Friday (9/12/2014)

Thought for the Day:

Yesterday I attended the 9-11 Memorial Service in Eau Claire.  As I think of that day’s events, I would guess that none of the emergency responders (firefighters, EMS, or police officers) had any idea that their life would end on that day.  They got a call about a massive event and rushed to the scene as they were dispatched.  Most of them probably got into that kind of work because they wanted to help people and make a difference.  It ended up that they died while doing what they did best and what they enjoyed doing.  They found their purpose in life and they were doing it when their time ran out.

Think about it.  Who runs into a burning building?  When hundreds of scared people are fleeing going down the stairs, who in their right mind is climbing up the stairs?  It is a testimony of courage, dedication, and sacrifice to do exactly the opposite of what your brain is urging you to do.  It is a recognition of the fact that somebody needs to do it.  People need heroes who will be there when they have a need.  From one angle, the first responders who died while doing their job were in the wrong place at the wrong time and it cost them their lives.  From another angle, they were in the right place at the right time to help as many people survive as was humanly possible.

On 9-11 we paused to remember their courage and sacrifice along with great number of innocent lives which were extinguished that day.  We should continue to lift up prayers for the families who were left behind and left incomplete because of that day.  Dads and moms, brothers and sister, aunts and uncles, sons and daughters, grandmas and grandpas, nieces and nephews, all suddenly taken from their loved ones.

My thought in writing today is to remind everyone that we need more heroes.  We need more people who will risk their lives in service to those around them.  We need people who think more of others than they do of themselves.  Men and women who will choose courage and determination.  You don’t become a police officer, firefighter or EMS for the high pay.  You do it for the satisfaction of knowing it’s a job that needs to be done and you are able and willing to step up and do it.  I hope that more people will feel that call and join their ranks.

As a chaplain for two police departments and a fire department, I get a first-hand glimpse of the men and women doing this job.  It is often a thankless task.  I salute them and want to express my deep gratitude for what they do. They aren’t perfect.  Sometimes they make mistakes.  But considering the pressure they’re under and the situations they are called to handle; I can think of no one else I would rather trust my life with.

Thank you for serving.  Thanks for putting others first.  Thanks for every hour of lost sleep and every drop of sweat that you give.  Thanks for striving to be professional and courteous in difficult situations.  Thank you all the hours of training you do to keep proficient in the tasks you are called upon to do.  Thank you for striving to make a difference in the world around you.  The world needs more heroes.  You may not wear a cape; but I think you fit the description pretty well!

God bless you and stay safe!

Thursday (9/11/2014)

Update:

Yesterday I visited my prosthetist for some adjustments to my leg.  She added some additional padding around the knee and really tightened that up.  I was amazed at the difference that made going up and down stairs.  I was able to walk up relying more upon my leg muscles and less on the cane and the handrail.  I also was walking slightly on the outside of my foot and the adjustment in the knee straightened that out as well.

Next we looked at why when I switch from my shoes to my boots, my left leg is shorter in the boots.  It is fine in the shoes but short in the boots!?!  We couldn’t find a reason; but after adding a 3/8 inch pad in my left boot, I walked normally again and my hips were level.  It feels much better now than before when I  definitely had a limp in my gait (or a hitch in my giddy-up).

I next asked about getting my prosthetic leg wet.  I was fairly certain that I was told not to do it.  But it just struck me that as a pastor I need to be able to do baptisms.  My denomination practices baptism by immersion which means that I stand in the pool of waist-deep water along with the person being baptized.  So I was wondering how I could do that.  They’ll be ordering a water leg for me, a special liner-like material that covers the exposed part of my residual leg and goes down over the top of my prosthesis.  This is supposed to water proof my leg.  I have to cover the locking mechanism with packing tape so water doesn’t get in that way and coat the set screws in my ankle with Vaseline to keep them from rusting.   I also have to have a pair of water shoes to wear.  I just bought a pair at Scheels but I never checked to see how they fit on the shell foot of the prosthesis-I just fit them to my right foot.  My right foot and my shell foot are technically the same size, however since my shell foot is rigid, it makes a big difference how easily a shoe goes on it. I have to go back to the store and get a second pair that are one size larger for use on my prosthesis.  Fortunately they are on clearance sale so it is very reasonable to do that. 

