DAN GOULD

FROM THE INSIDE OUT

Author: dgould77

  • John 20

    “One of the twelve disciples, Thomas (nicknamed the Twin),[c] was not with the others when Jesus came. 25 They told him, ‘We have seen the Lord!’

    But he replied, ‘I won’t believe it unless I see the nail wounds in his hands, put my fingers into them, and place my hand into the wound in his side.’

    26 Eight days later the disciples were together again, and this time Thomas was with them. The doors were locked; but suddenly, as before, Jesus was standing among them. ‘Peace be with you,’ he said. 27 Then he said to Thomas, ‘Put your finger here, and look at my hands. Put your hand into the wound in my side. Don’t be faithless any longer. Believe!’

    28 ‘My Lord and my God!’ Thomas exclaimed.

    29 Then Jesus told him, ‘You believe because you have seen me. Blessed are those who believe without seeing me.’” v. 24-29

    Have you ever felt like Thomas, wanting to believe but for some reason not believing until you see some form of evidence?  I know I have.  Thomas has been told the greatest news, and for some reason he doubts it until he actually sees the Resurrected Jesus 8 days later and is able to touch his nail scared hands and pierced side.  What a powerful moment, what a humbling moment.

    Have you ever wished you could actually see Jesus, touch Him, and hear His words?  Are there times you want to sit down with Him and get His advice? (always) Thomas wanted Jesus physical presence.  But God’s plan is wiser.  He has not limited himself to one physical body; he wants to be present with you at all times.  Even now, he is with you and me in the form of the Holy Spirit.  We can talk to Him, and we can find His words in the pages of the Bible.  He can be as real to us as he was to Thomas.

    Today, carve out some time to just sit with God.  Don’t rush through an agenda or a quiet time.  Just be with Him.  I think so many time we feel like we have to do something to be with God.  But invite Him in and He will meet with you and reveal Himself to you in a powerful way!

  • Luke 23:32-49

    “Two others, both criminals, were led out to be executed with him. 33 When they came to a place called The Skull,[a] they nailed him to the cross. And the criminals were also crucified—one on his right and one on his left.

    34 Jesus said, ‘Father, forgive them, for they don’t know what they are doing.’[b] And the soldiers gambled for his clothes by throwing dice.[c]

    35 The crowd watched and the leaders scoffed. ‘He saved others,’ they said, ‘let him save himself if he is really God’s Messiah, the Chosen One.’ 36 The soldiers mocked him, too, by offering him a drink of sour wine. 37 They called out to him, ‘If you are the King of the Jews, save yourself!’ 38 A sign was fastened to the cross above him with these words: ‘This is the King of the Jews.’

    39 One of the criminals hanging beside him scoffed, ‘So you’re the Messiah, are you? Prove it by saving yourself—and us, too, while you’re at it!’

    40 But the other criminal protested, ‘Don’t you fear God even when you have been sentenced to die? 41 We deserve to die for our crimes, but this man hasn’t done anything wrong.’ 42 Then he said, ‘Jesus, remember me when you come into your Kingdom.’

    43 And Jesus replied, ‘I assure you, today you will be with me in paradise.’” v.32-43

    Thought this was some neat insight toady from the NLT Life Application Study Bible Notes,

    The dying criminal had more faith than the rest of Jesus’ followers put together.  Although the disciples continued to love Jesus, their hopes for the Kingdom were shattered.  Most of them had gone into hiding.  As one of his followers sadly said two days later, “We had hoped he was the Messiah who had come to rescue Israel” (24:21).  By contrast, the criminal looked at the man who was dying next to him and said,  “Jesus, remember me when you come into your Kingdom.”  By all appearances, the Kingdom was finished.  How awe-inspiring is the faith of this man who alone was beyond the present shame to the coming glory!

  • Mark 15:6-23

    “So to pacify the crowd, Pilate released Barabbas to them. He ordered Jesus flogged with a lead-tipped whip, then turned him over to the Roman soldiers to be crucified.

