How things are going.

 It has been 5 weeks since I had a total knee replacement. Well, maybe it wasn't total because as I talked with one of the physical therapist, he said that it feels like I still have my original knee cap. So I guess that means I had an almost total knee replacement. I know, silly thinking. 

How has it gone? It has gone well. My bend is very good. The farthest I have bent in therapy is 129 degrees. That is amazing. I can remember when getting 90 degrees was amazing. I didn't think it would be possible but here it is. Have I been able to get it completely flat? I am almost there. I am working hard. I have only a degree or two to make it. But it is so tough. Getting the leg flat is challenging. And when Ed stretches my leg during therapy, working on the muscles and tendons, it gets painful. After he is done, it is very tough to even bend the leg. Stretched out, bending is tough. But it finally works.

There is something that is difficult - stairs. I am getting pretty good going up - foot over foot instead of one step at a time. The pain is getting less. Thanks be to God! What is much harder is going down - foot over foot. It is so much more difficult. Hard. Hurts. And is somewhat scary. Every other step, is tough. I grit my teeth and do it. I force myself to do it. But boy is it tough. That and standing up from a chair without using my hands or pushing off from anything - boy is that tough. Really tough. But I work at it. As you read this, stop at this moment, push back from your computer, and stand up, without touching anything. Just stand up. See how easy that was? It isn't that easy for me yet. The lower the seat, the harder it is. Sit down now, without touching anything. Don't plop down. Sit down slowly. That is what I am working on. It is not easy.

I give thanks to the Lord for the healing He is giving me. I give thanks to the Lord for the many ways that He gives healing to these bodies. Think about how amazing it is that cuts heal, colds go away and viruses (yes even Covid) get overcome by the body. Yes, I know, there have been many people who have passed away from Covid related illnesses. My heart breaks for those families. But I also give thanks to the Lord that over 99% of the people who have contracted Covid, have overcome it and their bodies have healed from it. Thanks be to God! 

So that is my update on how things are going. I have other things on my mind - perhaps the election. Amazed me that the same people who claimed there election fraud and the like 4 years ago will say that it isn't possible this year. Is there fraud in elections? Of course there is, on both sides of the aisle. What goes on? I don't know. If you or I could see it easily, then the powers that be are really messing up. They are much better at hiding things than you or me. They get better each year, each election. Do I accept the election of Biden as president? When all is said and done, once it has been certified, I will accept it. Will I like it? No. But that is my personal opinion. You might disagree with me, and that is all right. We can have differing points of view, different opinions about the election and the outcome, but we can accept that. Not everyone will always agree. Time will tell to see what kind of response comes from this thought. 

Anyway, life goes on. Will we be forced to wear masks? I hope not. I hope that it remains up to the individual to decide. I also hope that people quit mask shaming. If you chose to wear one for your safety and comfort, then do so. If you chose not to wear one because you don't feel the need for your safety, then don't wear one. Once again, don't attack me for this statement. Each of us have opinions on this. And each can run out "officials" who say one way or the other. 

Ok, that is all. I have rambled enough. I pray for you and for our country and our leaders. I pray for healing for the sick. I pray for peace among people. I pray for the Lord to heal our nation.

Uncertain times in this world

 As I sit here this morning, I find myself thinking that we are living in uncertain times. Waiti a moment, we are always living in uncertain times. Can we ever be certain of what is going to go on during any given day? I think about what James writes, Come now, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make profit" - yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes. (James 4:13-14 ESV) Following this recent presidental election, there is a lot of hand wringing and celebrating. Those who wanted Pres. Trump reelected, there is hand wringing. For those who wanted Joe Biden elected, there is celebrating. There are those who are talking about how terrible it is going to get under a new administration and those who are saying how wonderful it will be under a new adminstration. It all depends on your perspective.

What I think about is that while I might feel that things was going well under Pres. Trump, the reality is, sin was still running rampant. He did not stop sin. He did not stop people from going against the will of God. And Joe Biden will not stop sin either. He will not stop people from going against the will of God. The reality is, people are still going to live according to their own sinful desires no matter who is president of the United States. If you think anything else, you are only fooling yourself. There is no person here on earth that is going to change the way people live.

