Applications for 2012 due March 15

Student applications for SMI 2012 will be due March 15. To request more information or an application, please email Holly at smiphilly@gmail.com.

…And Then The Ground Shook Beneath My Feet

This afternoon Herman (SMI translator) and I were prayer walking in the Hunting Park neighborhood when the 5.9 earthquake from Virginia hit our area in Philly.  It had been a particularly dry afternoon with not much activity at all.  Most people were not answering their doors for spiritual follow-ups (SMI patients) and I was feeling spiritually blah.  It seemed like a waste of time, minus the praying part.  The question “Why are we walking these streets after SMI?” was definitely floating around in my head.

So Herman continued to pray as we were walking down Raymond Street, back to the block where my car was parked.   Part of it went like this “…Lord open up the heavens and pour down your blessings on this place… open these doors for the gospel to enter homes…”.  We said “Amen” and seconds later about 25 people on the block came out of their houses all at once and began looking around talking to each other trying to figure out what just happened.  We didn’t know what happened either, we didn’t feel anything.  All we knew was God was listening and wanted us to talk to people!

So we explained to a woman with her son on her porch that we were just praying for a revival and blessing the neighborhood and all of a sudden everyone came outside.  She asked us what church we were with, so we told her about the local church Grace and Peace and she seemed really interested in attending.

We also met up with a SMI patient who was loading his car with tools and supplies in case of an evacuation.  We laid hands on him  and prayed with him.

We later tuned into the radio and found out that much of the east coast was affected by the earthquake, but the fact that it happened when it did still amazes us.  That’s the power of prayer!  Praise the Lord.

Sam

Patient Encounters

Patience was an attribute I found myself lacking during SMI.  God saw it fit to not only inform me of this issue, but to also work on it at the same time.  In many cases this was through the very people we were seeing door-to-door.  Perhaps the Lord was showing me some humor by teaching me patience through my patients.

The following encounters are meant to give a brief understanding of the SMI experience.  Names and details have been changed.

Jason is about 4 years old. He is an energetic little guy with a very loud mouth who likes Transformers. I am able to play with him once his mom let us enter their home. He enjoys shape games and knows his stuff really well; like hexagons and crescents. In speaking with his mother, we find out that we had screened his father earlier that morning and found that he likely has coronary artery disease; which explains his intermittent chest pain. His wife is concerned for him, but needs him to keep working or they won’t be able to make rent. We tell the dad that his smoking was likely to be a large contributor to the chest pain he is experiencing and that if he wants to see his boy grow up he will have to seriously consider quitting. Situations like this are common in our area, but we often rejoice in the beauty that God does provide and the hope that exists in Christ. Jason is a great kid and I pray the Lord blesses him with a happy and bright future, one that includes both his mother AND father.

Andrew is middle aged man who had a noticeable healed injury. He tells us during our encounter the story of how it happened. He was at a bar a few years ago when a girl asked him to come into the alley with her. He was accosted by some men who wanted his things, but he refused. They laid him on the train tracks that caused this horrific injury. He still has hope and works a job, but he is forever changed by the injury. Andrew is a testament to the community, but his life is still difficult and he says he is not ready to receive Christ. We will continue to pray for him, and those who know him, that he would become ready, perhaps with the help of some fellow Christians.

Lawrence is a very large man with a heart of gold. Despite the immense cheese-factor with that prior statement, it’s true. Not only does he have an enlarged heart literally, he is also full of love, despite having been imprisoned years ago. We give him a screening and speak with him at length about his weight and how it is causing many of the issues he is complaining about to us. He receives the information well and asks good questions, which is always a good sign. A few days later we run into him again while we are screening a few other guys. Our interpreter is helping me understand the conversation, but needs to help translate for another patient. Lawrence comes over and speaks to me about his wife in Spanish and gestures me toward his truck and begins to open the door. I immediately back away thinking he wants me to come in the truck to go to check out his wife. However, I see a look of confusion and disappointment come over his face like a friend backing out of a promise to go play catch. I eventually realize, through the interpreter, that Lawrence is trying to show me the tomato his wife gave him to help him have a better diet to lower his weight. A wave of disappointment comes over my whole body as I realized that many people in this community trust me to walk into their homes, ask for intimate information, and trust me to feel their bodies; yet I don’t trust them to show me their joyful progress. How much pain it must cause our heavenly Father when we don’t put our trust in him; when we pull away in fear. Sometimes He may just be trying to show us what He is doing.

