Real Praise

Just because you cannot see something doesn't mean it's not real. And some things that are seen would actually be better for you if you couldn't see them. Take air for example. If you can actually see the air (because of smog or pollutants, etc.) it isn't nearly as healthy as if you were in the mountains or the country somewhere with the ability to look for miles not actually seeing anything. This was so clear to me when I was in Japan & had returned from a musical tour on the northern island. As our plane landed on the main island & we were deplaning, I could not only see the air, but I could actually taste the difference in the atmosphere. Believe me, it was no comfort that I could see & taste the air.
I just wanted to share this today because there have been times when I cannot feel or maybe even perceive the Lord, but He is there. And just because I can't see Him with my physical eyes doesn't mean He isn't real. So I choose to praise the Lord all of the time, even though I don't see Him with my eyes or when I don't always necessarily feel He is with me. You know, it's sort of a funny thing because when I take this attitude, I find it isn't too long before I start to sense His presence again. He was really there all of the time & it's great to praise Him when I feel like it & also when I don't feel like it. Have a great day & praise the Lord with me!!

The God Who Is There

As I was thinking about the greatness of God today, I was reminded of one of the redemptive names that He has revealed to us, Jehovah-Shammah (Yahweh-Shammah). This name means "the God Who is There." This is of great comfort to me since my "there" has included several different states in the US, as well as Japan, Korea, Okinawa, Mexico & Canada. During my first 12 years of school, I was in about 14 different schools & I have lived at many more addresses with different families while growing up. What a comfort to know that God was always there, no matter where I was. On top of this, I have the promise from Jesus that He will NEVER leave me or forsake me. Blessed be the Name of the LORD!!

Praise Him for His Protection

I remember a time in Japan when I was taking a 2-mile-run during one of our PT times. I was running on base on a route that was laid out on the roads instead of in a gym. I was in the last quarter mile of my run and had just started to pick up my pace and lengthen my stride when all of a sudden I just started running in place. It was one of the most awkward things I have ever done in my life. It was as if I had run into some type of barrier & I could not go forward any more. A brief second later a car that I never saw raced in front of me near an intersection. A couple of seconds later I was able to go forward again & I realized that the Lord had once again spared me at least from serious injury or even possibly had saved my life. Needless to say, the last quarter mile of my run I was singing the praises of God. I still praise Him for His goodness and protection!!

Praise Him for His Protection

While I was in the Army Band in Japan in the late 70s, there was one summer when I used to bike back & forth between bases. I had a 15 speed 27" bike & was easily able to travel as fast as the flow of traffic. I remember one time when I was riding back to Camp Zama when it was raining lightly. I wasn't thinking so much about my ability to stop quickly & was traveling with the flow of traffic at about 35 - 40 mph when all of a sudden a car in he lane in front of me turned on it's left turn signal & turned into a driveway. I remember slamming on my brakes to no avail, trying to turn left away from the car when all of a sudden I found myself standing on a sidewalk on the other side of a low guardrail & I watched my bike go flying under the car that had turned in front of me. Without thinking I took a few steps forward, went to my hands & knees & reached under the car to pull my bike out. I reassured the driver that I was OK and examined myself & my bike finding only a scratched up left pedal as evidence of the accident. Needless to say, I rode that last few miles back to the base very slowly and singing the praises of God for his protection.

Praise Him for His Protection

I remember the only motorcycle accident I have been in very clearly. It was the late 70s when I was in the Army serving in Japan & I was a passenger without a helmet. A friend had picked me up between two military bases and on our way home we found ourselves coming head-on with a car on a one lane road. The driver of the bike hit his brakes and the bike went down. He flew over the handlebars & I ended up flying over his shoulders and rolling some distance ending up on my back under the front bumper of the oncoming car. We shook ourselves off and insured the driver of the car (as best we could) that all OK. That night I noted my right shoe was beat up pretty bad as my leg had temporarily been caught under the bike. The next morning's visit to the hospital revealed no problems as all X-rays were clear and I was uninjured. Praise the Lord for His protection!!

Praise Him for Healing

I remember once when I was in the Army Band in Japan and playing on the unit's basketball team that I was blinded after having had someone stick their finger in my eye. I couldn't see any light or anything. I prayed about it that night and went to bed. The next morning I could see clearly as though nothing had happened. Since there was obvious evidence that something had happened (a bruised eye that was very red and a scab on my eyelid) I went for medical exam & treatment. The doctor who treated me said he didn't believe in healing after I told them I had prayed and he referred me out to a retinal specialist. When I was cleared by the specialist & sent back to the first doctor & was tested again, my vision in the previously blinded eye had continued to improve! Though he said that the eye is an amazing thing that could get better after injury, he wasn't willing to say that it was normal to have such improved vision after having been blinded. The retinal specialist however did believe I had been healed and said he had seen similar things when others had reported they had prayed in the past.

He watches over us

I have recently reconnected in Facebook with some of the people I worked with while I was in the 296th Army Band at Camp Zama, Japan and it brought back some memories. To me the most amazing was how the Lord watched over me while I was in Japan. I remember two times in particular when He saved my life and another time when I was healed overnight after I had been blinded in a basketball game. This caused to realize that He has blessed me and watched over me more than I will ever know. How great is God that He has blessed us so much that we can't even remember it all!!