Merry Christmas from the Fatman

Here is a brief thought that I gave to my family to keep Christ in the Christmas.

“they worshiped Him. Then they opened their treasures and presented Him with gifts: gold, frankincense, and myrrh.” 

Resin from tree for myrrh

Many of us are familiar with Christmas story found them in the Bible. In Matthew 2 we find part where the Magi gave gifts to Jesus and his family. There are three gifts mentioned so the tradition of the three wise men follow; but the Bible does not tell us how many wisemen there were. I believe that there was a larger group then three. Another interesting tidbit is that this event is probably almost 2 years after the birth of Jesus. I will give you two reasons why think the Bible supports sometime is past from when Jesus born. (1) Joseph and Mary have taken up residence not in a manger but in a house, verse 11. (2) Note that Herod was able to calculate from the information given by the Magi that Jesus must be near the age of two vs. 16) Most scholars think that there were about 20 children killed by Herod.

An angel of the Lord was sent to Joseph via a dream to warn him of Herod's plan and to tell him that they needed to flee to Egypt which the boundary was about 50 miles away from Bethlehem. There they would stay for about two years until after the death of Herod. The money that they would need to

Frankincense Tree

live in Egypt and pay for their journey was given to them by the Magi’s gold, frankincense and myrrh.

Through time we have learn to give gifts at Christmas time. Jesus himself was our gift as he died for our sins that we may be forgiven and given the gift of eternal life. At Christmas we celebrate the baby born to die to be our Savior.

As my family gathered around the tree we shared gifts that would bless us throughout year. Every year I read part of the Christmas story and keep my homily short into the point. I followed the KISS method, Keep It Short Stupid! When you have kids looking at the presents it is no time for long sermon. 

Merry Christmas from the fat man. Keep walking

Can God actually be for us?

When we think about God being for us, a belief can be used can be used to support some pretty silly stuff. There is right and wrong, good and evil; but often in the middle of chaos and hidden selfishness with dark motives, we can be fooled. There is a sense in a personal way we can experience God being for us. I for one think we need some encouragement.

I read an encouraging post from Rick Warren about God being for us. He was very positive as he took up the argument of God being for us. When I looked at the scripture I was reading the context and I saw little bit more about the subject. So I thought I share…

http://danielplan.com/blogs/dp/god-is-on-your-side-2/

"12 So then, my dear friends, just as you have always obeyed, not only in my presence, but now even more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. 13 For it is God who is working in you, enabling you both to desire and to work out His good purpose. 14 Do everything without grumbling and arguing, 15 so that you may be blameless and pure, children of God who are faultless in a crooked and perverted generation, among whom you shine like stars in the world. 16 Hold firmly to the message of life. Then I can boast in the day of Christ that I didn’t run or labor for nothing." HSCB

Paul writes here in Philippians 2 some very encouraging words. The true character of Christianity comes out when we are obeying the Lord when nobody's looking. In this case the Philippians mentor is in another location and they are still trying to apply what he thought. Salvation in verse 12 refers to the "active present" where God is delivering us from sin, Satan, the World. 

When we came to Christ, God forgave and saved us from past, present and future sins. When God saves a person and that gives eternal life it is always God who secures salvation. But with the new birth comes a lifelong process in which we continue to grow, and challenged to live like Christ lived. It is in this process that you can see where God is for us. This isn't a bumper sticker that we can put on our car and then go live our life as if God doesn't exist. Nor is it a life of perfection where we never fail and if we do others can throw stones.

If we are living or practicing a life without God, that contradiction, rest assured that if we are a Christian God himself is going to confront us and challenge the lifestyle. The emptiness that would be the reality if we say God is for us and live in a contrary way. 

But isn't it wonderful to see the promise that God is for us. God actually works or enables us to make progress in our spiritual life. HCSB uses the word enabling as does the NRSV. NASB, NKJV uses “works”. The Greek word is “ἐνεργῶν” 1) to be operative, be at work, put forth power 1a) to work for one, aid one 2) to effect 3) to display one's activity, show one's self operative from 1756; to be active, efficient:-do, (be) effectual (fervent), be mighty in, shew forth self, work (effectually in). see GREEK for 1756

When God works in a life that life operates as it should. That life is not dysfunctional, Quite the opposite that life becomes more effective. 

