Things children say...

For an assessment given to my 5 year old daughter at her well-child check-up, she answered the following questions (these are just a few):

What is a fence? It is to let the dogs run around and not away

What is a house? a place to do laundry (apparently we do a lot of laundry around here)

What is a lake? a place to throw rocks (Whenever we would go to a lake, we would try to skip rocks across the surface)

"Getting Religion"

I once visited a man in jail who had wrecked his life with drugs and had stolen money from work. He talked a lot about Jesus and the Bible.

On my way out, one of the guards said to me sarcastically, “Everybody in here believes in Jesus, especially around parole time.”

The two criminals crucified on either side of Jesus had no hope of a lighter sentence. They were goners. Crucifixion ended in only one way – you died. “Getting religion” wouldn’t get you out of that. Initially both robbers were spewing out hatred toward Jesus along with the mocking crowd (Mt. 27:44). But something suddenly happened to one of them.

Satisfied

Hollie left a comment asking where she could find an mp3 of THIS OLD HYMN. The best place to go for some excellent versions of such rich hymns is THIS SITE.

The one you are looking for, Hollie, is called "Satisfied."

Extraordinary Circumstances

It was a joy to have the family over for dinner last night whose son was hit by that car. We also had our neighbors over, Tim Hise and his beautiful wife. Tim was at the scene of the accident comforting and praying for this young man. It was interesting to hear the perspectives of this unfolding miracle from Tim, my husband (as the anesthesiologist) along with the mother and the young man... who shared that he has not yet met the woman that ran over him. He longs to tell her that he is okay and that he is not upset with her.

Tim gave the young man a Bible, apparently his first, and highlighted some scriptures in there that he had shared with their family earlier. He had the boys name printed on the front in gold. Tim wrote in it and had my husband write in it as well. It was an honor to witness God's providential Hand so clearly at work.

Detailed Update on the Young Man Hit by a Car

I don't know where to begin. My heart is just so overjoyed. I am humbled and honored that God would reveal so profoundly the details on the young man we have been praying for.
I would search the newspaper. I would ask my husband. Jon did tell me that he survived the surgery, but did not have further details. Why was I longing for these details? Was it because my heart was so burdened for him? His family? The person that ran into him? I can't imagine... When you pray for someone so fervently, even if you have never met them, they DO become a part of your heart. "God... is it so bad to pray that you would allow me to find out more details about the young man that was hit by that car? The young man we have been praying so fervently for?"
I remember my husband calling me from the hospital to pray for this young man. My husband was his anesthesiologist in a very extensive surgery where he had to have his shattered spleen and one of his kidneys removed. Plus he had a broken leg.
Now let me reveal to you how God is in the details of our lives...

I showed up to our bi-monthly neighborhood community group this past Sunday evening. We are studying Wayne Grudem's "Christian Beliefs" and we were on the "What is prayer?" chapter. Wow... even the timing of that study is perfect.
I began talking to one of my neighbors (Tim). He and his wife have become very dear to our family. Tim said he had read my website about the young man hit by a car. He said he was there at the scene of the accident. It was less than half a mile from our home. The boy had been hit by a car as he was walking to school and going across the crosswalk. Tim did not see him get hit, but he drove up right after it happened. He got out of his car...
The rest of the details I will share with you through the e-mails that have been sent to me by both Tim and the mother of this young man. (shared with permission)

From Tim to the mother:

Hey guys,
If it is ok with you I am going to give your e-mail address to Lisa Nunley. I was amazed to learn today as I shared [your son's] life miracle with my church group that God was at work in a number of ways on you guys’ behalf more than any of us fully know.
Lisa is in my church group and we discovered today as I shared [your son's] life miracle that she and her entire Prayer chain has been interceding for [him] since the very morning of his accident!! I showed her and our group your text that said [he] is getting around without a walker!!! Bless God!!! They were sooo glad to get a progress report.
Get this, Lisa’s husband Jon was one of [his] Doctors during surgery....... And that he had called her at home during the initial stages of [the] operation to get Lisa and her Prayer chain to Pray for [his] very life that was without question teetering on the edge. Isn’t that so cool! Lisa said literally hundreds of people on her Prayer chain were Praying for [him] and we didn’t even know it. And even [your son's] Doctor was interceding for God’s Grace and Mercy to save this young man’s life!!! God is so good that way.
It even make me more convinced than ever that God has a specific purpose for saving [your son's] life and that the scripture God put on my heart for [him] , John 3:16-17 and Jeremiah 29:11-14, is a God thing! He must have something very very special planned for [your son's] future and this is the beginning of the rest of his life. We will all pray that God will make Himself known to [your son's] Heart and his purpose for [his] new life...

You are still in our prayers,
Tim

From the mother to Tim:

Tim,
that is AMAZING! ...I cried when i read your email and I am still absorbing all the cool things (a.k.a. MIRACLES) that God has done and is continuing to do in [my son's] life in the past 12 days!!!

I feel humbled yet blessed to be a witness to His Grace and Goodness in this whole ordeal.

I don't remember meeting Dr. Jon Nunley that day or the days after...my head was spinning of course..but it's sooo good to know that his wife, Lisa and her prayer chain group were interceding for [my son] during that crucial time and in the days since then....and you are right Tim,.. on that day...thousands of people who didn't know anything about [my son], except that his life was in the balance, were lifting him up in prayer. Faith works and it's working on us in this situation.

