Hope

Last Friday, July 25, 47 year old Dr. Randy Pausch, a Carnegie Mellon Professor and author of the current NY Times Best Seller, The Last Lecture, died of pancreatic cancer.  After being diagnosed with cancer in September 2006, Dr. Pausch maximized his time and lived it to the fullest.

As of writing this post millions of people have viewed his last lecture on YouTube, "Really Achieving Your Childhood Dreams", that he gave in the fall of 2007.   The purpose for doing the lecture was to leave something for his young children to remember him by and to know the values in life he lived and pursued. 

Pausch liked to have fun in whatever he did. He liked to dream and pursue those dreams. He achieved almost every dream he had except for playing professional football in the NFL.  He was committed to his family.  He valiantly pursued maximizing the life God gave him to live until his last breath.  He has impacted millions of lives by the way he handled a terminal illness. This is an encouragement to me.  But it seems there was one thing missing in Dr. Randy Pausch's life--eternal hope of Heaven!  

My heart goes out to Randy Pausch and his family.  From what I read in his book and viewing the Last Lecture video on YouTube, I do not know if he knew Jesus Christ as his Savior and Lord? Where is his eternal hope?  Maybe before he died God saved Randy from his sins?  Only the Lord knows.

For the believer in Jesus Christ there is Eternal Hope.

 

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to obtain an inheritance which is imperishable and undefiled and will not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, who are protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time” (1 Peter 1:3-6)

Grateful for Eternal Hope in Jesus Christ!

Progress

Yesterday was an important milestone.  It has been almost six weeks since my right ankle was replaced on June 17.  The CT scan of my ankle and x-rays indicate everything is going well-praise the Lord!  I hope to post an x-ray of my "new wheels" (prosthetic) that was inserted during surgery.  An x-ray (picture) is as they say,  "worth a thousand words." It will help to explain what took place during surgery.

Each time I am in for a visit to my orthopaedic surgeon, Dr. Haddad, he always takes pictures of my feet and ankles.

What do you think about these cute legs? :)  They are definitely not going to win any beauty contests. The right ankle is nicely aligned and healing well.  The left ankle needs some help!  It is on the way when it undergoes the same procedures, Lord willing, on September 23.

Dr. Haddad's medical giftedness is a blessing. I am grateful to the Lord that He led me to him. He is one of the top ankle doctor's in the country. 

I am thankful for the healing progress in my ankle and foot. When I reflect on the physical progress God has allowed to take place, I think about what spiritual progress is happening in my life?  Either we are moving forward, progressing, in our walk with the Lord or moving backward, regressing. 

The word "progress" is used found only four times in  the New Testament: Philippians 1:12; Philippians 1:25; 1 Timothy 4:15; and 2 Timothy 3:9.  Three of the four references refer to either progress of the Gospel or one's faith. 

In 1 Timothy 4, Paul exhorts his young protégé, Timothy, to not neglect the spiritual gift he received.   

“Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity. Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to preaching and to teaching. Do not neglect your gift, which was given you through a prophetic message when the body of elders laid their hands on you. Be diligent in these matters; give yourself wholly to them, so that everyone may see your progress. Watch your life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them, because if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers.” (1Timothy 4:12-16)

Couple quick observations as I reflect on these verses:

1. Be an Example that Glorifies Jesus Christ. No matter how young or old you are in your walk with the Lord we are living for one purpose to glorify the Jesus Christ (1 Cor 10:31). As Paul instructs what we say, how we live, loving others, walking in faith and living a holy life is important.

2. Be in the Word of God and Proclaim the Word of God.  Know it, teach it, and preach it. God's Word is the compass for everything a believer does in life!

3. Be Faithful to Use the Spiritual Gifts God Gave You to Glorify Him and Serve Others (1 Corinthians 12).

4.  Be Diligent Apply 1 Timothy 4:12-16 So That You May Progress in the Faith! 

"Be diligent in these matters; give yourself wholly to them, so that everyone may see your progress." (1 Timothy 4:15)  In other words, these commands are important to live out each day. Be absorbed and focused on living them!

5. Warning: Watch Your Life. "Watch your life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them, because if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers" (1 Timothy 4:16).

How are you progressing in your walk with Jesus Christ today?

Training

“Have nothing to do with godless myths and old wives tales; rather, train yourself to be godly. For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come.” 

1 Timothy 4:7-8

The 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing are in two weeks. World-class athletes from around the globe have sacrificed it all: sleep, time with family and friends to represent their country in China for one purpose—to win a gold medal!

