Monday (6/30/2014)

Update:

Saturday morning I got my workout and my bike ride done early in the morning.  Although it didn’t feel too warm with the breeze, the humidity was high.  My leg inside the silicone liner was sweating profusely.  About half way through the ride (7.75 miles), there was enough sweat inside the liner that it broke the seal.  After that while I was pedaling, on every upstroke air was sucked into the liner.  On every down stroke of the pedal the air was forced back out.  It sounded like adolescent boys making the armpit noise!  There really wasn’t anything to do until I got home, so I laughed a lot at the sounds as I rode home. 

After I got home from the ride, I needed to clean up before going to my office.  When I took the silicone liner off, I had a puddle of sweat on the floor about the size of a dinner plate.  Ugg!  After I washed my leg and put on a new dry liner, I was much more comfortable and I no longer made noise! 

I am amazed that I have still not needed to go into the prosthetist for any adjustments for two full weeks.  I am walking and using the leg as much as I ever have now.  The freedom feels wonderful.  It is such a change from the way things were going in late May and early June.  My hope is for many more days like I have been having.

On Sunday I decided to not bother with taking the wheelchair to church with me.  I went up and down the hallway numerous times during the morning without missing a beat.  I didn’t use the wheelchair until later in the afternoon when I decided to take my leg off during a nap.  Yep! I’m feeling pretty fine and happy right now!

I don’t have any medical appointments scheduled for Monday.  It’s my day off, so I’ll probably go into Eau Claire to do a few errands after I take my bike ride and do my exercises. 

Thought for the Day:

Remember the Tombstone Pizza commercial that intoned, “What do you want on your Tombstone?”  The double entendre caught our attention in a playful manner.  Putting the idea of what toppings you’d like on your pizza aside; let’s think of a more significant issue.  What do you want to be remembered for when you die?  What kinds of things are going to stick out to your family as they struggle to write your obituary?  What will the people who knew you think that your priorities in life were?

“Almost universally, when people look back on their lives while on their deathbed, they wished that their priorities had been quite different…   Instead, they wish they had spent more time with the people and activities that they truly loved and less time worrying about aspects of life that, up deeper examination, really don’t matter all that much.”  [Richard Carlson, Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff].

Why don’t you take a little time right now and think about your life.  Carlson suggests that you imagine that you are attending your own funeral.  Do you like what you hear about yourself as others talk about you?  Are you satisfied with how your life turned out?

If you aren’t, take time right now to make the necessary changes in your life so that when your life is actually over, you’ll be more satisfied with the legacy you leave behind.  And I am not talking about the fortune you amassed or the possessions that you left behind; I’m thinking about the relationships you formed, the people that you cared for, and your character qualities that people will remember.  Those things really define who you were as a person (not the accomplishments that you’d list on a resume). 

Someone has said that on a tombstone it’s the dash between the year of your birth and the year of your death that is important.  That dash represents all the days of your life in between the dates.  Make the choices necessary today so that in the future the dash on your tombstone represents a life well lived.

Friday & Saturday (6/27 & 6/28/2014)

Update:

I’ve decided that Thursdays are my official “I need a break from exercise” days.  I’ve been riding my bike about 5 miles (45 minutes) and exercising (45-60 minutes) five or six times a week, so taking a little rest break is good!  I did ride my bicycle to work and back, but other than that, I didn’t do any other exercises or workout on Thursday.  Besides my muscles were still not happy with me from what I did to them on Wednesday evening!!

I was disappointed that this week when I weighed in I had actually gained 1.6 pounds.  After all the workouts and portion control on my meals I was disappointed; but my wife reminded me that I am adding muscle mass while losing the fat. So I probably gained weight in muscle mass while I lost body fat.  If the fat is disappearing, so I am content with that.  I wore a pair of jeans yesterday that use to be snug around the waist; now without a belt they would have fallen off of me.  So it’s working!

My buddy, Mel, felt well enough to come by for a visit at my office on Thursday.  That made me so happy to see him out and about.  I’m hope for more days like that for him and his wife.  Mel has faced a series of ups and downs after an accident last summer left him paralyzed from the waist down.  Go Mel!!

I really enjoyed spreading my work out on two monitors at church. That was so helpful, thanks again Corey for getting my new computer up and running.  My wife and I were laughing about the fact that when my children see my new computer set up at church, they will know that someone else set it up for me.  “Warning! Old Man with Technology!”  As long as it works, I’m fine—otherwise, call in the support team.

By the time I got home from work and the appointments that I had on Thursday, I was worn out.   After dinner, I spent a few minutes watering the flowers and getting the recycling ready for pickup on Friday morning and then I sat down to read.  I didn’t get through but a couple of pages before I got sleepy and started getting ready for bed.  It was lights out for me by 9:30 p.m.

Friday was a busy day for me and I never got to finish my Update and Thought, and Saturday will be busy for me as well; so I decided to combine Friday and Saturday’s Update into one and get it sent out. 

Friday morning started with a meeting that went until after noon.  I got several phone calls while I was grabbing a quick lunch and construction began at the church today.  Construction workers dug out the two addition locations and poured the footers today.  The concrete truck got stuck in the yard.  Big piles of dirt everywhere (actually mud not dirt).  Sidewalk to the front entrance is gone!  Lots of things to distract me today!  I struggled working on my sermon all day and haven’t finished it yet.  So that is Saturday morning’s project along with typing the notes from Friday’s meeting before I have another meeting on Saturday afternoon.  I look forward to Saturday at 6 p.m. when both my wife and I will be off work and get to spend some time together. 

All this and my leg continues to work beautifully.  On Friday I did a lot of walking in the grass (uneven terrain is very taxing) and everything was still fine.  I am back to making progress on my walking skills again since I am mobile once more.

Thought for the Day: 

“Courage is not something that you already have that makes you brave when tough times start.  Courage is what you earn when you’ve been through the tough times and you discover they aren’t so tough after all.”  [Malcolm Gladwell, David and Goliath: Underdogs, Misfits, and the Art of Battling Giants].

