opponents

Posted on September 13, 2018 by Dana

Some opponents of a life in close fellowship with God are not necessarily wrong in and of themselves. For example, it is good to be aware of what is taking place in the world so we can share kingdom-centered thinking with others, but when troubling news and endless quarreling detract from our joy in the Lord, we can easily grow depressed with problems we will never solve. In communion with Him, God wants to give His children the ability to walk in the light and be peaceful voices of hope in a dark world.

Opponents of fellowship with God often tempt us to only seek pleasure in the temporal. As a coach, I’ve seen many benefits of athletics. Young people learn to work hard, to work together, to persevere though hardship, and to show good sportsmanship in all types of situations. But when a sport or other activity consumes all our thinking and time, a person can easily forget the eternal purposes of God.

Even work can be an opponent to fellowship with the One who loves us most. “Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to Him and asked, ‘Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!’ ‘Martha, Martha,’ the Lord answered. ‘You are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.’” (Luke 10:40-42)

Incredibly, Jesus says ‘only one thing is needed’… surely the one thing is Him! The late Henri Nouwen had a chance to visit with Mother Teresa one time. Here’s the account of his experience:

Once, quite a few years ago, I had the opportunity of meeting Mother Teresa of Calcutta. I was struggling with many things at the time and decided to use the occasion to ask Mother Teresa’s advice. As soon as we sat down I started explaining all my problems and difficulties – trying to convince her of how complicated it all was! When, after ten minutes of elaborate explanation, I finally became silent, Mother Teresa looked at me quietly and said: “Well, when you spend one hour a day adoring your Lord and never do anything which you know is wrong… you will be fine!”

When she said this, I realized suddenly that she had punctured my big balloon of complex self-complaints and pointed me far beyond myself to the place of real healing. In fact, I was so stunned by her answer that I didn’t feel any desire or need to continue the conversation. The many people waiting outside the room to see her could probably use her time better than I. So I thanked her and left. Her few words became engraved on my heart and mind to this day.

As we live on this earth, let’s not forget the ‘one thing’ that is needed.

“Come to Me all who are weary and burdened and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” Matthew 11:28-30

Quote from Here and Now by Henri Nouwen, The Crossroad Publishing Company, 1994, pp 118-119

Posted in Jesus | Comments Off

fellowship

Posted on September 6, 2018 by Dana

img_0787Susan and I spent the holiday weekend with Kinsey and Karlyn at the beach. Two-year-old Owen was there, as was his baby sister who is waiting to be born. Perhaps there is nothing we enjoy more these days than having fellowship with our children.

One evening in July, Taylor came to see me in the hospital. We talked a long time… about family, kids, school, coaching, and memories. I felt great while we visited, but after he left the chills and fevers returned. That sleepless night, God impressed upon me the joy of fellowship He has with His children.

We know there is great benefit in prayer. We make our requests, we intercede for others, and we ask for blessing. But fellowship involves a different dimension of prayer life. If Taylor had simply entered my hospital room, asked for things he wanted me to do for him then exited, I would have felt a little sad. Of course I would have loved my son, but I might have wondered why he didn’t want to hang out a little longer.

That night I also realized how many decisions I make without ever consulting the One who knows all. I was thinking of a particular situation when it seemed the Lord said: “If you had asked Me, I would have said…” This was not a rebuke and there was not an ounce of condemnation, but it made me realize that, though the Creator of the universe constantly invites me to His throne, I rarely take advantage.

It is not uncommon for Taylor, Kinsey, or Karlyn to call for a little advice. “Dad, here’s the dilemma… what would you do?” They want know what I think. When Jesus went by Himself to pray, He must have spent much of His time listening and watching. “I tell you the truth, the Son can only do what He sees the Father doing, for whatever the Father does the Son also does.” (John 5:19) “Whatever I say is just what the Father has told Me to say.” (John 12:50)

Empowered by the Holy Spirit, Jesus’ teachings, His good works, and His love flowed from constant fellowship with His Father. “Lord, help us not forget to sit at Your feet and listen and learn. Thank you for offering us fellowship with You.”

