August 29, 2010

Profiting God's Kingdom - God's Calling

.
The Great Commission

After Christ’s crucifixion and resurrection He returned in the flesh one last time to His apostles and instructed them in the Great Commission. These are Christ’s last words of instruction to us, as recorded by Matthew, before his final ascension to the spirit world.

Matthew 28:18-20 -- And Jesus came and said to them, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.’*


The Kingdom of God and Profiting His Kingdom

A couple of posts ago, “The Kingdom of God” on 8/27/10, I rambled on about my opinion as to what and where God’s Kingdom is. I concluded (rightly or wrongly) that God’s Kingdom is both on this Earth and in the Spirit world. I also concluded (rightly or wrongly) that God has not yet decided to take control of His Kingdom but is still in the process of building His kingdom using us, His followers here on Earth, to implement the Great Commission of spreading his Gospel to all the peoples of the world. So, doing God’s work to profit His kingdom means doing what we as individuals can do to implement the Great Commission. (Again folks, this is my opinion. I have not been able to build a Biblical defense for this position but will continue to use the term with this meaning.)

I have come to the opinion that once we have completed the Great Commission God will take control of His kingdom. I also developed the opinion that to “Profit God’s Kingdom” or to “Build God’s Kingdom” means to push the Great Commission forward and spread Christ’s ministry to as many people as possible and expand God’s “Christian” Kingdom as far as possible.

Okay. So, how do we go about doing that? Evangelism. And what is Evangelism?

Wikipedia defines Evangelism as: The practice of relaying information about a particular set of beliefs to others who do not hold those beliefs. The term is often used in reference to Christianity, where the scriptures often describe "evangelism" as "spreading the Gospel".

Sounds simple. All we have to do is let other people know about Christ and ask them to completely dedicate their life to Him. No problem. Hmmm. I fear it may go a little deeper than that. A simple 15-minute discussion with another that ends with you saying, “Thanks for listening and now please give your life to Christ thank you very much and have a great day.” Is not in itself doing God’s work to profit His kingdom. It may be a start, but there is much more to it. The objective is not to simply “tell” people about Christ as our savior but to lead them down the path toward accepting Christ in their hearts and handing control of their life to God.


Our God Given Talents

In another previous posting, “Our Talents From God, Pride, and Humility” on 6/2/10 I wrote:

Each one of us has things that we do that we are really good at. Things that bring us joy, bring others joy, make us very productive, and, in general, have the capability of profiting God’s Kingdom. As we journey through life we try new things (jobs, hobbies, tasks, etc.) some of which are whimsical, some just passing fancies, some life changing. Some of them we work really hard at but just cannot seem to get it and, as a result we eventually abandon them. Others we try, do really well at it, enjoy it, and it then becomes part of who we are. It becomes part of our “skill set” or “Talents”. We each have a unique set of (God given) talents. No two of us are exactly alike. Yes, there are others that have a talent like one of yours, but not like all of yours. As Christians, we are asked to use our unique set of talents to profit God’s Kingdom.

Romans 12:3-8 -- For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of yourself more highly than you ought to think, but to think with sober judgement, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned. For as in one body we have many members, and not all the members have the same function, so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually we are members one of another. We have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us: prophecy, in proportion to faith; ministry, in ministering; the teacher, in teaching; the exhorter, in exhortation; the giver, in generosity; the leader, in diligence; the compassionate, in cheerfulness.

We can, on a daily basis, profit God’s kingdom by using our God given talents in such a way that we provide an example to others of God’s grace and blessings. We can use our talents and give public recognition and praise to God for providing us with the talents. We can also on a routine basis let others know how God has provided us with so many blessings and that we trust Him and follow Him wherever he leads us. When you come right down to it, simply living a Christian life while proclaiming God’s greatness profits God’s kingdom.


