Giving Thanks

I had this assignment for my Worship class last quarter. The class was awesome and I was not prepared for how it would change my life and the lives of my children.

Giving Thanks and Encouraging Others in Thanksgiving

Allen Cooke

WRSP410

Dr. Rodney Whaley

Liberty University, July 15, 2010

Part 1

When I first was given the assignment to spend two weeks of prayer time in thanksgiving, I thought, “There is no way I can be thankful for 20 minutes”. In one of the videos Dow Robinson said something to the effect that we would find ourselves spending much more time than 20 minutes in prayer.

I have never been one to follow an assignment to the letter. I am somewhat of an overachiever so I feel that I have to go a little further than the assignment requires. So I decided that I would spend all of my daily prayer time in thanksgiving. I had resolved myself to the fact that for two weeks, I would not ask God for anything; I would just be thankful.

I went to bed on Saturday night, June 19^th and ask God to teach me to be thankful and went ahead and got prayer coverage for the next two weeks. I assumed that God would probably have to check my pulse during the next two weeks because of my lack of constant begging and complaining. I made a commitment and I was determined to stick to it.

June 20^th, 2010 Day One

I woke up this morning ready to begin my period of thankfulness. I thought that Sunday would be a good day because we have church and it’s really easy to be spiritual on Sunday. I got up before the rest of the family and prepared to get in the shower. Normally I am greeted with the warmth of the water and the steam bellowing from the shower. There was no steam or warmth. There was no hot water. Normally on a South Georgia night at the end of June temperatures would hover around 75 to 80 degrees at night so even though the water would not be the normal 120 degrees it would still be tolerable. Apparently we had a cold snap and the temperature had dipped down to around 68 degrees. 68 Degrees when you’re outside on the porch is nice; when it’s spraying out of a shower head it is frigid. I quickly showered and put on some clothes so I could go into the attic and see what the problem was. I went up the stairs into the attic and got on my knees in front of water heater. I was just about to say, “Lord, not again” ( the same thing had happened a couple of months before) when I heard a little voice say, “Be thankful”. I was reminded of my commitment to be thankful so as I knelt there still shivering from the cold shower, I took the opportunity to thank God for fresh water that ran into the house. I was reminded of a missionary friend of mine who told me stories of people who carried stagnant water in jugs for miles back to their thatch roof houses. Sometimes that had no houses at all; only cardboard boxes. I thanked God that I had a real house and running water, no matter how cold, and that I didn’t have to carry it for miles. I was reminded of the Dennis Jernigan song “Thank You Lord”. I started singing it in my head. I woke the rest of the family and let them know that we would be taking cold showers, then I sat at the keyboard and began to sing, “For all that You’ve done, I will thank You. For all that You’re going to do. For all that You’ve promised and all that You are, is all that has carried me through. Jesus, I thank You.” About that time Ashley and Hannah walked into the living room. I could feel the tension in the air as Ashley said, “You’re kidding me, right?” I said, “No, we don’t have hot water. But we’re going to be thankful”. I continued singing, “Thank You for loving and setting me free. Thank You for giving Your life just for me.” By this time Hannah had sat behind me on the couch. The tension melted and we got ready for church.

Today at Sunday school, I shared with my class the commitment that I had made to be thankful and to not ask God for anything for two weeks. I also presented to them the idea that they should try the same thing. They all looked at me like I had lost my mind. Ashley and Hannah were in that class and I could tell that this whole thing was really affecting Ashley. She’s the most emotional of the girls. Hannah is a little harder nut to crack. We spent time going around the room and one at a time saying what we were thankful. By the end of the time of thankfulness, we were all pretty much in tears.

I had borrowed a guitar from the Praise Team and brought it to class. I shared the song “Thank You Lord” with them and shared a little of the story of Dennis Jernigan.

Today, I am a thankful man. I have been reminded that no matter how difficult the circumstances seem; we still have a reason to be thankful. Today, my worship was real. Dow Robinson said that thankfulness is the key to God’s presence. I have experienced that today. I am thankful.

June 23, 2010

Things were really crazy at work today. The contract with CH2M Hill will end next week and all of us are wondering if we will have jobs next week when the county takes over Public Works. We have been assured by the county that we will all be offered jobs but we are unsure what jobs we will be offered and at what rate of pay. Most of the guys I work with have much more to lose than I do. I am not a permanent employee and so I have no investment in the company other than the six months I have been here.

