The Best Dentist Appointment Ever

I'm sitting in a dentist chair right now. My dentist has wifi and he encouraged my to play on my computer while I wait for the anesthesia to take effect. Feel free to pray for painless fillings…

Ross Perot – Round 2

Here's the first word I think of when I hear the name Ross Perot:

Hero

Not what you were expecting? Let me fill you in.

I got an email about 2 months ago about some friends of mine from college, Sarah and Joe, who are missionaries in the middle east. They had just rushed their 10 day old baby, Luke, to the hospital. He'd not been feeding well and was very lethargic. Obviously, that's a terrifying situation for any parent, but on top of that, the hospital customs in that country don't allow parents to see their children. For days they desperately tried to convince the doctors to let them see their baby and finally they were able to go back, but after about 20 seconds, the nurse said, "time's up." They both nearly lost it.

It was finally determined that he had a heart defect. His condition continued to worsen until they realized that they had to get him to the States asap or he would need a medical evacuation or have to undergo intensive neonatal open heart surgery in a third world country.

Ultimately, they had about 12 hours to find tickets, pack, and drive 8 hours to the international airport. They called every airline they could and there were NO tickets. They even called the U.S. Consulate and the U.S. Air Force Evacuation Unit and no one was able to find anything.

Finally, their friend Julie, in the States, called and said she found a ticket and if they wanted it, she'd buy it right then. Of course they agreed. In Julie's rush to find a ticket, she'd called her employer's secretary and told her the story and the secretary told her boss who was Mr. Perot. He couldn't get the situation out of his head, so he called the leading cardiologist at the top children's hospital in the nation and instructed him to call Sarah, who had to make the trip alone since Joe had to stay with their other children, on her cell phone.

Just when she was needing a bit of confirmation rushing to the capital city over 100 miles of rough mountain roads and passes with no shoulder or guard rails, Dr. Thompson called her. He explained to her how to handle the flight with a baby with Luke's condition, and said that he'd have an ambulance waiting at the airport upon their arrival… he also said for her to call him at any time, gave her his cell phone number, and though it would be in the middle of the night he'd leave his cell phone on beside his bed waiting to help them in any way.

Sarah and Luke arrived at the airport on time… to learn that the ticket was First Class! The flight went very well with all the stewardesses learning Luke's story which then spread throughout the plane. He was able to eat actually more than he did the previous day and slept well too. Upon landing, the Captain of the plane welcomed Luke personally to the United States over the intercom system while different ones told Sarah that they were praying for her little baby. As the door of the plane opened a police guard took them right off, then excorted them straight through customs and right outside to an ambulance that rushed them on to the hospital. And there waiting for them at the hospital was Sarah's family and Ross Perot. Luke was immediately admitted to the ICU. Mr. Perot was so concerned about Luke that he'd call and go to the hospital regularly.

Since then Luke has had successful open heart surgery and is now doing great!

I just saw with Sarah and Luke the other day and she told me that their hospital bills totaled almost a quarter of a million dollars. That's a lot money for a couple of missionaries. When they got the final bill in the mail they were shocked to see that they only owed $1,000. What do you think happened to the other $240,000?

Yeah, that's why Mr. Perot is my hero.

Isn't it amazing how God provides?

My Personal DNA

Personal DNA is a fun, fancy personality test. Here's my Personal DNA. It seems to pretty much be spot on for me.

So, what's yours?

My Turn: Word Association: Ross Perot

Hero. Lifesaver. Godsend.

I'll tell you why I associate these words with good 'ole Mr. Perot after I get back from a pre-Memorial Day Texas Style BBQ – Mmmmmm……..  

You all (or rather, y'all) doing anything for the holiday? 

Word Association: Ross Perot

Quick, what do you think of when hear see the name Ross Perot?

(There's a story behind this. I'll tell you tomorrow.) 

Don’t Adjust Your Screens

I'm trying out this new design that's available from wordpress. What do you think? I can't use my own design on WordPress.com, and I'm waiting until their export feature is ready so that I can move this blog to my own server and set it up properly.

So should I keep this design or go back to the old one?

