Tonsil surgery can kill you!

This one is sensitive, and wholly terrible. Apparently a 13 year old eighth grader, Jahi McMath, went in for tonsil surgery, a suggestion made by her doctor in hopes that it would alleviate: sleep apnea, weight gain, uncontrolled urination, short attention span and inability to concentrate. The surgery was performed and the girl was ok, asking for popsicles due to a sore throat. Then, next thing they knew she was bleeding profusely and is now declared legally brain dead. The coroners wants to go in there and take her off life support so that they can determine the cause of death. They argue that while she's on the ventilator and other support machines her body might heal and cover up any evidence if there's some sort of malpractice situation. The family on the other hand, is deeply disturbed and hopeful that a miracle will occur. They think they should determine when to pull the plug.

Have you ever been in a situation like that? Chances are pretty slim and while you might not be too inclined to believe me, the truth is, I have. You see, in 2000 my little brother was in a heinous car accident that left him with third degree burns over fifty percent of his body. It caused him to lose half of his left arm via amputation and it completely altered his facial qualities as his nose and ears were mostly burned off. That said, there was a point, during his medicinally induced coma that the doctors declared the swelling in his brain was too extensive, that he was going to be brain dead due to it (this is what they are saying about that little girl too). I sat in a room with my immediate family (and our significant others at the time) and we discussed what my brother would have us do; he was only 19. I spoke first and shared that I knew he would not want to live on a machine. Everyone agreed. Thusly, we had determined that we would indeed have the doctors disconnect him, end his life, say goodbye without him ever knowing (unless of course brain dead people can actually hear). I cannot tell you the extent of pain that caused but I was certain it was what he would want.

Here's where things got a little weird. We all sat in that room in silence. I am certain that there were prayers being lifted up. I know that I was not walking with the Lord as I should have been; I was living a life He definitely wouldn't and didn't approve of and I suspect our conversations were severely limited but I'm pretty sure I asked Him to save my brother that day. Obviously I can't tell you what was occurring in the hearts and minds of all the other silent people in that room but if I were a betting woman (and I'm not, thanks to my Pappaw, but that's another story in itself) I'd say mine wasn't the only prayer that day. Anyway, shortly after we'd made that heart-wrenching decision, the doctors came back in and told us that they'd made a mistake, that they'd misplaced the gauge, and that when they'd done a second test the swelling was nothing like they'd thought; he was OK. While the depth of relief that flooded that room was immense and quite tangible, there was a sense of, "we almost killed him." Imagine that for a little while, will you?

I know that the concept of vegetables and life-support is controversial, I get that, look at all that went on with the Terri Schiavo (it was big news in Florida). I even get how difficult the decision is when someone you love is being sustained by machines, when they can't eat on their own, when they can't breathe on their own; I get it, really and truly I do! But here's what I'm thinking, people don't leave this world without the Father's approval (and some people will be bothered by that thought I'm sure). He has to OK all deaths, all mishaps, accidents and tragedies. I'm not saying He likes them or is happy about them, but He allows certain things to happen, it's that simple. We cannot pretend to know why He does allow horrific calamities but if we love Him, then we know He has our good in mind even when it makes NO sense. When I think about this little girl and all the things she was enduring prior to the surgery, I suspect her life wasn't the most enjoyable, maybe He was taking her out of her own tragedy? Something to consider I guess. By the way, if you want to read the article here it is: Jahi McMath.

Orwellian Spies....

So everyone was in a tizzy about Edward Snowden, the supposed traitor. Now, I don't claim to know a lot about that whole situation but based on what I just read out of Yahoo! News, I'm glad he's a whistle blower. Here's the basis of the story: The NSA (National Security Agency) has been collecting data on all American citizens via their phone conversations. How do you like that? Anyway, Snowden (an ex-NSA contractor) apparently let the American people in on the situation and now this Obama approved set-up is under scrutiny and being dealt with in the courts.

The government is saying that they need to do this surveillance in order to prevent terrorism. However, Judge Richard Leon says, "The Government does not cite a single instance in which analysis of the NSA’s bulk metadata collection actually stopped an imminent attack, or otherwise aided the Government in achieving any objective that was time-sensitive in nature.” He went so far as to say that James Madison (one of the Founding Fathers) would be aghast if he were here today. He also said, that the government's ability to spy on its citizens was "almost Orwellian."

