My exciting week...

This last week has been pretty eventful for me. I went into the ER Sunday night in really bad pain. They sent me home with a diagnosis that I thought was incorrect. They gave me some stuff to take that was supposed to take care of the problem within a few hours. However, I was still in really bad pain all night and the next day. Finally, Monday evening my mom got in touch with my doctor. She told him what they had diagnosed me with. He told her that most likely they were wrong and that I needed to go back in. So we went back and they did another CAT scan and found a kidney stone and some other issues they didn't find on the first scan. They ended up admitting me to that night. So I had a great wonderful week sitting in the hospital.

I came home Friday afternoon but still feel very week and tired. It is next to impossible to get sleep in the hospital. Every time you start to fall asleep they decide they have to come and start poking at you to make sure you're still alive. :-)

This episode has been rather discouraging. The week before this had happened I had just started making plans about attending BBTI in the fall. Now it looks like that may have to be put off for the time being while I hopefully can get me health back on track. I am still hoping to go to Spain this summer though if I am doing well enough. It seems like the devil has really been trying to work and discourage in some big ways over the last six months or so. Even though I know Satan may have his plans, God also has His and is trying to accomplish something through all of this. I know that they Lord's timing in everything is best and has a reason for closing the door to this right now.

Summer Plans

So apparently no one is curious or those that are curious are on facebook. The Lord has really been changing directions in my life lately. He has been closing some doors which in some ways has been rather painful, but I am excited about the new opportunities and direction He is giving me in my life. Part of this involves going back to Spain for a couple of months this summer. I am looking forward to going back and thankful that God has given me this opportunity. The Lord has been leading in other ways concerning longer term plans, but I can't share those yet but hopefully soon.

Guess where I am headed for the summer...

The Forgotten Man

Don't You Just Love Being Criticized?

Yeah, I thought so, You love it as much as I do. Who doesn't hate being criticized? Lately, it seems the Lord has thought it necessary for me to learn how to respond to criticism in the right way. Fun. I started working through the first issue only to turn around and have it coming from another direction. Okay Lord, I guess you are trying to teach me something here. It is especially hard when you feel it is unjustified or that the person didn't get all the facts before being critical.

So, how do you respond? My first reaction is to become self-defensive. It is so easy to come up with a million reasons to defend yourself. But, wait a minute...am I letting pride real its ugly head? Maybe God is trying to show me mine own critical attitude. You know, of course I never criticize and neither do you, do you?

Let's look at this criticism again...ok, maybe there is at least some truth in it. Still, it is so easy to go on the defensive. Isn't is easy to turn around and start being critical of the one criticizing you? Yup, I'm not the only one. So...do I listen to the criticism or do I let it make me bitter?

Next time you think of being critical, think of something kind or encouraging to say to the person instead. And...next time someone criticizes you, take what you can from it, forgive and move on. It's not worth getting bitter over.

Proverbs 15:23, "A man hath joy by the answer of his mouth: and a word spoken in due season, how good is it!"