This Day In History
You know, I was thinking. Today is February 28, 2007. I was curious this morning as to what, if any, significance this date might have in history. So I went on line and looked a few things up and here is some of what I found:
Births:
1948 - Bernadette Peters
1955 - Gilbert Gottfried
Deaths:
1979 - Mr. Ed (if you don't know who Mr. Ed was then you are way too young to read this blog)
Events:
1883 - The first U.S. Vaudeville theatre opens in Boston
1983 - The final episode of M*A*S*H airs on CBS (I nearly cried)
But the most significant event that happened on this date was in 2006 when I met the beautiful Rachel Galffy! I remember well the drive over to Telegraph and 12 Mile to meet her at Starbucks. On the drive over there I received a call from EK telling me that my great niece Ellen (actually turned out to be Emily) had swallowed a barrette and was in the hospital. I thought GREAT, here I am going to meet a woman and these kids are trying to mess it up. Well, I decided that there was nothing that I could do to help with Emily so I went on to Starbucks. I got there (a little early) and waited for about 15 - 20 minutes. You see she was advised by her sister that she shouldn't let some guy that she had never met even know what kind of car she drove so she was intentionally late to make sure that I was there first. I recognized her from her on line picture when she walked in. She went up to the counter and she ordered tea. She turned around and stopped at the table I was at and said "are you Doug?" I thought for a minute and realized that I was indeed Doug so I said "yes." This was how it all began. That Starbucks still holds some special meaning to us. When we went there back on August 28th to celebrate the six month aniversary of our first meeting, I asked Rachel to marry me. Now we are almost two month in to a wonderful marriage and God has continued to bless us richly. I often think of how much I would be missing in my life if it wasn't for Rachel and I thank God every day that she is my wife. Be blessed beyond belief today.
WHEW! The Weekend
You know, I was thinking. Before I get started on the weekend let me wrap up some old business here. I ran two simultaneous contests at the same time (some of you will get that redundancy later) and I need to announce a winner. I am having a problem because so many of them were so stinkin' funny that I almost lost control of several bodily functions! But alas, I must declare some winner of some kind but who should that be? Well, I tell you what, I have enough love to go around so all of you who commented are winners in my book (Tom and Raivynn really had me rolling though, Jay and Jamie need to work out some deep personal issues with each other). So to honor all of the winners you are all invited to attend the Mollette/Fraley/Couture BBQ Blowout Bash immediately following the Independance Day Classic on July 4th 2007. The festivities begin around 3 p.m.
Now onto the weekend. Saturday I drove up to spend a couple of days with my daughter Sarah in Traverse City. She had suggested before that we go bowling on Saturday night so I brought my stuff. She and her friends had no clue about the butt kicking they were about to receive. But I did it with love. On Sunday after attending services at the
East Bay Calvery Church, we went to lunch. This was the time that she and I really had time to sit and talk, that was wonderful! Later that afternoon she had a coral concert at her school (Northwestern Michingan University) which was wonderful. We had such a great time. But alas, I had to leave. Unfortunately it was some of the worst weather that I have driven in in quite some time. Snow, wind & sleet (as well as idiots on the road) for about the first 150 miles or so. Once I got to Zilwaukee things began to look a lot better. Overall it was a good drive just nerve racking at first.
On another note, my tests have all come back and show that right now the cancer in my eye has not spread to my liver. This confirms the preliminary results from a week earlier. It's nice to have confirmation. Also, they have scheduled my eye surgery for March 19. I will have the disk put in my eye that day and then removed on March 23. During that week I have to remain at home because I will be radioactive (nope won't be able to have xray vision, I already asked) so I have to stay away from children, people with depressed immune systems, pets and the FBI! Alright, I might not really have to stay away from the FBI because of being radioactive, but I do that as a standard practice. I am just hoping that I won't be kidnapped by terrorists and turned into a bomb! Then I would be living an episode of 24!