Students and faculty often ask, especially in the last week of SMI, “What has been your most meaningful encounter?” I have consistently answered that Sandra’s family made a large impact on how I feel about many in this community. Sandra is a grandmother with a daughter (Gina) and 3 granddaughters. Gina invites us in when we knock and explain our presence. There are several fans blowing directly on her and her 3 daughters because the house is incredibly hot. We begin the screening and I play with the kids so that the screening can proceed smoothly (also, I like playing with kids). After a little while Sandra comes downstairs and sits toward the front of the house a few feet from me. I offer the screen, she accepts, and we go through it with sweat dripping from us by the end. She has high blood pressure, but the interesting part is still to come. On the spiritual assessment, she eventually mentions that she has been depressed and has attempted suicide in the past. I tell her about how I was depressed 2 years ago and found that God’s presence was a constant assurance during that period through 1 Peter 5:6-11.
“Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings. And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast. To him be the power forever and ever. Amen.”
After asking if the kids can join us for a story about Jesus, we go through “the wordless bracelet” (colored beads on a string that represent the Gospel story). Sandra accepts the Lord into her heart and God’s appointment for her is filled. Being able to witness this and be a part of it for the first time was a blessing and encouragement.

SMI has been a blessing in community with other Christians, in loving God’s people, in preaching the Good News, and gaining wisdom from fellow brothers and sisters in the Lord. Thank you SMI and I pray the Lord uses this experience to tone the future careers and lives of myself and all of the other SMI’ers.

-Dan M.

SMI Memories and Highlights

Hi friends!  Here is a photo slideshow of memories and highlights from SMI 2011.  Thanks so much for your prayers and support. Enjoy!

Spiritual Conversation Starters

Below is one of the many products of sending 19 SMI students door-to-door for 3 weeks.  Everyone contributed a line that either they’ve used or thought would help, so there’s a good chance they can work for you too.  These simple lines can be used in a variety of combinations – the more you try them the better your conversations will flow.  If you have any others to contribute feel free to comment.  Special thanks to Luke for typing these up from the Papertron!

19 Questions/Methods That Facilitate  Spiritual Discussions:

1.  Did you know that internal stressors like anger can affect your physical health? How do you cope?

2.  How are you coping with your situation?

3.  How are you dealing with the stress of this illness?

4.  Do you go to church/synagogue/mosque?

5.  Do you believe in God?

6.  Can I tell you about how God has helped me?

7.  Do you pray? Does it help?

8.  Read through Proverbs 14:30 (Amplified version)

9.  Are there any cultural or religious beliefs that you hold that could affect your health?

10.  We are concerned about your physical as well as your spiritual health.

11.  We believe that God made us as a whole person, with physical, spiritual, emotional, mental, and social needs.

12.  Do you consider yourself a spiritual person?

13.  What gives you hope?

14.  Tell me about your support system.

15.  Are you a part of a faith community?

16.  Do you feel like God cares about your health and well-being?

17.  Are you involved in the community? Do you go to church around here?

18.  Do you know God’s phone number? Jeremiah 33:3

19.  Is there anything you’re struggling with that I can pray about? (…or someone you know?)  Can I pray about that with you right now?

“Life is Hard…Death is Easy”

July 26, 2011

Thanks for following along this story of a group of health professionals in training who love the Lord as we learn through serving Hunting Park and each other. I was supposed to blog at the beginning of the week, but just even summing up one day here proved to be a huge challenge.  As Steve said as he flipped the pages on the easel during his last teaching to us, “…you can ponder that one the rest of your life…”.

