Entry for February 23, 2007

I've had 2 violin lessons so far. I really enjoying playing violin.
My dog guy just had his 9th birthday on the 29th of January, and he's doing great.
My fish Taylor is on the right. My sister's is the gold one.
Maranda and Korah at the Youth rally at BMA, Korah's school.

?cna yuo raed tihs?

Wow I'm fsat, I'm oen fo the fitfy fvie tuo fo noe hnuderd plepoe woh cna raed tihs!
If you can read this, your brain is 50% faster than those who can'tfi yuo cna raed tihs, yuo hvae a sgtrane mnid, too. Cna yuo raed tihs? Olny 55 plepoe tuo fo 100 anc.
i cdnuolt blveiee taht I cluod aulaclty uesdnatnrd waht I was rdanieg. The phaonmneal pweor of the hmuan mnid, aoccdrnig to a rscheearch at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it dseno't mtaetr in waht oerdr the ltteres in a wrod are, the olny iproamtnt tihng is taht the frsit and lsat ltteer be in the rghit pclae. The rset can be a taotl mses and you can sitll raed it whotuit a pboerlm. Tihs is bcuseae the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey lteter by istlef, but the wrod as a wlohe. Azanmig huh? yaeh and I awlyas tghuhot slpeling was ipmorantt!

The Blind Girl

There was a blind girl who hated herself because of her blindness. Not only did she hate herself but she hated everyone else, except her loving boyfriend. He wasalways there for her. She said that if she could only see the world, she would marry her boyfriend.One day, someone donated a pair of eyes to her and then she could see everything, including her boyfriend.Her boyfriend asked her, "now that you can see the world, will you marry me?"
The girl was shocked when she saw that her boyfriend was blind too, and refused to marry him.Her boyfriend walked away in tears, and later wrote a letter to her that simply said. "Just take care of my eyes dear."This is how the human brain changes when our status changes. Only a few remember what life was like before and even fewer remember who to thank for always being there even when times were painfully unbearable.Life Is a GiftToday before you think of saying an unkind word -
Think of someone who can't speak.Before you complain about the taste of your food -
Think of someone who Has nothing to eat.Before you complain about your husband or wife -
Think of someone who's crying out to God for a companion.Today before you complain about life -
Think of someone who went too Early to heaven.Before you complain about your children -
Think of someone who desires children but they're barren.Before you argue about your dirty house, someone didn't clean or sweep -
Think of the people who are living in the streets.Before whining about the distance you drive -Think of someone who walks the same distance with their feet.And when you are tired and complain about your job -Think of the unemployed, the disabled and those who wished they had your job.But before you think of pointing the finger or condemning another -Remember that not one of us are without sin and we all answer to one maker.And when depressing thoughts seem to get you down-
Put a smile on your Face and thank God you're alive and still around.Life is a gift, live it, enjoy it, celebrate it, and fulfill it.RELISH THE MOMENT, IT MAY NOT COME AROUND AGAIN!

Update on Christian's ear problem!

Greetings dear friends & family,
Psalm 23:1 The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.
2 He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.
3 He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.
4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.
5 Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.
6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.
This scripture has become much closer to my heart over the last couple of weeks. I thank God for the scriptures for they indeed comfort me.
The Lord worked it out so that I was able to get in to see the specialist yesterday (Tuesday Feb 20th) instead of my original appointment on March 8th. We had been praying that if the Lord knew that I should get in earlier than the 8th that He would open the way. He knew I needed to see the doctor sooner. I had a bunch of testing done, a CAT scan and a long interview and exam yesterday.
I have good news and bad news to report. The good news is that it appears that my brain is NOT involved at this time. He is not 100% sure but fairly confident. The bad news is that it is as bad as it could be without brain involvement. The doctor said that on a scale of one to ten, one being a torn eardrum that needs to be reconstructed (which mine does) and a ten being critical, potentially life threatening brain involvement, I am at a nine ready to "burst into a ten."
This news comes on the heals of my first ENT telling me last Thursday that he would operate on me as soon as I wanted him to. He didn't see the need for a CAT scan and said that he was just going to proceed to surgery and "open me up and see what we had." Coby and I paid the bill and left never to return. You see God had already got me an appointment with the specialist in Sacramento without a referral! We still had a second opinion coming. Praise the Lord.
Obviously, the second opinion, from a doctor that people from all over the country and Canada fly in to see for the same problem that I have, was in God's plans.
What now? The doctor is very concerned and is going to get me scheduled for surgery ASAP. He doesn't want this to go any longer than two weeks. He discovered that my entire ear is a total mess. And that my "balance center" has even been compromised. This has been the cause of my dizzy spells and bad motion sickness. I will need more than one surgery. The first will be to remove the tumor and clean out the ear and create an environment that might be able to with stand a second surgery in a year or so after I am healed. The likelihood of me recovering my hearing in my right ear is probably not going to happen. It is very likely that I will be completely deaf in that ear. The recovery time is what disappoints me the most. I can't work for at least a month. I will have to reschedule my speaking and concert dates. The first two to four weeks I WILL have vertigo (dizziness and wanting to throw up), facial paralysis is very common and a lack of taste will most likely be present while the ear reattaches to my head. They have to cut along the back of the ear and flap it forward on to my cheek. The ear and part of my face will be numb for an unknown length of time.
I must confess that this problem is something that I just don't have time for! (LOL Laughing out loud!) Honestly, I have so much that I want to do for the Lord right now! I want to finish our new album, get our replacement duplicator working (which the new one is having problems to!) and keep my scheduled venues. I know that this condition/disease is obviously important to take care of BUT I don't just sit around well! After a week camping I usually start going a little stir crazy wanting to get back to what I love to do–work for the Lord. So, I have a few prayer requests. One that God will continue to lead in how all things need to proceed with my surgery and recovery. Two, that God will not only help the tumor to be removed completely and that the reconstruction of my inner ear would go perfect but that I would recover my hearing! We are expecting a total recovery but willing to accept what ever is the Lord's will. Three, that the Lord would draw especially close to Coby and the boys. Coby is a trooper but having a tough time with all of this. Pray that as she becomes my nurse that she will be strengthened and that I will be a good patient.
We just got a call from the scheduling nurse for my doctor and they are trying to get me scheduled as soon as possible. Due to the long surgery time the surgery center will only allow me to be scheduled in the AM according to their policy. And the Doctor is scheduled until March 21st. I am now on a waiting list incase there is a cancellation. I am by faith leaving on an airplane for an evangelistic seminar Thursday AM the 22nd. Since there is a hole in my ear drum there is no danger when flying. Please also pray that I will know how long to be away for the seminar in New Orleans. I don't know if I should be away for the entire scheduled time or come home sooner in case there is a cancellation.
I will by faith and by calendar go forward to meet my obligations but honestly I want to be home with my family right now. The spirit is willing but the flesh is weak.
I wanted to thank each of you for your willingness to share your health products, tips and counsel with us. We have all the info we need now and we will explain more details of what exactly is going on and why certain natural remedies won't work in this case and why surgery short of God just healing me will be necessary. There are different types of cholesteatomas and various degrees of involvement and we'll share this with you during our next message of the month. By the way, we did pay for a replacement CD duplicator but we are having problems with it too. The devil just hates us. But the Lord loves us and will help us get through the little annoyances as well as the problems.
Thank you so much to each of you that have showed your love for us. Your cards and flowers, your emails and phone calls have touched us very deeply. I feel like I am part of a huge, loving family! We consider you to be a part of our family and now we see that so many of you do too!
I thank God for you.
In HIS Glorious Service,
Christian & Coby Berdahl
For those of you who have asked our personal address is the same as the ministry address listed below.
209-296-7700
18781 Toyon Ct.
Sutter Creek, CA 95685
Visit us online at:
http://www.shepherdscall.com/
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http://www.shepherdscall.com/article.php?id=42

