The ight House

Journal

Note

Entries are listed in order of the most recent at the top, going backward in time as you scroll down the page.

Thursday, March 06, 2007

Joan had surgery on her knee on December 17th. She has had a medical problem with her right leg for over twenty years and it has never been diagnosed or treated. Her leg is very weak and causes her to have a slight limp. The surgery she had in December however was on her "good leg". She started having a lot of pain in her left leg in the fall and after several tests and visits to the doctor's office, it was determined that surgery was needed although the exact cause of the pain was not known for certain. After surgery the doctor told us that she has the knee of a twenty year old as far as bone, cartilage, muscle, and tendons are concerned. The only thing they found that they believed could be the source of pain was what they called excessive or "sick" tissue which they removed. She has since returned to work and seems to be doing well, but her leg is still not as good as it was before the surgery. So now it seems she has TWO bad legs. However we are told that often it takes a very long time to recover from knee surgery and we may continue to see gradual improvement for quiet some time.

Christmas was very good as usual. . Joan and I spent Christmas Eve with my Mom, Dad, and my brother Ted. Mom and Dad always prepare a wonderful Christmas dinner and this year was no exception. We had dinner, fellowship, visited some fiends in the neighborhood and exchanged gifts. Writing this reminds me..... Here it is March and Joan has yet to receiver her main Christmas present which is a new light fixture for the bathroom! She was not able to go pick it out at Christmas because of her recent surgery so we just gave her the money to put up until she was able to go pick one out. I think it's time she went to get it now! I'm just as bad because I received a framing air nail gun and have yet to buy any nails for it! With the weather breaking however, it won't be long before I'll be wanting to get back in my workshop and make use of it.

My latest project in serving the Lord has been putting together a series of CD's made up of the singing and testimonies of the congregation pf Freedom Baptist Church. I sell these for $2 each. The price goes toward covering my cost for materials such as disks, labels, inserts, cases, and ink. At this time I have released five CD's and am working on several more. People seem to like them a lot and they have been selling very well.

February 28th marked the second anniversary of this web site. On the first year anniversary, I predicted that it would have received 3,000 hits by the second year. I missed that predication quiet significantly as I had received only 2,117 hits by the second year anniversary I'm praying for 3,500 hits by the third year I need to learn more about getting my site listed with the major search engines.

Well, that's about all I have to say for now. Till next time God bless you and send me an e-mail from time to time and let me know how you are doing and comment on this site. Bye Bye.

Monday, December 3, 2007

As I came here to write, I notice the date of my previous entry and find it hard to believe that it has been that long since I have written here. It seems I have a lot of catch up writing to do!

It was a very busy Summer in spite of the fact that a severe drought cut out a lot of yard work. Last Fall (the Fall of 2006) I began painting the outside of my house. I knew I would not get the job completed before cold weather set in, especially considering I'm putting a coat of primer on before the paint. I believed however that I would knock out quiet a bit of it before cold weather and then I would have all Spring and Summer to finish the job. It turns out that I have painted about 30 minutes on my house this whole year and now cold weather is here again!

A lot of my time this Summer and Fall was spent on teaching and preparing for the classes. At one point I was teaching three classes at one time. I put a lot of time into preparing for a class, so three classes really took a lot of study and research time. One of the classes I taught this Summer was a youth class on the subject of "Sharing Our Faith Effectively". That course took a long time to put together. Besides organizing and writing out the 72 page course, I prepared 144 audio and video items to supplement the course (12 items per student, allowing for 12 students). I was then disappointed when after 4 months had gone by and the course was complete that only two students had viewed and listened to the media I had prepared for them. Never the less, I did enjoy teaching the class and feel like we all benefited from the course. I love those kids! Even though most did not bother with the videos and audios, they did seem to take a strong interest in the class. I don't believe preparing all that media was a waste, because they still have the tapes and CD's which means that they may still watch and listen to them at some time in the future.

In August, I went to a class in Abingdon, Virginia to receive certification as a teacher for the AWANA youth program. I am currently teaching the oldest group in AWANA which is high-school age youth. I have taught several age groups from sixth graders all the way up to adults older than myself and each group has its own challenges. The AWANA program is a wonderful youth program and there is much good that can be said about it. The only part of the program that I find difficult is the awards incentive portion. This is a system in which the kids can win awards, certificates, etc... for completing a set amount of material in a set amount of time. I understand the concept. It is intended to motivate the students to work and study. At times this may be a valuable means of motivation. Other times however, I find it frustrating when I come to an area of study that I personally feel that we need to spend more time on and study in depth, but am not able to teach in this way because the pressure is on to cover a certain amount of material so that the students can earn their points which apply to their end of the year awards.

I'm not against awards and certificates, but I believe they should not be the priority in a bible study program. Learning the gospel and studying to the depth to learn it well should be the higher priority in my opinion. When working within a point system based on volume of material covered, sometimes there is only enough time to skim the surface and I hate teaching that way when I know there is so much more that can be learned from a particular section of scripture if we could take the time to explore it. I would rather my students never get a single award if in exchange they were receiving quality teaching of the scriptures that would give them a deeper understanding of God's word and as a result provide them with a greater knowledge that would serve them throughout their life of Christian service. I believe an in depth knowledge of God's word is its own reward and will be of far more benefit to them than some piece of paper they receive on a stage in front of the church for covering a certain amount of study material.

This is not a criticism toward the AWANA program at all. In fact, AWANA makes it quiet clear that the points/awards system is only an optional method which the teachers can use IF they find it beneficial. If its the way the team decides to go, then you have to go with the team or get off the team. Besides, just because I share my views here does not mean that everything has to be done my way. Nothing is perfect this side of eternity and even if I had my own way with everything, that would not be perfect either because we are all blind to our own faults and short comings.

The AWANA program is very worthwhile and I have seen many wonderful things come about through the program.

My wife and I celebrated 25 years of marriage on November 25th. We were married on Thanksgiving Day, 1982. Our families put together a little celebration get-togheter for us at the church fellowship building on November 17th. We had a great time!

