Category: Fav blogs by others

Furious Enough to Kill

On By Daniel CooleyIn donations, Fav blogs by others1 Comment

obit_thumbnail.htmlA good friend of mine, Chad Barrett, lost his daughter to cancer last year. He has been expressing his pain, and the grace God keeps pouring out to endure it, on social media. I’ve been learning and praying with each post. However the last one had a new twist that I thought needed to be shared. Here it is.

(continued last time)
There is something I am angry at…
Furious…
Enough to kill…

Those last few hours of Kristina’s life–I have images that are engraved in my mind. They shred my heart. Even hard to write about.

Her body was shutting down. We had to bathe her, clean the bed, and redress her and the bed. We did all this without moving her off the bed. I don’t know how we did it.

Those images.

Four hours later, I felt with my right hand her last heartbeat. Her final breath.

I had these images in my mind that troubled me greatly. I couldn’t process them, until I talked with my Dad.

And this is what I’m angry at…

Kristina didn’t commit a certain sin that caused her cancer. Neither did I or her Mom. Kristina got cancer because we live in this screwed up System of Evil. This System of Sin–the whole earth is cursed with it. (Romans 8:20)

It brings only death. (1 Corinthians 15:21)

This System of Sin murdered my daughter.

Sin kills. So here’s the clincher…

Why would I want to participate in something that murdered my daughter? This has caused me to hate my sin. I realize it wasn’t my sin that caused her cancer, but I don’t want to take part in something that produced the death of my loved one.

I don’t wanna hang out with what killed Kristina. I don’t wanna entertain it or be entertained by it. Don’t wanna be friends with it.

I’m furious at it, and yet it still lures me.

I HATE it, but at times I’m still tempted.

“What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death? Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord!” – Romans 7:24-25

Sin kills.

Jesus is life. Real life. Freedom from this System of Evil. Where peace abounds and grace overwhelms. (1 John 5:12)

I can walk in darkness (I have that potential.), but there’s nothing but misery.

I can walk in the light, and ‪#‎ThriveNotJustSurvive‬. (1 John 1:6-7)

P.S. I still have those images. Painful reminders. I’ll never forget.

Chad Barrett's photo.
Bizarre Bible Stories 2! is dedicated to Kristina. I’ve included it before, but it’s my favorite part of the book, and it’s my blog. So, here again is a copy of that dedication:
To Kristina Rae Barrett
Thank you, Kristina, for writing the question for chapter one a few years ago. You wrote, “Dear God, Why did you give me cancer?”Kristina, I’ve known your dad since he was in my youth group back in ’85. You inherited his spunk, love of life, and incomprehensibly deep faith. Actually, I think you passed us all up, telling your dad at one point, “If this is God’s plan for me, then I accept it.”Hebrews 11-12 teaches us that those who have died in the faith go on cheering for us as we live out our lives of faith. If they can watch us, maybe God also lets them read what we write.

Kristina, I hope you enjoy Chapter 1.

Kristina Rae Barrett, May 30, 2002 – June 21, 2014.

This book is dedicated to you.

Canadian Halloween Explained By One ‘Merican.

On By Daniel CooleyIn Fav blogs by othersLeave a comment

Halloween blog by my daughter Megan. Proof that appalling parenting can result in amazing kids. Maybe we’d do better if we were harder on ’em?

mrsmpenner's avatarLateToEveryParty

Tucsonians to Canadians. A very bad idea!
One day my dad announced to us that our family would be uprooting from Tucson Arizona and moving to Winnipeg, Manitoba Canada.

Manitoba, is much like a frozen Texas. Actually, exactly like a frozen Texas. It’s flat. It’s frozen. What more do I need to say?

Winnipeg can reach -50F, and then comes the wind-chill making it feel even colder. We plug in our cars during winter so the battery doesn’t freeze solid.  For whatever reason, American friends think I’m lying about the car batteries. I lie, but not about that. And I prefer the word exaggerate.

Although Winnipeg Manitoba can get cold there are places that get MUCH colder. Yes, people actually live in those places too, I’m not sure how.

My Family’s Education on Canadian Halloween – Churchill

We were home-schooled and my mom, being the perfect homeschooling mom that she…

View original post 895 more words

Mennonite Hunger Games

On By Daniel CooleyIn Fav blogs by othersLeave a comment

latetoeverypartyNot Mennonite? Me either. This kind of makes me sad I’m not.

This is my daughters latest post on her latetoeveryparty blog. I changed the title. Dad’s privilege. Click on her blog to comment or follow.

Mennonite Hunger Games

Posted on August 22, 2014

“About Mennonites: The Book for Outsiders” is coming along nicely. Many people have been sending me their idea’s and insights about their Mennonite heritage.

 One thing I have NOT received is recipes. So out of complete frustration and ignorance, I took liberty and drew some assumptions as to why.

 You know what they say about assumptions…

  Among Mennonite circles any birthday, Christmas,  Easter, engagement or new baby is an excuse for a family gathering. Family gatherings are an excuse to eat.  Forget the reason why the family is gathering, all the focus is on the FOOD. The exception to this is 1 time out of the year when it’s Oma’s birthday. All your thoughts should be on Oma.

 ….And on Jesus Christmas and Easter time….of course…

 Here’s a tiny piece of the chapter rough draft so far.

