You see the graph up there?  It’s from Google Analytics and is for my blog’s traffic over the last month.  Now, I have high hopes of what this blog might be, dreams of it having hundreds of readers a day.  But that’s a lot of ego, if I’m honest.  Anyway, I’m used to looking at a graph like the one above and not seeing it climb above about 77 for any given day.  I’m also used to the peaks and valleys that come with not updating every single day.  But as you can see, about a week ago, my graph suddenly changed.

That’s when Sterling Davis had surgery on his brain to remove a tumor.  I wrote a little post about how we could all be praying for him.  Some of you thought it was good and helpful, and so you passed it along to a few other people.  Some of them felt the same way and passed it on to a few more.  Eventually, that one little post got a lot of hits.

Funny how I’ve always wanted my personal blog to grow and the only time it really has was when it was devoted completely to someone else.

That’s the best use of a blog that I can think of.

And the best response too.

So, anyway, Sterling did really well in his surgery.  The doctors were able to get about 85% of the tumor out, which was huge.  He went home after just a few days, which is even… well… huger.  Since then, Roger and Becca, Sterling’s parents, have just been waiting to hear from the pathologist as to whether the tumor was benign or malignant.  In other words, they were waiting to find out if it was cancerous or not.  Well, today they got their answer.

It’s benign.

See?  I told you prayer works.

However, please continue to pray for Sterling’s continued healing.  The prognosis is a lot better now, but the journey’s not over.  I’m humbled to see all of you walk along with him.

Thanks.

So, I promised on Monday that when video of this moment became available, I’d post it.  Well, here it is straight from Catalyst.  You might want to prepare yourself a bit.

Catalyst 2009 Compassion Moment from Catalyst on Vimeo.

Remember, you too can be a Compassion sponsor and be a part of changing a life like Jimmy’s.  To do so, click here.

Thanks.

I never intended this to be a hub for people wanting to find out more about Sterling, but I’m humbled how it’s been used to help keep people informed about how Sterling’s doing and, more specifically, how we can all be praying for him.

I want to first thank everyone who has joined in prayer for Sterling, Roger and Becca, his parents, and Landry and Kinsley, his sisters.  There are literally countless thousands of people praying, and I believe it is showing.

Though I’m not the most informed, here’s a quick update:

The surgery yesterday was successful.  So, there’s answered prayer number one.  It took a little longer than expected but went well.  Dr. Wellons was in there for over nine hours and only took breaks to go to the bathroom. Sterling did great.  Roger and Becca were able to visit with him some last night.  He had a good bit of swelling, but was able to give a good thumbs-up.  The report this morning is that he continues to do well and has quickly build a reputation for being one of the most polite 4-year-olds the staff has ever encountered.  No surprise there.

There are still a lot of questions.  The report from the biopsy won’t be back for a few more days at the earliest.  Sterling’s in the pediatric intensive care unit where his progress will be monitored until he’s ready to be moved to a room where he’ll continue recovery for about a week before hopefully going home.  He will have another MRI this morning to determine how much of the tumor they will able to get.  The plan for what’s next largely depends on how his recovery goes, what the results are from today’s MRI and what the results of the biopsy turn out to be.

So, some continued prayer requests include:

1.  Sterling’s recovery – praying specifically for no complications as a result of the surgery, no need for physical or occupational therapy, and growing strength for him.

2.  MRI results – they’re not sure how much tumor they were able to get.  Even if they don’t feel they got all of it, I know that our God has the power to take away whatever is left.  That’s what I’m personally praying for.  At any rate, asking for good results.

3.  Biopsy results – praying that they’ll be back quickly.  I can’t imagine having to wait on them.  Also, praying specifically that the results come back that the tumor is benign.

4.  Rest for Roger and Becca – most of us can’t specifically relate to what they’re enduring nor fathom how exhausting it is.  Add on to that that Becca is about seven weeks from her due-date and there’s a lot going on for them.  Rest is much needed, rest and rejuvenation even beyond the amount of sleep they’re able to get.

5.  God’s glory – it’s weird to think of how God might be glorified through the struggles of our life.  However, it’s already happening, and it’s really the ultimate good that can come out of these types of situations.

Thank you all for being the Church and for your continued prayers for Sterling.

Blessings.

It’s about 3:45.  Tanya Smith in our office here at Student Life just sent out a bit of an update, and since a number of you have been checking in here today (totally humbling, by the way) I wanted to communicate it to all of you.  So, here it is.

