Merry Christmas

My first snowy white Christmas (as far as I can remember)...

Here's a poem that Troy Bailey sent to me. It's from a friend of his in Bangladesh.

Joy to the World

Joy's Deep Heart beats full for me
On sweet-soft hay... on wretched-ripping tree...

You could never dream of all He longs to do,
To make you more like Him... and more like you...
Overhead His faithful star is shining deep and bright
To flood His world with joy and chase away the night.

Heaven's child is here, a Laughing-Weeping baby boy,
Ever seeking, serving, saving -- blessing with the ache of Joy...
"Will they drink the cup of Heaven, laced with pain and bitter herbs?"
On the praising angels' faces the unspoken cry is heard.

Resting near the beating heart His Joy will one day pierce,
Love is soft, and love is wild, and love is gently fierce...

Death is cursed for Joy is here, His Laughter rocks the world...


Dustin D. Miller
29 Nov 2008

Snowed In! A week of snow...over a foot of the really good stuff!

My Cardio Upgrade

So, on September 6th, Sue's and my perfect Saturday morning beach trip was interrupted by a 9-hour stay in ER because of a stupid, little stroke. A few scans and doctor visits later, on October 14, the had a heart anyuerism and a patent foramen ovale riveted closed through a great laproscopic procedure. I got to watch the doctors insert an AMPLATZER® Multi-Fenestrated "Cribriform" Septal Occluders into the upper chambers of my hear. This device has two discs and a thin middle or waist. It riveted shut the 15mm hole in the wall between those chambers. I believe I'm now more fit than I have been my whole life. Here's some great videos of how this device works:

http://www.amplatzer.com/products/asd_devices/the_amplatzer_septal_occluder/tabid/188/default.aspx

http://www.amplatzer.com/products/asd_devices/new_product_video_3353/tabid/186/default.aspx

http://www.amplatzer.com/products/asd_devices/new_product_video/tabid/185/default.aspx

Telos International

TELOS International provides culturally sensitive, holistic mental health services, and it is dedicated to encouraging, empowering, and equipping underserved people and communities by offering training, counseling, and related mental health resources.

TELOS focuses on mental health and relational well-being from a Christian perspective. Recognizing the wholeness of Truth, TELOS seeks to wed the best training in mental health with a faithful Christian worldview.

While TELOS provides services within its home country of the United States, a significant portion of its efforts and ministries are provided internationally.

The Greek word TELOS means to achieve one's ultimate aim, purpose, or goal in life ... to be complete, mature, and whole. An apt term for this encouraging, empowering, and equipping service.

For more information, please visit http://www.telosinternational.org/

Or contact Dr. Rand Michael at randolphmichael@yahoo.com

PO Box 23292

Portland, Oregon 97281-3292 USA

503-620-2137

Answered Prayers!

S

(1 John 5:14,15) And this is the confidence that we have toward Him, that if we ask anything according to His will He hears us. And if we know that He hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked of Him.

O

This is not so much about God having selective hearing (that He chooses to ignore our prayers that miss the target of His will). Instead, it solidifies the Old Testament concept of hearing: The Hebrews understood hearing God's Word as being inseparably connected to heeding (doing) God's Word. One cannot truly hear God without also obeying God.

A

This helps me understand how to walk with God and to enjoy Him. In the vast infinite-seeming possibilities of all that God wants (and He only does good things, Psalm 72:18), I get to co-create the process of bringing Heaven's joys to earth--may your will be done on earth as it is in heaven (Matthew 6:10).

P

Lord, I pray for for ears to hear Your voice, as evidenced by feet that follow You. I pray for eyes to see what needs to be done as is evidenced when my hands accomplish the tasks You long to see done. Lord, I pray for increased faith that liberates me to enjoy You in the midst of all that is yet to be done.

Why Tirana, Albania?

From August 20th through September 1st, I was privileged to be part of TELOS International's teaching team. The European Theological Seminary invited TELOS to train a group of pastors and youth workers from Romania, Bulgaria, Albania, and Italy in basic counseling skills. This team consisted of TELOS founder Dr. Rand Michael, and three therapists, Alma Gugushi (Albanian), Diane Moore, and myself.

Albania was a logical site. Because Albania is still outside of the European Union and disfavored by many European nations, the Albanians were unlikely to be able to get visas to go to Romania, Bulgaria, or Italy--but anyone can easily travel to Albania. Its infrastructure, roads, educational system, and economy--confirmed by responses from her citizens--desperately need improvements. Difficulties are not new for these people, who have been under almost constant foreign occupation throughout their history--by the Greeks, Romans, Turks, Communists. Nonetheless, Albanians are deeply proud of their ethnic heritage. The original Albanian peoples occupied an area much larger than the current nation of Albania. Alanaian communities still live in Kosovo, Macedonia, and Greece.

The Romans called this land Illyricum, and even the Apostle Paul personally spread the Gospel there:

For I will not venture to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished
through me to bring the Gentiles to obedience--by word and deed, by the power of
signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God--so that from Jerusalem and
all the way around to Illyricum I have fulfilled the ministry of the Gospel of
Christ; and thus I make it my ambition to preach the Gospel, not where Christ
has already been named, lest I build on someone else's foundation, but as it is
written, "Those who have never been told of Him will see, and those who have
never heard will understand" (Romans 15:18-21 ESV).

The land itself is rich in beautiful settings. Unfortunately, its rivers, fields, and roads serve also as landfills and garbage dumps. They seem to lack an appreciation of their beautiful natural resources (sounds like a great spiritual analogy). Nonetheless, their appreciation for family and social relationships is one of their great civic treasures. Americans have much to learn from these wonderful people.