Putting Our Hope in Princes…

“Put not your hope in princes…” Isn’t that what government-run health care is all about? Putting your trust in princes? Expecting the state to look after all your needs?

The crux of the matter I think is that we don’t have a high enough view of God. We want the government to look after us because we don’t trust God to provide for all our needs. (Not only that, but I think in our society needs and wants have gotten pretty mixed up.) In scripture as far as I can tell caring for those in need is the job of individuals and the church.

I’m afraid that government control of healthcare eventually leads to euthanasia. Charity ends up being a burden. People like me (although I would rather not accept government money most programs and resources for the blind are government funded) end up being a drain on the government and it’d rather knock us off than spend money on what some people might consider "unproductive" citizens. Where does something like this stop?

No one stops to consider implications for the future. No, it’s all about now, about us. We’re giving away our freedoms! Selling our birthright for a pot of soup! But that’s what happens in a nation of incredibly self-centered people with an ‘entitlement’ complex looking for instant gratification. We want what we want when we want it at any cost. You know, I think we have an overblown opinion of ourselves, in the US these days, and what we deserve. I know what I deserve and it’s not very pleasant.

We should expect suffering, not ease or comfort. We should strive to follow God, not to gain material wealth, a problem-free life. Problems, suffering, disappointments are what often sanctify us and yet we want to avoid them at any cost. Anything but what would ultimately make me more Christ-like.. We need to get our priorities straight. If god ever gives me children I hope i will not instill in them a desire for the ‘American dream’ but a desire to see God’s ‘kingdom come, His will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” The other things just aren’t so important as we seem to think and yet we set so much store in them and spend our lives and energy pursuing them.

What does it profit if we gain the whole world and lose our souls?

Happy Easter!

In Christ Alone
Stuart Townend, Keith Getty
In Christ alone my hope is found,
He is my light, my strength, my song;
this Cornerstone, this solid Ground,
firm through the fiercest drought and storm.
What heights of love, what depths of peace,
when fears are stilled, when strivings cease!
My Comforter, my All in All,
here in the love of Christ I stand.

In Christ alone! who took on flesh
Fulness of God in helpless babe!
This gift of love and righteousness
Scorned by the ones he came to save:
Till on that cross as Jesus died,
The wrath of God was satisfied -
For every sin on Him was laid;
Here in the death of Christ I live.

There in the ground His body lay
Light of the world by darkness slain:
Then bursting forth in glorious Day
Up from the grave he rose again!
And as He stands in victory
Sin's curse has lost its grip on me,
For I am His and He is mine -
Bought with the precious blood of Christ.

No guilt in life, no fear in death,
This is the power of Christ in me;
From life's first cry to final breath.
Jesus commands my destiny.
No power of hell, no scheme of man,
Can ever pluck me from His hand;
Till He returns or calls me home,
Here in the power of Christ I'll stand.

Three Things

Hi,

I know I’ve been negligent with this blog recently. I’ve been sick this past week and a half with a nasty virus which I think it’s behind me now. At least I sure hope so.

This is going to be short as there were just three things I wanted to say:

1. Happy St. Patrick’s Day. It’s funny – well, not exactly funny, sad, really – how many people celebrate holidays that have a Christian origin without even giving a thought to what’s behind it. Patrick was a real man of God, though, it seems, and he suffered a lot for the gospel. I believe I have some Irish in me somewhere. But even apart from that the spread of the gospel is always an amazing and wonderful thing and definitely a reason for celebration.

2. I owe an apology for my last post. It was supposed to be only humorous. It wasn’t my intention to sound ungrateful or griping but going back over it that’s certainly what it conveys.

3. I wanted to ask prayer for someone close to me who I care a great deal about. He’s going through some major struggles in his life right now. This includes drinking too much. I’d like to ask prayer that he’ll turn back to the Lord and find his hope and comfort and especially grounding in Him.

Thanks so much and God bless!

Goodnight,
Jason

Jason’s Bad Day

Well, folks, I had a really bad day today. Gosh, it was just one mishap after another.

