Micah 5:13
No more taking control of the world, worshiping what you do or make.
Monday, April 30, 2012
Joel 2:13-14
13 Change your life, not just your clothes. Come back to GOD, your God. And here's why: God is kind and merciful. He takes a deep breath, puts up with a lot, This most patient God, extravagant in love, always ready to cancel catastrophe. 14 Who knows? Maybe he'll do it now, maybe he'll turn around and show pity. Maybe, when all's said and done, there'll be blessings full and robust for your GOD!
13 Change your life, not just your clothes. Come back to GOD, your God. And here's why: God is kind and merciful. He takes a deep breath, puts up with a lot, This most patient God, extravagant in love, always ready to cancel catastrophe. 14 Who knows? Maybe he'll do it now, maybe he'll turn around and show pity. Maybe, when all's said and done, there'll be blessings full and robust for your GOD!
Sunday, April 29, 2012
Hos 1:2
The first time GOD spoke to Hosea he said:
"Find a whore and marry her. Make this whore the mother of your children. And here's why: This whole country has become a whorehouse, unfaithful to me, GOD."
This was not Hosea’s plan and I’m pretty sure that it was not societies plan either but it was God’s plan for him to do this.
The first time GOD spoke to Hosea he said:
"Find a whore and marry her. Make this whore the mother of your children. And here's why: This whole country has become a whorehouse, unfaithful to me, GOD."
This was not Hosea’s plan and I’m pretty sure that it was not societies plan either but it was God’s plan for him to do this.
Dan 3:16-18
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego answered King Nebuchadnezzar, "Your threat means nothing to us. 17 If you throw us in the fire, the God we serve can rescue us from your roaring furnace and anything else you might cook up, O king. 18 But even if he doesn't, it wouldn't make a bit of difference, O king. We still wouldn't serve your gods or worship the gold statue you set up."
This sounds just like me not being allowed to work at a regular job but I am working for God! So no matter what is said, I work!
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego answered King Nebuchadnezzar, "Your threat means nothing to us. 17 If you throw us in the fire, the God we serve can rescue us from your roaring furnace and anything else you might cook up, O king. 18 But even if he doesn't, it wouldn't make a bit of difference, O king. We still wouldn't serve your gods or worship the gold statue you set up."
This sounds just like me not being allowed to work at a regular job but I am working for God! So no matter what is said, I work!
Saturday, April 28, 2012
The Tree of Knowledge
At the beginning of the Bible, in the garden of Eden there was a tree that God said not to eat from and it was called the tree of knowledge. God said that if Adam and Eve ate from it that they would die so He told them clearly not to eat from it. Well, Satan told them that they would enjoy it AND that they wouldn’t die so they ate from it and the lifespan ending with death began and Satan was thrown out of Heaven and given the earth to manage.
Surprise surprise but we have the same tree today represented by colleges and degrees and the earth is being completely run by it and people don’t see the danger and they enjoy the fruit of the tree but judgment day is coming and as Adam & Eve paid, so will we.
Knowledge is helpful but God didn’t create you to need more than He gave you. Case in point: I have a degree from a college but I don’t recall studying anything to get that degree that helped me in what I did but God did create me, so I was created sufficiently in the first place. Plus, while my injury has had no effect on my abilities I am not allowed to work at a job! I do work a lot on my own though for God and He pays me money, just like He was taking good care of Adam & Eve. AND I tried to go back to college after my attack but oddly enough, I couldn’t understand anything.
So knowledge is important but it is given to you by God when He creates you.
What God has given me is more than sufficient for me.
At the beginning of the Bible, in the garden of Eden there was a tree that God said not to eat from and it was called the tree of knowledge. God said that if Adam and Eve ate from it that they would die so He told them clearly not to eat from it. Well, Satan told them that they would enjoy it AND that they wouldn’t die so they ate from it and the lifespan ending with death began and Satan was thrown out of Heaven and given the earth to manage.
Surprise surprise but we have the same tree today represented by colleges and degrees and the earth is being completely run by it and people don’t see the danger and they enjoy the fruit of the tree but judgment day is coming and as Adam & Eve paid, so will we.
Knowledge is helpful but God didn’t create you to need more than He gave you. Case in point: I have a degree from a college but I don’t recall studying anything to get that degree that helped me in what I did but God did create me, so I was created sufficiently in the first place. Plus, while my injury has had no effect on my abilities I am not allowed to work at a job! I do work a lot on my own though for God and He pays me money, just like He was taking good care of Adam & Eve. AND I tried to go back to college after my attack but oddly enough, I couldn’t understand anything.
So knowledge is important but it is given to you by God when He creates you.
What God has given me is more than sufficient for me.
Ezek 37:1-10
GOD grabbed me. GOD's Spirit took me up and sat me down in the middle of an open plain strewn with bones. 2 He led me around and among them — a lot of bones! There were bones all over the plain — dry bones, bleached by the sun.
3 He said to me, "Son of man, can these bones live?"
I said, "Master GOD, only you know that."
4 He said to me, "Prophesy over these bones: 'Dry bones, listen to the Message of GOD!'"
5 GOD, the Master, told the dry bones, "Watch this: I'm bringing the breath of life to you and you'll come to life. 6 I'll attach sinews to you, put meat on your bones, cover you with skin, and breathe life into you. You'll come alive and you'll realize that I am GOD!"
7 I prophesied just as I'd been commanded. As I prophesied, there was a sound and, oh, rustling! The bones moved and came together, bone to bone. 8 I kept watching. Sinews formed, then muscles on the bones, then skin stretched over them. But they had no breath in them.
9 He said to me, "Prophesy to the breath. Prophesy, son of man. Tell the breath, 'GOD, the Master, says, Come from the four winds. Come, breath. Breathe on these slain bodies. Breathe life!'"
10 So I prophesied, just as he commanded me. The breath entered them and they came alive!
GOD grabbed me. GOD's Spirit took me up and sat me down in the middle of an open plain strewn with bones. 2 He led me around and among them — a lot of bones! There were bones all over the plain — dry bones, bleached by the sun.
3 He said to me, "Son of man, can these bones live?"
I said, "Master GOD, only you know that."
4 He said to me, "Prophesy over these bones: 'Dry bones, listen to the Message of GOD!'"
5 GOD, the Master, told the dry bones, "Watch this: I'm bringing the breath of life to you and you'll come to life. 6 I'll attach sinews to you, put meat on your bones, cover you with skin, and breathe life into you. You'll come alive and you'll realize that I am GOD!"
7 I prophesied just as I'd been commanded. As I prophesied, there was a sound and, oh, rustling! The bones moved and came together, bone to bone. 8 I kept watching. Sinews formed, then muscles on the bones, then skin stretched over them. But they had no breath in them.
9 He said to me, "Prophesy to the breath. Prophesy, son of man. Tell the breath, 'GOD, the Master, says, Come from the four winds. Come, breath. Breathe on these slain bodies. Breathe life!'"
10 So I prophesied, just as he commanded me. The breath entered them and they came alive!
Let’s talk about degrees.
God, who created the world, the cosmos, the seasons, you, and everything else has let mankind teach and decide who will get a degree on their own and IF a human knows WHICH degree to get and WHERE to get it? And God has let mankind create something that will run things? I don’t think so. Sounds like the garden of Eden to me…
God, who created the world, the cosmos, the seasons, you, and everything else has let mankind teach and decide who will get a degree on their own and IF a human knows WHICH degree to get and WHERE to get it? And God has let mankind create something that will run things? I don’t think so. Sounds like the garden of Eden to me…
Friday, April 27, 2012
Ezek 7:19-20
19 "'They throw their money into the gutters. Their hard-earned cash stinks like garbage. They find that it won't buy a thing they either want or need on Judgment Day. They tripped on money and fell into sin. 20 Proud and pretentious with their jewels, they deck out their vile and vulgar no-gods in finery.
19 "'They throw their money into the gutters. Their hard-earned cash stinks like garbage. They find that it won't buy a thing they either want or need on Judgment Day. They tripped on money and fell into sin. 20 Proud and pretentious with their jewels, they deck out their vile and vulgar no-gods in finery.
THERE IS AN ETERNAL DIFFERENCE!
As humans we can choose to live a good life on this Earth or a good life eternally, it’s our choice! One of the reasons that the story of Adam & Eve are in the Bible is to teach us that. God clearly told them one thing but they listened to someone’s opinion and did something that He said not to do and we are no different. God has told us things very frankly in the Bible but we prefer the opinions of others and do something quite different-and we prefer the “here and now” to eternal possibilities.
When Jesus came, think about it, being born to a virgin and in a manger were not what pleased mankind but He was God.
And the world is no different now. God has told us one thing in the Bible but we prefer other people’s opinions over what He has clearly told us and the result will be eternal! People prefer to do things their way on earth (which is temporary) other than what God has said in the Bible and the result may be a good life temporarily on earth but a bad life eternally. And just as with Adam & Eve, the choice is ours.
As humans we can choose to live a good life on this Earth or a good life eternally, it’s our choice! One of the reasons that the story of Adam & Eve are in the Bible is to teach us that. God clearly told them one thing but they listened to someone’s opinion and did something that He said not to do and we are no different. God has told us things very frankly in the Bible but we prefer the opinions of others and do something quite different-and we prefer the “here and now” to eternal possibilities.
When Jesus came, think about it, being born to a virgin and in a manger were not what pleased mankind but He was God.
And the world is no different now. God has told us one thing in the Bible but we prefer other people’s opinions over what He has clearly told us and the result will be eternal! People prefer to do things their way on earth (which is temporary) other than what God has said in the Bible and the result may be a good life temporarily on earth but a bad life eternally. And just as with Adam & Eve, the choice is ours.
Thursday, April 26, 2012
Jer 45:4-5
4 "But GOD says, 'Look around. What I've built I'm about to wreck, and what I've planted I'm about to rip up. 5 And I'm doing it everywhere — all over the whole earth! So forget about making any big plans for yourself. Things are going to get worse before they get better. But don't worry. I'll keep you alive through the whole business.'"
all over the whole earth! So forget about making any big plans for yourself.
4 "But GOD says, 'Look around. What I've built I'm about to wreck, and what I've planted I'm about to rip up. 5 And I'm doing it everywhere — all over the whole earth! So forget about making any big plans for yourself. Things are going to get worse before they get better. But don't worry. I'll keep you alive through the whole business.'"
all over the whole earth! So forget about making any big plans for yourself.
Jer 35:17
17 "So here's what is going to happen. GOD-of-the-Angel-Armies, the God of Israel, says, 'I will bring calamity down on the heads of the people of Judah and Jerusalem — the very calamity I warned you was coming — because you turned a deaf ear when I spoke, turned your backs when I called.'"
THIS WILL HAPPEN AGAIN to you if you turn a deaf ear.
17 "So here's what is going to happen. GOD-of-the-Angel-Armies, the God of Israel, says, 'I will bring calamity down on the heads of the people of Judah and Jerusalem — the very calamity I warned you was coming — because you turned a deaf ear when I spoke, turned your backs when I called.'"
THIS WILL HAPPEN AGAIN to you if you turn a deaf ear.
Jer 33:14-18
"'Watch for this: The time is coming' — GOD's Decree — 'when I will keep the promise I made to the families of Israel and Judah. 15 When that time comes, I will make a fresh and true shoot sprout from the David-Tree. He will run this country honestly and fairly. He will set things right. 16 That's when Judah will be secure and Jerusalem live in safety. The motto for the city will be, "GOD Has Set Things Right for Us." 17 GOD has made it clear that there will always be a descendant of David ruling the people of Israel 18 and that there will always be Levitical priests on hand to offer burnt offerings, present grain offerings, and carry on the sacrificial worship in my honor.'"
Is this about Jesus?
"'Watch for this: The time is coming' — GOD's Decree — 'when I will keep the promise I made to the families of Israel and Judah. 15 When that time comes, I will make a fresh and true shoot sprout from the David-Tree. He will run this country honestly and fairly. He will set things right. 16 That's when Judah will be secure and Jerusalem live in safety. The motto for the city will be, "GOD Has Set Things Right for Us." 17 GOD has made it clear that there will always be a descendant of David ruling the people of Israel 18 and that there will always be Levitical priests on hand to offer burnt offerings, present grain offerings, and carry on the sacrificial worship in my honor.'"
Is this about Jesus?
Wednesday, April 25, 2012
Jer 25:30-31
30 Preach the entire Message. Say: "'GOD roars like a lion from high heaven; thunder rolls out from his holy dwelling — Ear-splitting bellows against his people, shouting hurrahs like workers in harvest. 31 The noise reverberates all over the earth; everyone everywhere hears it. GOD makes his case against the godless nations. He's about to put the human race on trial. For the wicked the verdict is clear-cut: '" GOD's Decree.
He's about to put the human race on trial! You’ll never hear a sermon on this.
30 Preach the entire Message. Say: "'GOD roars like a lion from high heaven; thunder rolls out from his holy dwelling — Ear-splitting bellows against his people, shouting hurrahs like workers in harvest. 31 The noise reverberates all over the earth; everyone everywhere hears it. GOD makes his case against the godless nations. He's about to put the human race on trial. For the wicked the verdict is clear-cut: '" GOD's Decree.
He's about to put the human race on trial! You’ll never hear a sermon on this.
Jer 13:15-17
Then I said, Listen. Listen carefully: Don't stay stuck in your ways! This is not your opinion it's GOD's Message we're dealing with here. 16 Let your lives glow bright before GOD before he turns out the lights, Before you trip and fall on the dark mountain paths. The light you always took for granted will go out and the world will turn black. 17 If you people won't listen, 'll go off by myself and weep over you, Weep because of your stubborn arrogance, bitter, bitter tears.
I’ve told you this before.
Then I said, Listen. Listen carefully: Don't stay stuck in your ways! This is not your opinion it's GOD's Message we're dealing with here. 16 Let your lives glow bright before GOD before he turns out the lights, Before you trip and fall on the dark mountain paths. The light you always took for granted will go out and the world will turn black. 17 If you people won't listen, 'll go off by myself and weep over you, Weep because of your stubborn arrogance, bitter, bitter tears.
I’ve told you this before.
Jer 13:15-17
Then I said, Listen. Listen carefully: Don't stay stuck in your ways! It's GOD's Message we're dealing with here. 16 Let your lives glow bright before GOD before he turns out the lights, Before you trip and fall on the dark mountain paths. The light you always took for granted will go out and the world will turn black. 17 If you people won't listen, 'll go off by myself and weep over you, Weep because of your stubborn arrogance, bitter, bitter tears.
I’ve told you this before.
Then I said, Listen. Listen carefully: Don't stay stuck in your ways! It's GOD's Message we're dealing with here. 16 Let your lives glow bright before GOD before he turns out the lights, Before you trip and fall on the dark mountain paths. The light you always took for granted will go out and the world will turn black. 17 If you people won't listen, 'll go off by myself and weep over you, Weep because of your stubborn arrogance, bitter, bitter tears.
I’ve told you this before.
Tuesday, April 24, 2012
Isa 53:2-10
2 The servant grew up before God — a scrawny seedling, a scrubby plant in a parched field. There was nothing attractive about him, nothing to cause us to take a second look. 3 He was looked down on and passed over, a man who suffered, who knew pain firsthand. One look at him and people turned away. We looked down on him, thought he was scum. 4 But the fact is, it was our pains he carried — our disfigurements, all the things wrong with us. We thought he brought it on himself, that God was punishing him for his own failures. 5 But it was our sins that did that to him, that ripped and tore and crushed him — our sins! He took the punishment, and that made us whole. Through his bruises we get healed. 6 We're all like sheep who've wandered off and gotten lost. We've all done our own thing, gone our own way. And GOD has piled all our sins, everything we've done wrong, on him, on him. 7 He was beaten, he was tortured, but he didn't say a word. Like a lamb taken to be slaughtered and like a sheep being sheared, he took it all in silence. 8 Justice miscarried, and he was led off — and did anyone really know what was happening? He died without a thought for his own welfare, beaten bloody for the sins of my people. 9 They buried him with the wicked, threw him in a grave with a rich man, Even though he'd never hurt a soul or said one word that wasn't true.
10 Still, it's what GOD had in mind all along, to crush him with pain. The plan was that he give himself as an offering for sin so that he'd see life come from it — life, life, and more life. And GOD's plan will deeply prosper through him.
This is what Jesus did for US and we are His body.
2 The servant grew up before God — a scrawny seedling, a scrubby plant in a parched field. There was nothing attractive about him, nothing to cause us to take a second look. 3 He was looked down on and passed over, a man who suffered, who knew pain firsthand. One look at him and people turned away. We looked down on him, thought he was scum. 4 But the fact is, it was our pains he carried — our disfigurements, all the things wrong with us. We thought he brought it on himself, that God was punishing him for his own failures. 5 But it was our sins that did that to him, that ripped and tore and crushed him — our sins! He took the punishment, and that made us whole. Through his bruises we get healed. 6 We're all like sheep who've wandered off and gotten lost. We've all done our own thing, gone our own way. And GOD has piled all our sins, everything we've done wrong, on him, on him. 7 He was beaten, he was tortured, but he didn't say a word. Like a lamb taken to be slaughtered and like a sheep being sheared, he took it all in silence. 8 Justice miscarried, and he was led off — and did anyone really know what was happening? He died without a thought for his own welfare, beaten bloody for the sins of my people. 9 They buried him with the wicked, threw him in a grave with a rich man, Even though he'd never hurt a soul or said one word that wasn't true.
10 Still, it's what GOD had in mind all along, to crush him with pain. The plan was that he give himself as an offering for sin so that he'd see life come from it — life, life, and more life. And GOD's plan will deeply prosper through him.
This is what Jesus did for US and we are His body.
For me to be able to understand this AND write about this has taken a huge move of God and for you to read this and accept it will also take a huge move of God
God is the potter and you are the clay.
Humans “say” that they accept this but their behavior is just the opposite and society teaches us the opposite too! In everything that we do, we try to be the best like: what do you want to become? Or what do you want to do with your life? No one ever says: why was I created? And what you do with your life ALWAYS depends on how much money you make. Now let me ask you this: did Adam & Eve have money and did the children of Israel have money? NO! So is having more money the most important thing? NO! But to this world it is! And who is running this world? SATAN! So remember this:
God is the potter and you are the clay.
So act like it! If you want to spend eternity with the potter then be the clay!
God is the potter and you are the clay.
Humans “say” that they accept this but their behavior is just the opposite and society teaches us the opposite too! In everything that we do, we try to be the best like: what do you want to become? Or what do you want to do with your life? No one ever says: why was I created? And what you do with your life ALWAYS depends on how much money you make. Now let me ask you this: did Adam & Eve have money and did the children of Israel have money? NO! So is having more money the most important thing? NO! But to this world it is! And who is running this world? SATAN! So remember this:
God is the potter and you are the clay.
So act like it! If you want to spend eternity with the potter then be the clay!
