Spiritual Sundays - Dead Without Deeds





Sunday again? Wow! Time goes really, really fast! But this is the best time of the week, when we look forward to this gathering at this special place called Spiritual Sundays. Thank you sisters Charlotte and Ginger for always inspiring us and hosting this great site! For other encouraging posts, or even to join in, please visit Spiritual Sundays. God bless.


“Did you go to a mandown while I was eating?” asked a co-worker when she came back from her break.

“Yes. But Nurse Inglish [not real name], thank God, waited and ended up going to where I was to help me out,” I replied.

“I’m so sorry. I could have helped you…only if I was listening to the radio traffic,” she uttered.

“You mean, you’re not listening? That’s okay if you can’t help me out. But it’s very important that you should be listening to the radio traffic all the time. You just never know if there’s an emergency or maybe a call for our safety,” I stated.

Nurse Inglish who helped me, didn’t need to do that as she was assigned to another unit of the prison. She heard that there was someone having a seizure in one unit and saw me rushing out toward the hallway, with the emergency bag hanging from my shoulder, my own stethoscope, dangling around my neck. My small radio sticking out from my left pocket.

“I’ll stand by. Call me, Rcubes if you need help, okay?” she hollered.

“Okay, thanks,” I hurriedly replied.

The man was unresponsive for a good 10 minutes. Obviously, he bit his tongue as dried blood was noticeable on his upper and lower lips. He was dazed, with a deep kind of snore. My priority was to preserve his airway at that time. But I had asked the deputy to call for an ambulance immediately anyway as he was not responding.


I didn’t call Nurse Inglish for assistance. She heard the radio call herself, and dashed immediately toward that unit. She came and helped me by trying to start the IV as I went to the computer to check the man’s medical records and initiated the paper work that would be sent out to ER.

It was the nurse on the break that was supposed to be helping me. Because we were both working in the Infirmary that night. But she wasn’t listening to the radio calls. How could she help me if she wasn’t listening in the first place?
 
Words without actions are dead. God clearly explained it through James. From James 2:14-26, NIV:

“14What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him? 15Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. 16If one of you says to him, "Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed," but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it? 17In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.

18But someone will say, "You have faith; I have deeds." Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by what I do.

19You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder.
20You foolish man, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless? 21Was not our ancestor Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? 22You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did. 23And the scripture was fulfilled that says, "Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness," and he was called God's friend. 24You see that a person is justified by what he does and not by faith alone.


25In the same way, was not even Rahab the prostitute considered righteous for what she did when she gave lodging to the spies and sent them off in a different direction? 26As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead.”

Why Me?



I was there in that dark and lonely, small room, contemplating to end my life. The year was sometime in 1990. Being away from my family for 4 years at that time, with nowhere to go to, trapped in a nightmare that I never expected, my tears were flowing endlessly. I was pleading for some divine intervention, that at that time, I wasn’t sure if there was. Until He made it known that He was true. That He heard me. As I wept and told Him my problems, I asked for forgiveness and wanted Him to direct my life.

Weeks later, He gave me a way out with the ordeal I was facing.

I didn’t want to tell my loving parents back home, because I didn’t want them to worry about me. Nor did I want for their relationship with my uncle soured. My uncle [my mother’s first cousin] helped me to come here through adoption. He said only to help me out so I could take Nursing here. The kindness he showed when he was in our country was not the same when I got here. He loved me more than his own children. But along with that, came a character that was difficult for me to understand. He didn’t want to let me go. He didn’t want me to open bank accounts. He didn’t want me to open any credit accounts.

I was confused. Yet, he wanted me to call him “dad” and my aunt “mom”. I was grateful for the treatment he gave me as if I was his own kid. I worked so hard. I woke up early to help clean the house. I studied hard. I worked part time so I didn’t need to ask for money as much as possible. My own biological father and some of my own siblings were sending me financial support at times. But he was upset about that.

I found solace when I was at work, the opposite, when I should be tired and should long to be home, resting on bed. But I would rather stay at work. Every time I would be near his house as I went home, it felt like my heart was being pricked with so many, many thorns.

I couldn’t take it anymore. I wanted my own place. I wanted out. And it was that night that I surrendered to Someone I had ignored for so long…

Tonight, as I was praising the Lord with the songs He put into my heart, I saw this song I had composed back in September 20, 2005. At that time, looking back at what transpired after that night, I now know, that the Lord did give me a way out! He took me out of that trap and “freed” me…I didn’t deserve that. But that is His nature: unconditional love, endless forgiveness. Here is the song I wanted to share with you. To God be the glory!

Why Me?

I bent my knees at the stillness of the night
Cried out my heart with tears from my eyes
I’m all alone in Your presence
I felt the warmth of Your love

Chorus:

[spoken: I had to ask/A sinner like me]…Why me, Lord, why me?
I turned my back on You but You still accepted me
Why me, Lord, why me?
Your love and grace came pouring down…..on me…

And right there I died but I’d be proud to say
Christ….now lives in me
I’m never alone for You’re always in my heart
Your faithful love carries me…

[Repeat Chorus]

Why me?

Discernment



I just walked into the Clinic to start my shift, when one of the LVN’s approached me and asked me if she could confide with me and ask for my opinion at the same time.

“Rcubes, I was passing evening meds in this particular unit. I called for an inmate’s name. This man came and opened his hand and he took the pills really fast as I asked him to show his ID. He already swallowed it when I realized it wasn’t the inmate that I wanted.”

“What meds did you give?” I asked.

She told me it was for seizure. I told her it shouldn’t hurt him not unless, he would be allergic to those meds. But she should take his vital signs and record what happened anyway in the nurse’s notes. In case that man later on, decided to say something against her, her notes would back her up. He shouldn’t have taken the meds anyway because she was calling another inmate’s name.

“I got upset with him. I told him, why did you show up when you knew it was not your name?” she added.

“It’s too late now,” I replied. “They are that way. You can’t trust them to do the right thing because they always want something from you.”

“I know you have good intentions. And in your busyness when you’re passing thousands of meds to these inmates, sometimes, it’s hard to keep track of what you need to do. You’re trying to do a good job and I know you are a great nurse. But there comes a time that only one inmate will be your downfall because of their crazy ways.”

Fortunately, the inmate turned out to be okay and was in no harm. Yet, the LVN, feeling comfortable with what I told her, still put him up for the doctor to be checked out to make sure that he would be completely okay.

Her only fault…she failed to check the inmate’s ID before even giving the pills.

“Be careful…be very careful next time even if something goes chaotic. Focus on what you need to check before you give out these meds. Like what I said, I know you. You‘ve been a great nurse here and focus on keeping that good job. Learn from that mistake,” I advised.


Discernment….The dictionary says it means “keenness of insight and judgment.” In our spiritual life, we also need spiritual discernment. It is calling on the Holy Spirit to lead or give direction about a matter. It’s more than a learned skill. Spiritual discernment is a gift from God. Yet, we use our skills or gifts in which the Spirit can work through to help us discern rightly.

