Is love blind?

Today is valentines day and this morning my daughter asked the following question on Facebook: "If love is blind, then why do so many people buy lingerie?" I sarcastically commented that 'lust has 20/20 vision'. Well, Valerie's question wasn't as sarcastic as my answer which got me wondering... is love really blind?

The idea behind 'love is blind' is that love doesn't see our faults, that it ignores them and sees only good in us. But that isn't love, it's positive thinking. I think of my wife Gail. We've been married since September of 1993 and are more in love than ever - but not blindly. She knows where I'm weak, what scares me, what makes me sad and what angers me. She knows I'm a picky eater, she knows I need to lose weight, that I don't brush my hair and that I NEVER tuck in my always wrinkled shirts.

She knows all this - and more - and she loves me anyway. She'd probably like it if I had a more imaginative appetite and kept my hair a little neater and even lost some weight but she isn't in love with those things, she's in love with who I am, with my character and as it happens, sometimes that isn't easy and it is not blind.

So if love isn't blind, what is it? I've seen/heard lots of comparisons; higher than a mountain, deeper than the ocean, like a rose etc... but check out these thoughts:

• "Love is patient." Not talking about easy patience here, like the patience of a parent as their child falls while learning to walk - but difficult patience. Patience when it is not deserved, but given anyway.
  
• "Love is kind." Wash the dishes, vacuum, mow the lawn, write a poem, laugh together, share a hug for no reason.
  
• "Love is not proud." Admit you're wrong, admit you have needs, don't gloat when you're right, meet the needs of the other person even when it's outside of you own comfort zone.

There's more to it but this is a good sample of how the Bible defines love, and an important part of this list is that everything requires conscious effort, a choice to do them... and that is love. Like I said, Gail loves me in spite of my failures, and I her. Our love is passionate, it's strong, filled with joy and that's not because our love is blind, no, our love has perfect vision. We have pain, we fight, we hurt but our love endures through it. By choice and smart behavior.

Maybe you're not a Bible reader, but the rest of the definition is amazing, go check it out, you can find it in First Corinthians chapter 13. It's easy to find in a Bible or online at this link:
http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1%20Corinthians%2013:%204-7&version=NIV

So is a 'sexy nightie' an appropriate gift? That's for you and yours to discover for yourselves, but what is sure is that true love sees beauty wrapped up in that outfit no matter what anyone else sees... because love has perfect vision.

Latest on Beth Evans from Matt...

The Following is an update on Beth, from Matt:

We just spoke with Dr. Boulad today ... another good report. They continue to wean her off the IV meds and replace them with pills. She should be completely off morphine early tomorrow (they have to wean you off morphine b/c of its addictive effects). They give you a special drug to stimulate your white blood count. Beth is no longer taking that so her counts are leveling off. Her new marrow is now making red blood cells and platelets. She is still getting an occasional platelet transfusion during this transition as the new blood cells keep up and then build up. She has not had a red cell transfusion in quite some time.

So ... counts are looking good and getting better, organs look good, pain is under control and almost gone, and all IV meds are being either eliminated or replaced by pills. The dangers remain infections and Graft Versus Host Disease but the doctors are very vigilant and proactive in prevention.

As of now, Beth should be released from the hospital sometime late tomorrow (Tuesday). She will then be in outpatient status for quite some time (and would be readmitted in the event of a fever, signs of infection, or any sign of Graft versus Host Disease).

Please keep praying for Beth to regain strength, for her counts to continue to strengthen, and for protection against infection & Graft vs. Host Disease.

Thanks so much!!

Matt

24 Hours of Prayer

1 Thessalonians 5:17 says simply: Pray continually - and that is exactly what we're going to do as a church this Wednesday from 6pm Wednesday to 6pm Thursday at Stage 123 in Dalton. Here is more information from Matt's blog:

How we need what only God can provide!! How Satan quakes at united, corporate prayer! How God longs to hear His children call out to Him! Let’s give God no rest for 24 hours …

One of the most important prayers we can pray right now is: Lord, make us hungry to pray! And then as we pray …

• We will know His power
• Unbelievers will be converted
• Sinful habits will be broken
• Families and marriages will be restored
• Boldness for Christ will increase
• Hardened hearts will become tender and sensitive to God
• Prodigals will return home
• Giving will be joyful and generous
• The sick will be healed
• Worship will be intense and passionate
• AND, CHRIST WILL BE GLORIFIED!!!

