Yesterday a friend was asking if there was some way he could get an email when we updated the blog. I told him there was, but then I got on here today and realized that this feature was not enabled. SOOOO....it is now. If you want to be notified when the blog is updated, just scroll down to the bottom of this page and you will see a place where you can sign up to "follow" this blog. Otherwise, you are certainly welcome to just keep checking in at your convenience.
I also went ahead and enabled another feature where you can email a particular post to someone if you want. Just look for the little envelope at the bottom of each post and click on it and follow the instructions. Simple as that. Thanks much for your continued prayers! Blessings to you and yours!
The Reynolds
Friday, April 17, 2009
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
Into each life, some rain must fall...
I drove down to Spartanburg, SC Monday for a meeting that night with a mission team from there, and yesterday morning I had my pre-op appointment to draw blood, etc. I was headed back yesterday afternoon in a hard rain near Unicoi, TN when a car hydroplaned into me. We tangled with each other and the concrete median divider several times and then came to rest up against (and him on) the concrete divider.
Both vehicles were totaled and the driver of the other car was taken to the hospital with neck pain, but other than that, we were not hurt. (Please pray for the other driver, initials are D.S.) I have not heard from the insurance company yet, but I am sure (and so was the wrecker driver) that they won't go to the expense of fixing a '99 with 150,00 miles, although I wish they would.
The Lord really protected both of us. It seems that He is saying that He is not finished with me yet, but I have to admit that I wish He would communicate that message in gentler ways... :-) I was reminded by a friend that maybe this IS the gentler way, so I am being grateful for His gentler ways. :-)
Anyway, I was in our big Ford pick-up truck (we call it the "white whale"), so the upside was that it was big and heavy enough to protect me and the downside is that this was our only means of hauling construction materials, horse trailers, etc. for the ministry. I know that the Lord would not call us to do this work and then fail to provide what we need to get it done, so we will be watching to see how He will do take care of this new need. He certainly has never let us down.
Rachael and the kids came and got me from Erwin, TN where the truck was towed and we enjoyed a relaxing supper at one of our favorite spots, Bob Evans in Johnson City. We got back home around 10:00 last night and fed the horses and headed to bed. It was very good to be back home. Thank you all so much for your continued prayers. There is no doubt in my mind that some of you were praying yesterday around 2:00 pm. "The effective prayer of a righteous man availeth much."
Both vehicles were totaled and the driver of the other car was taken to the hospital with neck pain, but other than that, we were not hurt. (Please pray for the other driver, initials are D.S.) I have not heard from the insurance company yet, but I am sure (and so was the wrecker driver) that they won't go to the expense of fixing a '99 with 150,00 miles, although I wish they would.
The Lord really protected both of us. It seems that He is saying that He is not finished with me yet, but I have to admit that I wish He would communicate that message in gentler ways... :-) I was reminded by a friend that maybe this IS the gentler way, so I am being grateful for His gentler ways. :-)
Anyway, I was in our big Ford pick-up truck (we call it the "white whale"), so the upside was that it was big and heavy enough to protect me and the downside is that this was our only means of hauling construction materials, horse trailers, etc. for the ministry. I know that the Lord would not call us to do this work and then fail to provide what we need to get it done, so we will be watching to see how He will do take care of this new need. He certainly has never let us down.
Rachael and the kids came and got me from Erwin, TN where the truck was towed and we enjoyed a relaxing supper at one of our favorite spots, Bob Evans in Johnson City. We got back home around 10:00 last night and fed the horses and headed to bed. It was very good to be back home. Thank you all so much for your continued prayers. There is no doubt in my mind that some of you were praying yesterday around 2:00 pm. "The effective prayer of a righteous man availeth much."
Monday, April 13, 2009
How did all this start...?
Several people have asked how I knew to go to the doctor and/or how all this was discovered. The answer is...God. Really.
