are you desperate?

have you ever been desperate? what were you desperate for? was it ever for your health? more specifically, was it a life or death thing?

last night my wife and i visited a small group meeting with our friends paul and pam. i didn't have any preconceived notion other than having a great time of sharing and fellowshipping. i got more than that.

the discussion centered on these verses:

When Jesus went back across to the other side of the lake, a large crowd gathered around him on the shore. A leader of the local synagogue, whose name was Jairus, came and fell down before him, pleading with him to heal his little daughter. "She is about to die," he said in desperation. "Please come and place your hands on her; heal her so she can live."

Jesus went with him, and the crowd thronged behind. And there was a woman in the crowd who had had a hemorrhage for twelve years. She had suffered a great deal from many doctors through the years and had spent everything she had to pay them, but she had gotten no better. In fact, she was worse. She had heard about Jesus, so she came up behind him through the crowd and touched the fringe of his robe. For she thought to herself, "If I can just touch his clothing, I will be healed." Immediately the bleeding stopped, and she could feel that she had been healed!

Jesus realized at once that healing power had gone out from him, so he turned around in the crowd and asked, "Who touched my clothes?"

His disciples said to him, "All this crowd is pressing around you. How can you ask, 'Who touched me?'"

But he kept on looking around to see who had done it. Then the frightened woman, trembling at the realization of what had happened to her, came and fell at his feet and told him what she had done. And he said to her, "Daughter, your faith has made you well. Go in peace. You have been healed."

jairus is desperate as we begin reading the verses, and he gets to talk to Jesus! he shares the story about his daughter, and Jesus is going with him to heal her. imagine ... imagine Jesus is coming to your house to heal your child who is sick, and you're sick with grief over you child. jairus must be excited!

then Jesus stops. i can only imagine what is going through jairus' mind. maybe something like this, "hey! Jesus, we're not there yet! why are you stopping?" however, Jesus stops and asks, "who touched Me?"

remember Jesus is gaining popularity, and He has crowds where ever He goes, and He asks, "who touched Me?" imagine what the disciples are thinking, "well, everybody. anybody could've touched you Jesus."

now to backtrack a little here, there is a lady (and remember how high in society women were) who has been hemorrhaging for 12 years ... 12 ... years. that's a long time, y'all. not to mention how women were treated while they dealt with something like this thing on a monthly basis. remember women were not able to socialize during that week, if i'm not mistaken, and then there was a time that they had to go through before they could come back into society. so this lady has been out of society for 12 years. she's out of "touch". she was an outcast. do you think she was desperate. darn tootin'!!

think of this too, have you ever given blood before? can you go out and play basketball, or softball, or whatever after you give blood? well, you're not supposed to, because you may pass out, and cause yourself harm. this lady has been "giving blood" for 12 years!! you think she might be sapped? even with her condition, she braves the crowds, and pushes through, and thinks, "if i can only touch the hem of His robe ... i can be healed." WHAT FAITH!! WHAT PERSEVERANCE!!

now back to the story, this lady has touched Jesus. how many other healings do remember the person being so bold as to touch Jesus? she is desperate, y'all. she thinks He wouldn't do it, or the crowd would shew her off. i think she does it on her own, because she feels she has to.

now jairus is thinking, "who does she think she is stopping Him from going to heal my daughter, and Jesus even calls this lady his daughter?!" come on, do you really think jairus is just standing there patiently? i think not. the group last night didn't read the other verses that followed where jairus learns that his daughter is already dead. its too late. now how do you think he feels? i don't know, but i am pretty sure he is not happy, but Jesus takes care of that.

this story makes me think of the leper. who says to Jesus, "if you want to heal me ..." what was Jesus' reply, remember the answer is the same in all three of the synoptic gospels that have this story of the leper, at least its the same verbatim in the version of the bible i use. it reads, "I want to."

that is Jesus' answer to all of us. we have to want it. we have to ask. He wants to. what did He say to the woman He healed? it was her faith that healed her. why didn't the others that were crushing around Him get healed? they didn't have faith. they probably wanted to have the feather to put in their hat, so to speak, of having been with Jesus. He tells her that her faith has healed her. what a great faith. don't you want that kind of faith? i do.

oh by the way, the scripture was mark 5:21-34 nlt.

i miss my friends!

i'm sitting here in the church office after preparing the media shout presentation, and while my wife and daughter, and some of the other ladies prepare for 2nd annual "Sale To Save" yard sale, i am thinking about all my friends we left in texas.

its been going on two years since i moved my family to l.a. the move had so many good things going for it, though: i got a raise, kristin got a new chance to meet new friends at a new high school, we got to live closer to family relatives. i can't think of anything else right now, but i'm sure there are some other good things about this move.

however, the move ripped the close relationships that dorothy and i had created, with the grace of God, apart. i can't drive down the road 5 minutes to see greg, or ryan. i don't get to play basketball on monday nights with earl, chris, and my great hawaiian friend (some friend if i can't even remember his name, huh?). dorothy doesn't get to see her best friend deedee anymore.

i miss giving them big hugs, and worshipping with them, and studying with them.