God’s Calling

I believe there is another, more focused task that God “calls” for us to do in order to implement the Great Commission and profit His kingdom. A calling is God’s personal and individual invitation to you to carry out a unique task that he has assigned specifically to you. This calling may require a complete dedication to the task. I know a young lady who, immediately after graduating from nursing school, moved to a third world country to provide health care to the people there. Now that is a dedicated calling. God Bless You for the work you are doing. Others choose a vocation that supports their calling such as priests, ministers, Christian youth directors, public servants, etc. Still others (and I am sure that these are probably the vast majority of Christians) are called to use their talents in such a way as to advance the work of an existing volunteer organization by taking an active role in accomplishing that organization’s Christian mission. These would include things like ministering to prisoners, visiting homebound people, and providing support and care to those who need help. God’s callings are endless. The question is: “What is your calling.” What has God assigned to you?


What Is Your Calling?

Discovering what God is calling you to do is not a quick process. I found that it took much prayer and patience to discover what he has assigned me. I found myself asking God daily what he wanted me to do with the life I have left in order to advance His kingdom. For so long I received no instruction. Then suddenly it was there, a crystal clear assignment from God. Thank you Lord.

If you have not yet discovered what God is calling you to do pray to Him constantly, asking Him for the assignment. It may take a while before you get a response but it will come. I believe that God really wants us to think hard and long about it before he reveals it to us.

God's calling for you will bring great challenges, often distress and frustration. You cannot succeed at this task on your own. Only through the constant guidance and help of the Holy Spirit will you be able to carry out your God-appointed mission. A personal relationship with Jesus guarantees that the Holy Spirit will live within you, giving you power and direction. Without the Holy Spirit's guidance you will be guessing at what your calling is. You will rely on your own wisdom, and you will be wrong.


.

August 27, 2010

Quick Medical Update

We continue to hold-off on the next chemo treatment because my blood counts are still out of whack. Will hopefully resume next week. I am really anxious to get back on chemo and continue the battle.

My Medical Oncologist was a little concerned about whether or not a tumor was once again developing in my brain. I had a head MRI today and it showed no evidence of tumor growth. Yippee!

God is Great. God is Good.

Thank you dear Lord for Your continued mercy and your gift of life.


.

The Kingdom of God

I often use the term “Kingdom of God” or “God’s Kingdom” in my posting to this blog. I talk about "Profiting God’s Kingdom" and "Building God’s Kingdom" quite often. I use it in my prayers when I ask God to please give me more time in this life to do Your work and “profit Your kingdom”.

What I have begun to realize is that I really don’t have a firm grasp of what the Kingdom of God is. It almost feels intuitive as to what it is but it is very difficult for me to wrap my arms around it and really define it. Very frustrating. So, I put on my diving mask and got my snorkel and dove into the Internet looking for the perspective of people more versed on the Bible than me on the topic. I found that I am not alone in my frustrations. Many people are struggling with this.

There are a few Bible verses that refer directly to “God’s Kingdom” and of course we have the Lord’s Prayer (“Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done”) but there is no real definition for the Kingdom found in the Bible (at least not that I have been able to discover).

From what I can gather from the Internet the term “Kingdom of God” became a popular phrase used by priests and pastors in the 1970’s. They must have all gone to the same seminar or something, heard the phrase, thought it pretty catchy, and decided to use it in their sermons. At any rate, it caught on and soon became part of the Christian vocabulary.

I like it. I will continue to use the phrase. It has meaning to me. So, if I am going to continue to use the phrase I had better come up with my opinion as to what it means. Let me ramble on a bit (without really having thought it through yet) about how I define God’s Kingdom. Please bear with me as I ramble.

I guess first of all we need to define “kingdom”. Define.com defines “kingdom” as: “The territory or country subject to a king or queen; the dominion of a monarch; the sphere in which one king has control.” So, by this definition there is one king who has complete control over a territory. So far so good. God’s Kingdom would imply that God would have complete control over His kingdom. Now the hard part. Where is this kingdom? Does it exist only in the Spirit world or does it also exist in the world of the flesh (Earth)? Your guess on this is just as good as mine. We simply do not have enough information in the Bible to answer this question.

My Opinion

Here is my opinion (with nothing at all to support it). God’s Kingdom is both in the Spirit world and here on Earth. But, as I think about it, I am not so sure that God has complete control over either. Yet. We know that Satan and his demons constantly fight to control each of our earthly lives (and unfortunately with a good degree of success). So God does not completely control His kingdom here on earth. We also know that battles rage in the spirit world between God’s angels and Satan’s princes. This conflict is revealed to us in Daniel, Chapter 10.

