Do Ya, Punk?

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Poultry Rapture

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Surgery Day 2

I received a glowing report from my surgeon, Dr. Mark Petty, this morning.  He is very pleased with the results of the procedure and said that everything went as planned.  I have not had as much pain as I did with last year's surgery.  I am already at 50% weight bearing, which took 9 weeks to accomplish last year.  Physical Therapy had me take a few steps this morning and I am currently sitting up in a chair.  I may be discharged as early as Friday to a rehab hospital for continued physical therapy.  PRAISE THE LORD!!!

I have received many calls and visits and they are much appreciated.  I ask for your continued prayerful support for me, the medical staff and all those assisting me during my recovery.

I'll post additional information as it becomes available.

God Bless You All!

Pray For Sick Turkeys

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Surgery Update

The surgery is complete.  Dr. Petty provided the update at 6:50 pm.  A decision was made earlier today to replace the femoral rod regardless of it's condition.  The extra bone was added to reinforce the grafting and all strapped in place.  Dr. Petty expects to have James up on a walker tomorrow.  You continued prayers and support are appreciated.

PRAISE THE LORD!!!

Turkey Fights For Freedom

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Surgery Scheduled For 2pm Tuesday

One year ago, I was facing some of the most challenging news in my life: a complicated hip revision surgery and the accompanying rehabilitation.  Nearly three months of immobility left me unable to accomplish the primary task to which our Lord called me back in 1994: Gospel preaching and evangelism.

During those uncertain days, you responded with grace and generosity.  You interceded with prayers that lifted me to God's close care.  You called, wrote and visited.  You gave financial gifts to cover medical bills and loss of income.  A few churches in my area renovated my home, and repaired my roof.  You showed love in Christ.

I received news in recent weeks that my surgery last year wasn’t completely successful.  My options at this point have narrowed to two: a second surgical attempt or the permanent living with pain or possible loss of walking ability.

Needless to say, I have opted for the surgical option now slated for 2pm tomorrow, November 24th.  Dr. Mark Petty plans to insert cadaver bone for grafting at the top of my femur.  A substance that will help promote grafting will also be utilized.  The goal is for the rod in my femur (implanted during the surgery last year) to be stabilized by the grafting, which should (hopefully) eliminate the pain.  The presence of pain seems to indicate the femoral rod is "loose".  This is, obviously, not the proper medical terminology, but it's the best explanation I can offer at this point.

The surgery will take place at North Florida Regional Medical Center in Gainesville, Florida.  It is estimated the surgery will last 2-4 hours.  If there are no complications, I will stay in the hospital for three to four days and then be transferred to a rehab hospital for physical therapy.  Dr. Petty tells me, if all goes well, I will use a walker for about a month and then move back to using a cane.  If the femoral rod is slipping more than is currently thought, another rod will be implanted during the surgery and the recovery period will be greatly extended as it was last year.

My desire to serve the Lord will once again be greatly impeded.  And, once again, the reality of financial woes are upon me.  I don’t like to make such pleas, but should God lead you to make a one-time or continuing donation, no matter the size, it would be an extraordinary investment.  Little is much when God is in it.

I know God is in total control, but I must confess to being anxious, fearful, and a little "down" (no pun intended) at the thought of another major surgery.  It has been a long and very tough year in many areas of my life since the middle of last November, but I know God's grace is, and will once again be, sufficient.  The last year of my life has taught me to depend on the Lord and be of good courage.  The year ahead will put to use what God has desired to teach me.

Please join me in praying that the Lord's "Perfect Will" is done all along the way.  I have a revival meeting scheduled to begin January 10, 2010 in Bushnell, FL, so you know how I'm praying.  I do know God also knows about the meeting, after all, He led the pastor to call me.


Your prayers and financial gifts are appreciated.  Mostly, I am looking for 2010, a recovered body, and a foundation of faith from which to preach Christ to the nations.

NOTE: Additional information will be posted on this blog and on Facebook as it becomes available.

No Cash Offerings?

Help With A Home Run

NOTE: A video about the story in this devotion is below, it will bring tears of joy to your eyes.

Our Daily Bread

ODB RADIO: Listen Now |  Download
READ: 1 Peter 4:7-11

 

As each one has received a gift, minister it to one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. —1 Peter 4:10

Sara Tucholsky, a softball player for Western Oregon University, hit the first home run of her life in a game against Central Washington. But she nearly didn’t get credit for it. As she rounded first base in excitement, she missed it! When she wheeled back to correct her mistake, she injured her knee. Crying, she crawled back to the base. By rule, she had to touch all four bases on her own for the home run to count. Her teammates could not assist her in any way.

Then Mallory Holtman, the first baseman for the opposing team, spoke up. “Would it be okay if we carried her around?” After conferring, the umpires agreed. So Mallory and another teammate made a chair of their hands and carted Sara around the bases. By the time they were through carrying her, many were crying at this selfless act of compassion, and Sara was awarded her home run.

