Starting Over in a New Year

Another week has elapsed since my last entry. In those seven days, we have had the end of one year and the start of another. Many people make various resolutions for each year, but I tend to just continue with my regular routine.

In 2024, I did a morning reading plan of reading the books of the Bible as they were written chronologically. It was a different way to study, but it isn't a plan I wanted to do again. I'm still learning about the background and settings for each book, but do know a few things. It is fairly widely accepted that Job was the first book written, even before Moses started writing Genesis. However, Job was nearly halfway through the year according to the reading schedule. Therefore, I questioned it's accuracy.

For this year, I'm reading with a friend to help encourage her to continue. Unfortunately, when I went to restart the chronological plan (Genesis-Revelation), my usual web resource wouldn't let me. I reported the problem, but so far have been guessing what chapters to read each day. It won't be long until I'm staring at my computer screen in a morning sleep haze wondering where I left off the previous day.

I noticed that I again met my goal of blogging at least once a week in 2024, making it a full decade of this achievement. With my hospital stay and long recovery, I wasn't sure if it would happen, but long reports of the experience helped. I hope to do the same this year, but likely won't add the challenge of weekly pictures as well. I do like breaking up solid text blocks though, so I won't go completely without graphics.

Currently, those are my only plans for the year. As always, it depends on my caregiver schedule in what I can do. Two out of the the first three day shifts this year went without help, and winter is really just starting. That is a regular part of the quad life, and I'll continue to look to God and follow where He leads me.

Have a great week and year ahead!

Long Start to 2024

It's Sunday, January 7, 2024. It is the day for my first blog entry of the year and looking back at the past week. So far, this has been a year that has not started off very well.

My parents were not feeling well in late November and early December, but I was thankful to have stayed healthy. Unfortunately, that changed a few days before the end of 2023 and has continued this entire year, so far. I haven't the coughing and chest tightness they had, but mainly just higher than normal temps, little energy, and no appetite. My temp got up to 100.7° a few nights, but not anything dangerous. Finally, by late Friday and Saturday afternoon, I started feeling more like myself. Germs have been around though as my caregiver had to leave early Friday due to being ill.

The year also did not start well for the community of Perry, Iowa. Thursday morning, a teenager entered the before-school breakfast program and opened fire. He killed an 11 year old boy and injured seven other people before turning the gun on himself.

School shootings are unfortunately too common, but one that's closer to home brings it more to thought. I've already seen the regular arguments for increased gun laws that don't do anything except make regular citizens more hindered. If a criminal wants to get a firearm, they will get one no matter what laws are in place. Other tools, such as knifes and vehicles, have been used to kill people in large numbers. However, I rarely see requests for more regulation on them. The problem that causes everything is sin, and living in a fallen creation.

The very first recorded murder was in Genesis 4 due to jealously. Since then, many more have happened, and will continue to increase. Bacteria was also originally good and helped with digestion and decaying leaves. However, now some have changed so that they cause illness and even death. Both of this year's events serve as reminders for the same root cause, sin.

As 2024 continues, pay attention to reminders, both good and bad, of the world we're living in. Repent from sin and trust in Jesus alone for salvation. He is in control of all things, and we may be selected to answer Him for our conduct in life when least expected.

Tiring Week

The first week of the year has started off quite slow with challenges. Unfortunately, I continue having a lot of congestion in my lungs even a full month after returning to a trach. 

I have had to suction more often and try to clear my lungs on my own as much as possible. It's a fine balance of deciding what to try in order not to make my lungs sore. Suctioning is generally faster, but can take several tries to get the correct area. Clearing on my own can take quite a while and a lot of tiring work, if possible at all.

Tuesday, I had planned to ride my bike and record a video. Unfortunately, with lung and stomach issues, I ended up staying in bed all day working on health issues. The change in plans did help me get first of the month billing and paperwork complete at least. Thankfully, by the time my day caregiver left at5:00, I was feeling better.

On Friday, I did get to take a bike ride after more than a week off. For the last several sessions, my legs have been quite active. On my last run of 2022, they pedaled on their own for nearly eight minutes. I was quite impressed that I burned an entire calorie with combining about three rides. On this week's ride though, they didn't get up to three minutes.

