Blah!

This blog's title describes how I feel today - bllllaaaaahhhh - flu! First time I've had anything like this is a long, long, time. Lots of others feel like I do today so my prayers are with them, too!

Miraculous Good News

Corey Haas, a little boy in my home church, is legally blind. Corey was diagnosed with Lebers Congenital Amerosis, a deteriorating genetic eye defect, a few years ago. Only 200-300 people in the United States have this disorder. He took part in an experimental eye surgery procedure last year in which healthy genes (ocular) were transplanted into the retina of his left eye, which was his worst eye. The goal of this surgery was to improve his eyesight with the integration of these new genes.

The procedure has had positive results and Corey’s eyesight is greatly improving. At the time of his surgery, Corey was the youngest person in the world to have this procedure done. Corey, his mother, his dad, and the doctor who performed the surgery, Dr. Bennett, were interviewed by a group of journalist from the major news networks (CNN, CNBC etc…….) in Philadelphia today (October 22, 2009). This interview will air sometime Saturday afternoon / Saturday evening on a number of “news type” networks.

Corey and his family will then go to NYC on Saturday to be part of Sunday’s ABC Good Morning America show (October 25,2009). Dr. Bennett will be unable to be part of the Good Morning America interview because she will be presenting “Corey ‘s Case” at a Medical Conference in San Francisco over the weekend. This medical breakthrough that Corey was part of is being compared to that of the first heart transplant and will be featured in an issue of Lancet Medical Journal. Hopefully you will be able to tune in and see Corey as he makes his television debut!

When Men Meet to Pray

We have a Thursday Morning Men's Prayer Gathering at our church. When men meet to pray, it's powerful.

Although I almost always nearly forget to go, I DO go, and it is a source of immeasurable help and strengthening for me personally. It might be for you, too.

Join us on Thursday mornings at 7:00 a.m. in the Pastor's Study. It just might become the best 30 minutes of your week!

Influence or Impress?

"You have to decide in life whether you want to influence people or impress them. You can impress people from a distance but you can only influence them up close. We desperately need authentic leaders today, who are real and vulnerable. Our greatest life message actually comes out of our weakness, not our strength.” (Rick Warren)

Three Kinds of People

"There are three kinds of people in the world—those who don't know what's happening, those who watch what's happening, and those who make things happen."
 (Nicholas Murray Butler, former president of Columbia University)

Making Progress

"If organizations and societies are to make progress, leaders must be able to detect when routines are becoming dysfunctional. They must be able to see when routines are smothering creative planning and blocking necessary advancement."
(James M. Kouzes and Barry Z. Posner)

Ah, Vacation

This is the 3rd day of our vacation and it's going smashingly. I met my brother for lunch and thoroughly enjoyed seeing his new workplace and meeting some of his coworkers. Also enjoyed lunch at Tim Horton's!

Michal is just going to bed. She is soooo adorable. Ryan is working and Sarah will be joining us for supper.

A good day.

October 1, 2009

How is it that time rushes past while you're otherwise engaged with life and you wake up one morning and exclaim, "What? October - already?"

The weeks leading up to this new month were crammed with all kinds of interesting activities; my planner shows it clearly and I'm amazed at how full the pages are!

This new month promises to be engaging, too, and I will process whatever comes by doing the following:

*Stay connected with the spiritual part of me. I learned a long time ago that it's much easier to handle the pressure when I'm connected with the Lord of Life, Jesus Christ, through Bible reading, prayer, worship, and solitude.

*Stay on top of my game with sufficient planning. I once over-managed my world and became a slave to my planner. I now look for ways to do things as easily and efficiently as possible so that I can ENJOY the life I'be been given.

*Interact with people more than just at work. My life is all about being with people, but I recognize the need to slip away from work people and enjoy friends outside of the office.

There's more, but I've got to have supper!