First and Last Schools

The school year is coming to a close in many areas, but this week still had time for two more visits in very different venues.

Late Tuesday morning, I had my first college visit for the year. The class of seven Physical Therapy Assistant students were just two days away from graduation. I got to spend an hour with them and covered items related to spinal cord injuries and general tips for more complex needs.

Even with a small class, they asked good questions and seemed to be engaged in the discussion. I never know where the careers of these young people will take them, but I always hope I give some help. Two days after speaking with college students, I was in front of three classes of second graders.

My local Christian school runs a Spanish immersion program. Therefore, most grades have two sections of regular English instruction and one in Spanish. For the past few years, I have only had each section for 20 minutes. This made for concise visits, but I always felt like I was depriving the students from activities and learning. I requested 30-minute visits this year and it felt like it went much better, just more tiring on my part.

With the full-length time, kids were able to do both mouth and foot writing, briefly discuss other disabilities, and have time for questions. In the first class, one boy in the back of the room asked how they could best help someone with a disability. This eight-year-old asked something more thought provoking than the majority of college students I've had.

I answered that helping to open doors is a good start, but also just to see them like everyone else. If it's another child that has the disability, to play with and interact with them like any other kid, but be prepared to maybe do things differently.

In the last class, another boy was having trouble catching the concept of a spinal cord injury. I more carefully explained it being like a broken wire from your head to your legs. If it doesn't connect, no signal gets through. A few minutes later, he wondered why doctors just don't replace it. I guess my wire analogy was too literal, but just said that medical technology hasn't found a way to do that.

With that, my grade school visits are finished for the year. Not long after returning home, my caregiver and I lamented on it going too quickly. Yes, school visit days get busy, but they're a fun part of teaching the quad life and getting to spend time with kids. One girl asked if I had children and I gave my usual answer that I would like to, but don't. Instead, I just barrow a classroom full at a time.

The next few weeks look to be much calmer with only one note on my calendar for an appointment. Now it will be further concentration on web related work and starting to prep for a sermon in a few weeks. Maybe this fall I'll see if I can get to a few new grade schools so I don't go as long between school visits. Whatever comes, I'm thankful for God's care through it all. 

Talking full Circle

Several years ago, a family in my church needed help with child care. My parents and I love kids and volunteered to help watch 2.5 yer-old Ray and baby James. As the years passed, these two became my parents' adoptive grand kids and I was sort of the odd uncle.

Children have a tendency to grow too quickly and the two youngsters soon turned into teens with less frequent visits. Ray is now a college senior with plans to graduate this spring with her degree in nursing. For some reason, she likes working with neurological disorders, especially spinal cord injuries. Therefore, we have had discussions on hospitals specializing in SCI.

Ever since Ray started college, I have been emailing various professors that work in the nursing department. I thought this would be a great opportunity to speak with nursing students and help Ray and her classmates. Since the campus is five hours away, my offer was to visit virtually at no cost.

As is typical, I didn't get any responses. In three years of emailing, I only heard back from one professor who said she wasn't the right person to ask. I asked who would be, but didn't get a reply. I didn't try this year as I figured it wouldn't work anyway. However, there are multiple ways to visit with students.

Ray contacted me shortly after starting school this fall and wondered if I would be willing to speak to the nursing student club she helps lead. She knew of my attempts to try to speak with a class, so this would be a great compromise. Friday was the day I virtually visited with the students and staff who were available.

My computer is setup for me to use most easily from bed. However, I wanted to be in my chair to look a little more professional and maybe answer wheelchair inquires. My caregiver moved my bed so I could get aligned better with my computer's camera. I'm usually a little short as well, but my chair's elevating seat feature came in handy to improve my positioning.

Unfortunately, the crowd was much smaller than anticipated with only three students (one of who was Ray) and one late joining professor. Nevertheless, I squeezed my 60-minute presentation into 45 and covered the basics and special nuances of persons living the quad life. Whether by many or by few, I'm always glad when I get to teach upcoming generations. The girl that I helped play Chutes & Ladders has now become a young woman helping me to fulfill both our passions.

One item I covered in my presentation was funding issues. On Thursday, I received a response about the appeal I submitted to restore my day-time funding. The type of decision I received cannot be appealed and therefore will not be heard. One option still remains, but I will see where God leads. This week looks to be busy again and with fair weather, so it should be a good time to finally get out of the house.

