A New Granddaughter! I’ve Got Plans for You!

Posted on October 15, 2011 by pastorpstephens

     This last week we were blessed on Wednesday with the birth of our second granddaughter, Haley Grace.  She weighed 7 lbs 13 oz and was 21 inches long.  She was healthy in all respects and both she and her mom are doing very well.  She is a perfect complement to her big sister Avery Elizabeth!  Haley and her mom were able to come home  Thursday night and my wife (aka “Nana”) and I were there to meet them along with big sister Avery who is 22 months old and excited to have her baby sister in the house.  She will have an adjustment period as she is used to receiving all of mom and dad’s attention but I know that with God’s grace it will all work out okay.

I am so excited about having another granddaughter!  I am so excited about all the wonderful things these girls will experience and accomplish in their lives.  The other night, we looked at Haley’s hands and feet and wondered if they would be the hands and feet of a doctor or nurse, a teacher or an artist, a homemaker or any number of other equally special and wonderful roles in life.  I remarked to her father that with these two girls I thought he had a point guard and a power forward in the house, a shortstop and second baseman.  I dreamed of the games, the recitals, the plays and the programs I would attend.  I dreamed of watching as these two adorable young ladies grow up.  Yes, I have plans for these ladies.  I have been making plans since before they wore born.  I have loved them and cherished them before their parents even decided on their names.  It is amazing the love, the care and concern a parent can have for their children and grandchildren.  It is reminiscent of the love that God has for us; a love that David describes in Psalm 139:13 -16.  David bows his head in amazement at the Lord’s love for him and says:

 “For You formed my inward parts; You wove me in my mother’s womb.  I will give thanks to You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Wonderful are Your works, And my soul knows it very well.  My frame was not hidden from You, When I was made in secret, And skillfully wrought in the depths of the earth;  Your eyes have seen my unformed substance; And in Your book were all written The days that were ordained for me, When as yet there was not one of them.”   Psalm 139:13 – 16

The Lord has uniquely crafted each and every one of us.  We are all special – all of us.  Just like that Oscar Meyer song, “Big kids, little kids, kids who climb on rocks.  Short kids, tall kids, even kids with Chicken Pox!”  All of us are special!  We are all indeed fearfully and wonderfully made!  The Lord created us, the Lord knew us and cared for us and ordained unique and awesome plans for every one of us even before we were born.  And whether we are doctors or nurses, teachers or an artists, homemakers or any other role, we are special because we are creations of Almighty God!  And He has plans for us!  There are awesome things the Lord desires to do in our lives.  Before momma knew our names, the Lord knew our name and everything else about us!  He knew all the good things, He knew all the bad things and yet He still loved us enough to send His Son to be a sacrifice for our sins.  The Lord has plans for us.  Those plans include knowing Christ as our Lord and Savior.

Do you know Christ in that way?  Have you ever asked the Lord for forgiveness?  It is so simple and so easy to do.  It needs to be simple because all of us have sinned and that sins separates us from God. The bible says that whoever calls upon the Name of the Lord shall be saved.  When we do, we are forgiven and reconciled, put back in a right relationhip with God.   If you have never asked for the forgiveness that is found in Christ, why not do it today and fulfill that part of God’s plan for your life?

If you would like to know more about a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, you can send me an email directly at pastorpstephens@aol.com

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Week 31 – Physical Therapy for back surgery almost complete, & I have to tell my story!

Posted on October 10, 2011 by pastorpstephens

I have continued to do well with my recovery from my back surgery 7 months ago and have been going to Physical Therapy once a week for the last 3 weeks.  I have been given 4 basic exercises to do: trunk extensions, modified hamstring stretches, bridges (a reverse crunch) and a strengthening exercise called “bird dogs”.  On this one you are down on all fours on the floor and you extend one arm straight out and extend the opposite leg straight back.  It looks strange and your wife laughs at you when you do it and says things like, “Good boy!  Sic’ em!”  I will be glad when I don’t have to do “bird dogs” anymore.

