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Blindness

Blind Singer Credits God For All Her Achievements

by Christel Berns May 3, 2022

A blind woman, now a highly sought-after singer, credits God for her success. She also received the East Kentucky Leadership Award. And now, she wants to inspire young people to dream big.

Born With Blindness

Marlana VanHoose was born blind with many complicated health issues. She was also infected with a virus that led to even more complications. Doctors felt she wouldn’t survive, but the Marlana defied all odds and miraculously survived the ordeal.

Photo Courtesy | Faithpot – wymt

Today, 26 years later, Marla inspires the world with her story and credits God for all the good things happening in her life. And she wanted the musical talent God gave her, which she considers a “gift” from Him, to be used for His glory.

“God healed my body from the virus,” she said. “God gave me the gift of music. I started humming ‘Jesus Loves Me’ as a baby before I could speak.”

Most Sought-After Singer

Marla grew up in church. Hence, she knew old church songs which inspired her to sing. But she only rose to fame after a video of her singing went viral and captivated the hearts of many. Since then, event organizers have been inviting her to sing the national anthem from different states.

Photo Courtesy | Faithpot – wymt

”It was a blessing,” Marla remarked. “So, I sang the anthem at the UK girl’s basketball game in 2012; the video went viral. Since then, I’ve been traveling all across the United States, singing. It’s been a blessing.”

Amid the success, the Johnson County singer uses her platform to glorify God. She knows her God-given purpose, and she wanted to do just that.

HOW PRIDE CAN BLIND US TO BLESSINGS

“I have been through lots and lots of things in life and God is still taking care of me,” Marla said. “He’s still using me for His glory. And God has given me that ability to share with others the gift of music. It’s a universal language.”

And during the East Kentucky Leadership Conference, Marlana won the 2022 East Kentucky Leadership Award for Culture and Arts. And she doesn’t want her achievement to be in vain as she wants to give hope to the young people to dream big.

”I never want to give, I just want to keep going,” Marlana stressed. ”I could become a true leader to those in this state and to those around the world as well.”

Reference | Faithpot

May 3, 2022 0 comment

Faith

Spiritual Blindness Is Real

by John Mathai February 10, 2022

written by John Mathai

Many go about their daily lives blind to so many things in life. We operate in our own make belief world and do not see it as others see it. This kind of blindness can appear in many areas. We could be physically blind and so cannot see. This will be apparent to all. A blind man needs help to guide his way. His organ of sight is absent and so he cannot see. However we can also have blind spots where we see but still don’t see. Something is right before us but we don’t see it. Someone else comes along and finds it but we never saw it although we had looked at it in the same place.

Psychological

In a similar way we could also have psychological blindness. We fail to perceive certain things because we fail to understand or grasp beyond the physical realm. This will affect our communication. This is illustrated clearly where men are said to mean one thing but women think or discern a different message in the same words expressed. The meaning is at different levels. Both are right but perceive differently. A glass half filled with water can be seen as half full or half empty. So also in other areas we fail to understand another person because we interpret a situation in physical dimensions rather than in psychological.

Spiritual

Spiritual blindness is also real. Many doubt there is a spiritual dimension to our lives. We think all we see is all there is. Others know about God but don’t know Him personally. There are different levels of spiritual blindness. This blindness is what Jesus meant when He spoke in parables to His disciples. They did not understand what Jesus meant because it was hidden from them. Spiritual truths can only be understood by the spirit. One needs to be born again in the spirit to understand spiritual things. What is seen as spiritual can be just a interpretation of the mind like most philosophies are. God is Spirit and those who come to Him must come in spirit and worship Him in spirit. May God open your eyes to see and believe.

Dr. John Mathai

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February 10, 2022 0 comment

Faith

Seeing But Not Understanding

by John Mathai January 20, 2022

written by John Mathai

Mind blindness is real. Many times in conversation we cannot progress because the other person fails to understand us. This is a form of mind blindness. They appear to see and hear yet they fail to comprehend. Why is this so? This is so because their mind is blocked from seeing. How does this block occur? This occurs when people are fixed in their thoughts about a certain subject or person and can’t see beyond their own thoughts. How sad a state this is! Blockages can occur due to different reasons. It could be that the person just fails to understand. They are unable to process the information in a way that they can understand.