Knowing Your Area

In every hobby or field of work, you gain experience as time passes. Different scenarios help to gain knowledge so that when it happens again, you can quickly solve the issue. The same is true when studying Scripture and using it as your basis for thinking.

If I am talking to someone on the street, I have verses I can reference for different objections. In Matthew 5:22, Jesus expounded on the sixth commandment that hatred is the same as murder. A few verses later, in 5:27, He said that looking with lust is the same as adultery. Further references are Ephesians 2:8-9, Romans 6:23, and a handful of other verses. When preaching, I tend to study one text and use other passages to support the message. However, I have been noticing lately I may be getting narrow sighted and need to pay further attention.

For the last few weeks, I have been reading a book on general advice for Biblical counseling. I took an online course early in the year and this has been a very loose follow-up. As the authors look at different counseling scenarios, they point to various passages that help relate to a situation and may assist the counselee to a better frame of mind. While some of the advised texts are familiar, the majority are ones that I would need to look up and further learn their context.

I have written on this blog several times about my routine of reading the Bible. For several years, I read through from Genesis-Revelation twice a year. Now, I'm down to about once a year of cover to cover, but replaced one of my reading times with more in-depth study. This is slower, but I still progress through Scripture and invest in God's Word.

At this point in the quad life, I do not see starting a new career as a Biblical counselor. However, as a part-time preacher and occasional mentor, I do see it as useful knowledge to be familiar with. If nothing else, this latest book has taught me not to get blinded to one train of thought while studying. Continuing to broaden my knowledge and quick reference tools will always be helpful, no matter how often or little they get used.

Learning New Career or Just Learning?

Last summer, I took a 12-week course on expository preaching. It was a challenge to complete, but still fun and beneficial. A couple weeks after my final assignment, a pastor friend let me know about several free courses through a seminary in Texas. Looking through the options, I found a few that sounded intriguing. About the same time, I learned the instructor from the preaching course I just finished was disqualified from ministry for not practicing what he preached. This soured my appetite for pursuing more education, at least for a while.

A few weeks ago, I returned to the information I received last fall and decided to try a course. The first one that sounded interesting, and could be useful, was Introduction to Biblical Counseling. It hasn't happened in a while, but I have had friends that looked to me for help in hard times. I offer what I can, but I can always learn more.

The free course is only five lessons and doesn't offer any credits or certificates, it's just strictly for learning. So far, I have completed three lessons and hope to do the fourth this weekend. They consist of three to four videos that are around 15 minutes each. After watching each one, you answer a short multi-point quiz from what was just covered. The final parts include a short reading and a final quiz consisting of the same questions from the previous quizzes.

So far, I have received 100% for every evaluation. Some of the ideas are interesting and not necessarily how I would have thought. I'm not sure I'll ever use any of the material, but it's good to expand my knowledge. I saw last week how to become a certified biblical counselor through a two-year online course. At this point in life though, I don't foresee making a major career change.

I'm thankful that while living the hibernation quad life, I can keep my mind active. I will be starting a busy time for work soon and picked a great time to take this course. I will see what a new week brings!

Only 1% are saved?

Over the last few months, I have been asked the same question by very different people; "Will only 1% of people be saved?" Apparently, articles have been getting circulated that say 99.9% of people from all of history will go to hell. I tried looking for further information, but only found a paper from Australia in 2023 that pondered a quote from Charles Spurgeon. However, it's something that has raised concern and is an item I thought I would comment on.

First, the Bible does not give an exact number or reference on how many people God has, and will, save from hell. Revelation 7:4-8 does say 144,000 who will be receive God's seal, but keep reading. Verse nine says, "After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no one could count, from every nation and all tribes and peoples and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, and palm branches were in their hands."

In the Old Testament, we read lists of numbers of people from different tribes. When David ordered a census of the nation, the total number of men able to go to war was over a million. This is to say that the inspired writers of Scripture were quite capable of counting and listing large numbers. While the number is large, we also know it won't be everyone who has ever lived.

In John 14:6 Jesus said, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father but through Me.” Modern evangelism and some "churches" teach that all roads lead to Jesus and it doesn't matter if you follow Mohamed, Mary, or Marxism. This has produced many people who claim to be Christian, but don't give any adherence to God's law. Just a few verses later, Jesus said "If you love Me, you will keep My commandments." (John 14:15)

Matthew 7 warns that people who claim to follow Christ and do things in His name are not following Him or known by Him. Therefore, everyone must carefully examine themselves (2 Corinthians 13:5) and follow the narrow road that leads to God (Matthew 7:13-14).