In case you are unfamiliar with the whole Orwellian concept, I'll try to break it down for you. George Orwell wrote a book, 1984, which he published in 1949 (by the way, his real name is: Eric Arthur Blair). The book predicted, quite freakishly, exactly what we see going on today. He called the government Big Brother and basically they controlled everything, could see you wherever you were (GPS in cell phones) and could hear your conversations (apparently the NSA). If you haven't read it, feel free to pick it up and be disturbed by his uncanny prophetic like vision.

That explained, Judge Leon is rallying against the NSA, Edward Snowden is cheering him on and hopefully the rest of the sheepish American republic will grow some and stand up against the socialism that is quickly eroding our Constitution. Leon said, "I cannot believe the Government would create, maintain, and so ardently defend such a system.” And Snowden added, "I acted on my belief that the NSA's mass surveillance programs would not withstand a constitutional challenge, and that the American public deserved a chance to see these issues determined by open courts. Today, a secret program authorized by a secret court was, when exposed to the light of day, found to violate Americans' rights. It is the first of many."

Certainly this is a politically volatile piece and while I suppose I could debate the issue with you all I really want to do is point something out. Please note that Snowden concluded that exposure to the light brought about change. Read it again, "when exposed to the light of day, (it) was found to violate
Americans' rights." Nothing can resist the light, no depth of darkness, no massive weight of evil, no pitch black soul can remain hidden when exposed to the Light of the One who made the day. I know we like to think that the things we do, think and say that no one else is privy to are therefore off limits, the Truth is, the Bible tells us that all things will be made known, that nothing that is hidden will remain thus. Our government can be as sneaky as it wants to be but it's got nothing on God. There is no one in power that wasn't given that position via the divine discretion of the Deity.

I know people get concerned when they find things out like what was discussed previously, but if we believe in our Savior, if we adhere to His Word, then we understand that no matter how many battles evil appears to win, God who is good, wins the war. Friends, if you want to know what happens in the end, if you want to know where this world is headed, and if you want to know how to secure your eternity all you have to do is pick up the best selling book in the world. Only God's Word could maintain such prolific support. You need Jesus, not a bomb shelter, doomsday prepping skills or a big-wig connection. Jesus is the answer, He sees more and hears more than our government could ever hope to.

Universal Collapse!

According to some scientists in Denmark, we stand the chance of seeing the universe collapse on itself and destroy everything within it. In fact, according to them, "Maybe the collapse has already started somewhere in the universe and right now is eating its way into the rest of the universe …"
Perhaps you're not one for scientific jargon, but they've basically claimed to prove that a subatomic particle known as, Higgs boson, could very well be the end of life as we know it. They speculate that it creates some sort of "bubble" that essentially adds mass to everything it comes in contact with causing some type of weighty-implosion.

The article, found on news.com.au, definitely uses some scare tactics. The writer tells readers, "mankind and everything we know could cease to exist and the process might already have started." In fact, readers are warned at the very beginning of the article that they should take their vacations now because the universe is about to collapse and be squeezed into a tiny ball. Fear is the goal here and I suspect that if you are uninformed, Biblically uneducated, it might work.

Here's the thing, yes, the universe and everything in it will come to a tragic end; we've been warned in Revelation (should we choose to muster up the fortitude to read it). Fear, however, is not a necessity when looking at and anticipating this calamity. Certainly there's the Scripture that tells us that we haven't been given a Spirit of fear (and continues by sharing what we have been given) but even more important than that is people fear the unknown, the things that can surprise and shock them. Eternity is not unknown, the end of creation is not shocking, nothing of that level of significance has been hidden from us if we trust the Maker of it all and if we believe His every Word. He told us the end from the beginning.

Fear is the world's method of making us squirm, it keeps us uneasy, it makes us choose not to trust others, it makes us focus on ourselves. Fear is in direct revolt and complete rebellion when it comes to the way that God wants us to live our lives. Yes, He says we should fear Him and that's really so that we'll learn to respect Him, not so that we can cringe. Listen, if He wants to use some subatomic particle to make the universe swallow itself that's His prerogative, He's God, but He's already told us that the end will come in the form of fire. It's all going to burn, but if we want to sit around nit-picking how it's going to do so I guess we're entitled to that level of time wastage. However, I suspect every moment would be better served teaching other people that fear is not necessary but salvation is!

