Working inside because outside is too cold

  I prefer to be outdoors pulling weeds, mowing, tending to my flower beds, or just about anything else I can think of to keep me out of the house but it is just to cold.  I did pull the water pump from the pond and turn the system off for the winter but that's all I'm doing outside.  Instead, I gave myself the job of putting up extra shelving in my wife's closet so she can get her stuff off the floor.
  It was my idea, my money that purchased the supplies, my labor to put the shelving up, but I can't put them up until she is free to supervise.   Meanwhile, while I was at Lowes she vacuumed a cat toy into the vacuum cleaner but she doesn't want me to fix her vacuum.  It feels something like being a modern day TV husband.  Once upon a time, the TV dads were king of the roast, like in Father Knows Best and Leave it to Beaver but now father's and husbands are bumbling idiots and the butt of most of the jokes.
   It doesn't matter.  I did my measuring and cutting while she fixed lunch.  Gotta love her.  

Bible study lessons

   We are embarking on the study of how to become a fruitful Christian in a series called Fruit by the Bushel.  First and foremost, one must be a Christian, i.e., one must have given their life over to Christ.  That is a hard thing for most people to do as they believe that living for Christ is living under a set of restrictive rules which prohibits one from having fun and requires one to go to church and hear boring sermons every week.  
  In a way you would be right if that is what you think.  There are many worldly things that God does not want His people to engage in and there are things that God wants His people to do.  But in the grand scheme of things, being a Christian is not a restrictive life but a life of freedom.  All of us serve a master.  Either Satan or God is in control.  The most miserable life is when we try to  serve both for no man can serve two masters.
  The problem the world has with Christians is immaturity.  There are lots of people that accept Christ but want to keep one foot in the world because they are intimidated because non-Christians will poke fun at them and call them names.  To often these immature Christians will object to the behavior of a non-Christian and say things like "you need to stop (whatever offensive behavior one is engaged in), and start going to church.  Such words only antagonizes the   non-believer and causes them to believe being a Christian is living to a higher moral code and the non-believers see Christians doing things they believe is not on a higher plane and therefore they see the Christian as a hypocrite.
   The truth is there are no restrictions on behavior for Christians are "all things are lawful".  Even so "not all things are expedient".  Being a Christian is not adhering to a stricter moral code but is one who has a relationship with Christ.  When one is single one has the right to date anyone who will go out with them but once they get married they do not give up the ability or right to date others but it is no longer expedient for them to do so.  They are in a relationship so one restricts their behavior for the sake of the relationship  and not because they are trying to live above the moral code they lived by as a single person.
  Growing to maturity is called fruit-bearing.  In order to bear fruit one must be properly prepared.  Just as one needs to prepare the hole where a fruit tree is to be planted one must prepare their self.
I have planted many fruit trees around the yard and I have learned the value of properly preparing the hole as well as choosing the proper location of the hole.
  Just not any old church will do neither will just any old translation of the bible will do.  There are plenty of translations that attempt to make reading of the scriptures easier, I have found that many seem to lack the power of the Kings James Version and with a good teacher and proper study materials and a receptive heart and mind, the King James Version is the best translation available.
Many churches have watered down their teaching to eliminate controversial teachings or changed to a more progressive style of music and worship service to make worship more entertaining.  TV, movies, sporting events, and music concerts are for entertainment.     Church is for learning about God, bible study, and drawing strength from your fellow brothers and sisters in Christ.  Choose a church that does not compromise on teaching thw whole word of God.

drawbacks and frustrations

  I recently posted about my new devise, the penis clamp.  I tried a bold experiment yesterday.  I wore a light brown suit with no protective padding ; just my boxer shorts.  Just as I hoped, I stayed dry which gives me the freedom to be more versatile in my clothing choices and hopefully to save money by not having to my protective pads and underwear  but there is one major problem.  The inner portion of the penis clamp may be a soft foam padding but the outside is cold hard metal as is the jaws and clamp.
   When I got home from church I was ready to get the clamp off as I was raw and sore.  I could not wear it the remainder of the day.  I was hoping to return to the pool this week but if I can't wear the penis clamp I will not be able too.
   If problems with that were not bad enough my wife spent the day Saturday baking goodies for her two sons and she shared some with me.  If I had any self control I would have limited myself to one cookie and one small piece of candy but the cookies were so good (oatmeal raisin, my favorite) I just kept slipping back into the kitchen and slipping a couple cookies.  My blood sugar was 152 this morning.  That is not where I need to be.  I must do better.