Live worship is scheduled to go on the whole time and Rock Bridge Staff are signed up to be on hand for the entire time - I look forward to seeing you there as we "Pray Continually".

UPDATE ON BETH FROM MATT EVANS

This is from Matt's Blog @ Mattevans.cc

Update from NYC

First of all we want to thank you so much for your prayers, love, and support. They have lifted us up and increased our confidence in our awesome God.

Today we met with Dr. Boulad, a pediatric oncologist who also specializes in adults with Fanconi Anemia. He confirmed Beth’s diagnosis of MDS. He outlined our treatment plan:

1. We fly home tomorrow
2. Because of the risk of infection (Beth’s white count is very low), she must remain at home and relatively isolated.
3. Beth has another bone marrow biopsy in 2-3 weeks to determine the rate of MDS progression.
4. We are moving to have a bone marrow transplant in 6-8 weeks.
   1. The donor search starts now.
   2. Once Beth is matched with a donor, the transplant process will begin.
   3. This process will require Beth to be in the hospital here in NYC for 2 months and remain in the New York area for 4-6 additional months to be closely monitored.

Prayer Requests:

• For God to be glorified in ALL of this!!
• For miraculous healing!! That the biopsy in 2 weeks comes back NORMAL!!!
• For Beth to stay free from infections.
• For Edwin who is an FA patient who started the transplant process today … pray for his healing.
• For John, another FA patient fighting mouth & throat cancer … for healing & recovery.
  • We were blessed to meet both John & Edwin today and pray with them and their families.
• For the donor match process to go quickly and smoothly.
  • We can only be matched with someone already on the registry.
  • Many people have asked about being a bone marrow donor for Beth. While this is not possible, you can still become a donor and help save someone else’s life. Go to BetheMatch.org to find out more information.

Pray... Go... Give

I'm sitting on an old wooden rocking chair, on a porch facing west as the sun sets beyond some tall pines that reach high into the cool night sky. The chair is not particularly comfortable and the approaching darkness brings with it some blood sucking bugs so my time on this porch is limited but for the moment I'll hang out here and watch the setting sun create a soothing orange sky. The only thing that could make this better would be my wife sitting next to me.

I just finished reading one of my favorite Bible stories as it appears in the Bible, in the book of Mark. It isn't a new story to me, I've read it a lot and taught from it several times and its message always inspires me. Tonight however, as I read under the tangerine sky something caught my attention. Not new, it's been there every time I've read it, but tonight it strikes me fresh.

A quick look at the story shows us Jesus teaching along a shoreline and as the crowd grows, He gets pushed closer and closer the waters edge. Eventually he ends up on the boat of a fisherman named Simon - a man that is later called Peter and becomes a pretty important player in Christianity, but here, at this point, Simon is a fisherman.

He has spent the night fishing and caught nothing but as Jesus' teaching time ends, He instructs Simon to go into deep water - to catch fish. It's all wrong really; Simon is the fisherman and Jesus is the preacher but Simon recognizes Jesus as a man of some significance so he does as Jesus said - and because of it he catches fish. Lots of fish. So many that he needs help to get them in the boat. At the end of the story we see the following:

Then Jesus said to Simon "Don't be afraid; from now on you will catch men." So they pulled their boats up on shore, left everything and followed Him.

There's a lot in this story; faith, trust, obedience to God and Simon leaving behind his career, but what struck me was that Simon was a fisherman that has just had what was likely the best day in his career and that's the day he leaves it all behind - and that's what struck me. Would I have left a successful career to come work in the church? Would you? I remember the 'biggest sale of my career'... would I have left it all behind that day to come work in the church?

