Just numbers

These numbers are an answer to Dad's prayers.
This is why his doctor wanted him in the Clinic ASAP on Friday.
White Blood Cell count
Tuesday - 127,000
Wednesday 0ver 200,000
Cleveland Clinic Friday – 240,000
Gave him chemo pills Friday night. Sat. night liquid chemo started
Sunday afternoon 74,000
Today 13,000
Should be between 9,000 and 11,000
I should have more to say but right now I can't think of much. He is feeling pretty good right now, which is normal. It is after the chemo when he will start feeling bad. I want to see him tomorrow before he starts feeling bad.
I will try and keep people updated as much as I can.
Dad and Mom had a surprise visitor from Matt Varnum, or should I say PASTOR Matt Varnum today. He drove down from Michigan to see them and it made Dad's day. Dad loves seeing people and Matt was kind enough to make the effort even though he knew he wouldn't be able to stay for too long. Matt and the whole Varnum family, I can't tell you what it meant to my parents to see Matt coming walking in to see Dad. I don't think they realize how much they mean to people and when those said people show them how much they care, they are totally overwhelmed.
I am going to stop now before I walk myself down the road that leads to tears. Hope you all have a good night!

The latest

Well, we were all up at the Clinic yesterday and we had a good time visiting with each other in the hotel room. Doug and I took some food up which was able to provide lunch and supper for the whole crew. We also took it in stages to visit with Dad. He was tired and I think overwhelmed by all the changes and how quickly that all happened. He had his surgery to put the hickman catheter in yesterday around lunch time. There was a slight complication of them not being able to get the bleeding stopped from the catheter but it was taken care of quickly and we praise God for answered prayer. It has been a concern for a few days that Dad could start bleeding internally or externally and that would have spelled major trouble fro him. Because of his low blood counts he could have easliy bled out. Not what anyone wanted. When we got in to see Dad, he had us pray about the bleeding that was occuring and a few minutes later a surgeon came in and mixed some medicine which she put directly on the the spot that was bleeding and then added an extra stich or two. We all filed back in after that procedure was done to find Dad crying over answered prayer. It was awesome to see it happen so fast. Sometimes it is so hard to expect things like that and to see God work quickly and to ease Dad's mind was powerful.
The updates I have heard today are that Dad had the best night sleep he has had in a long time. He woke up feeling pretty good. He had a nose bleed in the night but only from the air being so dry in the hospital. They fixed that by adding moisture to his Oxygen. He had a decent breakfast and slept most of the day away. He is on a medication that is both a painkiller and a sleep aid or something like that so he really is doing well. He was a little upset about something going on in the bed next to him for a while. Something about them giving the man too much pain medication and Dad was worried that they were giving him too much mdeication as well buy the nurse was able to get him calmed down and back into bed. He was snoozing when Mom called the nurses station to check on him.
Melody and Joe headed back to their home today but Ed and Tina and Marc and Elizabeth are able to stay for a while. It will be nice to see them through out the week.
My children have been dealing with sinus infections so we have kept them away from the other kids. Now that they are on antibiotics, they should be able to get to spend a little time with their cousins and Aunts and Uncles.
I am going to try and find a picture to post soon. I know it has been a while but it was more important to get the information out.
I would like to ask you all to pray specifically for two things. First that Dad's sister would be a bone marrow match for Dad. If that doesn't work out, they have to go into the donor banks and then finding a match becomes much harder. Also in order for Dad to receive the transplant, he has to be in remission for 6 months, or so they say. These two things are so important right now. Please pray, believing, for these two things. Aunt Carol goes tomorrow or Tuesday to get her testing done. It will probably be a few weeks before we hear and the waiting is going to be hard. None of us are good at that.
There are computers in the lobby on Dad's floor that he might be able to get on, or maybe mom can do it for him and he might be able to do some updating himself. It is all going to depend on how he is feeling. This chemo is going to be more intense then the chemo before so the side effects may kick in sooner then before too.
Not much else to add. Again, thank you for your prayers. They mean more to us then you could ever know!

Hospital Address

Stephan Curtis
Cleveland Clinic Foundation

17325 Euclid Ave
Cleveland, OH 44112

i think this is the correct address if you want to send Dad cards and notes. If I find out differently, I will post the change.