The day got off to a bad start when Shadow and I got back from our walk this morning. I was tending to a slice in my finger that’s refusing to heal up and keeps bleeding sporadically and while I was doing that my mom came to tell me that Shadow tracked in a lot of mud. What could I do but say I’m sorry? She was the one who had to clean up the mess. So, anyway, it was straight to the bathtub for Shadow. Shadow hates baths. He and I both: I hate giving him baths in the winter. Now my bathroom stinks of wet dog. It’s really pretty gross. Shadow’s an unusually decent-smelling dog but he’s still a dog and he shook all over my bathroom.

Well, after that I had loads of laundry to do. So I dumped my clean laundry on my bed and started to fold it and put it away. Somehow, don’t ask me how it happened, but some of the family’s laundry must have gotten mixed in with mine. What a nightmare. I spent all morning sorting it all out. At least it seemed like it took all morning. And my closet is probably still full of their stuff…

Then I settled down to finish a project I’m working on that I need to have done by this weekend for my Dad. And what do you know but somehow the whole thing I’d been working on for the past week got ruined. I still haven’t figured out what I did wrong but everything went berserk with the layout. It’s really frustrating trying to fix it. I worked on it for an hour but then I had appointments so that was it.

This afternoon I went to get a haircut and we ran into a little trouble there too. For some reason Shadow didn’t like the girl who cut my hair; she wasn't the usual one. He kept edging up to me and whimpering and licking my hands. I don’t know what he didn’t like about her. He’s never done that before. It was weird. She was really condescending to me anyway, and talked in a loud, fake voice the whole time, so, not to be mean or anything, but personally I thought it was kind of funny how Shadow was acting. She didn’t know how to take it.

But the worst thing that happened today. I got home and realized I’d left my ipod on the bus. Stupid me. I can’t believe I did that. I called customer service and for some reason they were surprisingly rude and suspicious. Anyway, they say they don’t have it and so now I’m thinking someone must have stolen it.

Anyway... so you’d think all that would be enough, right? Apparently not. On top of all that I spent a good hour or more making a dinner which I poured right down the garbage disposal. My soup was too full for the pot I had it in so I put another pot in the sink to transfer it into. I went to pour it and scalded my hand with extremely hot soup and in my surprise I spilled everything into the sink and on my feet. Don’t even ask me how I managed it. It was such a mess.

So I rushed around in a big hurry trying to get everything clean and throw together something else before the family got home. (It totally slipped my mind that Ava had ballet practice after school so they were going to be late getting home. I didn’t need to get so stressed out about it.) I’m usually a pretty good cook, I promise. Today was just not my day.

And, of course, my dad walked in the door when Mom and Ava were still gone and I was still cleaning up the mess I made in our kitchen. I wasn’t expecting him. He’s rarely home and I thought he was going to spend the night in Lincoln – business. Well, naturally, the first thing he asks is if I got the work done and I was so humiliated. I am really good at what I do. Usually. Everything was just screwed up today. I could hardly put a coherent sentence together to explain to him what happened. My dad intimidates me so much. I don’t know, I think I need to find another job. I love my dad and I’m glad he gave me the job but I know I’m capable of getting a job on my own and I think it might be less of a strain on familial relations.

So after that – after I got the kitchen clean – I sat on the sofa and played the guitar. I figured that was pretty safe, lol! Whew.

So is that a bad day or what? Gosh am I ever ready for bed.

I just hope my bed doesn’t fall apart or something when I get in it. Haha!

Blessings,
Jason

Home

Hi,

I’m home again. I unpacked this morning.

Wow. I miss everyone so much already. My aunt and uncle, the animals, the family next door.

I have mixed feelings about being back: I’m glad to see the family again, especially my little sis, but I miss the farm a lot. I spent such a worthwhile and motivating time there. It was an awesome experience. Maybe I can go back again someday; I hope so. Now that I’m home things are just like usual: I can’t imagine making time in my schedule to ride – finding a stable, working out a way to get there and back – it’s a shame, really, because I like riding so much. Why is it that we're always so busy in the city and relaxed in the country? Is it just the atmosphere? Because there's a heck of a lot more actual work at the farm. Weird...