    16 The soldiers took Jesus into the courtyard of the governor’s headquarters (called the Praetorium) and called out the entire regiment. 17 They dressed him in a purple robe, and they wove thorn branches into a crown and put it on his head. 18 Then they saluted him and taunted, ‘Hail! King of the Jews!’ 19 And they struck him on the head with a reed stick, spit on him, and dropped to their knees in mock worship. 20 When they were finally tired of mocking him, they took off the purple robe and put his own clothes on him again. Then they led him away to be crucified.” v.15-23

    When you look at Jesus life, what he taught, how he lived, who he poured himself in to, and the many miracles he performed, it is shocking that he would die the way he did.  As Jesus stiood before Pilate, the crowd and the Pharisees yelled “Crucify Him!” Crucifixtion was the Roman penalty for rebellion.  Only slaves and non-Romans could be crucified.  Pilate feeling the pressure already gives in to the crowds demands and ordered Jesus to be flogged and crucified.

    But what happened to all the people Jesus had impacted, where were the Disciples, and the crowds that welcomed Him just a couple of days earlier?  In a matter of 24 hours several people had sold Jesus for numerous reasons.

    • Judas – Sold Out Jesus for 30 gold coins.  Why, we can only speculate.  One thought is that he wantd to force Jesus in to the role of Ruler King the people thought the Messiah would be.
    • The Pharisees – Sold Out Jesus because of Pride and Jealousy.  They had tried to trick Jesus several times and were tiered of Him making them look like fools.
    • Pilate – Sold Out Jesus for Political Gain.  Knowing that he was already in the hot seat, he didn’t want to cause a riot that would affect his advancement in the Roman Government.  So he gave into the crowd even when he saw the real issue in the Pharisees jealousy.
    • The Disciples – Sold Out Jesus because of fear.  Even though they were the closest to Him and knew Him the best, they were fearful that they may be next.
    • The Crowds – Sold Out Jesus to Popularity.  The crowds were there when it benefited them.  It’s easy to be swayed by the opinions of others and the crowd that had gathered this day was pretty insistent on Jesus being crucified.
    • You and Me – Sell out Jesus to _______________________.

    Lets be honest, there are areas in our life that we sell Jesus out also.  It can range from a variety of things to only a couple of things.  Take some time today to think of the things that cause you to sell Jesus out.  If we never identify them we aren’t able to confess them and ask God for help.

    Father help me to not be a sell out, but to be sold out to you in all the areas of my life not just some of them!

  • Weekend Rewind!

    What a day!!!  We continued our series “Family Matters” which is 3 week series that deals with the family.  Worship was off the chain in both services.  I thought the talk went better in Middle School than in High School for a couple of reasons:

    • More students –  Last night was Homecoming and it took a toll on our HS attendance
    • More Energy – It seemed like the MS had more energy than HS, even though the MS service is earlier
    • I felt flat in HS – I realize how much I feed off of the energy in the crowd.  It makes a difference in the way the talk goes.  I like the interaction.

    The general question today was, “Am I part of the Problem or Solution?

    We showed this video to kick off the talk.  It really brings it home when you look at it from a child’s perspective.

    It’s easy to look like a perfect family when the doors are open and people are peaking in, but when the doors shut the real family tend to come out, the good, the bad, and the ugly.  No matter the situation, even if it’s not our fault or something we have no control over, we can still add to the problem or be part of a solution.

    After Church went to Razzoos – Cajun Cafe . . . It was awesome, and the kids plate was only $4.00.  We had a great time as a family hanging out with Will, Rachel, Ryan, Tyler and Jenn.  It was good to eat some good fried food and hang with students and staff!

    Took Joe to watch Wills soccer game for as long as Jackson could take it.  We lasted 45 minutes just enough time to see a half.  Wills team was winning so it was easier to leave!  Hope they won!  will find out tonight at small groups!

  • Soccer, Parade, Carpets, and Blessings

    This morning was Josiah’s last soccer game for the season.  The boys had a great season winning more games than they lost, but no-one keeps score, yeah right!  Anyhow, today they lost in a big way.  I don’t even think the Hawks scored.  But all the boys seemed to have fun.  After the game the team met at McDonald’s to eat, play, and receive their trophy.  They don’t make trophies like they used to!!!  Joes trophy is awesome.

    From there we headed over to the Frisco Homecoming Parade.  This was Jackson’s first parade and the first one that Josiah remembers.  Both boys were wide-eyed as the parade started.  We had fun as a family just being able to relax and the weather was awesome!!!