Back before Christmas I started having an occasional mild burning pain sensation in the left side of my abdomen. It kept up for a couple of weeks and I went to the doctor here, thinking I had a hernia. He said it was not a hernia, but if it kept up I needed to get a colonoscopy. It did, so I called some friends in Spartanburg, SC and got referred to a great Christian doctor down there. He did the colonoscopy in February - found and removed two polyps, one pre-cancerous, but no big deal for somebody my age. He said if the pain kept up, I needed to get a CT scan, as it seemed like I might have a small incision hernia from my reflux surgery in '97.
I went to see a good friend here in KY (that is in our SS class) and he sent me for the CT. It came back and showed no reason for the pain in my left front, but showed a small spot on my right kidney.
He sent me for an MRI, which basicallly confirmed that I had a small spot on my right kidney. He said I needed to see a Urologost. I called the doctor's office in SC that had done my colonoscopy and told them I wanted a referral to a doctor "just like him". He referred me to Dr. Harry Kinard, a top Urologist in SC and an outstanding Christian man. By the way, google 'Andrew Kinard', (his son) and CMA awards and you'll see what kind of family this is.
We were going to be in Spartanburg for a missions conference so I made an appt to see Dr. Kinard that week. He thought it was probably a benign cyst, but said we can find out easy enough with an ultra-sound. He sent me straight from his office that afternoon, and by the time I got through with that, it was after 5pm. I was headed back to the conference when he called my cell phone (he had stayed in his office to hear the results). He was very compassionate, and very reassuring when he told me that it was definetly cancer and I needed to come back the next day for a better CT.
I did, and the following week I had to go back for an IVP, which confirmed the type (renal cell carcinoma vs. transitional cell carcinoma). It may sound weird, but really the only "bad news" in all of this has been when they decided they could not do the surgery laproscopically and would have to do it with a traditional large incision, meaning more hospital time and longer recovery.
By the way - the burning pain that started all this...? Gone. Haven't had it in about 3 weeks, about the time I got the diagnosis. Maybe the Lord was just pinching me and saying "Go to the doctor." I also have not had a single "symptom" of the cancer. No pain, no nothing. God really is good, He really is faithful and He really is worthy of our trust. We have seen His hand in all this from the very beginning, and He has blessed us with a peace that really has passed all comprehension. We rest in Him.
As the Hebrew boys said so many years ago, our God is able to deliver and we believe He that will. But if not, know this...we will not bow our knee to the fear and panic that Satan wants to bring into our lives. And, one way or another, God will get the glory...and THAT is what it's all about.
Back before Christmas I started having an occasional mild burning pain sensation in the left side of my abdomen. It kept up for a couple of weeks and I went to the doctor here, thinking I had a hernia. He said it was not a hernia, but if it kept up I needed to get a colonoscopy. It did, so I called some friends in Spartanburg, SC and got referred to a great Christian doctor down there. He did the colonoscopy in February - found and removed two polyps, one pre-cancerous, but no big deal for somebody my age. He said if the pain kept up, I needed to get a CT scan, as it seemed like I might have a small incision hernia from my reflux surgery in '97.
I went to see a good friend here in KY (that is in our SS class) and he sent me for the CT. It came back and showed no reason for the pain in my left front, but showed a small spot on my right kidney.
He sent me for an MRI, which basicallly confirmed that I had a small spot on my right kidney. He said I needed to see a Urologost. I called the doctor's office in SC that had done my colonoscopy and told them I wanted a referral to a doctor "just like him". He referred me to Dr. Harry Kinard, a top Urologist in SC and an outstanding Christian man. By the way, google 'Andrew Kinard', (his son) and CMA awards and you'll see what kind of family this is.
We were going to be in Spartanburg for a missions conference so I made an appt to see Dr. Kinard that week. He thought it was probably a benign cyst, but said we can find out easy enough with an ultra-sound. He sent me straight from his office that afternoon, and by the time I got through with that, it was after 5pm. I was headed back to the conference when he called my cell phone (he had stayed in his office to hear the results). He was very compassionate, and very reassuring when he told me that it was definetly cancer and I needed to come back the next day for a better CT.
