Current Prayer Requests
[Older requests archived in pray_past.html (2004-2019).]
August 23, 2024
Much has changed since June.
The operational, logistics, and financial 'daily assaults' have slowed down (but not gone away yet...).
The emotional pressures peaked in July, but are settling down some, to just a 'simmering boil' (lol) now.
But there will be a very difficult conversation that has to happen very soon, which will be quite a challenge/blow for the family members
(and is terrifying to me).
The property sold this week, which reduced my debt load (mostly due to the support requirements of the two family members)
from $$462K to approximately $170K.
And with a HUGE reduction in interest expense!
Given the situation now, it looks like I will need to seek some short-term, consulting work to help with this.
[Probably based on my long-ago career work:
https://gmmx.org/gmmxcom/workskills/index.html]
And maybe for on-going needs ... I still have a special needs family member living here with me,
that I support out of Social Security and a small, dwindling IRA. So, I may have to face that reality soon.
One day at a time--like it has always been, even if 'unawares' (smile).
"Sufficient unto the day, is the evil thereof"...smile
[I have been in conversation with an executive friend of mine for a couple of YEARS NOW, about him using me
to help in his organizational challenges.]
Would appreciate some prayers for guidance, wisdom, and doors-if-needed. I hesitate to lose even MORE time of my life
doing this, but the Lord used this for DECADES to support this ministry and my support for others. His will be done!
I have a couple of major pieces needing to finalize -- what I call my 'late life reflections' ... very strong pieces (IMO),
about issues/facts that I have found UNAVOIDABLE for any human paying attention to the universe around them,
and to the social universe in which they are born, grow, and hopefully contribute to positively
before they exit THIS stage, to face the REALITY BEYOND.
Please pray I get mind-space and clarity to get these done soon ...
I have a brain scan MRI coming up--to see whether some loss of hearing has some more serious background.
I also ask you to ask our Father to bless the person helping me with edits on the Tank, with spiritual growth and direction.
Again, thanks for praying on all these things for me -- I offer a special prayer constantly to the Lord, to bless those who pray for ME...
Warmly, little glenn
June 2, 2024
Since the December prayer request update, I have been thrown into a period of unprecedented chaos, pressure, pre-panic, and 'opportunities for growth'--sigh/smile.
Apart from the one DARG update, I have been consumed totally by a health care crisis for a very close family member.
Multiple trips to the ER, weeks in PT rehab and assisted living,
24/7 caregivers (even in an Independent Living facility), and finally a pacemaker installed 2 weeks ago.
I have been on-duty and on-call for emergencies 24/7,
without breathing room and mindspace to attend to the daily needs of my 'normal responsibilities' and family (much less any writing).
I am their sole means of financial (and operational) support for all this --
and these costs are staggering (on top of the increased debt load described back in December).
And they are estranged from all/any family who could provide help.
A crisis point seems imminent -- both financial and operational.
The residence they lived it is being put on the market for sale in the next couple of days,
so if that turns into cash soon, a large chunk of the debt load
(and the now over $2k/month interest charges) will go away.
But the caregiver ($500-$1000 per day) and facility ($3,900 per month) costs will start to accumulate again, while they still need so much care.
This is the first night I have been able to focus mentally AWAY from that situation, with enough energy/mindset to write this update (and enter some books).
Oddly enough, though, I am strangely calm / confident overall (?!).
I have moments of abject panic and stomach-clenching fugue states, but the overall pattern has
seemed to 'average out' at a level of trust that I have not experienced (i.e. 'grown into yet') so far in my half-century trying to follow Him.
A couple of factors seemed to have produced this:
- The song 'Just be Held' -- has been a mantra for much of this time (chained to/by control, falling into place). And although I sometimes cannot
get 'into that space of peace', many times I HAVE BEEN ABLE TO ... and He has rewarded these smaller periods with resolution at the end (the 'I told you so --
that I was the one carrying this burden and moving this process forward MYSELF' thing).