i traded a 45 minute drive to work, and a five minute drive to church for just the opposite. please pray that i will be comforted. i'm sure that i will be alright later.

pray that i can build similar relationships here at port city, but i need some of those relationships to be right down the road. e-mails and blogs are just not the same.

i can't think of an appropriate title

this post is of no real concept, or idea. it will be about things that are bouncing around in my noggin, and why i do some of the things i do (not all of them).

can i first make a blanket statement (let me know if this doesn't really apply to what a blanket statement should be). i am so, so selfish. just ask my family. i do things, and most of the time, i don't even consider what the affects may have on my family. any of you like that? i wake up, and i sure hope there is hot water for my shower, or you are going to hear about it if you are in earshot. i sure hope that my clothes are clean, and preferrably in the closet or the dresser, too. now don't get me wrong. i'm not a tyrant, and i don't take it out on people, and i don't carry a whip or beat anybody up or anything. now i am not going to leave, and go off and live by myself, and i'm not going to divorce my family. i'm sure i'm not the only one that has things like this happen in their lives. i'm really not that bad, but i do need to soften my feelings and actions and words and thoughts to what the new name of this blog is all about.

what do you use the internet for? i use it to check on communication with friends and family with e-mail. i also like to read what others are doing through their blogs. i linked to another blog after reading about it in another blog that i read while using my subscriptions on google reader. this blog that i linked to made me think of why i blog, and why i read blogs. one of the interesting points he makes is about community. can you think of the first community that is written about in the bible? its not adam and eve, or the animals. can you guess? i also use it to get directions to places and find out where things are located. i have started using google local more and more. have you noticed a theme on what services i use, and who provides it?

community was spoken of in the sermon i heard this weekend while visiting with my good friends in birmingham, while on our way home after attending the funeral of my last living uncle over the weekend. dub recently joined the ministry at cross bridge after a seperation from the congregation he was with. i will not talk bad about the congregation from where he left, because they are still my brothers and sisters, and dub still loves them, too. community was first written of in the trinity when God said "let us ..." i don't know about you, but i have a hard time being by myself. i don't work very well by myself. i much rather work with someone as part of a team. don't you?

can you remember when was the first time that God said something wasn't good about his creation? it goes to the point of what God thinks, in my opinion, about community. remember when He said that it was not good for man to be alone? see what i'm talking about?

see what i mean when i said "i can't think of an appropriate title"?

my daughter has gotten me thinking of doing sudoku puzzles. do any of you out there do those, too? they are pretty hard, and frustrating, but addictive, too. the 6 number ones are much easier than the 9 numbered ones.

this past week has been a pretty hard one for my father's side of the family. his last living brother went to live with their parents and the rest of his siblings, except for a sister that is still living, in heaven. i made a comment on one of the blogs that i read, that her family has gained 3 precious ones, as my family has let one go back to live with God and the rest of the family. congratulations donna!

a great thing was witnessed by me and the rest of the ones at the funeral on saturday. my cousins asked all of milford's grandkids if they would be the pall bearers of their father. this may not sound very significant to you, but it was to carla, and fran! they are the two granddaughters of milford. when they were asked they both just broke down in tears for the honor. see ... in the mountains of alabama a lot of things have not changed, and to see that two young ladies were asked to do what is normally reserved for men ... well that is significant to me. they were so honored and excited and humbled to be asked. it is something they will cherish for the rest of their lives.

also, a great comment that really meant a lot to one of the grandkids was when ronald, the oldest son, told jacob, "thanks for carrying my daddy." (tears are forming as i type this) that was just so cool.

abide in me

John 15:4 Remain in me, and I will remain in you. For a branch cannot produce fruit if it is severed from the vine, and you cannot be fruitful apart from me.

Communion with Christ is a certain cure for every ill. Whether it be the woodworm of sadness or the smothering impact of earthly treasure, close fellowship with the Lord Jesus will take bitterness from the one and excess from the other. Live near to Jesus, Christian, and it is a matter of secondary importance whether you live on the mountain of honor or in the valley of humiliation. Living near to Jesus, you are covered with the wings of God, and underneath you are the everlasting arms. Let nothing keep you from that hallowed communion that is the unique privilege of a life hidden in Christ. Do not be content with the occasional meeting, but always seek to retain His company, for only in His presence will you find either comfort or safety. Jesus should not be for us a friend who calls us now and then, but one with whom we are in constant touch. You have a difficult road before you: Make sure, pilgrim, that you do not go without your guide. You have to pass through the fiery furnace; do not enter unless, like Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, you have the Son of God to be your companion. You have to storm the walls of your corrupt heart: Do not attempt it until, like Joshua, you have seen the Captain of the Lord's host, with His sword drawn in His hand. When you meet with many temptations, do not rest upon the arm of flesh. In every case, in every condition, you will need Jesus, but most of all when the iron gates of death shall open to you. Keep close to the Captain of your salvation, lean upon His strength, ask Him to refresh you by His Spirit, and you will stand before Him at the end, without spot or blemish and at peace. Seeing you have lived with Him, and lived in Him here, you will abide with Him forever.

taken from "“Morning and Evening,"
” written by C.H. Spurgeon,
revised and updated by Alistair Begg

i think this was my favorite line of the devotional:

Living near to Jesus, you are covered with the wings of God, and underneath you are the everlasting arms.

it makes me think of how much care and love God has for Jesus, His son, and if we have become adoptive sons and daughters of God, then we will be afforded the same care and love that God gives to Jesus. just like how Jesus mourned for jerusalem:

"O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones God's messengers! How often I have wanted to gather your children together as a hen protects her chicks beneath her wings, but you wouldn't let me.

that's the kind of protection God wants to give us!

