It's been a while...

So, you see the title, no real reason to re-write it. :D In any case, I finished this semester of classes, and it looks like I'm going to have 2 A's in these classes. They weren't as easy as I thought they were going to be. The first was Discipleship 500, which is basically an introduction class to discipleship. The final project is what kicked my butt. Talk about practical learning; we had to come up with a complete discipleship curriculum for a particular group within the church. Mine ended up being youth, and I think that I did a decent job on it. However, I also think that it would have been much better had I not waited until Thursday night to really get working on it. I had worked on it some on Wednesday, but I realized on Thursday that I was doing everything wrong and had to basically scrap everything. In any case, I finished it, got it turned in, and will be reworking it sometime in the near future so that it more represents the kind of youth group that I want. :D

The second class was Team Leadership and Conflict Resolution. Talk about hitting home. What this class did was remind me that even small conflicts can result in separation from God. Not exactly a pretty picture. We had to do a paper on a book called "The Peacemaker", and it was tough. There was some conflict in my life that I liked to hold onto rather than letting God take care of it, but I was able to realize my mistake and correct it.

I could have graduated this semester, but I wanted to take two more classes. I was thinking that I was going to take Prep of the Sermon, but I realized that it was not that practical for me to do so. This is not to say that I don't need it; I just feel that I need help in other areas more so. Also, I have access to the course syllabi if I ever want to find more books to read. So, the first class that I chose was Intro to World Missions. I have long felt that I want to work in home missions more than world, so this may end up being more of a challenge than I anticipate. The kind of cool thing about this class is that there is a 15 page paper that is about people groups and how to reach them. This sort of ties into home missions because there are so many people from all different places in the world right here in the US, so it's important to know where they come from, who has been working with them to know Christ, and how to culturally meet their needs in the name of Christ. I know that I'm probably the only nerd who gets excited for things like that. :D

The other class is sort of a repeat of one of my earlier classes, but I feel that I need more work in it. It is New Testament Introduction, which is similar to New Testament I. The difference is that it is more historical in view, thus quenching my thirst for historical classes. :D That, and I think that it will help me again to focus on the reasons why God chose to send Jesus at that time rather than another.

In any case, I'll be finished with classes sometime in March this coming year. I think that I'm going to enjoy these classes. Y'all keep praying that God leads me to the church that I need to be at and to the place in both Tasha and my lives that he wants us to be in! :D

More later...

Ready for this year to end.

So, I had to go to the doc today. Yesterday I had a bad toothache (so I thought) and just felt sort of cruddy because of it. Last night, my right cheek began to swell, but it looked like I had a sunburn on it, so I didn't really think about it too much. Well, today, I was swollen badly to the point that when I got to the doc, I was beginning to see some of the swelling towards my eye. Needless to say, not good.

Now, I know what most of you are thinking: why didn't you go to a dentist?! It's because while we have dental insurance, the only company around here that will take it is Coast Dental. The last time I was at Coast, I ended up with a poorly fitted crown that I found out that I didn't need. I had discoloring on my teeth that the doctor misdiagnosed as a major cavity. So, without working to make sure that it was just discoloring, he went ahead and starting drilling because this dentist knew he was going to get a big payday on it. In the meantime, he bruised my cheek to the point that it was black and blue and hurt me pretty bad. (Hmm, maybe this is why I avoid dentists like the plague?) So, that's why. That, and by today I was able to close my teeth without any probs.

Well, the doc came in and I described what was hurting me, and of course he was my cheek. He looked in the cheek and also felt along the cheekbone until he found where I was hurting (but gently). What I have is a infected salivary gland with stones likely in it. Like kidney stones, but your face. Who knew, right?! So, he has put me on a STRONG antibiotic (that I have to take 4x a day), gave me a steroid shot 'intermuscually' (i.e.: in my butt), and gave me more steroids to start taking tomorrow, which begins with 6 pills!! Oh, and he told me to chew gum if I can on the side that is hurting because it'll cause the gland to work and push out any grime. Guess what happened when I got gum and started chewing? Of course, grit came out. Yummy.

So, I am chewing gum like it's going out of style, but it's making my face feel better. I'm hoping that these meds work quickly because I was starting to look like Quasimodo. I just don't get how our family keeps getting the weird things this year. Hemorrhoids, tubal pregnancy, infected salivary gland. Ug. No more!

Ok, more later...

