Do you believe in Miracles

Well, I sort of do. I generally believe, and am happy to believe. But I'm not one to bother God with my own needs, and wouldn't think to ask for supernatural relief.

10 weeks ago (read here}, my jaw was moved east-west in what would seem some sort of hyper-extension (I don't know the medical definition of this term, but it seems to fit all the same). I spent a week drinking my meals, and have been dropping Advil in ever orifice I can find since then. 

Tonight I watched the independent documentary film Finger of God on Netflix. Not even sure where I heard of this film, but I put it on our queue sometime back and watched it tonight. The film centers on the healing work of the Holy Spirit. It was reasonable, not garish, and didn't ask for money; as someone who is happy to believe in God's miracles for others, I enjoyed the film, and allowed that its presence stretched me. Good job, God. Well done on that miracle; the recipient seems very happy. 

As the film finishes, a 'typical' flashy Reverend Mr. Pastor Jimmy Joe Johnson (not his real name, but you can get a flavor of my hesitancy) stares into the camera, and prays for the viewer, prays for their healing. And I sit there, quiet as a ghost, sweating and clammy, while my inner ear started cracking, a distinct cold feeling developed in my ear canal and traveled down my right neckline, and the chronic pain of the past 10 weeks subsided.

Holy moly. 

I haven't shared this injury with anyone save my wife, and need some time to process this before sharing this with others... (excepting you, my beloved readership). I am talking with God on this and hoping for the best. 

Trusting an Untrustworthy Person

I'm not a hawk, and I even think kimchi is almost edible. But why do we continue to trust North Korea?
A shortened recent history:

• 1992 & 1994: Kim says "we'll be nice". 
• 1995: US gives $6B to pay for them being nice. 
• 2002: Kim says "just kidding, we've got an underground nuclear facility". 
• 2003: Invite Russia and China to help broker peace. Really?
• 2005: Kim says "we'll be nice, if you give us some more $"
• 2006: Kim 1st nuclear weapon test.
• 2007: Kim says "we'll disable our nuclear facilities by year end... got any more $"
• 2008: US agrees to take NKorea off its "Axis of Evil" list, if NKorea gives them access to all of the nuclear facilities for inspection (notice, the 2007 deadline was missed).
• 2008: NKorea agrees to give US access to all nuclear facilities for inspection, if the US gives more $.
• 2009: NKorea walks away from talks, tests another nuclear weapon, and then agrees to resume nuclear disarmament talks (apparently, they didn't want to be in the talks while testing the nuclear weapon, as that would be disingenuous)
• 2010: NKorea sinks a SKorea ship, threatens SKorea and US with nuclear war, then asks to resume nuclear disarmament talks
• 2011: NKorea reveals another secret underground nuclear facility which they had been constructing while they've been negotiating.
• 2012 April 14: NKorea attempts to honor the late Kim's 70th birthday and his eternal father's 100th birthday:

The event was appropriate: to celebrate their dead, dishonest and militaristic cult-leader who used his tax base to fund the military while insisting that foreign aid be used to feed the citizens, the cult-followers attempted to launch a long-range rocket to show the world its power and instead watched the rocket fail.

Maybe we can get NKorea to commit to nuclear disarmament talks if we give them some $.

Glass Jaw

Tonight I had the occasion amidst my weekly soccer match of going after a loose ball in front of the goal, whereby I met the other team's striker, my keeper, and my keeper's elbow. Me the elbow were intimately acquainted, and I awoke inside the penalty box 5-10 seconds later. 

I left the field of my own accord and watched the remainder of the game. Two concerns evolved in my mind, one of greater weight than the other. First, I couldn't close my mouth. Second, I would have to share said reality with my wife (I'll let you decide which of the concerns concerned me the most).

An hour of internet [sic] research has encouraged me to join the Waitansee Tribe in the hopes that things are better tomorrow. And seeing as though Maggie is table dancing in Vegas with her girlfriends for the weekend, I'm going to delay the inevitable.