Just yesterday we were blessed once again with having the "Wings of Faith" in our home for a spaghetti dinner. They sang at our morning church service earlier in the day. As always they were a real blessing to everyone and helped to make it a wonderful service. The more I get to know these folks, the more I like them. I'm learning they are like me in a lot of ways. For instance I ham learning that they are a bit of a cut up. Melissa is connoisseur of the "playful smart aleck remark". Playful smart aleck remarks are fun when everyone knows they are playful. Its something you don't dare practice except with close friends that know you well enough to recognize it for what it is. This being the case, I'm actually flattered by her little remarks. I'm going to be ready for her next time though when they come visit again next August. Pray for them. They are working on a very big project right now and if God is willing, it will result in them being able to minister to a greater number of people through their music than they have ever been able to before.

I guess that just about catches everything up. Until I write here again, God bless you all and keep visiting the web site. Oh, and please explore more than just the pictures LOL.

Tuesday, July 17, 2007

It has been a very busy Summer! I started painting on my house late last Fall. I knew I would not finish before cold weather set in. I figured I would get back on it as soon as warm weather returned and I would work on it pretty much through out the Spring and Summer (I have a big house and I'm puttin on both a primer and a final coat). Well here it is past mid Summer and I have worked a total of thirty minutes on that project since Winter! First it was other projects that took priority and then I commited myself to pressure wash all my parents driveways. I also teach in the Awana Youth Bible Study program which runs during the school year. Then there was Vacation Bible School in which I served as a teacher which not only means being at church every day, but also there is the lessons to prepare. Then I committed myself to teach a Summer Youth Bible Study class which is still going on. Then there is the church newsletter that I do every couple of months and the Men's Sunday School class I teach every Sunday. I also have this web site to maintain and feel that needs to take a certain priority because I know several people who count on coming here to listen to the church services posted here. Teaching takes a lot of time for me. For every hour of teaching, I estimate I spend about four hours of preperation. Now let me say that although this may sound like I am complaining, I AM NOT COMPLAINING. I love doing every bit of this, but I'm just listing these things to illustrate what a busy Summer it's been and why my I have not spent much time on paining the house.

The theme of this year's Bible School was the Tabernacle as written about mainly in the book of Leviticus. I think I learned as much as the students did. There are a lot of deep meanings to every article in the tabernacle and even the materials used for its construction.

I have really enjoyed teaching the Summer Bible Study to the teens this year. Unlike with Awana, and Vacation Bible School, I was given the privledge of chooseing my own topic to teach on. I chose, "Being an Effective Witness for Christ". In preparing for this course, I put together a 72 page lesson booklet (12 copies), burned 84 DVD's, burned CD's, and duplicated 24 VHS tapes. It was a lot of work, but it is paying off. The students are enjoying the course and learning a lot about witnessing. Soon, I will be posting the course on this site in the "Sunday School" section.

On August 4th, I have to go to Johnson City for a day of training to qualify to be a leader in the Awana program which will start back up in early August. It is true that I have already been wrking in Awana as a leader, but have never been certified. This year I will be an "official" leader. I don't think I'll be able to tell the difference Ha ha ha. I will not finish teaching the course on witnessing before Awana starts back which means there will be an over-lap where I will be teaching two youth classes a week. It looks like I will continue to be busy for a while.

Until next time,
God bless you all,
Carl

Thursday, April 05, 2007

A few months ago, doctors found a spot on my Dad's lung. Tests showed that it was cancer. A biopsy confirmed the diagnosis. On March 16, Dad had surgery to remove part of his lung. The surgery went well and all indications are that Dad is now cancer free and no further treatment such as radiation therapy is required. Dad is recovering well. He is still having some pain and discomfort from the surgery and he tires very easily. I thank God for the success of the surgery and that he is now cancer free with no need for further treatment. I also thank all those who have been praying for him.

Also in March, my computer crashed big time. It was beyond repairing and I had to purchase a new one. About that same time, my eleven year old printer died also and it had to be replaced. I am not your typical home computer user. When my computer shuts down it really hinders a lot of what I do. As I said I'm not the typical home user that mainly has a computer for internet surfing and playing games. Besides web site design and maintenance I use my computer for crating the church news letter every three months, converting church service recordings from cassette tape to CD for distribution, writing articles for the web site and other purposes, preparing the Sunday School lessons that I teach on Sunday morning, preparing the Awana Youth Program lessons that I occasionally teach, bible research, paying bills, shopping, preparing income tax returns for myself and a few others, and other tasks. Since being down has so many negative affects for me, I have been thinking that I should probably get a second computer. Not necessarily as fast and powerful as my main computer, but just as a spare to have when one is down so that I can continue to work on these things I am committed to when the other computer is being repaired or replaced. It's not a matter of "if" it will happen again, but a matter of "when". I hope to have a second one operating as a spare the next time it happens.

I'm looking forward to Easter Sunday this year. There will be a Sun Rise service at Freedom Baptist at 6:00 a.m. followed by a fellowship breakfast. Fortunately for me I live so close to the church that I will be able to come back home after the sun rise service to catch a little nap before having to be back at 9:45 to teach Sunday School. The church is also planning a surprise treat for the congregation Easter morning which is a short Easter play. Actually it is the same play we put on last year except that only the last three scenes will be presented so that there will still be ample time for the pastor to bring the message. Since my part in the play is in earlier scenes, I was not going to be in it, but the other day, the play director called me and asked me to play the "good" thief on the cross. I suppose "good thief" is not a good description, but I'm sure you know what I mean. It's the thief that gets saved on the cross. If someone would video record it, I would make it a point to learn how to put it on this site.

Until next time, God bless you,
Carl

Friday, March 02, 2007

Last week this web site was one year old. In that year, according to the web counter, this site has been visited approximately 1300 times. I must say that a significant number of those visits were my own for reasons of monitoring, maintenance, upgrading, etc...

Since this site was launched, it has gone through eight (8) major upgrades and eighteen (18) minor upgrades. The most significant upgrade has been the implementation of sound files such as background music for the Home page and other pages. The most consequential use of sound files however, has been in the recent development of the two new sections of the site featuring audios of church services, testimonies and singing held at my home church, "Freedom Baptist". The addition of these two sections serve more to achieve the primary goal of this web site than any other part. That primary goal is of course to spread the gospel of Jesus Christ . Within that primary purpose are the objectives of winning lost souls to Christ and to promote and help in the spiritual growth of those already saved. The lesser purpose of this site is simply to share my views with others and allow others to know me better through my writing, photos, this journal, etc...

