Dear family and friends:
Since my liberation on day #100, an incredible of week has just gone by, and the "season" has just begun! A gathering of clergy and lay, from arch-bishops, bishops, and priests to highly motivated laymen and women gathered at a meeting entitled "Communion Partners" for two days last week to speak of bonds of unity in our Lord Jesus; of hopes and challenges, strengths and needs. We in the United States speak with so much fear and anxiety, while third world bishops, in the very midst of physical oppression and danger, speak with such confidence and hope. One comment I heard was, "Americans run through their garbage disposals, in a week, enough food to feed the nation of Nigeria for a month."
We have so much to be thankful for, and yet we often think of ourselves as bereft of what we once had and deserve to have again. We are much like the Israelites bemoaning the memory of the bread, onions, and leeks they once had in days of slavery back in Egypt.
The week ended with a retreat at our conference center whereat Bp. Alden Hathaway spoke of leadership exhibited in the book of Nehemiah. The whole project begins with the leader acknowledging the wretchedness of the situation and his own sin, and lamenting with a broken heart. Through our sin, our own grievious sin, we have laid waste to the Lord's beautiful plan, and we should grieve that reality and repent.
Then follows deep and serious conversation with the Lord to begin the restoration. I believe that we are in a restoration process....it is the season of preparation for a great repentence, revitalization, repair, and restoration.
I don't think that these two gatherings I attended, just prior to Advent, were coincidental. The season of repentance and repair is upon me, and I don't think I am alone. Let us all, as the scripture encourages us, "Prepare (ye) the way." The season is soon upon us! Alleluia!
Have a glorious Thanksgiving. The Lord is truly merciful and bounteous!
Your brother in Christ,
Dick
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
Friday, November 19, 2010
Blog #35 11/19/2010 More Praise the Lord Results
Dear Family and Friends:
Part of the Day #100 assesment had not been endured at my last posting. The most recent "trial" was a six hour toasting in the MRI machine. The noise is terrific! I had those little spunge ear plugs stuffed so far into my ears that they were about to come out of my nose! Even so, the "clunky-whang-whang-whang" is almost hypnotic. I think I've already given you my recipe for making that experience tolerable, the last time I had the lengthy MRI: I went back to my earliest memory and came up through grandparents, earliest childhood friends, schools, cub and boy scouts, camping trips, band trips, grade school, junior high, high school, college, fraternity, on through to the present. Six hours in the machine lets you remember a lot!
This time, since the exercise was not unique, it was harder to do, so I went to the "Lord is with you" (Emmanuel) times I can clearly recall and I dwelt with the Lord in those very wonderful occasions.
Oh, have I been blessed through my life....more than I deserve. One of my greatest blessings has been this encounter with multiple myeloma. Had it not been diagnosed and knocked me out of parish ministry in a very frustrating situation, I would never have come to Central Florida. Here, I have been nurtured in a thousand ways which I was able to recall as I encountered my faithful Lord again. I will count this last MRI as one of those blessings found in an unexpected place.
And, one of my greatest blessings is my beloved wife Amy. Her strength is awesomw, not only in faith, but in her tolerence and management of me during these past serveral months. She would get face to face with me and firmly say, "Dick, you KNOW that you can't do that just yet, so stop your whining!" And I would..at least audibly
Then, yesterday we got the MRI results. The doctor said that it revealed a significant reduction of leisons in the pelvic area. Alleluia! Praise the Lord! and Hot tamales! I am convinced I am healed!
Sunday, day #101, we went to the "big" church service at the cathedral where I assisted. Some didn't recognize me with my present "do." My head is now covered with half inch white fuzz, growing in all directions. I have a tuft of hair sprouting in the middle of my dome, growing straight up; periferal hair is lying down, aligned with all points of the compass. I present a kwepie doll appearance, or since it's all white, maybe like a Dairy Queen cone! Some find it endearing, but I'd rather it lay down (which it won't!).
We're off this afternoon to greet and hear our dear friend and former mentor, Bp Alden Hathaway who is speaking at our conference center. What a great servant of the Gospel! And incidentally, he has had his own dealings with multiple myeloma. We will, however, have more to say about Jesus than medical conditions!
Thanks for your prayers...They have really done miracles!
In His love and peace,
Dick
Part of the Day #100 assesment had not been endured at my last posting. The most recent "trial" was a six hour toasting in the MRI machine. The noise is terrific! I had those little spunge ear plugs stuffed so far into my ears that they were about to come out of my nose! Even so, the "clunky-whang-whang-whang" is almost hypnotic. I think I've already given you my recipe for making that experience tolerable, the last time I had the lengthy MRI: I went back to my earliest memory and came up through grandparents, earliest childhood friends, schools, cub and boy scouts, camping trips, band trips, grade school, junior high, high school, college, fraternity, on through to the present. Six hours in the machine lets you remember a lot!
This time, since the exercise was not unique, it was harder to do, so I went to the "Lord is with you" (Emmanuel) times I can clearly recall and I dwelt with the Lord in those very wonderful occasions.
Oh, have I been blessed through my life....more than I deserve. One of my greatest blessings has been this encounter with multiple myeloma. Had it not been diagnosed and knocked me out of parish ministry in a very frustrating situation, I would never have come to Central Florida. Here, I have been nurtured in a thousand ways which I was able to recall as I encountered my faithful Lord again. I will count this last MRI as one of those blessings found in an unexpected place.