Monday, April 23, 2012
Isa 45:9-10
doom to you who fight your Maker — you're a pot at odds with the potter! Does clay talk back to the potter: 'What are you doing? What clumsy fingers!' 10 Would a sperm say to a father, 'Who gave you permission to use me to make a baby?' Or a fetus to a mother, 'Why have you cooped me up in this belly?'"
our potter told us this.
doom to you who fight your Maker — you're a pot at odds with the potter! Does clay talk back to the potter: 'What are you doing? What clumsy fingers!' 10 Would a sperm say to a father, 'Who gave you permission to use me to make a baby?' Or a fetus to a mother, 'Why have you cooped me up in this belly?'"
our potter told us this.
Isa 42:18-20
Pay attention! Are you deaf? Open your eyes! Are you blind? 19 You're my servant, and you're not looking! You're my messenger, and you're not listening! The very people I depended upon, servants of GOD, blind as a bat — willfully blind! 20 You've seen a lot, but looked at nothing. You've heard everything, but listened to nothing.
Pay attention! Are you deaf? Open your eyes! Are you blind? 19 You're my servant, and you're not looking! You're my messenger, and you're not listening! The very people I depended upon, servants of GOD, blind as a bat — willfully blind! 20 You've seen a lot, but looked at nothing. You've heard everything, but listened to nothing.
Isa 42:16
16 But I'll take the hand of those who don't know the way, who can't see where they're going. I'll be a personal guide to them, directing them through unknown country. I'll be right there to show them what roads to take, make sure they don't fall into the ditch. These are the things I'll be doing for them — sticking with them, not leaving them for a minute."
This is what was done for the children of Israel and the children of Israel are in the Bible to show us that God can and does take care of us!
16 But I'll take the hand of those who don't know the way, who can't see where they're going. I'll be a personal guide to them, directing them through unknown country. I'll be right there to show them what roads to take, make sure they don't fall into the ditch. These are the things I'll be doing for them — sticking with them, not leaving them for a minute."
This is what was done for the children of Israel and the children of Israel are in the Bible to show us that God can and does take care of us!
Isa 42:1-4
"Take a good look at my servant. I'm backing him to the hilt. He's the one I chose, and I couldn't be more pleased with him. I've bathed him with my Spirit, my life. He'll set everything right among the nations. 2 He won't call attention to what he does with loud speeches or gaudy parades. 3 He won't brush aside the bruised and the hurt and he won't disregard the small and insignificant, but he'll steadily and firmly set things right. 4 He won't tire out and quit. He won't be stopped until he's finished his work — to set things right on earth.
This is about Jesus!
"Take a good look at my servant. I'm backing him to the hilt. He's the one I chose, and I couldn't be more pleased with him. I've bathed him with my Spirit, my life. He'll set everything right among the nations. 2 He won't call attention to what he does with loud speeches or gaudy parades. 3 He won't brush aside the bruised and the hurt and he won't disregard the small and insignificant, but he'll steadily and firmly set things right. 4 He won't tire out and quit. He won't be stopped until he's finished his work — to set things right on earth.
This is about Jesus!
There’s a huge difference between Servants of God and other humans: most humans are hoping for what they can get in this world but Servants of God are happy with the promise of eternity. No one has what they will get in eternity yet as opposed to other humans who want what they can see-there is a huge difference.
Thinking that you are “saved” by God is not just simply a matter of whether or not you did all the right things because God knows your heart and if doing the right things was sufficient then you could have saved yourself! God repeatedly said that He has to be your primary concern, not your job, money, clothes, people or anything else.
To run the world Satan will try VERY HARD to make you focus on everything else as long as you keep from focusing on God and what he did to Adam & Eve is a good example of that.
To run the world Satan will try VERY HARD to make you focus on everything else as long as you keep from focusing on God and what he did to Adam & Eve is a good example of that.
Sunday, April 22, 2012
Isa 29:15-16
15 Doom to you! You pretend to have the inside track. You shut GOD out and work behind the scenes, Plotting the future as if you knew everything, acting mysterious, never showing your hand. 16 You have everything backwards! You treat the potter as a lump of clay. Does a book say to its author, "He didn't write a word of me"? Does a meal say to the woman who cooked it, "She had nothing to do with this"?
15 Doom to you! You pretend to have the inside track. You shut GOD out and work behind the scenes, Plotting the future as if you knew everything, acting mysterious, never showing your hand. 16 You have everything backwards! You treat the potter as a lump of clay. Does a book say to its author, "He didn't write a word of me"? Does a meal say to the woman who cooked it, "She had nothing to do with this"?
Isa 13:9-14
9 "Watch now. GOD's Judgment Day comes. Cruel it is, a day of wrath and anger, A day to waste the earth and clean out all the sinners. 10 The stars in the sky, the great parade of constellations, will be nothing but black holes. The sun will come up as a black disk, and the moon a blank nothing. 11 I'll put a full stop to the evil on earth, terminate the dark acts of the wicked. I'll gag all braggarts and boasters — not a peep anymore from them — and trip strutting tyrants, leave them flat on their faces. 12 Proud humanity will disappear from the earth. I'll make mortals rarer than hens' teeth. 13 And yes, I'll even make the sky shake, and the earth quake to its roots Under the wrath of GOD-of-the-Angel-Armies, the Judgment Day of his raging anger. 14 Like a hunted white-tailed deer, like lost sheep with no shepherd
This is more powerful than Revelation! No one heard it then but will you hear it now?
9 "Watch now. GOD's Judgment Day comes. Cruel it is, a day of wrath and anger, A day to waste the earth and clean out all the sinners. 10 The stars in the sky, the great parade of constellations, will be nothing but black holes. The sun will come up as a black disk, and the moon a blank nothing. 11 I'll put a full stop to the evil on earth, terminate the dark acts of the wicked. I'll gag all braggarts and boasters — not a peep anymore from them — and trip strutting tyrants, leave them flat on their faces. 12 Proud humanity will disappear from the earth. I'll make mortals rarer than hens' teeth. 13 And yes, I'll even make the sky shake, and the earth quake to its roots Under the wrath of GOD-of-the-Angel-Armies, the Judgment Day of his raging anger. 14 Like a hunted white-tailed deer, like lost sheep with no shepherd
This is more powerful than Revelation! No one heard it then but will you hear it now?
Isa 9:6-8
6 For a child has been born — for us! the gift of a son — for us! He'll take over the running of the world. His names will be: Amazing Counselor, Strong God, Eternal Father, Prince of Wholeness. 7 His ruling authority will grow, and there'll be no limits to the wholeness he brings. He'll rule from the historic David throne over that promised kingdom. He'll put that kingdom on a firm footing and keep it going With fair dealing and right living, beginning now and lasting always. The zeal of GOD-of-the-Angel-Armies will do all this.
Jesus! From the Old Testament!
6 For a child has been born — for us! the gift of a son — for us! He'll take over the running of the world. His names will be: Amazing Counselor, Strong God, Eternal Father, Prince of Wholeness. 7 His ruling authority will grow, and there'll be no limits to the wholeness he brings. He'll rule from the historic David throne over that promised kingdom. He'll put that kingdom on a firm footing and keep it going With fair dealing and right living, beginning now and lasting always. The zeal of GOD-of-the-Angel-Armies will do all this.
Jesus! From the Old Testament!
Thursday, April 19, 2012
Prov 8:9-11
9 You'll recognize this as true — you with open minds; truth-ready minds will see it at once. 10 Prefer my life-disciplines over chasing after money, and God-knowledge over a lucrative career. 11 For Wisdom is better than all the trappings of wealth; nothing you could wish for holds a candle to her.
9 You'll recognize this as true — you with open minds; truth-ready minds will see it at once. 10 Prefer my life-disciplines over chasing after money, and God-knowledge over a lucrative career. 11 For Wisdom is better than all the trappings of wealth; nothing you could wish for holds a candle to her.
Prov 3:5-6
5 Trust GOD from the bottom of your heart; don't try to figure out everything on your own. 6 Listen for GOD's voice in everything you do, everywhere you go; he's the one who will keep you on track.
don't try to figure out everything on your own or try to make something of yourselves. Can the clay tell the potter: “I can do better”?
5 Trust GOD from the bottom of your heart; don't try to figure out everything on your own. 6 Listen for GOD's voice in everything you do, everywhere you go; he's the one who will keep you on track.
don't try to figure out everything on your own or try to make something of yourselves. Can the clay tell the potter: “I can do better”?
Wednesday, April 18, 2012
Heaven on Earth
To most people Heaven is somewhere where we may go at some time in the future but to me Heaven is right here on Earth and that’s how I live!
Future? yes! But right now? Yes!
My Father cares for me now so while I want to go there in the future I live there now! I depend on Him now and He does it! So am I hoping for something in the future that I don’t have yet? NO!
To most people Heaven is somewhere where we may go at some time in the future but to me Heaven is right here on Earth and that’s how I live!
Future? yes! But right now? Yes!
My Father cares for me now so while I want to go there in the future I live there now! I depend on Him now and He does it! So am I hoping for something in the future that I don’t have yet? NO!
Ps 119:1-4
You're blessed when you stay on course, walking steadily on the road revealed by GOD. 2 You're blessed when you follow his directions, doing your best to find him. 3 That's right — you don't go off on your own; you walk straight along the road he set. 4 You, GOD, prescribed the right way to live; now you expect us to live it.
doing your best to find him, find him NOT what your boss wants or what is thought to be the best thing.
You're blessed when you stay on course, walking steadily on the road revealed by GOD. 2 You're blessed when you follow his directions, doing your best to find him. 3 That's right — you don't go off on your own; you walk straight along the road he set. 4 You, GOD, prescribed the right way to live; now you expect us to live it.
doing your best to find him, find him NOT what your boss wants or what is thought to be the best thing.
I have read the Bible completely several times but there is one thing that’s consistent. I will name a few of the people that God has written about for your benefit: Abraham, Noah, Joseph, Jonah, Hosea, Job, Jesus & Paul. In all of their situations the things that happened to them were not impressive by man’s standards but they obviously were impressive to God. The “cup” that God gave them to drink was not easy or pleasant to drink but it’s the cup that God gave them so they drank it.
Did Noah wake up one day and think: “hey, I’ll build a huge ship!” NO! Did Joseph wake up and say: “I’ll go to meet my brothers and they’ll beat me up, throw me in a cistern and then sell me as a slave to some people? “ NO! Did Hosea wake up and say: “today I’ll marry a whore!” NO! Did Paul wake up and say: “I’ll be a prisoner for the rest of my life!” NO! Is their situation unique? NO! Look at the children of Israel. They were taken out of physical slavery in Egypt by miracles and put into the wilderness where they had nothing and they were never happy! Even though every had happened instead of trusting in God (who took great care of them) they only trusted in what they could see.
So the cup that God gave them to drink was not pleasant or easy for them to drink but it was part of His plan. The “cup” that God gives you may not be pleasant but this is where: “more than you can ask or imagine” comes in.
My situation is no different! I was abused BEFORE I was born and after I was born it just continued so now I live in a wheelchair, have 3 BLOGs, am very happy and am impacting people all over the world for God. But I’m unimpressive by man’s standards and this cup is NOT EASY to drink. So is that consistent? I’d say so.
One time Jesus said: “are you ready to drink my cup?” so now I’m asking you: are you ready to drink Jesus cup? It won’t please mankind but then neither did Jesus.
Did Noah wake up one day and think: “hey, I’ll build a huge ship!” NO! Did Joseph wake up and say: “I’ll go to meet my brothers and they’ll beat me up, throw me in a cistern and then sell me as a slave to some people? “ NO! Did Hosea wake up and say: “today I’ll marry a whore!” NO! Did Paul wake up and say: “I’ll be a prisoner for the rest of my life!” NO! Is their situation unique? NO! Look at the children of Israel. They were taken out of physical slavery in Egypt by miracles and put into the wilderness where they had nothing and they were never happy! Even though every had happened instead of trusting in God (who took great care of them) they only trusted in what they could see.
So the cup that God gave them to drink was not pleasant or easy for them to drink but it was part of His plan. The “cup” that God gives you may not be pleasant but this is where: “more than you can ask or imagine” comes in.
My situation is no different! I was abused BEFORE I was born and after I was born it just continued so now I live in a wheelchair, have 3 BLOGs, am very happy and am impacting people all over the world for God. But I’m unimpressive by man’s standards and this cup is NOT EASY to drink. So is that consistent? I’d say so.
One time Jesus said: “are you ready to drink my cup?” so now I’m asking you: are you ready to drink Jesus cup? It won’t please mankind but then neither did Jesus.
Tuesday, April 17, 2012
Ps 103:3
He heals your diseases — every one
THIS means a lot to me because He healed my diseases!
Ps 103:13
13 As parents feel for their children,
GOD feels for those who fear him.
Ps 104:31-32
31 The glory of GOD — let it last forever! Let GOD enjoy his creation! 32 He takes one look at earth and triggers an earthquake, points a finger at the mountains, and volcanoes erupt.
Ps 106:7-43
7 After our parents left Egypt, they took your wonders for granted, forgot your great and wonderful love. They were barely beyond the Red Sea when they defied the High God 8 — the very place he saved them! — the place he revealed his amazing power! 9 He rebuked the Red Sea so that it dried up on the spot — he paraded them right through! — no one so much as got wet feet! 10 He saved them from a life of oppression, pried them loose from the grip of the enemy. 11 Then the waters flowed back on their oppressors; there wasn't a single survivor. 12 Then they believed his words were true and broke out in songs of praise.
13 But it wasn't long before they forgot the whole thing, wouldn't wait to be told what to do. 14 They only cared about pleasing themselves in that desert, provoked God with their insistent demands. 15 He gave them exactly what they asked for — but along with it they got an empty heart. 16 One day in camp some grew jealous of Moses, also of Aaron, holy priest of GOD. 17 The ground opened and swallowed Dathan, then buried Abiram's gang. 18 Fire flared against that rebel crew and torched them to a cinder.
19 They cast in metal a bull calf at Horeb and worshiped the statue they'd made. 20 They traded the Glory for a cheap piece of sculpture — a grass-chewing bull! 21 They forgot God, their very own Savior, who turned things around in Egypt, 22 Who created a world of wonders in the Land of Ham, who gave that stunning performance at the Red Sea.
23 Fed up, God decided to get rid of them — and except for Moses, his chosen, he would have. But Moses stood in the gap and deflected God's anger, prevented it from destroying them utterly. 24 They went on to reject the Blessed Land, didn't believe a word of what God promised. 25 They found fault with the life they had and turned a deaf ear to GOD's voice. 26 Exasperated, God swore that he'd lay them low in the desert, 27 Scattering their children hither and yon, strewing them all over the earth.
28 Then they linked up with Baal Peor, attending funeral banquets and eating idol food. 29 That made God so angry that a plague spread through their ranks; 30 Phinehas stood up and pled their case and the plague was stopped. 31 This was counted to his credit; his descendants will never forget it.
32 They angered God again at Meribah Springs; this time Moses got mixed up in their evil; 33 Because they defied GOD yet again, Moses exploded and lost his temper.
34 They didn't wipe out those godless cultures as ordered by GOD; 35 Instead they intermarried with the heathen, and in time became just like them. 36 They worshiped their idols, were caught in the trap of idols. 37 They sacrificed their sons and daughters at the altars of demon gods. 38 They slit the throats of their babies, murdered their infant girls and boys. They offered their babies to Canaan's gods; the blood of their babies stained the land. 39 Their way of life stank to high heaven; they lived like whores.
40 And GOD was furious — a wildfire anger;he couldn't stand even to look at his people. 41 He turned them over to the heathen so that the people who hated them ruled them. 42 Their enemies made life hard for them; they were tyrannized under that rule. 43 Over and over God rescued them, but they never learned — until finally their sins destroyed them.
Ps 107:2
tell the world!
Ps 107:22
tell the world what God's done
Ps 108:12-109:1
human help is worthless.
13 In God we'll do our very best;
he'll flatten the opposition for good.
Ps 110:4-5
4 GOD gave his word and he won't take it back: you're the permanent priest, the Melchizedek priest.
This is about Jesus!
Ps 111:2
2 GOD's works are so great, worth A lifetime of study — endless enjoyment!
If God’s works which everyone can see are for free are worth a lifetime of study then why do we have colleges that require money?
He heals your diseases — every one
THIS means a lot to me because He healed my diseases!
Ps 103:13
13 As parents feel for their children,
GOD feels for those who fear him.
Ps 104:31-32
31 The glory of GOD — let it last forever! Let GOD enjoy his creation! 32 He takes one look at earth and triggers an earthquake, points a finger at the mountains, and volcanoes erupt.
Ps 106:7-43
7 After our parents left Egypt, they took your wonders for granted, forgot your great and wonderful love. They were barely beyond the Red Sea when they defied the High God 8 — the very place he saved them! — the place he revealed his amazing power! 9 He rebuked the Red Sea so that it dried up on the spot — he paraded them right through! — no one so much as got wet feet! 10 He saved them from a life of oppression, pried them loose from the grip of the enemy. 11 Then the waters flowed back on their oppressors; there wasn't a single survivor. 12 Then they believed his words were true and broke out in songs of praise.
13 But it wasn't long before they forgot the whole thing, wouldn't wait to be told what to do. 14 They only cared about pleasing themselves in that desert, provoked God with their insistent demands. 15 He gave them exactly what they asked for — but along with it they got an empty heart. 16 One day in camp some grew jealous of Moses, also of Aaron, holy priest of GOD. 17 The ground opened and swallowed Dathan, then buried Abiram's gang. 18 Fire flared against that rebel crew and torched them to a cinder.
19 They cast in metal a bull calf at Horeb and worshiped the statue they'd made. 20 They traded the Glory for a cheap piece of sculpture — a grass-chewing bull! 21 They forgot God, their very own Savior, who turned things around in Egypt, 22 Who created a world of wonders in the Land of Ham, who gave that stunning performance at the Red Sea.
23 Fed up, God decided to get rid of them — and except for Moses, his chosen, he would have. But Moses stood in the gap and deflected God's anger, prevented it from destroying them utterly. 24 They went on to reject the Blessed Land, didn't believe a word of what God promised. 25 They found fault with the life they had and turned a deaf ear to GOD's voice. 26 Exasperated, God swore that he'd lay them low in the desert, 27 Scattering their children hither and yon, strewing them all over the earth.
28 Then they linked up with Baal Peor, attending funeral banquets and eating idol food. 29 That made God so angry that a plague spread through their ranks; 30 Phinehas stood up and pled their case and the plague was stopped. 31 This was counted to his credit; his descendants will never forget it.
32 They angered God again at Meribah Springs; this time Moses got mixed up in their evil; 33 Because they defied GOD yet again, Moses exploded and lost his temper.
34 They didn't wipe out those godless cultures as ordered by GOD; 35 Instead they intermarried with the heathen, and in time became just like them. 36 They worshiped their idols, were caught in the trap of idols. 37 They sacrificed their sons and daughters at the altars of demon gods. 38 They slit the throats of their babies, murdered their infant girls and boys. They offered their babies to Canaan's gods; the blood of their babies stained the land. 39 Their way of life stank to high heaven; they lived like whores.