Well, I had a great time getting to know my aunt and uncle. They’re wonderful people. I don’t know what God might be doing in their lives, but I hope my witness has some impact on them.

It seems like they enjoyed my visit, too, and were sad to see me go. My aunt made me cry. She hugged me, yesterday morning when I brought my bags down from my room, and she said “What did we ever do without you, Jason. You’re a joy to have around.” She’s too kind, really. I was very humbled. I’m so greatful God allowed me to be a blessing to them and I hope I was a good testimony to them while I was there. My uncle said if I ever want to come again I’m hired.

I learned SO much while I was there. It really amazed me the things I could do that I’d never ever imagined I would be able to handle. It’s been a great confidence-building experience. My aunt and uncle told me they learned a lot too!

Also, my aunt took some pictures of me that I’d like to post sometime if she sends them to me.

Goodnight,
Jason

Still Farming!

Hi,

I wish I could write down every moment of this time I spend here. But I’ve been far to busy for that. The work is hard and time consuming, for me at least, although it’s been very rewarding. It’s amazing the sense of accomplishment I have when I finally sit down in the evening totally exhausted and cold but pretty proud at the amount of work I’ve done completely on my own.

In a lot of ways it seems like I just got here – I’m still getting the hang of this type of work, getting to know the animals, growing familiar with the landscape of the farm, and it’s hard to realize that my stay here is soon coming to an end. I’m going to miss this farm so much, and my Uncle Alan and my Aunt Judith. They’ve been so good to me. My uncle is a veritable gold mine of information about farming and he’s been so patient with me, explaining the workings of the farm, answering my questions, giving me helpful instructions, and not flipping out when I make dumb mistakes. (And trust me I’ve made them.)

I know this place has got to be even better in the summer. Apparently there’s a lot more work to do in the summer, but i think it could be done easier and faster in good weather. It’s amazing how drastically snow alters the landscape. For a city boy like me whose used to being indoors most of the time that’s taken some getting used to. Every time we get more snow the landscape changes – landmarks, the way things sound. I’ve dealt with that at home before on a smaller scale, but at home at least our sidewalks and driveway are always cleared. Here I’ve put in so many hours just shoveling paths. And on the few warmer days we’ve enjoyed here everything was slushy in the day and icy at night. It’s rough for the inexperienced city boy like me.

The boy next door has been a great help. He’s really good at what he does but then he’s lived on a farm all his life. I'm greatful to him for coming over. He’s home-schooled so he said he can adjust his schedule to help. He’s really funny: he’s always full of questions, mostly about how I do different things, and he talks to me the whole time we work. He’s a much nicer kid than I was at twelve. I hope we can still keep in touch once I go home.

Anyway, that’s all I have to say for now. I’m having fun and learning lots. This is very different from my ordinary life I’m used to and I’m really enjoying it. (All except the cows. They make me nervous and I make them nervous.) :)

Goodnight,
Jason

More Farming

Hi,

Everything's been going really well here. I love farming. I almost don’t want to go home except I miss my little sis Ava. I’ve been talking to her on the phone every night and she really enjoys hearing about the animals and my escapades here on the farm. I talked to my mom today. She called to tell me about a doctor appointment i forgot about... Anyway, she said she was really proud of me and everything I am doing and learning. That made me really happy. I'm so glad God opened up this opportunity to help and to learn at the same time. It's been such a blessing.

On another note: keep praying for my Uncle Alan. He's doing better but still has a long road to recovery. Thanks!

Goodnight,
Jason

Riding

So I’ve been horseback riding. Every day and I’m getting better. I don’t think I’ve ever had quite so much fun in my life.

Horses are awesome! It makes me almost wish I lived before the invention of the automobile. Then I could ride everywhere just like everyone else and not have to worry about drivers or being hit by a car or any of that sort of thing.