Therefore, does that give an answer? No, not at all. We need to be careful to not put limits or numbers on God when they don't exist. Only those that have repented of sin and trust in Christ alone for salvation will be saved. We will never know what the total is, at least in this life, and should be incentive to continue reaching out to preach the gospel.

Recorded Interview

It has again been a busy week in the quad life with some days making me wonder how to get everything accomplished. One activity this week was not among the ordinary, but is becoming more familiar.

I don't listen to the radio very much. However, some mornings, and when driving to the city, I listen to a Christian radio station in Des Moines, Life 107.1. I don't care for some of the modern Christian music, but I do get a laugh out of two morning show DJ's, Taylor and Jen. They often promote their Saturday morning podcast that features a variety of people that can help listeners in Christian living. I contacted Jen early this year to see if they would be interested in my story and gave her a book. After a lot of schedule planning, I interviewed with them Tuesday afternoon.

Driving to Des Moines, my caregiver and I went through rain that changed to snow, then, ice, slush, and back to rain again. The rapid change in conditions made me wonder if this was what it was like 39 years ago during our accident if I really should be going. Thankfully, we arrived safely at an office building in West Des Moines and found the station's suite.

Interviewing with two people I've never met, and only heard, felt like going into the unknown. I prayed that the time would be glorifying to God and how He has worked in my life. I read a few sections of what I wrote, but made sure to emphasize the blessings I have received.

Unlike my previous radio appearance, this one didn't go out live. It will be edited into a podcast that should release late this month. One request I made was that I could present the gospel and have it in the final product. I'm not sure if I'll get to preview it, but I hope they do keep it in. The station's motto is "always uplifting" and discussing sin and deserving punishment goes against the theme.

This week looks to be a little calmer with fewer excursions. That doesn't mean the busyness is less, but I'm thankful I am able to be used in various roles.

Dreaming, then Thinking

It has been a slow week in the quad life. With the holiday week, not much for web development was needed and I don't have a lot of other projects going on. Dad was also not feeling well for several days and we therefore just stayed home by ourselves on Thanksgiving. When I have slow days, or not even, my mind wonders and I start to dream.

For at least a year, I have been listening to a weekly podcast called Transformed, with Dr. Greg Gifford. He is a Biblical psychologist with the Master's University and covers various topics each week. I have learned a few things from this resource and it has also jogged my mind.

I have had some people ask me for help when dealing with anxiety or other issues. I like helping people and pointing to God's Word for assurance. I've also heard my book has helped some readers see life in a new way. Therefore, what would it take become an actual counselor and be able to use the experiences God has given me? It's still unopened, but I already have a book on my shelf about counseling from a Biblical perspective.

This week, I browsed through the website for the Master's University and looked at the requirements for their counseling degree. It is available completely online and covers several areas I would enjoy learning about. I nearly clicked the button to receive more information, but then I actually started thinking.

My latest college courses were over 15 years ago and likely no longer applicable to transfer credits. Taking classes part-time would likely require six or more years to complete the course. I will be celebrating another birthday soon, and I would be nearing 50 by the time I finished. At that point, even if I was still living at home, I would likely not be able to make much use of my new skills.

Therefore, like many things, it will remain a dream of something I may have enjoyed doing, but wasn't in God's plans. No matter the case, it's still somewhat fun to dream and look at using the time I've been given for God's glory.

Bad Retailer

I started my first jobs in high school. One was a temporary data entry position and the other was writing for a local newspaper. Since then, I've had a few different occupations with various employers. However, everything has been in the technology industry. The "product" is data, either recorded for later use or for public information such as a website.

With these forms of work, everything is completed quickly. When data becomes available, it is entered and done. Changes to client's websites are done as quickly as possible and then the job is complete. With the release of my book in early September, I have been thrust into a different job type; one that I'm starting to dislike.

The book is available on Amazon in three different forms, electronic, paperback, and hard cover. If someone purchases an item, Amazon takes care of everything and I get paid royalties at the end of the month (hopefully). For physical books, which I prefer, they get delivered within a few days. However, I can also order author copies as they're called.