All kidding aside, the prognosis is excellent and God is in control. I just want to get this whole thing done and over with. There are going to be a few (and I mean very few) side effects to deal with but all of them are managable with the comparision of losing my left eye or having liver cancer! God will see to it that everything works out for His glory though. All I have to do is be obediant to My God, my doctors but especially my wife! Be blessed beyond belief today.
Just To Be Fair
You know, I was thinking. One particular member of the family is enjoying the current contest just waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay too much. So here we go with a second contest that will run simultaneaously. The question you have to answer here is "what is Jamie thinking about now?" Be blessed beyond belief today.
New Contest
You know, I was thinking. It is time to have a new contest and this one is a good one. When you look at the picture of ONOM complete this sentence "Dude......................". This time there will be a great prize for the lucky winner. Vote early and vote often. Please only submit one guess per comment but comment as often as you wish. Be blessed beyond belief today.
Walking In The Blessing
You know, I was thinking. Pastor Tom's sermon series covering the sermon on the mount has really helped me to keep some perspective these days. The blessings that are listed in the B attitudes are certainly a far cry from the perspective of modern day America. Most people say that if you have been given something "good" then you must be doing something right and God is blessing you. If you are given something "bad" most people look deeply into their lives and wonder what they have done wrong and what they need to do to make it right again. We definately live in a "reward and regret" world.
A few months ago you would be able to come onto this blog and see me praising God about all of the incredible blessings that I have been heaped on me during the past year. A wonderful wife, two great step sons and a renewed relationship with my daughter top the long list of things that I have been blessed with over this past year. Many of you have been so gracious as to comment that some how I deserved these blessings. I am not here to debate all of your heart warming comments but let me say that if I did indeed received what I personally deserved it wouldn't be pretty! I am a sinner! At times I really feel like Paul did and consider myself the chief of sinners. But God blesses me anyway. God does indeed want us to be happy but the real truth behind that is God wants us to be happy no matter what is happening around us. Why is it that Paul and Silas could sing in prison after being beaten? Why is it that Steven could say "Father forgive them..."? It is because they did not let the circumstance that they were in lessen the God they served! Let me say that again, the did not let the circumstances that they were in lessen the God they served!!
Now, here I am in 2007. I have just come off of one of the greatest years in my life. I am so pumped and ready to go that nothing can stop me now. On February 6th I received the word that this spot on the back of my eye that the doctor has watched for 2 1/2 years was indeed malignant and that I have cancer in my eye. Not just eye cancer but this type of cancer could spread to my liver! I was in shock for a little while and my wife was absolutely floored by the news. But I am still walking in the blessing. The God of my life after that day is the same God of 2006! He is blessing me more now then ever. I don't thank God for the cancer in my eye, but I thank God for what he is doing with the cancer in my eye. I have had more opportunities then ever to praise the God of the universe. I cannot believe that God has blessed me with this opportunity.
Many of you have commented on my faith. I am humbled by that. The little mustard seed size faith that I have isn't from anything that I have done. It has come from God being consistantly loving and strengthening to me. Faith isn't something that you just wake up one day and have but it is the long term result of watching God work over and over and over in peoples lives. My life does not belong to me, it belongs to God. When God is done with me on this earth then He will bring me home. Whether that be today, tomorrow or some time in the distant future it simply doesn't matter because my mission is still the same. Live each day for the Father, do the best you can with what you have and leave the remaining stuff at the feet of Jesus. Be blessed beyond belief today.
Life Is Good!
You know, I was thinking. In the words of that great twentieth century philosopher Forrest Gump "that's all I have to say about that!" Be blessed beyond be
lief today.
