The Perils of Organ Donation

As a nurse, working primarily in pediatric ICU, I witnessed many wonderful kids' lives changed by organ donation. Seeing what good could come from such a simple act made me change my belief system (the one I'd grown up with) about organ donation and I have since signed the back of my driver's license. My family, while not agreeing with me, has assured me they will respect my wishes and donate my organs on the event of my death, if appropriate.

I was reading a recent article in the Rocky Mountain News, however, that has made me wonder a bit about the wisdom of donating my organs. The article said a young man (31yo) attempted to commit suicide by shooting himself in the head. Two hospitals declared him brain dead prior to harvesting his organs. Unfortunately, the coroner has since ruled the man didn't fit the qualifications for brain death! Consequently, he has ruled the man's death a homicide. The criteria for brain death are usually very simple; two consecutive brain scans (usually 24 hours apart) showing absence of brain waves (although the criteria can be different from state to state). The brain scans are only done when the patient has no evidence of brain function (i.e., is unable to breath on his own, is comatose and unresponsive to deep painful stimuli).

What shook me up about this was the memories it brought back of comatose patients I'd cared for; ones I'd felt the need to protect from hovering transplant surgeons. Unfortunately, these patients weren't rare, at least in my experience, nor was the aggressiveness of the transplant surgeons rare. Sad to say, there were multiple times when I would have to remind a transplant doc that the patient he was questioning me about (usually a child in a persistent vegetative or comatose state whose parents weren't deeply involved in their care) was not his patient. This meant he had no right to be perusing the patients chart, nor did he have the right to be asking me, day after day, whether I'd spoken the the parent's about organ donation and what their response was. While I could understand why these docs felt the need to be so aggressive (oftentimes they'd developed strong relationships with their patients who needed organs), but I couldn't help but feel sickened at how they went about seeking organs! So many times, families of patients with significant head injuries were newly grasping the probability that their child wouldn't survived and were grieving over this. To have an unknown physician come into this environment and start pushing the idea of organ donation was, to say the least, painful. Oftentimes parents approached in this manner began to ask if we'd given up on their child; were we only concerned about this other child who could be saved with an organ donation?

I can't tell you the sadness (and, yes, anger) I felt in these situations. I wanted so desperately to help these kids and their families, and sometimes it would take weeks to gain their trust so they could make a suitable decision regarding their child's care/life. To have a transplant doctor come in and try to force them to make a decision when they weren't ready was infuriating, to say the least. That's why I had no fear in telling these doctors off (i.e., that they were acting inappropriately and had no right being at the child's bedside or reading his chart, let alone trying to speak with the family about organ donation)!

Don't get me wrong, though, organ donation is generally a wonderful thing! One of the joys of my life is to hear a little boy I took care of as a newborn following a heart transplant speak on the radio about how his life was impacted by his new heart. To know he is almost a teenager and is well and happy is just fantastic! I'm so thankful for the opportunity of caring for him and his family. I'm not saying I've changed my mind about donating (this is especially important for those of you family members reading this posting)! I guess I'm saying I can understand how such a serious mistake could happen and I pray it doesn't ever happen to me. Regardless, it would still be worth it; to give my life so someone else can live.

Coffee Shop Theology and Joyful Victory!

If you haven’t figured out by now, I work in a local coffee shop, as a barista. Today I was talking to one of my favorite customers, Pastor Chung. He is a pastor at a local church, is very approachable and is obviously being used of God in my life! Each time he sees me, he encourages me to go to church; not his church, just any doctrinally sound church! He is a very dear, Godly person.

I can’t help but wonder at the way the Lord has put Pastor Chung right in my path so I am unable to avoid him. This inability to evade him is terrific (but painful) because it means I can't avoid evaluating my current spiritual state. The greatest sorrow of my life right now is not the fact that I’ll never have biological children, nor that no-one would want to marry someone in my situation so I’ll probably never marry, not even that I live with severe pain from waking to sleep each day. NO! My overwhelming sorrow is I’ve chosen to avoid remembering my Lord Jesus Christ, both in my personal walk with Him and in the Breaking of Bread.

