The Life of John Thomas

John Thomas

I think I need to check my high school year book but I believe I was one of three people given the title, "Talks Most, Says Least".

The direction I wish to head for the rest of my life is for others to say I

"Talk Least, Say Most"

John Thomas

One of the great things about getting older is that all the body parts start to wear out. As I now have problems with double vision. I can not see close to read. Nor can I see far to drive. Bifocals cause me to have the worst migraines so when I had to choose between having reading glasses or glasses to drive with, I chose to be able to read. Well, that was great until I applied for a job in which I would be required to drive.

As I barely passed my vision test at the DMV, I decided that it was time for me to visit my doctor at the VA to ask for a referral for the eye doctor. As I was waiting to see the doctor, the nurses do their normal check of vital signs. Unbeknownst to me, my pulse is at 40. Normal is supposed to be between 65-70.

The VA thinks they may have to cut me open again for another surgery. They may need to replace my valve with a metal valve and/or implant a pacemaker. Next week I am scheduled to have a battery of three tests. Monday I will get an EKG. Tuesday and Wednesday I will have a 24 hour monitor attached to my body. Following the results of those two tests, I will be scheduled to see the cardiologist in West LA.

Funny thing is I was trying to get a pair of glasses so I would be able to go back to work. When they find out I may need to have six months off for another surgery, I will be certain to not get the position.

All I wanted was another pair of glasses. Instead, the VA may have saved my life once again!

John Thomas

A) One

B) Two

C) Three

D) Infinite

John Thomas

One of my favorite people in the world is Shannan Hofman Bunting. There are just not enough words to describe how much her loving kindness has touched my soul. When I was unpacking a box today, I found a stuffed bear Shannan had given to me as a gift.

Shannan was my right hand woman working at the tower at Medieval Times. She was in charge of the groups. I pulled the seats for the groups and Shannan passed the group tickets out. The rule was "No one touched groups except Shannan". There are two lines. One for individual sales and the other for groups. No one got past Shannan. When we worked a matinee, there was almost 98% of the guests were groups. Only 2% at most were individual sales. Linda Peterson Groenewald was the Queen of Group Sales and we almost always had sold out shows.

One matinee we were very short staffed. The theatre seats 1426 guests. There are six sections. Shannan and I waited on the entire green section by ourselves. Usually you wait on between 28 and 36 guests each. Shannan and I waited on 210 guests that day. It was a kids matinee so there was no beer or coffee that needed to be served. However, it was insane. When someone would ask us what we did for a living? The normal response was "Fling Chickens." If you have not been to Medieval Times, the wench or slave puts a hot metal tray right out of the oven holding 28 Cornish game hens on their hip and "walk" (we were not allowed to run) around the arena the size of a hockey stadium. Green is on the opposite side of the kitchen. Well...Anyway, Shannan and I gave an entirely new meaning to "slinging chickens" as we hauled up and down six rows of stairs. "Flinging Chickens" was the easy part. These are kids. The kids looked in horror at these dead birds on their plates. This was not KFC. Most of the girls would not even touch their meal yet alone eat it. The hard part was that we had to remove the PEWTER plate with the untouched chicken. 28 pewter plates will fit in a bus tub if they are empty and you stack them right. This was not the case. Back and forth we ran, yes, ran not walked. There is now doubt in my mind that my back problems have a good deal to do with those pewter plates. However, Shannan and I hold the bragging rights. No one has ever waited on the entire Green section since that day.

Oh yeah, the stuffed bear. Did I go off on a tangent? That is SO unlike me. (I can hear you laughing)
One of the highlights of summer was going to the Bristol Renaissance Faire. We would go in costume and in character. Usually I would go as Schmendrick the Wizard. The FUN was acting like I was mad at the children for calling me Merlin. Sometimes parents would ask if they could take my picture with their kids. I loved it! It enforced my delusion of grandeur of being famous.