If I have one disappointment concerning this site, it is that most visitors come here to look at the photos. I certainly don't mind people looking at the photo album, after all that is why I included it in the site. I just wish they would visit the other sections of the site as well. I am very happy that several visitors do go to the sections for listening to church services. A part of the site that is very close to my heart but gets very little attention is the "Writing" section and the "Sunday School" section. These two sections are my attempt to minister to the lost and Christian alike in my own words and backed by scripture. I do admit that not every single article in the "Writing" section is of a spiritual nature, a very small portion of these articles would fall more into the "sharing my views" category, such as the article on "Education".

Perhaps one other very small disappointment would be that very few people give me feedback by e-mail. I'm not looking for praise or pats on the back, but it does indeed encourage me and bless me when on rare occasion I receive an e-mail from someone either telling me that the site has blessed them in some way or pointing out an error. As a whole however, I am very happy with what the Lord has allowed me to do with this site. I am excited by its growth and hope that by its second anniversary (February 28, 2008) it will have had over 4,000 visitors.

There is not much new stuff that I can think of on the home front to share. Things are pretty much the same.

On Sunday night, February 25, I was in a church service that may very well be the most spiritual and memorable service I have ever been in (except for the night the Lord saved me). Wings of Faith (gospel singing group) was there. Now if you have never visited this site before, you will find plenty written about this singing group all over this site. Anyway, this service started in the ordinary way and just built and progressed in spiritually as the service continued. There was shouting, standing in the pews and all manner of praise. At 1 hour, 18 minutes, 21 seconds into the service two men came to the alter and were saved! The church went into full celebration mode. Folks were shouting like teen-age girls at a 1963 Elvis Presley concert. Eyes were filled with tears of joy, people were hugging, dancing, and just celebrating the salvation of these two men. It was a service that will be remembered for all of us for the rest of our lives. Keep visiting the section, "Listen to Church Services" because this one will be added very soon.

One week later, at the night service of March 4, I felt lead to share with the church a poem the Lord had given me, "Smiling Through Our Tears". The enemy clearly did not want me to do this. I sat in the pew waiting for the appropriate time. There is always a time on Sunday nights when opportunities are given for those in attendance to sing or testify. When that opportunity came several people stood to sing and testify. I too was plannting to stand at this time to recite the poem. Normally before the preacher begins, he makes sure that everyone that is suppose to stand has stood. This is usually done by asking the question, "Are all hearts and minds clear?" If no one else moves then the preacher will begin to bring the message.

On this particular night however, that question was not asked. After one lady had sang a song, the preacher simply begin to preach without extending the invitation. If this was a church where everything followed a strict schedule or format that opportunity would have been lost for me to stand that night. Thank God, this is a church where the only agenda is for all in attendance to be obedient to God and be led by the Holy Spirit. When the preacher finished delivering a very powerful and inspiring message, he then turned the service over to the pastor to close it out. As he was about to close, I interrupted him to say that I had to stand for a few minutes in obedience to the Lord. People were already standing and had their coats on, but everyone was very gracious and time was granted for me to do what I was suppose to do.

After a brief introduction I begin to recite the poem. About three fourths of the way through it, I got stuck. My mind drew a blank and I could not think of the next line. Now I had recited this poem what seems like a hundred times when I was alone at home and was able to get all the way through it with no problem. Now here I was standing before the church drawing a blank and in the midst of an awkward and very embarrassing pause that seemed to last about three days. While I stood there shuffling my feet struggling to think of the next line, I begin to hear the whispering prayers of my brothers and sisters asking the Lord to help me. Then suddenly the Lord placed the next word on my lips and I was able by God's grace to finished the poem.

Satan will work in ways such as this to discourage us. Embarrassment seems to be a favorite and powerful tool of his. Even when God sends deliverance, Satan will tell us later that we made a fool of ourselves and should law low from now on lest further humiliation should come. But we must not allow such things hinder us from our service to the Lord. We must stand firm, being steadfast and determined to serve with un-compromised obedience to God. When we look at such an event in the right attitude the way God would have us to see it, we can rejoice over such things, because not only was the poem recited, but in addition everyone witnessed a child of God in trouble being delivered through their prayers. Also a testimony of that deliverance was given to me and when shared may be a help to someone else facing the same situation. So then what the Devil had intended to be a hindrance, God made into a three point blessing!

Now this may seem to some as making a big deal out of a relatively small thing, but when you are standing before the church to recite something the Lord has given you and your mind suddenly goes blank, it is no small thing for the one having that experience and when you're in the midst of such a situation, hearing those whispering prayers of your brothers and sisters are blessing of themselves. Then when those prayers are answered and deliverance comes, it is no small thing to pass off without giving praise and thanks to God.

This makes two poems the Lord has given me and He is working me on another one already. I don't know how many more He may give me before I'm called home, but when we tells me to recite one of them to the church, I'm determined to do it. I know it is possible that the same thing may happen again the very next time I stand, but if my brothers and sisters prayed me through one, they can pray me through another. If they have to pray me through every single one I ever do, that is alright. I'll not be judged on how well I recite the poems the Lord gives me, but only on my willingness to stand when the Holy spirit says to stand.

To view the poem, "Smiling Throgh Our Tears" click here

Until next time, God bless you all.

Carl

Saturday, December 02, 2006

On November 22, 2006 I went to my disability hearing. By God's grace I won my case! The judge was ready to make a decision after only about three minutes. He was very aggravated that my case had even gotten to him because the evidence was so strong in my favor that he said I should have been granted my disability benefits back when I was interviewed by the SSA examiner this past Summer. The examiner had the same evidence laying before him as the judge had at my hearing. The unquestionable evidence which supported my case was a doctor's report stating that my vision acuity was no better than 20/200. Since the requirement to qualify for the status of legal blindness set by the SSA is 20/200, there was no reason for the examiner to reject my claim. The doctor that reported this qualifying diagnosis was the doctor that the SSA had sent me to during the evaluation process. Basically the SSA ignored their own standard for legal blindness and they ignored the doctor's report ( given by their own doctor). I was arbitrarily rejected without just cause. It seems they have quotas where as they automatically reject a certain percentage of claims regardless of the evidence. If these examiners automatically reject claims based entirely on the percentage of cases heard and not on any evidence, a child with basic math skills could do their job. This is what aggravated the judge. He said that they are not suppose to make their decisions in this way and when they do, they are denying me liberty and property which is illegal. He said that lawyers need to start going after these examiners for making these unjust decisions by ignoring evidence. He said that if lawyers would start going after these examiners and dragging them into court to make them answer for ignoring evidence in the cases they hear, it would put a stop to this unjust practice. It causes people like myself who are already struggling to make ends meet on a limited income to have to pay out thousands of dollars that we can not afford just to fight for what we should have been granted in the first place based on the evidence of the case. I like this judge and agree with him. I believe the SSA should have to reimburse me for my attorney fees (about $1500) since I was rejected in spite of such strong evidence that the judge viewing that same evidence was able to make a decision within three minutes of looking at my case (at least one of those three minutes the judge spent expressing his aggravation toward these unjust practices of SSA examiners). Anyway, I won my case and it is all over now, Thank God!