In his book, Gladwell recounts the discovery that in London at the beginning of World War 2 that residents were afraid of the impending bombing of the city by the Germans.  But as night after night, the bombs fell something happened in the hearts of Londoners.  When they first climbed out of the shelters unscathed, they were exhilarated.  Then as they continued to emerge without a scratch, they became bold and courageous. 

He says that people are “also prone to be afraid of being afraid.”  For example we dread going to the dentist because we are afraid of the pain.  After our visit, we discover that we had over exaggerated our fear—the pain was not as bad as we expected.  When we live through events that caused us fear beforehand and find out that we are fine, what happens then?  “The conquering of fear produces exhilaration.  And the contrast between the previous apprehension and the present relief and feeling of security promotes a self-confidence that is the very father and mother of courage.” [Malcolm Gladwell].

I remember while I was in the hospital there was a procedure that I was terrified of undergoing.  I didn't have that much experience with medical procedures anyway and they were going to shove a camera down my throat to take some “photos” of my heart valves while I was lying down with my head lower than the rest of my body.  The thought of having my leg amputated wasn’t as frightening as this procedure was to me.  My wife and the nurses helped calm me down enough to undergo the procedure and while it was uncomfortable, it certainly wasn’t as bad as I had imagined beforehand.  Once I made it through that, I really wasn’t too worried about anything else they wanted to do to me.  Comparatively, it seemed easy.

What about you?  What tough times have you made it through?  Do you remember how anxious you were beforehand and now that you’ve made, it has changed your perspective?  “That wasn’t so bad.  I could do that again.”  If you think back over the course of your life, there might be dozens of events like that for you.

What should we learn from all of this?  We shouldn’t let fear hold us back from something new or different.  Fear shouldn’t immobilize us.  We should step forward in courage based upon our past life experiences.  We may have been wounded or knocked down sometimes; but we weren’t destroyed and taken out.

Be wise in the battles that you choose; but don’t allow fear alone to stop you in your tracks.  Even the Cowardly Lion learned to stand up and be courageous.  “Wait, I hear singing…’If I was King of the Forest…’”

Thursday (6/26/2014)

Update:

I spent all of Wednesday at the office with Corey working on setting up my new Windows 8 computer—transferring files, installing programs, getting copier and fax connected, etc. In between answering dialog boxes we got to talk and spend time together.  I really enjoyed the company and deeply appreciate his time that he gave.

One of the additional things that we worked on was a difficulty we’ve discovered with some of the church’s email addresses.  Since I haven’t been in the office consistently, it took some overdue bills and collection notices for us to realize that one of the addresses hasn’t been functioning.  That’s kind of embarrassing!  Sometimes the sender would get a notice or have an email returned; but apparently that wasn’t happening all the time either.  Although we don’t know why, after working with tech support yesterday, it started working perfectly again.  That is kind of scary!  I’m concerned that the email will be like my car which never makes that funny sound when it’s at the mechanic’s but starts acting up when I take it home.  I’ll actually have to pay close attention to what I receive and don’t receive for a while to comfortably declare that it’s fixed.  

As far as my leg is concerned, I’ve had one perfect day after another.  Right now I’ve gone ten days without going to the prosthetist to have my leg adjusted.  Wonderful!  I’ve resumed walking more and redeveloped a confidence in wearing the prosthesis.  I’ve gone back to assuming that I’ll be able to walk and do whatever I’m doing without worrying about needing the wheelchair right at my elbow all the time in case I need it suddenly.  That is a good feeling!

Despite the rain on Wednesday, I was able to get a six mile bicycle ride in after dinner.  I was glad that it dried up enough for me to do that; I had resigned myself to the fact that I would miss the ride because of the rain, so I was pleasantly surprised.  After the ride I did my floor exercises, showered and it was time for bed.

Thought for the Day:

No matter what your profession or your hobby, you want equipment that you can depend upon.  What if you didn’t trust your car to start every morning when you jumped in it to go to work?  What if people told you they had tried to call you but your phone never rang and didn’t show any missed calls?  It is the same with people, we need to be able to depend that what people said they’d do actually gets done.  What if your buddy promised to pick you up at the airport and he never shows?  What if the trash wasn’t put out at the curb last week and now you have an overflowing mound of refuse? 

It is so important for us to be dependable.  Right now I am thinking about those recovering from illness, injury, or who have limited mobility who rely upon the help and support of others to get them to the doctor’s office or to church on Sunday, for instance.  I relied upon a friend to shovel snow off my driveway this past winter.  My wife faithfully took me to every doctor’s appointment that I had until I regained my mobility.  I am relying upon my sons to mow my grass this summer because the mower is just too hard for me to push this year. 

In a marriage we rely upon our partner to do what they said that they would.  Pay the bills on time.  Pick up the kids after baseball practice or swimming lessons.  At our wedding, we make certain vows to one another.  We expect our spouse to honor those vows throughout our life together; just like they expect us to do the same. 

As a society we rely upon the promises of others.  We are confident that the electric company will provide power to our home and quickly repairs any interruptions in service.  We know that trash hauler will be by on Friday morning (or Saturday if it was a holiday on Monday) to remove our trash.  We turn on the faucet and expect pure, clean water to come pouring out.  We expect (with few exceptions) that our neighbors are law-abiding citizens and we’ll live in relative peace and safety in our homes.

Yesterday as I was on my bike ride, I got thinking about verses that I had memorized concerning the fact that God is trustworthy.  Here are a few that came to mind (you might have others that you could add to the list):

Numbers 23:19    “God is not man, that he should lie, or a son of man, that he should change his mind. Has he said, and will he not do it? Or has he spoken, and will he not fulfill it?” (ESV)

2 Corinthians 1:20   “For no matter how many promises God has made, they are ‘Yes’ in Christ. And so through him the ‘Amen’ is spoken by us to the glory of God.” (NIV)

2 Peter 1:4   “For by these He has granted to us His precious and magnificent promises, in order that by them you might become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world by lust.” (NASB)

1 Samuel 15:29     “He who is the Glory of Israel does not lie or change his mind; for he is not a man, that he should change his mind.” (NIV)

Jeremiah 32:17    “Ah, Lord GOD! It is you who have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and by your outstretched arm! Nothing is too hard for you.” (ESV)

God will fulfill every promise that he has made.  He never falters or takes a misstep.  We can be confident in what He has said.  The only time that we might perceive that He has failed is when we think He has promised something that He really hasn’t.  God isn’t obligated to fulfill every expectation or hope that we have; only the promises that He made.  So if it seems that God is unreliable—think again.  The problem is a misperception or misunderstanding on our part.  God set the standard for dependability.