I am just about finished with my weekly Physical Therapy visits and also about ready to pronounce myself fully recovered.  Even though I use the term “fully recovered” I know I will still need to continue with the exercises, except maybe for the “bird dogs”.  My back, while it does not hurt and I have no aches and pains, is still a little stiff.  I am told it is due to the presence of some scar tissue from the incision and that it will take some time for the feeling of stiffness to totally go away.  All in all, I feel great and I know that increased flexibility will come with time and repetition of my back exercises.  I ran 3.5 miles this morning at a level 3 incline on the treadmill in only 30 minutes and my back felt great!  The Lord has really blessed me!

During my recovery process I have been pleased to be able receive and answer several emails that people have sent to me with specific questions they have about their own back pains or upcoming surgeries.  One theme that has been common in the emails I have received is that people have only heard the bad stories about back surgery.  It seems that there is a wealth of information online about problems people have but it is rare to hear the good stories.  I want to say that I know there are challenges and I know there are risks associated with every procedure, there are indeed some bad stories out there.  Problems can occur with any procedure.  Yes, there are bad stories.  But I want people to know that there are good stories out there too!  There are successful procedures and they far outnumber the bad stories.  It seems like in this world that the people who do the most proclaiming and telling of their stories are the ones that have problems.

I have felt from the beginning that it is important for me to tell my story – no matter how things turned out.  I had questions and found no place to tell me what to expect.  I want you to know that the Lord has blessed me greatly through the spinal fusion that I have had and He has kept His hand upon me during the recovery process.  My wife has had to remind me from time to time that it was not always “a walk among the roses”, but the truth is, even during the tough times, the Lord was with me every step of the way.  That has been my experience not just during my recovery from back surgery but ever since I entered into a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.  It has not always been “a walk among the roses”.  It has not always been “butterflies and rainbows”.  There have been good days and bad days.  But on all days the Lord has kept His promise, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”  Mine has been a good story.  Let me rephrase that…mine has been a great story!  The Lord has blessed me and watched over me.  He has always provided for me.  He has sent friends to encourage me when I have been down.  He has sent people to guide me when I have lost my way.  He has blessed me all of my days!  I don’t mind telling my story!  The bible says in Psalm 22:22

I will tell of Your name to my brethren; In the midst of the assembly I will praise You.  Psalm 22:22

Oh, the Lord is good!  I love to tell my story because my Lord is worthy to receive glory and honor and praise.  He has done great and mighty things for me!  He has forgiven me of my sin, blessed me with a wonderful family and strengthened me for the challenges I face in life.  He has blessed me with a good story and a good story ought to be told.  I  hope you know that you can depend on Him to pick you up when you are feeling down.  I hope you know you depend on Him to lead you and guide you.  I hope you know that you can trust Jesus Christ with you story.  The bible says in Hebrews 12:2 that He is the “author and perfecter of our faith” for He is the “author of salvation”.  Let Him write a chapter of hope and salvation in your life.  Let Him write good story!

If you would like to know more about a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, you can send me an email directly at pastorpstephens@aol.com

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Week 30 – Physical Therapy following Back Surgery & Pulling Weeds

Posted on October 3, 2011 by pastorpstephens

It has almost been 7 months since my surgery and I am on my second week of Physical Therapy.  I HAVE NO BACK PAIN.  I HAVE NO RESTRICTIONS!  THANK YOU LORD!  I have been running now for two weeks at 6 MPH for 25 minutes for 5 days per week and am feeling great.  I have also been lifting weights for 25 minutes, 3 days per week.  I have not been lifting very much weight (about half of what I used to for this first month – my own restriction) but it has felt good to get back in the gym.  I am going to play basketball tomorrow and will do my best to stay under control; I will shoot mostly from the outside and not drive the lane too much.  However, my game has always been driving to the hoop.  It has only been in recent years that I have started shooting the “three” and it is true, it is hard to teach an old dog new tricks.  I love to drive the lane, shoot the reverse lay-up or give a behind the back pass to a team mate waiting near the basket.  Yes, I did pass the ball once.  The guy was so surprised he dropped it.