It has been 7.5 years since I started using the FES bike. I'm very thankful for the improvements it has given in my muscles, circulation, and pressure sores. However, I have yet to figure out why my legs will do more one time than another. The settings are always the same and my daily routine doesn't really change either. Whatever the cause, it is great seeing my body doing some work with my own muscles.

For 2023, I gave myself a challenge of posting a daily Bible verse on social media that corresponds with the date (such as Genesis 1:1 for 1/1). It has gone well this week and will be a fun exercise that has gone well so far. I'll see what another week brings, but I hope it will be more energetic with easier breathing.

Welcome 2023

Today starts another year, a fresh start for another 365 days. For me, the day started with church and beginning a new annual Bible reading plan. For many, it also is a time to start exercise plans or various other goals that for some reason needed to wait until January 1. In the early chapters of Genesis, people lived 700 to over 900 years old. I somewhat doubt they had hundreds of times they wanted to start something new with each year.

However, a new year is not always a joyous time for everyone. It can be the beginning of a year without a close friend or loved one. I like to take the time to reflect on what God allowed me to do in the previous year and what to repeat, or avoid, for another year.

Virtual foot writing

This was the first year I visited with an elementary school virtually. For various reasons, I don't get to as many grade schools as I used to, and I miss it. I love working with kids and this venture was a fun addition and I was able to teach the students about different abilities. I have breached the possibility of doing it again this year, but I'll have to see if it works out.

In 2022, CHAMP Camp had its first in-person camp since 2019. It had strict restrictions on who could attend, and alumni campers were not on the list. I slightly considered trying it this year, but I recently learned it is requiring some shots that I can't take. Therefore, it looks like my camp retirement will be staying permanent.

Last year also hit a new record for preaching, 12 times in seven months. I have started preparing a couple new sermons, but don't know how many congregations I'll get to visit. A church I visited several times in 2021 never asked me to come in 2022, so I will wait and see.

Whatever happens in this year, I know that God is in control. I can't guess what will occur, but I pray I can serve Him wherever I am. Have a great year ahead and I look forward to continuing to write each week!

Merry Christmas

It is Christmas day, one of the few times of year most stores are closed and churches have an influx of people. This is also the day that children anticipate and look forward to opening gifts. Unfortunately, the real significance of this celebration has become obscure.

All throughout the Old Testament, we read foreshadows and prophecies of a coming Messiah. Reading the gospels, especially early chapters of Matthew and Luke, we see the birth of Jesus fulfilled everything that was foretold. He then lived, died, and rose again so that we may have the free gift of salvation. (Romans 6:23)

Receiving gifts at Christmas can be fun, but no toys, books, clothes, or even model trains, can come close to what we have been given in Christ. Objects we receive eventually wear down, break, or become less interesting over time. The birth of our Savior has no expiration date and has eternal blessings that will never fade.

Just like packages under a tree, God's gift doesn't require any amount of works or payment to be received. If we worked or paid for something; it is an obligation, not a gift. We cannot work to cover our sins and attempt pay off our sin debt. God gave us what we could never get on our own as the ultimate gift.

Stores start offering Christmas sales, and decorations, almost in mid-summer. We forget that this day is not about what we can receive, but what we were given 2,000 years ago. All who repent of their sins (lying, theft, adultery, blaspheming, etc.) and trust in Christ alone for salvation have received His ultimate gift.

As we go throughout the year ahead, let us not forget what has been given to us. It isn't just for one day either, but for eternity. Lights and decorations may not be up, but we can celebrate this Christmas gift every day and tell others how to receive it as well. Merry Christmas!

Looking Back at the Year Past

Just a week ago I was posting about Christmas and now the new year has already started. These are times good for reflection as well as looking forward to what may come.

In 2021, I had my record number of times preaching. I remember early in the year that I was wondering how much I could do with lock downs uncertain. I'm thankful that I had the opportunity and I pray that I will be able to preach more this year as well. However, I may be a little more selective depending on my responsibilities for the service and how many I do in a row.

The second record for the year is one that pretty well only I would care about, but it is still noteworthy. Thanks to the COVID lock downs from 2020 spilling over to the next year, I didn't get out to church in person or hardly out at all in the winter. Combined with a warmer spring, 2021 was the first full calendar year I went completely barefoot.