We can be knowledgeable with the Scriptures, but some of us are not willing to be taught by the Spirit. In doing so, we are not learning discernment. We are not seeking the truth. What good is that knowledge if we are not willing to surrender to the leading of the Spirit? How can we discern evil from good, if we rely on our own judgment?

It’s only by His grace that we are able to do that.

Like in the jail, we all follow protocols in many skills that we have to do. Same thing when it comes to discerning God’s will. It’s not only for me. It includes you, all of you, the church.

“Lord, I’m sorry for my sins. I’m sorry for not trusting in You sometimes and I just feel so good that I can do everything on my own. Well, that’s not true. We are nothing without You. Help us Lord in everything that we do. That in everything we do, think or say will glorify none but You. Please give us spiritual discernment, Oh Lord. To know the evil things and not be a part of them. Thank You Lord. In Jesus’ Name. Amen”

"God never gives us discernment in order that we may criticize, but that we may intercede." - Oswald Chambers

"Discerning and acting on God's will does not mean you'll never have difficult days or feel lousy sometimes. But choosing to live in alignment with God makes you more joyful, compassionate, and peaceful, even on bad days." - Debra K. Farrington

More of Jesus let me learn
More of His holy will discern;
Spirit of God, my teacher be
Showing the things of Christ to me.
------ ('More About Jesus', EE Hewitt, 1915)

Sharing Faith




“I told the deputy when I got here that I needed to see the nurse because I was pregnant. But she didn’t let me,” spoke a young inmate with an upset tone.

She was complaining of spasms on her lower abdomen. I told the unit to send her down to Infirmary so I could test her for pregnancy and determine what was wrong.

“Usually, inmates complaining of lower abdominal pain don’t drink lots of water. So, I’m going to ask you, how much water do you drink?”

“Honestly, since I got here….None!”

“If you’re able to give me a little sample of your urine, I’ll test it for pregnancy and even a simple urinalysis because maybe you’re coming down with UTI [Urinary Tract Infection].”

Only a few drops were visible with the small cup she handed back to me. It was very dark, obviously concentrated urine. Just enough. For pregnancy tests. Being careful not to waste even a drop, I slowly put some on the test strips. Few seconds later, both lines, one red and one blue became visible meaning it was positive for pregnancy.

After taking her vital signs and asking her more about pregnancy history, I set her up to see the doctor that morning. I started her prenatal vitamins and other things she was supposed to have to make sure that she had a follow up care. She was so thankful that I had seen her and did not turn down her request, as it was not really an emergency.

“Drink! Lots and lots of water….Maybe that’s all you need…Water…I‘ll have you be seen by our doctor in just a few hours when he gets here. Okay?”

Smilingly, she replied, “Yes, Ma’am. I will. Thank you.”

When I went back to work that night, I reviewed her chart to see what was done by the doctor. During that sick call, she denied the abdominal pain and actually had told the doctor that she started feeling better after I saw her. There was no further order as I already had initiated all the things that she needed, being pregnant. I felt relieved for her that it turned out to be okay.
 
Have you encountered those who need help, in distress, because they are pregnant with the sins they bear? For many months, for many years, or all throughout their lives? Have you done enough to let them know that sometimes, all they need is to drink the “Living Water” in order for them to feel better? Have you ignored their pleas for them to see the “Doctor”?

Don’t be afraid to share the Good News. Don’t let that opportunity go if the Lord has brought someone needing salvation to you. Don’t be afraid to share that faith based on truth!

How do you share our faith with those who are very spiritually sick? This is from “Sharing your faith made easy [by Mark Walter]:

From 1 Peter 3:15:

~”Always…” - always means always or at all times. There is no day or time of day when we are off duty as Christians.

~”…be prepared” - means make preparations to help you to share your faith. Reading through a book like this is one way to do this. Become truly familiar with the Bible.

~ “…to give an answer” - means that there are answers to give. You may not know all the answers now. You may never know all the answers. But this does not stop you from finding out some answers when you get stuck. Make use of more experienced Christians. See if one of them can help you.

~ “…to everyone” - means everyone [no omissions, no exceptions]. You can’t be too choosy who you witness to. God may give you many different kinds of people that you should witness to.

~ “…give the reason” - means that the Christian faith is not anti-reason. Oh yes, it is faith, but we have all been given the minds by God. God commands us to love Him with our minds. It brings no credit to Jesus if we give the impression that Christianity is irrational. If that was the case, it would mean that a human mind is superior to God’s mind.

~ “…for the hope you have” - means that we must share the hope and confidence that we have in Jesus as our Savior.

~ “…do this with gentleness and respect” - means that we treat people with a kindly, understanding spirit. We don’t turn people off by our attitude or misdemeanor.
 
So, keep cool! Remember that it’s possible to win that argument but still lose the battle. May God give us the boldness to share the Good News!

Spiritual Sundays - Hang In There

Tired of your life's journey? Hang in there...Remain trusting in the One Who always walks by your side...









Please visit Spiritual Sundays, where you can be refreshed by His love, encouragement, grace, mercy through the words He inspired His blogging children with. Thank you to sisters Charlotte and sister Ginger for hosting this special place.

Leave Us Alone!




“Sorry to bother you guys!” stated the county’s attorney.

“It’s not your fault…You’re not bothering us…It’s him…” I replied as I pointed at the big picture on the middle of the wooden table.

There were 6 of us sitting around that conference table at work, yesterday. We were summoned by two of our county’s attorneys to hear each of our sides. One inmate was suing the county with allegations that care was not given to his emergency kind of needs and that, his medications were not given, or that a deputy left him all alone while he was waiting to be booked in the jail. Claiming that he dozed off and fell.

How could we [staff] all remember when this inmate was incarcerated 5 years ago? Who would recall what we did or not or what we saw?

That was where documentation helped! As we all sat down and reviewed each paperworks from his chart, everything was recorded. The Intake Nurse who took him in, did everything she could do, initiating all the necessary protocols to have all of his treatments and medications started right away. I caught it in our medication form and brought it up to our lawyer, that when he came in to the jail, all of his medications were given right away the following day. And our doctor saw him the following day. The claims that he fell, all of those incidences, he was sent to the ER to be treated and evaluated, though ER doctors didn’t find any damage.

I sent him to ER, too, at one time, after claiming that he fell from a chair while we were doing his blood sugar tests. I noted that his sugar was low, but my written notes showed that I treated him appropriately and I sent him to ER anyway because of his fall. Our doctor backed me up and told the lawyers that his sugar level was not even that of an emergency.

Then, the lawyers told us, “We don’t think he has a case but it’s just out of formality because the judge will be hearing about this next week. His own lawyer doesn’t even think he has a good, solid basis to bring all these accusations because he does have a lot of prior history of suing many people. That day that he was arrested, he battered his own sister. And when the deputy brought him to the hospital, he claimed that he fell at that moment…”

They were interrupted when a deputy walked in and introduced himself to the attorneys.

The lawyers gave him a piece of paper where deputies logged on whenever they would check on inmates.

“I don’t even see my name on it. That was not my shift still at that time that he was brought to the jail,” stated the deputy.

