An Update on Ol' Poopy Pants

For those of you who are still waiting for another update on James: He is now out of the hospital. We left at 8:00 pm Wednesday night. James is doing really well. His congestion is much better and he is back to his smiley self. The only thing in need of prayer at this point is his eating. For a while there, he wasn't able to eat anything without throwing it up. Right now he is eating a little over half of what he was eating before he was sick. We are increasing his feeds little by little everyday, but we have to go slow with it because he struggles with holding it down. Pray that he would continue to increase to where he was before he was sick. Also, pray for him tomorrow: Kristal is going to start trying to feed him orally again tomorrow. He absolutely refused to eat orally while he was sick (we fed him solely through his g-tube). Pray that he learns to enjoy eating orally again.

The Lord has been so good to us. The Lord clearly did a miracle on Tuesday night. When Kristal and I went to bed he was in desperate need of oxygen and an IV. Well, when we woke up he was breathing 5 percentages better without the oxygen than he was the night before with the aid of oxygen. Thank you so much for your prayers. Both Kristal and I have learned so much through our trials with James. We had a couple lengthy conversations about what the Lord has been teaching us through our struggles. Both of us are encouraged more than ever. We serve a faithful God.

DJ Jazzy James

The Lord has been good. Last night when we went to bed we lamented the fact that we would probably not be leaving the hospital for a while. Well, this morning when we woke up the nurse came in and told us that they took James off his oxygen early this morning. They still have the tubes in his nose just in case, but his breathing is much better.

About 15 minutes after posting yesterday, the doctor decided it was time to put an IV in. They did not want him to get more dehydrated and thus go further backwards. Well, the IV is still in, BUT James has been holding his food down really well. He hasn't thrown up since last night around 8 pm (and his 8pm barf fiasco was on the smaller side of things). The doctor just (as I am typing this) came in and informed us that they are going to start trying to feed James 3 oz (about 1/4 of a can of soda) every 3 hours. She said if he can keep 3 oz down without throwing any up until this evening, we might be able to go home.

Since we have been to the hospital James has not cracked one smile (which is unlike him). Well, this morning he has been smiling all over the place. He is much more awake and energetic.

Things seem to be looking up for DJ Jazzy James. We are not sure when we will be leaving, but we are hopeful that it will be sooner than later. Please continue to pray that James would continue to fight through this nasty RSV.

Also, they took another x-ray of his chest and his lungs were Kristal clear (haha)--no more pneumonia.

Heck, what do you know, God does answer prayer. I guess it is not a waste of time getting on your knees praying to the invisible God. Hmmm... I guess his promises are true.

Well folks, continue to pray. Continue to sick God on James--He seems to know how to deal with that "untreatable" monster, RSV.

Encouraging Word on Prayer

I love seminary. Those who don't need to get a life. The fact is that seminary is a place where you are forced to read excellent things about the most glorious Being in all of existence. Some call it "cemetery," thinking it is a place that drys the soul like a sponge in a microwave. Well, maybe that is the way it was back in the 90's, but, let me fill you in as one who lives the seminary life, seminary (if approached correctly) is invaluable. I thank the Lord for it.

Anyway, let me give you a taste of why I like it so much. A few weeks ago I was reading in one of the text books for my "World Missions" class entitled Perspectives on the World Christian Movement. This text is a compilation of over 140 different articles written on the topic of Christian Missions by a variety of authors. I was reading an article entitled "Prayer: Rebelling Against the Status Quo" by David Wells. I wish I had time to comment on the quotes I am going to put up, but unfortunately I don't--you will have to fill the blanks in yourself.

Check out what Wells had to say about prayer. I have two (rather lengthy) quotes.

"What, then, is the nature of petitionary prayer? It is, in essence, rebellion--rebellion against the world in its falleness, the absolute and undying refusal to accept as normal what is pervasively abnormal. It is, in this its negative aspect, the refusal of every agenda, every scheme, every interpretation that is at odds with the norm as originally established by God. As such, it is itself an expression of the unbridgeable chasm that separates Good from Evil, the declaration that Evil is not a variation on Good but its antithesis.

Or, to put it the other way around, to come to an acceptance of life 'as it is,' to accept it on its own terms--which means acknowledging the inevitability of the way it works--is to surrender a Christian view of God. This resignation to what is abnormal has within it the hidden and unrecognized assumption that the power of God to change the world, to overcome Evil by Good, will not be actualized.