Today wasn’t as cold as it’s been and I was able to ride Sally (one of the horses) for quite a while. Aunt Judith helped me get her harnessed and ready. I’ve been doing my best to remember how everything goes but I think I’m going to need a little more practice before I can do it myself.

It was truly wonderful! I can’t even describe how much joy I get from riding horseback. And I don’t even go that fast or that far. I’ve been just riding down the driveway and back, up and down, and their driveway is maybe 50 yards. Maybe eventually I’ll try riding somewhere else but for now my aunt thought this was safer. It’s an open drive so there’s no fear of overhanging branches or anything like that and also it’s cleared of snow and ice. First time I went after I arrived here Aunt Judith staid on the porch to watch me and to talk to give me some idea of direction. There are wind chimes on the porch but the wind’s not consistent enough to be a reliable landmark so my aunt put a radio out on the porch for me and that’s what I’ve been using. Once she realized I was okay she’s not been sitting out to watch – it’s too cold for her. I was nervous at first to be out there alone but now I’m actually glad she did it. If I’m going to learn anything I shouldn’t be constantly depending on other people to help me every step of the way.

Sally is my aunt and uncle’s most calm and gentle horse. She’s really sweet. Tall too, which is nice for me, I’m pretty tall myself. She’s much cleverer than me. I think it’s more due to her intelligence than my good travelling skills that we make the route safely each time. She was a little nervous of me at first since I guess I do things differently than any rider’s she’s used to - I do fumble around a lot to find things. But she’s been real patient and she’s getting more used to me by now. Today, though, we both totally flipped out when I dismounted by myself and couldn’t get my footing because it was icy. With incidents like that it’s been a little intimidating but I promised myself I’m going to keep working at it despite the weather and I’m hoping that by the end of my stay here I’ll have gotten good enough maybe I can find a stable back home and keep riding.

It really amazes me the pleasures God’s created in this world, even while it’s fallen. I can’t even imagine what heaven will be like

God bless!
Jason

I’ve been busier than I even thought I’d be. Whew! But I had a restful Lord’s Day yesterday and I was grateful to find a ride to church with the neighbors. I’d been a little concerned about working out that detail.

The animals are great. A.J. and Shadow are still pretty hesitant of each other. I think Shadow wants to be friends. Yesterday A.J. growled at him and I have a good guess Shadow was getting too near his food dish. The neighbor boy is helping me with the milking which even so is a frankly terrifying responsibility.

My Aunt Judith is an amazing cook. Next thing I’ll have to get her to run me through her kitchen then I can help out with cooking too. Not that she needs the help. :)

Thanks for prayers for Uncle Alan and also for me – that I don’t screw anything up.

God bless!
Jason

Farming

Long day but such a blessing! I don’t want to forget anything.

It’s so different here than where I live. I’ve never been in the country for an extended period of time and I know it’s going to be a different and amazing experience. Only one thing I wish is that it was summer. I like being outdoors but not as much with snow and ice. But other than that I'm excited for my time here.

My uncle’s still in considerable pain, he said. I was able to pray with him which was a blessing. They’re not believers and so I need to make an extra special effort to guard my words around them to be a good witness.

I spent a lot of the day being shown around the farm by my aunt, then going around alone. I’m worn out from all the walking and effort and excitement but I think now I have a pretty good basic map in my mind of this place.

It’s a great old farm. The whole house is pervaded with the smell of fried ham and wood smoke; the floors creak and vibrate whenever anyone walks; there are deer heads on the wall; there are several rotten boards on the porch. Also, I heard different birds around the farm than I'm used to and more than we have at home even though its winter. I can’t wait to do some bird-watching around here.