Preliminary Results
You know, I was thinking. Well we got a little piece of good news yesterday. I went to see the radioactive guy at the U yesterday. He's the one that will prepare the little disk that will be placed in my eye to kill the tumor. Anyway, I had an abdominal CT done on Wednesday and the preliminary findings are that there is no "obvious" tumors on my liver. This is guarded good news. They still have to go over the test with a fine tooth comb to be sure but this means that there is a very good chance that the cancer has not spread at all! I will be going back to see Dr. Vine next Wednesday and I hope that we will have a surgery date set by then. I have found out a great deal about this procedure and most of it is very postitive. Here are a couple of quick statistics about Ocular Melanoma:
Only about 3 out of every 500,000 develop this type of cancer. It is the most common eye cancer but very rare in and of itself. There are only 5,000 - 10,000 reported cases of Ocular Melanoma reported each year (compared to 180,000 cases of breast cancer and over 200,000 of lung cancer).
Over 90% of all people who get ocular melanoma are completely cured.
So, since there is apparently no spreading of the cancer to my liver the odds are that I will walk away from this thing with only a few minor possible side effects. The worst of which would appear to be the possibility of going blind in my left eye eventually. That is a diagnosis that I can live with.
God be praised today. Not because I received a little good news about a life threatening disease, but because God is God. Our love for him should not be predicated on what "good" things happen to us but just simply because God deserves the praise. I don't need a reason to praise the Father, I just need an opportunity. May the God of heaven bless you beyond belief today.
How Am I Doing?
You know, I was thinking. There is so much going on up in my head right now that I just don't know where to begin. First of all after just one week I am already tired of talking about cancer and figuring out what words mean that are releated to this disease that I have. I am tired of answering the question "how are YOU doing?" I just want to go back to being Doug again. Please don't any of you take this as a criticism, it is just part of what I am feeling right now. You all know me, if I feel it I gotta share it. All of you have been so gracious and loving through everything thus far. I couldn't ask for more loving friends or family. Please don't think that I am trying to be tough or strong because I do have a complete understanding of what the implications of this disease are to me and to my family. For the first time yesterday Rachel and I shared our real feelings with one another and we both have fears and shed some tears. Rachels greatest fear is of course losing a husband. My greatest fear is that she will be angry with God if the worst happens. Sometimes I am just too focused on what I am supposed to do with all of this and I lose track of what she must be going through.
I guess I have written all of this to say the following, I am still the same Doug that I was a week ago. I will not let cancer change me or the mission that I have been given. I don't want to die unless that is what God wants to do. If I do live I want to glorify the Father, if I do die I want to glorify the Father. My mission is the same regardless. I will do everything in my power to fight this disease & win or lose I want to glorify the Father. My life hasn't been about me in a very long time and that is not going to change. I do indeed know that "all things work together for good to those who love God, who have been called according to His purposes." I am not thankful that I have cancer. I do not rejoice at all in this disease. I am thankful to spite the fact that I have cancer and I rejoice in the goodness of the Lord. God is good, all the time & all the time, God is good. Even when you have cancer. Be blessed beyond belief today.
Truly Humbled
You know, I was thinking. How incredibly blessed I am to have the friends and family that I have. I have truly been humbled by the out pouring of love and concern coming from all of you. I have been blessed and comforted by both your words and actions over the past few days. Although the outcome of everything really does lay in the hands of the Father, I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that I am loved and I will be fine. Let me leave you with this today from Romans 8:18:
I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.Be blessed beyond belief today.
It's Not A Hang Nail
You know, I was thinking. By now most of you are aware of the news that I received on Wednesday. I case you are not in the loop yet, the spot on the back of my eye that the doctor has been watching for the past 2 1/2 years has been determined to be an maligant ocular melanoma. In simpler terms I have a cancerous tumor on the back of my eye. Fortunately it is very treatable and the prognosis is very good. But there are still risks. This type of cancer can spread through the blood stream and into the liver. Granted that this would be an extreme case and since my tumor is still very small it is likely that it can be destroyed without further spreading or permanent damage to my vision my chances are great that I will make it through this will little or no complications.