Nothing destroys petitionary prayer (and with it, a Christian view of God) as quickly as resignation. 'At all times,' Jesus declared, 'we should pray' and not 'lose heart,' thereby acquiescing to what is (Luke 18:1)."

Wells continues:

"Secularism is that attitude that sees life as an end in itself. Life, it is thought, is severed from any relationship to God. Consequently the only norm or 'given' in life, whether for meaning or for morals, is the world as it is. With this, it is argued, we must come to terms; to seek some other referrent around which to structure our lives is futile and 'escapist.' It is not only that God, the object of peitionary prayer, has often become indistinct, but that his relationship to the world is seen in a new way. And it is a way that does not violate secular assumption. God may be 'present' and 'active' in the world, but it is not a presence and an activity that changes anything.

Against all of this, it must be asserted that petitionary prayer only flourishes where there is a twofold belief: first, that God's name is hallowed too irregularly, his kingdom has come too little, and his will is done too infrequently; second, that God himself can change this situation. Petitionary prayer, therefore, is the expression of the hope that life as we meet it, on the one hand, can be otherwise and, on the other hand, that it ought to be otherwise. it is therefore impossible to seek to live in God's world on his terms, doing his work in a way that is consistent with who he is, without engaging in regular prayer." *

I will not add too much to what Wells has said. It will suffice just to say that what Wells says here in no way contradicts the fact that God knows better than we do and thus does not always answer our prayers the way we "think" He should. Wells is not suggesting that God does not have a unique and transcendent way of fulfilling his purposes in a fallen world.

The fact is that many things "ought" to be different, and whether we think we know why they are not the way they should be or not, we ought to be on our faces before God asking Him to make it right. This doesn't mean that we ask as if we knew exactly how to make it right. It also does not mean that we know what the exact right thing would be (people who think they have the mind of God down to a science scare the hee-bee-gee-bee's out of me). It does mean that we know that things are not right, and that we want God to do whatever He deems best, trusting completely that He will do what is best.

I hope this was as much of encouragement to you as it was to me.

*David Wells, "Prayer: Rebelling Against the Status Quo" in Perspectives on the World Christian Movement, editors: Ralph D. Winter and Steven C. Hawthorne (Carlisle, United Kingdom: Paternoster Press, 1999), 143.

James Update 2/05/08

Well, as of Sunday, James' pneumonia and RSV was not getting any better, so they decided to admit him to the hospital. It is Tuesday and there is no end to our hospital visit in sight. Here are some things you can be praying for:

-James is on oxygen right now, because the RSV is making his breathing labored. When he falls asleep and relaxes, his oxygen saturation goes down too low. If his oxygen saturation numbers do not rise we cannot go home.

-James is not able to hold anything down. As soon as we put something in his belly, he throws it up. His diapers are starting to be noticeably drier and drier. Pray that he does not get dehydrated to the point of needing an IV.

-James is extremely hungry and so is crying every moment that he is awake.

-Pray for Kristal and I (especially Kristal--she never gets a break from him) that we get some sleep. James has been up in the night because of hunger.

-Pray for me as I continue to try and get all my school work done. I was thankful that I met my reading goal yesterday (Yes, I make school work goals every morning when I get up--yep, I'm a geek). But I think things are going to be much more difficult today, because James is not sleeping as much as he did yesterday.

-Pray that the Lord would open opportunities for us to share the gospel with the nurses and doctors.

-Continue to pray for my parents in their moving and job situation.


Thanks for persisting with us in prayer. Kristal and I are both extremely exhausted. I think the both us are starting to get somewhat tired of hospitals. Pray that we would embrace the work the Lord has for us. Apparently we haven't been busy enough about mixing among the people of our community letting our light shine in the darkness--God has a way of getting us where He wants us. We are thankful for whatever reason the Lord has us here. But, we are also ready to go home. This hospital visit has been extra difficult, because it is the first visit where I have had to continue my schooling while we are here. This effects both Kristal and I. It effects Kristal because I cannot be a helping hand. It effects me because it is hard to not be a helping hand. I am thankful for my mother-in-law (Kelly). She has come up to the hospital to help out. Anyway, keep praying. The Lord is mighty to heal.

Oh, do you like the picture. Those are his new ear muffs. He gets overstimulated by loud sounds easily. Actually, they are to muffle the loud ramblings of our pastor--Moe. Haha.

Prayer Update 2/1/07

Time for a James update:

We had to take James to the doctor today because he had a 101.8 degree temperature. Last night he started throwing up and was having troubled breathing.