Sterling went in for surgery about 8am this morning.  They’ve been able to get to the tumor and are doing some preliminary tests (for the surgeon – not for a long-term diagnosis) because the tumor was a little bit different color and consistency than he was expecting when they started.  This doesn’t necessarily indicate that something more is wrong – tumors come in all shapes, sizes and colors.  However, it is different than what the surgeon expected so he’s just trying to be cautious.  The tumor is also pressing a little bit on a blood vessel and it’s causing it to bleed a little bit.  They are keeping a close eye on that but they may need to give him some blood in a couple of hours.  Please be praying for that.  The doctors are hoping to avoid that if they can but will do whatever they need to for Sterling.  His vitals look good and so far, he’s doing well in surgery.

Please continue to pray.  Because they got started a little later than expected, the surgery may last a couple of hours longer than expected.  That obviously moves back everything like his waking up and Roger and Becca getting to see him.  The Davis’ are so grateful to be surrounded by so many that care about them and that are praying for Sterling.  Earlier on twitter Roger said “Can feel the prayers of thousands that have taken Sterling & our family to the throne room.”  I know your prayers for them mean a lot.  The Lord is sustaining them just as He is always faithful to do.

Because of what is a huge mountain of faith the Davis’ have been called to walk through, the Lord is already working to use that for good. Just a bit of testimony of how the Lord is using this so far:   A woman in Nashville – the mother of a friend of the Davis’ – has heard about what they are going through and has been following their updates on Sterling.  In honor of the 4 Davis children, she has decided to change the lives of 4 children by sponsoring them through Compassion.  Roger and Becca were so excited to hear this!

Please continue to pray for wisdom and discernment for the surgical team, strength for the family, protection for Sterling and for the Lord’s name to be known.

Thank you friends.  More updates will come as we get them.

I started playing soccer when I was four-years-old.  My team was called “The Gremlins,” and we were pretty good.  I absolutely loved playing soccer.  I wish I had stuck with it because it’s the one sport that I was ever any good at.

However, I don’t think I was as good then as this guy.

That’s Sterling, son of Roger and Becca Davis.  I got to go to his soccer game on Sunday afternoon, and I’ve got to tell you, boy’s got skills.  Like serious skills.  He can control the ball but isn’t afraid to let it get away from him for a moment.  He drives hard.  His footwork is good.  Plus, he genuinely enjoys playing.  It’s like he doesn’t know how good he is, and he doesn’t get frustrated with any of the other kids who, honestly, aren’t near as good.  I mean, he scored 7 goals alone.  If you know soccer, you know that’s pretty good.

Anyway, watching this game was a great privilege because of how excited Sterling was to be playing.  He didn’t get to play last week, because there were some medical questions being asked about him at the time, some that have since been answered.

You see, Sterling has a tumor in the middle of his brain.  It’s about the size of a ping-pong ball, and today a group of medical professionals are going in to get it.

So, today, in the midst of everything else I might have going on in my day, I’m going to be practicing “praying without ceasing,” perhaps like I never have before.  I’d like to invite you to join me.

Here’s a few things you can be praying for specifically:

1. A successful surgery. -  What’s the definition of “successful” here?  Well, according to Roger, one simply where Sterling comes out of it.  I know that sounds serious, but that’s because it is.
2. Getting the whole tumor. -  The doctor has told them that he expects to get about 85% of it with the chance to get the whole thing.  Evidently, there’s 15% that’s in a blind area, and the doctor isn’t willing to risk going into that blind area.  Totally understandable.  However, the way they’ll remove the tumor, evidently, is by “drilling” into it so that it collapses on itself.  Hopefully, the hidden 15% will collapse with the rest so that it can come on out.  Roger equated it to a gummy worm being stuck in your kid’s car seat.  You pull on it hoping the whole thing comes out, but there’s a chance the end breaks off.  So, pray for the whole worm.
3. Good recovery. – They say that kids bounce back a lot better than adults.  So, that’s good.  And Sterling’s a strong, active kid (as you can tell from how good he is at soccer).  So, I fully expect this one to be easy.  However, we definitely want the Lord’s hand fully in Sterling’s recovery.  They’re expecting a seven-day hospital stay followed by about three weeks at home.  However, he could be up and going after a couple of days.  There’s just a number of factors on which that depends.
4. A benign tumor. – This is just the beginning of a bit of a journey for Sterling, Roger, Becca and their family.  The prayer is that the journey isn’t made any more serious.
5. Strength for Sterling. – I can’t imagine having to process this for myself, much less being a four-almost-five-year-old.  It’s a lot to deal with for sure, but I know that with God, Sterling can get through it for sure.
6. Peace for Roger and Becca. – Probably the hardest thing for them to have right now.
7. Guidance and empowering for Dr. Wellons. – This is Sterling’s main doctor, at least the one that’s going to be holding the instruments in the O.R.  However, we’re seeking the help of the Great Physician.  I want Him to be the one working in and through all the doctors and nurses.

