Good morning, Brian! Good morning beautiful blog family
Lam 3:22-25
The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end;
they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.
“The Lord is my portion,” says my soul, “therefore I will hope in him.”
The Lord is good to those who wait for him, to the soul who seeks him.
This from My Utmost for His Highest, Oswald Chambers today:
The Explanation For Our Difficulties
May 22, 2010
. . . that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us . . . —John 17:21
If you are going through a time of isolation, seemingly all alone, read John 17 . It will explain exactly why you are where you are— because Jesus has prayed that you “may be one” with the Father as He is. Are you helping God to answer that prayer, or do you have some other goal for your life? Since you became a disciple, you cannot be as independent as you used to be.
God reveals in John 17 that His purpose is not just to answer our prayers, but that through prayer we might come to discern His mind. Yet there is one prayer which God must answer, and that is the prayer of Jesus— “. . . that they may be one just as We are one . . .” (John 17:22 ). Are we as close to Jesus Christ as that?
God is not concerned about our plans; He doesn’t ask, “Do you want to go through this loss of a loved one, this difficulty, or this defeat?” No, He allows these things for His own purpose. The things we are going through are either making us sweeter, better, and nobler men and women, or they are making us more critical and fault-finding, and more insistent on our own way. The things that happen either make us evil, or they make us more saintly, depending entirely on our relationship with God and its level of intimacy. If we will pray, regarding our own lives, “Your will be done” ( Matthew 26:42 ), then we will be encouraged and comforted by John 17, knowing that our Father is working according to His own wisdom, accomplishing what is best. When we understand God’s purpose, we will not become small-minded and cynical. Jesus prayed nothing less for us than absolute oneness with Himself, just as He was one with the Father. Some of us are far from this oneness; yet God will not leave us alone until we are one with Him— because Jesus prayed, “. . . that they all may be one . . . .”
I haven’t open blogged for a while. Probably won’t have much time today either as we have two catering events and one tomorrow. Just a quick thought from a huge party last night: Some pastors need to learn how to party. The ones I saw last night looked like fish out of water. Their obvious discomfort was not attractive to their church, Christianity, or the gospel. Somehow I don’t think Jesus was so stiff when he hung out with the ‘sinners’ the pharisees railed at him about. He was their friend.
I hear you, Fil, but on the other side, the last wedding I went to I took time to “cut a rug” on the dance floor, it was videoed, put on fbook and had two comments saying “what, were you drunk?”
Sometimes playing with the other kids gets you kicked in the unmentionables.
I know I’d rather dance at a wedding and be misunderstood, but I don’t blame anyone who doesn’t want to put up with the poop. Poop is not fun. Maybe some of what we see is residual bitterness of having been kicked in the business for trying to have fun with the other kids?
Good observation, I just dunno how to fix it. Detente is not practiced in Christendom.
Rob, thanks for the balance. My observation was based on the general sense of discomfort they showed just being there. Didn’t circulate, laugh, relax…could have been the mere presence of beer and wine, strangers, a host of things. But that’s the mission field and we represent ‘life and life abundant.’ I took it as culture shock or irrelevance. The coolest thing was the guy who was honored at the surprise party spoke at the toast of ‘good things’ his wife, kids, friends, then said the best thing in his life was Jesus Christ and credited Him with making his life meaningful and complete. It was a huge moment, one the pastors missed because they bailed earlier.
there were a number of folks from their church there who were thoroughly uncomfortable having a beer or a glass of wine at the party just because the pastor was there. Even though they are well versed in their ‘liberty’ there is an unspoken expectation that they will pass on their liberty and abstain. As soon as the pastors left, there was a sense of relief and those people reached for a bottle or a glass. The double standard was awkward and unwarranted.
JTK – I love The Pilgrim’s Progress! I’m also a fan of Quest for Celestia, which is a reimagining of Pilgrim’s Progress written by Steven James. Really a great read!
I got to witness to two Mormon elders today. The lead elder stood back, as the second one tried every angle in their playbook. I just kept leading the conversation back to the Cross. They were such nice, but misled, kids. I hate seeing people headed to hell. It’s all about Jesus and the Cross.
Have you ever pondered the idea of you being a God hater, every single thing you do from the moment you were concieved to right now is totally an abomination, each heart beat is rebellion to God and each second of your life is storing up wrath from God. From the very foundations of time and space, you personally were created as a vessel of wrath to be hated by God for all eternity. But not only you almost all of humanity, every single human act of kindness, every smile, every soldier dying for their brothers and sisters and nation, every fireperson outside of “Christ” did it for God hating vile selfish motives. That the smile of a baby to the gentle touch of an elderly grandmother all of these not done totally in Christ with no selfish motives pure and perfect are filthy rags to God, they make God want to vomit, are impure defiled, wretched, sinful, selfish, vile, abominations.
