Becoming a Master Student – The Turning Points of Life

You Are Not Done Yet!

As I was coming to full consciousness following spinal surgery, I asked the doctor, “How did it go?” He said, “Well all I can say is it was very unusual. I have done many of these surgeries, but this one was quite unique, a one of a kind.” I was intrigued to know more.

Two weeks before, my wife Carol and I along with our 2-year-old son Randy went to Mission Bay Park on a beautiful Saturday morning. There we joined many of our church friends for a barbeque and a day playing volleyball. We set up our chairs and a table in preparation for more of our friends to arrive.

Once settled in I joined some others to practice at the volleyball court. Ten minutes into our warmup I jumped high to spike the ball. When I landed, something happened. I didn’t really feel anything, but I knew I had landed funny.

I left the court and sat down on a lawn chair, and then it happened. Extreme pain in both my legs struck fear into me. With every move, the pain got worse. I realized I needed to get the hospital emergency room. Carol got one of our friends to take care of Randy and we made our way to my pickup truck. Every step I was in extreme agony, fear rising with every step. I eased my way into the truck and suddenly lost all feeling in my legs. Fear reached a crescendo. I urged Carol to drive as fast as she could to the emergency at Scripps Hospital a few miles away. Silently and I admit with some desperation, I prayed for help.

As we drove, I feared paralysis. I couldn’t feel anything in either leg. What was this going to do with my new job? How would I support my young family if I couldn’t walk? My head was whirling in circles. I prayed again.

We arrived at the emergency and to my surprise I was able to walk unaided. But even though I couldn’t feel my legs, they worked! I could walk! What in the world is going on? I was perplexed.

They asked me, “Who is your doctor?”

I said, “Doctor Thomas Laughlin.”

I was ushered to a waiting bed and waited for Dr. Laughlin, an orthopedic surgeon, to arrive.

We came to know Dr. Laughlin when he cared for Randy when he fell off a chair and broke his arm a few months earlier.

Dr. Laughlin examined me and sent me home to rest in bed. He asked me to contact him on Monday with my condition. On Sunday, I rested but by Monday morning the pain when walking was still intense. The doctor asked me to come back to the hospital.

I was admitted and put in traction to stretch my spine. My shoulders were restrained, and my legs were fitted with straps attached to heavy weights that hung over the end of the bed.

After a week in traction there was no improvement. The doctor said that he needed to do a myelogram in preparation for surgery.

A myelogram is a procedure where the patient is placed on a tiltable table. The room is outfitted with a fluoroscope that performs a dynamic X-ray of the spine. A dye is injected into the spinal column and the tabled is tilted slowly while the orthopedic surgeon and a radiologist analyze the images on the fluoroscope screen. They are watching for the anomalies that the dye would reveal, identifying the exact vertebrae affected.

I told Dr. Laughlin that I didn’t want to go through a myelogram.

He said, “Allan, I will not do the surgery without the myelogram.”

I said, “I will consent to you doing the surgery without the myelogram.”

He asked me why I was so adamant about not having the procedure. I explained that years ago, my father had a myelogram, and it was so painful he wanted to die. My doctor assured me he would do the myelogram himself and guaranteed I would have no pain. I acquiesced and prayed that God would guide my doctor so his promise would be realized.

Despite my trust in God and my doctor, I entered the room for my myelogram with great trepidation. I was wear a hospital gown and laid down on the cold table head down.

A nurse came in wheeling a cart with a large assortment of needles. My mistake was that I looked at those needles. They were varied sizes and thickness. The thickest ones sent a shiver up my spine. I lay there, deep concern seeping into my mind as each minute ticked by.

Dr Laughlin came in with a cheery hello. Then he looked at the assorted needles and chastised the nurse.

“Those are the wrong needles! Please get the needles I use.” He commanded.

The nurse replied, “Oh I am so sorry! You are the only doctor who uses the other needle set. I’ll be right back.”

We waited for the nurse to return, and the procedure began.

The doctor injected a numbing medication somewhere near my spine. Then he inserted a needle between two vertebrae. I felt warm spinal fluid flow down my back. He then injected the dye and left the room for the radiologist’s room.

Momentarily, the table began to slowly tilt. I could hear the two doctors conversing.

The I heard them say, “There it is! That’s it.”

Dr. Laughlin returned and said, “You have shattered disc between vertebrae L5 and S1. We are now prepared to do the surgery.”

Now came the moment of trepidation. Removal of the dye from my spine. This was the moment in the procedure that gave my dad the excruciating pain. The doctor commenced the final step of the procedure. To my surprise I felt NO PAIN!