As we walked and visited the merchants and their wares, I fell in love with a stuffed bear dressed like Robin Hood or a Falconer with a hawk on his arm. We had a falconer at Medieval Times and I always wanted to train to be the falconer in case he was sick. There are a lot of rules and licenses needed to handle these beautiful birds of prey and there was no way Medieval Times was going to fork out the money. Remember we have no forks at Medieval Times. "Ladies and Gentlemen, please lift up your hands. Your left hand is your fork and your right hand is your knife." was part of our speech. As we continued to walk through the faire, Shannan never said a word. We were with each other the entire time but somehow, somewhere Shannan had returned to the booth and purchased the stuffed falconer bear holding the hawk. I love that bear. Every time I look at that bear, I think of what a wonderful friend Shannan has been to me. She did things like that all the time.

Another time, Shannan had gone to New York to see a play. When she returned, she gave me a little Ear Guy. Besides My Little Red Monkey, My Ear Guy was my favorite possession. It was a little silver guy that would clip on to your ear. I loved him. Again, every time I would wear my Ear Guy, it would remind me of Shannan. Who buys souveniers for friends anymore? Shannan does. I was devastated when I lost My Ear Guy. Ross Hugi had lost his dog and I had never seen him so upset before. I looked everywhere at the bar but the Ear Guy was nowhere to be found. I am certain My Ear Guy went looking for Ross' dog. He is magical and real when he wants to be. He must be because we found Ross' dog but we never found my ear guy.

We never found My Ear Guy until today. While I was on the internet, I decided to check to see if I could find images of this clip on earring to show you. Lo and behold, I found My Ear Guy and he is still available to be purchased. Please do not tell Shannan but I ordered three ear guys today. One for Shannan. One for me. AND one for me if I lose the other one.

There are tons of wonderful stories about Shannan but I shall save those for another time!

John Thomas

Although medical professionals and social workers believe that I am unemployable and that I need to apply for disability, I decided to start the interview process. There is a position at the Mental Wellness Center to which I applied for. Having been unemployed, homeless, recovering from open heart surgery and suffering from mental illness, who better than me to be able to understand and relate to the clients. As it is, I have already built a relationship with most of the members being a member and volunteer for nearly two years now.

When I was at the Casa Esperanza, a taste of heaven, the plan was for me to get disability, find housing and then when stable in my own place to begin to start the interview process without all the stress and anxiety associated with the seeking employment process. As I am stable in my beautiful one bedroom apartment in downtown Santa Barbara, I thought that I should at least try to apply for this position. One of the requirements is that the applicant must have mental health issues. I may be one of the "craziest" people I know. Thus, I might be the best candidate for the job.

It was never my intention or any of the wonderful care givers plan for me to be on permanent disability. This may or may not work. I was so stressed and filled with anxiety that I was unable to sleep a wink all night long. The sad thing is I was interviewing with staff I have known for years. When I had one of my nervous breakdowns, something snapped in my brain. Too much stress or anxiety (no matter how much medication I take) can cause me to "flip out" or go hysterical. It really is not a pretty sight.

As I look at it, I am trying to move forward. If I am able to gain employment, I will free up the disability claim for someone else who might need it more than me. This was not the way I had planned on making a career change but maybe "someone upstairs" had this planned all along. If I do not get the job, at least I tried. And if at first you don't succeed,

(everyone with me now)

Try, try again.

John Thomas

My primary responsibility is to tend to the needs of a wonderful little five year old. Little Donnie is a mentally ill child who suffers from multiple personalities. As a matter of fact, I am one of the personalities whom he created. When it comes to going to church on Sunday, there seems to be a bit of a conflict. Donnie is a very conservative baptist and I am a very liberal catholic.

Donnie is tone deaf and plans on being a singer, actor, and dancer when he grows up. I do not have the heart to let him know that his dream is nothing but a fantasy. Donnie has introduced me to Dolly who is a female impersonator but today is the first day in which he has introduced me to Donna.

As we were unable to figure out which church to attend, we went to where we both feel closest to God.

