November 26

Written by Bill Grandi on November 26th, 2024

I am continuing my Learning Journal with lessons I learned and am learning. The first installment was yesterday. You can check that out here. This is Learning Journal #2.

Have you ever noticed how some things never move as quickly as you want them to? Then again, sometimes time flies. The old adage “Time flies when you are having fun” might apply to life from time to time but not so much healing.

I’ve been in a holding/waiting period for almost 2 weeks (Nov. 11th surgery). Slowly I’ve watched the days go by as I’ve been very limited as to what I can do. Therapy. Ice. Doze off. Ice. Read. Doze off. Burning pain at time that would stop a horse (I’m guessing). I’m sitting in the surgeon’s waiting room (Friday, the 22nd) as I write this, now waiting for his PA to come in.

Waiting seems to be a staple in our lives. I don’t know about you, but I have very little patience for waiting in line, especially at WalMart or Kroger when they have 10 registers but only one open. I’m not one to jump on the bandwagon of self-checkout.

But in all seriousness, waiting is lauded in the Bible as a good thing. One of the most well-known, most well-loved, and most memorized Scripture is Isaiah 40:28-31. Verse 31 says, “But those who trust in the Lord will find new strength. They will soar high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint.” (NLT) The word for “trust” is the word “wait.” We might use the word “rely on” or “lean on.”

Truthfully, God doesn’t act at human speed. Sometimes He is much slower; sometimes He is much faster. The hardest thing is to wait. You have probably heard the old adage I’m sure: “God is seldom early, but He’s never late.” So…wait, loved one. Wait.

{Note: As you can see I wrote this last week. Things have changed since that day. My therapy is moving ahead and I have more freedom. Thanks for your prayers}.

 

Posted in InTheShadow | 4 Responses »
Tags: , , , , , , , ,

November 25

Written by Bill Grandi on November 25th, 2024

In my November 4th post, I wrote about reading Wisdom Hunter. One of the other ideas I gleaned from the book was something I decided to implement during my recovery from surgery. I’ve been trying to come up with a catchy name for my ramblings/musings/reflections but have not had much success. I decided to call my writings my “Learning Journal.” Perhaps one of my reflections will strike home. I’m writing these entries over several days. I will write, take a break, and write some more. I’m writing them as I’m thinking of them so they are in no special order. I’m not assigning one as more important than another.

Learning Journal Entry #1: Pain is not equal.

I have been in pain before-a neck operation from a dog taking me down on my bike. Back surgery after being hit by a car and going over the handlebars of my bike 3 months later. Broken collarbone, 3 broken ribs, bruised ribs, and road rash as a result of the previously mentioned handlebar incident. A totally unrelated back surgery due to arthritis in my spine in 2022, and others. But the pain from this knee replacement was a notch, maybe many notches, above any I’ve experienced before. I was prescribed and told Oxycodone would help greatly, but said No. I was afraid of it. There were a few times I broke down. Of the 45 pills subscribed I have taken 6, even though they say to take it every 4 hours. I thought I would a hard case and not take them. That may not have been the smartest thing I have ever done. I did get nauseated a couple of times I used them so I used that as a motivator. I HATE nausea.

We all go through pain-some more and stronger than others. Don’t negate the pain-yours or others. Don’t dwell on it either. Above all, be careful of comparing pain, i.e. “mine is worse than yours.” Pain is pain. Don’t get impatient with another because it seems to be taking them longer to process it. Just be there for them. Pain is a lesson-giver. Extreme pain is a wake up call. In 2 Cor. 12 Paul suffered from what he called a “thorn in the flesh.” Each time he asked for its removal he was told, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” (v.9) (NLT) Paul learned to not complain about his pain, but instead to allow God’s power to work in and through him.

No matter how brutal the pain; no matter how long-lasting the pain; no matter how far-reaching the pain, learn from it. Just remember all pain is not equal.

 

Posted in InTheShadow | 8 Responses »
Tags: , , , , ,

November 21

Written by Bill Grandi on November 21st, 2024

In the previous post (November 20) I referenced Erwin Lutzer’s book, The Eclipse of God, where he stated there were 3 gravediggers who built a coffin for God. A quick recap:

Gravedigger #1- Karl Marx: An Attack on God as Ruler.

Gravedigger #2- Charles Darwin: An Attack on God as Creator.

