Similarities Between King David and President Obama

Posted on May 16, 2013 by

I see numerous similarities between King David and President Obama.  No, not the parts detailing David’s giant killing nor being a “man after God’s own heart,” but the concerted efforts to cover-up evil deeds. 

The story’s familiar.  David spied a beautiful woman bathing, sent for her, committed adultery, and the couple conceived a child.  King David mulled over the possibilities and chose to conceal the secret sin.  David ordered Bathsheba’s husband home from the fighting in hopes Uriah would spend some “quality” time with his wife.  However, Uriah refused.  Uriah, a respectable man explained he could not enjoy the pleasures of marriage, knowing his comrades remained on the battlefield.  David implemented plan B.  David drew up orders for his military, demanding Uriah be assigned to the front lines and when the fighting raged, to draw back, making Uriah the prime target.  Sadly, not knowing the details of the memo, Uriah delivered his own death sentence.  After receiving words of Uriah’s death, King David took Bathsheba into his palace, making her his wife.  David possibly patted himself on the back, believing he got away with his sinful acts.

Wrong.

After all of the baby showers and decorating the nursery, David settled into life with his little family.  Enter Prophet Nathan.  The prophet utilized a story that tugged at the heart strings of the King.  The King demanded justice for a poor man taken advantage of by a rich arrogant neighbor.  II Samuel records the words of the king,

“As surely as the Lord lives, the man who did this deserves to die.” 

The prophet wagged a bony finger in the face of David declaring, “You are that man.”

David uttered no arguments or excuses.  He didn’t blame his parents or a heathen advisor.  David responded to the scolding by saying,

“I have sinned against the Lord.”

There.  He said it.  I have sinned.

Many forget how David ended up in this dilemma in the first place.  II Samuel 11 begins this way,  

“In the spring, at the time when kings go off to war, David sent Joab out with the king’s men and the whole Israelite army.”

Do you see the problem?  David wasn’t where he was supposed to be.  Instead of galloping up and down the lines, encouraging his men in battle,

“one evening David got up from his bed and walked around on the roof of the palace.” (II Samuel 11:2) 

From that vantage point, his eyes locked onto the beautiful Bathsheba.  The rest of the heartbreaking story is history.

Though there’s much still to learn about Benghazi, sources have reported for months that President Obama slipped off to bed the night of the embassy attack, and the next morning he delivered a brief statement before flying to campaign in Las Vegas.  Some claim he’s derelict in his duties.   Clint Eastwood spoke to an empty chair at the Republican National Convention, portraying the President as an elected official unwilling to lead the greatest nation on the face of the earth. 

I believe it’s more than that. 

I believe the “2016” documentary sums up the ideology and long term desire of President Obama.  He intends to cripple our economy, weaken our military, and belittle us to the rest of the world.  The President longs to see America transformed into a struggling third world country.

The President is not where he belongs; he never deserved the vote of the American people.  But because the President’s rock star persona swept many into the fold, voters cast ballots for an untested and untried leader.  Constituents chose to disregard his past but embraced his “Hope and Change” and “Forward” mantras.  Now some realize “Forward” is a code word for “the cliff is looming.”

Because of recent developments, the news media, once firmly tucked in the President’s pocket, now seems ready to investigate miss dealings in the Obama Administration.  Maybe holding the feet of elected officials to the fire will right this ship.  Maybe not.

I agree with Rush Limbaugh.  I hope the President fails.

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Being Gay Isn’t Heroic

Posted on May 2, 2013 by

As a youngster, I watched shows like “The Lone Ranger.”  Clayton Moore played a masked man committed to righting the wrongs of the world.  Tonto and the Masked Man served those unable to protect themselves.  I remember pretending to be the Lone Ranger, riding my broom horse, Silver.  I defeated the bad guys and rode off into the sunset, a hero in the eyes of the imaginary beneficiaries of my philanthropy.  Today, heroes are harder to come by.  Not because they don’t exist, but because our culture labels heroic acts in a much looser fashion.   In fact, our culture’s adept at placing people on a pedestal that have not earned that distinction.  Most recently, NBA player Jason Collins falls into that category.

Many young boys idolize the stars of professional sports teams.  At any sporting event, kids don jerseys of their favorite players and hope for a much sought after autograph.  Collins, though an NBA player, spends more time riding the pine than in the game.  In other words, kids don’t snatch up his jersey at memorabilia shops.  His claim to fame comes from a recent public announcement.  In an article written in first person, Collins shared he lives the homosexual lifestyle.  Social media exploded with the news.  Main stream media outlets became giddy.  Even the President of the United States called to thank Mr. Collins for his courage.   Mr. Collins morphed from an average NBA player to hero overnight.