The doctor took an x-ray of his lungs to make sure he didn't get anything in his lungs while throwing up last night, and she also sucked some boogers out of his head to see if he has RSV (Respiratory syncytial virus). Well, leave it to James: He's got both--he has pneumonia and RSV.

The pneumonia has not had time to get very bad and so will be easily taken care of with the help of antibiotics. The RSV is untreatable. The doctor said that some kids with RSV are hardly effected by it all--the only symptoms they get are a snotty nose, congestion, and a cough. Other kids, however, are much more effected by it--the Doctor said that some kids with RSV spend up to 2 weeks in the hospital. The main concern is that we do not want the congestion to get so bad that it makes breathing difficult.

Please pray for James and both his pneumonia and RSV. Pray that he does not become severely effected by the RSV. We are thankful that he is not in pain--he's just lethargic and coughfy (new word--chalk me up).

Also, continue to pray for my parents. My dad is really not doing well health wise. His medical problems are not emergencies, but he is very uncomfortable. He has a blood clot in his arm and a kidney stone surgery in about 2 weeks among many other things. Also, pray for my parents as they look for a place to move. Pray that my dad finds a job.

Thanks for persisting with us in prayer.

Top Ten Best TV Shows

So here is my "Top 10 Best Tv Show List." You will find that I have a pretty boring TV Life.

10. Really big Things: This is a relatively new show hosted by Matt Rogers. He travels the world looking for massive construction. He is a large meat head and likes to fit the part. He says lots of meat head things and gets excited about big metal things and fire and destruction and other things and stuff like that (haha). You can also see quite a lot of cool things. Ok, so you don't learn hardly anything, but it is a good show to watch after studying for 10 hours straight. You know, when you just want to sit like a vegetable and mindlessly get your mind of anything to do with words, numbers, ideas, and other "things of that nature" ("things of that nature" is a quote I picked up from the Governator).
9. The O'reilly Factor: I can feel the surge of people leaving my blog as I type this. Bill O'Reilly comes across a big-headed, pompous jerk. I hate to admit this in public... but... I like the guy. In my opinion, he is, by far, the most fair and balanced anchor on tv. I watch him for two reasons: 1. I like his ideas, and 2. I like watching him "bloviate" (anyone who watches the show will pick up what I'm putting down). Anyway, 1 and 3/11 thumbs up to Bill.
8. Build it Bigger: This show, hosted by Danny Forster, is slowly becoming one of my favorites. Danny travels around the world looking for large construction. He is a high energy geek who gets overly excited about little things--this is what makes the show. He is like watching an eighth grader pack his belongings to go on a fishing trip. Also, it is cool to see the massive construction and how they do it all.
7. Iron Chef America: Iron Chef America is an intense gourmet cooking competition. I was going to put this one last, but knew that people probably wouldn't read the rest of the list thinking that it was going to be too boring. If you don't like my shows then go watch your own TV (sorry, I take this sort of thing personal). Anyway, Iron Chef America, hosted by the interesting Alton Brown, is fun to watch. Personally, my favorite chef to watch is Bobby Flay. I know... I know... i'm not scoring points with the Gen-X'ers on this one.
6. Wow Wow Wubbzy: And you thought that I didn't watch television with my son. Every time Wow Wow Wubbzy comes on James starts laughing, smiling, and uncontrollably throwing his arms in the air (oh yeah, and drools in the process). Anyway, Wow Wow Wubbzy is a hit for 10 month olds and their parents.
5. Dog Whisperer: Cesar Millan is by far the coolest Mexican on TV. I really like watching the Dog Whisperer--it is amazing how quickly he can change the entire personality of dogs. You are probably already beginning to see that my top 10 list is much the same as that of the average middle-aged woman--Oh Well. Have you ever seen Cesar get bitten by a dog? I wonder how many times he has been bitten. I lost track at ummm... somewhere around 23. I am surprised he still has hands. Maybe he is part Mexican part machine or something--I wouldn't be surprised.
4. Survivor Man: Believe it or not, Survivorman is one of those survival shows--I know... hard to believe. It is hosted by the most savvy Canadian alive, Les Stroud. If I were making this top 10 list a year ago, Survivorman would have been #1, but the show this past season was pretty lame. He just didn't seem to do anything new or crazy--what is the point of doing a survival show if you don't do anything crazy? However, I have high hopes for the next season. If anyone comes to any understanding of how he stays so clean throughout his survival trips, fill me in.
3. Dirty Jobs: Mike Roe travels across the country finding the most disgustingly dirty jobs out there. The best part of the show is Mike and his witty humor. While watching the show I get the feeling that Mike is the sort of guy who never shuts up. Anyway, Dirty Jobs takes a strong 3rd.
2. Man vs. Wild: This is a survival show hosted by Bear Grylls. Bear has a cool accent, eats 3 day old dead zebras raw, climbs lots of things, and does stuff that would cause me to poop my pants. Anyway, this is an excellent show--you can learn lots about staying alive and stuff--which is nice... if you think about it.

