must stop and begin the restoration process immediately our entire future depends upon us waking up and completing this process.

So when we listen to the Word of God and intake its meanings into our lives we must use this word in an active form and not let it store up for long periods of time.  Remember the words of Jesus and the power and energy that those words carry.  His bread is a good source of energy and it should be broken with others and given to them to eat.  God guarantees that when we do this that He will remember us when it comes time for help, strength, comfort and salvation.  Church, let us begin to use the name of Jesus again not only within the church walls but also on the sidewalks of our lives.  Restore the name of Jesus to the church and great things will be seen once again in our world.

DLB

God's Immersion Oil

God’s Immersion Oil

7/10/12

It is a true statement when it is said that God has His own immersion oil.  The oil that anoints certain situations can only come from God and when we look at events at a later time we realize that the results obtained can only come from God.  This oil is located within us and it is used in times when God deems people are ready to hear His message for their lives; however, sometimes we humans jump the gun and use this oil ourselves which in all cases turns out to be disastrous.  It is a common mistake Christians have made and we need to learn to allow God to use His oil on those who are ready and even on those who believe that they are not ready.

I have a small cylinder at the back of the desk in my Oncology laboratory.  And its sole purpose is to hold a solution called immersion oil.  The cylinder is about two inches tall and only about ½ inch in diameter.  The lid of the cylinder is made of metal and screws onto the top of the cylinder.  The lid has a small dropper point on top that will allow for the contents to be slowly forced onto a flat surface.  A plastic cover is present on the tip of the dropper to keep other particles from contaminating the oil while it is being stored.

Some of the patients that come into the department require an additional examination that includes a smear of their cells onto a slide.  These cells will provide a valuable resource in knowing what is occurring within the body.  The process includes a drop of the patient’s blood onto a clean glass slide and then another glass slide is then presented close to the drop of blood.  The drop of blood then runs along the edge of the top glass slide and then the top glass slide is run along the surface of the bottom glass slide which allows for the blood cells to be distributed in a uniform manner.  The blood smear is then allowed to air dry for a few minutes before further processing is needed.

After the blood smear has dried completely, the slide is dipped in alcohol to fix the cells to the slide this process allows the cells to “fix” themselves to the glass slide and at the same time dries the cells which “freezes” them into a permanent state.  The next couple of steps include dipping the glass slide into a couple of different stains which provides a color scheme of the cells in order for the technologist to read their shape and size.  These stains when dried do not provide a moist surface which makes the cells impossible to be read accurately.  So, a viscid oil film needs to be placed on top of the cells so that they can complete their function.  This is where the right amount of immersion oil takes its stage.

After a certain amount of time the immersion oil can be placed onto the slide, but it must be done at the appropriate time.  If the oil is placed on the slide too early then the oil will wash some of the cells off of the slide and if the oil is placed on the cells after an extended period of time, the stains may have distorted the cell’s structures.  In either case the cells are moved or destroyed and will provide inaccurate results in which the entire process must begin from the beginning.

When it is time for the oil to be used the tip cover is taken off and placed to the side.  The cylinder is then turned upside down and placed close to the flat surface that the oil will be placed upon.  In this case the oil will be placed on a blood smear slide.  A single drop of immersion oil is placed on the slide and from there it can be spread out evenly across the slide surface for further magnification.  The cylinder is then turned back upright and the tip returned to the top of the dropper.

The immersion oil that is used for this magnification process has been carefully produced so that the correct effect for magnification and clarity is obtained when it is placed in the area to be viewed.  Immersion oil is colorless and slightly viscid in its consistency which makes it easy to spread across the slide all while serving to enhance the cells on the stained slide.  A trained person will know exactly how much oil to distribute onto the slide in one convincing stroke, which saves time and effort in the slide reading process.  Sometimes the oil need not to be spread across the slide and its purpose is served within the local vicinity of the oil droplet.

