It’s been an interesting summer, to say the least.  Such a whirlwind!  

At the end of May, I had a checkup with my oncologist that wasn’t what I was expecting.  Since my treatment in 2015, everything had been coming up roses.  All tests were clean, no issues, no worries.  But that changed in May.  A blood test came back with an elevated tumor marker. 

What came next was a series of tests.  A CT scan with contrast showed no tumors, clumps, groupings or other signs of cancer.  With that knowledge in mind, I took a planned trip to Argentina with my missionary brother-in-law.  We had a great trip!  I learned so much about the mission field of Argentina and the work being done.  I taught in a Bible College, preached in three different churches, and was able to talk and counsel with several young preachers.  It was a blessing.  We got back home and next it was off to Junior Camp for a week.  What a week it was.  Our junior age young people had a great week at camp.  The Lord really spoke to our young people and to me as well.  Camp isn’t just for children, you know.

We spent the next week trying to get ourselves back in order.  I had another blood test and the tumor marker came back still elevated.  After talking with my wonderful doctor, praying quite a bit, and listing the pros and cons with Laura, we decided on a regimen of chemo to be proactive.  I have been diagnosed with a chemical recurrence.  This basically means that though the cancer has not physically returned (i.e. a tumor), it is in my blood stream looking for a place to set up camp.  The prayer is that the chemo will kill the cancer before it gets a chance to do so.  My goal is to kill it before it gets strong.   

But before chemo, another week at camp, this time with the Teens.  My soul needed this week.  God moved in a mighty way throughout the entire camp.  We saw teenagers get their hearts right with the Lord; we saw teenagers give their hearts to Jesus.  There were many decisions made that week.  The Holy Spirit comforted my soul in a way that I cannot describe.  I’ve often said that in Christianity, there are things that cannot be explained, but must be experienced to be understood.  This is one of those things.  The Bible calls it the peace that passes all understanding. 

We came back from camp and had a day and a half to prepare for a week in the hospital taking chemo.   Monday morning, Laura and I headed to the Medical Center of Bowling Green.  I have been asked what chemo is like.  It’s hard to explain, but I will try.  Day one, a PICC line was inserted in my right arm.  That’s basically a semi-permanent IV line.  The chemo nurses assigned to my care started me with premeds.  This is medicines to prepare my body for the chemotherapy drugs.   Then came the chemo.  After the chemo came bags of fluids to flush my kidneys.  

Every cancer has its own regimen of chemo drugs.  I could tell you the various drugs that were used, but it wouldn’t make a difference, so I’ll save you the techno-speak.  If I remember correctly, there were three or four different types used that week.  The first one took 24 hours.  I felt normal on Monday.  Tuesday came another round and I started getting tired by Tuesday evening.  Wednesday brought a third round and by about 8:00 that evening the chemo effects were in full swing.  My sister tells me it was like a switch was thrown.  I stopped talking, I stopped wanting to do anything.

I really cannot remember Thursday, Friday, or Saturday.  The nausea started.  The inability to eat or drink and keep it down.   The extreme fatigue.  That’s about all I can remember.  One thing I can remember is the flood of visits, calls, texts, messages, and cards.  Friends were reaching out to offer help and support.  I'll never forget that.    

Sometime late Saturday/early Sunday we were discharged.  I don’t remember leaving the hospital or the drive home.  I do remember being in my own bed.  The next three days were rough.  I vomited about 40 times in three days.  Couldn’t eat, couldn’t sleep, couldn’t drink anything.  My doctor ordered me back to the hospital for care.  After a day or two of fluids, meds, and my wife and sister forcing me to eat and drink, I was on the mend. 

I’m home now.  Been here several days resting and recovering.  I make a terrible patient.  There’s so much I need to do and want to do, but just don’t have the energy or strength to do. 

