Faith
Background
Didymus has belonged to many denominations. He believes that God has a journey for each and everyone of us. We may be at a certain place for a certain time for a certain reason.
Rooted in Christian Faith
Didymus stays strong to the Christian faith.
Didymus is currently endorsed by the National Association of Evangelicals.
Speaking and Preaching
Didymus has spoken and preached in different houses of worship. He has spoken in Presbyterian, Baptist and Messianic Jewish Synagogues. He was also interviewed by KLOVE radio for some of the outreach that he did through an organization that he lead the ministry.
Interfaith Opportunities
Didymus has developed friendships with people of many faiths and have been invited to partake in services with Muslim, Jewish, and Hindu.
He is able to stay true to his own faith while he is with people of other faiths or no faiths. He is opened that we all think differently but there is no reason why we should upset with others, because we worship in different fashions.
In times of major challenges that this world has, we need to stand together. When people are killed in their houses of worship, we should be their and stand by each other regardless of our cultural or religious differences.
Small Groups
Didymus belongs to small groups and is also active in his church. He is a small group leader for one of the men's groups in his church.
He has a heart for emergency responders and plans on starting a small group for them so that they have a safe place to vent and be supported, as an outreach of his church.
Help Our Cause
Your support and contribution can assist Didymus to continue the work that he does.
He has supported himself in his training and his outreach to people in shelters and people in crisis. This will enable him to meet further his education and help and improve other people’s living conditions.
Your generous donation will fund his mission.
Thank you
Letter from Robert Schuller
Years ago, I was going through some challenges, including our church being burnt down. I reached out to Robert Schuller from Crystal Cathedral and I was looking for donations of books to restore our library. Along with the generous donation of books that he sent to me he also sent me the following letter. When I read it, I am encouraged and I just wanted to show it to you and hope that maybe you can get some courage from it as well.
"I understand that you are personally going through a difficult time in your life, and so I write to assure you of my prayers.
Remember that every problem is temporary. Every valley has it's low point. Reach it and there is only one way to go from that point - and it's upward! God does not promise skies always blue ... but ... He does promise to see us through.
You have faced valleys in your lifetime that were very low, but through every valley God was with you - loving you, protecting you, listening to you, weeping with you and gently guiding you through the valley.
Believe in the power of God to give you a new dream! And remember that if you can dream it, you can do it!
May God bless you and encourage you. May He empower you to go forward in faith. And may you always trust Him for He cares for you.
In Christ's keeping,
Robert H. Schuller "
Love, love, love
For the past twelve months, have been going through so major events. We have started with the covid virus, that one event can be a challenge in itself. Add to it the demonstrations that we have had for various civil unrest. Add to that a very interesting and emotional presidential election. Also child, elder, domestic and other abuse has been on the rise and so has been depression and suicide.
Do you remember the old game with a camel? On a camel there were two bags and the object was to see how many straws that you can put into the bags and then the camel would finally break the back.
Each one of us has our own packs, on our figurative backs. There is only so much that we can take and I have been seeing the kicking the dog scenario. Some people may be getting frustrated from being confined in the house or apartment, people’s employment may be in jeopardy or they may have challenges dealing with the new technology or procedures, each person has some of the common stress and some think that they are the only person going through their challenges. Well, people may be looking for an outlet, no matter what. The person may not know how to constructively release stress, so they may look for the figurative dog to kick. They may know or feel that the dog will not do or say anything back to them.
As you have seeing, we are going through so much together. People have been lashing out on one another, when they would never have even thought of it before. People are destroying things, when they would never have done anything like that in the times before this pandemic.
I am pretty sure that most religions promote loving one another and helping one another. So how can we reduce a lot of the stuff that’s going on? How about putting yourself in the other people’s shoes? How about talking with the other person and not just shouting offensive things? How about showing concern for those hurting or are looking for a voice?
I still believe that people are good and the heart to care for one another is there. Many of us would not do the work that we do or do outreach in the community, if we did not care for people.
