Booth # 4: Religion and Spirituality

[Meursault]

Jac: I was watching Rattle and Hum at my Father's place, and couldn't help but think you could be ..Adam Clayton's (is he the bassist?) brother.

[Meursault]

Jac: What's on PBS for your right now?

[Rit]

well i don't pray, but i'm glad your daughter survived hale and healthy, Stratman.

[stratman19]

Thanks Rit.

[melon1]

Would appreciate the prayers of every believer on this board as I am in financial hell at the moment . I do realize that this is just a way for God to refine me and make me pure and humble. Just pray that I pass the test moreso than come up with the money for my bills. Thanks, guys.

[strat-0]

Boy: God, how long is a million years to you?
God: A mere minute, my son.
Boy: Wow! How much is a million dollars to you?
God: Ha! A penny.
Boy: Um... God, can I have a penny?
God: Sure. I'll give it to you in a minute.

Best of luck, Melon!

[stratman19]

I wish ya all the best Melon. Shit will work out, I know it will.

[Thorngrub]

Hang in there, Melon

[melon1]

I'm happy to say that things ARE working out . The following is something I hope will be taken without offense and with understanding:

After careful consideration and soulsearching I've decided that I need to vacate from the RS. Castaways for a while. To be honest, I'm not certain that I'll ever come back. I hope I do, but I honestly don't know. My Heavenly Father has revealed to me that I'm not strong enough at the moment to be a shining light in the darkness to witness the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ on these boards. If anyone has ever gotten anything out of my posts, whether they be believers or not, I wouldn't be surprised, but that doesn't change the fact that the mass unbelief and obscenities on this board are affecting me at a time where I find myself to be spiritually weak. The time has come to refrain from "the things that so easily beset us," and be purified and prepared to fight the battle that God has for me. There is no doubt in my mind that my calling will consist of being God's arms outstretched to the lost, the down and out, those who are considered "lost causes" or "hopeless cases." Whether that would include RS Castaways remains to be seen. To the believers on this board(JAC, Chrisfan and others), I say that although it is true that God has the power to speak through me on this board, that doesn't mean He will. Where God appoints, He anoints. Therefore, I could speak all the truth in the world but if I'm not where I'm supposed to be it won't do me or anyone else any good. It is my hope that God will direct me back to this board in the future but what I'm getting at is that I don't know if He will. So I can't promise that I'll be back. And I can't promise that I believe too many here would care. I'm sure there are a handfull that would miss me but that's all. However, it really has nothing to do with that. If it was up to me, I would continue to post here every day. But it's not up to me. God has shown me that, as of late, it's been a waste of my time and has rubbed off on me in a negative way. There is a time in the spiritual walk with the Lord where you reach the place where you can walk in any room, or post in any forum and not be affected one ioda by your surroundings. I simply haven't gotten to that place yet. It's time for me to withdraw from everything for a while, regain my strength and walk into the destiny that God has for me. Hopefully, but not certainly, it will include RS. Castaways. To JAC and Chrisfan, I say,"Keep the faith. If we never converse again, I'll see you on the other side." I will miss you guys for how ever long I'm gone. I love you guys, every one. Bye for now.

1 Corinthians 13:8

[Thorngrub]

Hey melon - - Whether I got something out of your posts is entirely besides the point - - I got something out of you, mate. And I don't just mean a mix-tape. Your mere presence on these boards has been a pleasure. You know you can count on me to return the other 2 mix tapes you want back. I think I still have your address - - maybe you should instant message me your address again, just in case. You can also email me to keep in touch, outside the boards. I think my email addy is given on this board's profile stats. Stay true to your dreams . . . and we'll be seein' ya around, kid

[JACkory]

Here's hoping you find your way back, melon.
I admire and deeply respect your sensitivity to the Lord's promptings and it is my prayer that your faith would be strengthened on your journey.
Remember...it doesn't matter what anyone thinks about the truth. What matters is that the truth CAN be known and that you know the One who claimed to be truth incarnate. Trust Him. Cling to Him. Continue to seek His kingdom and to follow Him into it.
If the world gets you down (ie. the overwhelming aura of unbelief, which indeed is quite prevalent on these boards) you must remember...greater is He that is in you than he that is in the world.
Good luck, my friend.

[Nepenthe]

Good Luck Melon! And take care!

[JACkory]

I was doing some internet searching tonight and wound up looking at various news stories about a facility I used to work at, the Oakridge Home for developmentally disabled adults. I worked there, as a DCS (Direct Care Staff), in 1995-1997, and it was where I first obtained the experience with mentally challenged people that led to my current employment situation as an HTS (Habilitation Training Specialist).
I was surprised to stumble across the following story, and I knew Betty Blackwood and Sharlene Nichols very well. Check it out...

