Well, now then, in our neck of the woods on Thursday and Friday we were in the mid-90’s in the garden – cooled down yesterday, but this week, for the most part will be warm, not ‘officially’ that high, but warm none the less.  Summer is a coming.  We celebrated with time, first time this year, on the grill - grilled steak and baked potato.

Doing okay.  Had a partially blocked artery that had to have stint put in it – don’t know why, but it was taking a while before I could feel better.  Although, Carla said my color was much better the next morning.

While having to struggle with the A-fib conditions my heart and arteries have been doing okay.  I was surprised with the partial blockage, but appears to be only the one with serious blockage and only one nother which is much less, that of course is good news.

Until this time, I have had good care at both MCMC and OHSU – but it was strange this time. 

Won’t go into full detail, but when they prescribed new medications one of the things I asked was should I be careful about what I am taking with it.  Nope.

Got home and found out only was I not to take Ibuprofen, but they added Tylenol to the list – interesting since elsewhere it is listed as to take instead of the other products – doc says it didn’t mean it when I asked.

The other thing I found interesting was, even after asking that question, I came home and read the multi-paged report that they said they went over with me – and found out that I wasn’t supposed to drink caffeine products for a few days.

Interesting since the nurse had brought me the breakfast I had ordered, which included coffee; and, as some pompous ‘teaching supervisor’ (who was quickly deflated when I pointed out some of his information was wrong) went over the process as I was drinking my second cup.

That is just a taste of what was going on.  But at least I wasn’t asked, this time, what I was doing there!

For the next 12 weeks, or so, I will be going through Cardiac Rehab along with my shoulder/arm rehab.  Fortunately both are in the same building and I was told they WILL coordinate their efforts.  Even that wasn’t handled well.

The nurse asked me how far from the hospital we were, I said about 10 minutes, and then realized he was talking about OHSU.  I said no we are about 2 hours away from here – and of course my address was clearly not in Portland.

So instead of ordering the Cardiac rehab through MCMC, he had me going to OHSU – three plus days a week.  I waited for a call then finally called here and was told the order couldn’t be done here since they ordered if for OHSU. 

They had to contact the doctor to get it set up here – took a couple of days.  Almost two weeks wasted.....

I am thankful for the majority of OHSU staff; they really are caring and thoughtful.  The nurses are absolutely top of the line, great positive personalities and have a great since of humor, that part was ‘enjoyable.’  A couple of them we knew from previous visits.

What is fun, for me, is that while they aren’t supposed to discuss religion – “I” can still do so and was given a few opportunities to share my faith.  There are interesting reactions.

Deed brought Mom and I to the hospital, she took Mom home that afternoon and then brought her back up the next day to retrieve me.  We really did appreciate that!!

She had to go to work that second night, after a 3-4 hour 225 +/- mile drive, so crashed upstairs for a couple of hours before having to leave for work, a 40 +/- minute drive plus 12 hour shift and then another almost two hour drive home.

Both Deed and Teresa have been fantastic assistants to both of us – great ladies.

---------------------------------------

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 Rejoice evermore.

¹⁷ Pray without ceasing.                    

¹⁸ In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.  KJV

Now, I may be wrong, but I don’t think there are any exclamation points in the KJV version of the Bible and I realize that when the KJV Bible was put together they used punctuation the original authors did not.

They didn’t change the meanings, they strived to be accurate in their translations, but they did divide by chapter and verse.

I ‘think’ these verses illustrate the importance and emphatic message of command from God – stressing that each verse was important.  Where I would use exclamation points, they set it up in separate sentences and verses.

It is not always easy.  I greatly admire those that go through terrible trials and do so with a smile on their face and uplifting comments to all around them.  They have learned the value of these and other such verses.

Instead of focusing on themselves they have chosen to trust in the Lord and truly be an example to those He sends to them.

It is another one of those, so many, things I fall far short of instead I get negative with my thoughts and comments.

