Evangelism Committee appropriate?

Maybe we need to make this prayer a part of the Evangelism Committee.

For the Lost: There are so many who do not know You, Lord, both far and near. Through pastors, missionaries, and faithful Christians, touch the hearts of the lost and the empty. Send the Holy Spirit to work godly faith that accepts You as the only Savior from sin. Fill me with an urgency for these lost ones, sharing the Word and supporting with prayers and offerings the witness work You have given me to do. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.
--Concordia Publishing House ( ). Portals of Prayer: January - March (Kindle Locations 1732-1735).  . Kindle Edition.


Along with this hymn:

copyright © 2000 Rev. Richard Jordan, used by permission

"O Christ, Our True and Only Light"  tlh-512
By Johann Heermann, 1585-1647

1. O Christ, our true and only Light,
Enlighten those who sit in night;
Let those afar now hear Thy voice
And in Thy fold with us rejoice.

2. Fill with the radiance of Thy grace
The souls now lost in error's maze
And all whom in their secret minds
Some dark delusion haunts and blinds.

3. Oh, gently call those gone astray
That they may find the saving way!
Let every conscience sore opprest
In Thee find peace and heavenly rest.

4. Oh, make the deaf to hear Thy Word
And teach the dumb to speak, dear Lord,
Who dare not yet the faith avow,
Though secretly they hold it now.

5. Shine on the darkened and the cold,
Recall the wanderers to Thy fold,
Unite all those who walk apart,
Confirm the weak and doubting heart,

6. So they with us may evermore
Such grace with wondering thanks adore
And endless praise to Thee be given
By all Thy Church in earth and heaven.

Hymn #512
The Lutheran Hymnal
Text: Luke 1:79
Author: Johann Heermann, 1630
Translated by: Catherine Winkworth, 1858, alt.
Titled: "O Jesu Christe, wahres Licht"
Tune: "O Jesu Christ, mein's"
1st Published in: Nuernbergisches Gesangbuch, 1676

 

What I'm reading today -January 28

Along with the writing group NaNoWriYe, I am reading Stephen King's "On Writing." I am enjoying his combination of autobiography and writing advice.  I need to reread this…  A bit more slowly.  I'm getting so distracted by the personal stuff, that his advice is sliding by me.

Texas Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped has loaned me Clive Cussler's "Black Wind." I have never read any of the Dirk Pitt novels, but I am having a blast with this.  It is perfect reading to go to sleep by…

Or not sleep by!

After the church's voters meeting, I decided to read Well-Intentioned Dragons: Ministering to Problem People in the Church by Marshall Shelley

Stephen King. Who knew?

Friends who have known that I wanted to write have often recommended "On Writing" by Stephen King.  For some reason, I had not gotten around to reading it.

I should have known that I would have liked it!

Early this year, I joined WriYe.  It is another group of writing folks are polishing their craft.  They have a sub-group at GoodReads called "WriYers Read Too." For January, we are discussing "On Writing." I got my version on Kindle.  It's a great read, even if you don't want to write.

The relationship between little Stevie King and his older brother reminds me of another book that I enjoyed, but can't recall the name of.  Texas State Library for the Blind and Physically Disabled sent me an audio book that was the memoirs of a guy who grew up in the twenties or thirties in Texas.  His older brother was Bedford, and he had earned the nickname of "Whoa. " Kathy laughed at that book until we hurt!

What do I write when I don't know what I want to write about?

After Daddy's Memorial Service, I'm having a bear of a time in getting back into the swing of things.  I know I'm supposed to have all sorts of things to do, I just can't decide what to do first.

To top it off, yesterday, Internet access and telephone was not working.  What was that all about?

I'm REALLY glad this kind of access is back!  The college where one of my nieces is going was under a block down because of a shooting.  She was away at Lunch, and her friends are OK, but without access to info, I would've been nutzoid it.