The lawyer smiled…

“He brought up your name and you were not even working at that time. How did he get your name? Either he just recalled reading your tag and attached you to his claim. We’re on to something here…”

Our highest supervisor and our medical doctor both noted the medical staff’s charting and they determined that appropriate care was given every time he claimed he fell or he had low blood sugar level. All his medications, appropriate diet were all given while he was incarcerated.

“I don’t think it will even go for a trial,” exclaimed the attorneys. And at that point, he let us all go…


Every day, we have a good accuser who just wants to tell lies all the time! He doesn’t even care that the Judge knows it all. He just tries his best to accuse God’s children of wrong doings, of being incapable of doing the work that the Lord started in each of His children. He would love to just try about anything to stop believers from becoming effective in the works for the Kingdom.

To Satan and your army, I say, “You’re already defeated!

“The sWORD destroys you!!!, so leave us alone!”

And to the Judge, “the glory is Yours forever and ever, for all ages to come! Thank You!!!”


“6One day the angels came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan also came with them. 7The LORD said to Satan, "Where have you come from?" Satan answered the LORD, "From roaming through the earth and going back and forth in it." [Job1:6-7;NIV]


"The farmer plants the Word. Some people are like the seed that falls on the hardened soil of the road. No sooner do they hear the Word than Satan snatches away what has been planted in them.” [Mark 4:14

“Jesus said, "I know. I saw Satan fall, a bolt of lightning out of the sky. See what I've given you? Safe passage as you walk on snakes and scorpions, and protection from every assault of the Enemy. No one can put a hand on you. All the same, the great triumph is not in your authority over evil, but in God's authority over you and presence with you. Not what you do for God but what God does for you—that's the agenda for rejoicing." [Luke 10:18]

“Jesus said, "The voice didn't come for me but for you. At this moment the world is in crisis. Now Satan, the ruler of this world, will be thrown out. And I, as I am lifted up from the earth, will attract everyone to me and gather them around me." He put it this way to show how he was going to be put to death.” [John 12:30]

“'I'm sending you off to open the eyes of the outsiders so they can see the difference between dark and light, and choose light, see the difference between Satan and God, and choose God. I'm sending you off to present my offer of sins forgiven, and a place in the family, inviting them into the company of those who begin real living by believing in me.'“ [Acts 26:17]

“The Anarchist's coming is all Satan's work. All his power and signs and miracles are fake, evil sleight of hand that plays to the gallery of those who hate the truth that could save them. And since they're so obsessed with evil, God rubs their noses in it—gives them what they want. Since they refuse to trust truth, they're banished to their chosen world of lies and illusions.” [2Thessalonians 2:9]

Lead Me Lord - Praising Him

Lord, I just want to thank You for answering my prayers right away...Thank You for always being near...

Yesterday, I got a call from our "boss" and told me the bad news that the nurse job-sharing with me put in a resignation, effective in 2 weeks. Bad for me, because working part time [32 hours/pay period], there were only 2 choices to do if I won't be able to find another nurse, same position, working same shift [nights like me] to job share with me: either go FULL TIME or go PER DIEM. Problems...

I can't go full time because my husband leaves early for work every weekdays and someone has to be here for our child. I can't go per diem also because this is my only job and if I can't pick up a shift, that means "no income"...

Was I worried? Thanks be to the peace that God gives that surpasses all understanding.

"Lord, You know our problem now. This is so sudden. But I know that You know what's best for me and my family. I am not going to worry because whatever You willed for me has to happen. In Jesus' Name. Amen.."

Last month, there were 2 nurses inquiring about my job sharing. They both wanted to do it. Except, it didn't work, because though one was a full-timer, the other one was only per diem [so they didn't have the same working status]...What didn't work out for them, turned out to be a blessing for me because one of those nurses wanted to do this with me when she found out that my partner was leaving!

Today, I got a copy of the contract from our boss and we both, just needed to sign it! God answered my needs in less than 24 hours...

I'm praising You Lord and I'm shouting Your everlasting kindness here so that they will know about Your goodness. That You are not deaf. That You rescue Your children.

I meditated on Proverbs 3:5-6 yesterday ~ "5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart
and lean not on your own understanding; 6 in all your ways acknowledge him,
and he will make your paths straight." [NIV]

Lead me Lord...throughout the rest of my journey! I just want to share this video with you if you have time to watch. Please silence my playlist...God bless to all of you.

Friend of God

“What? You think you can beat me up? Try me! Just try me! Mother______!!!”

He was new to the unit. Aware of the power he had. Despite being shorter than the man whose face, he purposely put in front of his own, merely an inch away, he just wanted to prove that he was much stronger.

“You think you can outdo me, huh?” the bragging voice continued, as he flexed his well-sculpted muscles on his arms. He spread his legs to get a better stance.

“You come here thinking you can still do what you want!!! Give me a break! This is my house, not yours! Welcome to my house!” shrieked the loud, deep voice.

The other man kept silent. His eyes opened wide, staring at the yeller eye to eye. He didn’t want to say anything, to avoid provoking the other man to hit him. Or perhaps, him even adding any offense to his previous charges.

Then suddenly....One…Two…Three…lots of punches and kicks came hard on the yeller. The tall shadow had enough hearing his bragging and perhaps, abuse of power. The man’s cellie [inmate who stay with another in the same cell] emerged from the inmate’s back and came lounging at the young, newly-hired deputy.

The call for help blared loud over the radio traffic. “Officer down!” was what lingered. Pairs of what seemed to be thousands of steps from other officers hurried to save the downed deputy. But it was too late. He was laying on the cold, cement floor, bloodied and unconscious.

The inmate who hit the deputy felt proud of what he did, proud of the fact that he was able to help his “cellie”, the man he considered as his new friend he met in that small, square cell. He was not afraid of what would happen to his case. He just wanted to let that deputy know that they couldn’t be treated that way and that, if a friend was in need, he was there! He wanted to prove that his friendship, despite them being inmates, could be loyal.


Finding true friendships are rare in this world. How do we recognize someone’s potential to become our friend? We often go by the same likes, dislikes, interests, passion, etc.

But a true friendship takes time to develop. It takes time to share special memories and investing time with each other’s growth. Trust is a necessary factor to make it a long-lasting relationship. Along with trust, comes faithfulness and reliability. Genuine friendship is all about sticking with each other in any kind of weather. Real friendship is about the readiness to forgive despite the hurt caused by the other, having unconditional love for each other and being dependable when crisis arise.

God told us that “a friend sticks closer than a brother.” It’s not about finding friends…It’s about becoming one.

Are you in need of a friend? God desires us to be His friend. And as we tend to know Him and have a trusting relationship, He wants us to befriend others.

This world is in deep need of acceptance, friendship, and love. We are to be God’s representatives to make others know about His faithful and unconditional love, for His gift of forgiveness, and His awesome friendship!

Don’t you worry, whatever prideful things this world shows in your face, God is always with us to protect us and never to forsake us at times of danger and needs. Are you a friend of God?


Passionate Love

“Eeeewwww…” exclaimed everyone in the Clinic as the Unit 15 nurse showed a note from a particular inmate he gave to her while she was giving him his medications.