[My son] would be amazed even more to hear Jon's story about him that day and we appreciate you, the doctors, nurses, Lisa and all those who prayed for a teenage boy, who was a stranger to them, yet precious in God's eyes...and his mother's eyes too...

Tyler's Mom

Thank you all for your prayers. Tyler was moved out of ICU yesterday ...

He was walking to school, Thursday morning, Feb.28, and was running across the crosswalk after he briefly looked for oncoming traffic...the light had turned green at the intersection when [my son] was halfway through. A lady driving a 99 Tahoe did not see [him] and he did not see her because he had a hooded jacket on. She was estimated at 45 mph when the impact happened...[my son] was thrown out of his shoes about 20 feet and was knocked unconscious.

Traffic stopped immediately and within seconds a bystander (Tim) was at [my son's] side holding his hand and head praying for him while he was still laying in the road. [Tim] asked [my son] his name and told [him] that "he would be alright and that he would find [his] Mom, not to worry". God sent help and support immediately, He was at the hospital within 20 minutes of the accident. He was in surgery from 9:45 am to 3:00 pm Thursday, and lost almost his total body volume of blood due to the internal injuries.

He lost his left kidney and spleen in the accident and had a pin put in his left femur bone in his leg.

He is still on oxygen and iv and morphine for pain, but all things considered, he is very blessed and we are so thankful that he is with us.

[My son] is an exceptional young man of almost 18 yrs. old. He is a junior in high school ... [He] is very kind and thoughtful and is extremely strong. It will take several weeks and months for recovery, but God answered your prayers and good has already come from what has happened to [my son].

Bless you and all those who prayed for [my son] and continue to do so.

Much Thanks,

Sincerely,
[His mom]

I also just had an amazing phone conversation with his mother. We are planning to get together for dinner with her and her son, along with Tim and his wife.

"I Fundamentally Disagree"

... and even more so, my heart aches over why Dr. Luke Timothy Johnson, a distinguished New Testament scholar, justifies same-sex marriage. He writes:

I think it is important to state clearly that we do, in fact, reject the straightforward commands of Scripture, and appeal instead to another authority when we declare that same-sex unions can be holy and good. And what exactly is that authority? We appeal explicitly to the weight of our own experience and the experience thousands of others have witnessed to, which tells us that to claim our own sexual orientation is in fact to accept the way in which God has created us.

What about THIS EXCELLENT ARTICLE that Biblically addresses this issue: Homeless men can now choose their residence based on whether they feel like a man or woman.
One of the main points of the article: It is a reminder to me that if I want to see the effects of sin reversed in my community, I must be a part of my community.

On an encouraging note, read THIS ARTICLE about an American Idol auditioner that was rejected, not because of his lack of talent, but because he stood for purity:

Obviously this young man "...knows that God did not make women for the distinct purpose of satisfying his carnal urges, but realizes that God created them in His own image, full of dignity, worthy of respect and honor. The real man does not see a woman as an object to be used, but as a gift to be cherished as a perfectly suitable helpmate."

I am such a JERK!

...but may the Lord use me in spite of myself.

Challies wrote this article that you HAVE to read. It is called "Public Nuisance" and it is a BEAUTIFUL story!!!

I left a comment:

I had a neighbor behind me that moved in a year ago. His wife complained about everything. I found myself avoiding her and praying that they would move. After all, she seemed to hate it here and she never hesitated to let us know all the details. She would even come to our door and complain about everything we were seeming to do wrong. It got to the point that we would see her coming and somehow we would disappear.
Her husband stopped by this weekend as I was out power washing the van. He wondered if I had noticed that his wife and children weren’t anywhere to be seen lately. I sadly said that I did not notice because the weather was so cold lately that this was one of the first times we had been outside. He then told me that she took the children and left him. My heart shattered to pieces. I told him that I was so sorry and invited him to our neighborhood Bible study group. I could see the pain in his eyes and I felt like such a jerk. I went inside and broke down before the Lord begging Him to forgive me… pleading with Him to use our family to minister to this neighbor. Please pray for him...

Hmmm.... Disney World or Mission Trip???

We were actually faced with a similar question 3 years ago. Do we go to Disney World as we planned or do we use that money to adopt the twins that unexpectedly came into our lives? You all know what we picked and there has been no regrets!!!!!!!!

Now we are talking about possibly going on a mission trip to Mexico this fall as a family. Yes... all 8 of us... and yes... it would cost about the same to do this as it would to go to Disney World.

I have a feeling you all know what we will do if it works out to go (DV)... and I can guarantee at the end of the trip, we will go home with more lasting and meaningful memories. I just can't picture our family at Disney World anyway. I hear it is a money pit. I am sure it's fun. I actually went once when I was a kid. But the memories that stand out to me far more are things like camping and fishing with my dad.

Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. He chose to give us birth through the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of all he created.... Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it—he will be blessed in what he does... Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.--James 1:17-27

Cute puppy...

We can play with him.
cuddle him.
bathe him.
brush him.
feed him.
SO CUTE!!!

(Reality)
Oopsy... doggy has diarrhea at 4am.
Vet bills.
Ummm... it's YOUR turn to pick up the poop.
It's YOUR turn to clean up the pee.
It's YOUR turn to feed him.
It's YOUR turn to brush him.
It's YOUR turn to walk him.
PHEW!! When was the last time that he got a bath?

(more reality)
But he's part of the family now...
we love him.
He's so cute... look at the way he's looking at me.
We play with him.
cuddle him.
bathe him?
brush him?
feed him.
more vet bills.
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
IT's YOUR turn to....