And today’s- Gravedigger #3-Sigmund Freud:An Attack Against God as Lawgiver. Freud saw a belief in God as a fantasy. Freud made his own rules. His real fantasy was sex, sex, and more sex. No holds-barred sex. Sex of all kinds. One of his disciples was Alfred Kinsey, a bisexual who interviewed sex offenders, child molesters, and sexual assaulters for his “Kinsey Report.” I remember hearing about that as a young pastor but was clueless as to its meaning or impact. This man is S.I.C.K. He even believed child rape poses no problem for children! SICK and WRONG! So very wrong.

The satanic spawn of the gravediggers attempts to destroy God can be found in 3 philosophies. I’m sure you have heard of: Communism, Nazism, and Fascism. We have certainly seen the children of those beliefs.

What does this all mean for we who are Christ-followers? We need to stop play-acting. We need to stop posing as Christians. We need to become real Christ-followers. For the record: I see a distinct difference between calling oneself a Christian and one being a Christ-follower. More than anything else, this world needs to see genuine followers of Jesus.

 

 

Posted in InTheShadow | 8 Responses »
Tags: , , , ,

November 20

Written by Bill Grandi on November 20th, 2024

I wrote this and after finishing realized it was way too long for a one-off post. So this will actually be Part 1 and tomorrow I will post Part 2.

During my rehab (which is still ongoing), I finished reading The Eclipse of God by Erwin Lutzer. Mr. Lutzer is a retired pastor and at the age of  83 I am not sure if I know anyone who has his finger on the pulse of our culture more than him. I have NEVER been disappointed in any of his books (I have about 5-6 of them). They are insightful, thought-provoking, and IMHO spot on. This one is no exception.

However, this is not a book review. The basic premise of this book is “our nation’s disastrous search for a more inclusive deity (and what we must do about it)”. {Note: front cover subtitle}

What I found especially beneficial-and it sets the foundation for his analysis-is that he lists 3 gravediggers who prepared a coffin for God and we are paying that price today. Those 3 gravediggers are Karl Marx, Charles Darwin, and Sigmund Freud. With the limited space I have, I’m just going to give Pastor Lutzer’s main points and add a few thoughts of my own.

Gravedigger #1: The Theology of Karl Marx-At Attack on God as Ruler.  To Marx, religion was worthless. He believed religion arose because men needed a purpose, and so he created the idea of God. There is much more to his philosophy, but let’s just ask this question: How is his system working out? Let me give you common thoughts and words that illustrate his philosophy: “Defund the police.” DEI (Diversity, Equity, Inclusion). CRT. Abolishing the importance of family (including taking decisions out of the hands of parents). At the core is a hatred for religion. A disciple of Marx’s philosophy is Nietzche (“God is dead”).

Gravedigger #2: The Theology of Charles Darwin-An Attack on God as Creator. Darwin said, “Science has nothing to do with Christ.” One bitter fruit from his philosophy is the more one applies Darwinism, the more racist one becomes. His theory led to eugenics (you decide characteristics, appearance, get rid of the “undesirables,” etc) which leads to his beliefs that there are “doubtful species.” Talk about racism! Darwinism spawned Mein Kampf, written by the ultimate racist, Adolph Hitler.

You can see the outcome of these first two gravediggers. Just look at the disciples. Look at the resulting, more common thoughts we have been dealing with over the past few years. Gravedigger #3 will post tomorrow.

 

Posted in InTheShadow | 6 Responses »
Tags: , , , ,

November 18

Written by Bill Grandi on November 18th, 2024

It’s been a week since I last wrote in “Shadow.” You can go back to November 11 to see I had a full knee replacement. I thought I would use my time today to bring you up to date.

The surgery went well. Least they tell me it did. I don’t remember a thing about it. That has got to be one of the greatest things about anesthesia. To go to sleep (I don’t even remember being wheeled out of the room) and to wake back up in the room like I traveled through time is a dream. I went home just an hour or so later. They did more than just the knee; he also straightened my bowed leg. To do that he had to move ligaments and tendons and told Tami “I would be sore, but in 6 months I will feel great!” I’ll take his word for it! 🙂

I did rehab exercises at home (over my body’s protest) every day and my first post-op rehab was Thursday. He said I was at 98% with my knee bent. My weakness was straightening the back part of my knee toward the table. A lot of that was the hamstrings were tight from cycling. So a lot of my rehab is working on that. I am doing that twice a day at home.

I find myself cat-napping during the day since I don’t sleep well at night. I’m up walking the house 3-4 times per night. Tami tells me she can hear the creaking of the walker.  🙂

The folks of the church have been phenomenal. We have had no lack of food, and I have been receiving texts every day from people wishing me well; that they are thinking of me and praying for me; and asking if there is anything they can do. I am getting a real chance to see the church family from another viewpoint…and it looks good!!

