[__ Prayer __] Prayers Needed

[Pizza]

Well, I TRIED to go to work today, but corporate says I am not allowed in the building until I have a Doctor's release in hand. So, I'm "Working from home" until then. (I'm salaried so it doesn't really matter financially-wise). I called my doctor's office and they said they'd try to get something faxed to my office before tomorrow.

I wanted to go back and mention again how pessimistic the doctor was two weeks ago. He made it clear to me that, given how long I was in a-fib (a MUCH less sever a-fib, but still...) that he didn't think cardioversoin would work. The more I read (on REAL websites like WEBmd, the Heart Association, the National Heart, Lung and Bloood Institute and the Mayo Clinic) about it, the more it was clear that my chances were not good. I was really thinking of telling the doctor that if the procedure did not work, I'd rather not wake up. 0f couse, he'd not listen anyway - there are other things they can do (like go in and destroy parts of the heart sending false signals and THEN cardio-vert me).

I really was discouraged and afraid last week. I told my sister I could not believe what I was facing and that I didn't have the strength to fight this. But others have fought way worse than what I had - my sister's MS is worse, in fact. It just wo'nt KILL her as fast as a bad heart can.

Anyway, I have an apptointment with the cardiologist next week to check me over. I'm still on the blood thinners and two heart rate medications - he said the meds would help my heart stay in rhythm. They first said I'd be off all meds in a day, but that was before it was discovered that I was in some kind of a-fib of a less severe level for several months.

I'm writing a lot - I think that worry and stress did this to me and I THINK I'm writing a book about it. I'm not sure, I know I'm writing a lot! And as I said, NO MORE "GLOOMY GUS", I"m going to be a different person, one who rejects worry as much as I reject caffeine. Worry is, in a way, a sin. I have ENOUGH sin in my life I sure don't need to add WORRY to the list.

I've also been accepted at UNG, I have declared that I want to earn the MATH/Physics B.S. degree and they have transferred 36 credit hours from my Associate's in Electronics - so I have a little head start! Im 54, I hope to graduate before I DIE or by age 58 - which ever comes first.

 

[Pizza]

And that is ANOTHER thing - did I mention how my paychecks continued all during this? Corporate bent over backwards to keep the checks coming AND my insurance intact the whole time.
My boss was very surprised by how it all came together, he even asked me how I managed that. I TOLD him I had NO idea, I got a letter (very scary letter) telling me my job was going to be held for me, but that my checks would end in about a week.

When I called the lady, we got to talking and she told me that they were "going to pay four weeks as a make-up for how you salaried field guys don't get overttime - but don't tell any hourly people". But then, she said, "Hey, if that doctor releases you to work at home, tell me -I'll put you back on the payroll that day". My boss says that all of this is unwritten and is not the customary way they deal with people; he says it encourages him, but he still wonders - says he's never heard of anyone getting treated like this before.

But all of this AGAIN is even MORE reason for me to NOT worry - there was nothing to worry about.

Worry is my enemy. Kinda makes you wonder 'who' is helping me worry about stuff. I don't think it comes from the Lord.

"FREE" (Sung and written by Ginny Owens)

Turnin' molehills into mountains,
Makin' big deals out of small ones,
Bearing gifts as if they're burdens,
This is how it's been.

Those words are my life until a month ago. "Bearing gifts as if they're burdens" cuts like a knife - I've been throwing God's gifts back in His face and complaining about them.
I could probably visit a prostitute and offend Him less than doing THAT.

 

[reba]

 

[AirDancer]

Turnin' molehills into mountains,
Makin' big deals out of small ones,
Bearing gifts as if they're burdens,
This is how it's been.

We humans have quite the tendency to make molehills into mountains. And when something concerns us personally, it's natural to want to view the situation from all angles, including the worst. So don't beat yourself up about being human. And since you've prayed for our Lord's forgiveness for you being human and all, be at peace with the knowledge that our Lord really does love you.

Amen to the answered prayers! Knowing that your financial situation wasn't as affected as expected is welcome news! Our Lord really does provide for us! You've shared quite the testimony...thank you!

 

[Pizza]

Well, I wanted to stop by and update the crowd here on recent events.

I think the Lord has moved me to give up my (kinda expensive) condo and move to a smaller place. I can live for 1/2 the money I am spending now - and the lady who owns the home Im gonna move to feels like a friend already. I have got to save more money and it's kinda hard where Im living. Of course, I'm going from a luxury condo to a basement apartment, so it will be a less lavish lifestyle, - but I will also regain the chance to put up a small antenna farm and get back into ham radio. Also, she lives at the edge of Corps of Engineers property that I go hiking on - it is possible I will be able to go for my 5-8 mile walks without even starting the car.