Lord, help me to remember that no matter what situation I find myself in, you are there and will make me stronger as a servant for you.

Rejoicing evermore!

Praying without ceasing!                 

In everything giving thanks!

For this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning ME!. 

Later, Art (-:

Josh and Deed plowed the garden for Carla.  The garden space is starting to show the years of gardening, the soil is so much better from all the mulch through the years.

In our neck of the woods we started out with sunshine, low 60’s with a wind that is stirring the trees as they dance as it blows its own tune.  AND has blown in some dark clouds.  But the critical outside work for today has been finished and we will be consuming some pizza here shortly.

----------------------------

“Lord, teach me to listen. The times are noisy and my ears are weary with the thousand raucous sounds which continuously assault them. Give me the spirit of the boy Samuel when he said to Thee, "Speak, for thy servant heareth." Let me hear Thee speaking in my heart. Let me get used to the sound of Thy voice, that its tones may be familiar when the sounds of earth die away and the only sound will be the music of Thy speaking voice. Amen.”   AW Tozer

1 Samuel 3:10 And the Lord came, and stood, and called as at other times, Samuel, Samuel. Then Samuel answered, Speak; for thy servant heareth.

Can’t really add to the comments of Tozer on listening – and since I seemed to be finding my devotions dealing with that requirement for the past few days, I do believe the Holy Spirit is telling me to listen, MORE.

It Tozer, a devoted Christian, Pastor and author, needed this reminder, then all do; and me in particular.

“Lord, teach me to listen. The times are noisy and my ears are weary with the thousand raucous sounds which continuously assault them. Give me the spirit of the boy Samuel when he said to Thee, "Speak, for thy servant heareth." Let me hear Thee speaking in my heart. Let me get used to the sound of Thy voice, that its tones may be familiar when the sounds of earth die away and the only sound will be the music of Thy speaking voice. Amen.”

Later, Art (-:

Getting’ some sun in our neck of the woods, still a bit chilly, but can’t have everything this time of year.

Busy time for Carla and the ladies at Joanne’s getting ready for inventory; so lots of hours on the floor for all.

Depending on the weather, Josh is planning on rototilling Carla’s garden tomorrow.  She is happy about that, she will get to play in the dirt for real soon.

Transplanting the tomatoes and peppers into the yogurt containers where they will continue to grow for another week or two and then the half milk cartons ready to give away.  “Only” did a couple hundred tomatoes this year.

------------------------------------

Reference Prayer:  “The Quakers had many fine ideas about life, and there is a story from them that illustrates the point I am trying to make. It concerns a conversation between Samuel Taylor Coleridge and a Quaker woman he had met. Maybe Coleridge was boasting a bit, but he told the woman how he had arranged the use of time so he would have no wasted hours. He said he memorized Greek while dressing and during breakfast. He went on with his list of other mental activities—making notes, reading, writing, formulating thoughts and ideas—until bedtime.

The Quaker listened unimpressed. When Coleridge was finished with his explanation, she asked him a simple, searching question: "My friend, when dost thee think?"  AW Tozier

Psalm 119:130-131   “The entrance of thy words giveth light; it giveth understanding unto the simple.

¹³¹ I opened my mouth, and panted: for I longed for thy commandments.”  KJV

As we sit down with our busy schedule, let us make sure that we schedule a daily sit down with God.

We need time to be with Him, to listen to Him and to think about what He is saying to us through His Word and as we pray.

Later, Art (-:

Raining, at times, in our neck of the woods, sky is grey.  And we are told we will get more of it, although it will quiet down through the rest of the week, and who knows, if they are right, we might even see sun this weekend.

Carla was called into work, to help cover breaks, not sure how long she will be working on her day off, but there is enough rain that she would prefer to be inside anyway.

But it definitely makes the hills around us green and pretty.  In a few short weeks they will turn brown from lack of moisture but they are a pretty green color now.

