Hello my name is Jasper, all praises to the Lord.
I am a native of Detroit, Michigan and I've gotten used to the Michigan weather. Michigan weather can be very strange at times. Growing up in Detroit I've heard it said "if you don't like the weather, just wait a few minutes and it'll change". With all the storms we've been having lately across the country, Michigan has been suffering a lot of snow. I hear people complain about the frigid temperatures, about how tired they are of the snow, they're ready for the weather to break and can't wait till spring comes. All their feelings about the weather are valid, but I feel that God's people learn to take every day and everything that comes with that day in stride. I don't complain about the weather, how much snow falls, or how much rain comes down, because I'm just glad to still be here to see it. I remind myself that the Lord makes no mistakes. Whatever He decides to give us is good for us and He gives it to us for a reason. God controls the weather and this is His earth, not ours. He knows exactly what it means. Actually when the snow falls it's very beautiful. Just think, after a fresh summer rain does the earth smell good? It has a clean feeling about it as if God just pours down the rain and washes everything clean. The snow falls and covers the ground, and when it melts it saturates the earth with moisture to prepare the trees, and the flowers, and everything to flourish. God does not like for us to complain or be upset when He does something in the Earth. He said "count it all joy" because everything that He does He does it for our best interest. We may not understand the harsh weather, the earthquakes, the tidal waves, fires, etc. But remember; He also said "my thoughts are far above your thoughts, and my ways you cannot understand". We don't try to figure out why or how God does what he does, we just accept it, deal with it, and accept Him for who He is. Don't be so quick to complain about life's situations and conditions. God always does what is best for us.
My name is Jasper, praise Him.
Thursday, March 13, 2014
Thursday, March 6, 2014
What About Todd?
Hello my name is Jasper, praise the Lord.
Many people have said that God works in mysterious ways, well I don't think so. If we read the scriptures He is very definite in what He wants us to do and what He does NOT want us to do. He is not wishy-washy but He is rather straightforward. I would like to dedicate this blog to a friend of mine named Todd. Like most of us I imagine Todd had goals and desires for his life. He probably envisioned his life going a certain way. But Todd ended up in a wheelchair for some 20 or more years. In those 20 years in his wheelchair he faced many obstacles. He quickly learned that the world makes it very difficult for people in wheelchairs. So he began to learn how to get around these obstacles, he learned a lot about insurance companies, people that are in the medical field only for the money. But Todd truly cares about people who have met with unfortunate circumstances and he makes it his business to help people who cannot help themselves. He lets us know when new devices come on the market, he introduces us to people who have learned to live a fruitful life being a quad. Being a quad does not mean that your life is over. It does not mean that you have to stop doing what you love, but rather find ways to do it differently. Sometimes we feel our lives should go the way we planned them, but then fate steps in and everything is turned upside down. It may be an auto accident, it could be the death of a loved one, it could be a divorce, or perhaps a financial disaster. But whatever it is it turns our world completely around. We don't understand it at the beginning but later on when we look back we can see how God put us on a different course. If Todd had not been a quad in a wheelchair he would not be as passionate about helping the wheelchair community. But God changed his life (and also his heart) and made helping seemingly helpless people live a better life. I thank Todd for the wonderful work that he does in helping us have hope, reach goals, and just know that life is not over. Perhaps it has just begun for some of us. Again, thank you Todd. I have another friend who I met because of my injury. I too am a quad in a wheelchair and I have a friend named Ken who is a respiratory therapist. When he was younger he had hopes of joining the military and becoming a ranger, but fate stepped in in the form of a motorcycle accident. He busted his knee and could not be accepted in the military. He had no thoughts of getting into the medical field or becoming a respiratory therapist, but God led him that way because God knew that his services would be needed to help people who are injured. I told him that God did not intend for him to be a ranger, but to be right where he is, in a rehabilitation center where he helps people who can't help themselves. Ken is very good at it and enjoys the reward, the feeling, and the love of helping other people. Above all this is what God wants us to do in our lives- helping one another, caring for one another. The strong should reach down and help the weak. So think about this- if your life is going in the direction that you think it should go but suddenly it takes a sharp turn, it may be God's way of redirecting you to do His will and not yours. It is very satisfying when you see a person recovering from an injury or is in distress and you are able to help them. Helping those who are weaker than you. This is a satisfaction and a feeling that no amount of money can buy. It strengthens your spirit, it gives you a desire to want to do more, it makes you stand just a little taller being able to help someone who needs it. So in closing I want to say again, God bless my two friends Todd and Ken for the wonderful work they do in the Lord's name to help other people.
