Friday Coffee with PJ

We are in the midst of our Vacation Bible School this week ... what we like to call "the best week of the year!" It's been quite the week with the facility full of kids and staff. What a privilege it is to introduce these children to Jesus! Today is the final morning (followed by a closing program this evening). I am always ready for the end while at the same time looking ahead to doing it all over again next summer (God willing)! So in the midst of a very busy week ... I managed to put together a post for today. So pour yourself a cup of your favorite brew and join me for a random thought or two. 

1. First as a parent, and now as a grandparent, I am amazed at how different our kids (and their kids) are from one another. For example our first granddaughter was speaking complete sentences well before she turned two. Our youngest grandson, now 2 1/2, is still content to speak one or two words at a time. He would much rather be jumping off furniture or running (and far too quickly for my taste!) down a flight of stairs. My wife likes to sing to him a line from an old rock song, "Wild thing! You make my heart sing!" Ha! But even though all of our grandkids are so very different, we love them all the same! As followers of Jesus, our Master calls us to love our neighbors as we love ourselves (in Matthew 22:39 Jesus identifies it as the second "great commandment" preceded only by the command to love God). Bottom line, Jesus is not merely calling us ... but he is commanding us to love those we interact with, no matter the color of their skin or the country of their origin or in any other way they might be different from us. And we are to love them as we love ourselves! That's a high calling and a high privilege. So look around at your "neighbors" today and ask God to show you how you can love them in Jesus' name! You may just make their heart sing! 

2. Speaking of grandkids, we are hoping to take our oldest granddaughter to the Maryland zoo (in Baltimore) next week as her birthday gift. She LOOOOVVVEESSS animals! This will be our second trip to this particular zoo. My wife and I love zoos as well. One of the highlights of my sabbatical last summer was a day spent at the Cleveland zoo. We enjoy learning about the great variety of animals which show just how imaginative our Creator is! To think that even before God created this vast universe and its vast array of animals, he first designed each and every one of them. And he did so without any PHD's in microbiology, physics, biochemistry, anatomy, etc! Wow! What a God! He is indeed worthy of our adoration and praise! 

Thanks for stopping by . . . 
pj

Friday Coffee with PJ

I just love my coffee. And for the past two months I have been drinking it black and enjoying it more than ever! And apparently my liver has been enjoying it too! So pour yourself a cup of your favorite java and read on, my friends. 

1. The past four Tuesday evenings I have been teaching a class at Lancaster Bible College in their AUD program. This particular class (which ends next Tuesday - that's why it's called "accelerated") is an exploration of the Bible's first five books known as the Pentateuch. I was struck again in the reading of the book of Numbers at how God instructed the various 12 tribes of Israel to encamp in a prescribed order with the Tabernacle (in which God's glory dwelt) in the very center of their camp. What a beautiful reminder for us! This is how God desires us (in fact commands us) to arrange our lives - with God himself at the very center. Yet all too often we have other things at our life's core. It could be self, it could be family, it could be money and the stuff money buys, or a host of other things. But doing so is like replacing the world's most brilliant diamond on display in our living room with a barrel of manure from farmer Jones' barn (and even this comparison is woefully lacking). King David, who wrote half of the book of Psalms, in Psalm 27:4 wrote, 

I have asked one thing from the Lord;

it is what I desire:

to dwell in the house of the Lord

all the days of my life,

gazing on the beauty of the Lord

and seeking him in his temple.

Oh that we would have that same desire ... to become so enamored with the beauty of God that we would strive to keep him where he belongs ... at the very center of our lives! 

 

2. With all the rain that has been falling the past 2 months, my grass is growing at an incredible rate. Cutting it once a week is not enough! So to keep ahead of the growth, I have found myself mowing my lawn about every 4-5 days! Now this doesn't surprise me. That is what  a lot of rain will do. It waters the soil which allows the grass to get more than enough H2O to grow ... no, to REALLY grow! Thinking about this brought the following Scripture from Isaiah the prophet to mind: 

For just as rain and snow fall from heaven

and do not return there

without saturating the earth

and making it germinate and sprout,

and providing seed to sow

and food to eat,

11 

so my word that comes from my mouth

will not return to me empty,

but it will accomplish what I please

and will prosper in what I send it to do.