    I finished all the carpets today also!  But the real surprise and blessing came at 3:45 today.  Words can’t really express our gratitude to the people of Grace and how God used them to bless us.  Today we were given a gift that will help cover some of the expenses we have accumulated because of all of Jackson’s medical needs.  We have been praying for these things here for a while now. God has been so faithful to us and He used people we know and people we don’t know to show us how big He is, and to remind us that we are not alone in this journey!  Thank you Jesus!!!

  • Friday Fun

    Sleeping in, and hanging-out as a family was all that was on the agenda!  With no real agenda we got off to a late start planning on going to Peter-Piper-Pizza and letting the boys play, especially Jackson!  That soon changed to Chick-Fil-A when Josiah decided that’s where he wanted to eat.  From there we went to see Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa for the matinee.  It was a great movie and I recommend it to people with or without Kids.  It was a great fun filled day, until we rented the carpet cleaner.  Yes that’s right, a Honey do.  My Friday evening was filled with cleaning carpet.  Just one more spot of carpet left then to the couches.  I personally don’t think the machine we rented is any different than the hoover carpet cleaner we have borrowed in the past.  They both seem to do the same type of job.

    Here are some pictures of the boys playing at Chick-fil-A, driving the shopping race car at Lowe’s, and the new way Jackson like to watch TV.

  • We are HOME!!!

    The last 24 hours have been hectic.  Seeing anyone have a seizure is never fun, let alone a young child and at that your own.  Jackson seems to be coming back to his normal self after having two seizures and meds trying to stop/stabilize him.  Yesterday he slept most of the day do to the fatigue a seizure brings to the body.  Today, we felt like we were trying to tame a wild animal.  Jackson wanted to walk but he was so topsy he couldn’t.  This made it very difficult to keep him happy.

    The good news, the doctor said it seems that Jackson’s metabolism is fast causing the seizure medicine he is on to go through his body faster.  So we were sent home with a high dosage 3 times a day.  The doctor also gave us some rectum Valium in-case Jackson did go into a seizure again that lasted longer than five minutes.  That kinda scares me, but I am sure in the moment adrenaline will kick in and allow us to do it!

    I have learned a lot about seizures over the last year, most of the learning’s happening in the last 48 hours.  Yesterday, one of the links under my post was another blog on seizures with some very helpful insight to what to do for someone seizing.  Here is a link to the blog, below is the article,

    Consider this a public service announcement. Seizures are something most people know very little about. And I’m finding that most people don’t have any interest to learn. The thing is, anyone can have a first unexpected seizure, and if it’s you, hope that someone around knows what to do.

    Not everyone having a seizure will froth at the mouth, or even shake or tremble. Some seizures involve just ‘zoning out’ for a short period (those ‘absence seizures’ don’t usually require any immediate medical attention). But most other seizures will involve either going limp and falling to the ground, or going rigid, or both. The body may also shake – either gently or more violently. So what do you do?

    • Calm down. Most seizures are not medical emergencies, and your calmness is the best thing for the situation.
    • Make sure there’s nothing sharp or hard near the person seizing. They should be in a rather comfortable place where they can’t fall (i.e., not the edge of the Grand Canyon, not a concrete sidewalk, no scissors or knifes nearby)
    • DO NOT put anything in their mouth. It is a myth that they could bite their tongue, swallow it, or anything like that. Do not attempt to rescue them from a myth.
    • If possible, it’s best for them to be on their side, especially if there are any indications that they might vomit.
    • Look for a clock and make a mental note of what time the seizure started. Also note what time it ends.
    • When the person stops seizing, they will be completely out of it for anywhere from 5 to 15 minutes, depending on a lot of variables. Do talk to them to judge their level of consciousness. Also note what time they ‘come back’ to themselves.
    • If it was a first seizure, the person will need immediate medical attention to rule out potential causes like chemical ingestion and the like. But if the person has had seizures before, they probably don’t need medical attention unless the seizure itself lasted more than 10 minutes, or they don’t ‘come back’ to themselves after 15-20 minutes.

    There you have it, folks. It’s really not that hard. The basics are – nothing in the mouth, stay calm. I hope that if my son should have another seizure, and it happens when he’s not with me, that someone around will know what to do. You could be that person – if not to my son, then to someone else.