During the movie “Independence Day” Judd Hirsh refers to John Lennon, from the Beatles, where John Lennon wrote the song “all you need is love” and that John was a very smart man. If we loved one another, would we attack each other? Would we destroy property? Would we deface property? This is not expressions of love. How about coming together with respect and voice your opinions and listen to the other persons opinion? Wow, there is the difference. Many people want to voice their opinion PERIOD. They want to voice their opinion but nobody else in this world matters but them.
I listen to many people who do not believe what I believe. They may not think the way that I do. I may not think the way that they do. We still get along.
In the Bible, Jesus was asked what the greatest law was. Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”
I ask you to please look at those verses. It says “Love your neighbor as yourself.” Does anyone see any qualifiers? Does it state that they have to be the same color? Same religion? Same sexual orientation? From the same country? What other qualifiers do you want to put up? It says “Love your neighbor as yourself”, pretty simple to me.
How many of you have spoken to strangers in your life? Everyone has. It is through talking with and getting to know strangers that we develop friendships and may get a spouse out of it or a best friend.
I know that it sounds so simple but let me ask you, how easy is it for you to love your family? You may have that one person that is really difficult or gets on your nerves, but you are still there for them. So, try the same thing for someone who is not your relative.
We can not only show love for someone is word but also as we talk with them. Someone I was speaking to express how they were talking to someone. I heard the words that they were using and I understand that they were frustrated, but I heard words that did not express love.
Many of us will recognize parts of First Corinthians chapter 13, especially during wedding ceremonies:
"If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing." Let the phrase "if I do not have love, I am nothing" sit with you for a while. How many people actually have love, especially for those who are not within your inner circle? Do you show love to strangers or your enemies? Sure, it is easier to love people that look like us, talk like us, or have some of the same interests but do we love people who are not like us. Are we willing to love people who think differently than we do? Are we willing to love people of different occupations? other religions?
"Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres." Love is kind. It does not dishonor others. It is not easily angered. It keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil. It always protects, always hopes, always perseveres. These phrases give us something to think about and also to measure our love by. How are we and society at loving, according to this teaching? Are you willing to forgive? Do you sit there with a book and keep track of how many times someone has messed up, according to your rules? This action only creates more bitterness. If you need something to keep track of, keep track of the good that people have done, what people do for you without asking, or when people give you a hug. We should not be watching to make sure that the scales are balanced. Do you think this might be where the phrase "I'll get even with you" comes from? Throw away the scales, the records or whatever and just care for people.
I can never get even with all those who have showed me encouragement, kindness, caring, compassion, or brought me joy. I can only try to pay it forward and put all that into people that I experience each day. We never know what kind words or actions will do to a person's day.
Please continue to show that you care for all. Also remember that you can raise someone up or tear them down with your tongue.
Stay safe,
Radio Test
There are many fire departments that have radio tests at the beginning of a shift or once a day. The purpose of this test is to see how well we hear dispatch, and how well they hear us.
There are many times we pray. We transmit communications of our concerns to Dispatch, but do we always hear Dispatch answer our transmission? Do we wait to hear the answer, or do we keep on going?
We are used to someone acknowledging our calls, especially when we call a Mayday. When we call a Mayday, it is confirmed and then everything on the fire scene stops and handles that Mayday.
When we pray, we do not usually hear a verbal response from God. God has other ways that He communicates with us. It may be a direct response by the situation that is answered right away, or there may be a soft answer. We may be so busy that we never pay attention to the response.
Psalm 46:10 tells us to be still and know that He is God. I have to admit that there are times that I want an immediate response, or want to hear from God to make sure that He is working on the problem.
I have learned that I need to trust him. I have to think of it like doing a search in a building. I do not need to be nervous or scared, even though I do not see my partner or hear from Him all the time. I can trust Him.
Joshua 1:9 tells us to be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.
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Acronyms
In the fire service, there are plenty of acronyms. We put on our PPE and SCBA. We lay the LDH and grab our TIC. We have SOG's and SOP's. We use ICS so that we know who the IC is and the PIO on every scene. We may need the CISM team after a bad call and also would want to call in the LAST team to help if we have an LODD. If we call a mayday, we are to use LUNAR, then we take a PAR and sent in the RIT.