(Isaiah 55:10-11)

Are you allowing God's Word to water the soil of your soul? If not, then don't expect to grow in your faith. But if you really want to grow . . . then commit to getting into the Bible every day (Psalm 1:1-3). If you are feeling spiritually dry, then the water of the Word is just what you need! 

Thanks for stopping by . . . 

pj

Friday Coffee with PJ

Friday. Coffee. Thanks for joining me for a some random thoughts that I hope will help you in your walk with Jesus (in addition, I have included a brief health update as well). 

With hurricane season upon us, I was reminded of a news report I saw during the aftermath of hurricane Katrina. Wildlife experts had rescued several bottlenose dolphins which had been swept from their aquarium home into the Gulf of Mexico by the storm. Rescuers had diligently searched for these dolphins as they were unable to forage for themselves in the open sea. What I found amazing about the recovery of these dolphins is that they were found TOGETHER. Experts believed this is how they were able to survive their time in the waters of the Gulf. I guess you could say these dolphins “porpoised” to stay together!

The experience of these dolphins reminds me of a passage from an Old Testament book.  The book was written by one of the wisest men to have ever lived: King Solomon. Solomon was the third king to rule over the ancient kingdom of Israel. In the book of Ecclesiastes (his life journal), Solomon wrote the following concerning the power of community:

“Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work: If one falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up! Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm. But how can one keep warm alone? Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken” (Ecclesiastes 4:9-12).

In the church I have been privileged to pastor almost 29 years now, (Grace Church at Willow Valley) we believe in the power of community. God never intended His people to go solo in their walk with Him (solo might be fine for a guy named Han ... but not for people called Christians). Therefore we provide opportunities for one and all to get into community via home-based small groups (we call them Life Groups as the goal of these groups is to do life together), Adult Bible Fellowships, Bible studies for both men and women, etc. If you are not experiencing biblical community, I invite you to come and get involved. We’ll leave the porch light on for you and the door open!

Health update: I had my ureteral stent removed yesterday afternoon! Yea! I did experience some pain last evening, but by midnight or so it had, for the most part subsided. My urologist told me that he and his colleagues are still discussing my case. He even called a urologist under whom he studied while doing a medical fellowship. I asked him if I might make some medical journal (gotta be some royalties to be had, yes?). He smiled and then outlined where I go from here. At the end of July I will be seeing a nephrologist (kidney specialist). Then in early September I will have an ultrasound of my kidneys with a followup with him. I am thankful for the wonderful medical care I have received from my urologist, my primary care physician, and so many others (including my wife - she's been a great nurse!). But most of all I am grateful to my great God and savior, Jesus Christ! Knowing that I am ultimately in HIS hands brings me the greatest comfort of all!

Thanks for stopping by . . .

pj

Friday Coffee with PJ

June 1st? What happened to May? Oh yes, the days might be long at times but the months and years grow shorter all the time! Since it is Friday (and the first day of meteorological spring), it's time to celebrate. And in the spirit of the season, feel free to start your day with a cold coffee beverage! 

This morning, I want to share with you a personal journey that is about to end for me .... 

It all started on a Sunday morning in September of 2014. My church family was graciously celebrating my 25 years of ministry with the church. We had many visitors that morning, friends and family from such places as Virginia and Erie. I was thrilled and touched to see all of them ... that is with one exception. This visitor did not come from out of town. In fact, he came from inside my left kidney. 

It was about 15 minutes into the service that I began to feel a pain in my left flank that I had never felt before. A kidney stone was making its presence felt. That began a several day pain-filled event (that I would not ever want to repeat!). That kidney stone attack kick started my journey. Four months later I found myself in the office of a urologist as he sat staring at the screen of his laptop, reviewing the results of an ultrasound which I had just undergone. Three times he sighed and uttered the word "curious" which proved to be prophetic of the journey, which would prove curious indeed as you will see. 

This journey has involved multiple ultrasounds (more than the average woman of childbearing age I would guess), several CAT scans, nuclear medicine renal scans (a.k.a. "bladder busters"), four surgical procedures (three involved the insertion of an ureteteral stent - and if you have never had the joy of having one pray that you never will!), two trips to the local ER, and the wonderful care of my primary care physician, two urologists, a boatload of nurses, techs, etc., and gratitude for my church for providing health insurance! 

