Chris Loehmer Kincaid's Blog, page 26

The Perfect Body

 

 Itis the same way with the resurrection of the dead. Our earthly bodies areplanted in the ground when we die, but they will be raised to live forever. Ourbodies are buried in brokenness, but they will be raised in glory. They areburied in weakness, but they will be raised in strength. (1 Corinthians15:42-43, New Living Translation)

I know. Nobody wants to think about dying or what isgoing to happen next. If you have accepted Jesus Christ as your Savior, youhave nothing to worry about.

But here’s what I take from this passage.

Our bodies on earth aren’t perfect. On the outside, wehave scars, wrinkles, our teeth are crooked, our noses are too big. We may even bemissing fingers or toes. 

Inside, we may be worse. We could have diabetes, cancer,or chronic pain. Worse than missing fingers or toes, we could be missing akidney, a spleen, or part of our colon. We may have someone else’s heartbeating in our chest.

And then there’s the emotional baggage we carryinside. The fear of the future, the pain of regret, the sorrow of loss. Depression, anger, worry. So muchgoing on in our heads, or at least in mine.

But someday, when God is ready to call us home toheaven, we will have eternal life with a new body inside and out. We will stillbe us, but we won’t have any pain, fear, or anxiety. We won’t be broken orweak.

I’ve been writing this blog forover thirteen years, and I’m unsure how many of those years I’ve been writingmy Sunday inspiration. If you’ve been reading these for long, I hope you haveturned your life over to God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, that you knowJesus as your Savior and have asked for forgiveness of your sins. I’m prayingyou all go to heaven someday.

I’m just one small-town girlliving in a big world and praying for you all.

Pike’s Peak in Iowa – Camping at Wyalusing, Blog post #4

For a couple days back in August, Hubby and I camped atWyalusing State Park in the southwest corner of Wisconsin.

Across the river from there is Pike’s Peak State Park inMacGregor, Iowa. Not quite the same as the Pike’s Peak I’ve been to in Colorado,but the view was still stunning here in the upper Midwest.

I don’t know if you can read the plaque on the rock, butthis is where the Wisconsin River empties into the Mississippi. The first whitemen set foot in this area in 1673. Just a few years ago.

Back on the Wisconsin side at Wyalusing, there is a sadmemorial –  

-       extinction of the passenger pigeon. 

How horribly tragic and senseless.   

The next morning, we packed up camp and headed home. Lastcamping trip of the summer. 

Bring Back Justice

You say that God is with you, so youshould do good things, not evil. Then you will live, and the Lord GodAll-Powerful will be with you. Hate evil and love goodness. Bring justice backinto the courts. Maybe then the Lord God All-Powerful will be kind to thesurvivors from Joseph’s family. (Amos 5:14-15, Easy-to-Read Version)

I had a different Bible passage picked out for today;in fact, it was an entire chapter from the book of Psalms. Psalms has a lot of beautifuland moving verses. But what about the book of Amos? We never hear much about theprophet Amos or the book he penned.  

Seventeen books of the Old Testament are written by menconsidered the “prophets”. Most of these books are painful to read in theirentirety. You need to know and understand much of the history of the Jewishpeople for these books to make sense to you. I would love to delve into them, butit can make my head spin.

So, we pluck out a few verses that sound good. We maynot know what the words mean from the perspective of the ancient Jews, but weuse what we can. Doesn’t it make sense to us all to “hate evil and love goodness”?

And sometimes, sentences such as “bring justice backinto the courts” are so fitting to this time period that we have to believethat the word of God is as prevalent today as it was millennia ago.

Historic St. Feriole Island – Camping at Wyalusing, Blog post #3

 St. Feriole Island is the site of the earliest activities in Prairie du Chien. It was the center of the fur trade, home of the first Fort Crawford, site of the Battle of Prairie du Chien in 1814, and home to Villa Louis.

While we were camping at nearby Wyalusing State Park, wespent an afternoon visiting the Island.

Currently named the Dousman House and used as an eventvenue, this grand building was originally a hotel. Built in the mid-1860s, itserved railroad passengers traveling through the area.

This is the Depot Bar and Grill. I’m not sure if it’s theoriginal depot from the 1800s, but it sits along the old railroad tracks.

The Mississippi River flows across from the Depot and DousmanHouse.

Lawler Park Interpretive Rock Building.

The Brisbois House. I don’t know where my head was thatday – oh, yeah, I was just whining about my back ache. Anyway, that whole areahas a massive amount of history and each of the many 1800s buildings has a longstory to tell. Unfortunately, I was too hazy that day to put it all together.

Here’s a good website which lists most of the buildingson the island: https://www.prairieduchien.org/historical-sites/#:~:text=St.,the%20Chicago%2C%20Milwaukee%20%26%20St.

The original Fort Crawford.

Villa Louis is the chocolate chips in the chocolate chipcookies on St. Feriole Island.

Unfortunately, it was closed the day we were there, but with all the road construction around it, I’m not sure it would have been open all week.

But I’ve been in lots of old houses. The sculpture park nearby was just as fascinating, I thought.

But I’m not gonna lie.

I thought these guys playing Frisbee golf were the most fascinating. I never in a million years imagined that they would have different sizes of Frisbees for each “hole”. I lead such a sheltered life.

Ultimate Surge Protector

 

 I depend onGod alone; I put my hope in him. He alone protects and saves me; he is mydefender, and I shall never be defeated. My salvation and honor depend on God;he is my strong protector; he is my shelter. (Psalm 62:5-7, Good NewsTranslation)

If you thought last Sunday’s post about my hardwoodfloors was a stretch, hold on to your stocking caps. Here I go again.

On December 15, 2021, the power went out in our houseduring a winter storm. We’ve survived many a Wisconsin winter, so we fired upthe generator outside and made due. The electricity came on two days later.Fleetingly. Something sparked and snapped and the power went out again. Apparently,it was some sort of power surge and the lights were out this time until the weehours of December 19.

During that time, we ran a gas lantern in the bedroomfor heat and light, during the daytime only, when we hoped we’d notice carbonmonoxide poisoning before we passed out. I thought the burning odor I continuedto smell was from that.

Come Sunday morning, when the power was back on, wediscovered that the power surge a few days before had fried both our garagedoor openers, several light bulbs, and all of our surge protectors. The one inthe bedroom actually burned a spot in the hard wood floor. That was the burningodor I kept smelling.

And every time I vacuum that spot in the floor, Istill see that tiny cross.

Thinking about the beauty of my floors last week, itdawned on me how beautiful that particular mark is. Those power strips savedmany of our electrical devices from being destroyed. When there is a powersurge, those strips sacrifice themselves for your benefit.

Just like Jesus sacrificed Himself on the cross forus. I guess He is the ultimate surge protector.

Another Back Update

It’sbeen 166 days since I blew out my back. As you all know, I’ve had many miserabletimes during that stretch, but I have had just as my mediocre days. Days when Icould at least take a comfortable walk down my road or lay in the sun on my deck.I can’t say the totally pain-free days were greater than a dozen, but they werestill there, somewhere throughout the summer.

Yesterday,I had my steroid injection at L-2 to L-3 (if that means anything to any ofyou). It wasn’t very painful, and my back hasn’t hurt at all since I left theroom. Of course, they tell me that is just the effects of the local anestheticthey numbed my back with before putting in the spinal needle, and that within24 hours, that will wear off, at which time my nerve endings will go, “what inthe name of all things bright and beautiful did you do?” Meaning, the pain willmost likely return with a vengeance, until those nerves figure it out andsettle down in any where from seven to fourteen days.

Iknow, right? Did I really sign up for that?

Thedoctor was very nice and had a decent sense of humor, which you know Iappreciate. I had never met him and the staff already had me laying on mystomach with my head in the donut pillow, when he walked in and introduced himself.I answered him, “the back of my head is glad to meet you too.”

Hedid mention my nice tan and I told him that was because all I could do allsummer was lay on my deck in the sun. He said he thought I’d been gardening allsummer, which made me chortle and reply, “yea, right.”  

Anyway,it went smoothly. And all I can do is see what happens from here. Thank you,everyone, for all the prayers over the last five and a half months. I love youall.

I always try hard not to be frosty towards new people I meet in health care - I've been where they are.
 But I will admit, I was a chicken yesterday. 

Historic Prairie du Chien - Camping at Wyalusing, Blog post #2

The first full day we camped at Wyalusing State Park, wetook a drive into nearby Prairie du Chien. It is considered Wisconsin’s secondoldest city. Younger only than Green Bay, it was established in 1673.

Being that old, Prairie du Chien does have a long andinteresting history. Which you’ll have to look up on your own if you want toread about it. I’m mostly about the pictures.

We first toured the Fort Crawford Museum complex. Itincluded the Fort Crawford Hospital and the Prairie du Chien Museum.    

 

Unfortunately, walking through the buildings and stopping to study all of the displays did not agree with my back. For me, I took an amazingly few pictures. We’ll have to go back another day.

There was so much more to see in the town. I’ll share more next time. 

What is Beauty Anyway?

    You should not use outward aids to makeyourselves beautiful, such as the way you fix your hair, or the jewelry you puton, or the dresses you wear. Instead, your beauty should consist of your trueinner self, the ageless beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of thegreatest value in God's sight. (1 Peter 3:3-4, Good News Translation). 

I love the hardwood floors in my house. Some of them are pretty worn, and some have even endured some major abuse (before I moved in, by the way).
 

But to me, they are all beautiful, and I wouldn’t change any of them.

God sees us the same way. No matter what scars or flaws we carry on the outside, and even if we carry faults on the inside, God loves us no matter what.

But if you have a kind and caring soul, it will make is easier for others to love you too.

  

My back has been exceptionallypainful the last few days, and I have been feeling less than beautiful on theinside or out. More like feeling just plain ugly. That’s what got me thinking about my hardwood floors. Beauty issomething different to everyone, but there is beauty in everyone, no matter howthey look or feel. And there would certainly be nothing beautiful about me thesedays if it weren’t for God.  

Camping at Wyalusing, Blog post #1

August 6th thru the 9th, we tookour second and final camping trip of the year. We drove all the way to the farsouthwest corner of the state to Wyalusing State Park. 

The park sits on 2,700-acres overlooking the confluenceof the Wisconsin and Mississippi Rivers. It is one of the oldest WisconsinState Parks, having been established in 1917.

Views from the bluffs above the two rivers arebreath-taking. There are also miles of hiking trails, but with my back stillcausing me trouble, I wasn’t able to hike any of them. Hopefully, next time. 

Native Americans, fur-traders, miners, and some of thestates earliest Europeans all passed through this area and left their influencein one form or another. The Civilian Conversation Corps built roads, trails,and shelters in the park during the Great Depression.

 Overall, Wyalusing is steeped in natural beauty andhistory.

Meditation?

 

          Peace I leave with you, My peace Igive to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart betroubled, neither let it be afraid. (John 14:27, NewKing James Version)

Ifyou may recall, I’ve been suffering from back pain since the first of April.I’ve tried nearly everything, and most treatments seem to help for a few days,and then pain starts acting up again. It seems like a new treatment (physicaltherapy, CBD salve, TENS unit, etc.) helps to a certain degree, and then Ireach a plateau where I am stuck. Overall, however, I think I slowly, oh sovery slowly, have been getting better.

Istarted thinking, and even feeling in my body, that the back is actually healedas much as it can be, but my brain keeps me stuck with the pain. I'll feel a sketchyfeeling in my back, and right away, my brain is like, “Danger, Will Robinson, it’sgoing to be painful.” I know, it sounds crazy, but that’s where I’m at.

So,I found some guided meditation videos on YouTube, which tackle what I’m goingthrough. And it seems to be helping. I even wrote what sounded like ameditation on my August 13 blog post. Then I ran into that brick wall which confronted me with the question – is this a Christian thing to do?

Iread some thoughts on it on the internet. Yes, meditate is mentioned in the Bible, a lot, such as, "meditate on the word of the Lord." But there are also different types of mediatation. I could go into it, but I still comeback to the belief that it is all where your heart and soul are. My heart andsoul believe that God is always with me, that Jesus is my Savior, and that theHoly Spirit guides me. And when I relax my mind and body, and the words belowrun through my head, I think I’m going to be okay. No, I know I’m goingto be okay.

          Bestill, and know that I am God. (Psalm 46:10a, New King James Version)