I did, and the following week I had to go back for an IVP, which confirmed the type (renal cell carcinoma vs. transitional cell carcinoma). It may sound weird, but really the only "bad news" in all of this has been when they decided they could not do the surgery laproscopically and would have to do it with a traditional large incision, meaning more hospital time and longer recovery.
By the way - the burning pain that started all this...? Gone. Haven't had it in about 3 weeks, about the time I got the diagnosis. Maybe the Lord was just pinching me and saying "Go to the doctor." I also have not had a single "symptom" of the cancer. No pain, no nothing. God really is good, He really is faithful and He really is worthy of our trust. We have seen His hand in all this from the very beginning, and He has blessed us with a peace that really has passed all comprehension. We rest in Him.
As the Hebrew boys said so many years ago, our God is able to deliver and we believe He that will. But if not, know this...we will not bow our knee to the fear and panic that Satan wants to bring into our lives. And, one way or another, God will get the glory...and THAT is what it's all about.
He is Risen! He is Risen Indeed!
What a glorious day of worship and fellowship today was! We are so thankful for the wonderful church family that God has blessed us with here, along with so many wonderful Christian friends from many churches in the area.
We had a group here on the Campus this weekend (Eastern KY Regional Deaf Revival) and we stopped by to visit with them at the Alumni Dining Hall when we got back from church. They were finishing up their conference and lunch, but they were gracious enough to take the time snap a picture of us. Many blessings to you and yours.
I will be headed down to SC Monday afternoon to be prepared for my pre-op visit on Tuesday morning. While there I will be meeting with two different Church mission groups about future trips to the Campus. Thanks so much for your continued prayers and love and support. We are still...
Living one day a time, with eternity in view, and giving God the praise and glory for it all! Blessings to you and yours!
Sunday, April 12, 2009
The end result
We have one last blog for the story of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. What a great story of faith this is and what a great example of how God doesn't just allow us to go through the fiery trials, He walks with us through them. But we need to note and remember the end result of the story. No, I am not talking about the deliverance of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego from the furnace. I am talking about the fact that God got the glory.
"Then Nebuchadnezzar said, 'Praise be to the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego...for no other god can save in this way.'" Daniel 3:28a, 29b
The important thing is not that they were delivered from the furnace. God was ABLE to rescue and He did. But He still would have been good and faithful and trustworthy even if He had not. The important end result of this story, it should be in all of our lives, is that GOD GETS THE GLORY.
"Then Nebuchadnezzar said, 'Praise be to the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego...for no other god can save in this way.'" Daniel 3:28a, 29b
The important thing is not that they were delivered from the furnace. God was ABLE to rescue and He did. But He still would have been good and faithful and trustworthy even if He had not. The important end result of this story, it should be in all of our lives, is that GOD GETS THE GLORY.
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
4 in the fire
I was reminded yesterday of another of my favorite parts of the story of the fiery furnace. Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego were not alone.
25 He said, "Look! I see four men walking around in the fire, unbound and unharmed, and the fourth looks like a son of the gods."
God does not abandon us. Jesus told us that He would never leave us. In the words of an old Imperials song; "He didn't bring us this far, to leave us. He didn't teach us to swim, to let us drown. He didn't build his home in us, to move away. He didn't lift us up, to let us down."
An awareness of God's presence in our lives is never so sweet as it is when we are thrown into the fiery furnace. May you find His presence very real in your life today.
Daniel 3
24 Then King Nebuchadnezzar leaped to his feet in amazement and asked his advisers, "Weren't there three men that we tied up and threw into the fire?" They replied, "Certainly, O king."25 He said, "Look! I see four men walking around in the fire, unbound and unharmed, and the fourth looks like a son of the gods."
God does not abandon us. Jesus told us that He would never leave us. In the words of an old Imperials song; "He didn't bring us this far, to leave us. He didn't teach us to swim, to let us drown. He didn't build his home in us, to move away. He didn't lift us up, to let us down."
An awareness of God's presence in our lives is never so sweet as it is when we are thrown into the fiery furnace. May you find His presence very real in your life today.
