Sunday, February 28, 2010

AND I QUOTE...

"My partner married me because she or he thought the pleasing things I was doing during our courtship would continue for the rest of our lives. Am I holding up my end of this bargain?"
- Willard F. Harley, Jr.
from His Needs Her Needs




 
Peace, Love, and Dark Chocolate

Saturday, February 27, 2010

BE STILL



Peace, Love, and Dark Chocolate

Thursday, February 25, 2010

I GIVE UP

Considering everything that has happened over the past few weeks, I find it only appropriate to declare that I'm surrendering every aspect of my life to the One who gave me this life in the first place. I will accept whatever God places in my life, whether I like it or not. He is so much bigger than any trial or sorrow I might face. I want my life to bring glory to his name.

So, Lord, bring the rain if that's your will. You are holy.



God is good all the time, and all the time, God is good.

Peace, Love, and Dark Chocolate

SORROW FOR THE NIGHT, JOY FOR THE MORNING

I eagerly await the Day when there is no more sorrow. How wonderful it will be when the only tears we cry are tears of joy and awe at the sight of the Holy One!

Unfortunately, that Day hasn't come, yet. It will come soon enough (very soon), but until it comes, we must endure all of the pain, hardship, and brokenness this world has to offer.

There are some, though, who are already experiencing life face-to-face with the Father. One of the most recent is baby Lorna Ganeath Galatian.

Our sweet friends, Scott and Nanci Galatian, have been foster and adoptive parents for quite a while, but never had a child themselves. On Tuesday, February 23, that changed. Lorna was born weighing 2 lbs 11 oz, and was 16 inches long. She was relatively healthy for her age and size and was doing really well. Wednesday afternoon Lorna started having trouble. In a very short amount of time, she was gone. I don't know why God took her to be with Him so soon, but I do know that He is sovereign and faithful.

We have a great opportunity to show our love, support, and faithfulness to God's word by praying for the Galatian family. If you know them, I'm sure you've already been praying and contacting them. If you don't know them, I implore you to lift them up in prayer. This is a grief with which I'm not familiar, but I do know how much a family of believers can encourage a brother or sister in mourning.


"...weeping may remain for a night, but rejoicing comes in the morning." Ps. 30:5 

Shalom

Tuesday, February 23, 2010

A MODERN MUSICAL MASTERPIECE

This one is for musicians, especially musicians who have studied music and understand terms like "beat displacement" and "a bar of nineteen" and fusion/progressive rock.

This tune, I'm Tweaked, was written as kind of a joke. Vinnie was listening to a James Brown record and thought, "I wonder what would happen if this record were playing at a club and skipped. It would be hilarious to see people trying to dance to it." So, he wrote the tune.

This is not for the faint of heart. I will say, though, that this tune is one of the reasons Vinnie Colaiuta is one of my favorite drummers ever.

Enjoy!



You're welcome.

Peace, Love, and Dark Chocolate

Monday, February 22, 2010

UPDATE - 2.22.10

I know I said I wasn't going to post any more updates for a while, but this one is too good to pass up:

4:00 PM... Glory be to God for even more great news from the Bynum camp! DEBBIE IS GOING HOME TONIGHT!! She got herself up at 6:30 this morning, took a shower, and put her makeup on! Later, John got her walking the halls several times. One of the doctors stopped them in the hall and said that he wouldn’t have bet a nickel that she would be doing this great! Since John is a paramedic, the doctor said he is going to check out an IV pump and the meds she needs and send them home!!! They did make her promise not to go back to work this week and maybe next week. She will not need to go to the Rehab Center since she is doing so well and they can do any physical therapy she might need at home. Two of her doctors were off today but came in to tell her goodbye.


So, they are sending up a soft food tray and if she can get it all down without any trouble, they will be going home. John wanted me to pass along that he wants to have one big “Welcome Home” bash and invite everyone instead of several groups planning several different events…he doesn’t want to wear her out! Be looking for more info on that soon! John said Debbie would love to have visitors, but please call first to make sure she isn’t resting.
If that isn't an incredible example of the power of prayer, then I'm not bald!! PRAISE GOD!!!!!

Peace, Love, and Dark Chocolate

Sunday, February 21, 2010

PERFECT TIME

Quick update on Debbie: She is now in her own room and wants to go home. There is the possibility of her spending about a week in nearby Jim Thorpe Rehab Center to get some of her motor skills working a bit better before she heads home, but the fact of the matter is that she is making unbelievable progress! We praise God for his might, compassion, and faithfulness!!

It's Sunday morning as I type this. A perfect time to worship. Then again, it's always a perfect time to worship!



What are you thankful for today?