An adequate amount of oil is needed for cell clarity and the right enhancement for the slide.  The addition of too little immersion oil will not provide the necessary enhancement to allow the person reading the slide to obtain an accurate cell count.  In contrast, placing too much oil on the slide can blur the slide and even damage the microscope oculars.  Also, if one places too much oil on the slide the oil’s capillary motion will take effect when the microscope lens is placed over the oil droplet, and if this happens oil will get inside the lens and ruin the lens.  In all of the above situations the slide cannot be read correctly so that the function of the slide and possible visual projector is rendered useless.

Many students have a difficult time with this portion of the cell staining procedure.  It is a procedure that needs to be mastered in order to receive the ultimate conditions so that the desired results may be obtained.  The person who reads these slides knows just how much oil is needed for each slide for you see each slide that is made is totally different from the previous slide or even the next slide even if the smear was made from the same specimen.  See, the person who is going to read the slide actually made that individual slide so they understand its potential and know just how to complete it so that exact counts can be achieved.

Throughout human history many types of oils have been used to serve the human race.  Oil is one of the oldest and most widely used substances that have kept civilization together, as with its usage being a constant source of controversy with some people.  One cannot argue the fact that oil based products have allowed for so many human progressions which have proven themselves over and over.  Cooking oils, oil used in lamps, olive oils are just a few types that humans have benefited from over the millennia but in this case the oil is used to enhance meaning and to project a wealth of information to the creator of the slide.

I am not going to go into detail about the glass slides that are used in this process but what I will say about them is this, they are uniquely created and each one of them have a specific size, shape and thickness bout them in order to perform their intended function.  Each one of them may look the same as another but they are designed specifically for a purpose, just as all of us are. 

Now that the stage is set concerning the usage of the oil and a general knowledge of how the oil works, the communication lines that God and humans have function relatively in the same manner as immersion oil does when it is added to the glass slide containing blood cells.  God knows exactly when and how much oil is needed to ensure that our spiritual communication lines are enhanced well enough to relay God’s messages to other people.  This oil brings to life the words that God intends for His people to hear and to understand.  His words come in times of human despair, praises, blessings and warnings, but it is the use of His oil that enables a person or group of people to proclaim His words to others.

Inside the human there is exists a space for the same type of oil.  All of us have this space within our lives and it is created especially for us and to be used in a certain way that touches other lives.  Our oil comes from the one provider who actually created us in a unique way unlike no one else in the universe.  The oil that is present in our lives comes from God and is used when the spirit leads and only a direct spiritual communication with God will allow for the adequate spiritual usage of the oil.  See, it is not our words that touch other people’s lives but it the words that God uses through us that actually speak to the people that are listening for those words and to those words.  In no way are we capable of convincing one person to change their ways and accept Christ without the divine presence of God being presented to them through spiritual communication.  If it was up to us, then we would blow it every single time we had an opportunity.

God’s immersion oil is applied when God is ready for it to be applied and not a second earlier or later.  We as humans like to rush this process and we have become famous for trying to complete this act with our own timing.  We like to believe that our communication lines with God are in excellent condition but how can they be if we do not have the strength to hold back when the time is not right.  Only God knows the human heart in manners that we cannot understand, it is He who prepares the heart and brings it into a place of readiness.  Only God knows the individual paths of humans so well that He can bring people together at a specific time and place and deliver His words to others in His own way. 

God places this oil within our lives as a key instrument in letting others know about His presence in their lives.  It is used by Him to show and to explain how much He loves us and desires for us to walk in Him.  The oil is used by people who understand this concept and are willing to share the gospel of Christ to them.  They know when to present the words of God to these people and it is at that time they find the correct words from God to speak to the other people’s lives.  It is our responsibility to keep our oil fresh within our lives so that when the time comes for God to speak through us it will be ready to use by Him.  It is also our responsibility to understand that there are times that God will not use His oil within us for specific reasons that may not be clear to us at that time.  Jumping the gun is not advisable but in some circumstances we do this and God’s message is thwarted.

