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I have a question.

9/29/2014

3 Comments

 
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I usually write a blog with a message that I received from above. I have all week to think about it.  Monday, Lori comes over and we put my thoughts on the computer.  I have heard from many of you and you are very happy with the content. 

This week is going to be a little different. This week I want to have you write the blog! I am going to do it by asking questions of you. 

These are questions that are very important to me and anyone who has a very challenging situation. When I say challenging, I mean terminal. 

The answers you leave in the comments will be fuel for my next week's blog.

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Question number 1: Do you think God exists?

I fully believe that He does simply based on what I see around me. I mean If I saw six dice all in a perfect row in consecutive order, I would believe that someone put them that way. I would not believe that they fell in order randomly. With that said, I look at the details of an eye, for instance, and I know that it was created by an intelligent being. But in any case, do YOU think God exists?

Question number 2: Do you believe that Jesus is the only way to God, why?

You cannot use the Bible in your reasoning. If you use the Bible, it will employ circular logic. Let me explain. If I write a book and tell everyone that I am the smartest person in the world and I state that others will disagree.  When other people disagree you cannot say, "Aha, Akhil wrote that in his book!" That is circular logic. That is why you cannot use the Bible to support your reasoning. 

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Question number 3: If heaven is a wonderful place, what is the point of struggling here?


This question becomes extremely important when you are progressively declining. Trust me, those of you who have this situation have asked this question. Maybe even if you don't have a progressively declining situation but  things suck, you might have asked this question.


And that is it. Think about these three questions, ask them of your friends and family. Leave me a comment or two. I really need help with these questions. I will take your comments to heart.

Let the wise listen and add to their learning, and let the discerning get guidance. 
Proverbs 1:5

3 Comments
Julie Meyer
9/29/2014 01:47:37 pm

1. Yes. I do believe God exists. I see evidence in all of creation. It is too perfect and shows the evidence of design. I also see the evidence in my own life. I was without hope, abused during my formative years (from toddler until 13 years of age). By all purposes, I should not be sane. Maybe I'm not, but I seem to be functioning well My life did not change until I learned of God and His redemptive work through Christ. So, yes I believe without a doubt that God exists, and I would go to my death defending that belief.

2. I do. This was his claim about himself. Even if one does not want to use the Bible, it was evident enough even to the historians at the time. It is the reasoning behind the plot to kill him. Either Jesus was a madman, a lier or he was who he claimed he was, the Son of God, equal to God and the only Way to eternal life.

3.This is a tough one, brother. As an individual who has attempted suicide twice in my life, I have struggled with this question. My pain has not been the physical pain that you must endure, but the heartache and depression has been at times more than I thought I could bear. But this is what I have learned. Our sufferings here are preparing for us our experience in eternal glory. We will not be some magical beings in Heaven. The core of our being will still be in existence. Everything that happens here develops that character. We take that with us. Thankfully not this outer shell of a body, but as we are being refined to reflect Jesus, we are being developed, if you will, for our eternal positions and purposes in Heaven. Secondly, our actions in the face of adversity develop a legacy of faith for our children and future generations. We become part of that great cloud of witnesses to the truth of the Gospel.

So I have answered your questions, dear friend. I do not get on here enough, but I want you to know that you and your beautiful family are in my prayers daily. When you are weak, I know that He is your strength and your ever present help in these troubled times. My heart soars knowing you know Him, the Author and Perfecter of our faith. Blessings upon you, dear man.
Julie

Reply
Tricia Reinhart
9/29/2014 10:56:01 pm

Dear Akhil,
My answers to your questions may seem simple and trite, but they are my honest feelings. I believe in God and I believe Jesus is the way with a childlike faith. I believe in the same way I know the sun will rise everyday. From the moment I accepted Christ as my savior 40 ys ago, I recognized that this joy which entermy heart was so foreign to any feeling I'd had prior that it must indeed be real. Though I've had struggles since, and at times turned my back on God, this joy and love I've felt has never left my soul. It is not from me, or anything I do, have, buy, etc. This joy is from God. I feel his external presence.
Regarding struggles prior to heaven, I believe some struggles are from the ever powerful Satan. I believe some are self imposed by our God given free will. And finally I believe God gives us some as a tool to refine us here on earth so we can walk a life closer to him until we get to walk right beside him.