Afterward I asked Dr. Laughlin why there wasn’t any of pain I so feared. He explained that the needles he uses are so configured to preclude the fine nerve endings on the spinal cord from hitting the end of the inserted needle. Wow what a relief and blessing.

The next day I went into surgery to remove the shattered disc and fuse the L5-S1 vertebrae together.

As I lay on the gurney outside the operating room I prayed again for God’s Holy Spirit to guide my doctor and the medical staff assisting in the surgery and that His will be done.

To my surprise, a nurse approached me and began wrapping my legs in ace bandages.

I said, “Wait, they’re not operating on my legs!”

She responded, “Yes we know, but during this surgery you will be positioned with your legs vertically aligned and we need these to keep your blood pressure stable.”

Shortly I was wheeled into the operating room. I looked at the operating table. It was outfitted with a large black cushion that I would be laying my torso on during the surgery that gave perfect access to my spine.

After the surgery, the doctor came to my room. That’s when I asked my question.

I asked the doctor, “How did it go?”

He said, “Well all I can say is it was very unusual. I have done many of these surgeries, but this one was quite unique, a one of a kind.”

I was intrigued to know more.

He explained, “When I accessed your spine, I found a shattered calcified disc. You stretched your spine playing volleyball and sucked the disc partially out of its proper position. When your spine collapsed it shattered the disc into little pieces. I had to search for each piece and like a puzzle assemble the pieces until I completed the disc. I then cut two pieces of bone from your hip and fused them in place of the disc. Once done I was ready to close the incision. But suddenly I had this feeling that I wasn’t done yet. I paused and began to search. I looked around and found hidden under a muscle a complete calcified disc! It was hard with sharp edges and a complete disc shape. Apparently, the disc had calcified as two. And only one was shattered. It’s good we found it because had it been left behind it would have moved around and cut through nerves and blood vessels. We would have been at a loss to find it again. Be grateful!”

I was profoundly grateful, but more good things were waiting for me. Before the surgery, Dr. Laughlin warned, “It will take at least eight weeks to recover enough to go back to work.” That was very disconcerting as I had just started a new job earlier that year. It was hardly enough time to earn sufficient sick leave to cover eight more weeks after the two weeks already bedridden. My prayers expressing my profound gratitude were followed by a plea for a quick recovery. As was normal for me, my prayer was conditional upon the will of God.

I learned long before this experience to invoke Solomon’s Recipe when facing fearful prospects in life:

Proverbs 3:5–6 (MSG): Trust GOD from the bottom of your heart; don’t try to figure out everything on your own. Listen for GOD’s voice in everything you do, everywhere you go; He’s the one who will keep you on track. Don’t assume that you know it all.

It was obvious to me that the doctor knew what he was saying when he gave me the recovery time. This was not his first surgery. But I had other plans. I was determined to get back to work as soon as possible. I knew God would do His part but I had to do mine.

The morning after the surgery I had to relieve my bladder. The nurse brought me a bedpan. I respectfully said I wanted to walk to the restroom. She helped me out of bed and with the IV cart flowing me I did it! Later that morning the doctor visited and was surprised to hear that I was up and walking. That was just the beginning.

Each day I walked around the hospital wing. Twice I walked a lap on the first day and increased my trips each day. I was doing six laps by the fifth day.

The doctor was very pleased with my progress. On the sixth day following the surgery I was released to go home. Diligently I followed the instructions for exercises. Two weeks later, three weeks after surgery I was cleared to go back to work on a half day schedule. I did that for one week and then back full time.

The doctor was surprised at my fast recovery. I was not. I did my part, and I knew God would do His work. Prayer works! And a profound and authentic gratitude follows.

Since then, more than forty-six years have passed, and the surgery remains a huge success.

I am forever grateful to Dr. Laughlin and his team of medical professionals who served me throughout this ordeal. I am grateful for my Lord’s answering my prayers and guiding the medical teams for my blessing. He answered my prayers in ways unanticipated.

TURNING POINT

Prayer works! Recognizing that God is good and has good intentions allows authentic trust, freeing me from worry and fear, and helping me focus on my future. Solomon’s Recipe is essential to facing and enduring challenges.

A Lesson in Serving

Looking back on my life, I continue to find experiences that in retrospect proved to be turning points for my personal growth and transformation. Recently, I recalled a time in my youth when I learned to value serving the elderly. Respecting my elders has enriched my life in countless ways.

My mother’s older brother Arnold Stier served as a priest in our church. My Uncle Arnold and his family lived a block away from my childhood home. Once a month, on a Sunday afternoon, Priest Stier went to a convalescent home for the elderly. A small number of members of our church were residents in that home. Known as the Holland Home, the management accommodated Priest Stier to serve our members and others at the home with a church service.