I don’t know why this is. I feel frozen somehow. I know Satan has been fighting to keep me in this vacuum state and, sadly, has been winning these past several years (EONS!). I long so to open up, to bloom again as the Lily blooms for joy at Easter-tide. That the Holy Spirit would fill me so wholly as He has in the past. I desire, whole-heartedly, my Blessed Redeemer and Friend's victory in my life. OH, to live in joy and peace, once again.

Today we spoke about Romans 7, “Oh, wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? (vs 24)” I asked whether Dr. Chung thought this was a one-time process we go through or if it’s something we pass through repeatedly. I explained that when I was young, I'd heard a sermon from a gentleman who stated, categorically, that what is encompassed in Romans 7 is a one-time thing. Once we went through this process that was it! At the time, I believed what he said because it seemed right and I hadn’t yet started to question the teaching I was brought up in, as the Bereans did (“searching the scriptures to see if these things were true”). Since that time, though, I’ve come to believe Romans 7 is NOT a one-time thing. It’s something we go through repeatedly. I know, for me, it’s something I go through daily (or should).

I was so happy to hear Dr. Chung agree with me, without prompting on my part! He went on to say he felt I was experiencing this in some ways with my inability to remember the Lord by going to church, etc. He believes I've stopped at the point of “Oh wretched man that I am” in verse 24 and am failing to go on to accept the promise and hope of v. 25 “Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then...”. Then the Spirit brought to mind this realization: Romans 7:25 leads into the joyful reality of Romans 8:1 “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” How beautiful!!! What a God we have! How can we not adore Him!!

This has been an eye-opener to me! I didn’t have time to stay and talk long with Pastor Chung, yet his loving rebuke kept with me throughout the day. Now, I feel a peace I’ve not felt in so long. The paralyzing fear of going to church/meeting seems to be gone and I feel I have the courage to go to church/meeting. I would value your continued prayers for me regarding this. Also, would appreciate prayers regarding my continued worsening physical pain. Just ask that I might be able to continue working and to have the grace to see Christ through the hurting.

1. Blessed Lord our hallelujahs
now to Thee we raise;
Never could we fully utter
All Thy worth and praise.
Praise the Lamb! Yes, Thou art worthy,
Who didst shed Thy blood
To redeem Thy saints and make us
Kings and priests to God.

2. Yes, we praise Thee, for Thou lov’st us:
And we bless Thee, Lord,
For the peace and joy and gladness
Which Thou dost afford.
Hallelujah! Thou, Lord Jesus,
Canst not cease to love;
Thine we are, and Thine for ever,
One with Thee above.

3. Praise the Lord! Yes, hallelujah!
Who would hush the song?
Join with saints from every nation,
Every tribe and tongue.
Praise the Lamb, for He is worthy,
Sweet eternal strain!
Hallelujah! Hallelujah!
Praise the Lord! Amen.

By: H. D’A. Champney

Great book I've been reading!

Have been reading a really wonderful book called, "Isaac's Storm". For anyone who loves history, as I do, you'll love this book. It's written from the perspective of those who lived through this storm (the hurricane of Galveston in which 8,000 people lost their lives), and goes back and forth between the perspective of Isaac (the meteorologist of all of Texas at the time, who also lived locally, three blocks from the beach) and others who confronted the storm (in Cuba, on the ocean as they sailed to and from America, etc.). One of the most fascinating aspects is how much "hubris" (a word used frequently by Larson to describe the phenomenal stupidity of those who should've known better) of the Americans running the meteorological service of the time. They poked fun at the Cuban meteorologists who said the cyclone which passed over Cuba, headed for Galveston, was in fact a hurricane. Americans said the Cubans were making a mountain out of molehill & kept them from broadcasting their fears to anyone else (to the point of asking telegraph operators not to transmit any warnings from the Cuban meteorology department)! Thus the full horror of the storm was on Galveston before anyone knew of it's existence.