Monday, October 23, 2006

My Aunt Lois (Mom's sister) passed away on October 19, 2006. This family needs your prayers.

I met with my attorney on October 19, 2006 to discuss my upcoming disability hearing on November 22. He said that I have a very strong case.

Saturday, October 14, 2006

Well, it has been two months since my surgery and so I am well recovered from that ordeal. However, the same symptom that led to me having surgery still persists. Something inside is still not right. Something still moves around and hurts when pressure is applied. Though fully recovered from the surgery, I have generally not felt well ever since having it done. My energy level is not what it was prior to the surgery. I may be in a catch 22 in that I have not returned to exercise after the surgery because I just don't feel much like exercising, yet I know that part of not feeling as well as I did before may be in part due to the fact that I am no longer exercising. I can't explain why but I just don't feel that is all of it. I will soon be going to see my doctor about all of this and will discuss it with him.

I am shrinking. I'm not talking about loosing weight this time. I'm talking about getting shorter. I assume it is the osteoporosis. I have shrink in height about an inch and a half. I was short and then I shrunk! It has seemed like some people have been getting taller to me and now I know why.

I believe I've aged more in the past 5-7 years than I did in the previous 20 years. The older I get the faster I age it seems. I'm loosing sight, hair, bone mass, and now height more than ever before. The only area where I seem to be growing right now is in spiritual growth. God is showing me lots of new things lately that I've not seen before. He is giving me more things to do in spreading the gospel, he is letting me testify more and with greater passion. I still have a lot of growing to do however.

Speaking of spiritual matters; I am now involved in the Awana youth program at church. I was asked to consider joining a few months ago, but declined as I did not feel led to do that at the time. Not having any children of my own, I did not feel that I was very good with children. The hyperness, and general behavior of a lot of children I see today gets on my nerves and I just didn't feel I was cut out for working with the youth. I did always think that I might enjoy working with the older kids however. A few weeks ago I was asked again to consider working in the program. It seems that in a few of the classes, the male teachers and over-seers are often not able to attend the Awana meetings because many of them are truck drivers and therefore are on the road on Wednesday night. They were looking for a male to fill in when this is the case. Rather than a person assigned to a particular class, they were looking for a "floater" to take up the slack where they were needed for any particular night. I said that I would come to a few meetings as an observer before giving my definite answer. I also said that I would commit the matter to prayer.

Week before last I attended my first Awana meeting. I was hooked! As a teacher, it is always an extra blessing to teach people who show a genuine interest in what you are teaching and that interest is usually proven in the questions they ask. In teaching the men's Sunday School class as I do on Sunday mornings, it is always best for me when people give me feedback with comments and questions and when I teach a class and don't hear a peep out of anyone the entire time, it can cause me to question if I am getting through and if I am doing an adequate job. The class I sat in on my first night at Awana was wonderful in that the children were asking question after question. My favorite way to teach and to witness is the answering of questions. When you are addressing a question you know that the person is paying attention and that they are sincerely interested in what you are saying; otherwise they would not have asked the question in the first place. You also know that when you teach in the form of answering questions you are truely teaching; you are informing them of something that they did not know before and so you are being used by God to help someone grow and that is a wonderful blessing.

Something that I learned very quickly about teaching children is that it is no easier than teaching adults. In fact I find it to be even more difficult. Teaching effectively requires not only knowledge acquired through prayer, study, and counsel, but also the understanding of how to communicate that knowledge in a way that can be understood. Lots of people have a great deal of knowledge, but are not able to explain what they know very well, but a teacher must have both the knowledge and the ability to present that knowledge. This communicating ability is where the extra challenge comes in when teaching children. Their vocabulary is different from adults as well as their reasoning and perception of instruction, so the same techniques that work with adults will often not be very effective when teaching children. You have to get on their level of communication to present the message in a way that they can understand it and all the while you may have to tone it down in terms of vocabulary and the use of metaphors etc.... you have do it without compromising the message or detracting from its meaning. That can be difficult and this is why for me teaching children is a greater challenge than teaching adults.

This greater challenge brings on greater pressure. I am not nervous when teaching the men's Sunday School class even when I may have two or three preachers in my class that I feel have far greater knowledge than I do. I also don't have a problem even with addressing the entire church congregation at times, but I got nervous last Wednesday night when I was speaking to these children. Pray for me in this new work that I am entering.

I have a disability hearing coming up on November 22nd. I meet with my attorney on October 19 to discuss my case. I'll write more on that as things develop.

Until next time.... God bless you all.... Study the Word.... Attend Sunday School as well as worship services..... Do something for the Lord..... Tell somebody about Jesus.

Carl

Monday, August 07, 2006

This morning I had surgery to remove my gallbladder. The surgery was "Laparoscopic" which I have found that many confuse with "Laser" surgery. It is not laser surgery, they use real tangible instruments to make their incisions as opposed to laser surgery. Laparoscopic surgery is different from conventional surgery in that very small in cessions are required and they view their work by a light and camera inserted in the abdomen through one of the in cessions Another incision is used for inserting a tube which inflates the abdomen with a gas to lift the stomach away from the internal organs giving them room to work. Another incision is for inserting the clamping instrument which grab hold of the gallbladder for maneuvering and extraction, and and the fourth incision is for inserting the instrument for clamping off the bile duct and blood vessels prior to detaching the gallbladder and for inserting the instrument used for cutting the gallbladder loose so it can then be removed.

