Lamar Hardwick's Blog, page 6

Meet Dr. Lamar Hardwick: Husband.Father.Pastor.Author.Disability Advocate – SHOUTOUT ATLANTA

Meet Dr. Lamar Hardwick: Husband.Father.Pastor.Author.Disability Advocate – SHOUTOUT ATLANTA
— Read on shoutoutatlanta.com/meet-dr-lamar-hardwick-husband-father-pastor-author-disability-advocate/

Set Free

Good morning fight club. It’s another great to day to fight. Thank you for your prayers yesterday as I began the next phase of my cancer treatment.

Doctors are pleased with the results from the first round of treatment. Scans show that he tumor has reduced significantly and is in my doctors words “Mostly gone and almost not visible.” There is still some secondary thickness in the lining of my organ where the tumor was. Praise God for working his healing through the wisdom of science and medicine.

When I was diagnosed in October my doctor told me that they were going to “throw the kitchen sink at me” in terms of the intensity of the treatments. I am thankful for their wisdom and aggressive approach to curing this disease. With that being said I am overly thankful that given the intensity of the treatments I have not experienced any debilitating side effects to date. I attribute this to your prayers and God’s mercy and kindness.

Pray this with me today

“Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.”

John 14:6 NLT

“Jesus said to the people who believed in him, “You are truly my disciples if you remain faithful to my teachings. And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.””

John 8:31-32 NLT

NLT

God I thank you for another day. God I thank you for your unfailing love and kindness. Lord your loving kindness is better than life itself. You are so good and so kind to those who ask for your help. Thank you for new mercies that I receive every single morning. Thank you for your grace and forgiveness. Thank you Jesus for giving your life as a ransom for mine. Let me never forget the cost you paid for me to receive freedom and to receive forgiveness for my sins. I am eternally grateful and eternally indebted to you. Jesus I could never repay you for what you have done for me but I pray that you take this day and take my life as my response to your love.

God thank you for another day. As I rise to continue my battle with cancer I am thankful for your healing hand at work in me. Thank you for my medical team and for the skill, wisdom, grace, and compassion that you have gifted them with. I also thank you for the army of pray warriors praying for me and my family.

Lord today I pray for your servants. For all those who serve you and search for you I pray for a renewed commitment to you. Help today to be a day of sobering reflection on the actual cost of their salvation and the actual sacrifice that you made to release them from the bondage and tyranny of sin.

Help them to absorb the full weight of your grace and mercy operating in their lives both publicly and privately. Jesus I pray today that we respond to the revelation of the depths to which you dove deeply into this sinful world to save us. Let us hold nothing back in our ability to follow you and obey your voice.

Let our lives be built on the truth of the gospel and the truth of your unflinching love for us. Jesus you are the way, the truth, and the life. God where we have attempted to live life apart from your way and your truth bring correction and comfort.

Let the words that you declare over our lives ring true and everything else that is not of you fall to the ground and whither.

Let your word spring up in our souls today. Let it over flow and be our source of inspiration and hope. Let truth be our weapon against the enemy and let your word be forged in us like a weapon against the enemy.

God where schemes of injustice and unrighteousness are being formed in the cloak of darkness in our communities, churches, and in our country shine your truth, drive out deception, and destroy the plans of the enemy.

God your word declares that as surely as the rain and snow falls and does not return to heaven without watering the earth that your word shall not return to you without accomplishing its purpose on earth. God your word NEVER returns void and your truth is forever and your promises are yes and amen. Today Lord let your truth be seen, experienced and obeyed in our lives so that we are refreshed, renewed, restored and mostly importantly healed and set free by your word.

In Jesus name.

3 Ways Autism Impacts My Cancer Treatment

In October of 2020 I was diagnosed with stage three colorectal cancer. The good news is that initial scans showed that the cancer was localized. This means that the prognosis is very good. In fact my doctors told me that “this is very treatable and very curable.”

I continue to hold on to that hope and to the prayers of so many people across the globe that are praying for me and m family.

I will beat this. I’m a fighter. Growing up without an autism diagnosis has somewhat prepared me for this season of life. I know how to face difficult moments. I’m built for this.

In November I began the first phase of my treatment. I had six weeks of radiation treatments along with six weeks of oral chemotherapy medication. It was intense but thankfully I had little to no side effects other than fatigue.

Autism informs most of how I experience life. It’s not all of who I am, but the reality is that it is a big part of how I experience With that being said there are a few ways that it has impacted my battle with cancer this far.