And my #1 favorite show is...
1. Holmes on Homes: This has quickly become my favorite. There are a lot of crooked construction contractors out there. Mike Holmes has dedicated his life to helping people who have been ripped off by such contractors. He goes through houses messed up by contractors and redoes everything that was done wrong FOR FREE (oh, and did I mention that he makes made cash for doing so. Who would of thought: you can help people AND get rich in the process. SIGN ME UP!). I am convinced that this show applies to my spiritual life, but I can't quite make the connection--someone acting like they know what they are doing comes into the houses of uninformed people and messes everything up and then Mike has to come in and fix everything--Nope, still can't make the connection. Holmes is extremely smart and knows most construction trades very well. This show is by far the best show on TV at this point. If you disagree with me I will just build a wall around you so you can't get out--because that is something I know how to do because I watch Holmes on Homes. I have got to get me some of those overalls--This guy I once knew told me that wearing overalls actually changes your DNA. Anyway, he died from salmonella poisoning 3 months after filling me in. Hmmm...????

So what did you think of my incredibly boring Top 10 TV Shows list? Making this list was very therapeutic for me--now I know why my life leans on the "not too eventful" side of things. I trust that you noticed that there was nothing about Lost, CSI, House, or any of those other shows. I guess murder mysteries and car chases put me to sleep--haha. Actually, Kristal and I just don't like all the violence and cleavage that is scattered throughout most shows. Not saying that you are in sin if you watch those shows, just saying that you are of the devil. Haha. Anyway, I like my shows so leave them alone. If you think I am nonspiritual because I watch tv I have some advice for you: Get off the computer and go read your Bible. Haha, I should be a Christian comedian.

It's About Time

Yahoo.com news has announced that some man (moron) built a 76 foot, 22,000-pound pencil. All I have to say is, "It's About Time--the void in my heart is now officially filled."

Are You Happy Today?

How optimistic are you right now about the world? Is it getting better? Is it getting worse? Do you have doubts in your mind about the state of Christianity in the world right now? Is Christianity on the brink of being snuffed out? Are we losing the battle?

The great tendency for the church is to be pessimistic about the expansion of the Kingdom of God. As we look around ourselves we see rampant sin and hard-hearted rejection of Jesus. Abortion, drunkenness, gossip, homosexuality, adultery, homicide--things seem to be looking down for Christianity. It appears as if we are losing the battle.

Are you tempted with such pessimism? Now I do not want to pull the wool over my eyes and pretend as if things are not as bad as they actually are. However, Christians must never have a pessimistic attitude about the expansion of Christ's kingdom. Often times we forget the parable of the mustard seed given by Jesus.

“The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and sowed in his field, which indeed is the least of all the seeds; but when it is grown it is greater than the herbs and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and nest in its branches.”

Often times we Christians forget that we are on the winning team. Our pessismism usually comes from a misunderstanding which places America at the center and heart of God's activity in the world. The fact is that Christ's Kingdom is rapidly growing outside of America.

Take encouragement my friends! We are not on the losing team. Our efforts are not in vain. Right now, Christ is winning the battle--His kingdom is expanding. Not only this, but we know that the victory is sure. Do not lament over the gross rebellion evidenced throughout our land as if we were not winning the battle.

Take the victorious message of the cross to a lost world without fear. Advance with a song in your heart and a smile on your face knowing that the state of our nation is no threat to the victory of our King. March forward triumphantly with the Good News, knowing that their rebellion will not thwart God and His purposes. Don't get so bogged down by all the needs in the world that you lose sight of whose team you are on.

Because the message of the cross is sovereignly "revealed" by "my father who is in heaven," we know that the "gates of death cannot overpower it" (by the way, this is how Matthew 16 should be read).

Christian, stop your moping and groaning in prayer and advance with the message that cannot be stopped or thwarted! There is a place for grief, but it must never smolder the flame of victory.