We have all seen lives and maybe ourselves be very dysfunctional. But God is in business of making sinners into saints. If you read Romans carefully you will see that that is the theme of the book. We may have been dysfunctional now are more functional may be how we think of it these days. 

Here in Philippians there is a great promise that God is working in us to grow and mature to love like Christ did and walk (act) like Christ. At the heart of it we are living the moral attributes of God in love and righteousness. In this life it remains a goal, but a goal that we get closer to. There will be times when we are spot on, but God knows he has more work to doing in our life. A victory or pattern of victories he will then move on to a new area that we need work. All the time he is with us in our ups and downs. Keep walking

Is it worth the risk? Sharing the "black dog"

I started the blog with my recovery from surgery and my quest to change somethings to have a better shot at health. With walking all of my health numbers improved. The one thing that developed was insomnea that I was not prepared to deal with. In two years the conflicts with sleep put me in a dark hole. 

Getting a grip on a healthy fight against the diseases that kill us is something we all can identify

with. But the black dog sneaks up and bites and holds on.

The cool thing is health can return with a little help. I can share with you how I came to fight back but it is also cool to share with you what it is like to have anxiety and depression in remission. I hope you have read about people who fought cancer and the cancer went into remission. Then there are those who had a heart attack and had there arteries unblocked and got back to their lives. Then there are those who got diabetes and made changes and got their sugar under control.

With these things people have been touched with disease and were shakened. I think there is a sense of what remission means, a second chance, wind, bouncing back. Not cured but able to get back into life, dinged but feeling good. 

What does it feel like to sleep? What does it feel like to not have panic attacks? What does it feel like to understand PTSD and not let irrational feelings to control you? It feels great! 

I opened up about these things in hope it would help me understand myself. I opened up about what happens when the brain has a problem. I knew there was a risk of people withdrawing from me. People have, but not everybody. Some of you may read this post. The marvelous brain, the little gray cells, the place of thought and will, the center that runs our bodies. Everything that I have experienced and learned really fasinates me. I think that fasination has helped me as well. 

Aging can be scary and we only do it once. At my age 25% of us can be battling with depression. Some are already battling dementia. Others are paying the piper with alcohol and drug use that has come to roost. Scary and frustrating, but I know there is hope. With lots of help and support the ole boy recovered. Yep, I feel fine. Keep walking

Enjoy the view

Near Logan Pass

Isaiah 40:31 

But those who wait on the Lord Shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles, They shall run and not be weary, They shall walk and not faint.

I have done some walks or hike I will never do again; but I am glad I did them and lived. One such walk was in Glaicer back in 1999. We walked a trail along Logan’s pass which is 9,000 feet+. The trail varies in width but, at times narrows. Many hikers walk this trail; but to walk it with cerebral palsy is hard to explain. If your step is not sure you can instantly lose your sense of balance. We walked for a while then came upon icy conditions. My tennis shoes were not up to the task. "I can’t go further." I was 47 at the time and was more aware of my limitations. Part of me hates turning back but the adventure wasn’t for survival or a trek of importance. I stood took in the view and then thanked God for the experience and carefully went back.

Others in the group continued and they had a good hike. 

Will and Tanya

Another hike, a few years earlier was to Moody falls in the Hava Supai Reservation. It was named for a guy who walked to the falls but fell and died. I believe the story was he was drunk. We made our way down at times aided by a chain. I made it to the last 20 feet where the decent was more or less straight down. My teen age son of a wise 15 years of age ascended back up to inform me I have gone as far as I can. I looked him in eyes and took in his concern. Am I looking at a man?

Inside I wanted to say  balderdash, poppycock, but I didn’t, I didn’t get to swim but, I sat and enjoyed the water falls. Unlike Moody, I lived to tell the tail. I also felt pretty good about my son. 

If you could be drunk and yet be fully aware you get an idea what it is like to have CP. 

If I return to Glacier my views may be looking up more than down. But I am glad I seen from above. The girl here walking where I did some 17 years ago brought back when the trail iced up. I wish every young person could walk there like she is. But if they do, pause and take in the view it isn’t just a hike. Keep walking