I've not finished the book, yet, but have read most of it in the past twelve hours. I hope Erik Larson continues to publish more historical books because he is such a readable author. I read his most recent book, "Devil in the White City" about the construction of the World's Fair in Chicago, 1893, and the first urban serial killer who used the fair to acquire his victims. This, too, was a really interesting book, but could have had a better title. The title comes from a statement of the killer's in which he says, "I was born with the devil inside me".

So Sorry

To any potential readers: Just wanted to apologize for not posting anything for the past couple of weeks. Just have been a little burned out. Will attempt to start back up again in the coming week. God bless and keep you!

Nephews & Nieces

I've got the nicest, God-honoring nieces & nephews! So far, we're at sixteen, & while I hope this isn't going to be all, it seems pretty likely. I would like to tell you about the four oldest today...

Nils is a 22yo who works for the U. of I. as a computer programmer/trouble-shooter. Nils, as the first of this great bunch, has always been respectful & kind, a friend to many, reaching out to the sad & broken-hearted, inviting friends, coworkers & acquaintances to meeting. He loves photography & back-packing through the mountains with my brother, Dan. Nils also has an earnestness of heart which is beautiful. I've never seen anyone who so longed to do what was right. He is my brother Kevin's oldest.

Britta is next in line at 20yo. She is a tremendous help at home in caring for her younger siblings but is always ready to help persons who need help in the community. Right now she is helping to care for the g'father of friends, who is dying, painfully, of cancer. She helps clean houses for elderly persons in the community who are unable to do this themselves. Britta has always tried to fight for the underdog; it's one of the things I love most about her! She is second in line after Nils, in Kevin's family.

Joe is Kevin's third oldest at 18yo. He became my nephew somewhat late, at the age of 15yo, after suffering the loss of his great-g'mother who had been his sole care-giver & his Mother at heart. He is a wonderful guy who is forever trying his best. One of the things I love in him is how much he tries to come across as a tough guy, but in reality he is a kind & sensitive man. He works up at the U. of I., & generally gets a ride to work with Jeff, my brother. They have a great relationship in which laughter plays an important part. Joe has a fantastic way of bringing out the "sillies" in people!

Josie is 17yo, quickly coming up to 18yo, & is Tim's oldest. She's a wonder with animals & crafts. Since she was thirteen or fourteen, she has both raised & bred goats & used their milk to make & sell soaps at a farmers market in the college town 20 miles north. Her reputation is fantastic in this town because she is so determined to provide a quality product! She is incredibly good at working with animals & hopes to one-day work at the U. of I. as one of their animal care-givers. Josie just came home from Ecuador after a two week stint learning Spanish intensively with my brother, Jeff. Her determination & courage is what I love best about her.

These are the four oldest of my nephews & nieces. I just felt the need to speak about them. I'll tell of the younger ones in the next few days.

Prayer for Steven

Please pray for my brother, Steve. Last year he suffered through a bout with meningitis & ended up going back in the hospital with complication from an infiltrated IV site. He then had several months of severe headaches from a post-meningitis syndrome before finally being diagnosed & treated appropriately. Last week he began having pain in his right upper back & arm which rapidly became excruciating. He was diagnosed with shingles on Thursday of this week.

I just feel so badly for him. It doesn't seem right, his having to go through so much suffering in such a short time. He is the father of four kids, including a teenager and three kids below the age of four. He is the sole provider in his family so they really struggle when he's unable to work. Plus it has been pretty agonizing for him because the kids don't understand how painful this process is so they jump either on him or on the cough next to him. This obviously triggers terrible pain (like ripping off of one long scab from a partially healed wound as it sears up the nerve) each time.

I know he is pretty depressed about going through this struggle once again. Please keep both he & his family, especially his wife, Michele, in your thoughts & prayers. Pray for my mom, as well, because she can't help feeling helpless & sad when she knows her youngest is struggling in this way. My prayer is the Father will be near them both, & wrap His arms of love around about Steven to comfort him & help him know how loved he is. As scripture says, "Whom the Father loves, He chastens." Steven is certainly well-loved from this perspective!