Thought for the Day:

I spent some time this morning sorting through clothes that no longer fit me well with my diminishing waistline.  I did that about two months ago but it was time to do it again.  As I removed the last of the 46 inch waistlines and size 18 shirts from my closet, it struck me how easy it is to fill our lives with clutter.  I have to admit that there were some shirts that I hung onto for too long because of an emotional attachment.  “How can I give up this shirt?  It is one of my favorites?”  It doesn’t fit anymore.  It doesn’t look good on me so why hang onto something that I definitely won’t wear again?  I am also amazed at how long it takes to sort through everything.  You accumulate things one or two at a time and I don’t remember gathering this much stuff; but over time it all piles up.  And it takes a long time to go through a closet full of clothes to try them on to see if they still fit.

And this just doesn’t happen with clothes.  I can go to the garage and look at the tools, the nuts and bolts, along with various miscellaneous stuff that I don’t even remember that I own until I need to dig through the pile in an attempt to find something.  I couldn’t believe how many shoes that I got rid of after my amputation.  I have a number of coats that are already too big for me; but I’ll wait until spring to get rid of them and get one more season of use before I turn them in to some place like Goodwill. 

Most of our closets are stuffed with clothes that we no longer wear, don’t fit, or we don’t care to wear anymore.  There is no room to hang up one more shirt or put one more piece of laundry in our chest of drawers.  Even if we want to there is absolutely no way we can squeeze in one more thing.

Another reason that I am sorting through clothes once again is that I have to plan ahead on pants to wear. I have to get most of my pants modified to fit over my prosthesis—the majority of pants right off the shelf don’t work.  So I have to plan ahead so that when I need the next smaller size of pants, I have what I need already for me hanging in the closet. 

Our closets are sort of poetic representations of our lives.  We stuff so many activities into our schedule that we don’t have time for one more thing.  If an emergency or last minute request comes in we have no way to handle because we are already maxed out.  And forget about having any time left to just sit quietly and reflect on our lives for a little bit.  “I have too much to do to just sit around and do nothing!”

I would suggest that our lives would be simpler and much more productive if we cleaned out our schedules like we clean out our closets.  Get rid of activities that no longer really fit who you are.  Are there things that you would like to be doing but just don’t have the time?  Perhaps you need to drop a few good things so you have room to do better, more important things?  One thing you should ask yourself is whether you current activities and things that consume your time truly reflect your values.  If they don’t it’s time to off-load!  Most of us don’t normally think along these lines.  Take some time to evaluate and do a bit of house cleaning!

Many of us feel guilty if we aren’t actively doing things every spare moment of the day.  And this carries over to our religious life as well.  We can get so busy doing for God that we don’t have time to spend with God and build our relationship with Him. 

In the bible, two sisters had Jesus over to their home.  A large group of people came over to listen to Jesus teach.  Martha was consumed with her hostess duties while her sister, Mary, dropped the chores she was doing and sat listening to Jesus teach.  Martha became frustrated at her sister and she asked Jesus to make Mary get up and help her get everything done; after all, taking care of a house full of guests is a lot of work for one person to do alone.  Listen to Jesus’ response:

Luke 10:41-42   “Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, but few things are needed—or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.”

We get distracted by the things in our lives.  The more possessions we own, the more of our time they take up.  Our schedules get so packed that we don’t have time for God, friends and sometimes even family.  We trade the good for the better and the best, instead of the other way around.  We also can clutter our minds with old memories, unhealthy thoughts, grudges we nurse, and bad attitudes.  Imagine all of the emotional energy we could save if we just dump some of that junk!

I’ve found that unless we purposefully stop to evaluate our lives, we just won’t do it.  Sometimes an accident or an illness might force us to do so; but for many people, they just continue on with lives never even aware of the amount of junk they drag around with them. 