“That’s creepy,” echoed one voice joining in the chorus of different tones, uttering their fear for her.


He definitely had mental issues. Giving him a kind of care appropriate for his special mental needs, which would be a normal task for a Unit 15 nurse to perform, turned out to be extra-ordinary for him the way he perceived it. He started falling in love and became obsessed with this particular nurse. He started calling her special names [like how you would call your special someone sweetheart, dear, honey, love, teddy bear, etc…]. Every time she would enter the metal door that led to that unit before she started her shift, he was able to peer through that small window of his from the side and would try everything from yelling out what he felt for her or would call out her name so that he would get her attention. Sometimes, he would sing her some songs.


And on that particular, unexpected moment, he slipped a crumpled note through a small slit on his segregated cell, as she was about to give his evening medications, while being escorted by their unit deputy.


The composed letter was full of passion, echoing the deepest desires of his unstable heart and mind. He sounded like he would really do anything to make her notice his love.


“Be careful when he gets released,” warned one of the co-workers to this nurse.


“If I were you, I’ll tell your husband because he may have the potential to be a danger for you and your family,” added the concerned co-worker.


Fear…that was the initial reaction stemming from that display of a passionate love.



Totally the opposite of a passionate love displayed from heaven. From a Father Who loved everyone, not wanting them to perish. His love song was a perfect melody! His plan to make His love known was flawless. Love that He showed by sending His own Son, Jesus…He wants our full attention, too…


A song that is “not of this world”….Open your ears…Open your eyes…Open your heart….Listen…Soak yourself up with this heavenly tune….Feel the Father’s passionate love expressed through His Son, for He is God of love….Just listen, trust and believe…

[Don't forget to click on "pause" with my playlist...]




John 3:16 ~ “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” [NIV]



1 John 4:7 -12 ~ “7Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. 8Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. 9This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. 10This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. 11Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. 12No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.” [NIV]



Revelation 3:20 ~ “Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me.” [NIV]

Choice


Wow…I couldn’t believe we had a quiet night this past weekend at work. It was just the usual paper works that we were accustomed to. Not too many sick calls. Then, the interruption…

“Good morning. Clinic. May I help you?,” asked our medical secretary. Her voice echoing in the waves of peace that blanketed that area.

“He is? Chest pain? Can your deputies bring him down here? Okay…Thanks…I’ll let the nurses here know,” as she ended the conversation with the deputy from one of the housing units.

Reviewing the chart, we found out that the inmate was still in his early 20’s, unlikely to have cardiac problems [except for congenital cases or other conditions precipitated by injuries]. There were no other recorded medical problems from the past since he was incarcerated.

One hour had passed and as I was readying myself to see the inmate, another call came in from that unit.

“No? What did you guys do that he is cured just like that? You guys are awesome!,” jokingly, the secretary uttered.

“Excuse me, nurse RCUBES. That inmate was told that it would cost him $3.00. All of a sudden, he told the deputies that he was okay and did not really need to go to the clinic.”

“Oh, okay. Thanks for letting me know. I’m just here so if he changes his mind again, I’ll see him,” smilingly I replied.

Most of the inmates faking their conditions or not, get upset to find out that they need to shell out $3 from their accounts, as a cost for being seen and treated when they request a medical attention. Whether they have the money or not, their requests are never denied as some cases actually turn out to be to worth being assessed and treated.


Boy, aren’t we like that? Got hesitant when we heard that we have to shell out our worldly ways in exchange of a life given to be renewed by the Savior. But this treatment wouldn’t cost a thing. He paid for it all, in order for us to live a life of freedom. Freedom from sins. It cost Him his life so we can live.

Just like our Infirmary being opened 24/7 in that correctional facility, His offer of hope, eternal future, of physical and spiritual healing, of starting your slate clean and smudge-free from sins, is always available!

The only thing left is for you to make that choice whether you want to be renewed or not….Yes, it does seem that we are giving up a lot when we surrender everything to Jesus. But I guarantee, your life wouldn’t be the same as you accept His gift of grace. Because you will start walking on the only right path toward living a joyful life…..that no matter what you encounter in your life’s journey, He is always right beside you…

He desires a personal relationship with us….He is offering His love, forgiveness, grace, mercy in exchange of your worldly things that do not have value. So, what’s the state of your personal spiritual account? Full or bankrupt? You make a choice…Because doing so is also His gift…


Isaiah 55:1-13 [The Message]

Spiritual Sundays - I Will Wait For You

"Cancer is a word, not a sentence." ~ John Diamond

"The most important thing in illness is never to lose heart." ~ Nikolai Lenin

"Feed your faith and your fears will starve to death." ~ Unknown

"I don't think of all the misery but of the beauty that still remains." ~ Anne Frank

"Hope never abandons you, you abandon it." ~ George Weinberg

"Every evening I turn my worries to God. He's going to be up all night long anyway." ~ Mary C. Crowley


I had composed this song on April 7, 2005, in memory of my sister-in-law's father who died from cancer. A year later, my own father was diagnosed with colon cancer and lived until December 2007. That was a difficult journey to walk on, but it was the Lord Who comforted my father, my siblings and myself. These 2 verses came to mind as I composed this song:

Philippians 4:19 ~ "You will meet all our needs according to Your glorious riches in Christ Jesus."

Isaiah 40:31~ "But those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint..."

I Will Wait For You

I feel my strength is gone day to day
My heart is broken and the pain never goes away
What I'm going through, others will not see
Deep inside, I know that I'll find my strength......in You

Chorus:

My hope is in You 'cause You're the One
You stay beside me when I'm all alone
You always mend this broken heart
Lord, I'll wait for You 'til You hold my hands

I'm not afraid whatever comes my way
In my heart, Your Spirit's here to stay
I will close my eyes now so I can pray
May Your will be done as I wait for You....everyday

[repeat Chorus...]

rcubes 4/07/05

Please visit Spiritual Sundays for other uplifting posts...This is a special place hosted by sisters Charlotte and Ginger where other bloggers for Jesus gather and you can even join in if you feel led to do so....God bless you all.

Look At Me

“Do you mind seeing this inmate complaining of side pain?”, asked the charge nurse.

“Not at all,” I replied.

A young male walked into the door, holding the back part of his right side, slightly limping and grimacing in obvious pain. Before I had the chance to start asking him, a per diem LVN walked up to the big window and started asking the inmate some questions, wanting to help me in a way.

“So what’s up? You’re so young to be hurting like this. What’s wrong with you?”

“I have a history of having kidney stones,” was the reply.

“You? Kidney stones? Who diagnosed you? So, you come here to jail to get the treatment, right?” continued my co-worker.

The inmate slightly raised his voice, in an obvious upset tone, “No! I don’t come here to be treated. I don’t even need any narcotic. But this hurts. You don’t understand.”

The LVN gave him a cup as I directed and I tested it for urinalysis. It was positive for blood. I took that opportunity to take over in seeing the inmate. I let him in and had him sit on a chair. But his anger was already erupting.

“You guys tell me that I’m lying or what? That I come here to get drugs for pain?,” he mumbled under his breath, his head bowed low.

