Pain, that is what I anticipate in the morning.  It is time for that long awaited rotator cuff surgery.  It is going to be so much fun (yea right).  I have had several people share war stories of their own cuff surgery or someone they know.  You just got to love it!  I had one man tell me that he had it and can't lift his arm over his head now.  Well, there goes my golf game.  It isn't that I was ever that good but I could hit it hard.  You just got to love it. 

What has really hurt my feelings is the number of people that said they were going to be praying for "MY WIFE."  What's with that?  Then, I begin to think about all I will not be able to do by myself and will need her help and I agree, pray for Karla.  She will need it.  Besides, I am not a very good patient.   Just imagine all she is going to have help me with now that I only have one hand, would you want to be her?  It is not a pretty sight.  Oh yes, pray for Karla and go ahead and pray for me. 

The issue is, I never prayed for patience!  So, why is God attempting to teach me some?  I try hard to be patient, it just is not in my DNA.  Well, maybe it should be since it is mentioned in the Fruit of the Spirit.  Through the surgery, may the fruit of patience be produced.  Maybe then, it will be worth it! 

Jerry

PRAY FOR;   KARLA, ME, 414, Fall Festival

No, I did not say cuss, I said cuff.  The rotator cuff is the group of muscles and their tendons that act to stabilize the shoulder.  My problem is that the tendons at the end of the muscles have become torn.  Why did I play baseball?  Guess what, the medical discription said that this leads to pain and restricted movement of the arm - NOT GOOD!  The truth is, I want to cuss.  The question becomes, "how do you fix it?"  Unfortunately, it takes knife work.  I will be having surgery on October 28 to fix the problem.  Can you feel my pain?  Oh, it will be Okay!!!  My thought is though, what muscles and tendons are you using to stabilize your life?  I started a study of the book of Revelation with a group of men this past Thursday mornings.  Of course, we started with Revelation 1:1.  We got all the way to verse 8.  I love red letter Bibles.  It tells me where Jesus spoke.  Guess what, verse 8 is red!!!  He is describing Himself, "I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End, says the Lord, Who is and who was and who is to come, THE ALMIGHTY."  There is the muscle and tendon to stabilize and hold our lives in place in the midst of pain.  The "ALMIGHTY!"  It literally means ruler of all or to have strength.  My favorite in reference to rotator cuff is that it means to hold.  It is only applied to God.  Now, there is a ROTATOR CUFF we can depend on that will never tear!!!

PRAYER REQUEST:  Approximately 50 of us are headed to Israel on September 28 to walk where Jesus walked, Construction Advisory Team and remodeling, Love Study, 414 Compassion, OKAY - my shoulder!

MRI -- Not sure what it stands for, but I know I don't want to do it again.  I hurt my shoulder a few months back and I am paying for it now.  I'll get the results of the MRI by Monday.  The last thing the attendant said was, "DON'T MOVE."  Yea Right!  While suffering in the machine for an hour with no movement, I thought about many things.  The first five minutes were OK.  The next 55 were hell on earth.  My nose itched.  My arm went to sleep.  My shoulder was killing me.  I thought to myself, "why don't they put a clock in this room so I can see how long I've suffered?"  NO SUCH LUCK!  I thought I was going to go nuts a couple of times.  I know, some of you think I've already traveled that road.  Finally, I had a brilliant idea, sing.  It is amazing how a good Christian song can calm your spirit.  So, I sung to myself.  To me, it was heaven on earth!  When I thought about it, I still had an itch, arm asleep, and pain.  However, when I focused on worshiping the King, it made everything much better.  So, the moral of my story, in whatever MRI you find yourself in today, focus on Jesus.  He will see you through.  So, next week I'll give you the results!

Blessing!

PRAY FOR;  Okay, Pray for my shoulder, 40 Days of Love, Sermon this Sunday, Our Israel Trip

Well, this Sunday we start the long awaited 40 Days of Love.  I am excited about it.  Over the next six weeks, we will be massaging love in every direction so that we might truly be better lovers.  It is all about living the GREAT COMMANDMENT.  It is a simple thing.  The more we understand the enormity of God's love for us, we will love others as an expression of us loving Him back.  In other words, fulfilling the "GREAT COMMANDMENT" is dependent upon our grasping God's GREAT Love for us.  Let us love one another!

I hope to achieve two personal goals during this study.  First, may I become more and more a skilled lover towards Karla and family as I develop a habit of loving.  Second, I also hope that BHBC will truly grasp what it means to love with compassion 414.  There is a great opportunity to love all people.   May we do it! 

Pray for;   The 40 Day Study, Block party (Pray for our guest)

Blessings,

Jerry