And the Results Are...

The fact that I'm typing this is a miracle. For those who have been praying, even if you weren't sure for what, I appreciate it.
So, here's the scoop. Last weekend when I left church, I had a headache, and I thought a little rest would help. I took a two hour nap, and when I woke up I felt like I had "overexercised," but based on my lack of current workout time, I knew that wasn't the case. Monday and Tuesday, I still had that over-worked feeling in both my arms and legs, and by Wednesday, I thought the problem could be my back, because my back was feeling 'out of place.' So I took a trip to the chiropractor. By the end of Wednesday, I was developing loss of feeling in my hands, and Thursday and Friday it got progressively worse. Through the advice of the west valley's finest physical therapist, I contacted my doctor and made an appointment for Friday. Upon exam, they sent me to get a CT scan, X Ray, and blood work, and they wanted the results immediately (the term is 'stat' for fans of Grey's Anatomy or Scrubs). By Friday afternoon, I was unable to grip a pen or undo the clasp on my necklace. On Saturday, the symptoms were still present, and I had not received any word about the test results. I was made aware of an auto-immune disorder called, guillan-barre, which attacks the nervous system, and holds similar characteristics to what I was experiencing. The problem is that many guillan-barre sufferers end up on a ventilator for a few weeks during recovery, because it culminates by attaching your respiratory system. Although, I am technically still not in the clear of having this, it is seeming to be a less-likely result.
Then comes the amazing part. After hundreds of prayers, rest, and an abundance of reminders that I really don't have any control over the situation-- I have begun to heal. It started yesterday at midday, when the pain in my arms subsided and the use of my fingers started to come back. The over-exercised feeling went away by mid-afternoon, and I actually had some energy by the evening. As a bonus, there was an NCIS marathon on USA network, so I caught up on episodes that I missed, but I digress. Although I am crazy tired, I still feel that I am progressing toward complete healing.

It was ironic that backstage at church last week, I remember making the comment about how crippling a physical pain can be to our spiritual life, ie.,. it's tough to 'consider it pure joy' when you're staring down the inability to use your hands. When I thought about this, I was reminded of the first chapter of Job, when God asks Satan, "Have you considered my servant Job?" Definitely a scary thought, when you insert your name where Job's is! Especially when you think about what Job endured over the next 40+ chapters! No thanks.
Currently I am left with a knot in my back and a crick in my neck, and a few more doctors appointments. Yet, my CT scan and X Rays came back normal and most of my blood work shows the same. They show that my inflammation is a little elevated, but not enough to be concerned. So I don't know where this problem came from; I'm not sure why it escalated so quickly; but I do know that prayer, and the One who answers prayers are working just fine. Nikki, Drew, and I appreciate your prayer during this time, and we are confident that we would have not had the same resolution, if it had not been for people praying for us. Thank you, thank you, thank you!

Obamopoly: Do Not Pass Go

The object of the game is to destroy American capitalism by having the government take over everything!
Tokens include a bus, a teleprompter, a sprig of arugula and a waffle iron.

*Wanna play? No??? Too bad, you're already playing... And quite frankly, in this game, nobody wins!*

I thought this e-mail was hysterical! Be sure to read the squares on the game board.

Great Quote

"Sometimes we climb the ladder of success, only to realize that it was leaning against the wrong wall." -- Steven R. Covey

I would hate to get to the end of my days, and have this quote hit me between the eyes.

Are You an Expendable Employee?

I have read a few publications recently that state how customer service goes down during tough economic times. I never thought it made much sense, considering you would think that businesses would step up their services to capture every dollar they could. So far this week, I have left several messages for various suppliers, and am amazed that I can't even get them to call me back. Doesn't my money spend like everyone else's? I think I'll start calling my employees 'Ensign Ricky' if I hear about them not returning phone calls promptly?

The Search for Logic

Most of the guys from my "home team" at church met this Saturday morning for breakfast. We do this from time-to-time and have great discussions. This Saturday the conversation was about educating our kids. Each of us will be faced with the dilemma of choosing where to send our kids to school in the few years, and it was obvious from our banter, that each of us were passionate about receiving the best education that we could find. Although we couldn't agree on public, private, or charter education, we did come to the conclusion that we all desired our children to be able gain abilities that formal education does not offer-- logic and reason. When thinking of the education system today, I notice the tendency to teach based on a group of facts that create a "cookie cutter", "by the book" approach to learning. Is this really helpful in turning-out our future workforce? I have guys that work for me that have twelve years of formal education, but still can't tell you the equation of how how to figure out sales tax (and don't even get me started on their abilities to spell)! The lines of the 1979 classic song "Another Brick In the Wall Pt II?" by Pink Floyd came to mind:
We don't need no education
We dont need no thought control
No dark sarcasm in the classroom
Teachers leave them kids alone