I have more rehab this morning and Wednesday morning with a surgery follow-up on Friday morning. I’ll keep you posted. My plan is to visit the office for a short period today to have a staff meeting. Meanwhile, please keep the prayers coming.

 

Posted in InTheShadow | 18 Responses »
Tags: , ,

Guest Post-Ryan Spires

Written by Bill Grandi on November 13th, 2024

It was around 2007 that I met Ryan, Amanda, Dominick, Keegan and Aleah Spires. They had moved into the area from Nashville, TN and had begun a correspondence with one of the men in the church. Chris was the administrator of our church website. After their first visit, we went to Chicago’s Pizza in Elletsville (where they were living) and a friendship began to develop that still stands today. They have moved to Martinsville, IN, about 30-40 miles away, but we still try to get together for a meal. Sometimes Ryan and I have ridden bikes together.  Dominick has recently married. Keegan has moved near Indianapolis to work. Aleah is pursuing a college degree while working at Starbucks. So their household has changed. What hasn’t changed is our friendship. In fact, we got together just this past Friday night for supper. Sadly, Texas Roadhouse was so busy the wait was 55 minutes with no parking spots available! We went just down the road to Cheddars. But the best part of the evening was the laughter we shared.

When I mentioned that I would be posting guest posts while I was rehabbing from my knee replacement surgery, Ryan submitted the following. He told me I could post it…or not. As if…

As I finished up reading Chapter 18, titled “Counted As Warriors” from Brent Henderson’s book The Roar Within, Brent provides a laundry list of emotions, feelings, and thoughts that the enemy had been shooting at him during a low time in his life.   As I read the list, I could see myself clearly writing most of the same.  I even added a few additional.  Satan likes to take the truth and twist it just enough to make it sound like it is plausible.   This is his standard operating procedure and has been that way since the garden. 

How often does he do that with me, with us?  Perhaps he twists the truth enough to believe a little white lie is not all that harmful.   Perhaps he twists the truth enough to justify our negative reaction to our spouse’s or kid’s actions.  Perhaps he twists the truth enough to make us believe that we are to worthless, too sinful, too shameful, too hurt, too broken, too <fill in the blank> to make a difference… So we stop.

The list Brent shared includes items like disappointment, worthless, divorced, unable to please. I added a few of my own: weak, unsupportive, lazy, hypocritical, numb.

I am sure we all have a list of lies we have believed or currently believing. So what do we say when we counter the lies from the enemy and shoot right back with arrows from God’s word? Jesus didn’t simply come up with some nifty self-help quotes when tempted by Satan.  He didn’t try harder, buckle down, and push forward.  He used scripture. 

“I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.” Psalm 139:14

“For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” Ephesians 2:10

So what should we believe?  We should believe that God loves us UNCONDITIONALLY.  I know we can rattle off the phrase that He gave His only son for us… but let us not take that lightly.   I don’t know anyone on this earth that I would sacrifice my children for.   

Because of our Father’s sacrifice, I am now a CHOSEN and ADOPTED CHILD of the Living God.  I have a purpose and a reason for being.  Not because of what I have done, but because of who God is and what HE did for me.   I have worth and value in my Father’s eyes and I must never forget that.

Good words here. It is so important for everyone of us to remember that we are important and valued in God’s sight. It is also important for us to not listen to the lies of the enemy.  Thanks Ryan for your “heart words.” Do you have something you would like to share with others on this site? I would be glad to include it during my time of recovering. 

BTW: they say Day #3 and #4 are the worst. I’ll let you know. 🙂

 

Posted in InTheShadow | 12 Responses »
Tags: , , , , , , , ,

November 11

Written by Bill Grandi on November 11th, 2024

Today is the day…the day I have been waiting for!!

If I was doing a wedding I might add: “the day you have been waiting for all your life.”

But I’m not doing a wedding. And I can’t say I have been waiting for this all my life. 🙂 Since the shape of my legs is genetic (I take after my grandfather and his side of the family), I should have known it was coming. I can remember sitting with the grandfather during his knee replacement surgery around age 75 (I am 72) since my mom had to work. But when you are in your 30s and healthy, you just never think, “Oh that is going to be me in a number of years.” But here I am.

