The Sensual Seduction of Sin

      The sensual seduction of sexual sin has led many people into personal disaster.  Families are destroyed, reputations are ruined, people are blackmailed and some are even killed by a jealous husband or wife.

      What is beautiful in marriage is squalid in adultery. 

Even More Blessings

In my previous post I talked about how happy I was that the severe nerve pain in my neck was relieved by a prescription from my neurosurgeon.

Now I need to write about how I am doubly blessed. Back in August 2017 I stepped on something small that went up into the ball of my foot. It was painful. It bled. I couldn't see anything in the wound. The doctor couldn't see anything in the wound either and doubled that it would show up on an Xray unless it was metal - in which case we would be able to see it ourselves.

So... nothing to do but to wait for it to come out on its own.

It hurt everyday. It was especially bad if I tried to use my treadmill. It acted up if I mowed the lawn. It throbbed by the end of the day each Sunday after I was wearing dress shoes and was on my feet all day.

I limped. I walked on the outside edge of my foot and scrunched up my toes to take pressure off the ball of my foot. Any misstep and I would have a sharp pain in my foot. I was reminded everyday for eight long months.

FINALLY, it began to come out. First it formed a pustule on the bottom of my foot that burst. After that I kept a bandaid with drawing salve on it. Lo and Behold! After about two weeks I felt something rough at the edge of the hole that had formed from he broken pustule. When I looked at it, I saw it glint and I was able to pick it out.

INSTANT RELIEF!  Praise the Lord!  That was the end of that sad saga. Now I have my foot back. No more limping. No more excuses to stay off the treatmill. Hallelujah!!

7 Things God Hates

      Many people know the verse that says, “God is Love.” (1 Jn. 4:8)  So it might surprise them to read a Bible verse that says there are seven things God hates (Prov. 6:16).

      How can a God of love also hate?  As a holy God, he hates sin.  As a loving God, he especially hates sin that hurts other people.  What do you suppose God thinks about the things we hear about on the 6:00 o’clock news?

Mother's Day 2019

      The biblical idea of “to honor” is to ascribe value to someone. How can we ascribe a value to our mother?

      Our mother carried us in her womb. Then she carried us in her arms. She cleaned our dirty bottoms. She taught us our first words. She encouraged us to crawl, then to walk - and then kept us from killing ourselves. She was our first companion - and far more than that. She’s our Mom!

Sermon In A Sack: Compass

      Just because modern people don’t like the Bible’s reproof of their sinful choices, it doesn’t mean the Bible is wrong.

      “All scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness.” (2 Timothy 3:16)

Marriage Delights

      In the 1960’s there was a “sexual revolution.” Traditional marriage was definitely optional and people were free to have sex with anyone in any way they chose.

Effective contraception and abortion on demand were necessary for the revolution to work.

      While the revolutionaries experienced more sex - they became less satisfied. In rejecting God’s design for sex in marriage, they lost the delight, joy and satisfaction they could have had.

My Pain & God's Blessings!

For the past two years I have been having a very painful problem with my neck.

I had X-rays that led to Physical Therapy. The therapists were great young people, but the exercises they had me do were counter productive and my neck pain got worse. They realized it was just aggravating my problem and sent me back to my doctor.

The next step was an MRI and a referral to a neurosurgeon. The neurosurgeon told me that I have arthritis in the joints of my neck that causes narrowing. That in conjunction with a slight bulge in some disks were causing pain in nerve branches that came move through those narrowed spaces.

It is difficult for me to express how much pain this was causing me.  If I moved my neck, it would snap and I would receive a painful electric shock that would literally make my eyes cross. If I made the wrong move I would be paralyzed with pain that would bring me to my knees. For a year people have been asking me if I have a stiff neck. The truth is, it is not really stiff. It is just that I can move it without significant pain.

So, we tried pain management. In pain management they do an epidural injection into the spinal column in my neck. They do one a month. They said that needing more than three of these in six months is considered a fail. I definitely failed. The first two were minimally effective. The first week or two after the injection I had less pain. After the second injection I felt pretty good right up to the third injection. But after the third injection I got a terrible headache that lasted over a week. And my neck pain was back to its terror inducing normal. (Rats.)

So, back to the neurosurgeon. He tells me about a spinal fusion. I would need a relatively long fusion. The fusion itself will definitely limit your range of motion. There is a 70%-80% chance that it will reduce my pain problem. There is also a 10%-20% chance that it will cause the discs at the top and bottom of the fusion to rupture and cause worse pain. (Yikes!)

I asked about the "Artificial Disc Replacements" (ADR) that I had read about. He said I'm not a candidate for that because I am a "non-young" person with "facet disease" (arthritis in the joints of my neck). The ADR is for younger people who have otherwise healthy bones in their neck. Because the ADR would restore full range of motion in my neck, it would cause more damage to my neck bones. (Who knew?)

"So," I asked, "are there any other options?" "Gabapentin," he replied. "It is a nerve drug." I seized on that idea. I had heard it mentioned in forums. It is pretty common, but gets mixed reviews. It helps some people but other people say it is not effective. I think, "It is worth a try!"

I picked up my prescription that afternoon... 100 mg 3X a day.  I took took two pills that day and got on a schedule to take three each day after that. For the first two days it made me dizzy. But it also started making my electric shocks of pain disappear. By the third day the dizziness was gone and so was the terrible pain. I still had a low grade of pain in my neck - right in my spine when I move turn my head. But the terrible shocks that reached out around my neck and down my shoulder are gone!

As I was setting the table for dinner on the third day I had a sudden realization that I had briefly forgotten all about my neck for a few moments. That was the first time in a long time that I had no thought of my neck while I went about daily tasks.

Well, am I thankful?  You better believe I am thankful!!  I am thankful for the people who invented this drug (originally an anti-seizure drug). I am thankful to my neurosurgeon for suggesting it and prescribing it.

ABOVE ALL, I am thankful to God who is OVER ALL!  I am thankful that God has ordered these events in my life to accomplish is purposes for me. I am thankful that in his mercy he has given me relief from the severe pain that has been troubling me for so long. Every time I move and do not have pain, I praise God. What a deliverance.

I am fully aware that the effects of this drug will not be fully realized for at least a week. I also know that mediations like this don't necessarily continue to be effective as our bodies adjust to them. My pain could come back. But even so, I am grateful for the relief I have today.  Thank you, Lord!