We were challenged in church yesterday to: "Pray. Go. Give." To ask God if there's more we can do to help this enormous and diverse world. Should we deliver God's love to a place where there is no fresh water and help build a well? Should we go to a place where AIDS kills at an alarming rate and give care? Go build a septic system for a city where the streets currently serve as the channel for the local sewage? Should we give money selflessly to help others do it?

I don't know where you are or what God may be doing in your life but I know that He has called those that claim to be followers of His son, Jesus Christ to go into all the world with His amazing love.. So...

• Pray... Ask what you should do - and do it - even if it happens on the 'best day of your career'
• Go... Go where it is you should go and share God's love. Africa? Haiti? South America? Your school? Your Work? Your own home?
  
• Give... Do everything you can to give. Less restaurants? Movies? Cheaper car? Smaller house?
  

Rock Bridge Outdoors

It's Saturday, August 21st, 2010 and I suspect this day will be remembered as a pivotal point in not only Rock Bridge Community Church, Chatsworth, but Murray County in general.

"Why?" you ask, because Rock Bridge Outdoors Chatsworth, is launching today! Rock Bridge Outdoors connects the disconnected by creating outdoor environments that engage people in activities they are passionate about and here in Chatsworth it is going to be AMAZING.

This group provides ways for not only great community, but also ways for us to serve our community through all kinds of projects. The group will grow into everything from hiking/camping to target shooting to river rafting, picking up trash, serving schools and much more.

Russell Richards and Andrew Touchstone have done a great job getting ready for this celebration. It starts with diner at 6:00pm at the Touchstone home and you can get directions to the Touchstone home by calling Russell at 706-270-3606.

Also, for reminder sake... Church tomorrow at Bagley Middle at 9:15 & 11:00am - one more "lie of the devil" exposed and you don't want to miss this!

Family History

"Family History"

It was barely more than three months ago that family medical history rocked my world when mom told me about her colon cancer... and too soon after that, she lost her battle with the nasty beast called cancer.

So, filled with sorrow from her passing, and with joy remembering her amazing life, it was time to get busy dealing with family history. I made an appointment to have my annual[ish] physical and seek a referral for the dreaded colonoscopy. My physical was overall fine; a few numbers I need to lower but no med's needed. Then the awesome Dr. Brown asked me where I wanted to go for the 'procedure'. I'm a Murray County guy and I've heard that we are in danger of losing our hospital so I opted for Dr. Rodriguez at Murray Medical Center - and I am so glad I did! Here are a few reasons why:

• Dr. Rodriguez was quick to get me scheduled and even quicker to ease my worry by letting me know that family history is a concern, but certainly no guarantee to get cancer
• I was able to get an appointment quickly
  
• At check-in I was warmly greeted and checked-in fast.
• I waited in a comfortable waiting room and found a magazine I found interesting, but I had no time to read it since within minutes I was escorted to my room.
• Nowhere did the hospital have an unpleasant odor - I CANNOT overstate the importance of this for me!
  
• The nurses were AMAZING. They made me feel so at ease and comfortable, even while wearing that stupid dignity-killing gown.
• I had my first "I.V." installed and the nurse got it done in one, practically pain-free[ish] try.
• While waiting my turn for the operating room, I was visited by the hospital administrator - who took time from his crazy schedule to hang out and pray with me
  
• A short wait later it was my turn - I acted quite brave but was pretty nervous. I was wheeled into the room, given a shot in my I.V. and that was it, I was painlessly out in a matter of seconds.
• The next thing I know Gail was waking me up to go home - nearly an hour ahead of schedule!
• Three minutes after climbing into our car, Gail had me in our bed for a very peaceful afternoon nap!
  
• And most importantly - I am all-clear!

Most people that had been where I was going told me that the worst part of the colonoscopy was the prep work the day before. I didn't much like not eating for a whole day but the drinking and pill-taking was truthfully a breeze - and the 'food-fast and prep-work' helped lower one of those numbers I mentioned earlier - I lost seven pounds! I have since found most of them.

All this to say two things:

• If it's your time, whether by age or family history, get the colonoscopy. It really is no problem and it could be life saving.
• If you're a Murray County person, my experience confirms that you can feel great about using Murray Medical Center