Monday, April 6, 2009
God is able
Several people have asked that we share what we learn as we take this journey, and we are glad to do that. No one goes through any circumstance solely for their own personal benefit.
As I said before, we have seen God’s hand in this from the very beginning and have been able to rest in the knowledge that He was orchestrating every step. He has given us a peace about the “c” word that really goes beyond our comprehension. Even before we knew what the treatment options would be and what the prognosis would be (90% 5-year survival), God had already given us a peace and quiet confidence that regardless of our circumstances or outcomes, everything really was going to be OK.
A few days after the diagnosis was confirmed, I took a fresh look at a familiar passage. In Daniel, chapter three, we find the story of 3 Hebrew young men, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah, who had been carried off from Judah into Babylon. You may remember them better by the names they were given once there; Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. King Nebuchadnezzar had made a golden image 90 feet tall and 9 feet wide, and ordered everyone in the land to bow down and worship it. Of course, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego refused, and were summarily brought before the King and given an ultimatum. Bow or die. Their answer to this command is one of the greatest passages of Scripture.
Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego replied to the king, "O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter. If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to save us from it, and he will rescue us from your hand, O king. But even if he does not, we want you to know, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up.
You know the rest of the story…God miraculously saves them from the fire that is so hot the soldiers who throw them in are reduced to crispy critters in seconds. But that’s not the necessarily the best part of the story. The best part of the story is the confidence and boldness that God gives them to answer the king with such faith. There is no doubt that not only were they sure that God was ABLE to save them from the fire, but they also believed that He WOULD save them from the fire. But they added, as an addendum; But even if he does not, we want you to know, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up.
We know that God is ABLE to eradicate cancer from my body; and we also believe that He will. But we want everyone to know that even if He does not, we will not bow down to the fear and panic Satan wants to see in our lives. If God was faithful and good and trustworthy from eternity past (and He was), then He is still just as faithful and good and trustworthy today. God can and will walk us through this in a way that will bring Him glory, and hopefully will be an encouragement to many. May God bless you richly today as you press into Him.
As for me and my house – we serve the Lord.
As I said before, we have seen God’s hand in this from the very beginning and have been able to rest in the knowledge that He was orchestrating every step. He has given us a peace about the “c” word that really goes beyond our comprehension. Even before we knew what the treatment options would be and what the prognosis would be (90% 5-year survival), God had already given us a peace and quiet confidence that regardless of our circumstances or outcomes, everything really was going to be OK.
A few days after the diagnosis was confirmed, I took a fresh look at a familiar passage. In Daniel, chapter three, we find the story of 3 Hebrew young men, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah, who had been carried off from Judah into Babylon. You may remember them better by the names they were given once there; Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. King Nebuchadnezzar had made a golden image 90 feet tall and 9 feet wide, and ordered everyone in the land to bow down and worship it. Of course, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego refused, and were summarily brought before the King and given an ultimatum. Bow or die. Their answer to this command is one of the greatest passages of Scripture.
Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego replied to the king, "O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter. If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to save us from it, and he will rescue us from your hand, O king. But even if he does not, we want you to know, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up.
You know the rest of the story…God miraculously saves them from the fire that is so hot the soldiers who throw them in are reduced to crispy critters in seconds. But that’s not the necessarily the best part of the story. The best part of the story is the confidence and boldness that God gives them to answer the king with such faith. There is no doubt that not only were they sure that God was ABLE to save them from the fire, but they also believed that He WOULD save them from the fire. But they added, as an addendum; But even if he does not, we want you to know, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up.
We know that God is ABLE to eradicate cancer from my body; and we also believe that He will. But we want everyone to know that even if He does not, we will not bow down to the fear and panic Satan wants to see in our lives. If God was faithful and good and trustworthy from eternity past (and He was), then He is still just as faithful and good and trustworthy today. God can and will walk us through this in a way that will bring Him glory, and hopefully will be an encouragement to many. May God bless you richly today as you press into Him.
As for me and my house – we serve the Lord.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)