We have so many abbreviations and I would like to introduce another one to you for your personal life. The acronym is F.R.O.G. Usually this congers up the thoughts of a little green amphibian that we may have tried to catch in our younger years, or watching Sesame Street, or the Muppets.
There are plenty of times when we go through life and may feel overwhelmed by a situation. This may be losing a job, being diagnosed with something, going through a divorce, detox or depression, or the death of a friend or relative. Each person has their own part that they may think they cannot handle.
Sometimes we may feel like we are in a house doing a search in all the smoke and darkness, and we have come to the end of our search rope, but still need to continue the search, furthest that the rope can go and we have no light to see where we are going. We need to remember that as we go through our personal challenges, there is always one that we can turn to...God. We may be Catholic, Christian, Jew or Muslim but we can rest assured that we can always turn to God. God is always there for you.
People say that God does not give us more that we can handle. Well, I saw a sign that said "God helps us handle what we are given". There are many Scriptures that reassure us of God's presence in times of need and also how He will never leave, nor forsake us. But these are only words, unless we get to know and trust God.
We should always remember that we can F.R.O.G., Fully Rely On God.
Something tells me that as I tell you this, you may think it is nonsense, but something also tells me that you'll think about this, when you see that little green guy.
Stay encouraged. Stay safe.
God cares about you.
-Didymus McHugh
Good Foundation
Good Foundation
There was a man who walked the town. He would sit on a bench for hours and just watch. He would watch the people go by, the traffic go by and the construction in the area. He watched building get torn down so that they could build new buildings. He would talk with people of all ages. He became the unofficial mayor of the town, because he got to know so many people and so many things just by sitting on the benches.
He observed things that most people would miss or take for granted. He would watch how far down the construction workers went when they were digging the footings and how they built the foundation. He also did the same thing with the people that he talked with. He got to watch the children and see how the parents were teaching their children and the values that were instilled into the heart and their being. He saw the children that would not give up, the children who got into trouble all the time, those who would go out of their way to help anytime and those who were so gentle to the animals.
He would talk with the business men, the construction workers, the firefighters, police, military and parents. He was able to see what type of values were instilled in them at an early age. He heard respect in the peoples voices, when they called him "Sir". He heard the concern in their hearts when someone asked "how are you?" and actually listened to the answer.
Just like a building, a person needs a good and strong foundation, otherwise they may fall and crumble. They may not care about anything or anyone. They may end up in jail or the most respected hero. Most of this is determined by their foundation.
The Bible talks about a foolish man building his house in sand and a wise man building his house on rock. I will have you reflect and ask you about your foundation. Where do your care values come from? Do you care about people? Why or why not? Do we remember the story of the good Samaritan? Or is it Matthew chapter 25, where it talks about what you have done for the least of these that is what you have done for God? Or is it about taking care of the widows and orphans?
We may have learned lessons from our parents, grandparents, teachers, or mentors and not really understood where these lessons originated.
I challenge you, come. Sit on the bench. Meet the old man. Talk with him. Talk with others. Have a conversation. Find out where others get their foundation from. Explore your foundation. And while you are sitting there, feed the squirrels and watch them play. Watch the children. Watch the wonders of this world.
Psalm 46:10 states for us to be still and know that He is God. Realize what He does in your life and how your foundation is built with Him.
I am going to my bench to sit and think and watch. Maybe we will sit on the same bench together and have a good conversation.
Eclipse
It is interesting. People were talking about how the moon was going to block out the sun and how powerful it was, that darkness was going to cover the Earth.
I mentioned that even if darkness tries to overcome the light. The light is still there. Not only that but what part of the world experienced complete darkness. The Light will always win. Darkness has tried many times to overcome the Light but look, as today taught us that the Light has been here and will always outlast the darkness. No matter how much darkness tries to extinguish the light, it cannot. The Light is so strong. The Truth cannot be stopped no matter what. In the darkest times of our country, people still turn to God. They turn to God even more. He is the Hope, the Light, the Truth that people try to turn away from, but you cannot block out the work that He has done, that He does and that He will do. Our Father is not done winning souls and working in people’s lives.
