Blessings to you through our Lord Jesus Christ and Glory to our Father in heaven!!

I realize it has been some time since my last update and I pray that your time has been wonderful and fruitful for the glory of God and edification of our brothers and sisters. I have been through a great deal of ups and downs with a magnificent gift of time for reading and growth in my faith along the way.

Over the course of the past couple weeks, I have battled physical limitations but through the wisdom and guidance of skilled doctors, it appears that my infection has been cleared. I no longer have the green discharge from my surgical site nor the red swelling I had been experiencing. One thing that is still of concern, however, is a perpetual hot-to-the-touch knee. Most of the information I know and read about indicates that this is a sign of infection though my doctors believe it is not the case as I have not had a fever or chills. I would ask for continued prayers on this point.

In good news, I have had my staples removed and my knee looks a million times better as most of the bruising has dissipated. I still have a tint of yellowish green coloring as the bruising continues to work itself out. I am attaching a couple pictures of my leg after surgery for those interested but be warned that they are not pleasant images. Furthermore, my physical therapy is going well and my repetitions have steadily increased with an introduction of weights beginning tomorrow. I have also been cleared to walk without crutches and maintain decent posture while walking on the treadmill. I look forward to seeing all of my coworkers next Monday as I return to work and loved catching up with my brothers and sisters at church last night. What a blessing you all are to my life and I thank God for you!!

As for mobility…it’s coming around though I get rather swollen and tired quickly. I have been able to get good sleep the past week, averaging twelve hour evenings though last night was restless and aching. I have just returned home last night from a gracious and loving stay at my best friends’ house over the past few weeks. I’m attempting to get into a normal rhythm at home before the major shift back to work.

In the realm of spiritual and emotional, I have had a fabulous time reading through several books of the Bible as well as five outside books from great authors and pastors. I have spent beautiful moments with friends and can’t wait to see what God has in store for my future. What a sovereign God we serve and merciful, gracious, and loving is He!!

Thank you for your prayers and kind words. If I haven’t seen you yet, know that I want to and there is a big hug awaiting you when that opportunity arises. May God be with you and draw you near to Himself with every breath!!

Good evening to you all. I pray that you are enjoying sweet time with family and friends or a beautiful evening of rest.

The past couple of days have been somewhat rough with great moments sprinkled in along the way. Beginning on Saturday, I was struck by the warmth of my operated leg versus the rest of my body. Even when icing, the small hole on top of my knee, not receiving ice, would be overwhelmingly hot while the areas with ice would be cool to the touch. That evening I found myself submerged in a pain and discomfort that seemed inescapable. It didn’t matter what I did, comfort was not achievable and thus no rest either. Odd as it is, for a guy who tends to sleep through anything, my leg found a way to keep me awake. Soon I began to itch in a manner that made me want to crawl out of my skin….but to where can I go?? As morning broke, I found relief…in some grand cosmic manner to which I have little logical explanation, the reading if scripture and the rising of the sun culminated in a moment of rest and peace.

Throughout the day on Sunday, I served as best I could at church and concluded my day in a meeting for our upcoming church campus that we are planting around my job and apartment. It was a magnificent day of service to my Lord! With spirits high, I ventured back home….physically exhausted and mentally prepared for a nap. With a few short hours napping I was met, yet again, by the heat, aching, and itching experienced the night before. As I watched the hours tick by in anguish, I was met with text messages from a wonderful young woman who reminded me of the sufficiency of Christ. She poured out for me, in short text message sentences, scripture (2 Corinthians 12: 7 – 10) that gave an account of the Apostle Paul and some of his interactions with pain and suffering. God’s response is directed at the heart of any complaint or cry for help – “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness..”

So often we get lost in the mix of life and our heart and eyes become focused on the things of here and now. In a type of spiritual myopia, we find ourselves locked into a sort of comfort bubble. We convince ourselves that we are ok…perhaps good enough….and that God’s purpose in our life is to continue to bless us with comfort and stability. The questions start running rampant in our heads and hearts: why? Why me? Why this? Why now? What does all if this mean?? What does God intend for this situation and circumstances??

Of course, for those of us familiar with scripture, it is ever evident throughout the Bible that we are to expect suffering. That as we follow Christ, we will be persecuted and we will suffer. He doesn’t imply that it’s a roll of the dice to see who does and who doesn’t, He says that we WILL….all of us who follow Him. Furthermore, He will be ever present in that suffering and through it, He will purify us, as gold and silver pass through fire to be purified….and He will be glorified as we depend on Him to suffer well. This helps answer so many of the questions that leap out of us at the first sense of discomfort and pain….the other revelation is a statement I posted on twitter and facebook which really boils down to a reflection on how quickly we seek the easy button to alleviate the physical suffering at its earliest stages yet we tend to be so passive when it comes to the suffering caused by our sin. We fail to recognize the pain it causes and the anguish we experience as a result of rebelling against God.

From that Sunday evening, I recall lying awake at night waiting and praying that my best friends’ baby would wake so that I could seek some benedryl to relieve the itch…minutes seemed like hours. Beautifully, Christ rescued me again as I lay here contemplating these many subjects….He granted me rest without the need for anything of this world to assist me.