Daniel 10:12-13 -- He said to me, ‘Do not fear, Daniel, for from the first day that you set your mind to gain understanding and to humble yourself before your God, your words have been heard, and I have come because of your words. But the prince of the kingdom of Persia opposed me for twenty-one days. So Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, and I left him there with the prince of the kingdom of Persia,

Daniel 10:20 -- Now I must return to fight against the prince of Persia, and when I am through with him, the prince of Greece will come.

So does this mean that God does not have complete control of his kingdom in the spirit world either? It would seem not. But He’s God. He can take control of His kingdoms simply by willing it, can’t He. Yes, I believe He can. But that is not part of His plan. We know from prophecy that Jesus will establish His kingdom here on Earth with his Millennial Kingdom when he defeats Satan and locks him up for a thousand years. Jesus will reign as King with complete control here on Earth during this period. We also know from prophecy that after the Millennial Kingdom here on Earth God will establish his Spiritual Kingdom in heaven after the Great White Throne Judgment. This kingdom will be populated by all of the people found worthy of eternal life in Heaven with God in complete control.

So, I guess my opinion is that God’s Kingdom is both here in the Flesh world and in the Spirit world. It also seems as though God has not yet decided to take complete control over His kingdom. But why not? My opinion is that God is currently in the process of building his kingdom. He is not done with us here on Earth yet. Jesus presented himself one last time after his resurrection to his Apostles and instructed them to execute the Great Commission which is to go among the nations and spread his teachings. Basically, convert the Jews and the Gentiles and build the Christian “Kingdom” here on Earth. We are His instruments that He is using to profit His kingdom. Those of us who are successful in profiting His kingdom here on Earth (that is, expanding the Christian Kingdom here on Earth) will inherit our place in the Spiritual Kingdom.

I might be done rambling now.

Psalm 19:14 -- Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable to you, O Lord.

So to “Profit God’s Kingdom” means to grow His kingdom here on Earth. Growing His kingdom, based upon his Great Commission to us, means to spread His Gospel to all people. I suppose that once God believes that the Earthly Kingdom is large enough it will be time for Jesus’ Millennial Kingdom here on Earth. I don’t know. Again, this is just my opinion.


Oh great and merciful Lord, I ask that You continue to provide me the time in this life to do the work you have called me to do in order to profit Your kingdom. I ask that you give my doctors the skill and the resources they need to heal me. I thank you Lord for the many blessings you have provided my family and me during this journey. Our trust is in you Lord. We will follow where you lead us.


.

August 19, 2010

Quick Medical Update – A Temporary Cease Fire

I posted last week that we had once again begun taking chemotherapy in hopes that we can stop the new growth of my tumors. The therapy consists of one infusion a week for two consecutive weeks, a week off, then start the three-week cycle again for seven cycles (21 weeks). Chemotherapy has a nasty habit of messing with your blood counts (hemoglobin, white cell count, platelets, etc.) and the more chemo you get the more likely the blood counts will get out of line.

I went to the Oncologist today to get my second week’s infusion but, unfortunately, after only one infusion last week, my blood counts are not good. As a result, my Oncologist decided to delay my second infusion until next week, hoping that things come back in line by then. So, we have declared a “Temporary Cease Fire” against those nasty tumors. Hopefully we will get those tumors screaming for mercy once again next week.

Matthew 26:39 -- ‘My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from me; yet not what I want but what you want (Your will be done).’


.

The Christian “Mindset” – Born Again

I am having conversations with someone who has begun to pursue a relationship with God and looking to accept Jesus Christ as her savior. She has begun to read the Bible, beginning with the four Gospels, and is asking some very thought provoking questions about the Bible and Christianity in general. She told me that she has discovered that, in her words:

“My mindset is changing. I'm stopping to listen, ponder, wonder, hope and want.”

Now I believe that this is a beautiful way of describing how it feels to begin the transition from the “old” to the “new”.  As I look back on how it felt to be at that point in my journey I realize that it was an exciting time. Suddenly you begin to recognize that you have changed and that you are beginning to leave the old you behind and are literally transforming yourself to a new you. Beginning to transform yourself into someone who is prepared to hand your life over to our Lord, trusting in Him to guide you through life toward eternity in God’s kingdom, and turning your ongoing focus away from the flesh and toward the Spirit.