This past week I was able to clean the garage and vacuum out the cars and do some work that I have neglected in the past 6 months following my surgery.  I was finally able to work in the gardens in the back yard.  The gardens have had some weeds and Bermuda grass creep in a little bit during the last 6 months.  I spent about 15 minutes pulling weeds one afternoon last week and had those garden looking pretty good!  A few days later I noticed some new Bermuda grass and some new weeds popping up.  There were not as many as when I started at the beginning of the week, but there were some new ones just the same.  I know that it will take some time and attention to get that garden back into shape.  It did not get into its current state in one day and it will not be changed overnight.

My experience with that garden reminds me of our interactions with other people.  Sometimes situations happen in life that keep us from properly tending to certain relationships; we ignore others in our life and don’t pay them the time and attention they need.  We set them aside for a little while just like I did that flower garden in my back yard following my back surgery.  Because of the neglect, weeds creep in, flowers that haven’t been properly tended to begin to fade and the overall state of the garden just isn’t what it should be.  This type of relationship is not God’s desire for His children.  Jesus said in John 13:35

“By this will all men know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another”.  John 13:35

Our Lord desires that we walk in peace and harmony.  The Lord desires that we love others and tend to our relationships in a way that brings Him glory and honor.  Sometimes we don’t live up to God’s desire and relationships are strained.  While we can be reconciled unto God instantaneously by merely asking for forgiveness, we have to understand that reconciliation with others can be a longer process.  It can take time and attention to restore relationships.  Sometimes hurt, pain and frustrations are deeply rooted and are not as quickly removed as Bermuda grass.  Just like gardening, it also requires some time on one’s knees.  My experience has been that anything God wants you to do, He will help you to do.

2 Cor 5:17   Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old things passed away; behold, all thing have become new.  18   Now all these things are from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation,

  If you would like to know more about a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, you can send me an email directly at pastorpstephens@aol.com

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Week 29 – My Physical Therapy following Back Surgery

Posted on September 26, 2011 by pastorpstephens

This week I started physical therapy.  I had my first session today and the therapist took some measurements while she made me touch my toes and do some other stretches.  She also used a measuring device to test the strength of my knees and feet while she pushed on them.  (I hope the scale went high enough…just sayin’.)  These activities were designed to get some baseline data in regard to my strength and range of motion following my back surgery which took place 6 months ago.  I am a little bit stiff following the surgery.  This is natural due to the invasiveness of the procedure, a little bit of scar tissue, lack of movement and I suppose from wearing the brace for last 6 months.  The measurements taken today will help the therapist to track my progress and help me to know how well I am doing.  I was told that I will probably only have to come back one time per week for 4 weeks.  This week I was given a modified hamstring stretching routine called the “Sciatic Nerve Glide” and a stretching exercise for my back that can be done standing up, called the “Standing back extension” or lying on my stomach, called “Press ups”.   I can tell you that I did not feel any pain when I went to the therapy session but I did have a little bit after I walked out!

I have enjoyed my first week of “NO RESTRICTIONS”.  It still sounds good to say it, “NO RESTRICTIONS”.  Hah!  I like that.  When I asked my doctor about that last week and what it meant, specifically if I could begin to lift weights again, he interrupted me and said, “No restrictions”.  I asked him about running and he said, “No restrictions”.  Then I asked him about basketball.  He said, “Wellllllll.  Even though I have released you to all activities, you ought to wait until you get a better range of motion and more of you usual strength back.”  It seems like “No restrictions” doesn’t necessarily mean no restrictions.  It reminds me of what the Apostle Paul said in 1 Corinthians 10:23