Still, I have managed to

1. Begin gathering information about great church Facebook pages


2. Start writing by 1500 word biography.


3. Start studying for this week's Sunday school lesson


4. Begin Designing my new joystick with the help of Keith Johnston, who used to run Great Bear Medical Equipment and Wheelchair Repair Services.  (I miss my favorite pet mad scientist!)


5. Waste time on Facebook

Catching my breath

I'm not really in the mood to post today.  I will, mind you.  If nothing else, I am practicing regular posting instead of waiting until I feel like it.

Besides, it is probably time for another cluster of random things that I find interesting.  Your mileage may vary.

• http://ohlife.com/  

I keep hearing about the benefits of journaling.  Writers are among the first that I've learned of how use this tool.  People who are working on emotional change seemed to benefit.  Gardeners…  People who love trying new recipes…  Pretty much everyone but me.  I'm already trying to start so many new habits, I don't need another one!  If I did, I might start here  http://ohlife.com/
Of course, before I started, I would ask about how Security Works.  Still, this sounds like it would work for me.  It is a journal and not a blog.  It is done via email instead of going to yet another website.  They e-mail a daily question, I answer when I feel like it.  RATS!  I'm almost talking myself into doing this!

Steadfast Lutherans posted an article, "When Life Throws You a Curveball" at http://steadfastlutherans.org/?p=26007
With the rash of friends and family facing real struggles right now, maybe it would be useful for me to share this more widely

• I liked Paul McCain's posting, "The Secret to Getting People to Come to Church—Shocking and Amazing!!" http://cyberbrethren.com/2013/01/11/the-secret-to-getting-people-to-come-to-church-shocking-and-amazing/
  It even suggests one simple tool.  It may not be as up to date as some of the things at http://www.internettoolboxforchurches.com/   , but it trusts God's Word to be Performative.

Daddy has entered Eternity

We got the phone call at 1:30 AM or so.  Daddy breathed his last.

I don't really know any of the plans yet.

Dad's entrance into eternity may be quite soon…

Keep Daddy in your prayers, please.  It looks like his time on earth is quite short.  The consensus is that he may not make it through the weekend.  His breathing is incredibly shallow.

I'm not really sure what else to say right now.

Daddy's Updates for Wednesday

I really did not know what to post yesterday.  Sometimes, saying nothing is the best thing.  Not that anything particularly bad was going on.  It's just that I did not know about anything really different to tell you.

Lori is spending more time with him again today.  Dad's brother and his wife visited.  (And maybe the key word might be visiting, but I'm not sure about anything at this point. )

They are moving Daddy to hospice today, if everything goes according to plan.  (I have never yet met a plan that entirely fell into place, sometimes they go better than anticipated.  Occasionally.  Usually they go a little bit worse. )

I'm finding lists of questions that I really wish I had been asking all my older relatives for the last 30-40 years.  For example, http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~lineage/famhist.htm

At least there are some others that I can still ask…

Dad is holding his own for now

When Leslie and I spoke, everything seems about the way it was yesterday.  I tried calling Mary to see if Dad was up for listening to a another "hello," but I do not think that the phone was working.  I will try again later.

I think he is trying to save his strength to make sure he has a good visit with Lori.

Since speaking is so difficult for him, we all have been trying to do the majority of talking.  We are trying to remember wonderful stories…  Reminding him of his place in our lives.

We're all also a little bit tired.  Memories aren't coming to the surface as easily and quickly…  SO…

If you remember one of the good events, can you remind me/us?  When I last checked, he is more than aware.  They can't really drain more fluid from his lungs, so breathing is really difficult -which makes the entire situation more frightening.  He seemed to welcome minor distractions for a few minutes.

Death sucks.  Still, loving someone as they move from time into eternity is a rigorous privilege.

Dad's Situation for Today

A few people have asked me to update things here, not everybody likes facebook.

Just a brief run through for those who missed some of the information.