Or maybe God works through all people in some way and His ways are higher then ours and he sees the heart. I dont know I can say the first paragraph sums up what I have heard for most of my time as a Christian.
ahhh dear brian – it’s not the doing of good deeds that God hates – He doesn’t even hate it when we feel good about doing those good deeds – what He hates is when we try to use our own goodness for self justification … er something like that 😉
When I was a kid, I would come home and look through the window in the back door to see how many empty beer cans were in the trash. If it was full, it meant It would be a few hours of hell, then she would pass out, it it was half empty it means verbal abuse till 2 or 3am…. if it was empty it meanest she was drinking whisky. I didn’t go home on those nights. Just stayed out. She never passed out and was meaner that I could describe when she drank whiskey
Oh, how happy I am to not be in a position of church ‘leadership’ (read: scrutiny) anymore!
I love being anonymous (at church and otherwise!) after decades of fishbowl living!
we don’t drink alcohol at all, nor allow guests to imbibe at our home.
I’ve lost too much and too many dear ones to the ravages of alcohol.
I know, I’m a prude.
Oh well.
Carry on. 🙂
What’s wrong with being yourself when you are a leader? What can the church lady record that will cause trouble? I don’t get it. Are leaders in your church required to maintain a phony dignity at all times? How weird is that.
I’m really vexed and annoyed. I know I said I’d die before I went back to the emergency room, but that was before I accidentally cut my arm open with a piece of glass. It was 7 o’clock on a Saturday evening so all of the doctors offices and walk in clinics were closed. Rob and I really tried to find someplace else to go, but in the end only the emergency room was open and my cut, while not life threatening or even particularly painful or bloody, was something that needed to be taken care of today. So I had to go to the emergency room, and now it’s going to cost $1000 to get six stiches.
As I said, I’m vexed and annoyed. I’m on the waiting list to get insurance, but there are like 20,000 in front of me so that’s not going to happen any time soon.
Dansk,
bingo. the whole deal is goofy when you act like someone else to be accepted by those who think you really are how you’re pretending to be…and then they imitate you?
Jessica, did they use golden thread or something? You’d be treated as well and save a ton of money going to a veterinarian. 😉
I don’t know for a fact that the bill will be $1000. I’m basing that on the fact that the last time I went to the emergency room it was over $1000 for them to put me on an anti-nausea IV drip, diagnose me with “vomiting”, and send me home with a prescription for glorified ibuprofin. I don’t know why getting six stiches would cost any less.
I’m very bummed about this. On the one hand, I don’t think I cut myself because I was being irresponsible–it was just an accident that could have happened to anyone. But on the other hand, I worry that I really was being irresponsible and I just don’t know it and that I cut myself because I’m a bad person and am now being punished by having to pay $1000.
“I feel sorry for the deacons and priests — they told me that the wine and bread can never be wasted or thrown out, so whatever is left over on Sunday, they have to drink it up. The life of a minister is hard… ”
lol!!! a transubstantiation thing? this is why the friars (Friar Tuck) had a rep for overdrinking.
Brian, that is so nice of you. I should be able to handle the bill. I have some avenues to pursue in that regard, and I should be able to take care of it. But I’m very touched by and thankful for your offer.
I know you feel crappy about yourself much of the time, but you seem like a very nice person. 🙂
I wanted to offer a point of view as to the real presence in some form was the Christian norm for well 1700 years, granted it was not the Catholic form, but it was most assuredly not the evangelical form, in really never has been outside of the American Church. Most Christians have held to a “real” presence of some type. In even a more historic context one could argue that baptism was a universal concept of acceptance into the communion. Basically no on denied that until the renaissance . Now its funny I think the renaissance and even the enlightenment were graces from God because they took us out of our spiritual tribalism and lead us into some type of light, for example small pox, flue, polio, Aids, and other such plagues were from God. That type of thinking is well silly, we really need to get over that. God does not create WMDA’s imo. Of course I could be wrong, but I dont see God as a massive killer. For example Small Pox, now I have known Christians whom have held that Small Pox would come back, and with out a twitch of an eye they would project with great glee such an event. I would hold, any deity that needs such a plague, does not deserve our worship. Science gave an answer, now I think God created science and gave fallible humans the answer because He wanted to spare us such a rage. I agree we need salvation, we all, me in the front of the line, spit in God’s face and deserve hell. But He is merciful and provides a redemption in this and many other illnesses.
I actually have the audacity to think God loves humanity. I have actually tried to repent of that, but failed miserably. We are not living through the black death of Europe, the 30’s or 100’s war, the peasant rebellion, the witch burnings, etc. We live in a time that has a chance, it is God’s grace we dont live in these times, we dont want to see half of Europe being killed or 2/3 of the human species wiped out in the great tribulation. Though I have met people who desired this wrath and more, most folks dont want to see it.
I offer this maybe we are all wrong, maybe God wants to save most, if not all of humanity? I know that may make me a heretic, but people are worth it. Or are they? I think they are, but I could be wrong, and have been told that I am, most of my Christian life. I dont know, I have no great wisdom or eternal answer, all I know is this, I love people, and the are worth the Blood of God. From that point I am in the gray, as are most of us if we are honest.