As Donnie and I walked in the sand, we decided to take our sandals off and walk where the ocean meets the beach. The water was cold at first but we both adapted quickly. We both walked quietly and we communed with God in our very own and different ways. After a good deal of silence, I checked in and asked Donnie how he was doing. This is when he introduced me to Donna. Donna is a member of the Prestonwood Baptist Church in Texas. He asked me to listen to Donna as she sang the song, "Lord, You're Holy". It was no surprise for me to hear a five hundred member choir back Donnie/Donna up.

Donnie got down on his knees where the ocean meets the beach and prayed,

"Dear God,

From my heart to your ears."

Amen.

John Thomas

Deb Horwedal Shared this with Me

We all face major challenges in our lives -
the loss of a job, a broken relationship,
an illness, death of a loved one -
and these circumstances
could easily bury us in despair.
Negative and painful thinking
... can become overpowering,
creating a downward spiral
that pulls us ever deeper
into feelings of hopelessness.

Yet there is a difference
between being buried and being planted.
That difference boils down to
the expectation of what happens next.

When you put a seed in the ground,
you don't say, 'I'm burying this seed.'
You say, 'I'm planting this seed.'

The difference is - when you plant a seed,
you expect to see it rise again
and come back to life...

When you go through tough times,
you may feel like you've been buried,
but the fact is, you've simply been planted.
That means you're coming back.
And you're not only coming back,
you will come back better, increased, stronger.

You go in as a seed,
but because you are a BEing of light,
you come out blossomed,
producing even more fruit."

When life "piles on," and it feels like I'm buried,
I have a new perspective from which I can draw
encouragement and hope...
I'm not buried...I am planted,
and it's only a matter of time
before I break through
with new life and new fruit!See More

Photo: We all face major challenges in our lives -
the loss of a job, a broken relationship,
an illness, death of a loved one -
and these circumstances
could easily bury us in despair.
Negative and painful thinking
can become overpowering,
creating a downward spiral
that pulls us ever deeper
into feelings of hopelessness.

Yet there is a difference
between being buried and being planted.
That difference boils down to
the expectation of what happens next.

When you put a seed in the ground,
you don't say, 'I'm burying this seed.'
You say, 'I'm planting this seed.'

The difference is - when you plant a seed,
you expect to see it rise again
and come back to life...

When you go through tough times,
you may feel like you've been buried,
but the fact is, you've simply been planted.
That means you're coming back.
And you're not only coming back,
you will come back better, increased, stronger.

You go in as a seed,
but because you are a BEing of light,
you come out blossomed,
producing even more fruit."

When life "piles on," and it feels like I'm buried,
I have a new perspective from which I can draw
encouragement and hope...
I'm not buried...I am planted,
and it's only a matter of time
before I break through
with new life and new fruit!

John Thomas

The Only thing missing is YOU!

John Thomas

John Thomas

My friend Cassie is an administrative genius and I believe has the spiritual gift of administration to boot. I, on the other hand, am not and do not. For years, I have not liked the background of this blog.

Having just completed Rick Warren's, The Purpose Driven Life, I decided that it was time to move forward. Make new changes. The Past is not the Future. Live in the Present. And as simple as pressing one little button on the computer under the customize portion, I was able to go from not liking the background to loving the new background.

As I ponder areas of my life that I do not particularly like, I wonder how many of those could be changed by a simple decision? It was a simple decision to change backgrounds. It was a simple task to press the button. The key is I needed to know where and how to make the change.

As a Christian, I know where to go to make the changes that I do not particularly like. "He who began a good work in me, will be faithful to complete it." God is much more concerned about my transformation than I am. Knowing where to go, it is very easy to ask God to help me to be the person that he designed me to be. To use the gardenia example again, God and I are tired of my being the plant that never produces flowers. It is high time that I become like my gardenia tree and produce beautiful and fragrant white flowers. Like the beautiful gardenia tree, I am thrilled to wait and see what God had always meant for me to be.

John Thomas

For those of you who have taken the journey with me on the purpose driven life, thank you. For those of you who have taken this journey with me for the second time, thank you. The journey has been incredible. However, having friends like you makes me truly understand how blessed I really am!

THANK YOU!

