I HAVE A DREAM

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Peace, Love, and Freedom

TWO DOWN, A LIFETIME TO GO

After two years of marriage Stephanie and I are still falling in love with each other every day. 2010 had its fill of difficult situations but we made it through each one with God's help. We are learning more about each other all the time. We're still getting to know each other which makes things tough at times, but once we have worked through an issue we get that much closer to each other.

Is it difficult? Not all the time.
Is it easy? Not all the time.
Is it like any other relationship we have (parents, siblings, friends, etc.)? Not all the time.

Steph is my best friend and I'm hers. Best friends are unique because they care about each other and get on each other's nerves all at once sometimes. It goes far beyond tolerating each other. It means that we know each other well enough to be certain that we are madly in love with each other regardless of what we're fussing about at the moment. The trick is to remind each other of that truth. Sometimes it's a lot easier than other times. But that's life, right?

I'm praying that this year reveals a lot more of that true love, respect, and trust that is making us better for each other all the time. When we're better for each other, it's a lot easier to be better to each other. When we're better to each other, it's a whole lot easier for us to get through the tough times. That makes it perfectly simple for us to live out the words of this song:



Happy anniversary, Baby! I love you now!!!

Peace, Love, and Great Marriage

LIFE LESSONS FROM DAD (Post # 300)

One month ago today Dad left this world to receive his reward. It's been a very difficult month, but it's given me more reason to reflect on the many things he taught me; Dad was such a great teacher (and the fact that I don't always get it right does not reflect the fact that he was such a great teacher). So, for my monumental 300th post, and in memory of Dad, I want to share my top ten list of the most important things he taught me. As was his custom, I'm going to back up every lesson with Scripture. I hope you get as much wisdom and insight from Dad as I have.

• 10. Always keep your promises. Jeremiah 44:25
• 9. Tell the truth, always. Zechariah 8:16
• 8. Get out of debt and stay out of debt. Proverbs 22:7
• 7. Do things right the first time. Jonah 1
• 6. Be kind to people, even when you don't want to. Matthew 25:34-40
• 5. Be patient. Ephesians 4:2
• 4. Never complain. 1 Corinthians 10:10
• 3. Work hard. Colossians 3:23-24
• 2. Trust God. Proverbs 3:5-6
• 1. Be good to each other (That was his marriage advice to Steph and me, but it works for everyone). Matthew 7:12

What else should I add to this list?

Peace, Love, and Dark Chocolate

COPING MECHANISMS

One of the worst parts of this past few weeks is figuring out how to cope. I am blessed beyond blessed to have a wife and daughter who have been so supportive and caring as I grieve for Dad. Now it's my turn to be supportive and caring while we grieve for the baby. I feel honored to say I provide some sense of strength and comfort for my family, but it's really not me providing that. It's God working through me. Either way, I'm trying to figure out the best ways to get through a time like this.

So far, I have come up with reading (especially Scripture), prayer, talking with family and friends who have been through the same types of situations, listening to uplifting & comforting music, reading, prayer, spending time with good friends who come to visit, singing (which is tougher to do when your heart is mangled like mine), reading, prayer, watching good movies, writing, and reading ... and prayer. I'm seriously considering training for a marathon, too. Otherwise, that's all I got.

What coping mechanisms do you suggest?

Peace, Love, and Dark Chocolate

I LOVE YOU, MAMA

Shalom

I'M AMAZED

Regardless of what I'm going through, regardless of my circumstances, regardless of my poor choices or lack of discipline, I can't help but be amazed at what Jesus went through for me. It puts my petty problems into perspective. It paints the perfect picture of perseverance. Knowing the sacrifice Jesus made for me, I have no choice but to be amazed.



Lord, I'm amazed by you - how you love me!

Peace, Love, and Dark Chocolate

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

AMAZING LOVE

Peace, Love, and Dark Chocolate

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

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

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

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