Parables

Jesus spoke in parables. The disciples could not understand and so Jesus had to explain the parable using literal language. Many times we don’t see what the scripture we read is saying. We get confused by the language and metaphors used. The writer has written the text in the context of the culture of his time. We use a western lens to understand scripture and fail to see. Our western images of eastern culture fail to get across the real meaning of what was written. So Jesus had to explain this in simple terms but they still failed to understand. To this day the Jews fail to see Jesus as the Messiah. Their spiritual eyes are blind. Yet some have seen and understand.

Understanding

We need the wisdom of the Holy Spirit to understand. We can have a lot of information but without understanding we fail to see. We hear that seeing is believing like Thomas claimed. Yet Jesus said we must believe to see. Is this a contradiction. Faith believes even when it does not see. Faith than is able to see into the supernatural and bring it into the natural. The feeding of the five thousand is an example of how faith multiplied the loaf and fishes. God wants us to see with our spiritual eyes so we can understand His ways and be transformed.

Dr. John Mathai

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Mud Can Become A Place Of Redemption

by Corine Channell September 20, 2021

written by Corine Channell

For many years when I was stumbling around in the dark. I was tripping, searching, breaking, destroying, questioning, fearing, as if I was blind and did not ever have a clue where I was going. Except for Jesus. HE knew where I was. HE knew every misstep I took. HE knew every lost moment I would never reclaim. HE knew my every fear and He called them by their names when I couldn’t. HE held me until that day – the day when He gave me back my sight. When I was blind and basically used to NOT being able to see, did I hope to ever see? I feel like I had nothing to compare to being blind in my soul – I had been that way for as long as I can remember. I couldn’t SEE … yet. Just like the blind man, blind from birth.

And THIS Bible story I have heard my whole life – NOW I get it.

THE MAN BORN BLIND

“As He went along, He saw a man blind from birth. His disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” “Neither this man nor his parents sinned,” said Jesus, “but this happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him. As long as it is day, we must do the works of Him who sent me. Night is coming, when no one can work. While I am in the world, I am the light of the world.” After saying this, He spit on the ground, made some mud with the saliva, and put it on the man’s eyes. “Go,” He told him, “wash in the Pool of Siloam”. So the man went and washed, and came home seeing. His neighbors and those who had formerly seen him begging asked, “Isn’t this the same man who used to sit and beg?” Some claimed that he was. Others said, “No, he only looks like him.” But he himself insisted, “I am the man.” “How then were your eyes opened?” they asked. He replied, “The man they call Jesus made some mud and put it on my eyes. He told me to go to Siloam and wash. So I went and washed, and then I could see.” (John 9) And so there is that. Blind but now he sees! I want to tear this story apart – so much there I never researched or explored or considered. And so much about it that can relate to each of us on a personal level.

First of all, it was not hereditary that he was blind. He didn’t become blind because of anything he had done (not a consequence) nor was it his parent’s fault. I am guessing they blamed themselves, as ALL parents do when anything goes wrong with their children – we always think it is something we did. And any injustice is attached with blame and shame. Right here Jesus makes it clear – the man was blind and it was not his fault. We tend to judge others’ flaws as if somehow they chose it. Gee, I think I will choose to not have my sight – sounds like a great plan. NOT. Life just happens.

PURPOSE FOR THE BLINDNESS

Next, Jesus said there was a purpose (a profitable aftermath) for the man’s blindness. (the supernatural works of God on display in him) Whoa. Wait. Really? Think about that. So that thing in our lives that is our cross to bear so to speak, can become the very thing that defines us with a purpose and a WHY? That is deep and intense and troubling really. Okay, keep going. Jesus explains how dark the world is, and how short our time is here. He says that HE is the light of the world and while here on earth, basically He must perform miracles so others will believe – so generations (us) who follow behind people like the blind man, will be reminded of His power to redeem and heal and restore. Basically, Jesus came to be the proof of God. OHHHHHH man, I am starting to really GET IT! My shame from abuse kept me bowed down, face to the ground.

The blind man – okay – how did Jesus heal him? WHAT did He use? Well, the actual ground where the blind man had stumbled and fell; the dirt he had sat in for years and years. THE SAME DIRT. What had been his place of captivity and shame, became his place of healing and purpose. No longer simply dirt – the ground became the very thing that Jesus used to anoint the blind man’s eyes to see! When you add Jesus to any equation (even dirt piles) they become places of redemption.