The last "mile" of this journey began on March 8th when I underwent surgery (#3) in which the surgeon used a balloon to dilate my ureter (he said afterwards he could not believe how narrow my ureter (tube from kidney to bladder) was - curious, eh?). He then used a laser to kill off the resident storm troopers (a.k.a. scar tissue) and then left behind that wonderful 😕 device known as a stent. After a few painful days, I was up and about and back in the office. 

On March 28th, I began to notice a growing pain in my flank. By noon on the 29th, the pain had grown so much that I thought I was experiencing another unwelcome visit from Mr. Stone. Off to the ER we went. A CAT scan did not reveal any stone, but did show "severe hydronephrosis" (swelling of the kidney). I was sent home smiling (due to the pain medicine I was given) and by nightfall, the pain had greatly diminished. The next day my urologist called to discuss what happened. He was perplexed as to the cause of the sharp pain (curious, eh?). He then scheduled me for a follow up ultrasound which I had on April 20th. It revealed that the swelling  of my kidney had lessened some, but still not back to normal. So he scheduled me for a nuke med renal scan which I underwent on May 3rd. 

The following Wednesday (May 9th), I was in Cleveland for a pastor's conference. Just after breakfast and before the morning session, my urologist called. He had just read the results of my scan of the week before and did not like what he was seeing. He told me he wanted to schedule me for surgery to insert a stent in my left kidney and he wanted to do it "this week!" I told him I would be home that evening and available either Thursday or Friday. So .... the next day at noon I reported to the surgical center. 

After the surgery he told my wife he was amazed to see scar tissue in my ureter from the March 8th surgery (and even showed it to a couple of his associates in the practice and they, too, were surprised) - curious, eh? On May 23rd I endured another "bladder buster" test. On Tuesday of this week, my urologist called me. The conversation went something like this: 

Dr. G - "John, do you have time to talk?" 
Me - "Certainly" (I mean, I was anxious to hear his read on the results of the renal scan).
Dr. G - "I hate to be the bearer of bad news ... especially to a nice person like you, but your kidney is no longer functioning." 
Me - "Uh ... could you repeat please?" 
Dr. G - "Your kidney is no longer working." 
Me - after some silence .... "Oh ... How did that happen? 
Dr. G - "I have been scratching my head to try to figure out how your kidney function went down hill so fast. I have consulted with some of my colleagues and they have no explanation either. It may be somehow connected with the severe pain episode you had that landed you in the ER back in March. But I just don't know!" (curious, eh?) 
Me - "What does this mean long term? Does the kidney need to be removed?" 
Dr. G - "No, the kidney can stay, unless an infection sets in or you have too much pain. And your right kidney is working just fine, so you should be OK going forward. I am so sorry this happened to you." 

Bottom line, I was stunned. I had been bracing myself for more surgery. This was not even on my radar! As I write this post, I am scheduled to have the stent removed next Thursday (I am NOT looking forward to getting it out ... but I AM looking forward to having it out!). 

So this long journey appears now to be coming to an end (just not the end I had envisioned). But then again, as curious has it has been, baffling these well educated and extremely bright medical professionals ... I won't be holding my breath. I may never know exactly what happened to cause my kidney to fail, but I do know this: Although this has not been a pleasant journey for me (and sometimes my wife as I am not always the best patient!), it is a journey that God allowed. One of the speakers at the Cleveland pastor's conference I attended spoke on suffering and how God uses it  for good in our lives and ministries (2 Corinthians chapters 4 and 12). Upon hearing these messages, I prayed and asked God to use this suffering involving my kidney situation to be a platform upon which I could bring him glory. I specifically asked God to help me be a testimony for Christ as I interacted with my urologist. Shortly after praying that prayer, I got the call from him to schedule my surgery for the next day (May 10th)! My situation may be "curious" to my doctors but not to God. He has a plan and he is working that plan. That comforts my troubled heart and gives me hope for the future! 

