Questions from the Mirror

Christian, in the tough times in your life, where do you dive into God's word to find reassurance and comfort from your Father?

Psalms...

The Gospels...

a particular epistle?

Right now, many Christians in America are getting their first taste of just a small iota of God's discipline. We (I will admit, myself included) have squandered our blessings and gifts. God, in his infinite kindness and mercy, is using this economic downturn to strip us from some of the false idols we worship... comfort, gluttony; and move us back to the position of being a servant to others.

As to my answer to the question above, I am seeking the Lord's wisdom and love in the book of Jeremiah. Seeing the discipline given to God's People back then and knowing that He will be there to support me at any time, if I keep turned towards him, has been a great comfort. Knowing that there is nothing outside of His control helps banish those fears and anxieties that relying on my abilities instead of relying on His tends to bring.

My prayer for you is that you heed God's word in these times, draw closer to Him and be ready to explain to others the reason for our joy when it seems like the world is falling apart around us.

This world is not our home, we have a better one waiting for us, hold fast to that Promise. Let us finish our jobs as ambassadors well, being guided by the Holy Spirit as we are conformed to the image of Christ, so that the Glory and Love of God is proclaimed to all.

Attack of the RSV

No, this is not a post regarding bible version wars… it’s about human respiratory syncytial virus.

Last Friday, Tabitha started getting a bit of a cough, considering the amount of dust and pollen in the air and the rest of the family (and county’s) issues with allergies, we did not think it was anything too bad. We kept her home, and ran the humidifier to help cut down on the dust and pollen in the house. By Monday however, this “innocent” little cough had turned into a horrible, gag inducing, phlegm-ball spewing illness. Denita had to call EMS out while I was at work to have Tabitha checked out.

By the time the EMTs had checked Tabitha out, her vitals were stable and she had calmed down. Denita called Tabi’s doctor first thing in the morning to setup a checkup for her. I got Tabitha to the doctor at about 2:00pm and her PulseOx reading was about 88%. They put her on an O₂ line and her PulseOx reading would go back up to 98%, but when the O₂ was taken away, her level would drop to 88% again. She also had a serious mucus buildup going on in her sinus cavities.

After a few breathing treatments and several attempts to remove the mucus with a bulb syringe, the pediatrician got the results back from the nose swab test… Positive for RSV.

For adults and older kids, RSV is just annoying, but for babies (especially those just over a month old), it can become life-threatening due to the mucus buildup leading to further complications like pneumonia. Tabitha’s pediatrician arranged transportation via EMS to Dell Children’s Hospital in Austin so there would not be any chance of her choking on mucus during the trip.

Thankfully, the infection had not reached the point of mucus getting into her lungs, so with just a lot of vacuum line work with her nose and overnight observation, Tabitha was able to return home Wednesday afternoon.

Since then, we have gotten some better air purifiers for the house (to cut down on the irritants in the air) and after just one hour of these things running, there was a noticeable difference to the air quality (in fact, I was actually getting a little light-headed from extra oxygen due to the fact that I was breathing easier than I probably had in years! [for those interested, the Therapure 201M is well worth the investment]).

Tabitha is now sleeping easier and able to keep down her food (Thursday, we almost had to take her back to the hospital because, while the mucus buildup was not as bad, she was still getting into coughing fits that would cause her to eject everything she had eaten). Things are slowly returning back to normal here at home. Tabitha will be confined to the house for a while as this virus runs its course. The doctor said that it might be 10 days or so before the mucus issue goes away, and it might be up to 6 weeks before the cough finally goes away.

Was it Really Just One Month Ago?

 

Fun with Digital Cameras

 With a slow shutter speed, you too can have Demon-possessed family members!

Can Anything Good Come out of Nazareth Hip-Hop?

For those out there that think that Hip-Hop is only evil, has nothing good to give to this world... take a listen to this young man:



One of the side effects of my recent fast was to awaken an even greater hunger for the Truth in my life. Especially in the things I listen to and watch.

Unfortunately, I have to say that I still find most modern, Christian themed music to be incredibly uninspired or lacking in creative talent.

Then, of all genres of music, I found Christian Rap!

Until just recently, I NEVER would have thought that I would like any rap song other than Anthrax's "I'm the Man". But listening to the Truth in the words of some of these rap artists (yes these guys actually do, through God's Grace, elevate rap to an art form), I am floored, and hooked.

The young man featured above is the rap artist Lecrae. What the Lord is doing in his, and other rap artists' lives is nothing short of awesome. Do yourself a favor, even if you do not like rap in the slightest, head on over to Reach Records or ReachLife Ministries and see the wonders of the Lord's power and Grace.

May the Lord continue blessing these Godly men in their mission to bring the Gospel of Christ to the inner cities.

The Problem with the Mountain

I don't have a lot of time right now, but Denita wanted me to post this thought I had soon after finishing my fast.

Many religions state that God is on the top of the mountain and that there are several paths to the summit, all eventually leading to God.

Problem: God is NOT on a mountain, He is in Heaven. The top of the mountain gives mankind a place above man's workings, to survey all of his works... but it is still below the view of all of God's workings.