I read Packer, Stott and to some degree Hunter, and want to become an Anglican. I read what you are being taught, and I realize again I’m already in the right place.
I guess I am a bit perplexed about why people are surprised about how much the emergency room cost. Is it because deep down we believe medicine should be a bit more charity than business? Maybe so.
All I know is the people who staff the ER need to live, breath and eat eat like all of us and they too are “worthy of their wages.” I also hate to fork out the money but I am also glad they can meet their needs through me.
i think – dunno – when we encounter someone who is serious enough about their walk with the Lord that their life is just steeped in Christ, our tendency as Believers in Christ is to give their church credit … and maybe so… but
Pentecost! how many churches will be pausing this morning to think on that? But they’ve already got a committee working on their 4th of July picnic.. 😉
Happy and glorious Pentecost Sunday to one and all! Thy kingdom come, Lord. Thy will be done on earth until it is done as it is in Heaven.
MB, “God works in REALLY mysterious ways… It is the first time in our 10 year relationship, that we have been on the exact same page, spiritually!!”
i was sitting here typing while you posted…. i love that report! Praises to our wonderful Lord.
shoot, there,s going to be a string of my pontifications here – again 🙁
but gotta say regarding hospitals and staff – the staff are treasures for the most part, you have no idea how much effort goes into keeping the show on the road down there where wheels are actually turning.
the problem IMO is #1 – they are a profit making business and the big bucks don’t go to the people on the floor (lots of them can’t afford health insurance either). #2 – we are paying for those big liability insurance premiums that cover the hospitals and staff liability (“ambulance chasers” have come into the hospitals, too) and #3 – free health care, that sounds mean, i know but if we required a token payment up front and out of pocket from everyone, all those sniffles and sore throats might get doctored at home… as most do now, as they did in my day. 🙂
(yeah, i know, equipment is soooo expensive these days)
***I guess I am a bit perplexed about why people are surprised about how much the emergency room cost. Is it because deep down we believe medicine should be a bit more charity than business? Maybe so.
All I know is the people who staff the ER need to live, breath and eat eat like all of us and they too are “worthy of their wages.” I also hate to fork out the money but I am also glad they can meet their needs through me.***
I’m not “surprised” that the emergency room costs so much. I do think the extreme cost is inappropriate in many cases. I’ve been to the emergency room twice. The first time, I went to the doctor’s office first and they told me to go to the emergency room. This most recent time my boyfriend and I spent half an hour on the phone and the internet trying to find a non-emergency room option, but everything else was closed.
So, I tried to do the right thing–I tried to find other options. But other options simply aren’t available on the weekends.
The first time I went to the emergency room, I was forced to take a pregnancy test (that I had to pay for) eventhough I knew for a fact that it was impossible for me to be pregnant. I was also charged over $200 merely to have a doctor look over my paperwork and write a prescription–to not even see me in person. $200 for five minutes of work strikes me as falling well outside the purview of a worker being worthy of their wages.
The people I know who are skilled and experienced in their work make around $15 and hour. The first time I went to the emergency room, I was there for a little under 2 hours. Even if their were 10 people taking care of me for those 2 hours and each of them made $20 an hour (which, frankly, is an extremely good wage), that would only be $400. That seems reasonable to me. Even $600 would seem reasonable, if a little steep. But over $1000 is completely outside of what I see normal people making and normal people charging for their work. I simply don’t understand why getting simple medical assistance costs so very much.
I don’t think medical assistance should necessarily be more charity than business, but I believe very strongly that it shouldn’t be exploitative, which is what it appears to be in this day and age in this country.
I’ve often thought if there wasn’t any medical insurance and all had to pay out of pocket if the cost of health care would be less? Of course there would be a lot of people with bad teeth and less of them.
I wish there was a better answer to the high cost.
In the old days we would trade a chicken or two. With inflation how many chickens does that add up to in 2010?
Jessica,
Your post about what an ER visit “should” cost is extrememly naive. To suggest a “good wage” for someone with specialized medical training, or many other specialized fields, isn’t feasible at all.
Also, what you haven’t taken into account in your total of the bill is the wages of the receptionist who takes your information, the housekeeping staff that cleans the room after you’ve used it, the billing department that processes the bills, the food service worker (if you got any food during your visit), the person that drew your blood, the lab fees…etc.
The computer equipment that your records are stored on, the systems analyst to keep that system up to date and running etc…
What you see when you visit an ER is just the first layer of multiple ones that keep a hospital going.
Much of the cost of an ER is because people keep using them as primary care facilities instead of going to their regular doc. Many of those people are either without insurance for one reason or another. Some of the people treated by the ER are so drunk they’ve passed out on the street. An ambulance has to take them somewhere so they can sober up. ER docs have to take blood and treat those guys while they “sleep it off” and stink up the ER. (grrrr)
98% of those guys don’t have any insurance, so who pays their bill? The hospital has to write it off or send them to collections which is pricy. So, we all have to pay a portion of those people’s bills too.