Take some time to clean your house, empty your closets and make room for something better!

Wednesday (9/11/2014)

Update:  

I had a busy weekend and by Sunday afternoon at 1:30 p.m. I ran out of energy.  One minute I was fine and active and the next minute it was like my battery had completely discharged.  I crawled into bed for a three hour nap and woke up refreshed.  I spent the evening at the County Jail helping to conduct worship services for the inmates.  I came home tired and felt like I could go right back to sleep; but I couldn’t—imagine that after a three hour nap!  I used the time to work at getting my files backed up from my computer and began rebuilding it from scratch.  I am happy to say that my computer problem is resolved and for the most part I’ve got all my documents and programs reloaded.  I went for over a week without internet and I am glad that I have it back!  It was insane how many times I started towards the computer to check something on-line and then stopped realizing that I couldn’t.  Tech is wonderful when it works and we have become so accustomed to it that it is difficult when it is down.

On Monday I had a podiatrist follow-up appointment.  He seemed pleased with how everything was going.  One issue that I have is a bone spur on the back of my heel.  It isn’t bad enough to warrant surgery, but it can be painful and it would be easy for a blister to form there.  Consequently I tie my shoes very tight so that they can’t slip and rub.  I also wear a poly-liner sock and at least one or two other socks on that foot each day.  There is a concern that since I had a sore that turned into a bone infection on my amputated foot, that if I get a sore on this foot the same thing might occur very quickly.  So I have to be extremely careful with my foot and I inspect it daily for any signs of a wound or infection.  My doctor gave me a padded silicone “sock” to weak over the bone spur.  I was told that I should be able to wear less socks with greater comfort.  So far it seems to be working.

I was told that I could purchase some aqua-socks or water-shoes to wear at the gym when showering.  I went to Scheels and found a pair of water shoes that fit.  I tried to talk the salesman into selling me only the right foot since I didn’t need the other shoe and give it to me at half price.  He wouldn’t budge with the price (as I suspected).  I had fun giving him grief and teasing him.  So I have a left foot water shoe available that I have no use for.  It is a size 10 (however my other shoes are 11 1/2 or 12’s).

I went to work out at the gym Monday afternoon.  I was just getting ready to use some of the leg machines to do curls and lifts when two high school aged girls got on them.  I just used some of the other equipment until they were done and then went to get on them.  Although the girls were younger and average in size (sophomores?); I had to cut the weight they used on the machines in half so I could do my exercises.  It was a little poke to my pride; but I haven’t used my legs much in the last two years so I suspect it will take some time to rebuild them.  So my current goal at the gym is to lift as much weight as a skinny sophomore girl!!!

On Tuesday, I put my boots on and grabbed my walking sticks and spent a couple of hours hiking on the hunting land I’ll be using this fall trying to get familiar with the terrain.  It has a steep hill that I climbed and then fought through the tangles coming back down.  I got a great workout walking in the woods!  The adjustable walking sticks were invaluable.  I could not have walked that terrain without them.  I saw some deer sign and I decided where I will try hunting on my first day.  It looks like it will be fun!  By the time I got back to the truck I was tired and my legs needed a rest.

On Tuesday evening I went to the Fire Department in Altoona.  It is time for the yearly pressure tests on every piece of fire hose.  I was able to help drag hose, drain it afterwards and help carrying it back to be stored on the trucks.  All my clothes were drenched through with sweat and I was worn out by the time we finished.  I realize that I have a long road for recovery.  I am not up to full strength and I am just learning how to really dig in and used my left leg while pulling hose, etc.  There is a picture of me, one of the firefighters, and one of our explorer scouts while on a break at the hose testing. 

As was talking to my wife this morning about how exhausting the hiking and the hose testing were, we both recognized how blessed I am that I can still do those things, even if it is at a reduced pace.

On Wednesday I have a prosthetist appointment.  With my boots on, my left leg feels about an inch too short; that throws my hips out of balance and makes me slant while I am standing and lurch to the side when walking.  I suppose that I’ll need a lift for that boot to help straighten me out. 

