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If you want to have a beautiful smile PMDC can help you

If you want to have a beautiful smile

 can help you

Porcelain Veneer

This treatment will restore facial side of your teeth with thin shell of Porcelain veneer that will improve your smile to be whiter teeth, correct crooked teeth, worned teeth or even the uneven crowded teeth to be a beautiful stright white smile. This is a most popular treatment among all Cosmetic Dentistry.

Cosmetic Implant

With the advance technology nowadays we can restore Implant to be a very beautiful and natural teeth. In case of few teeth are replaced we emphasize on the natural outcome of the individual tooth. In case of partial or full arch of implants we will take care of the teeth arrangement to make you a beautiful natural smile.

All Ceramic Crown

With the advance technology nowadays we can make crown that look natural and strong enough with no need of using metal for substructure anymore. The material that we resently use is Lithiumdisilicate Porcelain or Cercon. Our experienced dentist will choose which material is better for your case.

Full Mouth Oral Rehabilitation

In the case that patients have parafunction such as bruxism, their teeth will worn out so much and sometime will impair their lower face height. Or in the case that not look good and need to restore all the teeth in the mouth. Our specialist can restore back the function and esthetic of the patients by planing to do Full Mouth Oral Rehabilitation.

Cosmetic Gum surgery

Beautiful smile is the result of the combination of gum and teeth in the mouth. With the latest technology we can make it come out in good position. In the case that have gummy smile or uneven gumline, we can do Cosmetic Gum Surgery and may be some restortion to restore back the natural beautiful smile.

Cosmetic Ridge Augmentation

In the case that has ridge resorption after tooth extration on the anterior region that result in ugly smile, we can restore by doing Gum Augmentation in a less resorption area or doing Bone Augmentation in the more resorption area. Our specialist can bring back your natural ridge and beautiful smile.

Cosmetic Removable Prosthesis

In the patients that have to use remavable prosthesis, the technology nowadays let us do it without any black metal clasp. We are the expert in natural teeth arrangement to make the prosthesis come out very natural. In some case doing some Poecelain Veneer in combination with Removable Prosthesis result in patients’natural beautiful white smile.

One Visit Bleaching

This is the Bleaching technic that need only one visit that the whole process is doing by the dentist. It is suitable for the patients that want the immedieat result or don’t want to bleach by home technic that have to bleach by themself and take time.

Home Vital Bleaching

This is the Bleaching technic that patients have to do by themself at home in supervision of dentist. It will take one course of 3 weeks to finish the process.

Space Closure

In the case that you have a gap between the teeth, you can solve the problem by doing some direct tooth color restoration on to the neighbouring teeth or you can do Porcelain Veneer on them. Our Specialist will recommend the appropriate treatment for you.

Tooth Color Restoration

In our dental center we do only tooth color restoration. We do it with direct Compsite filling or Porcelain Inlay. If you have old fashion black color amalgum, you can plan to change it with tooth color restoration.

If you want to have a beautiful smile PMDC can help you

PMDC International Cosmetic Dental Center. The First Thailand Cosmetic Dental Center 25 Year Of Success In Cosmetic Dentistry

Interested in a procedure or Thailand?
Please contact us today for more information

Tel: 02-644-4008

Lineid: pmdc

Facebook&instagram : pmdcdental

Email: pmdccenter@gmail.com

Contact Us

Interested in a procedure or Thailand?
Please contact us today for more information

  • Address: 469 Sriayutthaya Rd., Ratchathewi, Bangkok. 10400 Thailand
  • Phone: (662) 644-4008
  • Line ID: PMDC
  • E-mail: info@aboutsmile.com

How to come by BTS Sky Train

  • Take BTS Skytrain to Phayathai Station (N2) Exit No.3
  • Follow down to the right stairway
  • Cross the road under bridge
  • We are next to 7Eleven shop

International Patient Services Click Here More Details

  • Mr.Donald Flanagan

    " Hi my name is Don and I come from Sydney. I have been coming to Dr.Boon for over 12 years. My wife and I come sometime twice a year or at least once a year, we have our dental work done here and we have many friends from Sydney who comes and throughout australia I think about over 20 friends, beautiful friends.

  • Hazel Ruivenkamp

    Hi my name is Hazel from Australia I have just has new wiz bang veneers put on 15 of my teeth and I am thrilled to bits with the results .
    I can't say it was painless but as the saying goes no pain no gain .
    Dr Boon was like a master craftsman, making sure every tooth made the correct contact

  • Mr.David Smith

    David Smith and his wife Debra are our patients which refer by their relative. Thanks David for your kind Testimonial

  • Mr.Gerard Ruivenkamp

    Gerade Ruinenkamp is our patients for over 7 years. He kindly give us his testimonial. Thank you Gerade

  • Duport Turine

    “My smile is beautiful“

    “Dr.Boonyarit is expert, very patient, good dentist“

If you want
to have a beautiful smile...
PMDC can help you..

Interested in a procedure or Thailand?
Please contact us today for more information


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Bribery allegations against Brad Hazzard

Bribery allegations against Brad Hazzard to close down police & judicial corruption inquiry have to be investigated.

Kangaroo Court of Australia –  By Shane Dowling

An explosive corruption inquiry started in the NSW parliament on Thursday regarding corruption in the police, judiciary and public service. The allegations include illegal phone tapping, dodgy affidavits by police, dodgy warrants by judges, bribery, cover-ups by senior police, public servants and politicians etc. It is bound to lead to a Royal Commission Attempted bribery allegations were made […]

Read more of this post

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Thursday, November 05, 2009

Fifa 10 DS

My interest in football (soccer for my friends across the pond) games has been sporadic at best. The first football game I played with any regularity was Sega World Wide Soccer '97 on the Saturn. Fast forward to 2004 and I had a big stint playing Sega World Wide Soccer 2000 (Euro Edition) on the Dreamcast. But the playing of the two most popular franchises, Pro-Evolution Soccer or Fifa, (usually against my sons) would result in huge 'hissy fits', controller-throwing and general all round bad sportsmanship on my part.
In 2007, however, I found my footballing nirvana in the unlikely form of Fifa 07 for the DS. No longer did I have to play my sons, no longer did I have to face the humiliation of being out-skilled, out-played and generally shown up as inferior. Now my only opposition was the CPU players, and they soon turned out to be little opposition at all.

I played that particular title to death. I played it as my beloved Manchester City, (a club who in 'real life' have not won a domestic or European title for over thirty years) and took them to unprecedented heights of glory. For five seasons I won everything, the premiership, the FA Cup, the European cup and the Community Shield. The game could also be played in it's entirety without using the stylus or touch screen, which was great because my first generation DS was very poorly at the time!

However, time moves on, and a new DS demanded a new Fifa. Besides, Manchester City have gone through such a major squad shake up since their financial revolution, that there was only Stephen Ireland and Micah Richards from the '07 line up still in the squad in 2009. The kits had changed and... well... damn it! I just wanted an update! Now I did have Fifa 09 for the PSP (it came bundled with my PSP which also had a stick-on Fifa 09 'skin') but I never got into it, preferring instead to stick with my beloved DS '07 game. So buying the new Fifa 10 at full price was a big deal for me.

I was full of anticipation when I put the cartridge into my DS. Sure enough, apart from the inclusion of Richard Dunne, the squad was all present and correct. The new stylish black away kit was there and all looked good! I eagerly looked for the 'career mode' with which I had had such success on Fifa 07, but alas it wasn't there! Instead it had been replaced by a mode called "Be A Pro". Rather than guiding your team to glory, the emphasis was now on the career of one player, who has to succeed at a series of challenges in order to progress through the ranks of the home team and be selected by coaches for international duty.

Unfortunately, this was SO different from the game play of the '07 edition, that I found it almost impossible to play, let alone find any success. I was massively disappointed and about to vent my spleen over here at Gnome's Gaming On The Go. That was before I switched game modes. 'Kick Off' Mode' allows you to play a one off match against any rival of your choice. It also gives you the choice of playing in the "Be A Pro" mode, or "Classic" mode. And it was in "Classic" mode, that I found my salvation.

Although not exactly the same as Fifa '07, it was similar enough for me to play with some degree of success. The 'game settings' allows you to set the game's difficulty level, according to your own skill level. I set the CPU skill at 'amateur' and got rid of the 'offside' rule to allow the game greater flow. The ability to play a variety of tournaments in "Classic" mode means I've already taken Manchester City to the final of the English FA Cup (which I won on penalties). However, this incarnation of the game does not give one the option of taking a mid-table club into Europe... You can only play as one one of the the English Premiership's top four teams - Manchester United, Liverpool, Arsenal or Chelsea, which is a bit of a bummer!

One of the biggest changes so far is the use of the stylus. During penalty shoot outs, the stylus is employed as a means of shooting (by swiping the stylus towards the goal) and saving (a large pair of gloves appear in the goal which you move with the stylus to save the opposition's shot.) I love this feature! It helped me win the FA cup ha ha!

Now I realise that this is a very subjective review (mine always are...) so I'll provide links to more informative sites... Would I recommend it as a full price purchase? Well, no. You can pick up Fifa 07, 08 and 09 for buttons in second hand gaming emporiums. If it's 'game play' you're after then these titles will more than adequately suffice. If you are anal about having current players and kits then go ahead and splurge your hard earned pennies on Fifa 10. But it's because of people like me that EA are able to squeeze cash from a gullible audience every time they bring out a new football or golf game.