Blood Marrow Donation Information

Blood marrow donation is much different than blood donation, rather than just needing to match blood type, a donor and patient must have matching tissue types. Less than 30% of those needing blood marrow can find a match within their family, instead they must seek a donation form a stranger. As near as I can tell, there is no way to specify that you wish to be tested to donate to just one individual. Therefore, if you are interested in becoming a donor, your information would be added to the National database and you would be contacted if anyone needed your life-saving gift. I have added links to left of this post which give you more information on being tested and added to the list. The top link, is a pdf (you may need this free pdf reader) which will explain the whole donation procedure and what can be expected. The second link is contact information for getting tested. You must also meet certain requirements listed here.

Thank you all for your continued prayers and the interest many of you have shown in learning more about becoming donors.

Dad's info

Good morning all. I just got off the phone with Mom. Dad wasn't in his room this morning when she tried to call. He was supposed to get another bone marrow biopsy this morning. His room number is G70-05. His phone number is (216)444-1304
This may be the last update until tonight or tomorrow. I am not sure what I will hear between now and the time when we leave to go visit Dad and the family.
Mom and Dad were told last night that Dad had to be in remission for 6 months before they can do the bone marrow transplant. That was different than what we had heard before so please be praying for clarity of thought and good information. Good decisions to be made as well.
Thank you!!!!

Still nothing much to report

Good morning. I talked to Mom just after I posted the last update last night. It was 11:30 when she called. The first thing they were told when they were taken to an ER room was that their phone would cost them $3 a day and it would be charged to their home phone number. Not how are you feeling or anything like that. Mom got a kick out of that. Anyway, she was able to use her calling card to call me because she was afraid I hadn't heard from anyone else. Silly Momma. She should have known that I wont be ignored or forgotten. If I don't hear from people, then people hear from me.
They were waiting for a room to open up when she called. Actually, they were told that a room was available but it was taking forever for them to come and get Dad and take him to it. They were hungry since they hadn't eaten since lunch but were told that the food up stairs was better then the food int he ER so they should wait.
All the kids are in Ohio now. Ed and and his family were sleeping at Mom and Dad last night and then heading up. Marc and his family were going to stay with Meloday and her family in the hotel room they had gotten. Mom, if she ever left the hospital was going to stay with Aunt Carol and Uncle Roger at the same hotel where Melody and Marc were staying.
I kept the phone by me all night in case they called but since no one did call, I expect to hear soon. If I don't, then I will start calling people.
You can be sure that I will post info as soon as I hear it!
Thanks for praying!

Not much to say

It is 10:30 and Dad was still in the ER and the Drs. were still doing tests. Because Dad wasn't showing many symptoms it sounded as if they might try and send him home. I know, I know! He has leukemia and he needs treatment so I am not sure how they are going to handle that.
When I get a call that tells me what is going on, I will post it on the blog. It may not be until tomorrow morning though. I am so sorry for the lack of information. Please continue to pray. Things need to go smoothly and quickly!!!!!!

Here it is so far

Okay,
So, Dad made the decision to go ahead with the chemo and to try for the transplant. He went to the St. Elizabeth's ER to be admitted and start Chemo. His oncologist was no where to be found. they sent Dad home. His family doctor told him that if he was going to do this, to get to Cleveland Clinic ASAP! They are on their way NOW!!! This changes many plans for the weekend. We don't know much more then that right now. I will be updating as much ,and as soon as, we know things!
Please be praying. Just starting the chemo doesn't mean certain success. The chemo might not get his cancer into remission or they might still have trouble finding a marrow match. There are so many things that play into this. Prayer for God's will is so important right now. Trust me when I say that if we need anything, we will ask. We know where everyone is and the many things available to us.
I need to get going. Please write here on the blog or emails directly to me. dandhchandler@sbcglobal.net Thank you so much for your love and care and prayers and support!

Some new information

Well, I am sure that the last post from Dad was a shock to all of you. You can imagine how we as a family are feeling. It is hard but we know that he is saved and we will see him again when we get to heaven.