Just got back from therapy and really feeling it today.  I must have slept wrong on the shoulder because it was already sore, bit more right now.  Did get a good workout and doing fine – just keep reminding myself that it is better than going through surgery.

He put my on a hand paddle machine, bicycle with hand peddles, no foot paddles; as a warm up.  I was just sitting down when a young lady got on a treadmill across the room and started running, and doing it without having to use handrails to steady herself; she didn’t slow down the entire 10 minutes I was there – I know, that isn’t all the unusual, except it is for me and my treadmill; and I definitely felt the difference.

Several years ago I got Mom’s treadmill.  It has several ‘speeds’ on a sliding control.  From warm-up/cooldown to fat burn to aerobic to Performance on one side; slow, about half way up the scale and fast at the top on the other side of the control.

I have never made it out of the warm-up mode, not to mention even hitting the slow mode side – even at four miles an hour I used to get to on some regularity.  AND, I use the guard rails to maintain my balance.  I get to where I am going, but it takes a while longer.  As a fellow ‘older generation participant’ at the gym said, nice to be young.

---------------------

“I believe if you keep your faith, you keep your trust, you keep the right attitude, if you are grateful, you’ll see God open up new doors.”  Joel Osteen

Genesis 50:19-20 “And Joseph said unto them, Fear not: for am I in the place of God?

²⁰ But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive.”  KJV

I don’t know how many times I found/find myself where I didn’t want to be, where I was completely unsure as to what to do or where to go.

It seemed(s) that I had fallen into a deep well with no way to climb out.  Frankly, there were times I panicked, and charged in without taking time to talk to God – invariably that was a mistake.

I have learned that God does allow us to go through things we believe are going to hold us down, or even destroy us.  IF we trust in Him, as Daniel did, we may go through many years of wondering about our situation.  But thankfully we can read the examples of Godly men and women; and remembering how many of God’s people have gone through similar and even far worse challenges and came out on the other side stronger and more effective servants of God helps.

God allowed satan to challenge Job.  In the end, Job came out stronger and more powerful in his life on earth and in his testimony to the goodness of God; BECAUSE, he trusted God throughout his ordeal.

As my granddaughter asks, ‘what am I going to learn today?’ we should take that same attitude about how we are going to learn to live a more effective life for Him, today.

God has a lesson for us every day that will build us up – even if we feel it is bringing us down, we just have to look for it with that same eye-wide innocence of a child.

Later, Art (-:

Quiet thus far in our neck of the woods.  Carla had to open the store this morning, she left before I even knew she was up – still a bit tired from yesterday.

Even my warm up walk and exercises were harder this morning, but it was what was needed.  I am getting some relieve from the pain in my shoulder and able to do more than a couple weeks ago.  If it continues this way I ‘should’ be able to heal up without an operation.

Haven’t heard how the tests went, yet.  I do know there was an anomaly or two, I told them if there was anything different about tests, it would come on mine.  Our family just seems to challenge the professionals and make them dig into research more often.

The sky is interesting.  It is a very very light blue.  It back drops Mt. Hood and even though the mountain stands in all its white glory, it almost blends into the sky.  Mt. Adams had more contrast, of course we only see the top of it.

-----------------------------------

“Prayer is an effort of will.”  Oswald Chambers

Mathew 6:6 “But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.”  KJV

One of the most difficult things to do is to pray.

We have to make time if we want to truly communicate with God.  While short prayers through the day help us keep in touch, they are not truly communicating with Him – they are important, don’t get me wrong – but they do not take the place of a determined effort to sit down with Him and not only speak, but listen and that takes time.

I recently read a person’s thoughts on communication in today’s world, “too many people listen so they can reply, not to learn.”

With God the only reply should be, “Yes, my Lord.”  The only way we can get to that point where we can actually communicate with Him is to give Him time to talk with us – it doesn’t make any difference what time of day that sit down occurs, but it must happen for us to gain further insights into God and His will for our lives.

