Back home and feeling good. My neck is wrapped up in a giant bandage which looks impressive but I'm told I will only have a little scar. Doc said the node he removed was firm which may be a cancer indicator but it could still be a benign inflamation so we'll wait till the results come back the middle of next week.
Even if it comes back as cancer, the cancer was confined to this one node and my throat looked good and clear. If it is cancer we can use some radiation to make sure everything stays clear. So lots of good news and reasons to praise God!
Thanks for your prayers, you do good work on my behalf!
Blest Regards,
kp
Saturday, July 31, 2010
Friday, July 30, 2010
Surgery!
Tomorrow is another day of surgery for me. I told the guy who checked me in for a pre-surgery scan that if the hospital had a reward program for frequent users I'd have millions of points. My first ultra-sound to locate and mark the inflamed lymph node in my neck that needs to come out went quickly. Upon my return to the lobby I told Sherri I had good news- 'It's a boy!' I told her.
According to my scan, I am all clear except for this slightly over-sized node. Doc said we could watch it or take it out though he preferred to have it removed. Sherri and I quickly agreed we wanted it out as well. If it's just inflamed well then that's good news and if it is cancer of a sort then it's good news to get it out as well.
Day of Surgery
OK... ready for another cut. I've had nothing to eat or drink since midnight which may not sound like a big accomplishment but on the good side this may serve as the start of a reduced eating plan which I am sorely in need of (sorry to end that sentence with a preposition for all you English majors). OK, gotta go grab one last shower and a clean pair of underwear. Be back shortly to tell you what God told me while I was under anesthesia. : )
Blest Regards,
kp
According to my scan, I am all clear except for this slightly over-sized node. Doc said we could watch it or take it out though he preferred to have it removed. Sherri and I quickly agreed we wanted it out as well. If it's just inflamed well then that's good news and if it is cancer of a sort then it's good news to get it out as well.
Day of Surgery
OK... ready for another cut. I've had nothing to eat or drink since midnight which may not sound like a big accomplishment but on the good side this may serve as the start of a reduced eating plan which I am sorely in need of (sorry to end that sentence with a preposition for all you English majors). OK, gotta go grab one last shower and a clean pair of underwear. Be back shortly to tell you what God told me while I was under anesthesia. : )
Blest Regards,
kp
Sunday, July 25, 2010
Jet-Skis, Ziplines and Pastors! Oh My!
As you may have noted from my last post or from Sherri's post on www.werejoice.blogspot.com we spent the last week on vacation in and around Branson Missouri. We had a great time.
For Sherri and I, vacation time is time to be with family. We especially love spending time with our boys whom we bribe to join us. Bribes include jet-skiing, zip-lining, golf and whatever food they want to eat. It's a week we enjoy so much and well worth the price. These days we don't get to see our four boys all at once very often.
So this past week we did all the normal vacation stuff- saw some shows, spent time on the lake, played miniature golf, shopped and did everything we could except rest and relax. That is what Sunday will be for.
Of all the things we did, maybe the most memorable was meeting old friends- two different families on the same day, people we don't get to see very often any more. And maybe visiting with two former Atonement pastors and their wives in Branson seems like an odd vacation activity but it was not odd at all- it was a great blessing.
Pete and Liz Ave-Lallament spent the afternoon at our rented house and we shared a thousand laughs as we sat at the kitchen table and recalled the old days along with my mom and dad. Then later in the evening we all shared a dinner with Ralph and Susie Guetersloh - with the added bonus of Bill and Lynn Mammel. In short, what a great day.
What a blessing it is to count your spiritual mentors as friends. It is truly one of God's richest blessings when your Pastor becomes a friend as well. I remember very well and with a smile how Chuck Easton sang 'Friends' on Pete and Liz's last service at Atonement. Part of the song proclaims (using only my fading memory):
'And a friend's a friend forever if the Lord's the Lord of them.'
'Though it's hard to let you go, in the Father's hands we know, that a lifetime's not too long to live as friends.'
I think the friendships we form in Christ with one another are indeed special, life-long, even eternal bonds. And seeing each other after a long time apart is wonderful. At Atonement, a banner hangs in the narthex which talks about 'making friends in Christ'. Let me encourage you to do just that this Sunday no matter what church you find yourself in. It is a bonus gift of God that you will be blessed by even on vacation years and years later.