Penis Clamp

   It's a real thing, a medical devise.  It sounds painful but it isn't really unless you wear it in the same spot all the time.  After my prostate surgery I had real problems with drainage from my side but after about a month that finally cleared up.  My prostate was so large I was told I would take at least twice as long to heal as most people do.  I was told most folks heal in six to eight weeks.  My operation was July 23 so I thought I would be further along than I am but my doctor isn't concerned.
  My biggest problem is not being able to control my bladder.  As long as I'm standing or sitting I'm find but if I stand up my bladder empties and it is difficult to make it 15 feet to the bathroom.  Sometimes I make it and sometimes I lose everything but most often it's a drip or a squirt with each step and I make it with about half.  It's uncomfortable, and embarrassing.  I wear nothing but black clothes even though I have on plenty of protection  my pants can still show moisture.
  My last visit to the cancer doctor, Tuesday of this week, he gave me a penis clamp.  It is a metal holder with foam padding that has vise like teeth and a metal ring.  One just places the clamp in the proper position and push the clamp down until it clicks and it prevents any leakage.  When one has to go relieve themselves, one just pushes the clips inward until the clamp pops open.  A word of caution:  one must be in a position to hit the urinal or commode because it empties at full force.
   The only disadvantage is that it cannot be worn at night so I must wear all the protection I can to wake up to dry bedding.  Still, it is much better than before.

Where I'm read

ws
Italy	277
Unknown Region	23
Romania	8
Poland	5
Ukraine	4
France	3
Portugal	2
United States	2
Germany	1
Russia	1 It seems I am most popular in Italy.

strange words

  I was playing a word game and came across the word "sones" which I had never heard of and apparently spell check hasn't either but I looked the word up and it means "a means of measuring sound".  I thought that was a decibel?  I just learned the meaning of "fetid" which means noisome.  

Funny but true

  A few days ago some friends came home to discover their 50 lb pug was unable to use his back legs.  He was taken to the vet but no cause was discovered and another vet visit was required to run more tests.  In the interim my friends were having ti carry their 8 year old dog outside when it needed to do it's business since it's hind legs didn't work.
  It was on a Wednesday they discovered their dogs condition.  Sunday, after church, the dog was carried outside.  Just after the pug was placed on the ground it spied the neighbor's cat and gave chase at full speed.  My friend's were shocked.    

Is God real?

  The Old Testament is confusing when it comes to describing God.  The Genesis account of creation leaves more questions than answers.  God seems so mean in the Old Testament.  In light of recent scientific discovers and theories, the biblical account of creation does not appear to be accurate.  The God of the New Testament seems like a different being and is described as love so how could a God that is love sent anyone to hell?
  First, the Genesis account of creation is not intended to be  a scientific document but just a synopsis of how we came into being.  Still, sometimes it seems overwhelming but then I look to the cross and I understand that Jesus Christ was a real person, that he died on the cross at Calvary, and rose from the dead the third day.  There is just to much proof that all this is real to deny the facts.  When one looks at Christ, then the Old Testament does not seem so confusing.  But if one does not believe in Christ then the scriptures are foolishness.  There are a lot of things in life I don't understand but that not make them any less real or important.
  Sometimes it is hard to accept that God is real but I find it harder to accept that He isn't.

One of my favorite stories

1 Then Elisha said, Hear ye the word of the LORD; Thus saith the LORD, To morrow about this time shall a measure of fine flour be sold for a shekel, and two measures of barley for a shekel, in the gate of Samaria.

2 Then a lord on whose hand the king leaned answered the man of God, and said, Behold, if the LORD would make windows in heaven, might this thing be? And he said, Behold, thou shalt see it with thine eyes, but shalt not eat thereof.

3 And there were four leprous men at the entering in of the gate: and they said one to another, Why sit we here until we die?

4 If we say, We will enter into the city, then the famine is in the city, and we shall die there: and if we sit still here, we die also. Now therefore come, and let us fall unto the host of the Syrians: if they save us alive, we shall live; and if they kill us, we shall but die.

5 And they rose up in the twilight, to go unto the camp of the Syrians: and when they were come to the uttermost part of the camp of Syria, behold, there was no man there.

6 For the Lord had made the host of the Syrians to hear a noise of chariots, and a noise of horses, even the noise of a great host: and they said one to another, Lo, the king of Israel hath hired against us the kings of the Hittites, and the kings of the Egyptians, to come upon us.

