Thank you for your answers Ken. Well, maybe some day your son will join the majority of the the US and get on FB. Or do one of those internet searches and find you. We found a tall handsome smart cousin we had back in the 50s and 60s and he was on FB but somehow he's been replaced with some old wrinkled man with a PHd who has written several books that I couldn't even pronounce the name of. My brother and I felt to intimidated to even try to contact him. I hope it goes better for you and your son.
In New Testament times, miracles and healing were used as a means of gaining the people's attention so that the Gospel might be preached. I don't know that Jesus healed the blind man so that the blind man could see, but so that everyone who witnessed the event would be able to see more clearly the message that He was preaching. His disciples also used miracles as a way of getting attention. I don't know if Benny Hinn is still around because I haven't had television in a while, but I have always viewed people like Benny Hinn as entertainment and not as a genuine man of God. I know that I shouldn't, but I am always skeptical of pastors and evangelists who claim to heal by the laying on of hands. I have no reason to believe that miracles are not for today, yet my automatic response to someone being healed through a laying on of hands is one of doubt and skepticism, and I have no doubt that many -- if not most -- of them are fake. When I was a kid, each summer the tent revival meetings would come to town. Usually, being a conservative community, the ones who came to Wallace were more standard revival circuit preachers, bringing a message not unlike that which we could hear from the pulpit in our church, only ratcheted up several decibels on the emotional scale. One year however, we got a revival preacher there who set aside a portion of the service for people to come up and be healed, or simply to be knocked to the ground. Indeed, there were a few people who claimed to have been healed of whatever ailed them after the preacher laid his hands upon them, and were able to walk although they had come up in a wheelchair. The problem was that pretty much everyone in the audience was related to one another, and none of us knew any of those who came up to be healed. The consensus was that they were part of the show, that they traveled with the revival circuit to be healed in town after town after town, hoping to entice someone who was really sick to come for the same.
Well Ken...I don't believe I ever said anything about "laying hands" on you for your healing...although it does say in the New Testament that if anyone of you who are sick then you should go to the Church Elders and let them anoint you with oil for healing and lay their hands on you and pray for healing, etc. The only problem with this now days from my point of view...is that it's really hard to find the "Church Elders" that the Disciples of the New Testament were talking about in churches today. You would be better off finding a few "faith" filled Christians to lay those hands on you and anoint you with oil if that is what you feel you need. Now days I would spend my time asking God to give me that faith as "small as a mustard seed to move that mountain in my life". There are a lot of people and churches of every denomination calling themselves Christian now days...and even a lot of christs and gods impersonating the real ones too. But Jesus says that His sheep know His voice and follow Him...alone...no matter what others say or do. What others may consider a miracle now days...I just feel is God and Jesus keeping their promises to those who believe by faith and God's will for them. They never promised us a "rose garden" only salvation and "eternal" life.
How about a picture of you and Michelle when you got married or your early days together. I want to see that woman that has faith enough for the two of you...and my slow internet won't let me load the videos with you both in them.
I believe that God answers prayers. Sometimes the answer is, "No". Ken, on a scale of 1 to 10, how would you rate your sense of humor? My favorite form of humor is one that is a play on words. What would you say yours is?
I'd say maybe an eight, only people don't generally know when I'm joking. I enjoy sarcasm but sarcasm is generally mean so I try not to do that so much. I usually go with something subtle. No smileys if it's online, no smiles in person. If they get that it's a joke great; otherwise, that's funny too.
For about 7 years (2003-2010), we've had very warm, good, wonderful like-minded inter-state get-togethers with the Anabaptist groups here at home, and at their main church conferences/meetings in their state. We've lost touch now that our families got older and left home. I recall not having to do with sports, politics, and 'worldly fashion' which I agreed with. Our family now is in our new chapters of our lives. No sad regrets. But a moving forward in the direction where God sees us as an individual family recognizing our Christian heritage from way way past Martin Luther's Reformation--back to the ancient Hebraic foundation of the Christian faith.
It's so nice to be a part of this group and see, a glimpse, of who our SCO founder/moderator is in 'person'
I just happened upon ye olde "Hotseat" threads of yesteryear. Enjoyed reading this and several others.
Since I first answered this question several years ago, I have since reconnected with my son and we are in touch by telephone often. The problem was that he does not use computers, which still seems odd to me since I had one of the first computers on the general market while he was with me. His son found me for him. My son is still in Southern California, still married to the girl he dated in high school, and he has two sons and a couple of grandchildren. Some, I believe I had posted in various places here, but I think he found others online. I was impressed.