With COVID in general and especially after being on a 14 day lockdown after traveling to Toronto there is a lot of isolation, not seeing the family and more texting!
So, made a few a few adjustments to my phone to “see” the ones I love more often. ?
Posts
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A Smile
I’m reading this devotional and this picture comes up every day.
It always brings a smile to my face. ? What is she thinking?
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Me and CAR-T
As some readers will know I’m about to get CAR-T therapy for the lymphoma cancer. In short, this involved extracting some of my T-cells, genetically modifying them into CAR-T cells, growing more of these special cells and infusing the new CAR-T cells back into my body.
Yeah, that’s right I’ll be genetically re-engineered and there is no turning back. Once they are in my body they will replicate and become “the new normal” a “living medicine”.
How do I feel about that? Well, at this point it’s the only currently available shot at a cure so I’m doing it. Unlike other treatments like chemotherapy the drugs do their work and leave your system hopefully without any lasting negative side effects. This is different. The new cells will be a part of me, a “living” medication that will hunt down and destroy the lymphoma cancer cells. I was feeling a little so so about all this, until this morning.
My day starts out with devotions using the youversion app. The first thing I read every day is “The Story” which is an introduction, the verse of the day, a video of someone explaining the verse of the day, and a prayer. Today’s verse was Isaiah 43:19 and it was explained by Levi Lusko.
Right at the end of the explanation Levi says “… your (my) good God is seeking to do something new inside of you (me)”.
Do something new inside of me?!?! Something like new T-cells? Like CAR-T cells? It just struck me hard in a very literal sense. I made a note of the thought in my journal and moved on to the next devotion.
I really should not have been reading this next devotion today. I’d gotten behind and I should have read it yesterday. But, here I am reading this.
“then God’s wonderful peace that transcends human understanding, will make the answers known to you through Jesus Christ.”
Philippians 4:7 TPT
https://www.bible.com/1849/php.4.7.tptThere are coincidences and then there are God arranged circumstances. To me this was a God thing. These two insights, back to back, it was like God speaking to me. God is making a path in the wilderness, a river in the desert, a way where there seems to be no way for me to receive this treatment and He is doing something new inside of me, literally and making the answers known to me.
“For I am about to do something new. See, I have already begun! Do you not see it? I will make a pathway through the wilderness. I will create rivers in the dry wasteland.”
Isaiah 43:19 NLT
https://www.bible.com/116/isa.43.19.nltThe result? I’m at peace with the treatment that is coming up in a few weeks. God is it it, He is with me, He is a good God.
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Tour of Sufferlandria 2021
There are may days when I go to bed and I’m thanking God for his goodness and faithfulness in my life that I thank Him for cycling. I often pull into the garage and look at the bikes on the rack and think “Who knew that at my age I’d have 5 bicycles and ride indoors and outdoors all year round, including several years of daily year-round computing to work.”
Especially with what’s going on these days I’m so thankful that I’m able to ride the bike, able to take on a challenge like the Tour of Sufferlandri, able to ride outside with my friends Dave & Rene and out at the lake with the Kenora crew. Thankful that I still have the will, desire and physical capability to do these things and I think do them fairly well given the circumstances.
But this is not about me, it’s about giving God the glory that He enables me to live and do these things.
Psalm 115:1 Not to us, O Lord, not to us, but to your name goes all the glory for your unfailing love and faithfulness.
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Thoughts for the Day
Perhaps, every day.
A shameless copy of a devotion that really resonated with me.
Joshua summoned all Israel, “…you know in your hearts and souls, all of you, that not one word has failed of all the good things that the Lord your God promised concerning you. All have come to pass for you; not one of them has failed.” – Joshua 23:14
Joshua spent most of his life enduring adversity, setbacks, and disappointment. And yet, he never stopped believing that God would keep His promises. By the end of his life, Joshua saw God’s faithfulness come to pass, which is why he told the Israelites to recognize and remember God’s promises.
The thoughts you fill your mind with are crucial because what you cling to influences your worldview.
If you choose to dwell on God’s promises, you start to recognize God’s blessings during uncertain times. Plus, trusting that God will redeem your present pain equips you to walk forward in faith and keep on fighting.
As you walk forward today, reflect on some of God’s promises, and let them transform the way you think:
God will sustain you.
God’s peace will guard your heart.
God delights over you with singing.
God will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go.
God is your refuge and strength, your help in times of need.
In all things, you are more than a conqueror because God loves you.
God will never leave you or forsake you.
God’s perfect love casts out all your fear.
Nothing can separate you from God’s love.
God’s not done with you. God’s notdone with you. God’s not done with you.
Pray God’s Promises:
God, I’m so thankful that the Scriptures are filled with Your promises. Help me to cling to what I know is true. Remind me of Your faithfulness. When I am tempted to forget what You’ve done or how You’ve shown Yourself faithful, cause my heart to remember. Keep me steadfast. Amen.
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Shalom, Shalom
When the student is ready, the teacher will appear.
Origin: Hard to say…It’s likely you’ve heard that saying and this morning it came to mind as I was listening to a podcast and riding the bike in the basement on the trainer.