1. Social Anxiety. I have trouble meeting new people, making and answering phone calls from unknown numbers. I already have a hard time understanding body language so verbal expressions are the primary way that I understand peoples intentions and the information that they are communicating to me. Covid has definitely put a strain on this ability because of the necessity to wear masks. I already have some challenges with auditory processing so not being able to hear people clearly can cause more confusion. The problem is I can’t afford to have confusion. Cancer is serious and I need to be clear on what I’m instructed to do, so I have to talk on the phone a lot. Like A LOT. Way beyond my comfort level and every time the phone rings I have to answer it even when I am deathly afraid to do so because it may be an important call from one of my many doctors with information that I need. It can be quite anxiety provoking.

2. Sensory processing. In the past I’ve blogged a lot about my challenges with sensory processing. I’ve even made a list of the top ten places that can send me into sensory overload. After this first round of treatment I have to add hospitals and doctors offices. My brain doesn’t filter out unnecessary sounds, smells, etc. This means that every time I set foot in the clinic I am hit with all of the sensory input my brain can handle. The lighting, the sounds, the smells are all overwhelming. In addition I had to lay down on a machine that made noises and rotated around me making noises all while laying on sheets that where itchy and doing all of this face down. It’s a lot to deal with. I’ve also had to allow doctors and nurses to poke and prod my body day after day after day. Did I mention that I don’t even like to be hugged without asking? The amount of physical touching that I have had to endure has been exhausting.

3. Fatigue. This brings me to the last major impact that autism has had on my treatments, fatigue. Radiation treatments were relatively short. They took around 10-15 minutes to do daily, but the effects caused extreme fatigue, but I believe that a large portion of my fatigue was also the result from sensory overload. Normally I can control my schedule in a way that helps me to avoid the fog and fatigue of sensory overload. Getting treatments five days a week took that control away from me. The radiation fatigue actually caused an increase in my regular sensory fatigue which actually made me super tired and not just regular tired. I spent a lot of time in bed with the lights out. The combination of treatments and sensory fatigue felt like swimming backwards in quicksand uphill.

This month I’ll begin the next phase of treatment. Next week I’ll have a port placed in my chest for the infusion chemotherapy treatments that will begin on January 28th. Between now and then I’ll have new CT scans and a new MRI done to assess the results of the first phase of treatment worked.

I am grateful for your love and support and prayers. Keep praying and I’ll keep fighting.

Peace and love

Pastor L

The Ox in The Room

Why is it so difficult to talk about difficult subjects? Take 18 minutes to find out why and how we can get better at it.

https://youtu.be/HzVyj59cDNI

Bitter Fruit

*Warning: This post is not a platform for your political opinions and I will delete inappropriate comments.

I have said this on many occasions.
“Excessive exceptions create enormous egos.”

What we witnessed yesterday is a direct result of that principle.

Over the last 5 years we have made excuses for language from our leadership that both implicitly and explicitly created anger, hatred, bitterness, and division. From sexual assault to mocking the disabled we have heard it all. It has been on full display but we kept making excuses and we kept making exceptions.

Any unacceptable or immoral behavior that is excused will create an enormous ego in the person(s) who remain unchecked.

Large egos lead people to believe they are the exception to the rules of morality and decency. Excessive exceptions lead to a sense of entitlement. Entitlement knows no boundaries.
Entitlement is a monster that is fueled by a thirst and pursuit of power that can never be quinched.

I wish I could say “We’re better than this” but we are not. This is exactly who we are as a nation. We are eating fruit from the seeds we allowed to be planted only to complain about the way it taste.

Should we pray? Yes. But it’s just as important to plant. We have the responsibility to plant the seeds today for the type of fruit we want and need in the next season. No more excuses. No more exceptions. No more egos. No more entitlement. No politics. Just planting.

“The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit.”
‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭18:21‬ ‭NIV‬‬

20 lessons from 2020: Lesson Four

Love your neighbor is a group project

Remember in high school or college when you had to do the dreaded group project? Group projects were always a challenge for me because I preferred to work on my own. Like many people my preference was due to my lack of trust in the capabilities of my fellow group members to hold up their end of the bargain. This was especially true if my team was assigned to me.

I also found that social interaction with a group of people that I didn’t know and/or didn’t choose was a significant barrier to my belief in the system of group work.

Let’s be honest, we all know that one group member that did the absolute bare minimum only to reap the benefits of the hard work of the other group members. If you don’t recall working with that group member it might have been you.

If 2020 has taught me anything it’s that we still have a problem working together.

The commandment to love your neighbor as yourself is God’s greatest group project to date.

The major difference with the is project is that the entire group (humanity) suffers when everyone isn’t fully invested in bringing their best effort to complete the project.

Instead of riding the coattails of the committed into a passing grade, those who remain uncommitted drag the entire group grade down causing the entire project to fail.