Feeling lots better!

Went to the dentist this (no, yesterday) morning & had 3 (count 'em) teeth pulled. Between a massive infection & problems with bone/mineral loss from osteopenia (a precursor to osteoporosis), I've struggled with broken teeth for several months. Am at the point of needing a partial denture. It's pretty embarrassing to say the least, because not only has it caused me a great deal of pain, I'm starting to look like some old trailer park granny! All I need is a pipe to smoke & I could fit right in down in Tennessee where my twin lives; sitting on a front porch swing, rocking & smoking my corncob pipe. (Pretty scary picture, huh?) I'm walking in faith, though, & know that God knows how distressful this is to me. Thankfully, I feel His nearness through this time & know my life is in His safe & loving hands.

I sometimes worry about finding a "real" job, 'coz no-one would want to hire someone with my appearance. If I could only stop smiling so much, or at least learn to do it with my mouth closed! Unfortunately(?) I've been gifted with too good a sense of humor & can't stop myself from grinning & laughing when I'm at my current job. I can't help finding joy in little things & so am left with this stupid gap-tooth grin. Oh well...

When I think of all the surgeries I've been through & all the pain I've suffered through in my adult life, having a gaps in my smile is a small thing. It's funny, though, how the small things get to me! When I was at the dentist, he wanted to give me a prescription for pain meds but I told him I thought I'd be ok since I'd been putting up with this horrendous pain for six days ('coz his office wouldn't give me an appt. until yesterday). Sure enough, I'm doing well with just Advil & my usual chronic pain medicine. Stupidly, my fear of having these teeth pulled & how I would look afterward is what put me off from seeing the dentist these past few months. I'm much more bothered by how I look now, then by all the pain I was in before. I never thought I was so vain! It's good to learn these things about one's self.

Thank You, my dearest Heavenly Father, for watching over me & being so near me during these last several pain-filled days. Thank You for Your grace & the love you've shown me throughout my life & thank You for making me see my life is in Your hands! I love You & adore You & long to be in Your presence some day. Thank You for all the gifts You give in each day. Help me to have eyes to see the beauty of Your creation. How can I not worship You? In Your Son's precious & holy Name.

Quote of the year!

"No medal is as beautiful as a friendship.''
Statement made by Marcus Rogan, of Austria, after losing the gold medal & getting silver, instead, in the 200m backstroke. His friend, America's Aaron Piersol, came in first but was disqualified then reinstated.

I'm a big baby...but it's ok!

I can't help wondering sometimes what God is trying to teach me when He allows me to be in this screamingly unbearable pain. I know it casts me upon Him, in prayer, & this is good, but when it continues for days on end, I find myself losing faith. It's hard not to be frightened... I know my life is in His hands & HIs Spirit lives within me so no matter what happens I will be kept safe whether on this side of Heaven or on the other. It's funny 'coz I like to think I'm really tough because I live with severe pain daily, yet when this extra pain happens, I feel like such a baby!!

Being a baby, though, is a good thing, even though, in saying I feel like a baby, I am truly mocking myself. Yet, in thinking about babyhood, I have come to appreciate the fact that they are totally dependent on those who love them. They have to be held, fed & loved in uncountable ways. How wonderful this is!! It is the way we should be in relation to God; cast completely on Jesus, "The Leader & Completer of Faith" (as scripture says). Perhaps this is the answer to the question, “Why”. It’s always a good, no, a triumphant, thing to be cast on Christ Jesus.

In realizing this, I can thank my Heavenly Father for His great love for me. As the scripture in James says, “Give thanks in all things.” It’s important to realize that most translations use this interpretation, NOT ‘for all things’. Sometimes there are times when we just can’t give thanks for something, but we can always give thanks in our circumstances, no matter how painful. If nothing else, we can give thanks for a beautiful sunrise, for eyes to see it, for life to live in this lovely creation of God’s. It doesn’t make the pain or suffering go away, but it helps me to see outside of myself, to focus my eyes on the Physician, God & Father, our Rose of Sharon, Alpha & Omega, the Beginning & the End, Ancient of Days, my dearest Abba. All of these wonderful names meaning God!