40 And GOD was furious — a wildfire anger;he couldn't stand even to look at his people. 41 He turned them over to the heathen so that the people who hated them ruled them. 42 Their enemies made life hard for them; they were tyrannized under that rule. 43 Over and over God rescued them, but they never learned — until finally their sins destroyed them.
Ps 107:2
tell the world!
Ps 107:22
tell the world what God's done
Ps 108:12-109:1
human help is worthless.
13 In God we'll do our very best;
he'll flatten the opposition for good.
Ps 110:4-5
4 GOD gave his word and he won't take it back: you're the permanent priest, the Melchizedek priest.
This is about Jesus!
Ps 111:2
2 GOD's works are so great, worth A lifetime of study — endless enjoyment!
If God’s works which everyone can see are for free are worth a lifetime of study then why do we have colleges that require money?
I have read the Bible completely several times but there is one thing that’s consistent. I will name a few of the people that God has written about for your benefit: Abraham, Noah, Joseph, Jonah, Hosea, Job, Jesus & Paul. In all of their situations the things that happened to them were not impressive by man’s standards but they obviously were impressive to God. The “cup” that God gave them to drink was not easy or pleasant to drink but it’s the cup that God gave them so they drank it.
Did Noah wake up one day and think: “hey, I’ll build a huge ship!” NO! Did Joseph wake up and say: “I’ll go to meet my brothers and they’ll beat me up, throw me in a cistern and then sell me as a slave to some people? “ NO! Did Hosea wake up and say: “today I’ll marry a whore!” NO! Did Paul wake up and say: “I’ll be a prisoner for the rest of my life!” NO! Is their situation unique? NO! Look at the children of Israel. They were taken out of physical slavery in Egypt by miracles and put into the wilderness where they had nothing and they were never happy! Even though every had happened instead of trusting in God (who took great care of them) they only trusted in what they could see.
So the cup that God gave them to drink was not pleasant or easy for them to drink but it was part of His plan. The “cup” that God gives you may not pleasant but this is where: “more than you can ask or imagine” comes in.
My situation is no different! I was abused BEFORE I was born and after I was born it just continued so now I live in a wheelchair, have 3 BLOGs, am very happy and am impacting people all over the world for God. But I’m unimpressive by man’s standards and this cup is NOT EASY to drink. So is that consistent? I’d say so.
One time Jesus said: “are you ready to drink my cup?”
Did Noah wake up one day and think: “hey, I’ll build a huge ship!” NO! Did Joseph wake up and say: “I’ll go to meet my brothers and they’ll beat me up, throw me in a cistern and then sell me as a slave to some people? “ NO! Did Hosea wake up and say: “today I’ll marry a whore!” NO! Did Paul wake up and say: “I’ll be a prisoner for the rest of my life!” NO! Is their situation unique? NO! Look at the children of Israel. They were taken out of physical slavery in Egypt by miracles and put into the wilderness where they had nothing and they were never happy! Even though every had happened instead of trusting in God (who took great care of them) they only trusted in what they could see.
So the cup that God gave them to drink was not pleasant or easy for them to drink but it was part of His plan. The “cup” that God gives you may not pleasant but this is where: “more than you can ask or imagine” comes in.
My situation is no different! I was abused BEFORE I was born and after I was born it just continued so now I live in a wheelchair, have 3 BLOGs, am very happy and am impacting people all over the world for God. But I’m unimpressive by man’s standards and this cup is NOT EASY to drink. So is that consistent? I’d say so.
One time Jesus said: “are you ready to drink my cup?”
Monday, April 16, 2012
Ps 78:4-66
GOD's fame and fortune, the marvelous things he has done.
5 He planted a witness in Jacob, set his Word firmly in Israel, Then commanded our parents to teach it to their children 6 So the next generation would know, and all the generations to come — Know the truth and tell the stories so their children 7 can trust in God, Never forget the works of God but keep his commands to the letter. 8 Heaven forbid they should be like their parents, bullheaded and bad, A fickle and faithless bunch who never stayed true to God.
9 The Ephraimites, armed to the teeth, ran off when the battle began. 10 They were cowards to God's Covenant, refused to walk by his Word. 11 They forgot what he had done — marvels he'd done right before their eyes. 12 He performed miracles in plain sight of their parents in Egypt, out on the fields of Zoan. 13 He split the Sea and they walked right through it; he piled the waters to the right and the left. 14 He led them by day with a cloud, led them all the night long with a fiery torch. 15 He split rocks in the wilderness, gave them all they could drink from underground springs; 16 He made creeks flow out from sheer rock, and water pour out like a river.
17 All they did was sin even more, rebel in the desert against the High God. 18 They tried to get their own way with God, clamored for favors, for special attention. 19 They whined like spoiled children, "Why can't God give us a decent meal in this desert? 20 Sure, he struck the rock and the water flowed, creeks cascaded from the rock. But how about some fresh-baked bread? How about a nice cut of meat?"
21 When GOD heard that, he was furious — his anger flared against Jacob, he lost his temper with Israel. 22 It was clear they didn't believe God, had no intention of trusting in his help. 23 But God helped them anyway, commanded the clouds and gave orders that opened the gates of heaven. 24 He rained down showers of manna to eat, he gave them the Bread of Heaven. 25 They ate the bread of the mighty angels; he sent them all the food they could eat. 26 He let East Wind break loose from the skies, gave a strong push to South Wind. 27 This time it was birds that rained down — succulent birds, an abundance of birds. 28 He aimed them right for the center of their camp; all round their tents there were birds. 29 They ate and had their fill; he handed them everything they craved on a platter. 30 But their greed knew no bounds; they stuffed their mouths with more and more. 31 Finally, God was fed up, his anger erupted — he cut down their brightest and best, he laid low Israel's finest young men. 32 And — can you believe it? — they kept right on sinning; all those wonders and they still wouldn't believe! 33 So their lives dribbled off to nothing — nothing to show for their lives but a ghost town. 34 When he cut them down, they came running for help; they turned and pled for mercy. 35 They gave witness that God was their rock, that High God was their redeemer, 36 But they didn't mean a word of it; they lied through their teeth the whole time. 37 They could not have cared less about him, wanted nothing to do with his Covenant.
38 And God? Compassionate! Forgave the sin! Didn't destroy! Over and over he reined in his anger, restrained his considerable wrath. 39 He knew what they were made of; he knew there wasn't much to them, 40 How often in the desert they had spurned him, tried his patience in those wilderness years. 41 Time and again they pushed him to the limit, provoked Israel's Holy God. 42 How quickly they forgot what he'd done, forgot their day of rescue from the enemy, 43 When he did miracles in Egypt, wonders on the plain of Zoan. 44 He turned the River and its streams to blood — not a drop of water fit to drink. 45 He sent flies, which ate them alive, and frogs, which bedeviled them. 46 He turned their harvest over to caterpillars, everything they had worked for to the locusts. 47 He flattened their grapevines with hail; a killing frost ruined their orchards. 48 He pounded their cattle with hail, let thunderbolts loose on their herds. 49 His anger flared, a wild firestorm of havoc,
An advance guard of disease-carrying angels 50 to clear the ground, preparing the way before him. He didn't spare those people, he let the plague rage through their lives. 51 He killed all the Egyptian firstborns, lusty infants, offspring of Ham's virility. 52 Then he led his people out like sheep, took his flock safely through the wilderness. 53 He took good care of them; they had nothing to fear. The Sea took care of their enemies for good. 54 He brought them into his holy land, this mountain he claimed for his own. 55 He scattered everyone who got in their way; he staked out an inheritance for them — the tribes of Israel all had their own places.
56 But they kept on giving him a hard time, rebelled against God, the High God, refused to do anything he told them. 57 They were worse, if that's possible, than their parents: traitors — crooked as a corkscrew. 58 Their pagan orgies provoked God's anger, their obscene idolatries broke his heart. 59 When God heard their carryings-on, he was furious; he posted a huge No over Israel. 60 He walked off and left Shiloh empty, abandoned the shrine where he had met with Israel. 61 He let his pride and joy go to the dogs, turned his back on the pride of his life. 62 He turned them loose on fields of battle; angry, he let them fend for themselves. 63 Their young men went to war and never came back; their young women waited in vain. 64 Their priests were massacred, and their widows never shed a tear.
65 Suddenly the Lord was up on his feet like someone roused from deep sleep, shouting like a drunken warrior. 66 He hit his enemies hard, sent them running, yelping, not daring to look back.
Why have I NEVER heard a sermon on this?
GOD's fame and fortune, the marvelous things he has done.
5 He planted a witness in Jacob, set his Word firmly in Israel, Then commanded our parents to teach it to their children 6 So the next generation would know, and all the generations to come — Know the truth and tell the stories so their children 7 can trust in God, Never forget the works of God but keep his commands to the letter. 8 Heaven forbid they should be like their parents, bullheaded and bad, A fickle and faithless bunch who never stayed true to God.
9 The Ephraimites, armed to the teeth, ran off when the battle began. 10 They were cowards to God's Covenant, refused to walk by his Word. 11 They forgot what he had done — marvels he'd done right before their eyes. 12 He performed miracles in plain sight of their parents in Egypt, out on the fields of Zoan. 13 He split the Sea and they walked right through it; he piled the waters to the right and the left. 14 He led them by day with a cloud, led them all the night long with a fiery torch. 15 He split rocks in the wilderness, gave them all they could drink from underground springs; 16 He made creeks flow out from sheer rock, and water pour out like a river.
17 All they did was sin even more, rebel in the desert against the High God. 18 They tried to get their own way with God, clamored for favors, for special attention. 19 They whined like spoiled children, "Why can't God give us a decent meal in this desert? 20 Sure, he struck the rock and the water flowed, creeks cascaded from the rock. But how about some fresh-baked bread? How about a nice cut of meat?"
21 When GOD heard that, he was furious — his anger flared against Jacob, he lost his temper with Israel. 22 It was clear they didn't believe God, had no intention of trusting in his help. 23 But God helped them anyway, commanded the clouds and gave orders that opened the gates of heaven. 24 He rained down showers of manna to eat, he gave them the Bread of Heaven. 25 They ate the bread of the mighty angels; he sent them all the food they could eat. 26 He let East Wind break loose from the skies, gave a strong push to South Wind. 27 This time it was birds that rained down — succulent birds, an abundance of birds. 28 He aimed them right for the center of their camp; all round their tents there were birds. 29 They ate and had their fill; he handed them everything they craved on a platter. 30 But their greed knew no bounds; they stuffed their mouths with more and more. 31 Finally, God was fed up, his anger erupted — he cut down their brightest and best, he laid low Israel's finest young men. 32 And — can you believe it? — they kept right on sinning; all those wonders and they still wouldn't believe! 33 So their lives dribbled off to nothing — nothing to show for their lives but a ghost town. 34 When he cut them down, they came running for help; they turned and pled for mercy. 35 They gave witness that God was their rock, that High God was their redeemer, 36 But they didn't mean a word of it; they lied through their teeth the whole time. 37 They could not have cared less about him, wanted nothing to do with his Covenant.
38 And God? Compassionate! Forgave the sin! Didn't destroy! Over and over he reined in his anger, restrained his considerable wrath. 39 He knew what they were made of; he knew there wasn't much to them, 40 How often in the desert they had spurned him, tried his patience in those wilderness years. 41 Time and again they pushed him to the limit, provoked Israel's Holy God. 42 How quickly they forgot what he'd done, forgot their day of rescue from the enemy, 43 When he did miracles in Egypt, wonders on the plain of Zoan. 44 He turned the River and its streams to blood — not a drop of water fit to drink. 45 He sent flies, which ate them alive, and frogs, which bedeviled them. 46 He turned their harvest over to caterpillars, everything they had worked for to the locusts. 47 He flattened their grapevines with hail; a killing frost ruined their orchards. 48 He pounded their cattle with hail, let thunderbolts loose on their herds. 49 His anger flared, a wild firestorm of havoc,
An advance guard of disease-carrying angels 50 to clear the ground, preparing the way before him. He didn't spare those people, he let the plague rage through their lives. 51 He killed all the Egyptian firstborns, lusty infants, offspring of Ham's virility. 52 Then he led his people out like sheep, took his flock safely through the wilderness. 53 He took good care of them; they had nothing to fear. The Sea took care of their enemies for good. 54 He brought them into his holy land, this mountain he claimed for his own. 55 He scattered everyone who got in their way; he staked out an inheritance for them — the tribes of Israel all had their own places.
56 But they kept on giving him a hard time, rebelled against God, the High God, refused to do anything he told them. 57 They were worse, if that's possible, than their parents: traitors — crooked as a corkscrew. 58 Their pagan orgies provoked God's anger, their obscene idolatries broke his heart. 59 When God heard their carryings-on, he was furious; he posted a huge No over Israel. 60 He walked off and left Shiloh empty, abandoned the shrine where he had met with Israel. 61 He let his pride and joy go to the dogs, turned his back on the pride of his life. 62 He turned them loose on fields of battle; angry, he let them fend for themselves. 63 Their young men went to war and never came back; their young women waited in vain. 64 Their priests were massacred, and their widows never shed a tear.
65 Suddenly the Lord was up on his feet like someone roused from deep sleep, shouting like a drunken warrior. 66 He hit his enemies hard, sent them running, yelping, not daring to look back.
Why have I NEVER heard a sermon on this?
I have read the Bible completely several times but there is one thing that’s consistent. I will name a few of the people that God has written about for your benefit: Abraham, Noah, Joseph, Jonah, Hosea, Jesus & Paul. In all of their situations the things that happened to them were not impressive by man’s standards but they obviously were impressive to God. My situation is no different! I was abused BEFORE I was born and after I was born it just continued so now I live in a wheelchair, have 3 BLOGs, am very happy and am impacting people all over the world for God. But I’m unimpressive by man’s standards. So is that consistent? I’d say so.
Sunday, April 15, 2012
Let’s talk about something and I can tell you that you’re not going to like this! I have been reading things in the Bible about idols that are worshipped and I’ve been trying to figure it out. And I have some information for you but most people aren’t going to like it!
First of all, let’s talk about Abraham. He had no children AND he was told to move to a foreign country. Not very impressive.
Then Noah. He was told to build a huge ship at a time when there was not a reason. Again, not impressive!
Isaac worked for Laban for 14 years and had to marry 2 women. Again, not impressive!
Joseph was sold into slavery by his brothers. Again, not impressive!
All of God’s prophets were killed. Again, not impressive!
Jonah was in the stomach of a large fish for 3 days and then the fish threw him up! NOT IMPRESSIVE!
God’s human son was impregnated in a virgin, born in a manger and then killed. Not impressive!
Paul was a very accomplished human, killing many Christians and ended up as a prisoner for God. Definitely not impressive!
God has NEVER been seen! Not even close to being impressive!
I could go on and on but the point of the scriptures is that God has a plan that will be accomplished so life is NOT about your plan, it’s about His plan! Even when Jesus was going to be killed He said: “not my plan, but yours”.
So “self” may be the biggest and worst idol yet! Self recognition is extremely important to mankind! And I can’t walk, comb my hair, shower myself, shop, work or anything but live in a wheelchair and read the Bible everyday, so “self” doesn’t exist! I was VERY accomplished before but not at all now. And I’m happy to be here! Did I plan this? NO! But it benefits God and I’m happy so you figure it out. Sounds a lot like the people in the Bible to me.
First of all, let’s talk about Abraham. He had no children AND he was told to move to a foreign country. Not very impressive.
Then Noah. He was told to build a huge ship at a time when there was not a reason. Again, not impressive!
Isaac worked for Laban for 14 years and had to marry 2 women. Again, not impressive!
Joseph was sold into slavery by his brothers. Again, not impressive!
All of God’s prophets were killed. Again, not impressive!
Jonah was in the stomach of a large fish for 3 days and then the fish threw him up! NOT IMPRESSIVE!
God’s human son was impregnated in a virgin, born in a manger and then killed. Not impressive!
Paul was a very accomplished human, killing many Christians and ended up as a prisoner for God. Definitely not impressive!
God has NEVER been seen! Not even close to being impressive!
I could go on and on but the point of the scriptures is that God has a plan that will be accomplished so life is NOT about your plan, it’s about His plan! Even when Jesus was going to be killed He said: “not my plan, but yours”.
So “self” may be the biggest and worst idol yet! Self recognition is extremely important to mankind! And I can’t walk, comb my hair, shower myself, shop, work or anything but live in a wheelchair and read the Bible everyday, so “self” doesn’t exist! I was VERY accomplished before but not at all now. And I’m happy to be here! Did I plan this? NO! But it benefits God and I’m happy so you figure it out. Sounds a lot like the people in the Bible to me.
Saturday, April 14, 2012
Reality Check
What is a Reality Check? A definition of reality that you have wrong. Ok, so what is reality? Reality consists of things that we can see because things that we can see are what we call: reality.
So is reality any different between what we can and can’t see? It depends. There is more going on than what we can see so it becomes a personal choice as to whether or not you can call what is going on: reality. There are two very different kinds of reality: 1) on earth and 2) in eternity and mine is #2.
Let me explain where I’m coming from: no one has ever seen God but He is real and one day everyone will face Him and He will become everyone’s reality. So the ultimate Reality Check is to NOW make God your reality. This is not a popular thing to do as far as society goes but right here and now this is your real reality check!
So who is running society and who is defining the ways of the world? Good question!
Well, who got thrown out of Heaven and was given the earth to run? Satan! So if Satan is running the earth then “the ways of the world” are Satan’s ways and therefore society is also being run by Satan! Promoting God as reality is not a popular thing to do as far as society is concerned-Jesus did it and what did He get? Killed! He gave people a reality check and people didn’t like it! He didn’t give them a new set of rules to change the way that they were living, He just redefined reality for them and told them to: 1) Focus on God and 2) Focus on each other. That’s all and He was killed! He was killed because He gave them a reality check and He didn’t just give them ANY realty He gave them the ultimate reality and society didn’t like it! So maybe our definition of reality needs to change! We need to consider that reality is more than just what we can see with our eyes and that’s where faith comes in. Faith is far more than belief in something that we can see or imagine. Abraham had to do more than that! He couldn’t see or imagine the outcome of many things but he believed that God would make it happen and he is our father of our faith.
1
In addition to everything else, God created humans because He wanted to spend eternity with SOME of them. He is the potter and we are the clay, so if we are more interested and involved with ourselves than Him then we won’t be spending eternity with Him. Now that’s a real reality check! We’re talking eternity and eternity has no end!
The Bible very plainly and openly gives us suggestions on what to do: it says that our entire heart & soul must be dedicated to Him and just to Him and that’s not what I see happening around me.
We, as humans, are repeatedly and very plainly told in the Bible that man (meaning humans) does not live by bread alone but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God and that refers to living on earth and living in Heaven. In other words, humans don’t just live on food on earth but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God and a prime example of that in the Bible was the children of Israel. God freed them from slavery in Egypt, fed them and cared in every way for them.