- There have been major 'interventions' of Providence, that seemed to overcome speed-bumps and resistance to change, at critical points--leading me to
recognize that He is driving this whole path for them, me, family, etc. The obstacles quailed me IMMEDIATELY,
but the resolution of those 'small bumps' contributed to my growth in confidence in His directive and active and aggressive will.
- I have actually had to have 'difficult conversations' with them, when I have a history of avoiding such 'confrontations' with EVERYONE.
[I am a 'peacemaker', but I know that sometimes I have hidden behind that 'title' to avoid 'speaking truth to power' (specifically, the 'power to hurt me'--sigh/smile).
Granted, the mix is more complex than simple confrontation-or-cowardice (e.g. pick your battles, majors not minors, overlooking offenses, settling before getting to the judge,
adiaphora--indifferent things, etc.).
- So there is enough providential evidence that I can remind myself during pre-panic / pre-constriction 'symptoms' that 'He does all things well'--and "I shall yet praise Him"
So, I would ask for special, focused prayers for this area:
- Pray that the situation would resolve quickly, peacefully, with few/no reqrets, and with minimal increase in expense;
- Pray that the messages inherent in this situation will be seen by all;
- Pray that the lessons learned from them--by all--will STICK and inform FUTURE responses to such situation;
- Pray that the 'unnatural priorities' required will soon be balanced out with 'natural' day-to-day ones;
- Pray that the timing of finances yields peace and appreciation;
- Pray that I can grow (and hold onto) this new level of trust and confidence and 'just being held'.
thank you so much...
AND SPECIAL THANKS TO THE SWEET ONES WHO CAME THROUGH AND LEFT ENCOURAGEMENT FOR ME! AND STATED THEIR INTENT TO PRAY FOR THESE NEEDS!
Dec, 2023
Not sure if anybody reads this site or this page anymore, but needed to reach out with these requests--
Starting over … many (most?) of the previous requests were not answered (in the manner I hoped… sigh), if at all
(‘wait for it…’ is ALWAYS an answer, but some of these situations have closed up altogether.)
Dec, 2023
Not sure if anybody reads this site or this page anymore, but needed to reach out with these requests--
Starting over … many (most?) of the previous requests were not answered (in the manner I hoped… sigh), if at all
(‘wait for it…’ is ALWAYS an answer, but some of these situations have closed up altogether.)
So, I start this list again, with simpler statements—that are urgent to me, at this stage of my life…
If they sound morbid, it is because the personal challenges that are invading my peace seem substantial (mostly those within, but some from without).
- I need energy to finish the course. No problems with faith itself (God gets ‘bigger’ every day for me—as I continue to reflect on what He must ‘be’ and/or ‘be like’…). At 73, it seems that the accumulated regrets, failures, embarrassments, and missed opportunities of a life like mine are crushing me… the inertia of getting moving is very high, but—of course—the tasks I have facing me daily are fairly large and complex and WAY ‘out of my wheelhouse’… so I need energy, vitality, and especially ‘impulse power’ to move from ‘a state of restless rest’ to a state of CALM-BUT-STEADY MOTION… (smile).
- I need help prioritizing my workload. Even though it has technically decreased since losing my job, it SEEMS more daunting and fatiguing [I have discoved the reason the word ‘retired’ has the word ‘TIRED’ inside it!]. It might be due to ageing, accumulated/untreated depression, weight gain, occasional sin, lack of discipline, and – probably more relevant – fear of failure. (And fear of interruption—massively consumptive for me, to have to context-switch between difficult tasks—seemingly too often an experience). I have major categories of spiritual life, music lessons for my grandkids, thinktank ‘clean up’, thinktank research/writing, communication (email, zoom), health issues, care of needy family members, admin/operations/finance [no ‘recreation’ in there … sigh.]
