- Jun 21, 2009
- 10,783
- 414
I NEED TO GO TO HOSPITAL? --OH NOES! 
The other day I went in for what I thought would be a routine check. The vascular surgeon who did my AAA (Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm) repair likes to keep an eye on things so she sent me to radiology for a scan. The radiologist said everything was okay but the eagle eye surgeon noticed that the aneurysm (it looks like a ballooning portion of the artery) was still enlarging and that the stent had started to slip.
It was an easy and totally brilliant repair. You can check out YouTube for AAA repairs if you want to know more but basically, last year she placed a stent -- think about it as an inner liner, into my aorta just above my belly button. This time she went in and threaded a larger tube as an extension to repair the slippage and to secure things well. What we don't want is to have leakage around the edges and the surgery went very well. I was in on Thursday the 30th and out Friday, the very next day.
Feeling great today, given that a doctor had just cut my groin and all. Only a doctor could think, "We need to fix this -- how to proceed?" followed by, "I know! Let's cut the crotch! THAT's the ticket!" But it's the best and easiest way. Gotta love 'em, right?
________________________________________
So, long story short, I'm here asking for prayer (again). But it's not about me this time. And, surprise, surprise, there's a story behind the request. Some of you may know that I don't have TV at home. Fixed income. Broke like a church mouse and all that but I don't miss it. But I do love binge watching TV while I'm in the hospital, what else is there to do, except prayer, right?
So I was watching the Washington State Supreme Court Symposium (it's like watching Senate Hearings) and the subject was WA Supreme Court Symposium on "Reentry: Do We Really Care About People Succeeding After Prison?" Topic was recidivism and barriers to reentry by felons.
And as I'm watching hour upon hour I'm also touched by the troubles that these people who are trying to make the adjustment face. They need help. Like how to find a job. There are some hard skills offenders can acquire to become employable but they quite often lack the soft, interpersonal skills needed to keep the jobs once they get them. And as I'm binge watching hour after hour they show testimonies of how peoples lives are changed. We see examples of people who are approaching courts to have their sentences transmuted or for parole boards -- and I'm like, "PALM TO HEAD" smacking myself because they really don't understand the system. I watched as offenders testified how they were saved in prison and how they are experiencing joy for the first time in their lives. They speak of how their lives are changed and, as a Christian, I can relate. It's real.
But then the courts ask for examples of how their life has changed and they start talking about what I would classify "religious works". The courts are not impressed. Legally they can't consider the "I got religion," defense or testimony. Saying that they witnessed to others about the real power of the Holy Spirit in their lives is NOT doing anything for them. They are talking to worldly systems but they are using religious terms. So what they need is some kind of soft-skill mentoring.
Because in prison population there are some very sophisticated understandings of these things. There are those who have few and little social skills or understanding --but there are those with tremendous skills. What that means is they need a self-help system. But the TV show was talking about how the Department of Corrections needs to "monetize reentry services," so the legislature could spend tax money to solve the problems. Hiring more professionals may stimulate our economy but it's not an efficient way to resolve. And that's the rub -- because if felons and offenders are offered false hope, how can we expect them to not see through it?
So there I am and I'm crying because I've been praying and in touch with the Holy Spirit Who really wants to fix things -- and I hear the worldly solution, "Let's throw money at the problem," but they have done so much excellent work so far in studying the problem -- I don't know why they miss the obvious. They understand more about the barriers to reentry than I would have thought. They are developing things like "Cognitive and Behavioral Approaches," to guide them. But the are missing a key element, a key to the real and realizable solution.
Let the felons help themselves. Instead of establishing a formal accounting system to monetize services what we need to do is to creatively collaborate with people to find a solution that will work. And I want to MAGNIFY GOD in this too. "IF HE IS WITH US, who can stand against us ???" Means we can indeed achieve an EPIC WIN, if we humble ourselves and seek Him first.
So that's what I'm here doing. Letting people know that, yes, I just underwent another major surgery and in a manner of speaking, faced death. But what is that to us? Jesus has faced and defeated this for us already! We are joined INTO HIS death. Now we need to join into HIS LIFE. Here's the key:
MY PERMANENT STATUS:
View attachment 7130
Asking for the faithful to join their prayers and earnest supplications to this effort so that not only His Children who have been incarcerated may be allowed a chance to demonstrate His Saving Grace in their lives but also that even our enemies, the ones who have not yet experienced HIS Goodness may be allowed to "Taste and See that the LORD is GOOD!"
I'm praying for an EPIC WIN in this and seeking prayerful collaborators. The idea, in a nutshell, is that we need to give them a way to help themselves and give them our full, prayerful support, like we would our own. Energize our faith and pray. Doing the "let's toss money at the problem," or the "let the politicians handle it," won't work. It never works. Currently that system is responsible for the, "Give them $40 and take them to a bus station" policy that is in place now.
I'm asking for God to intervene in hearts so that a plausible solution may be realized. Of course there's more too it than that and I need prayer too in this -- but that's the first step. That's the only step. Go to God. Knock. Ask. Seek.
I'm trusting God to put this on your hearts too -- and He knows who He wants for the job, so if you are open to this as a service ministry - as a prayer warrior, then WELCOME and there is more, but that's for later.
