A shelter in the time of storm

I am told that “hurricane season” for Florida begins around June 1^st. Each year before “hurricane season” we have a chapel here on “hurricane preparation.” It is a good reminder to stock up on emergency supplies before the shelves in the stores are bare.

I play guitar and sing tenor for a little gospel band called “Homemade Jam.” We sang a few songs before our “hurricane preparation” chapel back in May. One of the songs we did was quite fitting—A Shelter in the Time of Storm. The last line in the chorus goes:

“Oh, Jesus is a Rock in a weary land, a Shelter in the time of storm.”

But we modified the words a bit:

“Oh, Jesus is a Rock in a weary land, a Shelter in a hurricane.”

So we have been into “hurricane season” for 1 month and I see that tropical storm Elsa is now brewing in the Caribbean and might be headed our way. We would sure appreciate your prayers concerning that.

Lord willing and the creek don’t rise, the Free Grace Alliance will be having their annual Summit in Daytona Beach next week—July 9^th through 11^th. The theme of the Summit is “Our Identity in Christ.” I will be speaking on Saturday the 10^th regarding “The Importance of Our Identity in Christ.” Then on Sunday the 11^th I will be bringing the morning message at Sanford Bible Church. Between a possible hurricane/tropical storm and message preparation, it could make for an interesting week. To top things off, I have been without an internet connection since a lightning storm on Saturday fried the cable that goes into my modem. That actually got fixed yesterday afternoon and I was back online for about 3 hours. And then another storm knocked out the internet for all of us on our property.

We are definitely in rainy season here in central Florida. We have rainstorms with lightning most every afternoon. My poor plants have actually been getting too much rain. The leaves on my pepper plants have been turning yellow and curling which is a sign of too much water. But I was able to pick a bunch of Jalapeno and Hungarian Wax peppers so that I could pickle them. I have also harvested a bunch of Tabasco and Chiltepin peppers to dry in my food dehydrator. I am finding that my “gallbladderless” stomach is now able to handle hot peppers! Yippee!

Blessings,

Bob

* * *

Can You Sleep When the Wind Blows?

Years ago, a farmer owned land along the Atlantic seacoast. He constantly advertised for hired hands. Most people were reluctant to work on farms along the Atlantic. They dreaded the awful storms that raged across the Atlantic, wreaking havoc on the buildings and crops. As the farmer interviewed applicants for the job, he received a steady stream of refusals.

Finally, a short, thin man, well past middle age, approached the farmer. “Are you a good farm hand?” the farmer asked him. “Well, I can sleep when the wind blows,” answered the little man.

Although puzzled by this answer, the farmer, desperate for help, hired him. The little man worked well around the farm, busy from dawn to dusk, and the farmer felt satisfied with the man’s work. Then one night the wind howled loudly in from offshore. Jumping out of bed, the farmer grabbed a lantern and rushed next door to the hired hand’s sleeping quarters. He shook the little man and yelled, “Get up! A storm is coming! Tie things down before they blow away!” The little man rolled over in bed and said firmly, “No sir. I told you, I can sleep when the wind blows.”

Enraged by the response, the farmer was tempted to fire him on the spot. Instead, he hurried outside to prepare for the storm. To his amazement, he discovered that all of the haystacks had been covered with tarpaulins. The cows were in the barn, the chickens were in the coops, and the doors were barred. The shutters were tightly secured. Everything was tied down.

Nothing could blow away. The farmer then understood what his hired hand meant, so he returned to his bed to also sleep while the wind blew.

Moral: When you’re prepared, spiritually, mentally, and physically, you have nothing to fear. Can you sleep when the wind blows through your life? The hired hand in the story was able to sleep because he had secured the farm against the storm. We secure ourselves against the storms of life by grounding ourselves in the Word of God. We don’t need to understand, we just need to hold His hand to have peace in the middle of storms.

 

They began well but

Something grabbed my attention in Exodus 24 this morning. In verses 9-11, we read “Then Moses went up, also Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel, and they saw the God of Israel. And there was under His feet as it were a paved work of sapphire stone, and it was like the very heavens in its clarity. But on the nobles of the children of Israel He did not lay His hand. So they saw God, and they ate and drank.”