However, if you see Fifa 10 cheap or even with a few quid/euros/dollars knocked off, it's a great game for the handheld gamer, which can be played in short little bursts, as a handheld titles should be.

Father K Rating: 7.5/10!

Monday, November 02, 2009

GTA China Town Wars DS

First of all, I'll confess that this is not an entirely new article, but instead something I first posted on the frankly under-read Father Krishna's Wiikly Sermons . Oh and I've not been that well either, so I can be excused a bit of lazy recycling, LOL! However, with the Ballad Of Gay Tony on general release, it's time to think once again about the wonderful GTA! This franchise kept me very me busy throughout some turbulent times thanks to the wonderful Grand Theft Auto universe, Rockstar’s fabulous gift to the gaming world. And the game that kick-started my current obsession? Why perhaps the least obviously appealing outing of the franchise so far, GTA China Town Wars for the DS.

Rockstar have already had a good degree of success in it’s transference of the GTA world onto handheld consoles (ignoring the GTA GBA fiasco) with Vice City and Liberty City stories for PSP (and indeed I will come to these games later…)

With the money I accrued for my 42nd birthday, I decided to invest in a DS Lite and GTA CTW. The whole package cost me £80-ish and at last I had a fully functional DS with a responsive touch screen again! (My old ‘original’ DS had been sketchy for ages…)

And so I dipped into the world of Huang Lee, ‘Uncle Kenny’, triads, mafia and ancient stolen katanas. But can the tiny cartridge of the DS really encompass the vast world of Liberty City and do it justice? The short and emphatic answer to that question is “YES!” All but one of the boroughs of Liberty City found in GTA IV are recreated in the world of GTA CTW. You can actually recognise areas and neighbourhoods, despite the top-down “birds eye” view, and when you do, it’s quite a thrill! It’s also a testament to what Rockstar Leeds have managed to cram into a cartridge no bigger than a postage stamp!

Yes, there have been compromises in order to get a fully fledged GTA experience onto the DS. The ‘radio stations’ have been replaced by a variety of set soundtracks of different musical genres (although even these have been lovingly created by current artists such as Deadmaus, mentioned on these hallowed pages just a few weeks ago!)

Cut-scenes are limited to still pictures and captions (think Phoenix Wright) and of course we have the 2.5 D top down view, but once you begin to play the game sucks you straight in and you very quickly forget the differences between this incarnation and those brought out on full-size consoles. It’s pure, unbridled GTA fun. All the elements are there, driving, drive-by shootings, securing safe-houses and encountering a wealth of colourful and intriguing characters (like the cross-dressing Mafioso), all served up with a tinge of irony and a good dash of humour.

Did I mention the drugs? Drug dealing is the backbone of Huang’s existence in Liberty City. It’s how he earns money to buy weapons and builds his empire. You’ve got to know your smack from your crack and your weed from your speed if you’re gonna progress in the game!

The game is just SO much better than either of the PSP titles, which have me struggling and a tad bored. GTA CTW was a joy to play and complete, encouraging me to pick up GTA IV again and finish it, quickly downloading ‘Lost and Damned’ as soon as Niko’s adventures had come to an end. I’ve also downloaded GTA San Andreas, and the Ballad Of Gay Tony so I've got a glut of GTA goodness for the big console under the telly, that I'm still yet to play...
Since writing this post, the cogs of time have turned, and now GTA CTW is not only a 2.5D DS game, but a fully fledged, fleshed out PSP game, with the promise of delivering more than it's DS counterpart, (or indeed the two sub-standard PSP titles previously mentioned... I'm hoping to pick this up soon, but in the meantime I'll give you all a little video-taster!


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The Internet Poetry Archive

Tamie Cromarty

All these throught run through
my mind taking over whats inside
Throughts and feelings locked up tight,
Love and hate is no where in sight
eye's wide open but hard to see
Is there something inside of me?
Something that controls my throughts and dreams
that something i wish could be free,
Heart pumping softly, blood runs cold
feelings heating up whats inside taking over what should be mine.
Love and hate returns to mind
throughts and dreams are still bured alive
will these throughts return to me and well
these dreams will i see?
will i ever know whats true or will i ever really love you?

<   Back   |    Home   |    More from this Author   >


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Saturday, September 20, 2014

British Isles trip, part 22: Northern Irish coast

Link to photo dump.

The coast of Northern Ireland from Belfast to Giant's Causeway (which will be the subject of tomorrow's post) is some of the most spectacularly beautiful land I've ever had the pleasure to see. Between the rocky coastline, the cliffs, the emerald farms, the stone walls, the random ruins, the quaint little towns--it's all just stunning.

As if that weren't enough, the day we made this drive gave us maybe the most photographically interesting weather, rapidly shifting back and forth between sunny bright and darkly overcast, making for what I think is a really lovely range of lighting--plus a bunch of dramatic clouds being all dramatic--in the final shots I captured.

Now for a few specifics:

These roads were made a long time before anybody thought of using them for large tour buses. I was in the front seat, so was in a position to grab this quick shot of one of the tunnels we had to squeeze through, complete with the reflection in the windshield of Roger, our great driver (who was probably a bit white-knuckled at this exact moment).

Also on board was our excellent local tour guide, who was fascinating in every way. He's a native speaker of Gaellic, with English as a second language, which gives him an accent unlike any I've heard before. He also has a history of having spent several years in prison in his youth for his separatist, anti-British political activities. As you might imagine, he had some impassioned views and intriguing insights about the whole history of "the troubles." We got to listen to him all day, and it still wasn't enough for me. (And, of course, I remember everything about him except his name, to my great shame. EDIT: Eugene! See comments.) Standing on the coach with him is Hannah, one of our tour leaders.

This is the famous Carrick-a-Rede rope bridge. If you open it in a new tab and look at it full size, you can probably see a few brave souls walking across it. I was not one of them, and never will be. I trust that it is now structurally sound and won't plunge me to my death in the icy waters of the North Atlantic, but I would not enjoy the fear the journey would induce. I'm already sufficiently aware of my own mortality, thankyouverymuch.

I have mentioned before that my girlfriend has this thing for rust as a photographic subject, so when I see an especially lovely-looking patch of it and have a few minutes, I try to compose a shot just for her. When the coaches stopped for a restroom break in a little town, and I noticed a boat on a trailer across the road, I saw just such an opportunity:

When I was finally home and could view that image at full size on my computer, I wasn't really sure if it the picture worked, because of the shallow depth of field the camera had given me rendering everything except the end of the chain blurry--an effect more pronounced than I had in my mind's eye. So I thinks, "Well, if the camera is giving me only a small bit in focus, maybe I should try making that the whole picture." Which led me to experimenting with this extreme crop:

But maybe that's a little too much crop, so I tried this halfway version:

Which one do you like best?

Oh, and there's another little visual quiz hidden in today's post. The first 11 pictures (i.e., all of the ones before I started chatting about separate shots) share an unusual photographic feature or technique. Did I take them with my cell phone camera instead of my good camera? Did I steal them from web sites without attribution? Did I actually take them in South America, and lie about them being on the Irish coast? OK, it's not any of those, but it is something. Can you guess what the secret is? I'll put the answer in the first comment.

If you want another hint, go to the "photo dump" link above and look at the same pictures there, clicking on the "photo details" button. The data the camera embeds when it takes the photo provides another hint, though it's kind of subtle.

Rakewell said...

The first 11 photos were taken from a moving tour bus. They turned out better than I had thought was possible.

Memphis MOJO said...

RE the rust, I love the close-up.

Also, I'm like you -- you won't EVER find me walking across anything high, especially if it is rickety.

Cyndie DeRidder said...

His name was Eugene

Rakewell said...

Eugene! Of course! (Slapping forehead.) Thank you.


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Some things just need to be said...

Monday, February 07, 2005

A few more pennies for the poor: Update #1

Broken Promise #13

Mark Benton, executive director of the Legal Services Society, said the increased funding will help more people get the legal aid they need, but that the society will continue to lobby the government for more money.

"The reality is that this isn't going to match the range of services we were able to offer earlier," Benton told the Vancouver Sun

No comments:


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Monday, July 9, 2012

The End of Indie Game Development on Android

I got back from San Francisco and the Google I/O developer conference there last week. Google was yet again gracious with the hardware giveaways, giving out Nexus 7 tablets, Galaxy Nexus phones, a Nexus Q, and a Chromebox.

 But the real takeaway for me was what I had seen happening to my indie business over the past year, and that's that indie game development for Android is pretty much dying. The main reasons are competition and discovery. Now that Android is a hugely successful platform, the major game developers have entered the market. Smaller devs simply cannot compete for visibility with limited or nonexistent marketing budgets. Coupled with the removal of the only free visibility channel (the Just In category), and new indie titles that weren't already hits on another platform are dead in the water. But this isn't just me whining in the wind.

I spoke to two different Google employees, one of which gave a talk on game development at I/O and who has served on the editorial team responsible for picking featured apps and games. I didn't want to sound like I was just bitching and moaning, so I asked him an actionable question: In his talk, he mentioned several things NOT to do as a game developer. If he were an indie developer like me, who had been successful the past three years but was now dying in the market, what would be his game plan?

 His answer was telling: Try to publish through one of the big game publishers.

 In other words, you can't make it as an indie anymore. He said in the past couple of years that developers had "been given a bit of a free ride." I'm aware of the realities of the market, and I wasn't sure I'd be able to do this for a decade or more, but I tried to make the point that there might be a middle ground, assuming that Google cares, which I think they should.