No matter what happens, I am committed to be thankful. I am thankful to have a job today. I am thankful to have food and electricity today. I am thankful I have a Diet Coke in the fridge and lunch in my desk drawer.

Larry (my boss) is busy trying to get everything tied up for the transition. I fully intended to win his soul and after June 30^th my opportunity will be gone. I can only thank God for the opportunity to be in his life and hope that he saw Jesus in mine.

There are serious looks on the faces of the men around me. I keep trying to assure them that God is in control. I have my moments of doubt but I know God and I know that He is faithful. I also know that He is not worried about the future and He is not afraid.

June 24, 2010

We arrived at Memorial Hospital for Patricia’s surgery this morning. Even though I have committed to only be thankful and to not ask God for anything for two weeks, I thought that God would understand that I needed to intercede for my wife. I am thankful though for a Godly wife that wants me to pray with her. I hear the guys I work with talk about having complete tyrants as wives. I am thankful that I have a very good one. I would love to be able to provide a better living and a bigger house but she has always been content with whatever we had. It is a blessing to have a Godly wife. I am thankful.

June 30^th, 2010

It’s been a week and a half since I started this journey to thankfulness. It’s been tough at times and easy at times. Today was one of those mixed days. Today was the last day of our contract with the county. We had a dinner for all the employees to say “Goodbye” to some and “See you tomorrow” to others. I am one of the fortunate ones that has been asked to stay. It was hard to be thankful when they handed me my offer letter that showed a reduction of my salary but I responded to the man who would be my new boss, “I am a believer and I believe that God takes care of me. I have chosen just to be thankful for whatever He chooses to bless me with”. A year ago I was unemployed and we literally didn’t know where the next meal was coming from. Today, I have assurance of a job with benefits. I asked God to just remind me what I had to be thankful for and He gently reminded me that for over a year I haven’t had insurance; before that I had no life insurance or hope of retirement. This job, even though the pay is lower than I expected, offers me all of those things. I am assured that He is taking care of us even when we think that we could do a better job sometimes. He is still God and He is not shocked or taken by surprise. He never says, “I didn’t expect that”.

I am thankful today for the past six months with some of the most colorful people I have ever met. These are the sort of people that you want to carry with you into battle. Not a holy bunch that you would find sitting next to you in church, but good, hard-working men who would fight to the death for a friend.

I am thankful that God has given me calmness and a trust in all the changes. I am thankful that He has given me a job that provides for my family. I am thankful that He is showing me how to be grateful and content with what I have.

July 4^th, 2010

Today marks two weeks since I began this period of thankfulness and it ended the same way it began; with no hot water. I almost laughed when I turned on the water this morning to find chilly water instead nice steamy hot water. It wasn’t quite as much of a struggle to be thankful today as it was two weeks ago. What a transformation!

Patricia still has not been feeling well since her surgery on the 24^th so we had tentatively planned to stay home from church this morning. We spent yesterday evening in the emergency room because of an infection from her surgery so she was feeling pretty bad.

I woke Micah up so we could go to town and pick up Tricia’s prescriptions. Our plan was to drop the prescriptions by the pharmacy and then run over to Lowes just to look around while we waited. I told Micah, “They have grill I really want but your job is not let me buy it”. Things never go as planned in our family. The pharmacy didn’t open until 10AM on Sundays so that meant we had time to kill. Two Cooke men with time on their hands and a little money in their pockets is not a good combination. Anyway, Micah did not fulfill his duties. I bought the grill I wanted.

This afternoon we spent putting the grill together because the assembled grill would not fit in the Durango. I am thankful that I got to spend the afternoon with my son doing “man” stuff. I am also thankful for $4 prescriptions since I spent a king’s ransom on the grill. (We bought a few fireworks too) I am thankful that we have hot water again. I am thankful that today we are celebrating our country’s birthday and independence. We will celebrate like so many other families; we will grill (on my brand new grill) and light some fireworks. This celebration will be different though. This year I am truly thankful. The past two weeks have changed me and allowed me to see those things that I cherish and I am truly thankful.