There’s much more that goes into an ER visit charge than how much time and attention someone feels like they personally received.
in praise of the ER – several trips with my elderly mother when the facility was crowded with the folk London describes above (up here they have begun to triage, so they know who’s truly sick now) and the one in the middle of the night when we found out that my husband was very sick – God is so good, the facility was nearly empty and that weary staff even about to change shifts after the tough part of a weekend night was so thorough and such an undercurrent of love.
BTW-don’t say we were ‘lucky’ to have insurance – one man’s whole life of being responsible and disciplined (God rescued him from a lousy childhood, too BTW) and working hard was the reason we had insurance … we were lucky, tho, to be born before everything in this country fell to the insidious, self-righteous and destructive mantra: “question authority.” Question authority? Yes, but do it with respect and reason. Blowing things up seldom brings a good result. Has something to do with entropy, i think – dunno
…blowing up oil wells in the middle of the Gulf of Mexico is/was the height of irresponsibility and maybe now is a very good time to question authority, but then again, maybe someone, somewhere in the chain didn’t respect authority? Has God given us up to a reprobate mind?
I have a good friend from college days who’s an Episcopal priest. My understanding has always been that there’s 3 branches of the Anglican Communion — Anglo-Catholic (high), broad, and low. Don’t know if that’s still true or not.
sorry MaBell, I apparently wasn’t clear. But I think Michael got what I was saying.
I read Packer and Stott and Hunter and I think, almost thou persuadeth to be an Anglican….. But some of what you have shared does seem to be problematic for me…… and reinforces that I probably already in the right place for me..
thanks to you, Lutheran and Michael for adding some addition information….
As an aside re: Anglicon/Episcopalian….my youngest son accepted Christ into his life after the former Archbishop of the Episcopalian diocese here did a traditional anglican service on Good Friday at the non-denominational church we were attending.
When we approached him afterward and my son told him what happened and he laid his hands on my son and prayed for him. Even today, my son recalls how the Lord used that servant and service to help him to see his sinfulness and his need for the Lord and he has nothing but wonderful words for that Archbishop.
When I was a college student at one of the Big Ten schools in the late 70s, we had a number of InterVarsity students who became Episcopalians. Their attitude really turned off a lot of us at the time…but we were all about twenty years old and could barely find our a*s with both our hands…
I followed up on what happened to the Episcopalian Bishop, Terry Kelshaw, who led my youngest to the Lord in a Tenebrae service our pastor had invited him to do on a Good Friday evening.
He resigned his post as Bishop of the Diocese of the Rio Grande saying that he had not taken communion with the council of bishops for the 13 of 15 years because “I did not consider myself in fellowship due to the pronouncements they were making concerning themselves and the church.” He is now the Bishop in Resident at St. James, Newport Beach, California, a Church of Uganda church.
As an aside (re: the comment about Bishop Kelshaw in moderation), I used to go to Precept bible studies with his wife, who, when we had potlucks, would bring the most sumptuous English shortbread you have ever tasted.
It’s all yours today…
first good morning all
Good morning, Brian! Good morning beautiful blog family
Lam 3:22-25
The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end;
they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.
“The Lord is my portion,” says my soul, “therefore I will hope in him.”
The Lord is good to those who wait for him, to the soul who seeks him.
Music is up for the week. Feel free to drop by. If you’re so inclined leave a post to let me know you dropped by! Happy Saturday!! 🙂
Went lookin’ for a T-shirt to work in today and tound my Phoenix Preacher T-shirt…the phoenix is flying in my house today 😉
This from My Utmost for His Highest, Oswald Chambers today:
The Explanation For Our Difficulties
May 22, 2010
. . . that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us . . . —John 17:21
If you are going through a time of isolation, seemingly all alone, read John 17 . It will explain exactly why you are where you are— because Jesus has prayed that you “may be one” with the Father as He is. Are you helping God to answer that prayer, or do you have some other goal for your life? Since you became a disciple, you cannot be as independent as you used to be.
God reveals in John 17 that His purpose is not just to answer our prayers, but that through prayer we might come to discern His mind. Yet there is one prayer which God must answer, and that is the prayer of Jesus— “. . . that they may be one just as We are one . . .” (John 17:22 ). Are we as close to Jesus Christ as that?
God is not concerned about our plans; He doesn’t ask, “Do you want to go through this loss of a loved one, this difficulty, or this defeat?” No, He allows these things for His own purpose. The things we are going through are either making us sweeter, better, and nobler men and women, or they are making us more critical and fault-finding, and more insistent on our own way. The things that happen either make us evil, or they make us more saintly, depending entirely on our relationship with God and its level of intimacy. If we will pray, regarding our own lives, “Your will be done” ( Matthew 26:42 ), then we will be encouraged and comforted by John 17, knowing that our Father is working according to His own wisdom, accomplishing what is best. When we understand God’s purpose, we will not become small-minded and cynical. Jesus prayed nothing less for us than absolute oneness with Himself, just as He was one with the Father. Some of us are far from this oneness; yet God will not leave us alone until we are one with Him— because Jesus prayed, “. . . that they all may be one . . . .”
Much love to the PP family this fine Saturday!