All things are lawful, but not all things are profitable.  1 Cor 10:23

Paul was talking about the fact that the Christians in his day were free to eat meat that had been sacrificed to idols – if they were okay with it fine, but they needed to remember, it might be a stumbling block for their neighbor.  It might be “lawful” and not restricted for them to do but in some ways it might not be profitable.  For instances they might invite a neighbor over for dinner and place one of those steaks on their plate and it could cause a problem.  The neighbor might not understand that the idol had no sway over them and that person might be offended in such a way that it shakes their faith.  Paul says, eating that meat might not be a big deal to you, but because it is a big deal to someone else, be wise and use some discretion.  Sure it’s lawful but not profitable.  Paul talked about the same thing in Romans 14 and even expanded it to whether or not one should worship on Saturday or Sunday.  “Each person must be persuaded in his own mind” (Romans 14:5) and “we should never cause our brother to stumble” Romans 14:21.

As for me, I do not want to cause myself to stumble as I begin to get back into my exercise routine.  I have been told that I have the freedom to exercise with no restrictions – BUT I should do it sensibly.  All things are lawful but not all things are profitable.  I need to use discretion.  As always, pray for me that I will have patience.

If you would like to know more about a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, you can send me an email directly at pastorpstephens@aol.com

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6 month check up for Back Surgery & Xrays of L4 L5 fusion

Posted on September 19, 2011 by pastorpstephens

Today I went to the doctor for my 6 month check up.  It has actually been a little bit longer than 6 months since my surgery but who’s counting.  The doctor took some X-rays and looked at them and said that everything looks great.  He told me that I don’t have to wear my brace anymore and that I am now released to do all of the normal activities that I did before my surgery including picking up grandkids of all sizes!  The doctor said that I will need to go to Physical Therapy to get my range of motion and strength back to where they need to be.  My back is stiff and weak from the surgery and from wearing that brace for 6 months.  For me I am excited that the X-rays look great and I am also thrilled that I have been released to start exercising again!  I can’t wait to run on the treadmill and to lift weights again.  I know that I will have to ease into it and gradually work my way back to my normal routine.

I am looking forward to getting back to my regular routine even though I know it will probably take a couple of months.  As I left the doctor’soffice, hopped into my car, buckled my seat belt and drove off down the road, it felt very strange not to have on my brace.  That brace has been my constant companion for the last 6 months.  It took a few days to get used to it, it was so uncomfortable at first and now it feels so uncomfortable and awkward without it.

I know that it will take a few days to get used to life without it.  But I know that I will be up to the challenge.  Not wearing my brace won’t be the biggest challenge I face in the next 6 months.  Those challenges will include making the time to go to physical therapy, regularly doing the exercises, not doing too much too fast – those will be the greatest challenges.  As I face those challenges during this next phase of my therapy I will remember one of my favorite verses– Philippians 4:13

I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. 

               

If you would like to know more about a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, you can send me an email directly at pastorpstephens@aol.com

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Week 27 – Back Surgery Aches and Pains in the Middle of the Night

Posted on September 13, 2011 by pastorpstephens

It has been 6 months since my surgery and I hope that next week my doctor will let me begin to jog, start physical therapy and begin to lift some light weights.  This week I am travelling for my work.  I had to be at the airport at 4:30 am in order to get to my destination so it was a long day.  The flight was two and a half hours long, it was crowded and I was not able to get up and stretch so I was pretty stiff by the time the plane touched down.  The place to pick up the rental car was offsite which meant I needed to pull my suitcase and laptop bag to a shuttle pick up area for a ride to the rental car center.  The shuttle pick up place wasn’t a half mile away but it seemed like it.  When I got there, the shuttle was tall with 4 large steps and nobody was getting off the shuttle to help me load my bag…probably because I look so strong, even with the back brace…just sayin’.

