The Weekend: Sara flew in Friday evening to spend the weekend with us. I know it was special for Debbie to have all her girls here for Mother’s day, but I felt like the one who got spoiled by family and friends. The newest news - Carter learned how to make a “stink face.” At one year old, this guy really looks like a little man already! As you can see, he’s got his new outfit and he’s ready for the wedding in June!
Grandpa’s little stink face
How Goes It: I survived the first week of chemotherapy without a significant impact on daily life. I had a noticeable loss of energy that extended into the 5 mile race at Garden of the Gods park on Saturday morning. I did fairly good on the flats, but as many of you know, there aren’t many flat areas in the Garden, the hills were very humbling. Compared to a month ago, my run times were terrible. The good news is that I finished. Best of all, my good friend John was there to cheer me on at the finish line – thanks John!
Reflections: I’ve had a lot of opportunity to consider the possibility of God’s divine intervention to heal the cancer, from the first diagnosis in 2008 until now. During the first battle, and now in this current battle, there are many prayer warriors (including you!) that have interceded on my behalf. There’s a biblical aspect that is based on my (and our) faith and trust in God. There’s also an empirical aspect that based on the evidence of God’s hand on my life over the last 31 years. When I consider both of these – the promises of God and the evidence of the changes in my life and answered prayers, I’m compelled to conclude with absolute certainty that God if fully capable of healing me of this cancer and restoring my health, and I’ve prayed that prayer asking Him specifically for that outcome, and I believe that He can deliver that promise. (how’s that for a run-on sentence!) I’m also reminded of the story of the three Amigos in the book of Daniel in the Old Testament (otherwise known as the story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego.) They were sentenced to be thrown into the fiery furnace because of their faith. I like their response to the king, they said to king Nebuchadnezzar, “…our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and He will deliver us from your hand, O king. But if not, let it be known to you, O king, that we do not serve your gods, nor will we worship the gold image which you have set up.” OK, they didn’t have pancreatic cancer – but their lives were on the line and they asked God to intervene. They were not motivated by the outcome, their focus was on an unwaivering commitment to keep their eyes on serving God, no matter what. They were confident that God was able to deliver them, but they were also at peace with the “if not…”. That’s where I am – I know that God is able to deliver me. However, my trust in God, and the peace that I have in my heart is independent of that outcome. In the mean time, I’ll focus on one day at a time. J
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