My Doxology

"Clap your hands, all peoples! Shout to God with loud songs of joy!"
Psalm 47:1 (ESV)

As the sun begins to climb into the sky, I am sitting in my living room, praising and thanking God for his many blessings to me and the ones I love.

I thank him for the love that put his own son in my place at Calvary, even though I was still an angry, selfish, rebellious sinner. What amazing love!

I rejoice in the miracles of modern technology which allowed me to share somewhat in the birth of a granddaughter on the other side of the world this week. What a gift!

I am thankful for Sarah Grace's safe arrival in the world and those who provided assistance at her birth. What a precious provision!

I am thankful for a Godly woman who is my son's wife and Sarah's mom and for her parents who brought her up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. God's ways are wonderful!

I am thankful for my son David who has his grandfather's gift of teaching and will need to use it in raising his daughter in the ways of the Lord. Your ways are righteous Lord!

I am thankful for my parents who gave me a Christian home in which to learn about love and forgiveness and the ways of the Lord. God, I have been blessed beyond measure!

I am thankful for a new day and the opportunity to gather with others who know Jesus and sing his praises. What a blessed opportunity!

Oh Lord, I am aware of your presence and your love and your grace but I know I have so much more to learn, teach me your ways, I pray. And receive my worship as I give it to the only one who is worthy.

Amen.

Kidney Stones and Heroines

I grew up in a family of four boys and one girl, who was the youngest. When I married, my wife and I had four sons of our own. I am used to being around boys and their antics. I am a frequent visitor to hospital emergency rooms. I have been there with our oldest Robbie, who had fallen on a school outing and required multiple stitches on his forehead and eyelid. I have been there with my second born, David, when he has broken his wrist (twice). I have been there with my third son, Joshua, when he put his hand through a window and severed an artery and required stitches and fluid to replace his blood loss. I have been there with our youngest son, Shawn, who suffered a major leg laceration at the pool and needed many stitches to close the wound. All the boys have known there share of bumps and bruises and exhaustion as they have trained for and played competitive soccer. I have always been proud of the way they have been strong as they have received the medical care they needed. After yesterday however, I have a new heroine to admire.

The first time I had a kidney stone I had been trying to lose a lot of weight in a short period of time and had done so by running in the heat and humidity of Florida without any hydration. While I lost the weight I was trying to lose, I put a great strain on my kidneys and paid a severe price. When I passed my kidney stone I asked God to take me home....and soon! I felt as though someone was pushing and twisting a large hunting knife into the small of my back and trying to push it all the way through to the front. I vomited, I sweat profusely, I cried out loud, I moaned, I changed colors (at least I turned ghost white), and writhed in pained. I hurt so bad I didn't even want to move to go to the hospital where they might be able to help me. It was horrible! And I have continued to pass a kidney stone about every 6 to 9 months. It is no fun. After yesterday, I'm not going to complain about my kidney stones.

You may be wondering, what happened yesterday? Yesterday, my granddaughter Sarah was born. She was born following her mother's (and my new heroine's) 30 plus hour labor! This ordeal represented Marianne's emergence as the new "tough" guy in our family when it comes time to compare scars and stories about Dean injuries. Marianne now gets to take the lead chair in storytelling folklore at our family gatherings. And the results of her experience, we now have the most wonderful little granddaughter, Sarah Grace Dean. She will join Erin as our gifts from God. Marianne's experience took place in Chang Mai, Thailand and she gets style points for that.

The fact that it lasted over 30 hours makes me marvel are her endurance and tolerance for pain.

When I have my kidney stones, or tell people about them, someone almost always points out that kidney stone pain for a man is the closest thing he will ever have to labor pain. If my daughter-in-law Marianne went through anything like what I have been through, and went through it for over 30 hours, then she is my heroine from this day forward. And the results, well you judge for yourself.