Whatever you face today—remember that God has promised to be with you every step of the way.  What God has promised—He will do.  He is faithful.  He is trustworthy.  He is dependable.

Wednesday (6/25/2014)

Update:

On Tuesday I got my five-mile bicycle ride in early before the forecast said it would rain.  Ha!  I decided to try a new route.  I’ve been riding every day for almost two weeks; certainly I could handle that small hill down at the corner on Hwy J, right?  I eventually made it up that long gradual grade but the muscles in my legs were burning painfully by the time I made it to the stop sign.  I guess I need more time preparing my muscles for that level of workout—sounds sort of wimpy but that is where I am at right now.  Every day I get a bit stronger, so eventually I’ll get there and conqueror that hill and bigger ones too!

I spent the day working at my office.  I took all afternoon clearing off the piles of paper that had gathered on my desk over the last seven months of rushing in and rushing out of the office.  By nature I’d rather pile than file, so it is not as easy as it might sound for me to do this.  What is always so difficult is that I might want that item again, but where will I put it so that I can find it in six months?  I have found that it is easier to throw things away that I think I might want after they have sat buried on my desk for over a half year.  If I never missed them in that amount of time, I probably won’t miss them if they get permanently filed in the trash. 

I did some pre-marital counseling in the evening and then I went home and spent an hour exercising before going to bed. 

I forgot to tell you this story from last Sunday morning.  On Sundays I take my wheelchair with me and use it as I go back and forth down the hallway before church to save my walking for church and Sunday afternoon.  I always wear my black exercise gloves when I am in the wheelchair outside of the house.  The leather palms and half-fingers allow me to grip the wheel more firmly and have more power while I roll.  So this Sunday, I was rushing to get out of the house and get to church.  I grabbed everything quickly and got out the door.  In my rush, I put the exercise gloves on backwards, they fit either way; but now I have a nylon fabric on the inside against my palms.  As I roll down the first part of the ramp, I try to brake for the turn but the wheels slid freely through my hands and despite the death grip, I could not slow down.  As I am rushing towards the railing at the end of the run, I was barely able to get my right foot down and come to a stop.  Whoa!!  That was a rush!  After reversing my gloves, I made it down the rest of the ramp in a much safer fashion.  

One thing that I’ve notice during this last week is I am now able to sleep on my side again.  After my surgery I had to sleep flat on my back; that took me well over a month to learn how to comfortably do it. Once I had my leg brace off at night, I was told I could sleep on my side again; but I could never get comfortable with one leg shorter than the other.  Somehow in the last week, my body finally figured it out.  I shift back and forth from left side to right side during the night; but I’ve always done that.  Now occasionally, I will still sleep on my back as well.  Sleeping on my side feels so good and natural to me; I’m glad I have that position back again.  Over the years, curling up on my side has been the signal to my brain to shut off and go to sleep; so I can hit my natural “Off Switch” again!  Consequently, I don’t have to go to sleep with headphones on listening to music any more.  Nice!  Besides, sleeping on your side with headphones (or ear buds) is painful on the ears!

Thought for the Day:

John Maxwell in his book, “How High Will You Climb” talks about the fact that even Jesus received criticism while He walked this earth.  Maxwell says, “In spite of experiencing misunderstanding, ingratitude, and rejection, our Lord never became bitter, discouraged, or overcome.  Every obstacle was an opportunity.  Broken heartedness?  An opportunity to comfort.  Disease?  An opportunity to heal.  Hatred?  An opportunity to love.  Temptation?   An opportunity to overcome.  Sin?  An opportunity to forgive.  Jesus turned trials into triumphs.”

I think whoever wrote the line, “Sticks and stones may break my bones; but words will never hurt me” was an idiot.  Criticism can be very painful.  Words can be destructive and have lasting effect in our lives.  Even the thickest skinned person is damaged by a continual barrage of painful rhetoric. 

So what can we do when we face criticism?  First I think it is important to realize that no matter how hard we try, not everyone will like and appreciate us.    Sometimes what hurts is not what was said (after all it might be accurate) but how it was said or when and where it was said.  Sometimes we realize what hurt us worst was why it was said.

Always look for the kernel of truth embedded in a criticism.  Normally there is a least a bit of truth in what is said, no matter how poorly it was communicated.  Learn what you can from it and then move on and let it go.   Especially pay attention if the criticism comes from multiple independent sources.  There may be truth if more than one person sees it.

If there is someone who constantly belittles you; perhaps you can avoid them.  Sometimes that isn’t possible but it is a good idea to minimize our contact with people who are constantly putting us down with very little substance to their evaluation of us.  We don’t need the head game and the struggle to constantly recalibrate our thinking.

Ultimately, the only person’s evaluation of me that truly matters is what God thinks of me.  When I am stung by criticism, I turn to Him to see if it is an accurate criticism.   I take time to pray about the criticism and ask God to verify or deny what was said about me. 

After I have squeezed as much truth out of it as I can and made any necessary adjustments to my life, I look for encouragement to act as a salve on my wounded spirit.  Someone who is close to you and knows you, someone who will tell you the truth and still encourage you is an invaluable asset to have.   When you hear a fair evaluation, even if there is some correction needed it can be such a lift to your emotional well-being. 

So take comfort in knowing that even Jesus who was perfect was criticized.  His response to criticism is a role model that we can seek to emulate.  Everyone will have critics.  Don’t let criticism destroy you.  Take to heart what is valid and disregard the rest.  

Tuesday (6/24/2014

Update:

Monday morning I slept in until 6:30 a.m.; that felt nice!  After breakfast I was able to get my hour of exercises completed and took a shower before leaving for an appointment with my eye doctor. 