Anyway, the rental car place was huge!  There were about 10 different companies set up there and the place had a 3 story indoor parking garage that was enormous.  My car was on the far end of the lot so I probably did end up dragging that suitcase AND laptop bag a half mile.  The result was more exercise than I have done in 6 months.  So you guessed it, by the middle of the night I had some muscles aching.  My shoulders and lats were sore.  My middle back once again was tight and sore.  My lower back and hips felt fine but those other areas did not feel so great.  Even though I was tired I could not sleep.

When I cannot sleep due to back pain I have developed a routine.  I stretch a little.  I lay flat on my back and place my heels on the bed and stretch my hamstrings.  I also stretch my shoulders.  I alternately tighten and relax my shoulders, deltoids, and lats.  Those routines always seem to help lessen the stiffness and the aches.  And most importantly, when I cannot sleep there is one more thing I do.  I pray.

I talk to the Lord.  Sure I ask Him to help me sleep, but I also tell Him thank you for the blessings in my life.  I let Him know how grateful I am for my wife, kids, grandkids and friends.  I tell him thank you for my ministry and my job.  And I ask Him to give me wisdom and discernment for the things that are going on in my life.  I ask Him if there is anything He wants to say to me.  He talks a lot to me in those times that I cannot sleep.  It reminds me of what David said in Psalm 16:7

I will bless the LORD who has counseled me; Indeed, my mind instructs me in the night.   Psalm 16:7

When I stop to think about it, it seems like some of those times have been real times of blessing.  While I am looking forward to the day that my back is fully recovered and I am able to lug a suitcase around airports without any aches and pains, and while I do like my sleep, I hope that I never get to a point in my life where I don’t have those midnight chat sessions with my Lord and Savior.

If you would like to know more about a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, you can send me an email directly at pastorpstephens@aol.com

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Top of the List – Time with Someone Special

Posted on September 5, 2011 by pastorpstephens

This week at church, I got to run the projector during the first half of the service prior to giving the message.  I started out at the front of the sanctuary but snuck to the back to run the computer while person who was filling in for our vacationing audio-visual tech made some announcements and read some scripture.  My granddaughter who is about 2 years old saw me sit down at the computer and she quietly made her way over to me.  She crawled up into the pew and sat in my lap.  She just wanted to sit with me for awhile.  It was a very special moment for me.

Let me explain.  Naturally my granddaughter is very close to her parents.  She adores her mom who is with her at home every day and she loves her dad – she runs to greet him at the door at the end of the day, shrieking with laughter and excitement.  She is also very close to my wife, a.k.a. “Nana”, who is now a stay at home grandmother.  Now let me quickly say that my wife is not old enough to be retired, but we are blessed enough that she is able to now be a stay at home grandmother or “nana” as she likes to be called.  I am very happy for her.  But I must admit that I am a little bit jealous.  She has many more opportunities to spoil our granddaughter than I do.

That is why I treasure those moments when our granddaughter seeks me out for some special time with “Paw Paw”.  There are just so many options for a 2 yr old to choose from in their day; books to color, walls to color, crayolas to eat.  The things to do list for a two year old is endless!  I am thrilled when the list is interrupted and the routine is stopped and she chooses to come and crawl up on the couch, or in this case on the pew and sit on my lap.  And even though we just sat silently and listened to the doxology, some announcements and the old standard “Standing on the Promises of God”, it was a great time of worship for me.  For 15 minutes, my granddaughter and I fellowshipped together in the Lord’s House, in His Presence.  She sought me out and put me at the top of her list.  It blessed my heart.  I think it gives me a glimpse of how the Lord feels when we seek Him out and put Him at the top of our list.  David said in Psalm 95:6

“Come, let us worship and bow down, Let us kneel before the LORD our Maker.”

So many times in our lives we are simply too busy to make time for the Lord.  We have too many things to do, too many places to go and too many others to see.  We are simply too tired or too busy to make time for Him.  But I know from experience that when we put down our proverbial crayolas, when we finally make time for our Creator, move Him to the top of our list, seek out His Presence and make the effort to go and place ourselves next to Him, it brings great joy to His heart.  And I know that it bonds us together with Him, strengthens our relationship and blesses our heart too.