I don’t know how old I was when Uncle Arnold asked me to join him when he went to Holland Home to hold a divine service. I suspect that I was between six to eight years old. I remember my uncle picking me up on an early Sunday afternoon and driving the few miles to the home.

When we arrived, I helped carry boxes of hymnals into the large room that had been set up with folding chairs. At the front of the room a table was arranged with a white tablecloth. On the table was a small lectern. My task was to place a hymnal on each of the chairs. Then I went to a water fountain and filled a glass of water to place on the makeshift altar. Priest Stier placed a Communion Chalice on the altar and made other preparation for the service to begin.

With all the preparations complete we waited till it was time to open the doors for the congregants to enter. When I opened the door twelve or more elderly people slowly made their way to their seats. I sat in the back row of seats at the end of the aisle, just like the deacons did at our church services. Priest Stier conducted the sermon to the listening congregation.

After the sermon Priest Stier served Holy Communion to those who chose to participate. I served as an usher, leading these elderly faithful to the altar for Holy Communion. When the service was concluded, I greeted each one with a smile and a handshake.

Once all were greeted, they left to go their respective rooms or the homey lounge. I collected the hymnals and helped gather up our equipment. Priest Stier and I packed the car and went home, filled with the joyful feeling that being a blessing to someone creates deep within the heart and soul.

Turning Point

I observed how the elderly congregants, despite their frailties, participated with reverence and devotion. Their dedication made a profound impression on me. I realized that day, as a young child, the immense value and significance of service, respect, and compassion for those who had lived long, rich lives.

These experiences at Holland Home instilled in me not only a deep respect for the elderly but also a sense of responsibility to contribute and serve where I could. This lesson of humility and service has stayed with me throughout my life, shaping my interactions with others and guiding my personal and professional endeavors. Looking back, it is clear to see how these formative experiences laid the foundation for my values and the person I have become today.

New Words to Pique Understanding

I am always fascinated when a new word comes into my life. I am a word hunter. I look for new words to help me grow and express myself. Sometimes “old” words show up in a different context to create a much-enhanced value and meaning for them. My hunt for words come into focus under many situations, Conversations with strangers or friends, a discussion with others, a divine church service, a sentence in a book or a news piece on the radio or TV are just a few such resources for finding new words.

I am prompted to write this piece because I heard a word new to me, experiential. The context of the word when I heard it was describing what a divine church service was designed to be for the listener. Some may think a service is informational. A place and an opportunity to gain valued information. That’s true for any conversation where one learns truthful information of value. The transfer of truthful and useful information has value for the listeners is informational, giving them new understanding to help in making future decisions.

ex·pe·ri·en·tial

adjective

involving or based on experience and observation.

derived from experiment and observation rather than theory.

“the experiential learning associated with employment”

Experiential opens a very different perspective. It provides in a powerful way for the listener to have a deeper appreciation of the subject matter.

As I pondered how to explain this notion of experiential learning, I thought of my son Randy’s approach to creating his restaurants. He encased a philosophy for his restaurants in these three words: Quality, Innovation & Education. His purpose was to create an experiential dining event for his customers. The combination of those three words made dining at Sushi Confidential restaurants so successfully experiential that it drew and sustained a loyal following of clients.

Positive experiential venues are blessings in our life, whether they be in every possible location in our life: school, work, personal study, church or just life as it happens for us.

This new word in my vocabulary opens new visions. I can see that life provides so many moments that are truly experiential. I relish experiences that are turning points in my life.

Turning Point

The word experiential was new to me and offers a new perspective, the blessings of which are still unfolding. It does, however, pique my awareness of words more keenly than before. Recently I heard a phrase in a service: “we need to fine tune ourselves to hear and embrace the will of God if we are to gain from the service God’s intention and will for us.” That too is a turning point for me that gives me greater focus in my preparations for going to church that will make each service more experiential.

Consequential Sacrifice

Matthew 6:17-19

New King James Version

¹⁷But you, when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, ¹⁸so that you do not appear to men to be fasting, but to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly.

Lay Up Treasures in Heaven

¹⁹“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal. ²⁰but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal.

Each new day and each renewed celebration offer the opportunity to refocus on what is truly important.

I note that in the season of Lent, many commence the season on Ash Wednesday and have ashes placed on their foreheads. Lent is when the faithful plan to sacrifice something to show their sincerity in making a personal commitment to the Lord in recognition of His sacrifice.