It is so very easy to get distracted.  We have noises all around us, family, friends, television, phones, work, and the list goes on.  Our mind loves to trick us, I don’t know how many times I will be praying for something specific and the next thing I realize I have spent seconds, sometimes minutes, with my mind going off in a different direction.

Yet, God has made it clear He wants us to go before Him, one on one, and talk with Him. 

To do that we must cut back on all distractions, even that of the mind.  When Daniel prayed, he prayed aloud.  When Jesus prayed, He prayed aloud.  Even though both were praying in private.

By doing that ourselves it may help us keep concentrating on what we are doing, praying.  Then as we wait for Him to talk with us we must determine within ourselves to listen, even if it takes time.

Too many of us take pray lightly.  We are missing out on a great blessing from God when we do that.

As Oswald says, “it is an act of will.”

An act of OUR will.  We either do it or we do not, it all depends on us; we can use any excuse we want, but it still comes down to a choice, either we do it, or we do not.

I need the Lord to help me focus on my communication with Him.  Not half-heartedly, but with my full attention – not letting anything interfere with that, including my own mind.

I must will myself to be fully in His presence.

Later, Art (-:

Our neck of the woods has the sun shining down, not very warm, mid-50’s but nice to see anyway.  Wind, however, makes it a bit more uncomfortable, especially when the sun ducks behind a cloud.

Had a stress test this morning.  Still feeling the after affects.  They didn’t have to go as high as I had when I last had it done, but it was high enough – actually, as far as I was concerned, quite high enough and then some.

If I had felt the pressure I did at the height of the test at home, we would have headed to ER.  Heart is doing fine, but it definitely didn’t appreciate the speed with which it was expected to go and stay for a bit.

Still a bit of uncomfortableness about my chest, however, I took an afternoon check on my readings and my heart rate was the lowest it has been since I started battling A-fib.  It was in my ‘old’ normal range.  We will see how long that lasts.

It took me a few moments to recognize the tech.  She did a procedure on me back in 2013.  Nice woman, Christian and conservative. 

Her daughter, 18, goes to college this fall in Salem on an athletic scholarship.  She is already missing her and having difficulty adjusting as she plans for graduation, etc.

So we shared some of those feelings.  Told her my feelings when Vicki went to college and then when Ken went into the Corps.  The rest of the kids are close by, so even though they left the nest we see them often, and the loss, while heavy, wasn’t as great.  -  That is until Steven, Celinda and CeeCee moved to Kirkland so he could finish school, and the emotions work their way up again. 

I told her I feel sorry for my son, my granddaughter is graduating this year and she too will be heading off to college.  Wendy will feel the pangs too, can’t be helped, but Ken will feel it more like his Dad did, I think. 

It took me a while, but I finely realized when these things come about what we are feeling is a grieving process; not unlike the death of a loved one; not as deep, of course since we have communications with them.  However, our lives change and it can be hard on us.

I shared my experience of seeing the sun shining in all corners of the Gorge as we passed Mosier coming home from dropping Ken off.  God is watching over them and there is no where they go that they are out of the sight of our Lord.  (‘course it brought tears to my eyes, as those memories always do.)

As my mother-in-love told me, it doesn’t get any easier; and, as all too frequently, she was right.

---------------------------------

 “Just as a servant knows that he must first obey his master in all things, so the surrender to an implicit and unquestionable obedience must become the essential characteristic of our lives.”  Andrew Murray

Romans 5:6-7 For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.

⁷ For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die.

⁸ But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

Earlier this year one of the Secret Service Agents basically said she would not take a bullet for the President.

It is rather doubtful she is still working that detail – or any other for that matter since their primary duty is protecting the President and his family.

They do this out of respect for the Office not necessarily the man.  They are sworn to do this, it is their job.  If it means that they have to go into harm’s way they must do it.