I abused my body at times. I played baseball from the time I was 8 years old until high school graduation. In 9th grade I picked up a basketball and could not chew gum and walk at the same time, let alone dribble and run at the same time. Multiple hours were spent on the sidelines learning to do just that. I was ignored in high school but when I hit college and was in full stride. I’ll not bore you with by-gone accomplishments. Trouble was the older I got I thought I could play like I used to. Aging bodies are not made to take the pounding I gave my legs. It was a matter of time until my back and legs complained. 1992 was the year when basketball went bye-bye, as did softball. Cycling, however, was a constant. No impact (except if you get hit by a car or go over the handlebars. I might know someone who had that happen to him). But still that did not factor into knee issues. Slightly bowed legs and genetics did. I had meniscus surgery at 61. At 62 I was unable to stand on my bike to pedal up a hill and a visit to the knee doctor revealed arthur had visited. He sent me to a knee replacement specialist who told me I had some arthur but not enough to warrant having a new knee at my age. “Let’s put it off as long we can” were his words and he has. Three steroid injections and one hyaluronic acid injection later, he was able to delay it 10 years. The last steroid injection lasted 1 month. Yeah…it was time.

So, here I am. I have tried religiously to do all the required pre-surgery stuff. Breathing. Antibiotics. Exercises. Protein drinks (theirs and mine). Stopping my vitamin regiment when told. The nasty nose ointment twice a day to help clean out all bacteria. All that is left is the trip to the surgery center and, oh yeah, the surgery. I have a lot of people praying for me, so even though I know it will be a somewhat painful recovery, I know in WHOSE hands I rest. People have asked me if I’m nervous or scared. The answer is No.  I don’t relish the rehab, but being able to walk without pain will be a big plus. The greatest part of this is knowing I have a God about whom King David wrote: “Trust in the Lord and do good. Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you your heart’s desires. COMMIT EVERYTHING YOU DO TO THE LORD. TRUST HIM AND HE WILL HELP YOU.” (emphasis mine). (Psalm 37:3-4 NLT)

I’m not sure about what I will be able to post, nor how often. I do have a guest post planned for Wednesday that I believe you will not want to miss. I had someone tell me at church yesterday that she was working on one. Gail is having trouble keeping her words few. 🙂  Lord willing, I will be back soon. Maybe tomorrow with a report. By the time many of you read this my surgery will be over (it is at 8:45 a.m.). Please pray for my recovery and please pray for Jo, Tami and Janna. Thanks. See you on the flip side.

 

Posted in InTheShadow | 8 Responses »
Tags: , , , , ,

November 7

Written by Bill Grandi on November 7th, 2024

Have you ever been “accosted,” yelled at, or screamed at? I’m sure most of would answer Yes to that question. But I have another type of incident in mind.

Have you ever been “accosted,” yelled at, screamed at, or embarrassed by a “person of God” either standing on the street corner or college campus supposedly preaching about Jesus? When I lived in a college town in the 80s-90s, one of the first things I heard about was the so-called preacher (better translated embarrassment, one-who-turned-others-off) at our local university. It was hard for me to believe the story was actually true until I heard several others tell me randomly about it. This so-called evangelist would stand in an outside common area and scream and yell at the students as they walked by. He would throw out the name of Jesus (maybe to give him some validity?), while at the same time ranting and raving about the sin and promiscuity of the college students. He screamed about the boys who had long hair and called the girls some not-so-nice names if they wore shorts or pants. (As if that is a eternal life deal-breaker). When some of the college kids would tell me I could sense my blood boiling, but I could also feel myself turning different shades of green out of sickness and disgust.

What got to me is that I have come to realize that evangelism is more about planting seeds than wielding a sword. I’m sure you have probably heard the old adage which goes something like “more bees are drawn to honey than vinegar.” It is the sweet-smelling and sweet-tasting nectar of the flower which draws the bee or butterfly to it. I seriously doubt the smell of vinegar would do that. I believe people are attracted to hearing the message of Christ by our winsome, caring manner rather than by ranting and raving about sin, and how they are anything but people for dressing or looking a certain way. Ironically, I met this man’s brother several years later and while talking with him, he talked about his embarrassment of his brother. Tragically, the man probably saw it as a badge of honor to “suffer” for the name of Christ.

I know this is a negative-type post and it is not meant to be. My point is to remind us that if we are to share the Gospel with others, let’s do it with grace and “honey” not anger and “vinegar.” Keep in mind also this does not just happen on a college campus. We often give off “airs” of arrogance and judgment in our daily speech.  Let’s be careful in what and how we say it.

 

Posted in InTheShadow | 12 Responses »
Tags: , , , , , , , , , , ,

Guest Post- Ed Damas

Written by Bill Grandi on November 6th, 2024

I recently wrote a blog about Faith vs. Feelings using Psalm 13 as the basis. You can find that post here. Following that post, a long-time reader of my blog, Ed Damas, sent me something he wrote. I asked his permission to share it with you.

Recently my faith was strongly shaken, to the point that I cried out to Jesus, again, after so many seasons.
 