John Thomas

PURPOSE DRIVEN LIFE – DAY 40 {LIVING WITH PURPOSE} - LAST DAY!

Point to Ponder: Living on purpose is the only way to really live. Everything else is just existing.

Insight: Acts 13:36 says, “David served God’s purpose in his generation.” Now we can understand why God called King David “a man after my own heart.” There is no greater epitaph than that statement! That we serve God’s purpose in our generation.

Most people struggle with 3 basic issues in life. The answers to all 3 questions are found in God’s five purposes for us.

The first is identity: “Who am I?”
The second is importance: “Do I matter?”
The third is impact: “What is my place in life?”

Once we know what God wants us to do, the blessing comes in actually doing it. As we come to the end of this 40 day journey together, and now that we know God’s purposes for our life, we will be blessed if we do them!

This probably means we will have to stop doing some other things. There are probably many “good” things we can do with our life, but God’s purposes are the 5 essentials we must do. Unfortunately, it’s easy to get distracted and forget what is most important. It’s easy to drift away from what matters most and slowly get off course. To prevent this, we should develop a purpose statement for our life and then review regularly.

What Is A Life Purpose Statement?

It’s a statement that summarizes God’s purposes for our life – In our words we affirm our commitment to God’s five purposes for our life. It’s not a list of goals. Goals are temporary, purposes are eternal.

It’s a statement that points the direction of our life – Writing down our purpose on paper will force us to think specifically about the path of our life. A life purpose statement not only spells out what we intend to do with our time, life and money, but also implies what we aren’t going to do.

It’s a statement that defines “success” for us– It states what we believe is important, not what the world says is important. It clarifies values.

It’s a statement that clarifies our roles – We will have different roles at different stages in life, but our purposes will never change. They are greater than any role we will have.

It’s a statement that expresses our shape – It reflects the unique ways God made us to serve Him.

Rick Warren recommends we take time writing out our life purpose statement. He explains we shouldn’t try to complete it in a single sitting, and not to aim for perfection in the first draft; just write down our thoughts as fast as they come to us. It is always easier to edit than create. Here are 5 questions we should consider as we prepare our statement:

Life’s 5 Greatest Questions

What will be the center of our life? This is the question of worship. Who are we going to live for? What are we going to build our life around? We can center our life around our career, our family, a sport or hobby, money having fun, or many other activities. These are all good things, but they don’t belong at the center of our life. None is strong enough to hold us together when life starts breaking apart. We need an unshakeable center.

Whatever is at the center of our life is our god. When we committed our life to Christ, He moved into the center, but we must keep Him there through worship.

How do we know when God is at the center of our life? When God’s at the center, we worship. When He’s not, we worry. Worry is the warning light that God has been shoved to the sideline. The moment we put Him back at the center, we will have peace.

What will be the character of my life? This is the question of discipleship. What kind of person will we be? God is far more interested in what we are than what we do. Remember, we will take our character into eternity, but not our career. Make a list of the character qualities we want to work on and develop in our life. Don’t get discouraged and give up when we stumble. It takes a lifetime to build a Christlike character.

What will be the contribution of our life? This is the question of service. What will be our ministry in the Body of Christ? Knowing our combination of spiritual gifts, heart, abilities, personality, and experiences (SHAPE), what would be our best role in the family of God? How can we make a difference? Is there a specific group in the Body that I am shaped to serve?

What will be the communication of our life? This is the question of our mission to unbelievers. Our mission statement is a part of our life purpose statement. It should include our commitment to share our testimony and the Good News with others. We should also list the life lessons and godly passions we feel God has given us to share with the world.

If we are parents, part of our mission is to raise our children to know Christ, to help them understand His purposes. One day God will review our answers to these life questions. Did we put Jesus at the center of our life? Did we develop His character? Did we devote our life to serving others? Did we communicate His message and fulfill His mission? Did we love and participate in His family?

God Wants to Use Us - Acts 13:36 says, “David served God’s purpose in his generation.” Now we can understand why God called King David “a man after my own heart.” Rick Warren says, There is no greater epitaph than that statement! That we serve God’s purpose in our generation.