Unfortunately, those who are leading our nation, on both sides of the aisle, are living just like you and me - living according to the ways of the world. What a challenge it is for us to live as the Lord would have us live. This is the challenge of living as a saint and sinner in this world. Each day, we might want to live according to the will of God, while at the same time, there is a part of us that might want to live according to the way of the fallen world. 

Do you feel that it is all right to have sexual relations outside of marriage? The Lord doesn't. Do you feel that it is all right to end the life of the unborn child before he/she is born? The Lord doesn't. Do you feel it is all right to talk poorly about another person, perhaps the person that was elected that you don't like, or the person who was not elected that you don't like? The Lord doesn't. Do you feel it is all right to mask shame people? The Lord doesn't. Do you feel it is all right to destroy someone's reputation? The Lord doesn't. 

I am not saying that I am a perfect person, living according to the will of the Lord each day. I am not. I sin daily. I do ask God to forgive me each day, to forgive me for the sins that I have done, those I know and those I don't know. Having said that, I would say the same about each and every person. We are all sinful people who need the Lord each day. We need the forgiveness of the Lord each day. 

And then, as we are forgiven, then we need to ask the Lord to help us to live differently today. We need our hearts to change. Instead of talking poorly about each other, we should build each other up. Instead of tearing down one side or another, we should find ways to build each side up. 

Will that happen? In truth, I doubt it. Why? Because of sin. Because we are sinful people. We will do what we can to say what we feel we should, and we will justify it. I don't care who you are (myself included), we will not live in perfection. As I listen to the news (both sides), I do not hear unity and peace. I hear sinful division. Again and again. I am sure that someone will be upset with me for saying these things, but that won't surprise me. Why? Because we are sinful people who will do what we can to say unkind things about others, even those we don't know. We will make judgments. We will speak our opinions, which are generally uniformed and baseless. And we will feel that we are correct in doing so.

Lord, I pray for our nation. I pray for our leaders. I pray for each person. I ask that we might live according to Your will. (I know that many do not hold onto You, don't believe in You, don't want anything to do with You, but I ask that You would still work in their lives.) Lord, Your will be done.

Peace in uncertain times.

 So much uncertainty. Many people, myself included, thought that we would be moving past the election on Tuesday, having a president elected. It didn't matter which side you supported, I would think that you were hoping for the same thing. Then the nation could begin to move forward, either with one man reelected or one man elected. As you go into an election, you have no idea how the outcome will be. So there is uncertianty. But that didn't happen. Here it is, 2020 +2 days and we are still waiting. Both sides are jockeying for position to try to declare that they have won. And the people of the nation wait, uncertain of the outcome. 

It is that way in a many areas of our lives. There is uncertainty when it comes to health, to jobs, to relationships, to covid-19 and a whole host of other areas. Uncertainty causes nerves to be on age. It causes people to begin to feel frustrated. What can be done?

Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid. (John 14:27 ESV) Jesus comes to bring peace to our lives. It isn't peace in the sense that the world sees or expects peace. We want peace to be in such a way that there is no conflict. We know that there will be conflict in this world. When the angels spoke to the shepherds on the night of Jesus' birth, they said, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men. (Luke 2:14 KJV) What peace? It is a peace with God. 

For the Savior came to save from sin, death and the devil. He came to bring peace with God among people, for the sinner is separated from God. Through faith in Christ, forgiveness is given, which brings peace to the heart. In Christ, there is forgiveness and in that forgiveness comes peace that passes all human understanding. 

Can we have certainty? Yes, in Christ. But can we have certainty in these uncertain times? Yes indeed, in Christ. But there is so much that we do not know or do not control That is right. The reality is, there is so much that we do not control. I work hard to be in control of my health. I do the things I am supposed to do. At times, I feel pretty certain things are well. But then there are times, such as now, following a total knee replacement, that I am not in control. I want to feel good. I want pain and discomfort to go away. I do the physical therapy and the exercises. But I am not in control. And this brings uncertainty. It frustrates me. But instead of focusing upon the pain or the discomfort and the uncertainty, I need to take my eyes off that which I cannot control, and fix my eyes upon that which is certain - my Lord Jesus Christ. He will fill my heart with assurance and certainty. Is it easy? No. Is it possible? Yes. As the Holy Spirit gives me strength through faith in Christ.