Love the cartoon. Hayward rocks it as usual.
Been there…trying to pound the square peg through the round hole.
Funny (and so good) how God can drop the hammer on you and smooth out those square edges 🙂
I haven’t open blogged for a while. Probably won’t have much time today either as we have two catering events and one tomorrow. Just a quick thought from a huge party last night: Some pastors need to learn how to party. The ones I saw last night looked like fish out of water. Their obvious discomfort was not attractive to their church, Christianity, or the gospel. Somehow I don’t think Jesus was so stiff when he hung out with the ‘sinners’ the pharisees railed at him about. He was their friend.
just an observation from the trenches
I hear you, Fil, but on the other side, the last wedding I went to I took time to “cut a rug” on the dance floor, it was videoed, put on fbook and had two comments saying “what, were you drunk?”
Sometimes playing with the other kids gets you kicked in the unmentionables.
I know I’d rather dance at a wedding and be misunderstood, but I don’t blame anyone who doesn’t want to put up with the poop. Poop is not fun. Maybe some of what we see is residual bitterness of having been kicked in the business for trying to have fun with the other kids?
Good observation, I just dunno how to fix it. Detente is not practiced in Christendom.
Linnea, Thanks for sharing that piece on John 17 by Oswald Chambers. Very good insights. Something to marinate my mind in today.
I always figure if you are going to damned either way – land on the side of joy and celebration, it reflects “life abundant” and if more fun
Rob, you should have replied, “drunk? Yeah, just a little, you got a problem with that?”
or, “no, full of the Holy Spirit.” 😉
Rob, thanks for the balance. My observation was based on the general sense of discomfort they showed just being there. Didn’t circulate, laugh, relax…could have been the mere presence of beer and wine, strangers, a host of things. But that’s the mission field and we represent ‘life and life abundant.’ I took it as culture shock or irrelevance. The coolest thing was the guy who was honored at the surprise party spoke at the toast of ‘good things’ his wife, kids, friends, then said the best thing in his life was Jesus Christ and credited Him with making his life meaningful and complete. It was a huge moment, one the pastors missed because they bailed earlier.
as long as I’m at it…
there were a number of folks from their church there who were thoroughly uncomfortable having a beer or a glass of wine at the party just because the pastor was there. Even though they are well versed in their ‘liberty’ there is an unspoken expectation that they will pass on their liberty and abstain. As soon as the pastors left, there was a sense of relief and those people reached for a bottle or a glass. The double standard was awkward and unwarranted.
I suppose if we are going to preach liberty, we’d better expect people to exercise it.
I would have NO problem sharing a bottle of beer with Pastor Michael Newnham 🙂
Just finished “The Pilgrim’s Progress” and wow! That Reformed Baptist guy wrote an AMAZING story.
I haven’t read a less-modern humanistic piece of fiction possibly EVER!
A DVD of same was decent, a cartoon reproduction just an over an hour long was purty good.
Have a great weekend, y’all!
JTK – I love The Pilgrim’s Progress! I’m also a fan of Quest for Celestia, which is a reimagining of Pilgrim’s Progress written by Steven James. Really a great read!
Scott,
I’ll buy. 🙂
I love good whiskey and good rum…and I really have no problem sharing that information over such. 😉
I got to witness to two Mormon elders today. The lead elder stood back, as the second one tried every angle in their playbook. I just kept leading the conversation back to the Cross. They were such nice, but misled, kids. I hate seeing people headed to hell. It’s all about Jesus and the Cross.
Scott,
If he’s buying, I’m coming too. 😉
Have you ever pondered the idea of you being a God hater, every single thing you do from the moment you were concieved to right now is totally an abomination, each heart beat is rebellion to God and each second of your life is storing up wrath from God. From the very foundations of time and space, you personally were created as a vessel of wrath to be hated by God for all eternity. But not only you almost all of humanity, every single human act of kindness, every smile, every soldier dying for their brothers and sisters and nation, every fireperson outside of “Christ” did it for God hating vile selfish motives. That the smile of a baby to the gentle touch of an elderly grandmother all of these not done totally in Christ with no selfish motives pure and perfect are filthy rags to God, they make God want to vomit, are impure defiled, wretched, sinful, selfish, vile, abominations.
Or maybe God works through all people in some way and His ways are higher then ours and he sees the heart. I dont know I can say the first paragraph sums up what I have heard for most of my time as a Christian.
PS I do believe and have from when I was five or so that the above describes me to a tee, I just have a lot of trouble applying it to others.
ahhh dear brian – it’s not the doing of good deeds that God hates – He doesn’t even hate it when we feel good about doing those good deeds – what He hates is when we try to use our own goodness for self justification … er something like that 😉
God keep all close this night
When I was a kid, I would come home and look through the window in the back door to see how many empty beer cans were in the trash. If it was full, it meant It would be a few hours of hell, then she would pass out, it it was half empty it means verbal abuse till 2 or 3am…. if it was empty it meanest she was drinking whisky. I didn’t go home on those nights. Just stayed out. She never passed out and was meaner that I could describe when she drank whiskey
I don’t like whiskey
BTW Believe I had a very abusive childhood to. Just wanted you to know. only in the 50s no one talked about such things, they were family secrets
I put up a video of a ride on my Harley on my FB — from my house to the top of the Ortega —
Hey DMW…I used to live in Elsinore…so I know what you mean when you say “the Ortega”…
Lived one year in LE, one year in Canyon Lake, and the next ten just south of Sun City at Newport and Murrietta Roads.
