Burky's Blog

Today is Russel's birthday, and I am trying to think what I can do to make it more special.  Maybe I should do nothing.  Gilson says that the older you get, the less important birthdays are to you.  I agree--but it don't work for me.  I reminded him of Romans 14 where it says that some man esteem one day above other and some people esteem every day alike.  Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind.  I wish I would have thought of that verse when my father ask if New Year's Day is more special than any other day.  For my father, holidays and any other event is meaningless, but for my sister and me, we like to have special days.  One thing I notice that it is usually emotionally sensitive that enjoy special days!  Gilson is not very emotional being, so birthdays are meaningless to him.
 
Those who use Rod & Staff Sunday School books for their Sunday School would know what I am talking about last Sunday.  It talks about Jacob's last words to his sons, and how Levi is hard man, but it is Levites who is on Lord's side when Moses called out in the din of golden calf worship.  It is priests who came to faith in Acts.  What I see is that people don't change when they became Christians--they only channel their same temperaments or personality type into right places which make them seem totally different than before!
 
I thought about my life.  I used to be a crybaby, overreacting to everything.  I think about committing suicide countless times, but never had a heart to actually do it.  I wouldn't be surprised there are some people who think I am a bad boy through and through.  I was much like Reuben who is unstable.  Finally frustrated at myself, I decided to study the opposite temperament or personality.  One thing I learn that people do like consistency.  When I finally understood that God made all four personality types, and that they each have their good points, I start learning about spiritual life much faster.  It is only next month when I finally understood self-denial, then the following month I recognize the value of emotions!
 
In Sunday School class, one gave answer that our emotions are not dependable.  That is true--only if you don't stop and think why do you feel that way!  I believe that is the spiritual meaning of self-denial.  Jesus even begs us to count the cost.  (Luke 14:25-35)  Now I am working on being very conscious of my feelings and still work toward "substituting" my negative feelings for positive ones.  Jesus told Glenda few times that if she would listen to her heart and understand the Bible through her heart, she would understand the Bible to say exactly what God wants it to say--regardless of mistranslations.
 
When I heard that there was a deaf boy in Belize who ran off with a girl, I suspect that the mission is not giving him what he needs.  When I finally found out who it is, I knew that boy is emotional person.  I found a old website talking about deaf mission school in Belize and how that same boy says he like that for his home because he feel loved there.  Why can't he stay feeling loved?
 
Sunday morning, David Halteman preached about the importance of trust in brotherhood.  Jared Petre afterward testified that how can there be any brotherhood if there is no trust?  When I heard David preached on trust, I realize that is basically same as letting go!  Not long ago, I got a message about a small girl on airplane.  After the announcement over the loudspeaker that everyone must be belted and be ready to escape if anything go wrong while the airplane go through the turbulence, everyone became very apprehensive--except that one little girl.  After the safe landing, a pastor ask the girl how can she do it.  She answered, "How can I not be?  Daddy is the pilot and he is taking me home."  Total trust, total surrender, total childlikeness!  I suspect that is the secret of longevity as I check over my limited personal knowledge of centenarians.  I even ask Lyndon Risser about his Grandmother (whom the book, Vera's Journey, is about) and he said that she love blood-clogging food up until the last.  She didn't go on any special diet.  But as I read along in the book, the more I suspect that if that is actually her--she obviously trust totally.  She is willing to surrender all the way.  She is willing to trust and let go.  Then she live over hundred years.
 
If everyone would completely let go and treat each other with love and trust, how much better would this world be?  Would that not be creating the foretaste of heaven here on earth exactly like we pray for, when we pray Lord's Prayer, "Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven."?
 
From now on, I decided to limit my e-newsletter list to only those who don't have Internet access.  That would leave only three names on the list.  I did think of eliminating the list altogether, but decided that it wouldn't be fair to those who don't have Internet access, as I will continually post blogs on deafdemophile.blogspot.com and that same blog will appear in notes in Facebook.  I am liking Facebook much better than email, because it seems like no one is really answering my update emails with their update emails.  Also, I believe it is really part of my personality--I like to be a listener to any conversation than doing the talking, and Facebook allow me to do that.  I can look at other people's pictures even if it is not specialized for me to look at and I can read other people's conversations and insert my thoughts at times. 

If you want to keep posted with my updates and you have internet access, I think there is a way you can subscribe to my blog or note in my Facebook.  Sometimes I post things that I don't send through my update email, simply because I want to keep them on file as they are interesting tidbits and facts I like to keep.  Or if you have Gmail, you can always use Buzz, a new kind of social network that will inform you whenever I posted anything new in my blog.  I have a special email that I include in my e-newsletter list, that will post directly into the blog, and I have Facebook set to automatically upload every new blog.  So far, I have not lost any files using Google features.  I even have an email that can send directly to my Google documents and then I can do editing right there on Google Documents and then I can email from Documents to any name I have on my Gmail contact list.  Now you can see why I really like Google features!