Due to very small in cessions required for laparoscopic surgery, the recovery time is much less than with conventional surgery. Commonly a person having gallbladder surgery this way is able go home in about an hour after surgery as opposed to a 5 - 7 day stay in the hospital when preformed the "old fashion way". The recovery time is also reduced from 5-6 weeks to 1 - 2 weeks. Often a person can return to work within 5 days of having laparoscopic surgery. I have already found the short recovery time to be remarkably fast. I can feel a big improvement tonight over how I felt this morning when I first got home. In fact as I set here typing this now 15 hours after the surgery, I can not tell that I have had surgery. That is not to say I have recovered; I do feel pain if I take deep breaths, cough, grunt, or move in certain positions, but it is not excruciating pain, just more of an annoyance type of pain. The drugs they gave me for pain make me VERY comfortable and I rest really well.

Being put under by anesthesia is a weird experience. This makes three times I have had the experience. Time disappears completely. You take a few deep breaths and they start the flow of the anesthesia through the I.V. and tell you that you are fixing to get sleepy. After the guy told me that this morning I remember saying, oh yes here it comes. The next moment an hour and a half had passed and I had a sore belly and was in a different room. You go to sleep really fast but waking up is very gradual, and I can never remember the process and there is always a period of time as I am in the process of waking where people tell me of things I said or did that I can not remember at all.

This surgery was actually a first step in a process of elimination. It is not certain that the gallbladder sludge was the cause of my symptoms, but it was the most likely cause. It had to be removed to find out and before exploring other possible causes. I believe that it was indeed the cause because the surgeon told my wife and mom that my gallbladder not only contained sludge, but it also turned out that it was infected. There was a growth on it as well, which has been sent for testing. The doctor does not believe the growth is anything to be concerned about, but naturally it has to be tested. So I would guess that the gallbladder was the cause of my symptoms and now it is gone so hopefully this surgery will take care of it.

I go back in on August 14th for my follow-up visit and at that time Dr. Rogers will also have the results of the test on the growth he found which he will share with me. I reckon I'll be making another entry to the journal next week.

Friday, July 28, 2006

A couple of weeks ago I went to see a specialist for the pain I've been having in my side under my ribs. As a result of that examination I am now scheduled to have surgery to have my gallbladder removed on August 7. These days this surgery is an easy one with a fast recovery time; in fact it is an out patient procedure. Normally people are able to be up and walking around the same day and the only restrictions is not to do any heavy lifting for a week. After that you can resume normal activities.

I also had a bone density scan the following week and have been diagnosed with having Osteopenia which is a less serious condition than osteoporosis. I have been placed on calcium and other medication to prevent further bode deterioration and hopefully even reverse the bone loss I've already had.

Lots of medical bills are coming in now and I have not even had the gall bladder surgery yet. These extra bills are also coming at a time that I am having to give my attorney 25% of my income for handling my disability appeal case. It that's not enough, my roof has leaking leading again and will have to be replaced as soon as possible. I'm not complaining...... just the opposite; i'm testifying of how God provides my every need, even provisions for the new roof.

Saturday, July 8, 2006

Today I attended an annual gospel singing at the home of Carolyn Johnson (see "Links" page). This event featured gospel singing groups from the region which numbered in the teens. This is an all day event which includes not only great gospel singing, but also a picnic of fried chicken and fixens and just about every kind of desert you can think of. Also included is some old time gospel preaching. I had a wonderful time and the highlight of the day was Carolyn Johnson's brother getting saved! I got to fellowship with many friends I don't get to see very often, like Carolyn and the Wings of Faith gospel singing group who not only sang my favorite gospel song, "Hand of Time", but also honored an additional request, "Old Time Religion" (their remake version).

Carolyn, if you see this, I just want to say thank you so much for your hospitality and I rejoice with you concerning your brother being saved this day!

 

Monday, June 30, 2006

Today I received news from my doctor on the X-rays and the ultra sound that I had done on June 26, 2006. The X-rays of my back and neck show that I have some osteoporosis (bone metrication). I had reported to my doctor during my physical on June 23rd that I had been having some pain in my left shoulder on my back. This is why he scheduled the X-rays.

I have had a long history of back problems since I was a child. I was struck by a car when I was eight years old and that is what started my back problems. My disability is based on two things, (1) my visual problems due to Histoplasmosis that has left me legally blind, and my history of back problems.

During my last appeal hearing on June 7, the SSA officer who interviewed me said that my back problems were not an issue because I was not receiving any treatment for any back problems. I explained to him that I was not receiving treatment because I am not working and therefore am not doing anything to cause my back problems to flare up. My back pain flares up when I exert myself by lifting too much, engage in movements of repetitive motion such as would be required on an assembly line or other types of work, or maintaining certain postures for more than a few minutes at a time. Since I don't work, I am able to avoid this and the fact that I am able to avoid doing these things and bringing on such back pain is not an indication that the condition of my back is not an issue when evaluating my condition in terms of my ability to work. My explanation was not not given any consideration.

Now don't get me wrong; I am not happy about being diagnosed with osteoporosis at all. I'd rather not have it and I believe my disability case is strong enough to stand up in court without this diagnosis, but since I have it, it would be foolish not to present this new evidence when I go into the next appeal hearing. They can not say that it is not an issue this time.

The ultra sound test revealed that I have a condition called Gall Bladder Sludge. I don't know much about it, but will be finding out soon because I am scheduled to see a specialist for that condition on June 10.

On June 11, I am scheduled to have a bone density test to further evaluate my osteoporosis.

 

Friday June 23, 2006

I had my semi annual physical exam this morning.  Dr. Carroll was shocked at the improvements that he saw.  He said that this is about the best case he has seen of someone taking their health in their own hands by changing their life-style and there by bringing all bad things under control.

 

The weight loss:  At last exam my weight was 187.  Today I weighed in at 144, a loss of 43 pounds (within 4 pounds of the high end of my ideal weight.  He was very pleased.

 

Blood component levels:  The same life-style changes that brought about my weight loss also resulted in bringing many levels of substances in the blood well within acceptable limits.  Here are the changes:

 

Glucose (blood sugar)

May 5, 2005:  106

Today:  95

Normal:  74 - 110

 

Cholesterol

May 5, 2005:  191

Nov. 22, 05:  245

Today:  142

Normal:  0 - 200

 

Triglycerides

May 5, 2005:  310

Nov. 22, 2005:  494

Today:  120

Normal:  0 - 150

 

HDL (good Cholesterol)

May 5, 2005:  30.0

Nov. 22, 2005:  30.0

Today:  33.3

Normal:  40.0 - 60.0

This is the only item that was not within the normal or acceptable range, though there was improvement.