By the way, in case you don't go read that whole article, they conclude by saying, "If the universe contains undiscovered particles, the whole basis for the prediction would prove false." What a ridiculous piece of scientific proof!

That Bull Shark Enemy

Surfer, 10, Survives Run-In With Shark

 

Today's news, via ABC: "All of a sudden, we realized something was wrong," Hussey said. "We even on the boardwalk could see that it was a shark." The animal snapped at Royston's leash - a cord every surfer wears around his ankle to tie him to his board. Royston was pulled underwater and his surf board went straight up in the air, perpendicular to the water. "Somehow, I don't know how, he had the presence of mind to take off his leash," Hussey said. "He got away, and the shark was tangled up in the leash."

 

Ok, so here's this kid in the middle of some surfing competition and shortly after the Discovery Channel airs Shark Week - whamo, a bull shark pulls him off his board and underwater. This Hussey person that ABC quoted is saying that this wasn't an attack but an encounter...claiming that if the shark had wanted to attack, the outcome would have been different. Perhaps Hussey is correct, although the insinuation that the shark got caught up in the leash kind of screams attack to me. I am quite thankful that the shark was unsuccessful in his/her desire for destruction, but I'd call it an attack anyway.

 

As I was reading this article I was thinking, "How many times does the enemy attempt to attack us, to pull us off our boards and try to drown us?" When I think about it that way I definitely would label this an attack. I have to consider the armor of God that we are to put on everyday and then I wonder if this kid had that kind of armor on him or if his angel that sees God's face (Matthew 18:10) just took care of him? Regardless, we need to be keenly aware of the enemy's frequent attacks, or encounters. He's always looking for ways to take us down, to destroy us.

 

How many times has he succeeded? How many times has he grabbed the leash that holds you to your Faith and shook it so hard that you lost your balance and slammed into the oceanic current of sin? How many times has he sunk his razor sharp teeth into your resolve to turn away from evil, your conviction to leave a bad relationship or give up an addiction? How many times has that bull shark enemy defeated you? Finally, I have to ask you, why? If you serve the God of the universe, the King of Kings, there is absolutely no reason that the enemy's encounters need to be attacks. Pray that if he manages to get you off your board you'll have the presence of mind to get out of the water leaving him to get tangled up in his own mess.

He will give us a heart transplant...

Teen Denied Transplant Over 'Noncompliance'

 

Yep, that's the title of a piece found on ABC. Here's what the writer had to say, "Doctors at Children's Healthcare of Atlanta at Egleston told the family of 15-year-old Anthony Stokes that they won't put him on the transplant list because of his history of "noncompliance," according to ABC's Atlanta affiliate WSBTV. "

 

Incredible, right? Hard to believe for sure, but click here to read it. Anyway, when I saw the title on Yahoo, I thought "You can't be serious?" However, they are indeed serious. Apparently Anthony has been in trouble with the law and has poor grades. In addition, he's got an enlarged heart and only six months to live. I'm willing to bet that in his humanity, good grades and being buddies with cops aren't at the top of his to do list. I'm not condoning bad behavior in the slightest, but I just wanted to preface my conversation on the topic with the fact that I get it, who's worried about being a law abiding citizen and a straight A student when he's only got six months left on earth? At least, what unsaved, average Joe is?

 

That's where the main issue comes up for me. First of all, who are these doctors, or hospitals, or administrative bigwigs that feel they have the right to condemn this 15 year old to death? After all, denying him a transplant is a sentence in itself. What if your bad-behind child was in the same situation? Would you be ok with that kid missing out on life due to previous poor choices? And here's where I really want your thoughts to go...what if God said, "Sorry, no eternal life for you due to noncompliance. You haven't proven that you will walk in My ways." Look at what they said about Anthony: "They said they don't have any evidence that he would take his medicine or that he would go to his follow-ups," Melencia Hamilton, Anthony's mother, told WSBTV."