I have a couple of other questions that I need answered as well.  One issue is how I perform baptisms.  My church practices baptism by immersion; that means I am standing in waist-deep water with the person being baptized.  I was told I am not supposed to get the leg wet, so…  I have a couple of ideas; but I need to find the best solution.

Wednesday and Thursday are filled with appointments and activities.  I’m looking forward to Friday where I am just scheduled to be in my office quietly working; that sounds nice!

Thought for the Day:

I was thinking about how important hope is to our lives.  Whenever we are faced with difficult or trying circumstances, it is hope that gets us through.  We have a hope that things will not remain the same and eventually things will get better.

I’ve been fortunate with my left-leg amputation.  From the very beginning I was told that my prognosis for returning to a very active life and resuming most of the things that I used to do was very high.  Despite spending over three months in a wheelchair, I’ve had the hope of looking forward to walking and doing stuff I love.

It is taking time and I have to work at rebuilding muscles and learning new ways to do things; but I am making progress.  A couple of months back I was having trouble maintaining a solid fit with my prosthesis.  I was getting very discouraged because I had to go in for adjustments every two or three days and would often spend a day in the wheelchair before I could get in for an appointment.  I couldn’t plan or schedule anything because I didn’t know from one day to the next if I was going to be able to walk.  I was afraid that this would be the pattern for the rest of my life. 

I really appreciated the advice of one of my prosthetists.  He said that instead of looking at today’s problems, picture how far I had come since my amputation.  There will always be a series of ups and downs in my life; but I should look at the big picture and ask myself, “Am I making forward progress?”

And there is!  I am constantly doing new things, more things, things that require strength or stamina that I didn’t use to have.  I have no clue how far I can go.  Every time I reach a plateau and seem to stall, eventually I make progress again and can do a bit more than I used to.  I have hope. 

I could choose to look backwards and only see how much I have lost and allow that to drag me down.  Instead I choose to just keep looking up and looking forward.  I glance back occasionally to check my forward progress; but I don’t dwell on the past.  It is done.  It is over.  I cannot change it.  All I can do is work to make my future better, so that is where I put my focus and energy.

I also am striving to be reasonable.  There are just some things that I won’t be able to achieve.  I realize that; but I am going to progress as far as I can and enjoy everything that I can squeeze out of life along the way.

I thank God for giving me hope.  None of us can endure trouble and hardship for too long without it.

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.”

Tuesday 9/9/2014

Thought for the Day:

This is from Os Hillman’s on-line devotional (9/9/2014) Today God is First:

James 1:9    “The brother in humble circumstances ought to take pride in his high position.”

“Whenever God takes a saint to a very lowly state it is designed to accomplish something only that process can do. Job learned that "He reveals the deep things of darkness and brings deep shadows into the light" (Job 12:22). Job's trials allowed him to learn things about God, himself and his friends that we all needed to know as well. He assumed things about God that he had to recant: "Surely I spoke of things I did not understand, things too wonderful for me to know" (Job 42:3).

God reveals things in the dark places of circumstances that will be used to reveal something He wants you and others to know. He has sent you ahead to learn these things so that you and others will benefit from your unique experience. God views this place where you receive these truths as a high position. The world views it as a place to be despised.

"He called down a famine on the land and destroyed all their supplies of food; and he sent a man before them - Joseph, sold as a slave. They bruised his feet with shackles, his neck was put in irons, till what he foretold came to pass, till the word of the Lord proved him true" (Psalms 105:16-19). Joseph was also led to this high position. It was here he was prepared to be the most powerful man in the world as a thirty-year old. He learned many things about God during his captivity that was used later as a ruler over a nation.

So, if you find yourself in a lowly state, realize your lowly state is considered a high position by God that is preparation soil for revealing deep things from the dark places that God desires you to learn.”

While reading this devotional, I thought of the difficult places that I have been through in the last year.  Then I began recalling the exceedingly difficult struggles that some of my friends have gone through.   You’ve probably have gone through some rough patches in the past year as well.  It is nice to know that there can be some purpose or benefit that comes from our experiences.