As enter into the third week of physical therapy on my ankle, my training has not been as intense as an Olympic athlete. But it has been focused. Not only have we worked on my ankle, but also on my hip, and shoulder. The right hip has been tight because of having to keep most of the weight off of my right foot. The right shoulder has been in pain due to arthritis which has been further aggravated by walking with crutches.

As I think about training and the physical therapy I will be in for 1o more weeks, I am reminded of these verses from 1 Timothy 4:7-8. The elder apostle Paul reminds his young protégé, Timothy, what’s important in life: godliness over physical training. This is not to say you should not exercise, eat right, and take care of your body. “So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God” (1 Corinthians 10:31). But it does emphasize the importance of pursuing godliness not only for this life, but also for the future when a believer will see Jesus face-to-face in “the life to come”—Heaven.

“Training yourself to be godly” takes work.  The Puritans called it "holy sweat"! In the context here it is likened to working out in a gym, but the focus is not on the physical but on the spiritual--your own heart.  Are you pursuing Jesus Christ through spending time with Him in His Word, in prayer, turning from sin, confessing it and forsake it? Have you praise the Lord in song today? Praise the Lord that we can do it with His help. In Paul’s second letter to Timothy he writes, “For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and self-discipline” (2 Timothy 1:7).

Training with perseverance through His strength and grace.

My physical therapists. 

Jen getting after it on my ankle.

Dr. Linda

Nails

The Nails In Your Hands, The Nails In Your Feet
They Tell How Much You Love Me 

The Thorns On Your Brow, They Tell Me How

You Bore So Much Shame To Love Me

Earlier this week my cast, in commemoration of the Chicago Cubs & July 4th, and sutures were removed. This is another milestone on the road to recovery. Praise the Lord! I am still non-weight bearing and wear a walking boot. I will be in the boot until September 23 when the surgeries start on the left ankle.

As I thought about my sutures coming out and looked at my ankle, I reflected on the love that Jesus Christ has for you and me. "This is love; not that we loved God but that he loved us and sent his son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins" (1 John 4:10).

The words to the song above came to mind. This simple song, I learned a number of years ago, drives me to the cross. It reminds me of the the unfathomable love Jesus has for you and me, and the price He paid for our sins. I will never experience the pain and suffering that Christ went through on the cross. I cannot imagine what it was like for the nails to be driven through His wrists and ankles when the Roman Soldiers nailed Him to the cross.

I am grateful that Jesus knows, shares in, and can be a comfort in my sufferings. "For just as the sufferings of Christ flow over into our lives, so also through Christ our comfort overflows" (2 Corinthians 1:5).

The rest of the song goes like this. May it be my heart's cry.

And When The Heavens Pass Away
All Your Scars Will Still Remain
And Forever They Will Say
How Much You Love Me

For I Want To Say
Forever My Love, Forever My Heart
Forever My Life Is Yours
Forever My Love, Forever My Heart
Forever My Life Is Yours

Beautiful Feet

“How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in?
And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard?
And how can they hear without someone preaching to them?
And how can they preach unless they are sent?
As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet
of those who bring good news!”
Romans 10:14-15

It’s been a week, Sunday, June 22, since I returned home from the hospital after ankle replacement surgery on June 17. The week included a lot of rest. I think I have been a sleep more than I have been awake.

Answered Prayer.
Thank you for praying for me. God has truly been gracious in answering prayer in specific ways over the last few weeks. I asked that the Lord that He would give me the energy to share the love of Christ with many who served me while I was in the hospital.

I had the privilege to give the attached card with a note of thanks to over 15 employees in Glenbrook Hospital. Two of the employees that I met said they have personal relationship with Jesus Christ—Praise the Lord! Pray that the seed sown with the others would take root and I will be able to follow-up with them during future surgeries in September and December on my left ankle.

Beautiful Feet.
I know the Heavenly Father has a sense of humor. (See Job 41:1-5 for complete details.) For me, it is humorous that the Lord would use me, regardless of whether I am in a cast or not, to have the privilege to share the love of Christ with others.

This photo was taken a week ago. I call the cast “Shaq’s Shoe” in honor of NBA big man Shaquille O'Neal. The doctor intentionally put an oversized cast on my foot for “extra protection.” Shaq wears a 23 size shoe. My cast is not even close to the Big Fella’s, but it feels like I am in his shoe.

