Remembering Friends

The more years God gives a person, the more people you encounter and may get to know well. With social media, the circle of friends with similar interests can get even larger. I have written before about meeting others with spinal cord injuries (SCI) in this manner and getting to know them well. One such friend was William (Bill) Miller from Florida.

Bill was a fellow vent-dependent quadriplegic due to an accident in college. He and I initially connected through an online forum for people with SCI. When I started researching about the diaphragm pacemaker, Bill looked into it for himself as well. We had similar lists of pros and cons for switching, but concluded it would be good to try. I had successful surgery for it in November 2010, but Bill's implant procedure a few months later didn't work.

While we had similar physical needs, it wasn't all we shared in common. I don't remember the exact year, but Bill and I did an annual Bible reading plan together. It was the first time he had read the Bible completely from front to back and I enjoyed helping answer his questions. It was the first time I had the opportunity to do such a study with anyone and it helped form my thoughts for helping others.

For the last few years, Bill and I have been comparing notes on writing our own books. I let him approve the portion where he is mentioned in mine and I read where he talked about me in his. I have known many fellow quads over the years, but Bill was the one I probably talked with the most frequently. Scrolling through Facebook this past Thursday, I saw that Bill died on March 22. It was a surprise to see, especially since we had last talked in late February and he was doing well.

In August, Bill would have been 25 years post injury, I'm 37. For the past few years, several of my quad friends have died. It's part of living the quad life, but it still doesn't get easier. I'm thankful for all the years God has given me, but I still always wonder why I have been blessed with so many more than others. When my time does come, I also wonder if the friends I have made, but never met in person, will know that I'm gone.

No matter what the future holds, however long we're given, be sure to live according to God's will. We never know what tomorrow will bring, or if it will even come, and we need to always keep this in mind and be prepared.

Reading and Preparing

In my nightly Bible reading, I finished the slow study of the New Testament and have returned to reading from cover to cover. A few nights ago, I was in Genesis 18 where God visited Abraham just prior to destroying Sodom and Gomorrah.

I read from the Evidence Bible which includes commentary by evangelist Ray Comfort. A comment in this chapter wondered how Abraham knew the three visitors were God in flesh and two angels. It's a question I have had as well and can only speculate.

First, the Bible records in multiple places that no one can see God and live. Therefore, this person Abraham spoke with likely would have been Jesus, as many theologians have also concluded. That still doesn't answer the question how He was recognized as someone special and not just a random traveler.

Did the three somehow exude complete holiness that anyone would recognize? Later on, Lot recognized the two angels as unique, but nobody else in Sodom did. Therefore, perhaps their identity was only visible to followers of God. These are questions that will never get a complete answer while living in the body, but are still ones to ponder.

The more important question is one we can, and need to, answer. As we interact with the public, does anyone recognize God in us? Do we act as the world and engage in the same interests and sinful actions as everyone else or do we stand apart from the world?

On my YouTube channel, I have been releasing two videos a week. Tuesday is Bible reading and teaching with Friday consisting of random talking points while I try to drive a truck. With a busy week ahead, I recorded, edited, and scheduled the next two week's worth of Bible lessons. Making truck videos is easier, but I want to get priorities straight if I can't keep up with the schedule.

I know I act like the world more often than one set apart. This week, I will try to be careful to not be of the world while interacting in the world.

Start to Church Visits

Spring is still a week away, but I'm already starting to get busy with church activities. A few weeks ago, my home congregation announced a challenge for everybody to speak to two people this year about the gospel. I know many people struggle with such an assignment, so I presented a witnessing opportunity to help.

In May, if I have caregivers, I'm scheduled to help train and lead evangelists at our local tulip festival. I did the same last year, and it is a great opportunity to learn about sharing the gospel. I let everyone know about the outreach group and how to volunteer. Since I was already scheduled to speak, I also read the day's Scripture for the sermon.

Next week, I am scheduled to give my first sermon of the year. A congregation I have not visited before asked if I was available and I agreed to help. When I spoke with the church elder on March 1, I thought the 20th seemed like a long time ahead. However, I normally take a month or more to prepare a message and realized I needed to have everything planned by tomorrow at the latest.

Therefore, I will be using a sermon I give to a few congregations in 2018. The nice part about going to different groups is being able to recycle messages. Getting familiar with how a particular church functions takes time to learn and it is somewhat relaxing to not have to also start with an unfamiliar sermon.

Just one day after getting scheduled for next week's service, I was asked by another church to preach in May. Therefore, I'm already planning to help two congregations this year and I'm technically not even done with my winter hibernation. I don't know if I'll beat my record of 11 sermons preached in 2021, but it's a good start. Whatever God has planned for me, I look forward to serving as He allows.

It has been an eventful winter break in the quad life with caregiver shortages, but I pray that will now pass as the busy season begins again.

Where is that passage?

In January 2021, I started reading the first two chapters of Matthew. My goal was to read two chapters, every day, for a month and then move on to the next two chapters. I am very familiar with the early chapters of Genesis and can reference where events can be found, but not as well in the New Testament. I hoped that constant review of the same passage would help retain where to find different items in the gospels.

I kept the practice going all through 2021 and at the end of February, I finished reading all 28 chapters of Matthew. On March 1, I moved on to read Mark 1-2 and plan to continue going through the New Testament with constant review. However, I can't say I have achieved the results I hoped to get.

Sometime around March of 2021, I watched a movie that only read the text from Matthew while actors somewhat portrayed the events. At that point, I knew when they got to a new chapter, what to expect next, and recognized when the movie progressed beyond where I had read so far in the year. If I went back to watch it again, I know I wouldn't do well in clearly knowing where they were at in the book.

Like everything new, we get excited to start a project and look forward to learning. In 14 months, I have only missed reviewing a few days. However, my mind wonders off into whatever else I have going on and I remember things I forgot to do. By the time my head catches up to my eyes, I have already gone several lines, or paragraphs, without comprehending the text.

After completing one book, I can point out key areas such as the sermon on the mount in Matthew 5-7 and the trial and crucifixion of Jesus in Matthew 26-27. However, that's not much better than what I already knee before starting. If I was asked where a certain parable or miracle was recorded, I would still need to look up the reference.

Comprehension or not, I think it's a good practice to continue. If God let's me live long enough to go completely through the New Testament at two chapters a month, I'll see what I can remember for my next time through. Until next time, I'm off to read through the opening of Mark.