I know that many people go through terrible times; but not everyone comes out on the other side better, wiser, or finds something positive in the midst of trouble.  Some people become bitter and angry.  What is the difference?  Why do some people grow in adversity and others are crushed by it?

I believe that much of the difference is due to our attitude and core beliefs.  Those who benefit from their difficulties seem to keep a positive attitude.  “I may not be able to do everything; but I am going to enjoy everything that is possible for me despite the limitations placed upon me.”  When trouble comes our way it is natural to focus upon what is happening to us; but I purposively choose to not focus solely about what’s wrong in my life—I spend more time rejoicing over the positives instead.

Secondly, I think those who rise above the challenges of life have a deep, abiding faith and trust in God.  I know that it is a constant source of comfort and strength for me personally.  Knowing that God loves me and allows certain things into my life for the purpose of training or benefiting me helps me to reframe what I am encountering.  These are bad accidents without purpose or any redeeming value.  God may not have caused them; but He will find a way to use them for my benefit and for His glory.  If I choose to respond to Him, trusting in His love and relying upon His strength, my troubles will not destroy me—they will strengthen and improve me.

I’ve got to admit that over the last ten months, I’ve learned a lot about God and about myself.  I think that I am a better person because of it.  My relationship with God has been renewed and refreshed.  I’m healthier—mentally, spiritually, and physically—than I have been in quite some time.  I still have a long way to go on the road of self-improvement; but I am making progress.

Most of us would never willingly choose to go down the path of disaster; but each of us has a choice of how we are going to respond when it comes our way.   We can start by how we choose to respond to the daily little difficulties that life brings our way.  Choose to allow them to make you better instead of bitter.  Get in the habit of focusing in on the positive results instead of the negative ones.  Begin practicing how you want to respond when “the big wave hits” bringing massive destruction into your life.  Trust that God has a purpose and a plan.  Believe that He loves you and wants to see you grow and develop as a person.  Have faith in Him.

Even when you don’t have the strength or courage to overcome what you are facing, dig deep and find it within yourself to just take the next step forward.  And then take one more step.  And another.  One step towards your goal will eventually get you there if you just keep on striving.

Saturday (9/6/2014)

Update:

I’ve been busy the last few days. I’ve gotten a lot done and going to bed tired every night.  I’ve been getting up at 4:30 a.m. every day to have breakfast with my wife before she heads to work.  Usually after she leaves I would go back to bed for another hour or so of sleep.  For the last week, I’ve been unable to get back to sleep so I’ve been staying up.  That means by 9 p.m. I am wiped out and getting ready for bed.  Most days I take a 15-30 minute nap before dinner so that I am fresh again for the evening.  Having the extra hour or so in the morning does allow me to get more things done! But crashing before 9:30 p.m. stinks.  I was only able to make it to half time for the Packers-Seahawks game on Thursday.  The way it ended, maybe that wasn’t a bad thing.

Although a friend offered me his left-handed bow, I decided that it wasn’t the best course of action for me—the draw weight was a bit too high for me and I’d have a steep learning curve with getting used to shooting on the opposite side.  So I elected to buy a crossbow.  With just a couple of quick adjustments I was able to shoot bull’s eyes at 20 and 30 yards.  I am already confident enough to go hunting with it.  Archery/Crossbow season starts next Saturday.  I went out once last year before getting sick and missing the entire Gun and the rest of the Archery season last year.  I really missed being out in the woods and so I am looking forward to hunting this year.  Without all the kids at home to feed, I can be a lot more selective on what I deer I harvest.

At the gym, I found 5-6 cardio machines that I can actually do!  My prosthetic leg is not built to do a full range of motions (ankle fixed position, slightly limited knee), so many typical bikes and ellipticals, etc. don’t work for me.  I found one hybrid bike/stair-stepper that I could do—you push instead of pedal.  I ended up going two miles on that one.  The rest of the equipment I tried for a short time.  The stair-stepper that worked for me had me panting for breath within about 3 minutes.  I’ve got a long way to go to regain my former strength and stamina; but I am working at it! 