“It is written in the Prophets: ‘They will all be taught by God.’ Everyone who listens to the Father and learns from Him comes to Me.” (John 6:45)

Posted in family | Comments Off

setback

Posted on August 30, 2018 by Dana

A close friend who lives in another town texted: “I’m sorry you had to go back in the hospital. Was that expected or is this a setback?” I picked up a sinus infection several days ago and because my immune system is so compromised, I ended up spending five more days on the ninth floor at Emory. Here’s a great ‘setback’ story from the Old Testament:

So Joshua fought the Amalekites as Moses had ordered, and Moses, Aaron, and Hur went to the top of the hill. As long as Moses held up his hands, the Israelites were winning, but whenever he lowered his hands, the Amalekites were winning. When Moses’ hands grew tired, they took a stone and put it under him and he sat on it. Aaron and Hur held his hands up – one on one side, one on the other – so that his hands remained steady till sunset. So Joshua overcame the Amalekite army with the sword. (Exodus 17:10-13)

Moses discovered that when his hands were down there was a setback; when his hands were up, there was victory. If this is the complete secret to success, surely my hands will always be up… and I’ll go undefeated. And if it works on the battlefield, then perhaps I can find a way to keep my hands up when I play my neighbor in checkers. And when I anticipate a long argument with my wife, I’ll invite Aaron and Hur to my house.

As far as we know, this is only time such battle tactics were used, but surely there is a message for God’s children. After the battle, “Moses built an altar and called it The Lord is My Banner. He said, ‘For hands were lifted up to the throne of the Lord.’” (Exodus 17:15-16)

I recently woke up in the middle of the night with these thoughts, and started feeling one of the lingering symptoms of the sinus infection. Two Tylenol always help with the headaches, so I rose, took two tablets and went back to bed. Twenty minutes later, I was still thinking about this story and my headache was much worse. Laying on my side, I lifted up my free arm and gained immediate relief from the pain. “Hmm,” I thought, “I don’t think Susan will appreciate me waking her up with the request to hold my hand toward the ceiling the rest of the night.” Thankfully the headache did not return.

Setbacks are a part of life, but God wants us to always live with Him as our Banner… and we need brothers and sisters like Aaron and Hur to do it. We cannot live victoriously without members of the Body of Christ reminding us of the Father’s heart and holding our hands up when we are weak.

To live as The Lord is My Banner, we must keep our eyes lifted up. “God is over all; He is not worried or confused; I will exalt Him.” The world cannot be expected to think or act this way, but God’s children can… because “we know and rely on the love God has for us.” In the last verse of 10,000 Reasons, Matt Redman says such living sustains us to the end of our time on earth and into life eternal.

And on that day when my strength is failing
The end draws near and my time has come.
Still my soul will sing Your praise unending
Ten thousand years and then forevermore.

Bless the Lord oh my soul. Oh my soul
Worship His holy name
Sing like never before, oh my soul
I’ll worship Your holy name.

“I look up to the hills – where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth.” Psalm 121:1-2

10,000 Reasons ©2011 Atlas Mountain Songs (Admin. by Capitol CMG Publishing)

Posted in struggle | Comments Off

forgotten

Posted on August 23, 2018 by Dana

Toward the end of The Fellowship of the Ring, J. R. R. Tolkien’s first book in his Lord of the Rings masterpiece, Gandalf faced a monster in the mines of Moria to stop its advance upon his friends. “You cannot pass!” was Gandalf’s bold declaration… spoken with the authority God gives His children against the enemy. The resulting struggle caused both the monster and Gandalf to fall into the abyss.  The eight remaining members of the Fellowship were overwhelmed with sorrow at the loss of their leader.

