Updates of Praise

Theology and Politics from a Conservative, Biblical Perspective

First, I simply wanted to offer my sincere appreciation for everyone’s prayers concerning my wife’s surgery. It went well. In fact, it went better than I think the plastic surgeon thought it might. This was our second plastic surgeon as our first one retired before he could complete what he started, so the second surgeon went into this after having taken the baton from our previous doctor and not really knowing what to expect.

At any rate, he was very pleased with the results and originally, before the surgery, he was thinking that the next phase would be done somewhere between January and March of 2020. After the surgery though, he told me he was fairly confident that he would be able to do the next phase before the end of this year. That was nice to hear as it will save us having to pay our deductible again. However, what’s most important is his judgment as to whether or not my wife will be ready for that second surgery.

This next surgery is going to be a great deal more complex as the surgeon will work on both sides of her chest and try to balance things out. It’s an art really, as well as science. I’ll keep people posted as that second surgery approaches. Actually, it’ll be her third since the very first surgery which included her Mastectomy.

My wife is recovering nicely. She has one drain and a wound vac, which I’d never seen before, though I’d heard of it. Apparently, a wound vac allows the incision to heal from the inside out, minimizing scarring. It’s interesting although my wife says it causes a bit of pain whenever it “sucks” air out of the wound. Hopefully she’ll have both the drain and the wound vac removed next Wednesday. Again, we thank you for your prayers.

Second, I wanted to let everyone know that the other thing I had asked for prayer about but did not disclose the situation has been handled beautifully. Currently, I’m teaching through the book of James to adults at church on Sundays. What I find fascinating is that the Lord is putting me through my paces. In other words, the very things that James talks about are the things that the Lord is forcing me to deal with and react in a way that brings Him glory.

The situation I’m referring to has been ongoing for quite some time, but because of a situation that occurred this past week, it came to a bit of a head. Fortunately, I “counted it all joy” in the midst of that situation and gave it to the Lord. I’ll admit that I tended to take it back and give it and take it back and give it, but finally was able to let go and let God. Eventually, the situation worked out better than I had even anticipated.

Thanks again for your prayers and emails of support. As Christians, we need to be there for one another in whatever way we are able to provide. Often that means simply praying for one another because it is sometimes too difficult for the individual Christian going through specific situations to emotionally divorce one’s self from that particular situation. At the same time, that emotional involvement in a situation is what can work to bring us to throw our cares and concerns onto the Lord.

The book of James is a very practical understanding of what it means to actually be a Christian, where the rubber meets the road. This is something that Martin Luther of the Reformation never really grasped, at one point thinking that the book should not have been included in the Canon of Scripture. What is wonderful about James is the very practicality of it, providing a firm grasp on what it means to actually live the faith that we Christians profess.

That, my friends, is often so difficult because our emotions don’t want to work in our favor, but against us. God is able. He is willing. He will help us.

Theology and Politics from a Conservative, Biblical Perspective