 Chris Anderson's The Long Tail is an excellent treatise on the revolution of digital marketplaces. He points out that nearly all markets have a long tail distribution, meaning there are a small number of products in a given market that are hits, a middle ground of moderately successful products, and a "long tail" of products that only sell a small number of units each. Because media was traditionally only sold in brick and mortar stores, where shelf space is limited, if you were a music seller in the 80's, would you rather fill your shelf space with the latest Michael Jackson album, or a plethora of obscure indie titles? The answer is obvious. But with digital distribution, shelf space is no longer an issue. Since inventory space is virtually unlimited in a digital marketplace, you can now offer all the obscure stuff you want. The issue then becomes discovery. If it's relatively easy for fans of obscure titles to find them, what will happen is that you'll still sell the mega-hits, but that long tail will get fatter, since you'll sell non-significant numbers of the obscure titles as well, increasing the overall area under your sales curve. In other words, purely hit-driven markets generally make less money than those with a fat, healthy long tail.

In the past year, Google Play has shifted into a more hit-driven market. By doing away with the only channel that would facilitate discovery of indie titles (other than the golden ticket of being featured), they've flattened out their long tail. People are not going to search for games or apps that they don't know exist. They will simply default to known quantities, such as Angry Birds or the latest Zynga or Gameloft game. Every single digital game store that I know of has a "What's New" channel, except for Google Play. Excluding that, I suggested to the Googler that they might add a channel for indie games, which the Xbox market has. He said he'd take that back to the team. And lest you think I'm alone, here's a bit from the Android Fireside Chat at I/O this year:
Q: For my new app I got 30 downloads on Android, 4,000 downloads on iOS. Probably because What's new section was removed from the Play Store. I understand you were getting a lot of spam but are there any plans to bring it back?
A: Looking at it. We care about app discoverability. Launched recommendations, that should help.
Peer-to-peer recommendations can't hurt, but how are you supposed to get the ball rolling? I can get my family and friends to download and recommend my new game, but their social network will likely be very cannibalistic. And if I'd like people in Europe or Asia to see my game, recommendations aren't going to do squat.

 Killing visibility for new apps is making Google Play a more top-heavy market, hurting existing indie developers, alienating devs, making it much riskier to launch a new indie title on the market, and ironically, probably hurting the overall profitability of the market by thinning out the long tail. I'll be all right, even if my business doesn't survive another year. But I couldn't in good conscience recommend Google Play as a viable market to a new indie developer. As much as I dislike Apple, if I were recommending a mobile gaming platform for a new dev, I'd tell them they should focus on iOS first. And if one of Android's most successful indie devs is recommending a competing platform, you know things are really screwed up.


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I've been writing ever since and have learned to love it! I started out sharing my stories with friends and family. I've now been published in a Nashville church paper, Our Daily Journey (a devotional site of RBC Ministries), PCCWeb Daily Devotional, Ruby for Women Ezine Magazine, and I am a contributor in the book Alabaster Jars, Life in Abundance Collection 2.

Why Ponderings? During this life storm, God led me to a pond in the woods behind my home. There He met me each time, teaching new lessons, reminding me of old ones, showing His presence and allowing me to feel His love through the surroundings of that pond. I found myself returning over and over to ponder, pray and praise. A healing of my heart took place and out of the experience came my first book, Ponderings From the Pond, then a second book, Ponderings From My Porch, and now a third book is in the works along with a memoir about my storm.

Why am I making myself so vulnerable? Because God has done so much that I cannot keep quiet. I have to share. Jesus's last words to his desciples were, "Go,tell." We are his disciples too and this is just one of my ways of telling.

I'm no scholar but I have heard God's voice in my spirit, experience His love daily, and have a desire for others to experience this also. I would love to share with all who visit and I would love to hear from you. If my sharing gets just one to ponder, to be quiet with the Father, to see and hear from Him or to be reminded of something from Him, then this is worth my vulnerability.

As you visit me, sometimes we will be at the pond, sometimes we will move to the front porch, and sometimes we will just be here, there, and yonder. Thank you for coming and please feel free to come back anytime, you are always welcome here.

May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer.

Psalm 19:14

My first book, Ya Know What I'm Say'n, has been released.

Thursday, May 31, 2012

Chains of a Different Kind

(To those of you who are following my story with Greg, my former homeless friend, I feel the need to share the rest of the story and asking you to please keep praying for Greg with me. He is a struggling Christian. You have to remember, that he has lived a completely different life from most of us for the last 46 years, a life of drugs, alcohol and prison time. He is now a christian but this is a completely new and different way of living. He wants this new life, but is struggling. He is still somewhat in chains. I love Greg and he is my brother in Christ. This is the post I wrote 6 months ago but never posted. Now I do. . .)

September 24, 2011, twelve weeks after I met Greg, 5 1/2 weeks after being saved, Greg was arrested for public intoxication. Four days later, I sat on the park bench again with Greg. He told me the day before that there had been an argument between him and the Subway worker across the street. They had been letting him come in every now and then to get a free drink and occasionally a free sandwich.

Greg became bored this Saturday night and had started drinking in the shed he was sleeping in. He then wanted to get out and be downtown on the square to breathe fresh air, so walked there. He thought the girl working in the Subway was telling rumors on him and he went to ask her about this. Confrontation is probably a better word here. She told me one story and Greg told me another. He admitted that he had been drinking and probably said some things he shouldn't. The manager made him leave and banned him from their property for the next two years. Greg went back to the park. The police were called and they came down to talk with Greg. They saw he was drunk, and arrested him. He sat in jail for 5 hours and has had a $200 fine to pay.

While he and I were on the park bench after this incident, we had a long talk.

I knew he was a drinker, I knew all about his past. But this day was the first time he said has was an alcoholic. I suspected, but heard it out loud from him for the first time this day.

I know Greg is not a saint, I know he has had 46 years of living in a different world than mine. I know he wasn't just going to leap over into mine all at once. It is huge that he and I are even friends with such drastic worlds between us. I still believe God brought us together. I believe that Greg is saved. I also believe that he has a lot of baggage from the other world as well as bad habits and it is going to take time and grace and power of God to help Greg let go of the alcohol and all that brings with it. I believe he needs me to still be there as a friend who will not judge him, and yet hold him accountable and steer his thinking towards the Christian world he stepped into on the day of August 23, 2011. My husband is right there also as a friend to Greg and helping to hold him accountable.

I am sure when we believers stepped into that new world we were not perfect and messed up. We still do.  We need grace and so does he. We might not have gotten arrested, but is it any different in God's eyes? If we want to look at how big his mistakes are, we also need to recognize how big it was of Greg to take that step into the believer's world from his, an ex-con, one who spent much time in prison, who spent his days with hardened people. It was huge for Greg to step over. It was huge for Greg to come to my large church and be baptized in front of all those people, knowing they knew who he was and was homeless. It is huge that he and I can sit next to each other, forming a friendship like we have. All this only from God. That's why I know there is hope for Greg. God is in this picture. I told Greg we just need to keep praying, calling out to God for help and strength, but he also had to step out and do his part too. This is where he struggles but knows that it is right.

Greg was going to two different churches on Wednesday mornings for bible study. He was going to church on Sunday mornings. He was volunteering twice a week at the Hope House. But for now, he has stopped. What he needs is to be discipled by strong Christian men. He needs to be kept busier. But he has to want to do this on his own.

I am not an alcoholic so I cannot understand the hold it has on one. I know that it is hard. But I know that my God can break it. Greg has to want it bad enough. He may have to feel really bad before it gets better. Greg told me yesterday (May 30, 2012), that He loves God with all his heart, that these chains don't change that fact.  "I've just got to take it one day at a time.  I'm tryin', I'm really tryin, don't give up on me", he said.  I'll never give up on him.  This is where Greg needs prayer.  Prayer that God will break the chains of addiction and for Greg to be set free. With God, anything is possible! Do you believe this? If you do, I am asking you to commit Greg to prayer for this very thing. The chains holding him to Hell are gone. But the chains of alcoholism still has a hold. Undending love, amazing grace. . .this is what Greg needs now. I can't wait for the day I can write you all and tell you that Greg speaks these words with confidence. . .
"My chains are gone, I've been set free"

can you just imagine the testimony?!

 I have seen Greg try so hard. I have seen Greg make wonderful changes and grow. I have seen conviction and repentance. Greg is still my friend and I still love him and always will. Pray he reaches out for the help he needs and for the chains to be completely broken. Pray for him to be set completely free.
Thank you!

Monday, May 28, 2012

Grace in the Dentist Office

I found myself sitting in the waiting room of the dentist office while my son was in the back getting work done.  I had taken a book to read to pass the time, but I kept getting distracted by the people coming in.  The first one was a man who appeared to be in his early thirties.  He was sporting a bright purple Mohawk on his head with multiple piercings on his face.  I couldn’t help it. . .I stared. . .for just a second or two.  Then in came a teen age boy with his mother.  He was deaf.  They sat in the corner and seemed to be arguing. . .in sign language.  I couldn’t help it. . .I stared. . . for just a second or two. . .it fascinated me.  Then in came a young couple.  She was VERY pregnant.  I noticed no wedding band on her finger.  What I really noticed was her dirty feet and nails slipped into flip flops.  I couldn’t help it. . .I stared. . .for just a second or two.