It is that way with the election. You cannot control the election. But you can have peace knowing that in the election, whichever candidate wins, the Lord is still in control. If you support Biden, you want him to win. If you support Trump, you want him to win. You have probably done everything you could to make that happen. But in the end, the outcome of the election will be according to the will of the Lord. It is tough to say that if your candidate loses. But it has to be said. Whoever wins, we need to put our hearts forward, and pray for the winner, that the Lord will guide him. And we should pray for the one who loses. Why? Because that is the way that we should be as Christians. Will we agree with whoever is elected? Of course not. Even if it was your candidate, I am sure that there will be things that he does that you will not agree with. But it should be that we pray for each candidate, as well as for those who are in the midst of all the swirling controversy of the ballot counting. 

Certainty in an uncertain time. That is what we have in Christ. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:7 ESV)

May that peace come into your life, and help you to face another uncertain day. 

The Time Changes. How do you handle it?

 Time change! Spring forward, fall back. That means that last night, we gained one hour. We turned the clocks back one hour. It happens on the 1st Sunday in November each year. Today is November 1st. Even though it seems really, really early this year, it is the right time. We gained an hour last night. 

Did you enjoy your extra hour of sleep? Or did you wake up at your "normal" time, which means that if you wake up at 6 a.m. you were waking up at 5 a.m.? Perhaps you were able to sleep that extra hour. If so, good for you. It is a difficult thing to do. If you have pets, especially dogs, that is hard to do. They don't understand this time change stuff. If they normally go out at 6 in the morning, they still want to go out at 6 in the morning, even if that is now 5 in the morning. If you have cattle or other animals, they don't understand the time change. You can't tell them, "Tomorrow we will go back to standard time and that means that I will be out here an hour later," and expect them to understand. They still want to be fed at the same time. If you milk, they still want to be milked at the same time.

It is the same thing with infants and little kids. For those of you who have an infant, I feel for you. They don't get the time change thing. So they will get you up at the "normal" time, which means you probably won't get that extra hour of sleep. I remember those days. It takes about a week for them to finally get into the new time. So this is going to be a challenging week for parents of infants and small children and for those who have pets and farm animals. 

Does this time change make a difference? I don't know. It is nice to have the sun come up earlier. But that only means that it will go down an hour earlier. Ugh! So with sunset at 6:15 p.m. on Saturday evening, it will now be at 5:15 p.m on Sunday. Wow! That is going to make the evenings a little longer. Good luck to you as you make the adjustments. 

I do want to say something today about All Saints Day. November 1st is that special day when we remember those who died in Christ. That means that they died believing in Jesus as their Savior. The comfort that gives to their family is the assurance that they have entered into eternal life with their Lord Jesus Christ. It brings to mind John 3:16, For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but shall have eternal life. Life eternal with Jesus Christ when we breath our last. How? Not by anything we have done but by everything He has done for us. He gives us that assurance in the waters of our Baptism, continues to strengthen us in that faith through Word and Sacrament. And then, when we face that day when we close our eyes for the last time, He tells us He will take us to be with Him in heaven. We lsiten when He says, I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. (John 11:25-26 ESV) Life in Christ. I think about my mother, Gen Brawner, who is with her Lord in heaven. I think of my father-in-law, Norman Rex, who is with Jesus in heaven. I think of Harry Foerster, Cecil Osborne, and Charles Brawner, who are with their Lord in heaven. I think about so many who have been a part of the congregations I have served, and I sing the praise of the Lord for they are with Him in heaven. Thanks be to God!

For all the saints, who from their labors rest...is a song that we will sing in church today. It gives me such comfort, for the loss of a loved one hurts, but the pain is comforted in the knowledge that they are in heaven with Jesus Christ. All praise be to God! Alleluiah!

Have a great time change Sunday and a wonderful All Saints Day. God bless you.

Change

 Change. Who out there likes change? Who seeks out change? I know that I prefer to kee things the way they are. Don't change things on me. Let things remain like they are. It is for sure that whenever change comes, I get anxious, concerned and begin to wonder if it is necessary or needed. Change. Don't do it.