If you would like to know more about a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, you can send me an email directly at pastorpstephens@aol.com

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Week 26 – The First Discomfort in Months following Back Surgery

Posted on September 5, 2011 by pastorpstephens

26 weeks since back surgery and my recovery continues to go well!  However, I did have some discomfort in my back during the last week or so.  I was experiencing a “heat-like” sensation in my mid-back off and on for a couple of days.  I believe that it started when I yawned and stretched too hard one morning.  I am not sure what happened.  Maybe I lifted my laptop bag and turned in an awkward position and put some strain on a muscle in my back that has not been used or stretched out in a long time.  In either case, some nerve in my back was irritated a bit and for that reason it felt like I had a heating pad underneath my brace.  That feeling would last for about 10 minutes at a time and happened on about 4 different occasions for two days in a row.  Then the next day I went on a long car ride that lasted about 5 hours and my hip ached a little bit by the time I arrived at my destination.

I took it easy for a couple of days and the discomfort went away.  It was the first discomfort or aching I have felt since the first couple of weeks following my surgery.  I think my back muscles are getting so accustomed to the support from the brace that they are becoming weak and that the long car ride in conjunction with whatever else was going on with the nerve in my back was just a little bit too much.  In about 3 weeks I am going back to the doctor for my 6 month check up and will finally start physical therapy.  I know that when I begin stretching and slowly getting into a routine of exercising I can expect to have some more discomfort and odd sensations from time to time.

All in all I feel pretty good and none of the pain or discomfort even comes close to the level I felt before my surgery.  I know that the recovery will take a while and that there will be times when there are three steps forward and two steps back.  I must continue to be patient.  The bible says in Ecclesiastes 9:11

“The race is not always to the swift”.

I am going to try my best to pace myself and deal with any discomforts or setbacks that may come my way during this process.  I know that the Lord will give me the patience I need to see it through.  As I have often experienced in my life, anything the Lord asks or wants us to do, He will help us to do.

If you would like to know more about a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, you can send me an email directly at pastorpstephens@aol.com

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Week 25 – Keep It Simple

Posted on August 29, 2011 by pastorpstephens

My recovery from back surgery has continued to go very well.  And while I did have a little bit of a “heating pad” type of feeling in my mid back last week from my nerves being inflamed a little bit, over all I feel great.  It was the first odd sensation I have had in my back in months.  It was not really pain, just a mild reminder that I had some healing going on back there and I needed to keep things simple.  So, I took it easy for the rest of the week…. mostly.

The past weekend I was cleaning out a trunk in my study and I ran across a book that I used to read with my daughter and my son when they were little.  It is “The Children’s Bible”.  It shares the stories of Adam and Eve, Noah and the Ark, David and Goliath, Mary and Joseph, Jesus and His disciples and all of the other major stories from God’s word in ways that engage children and are easy for them to understand.  It is full of vibrant pictures to go along with the stories of men and women who faced challenges and obstacles in their lives and who with the help of the Lord were able to overcome all those challenges.

My kids are grown now and have moved out.  My daughter is married to a wonderful man with a daughter of her own who will be two years old in just a few months.  They are awesome parents.  My son is still single and lives in a home that he rents with some other young men and has matured to the point where I have almost stopped biting my nails, no longer wake up in the middle of the night with the cold sweats and hardly ever lift up an “unspoken” prayer request on his behalf in church in anymore… hardly ever.  Both of my kids have turned out well.  Oh sure, we made some trips to school from time to time while they were growing up, some of those trips initiated by us and some by the school, but overall anybody who has met our kids will tell you they have turned out very well.