 

LDL (bad Cholesterol)

May 5, 2005:  99.0

Nov. 22, 2005:  104.5

Today:  85.9

Normal:  0.0 - 130

 

Risk Ratio

May 5, 2005:  6.4

Nov. 22, 2005:  8.2

Today:  4.3

 

Blood Pressure

I don't recall my blood pressure reading, but he did say that today it checked the best it has ever been.

 

Due to these dramatic improvements I have now went from a semi annual check up to an annual check up.

 

I did tell Dr. carroll about the pain I have been having under my ribs on my right side and the deep pain in my upper left back that always results from slight strain or being in certain positions for more than a few minutes, accompanied with a burning and tingling sensation at the skin level.  He scheduled me for an abdominal sutra sound and a back X-ray for Monday morning.

 

I told him I have been sacrificing a long time to hear these good test results and had promised myself that if I got a good report I was going to indulge for a day with a cheeseburger and fries.  He smiled and said Enjoy it!  I like my doctor.  He is also a Christian who will even ask his fellow Christian patients to pray for his non Christian patients.

---

 

Meeting with the attorney

 

I had a level one appeal hearing on my disability case on June 7, and was notified last week that I was denied again.   Prior to the hearing, I had an opportunity to review the file that SSA had on me.  I saw a doctor report in that file from Dr. Breeding which showed that my vision acuity checked 20/200 in both eyes which is legally blind.  This was from an examination that the SSA scheduled for me by their own doctor.  I was denied benefits despite this conclusive evidence of my qualifications for being considered legally blind and therefore elli gable for disability benefits according to their own standards!  So I scheduled an appointment with my attorney and met with them this morning after my physical.

 

They filed a request for a hearing and I provided them with a lot of information on my case.  They seem to believe I have a very strong case.  So strong in fact that it may not even go to a hearing at all.  If they can provide strong enough evidence to a judge, he may do what is known as a change of record which would reinstate my benefits immediately.  I have another eye exam coming up in August and they will wait for the results of that examination and submit it to a judge along with other evidence such as the results from Dr. Breeding's examination indicating my status of being legally blind and ask the judge to consider a "change of record".  In the mean time we still have the request for a hearing being processed just in case the judge wants to wait for the hearing to make a decision.

  

 

Sunday May 14, 2006

I weighed today and checked in at 148 lbs. That is a loss of 39 lbs (down from 187 lbs) since November 30, when I began this healthy eating plan. People have been telling me that I am getting too slim and I need to stop! However, the thing is that I am eating healthy, I feel good, and I am doing it primarily to lower my triglycerides, cholesterol, and blood sugar. My weight loss is a result of me eating healthier to control these things and not so much as a primary goal to simply loose weight. So long as I feel good and know I am eating healthy and not starving myself, then I believe my weight will stabilize where it should be. I checked medical weight charts and for someone of my height and frame size, my ideal weight is 134-140 lbs. According to this I am still 8 lobs. over weight! So not only do I have a defense of feeling good, getting plenty to eat, and eating healthier, but now I have the medical weight charts to back me up when folks try to tell me I'm getting too small. I see plenty of other guys slimmer than myself and it doesn't seem to get a lot of attention. I think people are just used to seeing me 40 lbs. heavier and somehow that makes me seem even smaller. I imagine that if I had always been this size, no one would think I was too thin at all. Thinking back at how over weight I was a few months ago, it is very weird to have people make a fuss about me being too thin! LOL

Monday April 17, 2006

Let me tell you about my Easter weekend. Mom had an Easter dinner on Saturday (she had to work on Easter Sunday). I did not attend the dinner because I had a sore throat and not only did not feel like attending, but also did not want to spread it around to the other guests.

I had hoped that Wings of Faith would come visit me on Saturday evening and spend the night since they would be singing at my church on Sunday and I live within site of the church. I had hoped that by staying with me on Saturday night they would be able to attend our Easter play on Saturday night and the sunrise service the following morning, before singing at the church at 11 a.m. They decided not to spend the night with me however because they also had an appointment on Sunday night and then a long drive back home and taking part in that many events in such a short period of time would wear them out. I saw their point!

We put on our Easter play on Saturday night and it went very well. My Mom and Dad came out to see it as well as our friends Larry and Phyllis.

I played the role of the Chief Priest and at one point the script called for me to "rent" my cloths. The vest I wore was joined together at the brest by velcro so that I could jerk it open looking like I had torn it, but without actually damaging the garment. However, I guess being in front of a live audience, I got carried away and when I ripped it open, I REALLY ripped it open. Not only did it come apart at the velcro the way it was designed to do, but I jerked it so hard, it ripped loose at the shoulder seem also, so that the whole thing then dangled from the waist. Well, it looked good, but I damaged the garment and we were to put on the play again the next night. Charlotte told me not to worry that she could fix it back in time for the play the next night. We decided that rather than sew it back, that it should be held together at the shoulder by velcro as well. This way I could rip it off again in the same way but without causing any damage.

As I said, I had a sore throat this weekend and was not feeling very well, so I decided to skip the sunrise service. When I arrived at church for Sunday School that morning, Wings of Faith was already there setting up their equipment and we had a good time in fellowship. The church service went very well, though it would have been even better if someone had gotten saved. Wings of Faith sang their hearts out as always and everyone enjoyed them. Andy brought a message bringing special attention to the fact that after Jesus had died, his body is refereed to as "it". They took "it" down from the cross, but "He" got up! To be absent of the body is to be present with the Lord. Our body is simply a vessel in which our spirit lives AND if we are saved, the Holy Spirit as well. O.K. I better stop or I'll preach that same sermon right here and now!

By the way, when I got up on Sunday morning I had a bad case of laryngitis. This was a big deal because we had to put the Easter play on again that night and my part calls for me to not just speak, but to speak angrily and sharply with a raised volume. I was not worried. I simply prayed and asked others to pray for me as well.

After church, Joan and I joined the Wings of Faith singers for dinner at the Mountaineer Restaurant. It was nice to eat out. I don't get to eat out much these days. We had a really great time. After dinner they came to visit me at home and we had a good time in fellowship. Melissa brought me a really nice coffee maker.