Your Friend in Christ!
kp
For Sherri and I, vacation time is time to be with family. We especially love spending time with our boys whom we bribe to join us. Bribes include jet-skiing, zip-lining, golf and whatever food they want to eat. It's a week we enjoy so much and well worth the price. These days we don't get to see our four boys all at once very often.
So this past week we did all the normal vacation stuff- saw some shows, spent time on the lake, played miniature golf, shopped and did everything we could except rest and relax. That is what Sunday will be for.
Of all the things we did, maybe the most memorable was meeting old friends- two different families on the same day, people we don't get to see very often any more. And maybe visiting with two former Atonement pastors and their wives in Branson seems like an odd vacation activity but it was not odd at all- it was a great blessing.
Pete and Liz Ave-Lallament spent the afternoon at our rented house and we shared a thousand laughs as we sat at the kitchen table and recalled the old days along with my mom and dad. Then later in the evening we all shared a dinner with Ralph and Susie Guetersloh - with the added bonus of Bill and Lynn Mammel. In short, what a great day.
What a blessing it is to count your spiritual mentors as friends. It is truly one of God's richest blessings when your Pastor becomes a friend as well. I remember very well and with a smile how Chuck Easton sang 'Friends' on Pete and Liz's last service at Atonement. Part of the song proclaims (using only my fading memory):
'And a friend's a friend forever if the Lord's the Lord of them.'
'Though it's hard to let you go, in the Father's hands we know, that a lifetime's not too long to live as friends.'
I think the friendships we form in Christ with one another are indeed special, life-long, even eternal bonds. And seeing each other after a long time apart is wonderful. At Atonement, a banner hangs in the narthex which talks about 'making friends in Christ'. Let me encourage you to do just that this Sunday no matter what church you find yourself in. It is a bonus gift of God that you will be blessed by even on vacation years and years later.
Your Friend in Christ!
kp
Noah in 3-D
It finally happened, I got to see Noah! Noah the musical play that is. In Branson this past week it seemed like we were so busy that it wouldn't happen. Day after day went by and Noah wouldn't fit into our busy schedule. Then on the last day an afternoon opening turned into a wonderful experience- seeing Noah!
Maybe some of you have seen this play. If so you know how hard it will be for me to explain the sheer size of the stage and sets. The ark itself is a prop that weighs over 18,000 pounds. Animals of all sorts run into ark. The 2000 seat auditorium then becomes surrounded by the animals and cages as the audience sits inside the ark. Amazing really and way to hard to describe.
As the story unfolds, you realize just how much faith it must have taken to build an ark. Ever work for over 100 years on a project for God that brings you continual ridicule? Building an ark in the dessert did just that for Noah. Today 100 seconds of ridicule might be too much for us.
At the end of the play, the ark transforms into a very large cross and Jesus emerges to remind us of His words recorded in Matthew 24, "For the coming of the Son of Man will be just like the days of Noah. For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and they did not understand until the flood came and took them all away; so will the coming of the Son of Man be."
Lots of folks had an opportunity to get on the ark- some thought they might consider it in the future, some just declined the offer. Its a lot like today. Jesus is indeed our ark and we are headed for a final rainy day. Where will you be? On the ark (a risen King) or on the outside looking in?
I'm reading "Mere Christian", a book about the imact C.S. Lewis' writings had on people's lives. And one quote from Lewis' "The Personal Heresy" struck me as I thought about Noah- Lewis wrote, "I must look where the writer looks and not turn round to face him. I must make of him not a spectacle but a pair of spectacles." I realized that God is calling us to view our current world through Noah colored glasses.
Have you ever watched a 3-D movie without 3-D glasses? You can still see what's going on but everything is out of focus. When you put on the glasses not only does everything come into focus, but things surround you and pop out at you. What Lewis noted about books in general applies especially well to God's Word (and the story of Noah)- when you view the world through 3-D Bible glasses things come into focus!
What came into focus for me from Noah was that in his day life was godless and evil held sway all around him even as everyday life went on. My Noah 3-D glasses help me see we are living in the same kind of world today. The end is indeed near and the time is now to get on the ark. I was so busy I almost missed Noah- let's not be so busy we miss his message. Grab your glasses and let's go!
Blest Regards,
kp
Maybe some of you have seen this play. If so you know how hard it will be for me to explain the sheer size of the stage and sets. The ark itself is a prop that weighs over 18,000 pounds. Animals of all sorts run into ark. The 2000 seat auditorium then becomes surrounded by the animals and cages as the audience sits inside the ark. Amazing really and way to hard to describe.