Our society tends to idolize those outside the will of God.  In fact, America models a life the prophet Isaiah warned against,

“Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness.” 

Anytime an individual slaps another on the back, approving a lifestyle outside the will of God, that person’s calling “evil…good.”  Glorification of evil breaks the heart of God.

Certainly some consider this post as homophobic, but it applies with all sin.  Imagine for a moment a man addressing the nation, beginning with the words, “I am an adulterer.  And I plan to stay an adulterer the rest of my life, because that’s who I am.  I was born this way…” A handful might support the man’s freedom to sleep around on his wife, but most agree that we wouldn’t encourage that behavior.  And never would we think of bestowing the term “hero” on this home wrecker.  Congratulating a homosexual for coming out of the closet falls into that same category.  Both adultery and homosexuality are condemned by God, sexual sins from which we ask God for forgiveness, not a free pass, kudos, and a book deal.

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Book Review: Lis Wiehl’s “Matter of Trust”

Posted on April 19, 2013 by

In “Matter of Trust” Lis Wiehl weaves a tale of intrigue, creating a novel difficult to put down. Having never read one of Ms. Wiehl’s novels, I was pleasantly surprised.  Though the story line is definitely geared for an adult audience, the author avoids gratuitous immorality and profane language, a refreshing work for Christians who enjoy a good mystery.

“Matter of Trust” introduces readers to Prosecutor Mia Quinn and Detective Charles Carlson.  Mia, a widowed single mom, struggles to find a balance between home and the rigors of a prosecutor’s office.  Battling mounting bills and fighting to direct a wayward son, Mia accepts the lead role in investigating the shocking murder of her best friend.  Paired with Detective Colson, Mia and the Detective conduct an investigation that keeps readers’ fingers anxious to turn to the next page.

One word that seems apt for this novel is “suspenseful.”  The author spins a tale that kept me guessing from cover to cover.  In fact, I thought I knew the answer to “whodunnit” but found myself surprised as the book came to a satisfying conclusion.  In fact, the only disappointment I experienced was in the “love” interest. Even though I’m a guy, I hoped for a romantic relationship to ignite with one of the key male characters.  Maybe in future installments.

All in all, I give “Matter of Trust” two thumbs up!

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Where to Turn When Life Turns Upside Down

Posted on March 22, 2013 by

On April 11th, 2011, my family’s life turned upside down.

It started out as a typical Monday.  On Monday’s, my day off from the church office, I stay home with the kids and give my wife the freedom to run errands and keep appointments. On this day, two of our children tagged along with her as both boys had long overdue dentist appointments. On the way to the dentist office, my son complained of chest tightness and stabbing pain in his arm. After pulling into the dentist’s parking lot, she requested he come out to the car. He urged her to take our eldest to urgent care. After several hours of tests and scans, the on-call doctor discovered a mass pressing up against his heart and air passageways and instructed my wife and I to choose a regional children’s hospital.    We chose St. Louis Children’s.

As dark descended on the city, a medical team whisked our son away in a life flight helicopter.  My wife, my parents and I, hustled to the parking lot and began a 3 hour drive. After a quick trip up the interstate, we rushed into the hospital and asked for information about our son.  He’d been admitted into the pediatric intensive care unit.  After gaining access to PICU, a young doctor introduced herself.  She informed us she worked in pediatric oncology.  I remember thinking, Oncology?  You mean cancer?

Over the next few days, doctors ordered several scans, x-rays, and lab draws.  He needed a port, but it was too risky to sedate him as they feared he wouldn’t wake up because of the mass’ location and the mass obstructing his airway.  So, they injected local anesthesia for his first lumbar puncture.  At one point he fasted for almost two days, awaiting other medical procedures.  Waiting for the exact diagnosis stripped us of the ability to rest or sleep.  Noah, still not understanding the severe nature of his condition, played with Legos in his hospital bed and watched innumerable Sponge Bob cartoons.  Meanwhile, my wife and I and a host of people around the world prayed for God to protect him and give the doctors wisdom.  Finally, the diagnosis came: Stage 3 T-Cell Lymphoma.