Part 2

Thankfulness as the Key to Worship

I. 1 Thessalonians 5:18 “Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.”

a. Introduction and explanation of the assignment

b. Explaining the process

II. Thankfulness; the key to worship

a. Psalm 100:4 “Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name.”

b. Using your key.

III. Spend time in thanks

IV. Thank You Lord

a. The story behind the song.

b. “Thank You Lord”

V. Enter into His Gates

Part 3

What do you have to tell others about not only what scripture teaches but how one can live these teachings about giving thanks through prayer?”

In Video Lesson #2, Mike Coleman made a statement that was pivotal for me. He stated that God’s will for our lives was that we be thankful. (1 Thessalonians 5:18) I guess that is what I would tell anyone about living a lifestyle of thankfulness.

We are so consumed sometimes with seeking the will of God. I, myself, have spent countless hours in prayer seeking the Lord’s will for my life.

I have always instructed my Sunday school class that there are prayers that God will not leave unanswered. God will answer those prayers that will draw us closer to Him. If we pray that God will make us thankful, He will do it, because it is His will for us. His ultimate desire for us is that we be in close relationship with Him.

I am a worship leader and I guess I never made the connection between thankfulness and worship. When I looked back at those experiences in corporate worship that were the most meaningful I noticed that those were times when we had taken time to express our thankfulness to God first. Mr. Coleman stated that thanksgiving is the key to worship. I immediately thought about how meaningful the worship services during the Christmas season always seem to be. We begin that season with the holiday of Thanksgiving. Could it be that God honors us because we, as a nation, take pause for thanksgiving?

I have already changed my methods of worship. Whether I am leading a congregation or am spending time in personal worship, I begin with thanksgiving. I am trying to not only make my lifestyle a lifestyle of worship, but also of thanksgiving. One cannot exist without the other.

Part 4

Follow up on those who listened to your presentation to see if they were motivated enough to practice a greater level of thanksgiving in their own lives.

During the course of this assignment my family felt the leading of God to leave the church we were attending and to search for a new church. I no longer have contact with the entire class that I presented this to. My two daughters were members of that class so I asked them whether or not they were motivated by my presentation.

I emailed my daughters and asked them how that lesson had changed their way of thinking. This was my oldest daughter, Ashley’s, reply:

Okay...here's what I'm going to relate it to...Do you remember last night when we were watching Everybody Loves Raymond and Debra was being super nice to Marie and pretending like nothing bothered her? Well, other than Debra blowing up in the end, that's kind of the perspective, I took. Rather than saying negative things I substituted in positive things and even decided to change my status on FB talking about being thankful for things for about a week to keep me motivated. I did pretty well, until the hot water heater broke for the 3rd time! Life happens and makes us take things for granted...if you take the time to be thankful in life and your prayers, it brings to light the little everyday things you should be thankful for.

But seriously, it did motivate me just by hearing and seeing the difference it made in you. Changing the way you think about things can change your whole attitude!

And this was my youngest daughter, Hannah’s response:

My dad's lesson motivated me a lot. When you think about how much we have been through as a family and then the stuff that my parents have had to go through alone, it is very unlikely for someone these days to be thankful, but obviously my dad isn’t like people these days. Being thankful is more than just saying “thank you” every once in a while. It is about actually feeling overwhelmed with a feeling of love and knowing that there is no way you deserve it; that is a feeling of true thankfulness. I only learned this by watching my parents. Me and my sister, after hearing the lesson on thankfulness from my dad, decided to be more thankful for the things that we have instead of the things that we are missing. It really puts you in a different place to look at life. God has blessed our family more then you can know, but we have also had some really hard times. I am so thankful for every situation that we have been through because it makes us love our God so much more!
I have much for which to be thankful.

§ Instructor Feedback
Grade : 100 out of 100

Comments : Wow! What an experience reading your assignment (journal). I read every word of it. In fact I was drawn to it like a magnet. Ashley's and Hannah's response brought tears to my eyes. What you did before your daughters is more important than the grill, the house, or anything else you may ever own. They will be changed forever and their love for you is far more deeper. God is dong a great work in you. I will covet to pray with your regarding your home. Also, if I am ever in South Georgia, I'll bring the steaks and we can try out that new grill. God bless you, my friend, Dr. Whaley

In Whom Will You Trust?

