God’s Word For Today

My health may fail, and my spirit may grow weak, but God remains the
strength of my heart; he is mine forever.
–Psalms 73:26, NLT

You know as we enter a New Year, it always gives me time to reflect on the past year and maybe even further back.  Being only 28 and going through three back surgeries within the past 9 years has been such a challenge.  Even the recoveries and the disabilities that I am left with are a day to day struggle.  But as I read this Scripture today, I was reminded that our Lord is always my strength, my solid rock that I can lean upon, in good and bad times.  I wonder how much differently my recovery would have went if I did not allow Christ as to be the Lord of my life?  My back problems, something meant to harm me, have changed hearts and lives for Jesus.  I recently told my wife that if I had to suffer all of these back problems just so even one person could allow Christ as the Lord of their life, then I suffer with joy and praise God for using this to His glory!

This body is temporary, weakness is temporary, but God is eternal.  Even as someday we all leave this earth, the eternal inheritance allowed for us by the suffering and resurrection of Christ will be ours.  In the bad and good times to come in 2011, allow God to be your strength in ALL things.  As you do, you will joyfully proclaim as the Psalmist did “He is mine forever.”  May God bless you all with a Happy, Healthy, and blessed New Year.

 

Rev. Charles Wells

Life – What an Adventure – Update

I know it’s been forever since I have written something on this blog so please forgive me. Things are going well here. It has been extremely busy but I like busy. I am now pastoring 2 ministries at the Nazarene Church I attend. On Tuesday evenings, I am ministering to 5^th and 6^th graders and am working on launching a new 30′s ministry after the first of the year. I do not get paid for these jobs but the payment I will receive in heaven someday is greater than anything I could get here. I also have applied for a local pastorate in Warren and am waiting to hear about when I will go for the interview. Please pray that the Lord’s will is done concerning this.

I went to my doctor for my back in Pittsburgh on October 29^th. Things are going well. My back is completely fused and I have included the latest x-rays in this entry. I still do have another good year of healing at least to go. With the colder weather here, I get really sore and stiff easily so I still have to take an easy. Concerning my drop foot though, he highly doubts that it will get any better. I am still one who knows with God all things are possible and will trust in His healing. If it doesn’t happen though, let God’s will be done. It is difficult getting around when you have to drag one of your feet with you but hey I will take it any day over that pain I was in prior to my surgery last year.

Lori and the kids are doing well. Matt turned 6 back in October and he is struggling in kindergarten. Please keep him in your prayers as we are having some behavior issues with him at home too. Kelsey is being herself and growing like a weed. She will turn 3 on December 23^rd. Lori is doing well and still helps me out at home.

We have put up all of our Christmas stuff because for a minister, things after Thanksgiving just get totally crazy and we wouldn’t have the time. It is beautiful in here and as soon as I get the rest of the cleaning done, I will post some pics on here. I am excited the holiday season is upon us again. We surely have the snow to get us in the mood. We have a nice Lake Effect snowstorm that is going to give us another foot or so on Friday so all I gotta say is pray! Pray we do not get buried in our home til spring. Also, I will be doing a lot of staying in this winter because I am so afraid of falling. Please pray for my protection.

Well I better close for now. Hey everyone check out my new blog for the 5^th and 6^th grade ministry I pastor. It’s located at http://nazpac.wordpress.com.

Well I’m Out! Blessings

-Pastor Charles

Good Tuesday Morning

Good morning my friends.  I hope everyone has a wonderful day today.  I wanted to write and tell everyone I am still here but as always just been really busy.  I got my sleep study results yesterday and I have a severe case of sleep apnea.  I guess I had 51 episodes of moving to a different stage of sleep or to being awake all together in just that 1 night.  Also, I had 91 breathing episodes to where my breathing went shallow or stopped.  So my next step is going for another sleep study on August 6th and they will use a cpap machine and try to figure out the right pressure I need for me to get some good sleep.  I am just relieved that we have finally found out what is going on and now we can treat it and maybe I will be able to get some good productive sleep.

The cable company here launched high definition tv yesterday and I subscribed to it last evening.  I watched some ball games in high definition and the picture is just amazing.  Just like you are there it is so real.  So I will be enjoying that today after the cable guy comes and figures out what is going on with my digital box.

Of course I have more painting to do today.  I am going to put a second coat on one wall and then finish the rest of it and try to get the whole downstairs done today so that tomorrow I can get everything put back together and hopefully be able to even take pictures and show you what it looks like now.  It has been a lot of work but boy has it made our downstairs look so much nicer.  I paint a little then I have to rest some and my balance is still not good at all so I have to use my cane but I am not one to sit around and do much of anything. 

Well I need to close for now and get through my email so I can go get some things done.   Have a blessed day in Jesus.

-Pastor Charles

Good Sunday Evening

Hello my friends in Christ.  Yes it has been a long time waiting for me to post on here again but with summer here things have been totally hectic of course.  I write tonight to let everyone know I am still kicking and doing alright.  Went for a sleep study a week ago to see if I have sleep apnea and I am waiting to hear back from them so that is a little nerve racking.  The dr. was pretty positive I have it even before I had the sleep study done.  He checked my thyroid and everything is fine there.  So please keep this in prayer and I will post the results here when I get them.

