I Can Finally Hear Again

 I can finally hear again.

About 20 years ago I experienced an episode with my ears which left me with tinnitus and a noticeable hearing loss. According to the doctors at the Shea Clinic in Memphis said it is likely I already had the tinnitus, but just didn't notice it. Regardless, it caused me great concern, but it did not seem to be unmanageable. They explained the problem was most likely caused by unprotected exposure to loud sounds. Immediately, all the times at Grandmother's house shooting guns and fireworks came to mind. Also, the loud music every week at church could have been a factor.

About 4 years ago I got my hearing checked which revealed a significant loss of hearing in the higher frequencies, where most of the unvoiced consonants (p, t, k, ch, s, wh, etc.) are heard. It explained a lot regarding the difficulty I was having with communicating with others.

Again, I considered the problem to be manageable and did not pursue hearing aids which were recommended by the hearing center analyst. The data confirmed the need for hearing aids, but my pride simply could not say, "Yes."

After the frustration with speech communication grew every day, I finally decided to take another look at the options available to improve my hearing. This time, I made the decision to get hearing aids. I must say, the experience has been a game-changer for me. As uncomfortable as I was in the beginning, I have been pleasantly surprised by the experience. The first sound I remember hearing came from a trip outside after dark. I heard crickets and cicadas. I could not believe it. I didn't even realize I wasn't hearing them. A few days later I had dinner with one of my children, and I didn't have to say, "What?", a single time. I can now watch tv without closed-captioning. Just about every day I hear things that I didn't realize I couldn't hear.

I encourage you to get your hearing checked. First of all, to make sure there is nothing wrong with your ears. Secondly, get your hearing tested. You may be missing out on a lot of things. One thing I'm looking forward to is a visit with my grandchildren. I'm ready to hear their sweet voices.

Sunday’s Blessing – 09/29/2024

Sunday’s Blessing – 09/29/2024

May you always have ears to hear what the Lord is saying

So you may be quick to respond

So you may be clear in your understanding

So you may complete the purpose He has for your life

May you always know His voice when He speaks

So you can act with confidence

So you can know He is with you

So you can take your rest in Him

Sunday’s Blessing – 09/22/2024

Sunday’s Blessing – 09/22/2024

May the Lord reveal His purpose to you

That you may know His nature and character

That you may understand His Kingdom

That you may find your place in it

May the Lord show you His glory (the request Moses made of the Lord)

That you may see Him as He is (the promise for the Believer)

That you may trust Him with your entire being (the power of the Believer)

That you may show His glory to the world (the plan for every Person)

May the Lord demonstrate His love for you

That you may feel the strength of God

That you may have confidence of God’s acceptance

That you may be able to love others

Sunday’s Blessing – 09/15/2024

Sunday’s Blessing – 09/15/2024

May you know the reality of God’s presence in your life

More than the air you breathe

More than what is felt by your senses

More than you know you are alive

May you reflect the image of Christ to your world

More clearly than your very appearance

More precisely than the words you speak

More lasting than the impression you make

To Tell the Truth

It is impossible to know what someone is thinking. Even under severe torture, or after giving threats of death, you can never know if someone has told the fullness of their thoughts. That is the one thing science cannot determine.

Psychoanalysis claims to be able to tell someone’s thoughts through interrogation or counselling. However, this is only conjecture based on the beliefs of the interrogator/counselor. Their own thoughts filter what they hear to then produce what they claim to be the thoughts of another.

The legal system cannot produce truth from a person. The best they can accomplish is to get corroboration on what they believe to be the truth, not the actual truth.

You. Yourself. The only one who knows what you truly think is you.

Most of what we encounter from others is what they want us to think that they think. Consequently, we then start playing the game of “Catch Me If You Can” so we can find them telling untruths. “Ah, I knew it couldn’t be true,” we exclaim joyfully. But even then, you only find that what they said may, or may not, have been true. But you still do not know the truth; only that some of what was spoken was not true.

Can we humans find a way to communicate with complete transparency? As long as there are consequences for “bad” behavior, I don’t think we will ever get there.

There are a set of rare humans which have a “defect” which causes them to have no filter on their words. It’s considered a defect, because “normal” people would never say such things. We see this behavior modeled for us by entertainment with characters like Kramer and Sheldon, who say things that make others blush, or worse. As these characters spew their “truth” it appears they have no remorse whatsoever for being critical or brutally honest with their comments.

How is it, that the rest of society has condoned lying, or “embellishing/altering” the truth so as to not be offensive? Civilized people would never point out that a woman’s nose was too big, or someone’s intelligence was below par. At least, not publicly or to the person’s face. Yet, we applaud the TV characters for being bold enough to “speak the truth.”

 I believe it is a misnomer to label the new technology of the day as “artificial intelligence” when our real intelligence is also artificial. Instead of working on human evolution to get to a place of complete honesty, we invent a way for an app to tell the lies for us so we don’t have to.

Just some random thoughts for your consideration.

Sunday’s Blessing – 09/08/2024

Sunday’s Blessing – 09/08/2024

May the Lord grant you grace to accept your place in the Body of Christ

To realize the importance of every member of the Body

To give your all to keep the Body functioning at its best

To never covet/desire to be something other than what you can supply

May the Lord empower you to serve faithfully in your calling

So every need will be supplied

So your joy may be full

So Jesus will be manifested in the earth

Sunday’s Blessing – 09/01/2024

Sunday’s Blessing – 09/01/2024

May the Lord give you eyes to see yourself through His eyes

Just like the adulterer, David, a man after my own heart

A murderer, Moses, a leader of a nation

A harlot, Rahab, an ancestor of Jesus

May the Lord let you hear His voice over your own

As He declares, “This is my beloved son/daughter, in whom I am well pleased”

As He sings songs of deliverance over you

As He welcomes you into His presence unashamed

May the Lord show you His future plans for you

To give you hope

To give you peace

To give you eternal life with Him