I'm back to traveling for the company a LOT, probably will be home only weekends till about the end of the year. That's ok, the road and I are friends; and the job pays better on the road as well (not to mention, someone ELSE is paying for my meals, etc. the entire time I'm gone.)

I am not sure my heart trouble CAME from God - but I can see where He has used it to get thru to me about stuff I already know needed changing - but that I was just resistant to such changes. Again, I have reservations about the move, but it is way easier reversible than a marriage or owning a house, so what am I worried about? As is always the case, I am overthinking this and being doubleminded (or "wishy-washy") and driving myself nuts.

Well, anyway, the numbers make sense - this move could result in $250,000 saved over ten years - and yes, I could be there that long.

Thanks again for your prayers and friendship - I am SO busy these days that I'm not even on thespaceport.us nearly as much as I once was. But when I'm busy, Im usually happy and that is the case now.

Smiles all!

 

[jeff77]

Good news Pizza! I will keep praying for you.

 

[Classik]

Nice to hear from you

 

[AirDancer]

Thanks for the update, Pizza ! You have a positive attitude about everything that's been happening of late in your life. And the savings you could realize over the next 10 years from the move will provide additional peace of mind for you. This is a very good thing indeed!

I love to see our Lord working in the lives of others, even more so when I see this occurring in people I 'know'.

Thanks, Pizza

 

[Kathi]

Perplexed i am.. trying to figure out how PIZZA and a healthy diet go together

Well you have your tomato sauce,your cheese,you veggies and your meat

 

[Pizza]

I hope that when I slip into eternity, that at one point the Lord explains to me just how He made all things work together for good, and why some of the things that have happened to me HAD to happen. 'Cause I suspect that SOME of what I've gone thru in this life has been either made to happen by Him, or allowed to happen by Him.

And I DO remember praying long ago, "Lord, no matter what it takes, don't let me slip from your hands." Maybe that prayer was not really needed, maybe it was, I am unsure. I just wonder if some of the things that have happened to me were His doing for my benefit or not.

I honestly to wonder what it would be like to be able to sit down and just discuss my life with Him. And I wonder if there will be time for that in eternity? Or will I no longer CARE at that point?

Probably the two most profound questions I've ever asked.

 

[reba]

You are not alone in your thoughts Pizza....

 

[AirDancer]

I think we each have questions we'd like to ask. Whether we will or no remains to be seen in future.

You're right, though, Pizza ... we just might not care to ask them when the time comes

 

[Eugene]

And that is ANOTHER thing - did I mention how my paychecks continued all during this? Corporate bent over backwards to keep the checks coming AND my insurance intact the whole time.
My boss was very surprised by how it all came together, he even asked me how I managed that. I TOLD him I had NO idea, I got a letter (very scary letter) telling me my job was going to be held for me, but that my checks would end in about a week.

When I called the lady, we got to talking and she told me that they were "going to pay four weeks as a make-up for how you salaried field guys don't get overttime - but don't tell any hourly people". But then, she said, "Hey, if that doctor releases you to work at home, tell me -I'll put you back on the payroll that day". My boss says that all of this is unwritten and is not the customary way they deal with people; he says it encourages him, but he still wonders - says he's never heard of anyone getting treated like this before.

But all of this AGAIN is even MORE reason for me to NOT worry - there was nothing to worry about.

Worry is my enemy. Kinda makes you wonder 'who' is helping me worry about stuff. I don't think it comes from the Lord.

"FREE" (Sung and written by Ginny Owens)

Turnin' molehills into mountains,
Makin' big deals out of small ones,
Bearing gifts as if they're burdens,
This is how it's been.

Those words are my life until a month ago. "Bearing gifts as if they're burdens" cuts like a knife - I've been throwing God's gifts back in His face and complaining about them.
I could probably visit a prostitute and offend Him less than doing THAT.

Dear Brother Pizza, this so reminds me of Proverbs 21:1 The king's heart is in the hand of the LORD, as the rivers of water: he turneth it whithersoever he will.

 

[GrannyJ]

Hi Pizza. So glad things are looking positive for you. I really liked your prayer - whatever it takes don't let me slip from Your hands. I just prayed the same prayer, right now.

Re not being sure if you're doing the right thing: I always liked James 1v5, which tells us that if we've prayed for wisdom, we must believe that we have been given it. Useful when you have a hard decision - pray for wisdom then think out the pros and cons, believing that you HAVE been given wisdom. Works for me.