When cold weather comes, I dread having to put on footwear and endure the increased muscle spasms and frequently getting stuck, unable to move, while my neck is stiff and I can't move. If I can continue to only go out on warmish days, I'll reach two years of being free from footwear in late February. I definitely still have spasms and stiffness when barefoot, but anything I can do to decrease them without more medication is a good thing.

An unfortunate record was the most open nursing shifts that I can remember. Except for one day, it has now been two full months since Sara has been able to work. My other day caregiver took a few extra shifts, but three days a week have mainly just been my parents. Sara has an appointment late this week and I pray she is able to return on at least a limited basis.

This year has started off with a sudden switch to snow and bitter cold with today's church service cancelled two days ago. New Year's Eve had no night nurse, but thankfully she was able to cover last night.

I don't know what God has in store for the quad life this year, but I know it will be according to His plan. I hope to continue to post here every week and keep track of what has been happening. Have a great first week of 2022!

Decorating for Christmas

If you looked at store displays, if you actually can go in, Christmas decorations start in late summer. I know some people that would even like to have their house ready for the holiday all year long. For me, I want to first recognize Thanksgiving, celebrate the day we have been given, and then decorate for Christmas.

In order to distribute responsibilities, I generally have one of my day assistants do my window lights and the other work on my tree. Therefore, my window lights were up the day before Thanksgiving, but I didn't plug them in until the holiday was complete. That way, I wasn't violating my own rule, at least not entirely.

My train tree has been my primary, if not only, Christmas decoration for many years. Mom discovered the first ornament in the late 80's and has been able to get a new ornament every year since. They are becoming hard to find and more expensive, but they keep coming. With the increase in trains, the tree has also had to get larger in response.

I used to be able to set a small, maybe two-foot, tree on my table and I would carefully put each item on the branches. It would take a fair amount of time to accomplish, but I enjoyed it. Now with limited sitting time, the task would likely take me a few days to accomplish. I also can't reach the top of my larger tree, so I now just let my caregiver decorate while I observe. I no longer participate as much, but sometimes I have to decide what is the best use of time.

After the new year has started, everything will go back into the one large box they reside in for eleven months. While I don't have decorations up all year, I do try to daily remember why we celebrate Christmas. Jesus, God's only Son, came to His creation to reconcile us to Himself, so that we may have eternal life with Him. That is something worth celebrating this week, and every day of the year.

Looking at 2019 Results

Now that 2019 has come to a close, I wandered how I did with social media reach. It was the first year I tried both blogging and vlogging (video version of this). I somewhat knew what I would find, but was still surprised.

Since you are reading this (hopefully), I'll start with blog statistics. The top five most viewed 2019 posts were:

Time for Thanks: 431

Rapid Change: 191

Out of Touch: 56

Independence Week: 52

Reaping what is Sown: 51

Most of these blog entries receive around 20 or more views, like the picture shows. It is a little lower than I would like, but it does well enough. I know my weekly musings aren't that interesting, so it's what I would expect. What really surprised me though, were the numbers on my vlog.

With just one year and no advertising (not that I promote this very often either), I still had some high view counts. The top five videos from the year were:

Quadriplegic Morning Routine: 32,217

Quadriplegic Breathing: 1,944

Quadriplegic Stretching and Musings: 1,830

Why I go Barefoot: 745

Quad History: 737

Looking at these numbers, I'm much more popular with my strange looks and voice rather than just typing. Apparently a lot of people are also interested in what I do to get up every day.
I have been given many years in the quad life, and I am glad to help educate anyone or help others living in similar circumstances. Those are my main goals with these ventures and I have had a few comments saying what I've shown, or written, are helpful.

With another year, I don't know what God has planned for this life. Whatever comes though, I pray I can spread the gospel and help others through life along the way. Thank you for my readers as well for coming by regularly to see what has gone on each week.

Christmas Week Gatherings

With Christmas, it often means getting together with extended family that you don't get to see. I had two parties this week with each side of the family. Dad's side was mainly just with his siblings, but mom's side was with everyone.

Part of family gatherings is talking and getting caught up on the last year. This is where I can sometimes feel awkward at social settings. First, I have a tendency to "graze" conversations in crowds. I don't concentrate on one and instead hear several around me and add to each one at different points.