For these, I pay the cost of producing the book and shipping to me. This is a less expensive option and I can then sell them directly for less expense than Amazon, and I can sign them. The main problem with this is shipping can take up to two weeks. Therefore, when someone asks for a book, I put them on my list and let them know when it comes. Unfortunately, by the time it arrives, enthusiasm has worn out and people aren't able to come and get them. I am then left with stacks of books sitting around my room. As I write this on Friday evening, I have 27 books on hand to fill 25 orders. That sounds great, but this week added a new complication.

A friend is in charge of the Iowa Ability Fair, which was held yesterday in Des Moines. She arranged for me to have a table to sell books. I was very reluctant to agree, but she was persistent. That means I took 20 books along, which are technically already sold, to sell to anyone interested. The fair went most of the day and I will need to make another order Saturday night.

I'm thankful people want to get my book and are excited to read it. However, my like of clear surfaces on furniture is starting to get to me. I will learn my new skill of retail supply and storage. Living the quad life is interesting sometimes with never knowing what to expect.

Completed Book Project

Over the years, I've had many different projects. In school, I always had assignments that increased in complexity as the years progressed. After college and starting work, I had new projects of web development that continue through today. I also have continuous work of sermon preparation (such as today) and life needs. However, one that has taken a lifetime of research is now complete.

I don't exactly remember when I started my autobiography, but I believe it was around 2018. Since then, I have been writing as I had time and jogging my memory through pictures, interviews, journals, and just thinking back. Some memories have been pleasant to recall, but others were very hard and I struggled to even write them. However, I thought my times of extreme struggle and wondering why I was still around may help others.

Since January, I have been working with an editor to make text changes as well as various suggestions to keep interest. As it progressed, we worked on cover design, wording for different aspects, and interior design. Each step also required approval along with adjustments of pictures and other points.

After nearly five year's of work, it is finally finished. This past Friday, it went available on Amazon for purchase. The paperback version came first, followed by electronic, and hard cover will be coming soon. I like that I can make small text edits any time I want and they can be uploaded to correct future purchases.

Part of me is excited to be finished, but I'm also unsure. I keep questioning if it was worth the effort or if only a few family and friends will find it interesting. Time will tell how it will go and promotion is completely up to me. After all versions are available, I may promote it further, but not sure.

My new question is; now what? I don't want to waste free time on superfluous activities like games or YouTube. I have had another writing project in mind, but not sure if I want to start it immediately. I'm thankful for the quad life God has given me and that I will continue to live remembering to trust in Him.

A Fair Visit for 2023

Since 2016, I have been volunteering at the Ark Encounter Gospel Outreach booth at the Iowa State Fair. Each year has different experiences, and this one did not miss out.

My first day was Friday, August 11. Weather in Iowa in August varies, but it was a hot day with temps predicted to be around 90°. My caregiver and I got setup with my self-contained microphone, gospel tracts, and I parked in my favorite corner.

The day started out well with a child taking my first tract of the day. I somewhat turn into a salesman mode and I call out to people who have unique shirts. A few guys had Jurassic Park shirts and I called them out as needing a dinosaur. I directed them to the dinosaur tracts under my hand and got a smile from each.

One longer encounter was with a couple who had visited the Ark Encounter once before. We talked about the ark being to the biblical dimensions and really affirming the historicity of the Bible, and that Noah had plenty of room for the animal kinds. It was a pleasant conversation and represented most of what the day was like.

Going home, the van was very hot after sitting in the parking lot. It doesn't cool off very well and stayed hot the full hour home. I was overheated and had a temp of 102.4° when I got out of my chair. Thankfully, cold washcloths and fans cooled me off quickly.

My next fair day was Thursday, August 17. It was a gorgeous day outside and traffic by the booth wasn't very busy. It was nearly 30 minutes before I gave out my first tract, but the challenge of the day would come later.

Just before 11:00, an older man with a green shirt approached and briefly looked at the television near me. I asked my common question, "Have you heard about the ark?" My quandary received a response that the ark was structurally impossible to build. For the next 20 minutes, at least, he and I went back and forth on several lines of topics.

Part of the challenge was defining a word. I asked if he was a good person, and the response was what does good mean? I gave the second dictionary definition of morally perfect, but his answer was that the meaning of words are always changing and I couldn't say what it really meant.

