Poor Kathy

Kathy is the wife of my ex-mining partner whom passed away a few years ago.
(sniff!)

 Sionce then, she has been hunting guys.
(shutter!)

So, I was not surprised when called the other night.
I have been dreading this call, becuase I a not approving.

Thankfully, it was not the "I captured a guy call"
It was the I am surrounded by fire!

Yeah, Mt. Lemmon. which is her backyard, has a wildfire!
And the fire lines have now surrounded her!

So, lots of prayer need here!

It is currently 107,
everything north, south  and east of her home is on fire.
She lives in a hacienda style home,
Very safe were it not for the flat roof and problem of heat!

So you can stay abreast of her plight under a search for:
Bighorn fire, Tucson
On any browser.

And yes, she is a Christian and needs the prayers right now!

Flashback

Remember the 1980's?
Good economy,
Iran,
Carter,
Failing morals,
Failing Church influence,
The rise of the New Age,
and all that was brought with that.

Yeah and a little thing called AIDS/HIV.

I suffer from a poor immune system.
Have my entire life.
You just get use to knowing that tomorrow may never happen.

Suddenly, about 1982, my doctor called me in.
He explained there was some weird blood disorder and wanted to test me.
NEEDLES! ahhhhhhh!
Everything was negative.
My life has always been too boring
Or perhaps too perplexing for an average doctor.

Now I had one of the largest mineral specimen collections back then.
And bought sold and traded rocks worldwide.

By 1984 I was wondering what going on.
Too many of my customers and friends were dying .....
Some of them had been like brothers to me for years.

I went down to a local rock shop to see my friend  John one Saturday.
He wasn't there,
He was in the hospital.
Okay, I diverted to the hospital.
And he was already dead!
Just that fast.

That was how I first heard of AIDS.
John and all of the others had been members of the gay community.
And Kris does not judge,
He tries to live a life that shows genuine concern for others and God's compassion.
And unlike the prior decade of my life,
I started actively witnessing to my "gay" friends.

Few chose to make their peace with God, our creator.
The majority for various reasons chose hatred for their parents and Church get in the way.
"How could God allow this to happen?"
In all I lost 86 friends and close customers across two years.
But, I learned a great deal,
Grew spiritually,
And I do have a few of those friends waiting for me to join them on the other side  .....

AIDS/HIV is still with us today.
But I am less involved in the gay community.
You tend to forget ...

Then this week I had an abrupt reminder.
Someone I care about and pray regularly for,
Told me she has AIDS.
It was like being hit between the eyes!

So, she has known for years.
Just never mentioned it, even in passing.
I have to admit I had wondered how she could be so kucky.

A drug using ex-husband.
And all that goes with that.
Seems she was not all that lucky after-all.
:(

Sad part is, she is but one of two women I know in this situation!
I wish this latest friend had shared this years ago.
I hate not praying effectively.
It saddens me on so many levels.
sigh

So, latest friend is in what appears to be in remission.
The first one is in denial.
Not a good place to be.

So please pray, long term, for these women.
Both are Christians.
Both seem to have a positive attitude.
I just worry for them .....

Question

So, last night, Gaelic Girl, asked me over dinner what the highlight of the prior year was.  Oh, tough one......

This past year has seen numerous surgeries, each gassing erasing my mind even further!
A very tough one!

But, my mind started working.
Albeit, with little to do since the brain keeps getting erased!
I can sit and read again!
For hours if I want.

But most of the year was in one hospital after another.
Though, I do have a well working heart, which is a major deal!

My non-medical accomplishments are almost nonexistent!

So, that has to leave my family.
I am generally proud of most of their statuses.
Of course, I am a bit worried that they all have selected paths away from their Creator.
But, I can not live their lives for them ..... sigh .....

Just prayer, lots of prayer for each of them .....

(oh yeah, she liked my answer.)

Blessing

So, across a morning of outright demonic goings=opn, I made it to Sumner and their healing ceremony!
It was so weird tyo herar the Bishop comment that he had never seen so much opposition to performing the rite.
 
The rite was performed straight-forward and with nothing that contextually Luther, Hutt or even Zwingli would had objected to!
Calvin on the other hand is a bit of a problem,
My vote was he was demon oppressed!