I wondered about each one of them and what their story was.  All kinds of scenarios went through my mind.  It’s so easy to put a story with an outer appearance and yet I’ve learned from my interviewing the homeless, that what is on the inside does not always match the outside.  The Lord knew this. . .I believe this is why we read in His Word. . . “For man looks on the outward appearance but the Lord looks at the heart.”  I quote this verse many times when talking about the homeless.  And yet, this day in the dentist office, I found myself staring, on the brink of judging.  And then I looked down at the book in my lap.  Guess what the title of it was?  “Why Jesus” by Ravi Zacharius.

Why Jesus?  Because he loves the purple Mohawks, the dirty feet, the argumentative teen. . .and me.  Why Jesus?  Because He gave His life to give us the ultimate gift. . .Grace.  I know of no other who gives grace and teaches us to give the same as He.

Grace. . .an undeserved gift.  A gift I ask people to give to the “least of these.”  Was I issuing grace by staring and letting my mind wander?  Was I a messenger giving good news?  Not this day.  As I let my mind wander, one by one, each one in the waiting room was called to the back.  I found myself alone again.  I don’t know if I messed up this day or not, but as I was starting to beat myself up about staying quiet I was reminded,  I’ve been set free, I was lost but now I’m found, was blind, but now I see, this wretch was saved for ever and ever.  I don’t know where those people stand, if they will be at the banquet table or not.  So I prayed for each one, that if they are not now, they will be found, sight to be opened, and grace given to set them free.

The purple Mohawk was very friendly and had a great smile.  The dirty feet and arguing deaf boy sweetly smiled at me too before leaving.  I smiled back.  Did they issue grace?  They might not have realized it, but I felt like I had received it.

Grace is such a powerful thing. It can float around a room and you think you know where it will land and then it lands right on you. My son left the office this day with cleaner teeth and I left with a more grace filled soul.  Three people touched me, though they never knew it.  I won’t waste it.  I will pass it on.  Oh amazing grace, how sweet the sound, how sweet the touch!

Thursday, May 24, 2012

Remembering With A Grateful Heart

Week-end Blessings. . .
(remembering back)

  our American Flag

  men and women in uniforms;
(my husbands grandfather in WW1)
(my Dad in WW2)
(my husband's father in WW2)
(my husband 38 years ago)
  proud of husband for saving man's life on this day

  dog tags safely home

Thank you to our soldiers, past and present!

 Enjoy your Memorial Day week-end everyone!

Sunday, May 20, 2012

Don't Wait For the Big Fish

*NOTE:  If someone thinks they recognize themselves in this post, please know that I love you and I understand that if you have not gotten to know "the least of these" as I have, if you have not befriended the ones I have, I can understand where you are coming from, but my heart's desire is to show that these people are ones Christ loves and died on the cross for just as He did for you and me.  They just may either do not know or understand this yet, or their timing to this realization is different than ours because their lives and circumstances are different from ours. The purpose of my homeless stories is to change the general public's perception of them, looking past the obvious and seeing them through the eyes of Jesus.  Jesus has allowed me this priveledge and I have seen in their eyes what many miss because they do not get close enough.  These people have blessed me and my eyes have opened wider and my heart more open and I feel I have an even more understanding of what unconditional love really is.
That is a gift I want to share *

The longer I am in the Blanket Ministry, the more negative comments I hear about this population of homeless from the general public and ones carrying their bibles.  One such conversation came up about how the homeless are now getting free cell phones with free minutes. The group seemed horrified and talking about how their tax dollars were paying for this.  They couldn’t believe these people would get free phones, almost with a “how dare they” tone and with the thoughts, “We are paying for those, while they sit there doing nothing.”  I couldn't help but bite the inside of my mouth to keep the tears from falling.

All I could think of was how these people who live with all of their needs met in abundance, seem to at times take lightly the plight of those less fortunate.  These individuals are good people, yet sometimes it seems they, like many others, have isolated themselves from a part of life that seems unfair or distant from what they are used to.  Are they REALLY being put out by the homeless being given a free phone, a small thing that helps them in a big way, some of these people not getting three meals a day, have no roof over their heads, no driveway let alone a car, no vacations, just trying to survive on the streets where people shun them? These phones allow them to make and receive calls about jobs, it allows them to talk to family they otherwise would not get to talk to.  It allows them to call places so they don’t have to walk so much in their thread bare shoes.

The people with the Bibles would like to say, “They need to get up and get a job and pay for their own phone.”  I am always reminded of the quote, “Don’t judge until you’ve walked a mile in their shoes.”  Have the bible carrying people been addicted to something, do they have mental illness, are they sick with something and have medical bills they can’t pay or have they lost a job and lost everything because of it? Have they been suicidal, have they been beaten up by ones who should have cared for them, do they have self –esteem down near the 0 level, are they depressed to the point of not knowing how to move on?

I look at the bibles in their hands and I think of how it tells us to be like Christ.  What is Christ like?  Gaze into His face and you will see love, kindness, and compassion. Remember the story of Jonah?  God had compassion on the people of Nineveh and wanted Jonah to help them.  But Jonah ran.  Jonah did not have compassion on the people.  And Jonah was swallowed by a great fish.  I smiled as I thought how the negative people would react if God sent a big fish to swallow them until they became more like God, learning what He wanted them to learn.

I become upset with these comments because I thought how self-rightous they sound, and they should know better. And then I was out in my yard one day working and pondering about this when the Lord reminded me that at one time I had a self-righteous attitude.  I didn't know I did at the time, but looking back I can see now that when my boys were young, when they were so good and obedient and happy and respectful, that when my husband and I saw other children being disrespectful and downright disobedient, being mean to their parents and other adults, with the parents acting so exasperated, my husband would always say in my presence only, "Parenting is not rocket science.  Why don't they just do this or that?" (Father, forgive us!) Sometimes life can throw you a curve ball you don't see coming.  When our nearly perfect child, who we loved and adored turned 18, he became a prodigal.  Parenting apparently has some lessons we missed out on.  Or it could be that our son's independent self will kicked in and he decided to do his own thing.

My point is there is a lesson here in self-righteousness. I believe we all have been guilty of this sin at one time or another.  So I pray I always give grace in those mouth-biting, teary eyed situations where I hear the self-righteous conversations because I know they do not realize they are being that way, just like my husband and I did not know we were being that way all those years ago.

I was in a way, swallowed by the big fish. It took having a heart wrenching situation to make me see how I my thoughts had been towards these other parents and it gave me empathy for them. I pray that it doesn't take something big and stinky for the ones who make negative remarks about the homeless to see the error of their ways.  I pray the message of this book will help them to see what God sees and they in turn will have more empathy and understanding and compassion towards ones who live on the streets.  May we all learn the lessons God has for us. And I pray we learn without sitting in the belly of the big fish.  I pray that the hands that hold their bibles in one hand will not use their other to point fingers at groups of people, talking in disgusting tones with accusations.  I pray we use what God has given us to come up with solutions to help others, and at the very least, pray for them, and if we come into their presence to hold out our hands to them and offer them a genuine, sincere smile. . .and maybe even a sandwich.

Jesus told us to love our neighbors.  And then He was asked, “Who is our neighbor”.  Don’t just look at the people who live next door to you.  You look to your neighbors in your community, whether they be atheists, convicts, homosexuals, homeless, tattooed filled bodies, guys with pants hanging down and hoodies on their bodies. . .and yes, even the former convicted sex offender.  Everyone needs that loving smile,  everyone needs a Christ like touch, a kind word, to feel the unconditional love of Christ. They need to hear the Good News. And who better to offer this than one who has received that love in their heart.

Our Christ like love towards one of the “least of these” or any others just might be the very thing God is waiting for to use on someone to change them. . .and I’m not just talking about our “neighbor”.
Colossians 3:12-17

“Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience.  Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another.  Forgive as the Lord forgave you.  And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.

Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace.  And be thankful.  Let the work of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God.  And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

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Thursday, May 17, 2012

Talents for Therapy

from our Prodigal book. . .(Christopher is our younger son, Tim is our first son who became the prodigal, Keith is my husband. . .the subject. . .talents and how we use them. . .or in this case, how our son Christopher used his. . .

 Keith's Voice

There is symmetry to Christopher's life that is subtle in nature, yet remarkable in how he finds ways to express what he is feeling.  He has always been very observant of the world around him as demonstrated in the playful make believe adventures he generated growing up.  At an early age he discovered art and we often found him sitting for hours drawing and creating characters from his imagination and at times reproducing characters from stories and high adventures he read about or visualized from movies or television programs.

Christopher began to thrive in the environment of art as he discovered a world where he became the decision maker.  With each piece of work, his confidence grew, with each approving gesture from us and everyone who saw his work, his belief in his abilities became stronger.  At an early age the quality of his work was far beyond what his grade level would dictate.

I believe his art became his way of coping with what was happening with his brother and within our family.  For hours, he would sit and draw until he had the exact image he was looking for.  Artists by nature tend to be either very hyper, or very reserved and Christopher was no exception to this rule.  As his depressed feeling began to take hold...it also brought to the surface the creative insights that God gave to him.  I believe this was a special gift he was allowed to have for God knew just how special a young man Christopher was going to become when we were allowed to bring him into this world.  He also knew something we did not...that a difficult time would penetrate our world and he would need something to grasp ahold of to help him through those dark days.   Art allowed him to become someone other than who he was...gave him the heart of a lion to fill the void inside the sadness of heart he most certainly was experiencing.  With each character, he became someone who was strong and brave...giving him that spirit of knighthood he needed to fathom the depths of the despair that threatened to overcome his world.