My apologies for the length of this post. But in sharing my journey, I want to encourage others who are either now or in the future on a similar journey. Remember this ... behind the frown of providence is the smiling face of God. All that he does for us is for our good and his glory (Romans 8:28-29). 

Thanks for stopping by . . . 
pj

PS - With only one working kidney, I share something with my grandson Nolan who had a kidney removed when he was only three weeks old. So he and I are now "solo" kidney buddies! 

Friday Coffee with PJ (Memorial Day Weekend Edition)

As I type these words, I am enjoying a cup of MacDonald's McCafe French Roast (compliments of my Keurig and my wife!). It is one delicious cup of coffee! Why not pour yourself a cup of your favorite java and join me for a couple of thoughts which I hope will encourage you in your walk with God. 

1. Today is the start of the Memorial Day weekend ... also recognized as the unofficial start to summer. Community pools will be opening. Grills will be cooking. Bands will be marching in community parades. So how did this holiday get its start? Here's a bit from the History Channel's website: 

On May 5, 1868, General John A. Logan, leader of an organization for Northern Civil War veterans, called for a nationwide day of remembrance later that month. “The 30th of May, 1868, is designated for the purpose of strewing with flowers, or otherwise decorating the graves of comrades who died in defense of their country during the late rebellion, and whose bodies now lie in almost every city, village and hamlet churchyard in the land,” he proclaimed.

The date of Decoration Day, as he called it, was chosen because it wasn’t the anniversary of any particular battle. 

Decoration Day eventually became known as Memorial Day. In 1968, the U.S. Congress passed a law designating Memorial Day as a federal holiday and moving it to the last Monday in May (from May 30th, its traditional date). This law went into effect in 1971. 

So in the midst of all of our family cookouts and trips to the ball park (or however you will choose to spend your time), let's not forget the purpose of the holiday. It is a day to remember the men and women who gave their lives in service for our country. We are free today because of their sacrifice. 

But let us also remember the One who also gave his life so that we might be free: Jesus Christ, God's Son and our Savior. His substitutionary death on the cross is one we should and must remember EVERY SINGLE DAY! For without his sacrifice, we would be without God and therefore without hope - for this life and the life to come! 

2. On Wednesday evening my wife and I were treated to a rare sight. As we pulled into the parking lot of a local restaurant to meet up with some friends, we were greeted by a group of about forty horseless carriages which filled a large section of the lot. Now a horseless carriage is an automobile built before 1916. And some of these horseless carriages were downright groovy to the max (now there is an expression from my past!). I cannot imagine the stir these contraptions must have caused in their day. A day in which you had to have a horse to pull your carriage! But wait ... there goes a carriage with NO horse! But the horse is not totally absent in these early autos. The power of the engines which drove them was measured by horsepower. So if it were a ten horsepower engine, it

had the pulling power of ten horses. So where did this use of the term "horsepower" come from? We can thank James Watt for it (he is the guy whose name appears on our light bulbs!). When he was marketing his steam engines, he had to find a way to express their power. So he did so by equating the power of his engines to the power of horses. Since most people were familiar with horses and what they could do, they could then understand just how powerful this new invention was. And, of course, the term "horsepower" is still used today. 

Over a century later, today's "horseless carriages" have a lot more horsepower under the hood (on average, today's mid sized cars run from 170-190 hp with turbo options that can push 300 hp - compare this with Henry Ford's first auto which featured a whopping 4 hp!). And whereas in 1900 there were only 8,000 autos registered in the United States, today over 263 million crowd our streets and highways! So yes - the times have changed! And in many more ways than just how we get from point A to point B!  

In the midst of all this change, it is quite a comfort to me to know that there is one unchanging constant in my life. God. He never changes (James 1:17; Hebrews 13:8). He is THE constant presence in our lives upon which we can count. He will always be there for us (Hebrews 13:5-6). So we can be content in our circumstances and unflinching in the storms of life. 

My friend, I encourage you to take a moment and check out Two Ways to Live: The Choice We All Face. And make the choice today to lean on the God whose love for you in Christ will never ... ever stand you up! 

Thanks for stopping by . . . 
pj

Friday Coffee with PJ

Friday morning. Friday Coffee. Friday satisfaction! So enjoy some satisfaction with me by pouring yourself a cup of your favorite brew (for me this morning a cup (or two or three!) of San Francisco Bay Gourmet Coffee) and reading on for some helpful thoughts for your walk with Jesus! 