God HAS to come down to meet mankind!

If God has to come down to mankind, then God must choose where to meet man... Christ Jesus.

Happy New Year!

 
I know New Year's Day is really just an arbitrary date, but having milestones in life help keep things in perspective. 2008 was a whirlwind ride for the family with blessing after blessing for us.

We had Denita's pregnancy and then Tabitha's arrival.

We had Denita's mom and my aunt and uncle being affected by Hurricane Ike. God provided strength for them to get through the worst times. Even though my family members are living in a FEMA trailer, still fending off looters, my aunt was able to visit her mother in New Braunfels for her 90th birthday celebration at Thanksgiving and was able to take the time to make a beautiful little dress as a gift for Tabi.

God continues to provide us support and love through the little church he brought us to.

And most importantly, God brought us closer together as a family, not just between Denita, Zane, Tabitha and I; but also bringing us closer to HIM as well.

May everyone realize that even in the worst of times, there are always blessings from God there to help us through the trials.

Happy New Year to all of you!

Recovering nicely

Well, Denita snapped back so quickly that we were able to head home yesterday afternoon!

We are starting to settle into the routine of things (Zane gets back today, so that will make things a tad busier).

A big THANK YOU to all of you who have passed on their congratulations. We appreciate the outpouring of love and kindness we have been receiving.

May all of you have a wonderful Christmas, and check back every now and again and we should have some more pictures.

More Pictures!

 

 

 

First Pictures!

 

 

 

 

Damn, that was QUICK!

Well, Tabitha decided that she did not want to wait for the "eviction notice".

Denita's water broke at 1am and we were at the hospital by 1:45am.

After just 4 hours of labor, Tabitha arrived at 5:20am weighing 8lbs. 9oz. and was 20.5in long.

Both Denita and Tabitha are fine. Tabitha came out a bit bruised, she started heading out face first but is healthy and fussy (she does not like the fact that her spa got drained without her permission.

Pictures will be forthcoming.

The Calm before the Storm

I had meant to post the latest picture of Tabitha much earlier than this, but things have been hectic/crazy around here as of late. Trying to get all of the prep work at home getting the house ready for Tabitha, dealing with two unplanned hospital visits (one for Zane and a massive asthma attack [he's doing fine, don't worry] and the other for heart palpitations with Denita [don't worry, she and Tabitha were fine]) and all the other things life brings has kept me a bit busy.

So before things get any more crazy, here is the latest Tabitha picture:

 

You just have to marvel at modern technology. Thank you God for gifting people with the smarts to figure out how to do this.

Things should be much more interesting for the family by this time tomorrow. We head in to Austin to the hospital at 5:30am Friday if Tabitha has not made an appearance by then, so labor can be induced. Denita's been in a lot of pelvis pain (nothing to worry about, just signs pointing to the fact that due to her age, Tabitha will probably be her last child through the natural process) and in case of any unforeseen complications everyone feels that it would be safer for all involved to take care of things before the hospital goes to a low-staff schedule for the holidays.

I'll have cameras and the laptop with me, so if the hospital is WiFi equiped, we might liveblog for a bit. Else, expect an update Sunday or Monday depending on when she's released from the hospital and how everyone is feeling.

Until then, MERRY CHRISTMAS! And remember, Christmas is not at all about the gifts we give and it certainly is not about a fat guy in a red suit, it's about the greatest gift ever given... the fulfilled Promise of God through Christ Jesus.

Things will be quiet for awhile

Ever since coming to Christ last year, I have been pouring myself into studying God's Word. Drowning myself in the Word has been surprisingly easy for me... or so I thought.

In the past few months one thing has become clearer to me and has become a burden I want and need to rid myself of.

This burden is the knowledge that Christ is not sufficient for me currently... Each day I become more and more aware of the fact that there are unnecessary things that I still feel controlling me. I get these feelings that I need, or worse, HAVE to do something to be happy. These are idolatrous hooks of my past life that I must nail to the Cross, lest they rise up and consume me.

These warring idols in my life mostly relate to entertainment that takes up too much of my thoughts and time. The deeper I dive into the Living Water, the more I realize that my time is NOT mine, it belongs to Christ. He has bought me with a price, and it is time that I start following him instead of salivating like a trained dog when something "cool and geeky" comes my way.

So, you may ask, what does this all mean?

Well, for a season, it means some spiritual fasting for me. This is going to be extremely difficult, but it is something Christ is calling me to do. What he has called me to do is to give up all of my entertainment for awhile... every bit of it.

Starting on October 31st (What better day than Reformation Day to start?) I will only rely on God's Word for satisfying those needs for "entertainment" that I feel. I am vowing to search out the hooks of idolatry in my heart that remove Christ from his rightful place in my life. Until I travel from start to finish in the Bible and Christ turns these "needs" into just things I can do, free from any feelings of compulsion, I will be parting ways with all of my other books, my websurfing (blog posting included), my music, my games and anything else I just "occupy time" with.

The only exceptions will be a once daily check of email (in case family and friends are trying to contact me), Tabitha updates here and time spent with Zane. This is a personal fast and it would be wrong to force this upon Zane.