As his dad, it grieved me deeply to see him suffrer the way that he did, yet at the same time I was never more proud of a young man as I was of Christopher.  All the prayers...all the talks...all the venting...certainly contributed to him getting throught a difficult time, but, it was the gift of art that God so inspiringly gave to him that carried him where we could not.

Mom's voice. . .
Prodigalism doesn't just affect the one who leaves, more often than not, the pain is left behind and for a 13 year old boy who thought the world of his older brother, he didn't understand what had happened.  His grown parents didn't understand, how could he? After Christopher was long out of his depression, he printed these pictures and explained them to me.  What I saw as dark and menacing in some of the pictures a couple of years ago, now I see something totally different.  They show a boy who was troubled, depressed and he reached out to the One he knew could help him from this dark period of his life. He was able to let out his feelings and deal with them in a positive way onto paper using pencils, ink, and colors. The more he thought and prayed, the better he became in his spirit and in his art. Here are just a few of the ones Christopher drew during this time at the ages of 14-15.  He titled them. . .

Pain and Agony

Reaching out to Him

My Chains are Gone

He who strengthens me

The Holy Spirit

Stand Out. . .in the world but not of the World

Warrior in Christ

Christopher is whole and happy.  He is 19 and going for a double major in Religious Studies and Art.
Thank you Father!

How are you using the gifts God gave you?

Tuesday, May 15, 2012

Bow the Knee ~ PART 2

*If you have not read Part 1 of this post, please go here and read, then come back here. . .

(Keith's voice)

That night the first indication of just how inadequate I was. . .indeed we were. . .in fighting this war became evident.  It wasn't long before I began the connection between what my grandparents had done, long before I was born, and what Kris and I were facing now.  Those connections came slowly. . .and reluctantly. . .but as each day played itself out, they became clearer.

I've never been at ease when it comes to revealing personal feelings or sharing personal convictions.  Kris has long endured that lack of bonding in our lives.  I can't explain it away, nor can I excuse it. . .it's just the  way I've always been.  Personal relationships are just that. . .personal. . . even with Christ.  I've always felt at ease with those internal relationships and at times I would get angry when Kris would interject her feelings toward me about that subject. . .prying and cajoling. . .needing me to share with her how I felt personally and sharing those things with her intimately.  It wasn't easy. . .and I had to be patient and was not always successful doing so.  It was a personal war of sorts.  It wasn't that I didn't want to share those things with her. . .It's just that her idea of how to do it and my idea of how to do it didn't always mesh.  Down deep she knew who I was and understood that there was a sincere conviction and never doubted that I had a personal relationship with Christ.  At times we would talk basic theology and she always enjoyed those moments as did I, but she needed more. . .wanted more.  It was a personal war I struggled with. . .and still do even now.  I tended to show by example as best as I could, and was never good at sharing with the touchy feely emotional things.

I suppose that is why I struggled with our son's situation in the beginning as I was a fixer. . .a doer. . .if something was broke, I repaired it.  I couldn't fix this.  No amount of words. . .no amount of patching. . .no amount of fighting could fix this.  There had to be another way.

I began to do what my grandparents had done, often in the evening, not unlike Kris walking into her prayer closet for a close communion with God.  I would kneel beside our son's old bed in his now vacant room and pray for his safety. . .for his return to normalcy. . .for God not to abandon him or his purpose for his life because our old Tim was still there. . .just lost and muffled by the confusion in his life.

I began to let go of the anger and fear. . .it wasn't completely gone, but it was beginning to subside as I began to better understand what was required to fight this war.  One evening, that nightmare I call "The Warning" began to creep back into my thoughts and it became more and more apparent the events of that dream were far too real to have been simply a dream.  We saw how Tim's life was heading toward mediocrity at best. . .disaster at worst. . .and it was then I began to understand that we were in a war. . .a war for Tim's life. . .for his future. . .for our family.  Satan was attacking us, I had no doubt, to what end I was uncertain.  The measure of the seriousness of the situation not totally poured out just yet, but it was clear, our enemy was fighting this war in a serious manner using dangerous weapons, and like in the nightmare when I was shoved aside, I knew I was not capable of fighting this war alone, nor were the weapons I was fighting with. . .fear, anger, anguish. . .adequate to win.  That evening I prayed a prayer I have never prayed before. . .but the words just flowed from my heart.  I asked God to fight this war for us, to surround Tim and our family with his soldier angels. . .swords drawn in our defense. . .denying access to Satan and his army of darkness.

The next day, I knew I had to involve Kris in this battle plan and when I returned home from work, we sat down and I explained to her what had happened.  She immediately responded with enthusiasm, and together, right then, we knelt beside our bed and began fighting this war in earnest. . .beseeching God as our General. . .humbling ourselves to His will in our son's life. . .requesting for battle hardened angels to stand with us. . .swords drawn. . .battle lines declared.  Even though the war was destined for a long siege. . .we arose to our feet in victory.  We have made it a habit to continue this regularly including our younger son and others in those solemn requests for intervention.

This war is being fought on two fronts. . . Tim's and our own personal fears and self doubts.  But, where there was despair. . .there is now hope, anger. . .there is now compassion, frustration. . .there is now, understanding.  The war is not over.  There is much for us to learn, much for us to humble ourselve for, but. . .the outcome is in God's hands. . .not ours.  If He chooses to use us as warriors in these battles. . .we can have no doubt its outcome.

Did I mention Keith is my hero?

"Come, let us bow down in worship,
Let us kneel before the Lord our Maker."
Psalm 95:6

After 25 years on bended knee the longings and sighings of my heart were answered with a yes.  The answer was "wait" for those 25 years.  And then came "yes".  I don't question the timing for I believe His timing is best.  He was teaching me during those 25 years things like patience, committment, unconditonal love, grace, and that my fullfillment should be in Him, my Savior, not another person.  And I am at peace now waiting for another longing. . .I believe I am in the "wait" stages again, and wait I will.  I believe. . .I trust. . .and with my husband now at my side, in the presence of the King, we bow the knee together.

This picture was drawn by our younger son who was hurting right along with us during the dark days.  He was 15 at the time and he added the verse Ephesians 6:10-17 with it.  He was leaning on the Lord just as we were and still is.  He is now 19 and at Western Kentucky University studying Religious Studies and Art.  He is waiting patiently too.

"Be strong, in the Lord and in his mighty power.  Put on the full armour of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes.  For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.  Therefore put on the full armour of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.  Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteouseness in place, and with your feet filled with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace.  In addition to all of this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.  Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
Ephesians 6:10-17

I have always been a strong believer in prayer but not until I heard this song, did I practice the bowing of the knee.  When I humble myself in that position, His presence is so strong, I feel if I reached out, I would actually feel the hem of his garment. I get goosebumps every time! This is the song that led me to my knees over 20 years ago in the closet. . .a practice I still carry on and now my husband does beside me. Click the link below and enjoy!

Sunday, May 13, 2012

Bow the Knee ~ Part 1

I wrote a book about our journey through prodigalism. . .this chapter is more about my husband and myself and we wanted to share at this time hoping it will encourage someone out there in however God chooses to do so. . .and to God be the glory!

"All my longings lie open before you, O Lord;
My sighing is not hidden from you."
Psalm 38:9

My husband Keith has been a Christian since he was nine years old and as I've said before is a wonderful man, husband and father.  He is also a quiet man who keeps a lot to himself.  This used to frustrate me so earlier in our marriage because I would want him to be more vocal about his Christianity and it just wasn't him.  I didn't expect him to be an evangelist; I just wanted that spiritual intimacy to be so strong between us, as husband and wife.

My mother would always say regarding Keith, "Still waters run deep."  This was a perfect quote describing him.  Keith is a wonderful writer and his deepest thoughts come through in his writings.  I felt once I started reading these, I started to understand him a little better.  My reading in the Bible where it told me my role as wife was to respect him also helped.  It doesn't say that I had to understand him or to always agree with him but I was to respect him, and he was worthy in so many ways of respect.  Because I loved him so and was seeing how deep his soul really was, it became easier for me to let go of my longing.  I had longed for Keith to pray with me and be passionate about it but this had not been something he was comfortable doing out loud.  Once in awhile we would pray together but it was not the norm for us.  I prayed for God to work in him and also in me to accept and love him even if we never had this one part that I so wanted.  God was helping me to let go of it.  I had not always been patient about this, but as I grew older and desired to become more mature in my walk with the Lord, I became much more comfortable with things the way they were.

When our prodigal son left us, it shattered my husband Keith as it did me.  He struggled mostly in his quiet way until one day, he came home from work and said he HAD to talk with me about something.

As you read the rest from my sweet husband, notice the awesome faithfulness and goodness the Lord brought to me and to him through this very difficult time.  *note. . .this was into our 25th year of marriage, 5 years ago*
Keith's Voice
War is never pretty, always difficult and costly, and in many cases the victor is as vanquished as the loser, once it's all said and done.  Yet, there are times when those battles must be fought.  Fighting an unexpected war when unprepared complicates matters immensely.  Fighting them without allies is almost impossible.