James 5 covers well all that was said.
Nothing anyone would object to!
I wondered if this was because I am not LDS?
Is there more than one ceremony?

But the men whom were there seemed to have integrity ....

No, no miracle healing to report.
But then I have always maintained that this situation has little to do with me ......

Prayer

After becoming a C hristian, I set oit to learn all I could about prayer.
The different kinds of prayer
The why and the vwherefores
It was very ninteresting
But a great deal to absorb!

I did this again several times,
But only looking at specific kinds of prayer!

Yet, in all of those years of study one type of prayer evaded my understanding!
Healing.
This ought to be one of the easiest,
But, I get hung up on the whole issue of sprinkling -
What
How much
Why is this even an issue?!!!!
It just makes NO sense to me!

And my elective churches have been of NO help!
None of then practice this!
Don;t ask me
I am just the seeker!

And yet in my personal prayer life,
the health and healing of hundreds have been the topic of concern!
And yes, I have witnessed dramatic answers to many of those prayers!
But you only have my word on that!

So, the Mormon, aka Latter Day Saints do practice healing ceremonies!

And since mother is now a return-ie,
And I am offered consideration, inspite of my Zwingli belief set!
So, that is on today's agenda!
Their Bishop is coing into Sumner to prayer for/over me and the wretched staste of my body1

Well, certainly more than my church has or is doing!
Sigh......

Hard to condemn a group whom are trying to fit a standard,
When there are churches not even trying .....

Poor Swede!

Oh poor Swede!
He  is back in emergency,
Though at least this time it is not his fault!

Seems he was not feeling well.
No, specific complaint,
Just an over all feelig of ... ick!
So he went back to the doctor I took him to last Monday.

For whatever reason,
The doctor decided Swede needed to be cath'ed!
Unfortunately, the nurse had never done one before!
But, of course that is never mentioned  in advance!

End result is a Vienna Sausage,
On a tooth-pick!
Oh ouch!

So he will be in the hospital for a few days.
And veeeeeeery sore for many more!
sigh

Poor Swede, just not his week it seems!

Yesterday

So I had heart surgery.
I am expecting God is not done with me yet.
So, in all likely hood I survived.

My heart had become quite a problem since the February heart attack.
My walking was limited to 120 feet on a good day,
Only five or six steps on bad days.
My lungs were continually filling with fluid,
The heart too weak to draw it off.
Monday in gym class they pulled me off the machines.
I could only do 90 seconds!
And mr heart rate was just a tick below a full on heart attack!

Yeah, I was whipped!

So, whatever they end up doing has got to be an improvement!

If it is an easy procedure, I will be out to day.
If it turns into open heart surgfery,
Well I will get back to you in a few weeks!

'til then ...

Emergency!

Sorry today's post has been pre-empted by a medical emeergency by my mother.
Some how, she broke the left hiunge of her jaw!
So, much pain,
Much surgery required,
Much pain for her to survive!

sigh

Four And Counting

Well, this past five days has seen me stricken by four heart attacks, one of significance.
sigh ....
Dang those  parental genes!
But, given I have out lived most of my male ancestors by 25 years now .......
sigh

So, much downtime.
rying to take it easy but....
Even loading the dishwasher was too much last night.

Too much TV, but then, what else can I do that will not raise blood pressure?

Been watching a Russian mystery show, Anna Detective.
But, I think it is really Annette Detective.
And the Russian is off from the Russian I cannot recall.
But, I understand the dialogue, which does not match the translation given!
Maybe there is more than one variety of Russian?
No idea.
But I know that the greetings and numbers are not as stated!

I have often thought of my great-grandfather Scott.
His father was fabulous rich due to the family distillery.
Sent to Oxford.
Doctorate in Theology.
And he utterly lost his faith ... from my perspective.

the 19th century saw the rise of "The German Higher Criticism".
Nothingt those attacking! more than taking scripture out of reference,
Twisting it to fit an atheistic viewpoint,
Then going back to prove the Bible is false.

Most the religious problems today,
Date back to garbage published in the 1860 - 1885,
And though discreditted by people with knowlewdge,
Those with another agenda hjust keep coming back with the same charges again the Bible!

And, the defense did discredit those charges at the time.
But you see, it is the defenders of the faith whom have the agends,
No those attacking!