We don’t know what’s next.  I have another blood test on Friday.  I’m praying my tumor marker will be at a 0.  I see the oncologist on Monday to get these results.  We’re trusting in the Lord for His Grace and Mercy. 

So yeah, it’s been an interesting summer, to say the least.  My last blog entry was about making lemonade out of lemons.  I love irony—it’s my favorite form of humor.  I’m trying to make some lemonade over here.  I promise. 

Lemons and Lemonade

We've all heard the old sayings, when life hands you lemons, make lemonade.  It sounds good.  It sounds like something that we should all be able to do.  Here's the issue.  No one ever says "when life hands you lemons, make lemonade and here's how."  Long on advice, short on instructions.  I'd like to give you a quick set of instructions on how to make said lemonade.

Step #1.  Cut up the lemons.  That's right.  You've got to cut them up into slices.  There's a couple of reasons to do so. You can't get the juice out without slicing those lemons.  How does this help us in a literal sense?  Take your problem and cut it up into manageable pieces.  As a man, one of my biggest issues is trying to tackle the whole problem at once.  That never ends well.  Tackle small portions at a time.  This will give you those all important small victories when you resolve the small portion of the problem and give you the encouragement to move on to the next slice of the problem.

Step #2.  Add water.  Pure lemon juice is pretty stout.  It needs to be diluted with water.  When life hands you lemons, you better water them down.  What do I mean by this?  Dilute the lemons.  Take your problems and cares to the Lord in prayer.  Like the old gospel hymn says "have a little talk with Jesus."  Find a good friend or a loved one to talk to.  The worst thing you can do is hold all those lemons in.

Step #3.  Add sugar.  Yep.  Find you some sugar and sweeten those lemons right up.  My Mom always would say that every cloud has a silver lining, you just have to look for it.  When you realize that life has handed you a big bucket of lemons, look for the silver lining.  It may be hard to find, but it's there.  Let me give you an example.

On a recent road trip, the transmission went out on our vehicle.  We were 45 minutes away from our destination and 2 hours away from home.  I told my boys that we were blessed that it happened exactly when and where it did.  We broke down right by an off ramp, so we were able to get off of the parkway safely.  We were on a flat stretch of the road.  If we had been a few minutes further down the road, we would have been in some pretty serious hills and if the transmission had went out on those hills, there's no telling what would have happened.  See, a silver lining.

Step #4.  Stir.  Stir it all up.  Add all these things and mix well--get your problems into bite sized portions, add water and sugar.  Pretty soon, your lemons will indeed be lemonade.

I'm at a point in my life, where I really don't like it when life gets turned upside down.  But it happens.  I've learned that it's best to just relax and start turning those lemons into lemonade.  The best part of making lemonade?  Sitting on a shady porch, relaxing, and sipping a cold glass.  It makes the struggles well worth it.

What's Your Weakness?

What’s Your Weakness?

Everybody has one.  Some people are aware of their weakness and others aren’t.  Some are aware of it but chose not to do anything about it.  I had a trainer tell me one time that those exercises you hate the most are the ones you need the most because they reveal your weaknesses.  I thought about that and realize he was right.  The lifts that I complained (and still complain about) are the ones I need the most.  

As my church family knows, Little Debbie Snack Cakes are a weakness of mine.  I cannot just eat one oatmeal cream pie.  I just can’t.  My sweet wife will buy a box and before I know it, I’m gorging myself on one after the other.  I know that if I eat one, it will quickly become 8.  So, to keep that from happening, we don’t buy them anymore. 

Let’s talk about spiritual weaknesses.  The tempter, Satan, knows your weak points.  For some it may be laziness, others, alcohol, and for some porn.  Satan knows exactly how to attack you.  The Bible refers to these attacks as fiery darts.  It seems that these little darts always strike right at the weakest point of our defenses. 

I haven’t ever really had a desire to drink alcohol.  That’s never been a weakness of mine, so I am not often tempted to pick up a six pack of beer.  I’m not tempted to gamble.  Sure, occasionally, I daydream about what it would be like to win the lottery, but I’m not tempted to buy a ticket. 