The scene that lay before these select men must have been awe-inspiring. Out of the whole nation of Israel, only 74 men were privileged to witness this amazing sight. That elite group included Moses, Aaron and Aaron’s two oldest sons Nadab and Abihu who served as priests in Israel.

But John 1:18 tells us that “no one has seen God at any time.” So how is this possible that these men saw God and lived? Dr. Constable explains, “We must understand the statement that the leaders of Israel saw God in the light of other passages. Perhaps they only saw His feet or, more exactly, a representation of part of God in human form.”

Not only did these men witness this wonderful scene, but they also participated in a meal with the God of the Universe! This was no ordinary meal. The meal was part of the ratification ceremony of God’s covenant with Israel. What a privilege to be chosen to participate in this amazing event!

I don’t know how old Nadab and Abihu were when they witnessed this ceremony. But if this was the beginning of their ministries as priests, I cannot think of a more auspicious commencement to their priestly office.

Although Nadab and Abihu began well, their lives ended tragically!

In Leviticus 10:1-2 we read, “Then Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, each took his censer and put fire in it, put incense on it, and offered profane fire before the LORD, which He had not commanded them. So fire went out from the LORD and devoured them, and they died before the LORD.”

Somehow, their lives got off track. Paul warned Timothy about some who had suffered shipwreck with regard to their faith (1 Tim. 1:19). That certainly describes Nadab and Abihu. Thankfully, we have One who is able to keep us from stumbling, and to present us faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy (Jude 24). Let’s keep looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith (Heb. 12:2)!

Blessings,

Bob

* * *

Abide Above

But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us … made us alive together with Christ … and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus. (Eph. 2:4-6).

Believers are not occupying their position! At best, most are trying to attain a victorious position by means of prayer, Bible study, commitment, reconsecration, surrender, and so forth. But the answer is simply to abide where we have already been placed—in our risen Lord Jesus Christ. Abide above, and keep looking down!

Let the facts of your position overwhelm the feelings of your condition.

—Miles Stanford

 

Ice Cream and Hot Peppers

It was about a month ago, that I was in the hospital having my gallbladder removed. This last month has been interesting as I have been navigating life without a gallbladder.

When I found out that I needed to have surgery to remove my gallbladder, I figured that my diet would probably have to change. So, I looked at the websites of Mayo Clinic and Johns Hopkins to get an idea of what changes I would need to make after surgery. Both recommended a low-fat diet and to avoid spicy foods. That was not exactly what I wanted to hear. What was I going to do with all the hot peppers growing in my garden?! Then I began talking with folks who had their gallbladder removed. They pretty much said that their diet really did not change all that much.

When I left the hospital, I had a decision to make. Do I follow the advice of the “medical experts” changing to a low-fat diet and letting all my hot peppers go to waste? Or do I go with the “word on the street” of those who actually have had their gallbladder removed?

You guessed it. I went with the “word on the street,” and I paid dearly!

Enter the bowl of ice cream from hell! Less than 24 hours after being discharged from the hospital a kindly neighbor brought me over some “comfort food.” It was only 2 small scoops of ice cream. After being on a 5-day liquid diet in the hospital, my shriveled-up stomach could only handle 2 small scoops. After suffering several hours of indigestion, those 2 small scoops ended up in the toilet as I vomited up that high-fat ticking timebomb. I learned the hard way that Mayo Clinic and Johns Hopkins, probably knew what they were talking about.

Later it dawned on me that my informal “word on the street” survey did not factor in one important part of the equation. I asked, “How has your diet changed since having your gallbladder removed.” Their answer was based on their current diet 2-years, 5-years, or 10-years after the surgery. It was not based on 3-days after having their gallbladder removed.

Actually, I am eating things now, 30-days after the surgery, that would have caused me problems 3-days after the surgery. I am still trying to figure out what I can and cannot eat.

Recently, I have been able to help some folks out with their computer issues. I feel like I am getting my strength back and it is a blessing to climb back into the saddle and help out with computer issues.

