Bob Seager sang:
"Yeah, I'm gonna tell my tale, come on..."
yeah he did...
I had not more than got done with:
Thursday, July 9, 2026
"If you are a preacher
(or anybody that confesses Christ actually)
and you are not comfortable with:
"present your bodies a living sacrifice,
which is your reasonable service."
Then you aint got no business
being one to start with.
PERIOD.")
and a few hours later I was in bed
on my back for
three straight days.
Nobody on this earth ever gets to tell me
Spiritual Affliction
isn't a thing.
I've just experienced it
way to many times,
I know better.
I honestly thought it was the flu
or maybe pneumonia, symptoms seemed to match up
and I had been congested for a while, coughing up "crud"
just feeling lethargic no where near the amount of energy
that I have regularly
etc. Even being older these days lol.
I had even commented at church that I was feeling better
after the last round of antibiotics
a week or two previous.
Anyway, I laid around for a while
and finally on Saturday I felt well enough to get enough food in me
to finally take some aspirin to try and break the fever.
It worked...or so I thought.
I woke up and my shirt was like
I had just jumped in a swimming pool with it on.
I felt a lil better etc,
I specifically remember thinking:
"Well I can work on...."
Voice says:
"Child, rest."
Lil while later when I am bored to tears
after having been laying around for so long:
"Well, x,y,z wouldn't be to strenuous"
Voice again:
"Child, rest."
Lil while later lol,
you know how us men can be lol:
"Well I can..."
Voice this time said something different:
"You just took a really big hit.
Rest now,
and come back stronger later."
After that message?
There was no more:
"Well I feel good enough to x, y, z..."
I had got the point by then lol.
And I dont really remember if that
was Saturday or Sunday
I just remember what was said, mainly:
"You just took a really big hit."
But I felt like okay, I'll make it, I'll wait till Monday when things are slow, I'll have honey take me to go get tested for the flu down at the Hospital here nearby, I'll get my swab, get my Theraflu script, go get a few things from the store, applesauce, Jello, Gatorade etc, come back home and finish the recovery process.
Well...
Needless to say
It didnt quite go like that lol.
They got me in a room at the ER Monday
and I told honey:
"Why dont you go ahead and go get the stuff from the store and when you get back hopefully I'll have my script and we can just go to the pharmacy and go on home. She agreed it made sense and left to go get the items from the store.
I've been diagnosed as immunodeficient for some 20 + years now. They said when I was diagnosed I could count on a 20% reduction in life span. 72 years old x 20% = 14.4, so 14 years less than your average individual. I'm 61.
I should have been dead by 58.
(It's kinda why I dress like I do and don't much mind waht anybody says or thinks about me and why I enjoy doin 80+ MPH with only 8 square in of rubber touching the road with two gallons of gas between my legs, dragging pegs through corners etc, Not not near as frequently these days but hey? if you are going to go? Go doing something you love.
)Anyway(s), I am in the ER room by myself, the doctor comes in and says:
"Have you had any history of kidney problems?" "I had some stones a few years back." "Thats not what I am talking about" he says, "Have you had any problems with kidney function? Are you diabetic etc?" "No..." But now my mind is racing cause this aint exactly looking like get a swab and a script and go home at this point, and the DR says, and I will never forget it:
"Your kidney function is barley
a notch above dialysis at this point."
"Gulp."
It is one thing to be ready to go, it is quite another to stare it straight in the face. "It just jumped out at me as something is wrong, there's more test yet, let me look at them and I'll be back."
Honey says she was there for some of that, TBH?
As incoherent as I was?
I really don't remember but I don't think she was there when he said:
"Your kidney function is barley
a notch above dialysis at this point."
He came back later and the diagnosis was
a urinary track infection,
that had led to dehydration,
(I thought I was doing good staying hydrated,
I had drank a gallon of Gatorade on Sunday etc.)
led to low blood pressure,
along with a
slight case of pneumonia in one lung
and eventually
for all practical purposes,
kidney failure.
("a urinary track infection led to..."
There are parts of my anatomy
that feel better now
than they have in years,
not really sure why that would be
but I do have an idea:-)
This is a local lil hospital, they are not equipped for everything
when he came back and gave the diagnosis
he said some things
that were very interesting:
"You are lucky,
the admitting doctor today
just happens to be a kidney specialist
and he and I both agree
we think this is something we can fix here,
with some fluids and some antibiotics over a day or two
and if not we may have to readmit you somewhere else."
Here is the part that shocked me
HE SAID:
"Your body did a good job keeping this back.
You have been sick for a while
it could have been very worse."
All of the sudden:
"You just took a really bit hit.
Rest now,
and come back stronger later."
Made a lot more sense.
Now I wish I had been a lil more coherent
(I hadn't hardly
ate in like four days by this point)
I would have asked him:
"How long do you mean exactly?"
And "How is that even possible?
Sine my white blood cells
don't even recognize infection?"
I had just been on
two different rounds
of antibiotics
for a URI a week or two previous
(pretty common occurrence for my condition)
I was a lil incoherent to say the least,
off to the room, IV drip for two solid days continuous
in one arm
and Liquid Antibiotics
(two different kinds)
off and on in the other.