Again my name is Jasper, all praise to the Lord.
Many people have said that God works in mysterious ways, well I don't think so. If we read the scriptures He is very definite in what He wants us to do and what He does NOT want us to do. He is not wishy-washy but He is rather straightforward. I would like to dedicate this blog to a friend of mine named Todd. Like most of us I imagine Todd had goals and desires for his life. He probably envisioned his life going a certain way. But Todd ended up in a wheelchair for some 20 or more years. In those 20 years in his wheelchair he faced many obstacles. He quickly learned that the world makes it very difficult for people in wheelchairs. So he began to learn how to get around these obstacles, he learned a lot about insurance companies, people that are in the medical field only for the money. But Todd truly cares about people who have met with unfortunate circumstances and he makes it his business to help people who cannot help themselves. He lets us know when new devices come on the market, he introduces us to people who have learned to live a fruitful life being a quad. Being a quad does not mean that your life is over. It does not mean that you have to stop doing what you love, but rather find ways to do it differently. Sometimes we feel our lives should go the way we planned them, but then fate steps in and everything is turned upside down. It may be an auto accident, it could be the death of a loved one, it could be a divorce, or perhaps a financial disaster. But whatever it is it turns our world completely around. We don't understand it at the beginning but later on when we look back we can see how God put us on a different course. If Todd had not been a quad in a wheelchair he would not be as passionate about helping the wheelchair community. But God changed his life (and also his heart) and made helping seemingly helpless people live a better life. I thank Todd for the wonderful work that he does in helping us have hope, reach goals, and just know that life is not over. Perhaps it has just begun for some of us. Again, thank you Todd. I have another friend who I met because of my injury. I too am a quad in a wheelchair and I have a friend named Ken who is a respiratory therapist. When he was younger he had hopes of joining the military and becoming a ranger, but fate stepped in in the form of a motorcycle accident. He busted his knee and could not be accepted in the military. He had no thoughts of getting into the medical field or becoming a respiratory therapist, but God led him that way because God knew that his services would be needed to help people who are injured. I told him that God did not intend for him to be a ranger, but to be right where he is, in a rehabilitation center where he helps people who can't help themselves. Ken is very good at it and enjoys the reward, the feeling, and the love of helping other people. Above all this is what God wants us to do in our lives- helping one another, caring for one another. The strong should reach down and help the weak. So think about this- if your life is going in the direction that you think it should go but suddenly it takes a sharp turn, it may be God's way of redirecting you to do His will and not yours. It is very satisfying when you see a person recovering from an injury or is in distress and you are able to help them. Helping those who are weaker than you. This is a satisfaction and a feeling that no amount of money can buy. It strengthens your spirit, it gives you a desire to want to do more, it makes you stand just a little taller being able to help someone who needs it. So in closing I want to say again, God bless my two friends Todd and Ken for the wonderful work they do in the Lord's name to help other people.
Again my name is Jasper, all praise to the Lord.
Monday, March 3, 2014
Where do you Stand?
Hello my name is Jasper, praise the Lord.
