Time Quickly Disappeared

The eighth commandment is "Do not steal." Most of us think about robbing an individual, a business, or something similar. These are correct thoughts, and the value of what is taken doesn't matter, it still breaks the command. Therefore, a pen or penny is theft just the same as taking a diamond ring or millions of dollars. However, there is something even more precious that we have been given and regular waste.

Time is a gift from God, but one that vanishes quickly. I have preached a few times on the importance of not stealing time by using it to sin or waste it in too much entertainment. For about the past month, I have been acting as a hypocrite.

In part, the fourth command says that six days you shall labor and rest one. That has changed in the new covenant, but it is more than I will cover in today's update. We are allowed time to rest, and it is necessary, but we need to be careful not to overdue it. 

At most, I only have about five hours a day that I'm upright and can be active. Therefore, I try to be diligent to only play games or upright leisure activities Sunday afternoons. However, since probably mid-December, I haven't had a lot of web work and make excuses to spend an hour 2-3 nights a week in entertainment. This may not seem like a lot of time, but it is a significant part of my day compared to total upright time. Early Monday evening, we received a call that brought time management to high importance.

Last October, my DHS case manager submitted my annual review to have funding for my day-time caregivers. I use a waiver, or exception, to go beyond the regular allotted amount in order to get a full day covered. Monday's phone call let us know that it was denied. Starting February 1, I'll lose a large chunk of what covers my day help.

Therefore, this week was partially spent in research and filing an appeal to the decision. It costs nearly three times the amount to have me in a care facility vs. living at home. Beyond that, without private insurance, my doctors, medications, monthly supplies, and so on would also be charged to the state. I'm looking at the financial strain as well as quality of life. The Olmstead decision by the Supreme Court in 1999 said that all accommodations must be made to live in the least restrictive environment.

It's possible I will have to speak before a judge at some point and plead my case for more funds. My parents can't regularly do more than they already are, but my breathing system is also incompatible with alarm systems in care facilities.

Living the quad life indeed has its challenges. This week's lesson is to make careful use of time as we may quickly lose it. As with everything, I trust in God's care and will look to His plan. This has been a difficult year so far and it looks like the trend will continue. 

Reading List

As long as we live, we continue to learn. A few days ago, we learned about another lose wire on my chair that wasn't plugged in properly. Once it was, everything worked well again. Thankfully, nobody had to come and make an unnecessary repair.

Books and reading in general are another great source of entertainment and education. In early 2025, I decided to record what books I read for the year. It ended up being a longer list than I expected.

• 52 Churches -February 17
• Mishandled -February 26
• A Call to Prayer -March 3
• There is Blessing in the Battle -March 12
• Christ-Centered Biblical Counseling -June 30
• God Said and it Was So -July 30
• Christ Triumphs Over Sin and Death -August 13
• Truth About Heaven -August 20
• Dinosaurs, Dragons, and the Bible -October 20
• Traced -November 24

In addition to these ten books, I also read a few magazines, booklets, and I'm about halfway through a book on counseling by Dr. John MacArthur. This list is also just of physical books. I have slowly been reading an electronic version of Foxes Book of Martyrs. Reading about how Christians were tortured and killed by the Catholic church isn't a very pleasant topic. I also find I get more easily distracted with e-books. I may doze off, but when I have a physical book in-front of me, I can't wonder off to anything else.

My schedule also makes it so that I typically can only read for a maximum of about two hours twice a week. Even that often gets interrupted by other commitments or knowing all I will do is doze off and stay on one page for 30 minutes.

The most important reading I do though is every morning, night, and afternoon. As I have for over 25 years, I continue to read the Bible daily. In the morning, I read an annual plan that goes through the full Bible in a year. Before bed, I alternate between two study Bibles and progress as time and text allows. Finally, I also read and study two chapters in the New Testament every day for a month.

Ecclesiastes 12:12 says, "But in addition to this, my son, be warned: the making of many books is endless, and much devotion to books is wearying to the flesh." Solomon concludes with verse 13, "The end of the matter, all that has been heard: fear God and keep His commandments, because this is the end of the matter for all mankind." 

Books are not short in supply, but we need to be sure whatever we read, it honors God and His creation. I don't know what my list will be for this year, but I look forward to continuing to learn and study the world God has made. 

Rocky Start to 2026

The year is now four days old and it has been an interesting start. After about a year of work, my new funding source for day-time hours started on January 1.

Unfortunately, mom and I still aren't certain how to document everything or even what is required. The majority of my daily cares weren't included in the list of needs, making us wonder how to record what my caregiver's do. Paperwork isn't regular reviewed by anyone, but needs to be easily available if or when my caregivers are audited. 

Illness has been going around central Iowa as well. My day help came Tuesday, but needed to have a slow day. I was fine with staying in bed to get work done, and she did pretty well. The slow day wasn't enough though and she called off Thursday and Friday. Therefore, I have yet to have day help this year that can use the non-existent charting. Thankfully, nights have been covered so that everyone can get sleep.

Since we didn't have help, I went along with my parents Friday to run errands around town. One of our stops was Walmart with a list of items in different areas of the store. Since getting my chair in late November, I have only been in my house and church. This was my first time in a more open area with space to roam.

My last two chairs, I selected what speed setting I wanted and it wouldn't change until I wanted to. I could adjust my speed by moving my chin control further in any direction. With this chair, I have to select one of four speed modes each time I stop and start. I can vary how much of that setting I use, but it's more of a challenge to quickly adjust between slow and higher speeds.

For the first time, I was able to select the fastest setting. The medium and faster medium had trouble keeping up with dad sometimes, so I gave it a try. With it being my first experience, I was very jerky in trying not to run over anyone and still keep caught up. The new joystick is much smaller than what I've had for the last 29 years and I need to learn very tiny adjustments. I have driven less than three miles so far, but I'm wondering if I have steady enough control of my chin to manage the small stick. The constant start and stop in the store used about 10% of my battery, which makes me uncertain about longer outdoor activities in the summer.

This morning, dad got me ready for church and went to get me up. He hit the button to move the control bar away, and nothing happened. Dad looked over the various wires and plugs, but couldn't find an obvious problem. I can't get in, or out, with the controls in place so I stayed home. I wonder if I'll be switching back to my previous chair this week. 

Whatever may come this year, I need to remember to look at God's plan for everything. Funding, caregivers, and my wheels may have their issues, but they aren't anything new in the quad life. Time will tell what comes with each aspect. Until then, I'm thankful to celebrate the beginning of another year and look forward to writing each week what happens.