Blessings,

Bob

* * *

God’s Delays

“And when forty years were expired, there appeared to him in the wilderness of Mount Sinai an angel of the Lord in a flame of fire in a bush…saying…I have seen the affliction of my people which is in Egypt, and I have heard their groaning, and am come down to deliver them. And now come, I will send thee into Egypt” (Acts 7:30, 32, 34).

That was a long wait in preparation for a great mission. When God delays, He is not inactive. He is getting ready His instruments, He is ripening our powers; and at the appointed moment we shall arise equal to our task. Even Jesus of Nazareth was thirty years in privacy, growing in wisdom before He began His work. —Dr. Jowett

God is never in a hurry but spends years with those He expects to greatly use. He never thinks the days of preparation too long or too dull.

 

The Blessing of Extra Eggs

It shall come to pass That before they call, I will answer; And while they are still speaking, I will hear. —Is. 65:24

A number of months ago, I was told by my doctor to schedule a blood test in April. Last week I went to the website of Quest Diagnostics and made an appointment to have my blood drawn on Tuesday morning. Quest is inside the Walmart in Osteen Florida. That is where I also do my grocery shopping. Since COVID hit, I have been using Walmart’s pickup service. I put in my order online and then schedule a time slot to pick it up. I love it. Before using the pickup service, I would spend half my time wandering up and down the isles of Walmart trying to find things on my shopping list. To me, that is really frustrating. And then I have to wait in the checkout line, and I hate waiting in lines. I always pick the line where the person ahead of me wants to carry on a 2-hour debate with the cashier over the price of an item. Using the pickup service, I park in the designated lot and they bring my groceries out to me and load them into my Jeep. So yesterday, I had my blood drawn at Quest. Then I jumped into my Jeep, drove around to the side of Walmart and picked up my groceries and I was on the road back home. How convenient!

This morning I received an email informing me that the results of my blood test were in. So, I logged into my account on Quest and read the report. There were several items related to my blood cells that seemed out of whack. Not being a medical expert, I did not know how to make heads or tails out of the numbers. The first item was that my red cell count was low. In the recesses of my mind, I thought that might be an indication of anemia. So, I did a search and sure enough I was right. I researched all the other out-of-whack numbers and every one of those pointed to anemia. Then I thought to myself, “that explains why I have been feeling weak and have no energy!” I just thought that having a gallbladder removed saps your energy. I had no idea about the connection to anemia.

Then I began researching anemia. What do I need to eat in order to increase my red cell count?

Spinach. Check—I have that growing in my garden and it is ready to harvest.

Salmon. Check—I have that in the freezer as well as some canned salmon in my kitchen.

Eggs. Check—I have plenty of those also because that was part of my Walmart order that I picked up yesterday. Hang on! Eggs? Are you kidding me?! Those will help to increase my red cell count?

The pieces of the puzzle began to come together. Lights began to flash, and sirens started going off in my head.

You see, I do not eat eggs very often. A dozen eggs can seriously last me for 2 months before I will buy more. In my Walmart order, I had selected a dozen large eggs. Every now and then Walmart will make substitutions to your order if they do not have something in stock. And they will usually upgrade you to the next best thing without charging you anything extra. So, instead of receiving a dozen large eggs, I was given 18 large eggs for the same price as I would have paid for a dozen. I drove away as a happy camper. I thought to myself: “Thank you Walmart, but 18 eggs in my fridge could last an awful long time!”

Now if I could look into the mind of Jehovah Jireh (the God Who Provides), I imagine He might have been thinking: “Bob really needs to be eating more eggs to get his red cell count up. He should have ordered 18 eggs rather than just a dozen. So, I better help him out and put in an extra half dozen eggs even though he does not understand why just now!”

Thank you, Lord! And thank you Walmart!

Blessings,

Bob

Baby Steps

It is 2am and I cannot sleep. I am suffering from horrible stomach cramps, gas and bloating. Why, oh why did I eat that…

Let me backup and explain.