The lesson for followers of Christ is clear. When fellow Christians stumble and fall, we need to follow the example of these ballplayers. Reach out. Lift them up and carry them along. It’s a wonderful opportunity to “minister . . . to one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God” (1 Peter 4:10).  — David C. Egner



When a fellow Christian stumbles
And he needs some help to stand;
Don’t ignore his circumstances—
Offer him your outstretched hand. —Sper

No one is useless in this world who lightens the burdens of another. —Charles Dickens

Bad Things Happen To Good People

FBC Lake Butler On Sunday Morning

I will be preaching in supply for my Pastor Jason Johns this Sunday morning, November 22nd, at First Baptist Church of Lake Butler. The services will begin at 9:30am and 11am. The church is located at 195 East Main Street in Lake Butler, Florida. For more information or directions call the church at (386) 496-3704.

Precious Fruit

Our Daily Bread

ODB RADIO: Listen Now |  Download
READ: Galatians 5:22-26

 

The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. —Galatians 5:22-23

 

How much would you be willing to pay for a piece of fruit? In Japan, someone paid more than $6,000 for one Densuke watermelon. Grown only on the northern Japanese island of Hokkaido, this beautiful dark-green sphere looks like a bowling ball. The nearly 18-pound watermelon was one of only a few thousand available that year. The fruit’s rarity brought an astronomical price on the market.

Christians have fruit that is far more precious than the Densuke watermelon. It’s called the fruit of the Spirit: “love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control” (Gal. 5:22-23). Each “fruit” is a different aspect of Christlikeness. In the Gospels, we see how Christ exemplified these virtues. Now He wants to produce them in our hearts—in what we say, how we think, and how we respond to life (John 15:1-4).

A rare and delicious fruit may bring a premium price in the marketplace, but Christlike character is of far greater worth. As we confess all known sin and yield to God’s indwelling Spirit, our lives will be transformed to the likeness of Christ (1 John 1:9; Eph. 5:18). This spiritual fruit will fill our lives with joy, bless those around us, and last into eternity.  — Dennis Fisher

Think not alone of outward form;
Its beauty will depart;
But cultivate the Spirit’s fruits
That grow within the heart. —D. De Haan

Fruitfulness for Christ depends on fellowship with Christ.

 

Attack By A Marching Band

The Back Pew

Be Ready

Witness Protection Program

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Angelic Assistance?

An old-time pastor was riding furiously down the road, hurrying to get to church on time. Suddenly, his horse stumbled and threw him to the ground.

Lying in the dirt, his body wracked with pain, the pastor called out, “All you angels in heaven, help me get up on my horse!”

With extraordinary strength, he leaped onto the horse’s back—and fell off the other side.

From the ground again, he called out, “All right, just half of you angels this time!”

FBCLB Sunday Morning

I will be preaching in supply for my Pastor Jason Johns this Sunday morning, November 22nd, at First Baptist Church of Lake Butler. The services will begin at 9:30am and 11am. The church is located at 195 East Main Street in Lake Butler, Florida. For more information or directions call the church at (386) 496-3704.

Attention To Detail

No Deal!

Our Daily Bread

ODB RADIO: Listen Now |  Download
READ: Luke 4:1-13

 

It is written, “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God.” —Luke 4:4

 

We’ve all seen and heard advertisements that entice us to take shortcuts to happiness. Buy our product and make no payments for one year! Instant gratification!

When the devil tempted Jesus (Luke 4:1-13), he offered a shortcut to “satisfaction.” He tried to tempt Jesus to take matters into His own hands rather than trust His Father.

When Jesus was hungry from 40 days of fasting (v.2), Satan suggested that He use His power to turn stones into bread. Had the Lord done so, He would have been using His powers for His own benefit, but He refused.

Why didn’t Jesus accept the devil’s offer of ruling all the kingdoms of the world right away? (vv.5-7). He could have avoided the cross. But that would have gone against God’s plan for Him—to give His life on the cross, to be resurrected, and to sit at the Father’s right hand in His kingdom. Satan’s offer of a shortcut was no deal at all.

Beware of enticements that seem to cost little for the present. Satan hopes to get you to do things his way. And he doesn’t give up easily. Even after Jesus overcame a third temptation, Satan left only “until an opportune time” (v.13).

Whenever you are offered a shortcut to happiness, watch out to see who’s behind the cashier’s counter!  — C. P. Hia

Lord, help me see the devil’s offers for what they are—enticements to sin. Help me to keep my eyes focused on You and Your Word, and my ears attentive to You in prayer. Amen.

The best way to escape temptation is to run to God.

Shankapotomus

This is one of those rare commercials that make me laugh out loud.  It's the E*TRADE Golf Baby at his best!

Need A Presence On The Web?

