Do you hear the screams?

It is late…

It is late in many ways…

I have lived for 56 years.  I won’t live another 56 years.   It is late…

I am impressed with how fragile and unpredictable life is.  There is one day coming when I will be saying goodbyes…

I smile and shake hands with a person who knows more about the uncertainty of life than I.  He has a secret he does not share as he chats about the weather.  He is HIV positive and AIDS is knocking on the door.

He understands that there is a date assigned to his life.  He knows the date draws near, yet he merely shakes my hand and chats about the weather.  How can that be?

I can imagine myself screaming and shaking the person looking at me.  I am screaming at the top of my lungs inside my head.  Don’t you hear me screaming?  I am dying!  Don’t you care?  Listen to me!

And on the outside I am chatting about the weather, figuring the other person really doesn’t want to hear about my problems…

It is getting late.   I hope one day to hear the screams of others and not be so inclined to chat about the weather.

Yes, it is getting late… but God willing… it is not too late.

Forgive me if I have missed your screams.

It is not too late.

God bless.

Opportunistic Infection. Some opportunities are best declined.

This is my friend.  I met him at church.  He wore a smile most of the time.  The last time I saw him, nothing was different.  He was just the odd guy with hair that was died too black.

It turns out, the last time I chatted with him may be the last time I will ever chat with him.  An opportunistic virus has invaded his body and there is an incredible fight going on between life and death.  He didn’t plan it this way.  Life’s choices may have played a part in creating the opportunity for this virus, but it was not his plan..

Likely, his plans were much like yours and mine.  Plans to marry and have children.  Live a long life.  Retire and bounce grandkids on his knees.  That is not the way life turned out.

It makes me wonder about my life.  If and when an opportunistic virus comes my way, will I be ready?  Will I fear death or will I embrace it?  I don’t know.  What I do know is to live each day the Father gives me as if it is my last.

I hope to be a blessing to those I encounter.  I hope that others see Jesus in me and desire to have the same peace I have in living that I hope to have in dying.

I pray my wife and son with extended families will look upon my life with favor and believe I made my choices according to God’s will and favor on my life.  I pray my choices have brought God’s favor on them.

Pray for my friend.

“Is this my problem. Is this my fault?…”~Paul Simon

This is my friend Jackie.  I was close to her live-in husband, Bro. Ted.  You may remember Ted? I blogged about him.  He was a recovering crack addict that loved Jesus and could quote whole chapters if not books of the Bible.  God blessed him with a photographic memory.  He blessed God by sharing what he remembered, even when he was not mentally balanced like you and I.

I had last seen Jackie sitting on her porch, smoking a cigarette.  She was smiling at Ted as he showed me the “eagle dance”.  He was proudly strutting up and down the sidewalk in front of their house, just having a ball.  He was having fun, it made me wonder what was so special about be sane.

I ran across Jackie at church last night.   Ted was not with her.  Ted had been placed in a mental health hospital.  Without Ted, his life mate could not afford the house they shared.  She was told to leave.  She got her purse and wheeled herself off the property.  After-all, it is the right thing to do.

Jackie is homeless.  She didn’t want it that way.  She never planned it.  It just happened.  She was asked, “Where are you going to spend the night, tonight?”  She suggested the bus stop would be fine.

My friend loaded her in my car and we drove her to the lighted bus stop in a very bad part of town.  She said it was safe there.  The police patrolled by there often.  In the short time I dropped Jackie off at the bus stop, the police sirens never stopped.  It is true.  The police drove by often.

My friend will see if there is a shelter that will take Jackie in and provide for her needs.  Jackie never planned for life to work out this way.   But for many too many nights prior, Jackie has found herself sleeping on the streets….

I said hey, is this my problem? Is this my fault? If that’s the way it’s going to be. I’m going to call the whole thing to a halt ” — Paul Simon

There is a God amidst the Struggle..

Michelle Watford

Yes, I have seen God take a stubborn girl who hated life and wanted nothing to do with Him, and wait patiently for her to realize that life with Him could be so much better.  Maybe not easier but at least she would know that she is loved!

He waited patiently.  In the times when she choose her own path he didn’t scold and shake His head and become mad He just gently guided her back to Him..

Then when she continued to make bad decisions and still deny Him her life was going to be taken but He had other plans for her so He saved her life. She finally after a couple more years ran into His arms and calls Him daddy.