The purpose-driven life is that we do the eternal and timeless (God’s purpose) in a contemporary and timely way (in our generation). Neither past nor future generations can serve God’s purpose in this generation. Only we can. Like Esther, God created us “for such a time as this.” Esther 4:14

God is still looking for people to use. The Bible says, “The eyes of the Lord search the whole earth in order to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him.”

My thoughts: Wow, this is the last day! I cannot believe that 40 days have gone by so fast. I have learned so much studying, reading and blogging about the Purpose Driven Life book. I have gone to bed many nights thinking about what I have learned and the way God revealed Himself to me via this book. I was thinking that I started reading this book back in September 2009 and I only read few chapters and put the book away and recently picked it up again. Today is a living testimony of God’s love and amazing grace that I followed through this time and finished the book. Blogging about it, helped me to stay focus but in the meantime I have gain increased readership in my personal blog that I started about two years ago with the purpose to give God the glory. Living my life for God’s purpose has a total new meaning for me. I am still honing on my talents and gifts but I am not sitting by the sidelines waiting. I am using my writing to touch others. Soon I will be moving and I am looking forward to joining a new church family and getting involved in a new community. For the first time, I am thinking about going on a mission trip and hopefully soon sharing my life story to encourage others. This has truly been an amazing journey!

John Thomas

Purpose Driven Life Day 39

Balancing your life.

Blessed are the blanced; they shall outlast everyone.

One of the events in the summer olympics is the pentathlon. It is composed of five events: pistol shooting, fencing, horseback riding, running and swimming. The pentathlete's goal is to succeed in al lfive areas, not just one or two.

Your life is a pentathlon of five purposes, which you must keep in blance. These purposes were practiced by the first Christians in Acts 2, explained by Paul in Ephesians 4, and modeled by Jesus in John 17, but they are summarized in the Great Commandment and the Great Commissions of Jesus. These two statements sum up what this books is all about-God's five purposes for your life:

1. "Love God with all your heart"

2. "Love your neighbor as yourself"

3. "Go and make disciples"

4. "Baptize them into..."

5. "Teach them to do all things..."

Talk it through with a spiritual partner or small group. The best way to internalize the principes in this book is to discuss them with others in a small-group setting.

Give yourself a regular spiritual check-up. The best way to balance the five purposes in your live if to evaluate yourself periodically. God places a high value on the habit of self-evaluation.

Write down your progress in a journal. The best way to reinforce your progress in fulfilling God's purposes for your life is to keep a spiritual journal. This is not a diary of events, buta record of the life lessons you don't want to forget.

Pass on what you know to others. If you want to keep growing, the best way to learn more is to pass on what you have already learned.

---------

point to ponder: Blessed are the balanced

verse to remember: :"Live life with a due sense of responsiblity, not as those who do not know the meaning of life but as those who do." Ephesians 5:15

question to consider: Which of the four activites will I begin in order to stay on track and blance God's five purposes for my life?

Last edited by kansascrochetmom; 04-22-2008 at 06:34 PM.

John Thomas

Because He has given me incredible friends like you who take the time to find out what is happening with me. Life is very busy so I find it a wonderful gift to know that you care enough to check in on me. Thank you SO much.

I love you!

John Thomas

When I moved to Anaheim, California, I was happy that I would be able to attend services at the Crystal Cathedral in Garden Grove which was practically around the corner from The Battle of the Dance. I was heart broken to find that the church had filed for bankruptcy.

When I attended the Crystal Cathedral, Robert Schuller preached a sermon entitled "Bloom Where You are Planted" which was one of the chapters from his latest book at the time. I believe that God has brought me to Santa Barbara. Although I had made a number of ill thought out decisions, God used those decisions to lead me to exactly where He wants me to be.

If I have said it once, I have said it a thousand times, "I feel closest to God when I am by the ocean."