I was wondering how my diet would have to change after having my gallbladder removed. So, I looked at websites like Mayo Clinic and Johns Hopkins. They all said that without a gallbladder, your stomach has a hard time processing foods with high fat content. That means a low-fat diet. And that’s NOT what I wanted to hear.

So, I asked real people who have had their gallbladder removed about their dietary restrictions. Pretty much everyone said that they could eat most anything that they wanted. Now, that’s what I wanted to hear. I decided that I am going with the “word on the street.” What do these medical experts know anyway?!

BIG mistake!!!

At least initially, it is better to ease into the shallow end of the pool rather than jump into the deep end.

Enter the culprit.

Attention baseball fans, now taking the mound is Smokin’ Joe Ice-cream. His stats are off the charts. With an ERA of just under 1.00 he has a fat content of 20 grams. He is unhittable.

My poor little stomach was not ready to face Major League pitching. I need to go back to T-Ball.

Of course, my favorite movie is “What About Bob.” And the theme of that movie is “baby steps.” I definitely need to implement “baby steps” as I learn to adjust to life without a gallbladder.

I appreciate your prayers for learning how to adjust.

Blessings,

Bob

 

A Tale of Two Soups

Charles Dickens began his novel, A Tale of Two Cities, with “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times….” After spending 5 days in the Central Florida Regional Hospital, I can relate to those words. I met some wonderful nurses and healthcare workers while I was there. But I would not wish this experience on anyone. How did I end up in the hospital? I’m glad that you asked.

I will call my saga A Tale of Two Soups. It began Sunday March 21^st when I decided to make some good homemade chicken noodle soup. We had some chicken thighs and legs given to us. So, I boiled them, picked the meat from the bone, diced it up and put it in a pot. I added chicken broth and a variety of veggies. To make it more flavorful, I added some of the chicken grease that the thighs and legs were packaged with. But I may have added a bit too much grease. That evening, I felt that old familiar gas pain building up in my upper abdomen. So I took some Gas-X and drank a 7-Up thinking that would do the trick as it always has in the past when experiencing the same gas pain. But things went south fast. Nothing seemed to relieve the pain. By Monday morning, the pain had subsided a bit, but I was running a temperature. That afternoon, the fever was still hanging on, so I went for a COVID test which came back negative. For the next few days, the fever was off and on. Tylenol seemed to bring my temperature back down to around normal for a while. Wednesday morning, I had a virtual visit with my doctor. We discussed the possibility of food poisoning. He told me to continue to monitor the symptoms and if things got worse, then I should check myself into the ER. I did that on Wednesday evening. My white blood cell count was extremely high as my body was fighting the infection in my gallbladder. All these years, what I thought was simple gas pain was actually gallbladder attacks. And this attack topped them all.

After consulting with Dr. Clontz, the best gallbladder surgeon in these parts, it was decided that once the infection was cleared up, then I would have surgery on Saturday morning to remove the infected organ. My gallbladder was in pretty bad shape. Normally, it takes about 30-60 minutes to remove a gallbladder laparoscopically. For me, it took significantly longer. I was taken directly to the OR from my room at 10:15am. I was back in my room at 2:15pm. When Dr. Clontz saw me after surgery, he told me that the procedure took much longer than usual because of the condition of my plumbing. As such, he said that I would have to stay an extra day in the hospital before being discharged. He was right. I was able to come home Monday, March 29^th around 5pm.

The care that I received in the hospital was awesome. Dr. Clontz and his team were amazing. I enjoyed getting to know Dr. Clontz on a personal level. He saw me several times before and after the surgery. We spent some of the time talking about my medical situation. But we spent most of our time talking about politics and the Bible.

Dr. Clontz recommended a book by Lee Strobel who is one of my favorite authors. As we talked about spiritual matters, he said that he could not understand how atheists can ignore the plain evidence of the Creator God. He also said that he was absolutely convinced that God was in the operating room on Saturday guiding him and his team during the procedure.