Recently I have become very aware of a blind spot in my life: my grumbling and complaining. That's right. One day I made the determination to listen to myself and found myself grumbling and complaining a lot! Ouch! In his letter to the church at Philippi, Paul exhorts the Philippians to "do all things without grumbling and disputing" (Philippians 2:14). And the reason for his exhortation is that when we are not grumbling and complaining, then we become "blameless and innocent" and can therefore "shine as lights in the world" (Philippians 2:15). 

I can't speak for you but as for me, negative, complaining, critical, grumbling people don't do much for me. In fact, they turn me off. Yet here I am, a negative, complaining, critical, grumbling person! 

As my eyes became increasingly focused on this blind spot ... I took (and am taking) the following steps: 

- I repented of this sin (because that is exactly what it is!) The MacArthur Study Bible in its note on verse 14 reads, 

The Greek word for “grumbling” is a term that actually sounds like what it means. Its pronunciation is much like muttering or grumbling in a low tone of voice. It is an emotional rejection of God’s providence, will, and circumstances for one’s life. The word for “disputing” is more intellectual and here means “criticisms” directed negatively toward God.

- I reflected on my state before I embraced the gospel of Jesus Christ ... and then on my state following my commitment to follow Jesus as my Savior and Lord. God took me when I was a  wretched beggar and adopted me as his own child! Wow! In light of this - what do I have to really complain about? 

- Finally, I reversed each complaint into a word of praise or thanks. For example, if I caught myself complaining about my recent kidney issue, I would stop ... and reverse direction by thanking God that medicine advances have made it possible to treat my condition AND that I have health care to help pay for the cost! 

I am guessing that if you are anything like me (and I am sure you are in this way!), you need to go to work to become put off the grumbling and complaining in your life and put on gratitude and contentment in its place! 

Thanks for stopping by . . . 

pj

Friday Coffee with PJ - Special Flashback Edition

Due to yesterday's kidney related surgery (in which my urologist may have found and dealt with the problem), I did not get around to writing a new post for this week. So today will be a special flashback edition. I hope you find some help for your journey!


I posted the following back on January 19, 2006 and on May 11, 2011. I thought what I had to say then is just as appropriate for today. 

Move Aside, Dr. Phil - It's Dr. John!  

This morning on the radio as I was driving my “long” commute into the office, I heard an ad with a familiar voice speaking.  It was Dr. Phil.  He was promoting some sort of dating service.  In the ad he made the statement, “When it comes to relationships, it’s all about attitude.”  In part he is right.  The quality of our relationships is impacted either negatively or positively by the attitude we bring to our relationships. But I, Dr. John, think that something else is far more important. I’m talking about our focus.  If we are to have relationships that honor God and enrich our lives, then we must have the right focus – and far too many of us don’t!   

So what is the right focus when it comes to relationships?  God answers this question (I never get over just how relevant the Bible is to day-to-day living!).  In Philippians 2:3-4, we read, “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.” In Romans 12:10 the Apostle Paul commands us to be strive to honor the other guy more than he honors us! So you see – it all comes down to our focus.  Our default focus is SELF.  When push comes to shove we most naturally think of ourselves first.  But God tells us that we need to reset our default focus.  Instead of focusing on ourselves – we need to focus on others.  We do so as we consider them to be more important than us and seek to honor them above ourselves.  

In Philippians 2:5-8, Paul goes on to point us to Jesus as our example. He certainly did not think of himself first. He willingly left the glories of heaven to become one of us, live with us, and eventually die for us. His death on the cross makes it possible for us to be reconciled to our God! He our took our sin upon himself and, in turn, we receive his righteousness credited to our account when by faith alone we trust in Christ alone to save us from the penalty our sin demands! 

So, back to your personal relationships. Are they not working? Then take a look at your focus. My guess is you are focused on the wrong person. Follow the example of Jesus (Ask him to help you to do so)! Get your eyes off of yourself and onto others. Then and only then will you begin to experience God-honoring and life-enriching relationships.

Thanks for stopping by . . . 

pj