Emyspalace

please pray for Christian Berdahl he is having a problem with his ear and realy needs prayer thankz!

PRAY for Christian Berdahl!

Hello,
Please, please pray for Christian! If you don't know who he is, please visit his website: http://www.shepherdscall.com/ for more info! He is one of the first people who introduced my family to the Sabbath truths. He means a lot to a lot of people. Thanks so very much!
Alyssa


Greetings dear friends,


I am asking for your prayers. I personally need them! Please add me to what ever pray lists you can. As some of you know I have had major problems with my right ear. For more than three years I have had a hole in my ear drum and a large decrease in my hearing. The pain, dizziness, and infection has continued and last week it got very painful. I made an appointment to see an ENT (ear, nose and throat specialist). He tried to examine my ear but there was so much gunk in it and a scab that had formed on my ear drum that he couldn't remove it. He sent me home with a prescription for antibiotic drops and said he wanted to see me in four weeks. The pain within two days tripled! The drops had dissolved the gunk and were going straight in my inner ear causing major pain and pressure.


I rescheduled my appointment for yesterday (Thursday 2-1-07). He was surprised to see me and asked why I was back already? I told him that I think the scab was already gone and that the pain was great. He looked and vacuumed around for but a moment when he found the hole and began to suck out vast amounts of nastiness. He worked on me until I could no longer handle the pain. Literally as the tears streamed down my face I asked him stop. He sat down and said, "Yes you are correct that you have a hole in your ear drum. But we have a problem. You have a cholesteatoma. A tumor that needs to be removed. It can have serious side effects, facial paralysis, tick disorder, loose the sense of taste, permanent dizziness, brain abscess and in extreme cases even death."


What we know is that it is serious and has been a problem for many years. This does not make any of us happy. The doctor said, "Christian...you don't want to mess around with this! You are going to need third party help to pay for this (we are uninsured, that's what prompted his statement). It's going to be very expensive! You need to start with a CAT scan and we'll go form there. You need to try and get on MediCal or something."


Previous to getting a hold of Coby (Who was away running errands) I had spent a number of hours on the internet researching the disorder. And by the time I was able to talk to her a lot of info had been gathered up in my mind. When I heard her voice I broke down. I told her the news through my tears. She of course felt a sick feeling coming over her and changed her plans and came straight home. She got home and embraced me with a hug of love that said, "I love you and I am here." We prayed together garnering strength from the Lord.


We decided, for the time being, to not look on the internet anymore. Yes there have been great successes with this disease and great failures too. The devil sure loves to tempt us to magnify the negative and forget that God is our strength and refuge. God will see us through! We don't know how all of this is going to work out but we know that all things work together for good to those who love the Lord and are called according to His purpose.


While we have faith in the Lord I must admit that Coby and I go back and forth between being totally surrendered and totally scared at what the future might bring. Please pray for us, asking God to guide us through this amazing valley of emotion and uncertainty. We are resolved in our hearts that with God we can make it through. It just doesn't take away the pain sometimes.


Your brother and sister in the blessed hope!


In HIS Glorious Service,
Christian & Coby Berdahl
Director, Shepherd's Call Ministry

209-296-7700
18781 Toyon Ct. Sutter Creek, CA 95685

Visit us online at:
www.shepherdscall.com