Thank You, dearest Father & Friend for being with me through this time of suffering. Thank You for my family, for friends, for all those who care about me. Thank You for the sun’s rising & setting, & all the beauty You show to us everyday. Most of all, thank You for the gift of Your precious, only Son. (A gift made so all those who love You & give their lives to You can become sons, too; by adoption!) How You must love us to have done this; to have shown Your love in such a way! Please give me eyes to see the wonder of Your creation. Help me to glorify You in all that I do despite the circumstances because You alone are worthy of glory & praise & adoration. I love You with all of me!

Cool postings continue from Ecuador

Just briefly wanted to say my niece, Josie, is one of the neatest people I know! She is in Ecuador with my brother, her Uncle Jeff, & has taken to writing her experiences in her blog (click title to this post). Her way of seeing things & expressing what she sees in writing make it become real for the reader. They've had some really interesting things happen & I'm really glad she's chosen to write in this way instead of waiting 'til she comes home. This way, everything she sees is fresh & vivid. She's done a great deal of travelling world-wide for someone her age. Check out what she has to say!

Sensitivity

One of the things I've found interesting about blogging is how much I care about whether people read what I write or not! I’m not sure why this is; maybe a desire for immortality or just to be heard? Who knows? It does get dreadfully lonely sometimes when I write for days on end & never get feedback. This is especially difficult when I know how many family members & friends are reading it. But then I began to think “Maybe I’ve bored them to such an extreme they can no longer tolerate reading it!” What is especially bothersome to me is, WHY do I let it worry me? Why can’t I find contentment in writing for writing's sake? After all, one of the reasons I started blogging was to journal on-line & I certainly don’t go around reading my journal out loud to family & friends!

In some ways, I’m ashamed by these feelings; the longing to have people read what I’ve written from my heart. I’m afraid that if I were truly writing from my heart, without the intention of impressing others, then I wouldn’t care if anyone read my postings. I can't help thinking, what if my desire for an audience comes out of an unspoken yearning to awe people with my depth, spirituality, goodness, wisdom, thoughtfulness, etc., etc. (The very thought of this makes me blush!)

Originally, when I thought of writing on-line, as well as being able to honestly journal my thoughts & fears, I ached to be able to reach out to others with the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ, through relating my own experiences, those which brought me into deeper relationship with Him. To tell the Truth, by the power of the Holy Spirit within me! I yearned to boast only in the Cross of Christ, our Lord (as the wonderful old hymn says). This ache is unchanged & my prayer continues to be that persons will read the words in this blog, realize the “God-shaped hole” which is inside of them, come to an understanding of their need for the Saviour and seek out those who can help them come to the Lord.

Burundi Massacre

Was reading an article in the BBC about the massacre of refugees at a camp in Burundi. Those killed were Tutsis (mainly woman & children) and Burundi Hutus have claimed responsibility. I find myself crying out, "Why?" All these people wanted was to find a place of refuge from the suffering they'd found in their own country (Congo DR). I can't understand the mentality of persons who go to a place such as this to murder persons, especially when those persons are the most vulnerable. Perhaps it's because there is poor security in these camps so it is easier to go there to kill one's perceived enemy, yet how does one even tolerate the thought that this is appropriate behavior?

I find myself crying out to God, asking Him to protect these people. I also pray that all parties look back & learn from the torment & distress of the massacres occurring just ten years ago in Rwanda; massacres of which thousands of people are still suffering the consequences. It’s hard not to be moved to tears when I read of man’s inhumanity to man. How is it we’re unable to learn from history? Sometimes I wonder if this is because we refuse to allow ourselves to read about or learn about these terrible acts because we don’t want to “focus on the negative”.

