Chaplain At Work

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Go For It

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One of the most heart rendering experiences I've ever had occurred on a mission trip to the south pacific. My niece came with me along with a dozen other workers. We arrived at the airport in Manila Philippines for our return flight to America. My niece reached for her passport...and it wasn't there. One thing for certain, you're not getting on an international flight without a passport. It was lost on the bumpy ride to the city. She had everything, but not quite! Everything.. but the most important item... which gave her right of passage. At that point, nothing else mattered. I recall her weeping on my shoulder, "Uncle John, there going to keep me here forever". How God bailed us out of that jam was amazing and a great devotion for another time. What I'm reminded of from this is the story of the rich young man that came to Jesus in Matthew 19. He had everything and had kept all the law. He would have been like the Bruce Wayne of Palestine. He had money, ...
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The Man in 214

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Cursing... bellowing out expletives... objecting to the very notion that he needed a chaplain. "I don't want to talk to you, I just want to lay here and rest."  I'm fine, just leave me alone". Cursing as I left the room. I was irritated by his rejection but not too much. It wasn't the first time I've been asked to leave. Thoughts of him didn't enter my mind again until early the next day The following morning I met with Dr. D and we were discussing several patients. "I'd like for you to go by and visit Mr. C. in room 214.  He has a psa of over 200. Normal is 4. A psa that elevated indicates a rapid growing cancer of the pancreas.  The medical team met with him this morning. He doesn't have very long." The moment he mentioned the name I new it was the patient that practically threw me out the day before. I left the doctors office and headed toward the room. When I arrived, I found myself hesitating before going in. ...
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Kaliedoscope

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"When we pray the heart of God and man align." Because of our humanity we are not shielded nor able to escape the issues of pain, hardship, and suffering that awaits every mortal being. The beauty of our relationship with God, and I would even say the purpose, is how His grace and power works through the frailties of our life; displaying His manifold power in the deepest and darkest valley's of our human experience. People who live outside of this alignment constitutes the majority of mankind. It is among the masses in which we derive a vocabulary of words with seemingly universal application. For example; the word bad, in the sense of badness, is the opposite of good. Bad is bad. If I say to you that I am good you would not think bad. Good is good; bad is bad. However, the carnal words; used by man; often universal in use; are irrelevant and pale to a spiritual lexicon and perspective. Only in alignment with God; through the lens of faith; do we regard our life ...
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