I couldn’t blame him. For I was upset, too with what I just witnessed in that exchange of conversation. Upset at my co-worker.

“Sir, look at me…” I requested.

He continued to mumble with his angry rants.

“Sir, please look at me.” This time, he did and looked at me eye to eye.

“I can’t speak for everyone’s behavior here. But I want to apologize for whatever inappropriate behavior my co-worker had shown with you. I need you to listen to me. Because I do believe you’re in pain. I believe that you have kidney stones. And I want to help you to the best that I can.”

Pause…Sigh…Then, he uttered, “Thank you, Ma’am. For believing in me,” as he started wincing in pain.

“I am going to send you to the hospital because you do need to be examined there to see how bad the stones are. At least, they can also help you with your pain control. But I need you to just be patient during the whole process. We have to wait for the deputy to take you there.”

“I can wait, Ma’am. Thank you so much for your help.” He got up and went back to the waiting area.

I pulled my charge nurse away from her desk and talked with her privately. I told her I wanted to confront the LVN for that inappropriate behavior. But I believed it would help if she was the one to address the issue and warn not only him [the LVN], but also the rest of the staff. It was not our duty to judge the inmates. No matter how bad they were, it was our duty to help them with their medical problems and not be concerned with their social backgrounds. The other consequence was that inmates could retaliate by hurting staff if embarassed that way...She understood and immediately talked with the LVN.

After many hours, the inmate returned, smiling now and more trusting. He thanked me. I looked at the discharge paperworks that came from the hospital. The diagnosis was kidney stones. They had to give him something strong for pain and wanted him to be followed up in a few days.



I don’t know about you for whatever circumstances you have gone through that you distanced yourself from God. I don’t know what life has thrown at you that you think God doesn’t care. He doesn’t listen. He is too far away. He doesn’t love you….But friends, feeling that way is dangerous. Because we cannot measure God with human kind of standards. The truth is…God loves us all. He is always listening and He is always ever near.

Is it right to be angry at God? The answer is “no”…That is being proud for sinful creatures to disapprove of what God allows and does.

Yes, it’s okay to express your anger to God but it’s wrong to stay angry…He is waiting for you to “look at Him”. He wants a relationship with you. When you hold a grudge against Him, the more the distance between you and God widens. Guess who’ll suffer in the end?

He Loves Us No Matter What

I couldn’t wait until this day comes that I am writing about my son’s healing. The waiting period was long and often times, painful but I’m so glad, it’s all over!


His doctor gave him this whole week to just rest and regain his strength back. He doesn’t have any more headaches. The dizziness was gone. He started eating with what seemed to be his normal appetite yesterday. Bad for me! Because I’m eating with him! I didn’t even realize I had lost weight because when he was in pain, I forgot to eat.


When it comes to our children, it is always hard to see them suffer. I told him if there was a way I could take that pain away, I would. But sometimes, we all go through that trial, because that’s when we realize that we are truly in need of God. And that, when he is healed, even better for him not to forget God especially during the good times.


My son had gone through so much with all the pain and the medical tests but he remained patient and learned to endure. He never complained nor whined. I feel so blessed to see him prayed at times, which gave me comfort in return. And which reminded me, that no matter what happened at that time, the Lord was always just a “prayer” away.


And this trial made us, three, even more close to each other. Even if we are aware that our lives are like flickering candles, the more we value each day that the Lord gives…Don’t forget to hug your children, give them a kiss, and say “I love you” over and over. Same with your spouses. Live each day as if it’s your last…because that will help you focus on what matters the most….


So, this post is to thank you all who prayed for us as we met this bump on this road. We appreciate your love and friendships. And most of all, all the thanks and praise to our Father Who hurts Himself when His children are suffering. He knows…He’s been there before. His suffering that none of us had experienced…And He submitted Himself to be nailed on the cross out of love for us….Thank You Jesus…


May we remain prayerful, not only when we have hurdles to overcome…but in all occasions. Let's keep those who are also in need of prayers because when we agree together, He is surely in the midst of us...God bless you all and love to you all.

WWJD?



It was 12:30 a.m….“It better be not him,” my co-worker and I uttered at the same time to each other as we ran toward the hallway that leads to units 5-8. It was a long walk and seemed like forever. We were running against time, after a radio call that there was a man down in that hallway.

What Would Jail Do?

There he was laying on the floor, surrounded by 3-4 deputies, as one deputy had a broken and pink-stained ammonia being whipped under his nostrils. The Sergeant stood nearby, wondering what was going on, looking a bit concerned. The inmate’s eyes were blinking, aware of the strong odor that pierced his nostrils. He appeared like he just lost consciousness, but with that immediate response of trying to have that odor be taken away, suggested otherwise.

What Would Jail Do?

I pulled the Sergeant to a corner, where our conversation would not be heard. I told him that the inmate just returned from the hospital. After being a man down in PM shift and I just sent him back after I treated him at the Clinic and gave him 3 Graham crackers to aid with a little hunger he complained about, upon returning from the hospital. I made him aware that this man was claiming he started passing out after being beaten up. By whom? No one knew… Where at? It was a mystery…For he never reported any incident in the first place.

The Sergeant nodded the whole time. He got the point that this man was potentially just faking all of his man downs because he wanted something. At that point, I hadn’t fully reviewed his chart.

What Would Jail Do?

Borrowing a guerney from a nearby unit, we put the man on it and brought him back to the clinic to be observed. I gave him a mattress and a blanket so he could rest while being monitored. In the meantime, he was thinking that we believed he had some medical condition that warranted an immediate attention.

Glancing at the back part of his chart, where the mental health personnel usually write their notes, the person who interviewed him one day was told by him that he was forcing his family to bail him out by posting the bond required. He didn’t think that he did anything wrong, so why should he stay in the jail? I searched for his charges. There were many times of arrests for the same offense: robbery/theft.

What Would Jail Do?

“Excuse me, Ma’am…I have a bad headache! Why do you want me to wait for the doctor here? That will take forever. Why can’t you send me to the hospital?” he asked as he came close to the big, glass partition window.

“Sir, you just came back from the hospital. Everything they did there had a normal result so why would I send you back? Rest over there and be patient!” I stated in a firm voice.

When he thought that no one was looking around, he was calmly watching tv up on the wall. But when he sensed there was a staff member near by the window, he would act like he was sick or had a headache. He didn’t know, we were all aware now of his games. He thought he could get away with it. He didn’t know, if proven that there was no problem, he would be put on a discipline later. Meaning, some of the privileges would be taken away…

That’s what jail rules would do…


We are all familiar with the phrase, “What would Jesus do?” or simply known as “WWJD”…Having this in mind helps us make the right choices. It simply means to follow Jesus as an example in our lives. It will help us to make that choice of doing something that Jesus would approve of. We don’t really want to wait and make a wrong choice and like that man, think that we have done nothing wrong…To really know how Jesus would react to a particular situation, I think it all starts from another WWJD ~ Walk With Jesus Daily

If we think we can get away with everything, think again! Yeah! That includes you, even if you don’t believe in Jesus! For Jesus said, “And the Father leaves all judgment to His Son, so that everyone will honor the Son, just as they honor the Father. But if you refuse to honor the Son, then you are certainly not honoring the Father Who sent him.” - John 5:22-23



“But is it God Who judges: He brings one down, he exalts another.” -Psalm 75:7 [The Message]


“Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows.” -Galatians 6:7 [NIV]

Leave [If You Can...]