I did a vision field test and a number of other eye exams.  They were specifically looking for signs of glaucoma—which they did not find.  Yeah!  I have another appointment with him in six months—hopefully the swelling in my eyes will have gone done enough that I can finally get a new prescription for my glasses.  I’ll still be going to the retina specialist twice a month for the injections (and laser treatments when needed).  I also found out that I don’t have cataracts; apparently the trouble I have in bright sunlight is due to the swelling in the retina.  Sounds like when that is finally under control, my vision should vastly improve.  I cannot wait.  It has taken longer than I anticipated; but I’ve noticed that nothing changes because I desperately want it to.  It will take as long as it takes and that calls for continued patience.   

While I was waiting at the counter for the next available person to schedule my next appointment, an older lady with glasses and a cane rush up and jumped in front of me.  I am assuming that with all the weight I’ve lost that she didn’t see me because I am so much more slender…not buying it, huh?  Me neither; but I just stood there quietly waiting a little bit longer.  They still had plenty of appointment slots left for the day I wanted, so I didn’t really lose anything by being patient.

Because of my vision, I’ve quit reading traditional books.  Almost everything I read is on a computer or a Kindle so I can enlarge the print.  I have to use a magnifying glass or get someone else to read fine print for me.  Actually my vision has improved drastically since last winter.  Now occasionally I can read the newspaper without the desk lamp and a magnifying glass.  It could be worse, so I am not complaining.  I am grateful for the vision that I do have.  I am still able to drive and do most of the things that I like to do. 

After a quick lunch, Karen and I went to Sam’s Club.  It was nice to go shopping; I haven’t been for over a month.  If I am wheelchair bound, it is just easier to leave me at home so Karen can quickly go and grab the stuff that we need.  And with me losing weight, we just don’t go through many groceries anymore, so Karen can get wait we need quickly if she is in town for something else.  It takes a lot more time and a substantial increase in energy to load and unload the wheelchair, etc.  The only thing that I don’t like about shopping now is that all the motorized carts go half as fast as I think they should go.  Slow is one thing but I think snails could pass me!  At home, Karen carries in the groceries while I work at putting them away.

Later, I went on an eight mile bicycle ride which took almost a full hour.  About six days a week, I’ve been riding at least five miles per day.  My rear end gets a little tender while I ride.  I don’t know if that means I need a different seat or I just need to toughen my rear up?  Time will tell, I suppose.  After dinner I folded and iron clothes, took a second shower for the day and then did some reading before bed.

Thought for the Day:

Warren Wiersbe writes, “My pastoral ministry has put me in touch with people whose situation seemed hopeless from a human perspective, and yet they overcame their obstacles and handicaps and conquered in the end.  Hope was not, for them, a distant prospect; it was an ever present power…  How does this future hope enable us to bear today’s burdens and pain?  It assures us that we’re not suffering in vain…   Our present suffering is an investment in future glory.”  [Warren Wiersbe, Looking Up When Life Gets You Down].

Romans 15:13     “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”

1 Corinthians 15:58    “Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.”

One of the ways for us to gain hope is to hear the stories of others who have stood against seemingly insurmountable odds and have won.  Isn’t that what happens when we read the Old Testament accounts of God coming to the aid of the nation of Israel?  “God hasn’t changed in all these years, so if He could rescue them and enable them to be victorious, then He can do the same for me, right?”

Maybe you know someone personally who has gone through tough times and is doing a good job of hanging on and moving forward with life.   Their testimony can be an inspiration for us.  “If they can face their trials with such a positive attitude and determination, well then, I suppose that I can do the same with the things I face.”

Last night I found a website that I’ve been exploring.  Abled Amputees of America has tips, words of encouragement, stories and photos of amputees who are going about their lives and not letting a loss of limb keep them down.  For me, it is a source of encouragement and helps to build my hope as I look to my future.  Here’s their address if you’d like to check them out:  http://www.abledamputees.org/

I’m also reading my bible and praying daily, as well as reading a number of other books to feed my heart, mind and soul.  I seek to do as much for myself as I can without taking too many risks or wearing myself down.  I keep pushing myself a little each day.  I’m riding my motorcycle and driving my truck, so I have freedom and a sense of adventure.  Although my old standard bicycle didn’t work with my prosthetic leg, I found a type of bicycle that works and I have been riding almost every single day since I purchased it.  I am not going to win any races at the speed I go; but I am getting stronger each day and I am getting great exercise.

Yeah, my life has changed drastically over the last seven months; but not all of those changes have been bad.  Some of them have been a positive force in my life.  Life has become an adventure for me.  Something new to try; something new to conqueror. 

I am grateful for the opportunity that I have to continue living.  I know that no matter what I achieve or what limits that I bump up against that God is with me every step of the way.  So I am putting my best foot forward and continuing the journey with Him by my side. 

I hope that you will step up and step out as well.  I am certain that your life isn’t perfect and you have your struggles as well.  Just don’t let them define you.  Don’t give up without a struggle.  Stretch yourself and test your limits.  Seek to build your own personal relationship with God and find a hope that you can place your confidence in.  Then no matter how your life turns out, at the end, you’ll be able to look back and say that it was good.

Monday (6/23/2014)

Update:

All day Saturday was spent at a church workday.  We were preparing two areas of our building for expansion by removing siding, removing the rock from the area under the eaves, and removing a large wooden cross and some windows.  About a dozen of us worked from 8 a.m. until about 3 p.m. and were able to accomplish everything that needed to be done.

I didn’t climb scaffolding and couldn’t lift anything heavy, so I helped pick up pieces of siding that were removed and stacked them in piles for reuse later.  I also was sent to the lumber yard for supplies and went and picked up a large dump trailer with my truck.  Besides taking some photos and a few odd errands, I spent a lot of time in my folding chair watching others build and climb the scaffolding and do the labor.  That was a bit frustrating sitting on the sidelines watching others do the work; but was able to appreciate what they did more because I couldn’t contribute that much and could only watch.  I probably walked more on Saturday than I have in a long time (because I had no problem with my prosthetic leg).  I was very tired by the time I arrived home.