So, though Europe had a strong God conscience,
It was hard for the average man, or woman,
To know whom or what to trust!
Arise Charles Darwin in this belief void, and the die was struck.
Which we still struggle under in Western society.

So, Great-grandfather Scott, although thoroughly immersed in Christian thought,
Turned to mysticism in his life.
True, today it would have been recognized as demkonism.
But, at the time, it was but cool things that seem to work!

And so Anna Detective, reflects.
A non-God centered view of everyday life and faith.
Obviously written by those with NO understanding of the 19th century Russian Orthodox faith!
So, it nibbles around the edges but is unable to deal with the trappings of orthodoxy!
The very basis of the Russian rural life is stripped out,
With nothing to replace it.

So, you end up with a Ghost Whisperer kind of shoe.
But, this one is interesting,
Dealing with issues as current, as they were 100 years ago!

I would recommend the show,
But I seriously doubt anyone,
Other than me would sit through it!

Not Too Bad

So the shock of having tubes in my neck is wearing off.
And actually they have made dialysis trendously easier!
Yeah, NO needles.
Oh, scratch that.
I had to have a new HEP B series and only needles would do!
WAAAAAH!

So, it is like I have a tou car stuck in my throat.
Can't talk above a whisper.
And everybody suddenly wants to talk to me!
Oh well,
Silent Kris ...

Blisters

Imagine my fun since Christmas with all of the heavy and hard I have had to do in the past two weeks!
And being handicapped both physically and by itching you would not believe!

Yeah, my body decided it was allergic to whatever the Bandaid adhesive is now!
Where ever one touches me, I breakout in huge blisters!
Tried differed brands, same results.
Even ones for sensitive skin!

But it is also true for all adhesives:
Medical tape
Silk tape
Paper tape
COBAN
COBAN for sensitive skin,
COBAN tape
COBAN tape for sensitive skin

In the meantime my access site to my viens for dialysis looks like a war zone!
And then, the ultimate insult.
Not just my,
But on Friday - my entire body!

Were it not for the size of the blisters, you would think I have shingles!
And they itch!
 h Lord how they itch!
And the blisters pop open,
And bleed,
And I can't put a Bandaid on them!

Oh Lord help me!
How I itch and scratch and there is no relief!

Well, I am going to go lean on a doorway and briskly scratch my back!

AAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!

Poor GG

Gaelic Girls recovery has gone exceptionally well.
Oh yes, tons of pain and swelling.
But, well enough she over did it Sunday night.

So, I am working on soming, when I hear a big crash!
Followed by a line of cursing you would not believe!
Yeah, well she is a gold miner's daughter.
And they can make the best sailor blush when they let loose!

So I hobble into the kitchen and she is entrapped by her walker and a pile of laundry!
This from someone whom was supposed to be in bed!

Yeah, she thought she could sneak doing soe washing of quilting fabrics!
Net result was more pain, more swelling, a pulled (if not torn) hamstring!
So off to the doctor today - because I have so much free time at this moment ....
grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!

I am hoping she gets lectured good over this latest stunt.
As her oldest friend said, "Yeah, well she is never one to not over do everything ..."

Prayer Request

Tomorrow, Gaelic Girl, undergoes a knee replacement!

She has suffered with a disintergrating knee for three years now.
Of course, she will not listen to me, so did nothing.
Now she can barely stand ...
So, 6 am Wednesday, I will be taking her in.

I do pray she does well and recovers easily.

In the meantime, I am trying to make the house clean enough for someone with a deep wound!
And she is of course fighting me over this.
She just refuses to understand!

Please keep her in prayer during the many weeks of recover she faces.
Thank you.

Waking Up

Halloween excitement has past, thank Heavens!
Not much of interest happened around here at all this year.
But, the political parties were out in such great numbers, they should have been trick or treating!
Washington is apparently a battleground state.
Socialist versus the last of the conservative groups.
If the socialist deal a death blow to the rule of Republican law and common sense, then welcome to California North!
Such is the price a nation pays when it turns its back on God.
Stay tuned, we are holding our breath!

I was able to take the weekend to actually pre-plan my future posts, for the first time since 2010!
Yeah, been reactionary mode for most of the decade.
Maybe some tiny part of my brain is working again?
Be nice if true!
I am so tired of not being able to THINK!

