Along With Pride, Destruction!

One unit deputy called me and asked for a nurse to evaluate 2 inmates who just had a fight. I didn’t go into details why these 2 cellies [cell mates] fought. As I waited in a small clinic inside that unit, the man approached me, escorted by the deputy. His blood was dripping like a faucet. I found a laceration from his mid-forehead. I controlled his bleeding before I noticed the other injuries. He had scattered scratches on his torso. His left eye, circled with a dark halo. He sat quietly in front of me, the whole time. He was in a somber mood. I planned to send him to the hospital for further evaluation and treatment.

As the deputy kept him in a holding cell, he brought out the other inmate involved. Smiling sheepishly, I could feel his arrogance as he sat in front of me.

“Did you get hit?”

“Nope! I think I only had these fingers broken. That’s about it,” he answered, still smiling wide and holding his head high. [He stated that to make us know that he felt good that he hit the other guy bad!].

“No, they’re not broken!” I answered. [There were only mild swelling, as a result of him, hitting the other inmates, perhaps non-stop and hard]. He only had 1 minor scratch on his back but he didn’t have any other injuries. Not like the battered man.

“You can take him now, deputy,” I uttered. “Just put a sick call request if anything comes up,” I told that inmate.

“I’m fine,” he answered with his head so high as he turned it briefly toward the other man being kept in a nearby holding cell.

What did that inmate's pride gain for himself? He would definitely get more days or even months added to his sentence. He might gain power when this news about this fight would reach by hearsay to other inmates. But would everyone be scared of him just because he was unscathed? He would be inviting other inmates, hungry for power, to strike him in the end.

Having arrogance in our hearts can be deceiving. He thinks that he is indestructible. The truth is we are all mortals. We all get hurt. Our strength diminishes. Power does not offer the best security.

Like when we defy God’s commandments. We are being proud. That will bring us nowhere. We may feel good about doing whatever we want to do. But take heed of deceiving ourselves as to our souls! Don’t be fools who grants favor to an earthly prince. While you throw yourself out of God’s favor.

Let us not fear pride in others. But let us fear pride in OURSELVES.

Proverbs 16:18 - “Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall.”

Jeremiah 49:16 - “As for the terror of you, The arrogance of your heart has deceived you, O you who live in the clefts of the rock, who occupy the height of the hill. Though you make your nest as high as an eagle's, I will bring you down from there," declares the LORD.

Who's Willing To Prevent The Greatest Human Tragedy?

“Have you no wish for others to be saved? Then you are not saved yourself, be sure of that.” ~ Charles Spurgeon

Swiping my electronic key to open the metal door in our staff parking, I heard someone hollered from the back, “Hey Rcubes! They just had a code blue there earlier!”

Glancing to where the greeting came from, I saw my co-worker who worked PM shift waving at me, on her way home.

The air was clear when I got to the jail‘s Infirmary. There were no more traces of what had transpired earlier during PM shift. The county’s Homicide Unit just got done, so I heard. The flow of adrenaline could still be felt as all the nursing staff was gathered, conversing about this incident.

He was a young man. His life spent on long-time abuse of illegal drugs. He came down to the Clinic after having chest pains. They occurred after he did some “burpies” [prison exercise]. He was very restless as one nurse initiated the EKG. But during the procedure, he started having a seizure and just stopped breathing. Chaos followed. But with those trained hands, precision was important as the game of tug of war began. Tug between life and death. The jail’s doctor was still there. He started the chest compressions as others initiated the IV, and other things they could do to revive this precious life. To no avail.

“Tragic,” one sighed. “He’s still young.”

As the last PM nurse walked out with weary steps, ready to retire to his bed, another shift took over. Ours. Ready for whatever would come our way. Ready to revive any who would go into cardiac arrest. Because that is the nurse’s first and foremost goal. To save. A life.