My boys, Jon and Josh, showed up to mow my lawn and take the tarps off the woodpile (should have been done sooner but wasn’t high on the priority list of things to get done).  I helped Josh with the tarps and afterward we sat and talked for a while.  They had gotten to the house before I got home, and found my new bicycle and gave it a test ride.  The said it felt strange compared to a regular bike, sort of like sitting in a chair and then pedaling.  Whatever!  I am just thankful that it works for me. 

In the evening, Karen and I went out to “How to Train Your Dragon 2” and then headed home for bed.  Sunday after worship we spent time with family and then I went on a bike ride (5 miles) and then my wife and I watched TV together for a while before bed.

I continue to be amazed that I have been able to be on my leg for so much time each day. On Sunday I put my leg on by 7 a.m. and didn’t take it off until about 9:30 p.m.  Yes!  I have started to feel like I can rely on my prosthetic leg again.  I usually keep my wheelchair close; but I don’t end up in it as often or consistently as I have been.  On Sunday mornings before and after the service, I’ve been using the wheelchair to save my leg a bit, so that I ensure that I am able to walk during church and then in the afternoon.

For the last month, I have been visiting my prosthetist 2-3 times a week for adjustments to my leg to give me merely an hour or two of use per day.  Now it has been a week since my last visit and I currently don’t have a need to go in yet while at the same time I’ve had 7-10 hours of use out of my leg each day.  Ahh!  Life the way it should be (at least for a guy with a prosthetic leg)!

On Sunday, my daughter-in-law, Amelia, gave me a belated Father’s Day gift.  A pirate shaped pencil sharpener.  You put the pencil up the leg hole, like he has a peg leg.  I laughed and laughed and laughed.  What a great gift for a guy like me!

Thought for the Day:

“To encourage people is to help them gain courage they might not otherwise possess—courage to face the day, to do what’s right, to take risks, to make a difference.  And the heart of encouragement is to communicate a person’s value.  When we help people feel valuable, capable, and motivated we sometimes see their lives change forever—and then see them go on to change the world…  God’s love FOR us gives us the reason to encourage others.  God’s love IN us gives us the ABILITY to encourage others.  God’s love THROUGH us gives us the WAY to encourage others.”   [John Maxwell, Encouragement Changes Everything: Bless and Be Blessed]

Encouragement can take many forms.  Some types of encouragement may work better than others on certain people and at specific points in their lives.  We all need to be strengthened so that we have the courage to take that next step.  It is such a great help to have someone come along side of us and pour positive affirmation into our hearts—“You can do this!  You can make it; just keep it up!”

As I think back over the last seven months of my life, I have had a number of medical personnel who have encouraged me when I was distressed or anxious—“It will be okay; you can do this.” They strengthened me and challenged me—“You just have to bear through this pain; it will get better soon.” They cautioned me and counselled me—“Slow and steady improvement; don’t go too far, too fast.”  They gave me hope and a forward vision—“You’ll have good days and you’ll have bad days; but notice that overall your making improvements.”

In our lives, hopefully we have a number of encouragers: parents, spouse, siblings, children, friends, clergy, supervisors, and even God Himself.  And let’s not forget the one person who is constantly with us who either lifts us up to try harder or discourages us to give up quickly—ourselves.  Yep!  Our own thoughts and mindset can help us along or hinder us and bring us to a stop.

When the tasks you face are going to stretch you beyond your limits; make certain to surround yourself with people and fill your mind with thoughts that will help you take just one more step than you thought possible and dig just a bit deeper and find within yourself the resources that you didn’t know you had.

And don’t forget, pass it on!  Once you’ve been encouraged, turn around and become an encouragement to others.

Psalm 31:24    “Be of good courage, And He shall strengthen your heart, All you who hope in the LORD.” (NKJ).

Saturday (6/21/2014)

Update:

After work on Friday, I went on a 7.2 mile bike ride.  I planned a route that I knew I couldn’t pedal up the hill (going west past the Mischke’s)—so I walked the bike up the hill stopping for breaks along the way up (.3 mile).  Riding down the hill into Fall Creek was the fun part; by the time I got home I was completely out of gas and had to lay down for a while.   Just to prove that I am a guy, after I felt better, I immediately did an hour of exercises.  Whew!  What a surprise!  I was wiped out again.  I sat at the table resting until Karen came home and fed me dinner.   So now I am deciding what else the night holds for me—I might drive down to the park and walk around a bit checking out the carnival at the Lion’s Fun Fest; but after that I’m thinking recliner!!

Thought for the Day:

In Acts 21, Paul is warned that persecution and imprisonment await him if he goes to Jerusalem.  His companions beg him not to go; however Paul decides that whatever fate awaits him—he must go.

Acts 21:10-13     “While we were staying for many days, a prophet named Agabus came down from Judea. ¹¹ And coming to us, he took Paul's belt and bound his own feet and hands and said, "Thus says the Holy Spirit, 'This is how the Jews at Jerusalem will bind the man who owns this belt and deliver him into the hands of the Gentiles.'" ¹² When we heard this, we and the people there urged him not to go up to Jerusalem. ¹³ Then Paul answered, "What are you doing, weeping and breaking my heart? For I am ready not only to be imprisoned but even to die in Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus."

“It is always the individual's responsibility to interpret the meaning and action required from counsel from others. This is not the role of the prophetic gifts of others. He is the messenger, the recipient needs to determine the action required from the message.  There is no reason to think that Paul went to Jerusalem in violation of the will of God. The prophetic forecasts were not prohibitions from the Holy Spirit but forewarnings of what lay ahead. Paul's friends tried to dissuade him from risking his life; but the apostle remained steadfast in accomplishing his mission that he believed was from God in spite of personal danger.  The important lesson for us is to understand that doing the will of God does not always have a positive outcome. If it did, we would make decisions based only on perceived outcome. This is not a biblical way of making decisions. Jesus was obedient to the cross.”   [Os Hillman, TGIF, Today God is First, on-line daily devotional, 6/21/2014].

Sometimes what God asks of us makes no sense.  At the time, it seems like doing just the opposite is more logical.  Perhaps your boss wants you to lie about an action that your company was supposed to take; but failed to do.  You know that lying is wrong because God tells us to speak the truth; however, if you don’t lie your company will be damaged, your boss will be mad at you, and you might even lose your job!  It would seem like the best course of action would be to spin the truth and cover for your company.  Despite the potential cost to us, God desires for us to be obedient to His word and to His will. 