In The Two Towers, the second book of the trilogy, Aragorn, Gimli, and Legolas were shocked beyond belief in the dreaded Fangorn Forest when a shining figure revealed himself as the friend they thought had perished. Gandalf had survived the fall and defeated his foe. He declared, “I have passed through fire and deep water, since we parted. I have forgotten much I thought I knew, and learned again much that I had forgotten.”

I told Susan that it seems God knows that every few years I need to be shut away in the hospital for a couple of weeks. He teaches me best when my full attention is on Him with the sure understanding that He alone is the Sovereign Lord who holds everything in His hands.

One night of chills and fevers, I opened my eyes to see that I was receiving an infusion of red blood cells, which supply oxygen to the body and give us energy. My immediate reaction was to raise one arm and say, “Thank you for the blood!” (Anyone who has experienced the boost of energy from receiving blood can relate.)

“I learned again much that I had forgotten.” Despite having a blood disease… and despite being reminded of blood’s importance every time I visit the doctor… and despite participating in Communion every Sunday… I tend to forget.

“Thank you for the blood,” triggered every good thought of what Jesus has done for me. He gave His blood… to cover my sins. “Without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins.” (Hebrews 9:22) The life of the innocent Lamb of God was willingly laid down for our wrongdoing. Jesus’ blood cleanses us… and this gift should never be forgotten.

“Then He took the cup, gave thanks and offered it to them, saying ‘Drink from it, all of you. This is My blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.’” Matthew 26:27-28

“If we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, His Son, purifies us from all sin.” I John 1:7

(Quote from The Two Towers by J. R. R. Tolkien, ©1954, p 98)

Posted in stories | Comments Off

reports

Posted on August 16, 2018 by Dana

The T-cells taken from my body the last day of May were shipped to a drug company who is trying to perfect CAR-T cell therapy. These cells, a part of my immune system, were super-charged to fight the myeloma cancer.

July 9, I received the treated cells in my 9th floor hospital room and basically was told to wait. The doctor explained, “Immediately after the cells entered your blood stream they started multiplying as normal cells do. Then, like a military invasion, they mobilize to search and destroy the cancer.”

A few hours after receiving the cells I started running fevers. Days two and three, chills and fevers were constant. The fourth and fifth nights were the worst then the fevers finally broke. The doctor kept telling us these were good signs as a war was raging within my body. I was not so sure.

countsThe cancer in my blood is measured by testing something called Free Lambda. The counts for a healthy person range from 5.7 – 26.3. Elevated counts mean the cancer is active. On April 4 my count was 102.1. On May 1 it was 203.2; on May 23 it was 384.5; and on July 3 the count had risen to 918.6. Last week blood was drawn to find the effect of the treatment. My Free Lambda count dropped to 1.3. We are praising God and thanking our friends at Emory.

barryOn the very day this test was done, my friend Barry Garner passed away after a courageous fight with the worst type of brain tumor. Barry encouraged me and many, many others to trust in God through the good times and bad. He fearlessly walked through “the valley of the shadow” knowing God was with him. He is now in the presence of His Savior, the perfect place. The pain and sorrow on earth is softened by the hope Barry constantly proclaimed about the love of God.

What do you do with such opposite reports? Is it possible to celebrate good news and mourn the loss of a friend at the same time? Jesus teaches us to think with a kingdom mind… where life and death, joy and suffering, and victory and defeat are in the hands of the Father. Does not the cross of Christ reveal how God’s ways are different from the world’s? Jesus’ death led to our life. ‘For the joy set before Him’ Jesus suffered… and now He sits at the right hand of the Father. And what everyone thought was sure defeat ended up being the greatest victory in the history of the world.

Please pray for Barry’s wife and kids in a difficult time. Thank you for all the prayers for me and my family. May our message be one that causes people to think about eternity and find true life in the Son of God.

“No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 8:37-39

Posted in stories | Comments Off