Here is the tough part. When I delievered this news to my wife of only five weeks and one day the reality of this whole thing really hit me. She is a biology teacher and has a great grasp on what this thing is all about. As I was explaining to her how this was very easily treatable and how I have so much confidence in the doctors that I will be seeing, I said that "this is really no big deal!" She stopped me and said "honey this isn't a hang nail, it is a big deal!" Talk about a reality check. I began to think about my wife, my sons and my daughter. Then, my bothers, sisters and all of the huge clan that is my family. Then my friends and brothers and sisters in the Lord. Man, how this must be affecting them. I pondered on these thoughts for quite awhile and came to this reality, I am definately not alone here. God has blessed me with literally hundreds of people in my life. All of them have had some influence on me and I on them. I know that this is tough news but look at who I have to share it with.
In closing this post today let me say this. The God that I was praising a week ago is still the God I am praising today. His goodness is not based on my health, my life or my needs. He is the same God who created the universe and everything in it. I don't know what the end result will be from all of this but I do know one thing, I am going to let God use it anyway He wants to. I find it very easy to give this to Him to use for His glory. If I am healed completely let God be praised, if my life is lost due to cancer let God be praised. If God chooses some other path for me let God be praised. I can't stop thanking Him and praising Him for what He has done for me. A little tumor cannot change God. Be blessed beyond belief today.
Even More Blessed Than Before
You know, I was thinking. Most of you know about my view of the Father and the love that I have for Him and His people. No matter what happens in our lives one thing that you can take to the bank every single time is God's love, mercy and grace. Over the next couple of days I will be sharing with you exactly what this means to me but I have some other things to do first. Just know that no matter what may happen in your life that God is indeed in control and that he loves all of creation much more than we could ever imagine. Be blessed beyond belief today.
Winning The War
You know, I was thinking.
Pastor Hawkin's post from yesterday has inspired me this morning. I have been giving a lot of thought to this thing that we call battle. Many times you hear Christians talking about the battles they are going through. Now, I for one have been involved in those conversations and have even initiated them. But this thought hit me this morning "it's not about the battle, it's about the war." Now I know that it might sound like I am making less of the battles that we face everyday but let me assure you that I am not. Let me share some scripture from Romans chapter 7:
21So I find this law at work: When I want to do good, evil is right there with me. 22For in my inner being I delight in God's law; 23but I see another law at work in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within my members. 24What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? 25Thanks be to God—through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself in my mind am a slave to God's law, but in the sinful nature a slave to the law of sin.
You see the battles that we face are just part of the bigger war that is being waged right inside our very own minds. Because we have a nature that is drawn to sin and we have a Spirit living within us that is drawn toward God, we have a war that is being waged on the battle ground of our soul. It is no wonder that we find ourselves engaged in battle after battle after battle.... As long as there is breath in our lungs and our eyes are set on doing God's will we will always find outselves in conflict. The war will rage on as long as there is life in our bodies. The good news is that the war can be won! In Romans chapter 8 Paul also writes:
1Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, 2because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death.
You see we don't have to be a slave to anything except Jesus. Most of you who know me are very well aware of my gambling addiction. God has set me free from this but only after many battles have been fought. Please understand that I am not claiming that I am cured but that I have been set free from it. What's the difference? I don't desire it! If I were to even set down and place one bet, I would be right back into that dark world again. Jesus has taken away the desire to go and gamble. He has also given me the wisdom to know that I must not allow myself to place even a single bet. That is freedom folks.
Pastor Tom's post specifically talked about the devistation surrounding addiction to pornography. I cannot spell it out any better than he did but let me say this. If you find yourself caught up in any kind of addiction at all seek help immediately. I know that there is more help out there than you could even imagine. If you don't know what to do, call a brother or sister in the Lord. Call Tom or call me. Call somebody that is going to help you get the help you need to not just fight the battle but to win the war. Be blessed beyond belief today.