Two IV's, one in each arm,
EKG electrodes stuck on my chest.
Gud times lol.
Thank goodness Honey came and kept me company all we really did was nap and cut up like normal as best we could etc. But still...I kept thinking: "What if this was a few years ago? And you were still living in the garage? How would this be playing out right now? Honey always says:
"God told me to help you,
so thats what I am doing."
Thank goodness.
Kidney function improved and the second day the Dr said he was encouraged, I asked, "Can I go home today?" He said "You want to?" I said, "Oh yeah". He said we will start working on getting you out of here, still got a few more fluids and an IV to get in you.
I was released and came home and have been gathering back my strength,
drinking plenty of water to flush out kidneys etc.
So were getting there :-).
All thanks be to god.
Had some follow up appointments to go to, one with my primary care physician to check kidney function a few days later and another with a kidney specialist to make sure no lasting damage was done etc
I had the dates all wrong lol.
We (Honey and I)
went to my Primary care Dr
a day before we were supposed to.
That morning I told honey:
"I want my Mexican fix,
I want my pastor tacos
and I want my beans and rice."
So we go to the Dr.
he hadn't got the paperwork from the hospital
he looked at the papers we brought with us and says:
"You're not supposed to be here till tomorrow.
Just come back then and all we have to do is get some blood for labs, don't even make an appointment just come in whenever."
So thats what we did
but in going over everything that had happened
he also said something very interesting as well:
"The antibiotics I recently had you on
should have caught
the urinary track infection."
And he said it with a perplexed look on his face.
I just looked at him in the eyes and said:
"I'll just put it this way,
I am a firm believer in Spiritual Affliction."
And pretty well just left it at that.
We went back the next day, got the work done etc.
But? The day we went that was a day early?
WE WENT AND I GOT MY PASOR TACO FIX LOL
(and my beans and rice)
Thing was?
One of my co-workers
at the Mexican restaurant?
(I helped them open and still fill i on occasion
helping wash dishes)
(Thats somebody's elses pic btw)
When I make my own?
I double up on the tortillas,
so that there are two for each taco.
There is a cantina down the road
and thats how they do theirs.
Its a good idea as the meat is marinated, juicy etc and after they have sat for a minute when you eating them the tortilla gets saturated and falls apart, so I double it up, problem fixed.
One time,
I had said something to one person
about liking them that way
and that was it.
I had never ordered any
and had them come out doubled up
with the corn tortillas.
Never. Not once
and its not like my buddy's the cooks
know how I make my own lol,
they are to bust doing other things
than watch me make my own food when I do lol.
My friend who it was her last day?
She didnt know I make my own
doubled up with extra tortillas.
Before we even left the house
I was thinking:
"Man I wanna tell them to double it up
but with the language barrier and all,
I just don't even wanna bother
I'll just use a fork and pick up what ever falls out
like always etc.
Take a guess
how my Pastor tacos came out?
Yeah...
Doubled up with corn tortillas
just like I like and wanted,
I didnt say a thing to anybody about it
they just came out like that.
Pointed it out to honey.
She just smiled.
She knew what was up.
So?
They might have changed
and started doubling up on the tortillas
for their Pastor street tacos
but somehow
I just don't think that was the case.
:-) :-) :-) :-) :-)
Queue the Bishop:
"There are no accidents or coincidences
in this faith, everything happens for a reason."
I was supposed to go to the doctor on the wrong day
so I could go tell my friend/coworker good luck
with her schooling relocating etc...
The tacos coming out how I wanted
without ever saying anything to anybody
was just a bonus.
THIS IS EXACTLY
HOW GOD WORKS.
Every lil coincidence
everybody ever had ever
was never a coincidence,
it was never:
"The universe is conspiring to...
blah blah blah..."
If you don't know what
you are looking for?
You will never find it.
And that is my tale of:
'Upon afflictions and corn tortillas..."
And to the mockers and the doubters
and the scoffers?
We had exactly
the same thing happen
(Spiritual affliction)
THE VERY DAY
we finished with
"The Noah to New Earth Series."
Thursday, October 12, 2023
Notes From Noah to New Earth series
Infection showed up in my leg.
It took close to six moths
before it finally healed up:
(It got way worse than that,
it was almost to the bone at one point
and almost made a complete circle around my leg.
Thats when the PA sent us to the ER
and two bags of liquid antibiotics
before it started healing up.
Which was still a lengthy process.
To quote Bono:
"It's hard convincing the guy living a miracle
that they cant happen."
I shouldn't have been here
some three years ago.
Instead?
At that time?
I was living in a garage.
Psalm 121:1-2
A song of ascents.
I lift up my eyes to the mountains—
where does my help come from?
2 My help comes from the Lord,
the Maker of heaven and earth.
Where does your help come from?
See also:
Thursday, August 4, 2022
Affliction:
Hardships and Trials
Afflictions
A) Visited upon:
Israel in Egypt...
Gen. 15:13
And he said unto Abram, Know of a surety that thy seed shall be a stranger in a land that is not theirs, and shall serve them; and they shall afflict them four hundred years;
Samson by Philistines....