I pray that my words today don't offend anyone, but I feel that the church is so divided because a lot of Christians refuse to stand up for the Lord's word. I was in a group session recently as someone was reading the current news of the day. There was an article in the news about homosexuality being widely accepted by the younger generation. I presented a comment to the reader and her reply was "that's a very sensitive and touchy subject" and I replied "well that's the kind I prefer to talk about". The point I'm trying to make is whenever we hear or see something that we know is contrary to God's word, we should be about the business of standing up for God. We do not have to argue about His word, but merely correct what we know is wrong and stand on His word no matter what. It should come as no surprise to the Christian when we hear or see certain things happening in the world today. We know that the Lord predicted all of these things many years ago. He said that before He comes back men will turn their backs against God. They won't heed God's word, but they will choose to go their own way, use their own devices, be lovers of themselves, their hearts will be waxed cold without regard for their brother. That's why it seems that anything goes in the world today. Kids killing parents, sexuality, and vile behavior is actually glorified. As I watch the television there are many new shows about zombies, "Walking Dead", eating people, new shows about vampires, new shows about witchcraft. And these things are being piped into our minds. These are not shows that our children and young people should be watching- they do have an effect on certain people believe it or not. I recently was talking to a young lady who watched one of these shows and she said afterwards she couldn't sleep for a few days. Make no mistake about it, we are always in a spiritual warfare and the only weapon we have is the word of God. As we look around at the world today things have drastically changed from the way they used to be- and it's not for the better. The world seems to be moving further and further away from God. They're trying to erase God from everything- the schools, the courtrooms, even the very government is trying to erase God out of the system. We need to be willing to stand up for God at every turn. It has to start at the family level and extend to every facet of our lives. Remember Paul said "we war not against flesh and blood, but the principalities of darkness". We war against things that we cannot see. Some people- even Christians- don't believe, but if you read God's word it will open your eyes and you will see. So I encourage you to be steadfast in the word, keep the faith, and press forward.
My name is Jasper, praise the Lord.
I pray that my words today don't offend anyone, but I feel that the church is so divided because a lot of Christians refuse to stand up for the Lord's word. I was in a group session recently as someone was reading the current news of the day. There was an article in the news about homosexuality being widely accepted by the younger generation. I presented a comment to the reader and her reply was "that's a very sensitive and touchy subject" and I replied "well that's the kind I prefer to talk about". The point I'm trying to make is whenever we hear or see something that we know is contrary to God's word, we should be about the business of standing up for God. We do not have to argue about His word, but merely correct what we know is wrong and stand on His word no matter what. It should come as no surprise to the Christian when we hear or see certain things happening in the world today. We know that the Lord predicted all of these things many years ago. He said that before He comes back men will turn their backs against God. They won't heed God's word, but they will choose to go their own way, use their own devices, be lovers of themselves, their hearts will be waxed cold without regard for their brother. That's why it seems that anything goes in the world today. Kids killing parents, sexuality, and vile behavior is actually glorified. As I watch the television there are many new shows about zombies, "Walking Dead", eating people, new shows about vampires, new shows about witchcraft. And these things are being piped into our minds. These are not shows that our children and young people should be watching- they do have an effect on certain people believe it or not. I recently was talking to a young lady who watched one of these shows and she said afterwards she couldn't sleep for a few days. Make no mistake about it, we are always in a spiritual warfare and the only weapon we have is the word of God. As we look around at the world today things have drastically changed from the way they used to be- and it's not for the better. The world seems to be moving further and further away from God. They're trying to erase God from everything- the schools, the courtrooms, even the very government is trying to erase God out of the system. We need to be willing to stand up for God at every turn. It has to start at the family level and extend to every facet of our lives. Remember Paul said "we war not against flesh and blood, but the principalities of darkness". We war against things that we cannot see. Some people- even Christians- don't believe, but if you read God's word it will open your eyes and you will see. So I encourage you to be steadfast in the word, keep the faith, and press forward.
My name is Jasper, praise the Lord.
Tuesday, February 18, 2014
Friendship
Hello my name is Jasper, I praise the Lord.
I would like to speak on the subject of friendship. Friendship is something that's very important to me. It's important how I relate to people, especially my friends. I have been blessed through the grace of God to have friends that have been with me for some 30 to over 50 years. Some of my friends we've had the pleasure of sharing our lives together from elementary school to being in our sixties. We partied together, we grew up together, we ran the streets together, we watched as our first babies were born, we watched as our families grew, and now our babies are having babies. This is something that I don't take lightly and I praise God for the people that He put in my life. I don't believe it was anything that I did that was so special or that I was so great that I attracted these people, but I know today that everything that has happened in my life is by God's grace and glory. I know this because I have met people who don't have any friends. I have met people who can't seem to keep a friend for more than a few months. I've also met people that have been betrayed by friends or had friends who turned their backs on them. So I think about this sometimes and I thank God for the people that He put in my life who stuck by me when I was at my lowest point. Who is always there to lend a hand to me when I needed help. Jesus said the Father will always give you what you need and I know that He will also give you the people that you need. I consider my longtime friends to be gifts from God, to help me through the hard times in life, to share in my joy, and also to help comfort me in my pain. I recall once I was in a rehab and I was at a low point in my thinking, and I mentioned to one of my friends that I felt like giving up. The very next day two of my friends came to talk to me, to help pull me up, and told me that giving up on myself was not an option. I thank God again for the people He put in my life. I've had my friends take me into their homes when I had nowhere to lay my head. God knew what He was doing when He put these people in my life. So if you have a friend that has stuck by you, tell that friend how much you love them and appreciate them for being in your life. Remember, it's not you who attracts these kind of people, but it is God giving you more of what you need.