Thank you for your continued prayers as I run the race with perseverance and proclaim the life changing hope of the Gospel with beautiful feet!

"His Story"

Everyone has a story to tell that has molded and shaped who you are. It could be a once in a lifetime experience, a broken relationship, or a loss of a loved one.

This is “His Story” about how Jesus Christ saved me from my sins, the hope of eternal life I have in Him, and the purpose to live each day for His glory amidst physical pain.

BEGINNINGS
I was born with a degenerative arthritic condition that has affected my joints. This degenerative condition first affected my hip joints with an irregularly formed hip socket and ball of my hip joint. As a result, friction would occur causing an inflamed joint.

JUNIOR HIGH
I didn't know the pain of two irregularly formed hip joints until I was in the seventh grade. After physical activity I would become stiff. The doctor knew there was a problem with my hips, but asked me to return the following year to see how my condition was developing. The doctor suggested taking aspirin for the pain I was experiencing. I began to take it on a regular basis, four to six tablets per day, depending on the weather and my physical activity. Pain became a reality in my life and I learned to live with it.

HIGH SCHOOL
As I entered high school the pain increased, resulting in a decreasing amount of mobility. I no longer could run with fellow classmates. I was placed in a special gym class that had me in the weight room pumping iron and riding a stationary bicycle. The doctor visits came on an annual basis with the same response, "Come back next year." The doctor suggested reconstructive surgery or a hip replacement, but this was not considered until I had fully grown and my bones were completely mature.

COLLEGE
In college I began to swim. This was a physical activity I enjoyed. It allowed my body weight to be equally displaced across the water, resulting in less wear and tear on my hips. My pain increased while my mobility decreased—walking and standing became a painful reality in my life every day. In the Fall of '88, I saw a doctor in Philadelphia who said to me, "Jeff, don't come back to see me until the pain is too great for you to go on in life." Encouraging words for a senior in his last year of college. Those words became a reality in my life in the Spring of '89. Swimming was now too painful and just making it through the day was a physical accomplishment. As I returned to see that doctor in Philadelphia, he referred me to a doctor at the University of Pennsylvania.

AFTER COLLEGE
I saw a well-known orthopedic specialist, at the University of Pennsylvania, and like so many other doctors, he too was puzzled as he studied my x-rays and asked me questions. His concern was that I had taken aspirin over a period of ten years. Would my blood clot after he made an incision in my leg? Plus, I was only twenty-two years old; hip replacements are primarily for your and my grandparents. Outcome of visit. . . on to another doctor.

THE ANSWER
Finally, in September of '89, I saw a doctor at Johns Hopkins Hospital who for the first time in my life confidently looked me in the eye and said, "Jeff, you're a candidate for hip replacements." I cannot describe to you in words what that meant to me. I knew I was at the end of the line - I envisioned myself wheelchair bound, my condition was worsening. Now I could see the light, or potential light, at the end of the tunnel that I had been praying and searching for over ten years of my life. On that day I found out why my condition puzzled many doctors. The condition I have, according to the orthopedic specialist at Johns Hopkins Hospital at the time, was only known to be in twelve other people in the entire world!

SURGERY
In January of 1990, I underwent my first hip replacement and again the excruciating experience occurred in May of 1990. Two weeks before my first hip replacement, I cleared my body of all medication. For the past six months I was taking anti-inflammatory medication instead of aspirin. I really did not believe that the medication was that effective; boy was I in for a surprise! Two days after I was off the medication I was in so much pain I had to walk with crutches and could not put on my own shoes and pants. My bones were brittle; I felt like I was ninety years old!

COMEBACK
After two successful surgeries, with custom hips made from titanium, learning to walk again with the aid of crutches for nine months, swimming and stationary bicycling, I was able to rebuild leg muscles that I had never used before. Over the course of one year, January 1990 to January 1991, I learned to walk again and am now free of pain - totally! I am able to do everything a healthy human can do with two good hips including swimming, golfing and bicycling! In September '91 I rode 150 miles in two days for Multiple Sclerosis - it was awesome!

Since both hips were replaced in 1990, a partial hip replacement occurred in 1994 due to a bicycle accident. In 2000 and 2001, both hips were again replaced (revised) do to “wear and tear” of the joints and femur bone.

All of the above has not been possible without the personal relationship I have with Jesus Christ! There were times of doubt and asking God, "Why me?" Yet I realize that it was Christ's strength, and His alone, that enabled me to get through those tough days. God has taught me many things through my physical condition - I would like to share two specific things with you.