It’s obviously going to be a long day.  But you can keep up with updates I’m sure by following @jrogerdavis and @davisbecca on Twitter.

Prayer is effective.  I believe it, and I know it.  Thanks for joining me and all the many others lifting up Sterling today.

We all love stories.  Whether we’re watching them on a screen, reading them in a book, listening to them around a campfire or whispering them to our children before bed, there’s something universally enchanting about being told a good story.

Of course, few of us really put a lot of thought into what exactly makes them “good.”  We just know when they are.  However, in his new book, Donald Miller does just that.  He boils the essence of a story down to this: a character who wants something and overcomes conflict to get it.

And this makes complete sense.  Whenever we think of our favorite stories, we inevitably think of our favorite characters and the journey on which they embark and we get to join them.

Luke Skywalker.

Elizabeth Bennet.

Bruce Wayne.

Scarlett O’Hara.

Frodo Baggins.

The Oceanic Six.

Jesus.

But few, if any, of us would ever consider how we as a character fit into and affect the ongoing story of our lives.  Don (hopefully he won’t mind if I call him “Don”), however, did when two filmmakers approached him about turning His best-selling memoir Blue Like Jazz into a movie.  In actually crafting the story of his fictionalized self, he was forced to examine his own life, what he wanted and what he was willing to overcome to get it.

Reading A Million Miles in a Thousand Years, I found myself doing the exact same thing with regards to my own life.  I’ve passed it on to various friends, and they’ve done the same thing.

You see, there seems to be this generation of us who have done everything we’re supposed to.  We’ve studied hard and gotten good educations, landed solid jobs, began investing in our futures, started families of our own, and tried to care for the least of these and leave the world a better place than when we found it.  But underneath it all, there’s still been this current of unease, as if there’s something more or at least could be.

Through his writing in A Million Miles, Don helps any of us for whom that rings true by allowing us to peer into his own story, and see if from what he learned we might discover something about our own and how all of our stories play a part in the greater Story.

It isn’t about mere positive thinking.  It isn’t a selfish, self-centered self-help void of God.  It isn’t about achieving the American dream.  It isn’t a postliberal narrative theology.  And it isn’t about navel-gazing or stopping to smell the roses.

This book is about living and living with meaning, not for a couple of hours in a theater or curled up on your sofa on a rainy Saturday afternoon not just for a season, but for a lifetime.

What do you want?

What’s standing in your way?

How are you going to get it?

Vitamin Z posted this yesterday, and Michael posted it today.  Of course, you all might not read their blogs (you might want to start, though).  So, I’m posting it here.

Certainly adds a new dimension to our understanding of the crucifixion scene.  I’d never heard this before.

So, this past weekend I drove over to Eagles Landing FBC south of Atlanta for the Georgia BCM’s Confluence Conference.  After a crazy week, I was looking forward to setting aside Student Life stuff for a couple of hours and focusing on something else.  I had been asked to come talk about creating authentic encounters with God.  That’s a pretty lofty request, but I gave it my best shot.  I really enjoyed working on it and had even more fun delivering the content I had worked on.  The crowd I was with was great, responsive and interactive.  I may have enjoyed it more than them, but if that’s the case, they didn’t let me know.  Hopefully, I can do some things for them in the future.

Anyway, as part of my preparation I ended up actually developing a formula for creating authentic encounters with God.  I now choose to share this insightful, provocative, profound, world-changing development with all of you.

Here’s the translation: Encounter equals God plus you minus the front you put up for the World plus Jesus divided amongst particular times and certain places to the power of the Holy Spirit.

Now, how exactly does that play out?

Well, that’s what the whole seminar was about, and I even ran out of time to fully cover it like I would have liked.  So, I can’t expound too much here.

You’ll just have to wrestle with it on your own.

Until next time…

encounter

[en-koun-ter]

-verb (used with object)

1.         to come upon or meet with, esp. unexpectedly: to encounter a new situation.

