There is Strength for Uncertain Times

There is Strength for Uncertain Times:

Let’s face it, we a living in very uncertain times.  We have an uncertain government.  Who knows if our elected officials will act and respond to the best interest of the people or best interest of greed, corruption, and personal gain?  The national and personal economy is uncertain.  Are we headed for an indefinite recession, debt crisis, or even great depression? Job security is no longer common, but job insecurity is.  With financial insecurity everything from major corporations to small businesses are being forced to cut hours, lay off employees, and even close doors indefinitely. Traditional nuclear family dynamics no longer exist.  Divorce, domestic abuse, broken homes, absentee parents are at all-time historical highs.  Physical and mental health are never a given.  As a medical professional, I have witnessed firsthand professionally and personally the effects of health being snuffed out unexpectedly and permanently.  Safety is no longer.  All you have to do is watch or read the news.  Domestic, school house, workplace, and public violence are on the rise; with shootings and terroristic threats and acts of violence are nightly news.  I think I could go on and on, but the point is this; uncertainty is certain.  With uncertainty come fear, anxiety, and even failure.

Uncertainty can certainly devastate and destroy lives and futures.  Individuals are affected, families are affected, and communal groups are affected.  Not even local, national or even global governments are immune from the effects of uncertainty. 

To persevere and overcome uncertainty we need strength; a certain strength that will not fail or falter.  We need a strength that never weakens or runs dry.  This kind of strength will never come from self, family, friends, or governments.  This kind of strength can only come from something greater than man and greater than the threats that inundate our lives with uncertainty.  Although this kind of strength seems impossible, it is obtainable.  God, the living Lord almighty offers this strength if all you will do is fully commit your heart to Him.

 

2 Chronicles 16:9  For the eyes of the LORD range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him…

Philippians 4:13 I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.   

I am not ashamed and will not shut up:

It is kind of crazy, but I have been accused of posting too much and being too religious on various social media.  Facebook even threatened to close my FB page, because I was accused of spamming.  I will admit I was posting on walls that ALLOWED public posts.  Many were liberal sights like lil Wayne, Oprah, and some other pages.  Truth is I don't share enough. I wish I could share more, but sadly life and some of its obligations limit my time.  I will say this though, my life and all I do and say is about Christ and the faith I so freely chose to surrender to.  If all I could do is ministry, I would do it.  Why?  Because Jesus is that good, and I can't help but talk about it.  I am not ashamed and I will not shut up.

The picture is me on medical mission in Romania.

Acts 4:20 For we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard.

May my life be the proof and evidence of Christ's love!

Alligator Urgency:

 Several years ago when I was about 13 years old, I learned a valuable lesson on acting urgently. I was fishing for bass in a deep canal along some steep embankments. On the opposite side of the canal, in the water was an alligator that was about 8-10 feet long. On top of the embankment above the alligator there was an elderly lady and a young boy about 3 years of age. The little boy got away from the elderly lady then slipped and fell down the embankment and then into the canal not far from where the alligator was. Immediately I threw my fishing pole down, dove into the water, swam across the canal and rescued the helpless toddler. Not once did I consider the dangers of the alligator. The only thing I remember thinking was; if I do not go now that boy is going to die.

 

 In light of the recent tornadoes and other tragedies that have abruptly and unexpectedly taken numerous innocent lives we ought to be thinking urgentl...y. Don’t you think it is time for Christians to start running and stop waiting? The truth is; other people’s lives depend on it.

I Corinthians 9:24 Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such way as to get the prize.

May my life be the proof and evidence of Christ’s love!

God Makes the Implausible Totally Possible

Things, stuff, garbage always happens that place a sense of urgency in your life.  Most of the time is has to do with something out of your control.  Things like tragedies, natural disasters, accidents, illness, disease and such.  When life altering life changing events happen, your perspective on life changes rapidly as well.  All of the sudden there is a sense of urgency, a desire to move and act quickly.  There is that "Oh wow! Now what do I do moment."  Huntington's Chorea disease was one of those things for our family. 

We were just trotting along in life and smelling the roses, when all of the sudden "BAM!" "Your family has Huntington's disease."  Now what are you going to do about it?  Our trotting along became a trap and our roses all became rotten.   This is not just a season or an event that will pass, it is now the rest of our lives. 

A sense of urgency is an understatement.  We wanted to scramble and act fast.  However, that was not possible.  There was absolutely nothing we could or can do about it. It is during this kind of crisis that you actually have two choices.  One is to surrender, suffer and let it takes its course.  The other is to fight like there is no tomorrow. 

