A Disturbing Dream--revisited

I had 2 friends ask me today, at different times, if I had been given any more insight into disturbing dream about the mammoth tree that looked vibrant, yet fell over DEAD.

This came on the heels of my husband telling me some very HEART BREAKING news for me about the church denomination in which I was saved. My heart just sank when I heard the news.

Read the AP article here to understand the rest of my post:
http://www.dfw.com/mld/dfw/community/15787248.htm

After reading this, my heart just ACHED. I felt almost sick inside.
I've been thinking about this all day...almost grieving, in a way.
It was like finding out that a close relative has been seriously injured and they are in critical condition.

It wasn't until I got home and there was an email from another friend asking about my tree dream that I went back and looked at the date I had the dream. I had the dream on OCT 17 and posted in my blog about the dream on OCT 18th.

Now I am NOT saying this is a "thus sayeth the Lord" kind of thing...but I did find it striking that this decision that was handed down by the Baptist Seminary hit the news in the Ft Worth Star Telegram on October 18...the very day AFTER the dream I had the night before.

So what does it mean?? I don't know! I don't even like the implications of what it could mean!
I owe a debt of gratitude to the Baptist church!! That is where I was born again at the age of 18. I never regret my baptist heritage!! But I shutter to think of what is going on in the heartbeat of the general convention.

I know very well the differences in denominations...but it was **IN** the baptist church that I was taught about the baptism of the Holy Spirit and received the baptism with evidence of speaking in tongues...so even this was a part of my baptist heritage!

I have been very disturbed in my spirit all day about this. I drank lots of coffee tonight because I do not look forward to sleeping tonight and possibly dreaming about what has been so heavy on my heart today!

I truly feel like part of my FAMILY in Christ is in severe danger!

This seminary president has fired faculty members who have received and practice this spiritual gift. The baptist international mission board is threatening to withdraw funding to their missionaries overseas who operate in this gifting. Letters have been written to churches basically telling them to "cease and desist" if their staff or members have a private prayer language.

I am still a bit shocked and stunned after hearing this today. I have NUMEROUS friends in leadership positions in the baptist church that are spirit filled with the evidence of speaking in tongues and I wonder what will happen to them. I know if faced with an ultimatum, there would be no decision to be made at all...they would never deny the gift of God and the power of the Holy Spirit moving in their personal life or their church.

I find it terribly disturbing that a denominational leader would dare threaten their members with excommunication from the church for practicing a biblical gift that operates in their prayer life...not just publically...BUT PRIVATELY!

I am no expert in the area of the judgment of God...but I truly fear for my Baptist FAMILY members. I cant even begin to imagine how one would explain to God that kind of HARSH treatment of the Children of God.

What is that old saying...Absolute power corrupts absolutely?

Does one man really have that much influence over an entire denomination and a general convention??

Is this really an issue worth devestating an entire church and denomination over? Paul said that it is the least of the gifts...but a legitimate gift...and even went so far as to warn the church to NEVER FORBID the speaking in tongues.

My heart is SICK with concern for the state of my "spiritual family of origin".

Scripture says the Fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom.
Is this what happens when the fear of the LORD is lost and the institution of man/denomination is exalted?

My heart is just SICK...sick...sick...with concern. I don't even know what to pray! I certainly DO NOT wish to see the judgment of God fall on the entire Baptist church!! They are part of my spiritual family!

I guess the irony of all is that scripture also says that when we do not know how to pray, the Holy Spirit will intercede through us with groanings to deep for words...I have found in those times, that is when I most earnestly pray in the spirit with my prayer language. So I will pray in the spirit for my Baptist brothers and sisters ...and pray God, in His great mercy will cover this situation with His divine intervention. I will also pray that God not destroy or bring judgment on an entire denomination for bad leadership decisions. I will pray in God's mercy that the leadership be removed...not the lampstand of the entire church!!

The Baptist Church surely is MAMMOTH in size, influence and power...and its roots go deep and to the core!
I shudder at the thought that my dream about the tree has anything to do with this situation...but if it causes me to PRAY in earnest for this situation--that can't be a bad thing, right?

I feel the need to stop by Cornerstone Baptist Church (but will probably write a letter instead), here in Arlington, and just give Pastor McKissic a huge HUG and thank him for standing on his conviction and the WORD of GOD...He is the lone voice on the board of trustees at the Seminary. He is not relinquishing his position either. He is much like Daniel in the lions den...he will need the Sovreign hand of God to navigate his terrain.

I guess I should quit dwelling on this and start PRAYING!

Taking my heartsick self to go pray now...

Love, Dawn

Still Dreaming the Dream

"I have a dream that one day my children will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character."

Martin Luther King, Jr.

~

I had a very frustrating experience today. I was on my way to take some cakes to the church for the annual fall festival and as I was driving through the school zone near our home I noticed some kids playing some dangerous games.