The ministry is keeping me quite busy.  I have to admit I am getting talked about behind my back so much lately and it just hurts a lot.  I wish if people had something to say that they would come and talk to me about it face to face but for some reason they just won’t do it.  The Gospel will cause this to happen and I will stand my ground no matter what I do.  But when it happens from Christians it just makes you wonder how their walk with the Savior really is.  I pray for these people and I will allow God to deal with them as “vengence is His”.

Well I need to get off of here for now.  Please feel free to post your comments as I would love to hear from them.  God Bless and keep you always!

 

- Rev. Charles

Good Morning My Friends

I made this bobble head and honestly I think they might want to think about promoting this at one of their ballgames.  Hey they cant win so maybe its time they give back to the fans. 

I feel bad cause I am not going to church today.  We are leaving for our church camp for the week to work and there is just so much to do before we leave.  This afternoon I have a conference call about the association’s website (hey visit it!  www.theaecinc.org) cause I am having some problems with a couple of things.  I do know alot about websites but there is some things I am not sure on how to do…. So we have to go out this morning and get all that stuff done.  Things are going well here.  I am looking so forward to this week and to see God work in young people’s lives, even though the numbers may be few.    We are only expecting 15 or so this year but I think at times that allows God even more freedom to work.  So when you do not hear from me at all this week, that would be why. 

My health is ok right now.  My diabetes numbers were down to 6.3 A1C lately and that is really good, especially from where they were a few months ago.  My cholesterol was down too so I am blessed by that news as well.  My liver enzymes were out of wack even more though so we do have to keep track of that.  If it continues, they might have to take me off vytorin and try something else.

I am going for a sleep consultation here next week.  I just do not sleep well anymore.  I could sleep for 8 hrs and wake up and feel as if I did not sleep a wink.  So please pray about this.  I am thinking he will do a sleep study and see if there is a problem. 

Lastly, I think I will close by telling you that I am finally getting my apartment painted.  I have done half the kitchen and man can you tell the difference.  I got to admit it looks so nice.  My back is holding up through it although I rest often.  I will paint for a few minutes and then I rest for a bit.  Yes it slows the process down but all in all it works for me.  My back continues to get better but I still have a really long road ahead.  September will be a yr so we will see where I am at then.

Well I need to close for now.  Have a blessed Sunday!

 

Rev. Charles

Good Friday Morning

Hello everyone.  Sorry for the lapse in posting but I am still here.  I hope all is well with everyone.  Things are going good here but just so busy all the time and it just never seems to let up.  Today is cleaning the apartment day here.  Getting caught up on sweeping, mopping, laundry etc. as those have lapsed lately with our busy schedule.  Matthew is playing t-ball and I have included some pictures in this blog entry of him.  I wish I would have taken the camera last night  as he played catcher for an inning but he will play that again.  Anyways I hope you enjoy the pictures.  He is an awesome t-ball player and we are so proud of him.

Anyways, other than that, I have been keeping busy with church and home things.  Lori and I have started going to a weight loss program at our church on Monday nights.  It is so awesome because we are on teams like the biggest loser but instead of just the usual things, diet, exercise, etc., they really focus on the Lord and we are accountable to do the Bible study in the program, praying, a memory verse, etc.  It has really blessed us and I have lost 5 lbs so far which is awesome.  I hope to make it down to the gym today to work out for like a half an hour or so.

My back continues to do well.  It has been rainy and quite cool lately and that has bothered it some but I am still praising God I am not in the pain that I was in before.  I still end up resting it in the early afternoon for a few hours because it still wears out so easily.  I got my new brace for my dropfoot.  This one extends all the way to the end of my foot, giving my toes support.  My old brace went just to the middle of my foot and was actually bruising my foot.  Also, it would allow my toes to curl up in my shoe and I could not get them straight and that was really painful.  It is taking some getting used to, but now my foot is wholly supported which should help me along my path of getting to walk without the cane, although I feel that is still a long ways away. 

Well I suppose I better close for now.  God Bless and Keep you all.  Have a wonderful weekend and don’t forget to worship the Lord in your local churches this weekend.  He is worthy of all praise.  AMEN!

-Rev. Charles

 

Good Friday Morning

Hello out there.  Sorry about the lack of updates this week.  It has been so hectic since Matthew has started his t-ball games.  Hopefully next week I can get some pictures of him playing and can post them on here.

Things are going well.  The sinus infection is finally leaving me and for this fact I am very thankful.  My back has been pretty sore and stiff this week because the temperatures have been pretty cool.  Hopefully one of these days, that will change for the better.  I am still so blessed to be where I am today when it concerns my back.  I am shocked that we are 7 months post surgery now.  It has been an amazing ride and if someone says there is no God, I can prove them wrong.  Only God could heal this back as perfectly as He has with mine.  Only God can take away the horrific pain I experienced.  Only God could guide those screws into exactly where they needed to be.  Even the surgeon stated that its a miracle on how well I am doing.  Praise God!