As the story unfolds, you realize just how much faith it must have taken to build an ark. Ever work for over 100 years on a project for God that brings you continual ridicule? Building an ark in the dessert did just that for Noah. Today 100 seconds of ridicule might be too much for us.
At the end of the play, the ark transforms into a very large cross and Jesus emerges to remind us of His words recorded in Matthew 24, "For the coming of the Son of Man will be just like the days of Noah. For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and they did not understand until the flood came and took them all away; so will the coming of the Son of Man be."
Lots of folks had an opportunity to get on the ark- some thought they might consider it in the future, some just declined the offer. Its a lot like today. Jesus is indeed our ark and we are headed for a final rainy day. Where will you be? On the ark (a risen King) or on the outside looking in?
I'm reading "Mere Christian", a book about the imact C.S. Lewis' writings had on people's lives. And one quote from Lewis' "The Personal Heresy" struck me as I thought about Noah- Lewis wrote, "I must look where the writer looks and not turn round to face him. I must make of him not a spectacle but a pair of spectacles." I realized that God is calling us to view our current world through Noah colored glasses.
Have you ever watched a 3-D movie without 3-D glasses? You can still see what's going on but everything is out of focus. When you put on the glasses not only does everything come into focus, but things surround you and pop out at you. What Lewis noted about books in general applies especially well to God's Word (and the story of Noah)- when you view the world through 3-D Bible glasses things come into focus!
What came into focus for me from Noah was that in his day life was godless and evil held sway all around him even as everyday life went on. My Noah 3-D glasses help me see we are living in the same kind of world today. The end is indeed near and the time is now to get on the ark. I was so busy I almost missed Noah- let's not be so busy we miss his message. Grab your glasses and let's go!
Blest Regards,
kp
Friday, July 9, 2010
Feel Like Exulting?
Exult- now there's a word we don't see very often. One of those words you have a general idea of the meaning but not an exact meaning. Exult came up as my wife started a new blog which you can see at www.werejoice.blogspot.com. She's the better writer in the family so I recommend you take a look sometime.
Anyway, we were looking for a blog title when I asked her about her favorite Bible verses, Romans 5:3-5. The verses start with 'We Rejoice' which we concluded was a good title- at least to get things started. I really like the title because it speaks to a general attitude we try to have at our house.
Curious about 'we rejoice' I looked up the Greek translation because I'm kinda weird that way and found that the word translated 'rejoice' is 'Kauxwmai' - which doesn't mean much off the top to all us non-Greek scholars, but the commentary noted that it really means much more than 'rejoice', it means more like 'exult'. I didn't know 'exult' was bigger than 'rejoice' but you live and learn.
Turns out dictionary.com says 'exult' means 'to show or feel a lively or triumphant joy; rejoice exceedingly; be highly elated or jubilant'. The word history is from the Latin in the 1500's from 'ex' meaning 'out or up' and 'ultare' meaning 'leap'. What you get is a 'jump up' or 'jump for joy' meaning. We don't really jump for joy much anymore, but the Bible says we should.
And here is the strange part- do you know when we are to be more than rejoicers, when we are to be jumping for joy? In our trials and tribulations! Why? God tells us through Paul that 'tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope. Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.'
So the end gift of a trial is hope- a sure confidence in salvation. OK then, I get it, a sure confidence of God's greatest gift to us is indeed reason for celebration so let's exult, let's jump for joy! We need to learn from Luke and Logan my jumping grand-boys how to lead exulting lives.
We've had our share of trials at our house recently. We've been persevering. We're clinging to this promise for character and hope. I need to get a bit better at the jumping for joy part. I can do it, I know I can- who says 'white men can't jump' when God calls us to do just that?
I leave you with the Gospel according to the rock music group Van Halen - maybe they were considering Romans 5:3 when they wrote 'Jump'!
I get up, and nothing gets me down.
I like to jump. and then go round and round
And I know, just how it feels.
You've got to roll with the punches to get to what's real
Might as well jump. Jump !
Might as well jump.
Go ahead, jump. Jump !
Go ahead, jump.
Blest Regards to you my Jumping Friends,
kp
Anyway, we were looking for a blog title when I asked her about her favorite Bible verses, Romans 5:3-5. The verses start with 'We Rejoice' which we concluded was a good title- at least to get things started. I really like the title because it speaks to a general attitude we try to have at our house.