Typically, we tend to give up worldly pleasures. A favorite food or drink, an unhealthy habit, or anything that might appear to be a luxury are usually on the menu for fasting. Although these things can be a healthy choice for the natural body, I pause to wonder how God sees them. I recall a favorite verse of mine:

Isaiah 55:8-9

New King James Version

⁸“For My thoughts are not your thoughts,
Nor are your ways My ways,” says the Lord.
⁹“For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
So are My ways higher than your ways,
And My thoughts than your thoughts.

It is good for us to seriously consider how the Lord’s thoughts and ways are higher than ours. It is a measuring stick for our decisions that will add true substance to what we ultimately decide to do.

Consider what we include in our fasting menu, not just for a season, like Lent, but for all our efforts to please our Lord throughout our life.

With little thought, it seems to me that in place of our normal thoughts on planning a fast we should consider fasting from judgement, prejudices, anger, self-doubt, greed, jealousy, unforgiveness, pettiness, gossip and the like that move us away from the Lord.

We can replace them with encouragement, graciousness, patience, goodness, self-control, kindness, gentleness, faithfulness, gratitude, peace, joy and love. These move us closer to the Lord and maintain our closeness to Him.

These passages serve as a poignant reminder of the impermanence of worldly possessions and perspectives and the enduring value of spiritual vision and wealth.

TURNING POINTS

Awareness of the spiritual versus the natural has the benefit of keeping our good intentions on track to achieve desired results. Those desired results include not returning to what we rightfully choose to include in our fasting menus.

Mary and Martha – A Lesson in Distraction

Luke 10:38-42

New King James Version

Mary and Martha Worship and Serve

³⁸Now it happened as they went that He entered a certain village; and a certain woman named Martha welcomed Him into her house. ³⁹And she had a sister called Mary, who also sat at Jesus’ feet and heard His word. ⁴⁰But Martha was distracted with much serving, and she approached Him and said, “Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Therefore, tell her to help me.”

⁴¹And Jesus answered and said to her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things. ⁴²But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her.”

This is a frequent experience in the life of Jesus with many messages offered. One message however escaped me until I read a lesson by Elder Micelle Christy entitled “Sitting at the Feet of Jesus.” She focused on the lesson portrayed by Martha and her “distraction”.

Martha’s distraction led to five negative characteristic positions:

Disbelief – Martha asks, “Do you not care…?”
Defensiveness – Martha defends her place: “My sister has left me to serve alone.”
Dismissiveness – Martha depersonalizes Mary as “my sister,” as though Mary is not even there.
Demands – Martha flat out says to Jesus, “Tell her to help me.”
Desperation – Martha attempts to control the situation—and Jesus—with her comment about being alone.

Having read this passage in the scripture for decades, I never saw this perspective that reveals the real dangers of being distracted. Since we live in a time of incessant distractions, swirling around us from the moment we awaken in the morning to the moment we lay our heads on the pillow for a night’s rest, this perspective is profoundly significant. Just imagine how we can slip into these negative positions. They individually and collectively can counter our positive intentions and purpose.

This awareness can help one to be more deliberate and intent on resisting the inclination to fall into exhibiting these “D’s” and tumbling into such negativity.

TURNING POINTS

Awareness of the slippery slope that distractions can become averse to our good intentions can keep us on track. It truly is a time to do good without being shackled by distractions and their consequences.

The Power of Children

Matthew 18:2-4 New King James Version

²Then Jesus called a little child to Him, set him in the midst of them, ³and said, “Assuredly, I say to you, unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven. ⁴Therefore whoever humbles himself as this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.

I have always wondered about this passage in the scriptures. Just what did Jesus mean when he taught this. I have learned that much of what Jesus taught had underlying truths that are beyond the obvious. It takes the “asking”, “seeking” and “knocking” that He taught was necessary to get at the full depth of His teaching. So, I have deliberated and prayed in seeking to better understand what the not so obvious meaning of this teaching in Matthew 18.

When people reach a stage in life when they lose their fear of “what others will think” they share their spiritual experiences. These are most often from early childhood when “adult reality” has not yet restricted and limited their vision. As I was reading Dr. Eben Alexander’s book “The Map of Heaven” I realized the proof of this reality from my own personal experience. Alexander’s book references the fact that people who have shared their early spiritual experiences go back many decades – six or seven decades – into early childhood. These memories were “as fresh as if they’d occurred just a few days before”. Young children feel very comfortable with spiritual experiences because they haven’t felt the expectations forced upon them by “adult thinking”. Young children are comfortable with spiritual experiences because it does not threaten their acceptance. Once adult reality sets in, this is no longer the case.

An event in my life that took place when I had just turned four years old. My Aunt Frieda suddenly died. My parents, probably realizing that she was so special to because of all the adventures she took me on, make a bold and courageous decision. Against all social rules of the time and place, they took me to the wake. When I was about 65 while driving alone with the radio off, I journeyed back in time and one of my life’s turning points surfaced in vivid color. I was once again walking hand in hand with my father into the funeral home. I was overwhelmed by the massive wall of flowers that seemed to go to the ceiling. The fragrances consumed the air in the room. My father lifted me up and as I peered into the open casket, I saw my Aunt Frieda lying serenely in a deep peace that embraced my being. From that moment, death for me was a passage into an authentic and profound place of indescribable peace. As a child, I didn’t have the ability to share the profound effect this experience had on my mind. But finally, as an adult, I have the experience and vocabulary to at least express the long-encapsulated feelings harbored deep in my memory for six decades. (NOTE: The full story of my relationship with Aunt Frieda is posted JUNE 2015 in my blog (www.lifeturningpoints.org ) [https://www.lifeturningpoints.org/?s=Aunt+Frieda]

Once attending a seminar, the facilitator expressed his love for talking and working with children. He saw them as “free” thinking and with an unfettered imagination. “I could talk about purple and orange washing machines without one of them saying, ‘NO! they are white!’” he said.

Stop and think of a profound spiritual experience from your childhood that you never told anyone about because you feared their reaction. Now as an adult, how would you describe it?

I suggest that what Jesus alluded to with His pronouncement in Matthew 18 was that we need to escape the limiting restraints of the natural and enter the glory of the spiritual. Children can do that because they are still free to soar into the spiritual without fear. Their humble nature keeps an open heart and mind for the spiritual.

Paul was also alluded to this in Romans 12. It is necessary to escape the “comfort” or “arrogance” of accepted adult thinking and be renewed back to childhood freedom to be dependent. The adult perspective is “I know it all!” and I don’t need God or anything or anyone else, I can do it myself. The child is the epitome of “I need you!” Jesus per chance was alluding to recognizing our dependance on Him to enter His kingdom.

Romans 12:2-3 NKJV

²And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.

The prophet Isaiah points out in no uncertain terms that our “unrenewed” mind produces thoughts and ways lower and inconsistent the Lord’s. There is the truth of our dependence on Him for gaining kingdom’s entrance.

Isaiah 55:8-9 NKJV

⁸“For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways,” says the Lord.
⁹“For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways,
And My thoughts than your thoughts.

But there is a way to regain that childhood vision of the spiritual along with the natural world. Jesus gave an answer recorded in Matthew 7.

Matthew 7:7 NKJV Keep Asking, Seeking, Knocking

⁷“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.

With a new understanding that we as adults can still possess a truly spiritual connection with the Divine, we need to pursue it with deliberate ASKING, SEEKING and KNOCKING. Silent meditation without the noise of the world around us and sincere prayers will open us up to the Holy Spirit when He visits us with revelations.

Our soul is our spiritual being that was known to the Lord before we were born as attested by Jeremiah.

Jeremiah 1:5 NKJV

⁵“Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you; Before you were born, I sanctified you;
I ordained you a prophet to the nations.”

To gain the fullness of our spirituality it is necessary to escape the confines of the material world. God will do this for us if we ask. Paul gave us encouragement to do this in Romans 12.

Romans 12:2-3 NKJV

²And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. ³For I say, through the grace given to me, to everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly, as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith.

The journey to rediscover our spirituality lost when childhood graduated into adult limited thinking and speaking requires faith. And not just any faith. It requires an authentic and profound trust in the Lord. (See my book Solomon’s Recipe for details on this reality.) Faith provides evidence of our spirituality so powerful that it convinces the most vehement skeptic. The writer of Hebrews puts this truth most succinctly.

Hebrews 11:1 NKJV By Faith We Understand

11 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

Remaining without cognizance of our spirituality dooms us to see only the material world. We see so little really when we leave out the spiritual. Paul made a great observation in his letter to the Corinthians. As you read the three translations of his words, embrace the nuances of each. See how you might take advantage of the subtleties as the words affect your feelings and thoughts.

1 Corinthians 13:12 KJV

¹²For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.

Our vision is limited because we are bound to the material world. It takes faith and a connection with the Holy Spirit to escape the material world and get a God revealed glimpse into the spiritual world’s reality.

1 Corinthians 13:12 New Living Translation

¹²Now we see things imperfectly, like puzzling reflections in a mirror, but then we will see everything with perfect clarity. All that I know now is partial and incomplete, but then I will know everything completely, just as God now knows me completely.

1 Corinthians 13:12 The Message

¹²We don’t yet see things clearly. We’re squinting in a fog, peering through a mist. But it won’t be long before the weather clears and the sun shines bright! We’ll see it all then, see it all as clearly as God sees us, knowing him directly just as he knows us!

Wisdom is to see that our vision is handicapped by our insistence that we are independent and individually capable of navigating life. The following scripture seeks to put us in our rightful place.

John 8:23-24 NKJV

²³And He said to them, “You are from beneath; I am from above. You are of this world; I am not of this world. ²⁴Therefore I said to you that you will die in your sins; for if you do not believe that I am He, you will die in your sins.”

John 8:23-24 The Message

^23-24Jesus said, “You’re tied down to the mundane; I’m in touch with what is beyond your horizons. You live in terms of what you see and touch. I’m living on other terms. I told you that you were missing God in all this. You’re at a dead end. If you won’t believe I am who I say I am, you’re at the dead end of sins. You’re missing God in your lives.”

Take some time re-reading John 8:23-24 and maybe explore other translations to enhance your study. You may be surprised by what the Holy Spirit reveals to your renewed open mind and heart.

TURNING POINTS

It was for me a fascinating turning point when driving and thinking in a spiritual retrospect. To consider my childhood experiences from a different perspective opened new insight.

Gratitude – The Parent of Virtues

The amazing power of gratitude has found a deep-seated presence in my thoughts and soul, compelling me to write yet another article to join the other posts on the subject. The thoughts that have been cropping up in my mind have stemmed from the statement attributed to Cicero.

As I have stated before, gratitude is a deep sense of appreciation when one receives something undeserved. Gratitude has the power to transform our thinking. Using each gift we receive is the height of Gratitude. And again, I reiterate Hazelden’s quote:

Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life.

It can turn a meal into a feast,

a house into a home,

a stranger into a friend.

These two quotes have been my constant companion in my thoughts for weeks now. So, I write, what can we learn from this observation regarding Gratitude?

Gratitude is an attitude, and that implies that it is a decision, not a gift. If we look at the fruit of the Spirit and consider them as a starting point, we will see them as a gift of the Spirit. Something given to a faithful and open, accepting soul. Gratitude has the effect of opening a soul to accept the fruit as gifts of the Spirit.

Let’s consider the character of virtues. What is virtuous? Virtue is the quality of moral excellence.

Honesty, Courage, Compassion, Generosity, Fidelity, Integrity, Fairness, Self-control, and Prudence.

The cardinal virtues are Justice, Prudence, Temperance and Fortitude.

The theological virtues are Faith, Hope and Charity.

I urge you to explore how you have experienced gratitude as it opened for you a grip on the fruit of the Spirit. I invite you to share them with me and my readers.

Turning Points

Realizing more vividly the power of gratitude, causes me to protect my sense of gratitude from the daily onslaughts of the world’s noise that tries to inflict negativity on my senses. This is truly a turning point.

Gratitude – A Power for Transformation

Gratitude is a deep sense of appreciation when one receives something undeserved. Gratitude has the power to transform our thinking. Using each gift we receive is the height of Gratitude.

Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life.

It can turn a meal into a feast,

a house into a home,

a stranger into a friend.

– Hazelden

Gratitude is an ATTITUDE. Appreciation is the root of Thanksgiving. Appreciation is the exercise of wise judgment, delicate perception, keen insight and sensitive awareness in realizing the worth of someone or something. EXERCISE means that we must consciously work at it. WISE JUDGEMENT means we use our knowledge and experience for discernment of truth. DELICATE PERCEPTION means we look at the fine points, consider that which meets only the inquisitive and searching eye, magnifying what appears at first glance to be small. KEEN INSIGHT means we take a sharpened cut to see into something, to get at what is not obvious, to what is inside and beyond the casual view. SENSITIVE AWARENESS means we are willing to be vulnerably open to get to that which may be hidden even by our own fears. REALIZING is making something very real to us. WORTH is value. When we practice with zeal appreciation, gratitude becomes our attitude and thanksgiving flows generously and sincerely from our hearts.

The power in gratitude, thanksgiving, is that it emanates out of profound recognition of having received something completely undeserved. It can be so easy to fall ito the idea that we haven’t received enough in life. That in some way we have been short-changed. We have this destructive inclination to measure ourselves by our neighbors. The consequence is that we see them has having more and that more is undeserved. This kind of thinking destroys our vision of the real gifts we possess. As the famed parable of Jesus, “for the kingdom of heaven is like . . .” wherein three servants each receive talents according to their ability and hence not equally, we tend see ourselves as one with the least talents. [Matthew 25:14-30] The consequences of this can be devastating.

The message is that it is critical that we discover our talents, the gifts that God has given each of us according to our ability. It is eye opening when we set out to discover these gifts we have received and the profound gratitude that fills our heart, mind and soul.