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It appeared that they were playing truth or dare...or something of the like. There were three kids lined up on the very edge of the curb and as traffic began to get closer, some of the other kids would shove the kids standing onto the curb into oncoming traffic! I just knew someone was going to get hurt! I went a bit further down the road where another group of kids were standing and one kid was taking violin cases and sliding them across the road as cars were approaching! At that point I picked up my cell and called 911 thinking someone could get really hurt--the kids or the drivers...or maybe both.

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I explained the situation to the emergency worker on the phone. Then the worker asked me if the kids were black or hispanic. That sort of caught me off guard as I sat there in stunned silence. The emergency worker asked if I was still there. I finally told them that the kids shoving the other kids into traffic were black, but the kids throwing the instruments across the street were WHITE.

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I guess it just frustrated me that "black and hispanic" were the only choices offererd to me by the emergency personnel. Trust me...white kids can be idiots too!! I know...I was one!!

On one hand I KNOW the officers needed to know some identifying characteristics if they were going to stop and question some of the kids...but it just bothered me that they simply did not ask what race the kids were rather than just assuming they had to be black or hispanic!

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I'd like to think we have come a long way since the DREAM was first spoken of by Martin Luther King, Jr. But there are days like today I wonder if I am just kidding myself. Even today when I went to vote at a city office, I looked at the free literature rack when I was leaving, and I know whoever left this was NOT given permission to do so, but there was a pamphlet about the local neo-nazi group looking for new recruits! I was torn between wanting to take it and trash it before some kid got a hold of it and being horribly embarrassed if someone saw me take it! UGH!!

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I wonder what progress the lady above thinks our country has made. She is one of the original "Little Rock 9" who were integrated into Central High by order of the president and under protection of the national guard!

Are we making progress? I'd like to think so....but today, I stopped and really had to wonder.

Does it ever concern you that our police officers are trained to use their weapons at the following targets?

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I don't know about you...but as the wife of a black man, I don't like knowing that police officers are trained to shoot at black targets!

How about we bless the police departments with human silhouetted purple-polka-dotted-targets.

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Just something that crossed my mind today when I was asked if the kids were black or hispanic that were involved in the mischief today.

Dawn

A Disturbing Dream

I had a dream last night that left me rather disturbed when I woke up.

I am one of those people who every now and then that has a dream that I am convinced is a "God Dream".

Some dreams I know are just bad pizza before bed...and those are pretty easily discerned. But THIS dream was NOT one of those dreams.

This was one of those "God Dreams". And what left me disturbed is that though I have these dreams, I am not quite the dream interpreter that Joseph was!

Oh, I can give it the old college try. And usually when I start to tell someone about my dream, God may enlighten me a bit about the meaning. But this dream still left me with very disturbed when I woke.

In my dream God brough me before a very HUGE tree. It was mammoth in size and just beautiful to behold. It was lush. What God pointed out to me in the dream was the very intricate root system of this tree. Not only could I see some of the roots that had made their way above the soil surface and shot out from the tree about 15 feet on either side, I was able to get closer to the tree and see about 6 feet beneath the surface of the ground at how deeply rooted this tree was into the soil. By all appearances, this was a very health tree.

As I stood back and took in "the big picture" of the beauty of this tree, it literally fell over dead.

DEAD!
...and I woke up.
...very disturbed by the dream.

I was telling Brad and the kids about my dream tonight after church. As I was telling them the details, I was reminded of Psalm One. So I grabbed my bible and read. It is about a tree (of sorts!)

Psalm 1

How blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked,
nor stand in the path of sinners,
nor sit in the seat of scoffers!
But his delight is in the law of the Lord,
and in His law he meditates day and night.
He will be like a tree firmly planted by streams of water,
which yield its fruit in its season
and its leaf does not wither;
And in whatever he does, he prospers.

The wicked are not so,
but they are like chaff which the wind drives away.
Therefore, the wicked will not stand in the judgment.
Nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous.
For the Lord knows the way of the righteous,
But the way of the wicked will perish.

So are there any "Jospehs" in my group of friends that want to take a stab at the meaning of that one??

I prefer the dreams when I am swimming with the dolphins!


Blessings,
Dawn

What Can One Voice Do?

A Call For Help

It was a dark and stormy night....

No, WAIT! That is the start of a fictional horror story! If only...

What the Lyme community has just been dealt in America is a crushing blow that is tanamount to a death sentence...and why? The pride and arrogance of a massive Goliath giant called the Infectious Disease Society of America (IDSA).

I am sending this out to all my friends and family desperately trying to raise awareness and to help you understand what is at risk. You may ask, "What can one voice do?" and I just want to challenge you...you'll never know until you try!

To fully understand the main problem I need you to first read this following article called "The Proof's in the Pudding" by Donna Reagan. She spells it out in easy to understand language (and humor) the problem between the IDSA doctors and the International Lyme and Associated Disease Society (ILADS).

This will lay the ground work for you to understand what was just released this week by IDSA is such a crushing blow to Lyme Disease patients.