Even with his unwillingness to agree to much of anything, I got in twice that we need to repent of sins and turn to Jesus alone for forgiveness. Even though he denied Jesus' existence, I kept providing evidences from various sources. Thankfully, conversation was cordial the entire time and he said he respected my opinion.

One of the other volunteers talked with me later and said this is the third year this same person has visited the booth. The first year, he had been very vocal with inappropriate language, he was calmer last year, and came to me this time. At least he has had three year's of the gospel being given him and I pray he softens his heart and comes to Jesus for forgiveness while he has time.

This was the last year that Answers in Genesis will sponsor the booth. It has now moved to a local group that I have worked with, but will need to raise a lot of funds to keep going to the fair. I also pray this ministry will be able to continue.

After my shifts, I didn't have much time to explore the fairgrounds. With my caregiver's schedule and health, I had about one hour remaining each day. I didn't see much, but was still thankful for the opportunity. Hopefully I can return again, but I'll see what happens in the quad life.

Reading, Writing, and Watering

Once again, I had the house to myself this week. Unlike last time, I didn't have any appointments and could actually enjoy the at-home vacation. However, that didn't mean I wasn't busy with something.

For household chores, I needed to make sure to get the mail and water plants every day. It became a routine that my evening caregiver would start the shift by getting me in my chair. We then did our chores before biking and having supper. The schedule adjusted depending on day-time help, but it worked pretty well.

Biking continued to be odd early in the week. Tuesday morning, I was half asleep while my regular morning exercises were done. Working with my left leg, my caregiver and I heard a small pop, likely around the hip. We were concerned, but everything felt and moved fine. Later in the day, biking went much better than it had been. At the end of the week, after ten sessions in a row, my legs did very well with pedaling over seven minutes. We guessed my hip may have been slightly out of joint and caused the earlier reactions, but we don't know for certain.

Sermon Notes

My book that has been in progress for several years is very close to completion. I recently received it in PDF format with the internal layout complete. Since this is the final phase before printing, I was told to proof everything again and to have someone new read as well. Even with editing multiple times, both my publisher and I, several errors have come up. I don't know how they have been missed, but I have noted each one and what needs changed. I am about 25% of the way through and am finding fewer as I go. I'm hoping to have it out by early September, but I'm starting to doubt it will happen.

Also this week, I got to prepare for the sermon I gave this morning. It was a recycled message, but in a different environment from the previous presentation. My "notes" consisted of the Scripture I was reading and very little else. I may have had half a line available for text in a few spots without going to a third page of notes which would no longer fit on a music stand.

I was very thankful for the calm week while working on different projects. Having a busy quad life is fun, but it's also good to adjust and take on different responsibilities for a short time.

A Fair Visit

As many Iowans, I make sure to visit the Iowa State Fair annually. A few years ago, I experienced some accessibility problems with parking. Since then, I have mainly had the same issues and have had to work around it. However, I don't like to let accessibility issues slide, especially when it may impact others.

In 2019, I wrote to the fair to let them know about parking problems, but it didn't receive much attention. Last year, I noticed some improvements on the fairgrounds, but more that needed work. Therefore, I composed another letter, but with more backing.

I am now in my fourth year in the Olmstead Consumer Task Force, and was recently elected to be vice-chair. Instead of sending the letter on my own, I included the task force as well. After several rounds of edits and approvals, it was sent to the Iowa State Fair. This time, they were happy to hear from us and wanted to meet in person to discuss changes.

On Friday, two other team members and I gathered at the fairgrounds and talked with their new CEO. We addressed several issues such as parking, restroom availability, bench access, and more. It felt like we were important and the offered suggestions would be addressed and hopefully improved.

With this year's fair less than two months away, it's unlikely any of our suggestions will be implemented this year. Thankfully, we were told that our timing was good as next year's budget is being considered and what to include.

I'm very thankful for all that I have been allowed to do. I do not like to complain, but want to try and make activities like the fair accessible for everyone. I will have to wait and see what changes, if anything, come in 2024, but I hope this quad life can help others.

Too Much Talking?

Memorial Day has passed, along with the unofficial start to summer. That does not mean my spring schedule of speaking has stopped though, but a decrease is in sight. Since last week's post, I have spoken to three classes at two different colleges. Tuesday was an EMS class followed by respiratory therapy students and Thursday was another EMS class.