I also decided to give the pool a try.  It was a bit of a tricky dance getting my pre-swim shower, putting my left prosthetic leg and right shoe back on to walk to the pool, then taking it all off at poolside, and then slipping into the water.  I swam for about 30 minutes and then reversed the process to get back to the showers to wash the chlorine off and get dressed.  Getting in the water was fun and relaxing.  I found that my legs don’t supply as much thrust as they used to when I kick.  Imagine that!  Since my amputation I had been teasing people telling them that I can only swim in circles because I am missing a leg.  The reality of it is that I can swim in a straight line.  Myth Busted!  Although the exercise is less intense than weights, it is a constant motion so I was really bushed after the swim.

Last night after dinner, I decided to trim the hedge and rake up the horse-chestnut leaves.  The horse-chestnut trees always lose their leaves about this time.  My wife was concerned that I would over-do-it; but being a typical male, I don’t have a clear definition or understanding of that term, so technically I didn’t reach that threshold of over-doing-it.  I think I reached did-too-much; but that was it, honest!  Ha Ha!   Let’s just say that when dark forced me inside, I got stiff sitting in the recliner after 40 minutes. 

Saturday morning I’ve got a big load to take out to the lawn waste site.  Trying to get the full cans of wood chips, etc. up on the trailer might prove too heavy for me; we’ll see.  I’ll have at least two loads of stuff to take out.  Afterwards there is a workday at the church working on our building additions.  I don’t know how much help I can be today but I plan on being out there and getting in the way.  I’ll take a few pictures of the work at least!

Thought for the Day:

I found this quote while reading this morning:

“Here is a test to find whether your mission on Earth is finished.  If you are alive, it isn’t.” Richard Bach.

This is a great reminder that our life isn’t over until it is over.  I know that many people look forward to retirement.  A time when they can kick back and take it easy.  I don’t think there is anything wrong with slowing down and pacing yourself; but I don’t believe that we should be giving up our volunteer work at church or in our community just because we reach a certain age.  Certainly as we grow older our life experience is an important commodity for us to pass on; it would be a shame to let it die along with us. 

Schools are looking for people to read to kids, teens need mentors, and in the church younger believers need an older believer to help them in their Christian development.  Just spending time being a friend to one person may be the most important thing that you do for the rest of your life.  There are innumerable ways in which you could be a blessing in the life of someone else.  Offer a night of free babysitting to parents who need a night out.  Help a teen with their math homework.  Give a stranger a smile and a warm greeting.  Send a “Thinking of You” card to someone you haven’t seen in a while.

Every one of us has something to offer, something that we can do to brighten someone else’s day and to help lighten their load.  It may not take much; but each of us should do something to make the world a better place. 

I know that as people age and lose some of the freedom and abilities that they have enjoyed all of their lives that they can sometimes question whether they have anything left to live for.  I believe that everyone does.  Somebody out there needs you and what you have to offer.  It may be something quite different from what you used to do.  But remember that the simplest acts may have the greatest consequence—so don’t discount what you have to offer.

Just like you are never too old, you are also never too young to make a contribution.  Just being around a child who is full of life, joy, and energy can be an uplifting boost for someone.  Getting a hug and a smile from a toddler might just be exactly what that person needed for the day.

So wherever you currently find yourself, you have a mission.  Seek to be a blessing to someone else today.

Friday (9/5/2014)

Thought for the Day:

In his book, “Life Without Limits,” Nick Vujicic said that he believes that each one of us has a talent, a gift, a special ability which is uniquely suited for us. We need to discover our gift and then figure out how to put it to use giving us a purpose and focus in life.

 “Even if I didn’t change this planet as much as I would like, I’d still know with certainty that my life was not wasted.  I was and am determined to make a contribution.  You should believe in your power to do the same.  Life without meaning has no hope.  Life without hope has no faith.  If you find a way to contribute, you will find your meaning, and hope and faith will naturally follow and accompany you into your future.” [Nick Vujicic, Life Without Limits].