As this country and world are now leaning to the darkness, the Light will still shine through. As people are going through substance abuse problems, they ask for help from God. As people have problems with their children, they ask God for help. When someone is lying in a bed dying, they want clergy around. People say that they may be atheist but they will still call on God. When the planes flew into the towers, churches were filled because people realized that they needed God. We may turn our backs on God but He has not turned His back on us. He will always be there to shine His Light and completely overshadow darkness. The darkness may only win for a short time.
Today’s eclipse showed us that it took about 100 years for the darkness to outdo the Light for a small bit of time, for a small population. THE LIGHT STILL WINS. God reigns forever.
Jesus has commissioned us to love our neighbor as ourselves but so many people in society are not shown any love whatsoever or even told that they are loved. I have had the opportunity to talk with many, from so many different walks of life and those who have challenges were not shown love or the wrong type of love.
Through the different ministries that the Lord has put onto my heart, I have the opportunity to show the love of Christ and remind people that God does love them. Through my work in emergency services, I have been with people at traumatic times. I have worked with the clients, as well as emergency responders by answering calls, as an instructor, chaplain, belonging to many organizations and also crisis response teams. I have also reached out to people as part of the Red Cross, working with people of disasters, great and small.
I have also worked with many through working with shelters. The clients have been dealing with substance abuse, homelessness, or incarceration. These are also some of the people that I have interacted with at the hospital, where I serve as chaplain, working with ICU, CCU, Acute Care, Detox, Behavioral Health, long term care, and rehab clients as well as the staff and those who have to deal with the grief over a family member or friend dying.
Many people that I work with tell me that they use substances, cut, or have tried to take their lives to self-medicate, or to just feel something. I express to them what I consider the four very basic facts: 1) God does not make garbage 2) God made them 3) they are not garbage and 4) God loves them. How simple but so many people have not heard that. They also have not had someone to actually listen to their story, as an individual.
In Matthew 25 Jesus talks about what we have done for the least of these, we have done to Him. In the Bible, it talks about when He was walking on a road and people did not recognize Him. Who is with us now that may be His agents?
Granted, it is important to study the Bible, and how it applies, and to fellowship at church with other Christians but my heart also calls me to work with those in our communities. My heart also goes out to those with the physical challenges, and those who are deaf or having difficulties hearing.
Many times we draw people close to Christ by showing His love. We can preach the Word but that should be once the person is ready.
So Where Is Home?
So Where Is Home?
For a while, I have been feeling and yearning to be home. It has been a long time where I felt that I had a place to just relax and be my self. Since I live by myself, my vehicle has become my mobile office. I have some fire gear, my disaster response go bags, ministry supplies, scriptures, emergency food and who knows what.
I remember years ago taking a chaplaincy course and we were talking about what people do for stress release. My mind went straight toward half a gallon of ice cream and a bag of cookies but then it hit me, detox. People could not understand that I enjoy working with detox patients at the hospital. It puts things in perspective. I get a chance to inspire hope, to listen to people's stories, and also I realize that my life really is not as bad as it could be.
So where is home?
Home is sitting at the fire house with good friends that are your crew
Home is being with patients in the hospital, listening to them and being with them
Home is working with clients in a disaster shelter, or at a fire,
Home is working the crisis line bring hope to someone who does not know where else to go
Home is being at church worshiping, praying for healing with someone, being in the life group, hear what God has to say
Home is having a meal with your friends or family
Home is being in your vehicle listening to music that grounds you as you are on your way to assist someone
For me home is where God brings me and He has work for my hands, heart and mind
Home is being in the presence of God
Home is where the heart is happy
Home is not where you lay your head but where your heart is
Ok, those who know me also know that home is also a cup of hot tea and a buttered roll
May we all truly find where our home is
Stay safe and continue to use the gifts that you were given for your special work
I keep seeing so many things so many places.