Now, where does every word proceed from the mouth of God? The Bible! So, is the Bible the biggest thing to humans? NO! And it’s not going to get any better because the “way of the world” is dedicated to humans more than to God. The clay thinks they’re better than the potter who made them and the clay just wants, wants, wants more than what the potter gave them! Which is just what the Israelites did. They were never happy and they never had enough and the original Israelites never got to the promised land and I want to get to the promised land. For the story of the Israelites very few of the originals got to the promised land and the Bible plainly and clearly states that: the road is narrow and few will find it, and I want to be one of the few!
As humans there is a great deal of talk about things that apply to “a lifetime” which only means a person’s life on earth but I am concerned with my eternal lifetime which has no end and that’s what I want for you to consider too.
This is not going to be popular for you now but it wasn’t popular for Jesus then but He did it and as his body, we have to do it too! This is a real reality check.
Did the original children of Israel always have everything that they wanted? NO! Did they get the end result? NO! So I don’t want to be like them. I don’t have everything now but I have more than enough now and I want the promise later, I just have to patiently wait for it and believe that it will come and that’s faith.
2
Let’s discuss Adam & Eve. They were created and they had a great deal but they wanted something that they didn’t have and they believed the serpents opinion rather than what they had been clearly told by God and I don’t want to be like them! I have been told by God in the Bible so I want to do what God has told me, not what someone else thinks that God meant. They were thrown out of Eden and I don’t want to be thrown out! I would rather simply do what God clearly said rather than let someone else evaluate what they think He meant.
You can do what you want but I will serve the Lord.
What is a Reality Check? A definition of reality that you have wrong. Ok, so what is reality? Reality consists of things that we can see because things that we can see are what we call: reality.
So is reality any different between what we can and can’t see? It depends. There is more going on than what we can see so it becomes a personal choice as to whether or not you can call what is going on: reality. There are two very different kinds of reality: 1) on earth and 2) in eternity and mine is #2.
Let me explain where I’m coming from: no one has ever seen God but He is real and one day everyone will face Him and He will become everyone’s reality. So the ultimate Reality Check is to NOW make God your reality. This is not a popular thing to do as far as society goes but right here and now this is your real reality check!
So who is running society and who is defining the ways of the world? Good question!
Well, who got thrown out of Heaven and was given the earth to run? Satan! So if Satan is running the earth then “the ways of the world” are Satan’s ways and therefore society is also being run by Satan! Promoting God as reality is not a popular thing to do as far as society is concerned-Jesus did it and what did He get? Killed! He gave people a reality check and people didn’t like it! He didn’t give them a new set of rules to change the way that they were living, He just redefined reality for them and told them to: 1) Focus on God and 2) Focus on each other. That’s all and He was killed! He was killed because He gave them a reality check and He didn’t just give them ANY realty He gave them the ultimate reality and society didn’t like it! So maybe our definition of reality needs to change! We need to consider that reality is more than just what we can see with our eyes and that’s where faith comes in. Faith is far more than belief in something that we can see or imagine. Abraham had to do more than that! He couldn’t see or imagine the outcome of many things but he believed that God would make it happen and he is our father of our faith.
1
In addition to everything else, God created humans because He wanted to spend eternity with SOME of them. He is the potter and we are the clay, so if we are more interested and involved with ourselves than Him then we won’t be spending eternity with Him. Now that’s a real reality check! We’re talking eternity and eternity has no end!
The Bible very plainly and openly gives us suggestions on what to do: it says that our entire heart & soul must be dedicated to Him and just to Him and that’s not what I see happening around me.
We, as humans, are repeatedly and very plainly told in the Bible that man (meaning humans) does not live by bread alone but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God and that refers to living on earth and living in Heaven. In other words, humans don’t just live on food on earth but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God and a prime example of that in the Bible was the children of Israel. God freed them from slavery in Egypt, fed them and cared in every way for them.
Now, where does every word proceed from the mouth of God? The Bible! So, is the Bible the biggest thing to humans? NO! And it’s not going to get any better because the “way of the world” is dedicated to humans more than to God. The clay thinks they’re better than the potter who made them and the clay just wants, wants, wants more than what the potter gave them! Which is just what the Israelites did. They were never happy and they never had enough and the original Israelites never got to the promised land and I want to get to the promised land. For the story of the Israelites very few of the originals got to the promised land and the Bible plainly and clearly states that: the road is narrow and few will find it, and I want to be one of the few!
As humans there is a great deal of talk about things that apply to “a lifetime” which only means a person’s life on earth but I am concerned with my eternal lifetime which has no end and that’s what I want for you to consider too.
This is not going to be popular for you now but it wasn’t popular for Jesus then but He did it and as his body, we have to do it too! This is a real reality check.
Did the original children of Israel always have everything that they wanted? NO! Did they get the end result? NO! So I don’t want to be like them. I don’t have everything now but I have more than enough now and I want the promise later, I just have to patiently wait for it and believe that it will come and that’s faith.
2
Let’s discuss Adam & Eve. They were created and they had a great deal but they wanted something that they didn’t have and they believed the serpents opinion rather than what they had been clearly told by God and I don’t want to be like them! I have been told by God in the Bible so I want to do what God has told me, not what someone else thinks that God meant. They were thrown out of Eden and I don’t want to be thrown out! I would rather simply do what God clearly said rather than let someone else evaluate what they think He meant.
You can do what you want but I will serve the Lord.
Ps 49:16-19
16 So don't be impressed with those who get rich and pile up fame and fortune. 17 They can't take it with them; fame and fortune all get left behind. 18 Just when they think they've arrived and folks praise them because they've made good, 19 They enter the family burial plot where they'll never see sunshine again.
16 So don't be impressed with those who get rich and pile up fame and fortune. 17 They can't take it with them; fame and fortune all get left behind. 18 Just when they think they've arrived and folks praise them because they've made good, 19 They enter the family burial plot where they'll never see sunshine again.
Ps 40:9-10
9 I've preached you to the whole congregation, I've kept back nothing, GOD — you know that. 10 I didn't keep the news of your ways a secret, didn't keep it to myself. I told it all, how dependable you are, how thorough. I didn't hold back pieces of love and truth for myself alone. I told it all, let the congregation know the whole story.
9 I've preached you to the whole congregation, I've kept back nothing, GOD — you know that. 10 I didn't keep the news of your ways a secret, didn't keep it to myself. I told it all, how dependable you are, how thorough. I didn't hold back pieces of love and truth for myself alone. I told it all, let the congregation know the whole story.
Ps 40:4-5
4 Blessed are you who give yourselves over to GOD, turn your backs on the world's "sure thing," ignore what the world worships; 5 The world's a huge stockpile of GOD-wonders and God-thoughts. Nothing and no one comes close to you! I start talking about you, telling what I know, and quickly run out of words. Neither numbers nor words account for you.
4 Blessed are you who give yourselves over to GOD, turn your backs on the world's "sure thing," ignore what the world worships; 5 The world's a huge stockpile of GOD-wonders and God-thoughts. Nothing and no one comes close to you! I start talking about you, telling what I know, and quickly run out of words. Neither numbers nor words account for you.
Ps 37:3-7
3 Get insurance with GOD and do a good deed, settle down and stick to your last. 4 Keep company with GOD, get in on the best. 5 Open up before GOD, keep nothing back; he'll do whatever needs to be done: 6 He'll validate your life in the clear light of day and stamp you with approval at high noon. 7 Quiet down before GOD, be prayerful before him. Don't bother with those who climb the ladder, who elbow their way to the top.
3 Get insurance with GOD and do a good deed, settle down and stick to your last. 4 Keep company with GOD, get in on the best. 5 Open up before GOD, keep nothing back; he'll do whatever needs to be done: 6 He'll validate your life in the clear light of day and stamp you with approval at high noon. 7 Quiet down before GOD, be prayerful before him. Don't bother with those who climb the ladder, who elbow their way to the top.
Friday, April 13, 2012
Ps 33:18-22
18 Watch this: God's eye is on those who respect him, the ones who are looking for his love. 19 He's ready to come to their rescue in bad times; in lean times he keeps body and soul together. 20 We're depending on GOD; he's everything we need. 21 What's more, our hearts brim with joy since we've taken for our own his holy name. 22 Love us, GOD, with all you've got — that's what we're depending on.
Do you depend on God or what you can do?
18 Watch this: God's eye is on those who respect him, the ones who are looking for his love. 19 He's ready to come to their rescue in bad times; in lean times he keeps body and soul together. 20 We're depending on GOD; he's everything we need. 21 What's more, our hearts brim with joy since we've taken for our own his holy name. 22 Love us, GOD, with all you've got — that's what we're depending on.
Do you depend on God or what you can do?
Ps 33:18-22
18 Watch this: God's eye is on those who respect him, the ones who are looking for his love. 19 He's ready to come to their rescue in bad times; in lean times he keeps body and soul together. 20 We're depending on GOD; he's everything we need. 21 What's more, our hearts brim with joy since we've taken for our own his holy name. 22 Love us, GOD, with all you've got — that's what we're depending on.
18 Watch this: God's eye is on those who respect him, the ones who are looking for his love. 19 He's ready to come to their rescue in bad times; in lean times he keeps body and soul together. 20 We're depending on GOD; he's everything we need. 21 What's more, our hearts brim with joy since we've taken for our own his holy name. 22 Love us, GOD, with all you've got — that's what we're depending on.
Ps 32:1-5
Count yourself lucky, how happy you must be — you get a fresh start, your slate's wiped clean. 2 Count yourself lucky — GOD holds nothing against you and you're holding nothing back from him. 3 When I kept it all inside, my bones turned to powder, my words became daylong groans. 4 The pressure never let up; all the juices of my life dried up. 5 Then I let it all out; I said, "I'll make a clean breast of my failures to GOD."
Suddenly the pressure was gone — my guilt dissolved, my sin disappeared.
If this is what “lucky” means then I am lucky!
Count yourself lucky, how happy you must be — you get a fresh start, your slate's wiped clean. 2 Count yourself lucky — GOD holds nothing against you and you're holding nothing back from him. 3 When I kept it all inside, my bones turned to powder, my words became daylong groans. 4 The pressure never let up; all the juices of my life dried up. 5 Then I let it all out; I said, "I'll make a clean breast of my failures to GOD."
Suddenly the pressure was gone — my guilt dissolved, my sin disappeared.
If this is what “lucky” means then I am lucky!
Ps 30:9-12
9 "Can you sell me for a profit when I'm dead? auction me off at a cemetery yard sale? When I'm 'dust to dust' my songs and stories of you won't sell. 10 So listen! and be kind! Help me out of this!" 11 You did it: you changed wild lament into whirling dance; You ripped off my black mourning band and decked me with wildflowers. 12 I'm about to burst with song; I can't keep quiet about you. GOD, my God, I can't thank you enough.
9 "Can you sell me for a profit when I'm dead? auction me off at a cemetery yard sale? When I'm 'dust to dust' my songs and stories of you won't sell. 10 So listen! and be kind! Help me out of this!" 11 You did it: you changed wild lament into whirling dance; You ripped off my black mourning band and decked me with wildflowers. 12 I'm about to burst with song; I can't keep quiet about you. GOD, my God, I can't thank you enough.
Thursday, April 12, 2012
Ps 19:7-10
7 The revelation of GOD is whole and pulls our lives together. The signposts of GOD are clear and point out the right road. 8 The life-maps of GOD are right, showing the way to joy. The directions of GOD are plain and easy on the eyes. 9 GOD's reputation is twenty-four-carat gold, with a lifetime guarantee. The decisions of GOD are accurate down to the nth degree. 10 God's Word is better than a diamond, better than a diamond set between emeralds.
7 The revelation of GOD is whole and pulls our lives together. The signposts of GOD are clear and point out the right road. 8 The life-maps of GOD are right, showing the way to joy. The directions of GOD are plain and easy on the eyes. 9 GOD's reputation is twenty-four-carat gold, with a lifetime guarantee. The decisions of GOD are accurate down to the nth degree. 10 God's Word is better than a diamond, better than a diamond set between emeralds.
Ps 18:20-24
20 GOD made my life complete when I placed all the pieces before him. When I got my act together, he gave me a fresh start. 21 Now I'm alert to GOD's ways; I don't take God for granted. 22 Every day I review the ways he works; I try not to miss a trick. 23 I feel put back together, and I'm watching my step. 24 GOD rewrote the text of my life when I opened the book of my heart to his eyes.
20 GOD made my life complete when I placed all the pieces before him. When I got my act together, he gave me a fresh start. 21 Now I'm alert to GOD's ways; I don't take God for granted. 22 Every day I review the ways he works; I try not to miss a trick. 23 I feel put back together, and I'm watching my step. 24 GOD rewrote the text of my life when I opened the book of my heart to his eyes.
Ps 8:3-8
3 I look up at your macro-skies, dark and enormous, your handmade sky-jewelry, Moon and stars mounted in their settings. 4 Then I look at my micro-self and wonder, Why do you bother with us? Why take a second look our way? 5 Yet we've so narrowly missed being gods, bright with Eden's dawn light. 6 You put us in charge of your handcrafted world, repeated to us your Genesis-charge, 7 Made us lords of sheep and cattle, even animals out in the wild, 8 Birds flying and fish swimming, whales singing in the ocean deeps.
3 I look up at your macro-skies, dark and enormous, your handmade sky-jewelry, Moon and stars mounted in their settings. 4 Then I look at my micro-self and wonder, Why do you bother with us? Why take a second look our way? 5 Yet we've so narrowly missed being gods, bright with Eden's dawn light. 6 You put us in charge of your handcrafted world, repeated to us your Genesis-charge, 7 Made us lords of sheep and cattle, even animals out in the wild, 8 Birds flying and fish swimming, whales singing in the ocean deeps.
Ps 1:1-3
How well God must like you — you don't hang out at Sin Saloon, you don't slink along Dead-End Road, you don't go to Smart-Mouth College. 2 Instead you thrill to GOD's Word, you chew on Scripture day and night. 3 You're a tree replanted in Eden, bearing fresh fruit every month, Never dropping a leaf, always in blossom.
How well God must like you — you don't hang out at Sin Saloon, you don't slink along Dead-End Road, you don't go to Smart-Mouth College. 2 Instead you thrill to GOD's Word, you chew on Scripture day and night. 3 You're a tree replanted in Eden, bearing fresh fruit every month, Never dropping a leaf, always in blossom.
Wednesday, April 11, 2012
Job 8:8-13
"Put the question to our ancestors, study what they learned from their ancestors. 9 For we're newcomers at this, with a lot to learn, and not too long to learn it. 10 So why not let the ancients teach you, tell you what's what, instruct you in what they knew from experience? 11 Can mighty pine trees grow tall without soil? Can luscious tomatoes flourish without water? 12 Blossoming flowers look great before they're cut or picked, but without soil or water they wither more quickly than grass. 13 That's what happens to all who forget God — all their hopes come to nothing.
Can you say: Expert?
"Put the question to our ancestors, study what they learned from their ancestors. 9 For we're newcomers at this, with a lot to learn, and not too long to learn it. 10 So why not let the ancients teach you, tell you what's what, instruct you in what they knew from experience? 11 Can mighty pine trees grow tall without soil? Can luscious tomatoes flourish without water? 12 Blossoming flowers look great before they're cut or picked, but without soil or water they wither more quickly than grass. 13 That's what happens to all who forget God — all their hopes come to nothing.
Can you say: Expert?
Job 2:7-10
7 Satan left GOD and struck Job with terrible sores. Job was ulcers and scabs from head to foot. 8 They itched and oozed so badly that he took a piece of broken pottery to scrape himself, then went and sat on a trash heap, among the ashes.
9 His wife said, "Still holding on to your precious integrity, are you? Curse God and be done with it!"
10 He told her, "You're talking like an empty-headed fool. We take the good days from God — why not also the bad days?"
Not once through all this did Job sin. He said nothing against God.
Obviously even Satan forgot that God is OMNI.
7 Satan left GOD and struck Job with terrible sores. Job was ulcers and scabs from head to foot. 8 They itched and oozed so badly that he took a piece of broken pottery to scrape himself, then went and sat on a trash heap, among the ashes.
9 His wife said, "Still holding on to your precious integrity, are you? Curse God and be done with it!"
10 He told her, "You're talking like an empty-headed fool. We take the good days from God — why not also the bad days?"
Not once through all this did Job sin. He said nothing against God.
Obviously even Satan forgot that God is OMNI.
Job 1:9-12
9 Satan retorted, "So do you think Job does all that out of the sheer goodness of his heart? 10 Why, no one ever had it so good! You pamper him like a pet, make sure nothing bad ever happens to him or his family or his possessions, bless everything he does — he can't lose! 11 "But what do you think would happen if you reached down and took away everything that is his? He'd curse you right to your face, that's what."
Opinions!
9 Satan retorted, "So do you think Job does all that out of the sheer goodness of his heart? 10 Why, no one ever had it so good! You pamper him like a pet, make sure nothing bad ever happens to him or his family or his possessions, bless everything he does — he can't lose! 11 "But what do you think would happen if you reached down and took away everything that is his? He'd curse you right to your face, that's what."
Opinions!
The Pharasees (with whom Jesus had a VERY hard time) by name are gone but by belief still exist so be very careful that you stick to the word of God. They say that they do but they twist the word to be what they want, so you have to determine for yourselves if God really said what they believe and the only way to do that is if you stay in the word.
Tuesday, April 10, 2012
Introduction
This book should show you that it’s not about you. I became disabled at age 42. I looked awake but I was in a coma for 5 long years. I didn’t recall what happened to me but when I came out of my coma I had lost a lot of my memory of certain things but I knew that God had cared for me and my memories of God were intact.
And I know that God has taken care of me for years.
I have wondered why He would do that so instinctively I checked His word and I found the same thing over & over again: He loved me.
And although I found that hard to imagine I just looked at what had happened very closely.
All of the medical personnel had said: “He’ll die or at best be a vegetable” but I’m not dead and I’m not a vegetable. In fact I live in an apartment and take care of myself. There ARE some things that I can’t do (I can’t walk) so I have a roommate, but I make my own decisions, pay my own bills, open my own mail, keep and monitor my own budget & keep my own bank accounts. So it’s pretty obvious that God loves me.
So after living as a fully normal person for my whole life I was now disabled.
This book is my story from my perspective.
The term “disabled” at best is stupid because we are able to do things and ‘dis’ means not and we are able, we just do things somewhat differently but we are “able” and there is no ‘dis’.
As human people we all have different abilities which makes total sense because we all were created individually. So the definition that we have initially comes from society and it is based on how we are viewed by society only. This book is from my perspective totally independent of society or anything else it’s just a real story which will show you a real different picture which may be different for other people. But the definition by society only compares one perspective-people without disabilities and this world is made up of many different kinds of people. So to decide that because we don’t meet 1 perspective therefore we’re OUT of the game of life is ridiculous.
My intent is to get you to redefine disability so that you’re clearly viewing people for who they are and more people are included in the game of life.
I have had a great deal of psychological testing because I had been a genius before so I wanted to find out if anything had changed as a result of my attack. The testing showed that the entire right side of my brain had been severely damaged. I don’t know what that means but I still seem to be intelligent.
