Salty Zebra

 Cruising in a wheelchair, or a scooter, or any wheeled device can be the best way to get out and see the world! Yes, there will be challenges, but is there anywhere that is totally challenge free in a wheelchair? Ok, Disney doesn't count. That's a magical place! Anyways, cruise ships, especially those from the major players (Norwegian, Carnival, Holland America, Royal Caribbean, Disney, etc), especially the newer ones are specially designed to accommodate handicapped travelers. A significant portion of their customer base requires some sort of mobility aid, so they are very aware of the needs of travelers and do their best to make your vacation wonderful. As I mentioned, though, there will be challenges and today's post seeks to help you be aware of and find your way around them.    Cruise ships are getting bigger and bigger all the time, with more and more decks. The ship I sailed on last month had 20 decks and I've seen some coming out later this year with as many as...

  However, if you turn aside and do not obey, but are lured away to worship and serve other gods, I declare to you this very day that you will certainly perish! You will not extend your time in the land you are crossing the Jordan to possess.  Deuteronomy 30:17-18 Say to them, 'As surely as I live, declares the sovereign LORD, I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but prefer that the wicked change his behavior and live. Turn back, turn back from your evil deeds! Why should you die, O house of Israel?'  Ezekiel 33:11  Over the course of the Old Testament, Israel turned away from God over and over and over again. He had made plain to them the truth, had shown them His love and care for them, and yet they continued to pursue other gods. It wasn’t necessarily a result of long periods of silence from God either. The first time the Israelites rebelled in the wilderness and made a golden calf to worship, Moses was only on the mountain for 47 days , and during t...

 I shared before, but I was blown away by all that God showed me during the last study, Firm Foundations . I was anticipating another start of the year back-to-basics study like I've done several times in my life, but it was definitely NOT that! We started out with a promise from Hebrews: “Now without faith it is impossible to please him, for the one who approaches God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.”  Hebrews 11:6  I learned that God wants us to not only believe He exists, but also that He will bless us when we seek Him. I learned over the last two months that this is so true . The more I studied about Him, the more I trust Him, the more secure I feel in Him, the more peace I have, the more blessed I am! Over the course of the last two months we explored the nature of God in: the Trinity , God's Holiness , God's love , and God's Justice .  Then we looked at sin: What is sin? , Original Sin , and Human Depravity . We moved on...

  “Do not be anxious about anything. Instead, in every situation, through prayer and petition with thanksgiving, tell your requests to God.”  Philippians 4:6 “If you love me, you will obey my commandments.”  John 14:15 “But be sure you live out the message and do not merely listen to it and so deceive yourselves.”  James 1:22  I hate to say it’s a formula, but it’s a formula. When we are anxious or worried about something, the Bible tells us to pray about it. Once we’ve prayed, we’re supposed to obey. Through those things and what God brings about, our faith will be increased. Like I said, a formula. That doesn’t mean it's up to us or we can force God into anything. It means that God has given us promises in His Word and when we obey Him, He meets us there!   When was the last time you were anxious about something? Maybe it was a presentation you had to give at work or a difficult conversation you needed to have with a loved one or wondering what yo...

 February 28th is Rare Disease Day. Yeah, it's technically February 29th, but that's, well, rare, so we celebrate it on the 28th on those years that don't have a 29th! Between 3.5% to 5.9% of the World's population live with a rare disease. Why the range? Well, the numbers aren't really accurate. In Western countries where healthcare is readily available, it is still difficult to receive a diagnosis. The average Ehlers-Danlos Syndromes diagnosis takes 12 years. I didn't get diagnosed until I was 43 although I started showing symptoms at a very young age. But when it comes to developing nations, health care is an entirely different story. Even if you get to see a doctor, the odds of them recognizing that you have a rare disease is pretty unlikely. And then, if they do diagnose you, it's unlikely that your case will be counted by a national agency of some type. So, they make their best guess! According to this report :  There are over 6,000 rare diseases, ma...

“They were devoting themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.”   Acts 2:42 “And let us take thought of how to spur one another on to love and good works, not abandoning our own meetings, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging each other, and even more so because you see the day drawing near.”  Hebrews 10:24-25  Fellowship is a pivotal and beautiful thing that has changed how it looks over the centuries since these verses were written. How lovely to live in a small community where we could walk to each other’s homes and the temple courts. If I were even physically capable of it, which I’m not, according to Google Maps, it would take 5 hours to walk one way to my church.  Since Covid, my relationships and engagements have changed as well. Really, it probably started when I finished homeschooling my kids. Back during my homeschooling days, we got together with other homeschooling families at le...

    Dreaming.   Do you do it? I'm not taking about the crazy stuff your brain does when you're asleep. I'm talking about day dreaming, imagining possibilities, hoping for the future.   Having dreams is so important, even if they never come true. I've always had an active imagination.   Sometimes it gets me into trouble, but in this case it can be a real blessing!   For a long while last year I couldn't dream of the future because I was afraid I wouldn't have one.   Picturing possibilities was just depressing because every time I thought of them, I thought of how I might die soon, and, well, that's depressing! You see, in June last year I was informed that my tumor had grown and, based on the measurements we had, it had grownsignificantly .   Prior to this I wasn't really aware that I was in any danger at all from my tumor.   Now I was told it was currently inoperable but dangerous enough that I was being sent to the Brain Tumor Center to se...