Now that I find myself grounded and connected to God, it is time for me to focus on blooming where I am planted. As I volunteer with the homeless, unemployed and the mentally ill, I am open to the great commission which God has given each of us. No longer am I interested in preaching and evangelizing. My main goal is to be love. As I try to empty myself of my endless self absorption and selfishness, I seek and request God to fill that space with love. As God is love, I hope to be an empty vessel for God to love through me. "Through me, with me, and in me, in the unity of The Holy Spirit" is my prayer.

For many years I have been like one of my gardenia plants which never blooms. Today is a new day! I hope and pray that God will use me like my gardenia tree which blooms the most beautiful white and fragrant flowers.

John Thomas · November 3, 2012|9:34 am

Arvella Schuller Testifies Against Crystal Cathedral in $5M Suit

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(Photo: REUTERS/Jonathan Alcorn)

Sunday church goers walk near a sign featuring an image of former Crystal Cathedral leader Rev. Robert H. Schuller, who cut off all ties in recent days to the megachurch, following a Sunday church service in Garden Grove, California, March 18, 2012.

By Anugrah Kumar , Christian Post Contributor

November 3, 2012|9:34 am

Arvella Schuller, wife of Crystal Cathedral founder the Rev. Robert H. Schuller, testified Friday before a bankruptcy court in Los Angeles, Calif., in their lawsuit seeking more than $5 million from the ministry they founded over 55 years ago.

Arvella Schuller said she was never paid for her work for the church and that it was "my gift to God," according to The Orange County Register. However, she added, the Hour of Power program was a separate entity, the Crystal Cathedral Ministries, and the two were to be kept separate.
"My husband and Dr. Billy Graham said, 'We must never allow the television ministry to bankrupt the church," she testified. "The church was kept separate. That was sacred." Evangelist Graham was the executive producer at the beginning in 1970.
In their lawsuit, the Schullers claim that Crystal Cathedral Ministries owes them money based on a contract made several years ago in which it was agreed that administrators would provide the couple with more than $337,000 yearly for housing and insurance and for Robert Harold, Inc., among other payments. Robert Harold, Inc. is the name of the Rev. Schuller's corporation.
The 10-day trial, which began Thursday, will also find out whether Arvella Schuller donated her time for the Hour of Power television show, which she produced and directed from the 1970s until 2007, or got paid. The court will also rule who owns the rights to the television programs still televised around the world, and whether Robert Schuller's "transition agreement" upon leaving as senior pastor in 2005 constitutes a retirement plan or an employment contract.
If Judge Robert Kwan rules that it's an employment contract, damages to Rev. Schuller could be limited to one year's worth of wages.

One of the Schullers' daughters and her husband, both of whom worked in the ministry, also have claims in the case, which also involves copyright infringement and intellectual property violations.
The opposing counsel repeatedly asked Arvella Schuller in the court on Friday whether a $198,000 annual payment to her and her husband was for her services on the Hour of Power or for her and her husband's intellectual property. She appeared to give different answers, according to The OC Register, but she underlined that royalty and license are separate things.
If the Schuller family is paid the claims, it could seriously jeopardize the future of Crystal Cathedral Ministries, The Los Angeles Times quoted Chief Executive John Charles as saying. "If they pay everything they are asked, then there will be no money for the cathedral," he said.
Arvella Schuller told the court she created the program from her home, and woke up at 4 a.m. each Monday morning to cull the best parts of the previous Sunday's service, and worked around the clock. She met with musicians and the choir, and handled the cameramen, who were good but needed to be told that no, they shouldn't be focusing on a woman's pretty legs, according to the Register. "It took really every day of the week."
The megachurch had filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in October 2010. Crystal Cathedral had been facing a growing debt and a leadership struggle since the founder handed over the leadership of the church to his family in 2008. The Rev. Schuller and his wife, who founded the church with a $500 loan, stepped down from the board earlier this year over payment disputes.
Crystal Cathedral Ministries sold its iconic Garden Grove campus to the Roman Catholic Diocese of Orange last year for $57.5 million, and plans to move to a different property owned by the diocese next summer. The ministry currently pays the diocese rent to use the Garden Grove facilities while in transition.

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