Monday, 31 December 07
The year in review, and what a year it has been. Highlights include:
a trip to Moldova
a tumor recurrence
our son Andrew's high school graduation
the most hectic summer ever, including a trip to New York and a family reunion
band marching season in the fall
a trip to Ohio to see 100 P-51 Mustangs
uplifting visits with chemo people
the dismissal of the tumor, a five month activity celebrated by my coworkers producing a cake frosted with "Mr. Clean"
my father-in-law's quadruple bypass - he is doing very well!
removal of a basal cell carcinoma low grade skin cancer
being stung by a red wasp, yet with no major reaction (on this page)
pre-Christmas trip to Chicago with the band (on this page)
two Christmas eve services (on this page)
Christmas day at mom's (on this page)
44 new Zip Codes received by the Prayer Pager during the last six months of this year
And all of this seasoned with opportunities to provide a measure of encouragement and hope to others via phone calls, letters, email and in
person. And it is for this ministry of hope and the ultimate hope available in Christ that I remain here on this
earth, by the grace of God. I look forward to 2008 for additional opportunities to be of service, so that I might provide support to others,
even as so many people have been doing in a major way for me. I am now approaching the 4th anniversary of the tumor removal.
Headaches began on 08 Jan 04.
Tuesday, 25 December 07
Christmas 2007 at mom's home and another opportunity to reflect upon God's Gift of His only Son. The day was topped off with the drive back home, the kids affording Kathy and me a "Silent Night" as we all listened to Christmas Songs on 94.9 FM (KLTY) and 90.9 FM (KCBI). Both of these radio stations understand the need to keep Christ in Christmas.
Monday, 24 December 07
A nice Christmas Eve service at Cross Timbers Community Church in the early afternoon, and another Christmas Eve gathering at Denton Bible Church. Both very well done, both reminding us that Jesus is the reason for the season.
Friday, 21 December 07
A
cruise aboard the Spirit of Chicago while dancing to songs like "YMCA" and a celebration of the trip itself. I learned that
the band moms and band directors can cut quite a rug! We then headed to the airport, but our flights were fours hours late departing to
DF/W. We finally arrived back home at 4 am. Another long day at the end of a short, yet long trip, but an excursion I would gladly make
again if given the opportunity.
Thursday, 20 December 07
The Argyle Wind Ensemble performed today - sounded great - before a crowd of perhaps 2000 music educators from around the
world. It is not possible to convey how proud all we are of our children and how grateful we are to the Argyle ISD and band directors for
working so hard over the past few years to arrive at this point. You just sit there with your mouth open almost in disbelief.
After this,
we enjoyed a performance by the Blue Man Group. Three guys in blue doing crazy
things on stage and with the audience using marshmallows, cereal, spray pains, pvc drums, real drums, spray paint and other things. And
there is a band in the balcony above the stage as well. One of the blue men approached me during the performance and stuck a camera in my mouth. The image was projected on the theater's huge screen to a thunderous applause and laughter, including my own.
Wednesday, 19 December 07
The Argyle Wind Symphonic Band, along with quite a few band parents and family members, departed for the Midwest Clinic in
Chicago this morning (at 4 am!). This was a very long day, but great, knowing that the Midwest Clinic is a premier gathering that is by invitation only. Bands must apply and be accepted to come to this event. And the process to apply and re-apply is non-trivial. Hats off to Ms. Johnson and indeed all of the Argyle Band Directors for putting this together, along with the awesome support of the Band
Boosters.
Monday, 17 December 07
Our 24th wedding anniversary! I continue to be amazed at my bride Kathy. She has given birth to five children, owns her own business AquaKids, has attended all of my doctor's appointments, including MRIs and medical trips and puts up with me everyday. I'm looking forward to the next 24 years.
Friday, 14 December 07
Routine nurse's check today showed good CBC levels. I was a bit surprised that the Platelets dropped from one month ago.
Wednesday, 12 December 07
Many thanks to Mrs. Baird's for their Merry Christmas pastry wrappers. Substitute greetings are inferior and may be even an attempt to place commerce over the eternal. So congratulations to Mrs. Baird's for maintaining the proper greeting for this time of year.
Monday, 10 December 07
Brain surgery today for a good friend - a person I just met, but it is as if we have known each other for decades, for we are brothers in Christ and brothers fighting brain tumors. Bill came through surgery with flying colors, while I visited with his mom and wife. An interesting blend of people spanning the globe, from Finland to Canada to Massachusetts to San Salvador to Maryland to Texas.
Saturday, 08 December 07
This is a historic day, for I was stung by a red wasp on my left index finger while cleaning out one of the pool skimmers. My finger swelled and hurt a bit, but the significance is that this is the first time I have been hit by a red wasp or black wasp since the 5th grade. At that time, I went into something of a shock and had to be rushed to the hospital. Follow up sensitivity tests showed no allergic threat from honey bees, bumble bees, yellow jackets and other flying insects, but extreme sensivity to red and black wasps. Over the years, I have been stung by a variety of pests such as these, but today marks the first time that a wasp has found me. I went to the doctor and received a decadon steriod shot in the rumpus to halt and reduce the swelling. Other follow on meds remain, but the good news is that I did not react nearly as severly today as I did at school camp as an 11 year old boy in 1968. So this ended up being a good thing, not one of my favorite things (...when the dog bites, when the bee stings...), but it did demonstrate a reduced vulnerability to this menace.
Friday, 07 December 07
Pearl Harbor plus 66 years. On behalf of all Americans, I extend my sincere thanks to all of the brave men and women in our armed forces then and now.
Thursday, 06 December 07
The pathology report indicates that the "basal cell carcinoma" located on my right jawline was indeed "completely excised" during the procedure performed one week ago. "The lateral margins and base are free of neoplasm." There are additional interesting words in the report, such as "there is an ulceration from a previous procedure as well as aggregates of basaloid cells embedded in a fibromucinous stroma." All of this simply means that Dr. Perez got all of the skin cancer. He took a margin of tissue around the cancer when he removed it from my face, and this margin was found to be cancer-free. The basal cell mass was measured to be 20x13x3 mm. This is all good news and I thank the Lord for this report.
Sunday, 02 December 07
One of our cats managed to break a ceramic angel, so I aim to restore the angel as best as I can using a super glue. Along with this comes the obligatory attachment of the forefinger and thumb to multiple pieces of the broken angel, due to the use of excessive super glue applied to small pieces. As I proceeded, I thought about how the Lord has been reassembling me since the brain tumor was discovered in January 2004.
And especially at this time of year, as I ponder the birth of Christ (e.g. Christmas), I reflect upon how the Son, being God Himself, came to the earth that He created to show the way to God the Father. We are convinced and convicted of these truths by God the Holy Spirit, who provides believers with the gift of faith. Jesus points the way home, like a navigational aid. He is the pearl of great price, more precious than all of the jewels and valuables this world has to offer. Truly He is the Golden Compass in the truest sense of the phrase.
Saturday, 01 December 07
Today is the day to wrestle the tree down from the attic, see if the lights are still functional and then hang dozens of ornaments on it, especially those from the Frosty Friends series. Please note that the object contemplated is not a:
Holiday Tree
Holiday Living Tree
Holiday Accent Tree
Holiday Winter Tree
Family Tree
Seasons Greetings Tree
Winter Break Tree
...but rather a Christmas tree. It is high time that we put Christ back in Christmas. Hats off to retailers who are not afraid to use Christmas in advertising literature and on their websites. May the Lord bless their declaration that Jesus is the reason for the season.