It seems that some of us discover who we are and what we are meant to be early in life.  I remember being amazed at some of my friends in middle school who knew exactly what they wanted to be when they grew up.  There are a fair share of people like me who took some extra time to settle into a career comfortably.  But Nick’s comments go beyond your job.  If you have a passion to “help people” there are all sorts of career paths that you could take to accomplish that goal.  It doesn’t even have to develop into a full-time, paying position.  If it is something you feel so strongly about that you would do it for free, you enjoy doing it, and you see others affirming or responding to your efforts—you have discovered a wonderful thing.

There is something so rewarding to discovering “this is who I was meant to be.  This is what God created me to contribute.”   It helps answer the question of “What is my purpose in life?”  It gives our life meaning.  It energizes us and helps to focus our attention.  We cannot do everything; but we each can do something.

I think too often that we dream of a Hollywood-like existence where we accomplish great things so that movies are made about us and monuments are erected in our honor.  Very few people live that kind of life; however, if we are doing what we were created to accomplish, then we may not necessarily change the world; but we are making a contribution.  In this context I think of parents, especially stay-at-home moms.  You may never have a paying joy and never get elected as the president of the parent-teacher association at your child’s school; but you are building into their lives and helping to develop another human being.  That is something to be proud of and is enough to have made a worthwhile contribution to this world. 

Maybe you haven’t yet discovered your gift and purpose in life.  Don’t be discouraged.  It can take time to develop certain abilities and it may take some extraordinary event to propel you to your place of purpose in life.  Until then, live your life with honesty and integrity, constantly looking for an opportunity to contribute until that day arrives.  Like most things in life, we often won’t recognize them except in hindsight. 

So for this day, take whatever you’ve got and put it to good use.  Make a contribution.  It may only affect the life of one other person—but it may make all the difference to them.  And we never know how many other lives that person that we helped will touch.  

Thursday (9/4/20014)

Update:

With my overall health improving and things going well for me physically, I’ve decided that I will not necessarily publish a personal update every day—some days are just too routine to have anything to worthwhile to say.  I will plan on posting a Thought for the Day regularly; however I might skip several days or more between Updates so I have something to report.

Tuesday afternoon (9/2) I had a doctor’s appointment to receive an injection in my left eye.  Since my vision in my right eye is so poor that meant for the rest of Tuesday I was unable to read, use the computer or watch TV, so I listened to music and napped until the worst of the discomfort was over.  By Wednesday morning my vision was beginning to clear up but I couldn’t spend too much time reading or using a computer without my eye stinging and burning.  By mid-morning I was seeing well enough to return to work.

I’ve been waiting for the installer to come to replace my guttering since late spring.  We’ve encountered a number of delays for various reasons.  On Wednesday morning he finally was able to come and brought a work crew so they were able to tear off the old gutters and install the new ones all in one day.  Last night we had a good rain.  It was nice to not hear the splashing of water overflowing the gutters!  All I heard was the rain hitting the roof.  The gutters worked perfectly!

I’ve been checking out the local gym options.  I have a short trial membership at one of them so I can use the facility and see if I like it.  I was happy to find that this gym has several cardio machines that I should be able to use with my prosthesis.  Treadmills and regular style bikes don’t work for me; but these hybrid-type machines should work I think.  I’ll give them a try and see if they really do.  I’ve been doing a good workout at home; but I am limited to the number of things I can do with my legs muscles.  At the gym I can get a better workout of these muscles. 

I was talking with someone at church yesterday about the difficulty of standing still versus walking with a prosthesis.  It is easier for me to walk than to stand still for a long period of time (say 20 minutes).  When I am standing still, I have to keep certain muscles taunt and make certain my right leg stays strong constantly.  When I walk, I alternate muscle groups back and forth giving my right leg a rest. I only have to keep those muscles clinched for a short period, then they get a slight rest, etc.  Doing that over and over is much easier than keeping those same muscles firing for an extended period of time.  Perhaps that will change over time, but for right now that is how it works for me.  So if you see me sit down after standing for a short period now you know why.