Love you!
Michael (aka Sparrow)
The other day I went in for what I thought would be a routine check. The vascular surgeon who did my AAA (Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm) repair likes to keep an eye on things so she sent me to radiology for a scan. The radiologist said everything was okay but the eagle eye surgeon noticed that the aneurysm (it looks like a ballooning portion of the artery) was still enlarging and that the stent had started to slip.
It was an easy and totally brilliant repair. You can check out YouTube for AAA repairs if you want to know more but basically, last year she placed a stent -- think about it as an inner liner, into my aorta just above my belly button. This time she went in and threaded a larger tube as an extension to repair the slippage and to secure things well. What we don't want is to have leakage around the edges and the surgery went very well. I was in on Thursday the 30th and out Friday, the very next day.
Feeling great today, given that a doctor had just cut my groin and all. Only a doctor could think, "We need to fix this -- how to proceed?" followed by, "I know! Let's cut the crotch! THAT's the ticket!" But it's the best and easiest way. Gotta love 'em, right?
________________________________________
So, long story short, I'm here asking for prayer (again). But it's not about me this time. And, surprise, surprise, there's a story behind the request. Some of you may know that I don't have TV at home. Fixed income. Broke like a church mouse and all that but I don't miss it. But I do love binge watching TV while I'm in the hospital, what else is there to do, except prayer, right?
So I was watching the Washington State Supreme Court Symposium (it's like watching Senate Hearings) and the subject was WA Supreme Court Symposium on "Reentry: Do We Really Care About People Succeeding After Prison?" Topic was recidivism and barriers to reentry by felons.
And as I'm watching hour upon hour I'm also touched by the troubles that these people who are trying to make the adjustment face. They need help. Like how to find a job. There are some hard skills offenders can acquire to become employable but they quite often lack the soft, interpersonal skills needed to keep the jobs once they get them. And as I'm binge watching hour after hour they show testimonies of how peoples lives are changed. We see examples of people who are approaching courts to have their sentences transmuted or for parole boards -- and I'm like, "PALM TO HEAD" smacking myself because they really don't understand the system. I watched as offenders testified how they were saved in prison and how they are experiencing joy for the first time in their lives. They speak of how their lives are changed and, as a Christian, I can relate. It's real.
But then the courts ask for examples of how their life has changed and they start talking about what I would classify "religious works". The courts are not impressed. Legally they can't consider the "I got religion," defense or testimony. Saying that they witnessed to others about the real power of the Holy Spirit in their lives is NOT doing anything for them. They are talking to worldly systems but they are using religious terms. So what they need is some kind of soft-skill mentoring.
Because in prison population there are some very sophisticated understandings of these things. There are those who have few and little social skills or understanding --but there are those with tremendous skills. What that means is they need a self-help system. But the TV show was talking about how the Department of Corrections needs to "monetize reentry services," so the legislature could spend tax money to solve the problems. Hiring more professionals may stimulate our economy but it's not an efficient way to resolve. And that's the rub -- because if felons and offenders are offered false hope, how can we expect them to not see through it?
So there I am and I'm crying because I've been praying and in touch with the Holy Spirit Who really wants to fix things -- and I hear the worldly solution, "Let's throw money at the problem," but they have done so much excellent work so far in studying the problem -- I don't know why they miss the obvious. They understand more about the barriers to reentry than I would have thought. They are developing things like "Cognitive and Behavioral Approaches," to guide them. But the are missing a key element, a key to the real and realizable solution.
Let the felons help themselves. Instead of establishing a formal accounting system to monetize services what we need to do is to creatively collaborate with people to find a solution that will work. And I want to MAGNIFY GOD in this too. "IF HE IS WITH US, who can stand against us ???" Means we can indeed achieve an EPIC WIN, if we humble ourselves and seek Him first.
So that's what I'm here doing. Letting people know that, yes, I just underwent another major surgery and in a manner of speaking, faced death. But what is that to us? Jesus has faced and defeated this for us already! We are joined INTO HIS death. Now we need to join into HIS LIFE. Here's the key:
MY PERMANENT STATUS:
View attachment 7130
Asking for the faithful to join their prayers and earnest supplications to this effort so that not only His Children who have been incarcerated may be allowed a chance to demonstrate His Saving Grace in their lives but also that even our enemies, the ones who have not yet experienced HIS Goodness may be allowed to "Taste and See that the LORD is GOOD!"
I'm praying for an EPIC WIN in this and seeking prayerful collaborators. The idea, in a nutshell, is that we need to give them a way to help themselves and give them our full, prayerful support, like we would our own. Energize our faith and pray. Doing the "let's toss money at the problem," or the "let the politicians handle it," won't work. It never works. Currently that system is responsible for the, "Give them $40 and take them to a bus station" policy that is in place now.
I'm asking for God to intervene in hearts so that a plausible solution may be realized. Of course there's more too it than that and I need prayer too in this -- but that's the first step. That's the only step. Go to God. Knock. Ask. Seek.
I'm trusting God to put this on your hearts too -- and He knows who He wants for the job, so if you are open to this as a service ministry - as a prayer warrior, then WELCOME and there is more, but that's for later.
Love you!
Michael (aka Sparrow)
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