National Anthem Renditions
You know, I was thinking. I have been to and watched many sporting events over the years and have listened to the Star Spangled Banner being sung many times. I was in marching band in high school and in the Accapella Chorus in college and have either played or sang the Anthem a few dozen times in my life. The
Mudpuppy's post from Saturday got me to thinking about my favorite renditions of the national anthem. What makes for a good or even great version of our National Anthem? Why is it some versions will bring a tear to our eye and yet others leave us saying "that was nice"? Personally I thought that Billy Joel's rendition last night at the Superbowl was one of the best I have heard. Why you might ask? It was simple! Yep, I think that this great national song is best done as it is written. I love to hear it sang either accapella or with very simple instrumentation. I personally do not care for a lot of frilly fanfare with the Anthem! I think about the best version of the anthem that I have ever heard was when Huey Lewis and the News did it at the 1980 (I think) Major League Baseball All-Star game. They did it accapella and the harmonies were tight and they sang it straight.
What makes a good singing of the Anthem to you? What are some of your favorite renditions of the Anthem. Oh, and by the way Mudpuppy, even though it was a bit frilly, I did love Whitney's version that year as well. Be blessed beyond belief today.
What To Do?
You know, I was thinking. Today is my one month anniversary. Yes I know that some of you are saying "oh that's sweet" while others are saying "we know, we know"! No matter what, it is still one of many mile stones for Rachel and me. Tonight is date night and we are going out to dinner and have decided that we would rather go rent a video and come back home instead of going out to a movie. Right now I need some suggestions for a good movie to rent. We both like action movies (lots of explosions and stuff but not a lot of guts hanging out) and comedies. I want to hear from you folks on some good movie rental suggestions. Please let me know what you have seen and liked in the past couple of months. I will then run it past the lovely Mrs. M and we will make our decision. I hope all of you have a wonderful weekend and be blessed beyond belief today.
The Decisions Are Final
You know, I was thinking. Here are the answers to the Pudgeman pop quiz from Tuesday:
1. F, the Pudgeman was born in Ypsilanti, Michigan.
2. F, the Pudgeman graduated in 1981.
3. F, are you kidding me? I have never built my own house.
4. F, I had to fly into Houston last year on my way to Jackson, Mississippi for the funeral of Rachel’s daddy.
5. T, since Tuesday was my 44th birthday, I will be 45 on my next one.
6. T, isn’t that sweet?
7. T, they also included pep band, drama and basketball (I was the stat man).
8. F, I can’t stand hunting and I haven’t fished in about 20 years.
9. T, that’s all I have to say about that.
10. T, close seconds are Journey, Queen and Foreigner.
11. F, I have never been to drug and alcohol rehab and I began my walk with the Lord back in 1978.
12. T, we saw the movie at Briarwood for $2 on a Tuesday.
13. F, you got to be kidding me if you answered true!
14. T, I loved those two!
15. T, I have never been anywhere that I have needed a passport!
16. F, unfortunately I have never had a hole in one! :(
17. T, one of only three hits I had that season.
18. T, I had very cool friends back in college!
19. T, the one thing I didn’t tell you is that there were only four wrestlers in the heavy weight division. I lost my first match but won my second.
20. T, DUH!
Here are the Results:
Big J = 90% My appologies, I completely mess up!
Tonya = 90%
Sammy = 90%
Jason = 85%
Kodiak = 85%
Jay = 75%
Russ = 75%
Amy = 70%
Kelly = 65%
Pete = 65%
Raivynn = 40% (bet it really didn't work in school either)
Well, there you have it. The winners of the Pudgeman Pop Quiz Contest Big J, Tonya and Sammy with a total score of 90%. You are both cordially invited to attend the Mollette/Fraley/Couture Blowout BBQ Bash that is slated for Monday May 28, 2007 @ 3 p.m. Of course all of you who participated can come to said bash if you’d like! Hopefully you have learned some things about me that you didn’t know before. Be blessed beyond belief today.