This is a lot. Go a bit deeper – Jesus spit on the dirt to turn it to mud to put on his eyes. Even the spit of God is miraculous. Whoa.

UNEXPECTED PLACES OF REDEMPTION

Okay, moving on. Jesus sent him (with mud caked on his eyes) to the Pool of Siloam. (Aren’t you curious what his thoughts were?) The Pool of Siloam was where fresh water was stored, also called the Lower Pool in Isaiah 22:9. “You saw that the walls of the City of David were broken through in many places; you stored up water in the Lower Pool.” Siloam means “sent”. (Wikipedia) The even deeper meaning is that the pool was filled with fresh and clear gushing water. And the water was stored there because of all the broken places around it. (Cue the crickets…that is something to really ponder.)

Also, being sent to this particular Pool gives Jesus’ miracle credibility from then to NOW – it is an actual historic location – not something in a story without authenticity or fact. I had to laugh at the reference for this Pool’s credibility and location – II Kings 20:20. Blind man gets his sight back here – WOW. Right? 20/20 vision.

Don’t we want OUR stories to be authentic and real, so generations to come will have reason to believe them as truth? Jesus clearly had a plan, from start to finish. At some point we are required to just have that ONE moment when we have some faith in the same Jesus.

THE MESSY ROAD TO REDEMPTION

Let’s back up a minute – Jesus SENT him there. The blind man had to get there still blind, but NOW with hope in his heart and mud on his eyes. His healing was a journey – he had to trust this man – I wonder if he knew it was Jesus or who Jesus was – no, I don’t think so, but his heart knew what his mind could not. He was encountering the Son of God and if He said get to the Pool of Siloam, he was going there. I find this significant for me – when I decided to take my journey back to find my own healing, well – it was a choice I made.

I felt that pull into the unknown – I know now that was Jesus calling me, just like He called the blind man. I will heal you, yes – I need YOU to do this first, as an act of your faith and trust. And He sent the blind man on his journey – still blind, eyes caked with mud and spit from heaven (so to speak) – maybe this represents all our fears mixed with hope that become our driving force for the healing – and He sent him to a spring of clear life giving water where Jesus told him to wash himself. All the wows. SO deep.

I WAS BLING BUT NOW I SEE

Finally, well – there was the miracle as we know it – the blind man was NO LONGER BLIND. Mission accomplished. All I can suggest here is to put yourself in the place of the blind man – with your own unique story, but with the same Jesus.

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Israeli Company CorNeat Corrects Blindness By Implanting Artificial Cornea

by Rhoda Gayle January 22, 2021

written by Rhoda Gayle

An Israeli company, CorNeat, has corrected a man’s blindness by successfully implanting an artificial cornea to the patient.

Israeli Company

Israeli start-up CorNeat is making headway against blindness with a medical procedure that can heal blindness! The company recently succeeded in transplanting an artificial cornea into a blind 78-year-old’s eye. The man has been blind for 10 years!

The CorNeat KPro implant is designed to replace damaged corneas. Professor Irit Bahar, head of the Ophthalmology department of Rabin Medical Center in Petah Tikva, performed the procedure.

“The lens of the device is designed to integrate with ocular tissue using a patented synthetic non-degradable nano fabric skirt, which is placed under the conjunctiva,” Israel HaYom explained last July.

Correcting Blindness

When the bandages were removed, it was an emotional moment! The blind man was able to recognize his family members and has since been able to read after 10 years of living in the darkness.

“The surgical procedure was straightforward and the result exceeded all of our expectations. The moment we took off the bandages was emotional and significant. Moments like these are the fulfillment of our calling as doctors. We are proud of being at the forefront of this exciting and meaningful project which will undoubtedly impact the lives of millions,” Dr. Irit said.

CorNeat

CorNeat KPro inventor, Dr. Gilad Litvin, expressed his uncontainable joy after witnessing that unforgettable moment.

“Unveiling this first implanted eye and being in that room, at that moment, was surreal,” Dr. Gilad said. “After years of hard work, seeing a colleague implant the CorNeat KPro with ease, and witnessing a fellow human being regain his sight the following day was electrifying and emotionally moving, there were a lot of tears in the room.”

This innovation might be the “key to turning the tide on global blindness!”

January 22, 2021 0 comment