Heart beats again in woman pronounced dead
By Mike Baird
SNS Contributing Writer
The Wewoka Times

It seems a miracle has occurred in Wewoka. At the very least the power of prayer from a special group of people has had an uncanny coincidence with a real life experience. The story begins in the words of Wewoka Fire Department's Captain Kevin Green who was one of the people who played a heroic role in the "heart beat" of this special moment.

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Captain Green says the call came in about 6 p.m. on Sunday April 29. A resident at Oakridge Nursing Home was choking. His review of the events follows:

"Myself and Jeff Seeley responded to the call. Our response time was only about one minute.

"When we arrived four nurses were performing CPR on a lady in her early sixties.

"I asked them to continue while we got set up, then we took over the chest compressions. We used our portable suction to clean the airway, we determined she was choked on mashed potatoes.

"I knew our time was getting thin so we had to hurry up and go. I had one of the nurses get a backboard and put it between me and the patient. We rolled her over and put her on the board-lifted her to the cot; we did CPR all the way to the back of the truck. One of the nurses asked if she could come with us, I said sure, that'd help me out a lot.

"When we got her into the back of the truck, Jeff turned on the oxygen. I hooked the bag up to the oxygen. I had the nurse keep doing CPR while I got the AED (Automatic External Defibrillator) ready. As soon as I got it ready, I attached the leads to her, it went to analyze mode, no heart-rhythm was found, we continued CPR.

"Every time it would analyze we would stop to let it get a correct rhythm reading, once it said, 'If no rhythm continue CPR.' We did that until we got about 5 minutes out, I knew ALS (Advanced Life Support) needed to be put in.

"We called on the radio--called code blue (CPR in process.) They had all the tools out when we arrived--the meds (intravenous medications), intubation kits, everything was ready.

"As soon as we got her onto the cot at the hospital we assisted the nursing staff with the ALS resuscitation efforts. The doctor put an ET (endotracheal tube) tube in her, checked for placement, good placement-put her on the bag. Two nurses, one on each arm, started IV's hooking up drip sets, IV solutions, and as the doctor called them they pushed the meds.

"We worked on her - they asked me if I needed a break - I was soaking wet. I said, 'Yes I do.' They had quite a few people on standby that came in to bag for me and continue compressions. I turned to start my reports.

"I had nothing, no name, no age, and no social security numbers. I had no medical history, allergies, nothing to give to the doctor other than she was a sixties female that choked.

"I tried to get this information from the hospital admissions staff; she had been there about five years ago on another call, all they had was a birth date.

"They did stop CPR to check the heart monitor, for the doctor to check for a heartbeat, and nothing was found.

"After what seemed like forever, they decided this was it. She was pronounced dead. It was about 6:30 p.m.

"As I unhooked the bag and began eliminating the disposable equipment we had used, one of the nurses said, 'Look.'

"You could see just a little bit of flutter in her chest, which was bare.

"I turned around and looked at the monitor-it started going a little bit crazy-and before you know it there was a normal rhythm. The doctor looked at it in disbelief. The nursing staff was amazed.

"I've been an EMT since 1993, and I couldn't believe that someone that was flat-lined with no color and no response to pain--just all of a sudden had a beat, then a good pulse. We checked her blood pressure, it was coming up.

"Everybody just started smiling, and someone said, 'Hey, she's not breathing on her own.'

"I started grabbing everything I had thrown away and started hooking her back up. Got the suction-suctioned her out, bagged her, and they called for a portable ventilator.

"As they were doing that they were deciding whether to call for Mediflight or to have Hughes County EMS transport her to Presbyterian Hospital. When I last went in there she had a good strong pulse, reasonable blood pressure, except she wasn't breathing on her own-but her color was coming back. She had been dead-and now was alive."

------

Betty Blackwood has no family. She is 64, non-hearing, non-verbal and diagnosed with severe mental retardation.

She has some very special friends in the 112 residents that live with her at Oakridge Nursing Home. All of them are developmentally challenged.

Blackwood has been there since Jan. 4, 1983. She came from Konawa.

Here's where the story becomes miraculous.

Ten of Blackwood's co-residents are faithful members of the Pentecostal Holiness New Life Church at 121 W. 12th in Wewoka.

They attend church every Wednesday and Sunday night. This particular Sunday evening the church was having a special recognition service to honor those who "hazard their lives for our safety," said Minister Gary Palmeri.

The Oakridge group sits in the front pew in the sanctuary. The following is Palmeri's account of what happened:

"I was getting ready to take testimonies and prayer requests. It usually is about 20 minutes into our service. The Oakridge group is very faithful. They never miss attending. They are our special people-they have childlike faith.

"Sharlene Nichols stood up before I made prayer requests and demanded, 'Preacher you must pray for our friend.' She put her hands around her throat and said, 'She is choking.'

"The rest of the Oakridge group stood and started moving toward me saying, 'Preacher, yes, you need to pray for our friend.'

"They were very upset, almost rushing the altar. It was a very intense moment. I had the congregation stand and we prayed. I joined the Oakridge group, who was already standing and very unsettled. We joined hands and all prayed in unison. It must have been right about 6:30."

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Although Blackwood remains unconscious, doctors have been marveling that she does have brain activity and told Parsons they are very hopeful. She was anticipated to have no brainwaves, but when tested showed otherwise.

Rev. Palmeri says that there have been a number of people at the church testify that the power of the groups prayer has helped their health, blood sugar, even financial woes.

"I didn't know anything about this woman, her circumstances, and certainly didn't know that she lived after being pronounced dead at the very time we were praying for her," said Palmeri. "I've got chills just knowing it now. I have to call it a miracle."

An interesting twist to the story is that Wewoka Fire Department's Captain Fletcher Hulsey was on hand at the church at the time of the prayer experience.

"I'm always one of the first ones to give God credit," he said. "Man can only do what he's trained to do. The gift of life comes from God."

I just had to share that...

[Nepenthe]

I am inclined to think that it wasn't all that much of a miracle. It was more than likely the medical attention the woman received.

You know, I will be the first person to say that prayer is an incredible and powerful thing. But, here you have this woman that was pretty bad off to begin with mentally and physically. Then she chokes and the medics try to revive her and 'thought' that they had failed. She is NOT breathing on her own, and she is in an unconscious state.

Jac, what do you think? Do you think maybe it would have been better off to just let well enough alone and let her pass onto God? Therefore she could become 'whole' again?

Breathing via a machine is not really a miracle to me.....sometimes humans have so little faith. They think that life here on earth is sooooo important. If she was that severely retarded I highly doubt her life was all that great and wonderful. So what now? she lays in limbo, breathing only via a machine and ultimately being held back from being able to pass away and become whole again and be with God........

I had a relative that was revived this way after a cardiac arrest. He was in his upper 70's and suffered from Lou Gehrigs disease. His wife couldn't afford to put him in a nursing home and she took care of him. When he went into cardiac arrest she of course called 911, they revived him 3 times! They punctured his esaphagus in doing so. He laid in a coma for about a week and the doctors told her to prepare for the funeral his chances were very very slim. He eventually came out of it but his mind was in and out of it for the next 4 years. His wife could no longer take care of him and she had to sell her home and move into an apartment for the ederly based on income so that she could put him in a nursing home, she was also in her late 70's. Well she spent most of her days for the next 4 years right by his side in that nursing home. Life in a nursing home is not a pretty thing, it is indeed probably one of the most horrid predicaments to be in. Sometimes he would snap out of it and recognize her and other family members and he would pray for God to take him. His heart beat stayed between 25 and 30 beats per minute for the next 4 years.......at the doctor's amazement....She so regreted ever calling 911, but of course its the natural thing to do. Finally he passed on and I am quite sure he is in a much better place.

And to whom this may concern: please no comparisons to Teri Shiavo here, different case entirely and I am not up for that debate.

[JACkory]

Tuatha, actually I do agree with you to an extent. The thing is, though, that her heart began beating again after she'd already been pronounced dead. At that point, yeah, I believe it was the duty of the paramedic to do what was necessary to keep that heart beating once it strated back up. We can't judge the quality of her life by our own standards. I've worked with the developmentally disabled long enough to really understand this. Indeed, she would have gone to a much better place, but all in God's time and obviously He wanted her to continue her existance here even if only for a short period of time...and who knows WHY He did that? Could it have been to strengthen the faith of her friends who were at the church and had the premonition that their friend was "choking", who prayed for her and then learned later of the circumstances? That's the miracle of the story, as I see it. Not so much that Betty's heart began beating again after she had clinically died, but that her friends who were in church at the time were given some sort of prophetic vision of what was happening to her at that very moment and that their prayers undertaken as a response to that premonition were, for all intents and purposes, answered.

BTW, sorry I had to delete one of your posts, but it was only deleted because it was in reference to a string of posts I had just deleted and didn't make any sense without the other BS with which it was placed in context.
I value your contributions to this board and hope you are not offended.

Otherwise, in regards to shin's & Pissin's ninja thread...take it to another board.