During the depth of our despair as our son began his spiraling detour in life, I recalled how my grandmother told me about how she and my grandfather would humble themselves everyday and pray for the safety of their only child...my dad.  You see, he was in harms way having been sent overseas to the South Pacific during World War Two, and numerous times found himself engaged in situations where he could have easily been killed...and indeed almost was on several occasions.  My grandparents could not be there to protect him, nor even if they could have been there, they were not strong enough to do so.  They instead turned to the one who could.  Every morning and every eveing, they humbled themsleves and knelt on tired knees, bowing their head in reverance and asked God to deliver my dad from the evil that surrounded him.  God honored their prayers.

As I recalled their story, and the nightmare I had dreamed of our son years ago, I began to understand that God did not want, nor did he intend for us to fight certain battles on our own.  We're just not strong enough.  The lives of our two boys and indeed our family, were at stake and we found ourselves thrust into a war with far reaching consequences. . .consequences that we could never know the depths of.  No matter how much we wanted to or were willing to fight the battles of this war, we could never win on our own.

When our prodigal began his downward turn,we were thrust into a war of a different kind. . .one that was unexpected. . .one in which we were unprepared.  The weapons of war we began these battles with were anger, frustration, bewilderment, fear, anguish, and fatigue.  Our battle lines were drawn for us and we were constantly reacting to a different situation almost every day.  Our battle plan was confrontation. . .our results were defeat.  We needed a general who commanded a strong army to fight this war for us.

One evening I could not sleep as the weight of my son's dilemma pressed heavy against my heart and I found myself sitting on the couch in the wee hours of the morning with head in hands trying to make sense of what was happening.  Tears began to drop one by one running down my arm, dripping on the carpet.  A sense of despair began to collapse in around me as it seemed our son was driving himself into a life of chaos and mediocrity. . .far below what he could achieve. . .far less than what we believed capable of him. . .far away from the Godly upbringing we endowed upon him.

That night the first indication of just how inadequate I was. . .indeed we were. . .in fighting this war became evident. It wasn't long before I began the connection between what my grandparents had done, long before I was born, and what Kris and I were facing now. Those connections came slowly. . .and reluctantly. . .but as each day played itself out, they became clearer.

Stay tuned for the conclusion of this chapter in my next post...Part 2...and see how God answered my 25 year longing...also see a piece of artwork by younger son who bows to his Heavenly Father and used his artistic talent as therapy during that time.  And then hear a beautiful piece at the end, the one that led me to the practice of bowed knees over 20 years ago.

Sunday, May 6, 2012

A Very Special Lady

As I sat in my ABF class one Sunday morning listening to my teacher speak about David, emotions, doing the right thing, laying prostrate on the ground, I couldn’t help but think of a modern day story about a very special lady…one who, as a young lady, thought her life would live out as the fairy tale stories she watched on the big screen in her day.

Because of people in her life who made bad choices, took wrong turns, and some living in their own sin, one making a very right choice to go across the seas with a missionary group, another taken away because of circumstances, everyone in her family ended up gone for one reason or another. She spiraled downward into a deep well of depression that lasted for years. Doctors put her on anti-depressants which she remained on for years. Her loved ones were gone for years. This lady ended up in a mental institution several times with doctors never “curing” her. She always returned home bad off as ever before. Not quite the fairy tale she expected.

People perceived her as weak because she was down and couldn’t seem to get up. This lady had been a Christian for years, but she allowed her emotions to get the best of her. The devil thought he could get her to give up by falling completely into this well of emotions.

But one evening, as this lady realized everything was gone in her life, she fell prostrate to her bedroom floor where she surrendered; fully surrendered her whole entire being, her entire family, everything! She even surrendered her emotions to do only what the Lord would have her to do. There was no earthquake, no great lightning, no emotional response. She got up and lived obediently to her Heavenly Father and slowly but surely, she became healed of the emotional illness the enemy tried to drown her in. She became strong, she got off her anti-depressants she had been on for years, never to go back on them again. Slowly, her family came back, a son after 14 years, a daughter after 9 years.

This lady is not weak. It took a great strength for her to not give up. It took a great inner strength in the midst of her turmoil and pain and aloneness, to go prostrate on that floor and say, “Jesus, I’m 100% yours and everything I have I completely surrender. She didn’t know what God’s plans were for her. She didn’t know what answers would come if any. But she trusted her God with all of her being.

This lady has become a dearly loved woman over the last 30 some years to so many people, helping, giving, and loving them with a Christ-like love, many calling her mom.

As of today she still thinks she is weak, but she knows what strength is in her is from the Lord. She gives him all the glory. She IS strong. She has shown the strength of a warrior. The enemy, strong in his tactics could not defeat her. She fought, she fell prostrate, she arose with a strength from the Lord she didn’t even recognize herself and together they claimed victory over this life and her family.

To this day, this lady thinks she has no legacy to leave. Oh, but she is so wrong! She will leave a legacy of great strength, faith, and love that only comes from the Father.

Because of her faith decision that night on the bedroom floor, my children grew up with a healed, whole, loving, and fun grandmother. You see, this special lady is my mother.

As she would and always says, To God be the glory!
A happy ending after all!

Thank you Mom for the legacy of prostate praying, strength in the Lord, obedience, faith, and
your unconditional love.
I love you with all my heart!
Happy Mother's Day!

She is clothed with strength and dignity; she can laugh at the days to come.
Proverbs 31:25

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Thursday, May 3, 2012

Oh, How I Prayed. . .

My mother in law passed away recently
so in the car we went
Mom, Dad, and Prodigal
ten hours on the road together
Oh, how I prayed. . .remember

Passing under the Memphis Bridge
passing corn fields and rice fields
the Ozark Mountains and Oklahom Prairies
700 miles. . .Oh how I prayed. . .remember

Him playing on grandma's piano
playing with the cousin's children
eating at aunt and uncle's table
and Oh, how I prayed. . .remember

Seeing dark haired grandma in the beautiful rose casket
family all around
tears falling, hugs all around, comfort being given
Oh, how I prayed. . .remember

Watching him stir rice krispie treats with white haired grandma
all of us telling stories from long ago
he sitting on the front steps playing his guitar
Oh, how I prayed. . .remember

Few words were spoken
but hugs were given and prayers were prayed
small conversations here and there and
Oh, how I prayed. . .remember

700 miles back, ten hours in the car
he and I exchanging front and back seats
he listening to his music and me. . .
Oh how I prayed. . .remember

Did he, you ask?
Does he remember the love of a good family?
Does he remember the grace and mercy he received from the Father?
Does he remember making Jesus his Savior?
Does he remember the dad who taught him all the "guy"things?
Does he remember the love of his mother over the last 24 years?
I wait patiently on the Lord for my trust is in Him and I will choose joy.
Only He and the prodigal know for now
and Oh, how I continue to pray
as only a mother can.

"Our loved ones may spurn our appeals, reject our message,
oppose our arguments, despise our persons---
but they are helpless against our prayers."
J. Sidlow Baxter

Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.
Romans 12:12

Do you pray for someone special to come home?
I have a running list in my prayer journal.  If you would like, I'll pray along with you for yours.


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Friday, November 20, 2009

Reflection Day

For my reflection day (once a month I am suppose to spend a day outside of the LMC reflecting/recharging myself), I took off for the British Library.

Big Ben - closer than I had been before
What I'm in a picture???

Now that I've gotten to actually posting my reflection day stuff I realise that these pictures are around a month old...I just got a haircut and my hair is pretty short now.  First time I've had a "real" haircut in two and a half years.  Real meaning one I paid for...and probably 6 and a half years since getting one from a "professional" and not just a friend in college for $5.  My new hair below...or just a lot less of my old hair.  It'll be a couple of weeks before new hair seems to appear.

So what have I been up to over the last month or so?

A lot... two courses from Bridge Builders - their foundation course, Transforming Church Conflict and a follow up course, Training of Trainers.  The Transforming Church Conflict course took me up to Bawtry (small town near Doncaster) north in England (but not THAT far north).  It took place over the third week of October.  The Training of Trainers course happened this last week from Tuesday to Thursday.

The Transforming Church Conflict course (TCC) focused on our own perceptions of conflict, our preferred conflict "styles" through the Gilmore-Fraleigh profile, and little bits here and there of ways to deal with conflict a little more effectively.  It was very self-focused and is meant as a foundation course to build off of for the future whether or not someone takes another course from Bridge Builders.

Overall, it was a very tiring course.  A lot of information to process as well as self processing.  Beyond the course itself I also was a part of briefing and debriefing each day to give me a flavour of what it will be like as a trainer.  This added with setting everything up on Sunday (course ran Monday to Friday with a meal on Sunday) and taking everything down Friday, travel 3-4 hours up 5-6 hours back (we hit traffic...lots of it), led to an exhausting week.

That being said it was well worth it.  I learned a lot more about myself than I thought I would even though some of the material/concepts were not new to me as I had learned many of them through my time at Goshen College.  However, being a little older, having a little more life experience, and processing the information for a different reason made it a very worthwhile experience.

The Training of Trainers course that I participated in this last week was very exciting for me.  It basically is a course that teaches people how to run a one-day workshop using Bridge Builders concepts and material.  It gave me a bit of an idea of what I will be doing during courses in the future since it was training me on using some of the material that we used during the other courses.  Not only did it prepare me a little for being a Bridge Builders' trainer, but also prepared me for doing such a workshop when I get back to the States at some point.