I believe with my whole heart, as Christians, we are required to feel this pain not avoid it. If we avoid it we are protecting ourselves, yes, but we’re also avoiding the anguish that works on our hearts & forces us to act. Have been reading a book called, “After the Darkness”, a sort of photo-journal with pictures & stories from those who survived the Holocaust. (In reading the book I found out the meaning of the work Holocaust, which means “burnt offering”. How poignant!) The book also has passages written by the great historian, Elie Wiesel, who lived through this time period as a teenager, surviving to give testimony to what was done to himself, his family & his people. In some ways, his sole desire was to forget all he’d been through, but he found the courage to stand up & speak the truth. He chose to daily live through the pain of his memories so others would never forget! This is why I feel it’s important not to “focus on the negative” but to be willing to suffer the pain of the knowledge of evil being done in this world. As scripture speaks of, we need to “pray intelligently” & we can only do this when we have the knowledge of what to pray about.

Updates from Ecuador

Just wanted to let everyone know that Josie has another great update from Ecuador on her site (http://willingwanderer.blogspot.com).

Our Great Intercessor

Would ask for your prayers as I have a terrible toothache which started last night & has grown worse through the day. Unfortunately it is hard for me not to become grumpy when I have this extra pain. I live with a certain level of pain on a daily basis which my doctor treats with a powerful narcotic used for chronic pain. However, when the pain becomes more severe or if another pain starts up (like this horrendous toothache) I find myself feeling really desperate. It's amazing. I've learned from extensive personal experience, the human body can put up with incredible levels of pain for prolonged periods of time. Yet add just a little more on top of that tolerated level & it's as though the floodgates open up & I am overwhelmed! It's times like these when I understand persons who commit suicide because of intolerable pain though I find it deeply & personally abhorrent. It's hard not to let the tiredness I feel at fighting this daily war become all consuming. Just giving up seems an intelligent alternative, though when I'm at my normal pain level I could never imagine doing this.

The beauty of this desperation is it causes me to be cast on God. There is nothing I can do except pray. Why this is so beautiful is I feel a deep sense of the Lord's nearness when this happens &, for a time, the pain becomes tolerable again. Plus, I get to feel the wonder of His presence; the presence of the One who gave His life for me. These times of nearness to my dearest Saviour & Friend help me to understand the scripture in Hebrews 5:8 which says, "though he were Son, he learned obedience from the things which he suffered;", referring to the Lord Jesus. I used to wonder what was meant in this verse but I've a deeper understanding of it since going through this pain process. It wasn't that our Lord & Redeemer needed to LEARN obedience (obviously He spent His whole life in obedience to the Father) but He chose to put Himself in that place to be able to completely empathize with our suffering. There is another verse which speaks of Him sitting at the right hand of the Father offering Himself as Intercessor. I find this so comforting because it's through His suffering and death and resurrection that He chose to be our Intercessor. How can we not cry out in adoration to Him?!

The "Left Behind" books

I work at a bookstore in a nearby town so get to read lots of great books w/o having to pay for them (sort of a lending library situation). I've had the opportunity to read through the "Left Behind" series over these past few years and really liked the fact that the Gospel was presented on almost every page of the books. It bothered me, though, thinking of the scripture in Revelations 22:18 which says, "I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book; if anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues described in this book." I heard Messrs. LaHaye & Jenkins on the radio once when they were on the Larry King show. Someone called in & referred to this scripture & asked what they thought of this. They both said they weren't adding to scripture because the series was entirely fictional & the events described are their own interpretation of what scripture says.

I wasn't too concerned about this, honestly, until I read the last book, "The Glorious Appearing" (this book describes the Lord's millennial return). I found myself deeply disturbed by their description of these events. Even though they are careful to have the Lord's words be scripture quotations, I felt uneasy with the whole idea of attempting to describe something which is truly beyond description! Also, to attempt to put into words what He will look and sound like to His saints feels belittling. Just the very act of attempting to put into words details which even scripture leaves out feels sacrilegious, sort of a "Tower of Babel" using words. Many people are confused by the book of Revelations (from which many of the events in this series is taken), yet what is described in Revelations regarding the end times is meant to be a mystery because it is beyond our power to know.