2 Corinthians 5:17 -- So if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; see, everything has become new!

Romans 8:5-11 -- For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit* set their minds on the things of the Spirit.*

I vividly remember making this transition prior to my cancer diagnosis and am so thankful that I had. Since my diagnosis I have intensified my study and have learned so much more about who God is and what He wants from me and for me. I have so much more to learn and I look forward to each new discovery. While thinking about this “Christian Mindset” I have discovered, I think, something new to me. Here is the question that has been rattling around in my head: “Is this transition from the “old” to the “new”, from the “flesh” to the “Spirit”, being Born Again?” Now I wonder if many of you (perhaps most of you) are thinking right now “Well Duh!”. Seriously. Up until this point I never really gave much thought to the term “Born Again”. So, l dove head first into the Internet to see what I could find about what it means to be Born Again.

I hit this site - http://www.spurgeongems.org/jcr_bornagain.htm - entitled “Are You Born Again?”. The writer offers six characteristics of a Born Again Christian.

1. No Habitual Sinning
2. Believing in Christ
3. Practicing Righteousness
4. Loving Other Christians
5. Overcoming the World
6. Keeping Oneself Pure

Another site - http://www.preparingforeternity.com/bornagain.htm - also entitled “Are You Born Again?” offers nine signs of conversion.

1. A sense of freedom -- peace in the soul.
2. An experience of love for others.
3. A turning of mind and heart from the world.
4. Victory where before was defeat.
5. A frequent, instinctive desire to pray.
6. An interest in and turning to God's Word.
7. A growing sensitivity to sin.
8. An attitude of willing obedience to God.
9. An impulse to witness to others.

These characteristics sound pretty good to me. I do believe though that it really goes deeper than these points, much deeper. With a few exceptions these feel too much like a “check list” of things to do. At any rate, I do believe that they partially describe how a Christian behaves and thinks.

John 3:3 -- ‘Very truly, I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God without being born from above.

1 Corinthians 15:50-54 -- What I am saying, brothers and sisters, is this: flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable.

Okay… my conclusion. Yes. Making the transition from the flesh to the Spirit is being “Born Again”. Wow. For the first time I am acknowledging that I am a Born Again Christian. Feels kind of good.


Dear Lord, we continue to thank You for the many blessings You have given us. We thank You for the ongoing gift of life. We thank You for giving us Your Son, Jesus, as our Savior, and for the Holy Spirit who guides and corrects us. You are a great and mighty God and we will continue to follow you wherever you lead us.  Also Lord, thank you for guiding my friend along her journey toward you.  She will be a faithful servant and will contribute greatly to profiting Your kingdom.


.

August 12, 2010

Screaming for Mercy

Today was the first day back in the infusion chair after a year away from chemotherapy. It is funny, but it is almost like I had never stopped taking chemo. It almost felt “natural” (that is almost sick, isn’t it?) I just ran the numbers quickly through my head and I think that the infusion today was something like the 60th that I have had since we began fighting my cancer. Wow. I wonder if that makes me a professional chemo patient or something. (I would guess that my medical insurance company has a different term for it.)

At any rate, after just one infusion I have not yet felt any effects of the treatment. I suspect that this time next week after the next dose I will begin feeling the dreaded “chemo brain” where I begin slipping into a chemo induced stupor. I’m not really looking forward to that but it is a small price to pay for the ongoing gift of life that God is providing me. God is Great. God is Good.

Matthew 9:20-22 -- ‘If I only touch his cloak, I will be made well.’...Jesus turned, and seeing her he said, ‘Take heart, daughter; your faith has made you well.’

As I sat in the chair while the drugs were being pumped into my body I could hear those evil cancer cells screaming for mercy. It was music to my ears. We will show no mercy.

Dear Lord, thank you for providing us with life saving chemo drugs. I thank you for continuing to give me life. I thank you for your steadfast love and guidance.


.