Sunday night came and my voice was as rough and horse as it could be. I had not tried to speak with a loud volume, so I had no idea what, if anything would come out when it came time for me to throw my fit on stage. Well, sometimes God just uses something for the better rather than take it away. So it was with my flawed voice. What came out of me when I went into my little rage, sounded very rough and deep. Several people came to me later and said that my voice sounded even better for that part than my normal voice. I believe one person described it as being more "authoritarian". The play went very well the second night also. It was a lot of fun being in that play. I have photos of the play including behind the scenes shots posted on the photo album page, so check them out!

Tuesday March 28, 2006

Well another year has gone by (I turned 48 today). The good thing is that I only feel about a day older than I was yesterday when I was only 47. It was an uneventful day for the most part. A couple of relatives called me to wish me a happy birthday. Mom and Dad came to visit me for a little while and that was nice. Other than this it was a very routine and normal business as usual day. It would have been nice to have had a piece of birthday cake. Joan normally gets me one, but she knows I have drastically changed my diet in the past few months and she knows I am very strict about sticking to it. She assumed therefore I did not want a birthday cake. Well, yes I do stick to my diet very strictly, but on my birthday, I would have indulged myself a piece of chocolate cake! Thanksgiving, Christmas, birthday and July 4 are days I will deviate from my diet. I told Joan it is no big deal and not to worry about it, but there is no doubt in my mind that tomorrow she will carry in a birthday cake!

I did receive a few dollars here and there for my birthday and have decided to use it to purchase a video or two from Cross TV, probably from the "Wake Up Call" series.

I have now lost a total of 31 pounds. 31 pounds lighter feels really good!

My appeal with the Social Security office for my disability is still in process. It is taking them for ever to make a decision on my claim.

I am in the very early planning stages of developing a web site for my church.

I was blessed to go see Wings of Faith this past Sunday night at the North Kingsport Church of God. It was a lot of fun! It is no doubt the largest and fanciest church I have ever been in.

Well that is about all I have to say for this entry. When something exciting happens, I'll write here again. LOL

Monday, March 13, 2006

I have received word that my cousin in Illinoise is doing much better. Thanks to all who have prayed for him. I hav also learned that he has been baptized and attends church at least part of the time and perhaps regularly. I was looking for the words, "He is saved" which I have not received yet. Being baptized does indeed give me a greater hope that he is saved, it is not an automatic indicator of salvation, so I will continue to pray.

This past weekend was a very blessed one for me. If you have read very much on this web site you have probably read in more than one place that my favorite gospel group are my friends, the Wings of Faith.

Saturday afternoon Melissa of Wings of Faith called me on the phone and informed me that they were in my area and had some time to kill. It seemed the church where they were to sing the next day was having a singing on Saturday night which meant that they could not set up their equipment until after 9 p.m. To get to the point, they came to visit me for a while on Saturday afternoon. The bus they travel in is a massive thing and it took a little bit of backing and pulling up and backing and pulling up to before Gary got it into the driveway. I found out later that that huge bus setting in my drive way, did get some attention from my neighbors.

As they got off the bus, they were carrying crock pots, and other serving dishes. It turns out they brought supper with them. They came to visit me and they brought ME supper! We had chicken and dumplings, fried potatoes, and hominy. It was delicious. After supper we just sat around and had good fellowship for a while. Then all to soon it was time for them to leave to go set up their equipment. Their visit was very much a blessing to me and my wife.

Oh, one humorous thing about their visit... well humorous for you, but some what embarrassing for me... Gary saw some very tiny coffle cups that I have and he made comment about their size. I then told them all that Carolyn Johnson had gotten them for me for Christmas and I had received them at their Christmas party last year. Well, it seems I got my gifts mixed up. You see, Carolyn Johnson was NOT the one who bought me those coffee cups at all, but it was really Gary and Melanie also part of the Wings of Faith. They were sitting right there when I told that Carolyn Johnson had gave me those cups for Christmas. Melanie and Gary corrected me, saying, "It was US who bought you those cups!" They corrected me in the most humble way. I was embarrassed! Sorry Gary and Mel, but you should know I really do like those cups and now I know where they came from!

Then on Sunday morning I visited the church where they were singing and was blessed again. My Mom got to meet them and hear them sing for the first time as well as my friends Larry and Phyllis. It was a very enjoyable weekend.

Friday, March 10, 2006

My Mom called me this evening and told me that my cousin's son was in the hospital with a diabetic coma in Rockford, Illinois. It was extremely serious. His sugar level was above 900. The doctors said it was possible that he may not come out of the coma and if he did, he could suffer brain damage. Mom asked me to pray. Mom prayed her self and I don't know how many others she asked to pray. Tonight after I got home from practicing for our Easter play at church, Mom called me again. This man's sugar level has dropped to the 300 range and he is now in and out of the coma. When he is not in the coma, he is talking rationally indicating there is no brain damage.

The danger of him loosing his life was not our biggest fear. This man is lost. We praise God for the progress we have seen, but he still needs our prayers, not only for a physical healing, but even more so for his lost soul. I ask every child of God that reads this to help us pray. I'll post updates here as I learn more.

Friday, February 24, 2006

I have lost a little over (20) pounds since I have changed my diet and started exercising. I am working on on the Total Gym™ and walking a little over a mile a day now. As time goes on I am increasing my workout regiment in both intensity and duration. I feel better and have more energy. People have started to notice that I am looking thinner. Some ask me how I have lost the weight. It's no complicated diet at all, but rather simply eating healthy foods. For breakfast I usually have a bowl of Special K ™ with skim milk or a bowl of oatmeal with dry toast. Occasionally I will have egg whites (Egg Beaters™) with dry toast. I don't usually eat lunch except for a snack which is usually a piece of fruit (apple, orange, or ban nana). For supper I will have either a Healthy Choice™ dinner, or baked fish or chicken with a vegetable. I do not eat white bread or potatoes and eat very little sweets. Sometimes late at night I will indulge in a bowl of plain popcorn for a snack. I also eat salads, tuna, and nonfat cottage cheese on occasion. I do miss potatoes, hamburgers, hotdogs, and pizza but not enough to trade the benefits of feeling and looking better to indulge them. Remember I have another motive as well. Unless I bring my triglycerides under control, the doctor will want me to go on medication that I strongly do not want to go on.