It felt like a massive storm had hit our household since my son got sick this past, whole week. I am not complaining as I am aware that there are many others who are also facing trials in different degrees. I could feel my exhaustion now, but still, can not fully rest as I attend to my son's needs, who hasn't fully gotten his strength back. Not 100% yet but at least, by the grace of God, he hasn't been having those awful headaches now. He is able to eat more and drink more fluids. The doctor told him that it would take a few days before he could fully recover and it was expected that he would be tired for a few more days.

So, at least, my husband, my son and I are able to breathe a little better since yesterday...

Since sometimes we can't do anything to change whatever circumstances we are all facing, I just find comfort that knowing the Lord's promises, those are the ones we can cling to, that saves us from sinking more from this deluge of worries, anxieties, even sadness, doubts, depression, fears and other ill feelings or emotions that we know are not His will for His children. Sometimes, I wish it's easier to just leave away from all these troubles. But unfortunately, it's not...

Same thing with the Lord's love. As we walk with Him, sometimes, we think we are better without Him. But we are wrong to think that way. The more helpless we become when we become astray. You can try to leave...that is if you can...Because it's not your hold on God that saves you...But His hold on you...

For this Spiritual Sunday, I would love to remind you that this is His will for His children:

16Be joyful always; 17pray continually; 18give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus. -1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 [NIV]

It doesn't matter how far you've gone away from the Lord. He is always there, waiting for you to return to Him, to leave all your cares to Him. There is nothing you can do that will make Him love you more or even less.

19We, though, are going to love—love and be loved. First we were loved, now we love. He loved us first. ~ 1 John 4:19 [The Message]




For more encouraging posts, please visit Spiritual Sundays. God bless you all.

Have Faith and Believe


25During the fourth watch of the night Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake. 26When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified. "It's a ghost," they said, and cried out in fear. 27But Jesus immediately said to them: "Take courage! It is I. Don't be afraid." 28"Lord, if it's you," Peter replied, "tell me to come to you on the water." 29"Come," he said.

Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. 30But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, "Lord, save me!" 31Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. "You of little faith," he said, "why did you doubt?" [Matthew 14:25-31; NIV].




My son had a follow-up appointment with his primary doctor yesterday. The headaches continued. He was so good about the way the doctor made him perform different neurological tests, despite the pain and dizziness. He passed them all…

His doctor got concerned with what was causing his headaches so he wanted us to go back to ER to have a lumbar puncture done. This is where they insert a huge needle to the back to get some sample of the CSF [cerebro-spinal fluid] to determine if he had any bacterial meningitis.

His headache throbbed more, with the intensity going up after his doctor’s visit. My husband and I took him home first to rest a little bit. When he was still not ready, off we went to our 2nd trip to ER.

As a nurse, since my son was little, if there was any procedure to be done, I always was honest to tell him if it would hurt or not, so that he was aware of what was going to happen. I had learned that it made him more prepared and less anxious. I told him I would ask the doctor there to give him an IV fluid because he hasn’t eaten nor drunk much fluids yesterday. That the lumbar puncture would feel like a pinch on his back when they put a numbing medicine, before they would insert a needle. [Except I didn’t tell him how long the needle was at that time!]. And I reminded him: “Pray…Lift about your fears, your concerns to our Lord. As daddy and I would do that with you…”

He was calm. He patiently waited because he now knew it would take forever to be called. But he sat there, rubbing the top of his head…No words…Soft cries at times…No whine. No complaint.

Finally, he was called and he was given immediately something for pain. It helped just a little but he got more calm. When the nurse put him in a recumbent position, he was aware that they were about to do the lumbar puncture at that time. I saw my son’s lips moving up and down. He was praying.

“Lord, please guide the doctor’s hands. Let there be no complications after this procedure Lord. May the tests be okay and even if they are not, may they find the right intervention to help my son’s condition.”

Have faith and believe…

The lumbar puncture was done in less than 5 minutes. My son didn’t even feel anything he said. I heard him utter, “Thank You, Lord.” They wheeled him back to his bed to rest and wait for the results of his blood draw, chest x-ray and the nasal swab. Tired as he was from having all these procedures and doctors’ visits all day, he softly uttered, “I love you Mom. I love you Dad”…

After a long time of waiting, the whole time while he was still having a mild headache and nauseous [perhaps from the IV pain meds that they gave], everything came back negative for any bacterial infection. The doctor said that it was more viral but he would just suspect a mild case of meningitis [though he was only assuming as all my son’s vital signs were stable and all the other test results were normal], because of his headaches. That there was no treatment but rest and fluids and that it would go away on its own after several days.

My husband and I had our own diagnosis: MIRACLE!

Have faith and believe…
 
My son crashed to his bed as soon as we got home. As I watched him all night long, that was the longest sleep he ever had.

“Thank You Lord for all of Your blessings. For constantly reminding me that this will come to pass. For reminding me that You are holding our hands as we cross the deepest, wild rivers or if we walk on fires. Lord, thank You for Your love and grace.”

Have faith and believe…

When my son woke up this morning, there was no more headaches. He was able to eat breakfast and had some hot tea. He washed up. He’s not 100% strong but I’m so glad to see his smiles again, get his hugs and his soft kisses as he whispers “I love you and thank you to me and my husband”…

We’re about to go to his primary doctor again in an hour but I wanted to take this quick opportunity to thank all of you who have walked with us in this part of our life’s journey. Who immediately held us up through prayers, who kept us feeling warm with your sincere love.

Thank You is not even enough to express our gratitude. I pray the Lord will bless all of you richly and may He grant your hearts’ desires. This is what friendship in Him means - it is to edify each other. And through this special friendship we all share, let the unity that comes from His love binds us all.

Have faith and believe…

Beyond This Noise

This week had been rough for my son. Since started getting sick on Saturday, he was still feeling some mild headaches and a little bit of dizziness...Him getting sick this way was not a new thing for him, having allergy symptoms here and there. But his headaches seemed to be more intolerable yesterday and was he good about trying to be calm about it.

When the over the counter pain medication did not help, his headaches got worse at bedtime last night. When you're a mom seeing the suffering of your child, you just want to help out in any way you can...I dressed him up, woke my hubby up and found ourselves on the road that would take us to the nearest ER.

Trying to overcome my weariness and some sleepless nights caring for him, my hubby was so good, too about it all, helping in any way he could. We uttered a prayer before leaving the house, despite my son's soft cries of pain.

I was not going to write about this. But as I heard the song "Word of God Speaks" today from the radio station I listened to, I felt the Lord telling me, to tell about this incident. You see, that moment, I realized blogging was about what God always does in our lives as we live it daily. Whether we are facing a calm or stormy weather, this is how we realize God's goodness in everything that we do.