I’m sure however that there are times when I simply do not understand things and the hardest thing for me is determining whether something is of this World or something that I just don’t understand because either way people don’t like it.
Getting people to like things is a huge problem. If you’re not disabled people just say that they have a different opinion but if you are disabled people say that “oh well, they’re disabled and they can’t be trusted”.
Table of Contents
Chapter Name Page
1 The issue 1
2 My story 28
3 The Bible’s view on
disabilities 43
4 Risks 47
5 Roadblocks 49
6 What it is like to have a
disability 53
7 Am I going to play in the
game of life? 64
8 How I can help you and
you can help me 66
9 My sons have disabilities 70
10 I had the guy who wrote this
book volunteer for me! 74
Chapter 1
The issue
=======================
1 Sam 16:7
The LORD does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart."
NIV
========================
As humans we seem to have decided that we’re the Pros that have the answers for everything. Forgetting that God makes everything or deciding that people make just what they want there are now many prenatal tests and research done on those tests that say things like: “This is happening…” or “Your baby will…”. So people often abort their babies based on what those tests say and completely disregard what God may have chosen to do.
1
This book is devoted to those who have not been aborted but have been born with disabilities and those who were not born with disabilities but now have disabilities due to some unplanned event.
The reality is that God has a purpose for everyone He makes. And the scriptures say that all the days of a person’s life are written in His book BEFORE THEY ARE BORN.
It sounds simple but it’s true.
And we seem to have forgotten how our Savior came to us. The Holy Spirit impregnated an unmarried virgin woman and He was born in a manger. People weren’t happy with that though.
2
I’m sure that there were may other babies born that day in much nicer places than a manger and to parents who were much higher on the social ladder but God was born to Joseph and Mary in a manger. God used the things that weren’t to save those that were. That was pretty massive and we should have caught on. But people didn’t accept Him then either.
Even when a disabled person can amaze us credit is quickly given to someone or something else but never to God.
And Society has many standards and rules that are called “normal” that these people cannot meet or abide by.
3
So what has been done is create something new that is required and these people are no longer acceptable as per our standards. Imagine that! God created them but they’re not acceptable? The Creator created something but we won’t accept it?
As a parent of two disabled sons and I’m now disabled too I can tell you that this is way more involved than I ever thought.
I thought “They have problems but I can just teach them how to get around them”. Not so. They want to be like everyone else but the disability never changes. They may learn how to get around some things but they’ll always be disabled so as a Christian my job is to love them like Jesus does.
4
Disabled people are just people. There is no change in them. They aren’t reborn under a new type of person such as color, race or sex and people do not become animals but society does name them “disabled” and sets them apart but inside they know that they are just people. And life is hard.
===============================
As a parent of two disabled sons and I’m now disabled too I can tell you that this is way more involved than I ever thought.
===============================
So this issue has nothing to do with their disability but it has everything to do with societal acceptance.
So the issue is societal acceptance.
5
And society has a way of recognizing and celebrating those who help disabled people.
Does society do the same for people that help “normal people”? Aren’t they the same?
Have there been societal awards for those who make extra coffee?
Think about this: at a time when we did not deserve it the Father had His Son take our place and gave us His Son’s righteousness. However when disabled people are simply themselves other people get disgusted and neglect them. I see no balance.
First of all I can say that there are many kinds of disabilities and some are acceptable and some are not. For example glasses and hearing aids are acceptable but mental and physical disabilities are not. According to society.
6
But in reality ALL disabled people are just normal people who are trying very hard to be accepted by others and some are but most aren’t. There are many rules and standards which for most are nearly impossible to remember and keep straight but even harder for disabled people!
Can you imagine if you weren’t accepted by people or out of the game of life? God chose us all but as people we reject many.
7
1 Cor 1:26-29
26 Brothers, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. 27 But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. 28 He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things — and the things that are not — to nullify the things that are, 29 so that no one may boast before him.
NIV
God seems to not only have understood disabilities just fine but He even gave them a purpose too.
8
We are all God’s workmanship so can you imagine neglecting one of us because we aren’t the way that you want us to be?
People can’t be something that God did not design them to be. If God did not design you to be a Medical Doctor and you go to college to become one you’ll flunk college.
Disabled people are the way God designed them to be. But I can’t do all I want because my audience is very limited and I’m out of the game of life.
===============================
Can you imagine if you weren’t accepted by people? God chose us all but as people we reject many.
===============================
Out of my 3 sons 2 have mental disabilities and having been like everyone else for 42 years but now having physical disabilities and I’ve been treated so rudely that I had no choice but to write this book!
9
I don’t imagine that the hard time I’m having has been any different from what my own sons have experienced except that I know better.
My hope is to teach you some things in the event that you end up with one too (and it could easily happen!). So read on. I’m an intelligent and accomplished man so this isn’t boring but I’m sure that it’ll be news to you!
Just to tell you right away, for me the game of life is working, being paid, learning and building a retirement. Being responsible.
I would like for people with disabilities to be treated as if they are normal because they are normal instead of being treated like Nazi bait or scum. And this is America?
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One of the things I see the most often is that people are good about saying things but the result of what they do is far less glamorous especially for disabled people.
These people (disabled ones) live their lives always trying to be accepted. Whereas all they need is for people to say “ok, you’re different. So what? How can I help you?” But that doesn’t happen very often if at all.
Years ago black people, although they were regular people, were treated like scum but that has changed and now disabled people are treated like scum that most people want nothing to do with.
And people have a very bad habit of having contact with someone with disabilities only IF someone who is normal and educated about disabilities is there at the same time.
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Let me tell you as a disabled person that is extremely hard to deal with. That tells me that they think that I may cause a problem so they want help or back-up from someone that they feel is more capable.
And some people feel the need to properly and thoroughly describe a disability to others.
And I want those things to change!
My Sunday school teacher took us to K-Mart where an organization gave each person a certain amount of money to shop with and for each group of people shopping there were helpers to go with them. K-Mart took several pictures of all of us and afterward gave us pizza, drinks, cupcakes and popcorn. What a great day!
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But while this was all going on I was watching and noticing some things. The store was filled with people. We had disabilities but most did not and those who did not were quite different from those who did.
At first I wondered why and then it hit me like a ton of bricks! When people grow up they quickly learn that there is a societal standard for everything that they have to meet in life. That standard is Good-Better-Best. If you’re good then: “ok, you should be” but if you’re better then: “super! You’re better then average” But if you’re best then: “Outstanding! YOU are the best that there is!”
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They will repeatedly try to fit into the game but because they are disabled, for them there is no game!
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Now it doesn’t take a brain surgeon to figure out that people with disabilities do not and cannot meet that standard so because they cannot meet it in the same way that people without disabilities can they are viewed by people without disabilities as “less” or “handicapped” and people with disabilities are out of the game of life entirely.
Everyone tries to be better and some even try to be best. School, college, jobs, pay, etc. are all based on that and disabled people are considered to be out of the game entirely so there is literally nowhere for them to go! They will repeatedly try to fit into the game of life but because they are disabled, for them there is no game!
So they go into life never fitting in but they try hard with no success. People should see the tragedy that this is!
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I was not supposed to be here but now that I am this tragedy has to stop! All of the abilities for disabled people are going down the drain because they are not included in the game of life.
Because we are all God’s creations it is NOT POSSIBLE that any one of us could be dispensable (1 Cor. 12:22). That means non-disabled and disabled. There is no difference in His eyes. He sees the heart not the abilities or the manner in which things are done. His strength is made perfect in our weakness.
However Society teaches us that independence equals strength and disabled people need help thus people see them as weak. But people were created to need each other therefore disabled people may not be following Society but they are doing what they were created to do.
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Jesus himself never came against non disabled people, disabled people, prostitutes, thieves, drunkards or tax collectors but He did come against the Pharisees.
The Pharisees were the religious non disabled know-it-alls of that time and what they said went! Hmm, that sounds very much like the non disabled people of today.
During this time the average illiterate Jew could not possibly keep up with them. Wow! That really sounds like disabled people not being able to do things the non disabled way!
The non disabled ways are in no way helpful for disabled people. They are controlling, manipulative and repressive and people who push non disabled ways on disabled people should be arrested!
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Modern day non disabled people fight over many things such as religion, hairstyles, clothing, children and careers. But disabled people are not and should not be a part of that. If you are simply human you should be free to do whatever you can and people should be happy. Of course they won’t be happy but they should be.
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All of the abilities for disabled people are going down the drain because they aren’t included in the game of life.
So to be upfront, clear and honest the issue is that Society does not accept disabled people so it’s time for some changes!
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All of the people that we as disabled people meet encourage & demand that we do their things their way. So we are no longer human beings we have to become human doings and for many disabled people this is not possible. I should know because I was literally thrown out of therapy and told NOT TO COME BACK because I couldn’t do what they wanted!
Therapy has reunions and you can go IF you can prove that you’re normal because of what THEY taught you in therapy.
So the real issue is about societal acceptance of disabled people.
But people’s opinions don’t really matter:
Prov 29:25
25 The fear of human opinion disables;
trusting in GOD protects you from that.
The Message
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So it’s pretty clear. The Creator created us but others won’t accept us. Now THAT’S a real live disability!
Jesus said the He came for the sick but our society isn’t Jesus.
Unlike people, God isn’t looking for perfectionists. He is looking for people who know that they need help and turn to Jesus.
All people (disabled AND non disabled) need to remember that we are losers without Christ, but with Christ we are winners regardless of any abilities. If people could only believe this then maybe disabled people could play in the game of life…
Who defines people as disabled? We don’t but others do.
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If people think that someone does better than others people say that person is gifted but if they don’t do better than others or do it in a certain way the people say that they are disabled. So if people think that you do things their way and well then they call you “gifted” if not they call you “disabled”.
So that’s why I am out of the game of life. Regardless of my brains, experiences, education, desires or abilities, I’m considered disabled. And I’m out. And I don’t like that.
I went all of the way though all of that education, experience, time & money for this? No.
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Recently I volunteered for my Church putting years and years of sermons on the Internet. At first my boss came over to my home and brought some files on diskette and trained me then left and I finished the work. But then we communicated only through email and I did fine!
So I can participate in the game of life. And I have.
I wouldn’t have accepted money for helping God, but I would like to be paid for doing something worthwhile.
==============================ve
I went all of the way though all of that education, experience, time & money for this? No.
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I’m not the usual “get dressed and go to work” person but I am eager and I work from 7 AM till 11 PM 7 days a week. Now that’s much more than paid employees do!
In all forms of life people try very hard to define, learn & know about what God has done. They have put degree titles after their names to prove it and they get paid big bucks because people appreciate the knowledge but disabled people, though they know the same or more will not have high paying titles or degrees after their names but God made them too for His plan not their plan.
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Because they’re out of the game of life entirely that’s a role in life that disabled people will never play. Is that fair? Is that what America has to offer people? I don’t think so.
I’m a relatively young man and I do not want to spend the next 20-40 years playing Solitaire on my computer and I don’t think that my sons want to spend their whole
lives doing nothing, so this has got to change!
Each and every person that applies to enter a PhD program should have to agree to the following:
This program is only available to normal people. You are very different and you will gain a new higher role within Society. It’s a lot of work but you can do it. You will be valued and paid well. Good luck!
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To explain the pre statement for a PhD program:
To my knowledge there is currently NO PROGRAM for a PhD for disabled people. Most likely can’t afford to go to that much school. They may be smart enough (God made them too) but they can’t afford it.
It is a lot of work but there are benefits for doing it – societal benefits. Higher pay, better opportunities, better roles and more respect, but disabled people can’t have all that. They aren’t recognized or given a higher role or have access to better opportunities. They’re just disabled so other people GET that benefit.
That doesn’t sound good does it?
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So IF you’re disabled you have nowhere to go in life. There is no quest for education, job role, appreciation, value, respect or pay, just Social Security. You just stop where you start.
The big problem for someone like me is that I started long ago and didn’t stop then so there is nowhere for me to stop now. So now I look around and see things that others haven’t seen and I don’t like it.
1 am disabled but I care for myself, pay my own bills and do virtually everything else just fine but I hate hearing someone on the telephone say: “Who’s taking care of you because I can’t understand you.” I want to say: it works fine for everyone else so obviously YOU have a problem! But getting someone to admit that doesn’t get me what I need but people can be very hard to deal with and I think they’re proud of it.
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This is not normal life. What people have done is they classify someone as disabled, set them apart from everyone else, pull them out of the game of life, charge a lot of money to help them, build careers and retirements based on them, live their lives separate from them and we’re supposed to feel good? Not on your life. This is horrible! And it’s past time that someone said something about it!
This is not just a case of me not understanding things-I understand more than you know but you’ll experience it IF YOU BECOME DISABLED! AND YOU WON’T LIKE IT ONE BIT so the time for change is now!
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I live in a wheelchair and I have a Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) so yes I don’t mind being called disabled because I can’t walk but I do mind being totally pulled out of the game of life! So the redefinition of disability applies the same kinds of evaluations that are used for everything else!
Talk to a person and ask them questions! Test them! Let them show you things! And based on what you learn you can make your decision. But just to pull anyone out of the game of life is just plain stupid!
People may have not complained before but God has brought me this far for a reason! You’re hearing me complain now! How would you feel in this happened to you?
If it doesn’t change it will!
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Chapter 2
My Story
I was born in 1958 and my game of life began. I lived a seemingly normal life. I was born into a family where there were big problems. Problems no one ever said anything about or corrected, but there were problems nonetheless (the game seemed too normal). At birth I was not disabled. I went to school, I worked and I played water polo on the school team in high school. I even took 3 years of French in middle school.
But even though I appeared normal to others those problems were still there and they would result in me being disabled now.
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As a junior in high school at 16 I married my first wife because she was pregnant with my natural son (no one saw this as a problem). Many things happened that are not worth speaking about but we had problems. I moved out and began divorce proceedings when I was 18 years old.
Then to try and make something normal of myself (see? even “normal” people try) I began dancing and very quickly began teaching Disco dance lessons and became a teacher and performer.
Then although unplanned for I met my second wife and I was her second husband and the problems were unnoticed but still there and would eventually cripple me.
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When I married my second wife we lived in a rented home somewhere where I had never lived before. My 2nd wife’s parents lived in a city where I had never been before. Hmm, I see a pattern beginning… Also my wife had a son with a disability.
I did eventually buy my parents home before they moved out of state (…hmm another pattern?). Then we moved into a condo in a city where I’d never lived (at least I was consistent). While we were in the condo we adopted a baby at birth. Then we bought a house in a city where I’d never lived. And then we learned that the son we had adopted had a disability too.
I went to work for a software vendor in a city where I had never been then my traveling began.
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I flew to Philadelphia, PA (which I really liked), to Florida to Walt Disney World, to New York City and then to Louisville, KY. And at some point during that time I found Jesus and committed myself fully to Him.
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Hmm, I see a pattern beginning…
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And interestingly enough when I was in Kentucky the client wouldn’t see me but I heard God telling me to move there. So I came home, sold my home, bought a home in Kentucky, quit my job & moved my family to Kentucky. Again I had never lived there before.
The house in Kentucky was a dream! Two stories and 5 acres of land! I went to work for GE Consulting Services and was assigned to GE Appliance Park.
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I led Bible studies at work, we had prayer meetings at work, we became active in a Church, we had Bible studies in our home and monthly potlucks for Church friends. I volunteered as a counselor at a Group Home, volunteered locally as a videographer, volunteered as a youth pastor and became a home for an unwed mother. But the problems were still there. Unknown but still there.
Remember the pattern? I got a job for ARC and they settled sales for the World’s Airlines. The home office was in Virginia, but they had offices in Louisville, KY and Tampa, FL. I started in Kentucky but before long I applied for a job in Virginia and I got it! Tons of money and I started their first computing department. I named it Production Support. I had 7 employees and I moved my family to Virginia (another place I had never lived in).
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I do not hardly remember anything about Virginia. But one day after many wonderful world travels (which I have pictures and memories of) I woke up after a 5 year coma in a hospital and I could not walk and my wife was extremely angry.
The problems had come to the surface for me and I was handicapped for life. So now my sons and I were all disabled! Now I was going to begin living what my sons have been living. But I didn’t realize it for a long time.
That is what this book is about because now I’m learning firsthand how hard that life has been for my sons!
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First I cannot walk at all. I have been to therapy but no go. I cannot even use a walker. I got out of my wheelchair once and walked to someone and stood by them for a picture (I have that picture) but I could never do that again. I have Ataxia mostly on my left side (and I’m left handed). I have Dysphasia which means I must use thickener every time I drink, so good stuff like ice cream, soup & salad are things I can’t have. Speech is another thing that is not good so as an alternative to that I write. I know what I’m thinking and I think that I am saying it but people complain.
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That is what this book is about because now I’m learning firsthand how hard that life has been for my sons!
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I have floor to ceiling poles. So I can go to bed & get up, change my clothes, go to the bathroom and get on the shower chair. I do not ever get hungry or full, so I eat by the time on my clock.
I do not recall my education at all but I do use my computer a lot. I send scriptural emails every day and I send my thoughts to a group of people, I have a blog at: http://tobyhoff.blogspot.com/
a website at: http://www.tobyhoff.com
I volunteer a lot, I have written a number of books, I speak publically but the thing that angers me the most is when someone says: Isn’t there somebody else that I could talk to? I want to say: Give Me A Break! I’m trying as hard as I can! Can’t you try a little harder?
And I can see how hard it is for others…
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I just got here in 2000 but imagine if I was born with a disability.
I just want to point out that I have been cared for by God but I’m nothing special and I’m not doing something special I just have faith and I’m thankful.
Since the year 2000 I have met many people but there is only 1 group of people that I am very happy to see each and every time and those are the people in my Sunday school class. It is a group of disabled adults.
There are probably 50 or more of us that happily come each week. We worship together and it is the best class I’ve ever been to! And even though I have a T.B.I. I really care for these people.
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Would any of us fit into the other classes? I don’t know but it’s so safe to be ourselves there why would we change? We really care about each other. We accept each other for who we are. There is no putting on and there are no games.
And occasionally I even get to share things with that group. I may think of something and write it up for emailing to others and then think about them so I write it up from their perspective, print it out, fold it up and put it in my waist pack so it’s with me at Church. Then when I can I share it with my class!
I do have an issue with Physical Therapy though. I have been to Physical Therapy in many locations and in many cities but there is one thing that is the same among all of them.
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I can’t walk the way that they want for me to. I can walk just not their way. So all that they all do is try to teach you to walk their way and if you can then they will keep you but if not-it’s your fault and they kick you out!
That doesn’t feel good.
If they would have just taught me how not to get hurt then I would be walking now! If they would approach things from where you are now and what would you like to do? That would be much more beneficial for everyone but instead they have 1 standard way and that’s all.
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I’m not saying that some things are not good because they are! But not everyone can do things their way so a lot of people think that they have failed and end up in wheelchairs like me. And that’s Therapy? It sounds rather Stepfordish to me (we decide how everyone will act....).