My son is getting more comfortable with his pending marriage.
They finally have taken care of their arrangement for the wedding.
We rented tuxes on Saturday.
My artificial foot caused a bit of frustration, as I wear a size 12 shoe.
But, we ended up with a size 15 in their shoe!
Getting it on again before the wedding is going to be interesting!
And I may well wear a clown nose to go with the canoes on my feet!
Twenty days more to go.

Met up with his son as well.
He was hateful towards me for the two hour visit.
But, when it was time to go, suddenly he was all tears and "loved" me.
Thank God I take rejection like rain off a duck's back!
I gave him a book about sea life and some gummi bears.
:)
I know what four year olds like.

How I wish his father would be in his life!
But, Ivan has always been super sensitive to any form of embarrassment.
And I am not so sure his to be bride is excited about him being a father ....
cough - cough - cough!

Gaelic Girl is getting ready for a knee replacement.
So your prayers are needed, December 4 is the day.
I am more nervous than her.
I am too aware of the problems which may arise.
She only sees all positives!
So, I get to prepare for her worst.
And with her lack of friends, guess who will be doing as much as possible!
Albeit that three days a week I am in dialysis and worthless for the rest of the day.
Gonna be interesting!

And of course how can I close without venting my frustration at the time change?
Beyond stupid.
Conceived of by power hunger politians.
Forced on the sheep, whom only follow.
But never think!
aaaaaaaaaaarrrrrrrrrrrgggggggghhhhhhhhhhh!
It has driven me crazy since I was old enough to understand what is going on.
Yeah, I was in second grade - 7 years old!
ARGH!

Many I know agree with me but like me they realize you can not wake up slumbering sheep!

Thinking of which - time for bed!

Heart Attack

Well two more last week, so, I am in for testing.
Of course, dialysis messes up everything.
So, it will be full day of needles.
As they attempt to induce twin heart failures.
This allows them to "see" how much more of the heart has died.
 All the while trying to keep me alive.
So as to maximize their findings.
And, my pain ...

It also means no transplant will be possible for my kidneys - for at least the next year!

Sigh.....
This does not fit well with MY plans!
LOL - sarcasm ...

 prayers appreciated ....

Cough-Cough

Air quality here in Seattle has hit quite bad!
That was the news, only news this morning!
Like any breathing creature could not spot this - just by taking a breath!

But I guess those Siberian fires are throwing up quite a bit of smoke!

So, burning eyes.
Breathing problems for evenpoeople with good lungs.
And really bad visibility.

I live by the airport and they are cancelling flights as there just is not sufficient visibility due to the "haze".
And traffic at the moment is crawling all over the Puget Sound basin.
Hope none of you need to get to work today!

But, the sunsets have been spectacular!
Bright red sun.
Mauve skies.
Gorgeous!

Of course, I wonder at what price is being paid by Siberia?
As if their lives are not hard enough as it is!

I really feel for those people.
Few people, massive stands of timber and few resources .....

good item for prayer

Paul

Back home Tuesday, I hunted down the cards for my adoptive father.
He lives about 6 miles away from here in Seattle.
A really brilliant Christian man and the reason why I adopted him.

My 15 years a way from Seattle,
Though back home were hard,
Because I missed him so much!

And though he would never say so to my face,
He missed me just as much!

I missed his birthday last week because I was too freaked out to drive still.
Sunday, I was still having PTSD problems, so no driving!
And no father's day card to the man whom has shaped my Christianity mightily!

So, I drove north.
The first six miles were exciting but I did well.
Then I hit a construction zone and it was all over!

I rested at a stop sign to regain my composure an metabolic function
Then creeped the final 2 miles to his house.
And such a house!!!!!

Of course, he is not home anymore.
Just a shell of a man.
I am not even sure he can read any longer.
He loved opening his cards though,
And giggled.

But his gift of a Whitman's Sugar Free Chocolate Sampler was a real hit!
NOM-nom-NOM!

It is so sad to see such a brilliant mind reduced to that of a child.
But, I am sure his mind is awaiting his arrival in Heaven!
So prayer is needed for his comfort and translation into the next life.
Sigh ...