Goodbye, my name is Jasper. Praise God.
I would like to speak on the subject of friendship. Friendship is something that's very important to me. It's important how I relate to people, especially my friends. I have been blessed through the grace of God to have friends that have been with me for some 30 to over 50 years. Some of my friends we've had the pleasure of sharing our lives together from elementary school to being in our sixties. We partied together, we grew up together, we ran the streets together, we watched as our first babies were born, we watched as our families grew, and now our babies are having babies. This is something that I don't take lightly and I praise God for the people that He put in my life. I don't believe it was anything that I did that was so special or that I was so great that I attracted these people, but I know today that everything that has happened in my life is by God's grace and glory. I know this because I have met people who don't have any friends. I have met people who can't seem to keep a friend for more than a few months. I've also met people that have been betrayed by friends or had friends who turned their backs on them. So I think about this sometimes and I thank God for the people that He put in my life who stuck by me when I was at my lowest point. Who is always there to lend a hand to me when I needed help. Jesus said the Father will always give you what you need and I know that He will also give you the people that you need. I consider my longtime friends to be gifts from God, to help me through the hard times in life, to share in my joy, and also to help comfort me in my pain. I recall once I was in a rehab and I was at a low point in my thinking, and I mentioned to one of my friends that I felt like giving up. The very next day two of my friends came to talk to me, to help pull me up, and told me that giving up on myself was not an option. I thank God again for the people He put in my life. I've had my friends take me into their homes when I had nowhere to lay my head. God knew what He was doing when He put these people in my life. So if you have a friend that has stuck by you, tell that friend how much you love them and appreciate them for being in your life. Remember, it's not you who attracts these kind of people, but it is God giving you more of what you need.
Goodbye, my name is Jasper. Praise God.
Monday, February 3, 2014
Empowerment
Empowerment- to give power or authority to; authorize, especially by legal or official means. To enable or permit.
Hello my name is Jasper, praise the Lord.
The dictionary gives this definition of empowerment. It is to give one authority and power to complete a task or to go further in one's life. Empowerment also means to elevate yourself to a higher level, always pressing forward to a higher goal. This is why the Lord left us with the Holy Spirit- to give us power, strength, and encouragement. He left this portion of himself in each of us so that we may be able to complete any task that He calls us to do. Some people may become afraid or fearful of what lies ahead for them, but the Lord did not give us spirit of fear, but one of encouragement. And through faith in Him we are always empowered to move forward. Empowerment means authority- always remember we have authority over our lives. Authority also means something of great importance. When you are empowered you have no such thing as "low self-esteem" or a "self-defeating attitude". Empowerment means holding your head up high, chest out, taking long strides towards your goal with confidence. Empowerment gives you capable means of doing whatever it is you desire to do in life. You have complete permission by the Lord, through his empowerment to you, to have anything you desire. Empowerment permits you to be anything, do anything, complete any task which lies before you. There is a scripture that says "I can do all things through Christ Jesus who strengthens me". That scripture speaks of empowerment through Christ Jesus to accomplish any goal you may desire. Any time you feel weak or feel that your life is somewhat in a rut, remember that scripture and remember that you are empowered by the most high authority. You have divine empowerment given to you through grace of our divine Lord. So with that in mind, why would one even consider the thought that you cannot do or complete whatever you want? It's just not so. Check your faith and remember- all things are possible to him who believes because we are empowered through Christ.
Hello again, my name is Jasper, and I am empowered.
Hello my name is Jasper, praise the Lord.