Second, I'm not always sure what to talk about or have anything to add. Yes, I blog every week and generally find something to write about, but it's a different setting. Most of my cousins are married and have kids. Their conversations are mainly related to family activities and work. I'm a bachelor that frequently spends all day in bed watching YouTube. It can be hard to relate sometimes.

However, I'm glad that I'm able to see my family and hear what everybody has been doing. With the way the quad life was going a few months ago, I wondered if I would be in a nursing home by now. Now that I'm down to just grandmothers, it may not be many years until full family functions completely stop.

Looking back on 2019, it has been an interesting. With losing a primary nurse, a tooth, then my grandfather's passing, it was a challenge. Relying on God though, I'm thankful He has brought me through to this point. I know the year ahead will be troubling in the political world and likely Christian tolerance as well. If I get to participate in another Christmas next year, they could make for good talking points.

Have a great new year and remember to give thanks for each day, and year, God has blessed us to have!

In-House Maintenance

When you own something, it will need maintenance of some sort to keep functioning. That's especially true when it comes to medical equipment.

On Thursday, I had a hair cut scheduled late in the morning. About half an hour before the appointment, my caregiver starts working on getting me up in my chair and ready to go. Just as she went to pull it out of it's parking spot, I hear, "You're going to need to reschedule." She saw two wires that had their insulation rubbed off and one looked broken.

She tried testing my chin control to see if they worked and no response. I have had this chair for over three years now and haven't had any trouble with it, so I guess it was due to happen. Dad came home later in the afternoon and looked over the situation. He wasn't sure he could fix it at first, but kept working on it. Thankfully, some wire splicing, heat tape, and wire adjustments fixed the problem.

Dad said it looked like I hit something that almost completely severed the wires that go from my chin control to the computer that responds to my input. I don't remember hitting anything, let alone that badly, but evidence shows otherwise. Everything worked well on Friday, so I was able to decrease the mop on my head. However, the lift we use to get me in and out of bed sounded like the battery is going bad. That may be the next item to get worked on, but it hopefully won't leave me hanging.

The tools we use require upkeep, but it sometimes applies to our own life as well. For the past few months, I have neglected this myself. Regular readers of the quad life may have noticed a bit of depression and sadness in my writing. It is one thing to say you know God is in control of all things, but it is another to have full trust in it. I have been saying more than trusting.

This week, I have been especially reminding myself of this fact and am working toward getting back to my regular self. Becoming more isolated during winter doesn't help, but I'm looking forward more to what 2019 may bring, in any direction. As we go through this week, make sure to take care of yourself, such as diving deep into God's Word, as well as the little inconveniences that may come.

Looking Back and Ahead

Today we officially say farewell to 2017 and welcome in 2018. For me, this year has been one of unique experiences and new possibilities.

In May I helped with a new outreach booth had opportunity to work with more people. I have heard some talk about it coming again in 2018 and hope to be able to volunteer again. I had planned on a few days at the Iowa State Fair this year as well, but van trouble limited it to one.

March had a new speaking opportunity with RT students. After talking with the organizer at the outreach booth in May, I worked on getting my license to exhort. Testing was successful and I preached my first sermon in November. When spring comes, I hope to speak at more churches, but

time will tell what is in God's plan.

Along with speaking, I was able to volunteer another year at camp and work with the campers. I look forward to volunteering with the kids, but the drive out continues to be challenging. I also don't like taking away a week of dad's vacation and am unsure if camp will happen for me in the new year.

After a five-year break, this year saw my first return to the hospital as well. This is something I pray does not repeat in the coming year, but as with everything I can only do as God has in my plan.

Throughout the year I was also able to have time with friends and family. I got to spend almost every night with those closest to me and have a visit from one. I'm thankful this year my family didn't have any major health problems and I pray that 2018 will continue in this trend.

I don't know what to expect in the coming weeks and months for the quad life, but I can see the blessings I've been given these past 12 months. I was able to get one entry here every week and hope to continue for my few regular readers.

Have a blessed year everyone and be sure to take time to look back and see all that has been done!

Fuzzy Wuzzy

Most winters, I try to become a hermit and stay in as much as possible. January hasn't been too bad so far, but I'm still minimizing my time out in the cold. Since I wasn't going to be seeing a lot of people or have any school talks, I decided to try an experiment.