Every police officer basically takes the same oath – they must defend the innocent, even if it means putting their own life on the line.

They don’t get to choose who deserves it or not, who the victim is, what the crime is, they must do their job.

Many good officers have resigned their commissions because they cannot fulfill that duty.

A police officer sees the dregs of society every single day.  He sees the worst in people, he can become calloused and as a protection from having to continuing to walk through that mire mentally, he seeks avenues of relieving the horror he sees.

It not only can, but will change their lives forever, even if they leave the profession after a short time.  It is very difficult to erase those scenes from their lives.

A very good officer, a man I spent many months training and working with, realized he was taking his frustrations out on his wife and kids, he chose to leave the profession and do something else.  

Others, unfortunately men and women, had to go through divorce because they were unable to cope with the stress of the job and the stress of being a spouse and parent and not letting the job interfere with their family.  

Others turn to alcohol, or even drugs undermining their health and their careers, not to mention their family life.

Those that have activities outside the department, where they can put things in better prospective have a better chance of going through their career without succumbing to the all too frequent us vs the world mentality and becoming indifferent to the plights of others.

When I first came on the department I had a senior officer tell me that the only friend I will have is another police officer – a police officer is the only person that will have my back.

I didn’t believe that then and I don’t believe it now.  Part of that is because Christ is my Lord and I have fellowship with other Christians that reinforce God’s hand in my life.

From my observations, the officers that did have a personal relationship with Christ were more able to make the proper adjustments.  Not that they (or me) are perfect, but they have a confidence within that only Christ can give.

Being a Police Officer, for most of us, is a calling and something we do as a service, not only to the public, but to God. 

And, yes, many officers do go through their career doing well, without that relationship, but most of them do have outside interests.

Being an officer is not being able to turn the job off when we go off work.  We carry what we know, what we see and how we do things with us for the rest of our lives.  It is in our blood, but it can be properly balanced with being able to work with others and seeing them as friends, not potential ‘enemies.’

But the bottom line is WE can make our own decisions.  If we find we cannot protect those that need protection - that they are not worth giving up our life over, we can quit.

But while in uniform we must be obedient to the laws of our jurisdiction and enforce them, even if it means putting our lives on the line for someone we do not like.

Christ could not make that choice.  He couldn’t choose to say, I will save these people, but not these.  While He came to the Jews first, walked with them and taught them using the scriptures to show them He was the Messiah, he didn’t die just for them.  He died for every sinner, no matter how vile, that would bow before Him and accept His sacrifice as the cleansing from sin.

Christ was obedient to God the Father even to His death.  It was not the way He chose to die, we know that He asked not to die, but “not My will but Thine be done.”

Every Christian, not just the police officer, has an obligation to Christ.  For some it is to teach, preach, become missionaries, or some other similar “full-time” profession.

For the rest of us, it is being obedient to God in spreading His gospel, to obeying the Holy Spirit as he guides us in our work for Him.  It doesn’t matter if He leads us to the poorest of the poor, or the richest of the rich – we must obey, just as Christ obeyed.

By the acceptance of God’s gift to us, we owe Him total allegiance and servitude.  It is a life time commitment.

The alternative is disobeying God and placing our own salvation on the line. 

Lord, please give me the wisdom and courage to do what You tell me to do as a willing servant; obeying even onto death.

Later, Art (-:

Grey clouds around us in our neck of the woods.  Mt. Hood was out with its white against the grey clouds behind it, Mt. Adams was covered with clouds. 

Temperatures in the low 50’s, but very little wind.  We will be finishing up with the greenhouse this afternoon and Carla will be ready to put those tomatoes, peppers and whatever else she has in it.

She left the Fuchsias outside last night, but covered them up.  It was down to 32, but they seem just fine.  She is looking forward to getting those out, also, they are pretty and attract more hummingbirds.