Reply
Amit Kudtarkar
10/19/2014 11:02:25 am

1. If you asked me this question 6 years ago, I would have said no. When I was younger (around 11-15 years old) I didn't think god existed. Not because I was an atheist, but because scientifically I just didn't get it. I watched documentaries, read the God Delusion all while listening to the great George Carlin. It just didn't make sense to my young mind. Things only got more complex the more I looked at it. It would have been easier if the world agreed on who God was. Not only was there no proof, but the humans that did believe God existed were in constant arguments about his name. Nobody claims Socrates didn't exist or was actually black, so how could man kind mess up who god was??

Fast forward about 6 years and everything has changed. Why? Well for starters I had to stop lying to myself, unlike Han Solo, I didn't make my own luck. For a while I tried to believe that my successes were pure results of my actions. Not true. Sure I had a say in my own playbook but things seemed to magically work out time and time again. Why was I always at the right place at the right time??

For example: I'm on the race team at UTA, during crunch time last June, we lost a tiny 3D printed part. We needed it for final assembly.

Our options?
1. wait and risk not finishing the car.
2. make the part out of metal
3. Reprint it without access to a 3D printer.

Scotty at about this time remembered that the library had a hobby grade 3D printer. We went over down to the basement during the middle of the summer and by chance I met a lady named Suzanne who would later hire me to run a new 3D print facility. In turn I'd end up on the nightly news, meet the President of the Chamber of Commerce and be put on a Collegiate Council to help industry interface with academia.........ALL because we lost a part?? (that was later found) I wish I could say it was all me. I believe in God. My dad always says "god has a plan, it's a big jigsaw puzzle"

My senior year in high school, I went to churches, temples, synagogues on my bike. I took in all I could. Every religion has elegant elements to it but for me God is God, my mental image for God is actually the moon. I find myself chatting with the moon more often than not. So i'll say I'm agnostic for the time, maybe that will change, we will see.

2. Is his name Jesus? Ganesha? Zeus? I couldn't tell you. I think of religion like a car accident. Depending on who you are, you have a different interpretation of what went down. Driver A thinks it's driver B's fault. The witness thinks its the squirrels fault. It is tough to track down the real truth of the events. All we know is many years ago something went down that wasn't too normal.

So is Jesus the only way to God? No. Maybe I'm too blunt, but good people exist that don't believe in Christianity. I couldn't imagine a god that would reject you for living a good life but failing to read the bible. That being said, I do firmly believe that all of us have a piece of God inside all of us. If you look hard, you can see it in people from time to time. Pure love and compassion in a way that is almost heavenly. So maybe through our loved ones we can see god.

3. I don't know. I hear you though, some days I wonder why we have to go through so much. Why must people endure such pain? When I heard about the shootings at Sandy Hook Elementary, I remember looking up and scolding God "How could you?!?" I still mourn for those families. The world moved on but they still have to pick up the pieces, they still have to celebrate every Christmas wondering why. How could a god if he existed allow for such a thing!? I can't answer this one. I'll toss the mic to my boy 50 cent on this one.

"Sunny days wouldn't be special if it wasn't for rain
Joy wouldn't feel so good if it wasn't for pain"

Reply



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    The video is Akhil's journey with ALS.  Painful to see but the faith his family shows is uplifting.
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    God continues to show his love for us through his people.  Thank you to everyone who has reached out to us, prayed for us, visited Akhil, brought us a meal and served us however God led you to serve.  Continue to follow those urgings from God in serving those who are struggling.

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    Akhil and Laura Jhaveri

    Applying the skills they've learned in over 20 years of marriage, this couple faces the challenges of ALS together. MND or motor neuron disease is deadly with no known cure.  The Jhaveri family has to endure this battle and show the world God's love!

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