Like leaving home........

I have been running on overload and had to give posting a few thoughts........so I decided to re-invent the wheel.  I will be updating my site soon.  For now I have been reading whats been going on with everyone else.  WOW! there has been some great news for many blessed people.  Xanga has made some big changes as well so I have to re-learn how to post.  For now it is just average boring stuff.

Look for my fly bye's on your blog very soon.

Mike

Prayer Request Update

I have been asking for prayer for a friend of a friend.  I posted about it a couple of weeks ago.  I love hearing about the power of prayer.  So here is a miracle update.  My friend works with me so I get current updates.  If your not aware of the situation.  My friend came to me and told me a long time personal friend had been hospitalized for what seemed to be a heart attack.  I found out later that he actually went to the hospital because he was having chest pains and left in a room without any monitoring and the nurse came in later to find him slumped over in bed.  When my friend first told me about the incident he was at the brink of tears.  I told him that I would keep his friend in my thoughts and prayers and he thanked me.  Later that week he told me that it didn't look good.  His friend had no brain activity and there was talk of taking him off life support if things didn't improve.  That's when I posted for prayer.  So here is his current standings.  Improvement has been slow but significant.  My friend told me yesterday that he was actually sitting up, in a chair not bed, and talked to his brother on the phone.  WOW! 

My friend has been keeping me updated on the everyday improvements but this is a huge improvement and I had to share.  So thank you for your prayers.

On a different note.  I posted about my friend passing on the 21st and I thank you for all your supportive words.  Update:::  I was contacted to take on a confirmand of his and a person his was ministering too.  I feel so blessed.  Please pray I represent the Lord 110%.

How great is our God..........

Mike

Currently Watching The Battle of Midway see related

My first thoughts and prayers go out to those that have lost loved one's in the line of duty.  As well as those that are currently fighting in the war in Afghanistan and Iraq. Also those at home and abroad in the military.  We are so proud and fortunate to have such greatness to defend our freedom and our lives.  God bless you and be with you and those who support you forever.

We went to a Memorial Day event in a small town where Admiral Nimitz has a WWII  National Museum of the Pacific War.  We have been to the museum before but this weekend they were doing a reenactment of an island assault of 1944.  It was quite an education and at times very emotional.  We sat right up front where the director of the museum, dressed in military fatigues, started the demonstration.  They went from one expert to another and in between gave live ammunition demo's.....WOW........thank God for ear plugs!  They demo'ed all the weapons used to hold off the Japanese in this vicious war.  Their mission was to kill us and to die trying.  Nothing else.  Like maniacs they had their bonzi attacks that lead to their unfortunate slaughter because of our fire power.  But we still lost many, many a good man in battle. 

So my prayers this and every Memorial Day go out to the defenders of this great country we call USA!  THERE IS NO PLACE LIKE IT IN THE WORLD!!!

In Christ,

Mike 

Lifes Moments.........

 I sat as I did everyday after returning from the hospital from my transplant watching TV.  I loved watching Food TV.  One because I love to cook.  Two because during the day there's nothing else on, but mostly because I like to cook.  So one day I get a phone call from a member of my church.  I was a little surprised and excited that someone from the church was calling since I hadn't received many, another story I might tell some other time but I think you get the drift.  Anyway I don't even remember what he talked about, but in general he wanted me to come to his house.  Well.........sure....I guess.  I had been out of the hospital at that time all of 2-3 weeks and needed to practice my driving skills again, even though I was told not too,  I was tired of being cooped up.  So off I went to visit this new Christian friend and talk about God and stuff.  I got there and it was a pretty nice place.  Looked like he lived alone which I found out he did.  When he came to the door he was an older man with very thin gray hair and a short trimmed beard....almost shaggily looking but not quite.  Short stout man.   Looked kind of like Santa Clause sort of.....figure wise.  So he invites me in and we talked a bit about my operation and then he kind of showed me around his house......So then what to me at the time seemed like the real reason he asked me over.....we had made it to his computer room.  "You work for (that computer company) right?"  He then starts hitting me with all kinds of computer questions from his to what kind he should purchase for his step son.  I answered his questions as best I could, remember I just got out of the hospital and was kind of loopy from all the meds.  After a short while I was starting to feel pretty weak so I said my Nice to meet cha's and made my way to my truck.  I could help thinking that I was brought here under the conception of good and used to get information.  Oh well I got out of the house.

Some time later I bumped into him a church service and we said our hello's and how ya been's and that was about it. I still had the feeling of being used and it stuck with me for quite a while.  Never really had any relationship beyond that until here recently. 

Something I don't share about me is that I am a Stephen Minister.  If you're not familiar with the Stephen Ministry it is a group that is Christian based but not tied to a particular church and it is for people that are going through a crisis in their lives and need someone outside of their realm of normal channels of communication to talk with.  It is very private and their names are kept confidential and not even shared when talking with other Stephen Ministers.   You are required to go through extensive training to know how to handle different problems that people go through.  Could be health, marriage, death........You get the picture.  So when I started training I saw that the person I was speaking about was a Minister.  We said our Hi's and how are you's and he said he was glad to see that I had joined.  Nothing more than the casual contact.  After I completed my training and was commissioned as a Stephen Minister I attended the biweekly counseling sessions where the whole ministry gets together and then divides into small groups.   Seems he was the leader of the group I was in.  In the small groups you speak in depth about your care receiver but still keeping them anonymous.  He told a story of the person that he was seeing and parts of the story reminded me of the way he had treated me and those feeling came up again.  I left and couldn't quit thinking about those feelings.

In the next meeting again he spoke about his care receiver again.  He seemed to genuinely care about this person and he was at a road block at what to do.  I gave him some suggestions from my view and some others seemed to think my suggestions were a little strong.  Later I thought about my suggestions and thought that maybe my suggestions, although strong, were good advice.  Then something I didn't expect happened.  The next time we met to my surprise he turned to me and thanked me for my advice and said that he used it and it worked.  How great is our God.  I gained a new prospective on this person.  Not for using my advice so much, but the joy I saw in his eyes when his care receiver was showing progress.  It was so wonderful to see God's love in him that day.  I started having a different perspective on him. 

I received a phone call last Saturday that he had passed away.  We immediately prayed for his family and his care receiver.  His passing was a surprise to many, but as days went by and we found out more about his death it seemed he had been expecting it.  I felt a loss of getting to know someone that was a very special person and my first impressions were unfounded.  I went to his memorial service and found out more about what a wonderful person he was in the church and community.  So many times I have looked back and wished I had the retrospect to handle things differently.  I ask God to give me opportunities and when they show up on my door step I become deaf, dumb and blind.  I ask you Lord to not give up on this ignorant servant and pray that I don't have to look back in regret that I missed out on one of Your opportunities.

In memory of my friend Scott. 
February 15, 1936 - May 12, 2006
Please keep his family and friends in your prayers.
 

Prayer Request

By the way my sisters name is Jeannie and my friends name is Mike.  I personally like to put a name with my prayers.

Thank you so much.in advance.

In Christ,

Mike