------------------------------------

Hebrews 10:16-22 “ This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, saith the Lord, I will put my laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them;

¹⁷ And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more.

¹⁸ Now where remission of these is, there is no more offering for sin.

¹⁹ Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus,

²⁰ By a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh;

²¹ And having an high priest over the house of God;

²² Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water.”  KJV

The Jewish people, before Christ’s death and resurrection, had to go to the temple at least once a year, offering sacrifices through the High Priest in order to have their sins forgiven.

Sacrificing, each year, and sometimes more often, because the death of an animal and its blood was insufficient to last for eternity, it could not take away their sins.

They had to go through an intermediary, the High Priest, because they could not come before the throne of God without him.

But once we, Jew and non-Jew alike, recognize and accept the sacrifice of Jesus, the Christ, as ours in the remission of our sins, we can go to Him every day, as often as we wish and through Him have access to God the Father.

Jesus, as our High Priest, lived a real life, walked and taught among the people, was tempted and refused to sin.  He demonstrated His love and His examples live on today through His Word. 

Hebrews 4:15-16 “ For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.

¹⁶ Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.”  KJV

“boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus,”   “come boldly unto the throne of grace,”

Not arrogance, not prideful, but with a confidence that He will listen to us, that He will extend His hand and help us, with the assurance of a man that knows that what he is doing he is doing with permission and the full authority of the authority over him.

I can remember the first time, as a Reserve, I put the uniform of a police officer on.  I was nervous, even though I would be riding with a regular officer, even though I wasn’t expected by the department to know everything, the public really couldn’t tell the difference between me and the regular.

At that time there was no training, at all.  You rode and learned by osmosis IF the officer did any talking at all.  Usually you talked about other things, while occasionally he might explain something, you usually just stood in the background and hoped you didn’t do something wrong.

Not a real confidence booster.

As time went on, I became more comfortable and I could do some rudimentary tasks, traffic control, ‘guard’ duty at a crime scene, helping with initial interviews of non-serious incidents, etc.  But, I would have to defer almost all questions to the regular.

When I was hired it wasn’t much different.  The third night on the force it was just me and the sergeant.  He put me in a car and told me to keep out of trouble.  It was a calm night with no calls, so I managed to do so.

However, I did have a training officer assigned who started my training in earnest, explaining, teaching, watching so I could improve my knowledge, skills AND confidence.

I then attended the Academy, which gave me much more information and training giving me more confidence on both the laws and the enforcement of them.

Some officers came on the department with self-confidence and many did well – but for others it was a bravado that didn’t set well and often their over confidence got them in trouble.

One of the best advices I received came from my first training officer.  He was well respected and had an air of confidence that immediately made people trust him.

He said in most situations we go in low-key, quietly try and get people to calm down.  You are the one wearing the uniform, you are the one in charge.  If they don’t obey, then you can always become more assertive or aggressive, but if we do so from the very first we have nowhere to go, once you have to reach that level you can’t back down and that can lead to some violent arrests.

There are, of course, times you can’t do that, you have to go in with the full weight of your authority and your ability to take control of a very bad situation.  But, time and time again, his wisdom proved valid and we were able to complete whatever our task was without escalating the problem.

One of the things I quickly learned and tried to pass on to all those officers I trained, was your tongue is the most important muscle in your body, if you use it correctly you can calm down almost any situation.

A good officer has confidence in his authority, his bearing shows it and because of it people will accept him as the one in charge.

Boldness before the Lord, or boldness in witnessing to others doesn’t mean we go in with an arrogant or demanding attitude, it means that we have confidence in who we represent, in who our God is and that He will support and guide us in our requests for His help and mercy and will reinforce our witnessing, through the Holy Spirit working within those we witness to.

Thanks to the sacrifice of Jesus, we can have the confidence to enter into God’s presences with the knowledge He has forgiven us and only wants the best for us as we serve Him.

We can indeed walk boldly into His presence, now.

Later, Art (-: