My apologies for not posting

I am terribly sorry that I haven't blogged anything over the Christmas season.  Unfortunately on the 18th I started having some pain in my jaw and my Dentist and long time friend Paul Bacino gave me an antibiotic for what he believed was an infected tooth.  The next night my jaw was still bothering me but I was able to eat without much of a problem and I worked out at the gym, even though my jaw was very sore.  The next day my jaw was worse but I was still able to eat though with discomfort.  Friday night I started having chills and I was obviously running a fever so my wife insisted that I go to the Emergi-Care on Saturday morning.  The doctor there thought I had a sinus infection and gave me a different antibiotic, which was fine as the one Paul gave me was only a five day regime, so I only had one dose left.

Unfortunately after leaving the ER I felt even worse and went back home and laid on the couch under a couple of blankets and had terrible chills.  Later that night I got the chills so bad that I was almost going into convulsions, Gail checked my temperature and discovered I had a temperature of just over 103.  Fortunately the fever did go down after taking some Motrin and putting on shorts and a tank top.  Gail really wanted me to jump in a cold shower but as violently as I was shivering, I wasn't about to do that.  Maddie really wanted her Mother to take me to the ER but I wasn't having anything to do with that.

I was no better come Monday so I went back and saw Dr. Bacino.  This time he x-rayed my jaw and confirmed that it was definitely the tooth and he could see that there was also no infection in my sinuses.  He drilled into the tooth through the filling and put some medicine into the tooth directly and then put a temporary filling in. Paul told me to continue to take the antibiotic that the ER Doctor had prescribed but to switch to taking it four times a day from the three that she had directed.

Sadly, this antibiotic seemed to also have no effect on my infection.  And whereas I had set up to attend three Christmas Eve services and had every intention of going sick or not; about the time we needed to head out for the first service I again started having terrible chills.  So Gail pulled rank on me and said that this year we would just be staying home and that I was too ill to go out.

Christmas Day I managed to get through all the family celebrations but I was unable to eat and just had a protein shake and some milk.  The day after Christmas I called Dr. Bacino again and told him that I was on my last few pills of the antibiotic and that it had made no dent in the infection and in fact my jaw was more swollen than before.  So Paul called in a third antibiotic for me with the hope that this one might have some effect on the infection.

Finally today I think I'm seeing a little improvement.  There isn't as much pain in the jaw but I'm still having trouble eating anything.  Today though I did force myself to eat a bit more than I have been lately.  I've lost a fair amount of weight through the course of this all and worst of all I haven't been able to train at all.

I can't remember an illness that has laid me low for this long and even my Mother who never gets concerned, has been threatening to come to Omaha and make me go see another Doctor.  I've told her that it's obviously an infected tooth and that it just appears that I was unlucky enough to contract one that has multiple drug resistance.  For whatever reason she seems convinced that there is more to this than just a tooth.  I think she's been doing too much Googling and is making herself worry unnecessarily.

The most frustrating part about it all is that six months ago at my routine cleaning and check up, Dr. Bacino wanted me to have a 'preemptive' root canal in this tooth.  I asked him why would I do that to a tooth that isn't hurting me, he said that his intuition told him that tooth could be a problem down the road due to the size of the filling in that tooth.  My response was that it had been like that for nearly 30 years.  This is a tooth with a large gold filling that was done at the Creighton Dental School shortly after my first wife and I moved to Omaha.  It was done by a dental student who also put several other fillings in for me.  I laughingly told Paul that he just wanted that gold filling.  Sadly, I'm not the one laughing now.  The next time Paul uses his Jedi Dentist skills and tells me we need to do something preemptively, I'm going to be all for it!!  

I haven't been doing any reading to speak of through all this and have spent as much time as possible sleeping and trying to fight off this infection that way.  It's always been my theory that sleep is the best medicine when you are ill.  Hopefully I'll be over the hump this week as one of my Christmas gifts was the two volume collection of NT Wright's new book on 'Paul'.  These two volumes are over 1,200 pages long and it's one of the most comprehensive writings on Paul ever done.  I'm anxious to read these volumes even though I know that Wright and I disagree on at least one aspect of Paul and his writings.  This is another time when I really wish Jesse was still here as this book would be perfect for one of our studies.  Interestingly, the books that I have on the Apostle Paul are second only in shelf space to the books that I have on Christ himself.

I very much do regret that with all of this we did not get to attend Midnight Mass at Saint Cecilia's, that is one of the highlights of my entire year and missing out on this Mass leaves a major hole in my experience of Christmas.

May these ramblings find you all well and blessed.

In God's constant Grace & Love,
Roy

Third Sunday of Advent

Last Sunday (the 8th) since the weather was a bit adverse, we decided to attend St. Paul Lutheran Church here in Millard as it is very near to our home.  It was the second Sunday of Advent and according to the Lutheran tradition it was the Sunday of Preparation.  I really do enjoy taking in a Lutheran service every so often, and Gail really enjoys St. Paul's early service since it's a traditional service.

Today we went back to Benson Baptist for their 8:30 am service.  I was happy to see that John & Stella Watts and their family along with my good friend Edsel Buchanan were lighting the third candle for Advent the 'Love Candle'.  John is the son of Jesse's wife Kathy Brown and Stella is Edsel's daughter.  I'm always happy to see Edsel as he is enduring the onset of Alzheimer's disease.  Thankfully he seems to be doing very well.  He is always happy and lively, and he never hesitates in recognizing me.  I pray that he's able to remain alert and healthy for  many more years.

One of the puzzling things about the Advent tradition is why are there so many different themes attached to the four Advent Candles (purple and pink or rose).

Here are just a few examples:

Promise, Light, Love, Hope

Hope, Peace, Joy, Love

Prophecy, Bethlehem, Shepherd, Angel

Hope, Preparation, Joy, Love

Prophecy, Way, Joy, Peace

Expectation,  John the Baptist, Mary, Magi

Waiting for the Shepherd, Waiting for Forgiveness, Waiting for Joy, Waiting for the Son

But for us American Baptist (at least in the Churches I've attended) it is:

Hope, Peace, Love, Joy

The following is largely taken from this web-page: 

The Meaning and History of Advent

The Advent Wreath

The Meaning of Advent and the Origin of the Advent Wreath

The season of Advent is understood today to be a time of preparation for Christmas, the feast of the birth of Jesus. The name of this season is taken from the Latin adventus, which means “coming”, and in the early Church the word was used mainly for Christmas itself, the coming of Jesus, the Son of God, into the world. Gradually, however, adventus began to have a slightly different meaning and referred, as it does today, to the season of preparation for the feast of Christ’s coming to humanity. In the Middle Ages this meaning was extended and His coming was seen in three different ways: His birth at Bethlehem in the past; His second and future coming at the end of time; His present coming through grace into the hearts and souls of His people. And so in Advent we prepare to celebrate the past; we prepare to receive Christ into our lives in the present; and we prepare for the end of the world and the coming of Heaven.

The Advent wreath originated a few hundred years ago among the Lutherans of eastern Germany. It was probably suggested by the many light symbols which were prominent in folk customs at the end of November and beginning of December. At that time of the year, the pagans of Northern Europe celebrated the month of Yule (December) with the burning of lights and fires to dispel the gloom of the short days and long dark nights of winter. In medieval times Christians kept many of these light and fire symbols alive as popular traditions. Later, in the sixteenth century these practices were given a Christian meaning and lights came to be used as religious symbols of Advent in the home. This practice quickly spread among the Protestants of eastern Germany and was soon accepted by Protestants and Catholics in other parts of the country.

The Advent wreath is a wreath of evergreens of various kinds, some with symbolic meaning. It can either be suspended from the ceiling or placed on a table. Fastened to the wreath are four candles standing upright, at equal distances. These candles represent the four weeks of Advent. A fifth candle the 'Christ' candle is generally added during the celebration of Christmas Eve.

The traditional symbolism of the Advent wreath reminds us of Old Testament times, when humanity was “sitting in darkness and in the shadow of death” (Luke 1:79); when the prophets, illumined by God, foretold a Redeemer; and when the hearts of men yearned for a Messiah who would save the world. The wreath - an ancient symbol of victory and glory - symbolizes the “fulfillment of time” in the coming of Christ and the glory of His birth.

The Many Symbols of the Advent Wreath

The symbols of the Advent wreath should be explained to the children to make the service more meaningful and exciting for them. It makes certain teachings of our Faith visible, even touchable and is a very effective way to present these to children.

First of all, and most important, is the symbolism of light. The children will have surely noticed that in winter the days become shorter and the nights become longer. It should be pointed out to them that at Christmas this changes, and the days begin to get longer and the nights shorter. The progressive lighting of candles symbolizes the coming of the spiritual light of Christ into the world and anticipates the change in physical light which takes place at Christmas.

The wreath itself is round, a circle. This reminds us of the crowns worn by kings and of crowns made of laurel (bay) leaves presented to those who were victorious in the athletic games of the ancient world. It points out to us that Jesus Christ is our true King and that He is victorious over those things which would hurt us - evil, sin, and death.

The wreath, again, is circular and this is a symbol of the eternity of God, who, like a circle, has no beginning nor an end. The candles placed on the wreath remind us that in Jesus’ birth at Bethlehem, He who was eternal, the Son of God, entered into our world of time and change. (Theologians call this the “intersection of time and eternity”. How amazing that such a profound idea can be made visible by a few branches and candles!)

Point out to the children that the differing lengths of the candles show us the passing of time as we get nearer to Christmas.

Each candle on the wreath stands for a Sunday (and its following week) of the Advent season. Candles 1, 2, and 4 are purple. In the ancient world purple dye was very expensive and could only by afforded by kings. The purple candles tell us that the one whose birth we are preparing to celebrate is our true King. The rose candle (3rd Sunday) tells us that Advent is half over and Christmas is getting nearer and nearer. Its lighter color is a symbolic anticipation of our joy when we celebrate the birth of Jesus.

The Advent wreath is made of evergreens, which are symbolic of life itself and, since they last through the winter, point to God’s gift of life which comes to us even when the world is dark and threatening. Many kinds of evergreens can be used when we make the wreaths at Church. Others can be added later on at home. Each has its own symbolic meaning.

Pine , the most common evergreen, points to Everlasting Life.

laurel (Bay), which was used to crown those who won in the games, signifies victory.

cedar , because it is long lasting and aromatic, is symbolic of strength and healing.

Juniper , holly, and rosemary By legend these plants provided shelter and help for the Holy Family when they fled from Bethlehem to Egypt. The fragrance of rosemary, it has been said, began when the Virgin Mary laid out the Infant Jesus’ clothes to dry on this plant. The rosemary bush responded by perfuming the Christ Child’s clothing.

Holly . Its prickly leaves remind us of the Crown of Thorns. Its red berries remind us of the Blood of Jesus shed for us upon the Cross.

Ivy , since it is frequently used as a decoration, has always been a symbol of joy and festivity.

May you all have a wonderful week in peace and love.

In God's constant care,

Roy

The beginning of the Advent Season / And other ramblings

Yesterday marked the first Sunday of Advent and the start of the Christmas season. The Advent season is a time of preparation as we focus on the first coming of Christ. 

Preparing for Christmas - taken from 'A Book of Simple Prayers'

O blessed Lord Jesus, give us thankful hearts for thee, our choicest gift, our dearest friend.

Let not our souls be busy inns that have no room for thee and thine, but quiet homes of prayer and praise where thou mayst find fit company; where the needful cares of life are wisely ordered and put away, and wide sweet spaces kept for thee; where holy thoughts pass up and down, and fervent longings watch and wait thy coming.

So when thou comest again, O blessed One, mayst thou find all things ready, and thy servants waiting for no new master, but for one long loved and known.

Even so come, Lord Jesus

This week we attended the 8:30 am services at Benson Baptist.  It was the first Sunday of Advent, and as is tradition the 'Hope' Candle was lit.  We all have 'hope' for this world, hope that things will improve, hope that eventually mankind will work out it's differences and we'll all live in peace and love with one another.  

But my 'hope' is that more and more will begin to see the 'hope' of Christ.  The 'hope' that he had that we could all learn to live by his example of grace, love, compassion and sacrifice.  These are not things that we need to act out in great and grand gestures such as spending a day serving food at a local shelter, or traveling to Africa to be a missionary; not really... now do not misunderstand me all these are great and wonderful things and we desperately need to do these things.  BUT... where we truly are called as faithful followers of Jesus is to practice these virtues; grace, love, compassion and sacrifice in our day to day and everyday interactions with other people.

As Christians we all need to strive to live our daily lives as a reflection of God.  Even in our interactions with non-Christian and non-religious individuals.  We need to practice Christ's traits of grace, love, compassion and sacrifice in all of our interactions.  In our dealings with friends, colleagues, strangers, and even family.  

Perhaps the greatest irony of life is that the place where we have such difficulty in practicing grace and compassion on the smallest levels is with our own families.  We mistreat our loved ones much more than any stranger we meet.  Anger and frustration rear it's ugly head nearly daily in all too many Christian homes.  I wish I could say that these things never visit my own home but that just isn't so.  In fact I find that as my loving wife and I age there are times when we are frustrated with one another.  This is a result of my ongoing problem with not communicating my wishes and desires and this mixed with my wife's slow and steady loss of hearing can make for times of great miscommunication and misunderstanding.  

It's in these moments of frustration that our greatest opportunities to practice grace and it's companion forgiveness exist.  We need to remember that our family members are just as flawed and imperfect of human beings as we are and that we need to forgive them for their shortcomings.  Shortcomings that all to often are the result of our own failing to listen or communicate adequately.  And let's be honest all to often the reason we are so upset is that we realize deep within that it was our own doing, and there is no one individual that is harder to forgive than one's own self.  Practice grace, love, compassion and sacrifice not only to those around you but with yourself as well.

Blessed are those that forgive, for they exhibit the greatest attribute of God.  For many of us love but all too few forgive....

Other Ramblings:

Thanksgiving week was a hectic week for our family.  On the Monday before Thanksgiving Gail's mother Mary Alice, had another in a now long line of strokes.  They took her by ambulance to the hospital and she honestly only got out yesterday morning.  She is doing well and seems to be back to what has become 'normal' for her.  She is home however and her episode did not require her to spend time in a nursing home as has been the case with previous strokes.

As a result of all this our Thanksgiving was just the four of us this year.  Creath came home from Sioux Falls on Wednesday and went back on Friday.  Madeline was off from Tuesday until today.  I drove her back to Lincoln late last night.  It made for a fairly quiet Thanksgiving Day but all things considered we felt a great many things to be thankful for.

I shared with my family the following prayer as grace before the meal:

Lord, behold our family here assembled. We thank thee for this place in which we dwell; for the love that unites us; for the peace accorded us this day; for the hope with which we expect the morrow; for the health, the work, the food, and the bright skies, that make our lives delightful; for our friends in all parts of the earth, and our friendly helpers in this place. Let peace abound in our small company. Purge out of every heart the lurking grudge. Give us grace and strength to forbear and to persevere. Offenders, give us the grace to accept and to forgive offenders. Forgetful ourselves, help us to bear cheerfully the forgetfulness of others. Give us courage and gaiety and the quiet mind. Spare to us our friends, soften to us our enemies. Bless us, if it may be, in all our innocent endeavors. If it may not, give us the strength to encounter that which is to come, that we be brave in peril, constant in tribulation, temperate in wrath, and in all changes of fortune, and down to the gates of death, loyal and loving one to another. As the clay to the potter, as the windmill to the wind, as children to their sire, we beseech of thee this help and mercy for Christ's sake.

Robert Louis Stevenson.

It is a wonderful little prayer and one that for some reason speaks to my soul.

Additional Ramblings:

One of the ironies of the title of this blog is that it really is not appropriate for me to discuss in any detail the process of actually searching for a pulpit.  So much of the 'Path' remains hidden to those that read this blog.  It will only be once the path has reached it's destination that I will in retrospect be able to share any details.

But having said that I do have resumes out and I have been trying to prayerfully locate just where God is calling me to go.  My focus has been on locating a congregation to serve that would allow us to remain in the Omaha area so that we could continue to run the Gallery here in Omaha.  However, I was asked if I would consider a position that would literally take me a third of a world away from Omaha, in a culture and climate that would be virtually foreign to us.  Travel there would be limited and expensive so coming back to the Midwest to visit family would be an extremely rare occurrence.  The great difficulty in physically relocating along with the liquidation of all our business and personal assets would demand in my mind that I intend to make a commitment to this ministry of a decade or more.  Which of course causes a problem with future grandchildren.  Those that know me well know that I am nuts about children, and I am at that stage in life where I am waiting for my children to fall in love, get married and bless this world with little people.  Though neither of our children are married at this time, it is likely just a matter of time before they meet the right person and fall in love.  The thought of being so very, very far away when my grandchildren might be born is one the sits like lead in my very heart.  I am not at all sure I could do that...

There is as well my concern that Gail's health would not deal well with the rather severe climate which would greet us on our arrival.  I have resolved however to be prayerful over this potential opportunity and have asked to be kept informed as to the progress.  A friend of ours may likely travel there to be the interim minister and they have stated that they would fill me in on more details at that time.

I would be very thankful for any and all prayers for guidance and direction pertaining to this matter.

May this beautiful day find you all well, safe and loved.

In the Light of God's Love and Grace,
Roy