I’ve been on mission trips where my personal safety wasn’t guaranteed.  I felt confident that God called me to serve in this fashion so I went without concern for my personal safety.  I knew that God was able to keep me safe and secure; but I didn’t have any promise that is what would happen.  The reality is that His plan might have included danger or harm to me.  My attitude was of trust and surrender.  God could do with my life what He willed (I wasn’t going to be able to stop Him anyway…) and I fully trust that He would be with me whatever I went through—so in the end, it would be okay. 

Sometimes determining what God wants us to do isn’t obviously clear cut.  While making a list of Pros/Cons might be helpful; it alone can never be the final determining factor.  Sometimes God invites us to step out in faith into the realm of the unknown where we are forced to trust Him with everything we hold dear. 

It is easy to do so when everything always turns out nice and pretty.  It is much tougher when life turns ugly and vicious.  We may not always understand His plan.  We may have chosen a different outcome.  We might end up going through pain and misery.  But God will walk through it every step of the way with us.  We won’t be left alone; nor will we be left without the resources that we need.

So as you seek to follow God in your life; don’t let fear guide your decisions.  Have faith and trust in God to lead you to the best path to follow.  He’ll be your companion every step of the way.

Friday (6/20/2014)

Update:

On Thursday, I got to the office and spent the morning and early afternoon working on my message, emails and typing some notes from a meeting.  Mid-afternoon I left to go the Home Medical Supply Store to pick up my seat cushion for my wheelchair.  It was sort of funny as I waited in line, sitting in my wheelchair, a woman rushed in unaware that I had been waiting 10 minutes and jumped up to the counter when the sales person was free.  I figured if she was in that big of rush, she could go first.  I eventually got my cushion and it feels good! 

I did my weigh-in for the Biggest Loser and I had lost 4.8 pounds in the last week!  Those daily bike rides along with my exercise workouts really paid off!  So far I have lost over 19 pounds.  I have plenty more pounds to lose but it feels good to have made so much progress so far.  I’ll just keep doing what I’ve been doing.

After my work out on Wednesday night, I decided that I would not do any of my floor exercises or free-weights on Thursday.  I have been pushing it hard every single night and all my muscles were sore at the start of Wednesday night’s workout.  I figured that I really needed to give the muscles a rest for one night. 

Despite the forecast, I did manage to put another 5 miles on my bicycle on Thursday.  I decided that after dinner I was just going to sit and watch TV.  It hasn’t even been on since last weekend.  Going to bed early was also on my schedule—but I often plan to do that but never quite get everything done to actually do it.  I believe that tonight is the night!

One anecdote from Thursday morning:  I have had one sore spot on the back of my right heel for a couple of weeks now.  Although I always crank the laces as tight as I can get them, the sore has probably been caused by the shoe rubbing up and down as I am walking.    So my physiatrist recommended three things to try.  Add a poly sock-liner, add a second sock, put a Band-Aid over the spot before putting on the socks.  I’ve been doing all three and the redness and sore have healed.  But as I examined my foot (have to do it each morning) it seemed that the bump on the back of my heel is larger than it has been.  I wasn’t certain exactly what I was seeing; but as I sat in the wheelchair with my stump up on the calf pad right in front of me, I thought to myself: “I’ll just compare the way this looks to the heel on my left foot.”  Oophs!!  Ain’t goin’ to happen!   I laughed at myself for a good long time.  Although in my defense, I did have a left foot for over 55 years, so it was natural habit to assume I still had it even seven months after the amputation, I guess.  Sometimes change is hard to wrap our minds around.

Thought for the Day:

It amazes me as I look back on my life some of the mistakes that I have made.  Most were inconsequential; however some were real doozies.  Some mistakes I have repeated over and over while many I have learned from so that I don’t repeat them.  It is pretty amazing to me how creative we can become in making almost the same mistake repetitively. We figure that we are close to being right so we just move a little left or right and try again.  It reminds me of people ice fishing.  They drill a hole through the ice and don’t get any bites.  So they drill another hole just a foot away.  If they still don’t catch fish, another hole gets drilled, often very close to the last hole.  While I know that a few inches can make a difference in whether you catch fish—the idea that I am talking about is that once we get an idea in our head; sometimes it is hard to move away from it and start with a fresh, creative approach.

One of my favorite sayings attributed to Mark Twain (along with a host of others) is this: 

Obviously we need to change what we are doing, our attitudes, or our thinking if those things don’t really work for us. Change doesn’t happen without a conscious effort.  So when things don’t turn out the way we’ve hoped, we need to stop, ponder, and plan for a different outcome; not just try to do the same thing over and over.

 “Mistakes can often be our best teachers.  If we are willing to admit them and learn from them, we gain in knowledge and wisdom.  We can do so if every time we take time to reflect on them by asking:

What went wrong?

When did it go wrong?

Where did it go wrong?

Why did it go wrong?

How did I contribute to making it go wrong?

What can I learn from this experience?

How will I apply what I’ve learned in the future?”

                [John Maxwell, Sometimes You Win, Sometimes You Learn].

So today when you make a mistake, take time to ask yourself those helpful questions so that you can begin again more intelligently.

Thursday (6/18/2014)

Update:

I was up and at the church by 9 a.m. yesterday.  I was happy with what I got accomplished at the office—and there is still plenty left to do for today and tomorrow!!! 

My wheelchair was given to me by a family member; but the seat cushion was missing.  A buddy of mine loaned me two thick gel cushions which aren’t quite the right size; so I decided it is time to get a proper seat cushion.  What a circus!  I was told by my doctor and physical therapist to go to the medical supply store and pick one out.  They would send the paperwork over to get the doctor’s signature for my insurance to cover it.  The medical supply store asked for my prescription for the cushion.  I told them the doctor said to send the paperwork over to her to sign.  They said that they can’t do that because it is against the law; it is considered soliciting.  Really?  I finally got something worked out but was told that insurance may not pay for the cushion after all since they didn’t buy the wheelchair.  Huh?  The lady at the medical supply said that many people will go ahead and get a complete wheelchair because insurance will cover that when all they needed was a seat cushion. On the cheap end of the spectrum, that is over a $1,000 versus $100—yeah that’s good business sense! And we wonder why insurance costs are so high!!!