I wrote this one night:

And immediately the rooster crowed a second time. And Peter remembered how Jesus had said to him, “Before the rooster crows twice, you will deny me three times.” And he broke down and wept. (Mark 14:70-72)
 
 Think about that! Peter BELIEVED in Jesus, and yet when Jesus himself told him that he would deny knowing Jesus.. Peter’s answer was “NEVER! I will never deny You!”
 
Yet that is exactly what happened.
 
So Peter realized an awesome truth: That Jesus WAS who He said he was, and that everything that Jesus preached, did, and was going to do, proved that Jesus was the real thing!
 
Peter’s faith was shaken… so much so that he denied knowing Jesus, yet through it all, Jesus proved who he was over and over again… Right up to the point (and afterwards) that He appeared in the midst of the disciples in a room where the doors were shut and probably locked.
 
Jesus is working the same way today with those of us who choose to follow Him. Despite all the doubts, worries, troubles, etc.. Jesus knows that at some point we will ultimately deny Him. But Jesus also knows our hearts better than anyone ever will… And He WILL manifest HIS glory to us so that even in when our faith is at it’s weakest, even when our belief tells us that Jesus isn’t working, He WILL manifest Himself to our being. Because the truth is that when God works.. Jesus also works!
 
Have Faith. Believe!

Ed was able to relate to the story of David in Psalm 13 and to realize that feelings are an unreliable testimony to the reality of our faith. Feelings are fickle. I suspect Ed is not alone is what he wrote about. Here is what I would like to do: next Monday I am having knee replacement surgery. I have no clue what to expect or how it will affect my blogging. However, if you have a story to tell I would love to include it on my blog, especially while I am rehabbing. So email me your story and I will be glad to have you as a guest blogger. Try, if possible, to keep it around 500 words or less if possible. I am at 445 right now. 

 

Posted in InTheShadow | 4 Responses »
Tags: , , , ,

November 5

Written by Bill Grandi on November 5th, 2024

Martha asked me in yesterday’s comments if the knee situation was resolved. I wrote last week about a stress test I was having. You can read that here.  I had planned on giving an update yesterday, but wanted to write something else. Then the post became too long to keep adding to it, so I thought I would give you this brief update today. The stress test went well. The folks who handled it were superb. I was totally at ease. I was before I went and they made it even easier. The reading of the test seems to be that compared to an older EKG there was a difference. True that. I am older now and a lot happens as you get older. Anyway, I passed the test with flying colors. There was no difference between my resting heart and adrenaline-charged heart. 🙂 

That means that all is a go for my knee replacement surgery scheduled for next Monday, the 11th. What to expect? There is a big “C” across my forehead. It stands for “CLUELESS.”  Oh, I have those who have had them done tell me to be prepared for the worst pain of my life. I’ve had those who say that I am in good shape and should bounce back quickly. Fortunately, I have not had anyone say, “I will come to your funeral!” 🙂  I have had some tell me I am not going anywhere. Jo who? One would think she doesn’t trust me to stay by myself. She must think I might ride my bike indoors or go to the Y.  (Since it is my right knee that eliminates that. I can’t drive…for at least two weeks). While I am a dreamer and don’t think it will stop me from functioning, I’m also a realist and KNOW it will be a lifestyle change for a short time.  I KNOW! Maybe I can hire some servants who will cook my meals (Jo doesn’t like to cook) and wait on me hand and foot. Nah, I might accept that for a day or two but I am not one to sit for long and do nothing. I will have to go to therapy twice a week (I can’t say I’m looking forward to that pain), and will have ice packs and (if needed) some pain meds. My tolerance for pain is pretty high so I’m hoping to keep that to a bare minimum (if at all).  I know it will not be a walk in the park (pun intended), but I’m so looking forward to walking and cycling and doing things without pain and a limp. I honestly have no fears going into the surgery. I can’t say I’m all that excited about the therapy, but if it gets me back, let’s do it!

Two things I’d like to ask:

****Please pray for me, Jo and my family. Also for the church as they transition to life without me for a couple of weeks (hopefully). 🙂  Question: What will they ever do without me? Answer: survive and thrive.

****As you will see in tomorrow’s blog, I am asking if you have a story you would like to share, I am willing to post it here. I am not sure about how often I can post, or if at all. I would love to have your story to share.  I pre-wrote and pre-posted tomorrow’s blog featuring a long-time blog reading friend. I would love to share your story here. Send it to me in an email and I can copy/paste to make it easier for me.

START WRITING! 

 

Posted in InTheShadow | 6 Responses »
Tags: , , , ,

« Older Entries
Newer Entries »