Ever since my teen years, I have always shaved my facial hair and not let it grow. I've been hearing a lot about beards lately for some reason and wondered how mine would grow. Starting on January 2, I stopped shaving and just let the hair grow. A few people said it would start to itch, but it never came up. I attended a visitation on the fifth, so I shaved off what grew for a beard and tried again after the eighth. This time, I was able to go the full week without shaving, and I started to notice some

changes.

If I have an itch by my eyes or nose, I usually blow at it to see if I can get rid of an offending hair or skin flake. On Thursday, I did my regular routine, but not much breeze got to my target. I tried holding my stick differently, different angles of attack, but nothing helped. After too long of a time period, I figured out my mustache had grown out enough to block my hot air.

For the beard, my caregivers first noticed a bald spot under my chin. After them touching it, the area feels like where I used to rub my chin on my vent tubes. Driving my chin control chair with the extra hair also started tricky with my controls sliding off my skin.

After nearly two weeks of growth, I went ahead and shaved it off again and went back to my normal look. Feeling a smooth chin again and having a clear path to puff is a nice feeling. It was starting to feel warmer, which I liked, but I don't think I'll try it again any time soon.

Having fun experiments in the quad life helps to break up the regularity from day to day. I don't have anything else in mind, but I'll see what is in store for another week.

2016 Numbers

The time has ended for 2016 and another year has begun. Looking back at last year's blog numbers, I did manage to get in one entry every week. However, I was a little surprised when I looked a little closer at my totals for the year.

Every week after I finish a post, I click on publish and I'm redirected to a page that lists my previous entries. To the right of every post are two numbers showing the number of comments and how many people viewed a post. December's numbers are shown here. With only six subscribers, I average about 18-20 views per post. Since I just post once a week and just about my musings, I think that's pretty good.

In 2016, my most viewed posts were:

1. Three Seconds
2. One Year of Working Legs
3. Christmas Fun
4. Quick Visit
5. Upgrade

As a web developer, I know Google (the parent company of Blogger) keeps detailed records of visits, so I looked further. I found out I have a few more readers than I thought. This screen shot is total visitors over the last 30 days. It's a few more than the one above.

I'm not sure what everyone finds interesting, but I'm glad you have stopped to read. I don't know what 2017 will bring in the quad life, but I hope to be able to keep coming here every week. May God be with you this year and let Him work in the life you've been given. I will see what this first week brings and report back to you my readers.

January Rails

With work being busy in 2015 and requiring weekend attention, I didn't get out to watch trains very much. Saturday was another nice day for January in Iowa so my caregiver and I went and did some rail fanning.

Just as we were getting to Ottumwa, a train was leaving town. When this happens I always wish I had been just a few minutes faster with my morning routine and caught the train on video. At least it was within sight and a nice greeting for the day.

After briefly checking out the Amtrak station, we parked at a place where two sets of track cross over each other and form a diamond. After about 30 minutes of waiting, a single loan train horn sounded in the distance. A few minutes later the lonesome call was heard again.

My ears listened attentively to hear it again, trying to determine which of the four directions it was coming from. My watch beeped at the new hour sounding like a trumpet blast as i continued to wait. Finally, the headlights of the train came into view and passed our location with the camera recording. The rhythm of the wheels pounding the cross over almost having a soothing feeling.

Shortly after, we quickly grabbed lunch and returned to dine by the rails so as not to miss anything. Unfortunately, the next two hours of waiting did not result in another sighting. With time up for taking care of physical needs, we started the 45 minute journey home.

Hopefully 2016 will allow for more time on the hunt for rails. Getting out to enjoy God's creation and anticipating oncoming trains is a fun part for this quad life. With a blizzard predicted for later this week, it will be a while again, but the year has just begun.

Busy Year

It's late on Thursday and this is the first time I've been able to write. So far, 2016 has been a busy year.

One of my long-term web projects went live to the public Monday. Unfortunately, Monday is also my day for getting church sermons online. Combined with getting monthly invoices out, Monday's workload spilled over in to Tuesday.

Unfortunately, the new site encountered some problems that had to be fixed. That took up more time and as of this moment, mostly everything is finished and working correctly. The second large project received final touches today and will hopefully go live in the next day or two.

Finishing large projects is a nice feeling of accomplishment. These two had a few challenges to tackle, but I'm glad they are now complete. Hopefully I can continue to use these new skills and apply them to future projects as well. However, not all of my time has been spent with work.