The material, while presented over 3 days was broken up so that we were presented it, got a chance to try part of the presentation ourselves, and then debriefed each experience afterwards.  If it was going to be really run as a one-day workshop it would need a very special group of people (i.e. VERY very quick learners).   It would be easy to divide the material into a couple of days/workshops.

Now that I've given a summary of some of the work I've been doing I guess I should let everyone know of some of the fun stuff I've done...on to some pictures!!

The following pictures are of Kenwood House in Hampstead Heath and around in the Heath on a wonderfully sunny fall day.

  The next photos are sort of in front of Chinatown, a couple of a church at night, the Thames at night (not a clear shot but the water looks neat), outside a pub on the Southside of the Thames w/the flame/light things...

The next photos are from the fireworks celebrating Guy Fawkes day.  The link for what the day is from wikipedia is below here. It's basically celebrating the burning of a guy who tried to blow up Parliament with a TON of fireworks.  The pictures don't do the show justice, but they're interesting enough.


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Ryan Phillippe Claims He Never Assaulted Ex-Girlfriend

Actor Ryan Phillippe has filed new legal documents in response to Elsie Hewitt's lawsuit, denying her claim that he assaulted her and threw her down the stairs.

Phillippe says his ex-girlfriend is flat-out lying, in an attempt to get money and publicity out of failed relationship with Phillippe. Hewitt's lawsuit claims that the couple was arguing on July 4, when the 43-year-old actor got violent. He allegedly threw Hewitt down the stairs and inflicted various injuries on her.

Phillippe says that the lawsuit is part of a deliberate attempt to slander him. He says Hewitt's police report was completely false, and that she broke into his house while intoxicated.

Phillippe's statement goes so far as to say that Hewitt's claims are defamatory and represent an attack on his character. So far, he hasn't made a move to counter-sue. He says that he "was raised by women in a household where women's rights, feminism, and advocacy were very much at the forefront," and that "he is sickened to be falsely accused of domestic violence."

Phillippe's ex-fiancé, Paulina Slagter, has offered her public support to Hewitt, though she hasn't come forward with any similar accusations.

Reese Witherspoon, Phillippe's ex-wife and the mother of two of his children, has spoken up in Phillippe's defense, saying that he's never expressed violent tendencies in front of her or their children.

Hewitt hopes to get a million dollar settlement from the lawsuit.

Phillippe's response made no mention of Hewitt's accusation that he's a chronic use of drugs like cocaine, ecstasy, and steroids.


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In a culture that thrives on fear, have faith.

                                                              BREAK OPEN THE SKY, a new book by Stephan Bauman

                                                              BREAK OPEN THE SKY, a new book by Stephan Bauman

"...a much needed and valuable work
that speaks to our landscape in a fresh way." - Ed Stetzer

"We are not trapped or locked up in these bones.
No, no. We are free to change. Love changes us.
And if we can love one another, we can break open the sky."

— W. Mosley

Terrorism. Racism. Refugees. Political vitriol. Our culture is driven by fear. Compared to all previous generations, we are more safe, live longer, hurt less, and earn more. Yet, we are more afraid than ever.  Our faith has fallen prey to this culture of fear. Fear slips into our souls, leaving us not only afraid, but on edge and constantly anxious. No longer a safe harbor, a source of strength, and a bastion for love, faith has become a caricature of the real thing. We are left wondering, questioning, even disillusioned.

We face a defining moment. Will we cave in to fear or rise in faith? Stephan Bauman, the former president of World Relief, has seen firsthand in some of the most difficult places in the world how it is possible to embrace love in the face of fear. Break Open the Sky is an invitation into living out what matters most.

— Praise for Break Open the Sky —

“Rarely do I read something with such deep spiritual analysis, profound insight, and poetic storytelling as Stephan Bauman’s new book Break Open the Sky. For those who think they already know the good news of Christ but still long for more, this short, honest, and beautifully written book is what you have been waiting for. Break Open the Sky is a timeless contribution to Christian and human spirituality.”

Ken Wytsma, president of Kilns College, founder of The Justice Conference, and the author of The Grand Paradox: The Messiness of Life, the Mystery of God and the Necessity of Faith“

"Break Open the Sky “ is not just a title ….  It literally Breaks Open the heart, mind and soul with a hunger to pursue more. Packed with conviction and  examples of real faith happening in the most desperate places in the world, wrapped with a depth of love that Jesus longs to see in all His people, Break Open is  a word desperately needed in these days!”

Jo Anne Lyon, General Superintendent Emerita, The Wesleyan Church

“We live in a brave new world where terrorism, racism, and bigotry drive an engine of fear in our society and within our churches. Bauman tackles these topics head-on, compelling us by God’s love and exciting us by his grace to reject fear, embrace risk, and rediscover faith to care for people in the shadows. Break Open the Sky is a much-needed and valuable work that speaks to our current landscape in a fresh, new way.”

Ed Stetzer, Billy Graham Distinguished Endowed Chair for Church, Mission, and Evangelism, Wheaton College

“A journey not for the faint of heart, Break Open the Sky is an invitation to live out an authentic faith in the midst of fear…, an invitation to hope!”

Tom Lin, president and CEO of InterVarsity Christian Fellowship

“Humanitarian Stephan Bauman has witnessed love conquering fears, but he has also seen fear stymie faith’s best intentions. His lessons from his life of global service can help us shed our fears and reawaken our commitments to that” sociological impossibility,” the global Christian community.”

David Neff, former editor in chief of Christianity Today (retired)

“In uncertain and anxious times, Break Open the Sky is a critically important book for those who want not just to survive but to thrive. It is for those who want to find joy and power and impact in any season, especially the challenging ones. This is must reading for anyone who wants to go deeper into God and deeper into the real world we live in. This book couldn’t be more timely.”

Rev. Bill Haley, executive director of Coracle

“In the tumultuous days we are living in, when fear seems to be overtaking the hearts of so many, Stephan Bauman’s Break Open the Sky comes like a torch in the darkness. This book amplifies the very good news of an upside-down kingdom and is a clarion call to live out a faith that is honest, gritty, and beautiful.”

Rob Morris, president and cofounder of Love146

“Stephan has been an eyewitness to real fear factors that have disrupted lives and derailed nations. With this book Stephan delivers a rich treasure trove of personalities and stories accumulated in his journey through this globe’s minefield of violence, disaster, and disregard. This book is an entertaining and thought-provoking travel guide offering a way to joy in the midst of insecurity.”

Steve Haas, chief catalyst, World Vision

Today’s political and social culture too often incites people to fear the “others” among us. Oftentimes these are the poor, forgotten, hurting and voiceless, living in the margins of society. This is who Jesus was referring to when he commanded us to “love the least;” not the “less than.” Stephan’s book shows us how these very people – whom we may be tempted to pity, look down on, or dismiss – can become our teachers.

Terri Traudt, Bioethicist

“Stephan Bauman’s artistry with words puts a new lens on old truths and a new way to view the events of our day that leave me feeling encouraged and courageous. This book is a must read for individuals, small groups, and university classes who truly want to live as God’s peculiar people—fearless when the world says to be fearful, seeing abundance when the world cleaves to its storehouses of wealth, seeing ‘the other’ as the ones who Jesus calls us to reach out to, especially now.”

Dr. Beth Birmingham, senior director of Leadership and Staff Development, Compassion International; Associate Faculty, Eastern University

“Stephan Bauman is a unique mix of visionary, poet, strategist, and pastoral leader. Break Open the Sky is a book of hope in a world gripped by a culture of fear. Hope is out there. It may be messy and raw, but it’s glorious. Life isn’t about living with an absence of fear; it’s about taking the risk to love anyway. Stephan points to a deeper understanding of the nature of God, one that he’s witnessed firsthand in countless stories from around the world.”

Mark and Vickie Reddy, The Justice Conference

"An important book that acknowledges the complexities and messiness but still points us to a deeper hope that we desperately need..." - Eugene Cho

                                                  Recipient of Christianity Today's Award of Merit in Politics and Public Life, 2016

                                                  Recipient of Christianity Today's Award of Merit in Politics and Public Life, 2016

"Inspiring. Hopeful. Needed." - Louie Giglio

Across the world, people are rising up to fight poverty, oppression, and injustice—not just professionals, but bloggers, musicians, entrepreneurs, artists and advocates. People who refuse to accept the world as it is, who dare to believe change is possible.

But we face a crisis of vision. We know what needs to be done, but often we don’t know how to do it. Without a better blueprint for doing good well, our moment in history will slip away.

Stephan Bauman, president of a leading charity believes true change begins in the hearts and actions of ordinary people. In Possible, he presents clear and biblical thinking, powerful stories, and practical tools for sustainably impacting our workplaces, neighborhoods, villages, and cities.

Possible is an eloquent and personal call to reconsider what it means to change ourselves so that we can change the world.

Book Preview

Group Study Guide

Sermon Guides

"A compelling perspective on our calling, our orientation toward suffering,
and the anatomy of lasting change." Gary Haugen, IJM

“A convincing case for how we can bring genuine change to our suffering world.”

Willow Creek Community Church

"Inspring. Hopeful. Needed. Possible: A Blueprint for Changing How We Change the World is a beautiful road map for us all as we discover our role in brining God's heart to the whole world."

Passion Conference

"Possible is a beautiful, remarkable book. Stephan Bauman gives us a blueprint for changing the world that is light on superficialities and heavy with essentials. Whether you're a young activist discerning your path, or a seasoned leader recalibrating for the road ahead, you'd do well to say a prayer, and then start here."