In the evening I got my bicycle adjusted (seat angle and position) and then went for a six mile ride.  I had a strong head wind on the way out of town that I struggled against; but the ride back was a breeze!  Literally!  After the ride I did an hour’s worth of exercises, showered and went to bed.  

My life right now is pretty consistent.  I get up and read and write for a couple of hours each morning.  Go to work. Have a medical appointment or errand to do. After dinner I don’t do too much except exercise of some form or another.  I don’t have time for too much else while trying to lose the weight that I need to shed.  In the process I am getting stronger and finding more energy—it’s a good thing!

I’ve had the best week so far in over a month concerning the fit of my prosthesis.  I haven’t been pushing the walking, but I have been walking around the house and office, in and out to the truck, etc. without struggles with my leg.  That’s been nice!  I haven’t started walking my block again—but I have slowly increased the amount of walking each day.  I’ve also relaxed keeping the wheelchair with me wherever I go.  I haven’t needed to switch back to it because of pain.  I don’t know how long this phase will last—but I am thankful for it!

Thought for the Day:

“When we are broken, we see the frailty of human strength and come to grips with the reality that we can do nothing in our own strength. Then, new strength emerges that God uses mightily. God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble.  Do not fear brokenness, for it may be the missing ingredient to a life that emerges with a new kind of strength and experience not known before. Pray for a broken and contrite heart that God can bless.”  [Os Hillman, TGIF, Today God is First on-line daily devotional, 6/19/2014].

2 Corinthians 12:10   “That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”

Philippians 4:13    “I can do all things through him who strengthens me.”

It is not until we reach the end of ourselves that we discover the true strength that is found in God alone. 

Let’s face it.  None of us like disaster or difficulties to strike our lives.  We avoid them as if they were the plague.  In our minds they are bad, Bad, BAD.  And yet, the bible speaks to the fact that when we strive in our own strength and rely upon ourselves that we will ultimately fail.  Victory and the strength to succeed are ultimately only found in Christ.  But we don’t usually find this out until we are at the end of our rope and our fingers are slipping and we are falling.  Usually until that point, we will not cry out to God in total desperation and complete dependence upon Him.

God usually doesn’t share the spot light with us.  If God rescues us in the middle of our struggle, we might easily assume that our deliverance was 40% me and 60% God.  We mistakenly give ourselves too much credit.  It is often not until all hope is gone that God steps in so that we are certain that it was God who deserves the credit.

We find that the “weakness” of the Lord is stronger than the “strength” of mankind. What He brings to the table is much greater than we could ever deliver.  His resources are inexhaustible.  They are renewable.  They are awesomely powerful.  On the other hand, our strength runs out.  It is puny.  It is rarely enough.  That is why Paul can say that when he himself is week (has discovered the end of his own strength) then He is strong (as God rushes in to support him).

So when disaster or difficulties arrive at your doorstep—don’t panic.  You are actually in a great place to discover a deeper, more profound reliance upon God.  The road won’t be easy—and if it was, you wouldn’t need God; but His companionship is well worth the pain and struggle.

Wednesday (6/18/2014)

Update:

I drove my truck to Stevens Point and back on Tuesday for a meeting at my denomination’s District Office.  I chose the truck over the motorcycle because of the forecast: 60% chance of severe thunderstorms.  On the drive there and back again it was sunny with barely any clouds in the sky!!!  Oh well!  Better safe than sorry—but still wish I would have ridden the cycle.  I enjoyed the meeting and got back to Fall Creek by about 3 p.m. 

At dinner time, I rode my bicycle for about five miles.  Then I went to the church for a meeting and afterwards spoke on the phone with our computer tech concerning not receiving all the emails being sent to us.  I came home and did about 30 minutes of floor exercises and then headed to bed.

Today is my daughter Ruth’s birthday.  I wish I was there with her to wish her ‘Happy Birthday’ in person.  I know she and her husband are doing well where they are at—so that is enough for me.

Surprisingly, my leg continues to fit well in the prosthesis—at least so far.  I haven’t been doing a lot of walking; but it has been great not constantly needing the wheelchair and not being in pain.  If this trend continues, I might try resuming some of my “two-legged endeavors” that I stopped doing a month ago when my weight loss triggered a decrease in my reliability in walking. 

Even if this doesn’t last, this respite has been a needed mental break from what I was experiencing.  If you know someone who has been ill or recovering from a stay in the hospital, etc. why don’t you send up a prayer asking God to give them a respite from the pain and struggle that they have been going through?  Ask that they get a taste of their old self back and experience some temporary relief at least.

Thought for the Day: 

Have you stopped and taken time to thank any one today?  Whether it is writing a letter or short note, or speaking to someone on the phone or in person—who have you thanked today?

In premarital counselling I use a popular curriculum called “Prepare/Enrich.”  One of the homework activities that it assigns couples is to give a Daily Compliment.  “Daily Compliments help us to focus on positive things you like about each other.  Every day give your partner at least one genuine compliment.  These can be general (‘you are fun to be with’) or specific (‘I appreciate that you were on time for the concert.’).”

Richard Carlson in “Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff—and it’s all small stuff” encourages people to “once a week write a heartfelt letter.”  “Taking a few minutes each week to write a heartfelt letter does many things for you.  Picking up a pen or typing on a keyboard slows you down long enough to remember the beautiful people in your life.  The act of sitting down to write helps to fill your life with gratitude…  Not only does writing and sending a note like this focus your attention on what’s right in your life, but the person receiving it will, in all likelihood, be extremely touched and grateful…  Chances are, there are a number of people in your life, or from your past, who are quite deserving of a friendly, heartfelt letter.  Even if you don’t have people in your life to whom you feel you can write, go ahead and write the letter to someone you don’t know instead—perhaps an author… or to a great inventor or thinker from the past or present.  Part of the value of the letter is to gear your thinking toward gratitude.  Writing the letter, even if it isn’t sent, would do just that.”

