Been Awhile

It definitley has been awhile since my last entry it's not that I haven't had something to say it is just that I haven't been motivated enough to type it out.
First let me say that I am really working at getting to know God more intimatley. My Christian Sister Heidi says that you will know when you get to the "next level" I wish it would happen but as she has told me you will know when but to not expect it to happen overnite. My problem and as Joey pointed out I need to have patience.
I went to my daughter Sarah's Paralegal Cerification graduation from Emory it made me proud. It was a very nice ceremony they even had a catered breakfast for us. The Emory Alumni house was where it was held and like Joey said you expected to walk in and see a bunch of well to do men smoking cigars and drinking bourbon it was that fancy.
I have started going to the Lutheran Church here in Fayetteville the ceremony is similar to the one at Avalon Church but I don't think the pastor is quite as dynamic as pastor Ritchie at Avalon. Besides when I have been at Avalon I have been able to see my surragote Grand Boys, Riley and Owen. I don't think Joey and I will have any Grand Babies but only the good Lord can tell.
Joey and I have started "The Purpose Driven Life" I think God has pointed us in the direction of the book. Based on what I have read and experienced I feel that I need to find a cause or something that I can lend my services to. Just something that I can do to make God smile.
I am now praying exceptionally hard for the new Managers postion that has now come up in PC/LAN. They are splitting up PC/LAN Atlanta into two groups one for the field and one for the Atlanta campus. I have applied for the new position and it looks like I am going to have some stiff competition but I know that God can do all things so that is why at every opportunity I get I am asking God's help in getting this postion.
This has been fairly long winded but I had some catching up to do.
Your Christian and Blessed Brother Dan

Counting My Blessings

I feel more blessed everyday I have a loving wife, good children, a good job and good friends.
My wife and I went to the Stations Of The Cross like we did last Friday night. It really is a moving experience. Being brought up Catholic like I said before, we didn't read any Scriptures, we were taught the Catechism and that was it. I started reading the Scriptures when my wife and I took a Disciples Course and found it interesting then but after the course I didn't open the Bible. Now within the last couple of months I have read a different section every night. I find there are so many things that the Bible can teach that I am really surprised that the Catholic church never taught it. I am pleased to say that I have continued not to have any alcholic beverage (which I have given up for lent).
I have read my friend Heidi's Blog, I love the way she writes about her two boys. I am blessed to have her as my friends and I am also grateful that she has allowed me to have her two boys as my surrogate Grand Kids. I love to give them treats, with their mothers permission of course, when they do good at AWANA's and in football and when it's their birthdays. I have a strong feeling that neither of my children will give us any grand children but I guess that is up to them and God.
I found this and think you will appreciate it:
An Irish Blessing:
May there always be work for your hands to do;
May your purse always hold a coin or two;
May the sun always shine on your windowpane;
May a rainbow be certain to follow each rain;
May the hand of a friend always be near you;
May God fill your heart with gladness to cheer you.
Your Christian and Blessed Friend

Fasting and the love of God

Last Friday night my wife and went with our friends to their church which is Catholic, for the Stations of the Cross. For those who aren't familiar with the Stations of the Cross these are the significant points that Christ traveled carrying the Cross to Calvary. There are fourteen stations and these have pictures representing them along the walls inside the church. During the ceremony an Altar Boy carries the Cross while two people read from a pamphlet and do it representing Christ and they stop at each station. After the people read Christ part the parish reads their parts. My wife thought it was very moving and wants to do it again this Friday.

Saturday my wife and I completed another day of fasting and I say again this is nothing compared to what Christ endured for us. During this fast we read from the Gospel and prayed for God to watch over and help our friends that are in need.

Sunday after church Joey had me acting like Paul Bunyan again chopping up trees getting them ready for her to burn.

Today I went and visited my friend Ron Nelson at Crawford Long Hospital. You know the saying "There I might be if weren't but for the Grace of God". Well Ron is dieing of cancer. You see he is a Vietnam Vet like I am, he was there from 1968 to 1969 and I was there from 1969 to 1970. The cancer he has, has been attributed to Agent Orange exposure and where he was a grunt he got exposed to it quite often. I don't know if they were still using it while I was there but I do remember them flying over our compound and spraying something. This cancer he has only affects 35 people a year and the majority of those are children. I took my friend Heidi's advice and visited him to say good bye because the way it looks only a miracle could help him now. He will be going home tomorrow and will be under hospice care. He is on pain medicine which means he slept most of the time I was there but it was good to see him. Which meant I mostly visited with his wife Alice she is a strong woman and is holding up very well.