August 10, 2010

Medical Update

Last week I had a CAT scan and an MRI as routine follow-up testing and today we met with my Oncologist to get the test results and have a checkup. It was this time last year that I finished my last round of chemo and since then my cancer has been, for lack of a better term, “stagnant”. The tumors in my lungs, abdomen, leg and liver had remained unchanged which, for the type of cancer I have, is a good thing.

Somehow both Pat and I knew that the test results we received today would not be good. I think that since I have been so tired with little energy this summer we knew something was up. At any rate we were not surprised when we were told that the test results showed that the tumors in the various parts of my body have begun to once again grow.

We really have few options at this point. Well, actually we have two options. The first is to do nothing and let the disease take its course. Nah… I don’t think so. (We have fought to hard up to this point to give up now.) The second option is to enter once again into Chemo Therapy which, beginning tomorrow, we will do. We will use the same therapy we used last year that successfully stopped the tumor growth in hopes that it will once again come through for us. It will involve seven three-week rounds of treatment. I will receive one drug in week one, a second drug in week two, take the third week off, and then start the cycle over again, repeating seven times. So, for the next 21 weeks we will be on the roller coaster once again. Last year while taking this treatment I was able to tolerate it pretty well and we are hoping that this time will be no different.

Psalm 31 -- In you, O Lord, I seek refuge; do not let me ever be put to shame; in your righteousness deliver me. Incline your ear to me; rescue me speedily.

I know that God is leading us down this path for His own reasons and we trust Him and will follow Him wherever he takes us. I also know that God has commanded me to continue to do His work by enduring and letting my light shine to provide an example to others on how God is guiding us through this journey, provided for us in so many ways in our time of need, and how he continues to bless us as we continue our battle.

Hebrews 10:36 -- For you need endurance, so that when you have done the will of God, you may receive what was promised.

Matthew 5:14-16 -- let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.

Dear Lord, please continue to bless us as we begin the next phase of our journey. You have provided us with the best medical care available, with the Holy Spirit within our Christian community for comfort, with a caring family who lovingly supports us, and with Your word to guide us. We thank you mighty and merciful Father for all of these blessings.


.

August 9, 2010

Designer Religion

I have been intrigued by some of the religion news recently being reported and I simply must comment on it here in my blog. It seems that there are some well-known people who are just not satisfied with how well their current religion is meeting their needs. Here are three that have occurred in just the past week.

Author Anne Rice on her Facebook page posted, “I quit being a Christian. I’m out. In the name of Christ, I refuse to be anti-gay. I refuse to be anti-feminist. I refuse to be anti-artificial birth control. I refuse to be anti-Democrat. I refuse to be anti-secular humanism. I refuse to be anti-science. I refuse to be anti-life. In the name of Christ, I quit Christianity and being Christian. Amen.” In a CNN interview she indicated that, “although she is quitting Christianity she would still follow Christ.” (What? Quit Christianity but still follow Christ? How does that work? Isn’t that like saying I am no longer an alcoholic but I am still going to enjoy a drink now and then?)

And then there is this. Robert Pattinson the British actor who plays ‘Edward’ in the Twilight series has gone public with his desire to start his own religion. Details so far have been almost nonexistent, but it is on his list of things to do: "I definitely want to start my own religion.” Now wouldn’t that be convenient. Create your own rules that assure eternal life. {sigh}

Finally Julia Roberts - "I'm definitely a practicing Hindu. I've been so spoiled with my friends and family in this life. Next time (when I am reincarnated) I want to be just someone quiet and supporting," said Roberts in Elle magazine. Now Ms. Roberts certainly has every right to practice Hinduism. But if you don’t like who you have become Julia why wait to be reincarnated to change who you are? Do it now!

I did a Google search on the phrase “start own religion” and got 40,900,000 hits. That’s almost 41 Million! Wow. It seems like there are a lot of people out there who are dissatisfied with mainstream religion and are looking for a religion that is designed specifically to meet their personal perceived needs.

As I have indicated in a previous post in this blog I am a Fundamentalist Christian. I believe every word in the Bible is the word of God. I believe that the Bible is the one and only source we have that instructs us on how to live our lives such that God will find us worthy of a place in His eternal kingdom. This is my belief. It may not be yours and that’s okay. We are all free to believe what we want. I hope that what follows does not offend you but, if it does, well, I’m sorry. Send me an email if you would like to discuss. (EndureAndShine@gmail.com).