There is fascinating book that brings an interesting possibility to the parable of the servants that received talents. “The Servant with One Talent” by Michael V. Ivanov explores a continuation possibility for this servant who failed.

There is another character of Gratitude. It is succinctly presented by Cicero.

This statement “Gratitude is not only the greatest of virtues, but the parent of all the others” immediately recalled the fruit of the Spirit. What greater virtues exist other than the fruit of the Spirit? Gratitude surely is the most powerful when it is the first thing in heart and mind when we begin a new day or when life’s challenges become overwhelming to steal our ability to sleep. Gratitude is potentially the solution to all negativity in our life including grieving. One might say that gratitude is the arch enemy of chronic pessimism.

Galatians 5:22-23

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long suffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.

I urge you to explore how you have experienced gratitude as it opened for you a grip on the other fruit of the Spirit. I invite you to share them with me and my readers.

Turning Points

TRANSFORMATIVE SCRIPTURE Part 3

The study of scripture has always been filled with new revelations that can transform our perspectives and understanding and even our character. I am presenting several of these scriptural texts that have been transformative for me. I have highlighted the words or phrases that caught my attention and inspired deliberation and growth.

While reading the book “Code Talker” by Chester Nez I was reminded of the following text.

Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 NKJ Version

The Value of a Friend

Two are better than one, Because they have a good reward for their labor. For if they fall, one will lift up his companion. But woe to him who is alone when he falls, For he has no one to help him up. Again, if two lie down together, they will keep warm; But how can one be warm alone? … Though one may be overpowered by another, two can withstand him. And a threefold cord is not quickly broken.

Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 New Living Translation

⁹Two people are better off than one, for they can help each other succeed. ¹⁰If one person falls, the other can reach out and help. But someone who falls alone is in real trouble. ¹¹Likewise, two people lying close together can keep each other warm. But how can one be warm alone? ¹²A person standing alone can be attacked and defeated, but two can stand back-to-back and conquer. Three are even better, for a triple-braided cord is not easily broken.

Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 The Message

^9-10It’s better to have a partner than go it alone.
Share the work, share the wealth.
And if one falls down, the other helps,
But if there’s no one to help, tough!

¹¹Two in a bed warm each other.
Alone, you shiver all night.

¹²By yourself you’re unprotected.
With a friend you can face the worst.
Can you round up a third?
A three-stranded rope isn’t easily snapped.

I was first introduced to this profound passage at a wedding. It has stuck with me ever since. It is appropriate for a wedding of course, that is obvious. But reading the book describing the Navajo code talkers experience in World War II in the battle of Guadalcanal suddenly brought an interesting new perspective.

The Navajo code talkers were a critical asset for the allies during the war against the Japanese. A group of thirty-one young Navajo marines had been tasked with developing an unbreakable code based on their unique and unwritten language. On the battle field, these Navajo marines were paired up to translate critical battle related data between the troops and officers. The two Navajos formed a team so that each would check the other to ensure the accuracy of the coded transmissions. The quality and accuracy was a life and death situation. So highly dedicated were these marines that their code was never broken and contributed immensely to the success of the war.

While reading of the battlefield situation, it was noted that because they were teamed up in pairs, navigating the trauma of war became possible. The author confessed that had they been working solo, the horror surrounding them would have been impossible to take. As he described the landscape of war, the death and debilitating physical conditions they were mired in, it was easy to sympathize and empathize with his assessment.

Everyone has days of struggle and challenge. Often these can reach a level of intensity that can be daunting. But when we have faithful friends, those we can trust and rely on, meeting such challenges successfully and effectively is more easily achieved.

This made me realize another blessed aspect of “the value of a friend” and the wisdom of mastering the art of friendship. Faithful friends as described in Ecclesiasticus comes glowing into focus.

Ecclesiasticus 14-17

14 Faithful friends are a sturdy shelter (a strong defense); whoever finds one has found a treasure. 15 Faithful friends are beyond price; no amount can balance their worth. 16 Faithful friends are life-saving medicine, and those who fear the Lord will find them. 17 Those who fear the Lord direct their friendship aright, for as they are, so are their neighbors also.

[emphasis added]

Considering these thoughts, it is wise for us to labor with faith and diligence to build a family of faith friends.

Turning Point

I find that scripture contains words that reveal the eternal truths. And like a diamond, each time we read them they reveal a facet not seen in previous encounters. It’s like a flower unfolding revealing beauty previously hidden within its bud. Each revelation inspires the next exploration. And at times we can even see how that word has had its effect upon our hearts, souls and minds fulfilling its intended divine purpose. And how sweet when the poetic words of the past amplify the essence of the Word.

Transformative Scripture Part 2

I recently saw this on Facebook.

That’s what I find in my study of the Bible, new things to prompt more study. It’s quite thrilling to discover new things that pop out of scripture I read countless times before.

As a young minister in the 1970’s, I was blessed with two missions that thrilled me and were some of the most rewarding times I experienced. I was a Youth Leader and a Confirmation teacher. I would strive to teach these young people the value of the little turning points that would occur during their lifetime. I counselled them to take advantage of the blank pages at the back of their Confirmation Bible and record special moments in their life. And I particularly encouraged them to mark the scriptures at their Confirmation, Engagement, Wedding, and the birth of their children.

When I was about to retire, I went back to my Bible where I inserted my notes with special dates, occasions and the scripture that accompanied them.

At my Confirmation March 16, 1958, the scripture was Psalm 91:1-7.

Psalm 91:1-7 New King James Version

Safety of Abiding in the Presence of God

He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High
Shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.
²I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress;
My God, in Him I will trust.”

³Surely He shall deliver you from the snare of the fowler
And from the perilous pestilence.
⁴He shall cover you with His feathers,
And under His wings you shall take refuge;
His truth shall be your shield and buckler.
⁵You shall not be afraid of the terror by night,
Nor of the arrow that flies by day,
⁶Nor of the pestilence that walks in darkness,
Nor of the destruction that lays waste at noonday.

⁷A thousand may fall at your side,
And ten thousand at your right hand;
But it shall not come near you.

When I read this again celebrating my 50th anniversary of my Confirmation Day, I just trembled. It was exactly 50 years to the date, March 16, 2008, and the words struck me deeply. I don’t recall how many times I read those words during those 50 years, but I suddenly realized how those words had shaped my life. Each phrase had it’s own unique revelation as they were experienced in fifty years of experiences. It occurred to me that even though I didn’t read them often, the essence of these words entered my soul and fulfilled the intention of the One who put them there.

With the experience with my Confirmation text fresh in my mind, I searched my Bible pages for my Wedding text, Psalm 1:1-3.

Psalms 1–41 New King James Version

The Way of the Righteous and the End of the Ungodly

1 Blessed is the man
Who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly,
Nor stands in the path of sinners,
Nor sits in the seat of the scornful;
²But his delight is in the law of the Lord,
And in His law he meditates day and night.
³He shall be like a tree
Planted by the rivers of water,
That brings forth its fruit in its season,
Whose leaf also shall not wither;
And whatever he does shall prosper.

When I read this, I saw how this was also one whose essence permeated our marriage and the spiritual serving we did in our marriage together. Our love for the Lord and our joy in serving brought countless blessings to us and our family.

It is evident to me that it is not necessary to memorize the scripture, but rather to allow its essence to permeate our soul. Then the Holy Spirit can do His work with it as we faithfully pursue our life.

At my retirement April 27, 2008 the text was Psalm 103: 2-4

Psalm 103:2-4 New King James Version

²Bless the Lord, O my soul,
And forget not all His benefits:
³Who forgives all your iniquities,
Who heals all your diseases,
⁴Who redeems your life from destruction,
Who crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies,

This passage from scripture captured the very profound feelings within my soul at this turning point in my life. And as with so many other transformational verses, a poet penned the words to a song that perfectly aligned with the essence of the scripture. It was no different at my retirement with the following opening hymn “O That I Had A Thousand Voices”.

O, That I had a Thousand Voices

O, that I had a thousand voices,

a mouth to speak with thousand tongues!

Then, while my heart in Him rejoices,

would I pro-claim in grateful songs

To all, wherever I might be,

what things the Lord has done for me.

Dear Father, end-less praise I render

for soul and bod-y strangely joined.

I praise Thee, Guard-an kind and tender,

For all the noble joys I find

So richly giv’n on every side

and freely for my use supplied.

What equal praises can I offer,

dear Jesus, for Thy mercy shown?

What pangs, dear Saviour, didst Thou suffer

and thus for all my sins atone!

Thy death a-lone my soul could free

from Satan, to be blest by Thee!

Let all my praise, up to Thee reaching,

be Thine too, Spirit of all grace,

Whose holy pow’r and faithful teaching

give me among Thy saints a place.

What-e’er of good in me may shine

comes only from Thy light divine.

Accept, O Lord, I know implore Thee,

the meager praise I give below;

In heav’n I better will adore Thee

when I an angel’s strength shall know.

There would I join their sacred praise

and heav’nly hallelujahs raise!

My profound gratitude for God’s allowing me to serve His people found voice in the words of this hymn. So sweet the way our God joins the words of scripture and hymns together to work His plan for us.

Turning Point