And, one of my greatest blessings is my beloved wife Amy. Her strength is awesomw, not only in faith, but in her tolerence and management of me during these past serveral months. She would get face to face with me and firmly say, "Dick, you KNOW that you can't do that just yet, so stop your whining!" And I would..at least audibly
Then, yesterday we got the MRI results. The doctor said that it revealed a significant reduction of leisons in the pelvic area. Alleluia! Praise the Lord! and Hot tamales! I am convinced I am healed!
Sunday, day #101, we went to the "big" church service at the cathedral where I assisted. Some didn't recognize me with my present "do." My head is now covered with half inch white fuzz, growing in all directions. I have a tuft of hair sprouting in the middle of my dome, growing straight up; periferal hair is lying down, aligned with all points of the compass. I present a kwepie doll appearance, or since it's all white, maybe like a Dairy Queen cone! Some find it endearing, but I'd rather it lay down (which it won't!).
We're off this afternoon to greet and hear our dear friend and former mentor, Bp Alden Hathaway who is speaking at our conference center. What a great servant of the Gospel! And incidentally, he has had his own dealings with multiple myeloma. We will, however, have more to say about Jesus than medical conditions!
Thanks for your prayers...They have really done miracles!
In His love and peace,
Dick
Saturday, November 13, 2010
Blog #34 (really) 11/13/2010 Day 100 Whoopie!!
Dear Family and Friends:
This really is day 100 since the stem cell transplant!! Whoopie! We made it! And we are still without internet at the house, so this is once again done from Panera's amidst the dishes, the other "cool" folks who eat and go online.
Our travail with the phone company still goes on since the 1st of November and the "bundle" we have been trying to get out of. The T.V. came to change us out and managed to cut off our phone and our internet. Despite the phone company promises to come and get us set up again (since the 3rd) we are still without phone or internet. We are trying to be Christian about all of this, but sometimes it seems that our "charity" wears a little thin after being promised that a supervisor will call us right back...and nobody has ever called! Nobody! Nada! Zilch! after at least one promise per day since the outset.
But, the Lord is good! Alleluia! I am now officially out of the limited quarentine I've been in and can now move about more freely, and intermingle with "the unwashed." So, I'll go to morning services at the cathedral and assist in the service. Later, Amy and I will attend the annual parish picnic. ( I suppose I should wear a mask just to make some effort not to be exposed to someone with a cold..or worse) Anyway, we're going and I couldn't be more excited and thankful for the Lord's healing!
We are scheduled to be set up again with phone and internet by the 16th....so, God willing, I'll be able to get back to the blog in a more reasonable time. On Thurs, I get some more info about how I'm doing. I know I'm healed...my doctor just needs to catch on!
Much love and thanks for your effective prayers and support,
In Christ,
Dick
This really is day 100 since the stem cell transplant!! Whoopie! We made it! And we are still without internet at the house, so this is once again done from Panera's amidst the dishes, the other "cool" folks who eat and go online.
Our travail with the phone company still goes on since the 1st of November and the "bundle" we have been trying to get out of. The T.V. came to change us out and managed to cut off our phone and our internet. Despite the phone company promises to come and get us set up again (since the 3rd) we are still without phone or internet. We are trying to be Christian about all of this, but sometimes it seems that our "charity" wears a little thin after being promised that a supervisor will call us right back...and nobody has ever called! Nobody! Nada! Zilch! after at least one promise per day since the outset.
But, the Lord is good! Alleluia! I am now officially out of the limited quarentine I've been in and can now move about more freely, and intermingle with "the unwashed." So, I'll go to morning services at the cathedral and assist in the service. Later, Amy and I will attend the annual parish picnic. ( I suppose I should wear a mask just to make some effort not to be exposed to someone with a cold..or worse) Anyway, we're going and I couldn't be more excited and thankful for the Lord's healing!
We are scheduled to be set up again with phone and internet by the 16th....so, God willing, I'll be able to get back to the blog in a more reasonable time. On Thurs, I get some more info about how I'm doing. I know I'm healed...my doctor just needs to catch on!
Much love and thanks for your effective prayers and support,
In Christ,
Dick
Friday, November 5, 2010
Blog #33 11/05/2010 Indeed the Implications & Future
Dear Family and Friends:
When last I was able to go online, I titled that blog with something to do with my medical tests, the results, the implications and the future in light of all this. Since then, we've had a major blow up and disconnect with our server, which was "bundled" with our phone and t.v. We've had a divorce in that relationship and now I'm sitting at Panera's doing my blog. Consequently, I'm off line until our next choice in servers can hook us up next Friday! So, I will be even more irregular in my communication until that gets fixed.
AND in the meantime, we've had an election..so the general title of "The Results, the implications, and the future in light of those results" is indeed appropriate. I think I'll get off now and let Amy have her shot as the internet, with the promise that I'll be back as soon as possible.
Thanks for your patience and your prayers!
Faithfully,
Dick
When last I was able to go online, I titled that blog with something to do with my medical tests, the results, the implications and the future in light of all this. Since then, we've had a major blow up and disconnect with our server, which was "bundled" with our phone and t.v. We've had a divorce in that relationship and now I'm sitting at Panera's doing my blog. Consequently, I'm off line until our next choice in servers can hook us up next Friday! So, I will be even more irregular in my communication until that gets fixed.
AND in the meantime, we've had an election..so the general title of "The Results, the implications, and the future in light of those results" is indeed appropriate. I think I'll get off now and let Amy have her shot as the internet, with the promise that I'll be back as soon as possible.
Thanks for your patience and your prayers!
Faithfully,
Dick
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