At the hospital on Monday, I was working with some detox patients. About 4 or 5 asked to
pray. I stated asking where their joy in life was and what we should pray for. Some said that their children gave them joy. Many of the women were young. As I was praying over them, I could see the Spirit working. Almost all of them were crying. More women came out of their rooms, they told me that they felt like they had to come out of their rooms but did not know why. After praying I taught them some simple truths,
1 God does not make garbage,
2 God made them
3 they are not garbage and
4 God loves them and will always be with them.
Also I told them that when the stuff hits the fan they can F.R.O.G. Fully Rely On God.
One woman stayed and talked with me. She said that she got hooked on pain killers after surgery.
She indicated that she was still feeling pain in her neck. I asked if I could pray for her healing. She agreed. I asked if I could put my hand on her neck, she agreed. I prayed and she started crying. When we started the pain was an 8 on a scale of 1 to 10. After the pain was a 4 and she felt warmth coming to her starting at the neck and then going throughout. I prayed a second time, the 4 went to a 2. After a third time the pain was gone and she only felt a little stiff.
Not me Lord but only You.
Some people may say that I am not a rich man, an educated man or whatever. But I am rich because I know the Lord and He has written the work for me to do upon my heart. It may have taken a while for it to be there and for me to have the willingness to recognize it.
I am grateful that I have gotten the opportunity to have known my Lord and Savior and only hope that my children, friends and family will open up their hearts to receive Him in and that it does not take a near death experience.
I understand that I am still a sinner and that only the blood of Jesus could cover my sins. I am far from perfect, but God is not looking to use the perfect. Where can they be found anyway, because each of us have our many defects? If people do not think that they have defects, that is their first one.
Are you going where God is sending you?
Do we really go to where God needs us, or do we act like Jonah and have our own agenda but still have to do what God needs us to do?
There are times when we go someplace and have no clue why. We may go down a street we have never known about or decided to do something we have not done in a long time. Sometimes we do it with a question mark, wondering why on Earth we did it.
We live our lives and many times God takes us places that we cannot figure out what happened. Recently, I was working at the hospital and was not feeling good. I thought that I decided to go to my office and rest and maybe have a cup of tea. But God had other plans. As I was walking to my office, I saw a man with books in his arm walking in front of me. No big deal, right? Well, he went to our office and started to rattle the door. The Imam was on duty, sitting in the office. I asked the man if there was a way that I could help him. That was the same time that the Imam came to the door and our adventure began.
The young man requested a book that we use as a resource. We could tell something was just a little off. The Imam and I worked with this young man for two and a half hours. We were keeping him calm and advocating for him, until we got him seen by the proper people in the hospital.
I thought I wanted to feel better, but I think God sent me there to work with the individual. In the hospital, we talk with a lot of people and help them.
Another incident, as I was responding to a hospital to work with a group of people who were burned out of their house, I was driving down the normal route. This time there was a man, who was in a car accident, lying beside the road on the sidewalk. I stopped to help the individual. As I was there, there were some people that came by to check on him, including five different people from the local hospital and one was an emergency room nurse.
For so many emergency responders, this is a typical day. We stop and help but please remember the story of the Good Samaritan. There were people who thought that they were so important that they could not or should not help the individual.
God has found a way to create us, as individuals, to care for one another. He takes us down roads that we would or would not expect and puts us in situations, where our skills are used. There are times where we put in a little of ourselves by calling an ambulance and making sure the patient is alright. There are other times where we may commit a long time and put our all into helping people, to the point that we realize that if we did not go down that street, the person could have died.
Let us always be sensitive to the wrong turns or what we may consider a coincidence. God may be guiding us in our life. There are appointments that God has for us that only after the incident that we realize that there was a plan.
We are given skills, talents, gifts that we will be given the opportunity to draw upon to help others. Do not squander the gifts or the opportunities. Maybe nobody else will come by. Maybe nobody else will speak to that individual. You have been selected for each opportunity that you encounter. You were given a mission, should you choose to accept it or not. Only you have that special talent or can relate to that individual, like nobody else can.
See the opportunities that are put in front of you. Do not miss them.