We chose to fight.  By fighting, we surrendered our lives to Christ and gave the battle to Him.  In exchange, we were called to fulfill the great commission, reaching the world for Christ.  Reaching the world for Christ always starts in your own life and spreads from there. 

In the spring of 2007, an opportunity came up for a mission trip to Satu Mare, Romania.  My immediate reaction was this: "We can't afford it, there is no possible way."  Carri's initial reaction was, "I am going."  I was the doubter and Carri was the believer. 

While we were out jogging one morning, Carri abruptly stopped and said, "If money had nothing to do with this mission trip, would you go?"  "Of course I would go."  "Who do you feel should go?"  "You, me, and Mackenzie without a doubt should go."  "Then what is the problem?"  "I'll pray about it." "While you are praying about it, I'm going to sign us all up."

May of 2007, Carri, Kenzie (oldest daughter) and I went on our first foreign mission trip to Romania.  The cost was nearly $6,000.  The out of pocket expense for us never amounted to more than a couple hundred dollars.   God said go, we said yes, and He provided the means. 

We are so blessed that we chose to fight and not surrender to Huntington's disease.  God has taken us to places physically and spiritually that Huntington's disease would never have allowed.  What should be implausible, God has made totally possible. 

When God says go somewhere, do not doubt Him.  Why would He tell you to go if He really did not want you there to begin with? 

The picture is the yellow brick road in Satu' Mare, Romania.

Proverbs 3:5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding;

May my life be the proof and evidence of Christ's love!

 

Lost My Job and Doubled My Mortgage

I had shared in a previous post that we were living the "American Dream."  We were not filthy rich by any means, but I had a great job that made very good money that allowed Carri to stay home with our kids. We had a three bedroom 2 1/2 bath house on 2 acres out in the country. We were living rather comfortably and we were able to enjoy the greater pleasures of life.

Six people in a three bedroom house for a family like ours was getting just a little tight. With the income I had, it was not an issue or a problem to either buy a bigger house or add on to the home we already had. After some sincere prayer, we decided to add on to our current home. The addiction included a larger dining room, living room, two more bedrooms, laundry room, tornado shelter, and a two-car garage. Yes, that was a lot to add on to a house.  But hey, God blessed us with the finances and the ability to do so. As a result, we doubled the size of our home and we doubled our mortgage.

Meanwhile, what I did not know is that my job was on the line. I was going to lose my job not because I was failing to perform, or even performing inadequately. My job was on the line because there were employees who did not care for my management style. I led as a Christian leader. I never forced my faith or ever made others feel uncomfortable because of it. I treated staff the way I felt Christ would have treated them. I was caring, compassionate, and willing to do whatever I could to help.  Even if that meant forgiving an employee who deserved to be fired and giving them a second chance. I was a responsible steward of the operation and capital budgets as well.

What went wrong at work, I may never know the full truth. I do know there were employees who were jealous of my position and wanted someone different. There were cliques and divisions amongst certain groups.  In addition, a few would even undermine what I was trying to accomplish. As a result, I was falsely accused of irresponsibility, harassment with my faith, and favoritism.  Complaints became surmounting and relentless. Administrations hand was forced to do something. I was given this ultimatum, step down from my position, or take probation for 3 months. At the end of three months if I had not been able to achieve the goals set for my department then I would be terminated.

I was shocked! The service I had been managing had become a magnet service in the state. People were lined up for years trying to get a job with us, and turnover was virtually nonexistent. The quality and standards had increased significantly and notably, even at the state level. Managers from all over the state and others were calling me for advice. What was happening? It almost seemed to me as if there were a spiritual battle going on. There were two extreme views of my performance.  On one side, everything was perfect and could not be any better.  The other side I was a failure, a cheat, a chauvinist, and I showed favoritism.

I knew in my heart that I was doing what was right.  The obvious evidence confirmed it from every angle. I decided I was going to take the probation. I met with our human resources director and she told me this: "Bill I like you a lot, and I don't see anything wrong with your performance. I am talking to you as a friend. Do not take the probation, step down." I asked "why?" She replied; "Because you will lose your job, administration has set your goals and expectations so high no one can achieve what they are expecting of you. You will be set up for certain failure if you accept probation."

My first thoughts were these: "I just added on to my house and now my mortgage is doubled. If I step down and become a staff medic, I will lose more than half of my income. Why is this happening God, why? I have done nothing wrong."

Carri and I prayed and we just simply asked for peace. God granted that peace even though our so-called "American Dream" was coming to an abrupt end. Today I am so thankful that God allowed that door to be closed, literally right in my face. It was hard, but He opened doors that I have never imagined. He brought us to a new path that makes the "American Dream" seem like foolishness and nothing more than a superficial pleasure.