Darwin Award Winners for 2005

Yes, it's that magical time of the year again when the Darwin Awards are
bestowed, honoring the least evolved among us.

Here then, are the glorious Darwin Award Winners for 2005:

1. When his 38-caliber revolver failed to fire at his intended victim
during a holdup in Long Beach, California, would-be robber James Elliot
did something that can only inspire wonder. He peered down the barrel
and tried the trigger again. This time it worked.

And now, the honorable mentions:

2. The chef at a hotel in Switzerland lost a finger in a meat cutting
machine and, after a little hopping around, submitted a claim to his
insurance company. The company expecting negligence, sent out one of its
men to have a look for himself. He tried the machine and lost a finger.
The chef's claim was approved.

3. A man who shoveled snow for an hour to clear a space for his car
during a blizzard in Chicago returned with his Vehicle to find a woman
had taken the space. Understandably, he shot her.

4. After stopping for drinks at an illegal bar, a Zimbabwean bus driver
found that the 20 mental patients he was supposed to be transporting
from Harare to Bulawayo had escaped. Not wanting to admit his
incompetence, the driver went to a nearby bus stop and offered everyone
waiting there a free ride. He then delivered the passengers to the mental
hospital, telling the staff that the patients were very excitable and
prone to bizarre fantasies. The deception wasn't discovered for 3 days.

5. An American teenager was in the hospital recovering from serious
head wounds received from an oncoming train. When asked how he received
the injuries, the lad told police that he was simply trying to see how
close he could get his head to a moving train before he was hit.

6. A man walked into a Louisiana Circle-K, put a $20 bill on the
counter, and asked for change. When the clerk opened the cash drawer,
the man pulled a gun and asked for all the cash in the register, which
the clerk promptly provided. The man took the cash from the clerk and
fled, leaving the $20 bill on the counter. The total amount of cash he
got from the drawer...$15. (If someone points a gun at you and gives you
money, is a crime committed?)

7. Seems an Arkansas guy wanted some beer pretty badly. He decided that
he'd just throw a cinder block through a liquor store window, grab some
booze, and run. So he lifted the cinder block and heaved it over his
head at the window. The cinder block bounced back and hit the would-be
thief on the head, knocking him unconscious. The liquor store window was
made of Plexiglas. The whole event was caught on videotape.

8. As a female shopper exited a New York convenience store, man grabbed
her purse and ran. The clerk called 911 immediately, and the woman was
able to give them a detailed description of the snatcher. Within
minutes, the police apprehended the snatcher. They put him in the car
and drove back to the store. The thief was then taken out of the car and
told to stand there for a positive ID. To which he replied, "Yes,
officer, that's her. That's the lady I stole the purse from."

9. The Ann Arbor News crime column reported that a man walked into a
Burger King in Ypsilanti, Michigan, at 5 a.m., flashed a gun, and
demanded cash. The clerk turned him down because he said he couldn't
open the cash register without a food order. When the man ordered onion
rings, the clerk said they weren't available for breakfast. The man,
frustrated, walked away.

A 5-STAR STUPIDITY AWARD WINNER!

10. When a man attempted to siphon gasoline from a motor home parked on
a Seattle street, he got much more than he bargained for. Police arrived
at the scene to find a very sick man curled up next to a motor home near
spilled sewage. A police spokesman said that the man admitted to trying
to steal gasoline and plugged his siphon hose into the motor home's
sewage tank by mistake. The owner of the vehicle declined to press
charges, saying that it was the best laugh he'd ever had.

In the interest of bettering human kind please share these with your
friends and family ... unless of course one of these 10 individuals by
chance is a distant relative or long lost friend. In that case be glad
they are distant.

i've been away for awhile

i've been busy lately doing a lot of other stuff, other than blogging. so if you have been missing my weird, crazy take on life, and stuff like that, thanks.

i've been busy taking my daughter to soccer tournaments for her varisty soccer team, and studying, and reading.

i've also been fighting some unwanted stuff on the e-mail side of the house, too. i've been getting something that was meant to be a luncheon meat, not unwanted e-mails. have any of you ever gotten e-mails that were unsolicited? have you ever gotten more spam than messages from friends, and legitimate places you wanted to receive stuff from? well, i have, and it was just getting me down, and i didn't want to get back on the computer.

i'm trying to fight it by changing my e-mail address, and just trying to make a clean break. how have y'all been doing? i've missed hearing from you all.