It is imperative that we keep our spiritual ears and eyes open at all times.  God has His eyes on people and since He knows their hearts He might be calling on us to communicate His love for them through us.  It is at this time that we must be prepared to witness to these people by allowing God to use His oil to speak to others.  We are the only tools that God has on this earth to get the attention of other people.  The words we use at God’s moment may not always be of salvation but of encouragement.  The words may be of a matter that we have no idea of what is transpiring in that person’s life all we must know is that when God speaks to us to say something it means that His timing is accurate and it is the opportune time for us to use His oil and speak to that person. 

DLB

A New Day

A New Day

7/8/12

To each of us who are alive a new day has arrived in which we have woke up from our sleep, got out of our sleeping arrangements and began our routine human patterns to complete another day.  Many of us will face many trials and uncertainty while we are attempting to complete this feat while others will walk through the day without any hang-ups to speak of.  But in order for all of us to get through these days we need to be recharged through a process called rest and what many of us do not realize is that this process needs to be completed both in the physical manner and in the spiritual manner.  And when this process is not completed, on either level the results are disastrous for the human.

The human “day” can come in many forms, shapes and sizes.  The world that we live in does not have set hours that defines a day.  Many business and groups work continually around the clock because of the global environment that each of these organizations revolve within.  Global business has redefined the human life and all that it has to offer.  Some will say that is a bad thing and others will say that these working and living conditions actually make the world a better place and the human stronger.  Whatever the opinion of humans, everyone who works in this environment has to be recharged at some point so that they can face another one of their typical “days”.

Everyone would also have to admit that the current regime of daily activities takes a toll on our physical bodies.  When we begin these tasks that we are asked to complete, they seem minimal and some even trivial and we complete them with relative ease.  But as time rolls along these tasks that are asked of us or the other responsibilities that we have on top of our tasks begin to take shape within our bodies and we find ourselves feeling exhausted at the end of the day.   This is a normal physical process and our bodies really expect to be challenged throughout the day so this is not a bad thing.  However, the re-cooperation process is just as important as the hours of work which some of us forget to complete.

Sleep, how many of us have some sort of sleep deprivation pattern that steals our rest from our bodies.  Most of us do not realize that sleep actually restores our physical bodies so that we can function properly during our “up” hours.  Our sleep patterns define our bodily functions and it always affects our thinking capacity of our minds.  We all know that sleep habits come in various manners and that some of us actually need more sleep than other people.  WE also realize that when these sleep patterns are routinely disturbed that we can become ill or invite other physical ailments to invade our bodies, yet we continue to ignore the call to sleep and to rest that our bodies demand.  Since humans live in a global society our sleep patterns come at all hours of the day and can vary in length on the same level.

Being tired is an enemy that each one of faces each day.  Being tired does mean that we have pushed our bodies to a point where it has reached its limit for that day.  Sadly, many of us continue to push ourselves after we reach this point and then over an extended period of time we end up harming ourselves instead of doing any good for our bodies.  It is at this time that we need to realize that we need a recovery process and how vital this condition is within our lives.  Sadly, once again, we humans ignore this functioning state and continue our trek like nothing ever happened and then one “day” our bodies say to us that they have had enough and cease to function.

How many ways do we allow ourselves to alter this pattern of rest?  The human has found hundreds of ways to effectively sleep without allowing ourselves to actually rest.  We fill our bodies with chemicals that we deem important enough to be accepted into society or to follow the current trend of others.  It is popular to do what others are doing and to be accepted into this ideology of marketing.  However, on an individual level it actually harms our bodies into the mimicked stages of resting and creates added stress within our bodies so that the recovery time, the true recovery time, is extended even further.  I am not saying that there are certain chemicals that we do not need, in my case genetics plays a certain part in what I have to take in order to keep a healthy bodily state.  But what I am saying is that the other excessive habits that we do subject our bodies to do have an unwanted effect and should not be attempted on a regular basis.

Resting in this altered or mimicked state is not rest at all but an ingested or invited lie to your body that actually forms a synthetic truth which your body does not recognize.  The body’s defenses then have to recover in an unnatural manner which proves not to be rest but and aggravated assault on your entire inner body.  These mimicked conditions will eventually catch up with your body’s true demands of rest which can prove to be a detrimental decision.  This altered rest can eventually allow you to make terrible life changing choices which can cloud the mind in crucial times of need.  This altered state also proves to be a reason that some say that time will be no more, in ways that one will be so clouded in their judgment that even the reality of time is falsified.