A week ago her life was going to be taken again but His plans for her were still not complete so He stretched out His arms to her and let her lay in comfort and peace so that she would not be afraid and 2 days later she awoke to this world again….

God is a God of peace as complicated as it is to wrap our minds around everything wonderful that He has for us….

“In that presence anything can and does happen.”~Jim

Jim Taylor

It’s night here in Africa .. the day is over and the heat is gone. We spent the morning worshiping with brothers & sisters who do not speak our native language and whose language we are still learning.

The presence of God was tangible! You could almost see it. The people sang like I have not heard them sing before. There was dancing and singing and more dancing and singing.

Then – before the preaching – the Pastor invited all those who wanted Jesus to be Lord of their lives to come forward. 12 adults came, several bringing their children with them. This is a place where christianity is not the dominant religion and this step is no small one for them.

After prayer as they were walking back to their places I greeted some of them. One man said, “This is my first day in a church!” (I do understand a little of the language) I said to him in my broken portuguese, “You are my brother.” He looked at me directly in the eyes, and then hugged and hugged me!

It was the church, meeting together, worshiping the King.

In that presence anything can and does happen.

What is the most significant event in your life?

Ever wondered why things happen the way they do?  My home A/C went on the fritz today and I called to have it fixed.  The service man showed up late and couldn’t fix it.  A second service man came out and proceeded to tear into it, but a couple hours later it was obvious it wasn’t going to be fixed tonight.  I showered and headed out to meet my wife at her sister’s new home where the A/C worked.

I stopped at Jim’s restaurant or a diner type eatery and wasn’t seated so I found a table on my own.  After not being waited on for an extended period of time, I got up and walked to the bar seating.  I asked a guy if the seat was taken next to him.  It was available and I opened my netbook for a quick wifi connection expecting to check in with my Facebook friends.

He saw my computer open and got on the phone.  He was talking to someone about his website and was a bit agitated.  I asked if I good help.  He asked if I knew what Google was and could I look up his name on Google to see his website.  I typed in his name, Chris Diamond.  You might have heard of Chris Diamond,  but I hadn’t.  As I scanned his website, it was obvious plenty of other people knew who Chris Diamond was.  He was pictured with Fats Domino, Bob Hope, Daryn Ballantine, James Brown, Milton Berle and the list goes on.   At this point I knew I was in the middle of a big bright God Spot.

I explained what a God Spot was.  I shared as an example my bus ride to California and back with Federico, collecting God Spots; like the time I met a survivor of the Black Hawk Down episode. This American Hero shared of his experience being a prisoner of war and in a miraculous event escaped.

God had my attention and I considered what God might have intended for me in what I believed was an event God had orchestrated.  I didn’t lead with my usual, “Have you ever seen God do anything for you?” Oddly, God put a new line in my mind and I asked, “What is the most significant event of your life?”  Then, I was quiet and let him think.  He shared about his most significant event and it certainly qualified as significant.  I promised I would not violate his privacy, so you will have to trust me on that one.

I then shared with him my most significant event.  It was when I discovered a personal relationship with my heavenly Father.  I explained it was a Father / son relationship much like the one he would have experienced if his earthly father had not died at the age of 6.  Only the God Father relationship was even more real.  It had nothing to do with church or religions. It had everything to do with discovering a God that loved me and traveled with me.  He was my friend and always available for conversation.

I explained that some might think the description of my Father personal relationship bizarre, but that’s ok because He is my Father and may not be yours.  I found myself truly excited to share with Chris about the reality of God in my life.  I was pumped and didn’t have to worry about what to say.  I didn’t wonder if I was saying the right thing.  I just talked about God being a best friend.

Chris was gracious to listen.  I thanked him for the time.  I gave him my business card for building websites and wrote the address to this blog.  As I left, I asked him to give me a call.  I wanted a ride in His Rolls Royce.  Who knows?  Maybe he will call.  I won’t be surprised.  After all, this was a God Spot.

Nthabi May – South Africa

I have been in church all my life – Methodist church. When I got married i had to change the church, and had to go to Dutch Reformed church. I could not learn anything. Not that in Methodist I knew about Jesus but it became worse.

It happened that we relocated to another town and saw a big board saying Methodist church – All welcome. I planned to go visit on Sunday. The pastor said something I never thought of before, If it happens that you die do you know where you’ll go? My answer was no I dont. I got born again that day. We all moved to that church, and we grow up to the level of the church.