Other than that, things are just so busy.  Hopefully after this week, things will slow down some.  I feel horrible because I have not been able to make it down to do visitations at the nursing home recently between being sick and playing catch up with my work.  I gotta get started on that again because I know it is where God wants me right now.  I am finishing the Sunday School class I am teaching this Sunday.  I have had a great time teaching it but I am going to let someone else teach the next class.  I just need a break and the Lord understands that as well. 

Not too much planned for the weekend.  Just going to relax and hope the Pittsburgh Penguins can wrap up their series with the NY Rangers on Sunday afternoon.  I do ask you to pray for a young man named Seth Anderson and his family.  He is 12 and was involved in an explosion a couple of weeks ago.  He was severely burned and I have seen pictures and it does not even look like him.  He has had a couple of surgeries and will need several more at least.  God is using this situation to bring people to Himself and we praise the Lord for this.  His mom is down there with him and she is just drained emotionally, physically, etc.  So please remember them in your prayers.  There is a website that keeps us updated often.  If you want the address, please email me at wells16@atlanticbb.net and I will be glad to forward that to you.

 

Well I need to close and get around.  Have a wonderful day in our Lord.

 

-Rev. Charles

Good Tuesday Morning

Hello my friends.  It is a beautiful day here and of course I am starting what will be a busy day. Matthew has t-ball practice and I have some studying to do today.  Also, Matthew has an appointment this morning and we have to go shopping so it equals a busy day.  Today is the primary election here in PA and it has just been sickening lately on how Obama and Clinton has been hacking at each other.  I am glad that it will be over at least for our state so I don’t have to get 10 political ads in the mail everyday. 

I hope and pray that the Lord blesses your day.  I pray you remember to seek His face this day.  It is so vital in a world that tries to feed our minds with so much trash that we counteract that and feed our minds with the Bread of Life, the Word of God.   So with that, may God bless and keep you as you seek Him today. 

 

-Rev. Charles

Monday Evening

Hello my friends.  I hope you all had a wonderful weekend.  I just realized that I have not posted on my blog in a little while and I thought I would take a little time and give everyone an update this evening while I had some time on my hands.

It has just been a beautiful past week up here in NW PA.  Springtime has finally hit us and for that I am so blessed.  As I smelled the spring air, saw the beautiful sunset, and heard the choir of birds singing, I thought to myself, if it is so beautiful on a night like this, then what will heaven be like?  Praise God for His revelation through creation.

I heard from my surgeon this past week that my back is doing wonderful.  The xray films cannot look better.  I am so blessed that everything has gone so perfect since my back surgery.  I still have my good days and bad ones and I am really stiff at times, like tonight, but it is still like nothing from before.  I praise and thank God that I am able to get out of bed and walk everyday as I still remember the doctor telling me how close I was to being in a wheelchair.  So often we take those little blessings for granted but I am surely not now.

Lori went to a ladies retreat this past weekend that the association I am ordained through puts on every year.  I prayed for her all weekend and she has come back excited and refreshed in the Lord.  It is so exciting to see because I have not seen her this excited in quite some time.  God is at work in her life and I feel at times I have failed her in not being the man of God I need to be. As I had the weekend alone to spend some extra time in prayer, I think the Lord has really given me a zeal to step up and be that man.  So often, especially because of my disability and not being able to get out and earn my family’s living, I feel so much less of a man.  I ask for your prayers in this aspect.

Well I need to close for now.  God Bless and keep you.  Look for some new articles on my blog this week. 

 

-Rev. Charles

Sat. Morning

Good morning my dear friends.  As I woke at 5 am this morning, I heard the choir of birds singing outside my window on the power line.  Didn’t hear any that sounded like they were getting shocked so that was a good thing. LOL.  Anyways, as I listened to them, oh how it made me reflect on the beauty of God.  That each and every morning is given by Him.  Every day is new, every breath we take is new, every beat of our hearts are new, every sunrise and sunset is new and unique from any other.  God creates everything new every day and we need to count our blessings that we are a part of this day.  Our God is alive and well this day and always and He proves this through His creation.  The creation is not to be worship but the Creator is to be praised forever.  AMEN.

 

Other than that, still battling the sinus infection.  I may need a second round of antibiotic in order for this to get out of me.  I am going to church tomorrow though as that is where I need to be.  I got so much work to do in this next week that I just don’t know how I am going to get it all done but as a friend once reminded me, I would not want it any other way and he is right.  I remember being so bored after my surgery and it just drove me nuts.  I just hope to get back to my routine after being sick for so long.  I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend.  If you get a chance, check out another website I am designing for the organization I am ordained under.  It is www.theaecinc.org.  We are actually getting pretty close to having it complete and after it is done, I have another website I am going to be building for a missionary organization.  Check out my ministry at www.jcilchristianministries.com.  Always new stuff being updated there as well.  Well I going to close for now as I need to get some coffee into me.  May the Lord bless and keep you!

-Rev. Charles