On Tuesday, Dr. Hollinger, the medical director of Esperanza Health Center, gave us a morning talk on the sort of post-modern pluralistic constructs that imbue our culture. Then he opened it up to make it an interactive discussion on dealing with different patient scenarios with that mindset vs. the Christian approach. It was great to bring the heady philosophy to where the rubber meets the road.

The jam-packed morning was wrapped up with an awesome panel discussion on work-life balance with male and female docs. For the half the time, the guys and girls separated…and that’s when the truth came out…jk. It was a really great time for me to meet women who were obedient to their calling to be a physician and the calling to be a mother. Hearing the creative solutions and the incredible partners was refreshing. I don’t know about the guys, but the women answered tough questions about sacrifices made in order to be obedient to those callings. Some work part time with other women so that there is a culture of cooperation in their practice that allows for family time. One claimed to have retrained her Italian husband, haha. They joked around about how when people ask “Who cooks when you’re not home?” One answered, “Who cooks when I AM home?” They went deeper to answer questions about planning for things hoped for by just naming our desires and holding them loosely before God.

I’ll be honest, as much as I appreciated the talks in the morning, by lunch time I was really itchin’ to get back out on the streets of Hunting Park. (Can’t imagine what it’ll feel like to be in class and library all the time in a few weeks!) On Tuesday, we rocked out to some great Spanish worship songs in the lobby before heading out on the streets. (::Te amo mas que mi vida!::) It’s getting towards the end so we are all getting sentimental and camera-happy, too.

Our translators are two amazing women, one of whom piles us into her car to take us to our territory of Hunting Park since it’s kinda far. On Monday as we were walking back to the car, these guys a block away started shouting at us. I felt like God was telling me to not just ignore them. I jogged up the block to talk to them quick. They said that they’ve seen all us “blue people” (we are wearing scrubs) everywhere, but no one has been to visit their street. I promised them we would be back to see them first thing tomorrow afternoon and then told them about the HIV testing going the next day, too.

The next day, we went back there to see them and he had gathered a bunch of his friends and they were about to go get the HIV testing. (Come to find out his sister died of AIDS). We had a growing group of people to screen and talk to. It was great having an awesome team to engage everyone at once. One of the friends left the porch (I thought he just wasn’t interested) and brought another friend. The original guy, “S,” who lived there, exemplified exactly what Dr. Hollinger taught us about that morning with the pluralism, any road will get ya there, kind of post-modern philosophy. God led me to the passage in Acts where Paul is in Athens and says that he can see they are very religious, even down to the statue of the unknown God, and Paul tells them that the unknown God is the One True God. “S” got what I was saying and we kept chatting. No decisions were made that day, but he said that he reads what the Jehovah’s Witness people leave him so the next day I brought back lots of reading material for him.

I grew to really love that porch during the final week of SMI. We went back there another time, and one of his drug-dealing friends came up to us with tattoos that read “Life is Hard” on his hand, “Death is Easy” on his other hand. I asked him what that was about. He had them since he was 12. We talked about his life, betrayals, loneliness, fighting, and by the end, this tough guy was reading Ephesians out loud on the porch and let me pray for him. God is so good! We had many instances like this where we are just along the way of someone’s journey, but we can’t know how it turns out. During SMI, God has shown me what it means to be obedient to Him and let Him determine what the “success” looks like.  Also, He taught me that “God is so good” even on days when no doors open.

We played with some kids in a day care for a little bit out on a closed play street, jumping rope and hula-hooping. I asked one of the girls if she knew Jesus, and she said “Yeah, but my grandpa knows him better.”  We got to share a little bit with the kids there and then a lady from her porch called down to us and asked what we were doing here. My team and I went up and ended up giving her a health screen and talking to her about what we were doing in Hunting Park. She is a Christian and was such a huge encouragement to me. What a light in her neighborhood! She has an incredible servant heart. She said she used to think that cleaning up the neighborhood meant literally going around for an hour every afternoon picking up trash. She said, “But then I realized that what this neighborhood really needs is Jesus.” She does a lot of ministry with the children (a couple kids on her porch turned out weren’t hers, but she helps raise these kids on the block). She prayed with us on her porch and invited us to come do a health fair during their block party, Saturday, August 6th… SMI to be continued…?

Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up .

~ Galatians 6:9~

A Chance of Thundershowers

Wednesday, July 27, 2011

Roman 8:22-25 ‘We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what he already has? But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently.’

Today in Hunting Park our team seemed to express a commonality of theme, namely, a figurative “isolated thundershowers” in the lives of the people they met. During debrief this afternoon, the nearness of death and a sullen consuming despair seemed to permeate the discussion encounters we experienced.

Early in the day, our group, Eight Street Community Church, spent a great deal of time with one older gentleman who was dealing with the overwhelming grief of the loss of his wife. He expressed an unwillingness to thrive and a despondency for the length of life, but he was willing to spend time in discussion, and we tried to encourage him. At the end of the discussion, he allowed the team to pray for him. The best we could hope for was a small spark of hope for his future restoration and his ultimate salvation.

Later, we were working with a family on the outside doorstep in the breezy afternoon, grateful for a bit of shade from the overhanging roof tops. Just before beginning a blood pressure measurement, there were gunshots heard on the next block up the road from where we were working. People began to accumulate in the street and shortly afterwards, a police car arrived. Our team was in no danger, and being so far down the road, we are not sure what actually happened or if anyone was hurt. After finishing with our family, we had a prayer time for that situation, before heading to the next street in parallel, where the other half of our team was working.

Susan Post, executive director of Esperanza Health Center, spoke to us before we began our Hunting Park street missions, and she told us to look for both the brokeness and for the shalom, or peace, within the community. Our mission is to seek glimpses of God among the darkness of Satan. Today, darknesses, hanging like little black rain clouds over the individuals experiencing troubles of death and violence, would seem like the end of our story yet for Susan’s bidding. We strive to find the shalom.

It would have been wonderful to report the shalom was found in a monumental faith ingathering where many came to know the Lord, but today that was not what the Lord allowed. Rather, the bright spots observed were more like tiny seeds, or perhaps even only seeds hoped for. There was shalom in the seeds of prayer after the gunshots, in the small family working hard and enjoying community who opened up to talk with us on the doorstep, seeds in the smile on the older gentleman’s face when he passed us a few hours later, and seeds in the next block over from the shooting where grandma was rocking peacefully and children scampering after the ‘doctors’ in scrubs because violence, devastation, and fear though near, are not everywhere. This shalom is a preserved reflection of God’s creation glory and in observation reminds me there is unseen redemptive hope for us and our Hunting Park neighbors through the gift of Jesus Christ our Lord!

-Rachel W.

God Is Still The Creator

In a small group led by Jen Kincaid, we thought about how God created, at the beginning of what we know as time (Genesis 1:1), and that even now, He is still creating (Psalm 51:10). Below are the short and long versions of how I processed SMI Philly’s encapsulation of that thought.

The Short Version (prose)

God has us on the potter’s wheel, shaping us, forming us, molding us, transforming us.

Several days at SMI, various students showered multiple times daily. Not because we were constantly covered in dirt and grime, but for a number of reasons. One reason would be to start the day. Admittedly, a second reason would indeed be to wash off subjective feelings of dirt and grime. Yet a third reason would be to wash off chlorine after being in the pool. Then if you got in the pool again after dinner, you might have been tempted to wash up a fourth time.

That perpetual cleansing reminds me of 1 John 1:9. We were reminded during SMI that God forgives us of our sin, then actually cleanses. I thought about the fact that God’s cleansing does not just clean us, it transforms us (2 Corinthians 3:18). He takes nothing and turns it into something. He takes a heart that is unclean and makes it clean. And every time we make it dirty, He cleanses us all over again. He  keeps renewing us as new creatures, as new creation. Scriptures tell us that God never changes. Indeed,  He is still the Creator.

“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. “ ~ Genesis 1:1

“Create in me a pure heart, Oh God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.” ~ Psalm 51:10.

As He continually creates a new heart within us (2 Corinthians 4:6), He invites to take the lampshade off, to let others see the work He is doing in us, and hopefully inspire them to allow God to create a new heart in them too. God never fails.