The dictionary gives this definition of empowerment. It is to give one authority and power to complete a task or to go further in one's life. Empowerment also means to elevate yourself to a higher level, always pressing forward to a higher goal. This is why the Lord left us with the Holy Spirit- to give us power, strength, and encouragement. He left this portion of himself in each of us so that we may be able to complete any task that He calls us to do. Some people may become afraid or fearful of what lies ahead for them, but the Lord did not give us spirit of fear, but one of encouragement. And through faith in Him we are always empowered to move forward. Empowerment means authority- always remember we have authority over our lives. Authority also means something of great importance. When you are empowered you have no such thing as "low self-esteem" or a "self-defeating attitude". Empowerment means holding your head up high, chest out, taking long strides towards your goal with confidence. Empowerment gives you capable means of doing whatever it is you desire to do in life. You have complete permission by the Lord, through his empowerment to you, to have anything you desire. Empowerment permits you to be anything, do anything, complete any task which lies before you. There is a scripture that says "I can do all things through Christ Jesus who strengthens me". That scripture speaks of empowerment through Christ Jesus to accomplish any goal you may desire. Any time you feel weak or feel that your life is somewhat in a rut, remember that scripture and remember that you are empowered by the most high authority. You have divine empowerment given to you through grace of our divine Lord. So with that in mind, why would one even consider the thought that you cannot do or complete whatever you want? It's just not so. Check your faith and remember- all things are possible to him who believes because we are empowered through Christ.
Hello again, my name is Jasper, and I am empowered.
Wednesday, January 29, 2014
What Will They Think?
Hello my name is Jasper, praise the Lord.
Some people often make the statement "I don't care what the next person thinks of me". They may say "it doesn't matter what people think of me when I'm dead and gone". But I feel that it does matter what people think of you. I was one who used to boldly say "I don't care what people think, I'm going to do what I want to do regardless", but as I've gotten older I began to realize it matters a great deal what people think of you. It's a good feeling when you can enter into a room and everyone is glad to see you, or when people go out of their way to do something special for you. It should make you feel good when a friend, or even a stranger, does something for you that they don't have to do but they do it out of love and concern for you. You cannot get people to feel that way about you unless you carry yourself in a certain way. We all have moments where we are short tempered or we get irritated about something. We all have moments where we may say or do something we later on regret. But we all are just human and we make mistakes, but we learn from them. We learn to apologize for our shortcomings and we move on. When I leave this world I would like to think that when people think of me they will think of good times- they will think of things I did to try to help them or someone have a better day. Having the word of God within me helps to keep me calm, gives me peace, and causes me to express love and concern for others. No I'm not perfect, no one is. But when you give your life to the Lord, when people see you they should also see Him. I'm often concerned about what people think of me because they should see first the spirit of Christ that lives within me. When you live a Christ-like lifestyle things change for you. People feel good when they're around you, the Christ in you spills over onto them. Sometimes you ask yourself "what will people think of me when I leave this world?" Will some be glad that you're gone? Will some reflect on the fond memories of you? When I leave this world I hope that I leave a happy impression on people. When they think of me they will smile and remember that I tried to help them along the way. I tried to be a positive element in their life. I would like to think that they often saw the Christ in me, and not the real Jasper. So I urge you to take time and reflect on this. When I'm dead and gone, what will they think?
My name is Jasper, love and peace be with you.
Some people often make the statement "I don't care what the next person thinks of me". They may say "it doesn't matter what people think of me when I'm dead and gone". But I feel that it does matter what people think of you. I was one who used to boldly say "I don't care what people think, I'm going to do what I want to do regardless", but as I've gotten older I began to realize it matters a great deal what people think of you. It's a good feeling when you can enter into a room and everyone is glad to see you, or when people go out of their way to do something special for you. It should make you feel good when a friend, or even a stranger, does something for you that they don't have to do but they do it out of love and concern for you. You cannot get people to feel that way about you unless you carry yourself in a certain way. We all have moments where we are short tempered or we get irritated about something. We all have moments where we may say or do something we later on regret. But we all are just human and we make mistakes, but we learn from them. We learn to apologize for our shortcomings and we move on. When I leave this world I would like to think that when people think of me they will think of good times- they will think of things I did to try to help them or someone have a better day. Having the word of God within me helps to keep me calm, gives me peace, and causes me to express love and concern for others. No I'm not perfect, no one is. But when you give your life to the Lord, when people see you they should also see Him. I'm often concerned about what people think of me because they should see first the spirit of Christ that lives within me. When you live a Christ-like lifestyle things change for you. People feel good when they're around you, the Christ in you spills over onto them. Sometimes you ask yourself "what will people think of me when I leave this world?" Will some be glad that you're gone? Will some reflect on the fond memories of you? When I leave this world I hope that I leave a happy impression on people. When they think of me they will smile and remember that I tried to help them along the way. I tried to be a positive element in their life. I would like to think that they often saw the Christ in me, and not the real Jasper. So I urge you to take time and reflect on this. When I'm dead and gone, what will they think?