Love your neighbor only works when everyone is doing it and if we have any shot of passing God’s greatest group project we have to learn to place the needs of others above our own selfish desires. Here’s the thing, if everyone gives love then everyone receives it.

2020 has given us all the chance to improve our grade. The question is what type of group member are you going to be?

-Pastor L

20 lessons from 2020: Lesson Three

Embrace Embarrassment

Most people will never try anything new or significant because we’re taught from an early age to avoid embarrassment. The truth is nothing you start will be successful at the beginning. You’re going to look like a fool when you step out on faith. That’s par for the course.

Being embarrassed is the tax for trusting your talent. It’s going to suck at first. Mistakes will be made. Let yourself off the hook for having a perfectly polished product from the beginning. You simply can’t have a finished product at the staring line and yes it’s going to be embarrassing sometimes when you fail in public.

Don’t stop pursuing excellence. You’ll likely make a fool of yourself but don’t stop. After all fools aren’t afraid of failing. Excellence requires that you embrace embarrassment.

-Pastor L

20 lessons from 2020: Lesson Two

Lesson Two

Vulnerability is the vehicle for growth and success.

At some point using your gift to serve and bless others requires your ideas to leave your head and your work to leave your hands and be released into the world. This is scary. As an author I’ve learned that I can’t publish a book that I’m not vulnerable enough to release. As a pastor I’ve learned that I can’t lead a people without exposing my back. In doing so I’m showing a side of me that I have to leave unprotected. It’s the side of me that has been through storms and survived to share the story.

Vulnerability is part of the calling. People will believe what you see ahead if they can relate to what you’ve left behind.

Shed the shame. Share your story. Show your scars. See the future.

Life is too short to spend all of your energy curating and filtering your image.

Live free.

-Pastor L

20 lessons from 2020: Lesson One

1. Contentment is not complacency. Don’t confuse the two. Contentment is peace with any situation. Complacency is to pretend that a danger or defect in a situation doesn’t exist. One is a disposition of the heart the other is a denial of impending harm.

“I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want.”

Philippians 4:12 NIV

When Paul writes this letter to the church in Philippi he is experiencing his own “quarantine” because he is in prison.

What we learn is that isolation or quarantine can teach us contentment. Notice that Paul says he has “learned the secret of being content.” Perhaps this is because contentment isn’t something that we can default to. Contentment is a discipline while complacency is a default.

Complacency is dangerous because it suggests that you see potential danger or harm and attempt to disassociate yourself from it by distracting yourself with the dissolution that things are just fine.

“Just fine” is not faith. In fact “just fine” is often a faith killer.

Contentment on the other hand brings peace you acknowledge the reality while simultaneously acknowledging God’s ability to sustain you in all circumstances.

2020 has taught me the delicate balance between contentment and complacency. It’s taught me that I don’t have to be unaware of trouble but I can be unbothered by it.

-Pastor L

God is working

Good morning fight club it’s another great day to fight.

Today I resume daily treatments after a four day break due to the Thanksgiving holiday.

As we close out a very difficult year I am praying that we all recognize the work that God is doing in us.

Pray this with me

“For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him.” Philippians 2:13 NLT

Thank you Lord for this day. Thank you for this moment. Thank you for this opportunity to commune with you. Thank you for the gift of prayer. I am great full for your desire to hear my words and search my heart. You are simply amazing and I continue to be in awe of your handiwork.

God today as I rise to another day of battle with cancer I bow before you in surrender to your will for my life. God take all of me. Take my inconsistencies and my short-comings and mold them into lessons that lead to transformation.

God today I thank you that you have the power to creatively take the worst of life and transform it into things that work for our good. God only you can be so insightful and so patient and so strategic as to turn suffering into triumph.

Today I pray that you do a work in me. Work in my life and in my circumstances to bring about a stronger desire to do you will. Use this trial, this time, and this trouble to teach me and to develop a deeper trust for your plan and purpose for my life. Let this day bring more desire for you and your plan. Help me through it all to want what you want.

Today I pray for your people. Thank you for this those standing with me in this battle. Bless them God.

For every trial they face give them an opportunity for greater trust. Mold their minds and place your hands on their hearts as you shape them into your image. Help every test to be a tool used to make them more like you in every way.

God work your will into their lives. Bring them into the center of your will for their lives. Don’t allow their worst days to be wasted. Transform tears into triumph and give them beauty for their mourning ashes.

Let today be filled with joy. Joy in your presence and promises. Joy in your grace and mercy. Joy in your incredible love and your creative power.

Hold them close to your heart and give them the power to live a life that pleases you even in the midst of their pain.

In Jesus name.

#prayforpastorLamar

#faithfightclub

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