As Christians we speak of "The Mystery" (that which there is in scripture which is not easily understood). A lot of this Mystery occurs in Revelation mainly because what is to happen in the end times is so indescribable. I believe God in His holiness, grace & wisdom has allowed us to be unclear/uncertain about what is to come after the Rapture because it's not something we really need to know other then what He's written in Revelation & in other prophetic books of the Bible. We don't need details because He is in control. It's my belief (& this is knowledge obtained from personal experience) we only want to know specifics and detail because we feel more in control this way. I've always felt I'd be more comfortable when I'm in control of things, yet this cannot compare with the deeper peace & a joy which comes from giving control over to God. I don't know why this is true; it just is. It's a another of God's wondrous mysteries.

Cool web-site

Found a link to a great web-site on my sister-at-heart's blog, http://mythyme.blogspot.com, called "Daily Dose of Imagery". It's by a Toronto photographer & he posts photos he's taken daily on this photoblog (click on this posting title to see the site for yourself). He's use of textures, shadows & lighting is absolutely amazing! I especially love photos he's taken in an abandoned psychiatric hospital. It's one of the coolest blogs I've ever seen. Check it out for yourself!

The Love of God

Was thinking recently of how God loves us deeply and tenderly, as the hymn says, it's a love "that will not let us go". Most of us think of God being a far off deity (after all we can't see or touch Him), yet because of His intense & wondrous love, He sent His ONLY Son to die for our sins on the cross. A lot of people who've seen the Mel Gibson movie, "The Passion", have spoken about how gory the movie was, yet they don't understand what was shown was only a small part of our Lord Jesus' suffering. His physical suffering was, of course, intense, but the suffering He experienced when the Father separated Himself from His Son for those three hours was for more terrible. We don't often think of this, how much it cost both the Father and His Son. I think it's worth thinking about because it's a measure of Christ's love for us. He gave not only His body but all of Himself in that sacrifice.

I was reminded of this when reading Josie's blog for today where she quotes the hymn, "O Patient Spotless One". It is a lovely expression of His life and the adoration both it and His death bring to my heart when I reflect on it.

Elsie sayings...

Had to giggle today when I asked my niece, Elsie, (who's 3yo) where her sister, Josie, was. She replied, "Out da door"! I wasn't sure I heard correctly so I asked, "Out the door?", and she replied, "Yeah", as though I were stupid to think anything else. Josie, of course, is in ECUADOR, not "Out da door"! It got me thinking about how confused poor Els must be about Josie's whereabouts...

The Book of the Dun Cow

Have been re-reading a really great story called "The Book of the Dun Cow" by Walt Wangerin, Jr. It's a lovely story of faith lost then found again, of the meek sacrificing himself to save those he loves, of deepest grief & loss overcome by joy & hope, of earth-shattering darkness & evil overpowered by love & light. It's one of those books where each time you read it you get more out of it. (To me, this is the hallmark of a classic story.)

It's similar in writing to "Animal Farm" because Wangerin tells these great Truths through the lives of animals. As well as being a wonderful author, Mr. Wangerin is a pastor so his stories are filled with biblical truths. I love the earthiness he brings to these stories because it rings so true to what is real life. I've especially loved his short stories which are from his own life experiences as a white pastor of a black congregation in East St. Louis, including, "Miz Lil, and the Chronicles of Grace", "Ragman, and Other Cries of Faith" (this book contains my all-time favorite allegory-->"Ragman", read it if you can 'coz it will bless you!), "The Manger is Empty", and the devotional, "Preparing for Jesus". I recommend all of these books highly & know they can be ordered from any library or bookstore (although some may be out of print). My favorites are "Ragman" and "The Manger is Empty".

I recommend these books because they have been such a blessing to me in my walk with God.

Another note from Ecuador

Check out my niece's blog by clicking on the title of this blog. She has posted another note from Quito describing her day there. It's so neat to hear her views, etc. I'm so proud of her for being such a great person & a special niece! Check out her blog (http://willingwanderer.blogspot.com)