My name is Jasper, love and peace be with you.
Thursday, January 23, 2014
Remembering MLK
Hello my name is Jasper, Jesus is Lord.
A few days ago we celebrated the birth of Martin Luther King. I'm old enough and blessed enough to have lived during the last years of Dr. King's life. During Dr. King's birthday celebration across the nation, my mind drifted back to things I remember about him. I could remember my family taking me along to downtown Detroit (Cobo Hall) to hear Dr. King deliver a speech. There were lots of people there and I remember it because it was the first time I saw The Temptations in person. They were entertaining the crowd, and like many others I suppose also lending their support. I remember being in Junior High School when Dr. King was shot. There was a lot of social unrest, and the older kids from High School came by our school and they were angry and throwing rocks through the windows. We were scared in our classrooms and were confused about what to do. I'm not sure I remember the trip home, but I believe my mother probably picked me up like she often did. I can remember the National Guard and the policemen walking patrols down our street, I can remember seeing tanks and armored vehicles going down our streets. The news on TV was just filled with violence all over the nation. They spoke of killings, brutal beatings, snipers, and it was a scary time. I can remember seeing troops camped at Central High School, which was one of the headquarters. They had so many tanks and trucks and soldiers on the school grounds, but think of the irony. There was so much violence and social unrest, but Dr. King stood and died for his belief in non-violence. I'm sure that if he had anything to say about it he would not have wanted people to act this way. I'm sure he did not want his death to be a reason to go out and commit violence. I remember Dr. King in my mind and in my heart as a true man of God. He kept God's commandments and no matter how rough the times got he did not defer from God's word. He remained peaceful, kind, forgiving, and loving til the very end. He is a true example for all of us, just as Jesus was in His day.
My name is Jasper, praise the Lord.
A few days ago we celebrated the birth of Martin Luther King. I'm old enough and blessed enough to have lived during the last years of Dr. King's life. During Dr. King's birthday celebration across the nation, my mind drifted back to things I remember about him. I could remember my family taking me along to downtown Detroit (Cobo Hall) to hear Dr. King deliver a speech. There were lots of people there and I remember it because it was the first time I saw The Temptations in person. They were entertaining the crowd, and like many others I suppose also lending their support. I remember being in Junior High School when Dr. King was shot. There was a lot of social unrest, and the older kids from High School came by our school and they were angry and throwing rocks through the windows. We were scared in our classrooms and were confused about what to do. I'm not sure I remember the trip home, but I believe my mother probably picked me up like she often did. I can remember the National Guard and the policemen walking patrols down our street, I can remember seeing tanks and armored vehicles going down our streets. The news on TV was just filled with violence all over the nation. They spoke of killings, brutal beatings, snipers, and it was a scary time. I can remember seeing troops camped at Central High School, which was one of the headquarters. They had so many tanks and trucks and soldiers on the school grounds, but think of the irony. There was so much violence and social unrest, but Dr. King stood and died for his belief in non-violence. I'm sure that if he had anything to say about it he would not have wanted people to act this way. I'm sure he did not want his death to be a reason to go out and commit violence. I remember Dr. King in my mind and in my heart as a true man of God. He kept God's commandments and no matter how rough the times got he did not defer from God's word. He remained peaceful, kind, forgiving, and loving til the very end. He is a true example for all of us, just as Jesus was in His day.
My name is Jasper, praise the Lord.
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