The day the doctor delivered the verdict and the scheduled plan of treatment.  I felt sucker punched.  Never in my wildest imagination did I dream one of my children would contract a life-threatening disease.  Sure, I knew it happened.  In fact, St. Louis Children’s treats patients daily with my son’s condition…but it was supposed to happen to someone else’s child.  Not mine. Fortunately, I knew where to turn.  God. As a child, I committed my life to Christ and He promises to never leave me or forsake me.  I knew that though we were walking “through the valley of the shadow of death,” the Lord walked this path with us.  One morning as I thumbed through the Scriptures, hoping for a word of encouragement, I stumbled upon Psalm 121.  The passage begins,

“I lift up my eyes to the hills- where does my help come   from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth.  He will not let your foot slip – He who watches over you will not slumber; Indeed, he who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep…”

This text reminded me that my son’s Creator was also his Healer and Sustainer.  Even though we worried about the outcome, God saw the bigger picture.

Today, at age ten, he finishes his chemo regimen in one month.  He’s been in remission for almost a year-and-a-half.  If God allows him to stay in remission, he’s considered cured after five years being cancer free.  Of course we pray to that end.

Life threw other curveballs at our family during the past two years, but God’s remained faithful.

You can turn to God when life turns upside down.

 

Posted in Bible Studies/Christianity, Cancer, Chemotherapy, Childhood Diseases, Faith, Fear, Jesus, Lymphoma, Make A Wish, Pediatric Oncology, St. Louis Children's Hospital, T-Cell Lymphoma | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Bell Ringing Day

Posted on March 21, 2013 by

On April 1st, my ten year-old son rings a bell.  This bell isn’t gonging in a church steeple, but jangling in an oncology clinic, signifying the end of a two year journey.  Doctors identified a cancerous mass in my son’s chest two years ago.  For the past two years, he’s endured daily doses of oral chemo, at least monthly IV doses of chemo, and an innumerable amount of lumbar punctures.  Finally, April 1st, the treatment ends.  He’ll still face blood draws and scans, but at least the medications cease.  If he stays in remission for five years, he’s considered cured.

The hospital treats bell ringing day as a sort of “graduation.”  My wife and I want to give him something special, but only last week did an idea formulate in my mind.  Would you help me blitz Duck Dynasty through Twitter and urge them to send him an autographed duck call?  He absolutely loves the show.  Well, all of my kids do.  I overhear them discussing the antics of Si or quoting lines from the show.  A duck call from them…or a t-shirt….or anything from the cast would rock his world!  Would you help?  Even more than that, will you pray he stays in remission?

Here’s how you can help.  Please watch my Twitter Timeline.  I will be inundating Duck Dynasty with requests over the next two or three days.  Please RT when you see those!

God Bless and thanks for your help.

Posted in Cancer, Chemotherapy, Childhood Diseases, Jesus, Lymphoma, Make A Wish, Pediatric Oncology | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment

The Duck Dynasty Bug

Posted on March 14, 2013 by

Our household’s been bitten by the Duck Dynasty bug. In fact, reruns or not, when my sons flip through the channels and discover Duck Dynasty’s being broadcast, they shout out the news and the family assembles around the television, excited to spend another half hour with the Robertson clan. Our family enjoys Duck Dynasty so much, I purchased Duck Dynasty: Season 2, for my 7 year-olds birthday. When he dug around in his gift bag and pulled out the DVD, the party-goers cheered. Obviously, my son and his cousin invited a dopping of Duck fans to their laser tag birthday party.

(Read More)

 

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Noah’s Cancer Treatment

Posted on March 9, 2013 by

Some Twitter friends suggested I post this request, giving people an opportunity to contribute to my son’s care.  We’ve been watching our son plod through cancer treatment since April 2011.  He’s in remission, but even with insurance, his care and travel expenses to the Children’s hospital has been quite costly.  If you feel led to contribute financially, you can do so through Paypal.  My email’s: brvan71@yahoo.com (yes, that’s a v and not a y)

Most importantly, we ask you to pray for Noah, and that he stays in remission….

God Bless!

Bryan

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Worrying About the Future

Posted on March 2, 2013 by

After my wife sang to the boys last night, my second born tossed and turned, struggling to go to sleep. My wife peeked into our bedroom and asked me to check on him. I slipped quietly into the bedroom, and whispered, “Hey buddy, what’s wrong?” An unconvincing, “Nothing Dad,” was the response from the shadows, and even in the darkened room, I noted the silhouette of Nathan, his hands wringing. Yes, something was up.