But I have my weakness.  I know where I’m likely to stumble and fall.  I know what I must be on guard for spiritually.  I’m sorry to say that even though I know my weaknesses, I still from time to time fall into the tempters trap. 

Identify your weakness.  This requires you being honest with yourself and with the Lord.  Identify them and then establish a plan to defend yourself against them—just like the Little Debbie snack cakes.  I don’t bring them into my home, so I can’t gorge myself on them. 

Once you have identified your weakness develop a plan, and stick to the plan.  No exceptions! Exceptions only lead to excuses.  

Remember Mark 14:38 “Watch ye and pray, lest ye enter into temptation. The spirit truly is ready, but the flesh is weak.”  Watch and pray.  Watch means to be on guard.  Be on guard and pray for help in resisting temptation!    

Friends

A couple of weeks ago, I got a text message from one of my oldest friends.  His ministry has taken him in a different direction—he’s in missions, so we don’t get the chance to hang out very often.  He asked a simple question; do you want to grab coffee on Monday the 19^th.  I immediately said yes.  What surprised me was how much I looked forward to this meeting since that text.

We met at 7:00 in the morning, early, yes.  We spent an hour talking about our ministries, our families, just catching up.  I was reminded how much I enjoyed his company.  I was reminded how much I missed just chatting with him.  We fellowshipped over coffee and much too quickly, our time came to an end. 

Something we all need is a friend.  In the world of social media where people talk about having 567 “friends,” we often overlook the need for human interaction.  One thing that this generation is losing or perhaps has already lost is the ability to look someone in the eye and connect on a personal level.  There is something about us as humans that crave this friendship. 

The Bible speaks about friendships.  In Proverbs, the book of Wisdom, we find that if a man wants to have friends, he must show himself friendly.  In short:  be the kind of friend you want to have.  Are you a good friend?  Are you there to lend support?  Are you there when needed?  Are you friendly?

Proverbs also tells us that as iron sharpeneth iron, a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend.  

Sometimes, friends tell us exactly what we need to hear in exactly the way we need to hear it.  They tell it like it is.  My wife has a friend that she always goes to for clothing advice.  She’ll try on an outfit and ask me if looks okay.  I’ll tell her yes, it does.  Her response?  She messages her friend for advice.  Laura knows that no matter what, this friend will be brutally honest.  We need this!  We need someone who will tells that, no, we shouldn’t wear that outfit because we aren’t 17 any longer.  (Not that my wife would ever do that, she totally rocks every outfit she wears) 

Perhaps one of the saddest stories in the Bible is about a man named Amnon.  I won’t go into all the details of his story, but in II Samuel, we find this phrase: “But Amnon had a friend.”  Oh my.  Friends are important.  This friend gave Amnon some bad advice.  This advice caused Amnon to take action that would eventually lead to a civil war in Israel.  All because of a friend. 

Be careful with your friends!  Make sure you make good choices about who you allow to be your friend.  Friends may let us down, but that doesn’t mean you can’t be the friend they need.  Remember what Jesus said to Judas Iscariot in the garden that night.  “Friend, wherefore are thou come” (Matthew 26:50).  Judas wasn’t being a friend to Jesus, but that didn’t stop Jesus from being Judas’ friend. 

This Thanksgiving be thankful for your friends.  But don’t just be thankful for them, tell them that you are thankful for them.  Don’t save those flowers for their funeral, give them their flowers today.  Don’t just wish your 567, oops, 568, Facebook friends a happy Thanksgiving, but call a friend and tell them that you are thankful for them. 

Be the friend that you need.     

A Little Early Morning Poetry

Occasionally, I will try my hand at poetry.  Here's something I wrote this morning.  My prayer is it would be a blessing to you.
 

As I was stretching before my early morning run,

I noticed lightning flashing across the sky. 