I am not looking forward to that day.
I am pretty sure he is.
And he is at the same time frightened.
Another prayer concern.

And his poor wife,
In an expensive house,
In a family of vultures,
Where it will be me versus the vultures.
(that translates to trying to protect the wife from the older daughter!)
sigh .....

And then, I will be the one needing prayer!
 

Barbara

So, up bright and early Tuesday.
Slid on my leg.
Ate a hurried breakfast of croissants and jam.
Then off to the hospital to sit with Dan.
And 7 hours we interspersed prayer with discussions on politics, mineralogy, mining lore, climbing, etrc.

At each turn I was surprised to find we are very much alike!
Right down to Pentecostal backgrounds and reason for leaving the fold!
I was very stunned.
To say the least .....

At 2:00, it was over - Barbara weathered the surgery well.

The surgeon was upbeat and positive.
Dan was relieved.

And as I thanked God quietly.

Then out of nowhere I had a vision:
In the midst of my praise,
I saw another tumor ......

Nope, not superstitious no more.

Perhaps it is true for her,
Perhaps for another.
It made me physically sick ...

Back home, my daughter called and asked what I was up to.
So I told her.
She was real quiet, so I asked what was up.
"Uhm, Papa, that does not sound like you at all."

I smiled.
God had done quite a change to get me here.
God had done quite a change for her to know that!
I smiled again ...
After a little more conversation, hung up the phone.

Yes, God is still using me in little ways.
In the midst of an awful week, my soul was quieted.

South Africa

South Africa, as it exists today, is largely the product of ill educated Americans blackmailing and bribing to create what was supposed to be a democratic nation - in place of the white-centric totalitarian government those in power in America, wanted out!

Mind you, every time America has mettled in other countries politics - it has backfired.  But, never condemn the naively presumptuous for their continued optimism ..... their voters are not the ones being butchered.  And collateral damage is just that, a statistic!

Back in 1965, camping my way through Spain and into Portugal, I kept seeing the same faces - so finally had to ask whom they were.  They turned out to be a group of college students on vacation from South Africa.  Now South Africa was in the news quite a bit in the German news, so I took them straight into examination of very hard questions.  And they realized I was thinking my way through what I had read and heard.

I learned about the ill conceived policy of apartheid.  The politics of those in power and came to understand that these white young men were just as trapped by these policies as the native and immigrant populations were!  And the same could be said for the Rhodesians I met as well!

As history has shown, Rhodesia fell to a tribal based communist army and the bloodshed was appalling!  To this day, the white fortresses have successfully held off the entrenched army for decades.  And ever so often an enclave surrenders with guarantees of safe passage.  I have only heard of once that passage was not being given safety and both sides suffered appalling losses!

Of course this did not happen in South Africa, thanks in part to an iron fisted will of the President whom sought healing for the nation.  And this held for 25 years .... but now, the silent Christian ruler is dead and a tribal war is erupting as it did in Rhodesia.  You can call it anyway you want but it really boils down to pagans vs Christians.  You might remember how costly that battle was in Rome, certainly over 1,000,000 killed.  In Rhodesia, perhaps around 500,000 initially - many, many more across time.  Now South African Christians have been in a physical battle for a year!

Expect a mass exodus of up to 3,000,000 at first and another 5,000,000 casualties and escapees by end of next year.
Expect a bloodbath.

And note, it is not just whites being attacked, it is any Christian.  But, you really do not want to be white or mixed race at this time either!

So, powerless, I sit and listen, and contemplate the future of my grandchildren, as the world slowly turns upon Christians .....

Yet you, like I, are powerful if we would just get down on our knees and pray.
Seriously, it is time to take sides with prayer.
God can and does do wonders if we are just willing to ask according to His will in all matters.

War and Peace

Each of us unde3rwtands the concept of War and Peace, we each fight these in our own lives.

1. Worry or Pray?
 Is your prayer, your worrying outloud to God?
Worry is not trusting God.
Prayer - - - - - Worry - Where are you on this line?
Christian culture says this is not sin.
Bible says it is sin!
We worry over what we can not control.

1 Peter 5:2
Philippians 4:6
Key here is to have thanksgiving.


2. Allow God's peace to stand guard.
Stop worry and then V7: peace of God.
Cant't stop worry?
Then no peace is possible!