Curious about 'we rejoice' I looked up the Greek translation because I'm kinda weird that way and found that the word translated 'rejoice' is 'Kauxwmai' - which doesn't mean much off the top to all us non-Greek scholars, but the commentary noted that it really means much more than 'rejoice', it means more like 'exult'. I didn't know 'exult' was bigger than 'rejoice' but you live and learn.
Turns out dictionary.com says 'exult' means 'to show or feel a lively or triumphant joy; rejoice exceedingly; be highly elated or jubilant'. The word history is from the Latin in the 1500's from 'ex' meaning 'out or up' and 'ultare' meaning 'leap'. What you get is a 'jump up' or 'jump for joy' meaning. We don't really jump for joy much anymore, but the Bible says we should.
And here is the strange part- do you know when we are to be more than rejoicers, when we are to be jumping for joy? In our trials and tribulations! Why? God tells us through Paul that 'tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope. Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.'
So the end gift of a trial is hope- a sure confidence in salvation. OK then, I get it, a sure confidence of God's greatest gift to us is indeed reason for celebration so let's exult, let's jump for joy! We need to learn from Luke and Logan my jumping grand-boys how to lead exulting lives.
We've had our share of trials at our house recently. We've been persevering. We're clinging to this promise for character and hope. I need to get a bit better at the jumping for joy part. I can do it, I know I can- who says 'white men can't jump' when God calls us to do just that?
I leave you with the Gospel according to the rock music group Van Halen - maybe they were considering Romans 5:3 when they wrote 'Jump'!
I get up, and nothing gets me down.
I like to jump. and then go round and round
And I know, just how it feels.
You've got to roll with the punches to get to what's real
Might as well jump. Jump !
Might as well jump.
Go ahead, jump. Jump !
Go ahead, jump.
Blest Regards to you my Jumping Friends,
kp
In the Mood for Fast Food??
OK, I saw this on another blog this morning and thought it was pretty funny. Actually a pretty good song. I think it's worth a listen. Have a laugh and a great weekend!
Wednesday, July 7, 2010
Daisies Gone Wild!
It started as a fluke really- I had tomato plants that didn't get planted. As they sat in front of my house I walked by and quickly planted them in the front flower garden. They turned out to be tomato plants from the Amazon. They took over an entire section of my flowers and sprouted tomatoes like crazy. Four small plants produced so many giant tomatoes we couldn't give them away fast enough.
Fast forward a couple years to today. The entire garden has become a competition among plants to see who can grow the biggest. I don't know what's in the soil there but everything grows Texas sized in my front garden. The tomatoes are again showing off, the pumpkin plants are way out of control, jalapenos plants are showering us with peppers, the watermelons are making a run for the lawn and the daisies, well the daisies have gotten so big and so full they have enveloped my hanging plants.
Fast forward a couple years to today. The entire garden has become a competition among plants to see who can grow the biggest. I don't know what's in the soil there but everything grows Texas sized in my front garden. The tomatoes are again showing off, the pumpkin plants are way out of control, jalapenos plants are showering us with peppers, the watermelons are making a run for the lawn and the daisies, well the daisies have gotten so big and so full they have enveloped my hanging plants.
We kind of laugh about it now- how big everything seems to get in front of our house. Maybe its because I pick up the hose pretty regularly and make sure everyone has water, maybe its the perfect amount of morning and early afternoon sun followed by shade, maybe its the constant weeding I do, maybe there really is something special in the soil there.
And maybe, to draw the simple analogy, all these factors should impact our fruitfulness as well. Watered by baptism. Luther considered his baptism daily. Think that this daily baptismal watering had anything to do with his fruitfulness? And what about our time in the Son? Ever do that? Spend time in prayer or meditating on the Word? And what about weeding out the things in our life that choke out time for the things that really matter? How good are we at that?
I was raised in great soil- parents who loved me- still do I think. Raised in a church that taught the important things in life start with faith and grace and love, gifts from our God who gave us the fruit of salvation. We should all be growing like crazy in faith, but are we? We should be producing fruit one hundred fold- does that sound like us?
It's never to late to get after it and get growing, its okay to be a late bloomer and then produce fruit. We were planted here for just that reason. So bloom where you are planted, be a shining plant in God's great garden.
Won't be long till we have tomatoes galore at our house- hopefully with a watermelon or two and a few giant pumpkins. The fruit of the vine will be fun to harvest. In the meantime, it is fun to see our garden grow. Maybe God enjoys looking at His garden as well- planted in His soil let's do our best to produce fruit for Him. See you plants in the Son this Sunday!
Blest Regards,
kp
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