- Connected with the above, I need help in managing feelings (and propensities) when I DO get to focus on a task for a while—and I get some momentum up. I tend to respond with (internal only!) irritation when the next interruption invades... I cant seem to win this… the interruption stream is constant (my over-exaggeration…lol), but it has become a thing of ‘fear’ actually… the old ‘things going well—that means something spiky is about to invade’ theme of many.. I need the Spirit to soften this aspect of my behavior so I can serve better/longer in the areas to which I am currently assigned…
- Need to lose weight. It seems (we are not sure) that it is impacting the diaphram, so my coughs (which can trigger a vasovagal fainting) and shortness of breath (which affects my ability to do things with family) pose a big challenges. They cannot find anything major wrong (that would create these things, as well as the edema in the right leg), and labs/vitals all seem okay… working on this, but prayer support would be super appreciated and no doubt super helpful. I have new pain in my upper thigh (checked it for clot already), and growing numbness in the fingers on my left hand. Will investigate this if the regimen of exercise and diet do not impact it soon.
- Need wisdom on finances. I am six-digits in debt (mostly HELOCs—so I still have a ‘positive net worth'—but no liquidity), so—with current interest rates—my interest expense is very high [$1,897.47 last month, for example]. I move debt around to take advantage of lower rates, but it doesn’t help much—transfer fees being what they are, and floating interest rates. When I try to restrict spending (which is almost exclusively for/on other folks – ‘hilarious giver’, still), I don’t get a strong impression that I am supposed to -- I seem to ‘sense’ to keep on (for others), and trust the Lord’s provision for all this—still accumulating debt, but not ‘marketable assets’ (lol)… Need wisdom on how to avoid getting into a situation that would significantly impact my family after my demise (for me: ‘a demise to a new sunrise’!). I am avoiding having to make a decision about trying to find employment again, but the kind of work I could do now would not be significant enough a source of income (and Medicare income limits have to be avoided also). I don’t have academic credentials for finding a local teaching job, and since I have had to topic-hop CONSTANTLY on the Tank, I am not a ‘subject matter expert’ at ANYTHING—LOL. At any given moment, I might know a lot about SOME TOPIC, but when that is written up and posted, that knowledge is GONE—replaced by the next topic… My personal living expenses (apart from debt service and a car note) is small—and would fit within my Social Security and small IRA. But I carry expense loads for other family members that essentially doubles it--for the next 2-3 years (depleting the IRA way too fast). So, wisdom and ‘cleverness’ is needed… but my confidence is still solid in the God of all provision and JIT-need-meeting!
- My family needs help. Some need heart-healing, some need relationship-repairs, some need major progress in their spiritual journey.
My step-daughter – who now helps me a little on Tank administration / cleanup – has many physical challenges (i.e. JDM, SSc, gastroparesis,
endometriosis —with surgery indicating between stage 3 and 4) which impact the broader issues (e.g. cPTSD, pNES, ED--strength to fight purging behaviors!)
she is in therapy for (w/ a new, great therapist—so hope is higher than in the past!).
She has recently become a believer in Jesus, and the presence of the Spirit inside her life is starting to show up –
even though she is not actively pursing discipleship yet. She is open and gifted and learning and a support to me now.
I am not good at being human, a parent, member of society, husband or even a friend or housemate.
[Never really have been—I am a ‘carefully shaped mutant’ (IMO) for the one thing He seems to have blessed me to do –
‘and when I run, I feel His good pleasure’…] (*NOTE 1 below). She is the most impacted by my inaction, paralysis, avoidance, hiding, and ‘flight responses to trauma/stress’. And time is running out … I personally interpret all the challenges she faces as an INDICATION that God has something AWESOME for her to do!
- There are some people wanting to help me re-org the Thinktank to make it more accessible. It is a mess, and it would be good if some prayers to Father were offered up for their efforts (and my ability to ‘allow’ and/or ‘enable’ such).
- Another component of the prioritization issue is the ability to recognize and reject distractions. I am sure I have some level of ADHD, and I use distractions TO AVOID the stuff I NEED to do, and YEARN to do. Sometimes the ‘little tasks’ can be used to get moving (overcome the initial inertia) and I use them for this as needed, but since my modus operandi is to do everything COMPLETELY (so I wont have to context-switch BACK to this later!!!), even the simplest task can take 2-3x the amount of time I estimate for it (smile)—and especially if it involves something done for someone else.