Former Director, Office of Faith Based and Neighborhood Partnerships, the White House

"As a dreamer, I long for those transformative moments when an old impossibility gets replaced by a new possibility. This book pierced me with joy as it dispelled lies that I'd been led to believe, then revealed just how attainable changing the world might actually be."

"After he spent decades on the front lines of justice, we are now able to read about the philosophy, faith and experiences that have led Stephan to believe justice is not merely a goal to strive for, but is indeed possible."

"This is a book about not shrinking back form the challenges of the world, but leaning into them with love, resolve and inexplicable hope. It’s about not doing easy things, but doing lasting things. Stephan's rolled out something  beautiful on the table. But it not for us to just look at, but act upon. Part memoir, part manifesto. You’ll enjoy this book which will challenge some of your assumptions and confirm others."

author, Love Does

"Stephan Bauman is a poet practitioner with the dirt of the world’s biggest challenges under his fingernails. Many books point towards the world's problems, but few layout reasonable solutions."

founder and CEO, Made in a Free World.

At a conference on justice, a speaker observed that it is easier to persevere than it is to maintain hope.  Indeed, the challenges of the world can easily discourage us.  But Stephan Bauman comes to us withPossible: A Blueprint for Changing How We Change the World and forces us to rethink the way we see ourselves, our world, and our God. Possible will stir your imagination, challenge your faith, and invite you to take action.  Read this book – especially with a group of like-minded friends – and you’ll come away renewed in your belief that changing the world is possible.

author and professor, Gordon College

"Stephan is a visionary for what the people of God can do with a little faith. Possible doesn’t just encourage us to believe in the impossible but gives us a blueprint for action. When so much can overwhelm us about what’s wrong with the world, this book helps us act with, learn from, and just be alongside those who are vulnerable. Weaving personal stories with practical application, this book is an essential handbook to a community of change-makers.

Author, Welcoming the Stranger

"Stephan Bauman is a leader after the model of Jesus."

president and Founder, Mercy Ships

"This wonderful summons to do justice is a powerful combination of gripping stories, solid theology, and probing challenge. "Possible" doesn’t just call us to change the world; it convinces us that we can do it."

author, Rich Christians in an Age of Hunger

"Stephan Bauman helps us understand that if we want to steward our moment in history, we must turn our thinking upside-down—first to recognize the resilience and creativity of those who suffer, then to thank God for the privilege of coming alongside them as co-creators of the solutions. I love this book!"

Willow Creek Community Church

It has become quite fashionable to talk about social justice. Unfortunately, many of us fail to move beyond the talk into meaningful action. Quite frankly, we often just don't know where to begin. With Possible there is no longer any excuse for such paralysis, for Stephan Bauman charts a course that every one of us can pursue. Tempering heart-wrenching stories with the hope of the gospel, this book made me believe, once again, that with God all things are indeed possible.

co-author of When Helping Hurts and President of the Chalmers Center at Covenant College

"We can all find resources that tell us why we must make a difference in the world, but Stephan Bauman presents the most compelling blueprint I have read on how to do that. I wish I’d had "Possible" forty years ago!"

Rear Admiral, U.S. Navy, (ret.)

“Possible" is for everyone who wants to move beyond complacency to commitment, from doing little to truly changing the world. Lots of writers tell us that our world is a mess but Stephan Bauman shows us how to fix it.”

president, National Association of Evangelicals; author, Leadership That Works

"In a world of poverty, suffering and downright evil, Stephan Bauman calls us to live lives of hope, justice and vision. Rather than passively accepting what is, he challenges us to courageously rouse ourselves – and our communities - to make a difference in the world."

president, InterVarsity Christian Fellowship

"Stephan Bauman’s new book, Possible, has all the marks of greatness. It avoids common pitfalls of many justice books that can either be overly optimistic or idealistic on the one side or pessimistic and cynical on the other. This book is for people who still believe it is possible to change the world, but want a deep and meaningful conversation on how to get there. Stephan has accomplished something pretty special in this tight and compact treatise—it is passionately written, marked by Bauman’s years of radically hopeful living; is intellectual and deep, yet remains accessible and inspiring. Possible is sure to spark your imagination and fire your passions."

founder,The Justice Conference and author of Pursuing Justice and The Grand Paradox.

"Stephan Bauman’s fresh and creative blueprint for remaking our world,Possible, is a poetic and prophetic rendering of church history, literary insights, and encouraging stories of “average” folks working towards a more just and peace-filled world. Every chapter paints a picture of the possibilities and hope embodied in a community of love, rooted in beliefs, values, and behaviors that align with the Biblical fruits of the Spirit. All who are committed to following their God-gifted call to work towards justice—in  big ways or in small steps—will glean significant truth and inspiration from this wonderful and timely book.

professor, Point Loma University

"Like Jesus of Nazareth, Stephan Bauman realizes that in order to change the world, we have to change people's hearts, starting with our own. Anyone who aches over injustice and wonders if real change is actually achievable should read "Possible: A Blueprint for Changing How We Change The World."

former United States Ambassador to the United Nations Agencies for Food and Agriculture; author, Changing the Face of Hunger

"Possible:  A Blueprint for Changing How We Change the World invites us to take the first step toward living out God’s purpose for our life, as agents of reconciliation and restoration in the world.   Wonderfully accessible, user friendly and faithfully-grounded, Bauman challenges the status quo, answers the question  “what can I do?” and unleashes what’s possible for ordinary people to address root causes of suffering and really change the world."

president, Bread for the World

"This is an inspiring book!  Written by the leader of one of the world's most effective relief and development organizations, it is full of stories that taught me and equipped me to be more effective in helping like Jesus."

senior Pastor, Northland - A Church Distributed

"Possible is not just a blueprint for change; it's a cartography of courage. Stephan has personally challenged me beyond the safety of facile and distant engagement so pervasive in our age to the arduous but promising incarnational work of world-changing. If you, like me, resist the cynicism that too often accompanies world changing, Possible calls you to leave the Shire with renewed hope."

president, National Latino Evangelical Coalition

"I was in tears by the end of this book. Stephan and Belinda weave their own journey throughout these pages with grace, humility and passion. They are not asking others to do something they are not doing themselves. This book is an invaluable resource to encourage, equip, correct and inspire a generation of positive 'transformation' agents."

author and Activist, Redbud Writers Guild

"The weave and texture of Possiblecatapults this book to high levels of literary beauty, yet at the same time emotionally and intellectually intertwines our lives with the most vulnerable of the world. Stephan’s personal vulnerability, connecting with solid biblical, historical, psychological and  cross-cultural models, defines Possible as a seminal book for our times."

General Superintendent, The Wesleyan Church

"Possible is a gift for all of us ordinary people who long to more meaningfully engage injustice in Jesus’ name.  With the grounded, reassuring optimism of a seasoned practitioner turned theoretician turned storyteller, Bauman combines keen kingdom insight with fresh, proven tools to help everyday disciples translate their longing into faith-filled action.  How dare he believe such a thing is possible."

pastor, Fellowship Missionary Church

"In a world rife with poverty, conflict, and injustice, sometimes striving for change seems futile. Possible is a beautifully written testament to the truth that ‘what is impossible with us is possible with God.’"

Evangelical Immigration Table andAuthor, Welcoming the Stranger

"Read this book for an intimate tour into the heart of every person’s call to justice and reconciliation."

professor, Point Loma University


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Back to site

Lake Okonoka

Image of Lake Okonoka

You are viewing an original plein air painting "Lake Okonoka", done in oils on an oil primed linen panel.
The buyer will receive the painting safely packaged and ready to frame.
This landscape painting is a view of Lake Okonoka on Belle Isle Park in the Detroit river.
The 2015 painting is 10x8", signed and dated

Stephen Magsig lives and paints in Ferndale, Michigan.
I have been painting for over 30 years, and have been in more than 30 solo shows and numerous group shows.
My work is in more than 25 corporate and museum collections, and in hundreds of private collections, around the World.
I currently show with the George Billis Gallery in NY.
and with the David Klein Gallery in Birmingham MI


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Thursday, 30 May 2013

Nuevo Mexico

Nuevo Mexico is a background planet, mentioned at least three times although never visited, in Poul Anderson's History of Technic Civilization:

Manuel Felipe Gomez y Palomares, an ensign in van Rijn's company, is from Nuevo Mexico;

the Nuevo Mexicans are "...poor and haughty colonists from the far side of Arcturus..." whose customs include great formality and courtesy (David Falkayn: Star Trader, New York, 2010, p. 278);

Fleet Admiral Juan de Jesus Cajal y Palomares and his daughter Luisa are from Nuevo Mexico;

"Luisa had been raised among folk who, if strict out of necessity on their dry world, were rich in honor and bore a hair-trigger pride" (Rise Of The Terran Empire, New York, 2011, p. 471);

Saint John, Hagios Ioannes and the continent of San Juan on Nuevo Mexico are named after the St John who wrote some books of the New Testament.

Only while writing this post have I noticed that the ensign and the Admiral have the same surname. This looks like another of those families that endure through successive periods of the History.

1 comment:

Sean M. Brooks said...

Hi, Paul!

Yes, but the ensign and the admiral are, at best, only distantly related as well as being separated by centuries. Also, recall the custom is is for Hispanic persons to add the names of their mothers families to their patronyms. What this means is that members of the Gomez and Cajal families married women who came from the Palomares family.