1. December 10, Dad went to the Emergency Room.  He had awakened with difficulty breathing and pain in one shoulder.  Diagnosis: 3 pulmonary embolism…  Embolisms…  Emboli.  Whatever the plural of embolism is.  He went home after a few days and we thought that that was that. 
2. Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, he felt like his chest was a little tight.  His should have probably gone in to see somebody.
3. He went into one of those freestanding clinic/ER things.  They thought it was probably a bad case of pneumonia, started an IV, and got him into the hospital.
4. You don't really want the day by day and blow by blow, I think.  Cutting to the chase: cancer.  It is cancer of the prostate that has involved the lungs, spine, lymphatic system, and abdomen.
5. While he probably had symptoms earlier and wrote them off as "minor issues of getting older," I cannot convey how quickly things have moved since Christmas.  When we saw him yesterday, a few words send him into heartbreaking cough that lasts way too long.  If you know him and care about him, now would be a good time to tell him.
6. His pain is under control.  The face mask delivery for oxygen is turned up as high as it can go, and it really isn't enough.
7. Friday night and Saturday morning were rough enough that they suggested that any family probably wanted to be there this weekend.  His wife's children and grandchildren have been spending time.  Mom, I, and the Johnston crew spent about three HRS with him, drifting in an out of the room in small groups.  (After we all tried to fit in at once!)
8. He really rallied.  Don't get me wrong, this is serious.  We are not talking years or months…  Maybe not even weeks.  He just perked up for the visit.
9. Meanwhile, Lori was hard to get Ahold of until yesterday.  She has been teaching on an Air Force base in South Korea.  For Christmas break, she was on a tour of New Zealand.  She should be getting into town tomorrow evening.

My year of writing…

Most of my friends have heard me talk about National Novel Writing Month, and its spinoffs.  I have attempted it for several years, and technically won it this year.  The problem is that my grand opus is utterly worthless.  No, I'm not just saying that.  The novel that Johnny wrote in the movie, "The Shining" was better.  If I had randomly repeated letters, it would have been just as good.

BUT…  I still in the kernel of an idea that I want to attempt to do justice to.  I just know that 50,000 words in a month does not work for me.  Not in November.  Not in July or August for Camp Nano.

I found something that might provide a different framework.  It's an attempt to write a novel within a year. WriYe seems to allow a good kind of flexibility.  For example, in the able to begin my goals at a lower level and move up.  I'm starting at 50,000 for the year.  If that looks like it's too easy to reach, I can modify it.  If I get cocky and decide that I can do 250,000 words per year, after I attempt it and realize that I'm just being ridiculous, I can modify my goal at any time.

I don't have to adjust the finishing the first draft of the novel.  Novel planning counts towards the goal.  Short stories count.  Nonfiction books and articles count.

Blogging does not count, which is probably a good idea.

 

I will let you know how it works for me…

Happy New Year To You

I am having a wonderful beginning to this new year.  It is calm and quiet after the midnight volleys of the neighborhood firecrackers.  I did not hear any fire engines coming to the rescue, so maybe the neighborhood did not have a major disaster.

We have been having a soft and gentle rain of and on all day.  This is a good thing, we are creeping back into drought territory.  Plants and wildlife are thoroughly enjoying the precipitation.  Even in a suburb, and gentle rain is a blessing.

The news mentioned "fiscal cliff" a few too many times, so I went to SyFy Channel and watched old episodes of "The Twilight Zone. "

Spent time in God's Word this afternoon.  Talk about refreshment!

While I did not speak to Dad today, I got to talk to Mary.  She is…  Holding up for now.  This is the second time she has had to walk with her husband through cancer.  I don't really know when her first husband died, but she mentioned a resurfacing of waves of old emotions.

I set a few goals for the year.  I think I will use  http://chains.cc to help me term those dreams into daily habits.  They recommend sharing these goals with someone else, but I don't really feel like it. 

What is your favorite tool to help you achieve your goals and resolutions?  Feel free to share them.