Tragic as it was to lose that young man’s life, it was even a greater tragedy to lose a soul who did not know God’s gift of forgiveness. That is the greatest human tragedy. To die not knowing Jesus. Because death is inevitable. We all know that. It will come to all of us like a thief in the night. We will all die. We don’t know when. But what happens when we do? The Bible speaks about two eternal destination: heaven and hell. How do we know where we are heading to?

Jesus said, “I assure you, unless you are born again, you can never see the Kingdom of God.” [John 3:3]

“The truth is no one can enter the Kingdom of God without being born of water and the Spirit. Humans can reproduce only human life, but the Holy Spirit gives new life from heaven.” [John 3:5,6].

“And how can they preach unless they are sent? As it is written, ‘How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news.” - Romans 10:15

We, who were revived before by our Savior must return the favor to those needing His salvation. It is a part of our calling to share what we know about Jesus. The Lord had forgiven our sins when we accepted His gift of salvation. He even took us out of “Egypt” [bondage or slavery], then what now? We are granted His promise of an eternal life. So, what do we do as we wait and long for our heavenly home? God loves all of us. He wants all men to be saved.

But let us first keep the true faith. Let’s study it and know it well so we are not defeated by ignorance. Let this faith make us pour our hearts out in prayers, draw nearer to His Word and manifest with our rich, good deeds. Then, we can teach and share the Healing Power of Salvation from Jesus to those needing it, before they face their own tragic, untimely death.

“But he’s already made it plain how to live, what to do, what God is looking for in men and women. It’s quite simple: Do what is fair and just to your neighbor, be compassionate and loyal in your love, And don’t take yourself seriously - take God seriously.” [Micah 6:8; The Message]




Jesus saying: "Trust me and be relieved. I will deliver you."..."Then, why are you just standing still without stretching your hand to them?"

Hope Is Only On His Hands

Sundays are a special time to gather for many of us in this special place. Please visit Spiritual Sundays and be encouraged by many posts. A special thank you to sisters Charlotte and Ginger for hosting this place. Exciting, we're beginning a new year!


His trembling hands were resting on the arm part of the wheelchair. He was just brought to the county’s ER because of his chest pain. Upon arrival, he changed his mind and signed an “AMA” [against medical advice]. Those same hands that committed big robberries and other crimes were now weakened by his cancer that metastasized all over his body organs.

Nearby, an upset deputy who took his time to escort him to the ambulance, carefully removed the chains around his ankles, with his gloved hands. Same hands that would be ready to protect the staff from disrespectful inmates.

Nurses were busy typing with their weary hands. Both of them obviously upset why this inmate refused the treatment when they knew that he was very fragile when it came to his health.

I took a box of tissue with my tired hands, too. Tired from helping our medical secretaries with paperworks that were piling up for them. I took a few, thin tissues and gave it to this inmate to wipe out the tears slowly forming in his blurry eyes.

“I’m sorry, Ma’am. I had to sign an AMA. I didn’t want to miss my first visit today,” he softly uttered.

“You have the right to refuse, Sir,” I replied. “It’s just hard because there is no doctor here around this time. That’s why they needed to send you to ER.” “I’ll have our jail doctor see you in the morning.”

He slowly pushed the wheels forward with his aged hands. Trying to have the same rhythm to make the wheelchair go faster. Until the big metal door closed behind him...

Our hands tell so much about us. They tell life’s adventures. They gain victories. They cause failures. They help. They create. They bless.

It is known that we can live for 40 days without food, 3 days without water, and 8 minutes without air. But we cannot live one second without hope. When the disciples heard that Jesus died, fear replaced their hope. Until Jesus came back - alive from the dead! And He comforted them by showing His hands and feet. Thomas missed the resurrection and would not believe if he wouldn’t see and feel [John 20:25]. But a week later, Jesus appeared again and Thomas was there in that room. And Jesus said [John 20:27]:

“Put your finger here and see my hands. Put your hand into the wound in my side. Don’t be faithless any longer. Believe!”

And Thomas exclaimed, “My Lord, my God!” [John 20:28]

Hope…that never dies…is on Jesus’ hands… "Just believe!"