There has been a small development that you can all pray about. We have a friend who is a doctor in Kansas who is in, if not this same field, then something closely related. She wrote some e-mail and called Mom and Dad today giving us some information and her opinions about the things the doctor told Daddy about his chances with the option of the bone marrow biopsy. She made some phone calls and inquiries and passed on information to us about the Medical teaching Hospital in Cleveland. She gave us a name and number of a specific doctor. After talking to Dad about it, they decided to make the phone calls to get the ball rolling on this option -- the option being, going into the hospital for a bone marrow transplant. We still need some answers before Dad makes the final decision. I tell you this not necessarily to give you hope, although I am sure it will do that, but to give you information so you can pray more accurately.

Dad was feeling really good yesterday but this morning he woke up feeling pretty bad. Since then he has received a hospital bed and an Oxygen machine that he has had on for the past few hours. We can see a difference already and Dad has admitted that he does feel a little better.

The whole family will be at Mom and Dad's this weekend so a blog update probably won’t happen until later in the week.

Thank you for your continuous prayers.

Blog Notes 2/21/07

Dear Family and Friends,
Well, this is the note you did not want to hear. The oncologist met us at about 3pm this afternoon. He sat down and his demeanor was serious. He told us that the leukemia had relapsed (came back) and that we had basically two choices. The first was to go home. After a few minutes of silence we asked about the second option. The second option is to do chemo every other day for three days, and then look for a bone marrow transplant. He said that finding a bone marrow transplant is like the odds of winning the lottery. We also would have trouble paying, and the transplant hospital would not take us unless we have insurance or medicaid. We applied for medicaid last December but we were told that it will take 4-5 months at least. With all the hassle involved we have decided to just go home and let theLord take care of the situation. When we asked about a time period the doctor said "WEEKS". So, we have a lot to do in the next several weeks to get "things" ready for my "Departure". By the way, that is what Peter calls it in the first chapter of his first letter (exodus-the way out). Furthermore, I liked the sound of "going home". For the believer in Christ, departing this life IS going home. If we have learned anything from the time we trusted Jesus as our Saviour, it should be that everything we do on this earth should point to the day we step into heaven. One of the other things that takes place while we are living our "normal" lives is that we sometimes speak glibly of death and dying. Not so for those who know that that day is approaching rapidly. I can tell you candidly that in the last several days I have faced the possibility of dying, and dying soon. I have read over and over again the verses that speak about the believer's home going. It has been a great comfort to me. One of the other aspects of this situation that Janice and I have already talked about has to do with the idea that some of us can actually plan for the day of our home going. Many people die in situations where they are taken by surprise and have no opportunity to get their lives in order, say goodbye to family and friends, plan their own funeral, etc. I will not go off tonight leaving you with the impression that I have no butterflies about this, because I do. I do not deal well with pain, andso I am concerned with that aspect of the process. I would like very much to be a good testimony to my Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ in the manner of my "departure". You can help by asking the Lord to give me grace for this area of the process. Janice and I will also be doing some planning relative to the future, both for the funeral, and afterward. My one real heartache in all of this is leaving her behind. We will be doing what we can to make certain that she is taken care of as best we can. We have some insurance, but certainly not the kind that would leave her in the "green". Without going into details, she'll be alright for awhile. I am trusting that many of the friends who said they will help will help, especially with the things that a guy would do around the house. Lastly, I expect to do this blog note as long as I am up to it. You will know when I "turn the corner" when Heidi gets back on the web site. That will be all for tonight. All our love to you.
In His care,
Steve and Janice

He is doing a little better

I talked to Dad about an hour ago. He was eating his lunch. He had a good night sleep thanks to a sleep aid from the nurse. He was still tired though and he was going to take a nap after lunch. Mom was there with him and he had already had a visit from one of the pastors in their church.
I guess the heart Dr. was in very early this morning. Mom was there by 7:15 and he had already come and gone. He thinks that Dad might be in just to get some more blood. They may keep him in order to do the Chemo that was coming up but it will probably be late afternoon before we hear anything from the oncologist. I will let you know when I hear anything. They are still waiting to hear whether they qualify for Medicaid so a good prayer request is that the process will be speeded up on their behalf.
That's all for now!

