Conflict in Marriage

It may not be a big surprise to you to discover that most conflicts occur because of differences between people. The differences can be real, imagined, perceived, misunderstood or made up but they still can cause conflicts.

It has often been said that "The greatest cause of major and minor conflicts between a husband and wife are not a disagreement over the ANSWER to a question but a difference over the NATURE OF THE QUESTION itself." For example, My wife asked me this question: "Honey, did you water the new tree the condo association planted?"

I defensively and frustratingly reacted by saying, "Why are you always nagging me to water the trees? I watered it last night!"

Karen said in an upset voice, "I am not nagging you but you always forget to do the detailed things around the house!"

I said, "I do NOT always forget.Besides, the trees don't need so much water."

Karen, "Yes they do need water. I heard it on the radio and the condo association sent me a memo to make sure we get one inch of water on the new trees every week."

Gary replied, "Those condo people are always nagging us."

Why was I upset, reactive and frustrated? Why was I attacking the condo association and reacting angrily toward my wife of 49 years? I misunderstood her question. She actually said, "Did you water the tree?" I heard something else. I heard her say, "Why don't you EVER water the trees?"

I heard an accusation not a question. That PERCEIVED accusation set me off into a defensive reaction. It was not the FACTS of her question that bothered me but my PERCEPTION of the FACTS.

FACTS are those things that can be verified by data. My ideas are not relevant to facts.

Fact: "I weigh 200 pounds".

PERCEPTIONS are facts mixed in with my opinions, self talk, history, values, interpretations and, in my case, the ability to hear well. (I do not hear well.)

Perception about my weight: "I am way too fat."

In this instance, I did not actually hear Karen's exact statement. I missed some of the facts and added my own ideas and misunderstandings. So, I made a mistake but thought it was her fault and I became emotionally defensive and re actively accusatory. I thought she had made me upset but I really made myself upset.

Any time I get defensive and emotionally reactive I need to slow down and make sure I have heard and understood the issue correctly lest I make myself miserable and others miserable as well. A person of peace does not allow his/her PERCEPTIONS of others rule his/her life.

Toxic conflict that is destructive to a couple and family almost always arises from MISSED PERCEPTIONS of FACTS that are then interpreted as attacks. Make sure you have heard the facts and not simply misinterpreted them.

One of the main jobs of a Counselor is to help us deal with facts not just personal perceptions.

How to Measure Maturity?

I can remember clearly my first forays into the realm of comparing church successes and by analogy, pastoral leadership success. As a 30 year old volunteer campus minister I was invited to the monthly meetings of the local denominational gatherings with all the local ministers and various denominational officials. I was excited to be with these mature spiritual leaders.

I wanted to learn how to be a "real man of God" and I assumed that I could see them up close and personal here. I must admit that I was sorely disappointed. I discovered that almost all the talk was about numbers, noses and nickels. The number of baptisms, the noses that showed up at the various church meetings and then how many nickels the congregation had contributed to the church.

Whey did they do this? I am sure there are many reasons but the easiest and most direct ways are numbers, noses and nickels. Attendance, giving and commitments are the quickest and most "reliable" ways to communicate how well we are doing in the ministry. Let's face it, measuring spirituality is like catching mercury or measuring the humidity. We only see people at public meetings so we don't really know what people are doing in private.

And, the model of ministry most churches have chosen is preaching and teaching by the ministers. It is not related to the inner spiritual development of believers but the outer, easily counted things like giving and attendance.

Here I am over forty years later and I still do not see many Pastors with different ideas about how to measure maturity of their members. Take a look at the brief article by Dallas Willard to see what you think of his ideas about measuring maturity. I like it a lot and have spent a lot of my ministry trying to foster Christian maturity. But let me say quickly, it is not easy to do.

I mistakenly posted on this blog rather than my other one, Spiritual Healing and Growth. Take a look at it there as well if you wish.

I strongly urge you to read a great book, The Critical Journey, by Janet Hagberg on this topic. It is shown at the top of the page. You can purchase it at amazon.com

Motivating Employees

In my last post I mentioned one of the reasons why so few ordinary people trust therapists comes from our "Highly Exalted Demeanor" and lack of understanding the common person's life. The fact that many if not most of our current politicians and highest officers in corporations are experts in theory with little practical experience also explains why the disease of therapists has spread widely to other fields.

An interesting article in the Knowledge @ Wharton electronic newsletter about motivating employees by actually getting to know them and their work. What an interesting concept as opposed to treating employees as robots and strangers.