Judg. 16:5, 6
The rulers of the Philistines went to her and said, “See if you can lure him into showing you the secret of his great strength and how we can overpower him so we may tie him up and subdue him. Each one of us will give you eleven hundred shekels of silver.”
So Delilah said to Samson, “Tell me the secret of your great strength and how you can be tied up and subdued.”
David by God..
Ps. 88:7
Your wrath lies heavily on me;
you have overwhelmed me with all your waves.[a]
You have taken from me my closest friends
and have made me repulsive to them.
I am confined and cannot escape;
my eyes are dim with grief.
I call to you, Lord, every day;
I spread out my hands to you.
Judah by God..
Lam. 3:33
For he does not willingly bring affliction
or grief to anyone.
Israel by the world
Ps. 129:1, 2
“They have greatly oppressed me from my youth,”
let Israel say;
“they have greatly oppressed me from my youth,
but they have not gained the victory over me.
The just by the wicked
Amos 5:12,
For I know how many are your offenses
and how great your sins.
There are those who oppress the innocent and take bribes
and deprive the poor of justice in the courts.
Heb 11:37
They were put to death by stoning; they were sawed in two; they were killed by the sword. They went about in sheepskins and goatskins, destitute, persecuted and mistreated—
Christians by the world.....
2 Cor. 1:6
If we are distressed, it is for your comfort and salvation; if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which produces in you patient endurance of the same sufferings we suffer.
B.) Design of, to:
Show God's sympathy....
Is. 63:9
In all their distress he too was distressed,
and the angel of his presence saved them.[a]
In his love and mercy he redeemed them;
he lifted them up and carried them
all the days of old.
Make us seek God ...
Hos. 5:15
Then I will return to my lair
until they have borne their guilt
and seek my face—
in their misery
they will earnestly seek me.”
Bring us back to God
Ps. 119:67
Before I was afflicted I went astray,
but now I obey your word.
Humble us .
2 Chr. 33:12
In his distress he sought the favor of the Lord his God and humbled himself greatly before the God of his ancestors.
Purify us...
Is. 48:10
See, I have refined you, though not as silver;
I have tested you in the furnace of affliction.
C. In the Christian's life:
A means of testing ...
Mark 4:17
But since they have no root, they last only a short time.
When trouble or persecution comes because of the word,
they quickly fall away.
A part of life..
Mat. 24:9
“Then you will be handed over to be persecued and put to death,
and you will be hated by all nations because of me.
To be endured.
2 Tim. 4:5
But you, keep your head in all situations endure hardship,
do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry.
Part of Gospel.
1 Thes. 1:6
You became imitators of us and of the Lord,
for you welcomed the message in the midst of severe suffering
with the joy given by the Holy Spirit.
Must not be moved by...
1 Thes.3:3
so that no one would be unsettled by these trials.
For you know quite well that we are destined for them.
Commendable examples of..
2 Tim. 3:11
persecutions, sufferings—what kinds of things happened to me in Antioch, Iconium and Lystra, the persecutions I endured. Yet the Lord rescued me from all of them.
Brief duration...
2 Cor. 4:17
For our light and momentary troubles
are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.
Sometimes intense...
2 Cor. 1:8-10
We do not want you to be uninformed, brothers and sisters, about the troubles we experienced in the province of Asia. We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired of life itself. Indeed, we felt we had received the sentence of death. But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead. He has delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us again. On him we have set our hope that he will continue to deliver us,
Must be shared...
Phil. 4:14
Yet it was good of you to share in my troubles.
Cannot separate from God....
Rom. 8:35-39
Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? As it is written:
“For your sake we face death all day long;
we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.”
No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Deliverance from, promised ...
Ps. 34:19
The righteous person may have many troubles,
but the Lord delivers him from them all;
Need prayer in.
Jas. 5:13
Is anyone among you in trouble? Let them pray.
Is anyone happy? Let them sing songs of praise.
Terminated at Christ's return...
2 Thes.1:4-7
Therefore, among God’s churches we boast about your perseverance and faith in all the persecutions and trials you are enduring.
All this is evidence that God’s judgment is right, and as a result you will be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you are suffering. God is just: He will pay back trouble to those who trouble you and give relief to you who are troubled, and to us as well. This will happen when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven in blazing fire with his powerful angels.
Remind me again about how the Body of Christ wont have to endure the Tribulation?
That its just not indicative of Gods character?
That we just don't need:
To be made to seek God
To be Brought us back to God
To be Humbled
We don't need to be purified
We don't need to be tested
We don't need to endure
Ready yo.
Anybody in the world wants to go first and give their endorsement of the pretribulation rapture of the church and I will gladly follow you with my defense of the post-tribulation argument.
(It only took about 90 minutes the last time I prepared and practiced it :-).
People know how to get ahold of me.
I'll go right now just like I am.
(excuse the pun :-).
Anybody
anytime
anywhere,
minimal prep time.
I'm just getting warmed up...
I love you baby :-).
TTYS
Also see:
Tuesday, February 21, 2023
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