Softy, I prayed, “Dear Lord, hold back the rain.”

Off I went, down the street and around the corner,

Talking to my Lord, sharing the burdens of my heart,

While my feet steadily pounded the pavement.

One mile down, peace settled in my heart;

Our talk continued as I begin to pray for this town.

Up Cedar Street, past the Justice Center-may justice be done.

Past City Hall, praying for the city government,

May they be wise in their decisions as they lead.

Past the funeral homes, bless those poor families. 

Back the way I came, praying on the other side of the road

Lord bless these houses and the people that make them home.

Turning the last corner onto my street, I come to a stop.

Stretching, water, breathing.  I consider the run I just had. 

A good pace, a good time, so proud of myself.

Then I hear that still, small voice: “what about ME?”

How often we forget to thank the Lord for answered prayer! 

Thank you, Lord, for holding back the rain!  Thank you, Lord for safety!

Forgive me, Lord, for not thanking You like I should. 

Tom Otto

10/2/18

What's in Your Toolbox?

When I was a boy, I, like a lot of other boys, trailed along behind my father trying to "help" him in his projects.  One of  my regular jobs was to fetch tools.  I was a first class fetcher.  I could get the right screwdriver, pair of pliers, sockets, or saw on command.  The one request for a tool that I would dread was for a hammer.

Do you know how many different types of hammer there are?  A quick Google search will show that there are a plethora of hammers depending on the job.  No wonder, when my Dad would send me for a hammer, I would drag my heals in bringing him one back  Does he need the claw hammer?  The sledge hammer?  The ball peen hammer?  We're not roofing, so that rules out the roofing hammer.  Or would he want a mallet?  Perhaps the tack hammer?

When I was in college, I had a professor that taught my very first computer science class.  She had a favorite saying during that first semester.  She told us that first day, "I'm going to give you a new tool for your toolbox."   I remember rolling my eyes at her statement.  As the semester progressed and we would learn new programming technique after technique, she would say "Another tool for the toolbox."

This professor became my academic advisor (one of the best choices I made in college).  When I would complain about  general education requirements (who needs Theatre Appreciation, anyway?), she would gently smile and say "It's just another tool for the toolbox."

As a grown man, I've come to appreciate the many tools I've added to my toolbox over the years.  All those general education classes that I considered a waste of time are now a great help to me.  While I am ministering to people, I can rely on this knowledge to build conversations that help me get to know people and their needs better.

Over the years, I hope that I've helped people add a tool or two to their own personal toolbox.  I've adopted a saying of my own.  I make this statement quite a bit:  "If the only tool you have in your toolbox is a hammer, every thing begins to look like a nail."

Just as a hammer isn't the right tool for every job, we need to be able to use a variety of tools in dealing with the situations around us.  Whether someone is hurting emotionally or physically, whether someone needs scolding or encouraging, we must learn to use the right tool for the job.  Too many times, we rely on one tool over and over again because we never take time to add any tools to our toolbox, or we have yet to realize the need for more tools to begin with.

In our Christian school, we have 26 students.  Each of those students are unique.  Many of them have siblings in the school, but I cannot deal with them each the same way--even if they are siblings.  One student requires a bit of encouragement.  Another requires a bit of a heavy hand to remind them that there are rules to be followed.  One student needs a friendly smile from time to time.  There's one student that only needs a verbal reminder to behave.  We need a variety of tools to successfully build and shape these young lives.  Could you imagine building a house with only a hammer?

Do you rely on the same tool over and over again?  Are you not getting the results out of your relationships that you desire?  Perhaps you need to take a time out and develop some new tools for your tool box.

The Dangers of Running

One of the Apostle Paul’s go to illustrations in his writings was to compare the Christian to an athlete.  To people alive in Paul’s day, especially in the Roman Empire, athletics were a very important and large part of everyday life.  It was something that Paul’s audience could relate to.  In fact, many historians attribute part of Rome’s collapse to their addiction to sports entertainment.  I’ll just let that sit there for a moment.   