I cannot wait to continue sharing my story.  It will blow you away what God has done, and what He is continuing to do. As far as the truly hopeless situation in my life, you have not heard about it yet.

OK, the picture really has nothing to do with this post.  It is my Grandpa, and he is one of my heroes. I love him so much.  He is always telling me, "I am so proud of you!"  "You just might become the next Billy Graham."  Probably not grandpa, but God is using my life for His Glory!

Psalms 119:35-37 Direct me in the path of your commands, for there I find delight. 36 Turn my heart toward your statutes and not toward selfish gain. 37 Turn my eyes away from worthless things; preserve my life according to your word.

May my life be the proof and evidence of Christ's love!

You are Going to Lose Your Baby

Everything seemed to be going fairly well after our spontaneous move to Arkansas. We were living in our first home, we both had decent full time jobs, and Carri was pregnant with our second child. Baby number two was due July 1994. Quite honestly, about the only thing missing was the white picket fence around our yard. Other than that, we were living that dream life. We had friends, family, church, a small house in the country, and a dog. What more could you ask for.

A few months before our baby was due, Carri began having some problems. She was having pain, and some minor bleeding. We were not too concerned, but we knew enough that it was not normal. The symptoms she was having continued to get worse, so we decided it was time to have her checked by a doctor.

I was working when the doctor sent Carri to the hospital to have an ultrasound. I talked to the guys I was working with and they all said, "Go be with your wife, we will cover you. Come back as soon as you can." So, I took the offer and went with Carri to her ultrasound. It was kind of strange, because the tech did not want me in the room while they were doing the procedure. I was not too happy, I wanted to see the babies heart beat and face if I could. The tech said no, I could not go this time.

Something just did not seem right, so I went and talked to one of my ER doctor friends. She said, "I will go down to radiology and see what I can find out." Dr. Ash was gone a little longer than I thought she should have been, but I figured she was side tracked. After what seemed like an eternity, maybe 45-60 minutes Dr. Ash returned. I could tell something was wrong by the look on her face. She said this; "Bill, I am so sorry, Carri has an abrupted placenta and she is going to lose the baby. You need to take your wife home and prepare yourselves for what is going to happen."

Wow! I felt like every positive emotion I had just melted away. I was left standing there completely empty. Then, pain and sorrow began to fill me up. Tears flowed from my eyes. I felt completely helpless. I remember thinking; Why would God take something so precious away from us? We were doing all the right things. I gave my life to Him, we moved for Him, we dedicated our first child to Him; we were faithfully attending church… Helpless and hopeless is how I felt. I had to take my wife home so we could lose our baby. After Carri and I held each other and cried, we went home.

After we got home, this is what we did, we prayed. We told God that this baby was His just like the first child He blessed us with. Then we said, "God this is your baby, if you want to take her home you can. However, we are asking for a miracle. If you allow us to keep this child, she will be yours and we will raise her along with the first in a Christian home. We will do everything we can to teach them your ways and show them who you are. Our children will always be dedicated to you."

July 20, 1994 our second baby girl was born. She was as healthy as any parent could hope. Today, she is a very godly woman, who is passionate about finding God's will for her life. We are so proud of who she is and what she has allowed God to do in her life. We are blessed with all the children God has given us. They all have a true heart for the Lord.


The picture is the beautiful baby we should have lost, serving on the mission field in Nicaragua, taking care of babies!

We did and said just as Hannah when she dedicated Samuel to the Lord.

I Samuel 1:27-28 I prayed for this child, and the LORD has granted me what I asked of him. 28 So now I give him to the LORD. For his whole life he will be given over to the LORD."


May my life be the proof and evidence of Christ's love!

Baptized in a Lightening Storm, Now That Takes Faith

I was baptized at the Church of the Cross in Coral Springs, Florida.  To say the least I was very nervous, being that I was rather timid and shy.  Baptism was a huge event for me.  All eyes were on me as I stood before the church.  I remember being afraid that I would have to give a speech or something like that.  I really had serious fear issues back then, so for me to go before the church and be baptized was certainly a God thing I assure you. In-spite of my fear, I knew that my new life in Christ was so significant that I was willing to go beyond my comfort zone to make sure others knew that Jesus Christ was Lord of my life.  I was not going to be ashamed so going public was the way to prove it.