 

[Pizza]

TRUCK DRIVER SAVES A LIFE
As a certain cement mixer truck driver left his plant with a full load, he had no idea what was waiting for him about a mile down the road....

As the northbound pickup truck approached the left turn to the onramp, the driver observed that there was a small traffic island at the end of the ramp, this was so that southbound traffic could turn right while northbound traffic turns left onto two lanes of the same ramp.

The driver also noticed the mixer truck traveling south, the trunk moved over into the right lane, which starts just about 300 feet north of the ramp. The driver of the pickup assumed that the mixer truck was moving over to turn right –so the pickup driver started his turn – but the cement truck was not turning. A collision was unavoidable and (since he was the only one who realized what was happening) it was up to the driver of the large and heavy cement truck to do what he could to control the consequences of what was about to happen.

As to the title above, the cement truck driver did not apply his brakes (you can't steer nearly as well with brakes applied as with no brakes applied), he veered to his right – this meant the he kept control of his truck and did not strike the pickup squarely, running over it OR carrying it down the road, instead, the pickup was spun around. This was the small difference that meant life or death for the pickup driver. The full impact of the large truck hitting the smaller one was turned into a spinning action on the smaller truck. In fact, the only real g-forces on the pickup driver were from the deployment of the air bag. Had the smaller truck absorbed the full impact of the mixer, the accident would not have been survivable for the driver of the smaller vehicle.

The truck driver actually understood, well before the pickup driver did, what was going to happen and took measures to mitigate the damage.

After the collision, he cement truck continued on, but (apparently) the impact with the smaller truck had shifted the front axle of the mixer truck, causing the truck driver to loose control (heading into a ditch did not help matters), the truck overturned and came to rest on it's side.

Had the truck driver panicked and applied brakes, it is questionable if he could have altered his trajectory enough to avoid a more dead-on impact with the pickup. This is what made the difference, all the difference.

========================================

As the pickup driver heard and felt the impact, he had three thoughts occur in the TINY amount of time his pickup was spinning from the impact:

“NO!!! I did NOT do this!”

“I wonder if I will survive this”

And, just as the motion ended, “Why is there smoke already?”

He exited the vehicle, only to realize that was not smoke, it was the propellant from the airbags deploying. He did not think he was injured but would later realize that the airbag deployment propelled plastic parts of the steering wheel cover in two important directions. One was to impact two or three of his upper right ribs, bruising them somewhat. The other was to scrape his right leg just below the knee and take off about a square inch of skin- this thru the jeans he was wearing, without harming the jeans!

As to the cause, why would the pickup driver assume so quickly like he did? No one knows.

All is known is that Pizzaguy was the driver of the pickup truck. The reactions of the Truck Driver saved my life, I guess that SOMEONE here was praying for me. Thank you. Thank God and Jesus for you.

Had I been killed, there would have been questions:

Did he not see the cement truck? (Yes, I did.)

Was he talking on his cell phone, or texting? (No and no.)

Was he in a hurry?

Actually, I was not in a hurry, while I had left the office an hour later than I wanted to, I know better than to hurry. Also, I had made a life decision the day before that I am very proud of and was in a very good, relaxed and happy mood. I was enjoying driving along the back way to I75 and looking forward to a pit stop near Chattanooga to look a car a friend from Indiana was interested in. In fact, the seller had just called me as I turned off GA 20 some 15 miles back to tell me that he did not want to get the car out in the rain – so we would get together on my way home Friday instead – this, in my mind, put me about an hour ahead – and I reasoned that this made up for the late departure from the office.

Life was good. I cannot explain why I assumed what I did. The fact that I did this really scares me. I honestly feel like I cheated death – I just don’t know, yet, what to do with this observation.



View attachment 4582 View attachment 4583

 

[Eugene]

That's some testimony; thank you.

 

[Pizza]

Testimony to what tho, my own brain-dead-ism?

37 years' clean driving - blown in a millisecond decision. THINK of the damage I could do in the front office of an Airbus...

 

[reba]

Think of the testimony of your whole life..

 

[Pizza]

Eugene,

First, I should say "thank you" and not post what I did.

Second, I have edited my text yet again.

 

[AirDancer]

What a powerful testimony, Pizza ....and a blessed escape from death! Your words have certainly brought home how our Lord looks out for us, by providing another's viewpoint to see clearly the deadly potential of a situation, perform a PIT maneuver, and save a life, all within the span of a handful of minutes if not seconds.

I hope you have contacted the cement company, to thank and praise that driver for saving your life. A letter to the editor of the paper in that town would also be good, in order for others to be aware that a genuine hero exists in the area. (And hopefully, that driver won't lose his job!)

Our Lord sure does love you, Pizza !