Stopping to give thanks and displaying a grateful heart is a very healthy thing to do.   It helps keep our mind focused upon the very many positive aspects of our lives for which we should be appreciative.  A very common example might be a teenager who can choose to find fault and develop a very negative attitude towards their parents.  By practicing gratitude, this teen could come to see the very many positive things that mom and dad are doing and develop a greater respect for them.  Adults might need to write a note concerning their work place or their boss.  And let’s not forget to spend time and give God thanks for all He has done and continues to do in our lives.

Tuesday (6/17/2014)

Update:

My buddy, Art, and I went on a meandering 80 mile motorcycle ride between Fall Creek and Mondovi on Monday morning.  Art found some great back roads with fun twists and curves.  The weather was perfect.  We stopped at a little café in Eleva for lunch before returning home.

I got cleaned up and then headed in for my prosthetist appointment.  Leah permanently attached a layer of leather around the top of my foam liner since the temporary one really seemed to make a difference in the fit of the prosthesis.  Since I’ve had that in since last Thursday, I’ve been able to walk much more each day.  That adjustment gave me the most progress than anything else we’ve tried recently.  I’m still keeping my wheelchair close in case I need it; but I’m lasting much longer now.  The top of one of my silicone liners (I have two so I can wear them on alternate days) has been rolling up on me while I was wearing it; that’s very irritating as you feel that bulge develop under your pant leg.  I was constantly trying to unroll it since it is uncomfortable if you are sitting down.  Leah cut off the part of the liner that was rolling and told me to use one of our 2-liter soda bottles and put the liner on it to stretch it out.  We haven’t had any 2-liter bottles in our house for years.  I’ll have to dig one out of the trash at church. 

After my appointment, I came home and took a 40 minute bike ride around Fall Creek.  I downloaded a free app for my Droid phone which tracks your route and then gives you info like how far you rode, what was your average speed, number of calories burned, etc.  I rode 5.3 miles and burned 566 calories.  The app I used is called CycleDroid.  I could hardly believe that I rode over five miles and I didn’t even ride on every street in Fall Creek!!!  Almost, but not quite.

When I came in from my ride, I got on the floor and did my exercises (push-ups, crunches, side planks, bridges, etc.) and worked out with my weights for about an hour.  Then I folded my laundry, ironed a few pieces of clothes and then worked on this update.  Then it was time to clean up and get to bed.

On Tuesday, I have an all-day meeting in Stevens Point at our church’s district office.  Last year I rode my motorcycle to the meeting and got caught in a terrible thunderstorm.  When I finally got to one, I sat under an overpass for 20 minutes until the rest of the storm blew over.  I literally poured rain water out of my motorcycle boots.  Every bit of clothing was completely soaked.  When I finally arrived, the A/C was on in the meeting and I froze.  I started shaking so badly that they turned the A/C off for me.  On the ride home, the sun came out and it was so hot that I dried out from the rain and then became soaked again this time with sweat.  From one extreme to the other!  I’d really like to ride my motorcycle to the meeting but the forecast is for scattered thunderstorms again.  Last year it was just a 10-20% chance of rain and I got several inches of it—this year they forecast a 60% chance.  I think I’ll drive my truck this year and leave the bike parked in the garage.  I wonder what it would be like having my prosthesis filled up with rain water?

In less than 30 minutes of being in the wheelchair this morning (Tuesday), the pain in my hip is intense.  My physiatrist says that it is caused by a tendon in my hip responding to having my leg elevated while seated in the wheelchair.  The only relief to be found is lying face down on the floor for 5-10 minutes, this stretches out the tendon and eases the discomfort. So far after being up for two hours, I have been driven to the floor twice already.  Some days, it is like that!

Thought for the Day:

Timothy Keller in his book “Walking with God through Pain and Suffering” relates the story of Russ and Sue.  Sue contracts cancer, fights through multiple rounds of treatment only to have the cancer return each time with a vengeance.  Over and over again they undergo harsh treatments and then face even harsher illness.  Sue contracts an illness due to the chemo and radiation treatments and ends up undergoing a double lung transplant. Four months later signs of rejection begin. So the doctors begin preparations for a second double-lung transplant.  Through it all, Russ says, “Yet somehow, God eases the pain, exhaustion, and anger we cannot bear anymore, and encourages us forward.” It would be natural for Russ and Sue to become despondent and give up hope because of what they have endured.  But their attitude stays positive.  Russ continues, “We’ve come to accept that we will not have the life of stability and comfort we had hoped.  We’ve come to realize that we should not have been striving for stability and comfort but for total dependence on God, from whom we draw strength.  This requires a daily effort to give up all to Him.  Our real comfort is the promise that ‘in heaven our joy will be made greater as a result of the depth of our distress.’  We may be crippled still, but empowered by our renewed faith.  God has helped us to persevere and that gives us hope and strength to carry on.”

Wow! Listening to Russ and Sue relate their story and learn how they are handling it all really puts me to shame.  I have emotional meltdowns over far less; how about you?  My problems are inconsequential comparatively.  Their story reminds me of how we should be responding.

The thought comes to mind, “so how do you develop such faith and conviction?”  The answer is painfully clear.  You gain it by undergoing severe trial that takes you far, far beyond what you can cope with.  As you undergo trial after trial, God finally brings you to that place in your life.   You have a choice to make about how you will respond to this day’s distress.  It is the accumulation of those daily choices that add up to such a powerful conclusion.

So what choices are you making as you undergo whatever trials you are currently facing? 

Fill your mind with the biblical stories of God’s faithfulness during times of distress and fill your heart with His promises of His strength and comfort.  As you continue to rely upon Him day by day, your spiritual muscles grow so that you can trust Him in bigger and bigger things in your life.  Use whatever troubles you are currently facing and begin exercising you faith, trust and reliance upon Him; so that in the end your spiritual strength will have grown.  The result will be that in the day of disaster, you will be able to bear up under its load, not because of some personal, inner strength that you possess; but because of constant use, your relationship with God has grown so that nothing will destroy you.

In John 16:33, Jesus said, “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace.  In this world you will have trouble.  But take heart! I have overcome the world.”