I met most of the animals. I petted those that would let me – goats, horses, even some of the cows. A lot of warm, wet noses and soft ears. I love animals. I’d love to be a farmer, haha! Shadow was a little wary of them; he’s a city boy but he’ll get used to it. Either that or he’s jealous. He and A.J., my aunt and uncle’s Jack Russell, have been pretty unfriendly with each other so far although Shadow doesn’t seem to mind the cats. A.J. growls softly at Shadow every time he comes past. Shadow’s well-bred enough to ignore it. I’m hoping they’ll get over their initial distrust and get to be good friends.

I learned how to look after all the animals, where the food is, how to get water, where to check for eggs. It’s a lot to remember but that’s one of the few skills I can legitimately claim – a good mind for details. I spent as much of the day as I could stand (it is COLD) outdoors after my aunt showed me around, going over everything, wandering around, petting the animals, taking in the new environment. Lots to remember, lots to learn. One thing I learned: chicken, goat, horse, and cow crap all smell really, really different.

Goodnight, and God bless!
Jason

Trip

Great trip. God always blesses me by putting kind and helpful people in my path (literally).

First there was the man who befriended me in the lounge and kind of stuck by me and helped me out. I don’t fly very often so I was a little intimidated to make a go for it myself. I was greatful for his help because I did want to pre-board and the people responsible weren’t paying any attention to me, although I was standing around trying to look pitiful. It was aimed at the people behind the desk but I guess it worked since he took pity on me.

Then there was the guy who traded seats with me so that Shadow would have more room. (Shadow was awesome but I think the trip was a strain even on his unusual long-suffering personality.)

Then there was the guy who sat next to me in the plane – he had no idea blind people used the computer and he wanted me to explain how I do it. I was blessed for an opportunity to improve his perception of blind people but more than that I was blessed to be able to share the gospel with him.

Then, of course, my aunt and uncle, who were so kind and welcoming. It was a wonderful evening, catching up with them and I can’t wait for tomorrow to start work and explore the farm. Praise the Lord for his blessings today!

Goodnight.
Jason

P.S. Some guy came up to me as we were getting off the plane and asked me if my dog counted as carry-on! :)

"Thank-You, Lord"

At Bible study tonight we sang a song that’s stuck with me all evening – a little chorus that I can’t remember singing since I was a little kid. But it really meant so much to me when we were singing it tonight. I even stopped the guitar and we sang it unaccompanied a last time.

“Thank-you, Lord, for saving my soul,
Thank-you, Lord, for making me whole,
Thank-you, Lord, for giving to me,
Thy great salvation, so rich and free.”

Short, but profound.

Well, I’ve got a long day tomorrow so I’m going to go over some last minute packing with my mom and then I’ve got to get some sleep.

Goodnight,
Jason

Prayer Requests

Hi,

I’ll be leaving tomorrow mid-morning. I haven’t seen my aunt and uncle in over three years. I’m a little nervous.

Three things if you’d please pray for:

1. A safe and uneventful trip. Seems I’ve never flown anywhere alone without some incident. :)
2. That I’d be able to help a lot. I’m starting to be afraid I won’t be able to help as much as I thought especially with the cows. I don’t want to let them down especially after my over-confident attitude on the phone.
3. My aunt and uncle aren’t believers, as far as I know. Please pray that I’ll be a good witness to them with my words and my life.

I’ll try to update my blog as much as possible though I reckon I’ll be pretty busy too. Thanks for praying.

God bless!
Jason

Wisconsin

So it looks like I’ll be heading out to Wisconsin this weekend. Yes!!! I’m really excited to go! I'm heading out Thursday morning and staying for three and a half weeks.

I’ll be helping my aunt and uncle around the farm. At first they seemed surprised by my offer. I think they were doubtful I’d be much help. I'm kind of used to getting that though; i just have to smile politely and prove people wrong. You can't blame them. They haven’t seen me since I was 16. I’m glad they’re giving me the opportunity and giving me the benefit of the doubt; I just hope I won’t let them down.

On another note: I love horses and my aunt and uncle have three. I hope they'll trust me on their horses.

I can't wait! I hope I can be a real help and blessing to them. Please pray for me.