 The most competitive place in all of Mennonite society (possibly the world) is a Mennonite kitchen. Mennonite women are lovely. However, they are extremely competitive. At an event like a family gathering, these women are all forced into one room where rivals are formed and cut-throat cooking insues. Some Mennonites might not indorse war but with Manno-women, all bets are off in the kitchen.

 The Mennonite Hunger Games. Sort of.

 “How is this possible?” you might ask. “A group of people known for taking  a serious and personally ethical stance for centuries! What would make them willing to put all of that aside?”

 Recipes.

 Mennonite women DO NOT share recipes; they carry them into battle. (Weapons usually needed around Christmas, Easter and Birthdays.)

 If you ask Aunt Anna how she made her Schmauntfatt, she’ll innocently smile and sweetly offer,

 “Oh just take a lump of this and smidgen of that, Nah Yo!?”

 Fantastic, another detailed Manno-recipe to add to your collection.

 Don’t trust her.

 Aunt Anna will not give you her full recipe. Everyone loves it. It was passed down by her mother on her death bed, who got it from her mother on her death bed, who got it from her mother right before hopping the last horse and buggy out of Russia. How dare you ask a close family relative for her Schmauntfatt recipe. How. Dare. You.

 Yes, you said your vows and married her favorite nephew.
Of course, Aunt Anna might be the children’s god-mother.
Yes, you gave Aunt Anna one of your kidneys.

 Who cares? The only woman getting their hands on Aunt Anna’s Schmauntfatt recipe is the one who sits beside her during her last few moments on earth.

Other things I’ve included for the outsider about food:

  • The Manno-Food Conspiracy
  • My views on Mennonite Cookbooks
  • The show “Wipeout” Holdeman Style
  • If Oma is sacred, the kitchen is holy ground.

Daughter’s Awesome COMPASSION Post

On By Daniel CooleyIn Fav blogs by others, Missions1 Comment

20140701_112929

This was posted on my daughter Megan’s blog. If you don’t follow her, you should. We were able to go see our compassion child – this is her take on the day, way better than I could write it.

Compassion Sunday: Bregard’s Story

Posted on July 11, 2014

IMAG0002_COVER-1-1

This Sunday at our church is Compassion Sunday (For more information visit Compassion International).

Last week I was able to visit my family’s compassion child, Bregard in Port au Prince, Haiti. As we drove out to his house we passed a place where the body of my friend’s brother  was left on the street only a few days before. It’s a bad area. I couldn’t help but think, “How close does Bregard live to here?”.

Byron, our friend who’s lived in Haiti for 7 years (with mcmhaiti.org) told us this was the same route he used to take to drop off the trash at the dump. He quit taking it there after a gang started making him pay to use the road. He said if the car would stop on the street people would climb into the back of the truck and start going through the trash. I couldn’t help but think, “This is my 4th time here, would Bregard have gone through my trash?”

I’ve read people’s opinions about Compassion both positive and negative. Here’s what I learned to be true for Bregard.

1. Before Compassion called his father to say he had a sponsor, his father was looking into orphanages to place him because he could no longer provide for his son.

2. Before Compassion the family was separated. His mother and siblings were living in the mountains, his father in the city looking desperately for work. Due to his limited education, construction is the only job he could apply for and because he has asthma, this made finding a job in an already difficult economy, impossible.

3. After the earthquake, Bregard and his dad were living out of a tent.

Bregard's house. (center one). I promise you, that hill is MUCH steeper than it looks!! Slice my ankle nicely..

IMAG1392

4. This year when we visited, we found the whole family together again. His father has a job and the family has a sturdy home built on a hill. The placement of the house allows a breeze to run through it, which keeps the home cool and the mosquitoes to a minimum.

5. Without Compassion, Bregard WOULD be an orphan without an education and without any healthcare. Something else I learned is that if Bregard has any health issues, Compassion pays 80% of his expenses.

IMAG14086. Before we left his house we swapped prayer requests and prayed for each other. I asked Bregard to pray for one of my friends who has cancer. I had a prayer bracelet and gave it to him. I told him it was my reminder to pray for my friend and now it’s his reminder.

7. I believe that because of Compassion, Bregard is my friend. My friend has a whole family. My friend has a good  education. My friend has a bright future.

IMAG1399-1  IMAG1406-1

The Worlds Three Best Blogs

On By Daniel CooleyIn Fav blogs by othersLeave a comment

Blog_blocks_476x2901: One thing I love about my job is keeping in touch with people long after we have moved apart. Chad Barrett was in my youth group back in the 80s and I got to teach him rappelling at Turkey Peak in Enchanted Rock State Park in TX. He has a great blog that mentions that trip here. 

2: Another favorite friend from time gone by is Marley. When I first went to Haiti in 2006, he was my best buddy. Marley went – I’m hoping – to heaven earlier this week. He was the Heartline Ministries guard dog, the Monster Mastiff whose picture graces this blog. His owners, and the directors of Heartline wrote a wonderful blog about Marley you can read here.

3: Of course my favorite blog is written by my daughter Megan. My only issue with it is, she is a bit like her dad. She doesn’t post often or consistently enough! Catch Megan’s latest rant about short-term missions trips here.

Bizarre 2 Updatehttps://i0.wp.com/h1.danielcooley.com/images/front%20cover-001.jpg: Bizarre 2 should be hitting the bookshelves Aug/Septt! Heritage Builders Publishers secured a deal with the distributor who services all retailers plus 4,000 Christian Book Stores – so it should be coming to a store near you in a month.