Would you like to get more production from your people? Learn what they are thinking and feeling.

Healthy Haiti Help

Mature Believers are people who care and who share. The fact that 40,000 American Believers were in in Ministry in Haiti before the earthquake proves this fact. Just think of it. That many people who go for short and long term missions among the poorest of the poor with food, clothing, love and education. They are valiantly trying to tip Haiti, the most dysfunctional nation in the Western Hemisphere, into something like long term functionality.

When governments give aid to a country like Haiti most of it goes to the corrupt leaders. The United Nations and the World Bank throw money at Africa, Haiti and other poor nations but it destroys the economically. I heard on CNN that about 80% of the GNP is from charity! Most of that goes to corrupt politicians.

When Christian ministries take our charitable gifts it goes to help the people. The link above will take you to a mission of mercy that is taking young kids out of slavery and giving them an opportunity to get an education and thus a real life. Check them out.

Put Christ in Christmas

I intentionally say, "Merry Christmas" to people and I also try to remember to emphasize the fact that Christmas is a celebration of the birth of the Savior of the world not just a time to promote retail sales. I recently heard a reporter say that in past years many retailers were changing from promoting a "Merry Christmas" by saying "Happy Holidays" but that has changed with the economic downturn.

This shows us that economic realities put Christians in the driver's seat on this issue. And, according to the polls, we are in the majority.

Amidst all the holiday shopping craziness, most Americans at this time of year want to see holiday signs that wish them a "Merry Christmas." A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 72% of adults prefer "Merry Christmas," while 22% like "Happy Holidays" instead.

Marketers would be crazy to insult Christians and those of us who like the traditions of our childhood. Some 72% of us want to stay with the traditional greetings. So, let us all make sure we remember the focus of Christmas and keep our greetings warm, loving and Christ centered.

It might not be a bad idea to remind the current resident of the White House that his constituency wants us to have a Christmas Tree not a Holiday Tree.

Hasan and The Afterlife

According to ABC News, the terrorist Nidal Hasan was ready to die.

United States Army Major Nidal Hasan told a radical cleric considered by authorities to be an al-Qaeda recruiter, "I can't wait to join you" in the afterlife, according to an American official with top secret access to 18 e-mails exchanged between Hasan and the cleric, Anwar al Awlaki, over a six month period between Dec. 2008 and June 2009.

Other messages include questions, the official with access to the e-mails said, that include when is jihad appropriate, and whether it is permissible if there are innocents killed in a suicide attack.

"Hasan told Awlaki he couldn't wait to join him in the discussions they would having over non-alcoholic wine in the afterlife," the official said.

Old Friends Meet Again at EMI Banquet

 

Gary Sweeten and Steve Sjogren. Steve is the founder and first Pastor of the Vineyard movement in Cincinnati. Gary and Steve are good friends who have encouraged one another to greater love, greater power and greater truth.

Steve is presently in Florida stimulating Baby Boomers to reach their worlds. Steve has with God's grace and power, overcome tremendous medical obstacles to preach the good news and build God's Kingdom.



Gary Sweeten and Amel Whittaker at the EMI 30th anniversary banquet. Amel is a family therapist in the San Francisco area. He has been a good friend and teacher of the Life Skills Materials for many years.

Making Every Stressful Thought Peaceful

I am preaching this Sunday at Tri County Assembly of God on Route 4 in Fairfield. The focus will be on kicking off a series of Wednesday evening classes at TCA on Renewing the Mind.

As one of my friends from College Hill Presbyterian Church told me over thirty years ago, "This is what we need to get out of bed every morning."

In my life as a Pastor and Counselor as well as a Parent and partner there has been nothing more important than learning how to renew my mind. At least 95% of the clients I have seen in Therapy over the years could have prevented most of their emotional pain had they learned how to "Capture and Renew Irrational, Toxic Thoughts".

Thousands of people have been through our classes called Rational Christian Thinking or something similar. They are being taught in hundreds of churches and ministries around the earth. The simple truths we teach have liberated the poor, the hungry, the depressed and the addicted from their prisons of pain.

PAIN IS INEVITABLE BUT MISERY IS OPTIONAL!!!

How do you know if you need to make Toxic Thoughts into Peaceful Thoughts? That is easy. If my Self Talk makes me Anxious, Worried, Fearful, Angry, Guilty, Ashamed, Physically Numb, etc I am making myself miserable. Misery of the emotional kind is not healthy, helpful or necessary.

I learned very early in life what making miserable looks like. My Maternal Grand Dad made himself so miserable that he went to bed and stayed there for seven years. I know the process well because I nursed him daily for all seven years and heard him talk himself into misery.

My mother was very much like her father. Her melancholy mind set also tended to make her miserable. That is until she met some young women whose lives had been filled with chaos, abuse and terror but who made the most of things. That caused my mother to change at age 75.

Change is possible! You can choose to feel peaceful even when things are not going well. Pain is inevitable but you can choose not to make you miserable.

Come to the sermon Sunday and then sign up for the seven weeks of fun filled, faith enriched, power thinking classes. You will not regret it.

Hate on Campus

New research shows conclusively that administrators, faculty and students openly discriminate against Evangelical Christians on campuses. Here it is.

Don't think it isn't real. I was on a Doctoral Committee for a Christian who would have been black balled if I had not objected.

I Need Another Funeral

I was able to attend a wonderful funeral/memorial service this week for an old friend and boss. Bill Nester died and his funeral at St. Timothy's Episcopal Church on Beechmont was the site of a wonderful, spiritually uplifting service.

First of all, it was liturgical and thus full of beautiful words, wonderful prayers and powerful scripture verses. Unlike the church of my childhood and my preferences today, a liturgical church leaves one breathless and inspired.

Second, there was Holy Communion. Hearing those wonderful words of consecration and taking the body and blood of Jesus provided a special inspiration for me.

Third, there is no doubt that Jesus Christ was Lord and that we are able to meet Him in heaven if we accept that truth. Unbelievers did not go away wondering if Bill Nester was an agnostic or spiritualist. The entire service made his faith in Christ plain.

Fourth, I was reminded of my own mortality and my need to serve Jesus while I can.

Thanks be to God for His wonderful reminders.

Learning to Make Decisions

We in the USA live in a Representative Democracy that is considered to be a Republic. It is not a "Pure Democracy" as decribed by Aristotle. That, in Aristotle's view, is anarchy. The Republican form of government is based on a shared set of values we call "The Constitution" and allows the citizens to vote on men and women to represent them in accordance with that set of values. A Republic requires a citizenry with great interpersonal skills.

First is the skill or value of respecting other people. Dictators have not learned to be respectful so they attempt to make decisions that are selfish and self serving. Good decisions in the family, church and community must serve all the people not just the people in control.

Secondly, we must learn how to listen patiently to each other and learn from people with whom we disagree. The underlying characteristic for that skill is humility. My own temperament is skewed toward intellectual competence so I tend to be prideful rather than humble. Unfortunately I have to learn humility and patience along with listening over and over again.

More thoughts on this later.

Gary Sweeten

Idols in the Pulpit

I just read a blog by Pam Hogeweide on the topic of some preachers who love the limelight and who become "idols" to a lot of Believers. Here is my response.

Pam,

Well written ideas about celebrity. My 2 cents.

Immature folks need some person to idolize. Almost every young believer idolizes a leader, a writer, a preacher or an apostle. Because of that, some narcissistic folks, usually males will puff themselves up and enhance their image.

Most of us will outgrow the need for idols and stop attending the BIG NAME gatherings while the immature will keep pumping them and holding seminars where a few can brag. It cannot be stopped but as God grows people up they will stop it. Here is the catch. When lots of people become “Seasoned Believers” and stop flocking after the big names the press will report it as a "sign that Christianity is dying”. That kind of Christianity needs to die.

There are almost no places where Seasoned Believers can come together for meaty discipleship and in depth interactions. Most people are left to attend shallow, showy, hyper active gatherings where BIG NAMES can talk. I know of hundreds of Seasoned Believers that are bored to tears. The research at Willow shows it but still the BIG NAMES want to put on more shows with bigger screens and more video tapes. That is giving 1% milk to carnevours.

So, we have millions of Seasoned Believers who came to faith in Christ during the Fourth Great Revival of the Seventies who want to become the Fourth Great Awakening but the RULING CLASS of leaders are still feeding them 1% milk.

What to do? Stop complaining about the idols and the immature and focus on the mature so we can go deeper no matter what others do.

Shalom,

Gary Sweeten

Muslim-Christian Conflict and Obama

President Obama is trying to calm the fears of Muslims and secularists around the world by saying nice things to the Turks and bowing to the Muslims. Will it work? Is this an enlightened bit of politics or coming from a naive President who thinks we can convince people to start loving and stop killing each other?

I heard David Brooks on a recent pod cast say an interesting thing about why he is a Conservative and I think it is why I am a Conservative. Like Reinhold Neiebuhr I do not think it is possible to change people as individuals, groups or nations very easily or quickly. Good changes in the life of an individual take a long time and great wisdom on the part of the change agent. Group and national changes take even longer and more wisdom.

Obama wants to change the USA and the world into his image quickly and very radically. He seems to think he can change Muslims by saying nice things to some of their leaders. George Bush thought the same thing but they chose different avenues of bringing the changes.

The Atlantic Monthly has a great article on Neiebuhr with an interview by David Brooks that I suggest you read.

There is also a good article on Obama's approach to Islam in Wall Street Journal Online.

I will close with a prayer written by Rev. Dr. Neiebuhr. Part of it is used by all the Anonymous groups for wisdom, hope and encouragement. It was carried into war by all the soldiers in WWII.

It lays out a large part of my theology and why I am a Conservative.


A Prayer for Courage and Serenity

Rev Reinhold Niebuhr

God, grant me the serenity to accept
The things I cannot change
The courage to change the things I can,
And the wisdom to know the difference

Living one day at a time,
Enjoying one moment at a time:

Accepting hardship as a pathway to peace:
Taking, as Jesus did,
This sinful world as it is,
Not as I would have it:

Trusting that you will make all things right
If I surrender to your will:
So that I may be reasonably happy in this life
And supremely happy with you in the next

Distributed by Dr. Gary Sweeten
P.O. Box 498455
Cincinnati, Ohio 45249
513-300-5065

How to be a Healthy Christian Sinner

I receive a weekly devotional with the name, Graced Again and it is generally quite good. Take a look at the following comments and see what you think.

A Gospel-centered life is the Christian Waltz. A waltz is a dance made up of three steps. Christians need to consider the Christian three step when it comes to growth.

In the first step, we acknowledge our need as we see our sin in light of the Law.

In the second step, we look to Christ to change us.

In the third step, we fight against sin and fight to choose righteousness in the strength of the Holy Spirit.

Repent! Believe! Fight!
Repent! Believe! Fight!
Repent! Believe! Fight!

An emphasis on the love and grace of God lays the dance floor, or the foundation, for the waltz. Unless Christians are convinced of God’s love for them and His favor over them by virtue of their union with Christ, they will minimize their sin and engage in blame-shifting and excuse- making in order to feel justified before God.

Unfortunately, many in the Church today teach believers a Two-step. The two-step is to simply repent and fight. They acknowledge their sin and proceed with new resolve to try harder to avoid sin. The problem with this approach is it bypasses the cross of Christ and the power of the resurrection. Bob Flayhart

Send me your comments on how to help Christian Sinners stay spiritually and emoionally healthy.

Gary Sweeten

Heart and Soul in Witnessing

I wrote a few posts ago about the technical brilliance and the soullessness of much of modern life. While in Norway and Denmark I saw the advance of social and politics that makes sure people live in relative comfort. They call it "A guaranteed quality of life." Scandinavia is the model for Liberals in the USA and we are headed rapidly in that direction.

The problem with such an ideal is the lack of initiative taken by ordinary people to innovate, relate with love and care to each other in a deep manner. It is easier to let the government take care of our problem and problem people. But that does not work very well. People with psychological and relational pain need love, care, kindness and sharing in a community not just pills and a psychiatric hospital staffed by bureaucrats.

It also means that witnessing is frowned upon. So most Christ Followers find it increasingly difficult to share their faith in Jesus. That is way too personal, emotional and agressive.

My seminar in Norway was held in a four star summer resort on the sea. Being winter, the rates with a meter of snow on the ground were low. Some thirty of us came together to grow deeper into personal relationship with God, self and others.

The staff at the resort were attentive and professional.

During one of my sessions on developing personal relationships with others I suggested that building caring relationships is most effective way to witness about Christ's love. I finished the session by asking how many of them knew the names of our servers and if any had spoken to them personally in the first two days of our visit. Few raised their hands.

I had suggested that the Jesus Model as presented in Luke 10 is a great evangelistic model. It tells us to bless people with peace as we go about our business. Then, we are to observe on whom that peace rests because that would alert us to the persons that were interested in Christ.

The group took the hint and thereafter became warmly inviting to the staff. One woman was fluent in Russian and discovered that two of the staff were from the former USSR. They chatted in Russian and the smiles were wide on their beaming faces.

One man asked how he might pray for a waitress and she burst into tears. She later asked him to pray that she would overcome her fear of males so she could develop a healthy relationship with a man.

A Pastor discovered that one of the wait staff was from his hometown and shared his unique way of speaking. They spent hours together reminiscing about the "old days" in the village.

In a few days this caring, Evangelical group of turned on, Spirit filled men and women discovered voices of compassion. They overcame the natural "Scandinavian Shyness" and showed strangers the love and concern of Jesus .

Two other groups were also having conferences at the hotel. They were loud, drunken and having a lot of "fun". The differences between them and us were obvious. We chatted with each other and the staff with warmth, empathy and respect. Some responded back with requests for prayer and understanding their loneliness. Even though sober we had more joy.

Take a look at how powerful respect, love, understanding and warmth can be, even to an atheist.

Gary Sweeten

All Materialsm-No Heart

I am in my second week among the Socialist Scandinavians and have some reflections. First, living here is comfortable. Everything that the government does is designed to make sure that the streets, public services and environment are clean, tidy and orderly. The trains run on time and many creature comforts are available to the masses.

There are few material differences between the rich and poor. Most homes are the same size small apartments and most cars are newer models from Japan and Germany or Sweden. Most people dress informally in jeans and few seem obviously poor.

Young people are placed in clean, orderly schools and old people into clean orderly retirement homes. Not many people seem to work hard or break a sweat about anything.

The pay is low and the taxes are high. Good producers are punished with even higher taxes so no matter how smart, how clever or successful you are the government makes sure you do not have much conspicuous wealth.

Everyone pays at least 40% taxes to the Federal Government. Then, everyone pays 25% Value Added Tax or VAT on everything that is purchased. A Coke is about $3.00 as is a bottle of water and 25% of that is tax. So, poor people must pay 1/4 of their income on sales' tax when they purchase food, clothing, train tickets, etc.

Is this the future of America? Probably. It seems to have created a huge "leisure class" of bored, tired, robots with little excitement, drive or energy. People are isolated from close interaction and the secular humanistic ideals do not seem to lead people to lives of anything but quite desperation.

Few are involved in caring for others of caring for anything outside themselves. Selfishness and narcissism are rampant and many are bored with too much stuff. I am constantly reminded of the passage that says, "Give and it shall be given unto you; pressed down, shaken together and placed into your lap."

Many of the older, retired pensioners are engaging in drunken orgies with films of themselves on Facebook throwing up and having sex. Anything for a momentary thrill to break out of boredom.

The last part of I CO 13 ends like this: "These three remain; faith, hope and love and the greatest is love."

Here it seems to be: "Faith in the government, hope that the economy stays strong and love the technology".

This society might be summarized as "Clean, orderly and technically healthy with no heart, no soul and no love". Thank God the committed Christians here are praying, witnessing and reaching out to others to they can find a reason to live for something other than food, clothing, shelter and public transportation.

Gary Sweeten
Randers, Denmark

What Empowers Christian Growth?

I hear a lot of people talking about Christian growth but few that do much about it. Every week I receive a quote about God's grace from a great ministry that works hard to facilitate individual and church growth.

I normally enjoy it because I agree with it. (I'm funny that way.) The one I received today did not quite agree with my understanding of the ways to enable and empower Christian growth.Read it and see what you think. I would love to hear your insights.

"Conversion is the lifelong transformational process of being remade into the image of God. It is so much more than simply trying to avoid sin. The focus of repentance and conversion is Jesus, not my sin nor my self. My attachment to sinful ways of being is much too strong to ever be undone by mere willpower. There is no substitute for surrender to divine love as the fuel to propel such undoing. Divine love transforms both my heart and my will. Divine love enables me to choose God’s will over mine. Without this, repentance will be nothing more than a self-help scheme based on effort and resolve." David Benner, Surrender to love.

Graced again is compiled by Tom Wood, Church Multiplication Ministries, a non-profit, whose mission is starting, strengthening, multiplying grace-centered churches through consults and coaching church planting pastors, leaders and emerging leaders. Sign up on the web at Graced Again.

Do you agree with Benner? Why? Why not?

Gary Sweeten

http://www.sweetenlife.com/

Seek First the Kingdom of God

Did you read about the man who lost his job and went home to see his wife and five kids? He killed them and himself because he was so upset about losing his job. I would say that this is an extreme example of loving and serving mammon more than God.

In Matthew 6 Jesus offered us a beautiful and healthy way to look at material things. It is the way we can keep our wits about us during this economic slowdown.

19 "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 20 But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. (If you want security do not place your mind on getting it from material goods. Mold, rust, inflation and a lowering stock market can take our material treasures away from us. No body can take heaven's treasures from us.)

21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. (My dad always said, "The pocket book nerve is the nerve closest to a man's heart.)

22 "The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are good, your whole body will be full of light. 23 But if your eyes are bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness! (This is powerful. The eyes are windows to the soul. If they are filled with evil, greed, mammon and self service the soul will be in a dark dungeon!)

24 "No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money."

Not long ago Bernard Madoff, a very wealthy investor, was found to have been ripping off his investors for some 50 Billion dollars. They included his own family, his Rabbi and Congregation as well as numerous Jewish and secular charities.

How dark would a man's soul need to be to do such a thing? He had many houses, yachts and assorted luxurious items while stealing from charities. He attended Synagogue, gave to their charities and yet was so greedy that honoring God was a complete fake.

But to a lesser extent, many of us choose mammon over God. We worship the things money will buy and long for it in the bank or retirement account so we will feel secure. Is my security in things or in God. Jesus gives us this advice.

32 The pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. (Is my security in things or the God who supplies all my things?

During this financial meltdown I have seen my retirement fund almost disappear. I was very anxious and I sought the Holy Spirit's guidance. He spoke to my heart and comforted me. (I'll tell you later what He said to me.)

Have you sought the Lord and His Kingdom during the meltdown? Did He comfort you?

Are you trying to operate in His kingdom rather than the political kingdom?

Are you exceedingly worried about your things? Does the worry help you or increase the bank account?

Let me know what you are experiencing.

Gary Sweeten

http://www.sweetenlife.com/

Diversity is Good and Right and True

The following exchange was on an Open University sociology TV program.

Interviewer: How long have you worked here?Production

Lady: Since I left school - about 15 years...
Interviewer: What do you do?

Lady: I take packets of biscuits off the conveyor belt and put them into cardboard boxes.

Interviewer: Have you always done the same job? Production?

Lady: Yes.

Interviewer: Do you enjoy it?

Lady: Oooh yes, it's great, everyone is so nice and friendly, we have a good laugh.

Interviewer (with a hint of disbelief): Really? Don't you find it a bit boring?Lady: Oh no, sometimes they change the biscuits...

Never judge another person's like or dislikes, gifts, call or ministry. You might be wrong and think they should like exactly what you like.

Gary Sweeten

http://www.sweetenlife.com/

Thanks Be to God

So, you get the picture. I was having some extremely painful and scary angina pains while flying to Singapore via Tokyo. I was pretty scared, anxious and my blood pressure went up placing me in an even more dangerous situation.

I am very thankful that God orchestrated things for a heart transplant surgeon got on the plane in Minneapolis and flew on to Tokyo with me. This man and his assistant had enough equipment on the airplane to open up my chest and save my life. That kind of drastic action was not necessary but he gave the airline personnel and me the wisest and best advice possible.

He strongly advised me to continue on to Singapore to get the necessary cardiac treatment. I did and when I arrived in Singapore my friends got me to a well known cardiologist who had me tested for heart damage. He suggested that I immediately enter the hospital for an angiogram test and possibly a stint through angioplasty. But, the best doctor in Singapore was not there and the physician would not recommend anyone else.

The result was I called North West Airline and told them I had to get back home immediately for a medical procedure. In the meantime, Karen called Christ Hospital and tried to schedule an appointment with Doctor Kereiakes, who was not taking any new patients. So, she called Diane Francis, a Chaplain who told Head Chaplain Doug Mitchell, who walked over to The Ohio Heart Center and asked Dr. K to see me.

It takes about 25 hours to fly back from Singapore but when I returned Dr. K got me in immediately and the next day I was in the Cath Lab getting a stint. I am extremely thankful for the skilled, caring and quick acting friends and professionals who saved my life and got me the help I needed.

Tomorrow morning I return to The Christ Hospital to Dr. K's Cath Lab for another procedure. I am trusting God and the skilled people at The Ohio Heart Center to get me through the ordeal.

Thanks for all your prayers and love.