God bless!
Jason

Doing versus Hearing

I don’t know if this is way out or anything but I got to thinking: here I am praying that my aunt and uncle will get help on their farm and what am I doing? Sitting at home. There’s nothing to keep me from going. Most of my work is done on the computer. I could easily take three or four weeks to help out.

So I called and left them a message. We’ll see what God does with it.

I’m ashamed I didn’t think of that earlier. See, I’m still trying to learn how to serve others I’ve been on the receiving end for so long. First major opportunity to work on numbers 1 and 2 of my New Year’s resolutions and I almost didn’t recognize it. Stupid, selfish me... :)

As James 1:22 says,
But don't just listen to God's word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves.

It's okay to make resolutions and know and say lots of right stuff but we've got to make good on all of it or our words are meaningless and our knowledge is useless. True servants of God are going to do the work.

Be praying that maybe God can use me to be a blessing to my aunt and uncle.

God bless!
Jason

Epaphrus

The other night, in our Wednesday night Bible study we talked a little about Epaphrus. One thing stuck out to me. From this passage that we looked at. (study was in Colossians 4).

Colossians 4:12, 13
Epaphras, who is one of you and a servant of Christ Jesus, sends greetings. He is always wrestling in prayer for you, that you may stand firm in all the will of God, mature and fully assured. I vouch for him that he is working hard for you and for those at Laodicea and Hierapolis.

Our study leader mentioned that Epaphrus was probably a prisoner at the time that was written! There wasn’t a whole, whole lot he could be doing for God and for the church. He could’ve thought he had a legitimate excuse for just kicking back and doing nothing. But no. He did everything he could. And he didn’t just pray – he ‘wrestled’ in prayer. That sounds like even in prison, with his limited abilities, he’s pouring his whole being into and doing everything he can for God. That really encouraged/convicted me. No excuses. If you can’t do anything else you can always pray.

On that note, please continue to pray for uncle’s recovery and my aunt – she’s got lots of work on her hands. Thanks!

God bless!
Jason

Prayer Request

Hi,

My Uncle Alan fell out of a deer stand yesterday and fractured his hip, hurt his back, and broke his wrist. I’d be grateful if you could pray for his speedy recovery with no complications. Also, he has a small dairy farm up in Wisconsin and he’s going to be off his feet for a while. My aunt is going to have a lot of work on her hands. Pray that they’ll be able to get the help they need.

Thanks so much for praying!

God bless!
Jason

Haiti

Hi,

Well, by now everyone’s heard about the earthquake in Haiti, helped, prayed (I hope). I hope you all – even now that the first shock of it over – are still praying for the folks in Haiti. We’re so far removed from everything that it’s easy to go on with our lives and not even remember to pray or care. Death toll in the tens of thousands? We can’t even wrap our minds arund that. It’s hard to care or understand as much as we should. Haiti seems so far away and the tragedy is honestly too great to comprehend. But if we stop and focus in on just a few of the stories, it helps.

I kno we’ve been shocked, too, when some people claimed that Haiti deserved this ‘judgment’. Well, that sounds so mean. Truth be told, though, there’s a small gleam of truth in what they’re saying even though it’s a gross misrepresentation. Yes, they deserved it. But so do we. That’s what everyone deserves. Anything short of death and hell is mercy.

Lamentations 3: 21-23
Yet this I call to mind
and therefore I have hope:
Because of the LORD's great love we are not consumed,
for his compassions never fail.
They are new every morning;
great is your faithfulness.

Psalm 130: 3-4
If you, O LORD, kept a record of sins,
O Lord, who could stand?
But with you there is forgiveness;
therefore you are feared.

We should be thanking God it’s not us. Because we deserve every bit of it and more. We’re a veritable Sodom and Gomorrah ourselves over here in the U.S.

Hopefully God will use this tragedy to remind us of both his mercy as well as his justice. He is in control and he’s good; we can trust that even when we don’t understand.

On another note: it’s an awesome opportunity to share the gospel with the Haitians. I hope Christian workers get the chance to do a lot of that while serving them in practical ways.