I have always said that I don't care what school I'm at, I just want to help students for their future careers and hopefully help patients. I have spoken to EMS students for several years, but Tuesday was my first time at that particular college. My normal presentation takes about an hour, and that is what I told the instructor. When the usual finish time came, I somewhat breezed through my final PowerPoint slides to get them covered in my time slot. After the students had a 15-minute break, we then went on for another 30 minutes.

When I start my presentation, I always say I welcome questions at any time. This particular class fully took me up on the offer, as well as the instructor. I was very glad to see they had concern for patients and wanted to ensure best practices in etiquette as well as patient care. It was great to see and is what I would like all classes to do, but I wasn't prepared. After nearly 90 minutes of talking, I had a ten-minute break to have a 3 Musketeers lunch before starting another hour-long class. This one wasn't as interactive as the first and I showed a little more video than I usually do. After I was finished, my voice and throat were sore and very ready for a break.

Thursday's class was also good at asking questions and learning what they could glean from my experience. With Tuesday's class in mind, I covered a few extra items to try to preemptively answer questions and save some time and voice. This morning, I also filled a local church's pulpit by covering the entire service, not just the sermon message.

Along with this, I'm still battling an infection and am now having quite a few problems. I'm thankful I can be used by God to serve Him and have an active quad life. This week, I'm only scheduled for a doctor's appointment and no other outings. I'm looking forward to the break with time to recover and get caught up on other work. I only have one more college class coming and two evening church services. I will see what comes up next and continue to serve as I can.

Tired Outreach

The past few days were my annual volunteer time for an outreach group at the local tulip festival. Last year, I was only able to serve for two days due to weather and caregiver concerns. This year, I volunteered for all three days, and I can feel the extra effort.

May in Iowa is always a mixed bag of weather. The last few weeks have been chilly with highs in the 50's and 60's. However, last week's forecast predicted these three days as low 70's and partly cloudy. It ended up that Thursday was mostly sunny with a high near 80°. Friday and Saturday were cooler and cloudy with rain Friday afternoon and a tornado watch cancelling Saturday's evening parade.

This year's schedule had training sessions from around 9:00-12:00 each morning and then two-hour time blocks of each team canvassing a certain area. For me, it meant getting up early every day to start my morning routine so I could get to church on time. The first thing my team and I did after training was find lunch.

By the time we got through long lines and were actually ready to go out, it was between 12:30-1:00. That meant we only had about an hour to hand out gospel tracts and speak to people. When 2:00 came, another leader took over my group and I headed home to do my afternoon medical needs before my caregiver's shift was finished.

After winter hibernation, this was my first extended period of being active. Saturday evening, I didn't feel like eating much for supper and just wanted to rest. With the short time period, I wasn't able to give out many tracks or have conversations. Sara and I did come across a Spanish speaking couple on Friday afternoon. I had prepared by studying apologetics, world religions, and taking someone through the ten commandments, but not Spanish. The encounter caught me off guard and I managed to speak with them some, but not as much as I potentially could have.

If I'm able to volunteer next year, I may consider only doing two days and study Spanish further. Like it or not, this quad life is starting to get older and I can't bounce from little activity to super active as well as I used to. This coming week just has one school visit and I look forward to time of recovery.

Talkative Week

My first week out of hibernation is complete, and it was a busy start. Sunday was preaching, and every day except Monday and Wednesday had something scheduled.

Tuesday was a doctor's appointment to see how my pressure sores are doing. I have heard good reports from my caregivers, and the doctor agreed that it's going in the right direction. Instead of seeing him twice this summer, I don't need to return until September. It was good to hear his confirmation of what I have heard and one less appointment this year.

Friday was my first school visit, but not the regular disability awareness talk. I was asked last summer to speak at a school's chapel service, and scheduled it for March. Christian schools generally start one, or more, days a week with a special time of learning from God's Word. An outside speaker may came in, or it could be covered by an instructor or a class. I don't get asked to give chapel presentations very often and was thankful for the opportunity.

The challenge with this school was that all grades are present, from Pre-K through eighth grade. Therefore, I had an age range of around 5-14 to keep interested and try to teach. I have spoken at this school before, but it is still an interesting.

I taught on knowledge and wisdom from a few verses. For part of it, I demonstrated "running" fast and coming to a quick stop. Knowing the rule not to run in the house is knowledge, wisdom comes when breaking the rule, getting hurt, and understanding why it exists. However, without the solid foundation of the Bible from God who cannot lie, we can't truly know anything.