This past Sunday I attended Bacalaurette Service for the 2010 graduates. My daughter is among that number so we fulfilled our duty as her family and attended with her. We were excited about the service because the keynote speaker was Dr Ferguson, the Dean of Fine Arts at Young Harris College, where Hannah has decided to attend.
His message that day was "In Whom Will You Trust?". He gave several life examples from his own experiences of how things looked bleak, yet God worked them out for good.
I need those words today. After months of grappling over budgets and control, the county I live in decided at a Commissioner's meeting today that the contract between the county and the company I work for would not be extended.
How do I feel? Let down. I have kept my head up and have not let myself be fearful. I have had a supernatural peace and have tried my best to encourage my fellow employees that this was all going to work out.
I prayed that God woud take this whole situation and bring Himself honor. I prayed that He would work in such a miraculous way that all eyes would see His glory and know that God had come to our rescue. He didn't come and I feel let down. Maybe I didn't pray hard enough. Maybe I was wrong to worry Him with something so trivial when the world is going to Hell in a handbasket.
In only a moment all the peace I had is gone. I have a little over a month before, once again, I find myself in the unemployment line. There is a chance that I could continue to work for the county but the pay scale for my position is far less than what I make now. I had already taken a pay reduction when I took this job. I feel let down. I also feel like a failure.
I remember just four years ago at this same time Ashley was graduating. I was an emotional wreck. Just months before I had left my position in the ministry and I was totally lost. I didn't know what to do. Ashley had already paid all of her expenses for graduation. Had it not been that we received a gift card for helping with Chorus, we wouldn't have been able to have a celebratory dinner. I had no idea what the future held for us as a family. I only knew that I felt let down. I felt like a failure.
I remember thinking a few days ago that I was going to be able to enjoy Hannah's graduation. Even though things are tight; at least I have a job. At least I know there are groceries at home. I find myself experiencing the same emotions.
In whom will you trust? That is the phrase that keeps playing in my mind. I am a little angry. It's hard to trust God sometimes. It's hard to understand the reasons for the path He leads us down. You know, I am tempted to answer, "I will trust in me because that is the only one I can really depend on". I don't even trust in me right now.
I know that I will leave work today and return tomorrow with a different attitude. I made great claims about God this week. I trusted Him to do something....anything. I didn't ask for myself; I asked for the 30 plus people I work with. Most are unbelievers who desperately needed to see a glimpse of God. I asked for my boss that I know is reachable. I have no reason to love this man. He is impatient and demanding. He is critical and sometimes can be mean. But God has allowed me to love him and pray for his redemption.
Tomorrow will be a new day. I will awake tomorrow and once again trust as always. Today, on the other hand, I feel let down. I feel like a failure.

Blessings
Allen

What does it mean to worship?

I was reading an article by John Piper yesterday. I am not your typical John Piper devotee even though I have family members that believe his in the direct line of the messiah. I usually stere clear of anything I know is written by the members of the frozen chosen or their followers. I know what I believe, I know why I believe it and I think it's a shame that God's people have to argue and fight about something like the love of God and whether God loves everyone or just the ones He choses. I apparently don't enough free time. It strikes me a humorous when the story of The Samaritan Woman is used as an example of God's predestined chosing of believers yet in the same gospels, there is the story of Nicodemus who came to Jesus of his own accord. Sure the Holy Spirit calls us all and without that wooeing there would be no movement on our part toward God. I get that. I will probably be labeled a blasphemer, but I am convinced that the Bible teaches us that, yes, some are chosen, but some come on their own. I don't mean to take away from the omniscience or omnipotence of God. I just don't understand how some of this world's most Godly men can be on both sides of this issue. Could it be that they are both correct? Anyway, this is not the subject I wanted to talk about today.

I was struck by the article though. It was taken from a series of sermons from 1997 on worship. There are times when I read something that I feel so strongly about and am in such total agreement with that I find it hard not to shout. I was in my office at work so shouting was not an option. I did have to wipe away tears though. If this sermon was not pages and pages long, I would have posted it here but I think I would rather speak what my heart is saying.

He mentioned that the New Testament doesn't refer to worship at all the way that the Old Testament does. The word used for worship in the Old Testament literally meant to "fall down". That will preach. I have listened to literally thousands of hours of opinions and read thousands of pages devoted to the story of the Samaritan woman and when Jesus told her that the true worshippers would "worship in spirit and in truth". I have questioned that one myself. I have had several "aha" moments when I thought I had received some divine revelation that explained what that phrase really meant. I don't know if I am any clearer today than I was before but I scensed in my spirit that this was about to be cleared up in my own mind.