So, who is “the student”? Well, that’s likely to be you and me. And, who is “the teacher”? Initially, I thought the teacher would be a person. This is probably because of my school experiences with teachers and classrooms, the traditional learning environment I’m used to. However, these days I think “the teacher” can be more that a traditional school/college/university teacher person. Perhaps the teacher can be:
- a book
- a podcast
- a YouTube video
- a friend
- a spouse
- the Holy Spirit, Jesus, & God for sure
I’m finding the more open and teachable I am, the more I’m looking, the more available I am, the more often “the teacher” appears.
In these challenging days, what are people looking for? Is it peace? I think so.
“You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you! Trust in the Lord always, for the Lord GOD is the eternal Rock.”
Isaiah 26:3-4 NLTWhat is this “perfect peace”? It’s the English translation for Shalom, Shalom a double portion of peace, the peace of God.
This guy explains it better that I ever could. Worth a watch for sure, if the student is ready.
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Where does my help come from?
Many years ago my mom shared some of her experiences as she returned home from Montreal in September of 1961 after attending the funeral of her brother Ken, age 37.
Mom recounted how on the drive home this verse helped her deal with the tragedy of Ken dying at such a young age.
Psalm 121:1-2
I lift up my eyes to the mountains
where does my help come from?
My help comes from the Lord,
the Maker of heaven and earth.Over the years this verse has come to have a special place in my heart. Most mornings as I sit in my downstairs office I get to look at this picture while doing devotions and reading the bible.
This is a painting my mom did and is one of many works of art that we’re blessed to have in almost every room of our house. If you look closely on the road there is a boy and he’s playing with his dog. I like to think that boy is me. I never had a dog growing up due to allergies and I think mom was not too thrilled with the possibility of looking after a pet. Instead, I got turtles and fish. Less work and less attachment, easier to “let go”.
Anyway, recently one of the devotions was all about Psalm 121 entitled “I will lift up mine eyes“. Every time I look at this picture I’m reminded of this Psalm by the mountains in the background. Interestingly enough there is some bible commentary about looking up to the mountains for help from the gods as people believed way back in the day that “the gods” dwelled in the mountains. For me the forceful comeback to this idea is NO, My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth.
Another take on lifting up you eyes is to get you focus off your problems and up onto God. From Day 1 of the devotion:
When chaos surrounds you and the waves of life seem to crash against your ship, choose to lift up your eyes beyond life’s challenges and circumstances. Choose to lift up your eyes and focus on Him. Remove your gaze off of the problem and center your focus on Him.
What are your eyes focused on? Who are your eyes fixed on? Are you meditating on the problem or are you trusting in the One who can shift the situation in an instant? When you meditate on the problem you’re amplifying its weight on the throne of your heart.
What are you feeding the ground of your heart? You can either feed your faith by meditating on God’s Word or you can feed your problem by worrying on the cares of the world. Fix your eyes on Christ. Lift up your eyes from your narrow problem and shift your eyes onto a bigger God. God is bigger than your problem. Worship God.
Lifting is a choice. When you choose to lift up your eyes, you’re making a conscious decision to worship God instead of worshipping your problem.
My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth.
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God is Good
I’ve heard and read a lot of God’s attributes and characteristics like God is love, merciful, a refuge, a strong tower, great, glorious, faithful and many many more things. I’m sure you’ve heard many of these things too. But what if you were to narrow it down to just one word? God is…?
Just recently I finished reading The Rational Bible – Exodus by Dennis Prager which I found to be a very enjoyable and enlightening commentary on this section of the bible. There are many explanations and essays on virtually every verse and generally very thought provoking, a worth while read.
While much of the book was quite profound and revelatory one particular essay stood out to me in a special way. “Is God Good or is God Love?
At this point I’m going to excerpt the book a fair bit but I’d recommend reading the entire thing.
The essay comes from Exodus 33:18 where Mosses is on the mountain with God and
Ex 33:18 “He said, “O, let me behold Your Presence!”
Even with all the intimate interactions he’s had with God since the burning bush, Moses yearns to better know God.
Ex 33:19 And He answered, “I will make all My goodness pass before you,”
When Moses asks God to allow him to behold God’s presence – to reveal His essence – what is it that God reveals?
His goodness.
God’s essence is goodness.
Many people say, “God is love.” However, while goodness and love are often related, they can be very different from one another.
Dennis Prager
Good people, by definition, do good – whether or not they happen to have loving feelings.
Dennis Prager
There is quite a bit more to the essay expounding on these thoughts and citing example of why we can believe God is good. Excellent stuff. Now when I hear that phrase “God is good all the time and all the time God is good” I have a much better understanding of that fact.
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Once Upon a Time …
February 2014 Currently 202 and hoping to build it back up more by May 2021 for the outdoor riding season. I was a little younger then and the body hadn’t been through so much but, time for a comeback.
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A future and a hope
Plans for the New Year? New Years resolutions? Not too many, perhaps just one main one. Follow the Lord.
