PCM 08-26-2012 Mary "Flowers" Hudson

There are a few other articles that I have written on the death of a friend more eloquently and artfully but fewer have been written with a heavier heart, knowing so many within the ms community have been so touched by such a saint. I am thrilled for Mary but very sad for the rest of us. I know we will go on but our world is a bit colder and darker without the bright light of Mary Flowers illuminating our spaces, bringing smiles to our faces.

My mind is numb from the news that a friend of mine went to Heaven yesterday. Her name is Mary "Flowers" Hudson and like many of us had MS [multiple sclerosis]. She is an amazing person and is so loving, gentle and full of faith. She had a tremendous view on life and was always helping and concerned about others. On more that a few ocassions she would be praying for us and the 'daily catastrophies' we were facing. She died from all the complications that being sick comes with like medication side effects, fixing one thing and ruining another.





The truth is our bodies are rather temporary and living to be 100 is so special that if we get that far, they put your name and picture on TV inside a Smuckers jelly label. Geee whizz, I cannot wait for that day....





She died on the same day as Neil Armstrong, a 9 month old baby who was 'forgotten" in a locked car about an hour away from here, 39 died in China in a horrific bus accident, 39 others died in Venezuala in a refinery explosion and hundreds more were executed in Syria by their own government. Along with between 250,000 - 300,000 others world wide.... just in one day.





WHAT! 100 people die on average every minute of every day of every year.... Brain spinning numbers. It is a matter of mathmatics, how many people on earth, how may minutes we live on average and.....STOP for a second and try to wrap your mind around these numbers.

OK NOW how many of you think you would do a better job at being God???????





My faith tells me there is a God, who loves us and has a plan for us here on earth and beyond. He wrote a book about it, using quite a few of His followers. Of course I am talking about the Bible.

Doubts try to tell me differently.... I will ignore my doubts and focus on what I know to be true.





Revelation 21:3-5 New International Version (NIV)

3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. 4 ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’[a] or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”

5 He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!” Then he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.”

To Mary, dance and sing to your hearts content, we will join in the chorous with you someday....

May our collective memories sustain us till that day somewhere beyond the clouds,

With love,

Bill Sullivan

http://www.irish-gifts-blessings.com/PCM-08-26-2012.html

The Physically Challenged Ministry

PCM 08-18-2012 Winning your struggle against an invisible [cowardly] illness.

I am talking to those who have invisible illnesses and to those who love someone being attacked.

The illnesses that are the most destructive are the ones that hide their faces from the outside world while they dig their teeth and claws deep within our bodies and minds causing agony to the very depths of our souls.... You know that by the experiences, understand it and have the scars carved in your heart.

The pain and destruction is invisible to others but is oh so severe and real to us.
The damage brought by these invisible cowards is devastating, draining our joy, hope and futures.

They lurk behind the skin level to deal wicked wounds to our faith in an attempt to get us to let go of our last hope, God.

They attack more lives that all the weapons of mass destruction could ever hope to.
They render us helpless, vulnerable and defenseless if we try to fight them off alone.

REMEMBER: What is invisible to others is visible to God.
REMEMBER: What is misunderstood by others is understood by God.
REMEMBER: God is and will continue to fight on your behalf, trust in Him!
REMEMBER: You also have the word s from the mouth of God Himself!

This is where I go to hide, get refreshed, strengthened and resolved. These are the words that arm me with the power of God to conquer and remind myself and all who hear that God wins the war for my and your soul and there is no way for us to fail.

Romans 8:38 For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39 neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

[personally I start in verse 1 of Romans 8 and read through to the end.] I feel like I can run through a brick wall after I read this!!!

I just learned about National Invisible illness awareness week September 10-16-2012 It is sponsored by http://restministries.com/ and is just around the corner. They are great people who are working tirelessly to accomplish the same goals of the physically challenged ministry, encouraging and teaching God's message of love and hope.

Let's get behind their efforts because we know what it is like to battle theses invisible hideous cowards who hide because they know they will not win!

Together we win!
Bill Sullivan

http://www.irish-gifts-blessings.com/PCM-08-18-2012.html

PCM 08-05-2012 A race YOU CAN actually win!

Why do you love watching the Olympics? What is it about watching another human push themselves relentlessly past the temporary obstacles?



Why is it we admire the dedicated, obsessive training, sacrifice and effort that would otherwise be considered abnormal, eccentric and even harmful if applied to other areas of our lives like cleaning, cooking, babysitting,



It is actually quite complex yet simple, we love the moment of victory and we feel the joy they feel as we imagine what it would be like if... it... were us... It is part of how we are designed, how we were created and how we are moved and motivated.



As a side note my pet peeve, It is the reason we pay our professional athletes well while nursing home attendants scrape by at near poverty levels. I am sure we would all prefer to pay those who we entrust the weakest people to be cared for... but still I sit glued to the TV....hoping for someone to win something that I will forget about in a few days.... and does not really matter in the overall scheme of life and death.



When we realize the limitations our often broken temporary bodies, we see there are precious few if any races we would even dream to qualify for....EXCEPT this one
Going deeper:
There is a race that REALLY MATTERS we are all in that YOU CAN and will actually win! Take a look at the following words that God spoke to you... Listen to what God is whispering to your heart, absorb it all the way to your mind and secure it as a treasure you look at time and time again to refresh your spirit.



We are all cheering for YOU as you live your life in the anonymity of every day life. Like Jean Hooper who through multiple surgeries after a pickup truck nearly killed her in a crosswalk while she was skateboarding reading to the patients at the nursing home! As you go out day by day compassionately loving others, knowing your gentle touch and your voice is backed by the hosts of Heaven.

Hebrews 12:1 NIV

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.

Hebrews 12:1-4 (The Message) 1 Do you see what this means - all these pioneers who blazed the way, all these veterans cheering us on? It means we'd better get on with it. Strip down, start running - and never quit! No extra spiritual fat, no parasitic sins. 2 Keep your eyes on Jesus, who both began and finished this race we're in. Study how he did it. Because he never lost sight of where he was headed - that exhilarating finish in and with God - he could put up with anything along the way: cross, shame, whatever. And now he's there, in the place of honor, right alongside God. 3 When you find yourselves flagging in your faith, go over that story again, item by item, that long litany of hostility he plowed through. That will shoot adrenaline into your souls!

Isaiah 40:31 NIV

but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.

Running alongside of you on this journey with, through and by His power.

Bill Sullivan

The Physically Challenged Ministry