My wife and I have been truly blessed.  And though we have tried our best to do a good job with our kids, I don’t attribute our success in raising children and not being profiled on the evening news to be due to any knowledge or skill that we possess on our own.  I know that the successes our children are making of their lives come from the lessons and the truths that were learned from the words in that book.  Every night we would read the stories and talk about the situations the characters encountered.  I would try to reinforce the principles found in the story.  When I would ask the kids what they thought we were supposed to learn from the story, if my daughter got stuck for an answer she would always reply, “To be nice?”  And you know, her answer was always at least partially right.

I love that Children’s Bible because it does keep things simple.  Sometimes as adults we try to make things too difficult.  We try to set up elaborate rules and regulations.   We make things too hard and we set ourselves and others up for failure.  We expect everyone else to be like us, think like us and worship like us.  We forget that the Lord makes faith so easy that even a child can come to Him.  Yes, the Lord keeps it pretty simple.  He says to us in His word in Micah 6:8 “He has told you, O man, what is good; And what does the LORD require of you but to do justice, to love kindness, And to walk humbly with your God?”

It really is pretty simple.  The Lord expects us to do the right thing, to walk with Him and to be nice.  It is so simple that even a child can understand it.  What an awesome God we serve.  I can hardly wait until my granddaughter spends the night so I can begin to share those same stories with her.

If you would like to know more about a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, you can send me an email directly at pastorpstephens@aol.com

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Week 24 – Photo of L4 L5 Fusion Scar after 5 months, Still putting on my brace!

Posted on August 22, 2011 by pastorpstephens

My recovery is still going very well.  It has been approximately 5 and a half months since my back surgery and I feel great.  I don’t think I took any pain meds past the third week.  I would have to go back and check the blog to know the exact day for sure, but to borrow a phrase from Mr. James Brown, “I feeeel good!  Hah!”  Below is a photo of the scar from the incision from the surgery.

If you look close you can see the criss-cross pattern from the modified brace I have been wearing since month # 3.  The brace has been modified because I was able to remove the big plastic plates at my three month check up.  That helped with the heat factor and also with the comfort level when I sit in certain chairs but alas it does leave that interesting pattern on one’s back.  The pattern kind of looks like a Belgian waffle.  But I figure waffles go along rather nicely with the muffin top I have developed from not running for the last 24 weeks.

I am looking forward to the day when I get released to run, lift weights, pick up grandbabies and do all the things I did before my surgery which includes not wearing a brace.  At first, I was not used to putting the brace on every morning but now it has become almost second nature.  It has simply become one of those things that I now do instinctively as a part of my routine every day.  I am as unlikely to leave home without putting it on as I would be my socks or my shoes.  Well, there was that one day that I was in a hurry and I got dressed and rushed out of the door and jumped in the car before I noticed I wasn’t wearing it.  I was two blocks away before I noticed that something just didn’t feel right!

Running out of the door without having everything I need for the day has happened to me before.  I don’t mean just forgetting my billfold or my lunch but also forgetting other things; things like patience, kindness, and other wholesome qualities.  God’s word reminds me that I make a concentrated effort to remember to put these things on each day.  In the book of Colossians Paul writes

“So, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience…and beyond all these things put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity.’’  Colossians 3:12 – 14  

I am afraid that too many times I have indeed run out of the door without praying and asking the Lord to help me put on the compassion, kindness and humility that I need to get through the day.  And on those days I have made it much further than two blocks from home before I noticed that something didn’t feel right.  I have made it through the entire day and through entire conversations with others where I was insensitive, unkind and sometimes downright rude to people.  Yes, I went much further than two blocks before I realized that I had left the house without being fully prepared, supported and dressed for my day.

I am much better at it now than I was years ago, but every now and then I still get in a hurry and run out of the door without the divine support that I need to stand tall and strong in this world.  I have tried to make it a part of my routine to stop and pray before I leave the driveway and ask the Lord to help me and to make sure that I am fully clothed in His humility, His gentleness and His patience and His love – before I leave the driveway.  And that is a good practice to have, especially with Austin traffic.

If you would like to know more about a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, you can send me an email directly at pastorpstephens@aol.com.

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