I have a problem with Speech Therapy also. They make you do things one way! Disabilities all occur in multiple ways so one way can’t possibly work!
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So time after time I returned to Therapy thinking: this IS Therapy and they WILL teach me a way…but it never happened and they got paid!
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I have been taken for special tests and told to do something that I knew was wrong but I did what I was told and I failed the test! And the Therapy crew was upset with me!
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So I have been to a number of Therapies in a number of locations but only 1 Therapy that used Vital Stim worked and I’m still eating by mouth and so I can taste things.
But each and every other Therapy failed! And they charged good money for those failures. And built retirements on them. But for what? There are no standard definitions for disabilities so no standard ways can possibly help people.
We have very obviously changed the intent of Therapy from a way to our way and many innocent people have built someone else’s salary, retirement & benefits.
So time after time I returned to Therapy thinking: this IS Therapy and they WILL teach me a way…but it never happened and they got paid!
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One of the most critical things for me is that NO ONE EVER TALKED TO ME ABOUT WHAT HAD HAPPENED TO ME, WHERE I WAS OR WHAT TO EXPECT. So I just went from day to day, prayed and came to my OWN conclusions.
God has been extremely good to me but it would have been nice if another human being had explained things to me. Probably my VERY BEST TIME has been since I’ve been on my own because I’ve spent a great deal of time in thought and prayer and learned how to figure things out. I’m no longer waiting to be told things because God has filled that role for me.
this IS Therapy and they WILL teach me a way…but it never happened and they got paid!
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One of the reasons that I prefer to be on my own is that I grew up always being on my own. I involved my parents in nothing. To me they were only there to be obeyed, nothing more. Now I see that as a problem. My perspective has a whole different set of inputs.
I just saw a commercial for the ASPCA that says: “These animals only know what it’s like to be abused and neglected…” and these are animals and that’s exactly what disabled people experience and we are people! We are only abused and neglected too. If you were not aware of that before I’m telling you now. It’s true!
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Chapter 3
The Bible’s view on disabilities
Jesus spent a great deal of His time healing and being around people with disabilities and there are stories in the Old Testament about people with disabilities and this next verse sets things very straight:
1 Cor 1:25
25 For the foolishness of God is wiser than man's wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than man's strength.
NIV
But people tend to think that they’re so smart:
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1 Cor 12:22-24
22 On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, 23 and the parts that we think are less honorable we treat with special honor. And the parts that are unpresentable are treated with special modesty, 24 while our presentable parts need no special treatment. But God has combined the members of the body and has given greater honor to the parts that lacked it.
NIV
As human people we think that we know everything that there is to know but God has shown us that we don’t because He does! Disabled people are there because God planned for them to be there! Psalm 139:13-16 says:
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13 Oh yes, you shaped me first inside, then out; you formed me in my mother's womb. 14 I thank you, High God — you're breathtaking! Body and soul, I am marvelously made! I worship in adoration — what a creation! 15 You know me inside and out, you know every bone in my body; You know exactly how I was made, bit by bit, how I was sculpted from nothing into something. 16 Like an open book, you watched me grow from conception to birth; all the stages of my life were spread out before you, The days of my life all prepared before I'd even lived one day.
The days of my life were all prepared before I'd even lived one day. So He knew about, documented and planned for our disabilities, but on many fronts we are rejected by other people. Why? Because other people aren’t living for God. He says we’re indispensible but Society sees us as a hassle.
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So the Bible views us as indispensable, planned for and with purpose but Society views us as a problem.
This is from the Bible and it’s about God’s choices in creating people:
1 Cor 1:27-30
27 But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. 28 He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things — and the things that are not — to nullify the things that are, 29 so that no one may boast before him.
NIV
Will Society be in charge at judgment? No, God will.
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Chapter 4
Risks
First of all let’s define a risk.
A risk is something that a person tries but has no guarantee of being successful. They may be and they may not be successful and that is why they call it a risk.
My biggest risk is falling. I cannot just stand up. I am ALWAYS afraid that I’ll fall. And on 11-21-2010 I delivered bread from Church to neighbors. Seems simple doesn’t it? Well I did a good job delivering it but coming into my apartment I fell backwards and then out of my wheelchair and a neighbor that was a fireman had to help me get back in my wheelchair and into the house. Risk!
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A risk is something that a person tries but has no guarantee of being successful.
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One of my one sons with a disability too says that things like finding business, doing business, talking to people and making friends are all risks that he has to take.
He is also having a HUGE RISK just being himself at home. He just desperately needs to be accepted. He’ll never be anyone but himself and to keep a relationship and help him, I’m there for him.
To be honest, just living life is a HUGE risk for disabled people. Every action may or may not make non disabled people happy and that’s not living.
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Chapter 5
Roadblocks
A roadblock is something that gets in your way that prohibits you from advancing and causes you to do something that you didn’t plan on and for disabled people there are many roadblocks.
What gets in the way disabled people? Non disabled people!
Can you imagine demanding that someone do something that they cannot do and can’t be successful at? That is what we experience each and every moment of every day.
A very common and one of my least favorite roadblocks is when someone says: Isn’t there someone else I could talk to?
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Another one is being required to sign for things. I cannot sign anything! I have tried for 10 years to learn to write and I remember how fine, I just cannot do it.
Another one and the biggest one is realizing that I’m out of the game of life. I can do anything and want to but people won’t let me and I certainly can’t get paid for anything.
Being unable to walk means that people have to come and pick me up to go anywhere.
So I have to eat, drink, get dressed, go to the bathroom and call them before I can go then thank them when I get home. I have to always manage me so I’m not a problem to them.
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Isn’t there someone else I could talk to?
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One of my sons has to face the roadblock of being the way he was parented to be. He can’t change that and he had no control over that! So his personality is not his fault! But getting people to realize that is a roadblock for him and me.
The most critical roadblock I have is being asked to pay for things. Hello! I don’t work! So why do I keep being asked to pay for things or I go to collection? It makes no sense that this happens again and again and again. People have NO PROBLEM pulling me out of the game of life but then they want for me to pay for things!
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And people always ask me to fill out forms. Again, HELLO! I CAN’T WRITE I HAVEN’T BEEN ABLE TO FOR 10 YEARS! Why is this happening? Nothing about me has changed and a disability doesn’t go away! So why do I have to keep filling out forms to prove it?
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Chapter 6
What it is like to have a disability
I know nothing about any disability other than my own but there are some things that are the same so if you have a disability of any kind, read on.
It is extremely frustrating to try to fit into a world where we are not wanted, acknowledged or welcome.
To be born with a disability is far more difficult and this is why. They are born as people and they think that they are doing fine but after a while they begin to notice that people are treating them differently. Nothing has changed but people do treat them differently AND THEY NOTICE. It’s easier than you think to see that one group of people is treated one way and you are treated another.
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So begins the lifelong battle of trying to be accepted. Acceptance is key and they will never get it.
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To be born with a disability is more difficult.
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I know that my wife and I between ourselves never knew that our adopted son even had a disability. He was not only our son but he was a gift!
It was in preschool that problems came to the surface for the teachers and they talked to us. We took him to the Doctor and the truth was difficult to accept.
We did work with him but we didn’t know about the societal standards. So he is now 25 and trying to fit in.
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But unrealized by him he’s completely out of the game of life.
In my opinion from my personal experience first of all you don’t know that you have a disability. I honestly did not know for a very long time that I was disabled.
Why?
Because for my entire life I had been without one and I didn’t know what had happened or to what extent or that I had even been in a coma. So I tried many things just to try and show that I could do them because I thought that I could. But I couldn’t.
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I honestly did not know for a very long time that I was disabled.
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Even when Therapists said: “You’ll never walk” I thought “we’ll I’ll show you!” but I never could do it their way.
So yes I was angry with them and I thought of all kinds of reasons why they were wrong but after 10 years I’m still living in a wheelchair and it’s time to look reality in the eyes. So it has taken me 10 years to realize this! My “impression” of myself and reality had to come together.
And for so long people were so negative and I could not succumb to that negativity, there was no future in that at all. I was accomplished and had (I thought) made something of myself.
My dreams for my life were accomplished and now this? I felt like they just wanted me to give up and I didn’t want to.
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I was a young, intelligent & wealthy young man. Life wasn’t over by a long shot and I didn’t want to be taken out of the game of life.
It’s a 180 degree change and I had to make that change all by myself. But I’m glad I did.
There’s a lot to do but I have God in me so the game’s just starting and I won’t give up.
People without disabilities think that people with disabilities are LESS than they are because we have a disability.
No one has ever said to me: “Well you have a lot of experience (in some area) so why do you think that this happens?” or “How do you feel about that?” I am just used as it is appropriate but NEVER valued.
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We are people who require that others who think that they’re better than us to give something that they think they shouldn’t have to give.
And I’m sorry if this offends you but if someone gives anything at all I do not think that they should be rewarded! Rewards just fuel this poor idea of the game of life and God has given everyone everything!
But surprise! I’m not determined to make you feel good. I may at times but I need
encouragement too.
People with disabilities have to learn to face lots and lots of rude impatient people that expect something (that may be impossible) but they demand that it is done their way. There are some “standards” for things but who sets the standards?
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It took me 10 years to realize that I was disabled and no one ever talked to me or told me that I WAS handicapped. At 52 I figured it out on my own. How does a child do this and when and what negativity have they experienced?
One of my sons says that with a disability finding business, doing business, making friends and even talking to people is hard to do. Simple everyday stuff!
Another one of my sons thinks that he’ll just do everything that people without a disability do. To him disability is too bad of a name for him. Can you imagine how he feels when he cannot do something? Does the word failure mean anything to you?
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Lots and lots of rude impatient people
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They’ll never be like you but that doesn’t mean that they failed at all. They just can’t be just like you so they need acceptance and encouragement. Failure means you should be able to but can’t. And so it’s not often that “failure” is even possible! We can’t even do many things that you can so we cannot fail. But no one is here telling us that and we need to hear it.
People with disabilities don’t know that they’re out of the game of life. People just treat us badly. So it’s not easy.
There are now:
Normal people.
Normal people with disabilities.
Aside from the disability, both are normal people and that’s important to realize.
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People without disabilities have their own set of circumstances but people with disabilities do too! People without disabilities have to live in this world but people with disabilities do too!
Now what’s different is that people without disabilities participate in the game of life but people with disabilities don’t! (and that’s not their choice).
Why people without disabilities treat disabled people as if they’re something different is a mystery to me but it has to stop!
Does the term “unique” sound familiar? Disabled people should be considered to be unique but they are but they are named “disabled”.
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Unfortunately, very unfortunately (is anyone listening?) there are people in all fields (even medical) who think every disability is definable and they know all about it, but that’s just not true.
Each and every disability is unique. There may be a few similarities but just as every person is unique, every disability is unique.
So people who are like me are paying money to be told lies!
I am very thankful that God developed me to be the way I am because if not, I wouldn’t know what I know and I’d probably be dead!
62
===============================
Unfortunately, very unfortunately there are people in all fields (even medical) who think every disability is definable and they know all about it, but that’s just not true.
===============================
Why is this kind of abuse permitted and people are allowed to create futures and retirements? While disabled people are out of the game of life entirely. It’s wrong!
Most generally people with disabilities don’t even know what’s happening to them and no one ever tells them. So there have been many roles to the game of life that have been created and people are making money and building retirements based on disabilities. I wouldn’t even think of doing that!
63
Chapter 7
Am I going to play in the game of life?
Obviously I will still be handicapped in the future but I will participate in the game of life.
I will keep writing books, sending emails, speaking and teaching, writing in my blog, volunteering and most of all I will keep working and living for God.
My number one goal though is to change the way people with disabilities are viewed by others. Because until that happens a great number of valuable people are being devalued and ignored and God’s simple instructions are being passed over for no reason.
64
I will NOT become a preacher or a teacher. If I thought that God wanted me to then I would but people have a hard time understanding me so I’ll talk to a class IF there is someone there who can interpret. Otherwise I will go one to one because that works well.
===============================
I will participate in the game of life
===============================
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Chapter 8
How I can help you and you can help me
This is a win-win.
Obviously I want to help you because this applies to you or someone you know but I need your help too. And I’ll never quit trying to help you. Any ideas can come to my email address: toby.hoff@gmail.com.
We have got to stand together because I can’t do this alone. I am now like my sons and we need help. Someday you may be handicapped or disabled too. It’s not planned but it may happen like it did to me.
So get involved! Encourage people to help people! Get the game of life to include all of us!
Change these societal perceptions!
66
Don’t ignore handicapped or disabled people. They’re human beings like you are so treat them as such.
Involve them.
Befriend them.
Being handicapped or disabled is far from the end of life but right now it seems like it is so let’s change that!
Also, remember that few people help disabled people so there is not much competition, they’re more alone and lost than you were or are so get involved! And once you recognize them as people you might even have fun!
This is not just a “right now” thing this is an “eternal” thing.
67
We are your neighbors and God said to “love your neighbors as yourself” and there’s plenty to do.
Offer to train a disabled person to do something for your company. Not everyone can do everything but you’d be surprised at what they can do, and to include them in the game of life is a big thing!
More people working means more taxes! And if they can fit in and earn some money for things that’s even better.
===============================
We have got to stand together because I can’t do this alone
===============================
We must demand that a persons disability is acknowledged, understood and accepted.
68
Right now it seems that things must be done in a certain way only, but there are an untold number of disabilities so it makes sense to have many different ways to do things. You must help me make this happen.
Regardless of your job title, each person should be responsible for helping the company that they work for. Disabled people can have that same goal too!
They may require some changes but if your company can make necessary changes then they can work and make your company more successful!
69
Chapter 9
My sons have disabilities
In 2010 my oldest son is 40. When he was very young he had a very high fever that would not go down. Thus he is diagnosed as “developmentally delayed”.
When he was 7 I married his mother but the problems he caused were so great and standards being how they are now he was sent to live with his father which was a mistake that cannot be corrected.
I love him dearly. He says that his father never had time for him. I never knew that. So you can figure out that he grew up alone.
70
Basically because he has always been alone he is still looking for that parental relationship but don’t be mistaken. This man grew up alone and found ways to survive and he is still doing that.
He is still trying to participate in the game of life in any way he can but for reasons I’ve previously stated he has had no luck.
In 2010 my youngest adopted son is 25 and he has been diagnosed as “mentally retarded”. I don’t know what that means and I don’t care. He is my son and I love him.
We were always very close until I got hurt and all he had was his mom. I use the phone, money & email for him but I was in the hospital for years so I have lost a lot of credibility with him.
71
But he experiences the same negativity that I do or I should say that I experience the same negativity that he does.
If you asked him: “Do you have a disability?” He would say: “NO. I’m very close to being normal” and he tries very hard to be accepted as such.
===============================
I love my sons very much
===============================
But one big difference is that in addition to his own disability he has a brother and a father with disabilities too and that makes things more complicated. His days are his own and his time is his own. Which is fine but there are other people who need him and there are other things to be done.
72
He too is still trying to participate in the game of life but for reasons I’ve previously stated he has had no luck.
My #1 goal is to make sure that my sons feel loved, cared for and successful because if I don’t make them feel that nothing else will.
I don’t want for my sons to feel like they have to earn my approval, love or respect. I make sure to give it just as it was given to me by my savior.
73
Chapter 10
I had the guy who wrote this book volunteer for me!
World Wide Ministry…From a Wheelchair
In August of 2010 I got an email from Toby asking for an opportunity to volunteer for the church. Toby types at about 5 words per minute, and I can hardly understand him when he talks. To be honest I was intimidated by Toby’s disability. I wasn’t sure if he physically capable of doing the kind of computer work I was thinking of.
But since he wanted to volunteer and I had a massive video project that I had just committed to, I figured I had nothing to loose.
74
My goal was to take our entire sermon video library and upload it to a TruthCasting, a new video hosting company. Each video sermon takes about 1 ½ hours to upload. When I told him this project would take a lot of time, he told me “I have nothing BUT time.” If he was willing to learn, I was willing to teach him.
After a week of learning curve, Toby got the hang of it and has spent hundreds of hours on a volunteer basis entering and uploading 100% of our pervious video content. This has been tremendously helpful to the church…and incredibly stimulating for Toby. What I thought was going to be a 6 month project, Toby did in 6 weeks!
75
One of the times I was dropping off work at Toby’s apartment, he said something that I will never forget. He said “You know…I’m not stupid”. That hit me like a ton a bricks.
Here is someone that the world thinks is useless…and he started to believe it himself. How tragic! Toby is now an integrated part of the team that is using digital technology to share the gospel at Trinity Church.
Toby has recently finished upload all 18 years of Gary Inrig’s sermons…I can’t imagine there are more than a handful of pastors in all of America that have that much content online…all thanks to Toby and his dedication. On a regular basis we have over 50 countries that visit our website. And the #1 area on our website is our sermon page. Toby has a worldwide ministry, right from home in his wheelchair. Thanks to Toby work, I was able to pass on some sermons to a Chaplin working with our troops in Iraq.
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We officially launched TruthCasting in October 2011. I did a short demo and we got to highlight Toby and his work. You can watch it by going to http://goo.gl/qKxc
In reflecting about my personal experience with our disabled community at Trinity Church, PRIDE was a probably at the top of my list. A few years ago, our Light & Power group (adults with disabilities) gave shirts to all the people in the class and some of the Pastoral staff. I remember NOT wearing it, because I thought people might mistakenly think that “I was one of them”. Thanks to relationships like I had with Toby, I’ve come a long way.
77
One of the key turning points was a Disability Sunday we had at our church a few years ago (you can watch the full service at http://goo.gl/u0gD0 ...Toby shares his life story). If we define disability as “functioning lesser than”, when God looks at us, WE are the ones with the disability…which makes us ALL disabled to one degree or another. It was a very humbling moment at the end of the service to be “called to the table” and stand on equal ground as being one with a disability before our creator.
My experience in working with Toby has helped me in my understanding of the needs of the disabled. More then anything, they need a friend who is patient with them and who will love them as they are. Is that any different then my needs? Needless to say, I wear the shirt with pride, and am happy to call Toby a friend.
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Written by:
Bruce Herwig
Pastor of Communications
Trinity Church, Redlands CA
79
This book should show you that it’s not about you. I became disabled at age 42. I looked awake but I was in a coma for 5 long years. I didn’t recall what happened to me but when I came out of my coma I had lost a lot of my memory of certain things but I knew that God had cared for me and my memories of God were intact.
And I know that God has taken care of me for years.
I have wondered why He would do that so instinctively I checked His word and I found the same thing over & over again: He loved me.
And although I found that hard to imagine I just looked at what had happened very closely.
All of the medical personnel had said: “He’ll die or at best be a vegetable” but I’m not dead and I’m not a vegetable. In fact I live in an apartment and take care of myself. There ARE some things that I can’t do (I can’t walk) so I have a roommate, but I make my own decisions, pay my own bills, open my own mail, keep and monitor my own budget & keep my own bank accounts. So it’s pretty obvious that God loves me.
So after living as a fully normal person for my whole life I was now disabled.
