6-15-2024 Another personal update and proposed plans for Bible805

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“But none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with joy, and the ministry, which I have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of God.” Acts 2024

This would be funny if it weren’t true—but as I was getting well from the previous challenges I reported in my last update of being blessed with an e-coli infection, the RSV respiratory virus, and a major head concussion with a resulting brain injury that required complete rest for a time, all within the last few months—I then got Covid.

I am in a high-risk group, and I had all the vaccines and was thankful that I avoided Covid for the last few years. Getting it was quite a surprise.

I am staying with my sister while our home renovation is going on(our mobile home is almost 50 years old and things were going seriously wrong in many areas). Some dear out-of-town college friends came to visit and brought the latest variant with them. Lots of hugs and shared meals later, they left to see other friends. My sister and I did not feel well but at first, assumed it was too many goodies shared with friends.

Then we got a text from our friends, “We tested positive for Covid.”

We tested ourselves and we had it also. Our doctor gave us Paxlovid and our friends rejoined us because we all had to isolate for a week. God does work out all for good as my sister’s big house was a great situation to isolate in, and we got to spend much more time together than we would have otherwise.

But Paxlovid or not, friends or not, Covid is still rather nasty, especially for someone with a weak heart and respiratory system.

I got over it, but my heart especially has reacted quite badly—crazy jumps in all measurements and lots of rest required for it to heal even after the active Covid bug seems to be gone. I had to once again give up teaching my live class and I’ve been resting quite a bit, while still going over to check on home renovation progress. For a few weeks, I could barely get out of bed; I’m doing much better, but no marathons will be in my future.

Through it all, the verse above has been a constant challenge and reminder. I am not letting this flood of health challenges sidetrack me from being a writer and teacher for Jesus. Yet I find that when things are particularly challenging, it is time to step back and ask, “Lord what do you want me to learn?” “What adjustments do I need to make in  serving You?”

What I’ve learned and how it applies to the Bible805 and Effective Church Communications ministries

I feel like the Lord has said to me, “Now just be quiet and listen. You aren’t doing what I want you to do.”

I thought I was; I try so hard to be obedient, but this forced downtime has made me realize I wasn’t following as well as I thought.

I know He made me to be a writer and teacher for Jesus, I’ve done that all my life, and doing that is my greatest joy.

I feel like He’s given me a calling to focus on teaching the Bible with the various things I emphasize on this site (and the Effective Church Communications site)–the topics aren’t in question—they have been consistent for decades. It seems the Lord was impressing on me that what I need to work on is how they are organized and how I can make them useful for others. I have a HUGE amount of material, but truth be told it is a bit of a mess in terms of organization.

I must organize what I have so that others can use it

This continues the project I started when I put together the Bible805 Academy with totally FREE (or PWYW, pay-what-you-want, with FREE greatly encouraged) lessons on key topics such as Why We Can Trust Our Bible, How We Got the Bible, the Trinity, and lessons throughout the entire Bible in chronological order.

All these lessons have videos, podcasts, editable PowerPoint presentations, notes, questions, and associated charts that people can use not only to learn themselves but, and this is the most important thing, that they can use to teach others. I give people full permission to do that, to edit and modify the materials, and to remove my name and ministry attribution from all the materials.

Right after I made that decision and posted it on the Bible805 Academy site, a person from Kuala Lumpur, downloaded everything on the site. That gave me great joy and seemed a confirmation of what the Lord has called me to do. Then I got so sick again and didn’t do anything on any of the Bible805 Academy, yet people from around the world have since downloaded materials. Hundreds and hundreds of downloads from all over the US and Canada, France, Hungary, South Africa (a variety of places there), the U.K.. the Sychelles, and Germany. Somehow the Lord has let people find these resources while I was completely out of it, ill and with no notification, PR, advertising or anything I did to let them know they were there.

God is gracious, but I do not want to presume on his kindness

The materials may be out there, but they are not organized very well—I can’t even find what I’m looking for on my own sites and I have much more I want to share, particularly in the areas of how to modify what I have to make it your own and tips on how to teach.

I also need to get consistent with podcasts, videos, blogging, and my newsletters. Since I got my first health challenge around the first of the year, they are all a mess and I greatly apologize.

While laying in bed, I’ve come across new tools, new platforms that I will be implementing and that I’ll tell you more about as I get time. Please bear with me as things may be confusing and not as clear as I’d like while I am getting all back into order.

Back to the health update and what I’ll be doing now

Life is still a bit challenging, we are still in the midst of the total home renovation–at present no working bathrooms or kitchen because things kinda fell apart, but they are being put back together. My body feels like it’s being put back together after Covid.

Neither rebuilding project in home or health is of course going as quickly as I would like it to, yet I’m at peace and very happy and God is so good.

I am praying for continued confirmation, but I am thinking I need to go over core lessons and redo them to make them more useful to others and to double-check and improve content. I will keep you updated on the process and my decisions, but for now pray with me that it be the reality of my life

That none of these things move me, (no illness or weakness, no distraction) neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with joy, and the ministry, (to help all I can know, trust, apply and teach the Bible) which I have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of God. Acts 2024