All of us should recognize that this same concept applies to our inner spiritual begins as well.  Our spirits are continually being bombarded with attacks that eventually take its toll as well.  Spiritual attacks follow the same patterns as our physical encounters of our “day”.  However, with the spiritual attacks these continual assaults do not stop they are in motion with relentless intensity that does not stop.  Remember on a spiritual basis, spirit knows no time so its range of attacks and methods of attacks can be brutal and limitless.

Many of us do not share in our spiritual attacks and keep them within our lives, hidden to others.  Not all of us may understand this process but it is important for all of us to pray for these people because whether you realize it or not your spirit is being attacked at this moment.  Let me pose a question for you in such that do we realize everything that goes on in our world or even everything in our immediate settings?  The obvious answer is of course, no.  So if other people are directing your world or having some part in it without your knowledge, then it is feasible to say the same thing about the spiritual aspects of your life.  We must put this concept in our forebrains that everything around us serves a purpose and that purpose can determine your physical and spiritual needs and effectiveness.  And just a side note here, it does not matter if you believe in a spiritual side of your life or not it is there, and it will be attacked by your enemy.  Another side note here too and that is your enemy does not care if you believe in him or not, he I there and is completing his job unabated if this is your stance.

Spiritual rest is just as important as physical rest and in reality more important since it has a longer and more permanent consequence if not properly rested.  Our enemy attacks our spirits on a constant basis but many time we do not realize this is occurring since we are busy living our physical daily lives.  This is one effective method that our enemy uses to gain access through our doors that we have not closed and it is a process that is already engrained within our lives before we know what has occurred.  I am not saying that we are not prepared but use this example when thinking about this concept.  I have been writing about my heart attack a decade ago and during that process even though I had no real symptoms the process was still building within me before any pain began to appear.  So, the process is ongoing and it is our responsibility to be spiritually fit to hear God’s warnings when He informs us.

It is true that your body cannot find true rest unless your spirit finds the same true rest.  Resting the spirit actually is a divine process of restoration in which the spirit continues its direct communication with God and at the same time receives its abundant supply of life that allows for the continuation of the ongoing fight that it is begin subjected.  If the communication lines are not in tact or they are damaged in any way this supply line is cut and the needed life that God gives is limited or cut off which means sure defeat while the battle rages on.  The world teaches us that our spiritual matters are not important and that only the physical aspects are true and accurate.  This concept has proven time and time again to be false and it leads to only one outcome, death.

Spiritual life and spiritual communication with God is the only way that we humans have a chance in this world.  The battle has been set long before you and I arrived on this planet and it will continue until God ends the fighting.  Resting our spirits actually resets our spiritual security system as physical rest resets our immune system and natural defenses, which explains another reason why God says for us to rest in Him.

The world also teaches us that we need to be constantly on the move and making decisions in a split second.  How can we effectively accomplish this if we do not get our rest?  It is impossible for us to make continual and rational decisions if we are constantly draining our energy sources and there will come a time that things will catch up with us.  We see this every day around our world with people who enter into the emergency rooms sick with some type of ailment.  When you hear what they have been doing and then ask them about their sleep patterns, it is very clear what they were setting up for themselves.  The same principals apply in the spirit realm and it conditions that we place it in. We can have a great communication system with God but if we do not listen to Him saying to rest, then our spirits become subject to deeper attacks.

All of us wake up each morning to a new day and face many challenges.  These challenges are a part of life and it is imperative that we do everything possible to prepare ourselves for this combat.  The physical realm and the spiritual realm fit into this category and neither area should be taken lightly.  Attacks will come at any given moment and by the grace of God and our obedience, we have the authority to overcome these attacks on all levels.  Yes, we will not fend off every attack, but with our Godly rested bodies and spirits our defense system will be in better shape to fight off what has been thrown at us.

DLB