We relocated again to another province, and we visited Rhema(Ps Ray MacCauley) we knew that is home. We grew even much more in the Word. However this amasing Jesus i did not know. I was getting tired because my life was not bearing what Christ came to give us, and I did not know what is wrong with me bcs they will say there is nothing wrong with the word so it had to be me. That was causing exhaustion.

I was born again in 1997 in that Methodist church. In 2008, as usual we had our yearly church celebration. One of the speakers was Joseph Prince. We were told that he will be talking about grace. I asked God to help understand what he is saying bcs, what I knew about grace was not bearing fruit.

That evening I knew that i’ve heared the word of the living God. Since then i am growing resting in God, knowing who I am in him.

Summer has come and gone, now where was I…

I’ve been working on a number of projects and know you may have wondered what happened to me.  One blog friend, Robert of Canada emailed and said he missed me.  I thought, “How kind!”  So to bring you up to date, here are a few links of stuff I am doing.

The first is a fun web application and what I call,  ”Video Commentator”.  I need a better name.  Maybe you can think of something for me.  Click on this link and view a video.  Make comments as you view and your comments will be displayed at the exact time you posted, when the next viewer watches.  So if you see something spectacular, you can comment, “WOW!” and your comment will be displayed at what you thought was exciting.   http://video.isrv.org/

If you have a YouTube video you want posted for comment, shoot me the link.  Then, drum up viewers.  That should be fun.

Also, I have been building a website to promote my web building services.  My company name is Signature Web Services.   If you need a website, let me know.  I’d love to help.   http://www.isrv.org/

Then and probably most important is my nonProfit work.  I call it unCommon Connection .  It is an effort to help those less fortunate than myself.  People have an opportunity to post their needs and others have an opportunity to help.  This is a grass roots effort and is consuming a lot of my time.  If you feel a social responsibility, take a look at the needs.  Then, donate to the unCommon Connection and encourage me with funding….

Well… that was my summer.  How about yours?  I trust you are healthy and enjoying a prosperity far beyond what you deserve.   lol

archie

PS.  I am big into Facebook these days.  Be sure and befriend me if you have not already.  http://www.facebook.com/37stories

Jim Taylor is living and loving in Africa…

Jim Taylor September 6 at 9:07am

I do not feel that my wife and I have made a sacrifice. The hardest part of leaving the USA for me was not selling our stuff or leaving the Church we had pastored for 20 years or even leaving our kids and grandkids It was leaving my Dad in a Nursing Home. That was a tough one for me. He has Alzheimer’s .. some days he did not know who I was .. but it was emotionally a tough one.

The last time I saw him he was asleep. I sat by his bed and prayed that in his dreams he was a young boy again, running the hills on the ranch where he (and I) grew up.

At one point he woke up slightly, looked at me and asked “what’s up?” I said, Nothing Pop. I am just gonna take your picture. and he went back to sleep.

When I got ready to leave he roused and told me if I needed some money to just take whatever he had. I thanked him and told him I was going. He said in a very clear voice, “The Lord bless you and use you mightily, Jim.” Then he went back to sleep.

I hate crying in front of the nurses so I got out quickly .. but I know it was a Father’s Blessing!

That was the last time I saw him. He is 88. I may never see him again on this earth. That was the toughest part.

The rest is nothing. I do not feel as if we have made any sacrifices. I feel privileged that God would allow me to live in such a beautiful place among such a beautiful people.

I think you will understand what I am saying. Not everyone does.

There is time to talk. There is a time to go.

I have a friend in Africa that feeds and cares for those less fortunate.  Most are hungry and little to eat.  Many have HIV or AIDS.  Some are children who inherited the disease through no fault of their own.  Benard is in need of funds to purchase food and medical supplies.  Maybe you are his Egypt and I am his messenger.  Comment if you’d like to help in a very practical way.

Benard Msandu

I once worked for a bishop who kept on telling me to ask God for my salary at the end of the month. One day when i was starving, i went to his house to ask if he could buy me some food, he gave ‘omo’ the powder soap to go pour into boiling water and it will turn into food in Jesus name. I tried, but ended up having bubbles. When i told him what had transpired, he told me that i had little faith.
Archie Rhines

There are practical aspects to our faith. Although God does not NEED you to do anything, He prefers working through those that get up and GO. Find your Egypt and GO there to RECEIVE God’s blessing.

“When Jacob learned that there was food in Egypt, he said to his sons, “Why do you sit around here and look at one another?”~Genesis