As for what I’m drinking…usually a Jarritos soda or a Snapple.
Howdy Friends…
Oh, how happy I am to not be in a position of church ‘leadership’ (read: scrutiny) anymore!
I love being anonymous (at church and otherwise!) after decades of fishbowl living!
we don’t drink alcohol at all, nor allow guests to imbibe at our home.
I’ve lost too much and too many dear ones to the ravages of alcohol.
I know, I’m a prude.
Oh well.
Carry on. 🙂
Good rum…Come aboard, Mate! Arrrgh!
What’s wrong with being yourself when you are a leader? What can the church lady record that will cause trouble? I don’t get it. Are leaders in your church required to maintain a phony dignity at all times? How weird is that.
I’m really vexed and annoyed. I know I said I’d die before I went back to the emergency room, but that was before I accidentally cut my arm open with a piece of glass. It was 7 o’clock on a Saturday evening so all of the doctors offices and walk in clinics were closed. Rob and I really tried to find someplace else to go, but in the end only the emergency room was open and my cut, while not life threatening or even particularly painful or bloody, was something that needed to be taken care of today. So I had to go to the emergency room, and now it’s going to cost $1000 to get six stiches.
As I said, I’m vexed and annoyed. I’m on the waiting list to get insurance, but there are like 20,000 in front of me so that’s not going to happen any time soon.
Grumble grumble. 🙁 🙁 🙁
Dansk,
bingo. the whole deal is goofy when you act like someone else to be accepted by those who think you really are how you’re pretending to be…and then they imitate you?
Jessica, did they use golden thread or something? You’d be treated as well and save a ton of money going to a veterinarian. 😉
I don’t know for a fact that the bill will be $1000. I’m basing that on the fact that the last time I went to the emergency room it was over $1000 for them to put me on an anti-nausea IV drip, diagnose me with “vomiting”, and send me home with a prescription for glorified ibuprofin. I don’t know why getting six stiches would cost any less.
DMW,
got watch that video . I’m riding a FB as well now.
I’m very bummed about this. On the one hand, I don’t think I cut myself because I was being irresponsible–it was just an accident that could have happened to anyone. But on the other hand, I worry that I really was being irresponsible and I just don’t know it and that I cut myself because I’m a bad person and am now being punished by having to pay $1000.
Jessica I dont have alot, truly but I can front you some money if you need it, the rest I agree with you from very personal experience.
seekingsomepeacenow@yahoo.com
DMW,
surprised how green it still is there. visibility was bad… for there.
“I feel sorry for the deacons and priests — they told me that the wine and bread can never be wasted or thrown out, so whatever is left over on Sunday, they have to drink it up. The life of a minister is hard… ”
lol!!! a transubstantiation thing? this is why the friars (Friar Tuck) had a rep for overdrinking.
Brian, that is so nice of you. I should be able to handle the bill. I have some avenues to pursue in that regard, and I should be able to take care of it. But I’m very touched by and thankful for your offer.
I know you feel crappy about yourself much of the time, but you seem like a very nice person. 🙂
I wanted to offer a point of view as to the real presence in some form was the Christian norm for well 1700 years, granted it was not the Catholic form, but it was most assuredly not the evangelical form, in really never has been outside of the American Church. Most Christians have held to a “real” presence of some type. In even a more historic context one could argue that baptism was a universal concept of acceptance into the communion. Basically no on denied that until the renaissance . Now its funny I think the renaissance and even the enlightenment were graces from God because they took us out of our spiritual tribalism and lead us into some type of light, for example small pox, flue, polio, Aids, and other such plagues were from God. That type of thinking is well silly, we really need to get over that. God does not create WMDA’s imo. Of course I could be wrong, but I dont see God as a massive killer. For example Small Pox, now I have known Christians whom have held that Small Pox would come back, and with out a twitch of an eye they would project with great glee such an event. I would hold, any deity that needs such a plague, does not deserve our worship. Science gave an answer, now I think God created science and gave fallible humans the answer because He wanted to spare us such a rage. I agree we need salvation, we all, me in the front of the line, spit in God’s face and deserve hell. But He is merciful and provides a redemption in this and many other illnesses.
I actually have the audacity to think God loves humanity. I have actually tried to repent of that, but failed miserably. We are not living through the black death of Europe, the 30’s or 100’s war, the peasant rebellion, the witch burnings, etc. We live in a time that has a chance, it is God’s grace we dont live in these times, we dont want to see half of Europe being killed or 2/3 of the human species wiped out in the great tribulation. Though I have met people who desired this wrath and more, most folks dont want to see it.
