God Bless the Caregivers

Cancer patients are blessed with easy access to high quality medical care and skilled doctors and nurses who know how best to care for their patients. It seems like new treatments are discovered daily that cure the disease or extend the life of the patient. Through God’s mercy there is always hope.

1 Corinthians 10:13 -- No testing has overtaken you that is not common to everyone. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tested beyond your strength, but with the testing he will also provide the way out so that you may be able to endure it.

Beyond the doctors and nurses there are countless unsung heroes who provide intimate care to the cancer patient. These heroes are the immediate and extended family members of the patient as well as friends. I have spent hundreds of hours in the chemo room receiving therapy along with a dozen other patients. In most cases (almost all), each of the patients receiving therapy had a loved one by their side to provide comfort and support. These loved ones are as much a blessing to the patient as are the doctors, nurses and drugs. The care they provide reaches far beyond the chemo room. Their hour-by-hour, day-to-day care that they unselfishly provide the patient is truly a blessing from God.

What would I do if I did not have my wife Pat by my side? She has been such a source of strength and support. She has given so much of herself toward my care. She is always there to help and cater to my every need. God bless you Pat and thank you.

Our son Chris has willingly stepped up and has taken up the slack in the day-to-day tasks around the house that I can no longer do. Chris is there when you need him and the care he provides is priceless. God bless you Chris and thank you.

My sister-in-Law MK and her husband Jonathan (both Medical Doctors) have unselfishly provided countless hours of care, guidance and support. God bless you both and thank you.

My sister Ann, her husband Clyde and my mother, although living hundreds of miles away, have provided such valuable moral support. They have always been there for us. All we need do is make one phone call. God bless the three of you and thank you.

Behind the scene are the other family members and friends who rise up prayers and provide support to us and who ask their friends to do the same. The number of people who have come to our aid has humbled me. The Holy Spirit has worked overtime on our behave. God bless you all and thank you.

Matthew 25:35-36 -- ...for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me.”

Mighty and merciful Lord, thank you for providing all these caregivers. The care and support they provide is so important to us. God bless the caregivers.


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Medical Update: Back Into the Fight – Finally

I was finally able to receive the second chemo infusion of the second round of my treatment yesterday. Blood counts have returned to near normal so my oncologist gave it the go-ahead. I am scheduled to receive the first treatment of my third round in two weeks. I pray that I will be able to receive it so that we can stay in the fight.

Dear and mighty Lord. Thank you for providing the opportunity to continue battling this disease. Thank You for the life extending drugs and for the doctors and nurses with the skill to administer them. A ask You Lord to continue to provide me with life. You are a great and merciful God. I trust You and will follow You wherever You lead me.


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Prayers of Thanksgiving

We communicate with God through prayer. At times we say prayers that we had learned as children and at other times we simply talk with God. I tend to not recite “canned” prayers as much as simply have a conversation with God, much like I would talk to an old friend. I tell Him about what is worrying me; I ask His advice on what to do about whatever is bothering me and I ask for his help and mercy. I believe that God delights in our prayers.

1 Peter 5:7 -- Cast all your anxiety on him, because he cares for you.

Hebrews 4:16 -- Let us therefore approach the throne of grace with boldness, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

God is merciful and has answered so many of my prayers for help. Every time I pray I thank God for all of the blessings He has provided my family and myself.

My wife gave me a list of Prayers of Thanksgiving that I would like to share with you. The source for these prayers is “Personal Prayer Notebook” by Harry Griffith, Anglican Fellowship of Prayer.

Family
Thank you Lord, for the privilege of being part of a family, and I thank You for those who are family with me.

Friends
I thank you, Lord, for those who care about me and for whom I especially care.

Faith
Thank you that my eyes have opened to real life as experienced through faith in You and for the opportunity to and serve you forever.

Health
For good health and the strength to do those things you would have me do, I thank you Lord.

Spiritual Gifts
I thank You for the ways in which You have equipped me to do the things You call me to do, and for the privilege of doing Your work in this world.

Home
For a home that is a haven of love, I thank you Lord.

Nature and Beauty
For the joy of Your creation which inspires me one moment and comforts me the next, I thank you, Lord.

Vocation
I thank you Lord, for the daily work I am able to do and for the opportunity to use it for Your glory.

Nation
For this nation in which we are privileged to live and for all the blessings you shower upon us so bountifully, I thank you, Lord.

Peace
For the peace and security we experience today, Lord, I am grateful.

General Thanksgiving
I thank you, Lord, for all that you have done for me. You care more for me than I do for myself. I am precious in your sight and You do for me much more than I deserve or comprehend. I have nothing to give in return but my gratitude and that I give you, Lord, with my whole heart.


God is great. God is good.


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Medical Update: Still Out of the Fight

I was hopeful of receiving Chemotherapy today but my blood work is still out of whack so once again we must postpone treatment until at least next week.

I am beginning to feel helpless.

This is the first period of time over the last four and a half years (since I was first diagnosed) that we are not totally engaged in fighting this disease but rather allowing it to thrive in my body unchallenged. I understand the danger of chemo with my blood levels what they are; yet I feel that there must be something we can do. My oncologist insists that the best thing to do at this point is wait for blood levels to return to acceptable levels and then proceed with the chemo. I trust him.

Psalm 91 -- For he will deliver you from the snare of the fowler and from the deadly pestilence; he will cover you with his pinions, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness is a shield and buckler.

1 Peter 5:7 -- Cast all your anxiety on him, because he cares for you.

I am so very anxious to continue the battle. Dear Lord, I ask that through Your mercy my blood levels return and stay at acceptable levels so that I can continue with my therapy.