Be in prayer.
Jason

What To Do When You Meet A Sighted Person

Hi,

A friend emailed this to me and I thought it was pretty funny. Sorry if there are any formatting errors.

God bless!
Jason

What To Do When You Meet A Sighted Person
(Author Unknown)
People who use their eyes to receive information about the world are called sighted people or "people who are sighted." Legal "sight" means any visual acuity greater then 20/200 in the better eye without correction or an angle of vision wider than 20 degrees. Sighted people enjoy rich full lives, working, playing, and raising families. They run businesses, hold public office, and teach your children!
How do Sighted People Get Around? People who are sighted may walk or ride public transportation, but most choose to travel long distances by operating their own motor vehicles. They have gone through many hours of training to learn the "rules of the road" in order to further their independence. Once that road to freedom has been mastered, sighted people earn a legal classification and a "Driver's License" which allows them to operate a private vehicle safely and independently.
How Do You Assist A Sighted Person? Sighted people are accustomed to viewing the world in visual terms. This means that in many situations, they will not be able to communicate orally and may resort to pointing or other gesturing. Subtle facial expressions may also be used to convey feelings in social situations. Calmly alert the sighted person to his surroundings by speaking slowly, in a normal tone of voice. Questions directed at the sighted person help focus attention back on the verbal rather than visual communication.
At times, sighted people may need help finding things, especially when operating a motor vehicle. Your advance knowledge of routes and landmarks, particularly bumps in the road, tums, and traffic lights, will assist the "driver" in finding the way quickly and easily. Your knowledge of building layouts can also assist the sighted person in navigating complex shopping malls, and offices. Sighted people tend to be very proud and will not ask directly for assistance. Be gentle yet firm.
How Do Sighted People Use Computers? The person who is sighted relies exclusively on visual information. His or her attention span fades quickly when reading long texts. Computer information is presented in a "Graphical User Interface" or GUI. Coordination of hands and eyes is often a problem for sighted people, so the computer mouse, a handy device that slides along the desk top, saves confusing keystrokes. With one button, the sighted person can move around his or her computer screen quickly and easily. People who are sighted are not accustomed to synthetic speech and may have great difficulty understanding even the clearest synthesizer. Be patient and prepared to explain many times how your computer equipment works.
How Do Sighted People Read? Sighted people read through a system called "Print" this is a series of images drawn in a two dimensional plain. People who are sighted generally have a poorly developed sense of touch. Braille is completely foreign to the sighted person and he or she will take longer to learn the code and be severely limited by his or her existing visual senses.
Sighted people cannot function well in low lighting conditions and are generally completely helpless in total darkness. Their homes are usually very brightly lit at great expense, as are businesses that cater to the sighted consumer.
How Can I Support A Sighted Person? People who are sighted do not want your charity. They want to live, work, and play along with you. The best thing you can do to support sighted people in your community is to open yourself to their world. These Americans are vital contributing members to society. Take a sighted person to lunch today!

Hi,

I’ve been sick for the past few days but I’m feeling a lot better today. I missed the Wednesday night Bible study. Bleh.

Riley left yesterday morning. So now it’s just us again. Me, usually. My parents when they aren’t working, Ava when she’s not at school. The house is so quiet now – just Bertram, Shadow and I – except for the dishwasher running in the kitchen.

It’s sad to see them go. Especially Riley. It hasn’t been that long since he lived here, went to school, occupied the room down the hall. You grow up with someone then they go off to college and come back and they’re a different person. College changes people so much.

It’s been so good to talk to Riley over the past few weeks. Catch up. He talks a lot; he’s funny. He makes this household a more cheerful place. I didn’t realize how much I’ve missed having around.