In September I went to my friend's commitment ceremony as best man and met a few of his friends. One in particular, Robin, has me making a welcome commitment of time as well. Nearly every evening since our friend's ceremony, Robin and I have been talking together via electronic communication. In mid October we officially became a dating couple.

We spend anywhere from one to two, or more, hours talking about everything under the sun. In these short few months, we have grown very fond of each other and find our love for one another increasing. I joked about finding a girlfriend, but gave up seriously looking several years ago. As I go throughout my busy day, I find myself looking forward to our time together more and more and want to sneak quick breaks for updates on how her day is going.

With just one week in, 2016 has been an eventful year. I don't know what the quad life will be like in the coming weeks and months, but I look forward to what God has planned.

End

With the end of the year just over a day away it concludes a year of endings for me. Last night, I finished reading through my physical Bible again. I have been to this point many times and it's always refreshing looking back all the way through God's Word and His plan for salvation.

Sunday was the end of my three-year term as deacon at church. These years have taught me to better see how my church is run and how decisions we make can have a lasting impact on many people. It has not always been easy and I am glad to be finished. However, going back to a regular member will seem strange for a few weeks as well as not knowing more of what's going on at church and my fellow members.

October was the end of using a full trach. I'm completely familiar with a free neck now and feel pretty used to just having the button. Unless it gets bumped, I don't even notice it's their anymore. With being completely dependent on mechanical ventilation, I may have to go back to a trach again sometime. For now though, I can say I ended the year without having one.

This year finally saw the end to working on a new chair. This has taken many years and I'm very thankful to be finished with it. I believe the final solution was a good choice for my needs and is working out quite well. Their are a few things I liked better about my old chair, but I guess having it be completely the same wouldn't be a change!

My legs also ended their complete laziness this year and biked over 15 miles. They still do a lot of just laying out in font of me, but at least they did something for a change this year. I measure the circumference of my arms and legs every four months to see if I'm loosing muscle or staying constant. Both legs grew in the last four months, when doing the bike, than they have in years. Yet another reason I hope to continue biking next year.

The coming year will likely have more beginnings and ends as the days go on. The quad life has many unexpected turns, but I know God is in control of it all. I pray your year will go well and I plan to continue regular entries here, and possibly elsewhere.

Top Views in 2014

With 2014 now behind us, I thought I would look back to the most viewed posts from the year. The top five had several more few than the rest, but were somewhat surprising to me.

The fifth most viewed post was Cracked Door on May 4 with 199 views. This was the start of the following months with appeals and learning how to work with the new system of funding.

Coming in at position four with 204 hits is ACTS on July 27. Giving thanks in all circumstances is what we are called to do, and I'm glad to get reminders. I'm always thankful that I can work with kids, even when they surprise me.

In third position with 218 readers was the post titled Help from Friends on June 7. This past year I learned more about my friends than I knew and was very grateful for help. I'm still blessed to have friends in many different areas of life.

Second from the top was The Answer Is... on July 8 with a jump to 580 looks. After working on funding for over half the year, it was still not over. Continuing with appeals and contacting different doctors was getting very frustrating, as well as looking at care facilities.

In number one position, the most viewed entry of 2014 with 744 views, was New Horizon on April 7. After finally getting new insurance, learning that nursing would not be covered was quite a surprise. Thankfully, as we now know, it did work according to God's will.

I'm thankful for all the people that cared enough to follow this past year's story. I'm amazed at the numbers, but glad to have my story available for everyone. I can't guess at this point what will top out in 2015. One change I'm hoping to do is add more pictures or video. Looking at a solid block of text can be intimidating. We'll see what the first few week of the year brings in the quad life.

Good-bye 2014

My nightly reading beat my morning reading by a few days. I finished Revelation Sunday night and started again with Genesis 1-3 last night.

In the beginning, God made everything, including people, perfect and said that it was very good. Unfortunately, our first parents, Adam and Eve, disobeyed God's command and brought sin into the world. Tonight I'll be reading the first recorded murder in history, showing how bad man has become.

Throughout 2014, I've seen the bad side of man. Insurance people not caring if I have care and continue to breath and others twisting words to fit what they want to say. Among this, I've also seen the good in others. Friends helping to get insurance funding to continue and relatives putting forth a lot more financially and time commitment.