First - God is with me. God said, "never will I leave you; never will I forsake you" (Hebrews 13:5). I praise the Lord for the personal relationship I have with Jesus Christ who died on the cross for your and my sins. Sin is anything that is not holy or pleasing to God. It is anything contrary to God's character. This relationship, by God's grace alone, began when I was eight years old when I asked God to forgive me of my sins and be Lord of my life. This awesome relationship continues to grow, even through the peaks and valleys, in my walk with Jesus.

Second - Trials. Trials are a part of life. “Yet man is born to trouble as sparks fly upward” (Job 7:5). It was God alone who brought me through many years of pain, surgeries and rehabilitation of my physical condition. God's Word says, "my grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness. Therefore, I will boast more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me” (2 Corinthians 12:9).

The greatest thing God has taught me through my condition is my need for total, daily dependence on Him. As God's word says, our lives are like fleeting shadows. “Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes” (James 4:14). Death is real. It is final. You and I will both face it. With this in mind, may I ask you a question? If you were to die today, do you know without a shadow of a doubt where you will go? There is only one of two places—Heaven or Hell.

For one to enter Heaven, he must have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, God's Son. God gave up His Son as a perfect sacrifice for your and my sins. We are sinners. "All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23). What is sin? Simply, it is anything that is not holy or pleasing to God. It is anything contrary to God's character. It may be wrong thoughts, actions or words.

Furthermore, you and I were born as sinners as a result of Adam and Eve's disobedience to God in the Garden of Eden. The sin committed was eating the forbidden fruit. As sinners we are spiritually separated from God. "The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord" (Romans 6:23). Because of the sin in our life there is a chasm or great gulf that separates us from God. Humanly speaking there is nothing we can do cross this chasm. We need a Savior!

The good news is that God gave us His Son, Jesus Christ, to bear all of our sins on the cross through His crucifixion. The chasm between you and God is bridged by Jesus' death on the cross for our sins. Jesus Christ is the only one who could pay the price for our sins because He is without sin. "God made Him (Jesus) who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God" (II Cor.5:21). God's Son to be sin for us, now is Love!

After Christ rose from the dead He appeared to over 500 people including His disciples and close friends to prove that He had risen from the dead. "Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that He was buried, that He was raised on the third day according to the Scripture, and that He appeared to Peter and then to the twelve" (I Corinthians 15:3-5).

If you believe in this message of good news that I have shared with you, then follow along through the A, B, Cs of how you can have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ:

A - Acknowledge that you are a sinner. Remember what sin is? It is anything that is different from God's character. Holiness means perfection. “There is no one righteous, not even one; there is no one who understands, no one who seeks God" (Romans 13:10). Even if you are living a “good life”, you are still a sinner according to God's word.

B - Believe in Christ as your personal Lord and Savior. “That if you confess with your mouth, 'Jesus is Lord,' and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved" (Romans 10:9).

C - Confess your sins to God and repent. By confessing and repenting of your sins you specifically agree with God and tell Him the sinfully wrong actions, thoughts and words you have done. By doing this through faith God promises to forgive you of your sins and cleanse you from all unrighteousness. “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9).

It is a joy to share with you the message of God's awesome love, faithfulness and patience in my life. You too can know His faithfulness, love and peace by having a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.

Do You Know Jesus as Savior & Lord?

If Jesus Christ is not your personal Lord and Savior you have a choice to make. Either accept or reject the opportunity to have a relationship with Him. “For it is by grace that you have been saved - through faith. And this is a gift from God, not by works so that no man should boast" (Ephesians 2:8-9). There is nothing you can do to earn salvation. It is a free gift. However, it does cost you your life as you live it for the glory of God each day He gives you life to live rather than living for self. "I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but it's Christ that lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me" (Galatians 2:20).

I am grateful and excited to have the opportunity to share “His Story”, God's working in my life, with you. It's my prayer that God will draw you to Him. That you will know the reality of Jesus as your Savior, the blessing of living each day for His glory and the hope of spending eternity with Him in Heaven!

If you are a disciple of Jesus Christ, I encourage you to keep resting in His Strength amidst whatever adversity you may be experiencing. Our gracious Heavenly Father uses ALL things in our life for those who love Him for His glory and our good! “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, and have been called according to his purpose” (Romans 8:28).

WHAT'S NEXT
At the writing of this post, I am entering into the second of four ankle surgeries for the replacement of both arthritic ankles. Please check back for future posts.

Press On and Finish Well!

Jeff