I feel truly blessed that I have my health and I love God for what I have more and more everyday.

Fasting

My wife and I completed our first fast this past weekend. We started it after Friday nights supper and completed it at Saturday nights supper. I know it was not much of a fast compared to the fast and sacrifice Christ did for us. During our fast we worked in our yard and each time we took a break I would read recommended passages from the Bible. My prayers during our fasting were for me to acquire guidance that I can give to my family and thank Jesus for the ultimate sacrifice that he made for us. I talked with my Christian Sister Heidi about the fasting and she related that even though she had never done one that her parents had and that they recieved God's blessing with the issues they were having. She is a very wise woman as I have said in the past. When I have asked her if it is alright for me to ask God things for myself (being brought up like I was and told that we should only ask for others) she has assured me that God wants me to ask for things for myself. I am thinking of fasting again next weekend and during this fast I plan on asking God to help our friends with issues that they are now experiencing.
From Church yesterday when asked to sum up your life in six words a ten year old cancer patient responded with "Cursed by Cancer Blessed by Friends" which I think is very poignant.
Please pray for my guidance during these times.
Yours in Christ
The Older Man Dan

Another Blessed Day

Well I went back to church today it has been awhile. I did have a couple of people ask where I had been which does make one feel good. My problem with going back to the church where my wife and I had been going is that with the previous Minister that was there he new us by our names where this new Minister didn't even recognize that I hadn't been there. It is true that you don't go to church to be recogized by everyone, that you go to church to worship God. My thought is that you can worship God at home that you don't need to go to church, the thing I look to the church for is,is for support and guidance. My Christian Sister Heidi does a great job in guiding me, she is a very Wise Woman for her young age. I am blessed to have her as my friend. I love this quote "The friend who provides both physical and emotional shelter is a true haven, one who helps another weather a storm in safety." And another quote that love also is from an Indian tonque, friend beautifully states "one-who-carries-my-sorrows-on-his-back."
Lent is quickly coming upon us and I have been contemplating doing two things to honor Christ's sacrifice for us on the Cross. First I am not going to drink any alcohol for the fourty days of Lent. Second I am thinking of fasting at least for one day. I know these don't compare to what Christ did for us but I am far from being the perfect human being that Jesus was.
That is it for this post I will let you know how I make out with my Lenten sacrifices.

Another Blessed Day

It might be really cold outside but it is sunny. I am working in my office listening to my daughter and niece comment about the New England Patriots vs San Diego Chargers football game. I can tell my niece is really into it by the cheering she is doing.
I fell off the wagon Friday night had too many drinks but I am going to get back on (I don't intend to give up). I was planning to start back to church today (going to go back to the Fayetteville First United Methodist Church) but because of the weather church it was called off. We will make it to church next Sunday for sure. I am continuing to read my Daily Devotional along with the referred to Bible Scripture in addition to my praying for my family, friends and relatives every night. Joey gave me this book "Get Out of Your Own Way" by Mark Goulston, M.D., and Philip Goldberg it has given me a lot of insight into my behavior.
I just read my Christian Sisters blog, boy her oldest is really a true boy willing to try anything. He had a loose tooth and from watching TV got the idea of shooting it out with a Nerf gun. So his mother and father helped him do it I think that is so great. My Christian Sister and her husband are really great parents I think this carries on from their parents.
Well this closes my thoughts for today. I pray everyone has a Blessed week! Until next time.

Christmas and New Years 2007

Joanne and I took in all the outside Christmas decorations today. I was sad to see the decorations put away considering it signifies the end of another year even though it wasn't a year to celebrate. First having problems with my son and my daughter being in a funk. Second incurring more debt because of things needing to be done to the house and the automobiles. But God didn't promise things would always be easy, I do feel blessed that everyone is healthy for the most part and I am at least able to make my obligations. I still need to go back to the Doctors in six months to get yet another biopsy (which I am not looking forward to) to check for cancer. My son having pancriotitus and my daughter having breathing issues but at least no one is in the hospital.

I plan to get back on track in 2008 with the help of God and my wife. My intentions are to give up drinking and to find a church where both my wife and I feel welcomed and comfortable. Once we find that church I will work at giving my tithe and my services to it. I pray that with God's help that my wife and I can get my son and daughter to start straightening their lives out so we can become a well balanced and happy family.

I love this quote from my Christian Sister Heidi:

I serve a Mighty God who loves me and sent us the most precious gift in his Son, Jesus. He is a God of Peace and of Love. And he sent his son to die for my sins. How awesome is that??!!

So Happy New Year and may God Bless you in the coming year!