This book is my story from my perspective.
The term “disabled” at best is stupid because we are able to do things and ‘dis’ means not and we are able, we just do things somewhat differently but we are “able” and there is no ‘dis’.
As human people we all have different abilities which makes total sense because we all were created individually. So the definition that we have initially comes from society and it is based on how we are viewed by society only. This book is from my perspective totally independent of society or anything else it’s just a real story which will show you a real different picture which may be different for other people. But the definition by society only compares one perspective-people without disabilities and this world is made up of many different kinds of people. So to decide that because we don’t meet 1 perspective therefore we’re OUT of the game of life is ridiculous.
My intent is to get you to redefine disability so that you’re clearly viewing people for who they are and more people are included in the game of life.
I have had a great deal of psychological testing because I had been a genius before so I wanted to find out if anything had changed as a result of my attack. The testing showed that the entire right side of my brain had been severely damaged. I don’t know what that means but I still seem to be intelligent.
I’m sure however that there are times when I simply do not understand things and the hardest thing for me is determining whether something is of this World or something that I just don’t understand because either way people don’t like it.
Getting people to like things is a huge problem. If you’re not disabled people just say that they have a different opinion but if you are disabled people say that “oh well, they’re disabled and they can’t be trusted”.
Table of Contents
Chapter Name Page
1 The issue 1
2 My story 28
3 The Bible’s view on
disabilities 43
4 Risks 47
5 Roadblocks 49
6 What it is like to have a
disability 53
7 Am I going to play in the
game of life? 64
8 How I can help you and
you can help me 66
9 My sons have disabilities 70
10 I had the guy who wrote this
book volunteer for me! 74
Chapter 1
The issue
=======================
1 Sam 16:7
The LORD does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart."
NIV
========================
As humans we seem to have decided that we’re the Pros that have the answers for everything. Forgetting that God makes everything or deciding that people make just what they want there are now many prenatal tests and research done on those tests that say things like: “This is happening…” or “Your baby will…”. So people often abort their babies based on what those tests say and completely disregard what God may have chosen to do.
1
This book is devoted to those who have not been aborted but have been born with disabilities and those who were not born with disabilities but now have disabilities due to some unplanned event.
The reality is that God has a purpose for everyone He makes. And the scriptures say that all the days of a person’s life are written in His book BEFORE THEY ARE BORN.
It sounds simple but it’s true.
And we seem to have forgotten how our Savior came to us. The Holy Spirit impregnated an unmarried virgin woman and He was born in a manger. People weren’t happy with that though.
2
I’m sure that there were may other babies born that day in much nicer places than a manger and to parents who were much higher on the social ladder but God was born to Joseph and Mary in a manger. God used the things that weren’t to save those that were. That was pretty massive and we should have caught on. But people didn’t accept Him then either.
Even when a disabled person can amaze us credit is quickly given to someone or something else but never to God.
And Society has many standards and rules that are called “normal” that these people cannot meet or abide by.
3
So what has been done is create something new that is required and these people are no longer acceptable as per our standards. Imagine that! God created them but they’re not acceptable? The Creator created something but we won’t accept it?
As a parent of two disabled sons and I’m now disabled too I can tell you that this is way more involved than I ever thought.
I thought “They have problems but I can just teach them how to get around them”. Not so. They want to be like everyone else but the disability never changes. They may learn how to get around some things but they’ll always be disabled so as a Christian my job is to love them like Jesus does.
4
Disabled people are just people. There is no change in them. They aren’t reborn under a new type of person such as color, race or sex and people do not become animals but society does name them “disabled” and sets them apart but inside they know that they are just people. And life is hard.
===============================
As a parent of two disabled sons and I’m now disabled too I can tell you that this is way more involved than I ever thought.
===============================
So this issue has nothing to do with their disability but it has everything to do with societal acceptance.
So the issue is societal acceptance.
5
And society has a way of recognizing and celebrating those who help disabled people.
Does society do the same for people that help “normal people”? Aren’t they the same?
Have there been societal awards for those who make extra coffee?
Think about this: at a time when we did not deserve it the Father had His Son take our place and gave us His Son’s righteousness. However when disabled people are simply themselves other people get disgusted and neglect them. I see no balance.
First of all I can say that there are many kinds of disabilities and some are acceptable and some are not. For example glasses and hearing aids are acceptable but mental and physical disabilities are not. According to society.
6
But in reality ALL disabled people are just normal people who are trying very hard to be accepted by others and some are but most aren’t. There are many rules and standards which for most are nearly impossible to remember and keep straight but even harder for disabled people!
Can you imagine if you weren’t accepted by people or out of the game of life? God chose us all but as people we reject many.
7
1 Cor 1:26-29
26 Brothers, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. 27 But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. 28 He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things — and the things that are not — to nullify the things that are, 29 so that no one may boast before him.
NIV
God seems to not only have understood disabilities just fine but He even gave them a purpose too.
8
We are all God’s workmanship so can you imagine neglecting one of us because we aren’t the way that you want us to be?
People can’t be something that God did not design them to be. If God did not design you to be a Medical Doctor and you go to college to become one you’ll flunk college.
Disabled people are the way God designed them to be. But I can’t do all I want because my audience is very limited and I’m out of the game of life.
===============================
Can you imagine if you weren’t accepted by people? God chose us all but as people we reject many.
===============================
Out of my 3 sons 2 have mental disabilities and having been like everyone else for 42 years but now having physical disabilities and I’ve been treated so rudely that I had no choice but to write this book!
9
I don’t imagine that the hard time I’m having has been any different from what my own sons have experienced except that I know better.
My hope is to teach you some things in the event that you end up with one too (and it could easily happen!). So read on. I’m an intelligent and accomplished man so this isn’t boring but I’m sure that it’ll be news to you!
Just to tell you right away, for me the game of life is working, being paid, learning and building a retirement. Being responsible.
I would like for people with disabilities to be treated as if they are normal because they are normal instead of being treated like Nazi bait or scum. And this is America?
10
One of the things I see the most often is that people are good about saying things but the result of what they do is far less glamorous especially for disabled people.
These people (disabled ones) live their lives always trying to be accepted. Whereas all they need is for people to say “ok, you’re different. So what? How can I help you?” But that doesn’t happen very often if at all.
Years ago black people, although they were regular people, were treated like scum but that has changed and now disabled people are treated like scum that most people want nothing to do with.
And people have a very bad habit of having contact with someone with disabilities only IF someone who is normal and educated about disabilities is there at the same time.
11
Let me tell you as a disabled person that is extremely hard to deal with. That tells me that they think that I may cause a problem so they want help or back-up from someone that they feel is more capable.
And some people feel the need to properly and thoroughly describe a disability to others.
And I want those things to change!
My Sunday school teacher took us to K-Mart where an organization gave each person a certain amount of money to shop with and for each group of people shopping there were helpers to go with them. K-Mart took several pictures of all of us and afterward gave us pizza, drinks, cupcakes and popcorn. What a great day!
12
But while this was all going on I was watching and noticing some things. The store was filled with people. We had disabilities but most did not and those who did not were quite different from those who did.
At first I wondered why and then it hit me like a ton of bricks! When people grow up they quickly learn that there is a societal standard for everything that they have to meet in life. That standard is Good-Better-Best. If you’re good then: “ok, you should be” but if you’re better then: “super! You’re better then average” But if you’re best then: “Outstanding! YOU are the best that there is!”
===============================
They will repeatedly try to fit into the game but because they are disabled, for them there is no game!
===============================
13
Now it doesn’t take a brain surgeon to figure out that people with disabilities do not and cannot meet that standard so because they cannot meet it in the same way that people without disabilities can they are viewed by people without disabilities as “less” or “handicapped” and people with disabilities are out of the game of life entirely.
Everyone tries to be better and some even try to be best. School, college, jobs, pay, etc. are all based on that and disabled people are considered to be out of the game entirely so there is literally nowhere for them to go! They will repeatedly try to fit into the game of life but because they are disabled, for them there is no game!
So they go into life never fitting in but they try hard with no success. People should see the tragedy that this is!
14
I was not supposed to be here but now that I am this tragedy has to stop! All of the abilities for disabled people are going down the drain because they are not included in the game of life.
Because we are all God’s creations it is NOT POSSIBLE that any one of us could be dispensable (1 Cor. 12:22). That means non-disabled and disabled. There is no difference in His eyes. He sees the heart not the abilities or the manner in which things are done. His strength is made perfect in our weakness.
However Society teaches us that independence equals strength and disabled people need help thus people see them as weak. But people were created to need each other therefore disabled people may not be following Society but they are doing what they were created to do.
15
Jesus himself never came against non disabled people, disabled people, prostitutes, thieves, drunkards or tax collectors but He did come against the Pharisees.
The Pharisees were the religious non disabled know-it-alls of that time and what they said went! Hmm, that sounds very much like the non disabled people of today.
During this time the average illiterate Jew could not possibly keep up with them. Wow! That really sounds like disabled people not being able to do things the non disabled way!
The non disabled ways are in no way helpful for disabled people. They are controlling, manipulative and repressive and people who push non disabled ways on disabled people should be arrested!
16
Modern day non disabled people fight over many things such as religion, hairstyles, clothing, children and careers. But disabled people are not and should not be a part of that. If you are simply human you should be free to do whatever you can and people should be happy. Of course they won’t be happy but they should be.
===============================
All of the abilities for disabled people are going down the drain because they aren’t included in the game of life.
So to be upfront, clear and honest the issue is that Society does not accept disabled people so it’s time for some changes!
17
All of the people that we as disabled people meet encourage & demand that we do their things their way. So we are no longer human beings we have to become human doings and for many disabled people this is not possible. I should know because I was literally thrown out of therapy and told NOT TO COME BACK because I couldn’t do what they wanted!
Therapy has reunions and you can go IF you can prove that you’re normal because of what THEY taught you in therapy.
So the real issue is about societal acceptance of disabled people.
But people’s opinions don’t really matter:
Prov 29:25
25 The fear of human opinion disables;
trusting in GOD protects you from that.
The Message
18
So it’s pretty clear. The Creator created us but others won’t accept us. Now THAT’S a real live disability!
Jesus said the He came for the sick but our society isn’t Jesus.
Unlike people, God isn’t looking for perfectionists. He is looking for people who know that they need help and turn to Jesus.
All people (disabled AND non disabled) need to remember that we are losers without Christ, but with Christ we are winners regardless of any abilities. If people could only believe this then maybe disabled people could play in the game of life…
Who defines people as disabled? We don’t but others do.
19
If people think that someone does better than others people say that person is gifted but if they don’t do better than others or do it in a certain way the people say that they are disabled. So if people think that you do things their way and well then they call you “gifted” if not they call you “disabled”.
So that’s why I am out of the game of life. Regardless of my brains, experiences, education, desires or abilities, I’m considered disabled. And I’m out. And I don’t like that.
I went all of the way though all of that education, experience, time & money for this? No.
20
Recently I volunteered for my Church putting years and years of sermons on the Internet. At first my boss came over to my home and brought some files on diskette and trained me then left and I finished the work. But then we communicated only through email and I did fine!
So I can participate in the game of life. And I have.
I wouldn’t have accepted money for helping God, but I would like to be paid for doing something worthwhile.
==============================ve
I went all of the way though all of that education, experience, time & money for this? No.
==============================
21
I’m not the usual “get dressed and go to work” person but I am eager and I work from 7 AM till 11 PM 7 days a week. Now that’s much more than paid employees do!
In all forms of life people try very hard to define, learn & know about what God has done. They have put degree titles after their names to prove it and they get paid big bucks because people appreciate the knowledge but disabled people, though they know the same or more will not have high paying titles or degrees after their names but God made them too for His plan not their plan.
22
Because they’re out of the game of life entirely that’s a role in life that disabled people will never play. Is that fair? Is that what America has to offer people? I don’t think so.
I’m a relatively young man and I do not want to spend the next 20-40 years playing Solitaire on my computer and I don’t think that my sons want to spend their whole
lives doing nothing, so this has got to change!
Each and every person that applies to enter a PhD program should have to agree to the following:
This program is only available to normal people. You are very different and you will gain a new higher role within Society. It’s a lot of work but you can do it. You will be valued and paid well. Good luck!
23
To explain the pre statement for a PhD program:
To my knowledge there is currently NO PROGRAM for a PhD for disabled people. Most likely can’t afford to go to that much school. They may be smart enough (God made them too) but they can’t afford it.
It is a lot of work but there are benefits for doing it – societal benefits. Higher pay, better opportunities, better roles and more respect, but disabled people can’t have all that. They aren’t recognized or given a higher role or have access to better opportunities. They’re just disabled so other people GET that benefit.
That doesn’t sound good does it?
24
So IF you’re disabled you have nowhere to go in life. There is no quest for education, job role, appreciation, value, respect or pay, just Social Security. You just stop where you start.
The big problem for someone like me is that I started long ago and didn’t stop then so there is nowhere for me to stop now. So now I look around and see things that others haven’t seen and I don’t like it.
1 am disabled but I care for myself, pay my own bills and do virtually everything else just fine but I hate hearing someone on the telephone say: “Who’s taking care of you because I can’t understand you.” I want to say: it works fine for everyone else so obviously YOU have a problem! But getting someone to admit that doesn’t get me what I need but people can be very hard to deal with and I think they’re proud of it.
25
This is not normal life. What people have done is they classify someone as disabled, set them apart from everyone else, pull them out of the game of life, charge a lot of money to help them, build careers and retirements based on them, live their lives separate from them and we’re supposed to feel good? Not on your life. This is horrible! And it’s past time that someone said something about it!
This is not just a case of me not understanding things-I understand more than you know but you’ll experience it IF YOU BECOME DISABLED! AND YOU WON’T LIKE IT ONE BIT so the time for change is now!
26
I live in a wheelchair and I have a Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) so yes I don’t mind being called disabled because I can’t walk but I do mind being totally pulled out of the game of life! So the redefinition of disability applies the same kinds of evaluations that are used for everything else!
Talk to a person and ask them questions! Test them! Let them show you things! And based on what you learn you can make your decision. But just to pull anyone out of the game of life is just plain stupid!
People may have not complained before but God has brought me this far for a reason! You’re hearing me complain now! How would you feel in this happened to you?
If it doesn’t change it will!
27
Chapter 2
My Story
I was born in 1958 and my game of life began. I lived a seemingly normal life. I was born into a family where there were big problems. Problems no one ever said anything about or corrected, but there were problems nonetheless (the game seemed too normal). At birth I was not disabled. I went to school, I worked and I played water polo on the school team in high school. I even took 3 years of French in middle school.
But even though I appeared normal to others those problems were still there and they would result in me being disabled now.
28
As a junior in high school at 16 I married my first wife because she was pregnant with my natural son (no one saw this as a problem). Many things happened that are not worth speaking about but we had problems. I moved out and began divorce proceedings when I was 18 years old.
Then to try and make something normal of myself (see? even “normal” people try) I began dancing and very quickly began teaching Disco dance lessons and became a teacher and performer.
Then although unplanned for I met my second wife and I was her second husband and the problems were unnoticed but still there and would eventually cripple me.
29
When I married my second wife we lived in a rented home somewhere where I had never lived before. My 2nd wife’s parents lived in a city where I had never been before. Hmm, I see a pattern beginning… Also my wife had a son with a disability.
I did eventually buy my parents home before they moved out of state (…hmm another pattern?). Then we moved into a condo in a city where I’d never lived (at least I was consistent). While we were in the condo we adopted a baby at birth. Then we bought a house in a city where I’d never lived. And then we learned that the son we had adopted had a disability too.
I went to work for a software vendor in a city where I had never been then my traveling began.
30
I flew to Philadelphia, PA (which I really liked), to Florida to Walt Disney World, to New York City and then to Louisville, KY. And at some point during that time I found Jesus and committed myself fully to Him.
===============================
Hmm, I see a pattern beginning…
===============================
And interestingly enough when I was in Kentucky the client wouldn’t see me but I heard God telling me to move there. So I came home, sold my home, bought a home in Kentucky, quit my job & moved my family to Kentucky. Again I had never lived there before.
The house in Kentucky was a dream! Two stories and 5 acres of land! I went to work for GE Consulting Services and was assigned to GE Appliance Park.
31
I led Bible studies at work, we had prayer meetings at work, we became active in a Church, we had Bible studies in our home and monthly potlucks for Church friends. I volunteered as a counselor at a Group Home, volunteered locally as a videographer, volunteered as a youth pastor and became a home for an unwed mother. But the problems were still there. Unknown but still there.
Remember the pattern? I got a job for ARC and they settled sales for the World’s Airlines. The home office was in Virginia, but they had offices in Louisville, KY and Tampa, FL. I started in Kentucky but before long I applied for a job in Virginia and I got it! Tons of money and I started their first computing department. I named it Production Support. I had 7 employees and I moved my family to Virginia (another place I had never lived in).
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I do not hardly remember anything about Virginia. But one day after many wonderful world travels (which I have pictures and memories of) I woke up after a 5 year coma in a hospital and I could not walk and my wife was extremely angry.
The problems had come to the surface for me and I was handicapped for life. So now my sons and I were all disabled! Now I was going to begin living what my sons have been living. But I didn’t realize it for a long time.
That is what this book is about because now I’m learning firsthand how hard that life has been for my sons!
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First I cannot walk at all. I have been to therapy but no go. I cannot even use a walker. I got out of my wheelchair once and walked to someone and stood by them for a picture (I have that picture) but I could never do that again. I have Ataxia mostly on my left side (and I’m left handed). I have Dysphasia which means I must use thickener every time I drink, so good stuff like ice cream, soup & salad are things I can’t have. Speech is another thing that is not good so as an alternative to that I write. I know what I’m thinking and I think that I am saying it but people complain.
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That is what this book is about because now I’m learning firsthand how hard that life has been for my sons!
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I have floor to ceiling poles. So I can go to bed & get up, change my clothes, go to the bathroom and get on the shower chair. I do not ever get hungry or full, so I eat by the time on my clock.
I do not recall my education at all but I do use my computer a lot. I send scriptural emails every day and I send my thoughts to a group of people, I have a blog at: http://tobyhoff.blogspot.com/
a website at: http://www.tobyhoff.com
I volunteer a lot, I have written a number of books, I speak publically but the thing that angers me the most is when someone says: Isn’t there somebody else that I could talk to? I want to say: Give Me A Break! I’m trying as hard as I can! Can’t you try a little harder?
And I can see how hard it is for others…
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I just got here in 2000 but imagine if I was born with a disability.
I just want to point out that I have been cared for by God but I’m nothing special and I’m not doing something special I just have faith and I’m thankful.
Since the year 2000 I have met many people but there is only 1 group of people that I am very happy to see each and every time and those are the people in my Sunday school class. It is a group of disabled adults.
There are probably 50 or more of us that happily come each week. We worship together and it is the best class I’ve ever been to! And even though I have a T.B.I. I really care for these people.
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Would any of us fit into the other classes? I don’t know but it’s so safe to be ourselves there why would we change? We really care about each other. We accept each other for who we are. There is no putting on and there are no games.