This past year has been one that has helped me grow closer in my trust of God's plan and relying on Him inn everything. I read a few days ago that the other insurance provider my dad's employer was considering is having financial trouble and members are being encouraged to go elsewhere. If we had tried to use it, we would be in even worse shape.

I do not know what will come in 2015, and I don't dare to try and guess. Each day has enough worry of its own, why try to look an entire year in advance. I do know to expect hard times and good times, and to rely on God through all of it.

The quad life of 2014 is nearly complete, now it's on to another year. We will see what the first week has in store next time.

Hit the Ground Rolling

The saying hit the ground running sounds like this week for me, but since I don't run, I'll roll. Today is the only day this week I am not scheduled for something. Several days this week have multiple items per day.

In some ways, this time of year is good with having more to do and being active. However, my tendency to want to stay home and on my computer wants to stay put as well. That's especially true as the temps get cooler. This week isn't supposed to be bad for October in Iowa, low 60's for highs most days, but it's a taste of what's to come.

Colder temps mean layering on more clothes, and going back into footwear. Along with that comes stiffer muscles, more spasms, and being uncomfortable when out and about. One thing is looking up this year, older kids at church.

My dad, another guy, and I have lead junior Cadets for three years now. This year, we just have second and third graders, the same kids as last year. Two have graduated from our group, so we're down to six this year. So far, they are easier to work with, noticeably better at reading and writing and just seem more grown-up. I know it has only been six months since our last meeting in March, but they do seem older. I know the feeling parents have that their kids grow up too fast.

Two kids we have had for the last two years, three years for one, are now in the older classes. I wish I could continue with them and continue to teach, but just as they move on, I have more to instruct in their place. This picture was taken on the night of our first meeting. We'll see how I'm looking in March if I'm able to continue that far.

The next entry will be during a calmer week, and I'll be looking forward to a rest.

The Times

I knew it had been a while since I last made an entry, but didn't realize it had been a month. During the break I have been ill and have had some busy days as well. Also since my last post, we had the school shootings in Connecticut. I feel sorry for all the families involved with it, but it's an unfortunate result of the world we live in.

When tragedies like Sandy Hook Elementary occur, people often ask how could a loving God let such a thing happen. I see it as a wake up call, bringing our attention to the world we live in. For an entire generation now, the Bible has been banned from public schools and evolution taught as fact. This teaching says that man is just an accidental byproduct of a random sequence events and that life has no meaning. In evolution, death is normal and is all that we should expect to get out of our time on earth.

With kids growing up being taught this is what they are, it's not surprising that school shootings and mass murders are becoming more frequent. People are simply acting out according to what they have been taught and what they believe. Keeping with the same line of thinking, it is also not surprising that humanism, better known as atheism, continues to grow as well as "gay" marriage and abortion. The world is getting further away from God and is becoming increasingly pervious.

Recently, I read a blog entry by Ken Ham of Answers in Genesis that said about 44 percent of Americans believe humans and animals were created basically as we are today. Despite the increase in evolutionary teaching, that number has pretty well stayed the same in the last 20 years. That's great to hear that it hasn't dropped, but it also means that nearly 66 percent of those poled don't believe we were created mainly as we are today. Mr. Ham doesn't go into the details of this study, but I'm guessing the 66 percent believe in some sort of evolutionary basis.

Reading the Old Testament, you can see a repetitive cycle of God's chosen people, the Israelites, rejecting God and doing as each person saw fit. They are then given warnings, and turned over another nation that mistreats them. After a time, the Israelites repent of their sins, return to the Lord, and He restores them to freedom and prosperous times again.

Looking at today's world, I sometimes wonder if we're not in the warning stages to return to God or suffer the consequences. In Luke 13, Jesus is asked about some people who were killed when a tower fell on them, if they were worse sinners than others. His answer was that we need to repent or will likewise perish.

John 3:16 says "For God so loved the world that He gave his one and only Son..." As sinful humans, we don't deserve anything, but God so loves us that He provided a way for us to be saved.

A number of people I know are expecting to have a child, or two, sometime in 2013. I am excited for them, but am also sad to see the world these children will be born in to. I pray that it changes for the better, but history has shown us that it is not likely, and we do not fully understand God's plan for our futures.