But then I thought about change. Change is all around. The seasons are changing. The warmth of summer has given way to the coolness of fall which gives way to the cold of winter (though it is not winter yet). The beautiful green of the trees has given way to the reds, yellow and oranges of fall. Oh how I love to see the colors of fall. It is so pretty to see the colors against the background of a bright blue fall sky. 

But wait, that is change. It is a change that I don't mind. So I guess I don't mind all change. Just certain change. Then again, when I see these changes of the trees, it reminds me that there is a greater change coming. It is called winter. So maybe that is the change that I don't like. But then again, I do not mind winter either. I don't like to have the bitter cold, but then again, it is the way the weather is supposed to be so I don't mind it so much. 

So what other changes are there that I don't like? I like it when we get a new car, not that we have done that recently. But it is change. A change that I like. Though I didn't like how it happened last time (our last vehicle was totalled in a hail storm), I did like the outcome because I like our current vehicle. When we realized our tires were needing replaced, we made sure we had new tires on the van. We didn't mind that change, especially when driving in the rain. So that was a good change.

So changes isn't all bad. There are many things that have changed in our lives. It changes all the time. How many of us have indoor plumbing? That was a big change. Or instead of a land line, have a cell phone? How many changed from a flip phone (I know some of you still have the flip phone) to the iPhone? It was a change I fought but afterwards was thankful I did.

Yes, change is all around us and isn't always bad. But the reality is, there are some changes we don't like. Why? Because we don't like the outcome. The change that comes when the doctor says, "It's cancer." Or the change that happens when the phone rings and you hear, "There has been an accident." Or the change that takes place when you hear the words, "School will be closed starting tomorrow for the next 2 weeks." Or the change...

These changes challenge us. They are something we don't like. They push us out of our comfort zone. The changes cause our lives to collapse into a mess. Changes cause us to realize that we are not in control. We are not the ones that actually can control the situations of our lives. And that frustrates us. It fills us with anxiety. It makes us feel helpless and hopeless. It leads us into places that scare us, and make us realize - I am in need of someone or something other than myself.

That someone is none other that our Lord Jesus Christ. He does not change. He is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow. His love never changes. His strength never fades. His guidance is always there. He is the Good Shepherd that leads us through the valley of the shadow of death. He is the One who cares for us, carries us, loves us, helps us, and is always with us. 

As you face change today, don't face it by yourself. When you get bad news, when you feel overcome, when you are crushed by the word that comes to you, when the situation of your life is more than you can handle, turn your eyes from yourself to your Lord Jesus Christ. He is there for you. He is the one that will always help you through what you are facing. 

As I went to the hospital on Oct. 8th, I was scared. Change was coming. I was going to get a new knee, a knee replacement. It was a change that was more than I could imagine. So what did I do? Did I suck it up and convince myself that it would be all right? Nope. I turned to my Lord Jesus Christ. I talked to Him over and over again. I listened to His voice as He talked to me and assured me that I was not alone, that He was holding me. He told me that it would be all right. Yes, it would be painful. Yes, it would lead to weeks of change. But through it all, He told me that I could make it through, because He was with me. He would watch over me on the table. He would care for me in recovery. He would walk with me when they got me out of bed. He would enfold me in His arms as I struggle with the pain, the suffering, the frustration. So in this change, I could face it because I knew that I was not alone. 

You can have that same assurance. Trust in Your Lord Jesus Christ. He is with you. He will care for you. He will never leave you alone. In the midst of change, there is the changeless Lord that you can trust in. 

Lord, be with me in the changes that I face. 

Thoughts on Physical Therapy.

Physical therapy.  I have heard about it. People ahve talked about it. As a pastor, I have had many of members who have gone through PT in their lives - for knees, hips, shoulders, heart, and a whole host of other types of ailments. They have talkeda bout how good it is. They have also said that it is challenging for them. 

Now, I know what they were talking about. I have PT three days a week. Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Different time each day. I have had 3 different people - Kenda, Ed and Emily. They each have a different way of doing PT but each are challenging. Is one more challenging than another? Nope. Is one better than another? Nope. All three of them have done well for. They have all pushed me. They have each taken me right up to the limit, then pushed a little bit further.