Peace, Love, and Dark Chocolate

Friday, February 19, 2010

UPDATE - 2.19.10

Here's the latest update on our dear sister, Debbie:
I just got off the phone with John. He told me that she has been awake and talking some today. She told John and the kids that she loved them. She told the nurse that she was ready to go home! She is having a little trouble with fine motor skills, but this is the be expected.



The therapist had been there and when I talked to John, Debbie was sitting up in a chair and talking! Ok, people. Let's stop for a second and let this sink in....Less than five days ago, we were just praying she would make it through the next hour. NOW, she is awake, sitting up in a chair and eating ice chips! What an AWESOME God we serve! Praise you God for your healing thus far of our precious sister, Debbie!!!


Now, here are some intructions from John and the doctors. She can still have visitors this weekend, but here is the thing. She still needs LOTS of rest to continue healing like she has the past few days. SO, the doctors said they HAVE to limit the number of people in the ICU to 2 at a time. AND NO SICK PEOPLE, PLEASE!!! If you are sick, you will NOT be allowed to see her! This is for HER protection as her system is still so fragile. Thank you for your understanding! Also, if there are too many people for everyone to be able to see her, PLEASE UNDERSTAND and not get your fellings hurt. It is nothing personal. Debbie stills needs to get her rest. We expect the weekend to be busy with visitors who can't come during the week, so if you CAN come during the week, that might be better.


So there ya go! I hope to keep giving these great updates!!!


God bless,
Delisa
How awesome is our God?! And how awesome is it that in a matter of just a few days, over 1,500 people have come together on facebook, not to mention the thousands of others who are not on facebook, to pray for this child of God?!

Let's continue to pray for Debbie and the Bynum family. It's certainly not over, but there is so much for which we can praise our compassionate Father.

In the meantime, I'll start getting back to other topics on this blog. I have a lot of thoughts I'd like to share here. Hopefully, I'll be able to make some sense of them and share them in a manner that readers will be compelled to discuss. Although I'm not really a writer, I appreciate feedback just like most any writer would.

Isn't God amazing?

Peace, Love, and Dark Chocolate

Thursday, February 18, 2010

UPDATE - 2.18.10

This is the latest update from Delisa:

4 PM... John just called and they were able to take the tubes out! They did make her promise not to try and use her voice or talk for 2 hours. I can only imagine how hard that is going to be for her!!
She is wiggling her toes and moving her hands when they ask her to. She is still a little slow to respond, like she's sleepy, but she is responding. John said she even seems to recognize people she hasn't seen in a while, so this is good. He said she is very emotional and cries pretty easily right now.

The Neurologist said it may be a while before they can tell if there are any neurological deficits but they are optimistic that there may not be any. She is recovering faster than they could have even imagined she would have.

Tyler went to the doctor and they said his feeling bad was probably due to stress. Please keep Tyler, Audrie and Shellie in your prayers. It cannot be easy watching your Mom suffer like that.

I am just hopeful that she will be able to talk to them soon! Keep the prayer coming, Prayer Warriors. She's not out of the woods yet, but the trees are getting thinner! :-)

And this is from Amy Hilterbran Bell, a friend of John and Debbie:


I just got off the phone with John. He said she has been talking some, and responding well. She is wanting a vanilla diet Dr.Pepper, lol, but she can't have one just yet!~ She is still very weak and tired, but at least we are getting good news, and moving forward! Thank you Jesus!
Praise God from whom all blessings flow! Keep praying!!!

Shalom

Wednesday, February 17, 2010

UPDATE - 2.17.10

Here's the latest on Debbie from the "Praying for Debbie Bynum" facebook group:

GREAT NEWS!!! John said that there were several visits from friends today...from high school and church. He said with the first visit of high school friends, she never opened her eyes, but starting crying when they talked to her. He didn't think she was really crying until the next set of visitors came in and she started crying again. He realized then that she really was crying. When another friend came in and said something like "Girl, I bet you're ready to go home!", she opened her eyes and NODDED "YES"! How great is this!!! The nurses came in and were amazed. John said she interacted with them in that way for about five minutes before she went back to sleep. The doctor said that if she is still doing well in the morning, they are going to take her off the ventilator. They said it will still take a while for her to get up and around. This is such great news!


Thank you for your continued prayers for the Bynum Family. They can feel the love and prayers from everyone of you!



Several of you have mentioned CarePages to me. I just set up a CarePage for Debbie, mainly for those who are not on Facebook. Please spread the word!


https://www.carepages.com/carepages/DebbieBynum


God bless,
Delisa
Keep praying! It's working!! God is faithful and mighty to save!!!

Shalom

Tuesday, February 16, 2010

UPDATE - 2.16.09


There have been a few developments, but Debbie is still in need of our prayers. If you're on facebook, I would like to invite you to join the group "Praying for Debbie Bynum." There, you will find updates and a community of over a thousand praying right along with you. God has been so gracious to us so far, and we know He is faithful. Don't be afraid to let Him know how much she means to us. Even if you don't know her, you can pray for her because she is a sister in Christ.