God certainly answered a number of prayers during my stay in the hospital. Here is just one example. I am a very light sleeper. I do not sleep well in a strange location surrounded by strange noises. For me, a hospital bed is not conducive to a good night’s sleep. To make things worse, the guy in the room next to me had to be the “neighbor from hell!” His shrill voice could carry a country mile and it pierced the wall between our rooms. From what I could tell by his cellphone conversations, he seemed like the typical “Alpha Male.” He was on his cellphone incessantly throughout the day. But it did not stop there. The guy talked in his sleep. Did I say “talked?” It would be more accurate to say that he yelled in his sleep all night long. Yet, in spite of his nocturnal babbling prior to my surgery, I had the most peaceful night of rest that I can remember. When I cannot sleep, I will resort to Tylenol PM. But the results of Tylenol PM cannot compare to the wonderful night of rest that I had before my surgery. The nurses woke me up 3 times that night and each time I immediately fell right back to sleep which never happens to me when wakened in the night. That night’s rest was simply amazing. After the surgery was over, I asked the nurse what kind of sedative they used in my IV drip to put me out like that. She had a puzzled look on her face and said that there was no sedative. I said, “that’s not possible.” She double checked her records and assured me that there was no sedative. Of course, I did not believe her. So, I questioned other nurses that looked after me about the sedative used in my IV drip. They all said exactly the same thing—there was no sedative. I related that story to my buddy who drove me home from the hospital. He said that he prayed I would have a good night’s rest before the surgery. God certainly answered that prayer.

When I arrived back home, my buddy’s wife gave me some good homemade chicken soup, unlike my greasy version that landed me in the hospital. For 4 days in the hospital, I was on a clear liquid diet. On the 5^th day, I was upgraded to cream of wheat and creamed soup. Being able to enjoy a delicious bowl of homemade chicken soup in my own apartment was a joy inexpressible.

So that concludes my Tale of Two Soups. I could probably write a book about all my hospital adventures. But I better end my saga there.

Please pray for my continued recovery as I regain my strength which was definitely sapped from me.

Blessings,

Bob

* * *

Things Which Gracious Souls Discover
by William R. Newell

1.   To “hope to be better” is to fail to see yourself in Christ only.

2.   To be disappointed with yourself, is to have believed in yourself.

3.   To be discouraged is unbelief, — as to God’s purpose and plan of blessing for you.

4.   To be proud, is to be blind! For we have no standing before God, in ourselves.

5.   The lack of Divine blessing, therefore, comes from unbelief, and not from failure of devotion.

 

Reaching Herd Immunity

It was about a year ago that our retirement center here in Florida implemented COVID-19 protocols. Our Assisted Living Facilities began following state regulations which included restricting access to that building. Since our chapel is part of that structure, for the last year we have not had any live meetings in there. However, we have had a virtual online chapel once a week.

The administrator of our retirement center arranged with local health services to host COVID-19 vaccinations on our property so that residents and staff could be vaccinated. Many of our folks received the two COVID-19 vaccinations. As a result, our retirement community here on our property will soon reach “herd immunity.” That means that many of the restrictions that we have been operating under for the last year will be relaxed.

Unfortunately, I was not allowed to be vaccinated because I had a recent flu shot. So, I am one of those in the herd that does not have immunity. I guess that means that I still need to mind my P’s & Q’s.

Our Caffeinated Conversation group continues to meet once a week virtually. We should be able to start meeting in person once again as soon as the herd has reached immunity. I will make sure to keep my distance from the other members of the herd and be sure not to drink from the same caffeine trough.

While the northern states have been experiencing freezing weather, the temperatures here for the last month have been nice. I have been enjoying fresh produce from my garden on a daily basis. I have been harvesting, tomatoes, peppers, spring onions, lettuce, swiss chard, bok choy, basil and dill weed. Florida winters are really nice!

I did have to cover my plants a few weeks ago when the nighttime temperature dropped down to 36 degrees. There was frost on the ground in the morning, but my plants survived just fine.

Blessings,

Bob

* * *

Our Creator and Savior
by Henry Morris, Ph.D.

Our glorious Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, to whom we have trusted our eternal souls, is more than just a great religious teacher who was martyred for His faith long ago. He is alive on His throne in heaven, having defeated death forever. He was our great Creator, our sin-bearing Savior and will be our eternal Lord and King.