Journal

Monday, January 5, 2009 12:22 PM EST

Hello friends. Well, I suppose it is obvious that I did not get back here before Christmas to do an update. Therefore, let me say "Merry Christmas & Happy New Year" to everyone. For those of you who do not celebrate Christmas or the New Year, I simply wish you greetings. For those of you who struggled through the holidays missing loved ones, I grieved with you and thought of and prayed for you throughout the season just a bit more than I do at other times because I know that the days seem void of at least part of your joy with the absence of your loved ones. I know that I cannot even begin to imagine the loss of a child because I look at my beautiful niece and nephew and all the joy they bring to us this time of year and always, and I absolutely cannot imagine not having them with us. Of course the holiday times are difficult for my family as well as those who have been with me awhile know that we lost my dad, grandad and uncle within a 6 week period during November-December 2000. Even still, that is different from losing children and my sincere prayers are always with my friends (and others that I know of) who are in this situation. My mom, my grandma, and my uncle have all lost children, so they understand and out of their grief experiences, I can pray for others who suffer this experience. It is my duty and pleasure to do so. When I say that I love you...those of you who stop in...I mean it. Please don't hesitate to share (publicly on the guestbook or privately--by e-mail or phone 336-250-9175).

As further explanation, I offer that my sincere desire and request that you share specifically with me is an integral part of my current journey as God has taken me "out of commission" to rest and recuperate while we solve some serious issues about how to continue to treat my severe aplastic anemia with the steroids I so desperately need that are, unfortunately, destroying my bones to the point where surgery is now required and will continue to be until we can come up with a better solution. It is a blessing. There is no other way to see it in my opinion. God has been so good to me and I love having the time to enjoy this season of my life where I have time to focus on others while simultaneously focusing on my own healing. Thank you for traveling the journey with me. Perhaps out of this season will finally come a finished narrative work. Stay tuned. Wherever God leads is where I will go and I look forward to new and exciting adventures in this New Year. The best thing about living is that regardless of my external circumstances, I know that the best is yet to come in Christ. Lord Jesus, thank you. There is NO other name under heaven and earth by which (we) can be saved. In the words of THE life manual...


ACTS 4

8 Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them: "Rulers and elders of the people! 9 If we are being called to account today for an act of kindness shown to a cripple and are asked how he was healed, 10 then know this, you and all the people of Israel: It is by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified but whom God raised from the dead, that this man stands before you healed. 11 He is " 'the stone you builders rejected, which has become the capstone.[a]'[b] 12 Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved."


I guess I should give at least a brief "medical update" before leaving. I am totally wiped out and in need of a visit to Duke to get me feeling better. I'm not "sick" exactly--just this bone marrow failure disease rearing its' "normal" effects. Thankfully, this will be addressed shortly as tomorrow is a clinic day. So it will be a 12 hour day of traveling, poking, prodding, questioning, infusing, transfusing, huffing lethal substances in an attempt to prevent lethal diseases (i.e. pentam) and figuring to try and keep me functioning. If all goes OK, I will be able to come back home until next Monday when I'll go through another day of appointments to address how my right leg is progressing and when we'll have to undertake a similar procedure to fix the same problem on the left. If there's anything of note from clinic, I'll try to update this week. Otherwise, you can look for an update next week after these two major appointments on the 6th & 12th are behind us. Of course, if anything noteworthy changes in the meantime that requires notification or prayer, I'll certainly let you know. I have one prayer request I'll leave for you today for Zach & family -- a fellow warrior family for whom my heart breaks. Praise God for His love and compassion that is truly the only answer for all of us. I love you and will return when the Lord says so. Shalom...