The door in ER was non-stop, opening, closing. Many ill people walking in, interrupted by those ambulances unloading their own sick ones they had attended to. The noise was overwhelming. As my son tried to sit still and patiently waited for his turn to be called and be treated.

"I'm finding myself in the midst of You
Beyond the music, beyond the noise
All that I need is to be with You
And in the quiet hear Your voice"

"Mom! I can't stand it anymore! He softly cried."

"I know. Be patient. Remember we can lift up everything in prayers. How about we pray for their hurried service so that they can call you and be seen now?"

He started throwing up. As my heart was hurting and that of my husband's too. Then, some relief came and he became calm. As soon as we prayed for them to call my son, a man dressed up in scrubs walked into the door and was asking for my son's name. But I knew it wasn't over yet. The waiting would continue inside...

"God...Just be with us...Be with our son...I am at a loss for words right now Lord. But I know You know what we are feeling. What we are going through. I know Your wonderful promises and I know that You will be there for us, no matter what happens. I am placing my trust in You O Lord..."

"I'm finding myself at a loss for words
And the funny thing is it's okay
The last thing I need is to be heard
But to hear what You would say"

To make the story short, the doctor saw my son and didn't think it was anything serious. He ordered a CT scan and it was normal. The whole time, we were praying in between. Because we all knew, it was not in our hands...It was in His...

And we all go through these different journeys, of trying to weather the severest storms in our lives. We blog about our lives. We blog to ask for prayers...We make friendships...And through it all, we know that God is working in us, for us and through us. He is reminding us that His hand is always stretched out, reaching for us, no matter where we are, no matter how deep we have fallen...All we need to do...is to reach up to Him and never let go...Amidst the busyness, the confusion, the noises in this world, be still and know that He is with us...

"Word of God speak
Would You pour down like rain
Washing my eyes to see
Your majesty
To be still and know
That You're in this place
Please let me stay and rest
In Your holiness
Word of God speak"

Isaiah 55:11 - "...so is my word that goes out from my mouth:
It will not return to me empty,
but will accomplish what I desire
and achieve the purpose for which I sent it" [NIV]



Backsliders



She walked into the Female side of the clinic’s waiting area. Rubbing her lower abdomen, her face slightly grimacing. It was only 2:00 a.m.


“What’s wrong?” I asked her as she was giving me her yellow pass from her unit.


“My right side is hurting. I know it’s this way when I have bladder infection,” she answered as her eyes got a little teary.


Testing her for urinalysis from a little sample of urine she managed to give me, everything was normal, except for the strong odor and a dark hue.


“This tells me that you’re not drinking enough water,” I told her.


“You’re right. I think I only had 3 small cups since I got here 3 days ago,” she continued rubbing her right side now.


Motioning her to go into one of the exam rooms, I asked her to lay down on the exam table as I assisted her. During my evaluation, I discovered that this was her 6th pregnancy. She had 3 alive kids, 1 miscarriage and 1 history of abortion.


“I’m just concerned about my baby. I want to make sure it is okay,” she requested.


“Don’t worry. This is what I’m doing now. We’re going to listen to the fetal heartbeat,” as I warned her that I was about to apply some cold gel on her tummy and started scanning her abdomen with this special instrument that would detect the baby’s heartbeat.


After a few strokes, the faint heartbeats slowly became more audible…Loud…LouderLouder…and the rate was within normal limits.


I saw her breathe a sigh of relief. But she didn’t know, I was aware of her original charges. She was jailed for hurting a child [not sure if it was her own] to the point of almost killing that child…I got confused…She harmed a child, yet there she was, crying in front of me, begging to make sure that the baby growing inside her womb was okay…


“Ma’am…I’ll have our doctor see you as soon as she gets here in the morning. In the meantime, if you can try to drink at least 8 cups or more water, that would really be great, not only for you, but for your baby, too.”


Small steps slowly left the same Female side door she walked into. She was not crying anymore and verbalized feeling a little better. But deep inside me, I would still be wondering how much she loved that baby…


My mind prayed that her love for her unborn baby would be strong. That she would not hurt this pregnancy. That she would be willing to care and love, not only for her unborn child but with the other children, unconditionally. That she would be the best mom she could ever be….


I could only wonder….and pray…




I could only wonder…and pray….for all of us, born-again Christians, who came to know the Lord’s love and grace. We are all on fire to love Him with all of our hearts…But have we turned our back away from Him? Have we turned away from our First love?


Are we crying because we are so in love with Him, or are we crying because there is no more joy as we have gone back to those same sins that grieve His Spirit?


Are we having pain because we are undergoing spiritual decay as we neglect to drink the Living Water?

Are we like that “pregnant inmate” who just hurt a child intentionally yet, she wanted to make sure that her unborn baby was okay? Are we verbally identifying ourselves with the Lord although we are “backsliding?” Our actions don’t show that we love Him with all of our hearts, all of our minds, all of our strength…


We can have all the right doctrines and appear honorable to men, yet, our minds and hearts are filled with lust, envy, jealousy, bitterness….etc…


I am a backslider, too. For though I chose this road “off the beaten trek”, I have the tendency sometimes to make wrong turns and not focus on what lies up ahead. I lose my enthusiasm at times to follow the One Who leads my way. This road is very long and narrow. I get bored. That’s when I notice some of the fun stuff if I make either a right or left turn on those wide, open roads. But they don’t serve me any good. The Lord warned us that we can’t serve 2 masters; either we will hate one and love the other or we will be devoted to one and despise the other.


Yes, this journey requires me to make lots of choices daily. My decisions may either draw me nearer to Him or cause me to fall away. And somewhere on different parts of this road, we have enemies lurking, waiting for any opportunity to make me ineffective for God’s Kingdom.


Let’s all make those steps…to RETURN and not go father away from the Lord…


Psalm 51:10-11 - “Create pure thoughts in me and make me faithful again. Don’t chase me away from You or take Your Holy Spirit away from me.” [Contemporary English Version]

Prayers, Praise and Thanks

Prior to going home after work, I usually call my son to tell him and his dad that I would be going home and usually, would ask him how his night went. They were supposed to play tennis early at a nearby high school, but I was surprised that they were still at home. That was when he told me that he had a little cough but already ate his breakfast. And he felt okay.


When I got home, I took his temperature and it was normal at that time. But before lunch time, I could feel that he was starting to get warmer. His temperature showed 100.4 degrees F.


He took a nap and by God’s grace, had a long one. He is always good about taking in a lot of fluids, too as long as he can tolerate. That’s what I was thankful for to God, was that despite that low fever, my son has appetite and no other pain or other symptoms. I just got concerned knowing that it is flu season and he hasn’t gotten his yearly shot yet as it is not available yet from his primary physician.


Having that “mommy mode radar” working all the time, I thought of asking all of you to pray for him anyway yesterday. With my own ups and downs in my life, I know that God’s wonderful promise of never leaving us nor forsaking us, always surrounds me with peace. To know that He is in control, is another reason that my rising worry, was immediately detected and destroyed by that Power that supplies my “mommy-mode radar”. He is my son’s Greatest Physician.