As Steve Munz put it, “I suspect that God, being the Creator, will continue to create.”

 

The Long Version (poem: ‘God is Still The Creator’ © 2011 Sherry-Ann Brown)

God has a knack
For creating something
Out of nothing (Genesis 1:2).

For taking the earth
Without shape or form
And most omnipotently
Proceeding to transform
Its depths
Into land and seas
And birds and trees
And man (Genesis 1).

Then even when man
Fell from grace (Genesis 3:11)
God created a way
For man still
To seek His face (John 3:16).

And seek Him we must (Matthew 6:33),
Indeed we must trust (Psalm 52:8).

That His every deed
Ultimately
Plants a seed (Matthew 13:8)
That He waters
And allows to flourish (John 7:37, 38).

And yet
Within our heart
He sets apart
Room for Himself (2 Corinthians 1:22).

And even in
Our inner dark depths
Where our hearts
Are without shape or form
He consistently transforms
Our thoughts, ideals, and desires (Psalm 51:10),
So that we begin to conform
To standards that are higher (Romans 12:2)
That are holy, that are pure (Philippians 4:8),
That allow our Creator
To create once more:
Something
Out of nothing.

And too, in streets and alleys
Where darkness once lay

Where families and hope
Were restless and in decay
God stepped in
And proceeded to create
Life, peace, and a future (Jeremiah 29:11)
Long forgotten.
First by revealing His love
Through His Only Son begotten (1 John 3:16).

And through the blood
Of the innocent Son of Man
God has been steadily
Healing His land.

This is the land
That God created (Genesis 1:1).
The same land
That Satan hated.

The land where
God placed man (Genesis 2:15),
And jumpstarted
His masterplan.

The land that man decided
He knew how best to keep (Genesis 3:6)
The land that is now broken
And joins in as man weeps (Romans 8:22).

The land that longs
To be soaked in God’s laundry
In order to come out clean (Psalm 51:7)

The land
Occupied by man
Who prays to be scrubbed
Who prays for a snow-white life (Psalm 51:7)
Not a life stained by strife.
Not a life lived by the knife.
But a life that sets
Once-broken bones
To dancing (Psalm 51:8)
And a life that responds
To God’s commanding.

A life that will seek
For God to shape a Genesis week
From the chaos and the entropy
A life that wants to be holy.

From David and Bathsheba
God created Solomon (2 Samuel 12:24),
When offended with adultery and murder (2 Samuel 11:4,15),
God redeemed with wisdom (1 Kings 3:9)
And so God
Created us as mini-me’s (2 Corinthians 3:18)
And gives us
His same Spirit.

His Spirit that transforms (2 Corinthians 4:16).
His Spirit that fills us (Acts 4:31)
With faith, instead of fear (2 Timothy 1:7),
“Because there is no room for fear.”

Faith to live out loud (Romans 1:16)
Faith to step out
From the cloud
To throw off the shroud (Philippians 1:21)
To step out of our
Grave clothes
That we deeply
Hold on to (Luke 17:33).

To leave the
Cemetary rags
Behind,
And walk the streets
Of this city (Luke 10:1).

In newness of life (Romans 6:4)
Offering His opportunity
For life (Matthew 28:19,20).
Offering the One
Who gave His life.
So that we
Can have eternal life (John 3:15).
But also abundant life (John 10:10)
On earth.

A life that looks a lot like His (Romans 8:29(
A life in which we give
Ourselves.

The way He did
But not quite.
Because He died that we might
Live,
And love the lost,
The forsaken, the broken, just as
He did when He
Defined Social Justice.

‘Blest be the ties that
Bind’ our hearts to His,
Our hearts to each other,
Our hearts to each city.

Even as we go and SMI begins,
Our community lives on in Him.

“When we asunder part,
It gives us inward pain;
But we shall still be
Joined in heart,
And Hope to meet again.”
~ ‘Blest be the tie that binds’ by Fawcett, Nageli, and Mason

And so we shall…
With common purpose,
Common experiences, common goals,
All created in our renewed hearts
By an uncommon God.