Both Sunday and Friday's messages seemed to go well. I didn't fall asleep at my own message and students seemed to learn. This week, I'm scheduled to be at another grade school and give my regular presentation on the quad life. I always look forward to getting to work with kids again and thankful for the opportunity. Now if the weather would improve for spring, it would be even better!

Scratchy Barefoot Preacher

I have had my YouTube channel, The Quad Life, for a few years. The intention of it was to show life as a quadriplegic and how I do things. For more than a year, that plan worked well and I demonstrated what life is like. However, I sit in bed in my room most of the time and each week isn't much different from the rest. Therefore, without redoing what I have already done, I ran out of material. I still cover changes like returning to a trach, but that kind of thing is thankfully rare.

Therefore, I started a new series on my channel that I call the Barefoot Preacher. So far, I have released three videos that cover an introduction and a few basics of Christianity. It isn't much different from previous preaching series I've done, but I hope for it to be more of a long-term goal.

Unlike previous Bible themed content, I have more of a plan to cover some of the problems going on in society, comparing major world religions and so on. If nothing else, it's good practice to keep my preaching skills active while I'm not visiting churches. However, I am noticing a change in myself I don't like.

Saturday, I was editing a short preaching video and added text for the viewer to read while I read from the Bible. I have done enough videos to be familiar with my own voice and I noticed yesterday I am much scratchier than I have been in the past. I'm also pausing longer when taking a breath which makes it harder to follow what I'm saying, even for me.

Right now, all I have scheduled for spring is speaking at a school's morning chapel service. I sent messages out on Friday to schedule school visits, but don't have anything planned. With every day that passes, it seems like I'm noticing more trouble with breathing and therefore speech. I think I may need to concentrate more on going back to a trach button before doing a lot of public speaking.

No matter what happens in the quad life, I know God is in control. Moses had trouble speaking and God used him to free the Israelites. Paul also spoke with trembling lips, but was used to greatly spread the good news of Christ. I'll pray for an improvement in God's time and maybe learn not to be as particular on how I'm speaking and more to what I'm saying.

Good Practice or Consuming Thought

I have had a Facebook profile for several years. I used to share a lot of pictures and updates on my activities, but now I rarely do. That is mostly due to privacy violations that have occurred in the platform, but I share plenty of my life on here and YouTube already. Therefore, I primarily only post Scriptures passages on my timeline. This year, I decided to do an extra challenge.

Somewhere around late November to early December, I was unable to sleep and had random thoughts going through my head. This is when I got the idea to post verses whose reference corresponds with the date. Such on January 1, or 1/1, I posted Genesis 1:1 and John 1:1. I started planning for the challenge a few weeks before the end of 2022, but only figured out the first week of the year by the time January came.

Since then, I have found myself constantly looking for passages that will work for the year. The chapter has to be 12 or less and verse 31 or lower. Whenever I'm doing my morning or evening reading, I have a type of radar for verse references. It also goes on when doing our family devotions at supper and while listening to preaching at church.

If I'm not by my computer, I continue to review the verse coordinates in my head, have someone write it on a note, or use my Amazon Echo to remind me. I am starting to become so attuned to looking at locations and remembering what months need help, I sometimes miss what is actually being read or taught. When I record a passage to use, I often wonder if something else would be better and keep looking for more. I even have my mother helping with the project and I get emails from her daily devotional as well.

When this endeavor is complete, I think it will have been enjoyable. For now though, I need to remind myself not to get distracted from hearing God's Word while working to share it more with others. Hopefully by the end of January, I will get in a good routine and always rely on God's guidance.

Honesty is Best

When I visit schools, I am sometimes asked if I know this or that person who also uses a wheelchair. Most of the time, the answer is no. However, due to connections through social media, I do know several more people that I likely never would have met. One of these individuals is Alex Malarkey and his mother Beth.

Alex and his dad, Kevin, were in a car accident when Alex was six-years-old. He received a very high level spinal injury and dad didn't have any lasting injuries. A few years after Alex's injury, he told a story that he went to heaven in the accident, but was sent back. Kevin wrote this account into a book called "A Boy Who Came back from Heaven." It was very popular and sold over 1 million copies. I believe it was also made into a movie. The problem is, the trip didn't happen.