    We are thankful for the prayers and visits.  It really allowed us to see how loved we are and how the power of prayer provides strength. One of our small group leaders came by and brought gifts for Jackson and Josiah.  Joe loves the nerf dart gun and Jackson slept with his singing sea horse all the way home.  Here are some pics from our 4th Hospital visit in 2 1/2 months!  Just got a call today that we have a sleep study in two weeks.  I am hoping that will be the end of a very long medical nightmare and Jackson can return to the healthy boy he was before all this came upon us.

  • Seizures, Prayer, and Questions

    “Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you.” 1 Peter 5:7

    I need this verse to be real in my life today.  Today has been a roller coaster of emotion.  Just yesterday in one of my meetings I thanked some of our staff for their prayers, patients, and grace that they have shown our family over the last two months.  If you are a reader of the blog you know that the last two months have been filled with ER visits and stress.  Over the last two months Jackson has visited the the ER 4 different times and today, he was taken by ambulance.

    As I was spending time with God this morning Stephanie yells from me from our room.  I run in there and Jackson is having a full blown seizure.  I call 911 thinking it would be the fastest way to get care.  In the back of my head I am thinking he will stop seizing at anytime, but he doesn’t.  When the EMT’s arrive Jackson is still seizing, they tried to stabilize him but couldn’t get him stabilized.  They take him to the closest hospital to get the medical attention he needs.

    Once there he stabilizes for a little while but then has another seizure.  This caused the doctor and vurse to rule out a febrile seizure.  The type of seizure that comes on when you temperature goes from point a to point b really fast.  Jackson has had this type of seizure before.  It is really scary for those watching but they say it doesn’t do any damage to the child.  So, we don’t know exactly what we are facing now.  Jackson seizure today had to last at least 15-20 minutes, unless time stood still, I don’t think that is an exaggeration.  The good news is that the CT Scan and Chest X-Ray came back good.  They say he has a red ear so that is a sign of an ear infection (I hope that isn’t an indication or start of a new problem).  Our neurologist wanted us to be transferred to a hospital he has jurisdiction over so they moved us to Medical Center of Plano, where we have been all afternoon as Jackson sleeps off the meds and the affects of the seizure.  We still haven’t talked to our neurologist so we are taking that to mean maybe it’s not that bad.

    So we sit and wait for answers.  Thanks to all that have prayed with us and for us today.  We do believe God is still in control.  Please continue to pray for us.

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  • John 18:1-24

    “So the soldiers, their commanding officer, and the Temple guards arrested Jesus and tied him up. 13 First they took him to Annas, the father-in-law of Caiaphas, the high priest at that time.[d] 14 Caiaphas was the one who had told the other Jewish leaders, ‘It’s better that one man should die for the people.’” v.12-14

    Both Caiaphas and Annas cared more about their political ambition than about their responsibility to lead the people of God.  Though Religious leaders, they had become evil.  As the nation’s spiritual leaders, they should have been sensitive to God’s revelation.  They should have known that Jesus was the Messiah about whom the Scriptures spoke, and they should have pointed the people to him.  But when deceitful men and women pursue evil, they want to elliminate all opposition.  Instead of honestly evaluating Jesus’ claims based on their knowledge of Scripture, these religious leaders sought to further their own selfish ambitions and were even willing to gill God’s Son, if that’s what it took to do it.

    As leaders we have to be careful that we are following Christ and not our own personal agenda, or the agendas of others.  The Pharisees missed it, and it began to be more about them than about God and His word.  It was more about rules than a relationship.  The enemy would love to distract and cause us to focus on the wrong things.  Even following Christ 99% of the time sounds good, but over the coarse of time, that 1%, if not addressed will cause you to be further from Christ than you thought you were.  That’s typically what happens leaving you asking the question, “How did I get here!”

  • 2 down more to go

    Josiah is two weeks into memorizing verses.  He now knows these two verses,

    “Jesus Christ is the same the other day, today and forever.” Hebrews 13:8

    “Jesus said, “I am the way the truth and the Life, No one comes to the Father except through me.” John 14:6

    This weeks verse,

    Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit with in me.” Psalm 51:10

    Life Lesson – Kids have a great memory!  As i work with him on this it is creating an opportunity for him to learn and for me to develope a habit of memorizing scripture also.  It has been so fun!  If you have kids, give it a try.  It will bless you and prepare them!