- It might be useful to list some the higher priority Tank projects I want to work on, for more specific prayer. In a rough (but debatable) order of importance (as I understand it):
- Update to the Dying-and-Rising-Gods discussion (due to publications since I wrote the CopyCat articles)
- Update to the Amorite/Canaanite ‘genocide’ articles (due to publications about their sexual practices since I wrote the articles).
- A new ‘Letter to Readers’ – I have so much that should be said, and I havent written one of these in a while.
- A new SHORT video series (?) on a summary of my faith at this point in my life (50 years of thinking clumsily through this…).
- An extensive addition/update to the “did they make up the miracles” series to interact with the newer claims of literary borrowing from the Greek and Latin works (mostly championed by DR MacDonald – whose works I have been accumulating with the funds I have).
- I have designed (but only being organizing materials so far) for a series on ‘why no laws against domestic violence in the ANE/bible?’.
- I need to finish the Lukan census discussion (two pieces owed: Quirinius life and Tax impact of Apamea’s status—according to Pliny, etc.)
- I need to get back to the ‘how I decide between competing religions’ – especially after all that has happened in the world in the past two decades!
Well, it sounds more challenging than it probably is, but I am not morbid or cratered by this (very often…sigh)…so, for anybody still reading this and praying for me, THANK YOU!
...........................................................
NOTE 1 (TMI...?):
I have been married “1.1” times (once for 16 years and once for 16 months), but did not know I was under a catch-and-release program.
After I was ‘thrown back’ (sigh), they went on to get BETTER (or at least REAL) fish.
I didn’t make assumptions about that, though, and tried another relationship—very sensual/physical/intense—for a couple of months,
that ended disastrously (with scars and bitterness and regrets everywhere).
Two years later, I tried one last time – nothing physical –with an amazing lady, but after only a year,
it was clear that I did not have what it took to be a full, real partner in a real, full-time relationship. She was truly worthy of more than I was, and more than I could give, and more than I would be able to grow into.
Since then—1999—I have accepted my solo path, and not even daydreamed of trying again (in fear of creating more regrets and scars).
[But honestly, I realize now that my later intent to pursue such was largely based on a 'that is what I SHOULD DO' ['It is not good for man to be alone...'], and not from some felt-need for partner companionship. I think I am shaped more for the solitude in which I can thrive, create, and worship exuberantly.
My social anxiety takes a heavy toll on me, in ALL encounters--even with blessed family. Not as it should be, but definitely how it is...]
The Lord has kept me more-than-busy with other matters (many of which I am not skilled for EITHER…sigh).
And as for ‘being a good friend’—sigh—the three or four TREASURED people in the US that I count in my ‘inner circle’ and ‘closest of friends’,
I only interact with maybe once every 2-3-4 years(?!)…
So, that should suffice to argue for my self-assessment above…
BUT I accept this, and I give thanks for this humbling and embarrassing limitation –
“His strength is made perfect in my weakness’ … cracked clay pots, and rebuilding the wall with burned stones…
“We—including me—are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus, unto good works”.
His grace and providence brings life out of death and fruit out of dry ground.
When I was told by a local evangelical church in California that I could not teach there because of my divorce,
it caused me to start trying to answer questions and objections on-line, on a non-Web 1993 network (One Net).
Since – back then (lol) – ‘on the net no one knows you are a dog’, I figured that ‘on the net no one knows that I am divorced’…
God blessed that anonymous work, and with just 224 pages of those postings, I created the Thinktank (at someone’s suggestion and urging).
[I was allowed/blessed, though, to work with an independent prison ministry during this period, in spite of my marital status.]
Years later, I was allowed to teach some Sunday School classes in two churches in the area, which contributed to the early content of the Tank.
Shaped, then shattered, then salvaged… little glenn.
The Christian ThinkTank [https://www.Christian-thinktank.com]
(Reference Abbreviations)