And occasionally I even get to share things with that group. I may think of something and write it up for emailing to others and then think about them so I write it up from their perspective, print it out, fold it up and put it in my waist pack so it’s with me at Church. Then when I can I share it with my class!
I do have an issue with Physical Therapy though. I have been to Physical Therapy in many locations and in many cities but there is one thing that is the same among all of them.
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I can’t walk the way that they want for me to. I can walk just not their way. So all that they all do is try to teach you to walk their way and if you can then they will keep you but if not-it’s your fault and they kick you out!
That doesn’t feel good.
If they would have just taught me how not to get hurt then I would be walking now! If they would approach things from where you are now and what would you like to do? That would be much more beneficial for everyone but instead they have 1 standard way and that’s all.
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I’m not saying that some things are not good because they are! But not everyone can do things their way so a lot of people think that they have failed and end up in wheelchairs like me. And that’s Therapy? It sounds rather Stepfordish to me (we decide how everyone will act....).
I have a problem with Speech Therapy also. They make you do things one way! Disabilities all occur in multiple ways so one way can’t possibly work!
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So time after time I returned to Therapy thinking: this IS Therapy and they WILL teach me a way…but it never happened and they got paid!
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I have been taken for special tests and told to do something that I knew was wrong but I did what I was told and I failed the test! And the Therapy crew was upset with me!
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So I have been to a number of Therapies in a number of locations but only 1 Therapy that used Vital Stim worked and I’m still eating by mouth and so I can taste things.
But each and every other Therapy failed! And they charged good money for those failures. And built retirements on them. But for what? There are no standard definitions for disabilities so no standard ways can possibly help people.
We have very obviously changed the intent of Therapy from a way to our way and many innocent people have built someone else’s salary, retirement & benefits.
So time after time I returned to Therapy thinking: this IS Therapy and they WILL teach me a way…but it never happened and they got paid!
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One of the most critical things for me is that NO ONE EVER TALKED TO ME ABOUT WHAT HAD HAPPENED TO ME, WHERE I WAS OR WHAT TO EXPECT. So I just went from day to day, prayed and came to my OWN conclusions.
God has been extremely good to me but it would have been nice if another human being had explained things to me. Probably my VERY BEST TIME has been since I’ve been on my own because I’ve spent a great deal of time in thought and prayer and learned how to figure things out. I’m no longer waiting to be told things because God has filled that role for me.
this IS Therapy and they WILL teach me a way…but it never happened and they got paid!
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One of the reasons that I prefer to be on my own is that I grew up always being on my own. I involved my parents in nothing. To me they were only there to be obeyed, nothing more. Now I see that as a problem. My perspective has a whole different set of inputs.
I just saw a commercial for the ASPCA that says: “These animals only know what it’s like to be abused and neglected…” and these are animals and that’s exactly what disabled people experience and we are people! We are only abused and neglected too. If you were not aware of that before I’m telling you now. It’s true!
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Chapter 3
The Bible’s view on disabilities
Jesus spent a great deal of His time healing and being around people with disabilities and there are stories in the Old Testament about people with disabilities and this next verse sets things very straight:
1 Cor 1:25
25 For the foolishness of God is wiser than man's wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than man's strength.
NIV
But people tend to think that they’re so smart:
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1 Cor 12:22-24
22 On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, 23 and the parts that we think are less honorable we treat with special honor. And the parts that are unpresentable are treated with special modesty, 24 while our presentable parts need no special treatment. But God has combined the members of the body and has given greater honor to the parts that lacked it.
NIV
As human people we think that we know everything that there is to know but God has shown us that we don’t because He does! Disabled people are there because God planned for them to be there! Psalm 139:13-16 says:
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13 Oh yes, you shaped me first inside, then out; you formed me in my mother's womb. 14 I thank you, High God — you're breathtaking! Body and soul, I am marvelously made! I worship in adoration — what a creation! 15 You know me inside and out, you know every bone in my body; You know exactly how I was made, bit by bit, how I was sculpted from nothing into something. 16 Like an open book, you watched me grow from conception to birth; all the stages of my life were spread out before you, The days of my life all prepared before I'd even lived one day.
The days of my life were all prepared before I'd even lived one day. So He knew about, documented and planned for our disabilities, but on many fronts we are rejected by other people. Why? Because other people aren’t living for God. He says we’re indispensible but Society sees us as a hassle.
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So the Bible views us as indispensable, planned for and with purpose but Society views us as a problem.
This is from the Bible and it’s about God’s choices in creating people:
1 Cor 1:27-30
27 But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. 28 He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things — and the things that are not — to nullify the things that are, 29 so that no one may boast before him.
NIV
Will Society be in charge at judgment? No, God will.
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Chapter 4
Risks
First of all let’s define a risk.
A risk is something that a person tries but has no guarantee of being successful. They may be and they may not be successful and that is why they call it a risk.
My biggest risk is falling. I cannot just stand up. I am ALWAYS afraid that I’ll fall. And on 11-21-2010 I delivered bread from Church to neighbors. Seems simple doesn’t it? Well I did a good job delivering it but coming into my apartment I fell backwards and then out of my wheelchair and a neighbor that was a fireman had to help me get back in my wheelchair and into the house. Risk!
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A risk is something that a person tries but has no guarantee of being successful.
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One of my one sons with a disability too says that things like finding business, doing business, talking to people and making friends are all risks that he has to take.
He is also having a HUGE RISK just being himself at home. He just desperately needs to be accepted. He’ll never be anyone but himself and to keep a relationship and help him, I’m there for him.
To be honest, just living life is a HUGE risk for disabled people. Every action may or may not make non disabled people happy and that’s not living.
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Chapter 5
Roadblocks
A roadblock is something that gets in your way that prohibits you from advancing and causes you to do something that you didn’t plan on and for disabled people there are many roadblocks.
What gets in the way disabled people? Non disabled people!
Can you imagine demanding that someone do something that they cannot do and can’t be successful at? That is what we experience each and every moment of every day.
A very common and one of my least favorite roadblocks is when someone says: Isn’t there someone else I could talk to?
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Another one is being required to sign for things. I cannot sign anything! I have tried for 10 years to learn to write and I remember how fine, I just cannot do it.
Another one and the biggest one is realizing that I’m out of the game of life. I can do anything and want to but people won’t let me and I certainly can’t get paid for anything.
Being unable to walk means that people have to come and pick me up to go anywhere.
So I have to eat, drink, get dressed, go to the bathroom and call them before I can go then thank them when I get home. I have to always manage me so I’m not a problem to them.
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Isn’t there someone else I could talk to?
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One of my sons has to face the roadblock of being the way he was parented to be. He can’t change that and he had no control over that! So his personality is not his fault! But getting people to realize that is a roadblock for him and me.
The most critical roadblock I have is being asked to pay for things. Hello! I don’t work! So why do I keep being asked to pay for things or I go to collection? It makes no sense that this happens again and again and again. People have NO PROBLEM pulling me out of the game of life but then they want for me to pay for things!
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And people always ask me to fill out forms. Again, HELLO! I CAN’T WRITE I HAVEN’T BEEN ABLE TO FOR 10 YEARS! Why is this happening? Nothing about me has changed and a disability doesn’t go away! So why do I have to keep filling out forms to prove it?
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Chapter 6
What it is like to have a disability
I know nothing about any disability other than my own but there are some things that are the same so if you have a disability of any kind, read on.
It is extremely frustrating to try to fit into a world where we are not wanted, acknowledged or welcome.
To be born with a disability is far more difficult and this is why. They are born as people and they think that they are doing fine but after a while they begin to notice that people are treating them differently. Nothing has changed but people do treat them differently AND THEY NOTICE. It’s easier than you think to see that one group of people is treated one way and you are treated another.
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So begins the lifelong battle of trying to be accepted. Acceptance is key and they will never get it.
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To be born with a disability is more difficult.
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I know that my wife and I between ourselves never knew that our adopted son even had a disability. He was not only our son but he was a gift!
It was in preschool that problems came to the surface for the teachers and they talked to us. We took him to the Doctor and the truth was difficult to accept.
We did work with him but we didn’t know about the societal standards. So he is now 25 and trying to fit in.
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But unrealized by him he’s completely out of the game of life.
In my opinion from my personal experience first of all you don’t know that you have a disability. I honestly did not know for a very long time that I was disabled.
Why?
Because for my entire life I had been without one and I didn’t know what had happened or to what extent or that I had even been in a coma. So I tried many things just to try and show that I could do them because I thought that I could. But I couldn’t.
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I honestly did not know for a very long time that I was disabled.
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Even when Therapists said: “You’ll never walk” I thought “we’ll I’ll show you!” but I never could do it their way.
So yes I was angry with them and I thought of all kinds of reasons why they were wrong but after 10 years I’m still living in a wheelchair and it’s time to look reality in the eyes. So it has taken me 10 years to realize this! My “impression” of myself and reality had to come together.
And for so long people were so negative and I could not succumb to that negativity, there was no future in that at all. I was accomplished and had (I thought) made something of myself.
My dreams for my life were accomplished and now this? I felt like they just wanted me to give up and I didn’t want to.
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I was a young, intelligent & wealthy young man. Life wasn’t over by a long shot and I didn’t want to be taken out of the game of life.
It’s a 180 degree change and I had to make that change all by myself. But I’m glad I did.
There’s a lot to do but I have God in me so the game’s just starting and I won’t give up.
People without disabilities think that people with disabilities are LESS than they are because we have a disability.
No one has ever said to me: “Well you have a lot of experience (in some area) so why do you think that this happens?” or “How do you feel about that?” I am just used as it is appropriate but NEVER valued.
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We are people who require that others who think that they’re better than us to give something that they think they shouldn’t have to give.
And I’m sorry if this offends you but if someone gives anything at all I do not think that they should be rewarded! Rewards just fuel this poor idea of the game of life and God has given everyone everything!
But surprise! I’m not determined to make you feel good. I may at times but I need
encouragement too.
People with disabilities have to learn to face lots and lots of rude impatient people that expect something (that may be impossible) but they demand that it is done their way. There are some “standards” for things but who sets the standards?
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It took me 10 years to realize that I was disabled and no one ever talked to me or told me that I WAS handicapped. At 52 I figured it out on my own. How does a child do this and when and what negativity have they experienced?
One of my sons says that with a disability finding business, doing business, making friends and even talking to people is hard to do. Simple everyday stuff!
Another one of my sons thinks that he’ll just do everything that people without a disability do. To him disability is too bad of a name for him. Can you imagine how he feels when he cannot do something? Does the word failure mean anything to you?
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Lots and lots of rude impatient people
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They’ll never be like you but that doesn’t mean that they failed at all. They just can’t be just like you so they need acceptance and encouragement. Failure means you should be able to but can’t. And so it’s not often that “failure” is even possible! We can’t even do many things that you can so we cannot fail. But no one is here telling us that and we need to hear it.
People with disabilities don’t know that they’re out of the game of life. People just treat us badly. So it’s not easy.
There are now:
Normal people.
Normal people with disabilities.
Aside from the disability, both are normal people and that’s important to realize.
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People without disabilities have their own set of circumstances but people with disabilities do too! People without disabilities have to live in this world but people with disabilities do too!
Now what’s different is that people without disabilities participate in the game of life but people with disabilities don’t! (and that’s not their choice).
Why people without disabilities treat disabled people as if they’re something different is a mystery to me but it has to stop!
Does the term “unique” sound familiar? Disabled people should be considered to be unique but they are but they are named “disabled”.
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Unfortunately, very unfortunately (is anyone listening?) there are people in all fields (even medical) who think every disability is definable and they know all about it, but that’s just not true.
Each and every disability is unique. There may be a few similarities but just as every person is unique, every disability is unique.
So people who are like me are paying money to be told lies!
I am very thankful that God developed me to be the way I am because if not, I wouldn’t know what I know and I’d probably be dead!
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Unfortunately, very unfortunately there are people in all fields (even medical) who think every disability is definable and they know all about it, but that’s just not true.
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Why is this kind of abuse permitted and people are allowed to create futures and retirements? While disabled people are out of the game of life entirely. It’s wrong!
Most generally people with disabilities don’t even know what’s happening to them and no one ever tells them. So there have been many roles to the game of life that have been created and people are making money and building retirements based on disabilities. I wouldn’t even think of doing that!
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Chapter 7
Am I going to play in the game of life?
Obviously I will still be handicapped in the future but I will participate in the game of life.
I will keep writing books, sending emails, speaking and teaching, writing in my blog, volunteering and most of all I will keep working and living for God.
My number one goal though is to change the way people with disabilities are viewed by others. Because until that happens a great number of valuable people are being devalued and ignored and God’s simple instructions are being passed over for no reason.
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I will NOT become a preacher or a teacher. If I thought that God wanted me to then I would but people have a hard time understanding me so I’ll talk to a class IF there is someone there who can interpret. Otherwise I will go one to one because that works well.
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I will participate in the game of life
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Chapter 8
How I can help you and you can help me
This is a win-win.
Obviously I want to help you because this applies to you or someone you know but I need your help too. And I’ll never quit trying to help you. Any ideas can come to my email address: toby.hoff@gmail.com.
We have got to stand together because I can’t do this alone. I am now like my sons and we need help. Someday you may be handicapped or disabled too. It’s not planned but it may happen like it did to me.
So get involved! Encourage people to help people! Get the game of life to include all of us!
Change these societal perceptions!
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Don’t ignore handicapped or disabled people. They’re human beings like you are so treat them as such.
Involve them.
Befriend them.
Being handicapped or disabled is far from the end of life but right now it seems like it is so let’s change that!
Also, remember that few people help disabled people so there is not much competition, they’re more alone and lost than you were or are so get involved! And once you recognize them as people you might even have fun!
This is not just a “right now” thing this is an “eternal” thing.
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We are your neighbors and God said to “love your neighbors as yourself” and there’s plenty to do.
Offer to train a disabled person to do something for your company. Not everyone can do everything but you’d be surprised at what they can do, and to include them in the game of life is a big thing!
More people working means more taxes! And if they can fit in and earn some money for things that’s even better.
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We have got to stand together because I can’t do this alone
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We must demand that a persons disability is acknowledged, understood and accepted.
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Right now it seems that things must be done in a certain way only, but there are an untold number of disabilities so it makes sense to have many different ways to do things. You must help me make this happen.
Regardless of your job title, each person should be responsible for helping the company that they work for. Disabled people can have that same goal too!
They may require some changes but if your company can make necessary changes then they can work and make your company more successful!
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Chapter 9
My sons have disabilities
In 2010 my oldest son is 40. When he was very young he had a very high fever that would not go down. Thus he is diagnosed as “developmentally delayed”.
When he was 7 I married his mother but the problems he caused were so great and standards being how they are now he was sent to live with his father which was a mistake that cannot be corrected.
I love him dearly. He says that his father never had time for him. I never knew that. So you can figure out that he grew up alone.
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Basically because he has always been alone he is still looking for that parental relationship but don’t be mistaken. This man grew up alone and found ways to survive and he is still doing that.
He is still trying to participate in the game of life in any way he can but for reasons I’ve previously stated he has had no luck.
In 2010 my youngest adopted son is 25 and he has been diagnosed as “mentally retarded”. I don’t know what that means and I don’t care. He is my son and I love him.
We were always very close until I got hurt and all he had was his mom. I use the phone, money & email for him but I was in the hospital for years so I have lost a lot of credibility with him.
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But he experiences the same negativity that I do or I should say that I experience the same negativity that he does.
If you asked him: “Do you have a disability?” He would say: “NO. I’m very close to being normal” and he tries very hard to be accepted as such.
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I love my sons very much
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But one big difference is that in addition to his own disability he has a brother and a father with disabilities too and that makes things more complicated. His days are his own and his time is his own. Which is fine but there are other people who need him and there are other things to be done.
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He too is still trying to participate in the game of life but for reasons I’ve previously stated he has had no luck.
My #1 goal is to make sure that my sons feel loved, cared for and successful because if I don’t make them feel that nothing else will.
I don’t want for my sons to feel like they have to earn my approval, love or respect. I make sure to give it just as it was given to me by my savior.
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Chapter 10
I had the guy who wrote this book volunteer for me!
World Wide Ministry…From a Wheelchair
In August of 2010 I got an email from Toby asking for an opportunity to volunteer for the church. Toby types at about 5 words per minute, and I can hardly understand him when he talks. To be honest I was intimidated by Toby’s disability. I wasn’t sure if he physically capable of doing the kind of computer work I was thinking of.
But since he wanted to volunteer and I had a massive video project that I had just committed to, I figured I had nothing to loose.
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My goal was to take our entire sermon video library and upload it to a TruthCasting, a new video hosting company. Each video sermon takes about 1 ½ hours to upload. When I told him this project would take a lot of time, he told me “I have nothing BUT time.” If he was willing to learn, I was willing to teach him.
After a week of learning curve, Toby got the hang of it and has spent hundreds of hours on a volunteer basis entering and uploading 100% of our pervious video content. This has been tremendously helpful to the church…and incredibly stimulating for Toby. What I thought was going to be a 6 month project, Toby did in 6 weeks!
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One of the times I was dropping off work at Toby’s apartment, he said something that I will never forget. He said “You know…I’m not stupid”. That hit me like a ton a bricks.
Here is someone that the world thinks is useless…and he started to believe it himself. How tragic! Toby is now an integrated part of the team that is using digital technology to share the gospel at Trinity Church.
Toby has recently finished upload all 18 years of Gary Inrig’s sermons…I can’t imagine there are more than a handful of pastors in all of America that have that much content online…all thanks to Toby and his dedication. On a regular basis we have over 50 countries that visit our website. And the #1 area on our website is our sermon page. Toby has a worldwide ministry, right from home in his wheelchair. Thanks to Toby work, I was able to pass on some sermons to a Chaplin working with our troops in Iraq.
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We officially launched TruthCasting in October 2011. I did a short demo and we got to highlight Toby and his work. You can watch it by going to http://goo.gl/qKxc
In reflecting about my personal experience with our disabled community at Trinity Church, PRIDE was a probably at the top of my list. A few years ago, our Light & Power group (adults with disabilities) gave shirts to all the people in the class and some of the Pastoral staff. I remember NOT wearing it, because I thought people might mistakenly think that “I was one of them”. Thanks to relationships like I had with Toby, I’ve come a long way.
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One of the key turning points was a Disability Sunday we had at our church a few years ago (you can watch the full service at http://goo.gl/u0gD0 ...Toby shares his life story). If we define disability as “functioning lesser than”, when God looks at us, WE are the ones with the disability…which makes us ALL disabled to one degree or another. It was a very humbling moment at the end of the service to be “called to the table” and stand on equal ground as being one with a disability before our creator.
My experience in working with Toby has helped me in my understanding of the needs of the disabled. More then anything, they need a friend who is patient with them and who will love them as they are. Is that any different then my needs? Needless to say, I wear the shirt with pride, and am happy to call Toby a friend.
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Written by:
Bruce Herwig
Pastor of Communications
Trinity Church, Redlands CA
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