7 Wherefore they arose and fled in the twilight, and left their tents, and their horses, and their asses, even the camp as it was, and fled for their life.

8 And when these lepers came to the uttermost part of the camp, they went into one tent, and did eat and drink, and carried thence silver, and gold, and raiment, and went and hid it; and came again, and entered into another tent, and carried thence also, and went and hid it.

9 Then they said one to another, We do not well: this day is a day of good tidings, and we hold our peace: if we tarry till the morning light, some mischief will come upon us: now therefore come, that we may go and tell the king's household.

10 So they came and called unto the porter of the city: and they told them, saying, We came to the camp of the Syrians, and, behold, there was no man there, neither voice of man, but horses tied, and asses tied, and the tents as they were.

11 And he called the porters; and they told it to the king's house within.

12 And the king arose in the night, and said unto his servants, I will now shew you what the Syrians have done to us. They know that we be hungry; therefore are they gone out of the camp to hide themselves in the field, saying, When they come out of the city, we shall catch them alive, and get into the city.

13 And one of his servants answered and said, Let some take, I pray thee, five of the horses that remain, which are left in the city, (behold, they are as all the multitude of Israel that are left in it: behold, I say, they are even as all the multitude of the Israelites that are consumed:) and let us send and see.

14 They took therefore two chariot horses; and the king sent after the host of the Syrians, saying, Go and see.

15 And they went after them unto Jordan: and, lo, all the way was full of garments and vessels, which the Syrians had cast away in their haste. And the messengers returned, and told the king.

16 And the people went out, and spoiled the tents of the Syrians. So a measure of fine flour was sold for a shekel, and two measures of barley for a shekel, according to the word of the LORD.

17 And the king appointed the lord on whose hand he leaned to have the charge of the gate: and the people trode upon him in the gate, and he died, as the man of God had said, who spake when the king came down to him.

18 And it came to pass as the man of God had spoken to the king, saying, Two measures of barley for a shekel, and a measure of fine flour for a shekel, shall be to morrow about this time in the gate of Samaria:

19 And that lord answered the man of God, and said, Now, behold, if the LORD should make windows in heaven, might such a thing be? And he said, Behold, thou shalt see it with thine eyes, but shalt not eat thereof.

20 And so it fell out unto him: for the people trode upon him in the gate, and he died.

This is one of my favorite biblical stories. The situation is as follows: The Syrian Army had lain a trap for the King of Israel but the King escaped. The general was upset but tried again and failed a second time. This time he was furious and accused his men of treason. One of the men spoke up and said that Elisha the Prophet had been the one to inform the King of the trap so the General lead his men in search of Elisha. Upon finding him Elisha convinced him that Elisha was elsewhere and if they followed him he would take the Syrians to him. Elisha then led the Syrian Army into downtown where the Israelite's had them surrounded.

Instead of attacking, Elisha forbade the King and instructed that the Syrian Army be treated as guests and feed.

When the Syrian Army returned home with their report, the Syrian King was livid and lead his whole Army back to Israel and surrounded the city, blockading food and water from coming into the city. After a certain time, the Israelite's were starving to death and some were eating their children. The King blamed Elisha and vowed to take his life.

Meanwhile outside the city were four lepers. Lepers were outcasts as a means of preventing an outbreak of the disease. Their family members would bring them food and leave it and then the lepers could retrieve the food. But with the situation caused by the Syrian Army, there was no food for them and they knew that they too would soon starve. They knew they could not enter into the city in search of food for there was none and they knew that starvation was a cruel way to die. They also knew if they entered into the camp of the Syrian Army then would more than likely be put to death but decided it would be a quicker death than starvation and was worth the chance.

Upon entering the camp, they discovered the camp was empty and all the belongings of the Syrain Army had been left behind. There was food galore and money and fine garments and the four ate their fill and helped themselves to some fine clothes and jewels, gold, silver and other monies.

They soon realized that there was more than they could eat, more than they could wear, and more than enough money to meet the needs of a poor leper so they sent word to the King of their discovery. Even though the King suspected a Syrian trap he sent out a small scouting party who discovered that the story was true. With the food, clothing and monies and with the supply routes opened again, the people were soon filled and the city saved, prices of goods fell to all

time lows.

The reason I like this story is that it reminds me of what life is like without Christ and how we, as Christian who are weak in the faith react to worldly goods, but how we will react towards the lost once we realize all that is our through Christ.