I crawled into his bed and snuggled up beside him and asked what was bothering him. He simply stated, “Sickness.” For a moment, I assumed he meant his 10 year old brother’s battle with cancer. Even though we’re nearing the treatment finish line, everyone knows the doctor wants to schedule regular checkups and scans to monitor the possibility of re-occurrence. But still I asked,

“What about sickness?”

Nathan sniffled a bit, trying his best to be brave. After collecting himself, he mentioned another name, the name of a little girl Nathan never fails to pray for when he’s called upon to ask the blessing or nighttime prayers. He’s never met this little girl, but he knows she’s 4 years old and suffers from an inoperable brain tumor. We monitor her progress on social media. Nathan expressed his fear of getting sick, of suffering from cancer. He also wondered why little kids sometimes die of horrible diseases. My Nathan’s a thinker and unfortunately he’s contracted his Daddy’s propensity to worry….specifically, worrying about the future.

At that moment, an analogy that I’d pondered earlier in the day became relevant for my son, and it was something I needed to hear as well.  I told him that as a young child, I occasionally traveled with my parents to places I’d never been before. We never embarked on long exotic trips, but we were often asked to visit in the homes of members of the church my dad pastor-ed. These homes, though friendly, were strange new places, but I also knew them to be safe places or my parents would not have taken us there. In other words, I trusted mom and dad to make choices that were for our good. Even if I felt a bit nervous about visiting in an unfamiliar setting, we three kids climbed into the backseat, trusting mom and dad to chauffeur us to a place out of harm’s way.

Of course, there’s a spiritual analogy. When we put God in the proper place in our lives, He’s in the driver’s seat, and contrary to popular belief, He doesn’t need a co-pilot. In fact, God doesn’t need a GPS, instrument panel, or air traffic controllers. I encouraged Nathan to remember that as long as God mans the controls, we need never fear. Does this mean we’ll be exempt from trouble? No! But it does mean,

“Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil….For Thou art with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.”

Though I considered my parents wonderful, they weren’t perfect, yet I trusted them.  How much more should I….should we….be able to trust our Father who crafted the universe out of nothing at all?

Nathan’s breathing and fidgeting calmed.  Delaina and I tagged out and she sang to him again, this time Nathan drifted off peacefully.  Yes, Nathan stirred something in my heart.  I, too, think about “sickness.”  Not my own, but Noah’s.  I sometimes wish I could Google some type of program that showed the future…a year out, five years….maybe ten.  Are we through battling this illness?  And if so, what other trials loom?

Sadly, all too often I lunge for the controls when God already has the circumstance under His control.  So, my prayer is this: 

God when difficulties arise, nudge me into the backseat.  Remind me that I can “Be still and know that You are God.”

Posted in Bible Studies/Christianity, Cancer, Chemotherapy, Childhood Diseases, Faith, Fear, Lymphoma, Pediatric Oncology, Prayer | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

The Saddest Trumpet

Posted on February 25, 2013 by

Trumpet

I lost one of my best friends a few weeks ago.  Although he battled the ravages of Parkinson’s Disease for over a decade, no one expected his passing at this stage.  When I received the news, I slumped into my office chair, stunned.  Soon after, I grabbed my coat, left the office, and drove to his house to console the family.  His wife and I shared the same shock, a disbelief that he was really gone.  It’s now been over a month, and I still catch myself thinking, I wonder how Larry’s doing?  I know the family feels the same.

For the past 15 years, we spent quality time with he and his wife.  I considered Larry more of a second “dad” than a friend.  And when our children entered this world, they enjoyed another “grandpa.”  For years, family and friends inquired about when our family might enlarge, but we explained we’d start when the time was right.  Finally, the day dawned when the pregnancy test showed a positive.  Larry and his wife were the first friends we told.    Sadly, this joyous news took a heartbreaking turn a few weeks later.  Delaina’s first pregnancy ended in a miscarriage.

Larry and a group of men from church were attending a Promise Keeper’s event in a neighboring state, but when word reached the Pastor of our loss, both the Pastor and Larry immediately left the rally, traveling several hours to share shoulders to cry on.  A second miscarriage followed the first.  But my wife and I persevered, and over the last ten years we’ve been blessed with four children, all of whom loved Larry very much.  At the funeral, even Larry’s own children shared that our firstborn, Noah, was really Larry’s first “Grandson.”