Right before my baptism, I remember my heart was racing, my breath was short, and I just knew I was going to die.  You may be thinking, that sounds just a little dramatic.  Well maybe it was.  On top of all the other fears I had about being a public spectacle, there was a fierce lightening storm going on as well.  Storms should not be a problem unless you were going to be baptized at the Church of the Cross.  Their Baptismal was outside.  The entire congregation gets to sit in the safety of the indoors, while the guy getting baptized has to go outside.  

Behind the pulpit was a large set of sliding glass doors leading to the outdoor baptismal. As the pastor was preparing me for what to expect, all I could hear was loud earth shaking rumbles of thunder and see intense flashes of light.  You would have thought the battle of Armageddon had started.  Yes, I was shy timid and hardly ever spoke much, but this was insane my life was at stake.  You do not ever; I repeat ever stand in a body of water when lightning is striking the ground all around you.  God granted me the strength and courage to speak.  With a cracked up voice that was fluttering because of the pounding inside my chest I asked the pastor, "Is this a good idea since the lighting is so close and intense?"  Without hesitation he replied, "Son, If God kills you, He can't use you anymore.  I don't think He is finished with you yet, let's go."  

Before I knew it we were in the baptismal, and the skies had parted.  I am serious the storm broke up like there was some kind of planned intermission going on.  I was submerged symbolically as a dead man in sin and then I was raised out of the water as a new life in Christ cleansed and redeemed by my spiritual birth.

I shared this story for two reasons.  One baptism is a command from God.  Matthew 28:19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.  If we have truly given our lives to Christ, Then we need to be obedient to Him.  Baptism in itself is nothing magical and it does not save you.  It is a celebration and testimony of your new found faith in Christ.  If you have accepted God's gift of eternal life through His son, then you will want to be baptized.  The second reason I shared this story was for what my pastor said to me, "Son, If God kills you, He can't use you anymore.  I don't think He is finished with you yet, let's go."  That statement has always stuck in my head.  Although I had a lot of fear, I always hoped it was true.  I had no idea of the magnitude of what God was going to do through a nobody like me.  God does not call the qualified, He qualifies the called. 

In accepting God's gifts of being Lord and savior, redemption of sin, and eternal life I was given a second life.  I can honestly say for me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. 

I Corinthians 1:26-31 Brothers, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. 27 But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. 28 He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things--and the things that are not--to nullify the things that are, 29 so that no one may boast before him. 30 It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God--that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption. 31 Therefore, as it is written: "Let him who boasts boast in the Lord." 
    

This is a picture of my cousin
being baptized recently

My plan is to continue sharing how God has not just changed my life, but how He has brought me to where He has me today.  God was certainly not through with me then.  It gets sweeter and sweeter as I have learned to surrender even more and more. 

May my life be the proof and evidence of Christ's love!

She Was Pregnant and Said We Will Go To Church!

Before Carri and I married, we did stray away from the church. Part of it was school and part of it was lack of motivation. Carri was in RN school and I was in paramedic school. We were busy. Honestly, we were not living the best of lives either. I still did not have a healthy respect for God’s word or His church. My language was not the best, and neither was my perspective on who Christ really was. We had become what the Bible describes as luke warm. We were neither hot nor cold; we were just doing our thing. I was pretty much clueless.

Three months after Carri and I had been married we discovered we were going to have a baby. We were very excited! Bringing a child into this world has a way of changing the way you look at things and view life. You are no longer responsible for just yourself; you are now responsible for the innocent life of an unborn child. When that child enters this world, it is your responsibility to raise and nurture them. A parent’s greatest desire is to have a healthy baby that grows into a successful adult. Have you ever heard a parent express desire to have a sick baby, and hope that they will grow and become a failure in life? Of course not.

After the initial shock and excitement was over, Carri decided we needed to take a closer look at our spiritual life. At this point in my life I did not care much about spiritual stuff. Besides I got what I wanted, I was married to the girl of my dreams. Out of respect for my wife, I listened and did not argue. Here is what she said: “This child is God’s gift to us and we will raise this child as His. We will go to church.” No problem with me in that statement, going to church got me what I wanted. I wanted Carri, I went to church, and I got Carri. So yea, going to church and raising our child in church could not be a bad thing.

Now it was time to get serious and do what was right. We wanted to give our child the best chance she could have in life. Having God on your side was a good thing. So obviously in my mind going to church was a great way to do that, especially on Christmas and Easter. I was sure that is when He paid the most attention to who was actually in church. Well guess what? Carri meant every Sunday. She got out a phone book, twirled her finger around with her eyes closed and randomly chose a church. Her finger landed on “The Church of The Cross, in Coral Springs Florida”. This Church just happened to be 2 blocks from our home.