 

Seriously, what if God told you, "You haven't shown that you will read My Word, that you will spend time with Me in prayer, sorry, I am denying your salvation opportunity." Here's the thing, we are all noncompliant when it comes to Holiness, Righteousness, we can't prove ourselves prior to our salvation and we can only attempt to afterward, but at least He gives us the chance. This kid needs to be given as much a chance as anyone else on that list. He might not have proven himself thus far, but that's possibly because he's figured he didn't have a reason to, just like the rest of lost humanity. We should be so thankful that our Father loves us, that He gave His Son for us and that no matter how noncompliant we have been in this life, He will give us a heart transplant (Ezekiel 36:26).

Everything with a Grain of Salt - Shark Week

So, it's Shark Week on Discovery. Thankfully, Verizon has provided the whole thing On Demand. Thusly I had the joy of watching the first day's episodes this evening. This means that I saw the piece they did on Megalodon and I am definitely not the only one. In fact, CNN reported, "The "Megalodon" show brought in record ratings for Discovery, with 4.8 million viewers tuning in. In the 26-year history of Shark Week, "Megalodon" is the highest-rated and most-watched Shark Week episode to date."

The CNN article seems to be pretty angry with the Discovery Channel for airing this show which implied, though failed to prove, the current existence of megalodon. I have to laugh at the whole thing because of course they cited that, " as National Geographic notes, the megalodon has been extinct for millions of years..." Perhaps you are wondering why I find that funny? Well, who at National Geographic has been around for millions of years? Yes, I get that they use so-called carbon-dating (this link will take you to an article on that topic) to ascertain when such extinct animals swam in the deep.

I guess I am of the mindset that all kinds of pre-historic things can still be out there. I'd prefer to cite the Word. Job spoke frequently about a being that he called the Leviathan. Isaiah describes it as a serpent (Isaiah 27:1 - I envision the  Loch Ness Monster); Job talks about reeling it in with a fishhook (Job 41:1 - I think megalodon) and David writes that it frolics in the sea (Psalm 104:26) . The truth is, as  "The executive producer of Shark Week, Michael Sorensen, points out...with 95 percent of the ocean unexplored, who really knows?" It doesn't seem like something to get your panties in a wad about.

Listen, if the Bible can reference large creatures that are extremely horrifying, I really don't have a problem believing that megalodon is still out there. Does that make me a quack? If so, ok. Look at what Job warns, "When Leviathan rises, the mighty are terrified; they withdraw because of his thrashing..." (41:25 HCSB). I suspect the people that were in that cage when that giant thing swam by were pretty terrified, not to mention the people whose boat got sunk. Science is great, don't get me wrong, but the truth is, science came from man's desire to prove God's existence and has since turned into the complete opposite. I'll tell you what my dad always tells me, "Take everything with a grain of salt."

We are all murderers

Teen soccer player pleads guilty in death of Utah referee

This is one of the many disturbing headlines today. Yes, a seventeen year old kid got mad at the ref,

punched him in the head and killed him. Initially they thought the guy would live but then he went into a coma and died a week later. What are we teaching our children about sportsmanship? When did it become ok to just punch someone because you didn't like what that person said? Have we walked away from the negative stigma of being a sore loser?

I have to admit that I do appreciate part of this kid's punishment, "The teen will be required to have a photograph of Portillo, 46, on his wall and to write weekly letters to the referee's family to tell them of his efforts toward rehabilitation." I think that seeing the face of the man he killed, for the next three years as he spends his time in juvie will be quite the wake-up call. That said though, I have to wonder if we would appreciate the same discipline for every person we've killed?

What? You probably said, shocked that I would imply you are a murderer. However, if you've ever hated anyone, guess what? You are a MURDERER according to Jesus. Oh and by the way, if you've ever lusted after someone else you're also an ADULTERER. The sad truth is there are no good people. Not that I want to make light of what this teenager did, in fact I find it very troublesome. However, I know that my God can't look at any sin, whether it be the little white lies we tell our spouses, friends and children, or punching someone in the face with such force that death occurs. A sin is a sin is a sin.

Thankfully there is hope. That same God that can't look at our multitude of sins gave Himself for us so that those sins could be erased, tossed into the depths of the sea, thrown as far as east is from west. He wants to forgive our transgressions and invite us into fellowship with Him. He loves that seventeen year old and I pray that His love will be revealed to that young man so that when he comes out in three years, he will be a changed man.