I offer this maybe we are all wrong, maybe God wants to save most, if not all of humanity? I know that may make me a heretic, but people are worth it. Or are they? I think they are, but I could be wrong, and have been told that I am, most of my Christian life. I dont know, I have no great wisdom or eternal answer, all I know is this, I love people, and the are worth the Blood of God. From that point I am in the gray, as are most of us if we are honest.
Offered for what very little it is worth.
“I actually have the audacity to think God loves humanity. I have actually tried to repent of that, but failed miserably.”
bahahahahahaaaa
good one bri 😉
Brian…I can relate to post #22. I can also very much relate to Ps. 88…I could have wrote it…
I struggle…
thanks mabell,
Anglican, right?
thanks mabell,
don’t have anything red…..
I read Packer, Stott and to some degree Hunter, and want to become an Anglican. I read what you are being taught, and I realize again I’m already in the right place.
God is good!
I guess I am a bit perplexed about why people are surprised about how much the emergency room cost. Is it because deep down we believe medicine should be a bit more charity than business? Maybe so.
All I know is the people who staff the ER need to live, breath and eat eat like all of us and they too are “worthy of their wages.” I also hate to fork out the money but I am also glad they can meet their needs through me.
He Live!
i think – dunno – when we encounter someone who is serious enough about their walk with the Lord that their life is just steeped in Christ, our tendency as Believers in Christ is to give their church credit … and maybe so… but
Pentecost! how many churches will be pausing this morning to think on that? But they’ve already got a committee working on their 4th of July picnic.. 😉
Happy and glorious Pentecost Sunday to one and all! Thy kingdom come, Lord. Thy will be done on earth until it is done as it is in Heaven.
just sayin … again …
MB, “God works in REALLY mysterious ways… It is the first time in our 10 year relationship, that we have been on the exact same page, spiritually!!”
i was sitting here typing while you posted…. i love that report! Praises to our wonderful Lord.
shoot, there,s going to be a string of my pontifications here – again 🙁
but gotta say regarding hospitals and staff – the staff are treasures for the most part, you have no idea how much effort goes into keeping the show on the road down there where wheels are actually turning.
the problem IMO is #1 – they are a profit making business and the big bucks don’t go to the people on the floor (lots of them can’t afford health insurance either). #2 – we are paying for those big liability insurance premiums that cover the hospitals and staff liability (“ambulance chasers” have come into the hospitals, too) and #3 – free health care, that sounds mean, i know but if we required a token payment up front and out of pocket from everyone, all those sniffles and sore throats might get doctored at home… as most do now, as they did in my day. 🙂
(yeah, i know, equipment is soooo expensive these days)
Centy,
Her parish does not necessarily reflect the sacramental practice of Packer and myself.
I believe in the real spiritual presence…there is room in Anglicanism for a variety of expression.
God does work in mysterious ways…also very slowly. 🙂
Being in the same communion is very healthy for our relationship…
***I guess I am a bit perplexed about why people are surprised about how much the emergency room cost. Is it because deep down we believe medicine should be a bit more charity than business? Maybe so.
All I know is the people who staff the ER need to live, breath and eat eat like all of us and they too are “worthy of their wages.” I also hate to fork out the money but I am also glad they can meet their needs through me.***
I’m not “surprised” that the emergency room costs so much. I do think the extreme cost is inappropriate in many cases. I’ve been to the emergency room twice. The first time, I went to the doctor’s office first and they told me to go to the emergency room. This most recent time my boyfriend and I spent half an hour on the phone and the internet trying to find a non-emergency room option, but everything else was closed.
So, I tried to do the right thing–I tried to find other options. But other options simply aren’t available on the weekends.
The first time I went to the emergency room, I was forced to take a pregnancy test (that I had to pay for) eventhough I knew for a fact that it was impossible for me to be pregnant. I was also charged over $200 merely to have a doctor look over my paperwork and write a prescription–to not even see me in person. $200 for five minutes of work strikes me as falling well outside the purview of a worker being worthy of their wages.
The people I know who are skilled and experienced in their work make around $15 and hour. The first time I went to the emergency room, I was there for a little under 2 hours. Even if their were 10 people taking care of me for those 2 hours and each of them made $20 an hour (which, frankly, is an extremely good wage), that would only be $400. That seems reasonable to me. Even $600 would seem reasonable, if a little steep. But over $1000 is completely outside of what I see normal people making and normal people charging for their work. I simply don’t understand why getting simple medical assistance costs so very much.
I don’t think medical assistance should necessarily be more charity than business, but I believe very strongly that it shouldn’t be exploitative, which is what it appears to be in this day and age in this country.
I’ve often thought if there wasn’t any medical insurance and all had to pay out of pocket if the cost of health care would be less? Of course there would be a lot of people with bad teeth and less of them.
I wish there was a better answer to the high cost.
In the old days we would trade a chicken or two. With inflation how many chickens does that add up to in 2010?
Jessica,
Your post about what an ER visit “should” cost is extrememly naive. To suggest a “good wage” for someone with specialized medical training, or many other specialized fields, isn’t feasible at all.