Why do so many Christians resist accepting the Bible as the word of God? I think back to all of the sermons I have heard in a Christian church (Catholic and Episcopalian) and I cannot think of one that zeroed in like a laser beam on the fact that the Bible is the only source of the word of God we have and that its words, all of its words, and its words only, will lead us to salvation. Does that mean that our Priests and Ministers have not properly taught us? If so, why not? Is it that they know that this is not what we want to hear? Do they not want to stir up a hornet’s nest within their congregations?

Psalm 119:104-106 -- Through your precepts I get understanding; therefore I hate every false way. Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path. I have sworn an oath and confirmed it, to observe your righteous ordinances.

The following two paragraphs are paraphrased from Marsha West on NewsWithViews.com on July 3, 2009 who articulates my views much better than I can. She says:

“It seems as though many main stream churches have begun to tweak doctrine in order to appeal to what their congregations want from organized religion and I think that what the congregations want is to come away from a church service feeling good about themselves and the lives they are living. So many contemporary churches are all about “me”. They seem designed for the individual who hopes to find personal fulfillment. To have their felt needs met. To hear a preacher whose message (sermon) won’t offend anyone’s sensibilities. Some Christians have the attitude: “If the church I attend doesn’t meet my needs, I’ll find one that does.” Take that! And they’re out of there.”


“Even with all the programs that churches offer to draw people in, Christians still bounce from church to church to church…. Why? Their needs are not being met. News flash! Christianity is not about having your needs met! It is not about you! It's not about you being happy. It’s not about making yourself a better you! It’s not about enjoying your life now! It’s not about becoming prosperous and pain-free! What Christianity is supposed to be about is knowing who God is, understanding what he wants and how he expects you to live your life, loving God, living a righteous life, putting God in the center of all you do, and getting sinners into heaven. It is supposed to be about accepting Christ as your savior and redeemer. If you can do these things you will be happy. You will be living and enjoying the best life now. Having your needs met is the result of living a Christian life.”

And I must add, living a Christian life secures your place in God’s eternal kingdom.

Proverbs 3:5-8 -- Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not rely on your own insight. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths. Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord, and turn away from evil. It will be a healing for your flesh and a refreshment for your body.

Isaiah 45:5-6 -- I am the Lord, and there is no other; besides me there is no god.

1 Corinthians 10:11 -- These things happened to them to serve as an example, and they were written down to instruct us.

Dear and mighty Lord, thank you for providing us with Your word in the Holy Bible. Thank You for providing us with the instruction and commands that will lead us to profiting Your kingdom and to eternal life with You. Thank You also Lord for all of the blessings You have provided my family. I continue to pray that You give me more time with them.


.

August 2, 2010

Very Tired

It’s been a while since I’ve posted so I thought that I would sit and just sort of ramble a bit about what’s going on. I have been so tired lately. It seems as though I just can’t get enough sleep. I have no energy or stamina (which is probably why I have not posted on my blog recently). I spend my days reclining on the couch or in my chair either dozing, half watching TV, or reading. It is an effort to simply get out of my chair and walk across the room. This has been going on all summer and I have attributed it to the fact that I had the brain surgery followed by the whole brain radiation and that I am simply still recovering from that. I would have hoped that, by now, this would have passed but it has not.

I have asked God what this is all about. Am I slipping into depression? Have I forgotten how to endure? Am I faltering at letting my light shine? God has not responded to my questions.

Psalm 142 -- I cry to you, O Lord; I say, ‘You are my refuge, my portion in the land of the living.’ Give heed to my cry, for I am brought very low.

One of my favorite bible verses is from Joshua. I find it comforting now.

Joshua 1:9 -- 'I hereby command you: Be strong and courageous; do not be frightened or dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.’

This coming week I have a body CAT scan and MRI scheduled and will be seeing my medical oncologist the following week for a checkup. Hopefully the testing and checkup will give us some answers as to why I am so weak.

I will continue to endure and let my light shine.

Hebrews 10:36 -- For you need endurance, so that when you have done the will of God, you may receive what was promised.

Matthew 5:14-16 -- let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.


.