In his writings to Timothy, Paul talked about running his race, in his writings to the church at Ephesus, Paul talked about wrestling.  In our text tonight, Paul again refers to running-- 

Hebrews 12:1 Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset [us], and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,

We all have a race to run.  There are a couple of prerequisites to running this race we call the Christian life: first, set aside ever weight.  This weight could refer to worry, anxiety, stress, depression, discouragement, etc. Set those things aside.  Second, set aside the sin that besets us.  We all have sin that troubles us more than others.  I’ve never been tempted to experiment with illegal drugs, but on the other hand, gluttony is a problem for me.  Especially when someone brings out the Little Debbie Snack Cakes. 

I’ve begun training for a 10K in October.  I’ve ran this race before, and I’m looking forward to running it again.  Early in the morning, you may see me out running the streets of our fair city.  I was reminded on one of these runs, that there are some dangers to running. 

Let’s look at a couple of them.  

If You Run, you may trip and fall.  Tuesday morning, at 4:30, I was out running.  I was running a street that I have ran hundreds of times before, in fact, I ran that street just a few days prior to Tuesday morning.

I was in the zone.  My first mile was almost done, I was feeling good, my pace was right where I wanted it, my breathing was on point, I was in a spirit of prayer. 

Then it happened.

Someone had left their trashcan on the sidewalk from the previous day.  It was casting a shadow onto the sidewalk and I didn’t see that there was a section of the sidewalk that had sunk a bit.  The edge of the sidewalk reached up and grabbed my big toe.  I found myself launching through the air.  Gravity soon took control and I found myself slamming onto the sidewalk. 

It took my breath away.  I felt the pain of road rash on my knee and shin.  I fell because I was running.  It’s a danger, a risk, that I accept.  As a Christian, there’s a danger that you might fall.

Revelation 2:5 “Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent.”

When we fall, and we will fall, we need to remember from whence we fell.  It may shake us up.  It may take our spiritual breath away, it may knock the wind out of our sails, but we need to get back up. 

I’ve fallen while running before.  It was a cold, wintry Saturday morning.  There was some snow on the ground, but not too bad.  I was training for a half marathon that spring.  I was supposed to run 10 miles that day, but about two and a half miles in, I found a patch of ice that was hidden under the snow. 

I landed full on my left knee and it started swelling immediately.  I decided that I was going to get up and go.  I could not stay on the ground.  I had to get up, so I did.  I took a few halting steps, putting just a little bit of weight on my left leg, testing the knee.  The old male ego kicked in and I decided that I was not calling my wife to come get me.  So, I started hobbling my way back home.  I’d run a bit, and then walk a whole lot and run a bit more.  Eventually, I got home.   

Tuesday morning, as I was flying through the air, I thought of that day.    And I knew what I was going to do.  I hit the ground, jumped up, checked for blood, and took off running again.  You got to get up.  I was not going to lay there like the star of some infomercial (Help!  I’ve fallen, and I can’t get up!) 

In our Christian lives, when we fall, we’ve got to get up!  Galatians 6 talks about when our brother falls and how we should help him up, because it could be us next time!

Galatians 6:1 Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted.

We need to help our brothers up, because one day, we may be the one on the ground!

The second danger in running is the dangers of dogs.  I don’t care how many times a dog owner assures me that their dog is friendly, that their dog won’t bite me.  If I’m running and I come across a dog, I’m wary of it—hey don’t judge me, it’s Biblical!

Philippians 3:1-2 “Finally, my brethren, rejoice in the Lord. To write the same things to you, to me indeed is not grievous, but for you it is safe.  Beware of dogs, beware of evil workers, beware of the concision.”