The Best New Year's Resolution!!!

“Ma’am, he started hitting his head on the glass window in the squad car as soon as I entered the jail’s yard,” uttered the arresting officer to me and the LVN who tagged along with me, wanting to see some actions at the jail’s Intake.

There he was, a middle-aged man, with slightly reddish eyes but the red streak across his forehead stood out more. He was very upset!

“Aaarrggghhhh!” he screamed as he stomped his feet on the cold ground inside the “Sobering” cell. He stopped when he saw me, the LVN, and the 3 deputies with us nearing the big glass window where he was. He sat still, stopped screaming and stomping. I could sense he was drunk but still was coherent enough to know what was going on.

The deputy slowly opened the heavy, metal door. 2 of them went inside first to determine if it was safe for me and the other nurse to talk with him and check his vital signs. He was cooperating at that time.

I took his radial pulse. “120 beats per minute”. He denied using street drugs. I could hear his deep, loud sigh, an angry kind of rhythm, as he stared at the cop who arrested him. I had the LVN took his blood pressure. “160/90,” she stated as she glanced at me, waiting for my signal that I would not accept the inmate for a racy pulse and high BP. But not yet.

“You need to calm down!” I commanded to the man.

“Can’t you see? I’m trying to calm down! Aaaaarrrr…” he replied with an angry tone and took another penetrating glare toward the arresting cop.

“How can you calm down when you remained angry this whole time? Just answer me. Why were you arrested?” as I raised my voice slightly higher but with a respectful way.

No answer…For 1 minute…He let out 2 long, deep breaths.

“More,” I told him. And more deep breaths, he did…Still. No answer. Then, I turned to the LVN and requested for her to take his BP again. “140/88,” she said smiling at me. She couldn’t believe that his BP would become lower in a matter of few minutes.

“Give me his health screen paper, Officer. Let me sign it, so you can book him now.”

“Thank you so much, Ma’am,” he replied with an obvious expression of relief that he didn’t need to bring his arrestee to our main prison. And the man remained still. He was not hitting his head anymore. He was quiet and appeared to be contemplating the answer to the question I posed.


He was caught driving drunk. I don’t know how many times. Yet, every time he is arrested, he gets angry. But he caused this to himself. Year after year, he is trapped in that same habit.

How is it different with our New Year’s Resolutions? We try to improve things in our lives, year after year, only to become angry and disappointed as nothing new happened around December time. We put out the best goals we can think of and become determined to complete them. Still. We fail. Then, we’re angry.

Let’s stop resisting the Authority. When He finds us, don’t get angry at Him. He just wants the best for you. He doesn’t want you to get hurt. And as for us who had yielded to His power before, we still fall into sin. We become proud of the things we have accomplished. Forgetting it was not our strength that did that. But His grace. How far have we, believers or non-believers, have turned away from the Authority wanting us to be successful?

There is this NUMBER 1 resolution that we must aim for: To turn back to God, repent for our sins and walk humbly with Him, not only for this year, but for the rest of our lives. We are all familiar with this verse:

2 Chronicles 7:14 - “Then if my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sins and heal their land.”

But have you read verse 15-16?

15 - “I will listen to every prayer made in this place, 16for I have chosen this Temple and set it apart to be my home forever. My eyes and my heart will always be here.”

Let’s all stop resisting the Authority. Sit still. Contemplate on humbling ourselves by admitting our sins, praying to God for His forgiveness and seeking Him continually and turn away from our sinful behavior. This is the best goal we can all achieve, not only for the year 2010 but for the rest of our lives.

Because true repentance is beyond all these words. It is changed behavior.

Friends, the Lord brought this to mind, many hours after I had already posted this[added at 0815 hrs.]:

³³But seek (aim at and strive after) first of all His kingdom and His righteousness (His way of doing and being right), and then all these things taken together will be given you besides." ~ Matthew 6:33; AMP.