Could Pink Floyd have foreseen this dark day in education- when our teaching structure revolves more upon regurgitation of facts, than teaching the ability for children to be able to think through issues and use their reasoning to solve real problems?
Perhaps this is why many brilliant people stop their formal education at the end of high school. Maybe they are smart enough to know that four more years of education doesn't necessarily dictate their earning potential. I know many people that have GED's and make six digits a year. Was college necessary? Were four to eight more years going to make them better at their trade?
I digress. I want Drew to have a great education, and I want to afford him the best of what we can provided. Yet, I am grounded in the fact that life lessons will fall on my shoulders to teach him. To name a few:
1. Relationships 2. How to treat women 3. Personal responsibility 4. How to make money and invest 5. How use logic and reasoning.
I hope that Nik and I can find a great school for him, but I'm afraid that the current education system is missing the mark. At least we know that his education will start-out right, because he will be attending Great Leaps Preschool (Shameless Plug). For some other great educational commentary tidbits, I recommend checking-out Michael Gray's blogs.

The 'Cross' Necklace

"Darkness is not something; it is the absence of something." --God v. Science

This came to mind today as I sat in on my first day of a case in jury duty. Although I was very apprehensive about the time I would have to spend away from work, it is turning out to be an amazing experience. Without discussing the case, a twelve year old girl took the stand, and after an hour of questioning, she voluntarily spoke of guilt, carving names and pentagrams into her skin, and suicide. It was enough to break anyone's heart. You could tell her words were unprompted and were spoken out of a need to get them out in the open. What happened next though, was amazing. The Prosecution asked a question that I deemed 'very odd.' She asked about a necklace with a 'cross' charm that the girl had been given as a present by her mother (after she had begun inflicting herself). She seemed taken back that the Prosecuting attorney had any knowledge of the necklace.

Her response was priceless: 'It's a cross necklace, with fake diamonds, but it made me feel better. It helped take away my guilt. (Long Pause) Our family believes in God."

I was moved. What an amazing example of what the cross can do for a person's life, and even though this fairly inarticulate girl was not looking to make a spectacle of her religious beliefs, I couldn't help but think that she had. People would look at you funny, if you wore a necklace with an 'electric chair' around you neck, but the cross is well accepted. The cross was a torture device that people suffered and died on, but somehow wearing that sign of capital punishment served as a reminder of a Savior that takes away guilt. "Darkness is not something, it's the absence of something" rang in my head. It took a 12 year old girl to bring the best true-life example that I could have ever witnessed to this quote. Light truly can illuminate darkness. Think about it.

GOD vs. Science Story

A science professor begins his school year with a lecture to the
students, 'Let me explain the problem science has with
religion.' The atheist professor of philosophy pauses before his
class and then asks one of his new students to stand.

'You're a Christian, aren't you, son?'
'Yes sir,' the student says.

'So you believe in God?'
'Absolutely.'

'Is God good?'
'Sure! God's good.'

'Is God all-powerful? Can God do anything?'
'Yes.'

'Are you good or evil?'
'The Bible says I'm evil.'

The professor grins knowingly. 'Aha! The Bible!' He considers
for a moment. 'Here's one for you. Let's say there's a sick
person over here and you can cure him. You can do it Would you
help him? Would you try?'

'Yes sir, I would.'

'So you're good...!'
'I wouldn't say that.'

'But why not say that? You'd help a sick and maimed person if
you could. Most of us would if we could. But God doesn't.'

The student does not answer, so the professor continues. 'He
doesn't, does he? My brother was a Christian who died of cancer,
even though he prayed to Jesus to heal him. How is this Jesus
good? Hmmm? Can you answer that one?'

The student remains silent.

'No, you can't, can you?' the professor says. He takes a sip of
water from a glass on his desk to give the student time to relax.

'Let's start again, young fella. Is God good?'
'Er...yes,' the student says.

'Is Satan good?'
The student doesn't hesitate on this one. 'No.'

'Then where does Satan come from?'
The student falters. 'From God'

'That's right. God made Satan, didn't he? Tell me, son. Is there
evil in this world?'
'Yes, sir.'

'Evil's everywhere, isn't it? And God did make everything, correct?'

'Yes.'

'So who created evil?' The professor continued, 'If God created
everything, then God created evil, since evil exists, and
according to the principle that our works define who we are,
then God is evil.'

Again, the student has no answer. 'Is there sickness?
Immorality? Hatred? Ugliness? All these terrible things, do they
exist in this world?'

The student squir ms on his feet. 'Yes.'

'So who created them?'

The student does not answer again, so the professor repeats his
question.. 'Who created them?' There is still no answer.
Suddenly the lecturer breaks away to pace in front of the
classroom. The class is mesmerized. 'Tell me,' he continues onto
another student. 'Do you believe in Jesus Christ, son?'

The student's voice betrays him and cracks. 'Yes, professor, I do.'

The old man stops pacing. 'Science says you have five senses you
use to identify and observe the world around you. Have you ever
seen Jesus?'

'No sir. I've never seen Him.'

'Then tell us if you've ever heard your Jesus?'
'No, sir, I have not.'