Tubal Pregnancy

Well, we had a bit of surprise this week. On Monday, we went to the doctor to have blood drawn after having a shot of chemotherapy to treat this failed pregnancy. Well, the numbers from Tasha's blood indicated that there was still something wrong. On Wednesday, we went to the Lawrencville office of the doc, had more blood drawn, and also another ultrasound showing that Tasha's left fallopian tube had likely a embryo growing in it. Well, on Thursday, we got the bloodwork back and the numbers indicated again that things weren't going right.

At Noon-ish, I got a call from our doctor telling us that we would be doing surgery last night on her. Tasha was feeling a lot of discomfort all through the day. We drove from Tasha's school back to the house for a minute because we didn't know when the surgery was going to happen. When we got home, the doc called again and told us to go directly to Northside Hospital and go to admissions.

After getting down there, we were pretty much pushed through quickly. Tasha was in pre-op around 5 (after getting done with paperwork around 4:20). Our personal doctor came over from Lawrencville to do the surgery. What they ended up doing was take the left fallopian tube completely out. What we later found out was that the embrionic tissue had already pushed through the wall of the tube, so she was darn near close to having a complete rupture.

We ended up staying overnight for observation, and came home this morning. Needless to say, we're both tired (Tasha more than I of course!) but we are thankful that she was able to have this done lapriscopically. Even though this pregnancy didn't work, we are very hopeful and staying positive that the next time we are pregnant that everything will work out great! :)

So, this weekend we're going to be resting a lot. I'll post more later. :D

BWV582

The above title is a reference to a numbering system that classifies composers. For example, Mozart is K in the grand scheme of things, but this particular piece that I have listed is from Bach. It is Passacaglia and Fugue in c minor, written likely around the early part of the 18th Century.

I first heard it through a cassette tape that Dad had bought at Cracker Barrel of Old Time Radio programs. This particular program was Vincent Price and Ida Lupino as the two stars in a piece called "Fugue in C Minor". They used the motif from this piece as their main music that night, and it has stuck with me.

For some odd reason, it has stuck with me as both haunting and beautiful. Tonight, I finally looked it up to find out officially what its title is and what the meaning behind it is. Of all places, I found a decent description of it on Wikipedia (yes, shudder you masses). It described that this is one of Bach's most complex pieces that he composed, and that there is likely not an original copy.

The first notes begin a motif of deep longing or suffering. It it later broken up into 7 groups of 3 similar variations on this theme. From what I read, it all pertains to Christ's suffering and death on the cross. As the theme progresses, we hear the music move from the minor to the major. This of course represents Christ's rising from the grave and being triumphant over death and sin.

I am often reminded that even though there are hard times here on Earth, we have a heavenly reward. Christ did suffer even more than what my smallest worries or problems are, and that He is in control. It is just hard to let go sometimes, especially when it comes to our problems having children. But I know that God will provide us in every way, and that I must have faith.

More later.....

Bummed out

So, as many of you know, we did IVF this summer. However, we found out that it is highly likely that we miscarried once again. There is really nothing that I can say or write that will make me feel better about this other than we know that somehow this is still in God's plan. It hurts so bad, though. This is our third miscarriage in a little more than two years. And each time, it's like part of lives are being torn away.

This is a difficult time for both Tasha and myself, but we know that God has plans for us to have children one day. Thankfully enough, out doctor is happy about the fact that we at least were able to get pregnant once again. However, for me, we have to find out why Tasha's body is rejecting the embryo before we do another cycle.

I didn't really write this for sympathy, but more so as a plea for prayer. We are having to rebuild our finances and also save up for another round sometime in the future. Thankfully, God has blessed us with the ability to keep up with all of our bills and whatnot, so we are not in any danger of falling behind or losing our house. But just pray that God will do miracles for us in the coming times.

More later...

Hard week...

So, I can't really go into too many details, but it has already been a hard week. We had to go back to the doctor today and also got a call from the doc. Things aren't going great, but they aren't to the point where we (or the doc) is giving up hope. We'll know more tomorrow morning hopefully. For those of you who read this, I want you to pray hard for us. This is most certainly the Devil at work.

John 10:10 - The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.

Something to ponder. more later...

Genesis 1-3

So, this morning I decided that I was going to start reading the Bible straight through. Just sort of decided on the fly. Surprise, right?! :D

Anyway, I read through two different translations of Genesis 1-3. The first was the New International Version which I am very familiar with. It's pretty much the one that I have read when I was growing up, so nothing too new there.

The other was from the Darby Translation from the 19th Century. It is a lesser-known version that comes out of the Brethren sect in Ireland. In any case, it was interesting to me to see the difference in the translation and made the text come alive once again.

In any case, I'll be going through Genesis 4-7 tomorrow I guess. Taking it three chapters at a time for now, but I'll probably gain more later.