Friday, December 26, 2005

We had a very good Christmas this year. Poochie and I spent Christmas Eve with my parents. We stayed all night. We had Christmas supper there and exchanged gifts. Mom and Dad got Poochie a huge make-up set and they got me a cd player and the Adobe Photo shop program. Ted had rented a bunch of movies for us all to watch together that night but most of the family got tired and went to bed fairly early. Ted and I on the other hand stayed up and watched the movies till 5 a.m. One movie I liked in particular was Cinderella Man. It was a true story about a boxer during the depression. He was very poor and was fighting just to buy groceries. He went on to become the Heavy Weight Champion of the World

The next day we went to visit with Poochie's family at her Mom's house. We had a nice dinner. Andy and I left soon after dinner to attend church. This was the first time I had attended church on Christmas day. It was very nice to worship in church on Christmas!

After church, Andy brought me home and Poochie and I opened the gifts we had gotten each other. I bought her a new rug for the living room. She loved it. It is a very pretty blue and cream color with a raised pattern. Poochie had bought me one of those Total Gym exercise machines like the one Church Norris advertises. I worked on setting it up till very late last night. One part was damaged, but it is a non-functional part and it should be easily replaced. The exercise machine with the tread mill and this new and permanent diet I am on....... I have no excuse for not improving my health.

It seems like the first few days after Christmas is nearly as busy as the last few days before Christmas. At least it is for me. There are things to assemble and set up, decorations to take down, lots of cardboard to haul off, etc... I have almost finished setting up the exercise machine. Now I have to set up the cd player (it is not a stand alone player, but one that connects to a component stereo system), load and set up the Adobe Photo shop program, order the damaged part for the Total gym, and other stuff. Things should be back to normal in a few days.

Friday, December 16, 2005

Poochie's car broke down last night as she was on her way home from work. A man helped her push it off the main road and into the parking lot of a shopping center. Ted and I went to pick her up and check on the car. We could not get the car running. This morning I had it towed to a garage. They called later today and said it was the distributor. It will cost $541 to have it fixed. Merry Christmas! It is times like these that I am glad that a long time ago I set up a bank account especially for automotive repairs. I put money in it every month and let it build up. Then when these things occur I have the funds to pay for repairs without having to dip into our "regular" money. Planning ahead for the unexpected is perhaps one of the most valuable lessons my Dad taught me. Don't just expect the unexpected but plan and make provisions for it. Thanks Dad! At times like these I can really appreciate his wisdom. If it were not for having that account set aside and making regular contributions to it, This one incident would have taken all the money set aside for Christmas. Poochie's car will be ready Monday.

Sunday, December 11, 2005

Joan and I have been discussing what we would like to get each other for Christmas. As always she can not tell me anything that she wants and she probably will not tell me anything until nearly Christmas Eve. We did talk about putting our gifts together and just buying a new television (HDTV). The Christmas money that we have would only pay for a portion of it and we would have to draw from other sources for the rest. I suppose it would be a practical thing to do. Right now we have only a small set in the living room and I have to sit in a folding chair about four feet from it in order to see it. That is not very comfortable when watching a two hour movie. We have also considered putting our gift money together and buying a nice gas grill. However, this recent news about my high triglyceride levels have caused us to reshuffle our priorities. I suppose I will be getting some sort of home gym like the "Total Gym" (the one endorsed by Chuck Noris) and she will be getting... well, who knows at this point. I could use the gym to help me in loosing the weight and lowering my triglycerides that I need to do for my health. We may look at getting the gas grill or a television when we get our tax refund in the early Spring. Like with the television, I will have to pull some funds from other sources in addition to the Christmas fund to purchase the home gym, but this is something that we see as being very beneficial and justifiable since it has to do with my health.

Saturday, December 3, 2005

Tonight, I was blessed to visit Lighthouse Baptist Church in Morris town for a singing service where my favorite gospel singing group, Wings of Faith were singing. The church seemed a little spiritual dry to be honest, but I know they have something, because a lady came to the alter to pray and nearly the entire church came forward to support her and to pray with her. Testimonies also served to show that the church is not as dry as it may seem to be from a lack of expression.

Tuesday, November 30, 2005

Today, I went to see my doctor to have my ears cleaned. That went well. Afterwards I asked the nurse to see my doctor because I wanted to talk to him about my concerns of taking Lopid and see if he would agree to allow me to first try diet, weight loss, and exercise for bringing down my triglyceride level. My doctor was not in, so they let me talk to his assistant. He was a very nice guy and when I explained that I had not previously taken my doctors instructions for weight loss, diet, and exercise seriously, but now that I had received this wake up call, I was very much ready to get very serious about it. He said that, that was a reasonable request. So now I am getting ready to make some dramatic, yet healthy life style changes. I have a tread mill and I plan to use it every day. I also plan to make dramatic changes in my eating habits (no more Hungry Man XXL dinners for one thing).

Monday, November 29, 2005

This morning I received a call from my doctor's office informing me that the results from last week's blood test was in. The lady on the phone told me that my triglyceride level was 460 and that the doctor has given instruction for me to go on medication. She asked me which drug store did I want her to call in the prescription. I asked her which drug she was intending to call in and she replied, "Lopid". I have heard some very negative things about this drug regarding risks and side affects, so I told her I wanted to talk to the doctor about this first. I told her I had an appointment to have my ears flushed out tomorrow and so she said it would be fine for me to wait until tomorrow and talk to him before calling in any medicine.

Later I researched this drug on the internet and what I found was down right scary. I read about significant risks of muscle diseases, liver problems, impotence, eczema, and more. There was even a mention some condition which could be fatal. The mild side affects were stomach cramps, fatigue, vomiting, sore muscles, declined sex drive, and aching joints.

I also read that this drug is normally prescribed as a last resort after diet, exercise, and weight loss have failed to bring the triglycerides. We had not tried that. I admit that six months ago, my doctor did tell me to exercise to loose weight and to adhere to a diet that he gave me, but I have been nearly completely unresponsive to his instructions. I had not took his instructions as serious as I should have. I am not willing to go on this medication until I first try exercise, weight loss, and a change of diet! Of course this will mean I will have to admit to my doctor that I have not been following his instructions for the las six months and will need to convince him that now I WILL take his instructions serious.

So I will wait until tomorrow and see what he has to say.

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