Within a few short weeks of attending church, an older couple introduced themselves to us. Larry and Susan were their names. They were such an amazing couple. When they introduced themselves to us Larry simply stated, “We just want to be here for you guys, if you ever need anything we want to help”. Larry and Susan took us in as their kids kind of. They would pray with us, offer us advice when we asked, and they even spent time with us. Frequently we went to their home for dinner and just a friendly visits.

I remember so clearly one day, Larry said to me, “Bill you are going to make a good deacon someday.” I had no idea what he meant, but I had this vision of me wearing a religious gown with royal colors holding a candle on a stick and chanting religious chants. I thought to myself, “OK, I think not. If Larry only knew who I really was”. I ‘m pretty sure I just smiled and said thanks Larry. What I did not know at that time is that God was about to use Larry to open my eyes to who He really was.

As I close this story, I want to leave you with some advice. Get in a Church where God’s true word is preached. There you will find encouragement, inspiration, God’s presence, and God’s people. I’m not just talking about any church; I’m talking about God’s church. You will recognize it by the affirmation you feel within your heart. You will know it is the right place, because you will know in your heart, “This is where I belong.” I knew it, the first time we attended the Church of the Cross. We were welcomed and accepted immediately without hesitation, and we felt God’s word speaking to our hearts as it was being preached. That feeling I got when I first met Carri, and that feeling I got the first time I went to a Christian church, well it was back and it was even more powerful than before. Do you want to offer the best for your family, then get God involved.

Raising our children in church was the best thing we ever did for them. Not only did we become grounded in our faith, so did our children as well. All four of our kids had drug problems, we drug everyone of them to church their entire lives. Even when they did not want to be there. Ask them and they will tell you they were glad we did it.

The picture is of a night time revival in Nicaragua during one of our many mission trips.

Hebrews 10:25 Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another--and all the more as you see the Day approaching.

May my life be the proof and evidence of Christ love!

Bullying, and the Message it Sends

I was born with a kidney defect that prevented me from being able to control my bladder.  I honestly do not remember exactly what was wrong, but I know I had to have surgery to correct the problem.    Long story short, I had a bladder control problem and it did not go unnoticed.  It was not uncommon for me to wet my bed at night and even wet my pants at school.  Word got around pretty quick, for obvious reasons, that I was a bed wetter and a baby.  This title was the gateway to bullying. 

I remember the verbal teasing, the chasing, pushing, and even hitting that occurred on the playground and after school.  In elementary school, I distinctly remember a tire maze that was more of a trap for me.  After a few attempts to go in and play, I quickly learned it was not a safe place.  The tire maze, it was a trap for the timid and a safe haven for bullies.  The bullies, they could do and say whatever they wanted within the confines of the tire fortress.  Teachers could not see or hear what was going on within this labyrinth of tires.  Avoiding the tires was not the solution to my problem.  Hindsight, it made things worse.   Avoidance only proved I was a wimp and I was afraid making me a more desirable target.   

Not only was my bladder a problem, so was my self esteem.  I had little to no confidence and therefore I had no courage.  I was the kid who could strike out in t-ball.  When it came to neighborhood games and picking teams, I was always the last.  Well actually most of the time I heard things like, "We have enough", and "We do not need you".   On the rare occasion I did get to play, I usually heard things like, "You suck", "You stink", and "We do not want you on our team". 

Because of my problems and trials, I was extremely shy and timid.  I was however good at one thing, running.  I ran home every day from school.  I did not run for fun, I ran for my life.  If I did not run fast enough, I would be picked on, bullied and beat up.  That my friends made me very fast and gave me endurance like a bloody gazelle running from a pack of cheetahs.   

I could go on and on about my experiences of bullying.  However, that is not really what is important about this story.  What is important is the effects bullying had on me mentally, emotionally, and socially.  The message that I heard and believed was this:  "nobody likes you", "nobody wants you", "nobody cares for you", and" you will never amount to anything". 

The one regret I have, I never really ever told my parents or my older sister what I was going through.  The three people who loved me the most, I chose to hide these things from.

Bullying is a real problem and it is a bigger problem today than when I was a kid 30 plus years ago.  With the aid of technology, bullying has no boundaries.  You may ask; "why does God allow these things to happen."  I do not have the answer for every situation.  What I do know is this; God used my weakness and my hurts to make me who I am today.  For this reason, I am grateful.  

Me with a couple girls
that bullied me with body paint.
MFUGE - youth mission trip St. Louis

John 9:3 

"Neither this man nor his parents sinned," said Jesus, "but this happened so that the work of God might be displayed in his life.

May my life be the proof and evidence of His love!