Only one thing I didn’t miss: Mom and Ava are always so considerate I’d forgotten how Riley can be. I tried not to get frustrated. See, riley’s one and only fault is he’s messy. He doesn’t put things back where they belong. In the fridge, the cupboards – even little things like the hand-towel – and then I can’t find them. If the milk is out of place I can waste so much time searching through the entire fridge for it and it could be sitting on the table, or he might put the cereal on top of fridge instead of in the cupboard. People don’t understand the sinking feeling I get when I reach in a familiar place for something I need and my hand meets air.

My shirt has functioned it a hand-towel a lot over the past few weeks. :)

But I shouldn’t complain. I live with some unusually considerate people; I bet it can sometimes be annoying for them. That’s my family for you. They’re awesome, every one of them.

Sorry for the rant, earlier.

God bless!
Jason

Nervous!

So I’m going to a Bible study tomorrow evening, with some friends. They told me to bring my guitar. I can’t wait – I love to play guitar and I’m excited to be able to help – but I’m also a little nervous.

Please pray for me…

Jason

A Few Things I’ve Learned

Sitting here thinking back over this year and all the things I learned. God’s been faithful through it all and I just can’t help but be overwhelmed by how richly he’s blessed me

A lot happened, too, this year. Lots of changes. Riley went off to college. Amy got married. I turned 20.

I’m grateful to God for this past year. He’s convicted me about a lot of different things. I’ve prayed more, relied on Him more, and learned how hopeless I really am in my own strength.

So here’s another list. Just a few of the things I’ve learned (or relearned) in 2009.

1. Unselfishness.

There are no excuses for not obeying God and serving Him. No matter what state we find ourselves in He’s still given us all we need to live a life of godliness. We’re never exempted. When we look at other people’s problems the godly choice or action always seems obvious to us. But we think of ourselves – or at least I do – Well I have a legitimate excuse for not doing what I should. For me, “I’m blind. Nobody can expect me to, say, reach out to someone in need. I mean, shouldn’t people be reaching out to me?” But that’s a sinful and selfish thought. God commands us to: Philippians 2:3-7 Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind let each of you regard one another as more important than himself; do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others. That’s essentially the Golden Rule. So that means showing godly friendliness to someone at church even though I feel awkward or I’d rather not leave the safety and security of my seat. Hard but right. I’ve been working at this all year.

2. Edifying speech.

I’ve been convicted to try to have intentional conversations that build other people up. We so often just talk to say something – at least I find myself doing that all the time. Most especially because I don’t want people to feel uncomfortable around me so I try to say something – anything – just to put them at ease. But I really need to watch out against foolish words and worthless conversations. Life’s too short for that.
Besides, God’s been pretty clear with us about what he expects in that area: Ephesians 4: 29 Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.

3. Gratitude and Meekness

By this I don’t really mean ordinary thankfulness for all the things God’s blessed me with. I need that, too, but I was convicted about something even more specific. Other people may not struggle with this as much. Maybe I should call it (the fault) resistance to pity or aversion to help. Pride? Maybe? I guess pride underlies most sin. And I think the character flaw that fault reveals is a lack of gratitude and meekness.

Alright, here’s an example. Even if it seems patronizing, for instance, if I’m perfectly able to cross a street by myself and someone stops to help me, it’s still nice of them to stop. I should let them have their good feeling. I should be grateful. It’s nice of them to try to be helpful. I can at least appreciate the spirit of the thing even if the help itself wasn’t necessary. A lot of people would rather slink away. I know it. That happens all the time. Enough that I can appreciate people who quell their fear of people who are different from them and try to be kind and helpful. It’s pride and ingratitude that makes me rebel against help. That’s sin. It’s not sin to be helped.

So that’s another thing I’ve been working on this past year. It’s hard because lots of other blind people will encourage an attitude of arrogant independence. But that’s not right. My life’s goal is not to prove to the world that blind people are just as capable and independent as sighted people. My life’s goal is to grow in godliness and show the love of Christ to others.

So those are just a very few of the things God’s given me grace to work on this year. I’m so grateful for his love and grace and protection through another year and I know he’ll be faithful in this new one.

Lamentations 3:22-23
Because of the Lord's great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.

God bless!
Jason