Is it worth it? Yes it is. I remember one day when Ed was working with my leg, stretching and bending. And as I was just about to cry "uncle," I remembered that the end is what he is working towards. So I let him continue to get that leg working. Then he was done. I breathed a sigh of relief. And walked out. 

The squats on the machine, wow! How far has the knee bent? 120 degrees! It was just about all I could do to get to that point. I was at 118, and felt like I was at the end of what I could do. Then as it was measured, and was at 118, I said, I think I have more. Gritting my teeth, letting my body weight press a little bit more, it was 119. Enough? I would have stopped is Kenda did not ask if there was more. A little bit more, and it was 120! I rejoiced, stretched back and breathed a sigh of relief. Is that enough? Maybe we could get to 125 she said. My jaw drops open, and I think, "Wow! Really?" My left knee only is able to do 120. Is that really possible? Time will tell.

PT - not giving up. I think about that with my spiritual walk. There are times I feel like quitting. Life is tough. Life is really tough. There is so many times I feel like giving up. But the Holy Spirit is there, encouraging me, reminding me that I am not alone, that He is there with me. He strengthens me through His Word. He lifts me from despair. He feeds me with Christ's body and blood. And then, I find that with His help, I am able to continue on. I am able to push through the pain of life and the frustration of the situation, to that which is worthwhile. The Spirit strengthens me so that I can do all things through Him!!!! That is the amazing fact about my Lord Jesus Christ. When I feel like giving up, He lifts me. When I feel like I am being crushed, He puts the burden on His shoulders and lifts me up. When I am overcome, He holds me in His arms, binds up my wounds, and then helps me to continue on. I rejoice in the life and love that the Lord gives to me. 

Has it been easy? Nope. Do I feel like giving up at times? Yep. Do I? Nope. Why? Because of my Lord Jesus Christ who is with me, because of my Father who holds me, because of the Spirit who strengthens me. My God is my refuge and strength. An every present help in trouble. I give thanks to my Lord for all He has done for me. 

Why do I tell you this? Because He is there for you too. He is your Lord. He is your Savior. He is your refuge and strength. In your struggles, do not turn from the Lord. In your PT of life, know that He never turns from you. He will hold you, lift you, and push you to contine on in life.

A story of staples

 Have you ever had something coming that you dreaded? You were sure that it was going to be awful. There was no way that you would make it through the situation. You thought about it, again and again, and the outcome was going to be bad no matter how it played out. That, my friends, is how I felt about today. Why today?

Today was the day that I was going to get the staples out of my knee. If you remember, when it was cleaned up while in the hospital, I had a pretty awful reaction. I thought about the staples coming out and I figured it would be just as bad. Every time I thought about it I knew it was going to be bad. I dreaded this day. I was going to go in and the doctor was going to remove them. I just knew that I was going to pass out again. I knew it was going to hurt. I knew it was going to be a terrible, bad, awful day.

Dr. D. came in. She had all the tools. The moment of truth. She started to take the bandage off. Peeling it down. "Oh boy, what is it going to be like?" I wondered to myself. She peeled it down. I didn't want to look and yet I knew I wanted to. So what did I do? I looked. And...

...it wasn't so bad. There was no blood. There was no redness in the incension. It actually looked good. The doc cleaned it up and kept talking to me. I asked how many staples there were - 14. So she started. One, two, three...and it was going well. No pinching. No pain. Nothing like I expected. Four, five, six...and we kept talking. Seven, eight, nine, ten...and things just kept going well. She was doing a great job. Did I have any doubt? Not about her but about me and how I would do. Eleven, twelve, thirteen and fourteen. They were all out! And it wasn't so bad.

I couldn't believe it. It wasn't as bad as I expected. Why did I dread this so much? Dr. D. applied glue to it in order to make sure it didn't pull apart. Put on the sani strips. And it was over. 

That is the way life is. At times the dread of a situation is often worse than the situation itself. Instead of spending so much time and energy dreading something, I should have turned it over to Jesus, let Him have the fear and face it with a confidence that comes from Him. Yes, the Lord taught me a lesson today. A lesson of 14 staples.