Logos Bible Software Rocks the Planet Off Its Axis

For all of you nim-wits out there who aspire to learn Greek and Hebrew:

A few months ago while my mom was out visiting Baby James (notice that I didn't say she came out to visit us), I jokingly told her that I wanted her to buy me the "Logos Bible Software: Orignal Languages Library." Well, surprisingly she said, "I'll get that for you. Go get my computer, I will buy it right now."

I tried to convince her to not buy it--I just didn't want her to spend so much money (haha, yeah right). Anyway, she bought it for me.

Let me just tell you, this "Logos Bible Software: Original Languages Library" has revolutionized my study of the Greek New Testament.

Most people say that the thing that motivates them the most to study and learn the original languages is the glory of God. Not me. The thing that motivates me is the amount of money I have poured into all of my Greek reference materials. Just kidding.

I was thinking about going into the details of why learning the languages is important for pastors--it's the Bible for crying out loud--but I won't do that here. My purpose here is to highly recommend this Logos Bible Software to anyone who wants to learn the languages. It is well worth the cost. It makes learning the languages much more enjoyable. You don't have to flip thousands of pages (literally) in order to find the meaning of just one word.

So, if you want it here are my suggestions:
1. Go ask your mom
2. Go make some rich friends and con them into buying it.
3. Refinance your house and use the monies to buy it.
4. Sell your car--this software is much more important than transportation.
5. Make one of those fake printing press thingies: KIDDING
6. Whatever you do, don't try and buy it with your own money. Unless, of course, you have adequate overdraft protection.

A Lesson From the Young Physician

Considering the title, you probably think this is going to be a post about Jesus. Well, it's not.

Last time James was in the hospital the Lord taught me a great lesson about ministry. Let me explain. Most of James' medical work has been done at Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center in Lebanon, NH. As many know, Dartmouth has a medical college attached to it. As a result, there are just as many Resident Doctors--those in the final steps of their education--as there are full blown doctors. Being a Resident Doctor is equivalent to being a Student Teacher. After completing their residency they then become full fledged doctors.

Kristal and I were impressed with almost every single Resident Doctor we had (and we have had a bunch of them). I learned a lot about being a young minister from these Resident Doctors because we are both in much the same position--doctors diagnose and help people with physical problems while pastors diagnose and help people with spiritual problems. One of the not so good Resident Doctors reminded me of a great number of seminary students I know (and I hope I am not one of them).

This certain Resident Doctor (about 29 years old or so), unlike any of the other Residents or full blown doctors, came into James' hospital room, asked us how we were doing, and then immediately began telling us that our fears were invalid and silly. He spent no time talking to us about James' symptoms or history--he merely spouted off some medical terms and said, "I see this all the time." and then he left. When he left I said, "Beware Jimmy, I think I might have just saw myself."

There is always great danger in learning when it is not connected with real life. What I saw in this Resident was a wealth of unusable knowledge. This Resident failed to understand that medical issues do not happen in a vacuum. Without a knowledge of a persons circumstances and history it is almost impossible to diagnose the issue. The best doctors let the patient (or in our case, the patient's parents) do more talking than himself/herself. Because the best doctors understand that medical issues do not happen in a vacuum.

This same sort of thing happens with young ministers. In the ministry, a lack of maturity often times rears its head in the same way. Spiritual problems do not happen in a vacuum--there are always causes. Young students learn new things and have the tendency to uncompassionately attack people with what they know as if mere knowledge is sufficient. Mere knowledge is not sufficient. If biblical knowledge is to be useful it must be connected with great compassion and a great understanding of the specific situation being dealt with.

This does not mean that book learning is bad. Doctors need the knowledge or they would have no basis for giving an accurate diagnosis. Knowledge is essential, but it must be coupled with compassion, understanding, and knowledge of the situation.

The Lord is still teaching me these invaluable lessons. I still have a tendency to immediately brand someone a false convert as soon as I hear of gross rebellion.

Listen to the seasoned doctor C.S. Lewis talk about true spirituality,

"Some of us who seem quite nice people may, in fact, have made so little use of a good heredity and a good upbringing that we are really worse than those whom we regard as fiends. Can we be quite certain how we should have behaved if we had been saddled with the same psychological outfit, and then with the bad upbringing, and then with the power, say, of Himmler? That is why Christians are told not to judge. We see only the results which a man's choices make out of his raw material. But God does not judge him on the raw material at all, but on what he has done with it" (Mere Christianity, pg 86-87).

How quickly do we brand people and jump to conclusions without knowing the person, his disposition, his upbringing, or circumstances. The way many of us young students gauge spirituality is so very immature.