I must offer this....I am a worshipper. I have spent the majority of my life leading worship, learning about worship and truely hungering and thirsting for God. I know what it is like to have an insatiable hunger to be in the presence of God.

I have said before that when God is trying to show me something that He really wants me to grasp then He will point it more than once. So, I read this article by John Piper yesterday, then I happened to go to the same site today and ran across another sermon on worship by John Piper called "Boasting only in the Cross". Then I was watching my video for school today at lunch and it was on the stories of Nicodemus and The Samaritan Woman. Ok, ok. I get it. I think I am supposed to seek God and research what it means to worship "in spirit and truth". I believe I have started a journey today. I am not sure but it seems at every turn I am being faced with this subject. I began reading a book, yes, by John Piper, called "When I Don't Desire God". I don't know why I was prompted to download this book. I really do desire God but I was struck by a phrase I came across yesterday "God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in Him". It is my soul desire to glorify God. I thought I understood this concept but I am convicted that I have not found my satisfaction in Him. I have sought satisfaction in the things that I do. I am told that I have a gift of leading worship; that I have a true annointing that few people have or experience. I am always amazed by that statement. I know I spend a lot of time in prayer and personal worship in preparation for leading worship. I have said many times that I am at my most peaceful and most in tune with God when I am leading worship. I have said that when I am leading worship I feel like I am doing what I was created to do. I am withdrawing those statements. I am created to glorify God. I cannot glorify Him to the fullness extend of my capability as long as I am not satisfied with Him. Not the things He can do, Him and only Him. WOW! Where will this lead me? Hopefully to contentment, happiness, joy, all those things I have struggled with for every moment of my existence. Today, I began a journey; maybe a journey into utter madness, maybe a journey home but it is a journey to find out what it means to be satisfied in God.

Blessings
Allen

Change

I arrived at work this morning and during my normal routine I flipped my desk calendar to today's date, March 15. The verse on today's calendar is Romans 8:31-32 "If God is for us, who is against us? He who did not withhold His own Son, but gave Him up for all of us, will He not with Him also give us everything else?" It didn't really click until I opened up the "Daily Bread" devotional for today; again Romans 8:31-32. I have learned over my many years that if God has something to say He says it. If He really has something to say, He says it twice. I think God is trying to tell me something.
I was feeling really cast aside this morning. After yesterday's meeting after church, I left thinking "What about me?" Apparently we have reached the point in our church's ministry that merely having a passion for ministry is not enough. A point where a degree is for more important than years of experience. I have felt that this day was coming. I have seen far too many churches cast aside their "seasoned" ministers for more "culturally relavent" ones. Excuse me, but I thought that we were all part of this culture.
Apparently a man who spends countless hours in prayer and meditation and personal worship, just to prepare for about 30 minutes of corporate worship. It seems to me that being Spirit Led is no longer culturally relevant. Our worship has become a travesty. We are more concerned with pleasing the worshipper instead of the object of our worship. I don't really understand where we get the new ideas about worship.
Anyway, our church voted yesterday to extend a call to a new worship/youth/college and career/janitor/church secretary minister. In my experience when a person is called to a church as a worship/anything, one of the ministries will suffer. I was a full-time worship leader for 5 years. It took everything I had to pray, meditate and seek God's face in personal worship. There was no way I would have had time to devote to another ministry, especially youth ministry. I have also served as a Youth Minister. That ministry alone consumed my entire life and the life of my family. How can you possibly devote yourself to a life consuming ministry like youth ministry and a life consuming ministry like worship pastoring? I don't believe it can be done.
I commented to my family yesterday that it is a very hard day when you realize that you have outlived your usefulness; at least to the church you have served faithfully. That is the emotional state that I am in today. I was not aware that I was ready for the Gaither Homecoming crowd. I don't even own a rhinestone jacket and Patricia's hair is no where big enough for that matter.
So that is where this scripture fits. "If God is for us, who is against us?" Apparently God is trying to tell me that He is not through with me. I must have something valuable or I feel that I would have woken up with my arms folded across my chest and quarters on my eye lids. I laid down for a much needed nap yesterday afternoon. That is the time that I find that I can be the most honest with God; tucked away under the covers of my bed. "Is this it? Is this how I will finish out my life? Am I just supposed to sit quietly and live out the rest of my days quietly?" Am I just supposed to continue day to day in an environment that doesn't foster my own creativity or the creativity of others? These are the questions I was asking. I am taking the fact that I woke up and wasn't in heaven that the answer was "No".
So my days at SECC are numbered. I am not bitter. I am ready for the next adventure. I am afraid though that this move will be just me, Patricia and the boy. The girls have already expressed that they don't wish to move to a new church. We, on the other hand, have been ready for months. Hannah is about to start a new phase of her life in college so now is not the time to upset her life any more than it already is. Ashley is well connected at SECC and will probably do well there. She has many friends there and she seems to fall into the age bracket that the church is taking the direction to appeal to. I hope she never outlives her usefulness but for now I am sure that she will be used and provided an anvenue of ministry.
I don't know where this next bend in the road will lead. Maybe this bend will take us home.
Blessings
Allen