I Cried Today

Wow. Watch this video and you will too. Mother Teresa was a truly inspiring woman. Notice how close she draws those who are suffering. Notice her posture. Maybe that's just from age, but maybe it's also a result of a life of prayer and kneeling to help and hold the least of these. Listen to the words of the song, read the words of Mother Teresa, watch her life and be inspired. Be inspired to action. Don't just be inspired and fill yourself up, be inspired and lay your life down. Lay it down for those who have no hope. Lay it down for those who've never known Love. Lay it down for Jesus. The Great Commission isn't about making people believe what we do, it's not about convincing people. It's about healing hearts and holding hands and laying down our dreams for God's. I think Mother Teresa understood that.

Here's are a few places where you can put action to your inspiration:

Compassion International – sponsor a child in need.

Restoration Village – help rebuild a town devastated by the Tsunami.

Invisible Children – help children whose lives are torn apart by war.

Do you know of another great way to take action? Please comment and let me know.

Thanks to Seth and Amber of Five Cent Stand for the great video.

Free Music!!!!!!

Check out this free mp3 by a great artist named Andrew Osenga.

He said, She Said

Her story:

We hadn't been married very long when it happened, I guess it was about 2 weeks. We'd come home from our honeymoon and we were working hard to get settled in our new apartment. We were chatting and laughing while hanging pictures and sifting through wedding presents, when my husband made an offhand comment about how he thought it would be sweet if I woke him up with a kiss. Being the great wife that I was (am) I filed that tidbit away in my brain for future reference and went on with the unpacking.

The future came about 10 hours later as the sun filtered through our cheap metal venetian blinds casting a horizontal grid on my sweet husband's sleeping face. I gently and quietly leaned over to give him a sweet kiss on his cheek and as I closed my eyes, suddenly, out of nowhere…

His story:

I've always thought it would be nice to be awakened with a kiss from my wife. I mentioned it to her when we got home from our honeymoon, but we were in the midst of unpacking so I didn't really know if she heard me or not. We continued moving in to our new apartment, moving boxes, moving furniture and getting everything squared away. I was pretty tired by the time I went to sleep and I slept like a rock.

Just before it happened, I remember barely stirring from my deep sleep. I was in that half asleep/half awake stage when I saw this dark shadow looming over me. What in the world?! What is that thing? Ghost?! Burglar?! Being the great husband that I was (am) I did what any great husband would do. I pulled my hand from under the pillow, reached over and gave it a good whap!

Her story:

Not what I was expecting.

His story:

Oops. Not what I was expecting.

Their story:

This is our favorite early marriage "What was I thinking" story to tell. We usually tell it jointly and he always slaps his hand in the air as an effective and hilarious visual aid.

I now have a nice football helmet on hand for waking him up with a kiss.

What Does It Mean To Be Free?

Something that's been on my heart lately is freedom. I feel like in the past 6 months or so, I've really experienced freedom. There's nothing weighing me down. There's just a sense of awe that God has a plan and I'm part of it.

I'm not so concerned with what people think, what I should be doing, what I shouldn't be doing or what others expectations are of me. My primary concern is to listen to God and to feel His hand on the small of my back as He gently leads me throughout my day.

John 8:32 says,"Then you will know the truth and the truth will set you free."

The truth is that all that matters in this life is God. Period.

The truth is that there is not one single thing that you can do today that is more important than sitting down and spending time with Him. Not because it's something you're supposed to do. Not because it's a rule or a requirement, but because the God of all creation wants to wrap His arms around you and tell you who you are. He wants to lift the burdens from your shoulders. He wants to give you purpose and vision. He wants you to live life today the way He meant for you to live…with passion and hope.

The truth is that you are precious. I have two little girls and I love them more than life itself. The idea that God sent His son to die for me is almost unfathomable, but what's even more unfathomable is that we so often don't walk in the freedom that His death provided.

The truth is that you ARE free. If you've chosen to follow Jesus, His death freed you from any chains that once held you. Maybe you're afraid to walk away, maybe you don't really believe that you can. I challenge you to write down a list of the things that you don't feel free from. Every morning when you pray, tell God that you need help believing you are free and walking in freedom from those things. Then as you face them throughout the day, recognize that you have a choice and ask God to help you make the right one.

There is an amazing freedom to be found in God and in that freedom there is such purpose and passion for even the most seemingly mundane moments in our lives.

So rise up. Walk with Jesus today and leave your chains behind.

"Shake off your dust;

Rise up, sit enthroned, O Jerusalem.

Free yourself from the chains on your neck,

O captive Daughter of Zion."

Isaiah 52:2