After I posted that prayer request, you guys, overwhelmed me and my family with your love and prayer support. We want to thank you and most of all, thank the Lord, the One Who answers our petitions. All night long [Saturday], he maintained a low grade fever. I was still praising the Lord that he had no other symptoms. This morning, Sunday, his temperature has been normal! He’s taking advantage of resting all day so he can go back to school tomorrow.


“How often have we prayed something like, ‘O Lord, be with cousin Billy now in a special way”? Have we stopped to consider what it is we are requesting? Imagine that you are a parent who is preparing to leave your children with a babysitter. Would you dream of saying, ‘O Betsy, I ask you now that you would be with my children in a special way’? No way. You would say, “Betsy, the kids need to be in bed by 9 pm. They can have one snack before their baths, and please make sure that they finish their homework. You can reach us at this number if there’s any problem. Any questions before we go?” We are very specific with our requests and instructions for our babysitters. We want them to know the specifics. It should be no different with prayer.
~ David Jeremiah


As my family was eating lunch today, I had reminded my son, “to always be thankful for God’s goodness.” Even in sickness, we can pray for others sicker than us. When we are eating, we can pray for those who are hungry. When we are shielded from the weather elements, we can pray about those who are homeless and who just lost their homes.


So, I want to remind you, too the same. There are others who are in great need and the least we can do….is to PRAY….as we THANK God for all His goodness.


I want to end this post with my favorite verse:


Philippians 4:6-7 - “Don’t worry about anything, but pray about everything. With thankful hearts offer up your prayers and requests to God. Then because you belong to Christ Jesus, God will bless you with peace that no one can completely understand. And this peace will control the way you think and feel.” [CEV]

Prayer Request


Friends and prayer warriors, if I may ask for you guys to pray for my son who started getting sick this morning. He has a little cough and low grade fever. Thank you and God bless. Trusting here in the Lord knowing that this will come to pass. Thank you for all of you. I treasure you all!

Please scroll down for my previous post for Spiritual Sundays. Thank you.

Spiritual Sundays - Armor of God

A Fight to the Finish [From Ephesians 6:10-18; The Message]:

10-12And that about wraps it up. God is strong, and he wants you strong. So take everything the Master has set out for you, well-made weapons of the best materials. And put them to use so you will be able to stand up to everything the Devil throws your way. This is no afternoon athletic contest that we'll walk away from and forget about in a couple of hours. This is for keeps, a life-or-death fight to the finish against the Devil and all his angels.


13-18Be prepared. You're up against far more than you can handle on your own. Take all the help you can get, every weapon God has issued, so that when it's all over but the shouting you'll still be on your feet. Truth, righteousness, peace, faith, and salvation are more than words. Learn how to apply them. You'll need them throughout your life. God's Word is an indispensable weapon. In the same way, prayer is essential in this ongoing warfare. Pray hard and long. Pray for your brothers and sisters. Keep your eyes open. Keep each other's spirits up so that no one falls behind or drops out.






It's a great day to reflect on the One Who sustains us with strength...For more of encouraging posts, please visit Spiritual Sundays.


Thank you sisters Ginger and Charlotte for hosting this special place of nourishment. God bless you all and "Be strong in the Lord's mighty power!" - Ephesians 6:10.

Lazy Bone!!!




Sitting in front of the computer monitor, the “acting charge nurse” was busy browsing in the Internet. She was looking intently at some of the nicest, expensive purses on line, hoping to find what she could buy.


There were times her eyelids couldn’t hold it any longer. Her neck stayed stiff but her lids were closed, dozing off to oblivion of sleep and merely forgetting what she was expected to do at her workplace.


In the nearby medication room, all the LVN’s were busy sorting out the medicines for the inmates. Picking up what was not needed and tidying up the room a bit. Taking this opportunity of stillness that otherwise would not be done if they put it off.


Two of us were busy putting the doctor’s orders into the computer. There were a few more charts in a big bin. While we also took our turns seeing inmates requesting to be treated at any time.


As I was treating a pregnant inmate inside the exam rooms, I went to grab the fetal scope and as I opened the other exam room, I was surprised to find out that the other nurse was taking a break there.


I apologized to him for I knew how hard he was working. He didn’t even need to be told what to do. He just would pick up whatever needed to be done and patiently would finish. No complaints. Not even one.


As I was applying the cold gel on the inmate’s abdomen and readied the scope, this acting charge nurse came yelling, sort of in a panicky mode.


“There’s a man down! There’s a man down in Unit 11!!! Where’s the other nurse?,” her loud queries hurt my inner ears.


[I knew that we could get the other nurse if there was an emergency. But knowing that this nurse was just lazy, the total opposite of the other nurse on a break, I replied:]


“Well, I’m busy here. Can you go?” I assertively asked.


I didn’t hear an answer but I heard hurried footsteps leading out to the hallway to go to that unit where there was a downed inmate…


Laziness…Where do I start? If I was upset with the laziness that goes on around my workplace, I know that the Lord despises it! If the Lord ordained work for men, then laziness is a sin!


Read what the Bible says about “laziness”:


“Go to the ant, you sluggard! Consider her ways and be wise.” - Proverbs 6:6


~ A lazy person hates to work. [Proverbs 21:25 - “If you want too much and are too lazy to work, it could be fatal.”]


~ A lazy person loves to sleep. [Proverbs 26:14 - “A door turns on its hinges, but a lazy person just turns over in bed.”]


~ A lazy person always has excuses. [Proverbs 26:13 - “Don‘t be lazy and keep saying, ‘There‘s a lion outside!’”]


~ And what a time and energy waster! [Proverbs 18:9 - “Being lazy is no different from being a troublemaker.”]


There is no room for laziness in this Christian life we must live. We know that our labors will be rewarded by the Lord if we persevere with diligence.


[Galatians 6:9-10 - “Don‘t get tired of helping others. You will be rewarded when the time is right, if you don‘t give up. We should help people whenever we can, especially if they are followers of the Lord.”]


We should labor using God’s strength to evangelize and disciple. [ Paul said in Colossians 1:28-29 - “We announce the message about Christ, and we use all our wisdom to warn and teach everyone, so that all of Christ‘s followers will grow and become mature. That‘s why I work so hard and use the mighty power he gives me.”].


“My dear friends, stand firm and do not be shaken. Always keep busy working for the Lord. You know that everything you do for him is worthwhile.“ - 1 Corinthians 15:58

[All verses from Contemporary English Version]

He Had Overcome The World

Come and Seek The Lord

No matter how tough the trials that come your way
No matter how much they break your heart today
Fill your heart instead with joy
Knowing Jesus is there for us all

CHORUS:

Come and seek the Lord [3]
For He had overcome the world


No matter how much pain and suffering
No matter how heavy the burden they bring
Trust in the Lord it will be okay
For He will show us the way

[Repeat Chorus]
~rcubes 6/19/03 0830hrs.





Please remember the Philippines, those affected by the worst flooding they ever had in your prayers. Same with the people affected by the recent earthquake in Samoa and Indonesia.

May many people turn to Him and know that He is still in control. Blessings to all of you.
All posts/composed songs copyright by RCUBEs.



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