A few years after the book's release, Alex became a Christian and boldly admitted the story was fiction, he made it up. Beth and Alex, along with others, tried getting the book taken off the market, but stores wouldn't listen. Thankfully, after years of trying, the true story was revealed and the book was no longer sold.

Now that he couldn't make money from book sales, Kevin left his wife, Alex, and took the other children with him. Alex is now 24 and lives with his mom as his only caregiver. They had been living in the same house since the accident, but Kevin decided he wants to sell it and has evicted Alex and Beth.

They went through several court sessions to overturn the eviction, but Beth's lawyer died unexpectedly in early September and left them without representation. Unable to find a place to purchase, they spent this past week moving to a temporary location until somewhere else can be found.

In many ways, Alex has a lot of the same care needs that I do. However, his injury is higher and included the brain stem which includes much more specialized care. Therefore, a house that works for his needs is not easy to find and any residence would likely require much renovating. You can watch a synopsis of his story done by Justin Peters Ministries, along with a link to help with funds.

I am very thankful for the parents and family God has blessed me with. Living the quad life is a challenge, but this type of situation is even worse in my thought. I ask for prayers for Alex and Beth that they may find a place to live soon. However, I also pray for Alex's dad Kevin, that he may truly come to God and love his entire family as he should. I keep hoping someone will buy the house and then let Alex and Beth continue to live there as renters or some type of arrangement.

Whatever comes, I'm thankful Alex came to Christ and was honest, even though it has cost him much in this life. I pray I would do the same if such a circumstance happened in my life.

30 in 30

A few weeks ago, I wrote about a new goal for September, getting a video out every day on my YouTube channel. Yesterday, I finished editing and uploading the 30th and final video for the month. If I assume they all get released as scheduled, I will have made my goal.

Getting them made was somewhat fun, but a challenge as well. I like educating about the life I have been given and trying to help others. However, I didn't like the constant feeling of being pushed to get more content out.

At night, I had ideas for script running through my head while also trying to plan time to record. I did about half the videos while in bed. I prefer recording while in my chair, but I knew that it wouldn't be possible to finish everything. Therefore, I tried to prepare messages that included a lot of data for bed recording. It was easier to show statistics and other information on screen while talking about it and not needing to remember it and then add screen shots in editing.

I have watched some YouTube channels that regularly release daily videos, but I don't envy them. Constantly planning and editing is probably a routine you can get used to, but not something I want to do. For me, it would quickly get boring as most days are nearly the same. The channels I watch that do frequent videos are usually families with several kids. Children are usually active in various items and therefore more interest for videos.

While it was a fun experiment, I do not want to continue with the routine. Also this month, I had a doctor's appointment that found I have an infection around my trach. I started an antibiotic about a week ago, but I have to take extra precaution in order to keep my gut working correctly.

The quad life is one I know well and I'm thankful God has given me the ability to do this. I hope to do more videos soon, but only after a few week's break.

Olmstead Term

In 1999, the US Supreme Court made what's called the Olmstead Decision. The main point was that people with disabilities have the right to live independently, even when using state-funded resources. However, each state is responsible for monitoring its own compliance of this law.

Iowa supports an organization called the Olmstead Consumer Task Force to monitor the state's adherence to this decision and recommend changes. I joined the task force in late 2019 for a three-year term to see where I could help.

Full group meetings were held every-other month at a library near Des Moines. I wasn't sure about attending the four-hour long meetings in winter, but an option was available to join by phone. I think we had three meetings before the pandemic started and every one since then has been completely virtual.

For the first two years, I didn't really know how to help. I commented on occasion about issues I experienced, but not much else. Sitting here on my computer watching people give lengthy reports on Iowa government issues became a test of paying attention and awake. A year ago, I was able to join one of the sub-committees to help with more specific items.

Now, I was able to contribute more to the monthly meetings and feel like I was actually helping. This summer, I initiated a project to address accessibility concerns at a large event held in the state annually. Finally, for the first time in nearly three years, I felt like I was helping and making a difference.

Friday was the last meeting of my term. Several other members voiced opinion with wanting to do more, just as I wanted to do. I felt bad leaving at a time that I could possibly help more Iowans with disabilities. Therefore, I agreed to serve another term.

I have no idea what will happen in three more years, or if I'll be able to complete the term. I also don't need more things to do, but such is the quad life. I pray that I can be a productive member and help others through my participation, however long that is.