One of the benefits of working out at a gym is my leg muscles will become stronger so that I am able to stand still for longer periods of time, as well as walk, carry weight, etc.  Combined with the injury to my foot prior to my amputation, I did very little walking or work with my legs for the last two years.  I’ve always had good stamina and strong legs—so it has been strange not being able to do much and seeing my legs so weak.  Time to rebuild!

I guess as a result of the thunderstorm last night, I am having trouble getting my home computer connected to the internet this morning.  I’ve done my normal resetting the network adapter and restarting the computer, etc. but it hasn’t responded yet.  Hopefully I can get reconnected soon.  If this gets published late, you’ll know it took me longer to get my computer reconnected than I’d hoped.

Thought for the Day:

I knew that the guys from Matthews Windows and Guttering were coming to the house on Wednesday morning so I waited for them by sweeping and mopping the floors at home.  I’ve neglected doing them recently, so I found plenty of reason to clean.  I was rather amazed at how much dirt and dust bunnies had accumulated over the last month or so.  It wasn’t like I had been getting really filthy and then dragging in a bunch of dirt and sand each day.  But just the small amount of junk sticking to my shoes or the wheels of my wheelchair each day had brought in enough dirt that over time it accumulated to quite a sizeable pile.  It is rather amazing really.  Just looking at the floors I never would have guessed it.  I mean to a guy, they looked clean enough.  But the broom and dust mop proved that evaluation of the state of cleanliness in my living area to be wrong!

It is common knowledge that anything left on its own eventually deteriorates.  As you grow older, unless you exercise your muscles will grow weaker.  Unless maintained, a machine or a car will eventually quit running, a house will deteriorate, and the lawn never stays trimmed by itself.  Everything needs constant care.

This “deterioration over time” includes our relationships, as well as our personal physical, emotional, and spiritual health.  When you were younger, you could eat whatever you wanted and never do a lick of exercise and your body stayed strong and you were fine.  As you age if you don’t watch what you eat and neglect to exercise you will begin to look like the next Sci-Fi channel thriller “The Blob.”  Neglect your marriage and the bonds that you and your spouse developed earlier in life might break or be severely damaged.  Stop spending time or contacting a friend and eventually you will become strangers to one another.  Let every stray thought that enters your head, stay without being challenged and you’ll develop a mental mess of anxiety, depression, or harmful thinking.  Stop tending to your soul and your spiritual vitality will wane.  Neglecting going to church, reading the bible and spending time in prayer leaves you open to becoming a spiritual weakling. 

I am making an effort to get back into shape and regain as much health and vitality as I can.  It would have been easier (and healthier) if I had maintained it all along.  Nobody sets out to become unhealthy; just through a series of small bite-sized decisions we pack on the pounds over time.

Nobody aims to become depressed or develop a negative attitude about life.  Over time, hundreds of small thoughts and decisions may lead us there; whereas if we had filled our minds with positive, uplifting thoughts we might have escaped some of the emotional baggage that we carry (I know that not all depression is caused by this kind of thinking—but I believe that quite a bit of it is—or at least is made worse by our daily thoughts and self-talk). 

And no one sets out to slip in their spiritual health.  Skipping a day or two of not reading the bible and praying may not hurt you in the long run; but letting it develop into your general habit is certainly counter-productive to your spiritual wellbeing.  Isolating yourself from other Christians or from the accountability of friends or loved ones is opening yourself up to potential spiritual damage.

So take a good, long look at your life.  If you continue down the path you are currently on, where are you headed?  Is it where you want to end up?  If you aren’t happy with the future you are headed towards, then make the decisions today that will help you to arrive at a better place.  It is never too late to get started on turning your life around.  It will end up being well worth the cost and effort that it took. 

1 Timothy 4:8    “Physical training is good, but training for godliness is much better, promising benefits in this life and in the life to come.” (NLT).