This week IDSA releasedtheir new 2006 diagnostic and treatment guidelines for Lyme disease.

Va., Oct. 2 -- In response to growing concern and confusionabout Lyme
disease, the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) has updated its
Clinical Practice Guidelines on the disease, in order to provide guidance to
physicians and patients based on the latest scientific evidence.

The guidelines were originally published in 2000.The most significant changes in the updated
version include:

The addition of information on human granulocytic anaplasmosis (HGA)and babesiosis, two diseases transmitted by the same tick that transmits Lyme disease; Recommendations of a single dose of an antibiotic for certain high-risk patients who have been bitten by a tick but do not have symptoms of Lyme disease; Expanded discussion and definition of so-called "chronic" or post-Lyme syndromes.

The Guidelines, developed by an expert panel according to widely accepted criteria for evidence-based medicine, contain updated information on the epidemiology, clinical features and diagnosis of Lyme disease, according to Gary P. Wormser, Chief, Division of Infectious Diseases and Vice Chairman of the Department of Medicine, New York Medical College.

Dr. Wormser is lead author of IDSA's 2006 Lyme disease guidelines and chair of the
expert pane lthat developed the guidelines.

At a Glance.. .The Infectious Diseases Society of America has updated Guidelines to help physicians and patients in the diagnosis and treatment of Lyme disease... 95 percent of cases of Lyme disease are cured with 10 - 28 days of oral antibiotics... Long-term antibiotic treatment is not proven to be effective and maybe dangerous.

To be certain they get the proper medical care, patients who have lingering symptoms after proper treatment (those with so-called "chronic" Lyme disease) should ask their doctors if the
diagnosis was accurate or if they may have a different or new illness.

You may wonder why this is such a big deal. Let me explain...IDSA is comprised of 8,000 doctors. Lyme patients have had very little success in getting well under their treatment plan and most move on to ILADS doctors. There are about 200-300 ILADS doctors in America. These doctors have an amazing rate of getting people well and leading a much better quality of life than those who were previously treated under IDSA guidelines and remained sick.

The first danger of these new guidelines in that IDSA continues to deny the existance of Chronic late stage lyme disease. They say it is cured in 10-28 days of antibiotics.

Insurance coverage bases what they will cover on IDSA guidelines. So in the very near future Lyme patients all over the country are going to be experiencing a denial of coverage for the treatment protocols from ILADS doctors.

Lets look at some interesting evidence...

There are ILADS doctors that are willing to face medical boards and fight for their licenses becasue they know the treatment protocols they are using with their patients are working and patients are seeing great remissions and even cures after treatment. They are willing to completely lay their livlihood and future medical practice down to fight for the treatments that are working!

Do you think for one minute that a doctor would risk his career for a lie?

This reminds me of the old apologetics technique I learned in college when defending the faith. Remember the twelve disciples? Each one of them died a violent death, refusing to reject Christ and his teachings and claims of death, burial and resurrection. Do you think they would have willingly endured the deaths they experienced in order to protect a LIE? NO!! They fully believes, experienced first hand, and knew the testimony was TRUE...so they went to their death for the sake of the TRUTH...as are many ILADS doctors when facing the medical boards for daring to disagree with the great Goliath named IDSA.

IDSA cannot claim that they have seen any benefit of treating with long term antibiotics and seeing results because they have never done testing longer than 28 days...their preconceived view of when any infection should be cured. They refuse to think outside the box.

ILADS on the other hand, who has done treatments of chronic Lyme patients for as long as 3-5 years...sometimes longer, have seen patients in wheel chairs walk, have seen people misdiagnosed with "ALS" (a fatal disease) because their symptoms persisted longer than the 28 days and left to die, but when treated with long term antibiotics for the treatment of Lyme disease receive their life back. ...but I digress.

A Call to Action:

We need people nation wide to call their representatives and senators and support the current Lyme Disease legislation that is before the federal congress now. THIS IS URGENT!

This is regarding Federal Bill HR 3427: Lyme and Tick Borne Disease Prevention, Education and research Act of 2005 (yes, this has been in legislative committee THAT long!) Now it is time to ACT!!

FOR THOSE IN TEXAS...especially the Arlington area:

Rep. Joe Barton in the committee leader for this legislation and he needs to here from us! Please call his office and ask that they move this legislation OUT OF COMMITTEE and bring it to the senate for a VOTE!!

Contact information for Rep Joe Barton

Washington DC Office: phone: 202-225-2002 and fax: 202-225-3052
Arlington offices: phone: 817-543-1000 and fax: 817-548-7029

TX US Senator John Cornyn DC Phone: 202-224-2934 DC Fax: 202-228-2856
TX US Senator Kay Baily Hutchison DC Phone: 202-224-5922 DC Fax: 202-224-0776

Let's show them what our ONE VOICE can do!!

Thanks for heeding my cry for help!

Love, Dawn