 

Sherry-Ann

Jars of Clay

There is one thing that I learned from SMI: God works through every single person differently.

He works through me and you in different ways, in ways that reflect the types of person we are. It is this way with every person that opens their door to our team of volunteers. We never know what each person has experienced. In the past day, week, or year. Triumphs or trials. All we know is that we were all created by God, and for God, and commonly united in Him. Knowing this commonality among all people, it makes it easy to knock on doors.

 I remain confident of this: I will seek the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. ~Psalm 27: 13 

Many of the patients that we encounter have been through difficult situations. There is one woman in particular that remains in my heart. We knocked on her door multiple times, and after a few minutes she finally heard us. When she opened the door, we were immediately struck the strong smell of Pinesol and Jesus. She was dusting, and blaring Christian gospel music. She showed us her husband’s awards from the military – covering every free space on the wall.  She showed us pictures of her sons, one of which was incarcerated. Even though her son was locked up in jail, she still had hope. She knew that God was with her, her family, and her son no matter what. It amazed me that through such a difficult situation, her faith could sustain her and give her peace.

Some of the people that I have met in Northern Philadelphia have been suffering for a long time. I know that as medical professionals, we can provide medical attention to these individuals, but we will never be able to save them from death. The spiritual counseling that we give to these individuals has the potential to alter them from the inside out – to give them eternal life – through Jesus Christ.

But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us.  We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair;  persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed.  We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body.  For we who are alive are always being given over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that his life may also be revealed in our mortal body.  So then, death is at work in us, but life is at work in you. Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.  So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. ~2 Cor 4: 7-18

 - Katie

July 23 and Psalm 23

Saturday was another great day @ SMI.  Here’s a snapshot of the major events:

-We spent half the day going door-to-door in HP and then most came back to the Bala house a little earlier than usual, 3:30 pm, due to the 100+ degree heat index.

-The pool was the place to be after we got back.

-Dinner @ 6 included the world’s best chili and cornbread.

-The talent show started at 7:45 and the opening act was an increasingly irresistible band sensation called “2 Samuel 12:7” which reads “…thou art the man…”  KJV.  Many excellent acts were displayed – from different styles of dance to skits and poetry.  We ended the show with salsa dancing lessons for everyone.

In other, even more awesomely exciting news: Our patient “A” accepted our invitation to meet us at Grace and Peace (our church) on Sunday, another patient “A” is making strides towards letting go of a grudge towards his neighbor with God’s help, and patient “R” accepted Christ as their Savior.

There’s an interesting story about “R”.  We had been going door-to-door for at least an hour prior to their visit, knocking on about 20-some doors with either no answer or no interest in having us come in.  The fact that it was a Saturday morning made us think that most people were sleeping.  In the case no one answers, we pray for the people living in the house that God would become real to them or that they would hear the gospel (something along those lines).  One of those times we were praying I had Psalm 23 pop into my head.

¹The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.
²He makes me lie down in green pastures.
He leads me beside still waters.
³He restores my soul.
He leads me in paths of righteousness
for his name’s sake.

So I prayed it.

Lord, lead us to the doors where you want us to go so that we can tell about how you restore our souls.

A few doors later, we met “R”.  She was not interested in any physical health assessments, but instead welcomed us because we also wanted to talk about spiritual health.  We later found out that “R” had been fighting cancer for 15 years.  When we asked her about her faith background she mentioned she was Catholic, but she did not have any understanding of the afterlife.  She said she did not read her Bible because she never liked it that much.  However, she did have a favorite passage, one that her mother read her when she was a little girl – Psalm 23!  We later went on to explain what we believe and the hope we have in Jesus, and she wanted to commit her life to Christ.  It was such a privilege to share that time with “R” and reflect on how God answered our prayers in such a distinct way.

Here’s a peaceful song on Psalm 23.  I find it refreshing to go back and dig into a really familiar passage like this one because there’s always plenty more to uncover.  If you’re adventurous, sit back, close your eyes, and meditate on the words.  “The Lord is my shepherd.  He leads me perfectly…”

–Sam