Reactivating

It's been a really long time since I entered anything into this Blog. There are several reasons for that. One reason is that, try as I may to encourage and uplift and use this precious space as a means to allow you to take a look into my soul, it is sometimes misunderstood. I began this record of my existance back when God was doing some pretty powerful things in my life. I wanted to use it to chronicle my journey much like the people in the Bible. They would often build monuments so that they would stop and remember whenever they passed by. They wanted to mark the moment.
Well, I think the last time I wrote here was at the eight month mark of our journey into unemployment. Since that time, I have gone back to work; Tricia is still not working. I started working again on January 13th. January 12th marked exactly 11 months of unemployment. I have blessed to obtain a job that seems to be designed for me. Each requirement on the job description seems to be something that I have experience doing at one time or the other. The crew I work with is a little rough around the edges but they are still good people. We are working our way through the awkwardness of me being the new guy and them getting to know me. I can see myself staying her for a long time.

I am amazed at the transformation during the past 11 months. We never thought we would survive it with everything intact. I have only been working for about 3 weeks so it will take us a long time to get where we need to be financially.

For the most part the transformations have been positive. We have learned to rely on and trust God in a new way. I guess it was the combination of being at home all the time, not really feeling up to exercising that brought about the other transformation. I gained a lot of weight. I mean a lot!! Those of you who have struggled with weight issues know that it seems that the more weight you gain and the more you need to exercise the less you actually feel like it. Even though I didn't have the severe bouts with depression that I expected, it seems that I did experience a physical depression. I just didn't feel like getting out of my chair much less the house. When we would leave home for any reason I couldn't wait to get back home, close the door and retreat to my chair. There would be days that I could not tell you one thing that I actually did. I would watch TV and get on Facebook but that was about it. I would look out the window occasionally and think, "Go for a walk you gravy sucking pig", only to back away and return to my chair. It's not easy walking into the gym for the first time for anyone but it's especially hard when you've been there before and then for whatever reason you stopped. It's hard to handle the looks of judgement. I feel a little like Jim Bakker and Jimmy Swaggart. I preached the message of diet and exercise with a passion. How did this happen to me? I have always had a problem understanding how people can suddenly discover that they weight 700 pounds and can no longer leave their house. I don't have a problem with that anymore. I understand completely. I am nowhere close to 700 lbs, thank God, but I can see how it happens. It happens like everything else, a little at a time.
I am on a journey. A journey to, as my wife puts it, to find Allen again. I have gone to the gym once this week and I am so sore that I thought I was going to have to put my toothbrush on the counter and rub my teeth against it. Every time I get up I feel a twing that lets me know that I have moved in a fashion to which I am not accustomed.
I got selected to participate in Rob's Big Losers for His Radio. Me and four others have been given the chance to change our lives. We each have twelve week memberships at the "Y" to help us in this venture. Every pain I must endure will be worth it. I promised myself that I would be fabulous at 50. The clock is ticking and May 24th 2010 will be here before you know it. I am going to the gym again tonight and probably won't be able to lift my legs tomorrow (it's leg night) but it is good to know that not only will I not be able to kick the cookies away, I won't be able to walk to the refrigerator either.
Blessings
Allen