Here is an update from Delisa McKinzie on the Facebook page:

8pm...Our Acappella family (singers, wives and kids) just returned from the hospital. The guys got to go in and sing a few songs to Debbie. She is still unresponsive, but I believe she heard them. After they finished, I, along with the other wives and two daughters got to go in and see her for a few minu...tes. John called as we were on our way home and asked us to pray for a concern at the moment that has to do with her heart. If I understood him right, something in her heart is not firing like it should. They were getting ready to take her to get an EKG and a sonogram so they know what they are dealing with. The doctors feel like she had a few small wins today. They expect days where she has some wins and some setbacks, but we will take the wins today and give God all the glory!



She still has a LONG road ahead so DON'T STOP PRAYING! The next few days are critical! And please say an extra prayer for strength for John. He is not sleeping very much at all!

Keep the prayers going up!

Shalom

Monday, February 15, 2010

URGENT PRAYER REQUEST!!!

If you're reading this, please stop and pray for our sister and friend, Debbie Bynum. Debbie is the wife of Acappella's manager, John, and is in ICU with bacterial meningitis and severe sepsis. Here is an email I just received from Delisa McKinzie that will help explain the situation further:

I just spoke with John and here is what he told me…

Debbie has a very rare strand of bacterial meningitis. It is not contagious, however, it is the hardest to fight and kills 4 out of every 6 people. She also has an abscess behind her ear that is leaking puss around her brain. She also has pneumonia. The first two weeks are critical and the doctor is trying to be optimistic. He gives her a 50/50 chance at this point, IF she can make it through the next week or two. Then, he feels 95% sure they can start to get things back for her with some very intensive treatment and medications. The doctor said she is not going to fight this quickly…it will be a 6-8 week process, assuming she makes it through the next few weeks.

John said that one of four things will happen…
1) This will overcome her and we will lose her.
2) She will fight it, but never be better than she is now.
3) She will fight it and will get some of her motor skills back, but could still have brain damage.
4) OR…she will make a full and complete recovery.

They have done a CT scan and MRI to see exactly where the abscess is because they have to remove it. When they find out, they may move her to either a hospital in Dallas, Baptist (here in OKC) or St. Francis. Please keep praying…continually. This sweet lady is fighting for her life right now and she needs us!!! And we are praying that they will keep her here in OKC so we can be there for John!

I will keep you posted as I hear more.


God bless,
Delisa
Shalom

Friday, February 12, 2010

GREATEST LOVE SONGS

So, we're at Valentine's Day. I figure it's only appropriate, since we've been talking about love so much lately, to compile a list of some of the greatest love songs ever. This is, by no means, the be-all, end-all list, and it's in no particular order. It's just a list of ten great songs about love. Enjoy!

1. My Girl (The Temptations)
2. L-O-V-E (Nat "King" Cole)
3. I've Got A Great Idea (Harry Connick, Jr.)
4. My Better Half (Bobby McFerrin)
5. What Happened To The World That Day? (Tower Of Power)
6. You're The Inspiration (Peter Cetera/Chicago)
7. Wind Beneath My Wings (Bette Midler)
8. Storybook (from The Princess Bride)
9. Stay With You (John Legend)
10. Yes, I Do (Me)

What are some of your favorite love songs? This is an "all-skate" question. No lurking allowed!!!

Peace, Love, and Dark Chocolate

Thursday, February 11, 2010

AMAZING LOVE



Peace, Love, and Dark Chocolate

Wednesday, February 10, 2010

SPECIAL KIND OF LOVE

When I tell you of true love will you listen?
If I sing of wondrous love will you hear?
Will you open up your heart
Be responsive from the start
to the love we'd love to share?
It's very near

Chorus:
Love, there's a special kind of love
That defines the human soul
Everyone should know
This special kind of love
Ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh
Love, there's a special kind of love
That will really see the best survive
Bringing a feeling so alive
This special kind of love
This special kind of love

For this special kind of love cannot be hidden
It's a power that cannot be overcome
Changing everything, it knows no other equal
And was shown to us through Jesus Christ His Son
(God's own Son)

Repeat Chorus

And this special kind of love will last forever
It will bring the promised land within our view
Meeting all our hearts' desires and true fulfillings
With transforming power to heal and make us new

Repeat Chorus

Special kind of love
This special kind of love
Special kind of love
This special kind of love

When I tell you of true love will you listen?
Scriptural Reference:
"Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through Him. . . In this way, love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment, because in this world we are like him. There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear. . ."
1 John 4:7-9,17-18


Peace, Love, and Dark Chocolate

Tuesday, February 09, 2010

A PERFECT OPPORTUNITY TO LOVE

Please check out this post from my friend, Brandon Scott Thomas. It's a perfect opportunity to love someone you may not even know.