Also, what you haven’t taken into account in your total of the bill is the wages of the receptionist who takes your information, the housekeeping staff that cleans the room after you’ve used it, the billing department that processes the bills, the food service worker (if you got any food during your visit), the person that drew your blood, the lab fees…etc.
The computer equipment that your records are stored on, the systems analyst to keep that system up to date and running etc…
What you see when you visit an ER is just the first layer of multiple ones that keep a hospital going.
Much of the cost of an ER is because people keep using them as primary care facilities instead of going to their regular doc. Many of those people are either without insurance for one reason or another. Some of the people treated by the ER are so drunk they’ve passed out on the street. An ambulance has to take them somewhere so they can sober up. ER docs have to take blood and treat those guys while they “sleep it off” and stink up the ER. (grrrr)
98% of those guys don’t have any insurance, so who pays their bill? The hospital has to write it off or send them to collections which is pricy. So, we all have to pay a portion of those people’s bills too.
There’s much more that goes into an ER visit charge than how much time and attention someone feels like they personally received.
in praise of the ER – several trips with my elderly mother when the facility was crowded with the folk London describes above (up here they have begun to triage, so they know who’s truly sick now) and the one in the middle of the night when we found out that my husband was very sick – God is so good, the facility was nearly empty and that weary staff even about to change shifts after the tough part of a weekend night was so thorough and such an undercurrent of love.
BTW-don’t say we were ‘lucky’ to have insurance – one man’s whole life of being responsible and disciplined (God rescued him from a lousy childhood, too BTW) and working hard was the reason we had insurance … we were lucky, tho, to be born before everything in this country fell to the insidious, self-righteous and destructive mantra: “question authority.” Question authority? Yes, but do it with respect and reason. Blowing things up seldom brings a good result. Has something to do with entropy, i think – dunno
…blowing up oil wells in the middle of the Gulf of Mexico is/was the height of irresponsibility and maybe now is a very good time to question authority, but then again, maybe someone, somewhere in the chain didn’t respect authority? Has God given us up to a reprobate mind?
Thank God for the Church!
M*B,
I have a good friend from college days who’s an Episcopal priest. My understanding has always been that there’s 3 branches of the Anglican Communion — Anglo-Catholic (high), broad, and low. Don’t know if that’s still true or not.
sorry MaBell, I apparently wasn’t clear. But I think Michael got what I was saying.
I read Packer and Stott and Hunter and I think, almost thou persuadeth to be an Anglican….. But some of what you have shared does seem to be problematic for me…… and reinforces that I probably already in the right place for me..
thanks to you, Lutheran and Michael for adding some addition information….
Centy,
The sacramentalism may be your jumping off point. 🙂
I’m very comfortable in affirming it.
As an aside re: Anglicon/Episcopalian….my youngest son accepted Christ into his life after the former Archbishop of the Episcopalian diocese here did a traditional anglican service on Good Friday at the non-denominational church we were attending.
When we approached him afterward and my son told him what happened and he laid his hands on my son and prayed for him. Even today, my son recalls how the Lord used that servant and service to help him to see his sinfulness and his need for the Lord and he has nothing but wonderful words for that Archbishop.
Linnea,
Great story…there is a beauty and sobriety in the traditional services that I find extremely refreshing.
If I could not be Orthodox, I would be Anglican.
Reading Benjamin Jowett and A.P. Stanley…both minister to me, FWIW. Doesn’t make me an Anglican, but I appreciate and respect their work. Packer also.
Who’s Hunter?
Yes, Michael…… I think it is my jumping off point…..
Todd Hunter…. former Calvary Chapel, Vineyard, Alpha pres., slightly emergent hang out now Anglican…
anabaptistcent
thanks, Cent.
When I was a college student at one of the Big Ten schools in the late 70s, we had a number of InterVarsity students who became Episcopalians. Their attitude really turned off a lot of us at the time…but we were all about twenty years old and could barely find our a*s with both our hands…
I followed up on what happened to the Episcopalian Bishop, Terry Kelshaw, who led my youngest to the Lord in a Tenebrae service our pastor had invited him to do on a Good Friday evening.
He resigned his post as Bishop of the Diocese of the Rio Grande saying that he had not taken communion with the council of bishops for the 13 of 15 years because “I did not consider myself in fellowship due to the pronouncements they were making concerning themselves and the church.” He is now the Bishop in Resident at St. James, Newport Beach, California, a Church of Uganda church.
http://www.glcarey.co.uk/Speeches/2010/Clovis1.html
http://www.glcarey.co.uk/Speeches/2010/Clovis2.html
Ok, I have another comment in moderation because I linked to 2 urls– they’re good ones, though 🙂
As an aside (re: the comment about Bishop Kelshaw in moderation), I used to go to Precept bible studies with his wife, who, when we had potlucks, would bring the most sumptuous English shortbread you have ever tasted.
Linnea,
I met the Ugandan Anglican Archbishop in Geneva…wonderful man.