Amen!  There is a reason I support the leash law in Franklin!  I was out running with a friend several years ago.  We were going through a neighborhood when a large dog began to chase us.  Devin and I looked at each other and increased our speed.  Devin said, “I hope we can outrun that dog.”  I told Devin “I don’t have to outrun the dog, because I can outrun you.” 

I’ve been chased, I’ve been nipped at, I’ve felt dog saliva on my calf muscle, so I’m a bit cautious when it comes to dogs.  In our Christian life that we are running, we need to beware of dogs as well. Notice what Paul is talking about—dogs-evil workers, those who cut up (the concision)

Mt 7:15 Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.

We need to be aware of those fake Christians who will lead us astray.  Those who will nip at us, bark and growl at us, and try to chase us of the course that we have been given to run.  Let me tell you something I’ve learned, “Good doggie” doesn’t work.  You’ve got to be stern, “No!  bad dog!  go home!”  That dog isn’t going to listen to you if you try to placate it.  See what the scripture says will happen if we try to placate those false prophets:

Second Corinthians 11:3 But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. 4 For if he that cometh preacheth another Jesus, whom we have not preached, or if ye receive another spirit, which ye have not received, or another gospel, which ye have not accepted, ye might well bear with him.

The apostle was concerned that if the church at Corinth was not stern with those preaching a false gospel, then they would accept the teacher and his teachings. 

The third danger of running is the Danger of Exhaustion.  If you run, you’re going to get tired.  That’s a simple fact. Sometimes when I run, I get tired, my legs start to give out, my feet start to complain.  I don’t have to convince my legs and feet to keep going, I’ve got to convince my mind to keep going.

Galatians 6:9 And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.

There’s nothing like crossing the finish line at a race and receiving your finisher’s medal.  At that moment, your fatigue and exhaustion evaporate. 

You may be weary tonight, you may be doing right, but you’re tired.  Someone asked me one time, how can your 13.1 miles?  I jokingly replied, “Mind over matter.”  I keep putting one foot in front of the other because in my mind, my legs don’t matter.

By the time I get to the end of my training plan for the 10K coming up, I’ll be tired of training, but I need the training just like we as Christians need the Lord to correct us from time to time.  Sometimes we get weary of the Lord dealing with us.

Proverbs 3:11 My son, despise not the chastening of the LORD; neither be weary of his correction:

Be grateful for the correction of the Lord.  That means He loves you! You don’t discipline someone else’s children, do you?  Look at this verse from Revelation:   

Revelation 3:19 As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.

Don’t grow weary of being corrected by the Lord.  Get right!  Correct the issues that God is chastising you over and repent!

Then of course, there is the Danger of Blisters.  Sometimes those shoes will rub your feet the wrong way.   Sometimes you’ll develop a blister.  Your skin will get irritated because of chaffing.  When I fell Tuesday, I got road rash.  It hurts and itches.  In this Christian life, we’re going to get irritated with the world—or, at least we should get irritated by the wickedness of this world: 

Second Peter 2:7-8 “And delivered just Lot, vexed with the filthy conversation of the wicked: 8 (For that righteous man dwelling among them, in seeing and hearing, vexed [his] righteous soul from day to day with [their] unlawful deeds;)

Lot was vexed.  He was irritated by the wickedness around him.  It was chafing him in an uncomfortable way.   Just as you and I can get irritated with the wickedness around us.  It doesn't matter if you get irritated, what's important is how you respond to the irritation  

Once, I got a blister and after a while, it popped.  I didn’t fix the issue that was causing the irritation, and a callous started to develop. 

Too many times, we Christians will get irritated at the world and grow calloused to their needs.   Jude reminds us to have compassion:

Jude 1:21 Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life. 22 And of some have compassion, making a difference: 23 And others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire; hating even the garment spotted by the flesh.

There are dangers in running, but I don’t let the dangers of running keep me from running.  We must run this race set before us. Are you running?  Or have the dangers of running knocked you out of the race?  If so, let me tell you what to do.  Get up and start running again.