2.         to meet with or contend against (difficulties, opposition, etc.): We encounter so many problems in our work.

3.         to meet (a person, military force, etc.) in conflict: We will encounter the enemy at dawn.

-verb (used without object)

4.         to meet, esp. unexpectedly or in conflict: We were angry when we encountered, but we parted with smiles.

-noun

5.         a meeting with a person or thing, esp. a casual, unexpected, or brief meeting: Our running into each other was merely a chance encounter.

6.         a meeting of persons or groups that are in conflict or opposition; combat; battle: Another such encounter and we may lose the war.

7.             Psychology. a meeting of two or more people, as the members of an encounter group or a number of married couples (marriage encounter), conducted to promote direct emotional confrontations among the participants, esp. as a form of therapy (encounter therapy).

This weekend I’ll be over at the Confluence Conference with the Georgia BCM’s.  I’m leading a “seminar” on creating authentic encounters with God.  My posts have been kinda lite this week because I’ve been spending lots of my free time working on the content.  That continues to be the case today.  So, I thought I’d take a minute to just ask you a simple question.

What was the last authentic encounter you had with God?

I was sleeping.  Hard.  I’d only started Beeson a couple of weeks before and was still adjusting to how much harder it was than my undergrad plus I was working the warehouse at Event Xtras manhandling big inflatable obstacle courses and wasn’t getting along with my roommate.  Anyway, I was tired.  I’d hit the snooze button, a couple of times, I think.  My alarm started going off again, but, though I kept hitting it, the sound wouldn’t cease.  I was in a state somewhere between sleep and waking when I realized it wasn’t my alarm at all.  It was my phone.

I grabbed it wondering who in the world would be calling me so early.  It was Liza.  We were engaged at the time.  She had come to Birmingham too and was living with some relatives while looking for a job before we got married in January.  When I answered she was a little frantic, which immediately had me worried.  She just kept telling me to turn on the news, that someone had flown a plane into one of the towers of the World Trade Center.

Honestly, I was frustrated for being woken up for this.  I picture some amateur pilot who had flown a small Cessna through the city, lost control, and crashed, a tragedy to be sure, but nothing to wake me up about.  However, since she was so insistent, I got up, got off the phone and turned on CNN.

I was confused.  I couldn’t figure out what happened.  What wasn’t helping matters is that none of the anchors seemed to know much of what was going on either.  I began flipping back and forth between other news channels, and everyone was reporting different information, mostly because no one was sure what had happened at all.  Then, there was a universal pause, a brief moment of silence, as another plane entered the frame.

Reporters frantically began giving eyewitness accounts from the scene narrating what we all were watching in horror.  This second plane flew in to the other tower.

Two planes crashed into both towers of the World Trade Center?  What the hell was going on?

Over the next few hours we continued to ask that question.  We had a lot of questions, actually, but they could all be summed up with that one.  A third plane flew into the Pentagon.  People trapped in the towers above where the planes crashed began jumping, even swan diving from impossible heights.  The south tower collapsed creating a cloud of dust and debris that enveloped everything around it.  Reports came in of a fourth plane down in some field in Pennsylvania.  In the midst of the chaos following the first tower’s collapse, the north tower fell too.  News feeds that had featured footage of firemen and other rescue workers running into the buildings began reporting on their horrific loss.

What the hell was going on?

Of course, that’s exactly what was going on.

Hell.

Hell on Earth.

Our prosperous, comfortable, “Christian” pseudo-Eden of a nation was invaded by Hell.

Contrary to what some church leaders believed and even espoused on national television it wasn’t God’s judgment on us for abortion or homosexuality or greed or pornography or any other grievous sin.

It was sin.

Or the result of it.

It was the work of Evil in the world.

And we stared at it, in its eyes, for most of us in a way in which we’d never been forced to before.

At the worst, for those of us who just watched but weren’t there, it paralyzed us in helplessness, fear, and despair.

At the best it unified us together.

Of course, that was just initially.  Since then there’s been much worse results, namely war.  Lots of war.  Long war.  Costly war.  And there’s no time now to try to evaluate all the others.

But maybe, just maybe, hopefully and prayerfully, it scared the Hell out of us.

And maybe with Hell gone, we were left to turn to Heaven.

And though many of us wouldn’t find there the answers we wanted, we would find the only answer we really need.

*EDIT*

Some other friends have added posts about today.  Check out Shane’s here and Malinda’s here and Ruth’s here.