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I Can Only Imagine

I can’t help but continue to think about heaven and what eternal life is like. There is no doubt that heaven is a remarkable place and that eternity there with our Lord is something to look forward to. It is interesting that the bible provides us with little information about what heaven is like. We get a glimpse of the spirit world in Daniel 10 and there are a few verses in Revelation that describe the Throne Room but, for the most part, heaven is left to our imagination.

What will it be like to stand in front of Jesus, looking into his eyes, for the first time at the Great White Throne Judgment? I think I will be overwhelmed. Try to imagine what it would be like having the Lord God, creator of all things, looking you in the eyes with his hands on your face saying, “Come to the place I have prepared for you good and faithful servant.” Lord, I long to hear those words.

There is a song called “I Can Only Imagine” that is done by the band Mercy Me. You may already be familiar with it. To me this is a powerful song and listening to it has become part of my daily prayer routine. I can’t listen to it without tearing up and getting a good dose of humility and hope. The lyrics are below and a link to the song in a video can be found in the right margin of this blog in the Links section as well as right here.  "I Can Only Imagine".  Block out everything going on around you and listen and watch.

"I Can Only Imagine” Mercy Me

I can only imagine
What it will be like
When I walk by your side
 I can only imagine
What my eyes will see
When your face Is before me
I can only imagine


Surrounded by Your glory, what will my heart feel
Will I dance for you Jesus or in awe of you be still
Will I stand in your presence or to my knees will I fall
Will I sing hallelujah, will I be able to speak at all
I can only imagine


I can only imagine
When that day comes
And I find myself
Standing in the Son


I can only imagine When all I will do
Is forever, Forever worship You
I can only imagine


I can only imagine


I can only imagine When all I will do
Is forever, forever worship you


I Can Only Imagine


Dear Lord, thank you for the promise of eternal life and for the sacrifice of Your Son Jesus as the redeemer of our sins. You are a merciful God.

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Home Sweet Home

Home.  Fever is gone and I'm feeling much better.  Sure does feel good to be home again.  It must have something to do with the familiarity of the surroundings, the sounds, the feel, the rhythm of things.  The hospital was very comfortable and nice and all.. but not home.  Home is where the family is.  Home is where you know where stuff is.  Home is where you can curl-up and be yourself.  There's no place like home.

Psalm 18 -- The Lord is my rock, my fortress, and my deliverer, my God, my rock in whom I take refuge, my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.

Matthew 14:34-36 -- ...and brought all who were sick to him, and begged him that they might touch even the fringe of his cloak; and all who touched it were healed.

Dear Lord, thank you for skilled Doctors and Nurses at the hospital and for the life saving drugs which, together, have brought me through this little set-back.  Thank You Lord for Your continued blessings.


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In the Hospital - Day 2

Spent this 2nd day in the hospital sleeping and getting filled with antibiotics.  I just saw my doctor - unless something changes I can go home tomorrow....

Thank you all for your prayers.

God is great.  God is good.

Sent from my smart phone.

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In The Hospital

I am posting this using my smart phone so it will pretty short.
I was admitted to the hospital last night with a 102.3 fever.  After being pumped full of antibiotics my temp is now normal (yippee).
We're doing blood cultures to try to figure out whats going on.
Dear and mighty Lord, thank You for Your continued gift of life. Thank You also for the skilled doctors nurses. Bless them.
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Divine Appointments

While I was scavenging around the Internet the other day I ran across a term I had not heard before but in an instant knew that I had hit on something I wanted to think more about. The term is “Divine Appointment”. Sounds catchy, doesn’t it. A Google search on “divine appointment” yields about 150,000 hits so the term has been around for a while.

First, let me define “Divine Appointment” as I interpret it: A divine appointment is a “planned meeting” which was arranged and led by God, where he wants you to take a specific action.

God is sovereign. He is all knowing and all-powerful. I don’t believe that God often intervenes in what we do or how we do it other than through the Holy Spirit’s guidance. But I also believe that God is not one to pass up an opportunity when He sees one, especially if that opportunity will profit His kingdom or benefit one or more of His followers.

Here is an example of a divine appointment that God arrange for me. I was having a conversation with a very close friend of mine when out of the blue he asked me if I was still reading the Bible much. Now this fellow knows me well enough to know that I am an avid Bible reader. Of course I jumped through the door my friend had just opened and began to explain to him how much scripture has helped me and how our trust in God is guiding us through our journey. We talked for quite a while about it and I offered to talk more with him whenever he was ready.

I believe that God saw the spark of curiosity in my friends mind and “Arranged” for us to meet and talk that morning. The specific action that God had in mind for me was to provide testimony about God’s grace and love, which I hope I fulfilled.

I do not believe that several years ago, before I had Jesus in my heart and the Holy Spirit to guide me, I would have had the courage to jump through that door and openly profess my faith for fear of saying the wrong thing. But Mark recorded the following words of Jesus that encourage us to talk, for the Holy Spirit will guide what we say.

Mark 13:11 -- do not worry beforehand about what you are to say; but say whatever is given you at that time, for it is not you who speak, but the Holy Spirit.

And the Apostle Paul tells us not to be ashamed of our belief in the gospel.

Romans 1:16-17 -- For I am not ashamed of the gospel; it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who has faith, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed through faith for faith; as it is written, ‘The one who is righteous will live by faith.’*

I am beginning to look for those Divine Appointments that God provides and will do my best to do the work that God asks of me.  If I do not recognize at first that God has made the appointment for me I am sure that the Holy Spirit will give me a smack across the back of my head and point it out to me.  The specific action that God asks us to take as a result of His divine appointment will range from talking about scripture to helping someone in need.

Keep your eyes open and your ears tuned in to what is going on around you.  You will be invited to a divine appointment.


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