Have you been considering creating a website for your church, business, organization or for personal use? Have you been considering registering a domain name for your new site or maybe an additional domain name for an existing site? Do you have an existing website and domain name, but you're wondering if you're paying too much? Well, if you answered "yes" to any of these questions, I invite you to check-out my online business called Giant Web Plans.

You'll find very competitive prices for various levels of hosting plans and website enhancement tools, as well as domain registrations and transfers. If you're not exactly sure what you need, a knowledgeable representative is just a phone call away 24 hours a day. Giant Web Plans also offers around-the-clock tech support to help you with any questions that may arise.

Please visit Giant Web Plans if you're considering a presence on the World Wide Web or just looking to enhance the one you have. If you're not in need of these services at this time, but know of someone that is, I would appreciate you passing this information along.

The Answer

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So Help Me God

Add to your website

Bottle Bank Arcade

I find this to be VERY cool, but as mentioned in a previous post, I worked in the solid waste & recycling industry for 17.5 years with New River Solid Waste Association before entering evangelism on a full-time basis.  Yes, I was a professional "trash talker"!

Biblical Bumper Stickers

If Bible Characters Had Bumper Stickers:

Jonah: Save the Whales

The Israelites: Honk If You Love Moses

Elijah: My Other Chariot Rolls

Goliath: Support the Ban on Slingshots

Methuselah: Be Kind to Senior Citizens

Piano Stairs

Now this is cool!

If Snakes Could Talk

The Back Pew

Share Some JOY

The video provides a brief overview of the JCEA Christmas JOY Box ministry for nursing home residents.  This video will also be available for download from our video blog and on iTunes by this weekend.



A special "God bless you" to Jon Fletcher for this production.  God has certainly used Jon to enhance the JCEA ministries in so many areas.

More Pics From Lighthouse Baptist

I have added a few pics to the photo gallery from the Lighthouse Baptist Church revival meeting last week.  I had a wonderful time of ministry and fellowship.  I met up with some old friends and made some new ones.  The most exciting thing about the week was two young ladies accepted Christ's free gift of salvation!!

The Revival Hymn Redux

Pre-op Completed

I completed the pre-op with my doctor and hospital yesterday for the surgery scheduled November 24th.  The surgeon, Dr. Mark Petty, said the x-rays showed no change or worsening in my hip condition (this is good); although, the pain is increasing.  Dr. Petty plans to insert cadaver bone for grafting at the top of my femur.  A substance that will help promote grafting will also be utilized.  The goal is for the rod in my femur (implanted during the surgery last year) to be stabilized by the grafting, which should (hopefully) eliminate the pain.  The presence of pain seems to indicate the femoral rod is "loose".  This is, obviously, not the proper medical terminology, but it's the best explanation I can offer at this point.

The surgery is tentatively scheduled for 11am on the Tuesday before Thanksgiving at North Florida Regional Medical Center in Gainesville, Florida.  It is estimated the surgery will last 2-4 hours.  If there are no complications, I will stay in the hospital for three to four days and then be transferred to a rehab hospital for physical therapy.  Dr. Petty tells me, if all goes well, I will use a walker for about a month and then move back to using a cane.  If the femoral rod is slipping more than is currently thought, another rod will be implanted during the surgery and the recovery period will be greatly extended as it was last year.

Please join me in praying that the Lord's "Perfect Will" is done all along the way.  I have a revival meeting scheduled to begin January 10, 2010 in Bushnell, FL, so you know how I'm praying.  I do know God also knows about the meeting, after all, He led the pastor to call me.

NOTE: Click here to read past posts and future updates on my hip surgery.

Be A Stander

Our Daily Bread

ODB RADIO: Listen Now |  Download
READ: 2 Timothy 4:9-18

 

A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity. —Proverbs 17:17

 

Western novelist Stephen Bly says that in the days of America’s Old West there were two types of friends (and horses): runners and standers. At the first sign of trouble, the runner would bolt—abandoning you to whatever peril you were facing. But a stander would stick with you no matter the circumstances. Unfortunately, you wouldn’t know which kind of friend you had until trouble came. And then it was too late—unless your friend was a stander.

Rather than being concerned with what kind of friends we have, however, we ought to consider what kind of friends we are. In the final days of Paul’s ministry, as he awaited death, some who had ministered with him turned into runners and abandoned him to face execution alone. In his last letter, he listed some (like Demas) who had run off, then simply stated, “Only Luke is with me” (2 Tim. 4:11). Luke was a stander. While undoubtedly disappointed by those who had deserted him, Paul must have been deeply comforted to know he was not alone.

Proverbs tells us that “a friend loves at all times” (17:17). During times of adversity, we need friends we can rely on. When the people we know face trouble, what kind of friend will we be—a runner or a stander?  — Bill Crowder

Dear Lord, help us to be the kind of friend who doesn’t run when our friends are in need. Give us the courage to stand by them, the wisdom to know what to say, and the ability to serve them. Amen.

A true friend stands with us in times of trial.

 

Buried By Life

The Back Pew