Monday was a new day and it began with some relief as I engaged in conversation with my friends here. A new week had begun…back to physical therapy and resting my leg. As I began to prepare for a bath I noticed some alarming signs. There was a green coloring on my gauze in a few small areas and my leg was covered in little red dots. The green appeared to be coming from the holes in my leg and the red dots conspicuously covered my leg from hip to ankle. My medical sensors started to twitch as the pieces vegan falling into place. I needed to talk to a doctor and figured I’d ask the physical therapist to take a close look. With some sense of haste I was granted an appointment with my surgeon and was ushered into an evaluation room. After a quick look, the doc prescribed a new antibiotic and issued me an order to remove the brace on my leg and leave it unwrapped. I was off to reunite with my bed for some rest as my body seems to become increasingly tired and exhausted. I have departed for momentary bathroom breaks and food but believe this to be a good time to remain horizontal with eyes shut as much as possible. I did, however, sneak out for a meeting with ny small group….a group that I love dearly and that I am extremely grateful for!!

This concludes my recap…bringing you to this moment as I toss back and forth in bed. The itching sensation and the heat have not departed me….yet the questions and uncertainty have. I lay here, ever confident in the plan that God has for my time in this suffering…unwavering in the great love that He pours out on me….and ready for where ever He takes me. Here am I Lord, send me.

Please continue to pray for me…as I continue to pray for you. You are dear to me and precious are you to our God in heaven. Grace and peace to you…and Glory to the Lord!!

Good morning to you all!!

I trust that the world continues to turn and the bustle of life has not quieted much….beside, of course, my singing…

It is officially six days post surgery and I have been continuing to do well. My body has been dealing well with the trauma to my leg and I have continued to be in wonderful care by loving friends and my Christian family. Thank God for the family He grants us in Christ!!

All in all, I have been very blessed to this point, praise Jesus!! I had one rough day (Tuesday) where I did not feel well at all and have had a sense of ups and downs. I attribute some of the lightheadedness and nausea to the thinner blood as a result of the aspirin I’m on. Physical therapy has been great!! The personnel have been a pleasure to work with and the exercises have proven effective for strengthening my leg. I’m still working on trying to get my quad to fire (electrically) and contract on command. Do to the lightheadedness, I haven’t been as productive as I had hoped I’d be but the beauty is that I have been able to spend hours in prayer which has been remarkable!!!

Last night was my worst night yet. Around midnight I woke to a bone splitting pain…literally felt like my bones where splitting in half. I tried all sorts of things (changing positions, re-wrapping my leg, elevating higher) but finally broke down to taking some of the pain medication I’ve been given. I still feel it pretty bad today and wonder if this is a sign that my nervous system is reconnecting. Maybe I’ll be able to contract my quad on command now. In either case, my prayer is to see God in this pain, to see Him in my discomfort, and to be ever mindful that He is purposeful and faithful.

Some additional praises: I have had time with my best friends and my God son…fun games with my best friend’s niece and nephew visiting from Wisconsin….and sweet moments with a girl and her daughter (who were in my very first small group). I have read some great stories of life change that have occurred from interaction with His Word and His people…and I have enjoyed sweet moments of reflection.

Prayer requests: please pray that my thoughts and emotions continue to be focused on Jesus Christ….that my affection for Him be stirred by every encounter with the things in this world….and that others may come to know Him through my life’s actions and words.

Blessings to you all!! May you know how much I love you all and look forward to when I can see you again!!

Hey all,

I just wanted to send you an update on my surgery and current situation. First, however, I want to thank you for your prayers and support. I know how unworthy I am of God’s favor and am extremely thankful for His gracious mercy!!! Furthermore, I am grateful for you….the people God has put in my life to use as instruments in demonstrating His love and compassion for me.

Regarding surgery: I was not expecting this particular aspect but the doctor deemed my meniscus to be un-repairable and therefore he made the decision that full removal of it was most beneficial for my long term health and well being. I praise Jesus for the knowledge and insight He has given the medical staff taking care of me and feel confident in the fact that He is the master planner who ensures all things are done for His glory and the good of those who love Him. I can assure you that I love Him and am confident in His promise to me.

Over the past day I have been feeling good and have had a great multitude of care from my lovely friends. I have slept quite a bit although I awoke every couple of hours to take medication and have been connected to a machine that continuously moves my leg. I have since started to gain feeling in my leg which is accompanied with some pain and muscle spasms but all seems to be well and as explained to me.

At this time, I am spending some time reveling in the rest I have been granted, the company surrounding me, and several books I’ve been wanting to read. I pray and ask your prayers that this time be one of continued solidarity in my beliefs and trust in Christ along with enormous affection for who He is and what He is doing in my life today.

Thank you again!! God bless you!! Lord willing, I will see you again soo

So….of course, it goes without saying, I have been away from updating my blog for some time. I have been through quite a few areas of life and blogging has not been on the forefront of my mind.

Over the past year or so, I have spent time traveling for pleasure, taking mission trips to Ukraine, and studying quite a bit. In the more recent past, I have completed a study group through a book called: Instruments in the Redeemer’s Hands as a means of gaining some insight into Biblical counseling. In addition, I have completed a group study through Wayne Grudem’s Systematic Theology and am currently on a team to launch a new Church Campus of Clear Creek Community Church. All of this has kept me rather busy and I have failed to maintain a very strong online presence. Which of course, causes me to question what I am going to do about that.

In other news, I have seriously been considering becoming a missionary and more specifically, planting a church in the city of Lviv Ukraine. Unfortunately I have struggled to figure out just how I am going to get all of my student loans paid off and some money raised in order to launch that venture from a solid foundation. There are a lot of thoughts I have running through my mind on this subject and would really appreciate your prayers and words of advice/encouragement as I continue to explore what God would have me do and how He plans to accomplish that goal.

I do want to lift up my brother’s and sister’s in Ukraine….my brothers and sisters here in the states….and my fellow missionaries. May God bless you all and strengthen you and grow you for His purpose!!