'Have you ever felt your Jesus, tasted your Jesus or smelled
your Jesus? Have you ever had any sensory perception of Jesus
Christ, or God for that matter?'

'No, sir, I'm afraid I haven't.'
'Yet you still bel ieve in him?'
'Yes.'

'According to the rules of empirical, testable, demonstrable
protocol, science says your God doesn't exist. What do you say
to that, son?'

'Nothing,' the student replies. 'I only have my faith.'
'Yes, faith,' the professor repeats. 'And that is the problem
science has with God. There is no evidence, only faith.'

At the back of the room another student stands quietly for a
moment before asking a question of His own. 'Professor, is there
such thing as heat?'

'Yes,' the professor replies. 'There's heat.'

'And is there such a thing as cold?'
'Yes, son, there's cold too..'
'No sir, there isn't.'

The professor turns to face the student, obviously interested.
The room suddenly becomes very quiet. The student begins to
explain. 'You can have lots of heat, even more heat, super-heat,
mega-heat, unlimited heat, white heat, a little heat or no heat,
but we don't have anything called 'cold'. We can hit up to 458
degrees below zero, which is no heat, but we can't go any
further after that. There is no such thing as cold; otherwise we
would be able to go colder than the lowest -458 degrees'

'Every body or object is susceptible to study when it has or
transmits energy, and heat is what makes a body or matter have
or transmit energy Absolute zero (-458 F) is the total absence
of heat. You see, sir, cold is only a word we use to describe
the absence of heat. We cannot measure cold. Heat we can measure
in thermal units because heat is energy. Cold is not the
opposite of heat, sir, just the absence of it.'

Silence across the room. A pen drops somewhere in the classroom,
sounding like a hammer.

'What about darkness, professor. Is there such a thing as
darkness?'

'Yes,' the professor replies without hesitation. 'What is night
if it isn't darkness?'

'You're wrong again, sir. Darkness is not something; it is the
absence of something. You can have low light, normal light,
bright light, flashing light, but if you have no light
constantly you have nothing and it's called darkness, isn't it?
That's the meaning we use to define the word.'

'In reality, darkness isn't. If it were, you would be able to
make darkness darker, wouldn't you?'

The professor begins to smile at the student in front of him.
This will be a good semester. 'So what point are you making,
young man?'

'Yes, professor. My point is, your philosophical premise is
flawed to start with, and so your conclusion must also be
flawed.'

The professor's face cannot hide his surprise this time.
'Flawed? Can you explain how?'

'You are working on the premise of duality,' the student
explains. 'You argue that there is life and then there's death;
a good God and a bad God. You are viewing the concept of God as
something finite, something we can measure. Sir, science can't
even explain a thought.'

'It uses electricity and magnetism, but has never seen, much
less fully understood either one. To view death as the opposite
of life is to be ignorant of the fact that death cannot exist as
a substantive thing. Death is not the opposite of life, just the
absence of it.'

'Now tell me, professor. Do you teach your students that they
evolved from a monkey?'

'If you are referring to the natural evolutionary process, young
man, yes, of course I do.'

'Have you ever observed evolution with your own eyes, sir?'

The professor begins to shake his head, still smiling, as he
realizes where the argument is going. A very good semester,
indeed.

'Since no one has ever observed the process of evolution at work
and cannot even prove that this process is an on-going endeavor,
are you not teaching your opinion, sir? Are you now not a
scientist, but a preacher? '

The class is in uproar. The student remains silent until the
commotion has subsided.

'To continue the point you were making earlier to the other
student, let me give you an example of what I mean.'

The student looks around the room. 'Is there anyone in the class
who has ever seen the professor's brain?' The class breaks out
into laughter.

'Is there anyone here who has ever heard the professor's brain,
felt the professor's brain, touched or smelled the professor's
brain? No one appears to have done so. So, according to the
established rules of empirical, stable, demonstrable protocol,
science says that you have no brain, with all due respect, sir.'

'So if science says you have no brain, how can we trust your
lectures, sir?'

Now the room is silent. The professor just stares at the
student, his face unreadable.

Finally, after what seems an eternity, the old man answers. 'I
guess you'll have to take them on faith.'

'Now, you accept that there is faith, and, in fact, faith exists
with life,' the student continues. 'Now, sir, is there such a
thing as evil?'

Now uncertain, the professor responds, 'Of course, there is. We
see it everyday. It is in the daily example of man's inhumanity
to man. It is in the multitude of crime and violence everywhere
in the world. These manifestations are nothing else but evil.'

To this the student replied, 'Evil does not exist sir, or at
least it does not exist unto itself.. */*/_Evil is simply the
absence of God.. _/**/ It is just like darkness and cold, a word
that man has created to describe the absence of God. God did not
create evil. Evil is the result of what happens when man does
not have God's love present in his heart.. It's like the cold
that comes when there is no heat or the darkness that comes when
there is no light.'

The professor sat down.