Denita has also agreed to join me in this, so please be in prayer for her as well. This will be a difficult trial, but both of us believe that this is needed for our spiritual health.

For those interested, here are some passages that have been weighing upon me that turned my thoughts to this fast: Luke 14:25-35, Matthew 6:19-24, Romans 6:1-23, Romans 8:12-17, Romans 12:1-21, James 1:19-27, James 3:1-18, James 4:1-12, Ephesians 4:17-32, Philippians 3:17-21

Sometimes Morbid Curiosity Should NOT be Indulged

Being a kid of the 80's, I hate to admit it, but I was a fan of some horrible TV shows.

When I heard that a moldy-oldie was being re-made, I thought it could not manage to be as cheesy/bad as the original was.

Boy was I ever wrong. I never thought I would say this... but BRING BACK THE HASSELHOFF! I'll take the horrible hair... At least the original had a few plots that could be followed. Who is writing this drivel????

I really don't get how this piece of horribly acted and filmed crap is getting 4 stars on Hulu... it boggles the mind. It really says something when I am longing for the 80's again.

*SHUDDER*

More Free Resources

When will the free resources stop?!? My poor laptop cannot handle much more and a larger HD is out of the picture right now.

For those who might be interested, I ran across another Original Language study page.

You have to sign up for an account, but it's free and will allow you to save personal notes to go along with your studies. This will be a great way to continue my studies while at work.

The "Listen to this Chapter" feature contained a wonderful surprise... links to a free, downloadable Audio Greek New Testament!

John Simon (from Austin, TX) has been recording the Greek New Testament, Latin Vulgate and part of the Hebrew Old Testament and is offering them as free downloads (MP3s encoded to 160 kbps).

Greekbiblestudy.org has the GNT either as individual files or one whopping 1.2 GB file through the "Listen to this Chapter" feature (Acts 21-28 are missing).

John's site has the missing chapters from Acts (except for 28, it is still a work in progress), plus the Latin and Hebrew files.

To make room on my iPod and computer, I downgraded the encoding to 32 kbps AAC and it still sounds great (and takes up less than 1/5 the space).

I just HAD to share this one!

Being geeks, we enjoy all things "Old School" Star Wars (don't get me started on any of the newer crap). A webcomic we visit regularly recently had a VERY cool joke on the Empire Strikes Back, and the author was kind enough to post the last panel as a wallpaper.

 

My inner-geek would not allow this great picture to languish alone in the web, and it commanded me to grace the laptop with it's "Butt-Slapping Awesomeness" (maybe it was just a "Jedi mindtrick").

The humor apparently was just starting with this image though... It looked great on the laptop, and then Denita borrowed the computer and when I rebooted, I came back to see this:

The placement for Digsby could not have been more perfect if I had tried. Denita almost fell over laughing when she saw this!

Thanks O, for a great comic!

Say Hello to the Kiddos

Yea! Denita was able to find the new sonogram pictures of Tabitha! So here is the first one:
 

Thought I'd throw in a newer picture of the Zane-Monster as well.
 


Further details and pictures to come...

Questions from the Mirror

Christian, when does the watering down of medicine become poison?

There is but one medicine that everyone in this fallen world needs, the Gospel given to us by Jesus Christ. This Good News allows us to be reconciled to a Holy God we have infinitely offended with our sins.

There are too many "teachers" these days who present God and Christ through the lens of "feeling", rather than from the truths of the Bible.

Christian, are you willing to contend for the Gospel (Jude 3-16), or will you sit still while Satan blinds pharmacist after pharmacist, diluting the message of the blood of Christ, until it is as useful as Kool-Aid for salvation and reconciliation?

Analog issues

I know I promised pictures and an update on the baby, but the ultrasound pictures have disappeared.

So, until the new pictures show back up (or we get some of those cooly-cool "4D" pictures), I present you with the same picture as before, but with a twist...

 

Everyone, meet Tabitha Charis [insert last name here]!

Hopefully the newer pictures will surface soon (we have no clue what happened to them). In them you would be able to see that she has her daddy's chin and apparently her daddy's legs as well. Even the doctor was commenting on how long her legs were.

Zane was upset about not having a baby brother. He looked at us when we first told him Denita was pregnant and stated, "You WILL have a boy, and his name WILL be Max". He then spent about two months telling stories about how he and Max would play together. After a little talk, he got over his disappointment and agreed to being the protective big brother to a little sister (no bad BioShock jokes please).

And Now I Shall Rant

RANT. RANT. RANT. RANT. RANT. RANT. RANT. RANT. RANT. RANT. RANT. RANT. RANT. RANT. RANT. RANT. RANT. RANT. RANT. RANT. RANT. RANT. RANT. RANT. RANT. RANT. RANT. RANT. RANT. RANT. RANT. RANT. RANT. RANT. RANT. RANT. RANT. RANT. RANT. RANT. RANT. RANT. RANT. RANT. RANT. RANT. RANT. RANT. RANT. RANT. RANT. RANT. RANT. RANT. RANT. RANT.

Sorry... it's been one of those weeks at work.