Don't delay. Do it now.


IT IS URGENT!!!






Peace, Love, and Dark Chocolate

Monday, February 08, 2010

LOVE: THE SUMMARY

If you haven't noticed, I've been thinking about love a lot lately. I want to learn what it means to love the way Jesus loves. I know it'll take a lot of time, effort, and prayer, but I know that's what God wants me all of us to do.

"We love because he first loved us." 1 John 4:19



In case you missed a lyric:

For another simple, yet powerful, definition of love, check out these lyrics from the last track on Anthony Evans's new album "Undisguised" entitled Love Is:

Love is willing to get hurt
Love gives, needing no return
When love lives, it needs no words of love
That's what love is

What does love mean - or look like - to you? This is an all-skate question: no lurking. It's been too quiet for too long here. Let's have a group discussion.

Peace, Love, and Dark Chocolate

Sunday, February 07, 2010

WHO DAT


Congratulations to the New Orleans Saints for winning Super Bowl XLIV!


Congratulations to Drew Brees for becoming the MVP in Super Bowl XLIV!


Congratulations to the city of New Orleans (and the "Who Dat Nation") for overcoming incredible odds and finding new strength!

Peace, Love, and Dark Chocolate

Saturday, February 06, 2010

THE LOOK OF LOVE, pt. 12

When problems arise, love never fails.
When bad news is spread, love never fails.
When our enemies close in for the kill, love never fails.

Love will always be with us.
Love will never leave us or forsake us.
Love will always have a place for us.

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
Love never fails.
1 Corinthians 13:4-8
Peace, Love, and Dark Chocolate

Friday, February 05, 2010

THE LOOK OF LOVE, pt. 11

Sometimes all you can do is keep going.
"[Love] always perseveres..." 1 Cor. 13:7

What is something that makes you persevere in the name of love?

Peace, Love, and Dark Chocolate

Thursday, February 04, 2010

THE LOOK OF LOVE, pt 10

Hope is a belief in a positive outcome related to events and circumstances in one's life. Hope is the feeling that what is wanted can be had or that events will turn out for the best.
When used in a religious context, hope carries a connotation of being aware of what Christians see as spiritual truth; see Hope (virtue). In Christian theology, hope is one of the three theological virtues (faith, hope, and love), which are spiritual gifts of God. In contrast to the above, it is not a physical emotion but a spiritual grace. Hope is distinct from positive thinking, which refers to a therapeutic or systematic process used in psychology for reversing pessimism. The term false hope refers to a hope based entirely around a fantasy or an extremely unlikely outcome.
(quote from Wikipedia's definition of "hope")

When we put clothes on love, dress it like a human, it looks like hope; not the I-hope-I-get-a-million-dollars-in-the-mail type of hope, but the my-hope-is-in-You,-Lord type.

"[Love] always hopes..." 1 Cor. 13:7

It's the type of hope that quells your deepest fears. It's the type of hope that calms your raging storms. It's the type of hope that leads to everlasting joy, peace, life.

When you look at love, do you see hope?

Peace, Love, and Dark Chocolate

Wednesday, February 03, 2010

THE LOOK OF LOVE, pt 9

Trust. Such a delicate, tricky subject.

Who are we supposed to trust?
Family, friends, church workers, law enforcement, medical professionals, etc., etc. 
What about those family members, friends, church workers, and so on whom we can't trust...or don't trust?
What are we supposed to do with them?
"[Love] always trusts..." 1 Cor. 13:7

Always?

Who or what does it trust? The thief? The rapist? The child molester? The porn addict? The adulterer?

Although each of these people were created by God, in His image and likeness - and although we are commanded by Jesus himself to love everyone (including our enemies) - does that mean we trust them?

I submit that we are not called to trust the people we don't know, or the "bad guys", or anyone else who fits into similar categories. However, we are called to trust God and His sovereignty, and His wisdom, and His Spirit to help us discern those whom we should trust.

This takes a little work on our part. We must pray. Not just talking to God, but listening for Him to speak in whatever way He chooses. Maybe He's talking through trustworthy friends,  maybe through something you read, maybe through a tv ad or movie. Whatever the method, He still speaks to us.

And the best part? We can trust God!

How's your trust shaping up? Is it looking like love?

Peace, Love, and Dark Chocolate


Monday, February 01, 2010

THE LOOK OF LOVE, pt 8

When we need protection from dangerous people, we call for help.
When we need protection from our dangerous selves, we seek a different type of help.
When we need protection from spiritual dangers, we summon our ever-present Help.


"[Love] always protects." (1 Cor. 13:7)

How do you protect those whom you love?

Peace, Love, and Dark Chocolate