Over the past several years, Larry and I hunted and fished, but mostly my wife and I visited their home, raided their cupboards, and lounged on their comfortable couches. When we kicked our shoes off, Larry chuckled and teased, “Make yourself at home.”  Many nights we gathered around the kitchen table for a meal, and then retired to the living room to watch college basketball.  During the season of life my wife and I taught, we cheered for snow days, and called Larry and Cheryl, invited ourselves over, and then played spades for hours.  One winter, an ice storm snapped power lines and crippled our small community.  Without lights and heat, we moved into Larry and Cheryl’s home until linesmen restored our electricity.  Wonderful memories were made in their home.

At the memorial service, I reminisced about our friendship.  I realized we never discussed his military career, and military rites at the funeral reminded me of this fact. At the conclusion of the funeral, two servicemen solemnly folded an American flag, handing it to his grieving widow.  She and the family then followed the small military procession down the center aisle of the sanctuary, out the front door, and into a bitterly cold downpour. Moments later, the boom of a gun salute echoed, honoring a veteran and a truly honorable man.  Then, in the driving rain, a lone bugler bid Larry farewell, playing the mournful sound of “Taps.”

A few days later a thought crossed my mind.  Even though I doubt God permitted Larry to peek in on his own funeral, a future Trumpet sound precedes our happy reunion.  I Thessalonians 4:16 shares,

“For the Lord, Himself will come down from heaven with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first.”

Larry’s spirit exists now in the presence of Jesus.  But one day, Larry will be issued a new body, free from disease and pain.  This Trumpet blast marks the moment when all believers in Jesus meet together in the air.  No more Parkinson’s.  No more cancer.  No more tears.  No more loss or death. And yes, no more “Taps.”  Only happy trumpets for all eternity.

What a day that will be!

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Obamacare Changes for Oncology Patients

Posted on February 1, 2013 by

I received the following email from a friend and seasoned medical professional.  This person has worked in oncology for several years and forwarded this information on to me as our son’s currently a cancer patient, so repercussions are possible for our family. She shares information learned in a meeting about possible major healthcare changes directly related to Obamacare.  If you or a loved one is an oncology patient, these possible “tweaks” to the system could have a devastating impact on those fighting the vicious disease of cancer.  Here’s a snapshot of some of the possible Obamacare changes for oncology patients.

I’ve made no corrections or changes; I copied and pasted this from my email.

Bryan,

I was in a meeting and thought you’d be interested in the following legislation being looked at which affects cancer patients.

One is in Kansas legislation. A bill was just presented to them called the Kansas Death with Dignity Act. If passed, it will legally allow terminal patients to request medication from their physicians to aid them in performing euthanasia. It is in the very early stages and Kansas is a very conservative state, so it may hit a brick wall there. That won’t stop proponents of it hearing about it and trying to get it passed in liberal states.

Second is the Cancer Cap with insurance companies. In response to the portion of the Obama Care that does not allow insurance companies to turn away patients with pre-existing conditions, the insurance companies are coming up with caps for treating diseases. Caps are nothing new. There have been caps on procedures for years. It was a way to control costs so one facility wouldn’t charge $1000 for a CT while another one charged $3000. Even with bone marrow transplants there are caps. The insurance companies know it costs about $100,000 for a bone marrow procedure, so that is what they allow in their plan for one to be done. If the cost goes above and beyond that, the patient has to pay depending on terms preset in their plan. What is new is for instance with the Cancer Cap. Each year a patient will be allowed a certain cost limit for treatment of cancer. That covers visits to the doctor, lab/procedures ordered by the doctor and chemo administration costs. Every bill associated with the oncology office goes in to one section. That section has only so much money allowed in it. Once that limit is reached, the patient has to pay for continued visits, treatment, etc. Cancer will become what the health care world calls a rich man’s disease. This means that only the rich will be able to proceed with treating the cancer once the limit is reached, but the poor will just have to stop treatment. It also means socialized medicine is right around the corner.

These are issues I was floored about during the meeting. You popped in my head as someone to share it. The people of this country better get on their knees and open their eyes. We are heading for some huge changes that aren’t for anyone’s best interest.

As she challenges, we’d better beg God to intervene as our Country appears to be in a cataclysmic freefall.

 

 

 

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Posted in America, Cancer, Chemotherapy, Childhood Diseases, Lymphoma, Pediatric Oncology, Political Views, St. Louis Children's Hospital, T-Cell Lymphoma | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment