Praise to the Lord

Pulmonary therapy continues to go well although after each session and the next day it leaves Hu exhausted.  At each session he has a regimen of working out on several machines.  The bar is raised a little each time, either by increasing the resistance or increasing the repetitions to help him increase his stamina.  In addition, we have been attending a seminar once a week on a topic pertinent to his condition.

Is There a Realm of the Near-Dead?

What is the near-death condition really all about?  Is there some kind of realm of the near-dead? 

As I have explained earlier, I believe that what I experienced was a reality in its own right.  I quickly want to add a warning, though, that my comprehension of everything that was going on remains very limited, and I find that I am still learning from the experience and growing in understanding as time goes on.  

Continued Blessings

Hu has been writing his Sunday blog for a few months now.  This past Sunday night after a tiring day he sat down to put the finishing touches on his writing for the week and was too exhausted to finish and finally decided to go to bed and submit it on Monday.  Much to his surprise he found that our sons had contributed to the blog in honor of him on Father’s Day which was a great encouragement to him.  Thus he decided to wait until next Sunday to post his next article.

Monday morning I awakened and mentally ran through my day.  In my mind I said, “Ugh,” I wasn’t exactly anxious to get up and move on with the day’s activities.  At that moment the Lord brought to my mind, “This is the day the Lord hath made...rejoice and be glad in it.”  As the day went on that verse kept repeating in my mind.  I felt like the Lord enabled me to tackle my projects with a better attitude than I would have had otherwise.

Hu continues to work hard at his pulmonary rehab.  In addition, to walking he works out on several machines each time he goes but the focus is on reconditioning his whole body thus they closely monitor his stats during each session.

This is the day which the Lord hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.  Psalms 118:24

Thank You, Sons

To my beloved sons:  David, John and James

I am so thankful for each of you and was completely blown away by your kind and loving Fathers’ Day postings dedicated to me.   I am both humbled and proud at the same time to have you as sons, godly men who are seeking as fathers to bring up your own children to become godly men and women following your example.  Aside from His gift to me of salvation through Jesus Christ and your mom as my beloved wife and friend, seeing you walk with the Lord by faith is the greatest blessing and joy I could ever ask for.

I remember so well how you closed ranks before my surgery, though separated by thousands of miles, to come together for a family prayer time over the Internet, surrounding me and Mom with your love and earnest prayers.   And then, you traveled those many miles to rally to my bedside and to support Mom during those dark days when my recovery hung in the balance.

I will be forever grateful for each of you and look forward to spending eternity with you!

Love always,

Dad

Happy Fathers Day!

Thank you for your Godly example over the years.  The journey you have been on over the last 9 months or so has been an incredible testimony to us and to many others of your firm belief in God and the trust that you have put in Him.  
 
One of the greatest memories I have of you from my childhood is seeing you sitting on the couch early in the morning as I would walk down the stairs in our house for breakfast.  You had been sitting on the couch spending time with God, reading and praying, long before I was even awake.  With your Bible opened up on your lap, you would greet me every morning.  Thank you for setting that example, and more importantly, thank you for living it out - showing me what it means to be a Christ follower.  
 
We thank God for your life and that He continues to use you to share the hope that we have in Christ.  We continue to pray for your healing, and we thank God for sparing your life and for using you to encourage us in our walk with Christ.


Love,
David

Happy Father's Day!

 We love you and are so thankful we get to celebrate this day with you.  We are blessed to have such a godly, strong, courageous, loving, and selfless role model as a father.  You truly are my hero!  We miss you and look forward to seeing you soon. 

Love,

James

A Father's Day Prayer

Dear God,

Thank you for giving my brothers and me another year to celebrate our dad (Hu)! Thank you for blessing me with a dad, who has been the greatest example of godliness and manliness in my life. As I celebrate this special day today with my own kids, I am reminded of the tremendous privilege and responsibility I have to carry on that legacy with them. Lord, thank you for a dad, while imperfect like all earthly fathers, earnestly strived to lead me down the path of righteousness - teaching me the difference between right and wrong and ultimately leading me into a relationship with You. Amen!

"A righteous man who walks in his integrity - How blessed are his sons after him." (Proverbs 20:7 NASB)

I love you, Dad! Happy Father's Day!

Love,
John

God's Provisions

Our family could write a book about God's provisions since Hu went into the hospital November 9, 2011.  We have seen His hand at work all along the way.

Did God Give Us a Message Beforehand?

Does God speak to us directly from the Bible?  I mean, does He outright tell us specifically what to do or what He’s going to do in an actual situation?

"Snickers Satisfies"

I have a "sweet tooth" and always enjoy candy or a dessert.  However, when I recently saw the advertisement on the candy bar, "Snickers Satisfies," it really made me think about what satisfies my deepest needs.  It isn't a candy bar or dessert, but Jesus is the one that can truly satisfy.  All these other things that I spend my time doing and thinking about will never give me the full satisfaction that my heart and soul need.

Last week, I heard Hu say to someone who was asking about his progress that he is improving inch by inch.  We continue to be thankful for the incremental progress.  Sometimes being with him most of the time it is difficult to realize it, but I have noticed that his stamina has been increasing.

Make sure that your character is free from the love of money, being content with what you have; for He Himself has said,  I will never leave you or forsake you. --  Heb. 13:5   

Jesus Satisfies!

The Parallel Journey Unveils a Parallel Reality (cont'd from May 27 post)

Physically, I was still far from out of the woods at this point and would go through more trauma, including bouts with pneumonia, ”afib” (atrial fibrillation) and other issues.  I would be in critical care for a total of 4 weeks and rehab for another 3 weeks before being discharged.

So, what lessons and insights have I gained from the whole Parallel Journey experience?   Truly, there are many to share, but one stands out as the greatest.  If I forget all the rest, it will undoubtedly remain permanently impressed upon me.