Contact information for Dad

Hello all,
Dad is in the same room he was in before so that means his contact info is the same but just for a refresher his room number is 8412 and his phone number is (330)480-8412.
They went to the ER to be admitted and so there was a long wait. They shared a cubicle with a little boy who was strapped down on a papoose board. The doctors were working on his face where he had gotten bit by a dog. Needless to say, it was loud. Dad said he was really feeling pretty good, aside from his legs being rather weak and he was very tired. I guess he hasn't been sleeping good for a week. Mom too was tired because she hadn't gotten much sleep for the past three days.
The urge to jump in the car and go is HUGE right now but we still only have one car. This is a temporary condition as the dealership is working on our "new" van. I am hoping to have it back today or tomorrow.
If all is going well with Dad and my children are over their colds, I may make a trip out to PA or it may be a trip down to Mom and Dad's at the end of the week. Dad is pretty upset about this set back, as I am sure you can all imagine. Prayer to get thru this next phase would be much appreciated. We aren't sure yet what the next phase will be and I think that is causing a lot of the anxiety Dad is feeling.
He would still enjoy hearing from you. The e-mail is janice.m3@juno.com or sjcphotos@juno.com. You can also still post comments on this site and I will pass them along. If you aren't sure how to do that, go to the end of a post and look for the word "comments". You will see a small pencil icon. If you click on it, a screen should come up where you can type a message.
We know God has a plan and we are trusting in Him right now. I am thankful that they caught it before it got any worse.
I will repeat my father's closing comments and say Thank you for all your prayers!

Blog notes 2/20/07

Dear Family and Friends,
Well, the answer came much quicker than we thought.  There was a
message waiting for us at home from the oncologist's office informing us that
the counts were so low that he wants me back in the hospital immediately.
Certainly not the message we wanted to hear.
Actually the tests went quickly.  The bone marrow test and the CT-scan
were both in the same room on the same machine.  We were late with the
first one but when I asked the tech what time it was AFTER the second
one we were actually ahead of time.
   We have no idea what this all means.  I have a suspicion that the bone
marrow transplant is inevitable, but we have no insurance for it at
present.  We have to be on medicaid, and even though we applied quite
awhile ago, they said it would take months to be enrolled.
I really do not know what to tell you at this time.  You know that I
asked you to pray that the Lord will give me grace to get through this
time.  I would also ask for prayer for Janice as this will be difficult
for her.  Our lives are in His hands.
   For the next few days(weeks?) Heidi will be doing the blog since I have
no access to a computer in the hospital.
We will need your prayers more than ever now.
In His care,
Steve and Janice

Blog Notes 2/19/07

Dear Family and Friends,
Today's activities were longer than planned. The doctor's appointment went well. He was very encouraging about my situation. He did order a CT-scan for tomorrow which is set in exactly the same room or area that my bone marrow test is also taking place. The issue will be whether or not the pain medication from the bone marrow procedure will interfere with the dye that will be used in the CT-scan. We can always put off the CT-scan to another day. I am going to let you all help me with a real issue that I am facing. Most who know me might think that I am a pretty laid back person. However, there are things that really bother me. I am susceptible to panic attacks of various types. For instance, while attending the wedding of a friend in the reception room which was far too small for the number of people, I happened to glance up and notice the exit sign on the other side of the room. My imagination immediately whipped into gear and saw a fire break out, and the resulting difficulty in getting all of those people out of the building. All of a sudden my heart was racing and I was having difficulty getting my breath. After a few minutes of very energetic mental gymnastics, I was able to calm down and enjoy the rest of the evening. I am also considerably claustrophobic which could have contributed to the problem. Having said all that, I want you to know that the issue of the bone marrow biopsy and the possible need of a bone marrow transplant has my nervous system on edge. I have actually put myself into situations where the adrenaline flows freely: like standing on third base wanting desperately to steal home( I tried twice and was out both times); or,standing on a three meter diving board thinking about attempting a halfgainer for the first time. After several failed attempts I finally did it. While I was in Bible school I was challenged to go to a particular mission field which was described as the most difficult in the world, mentally. I went into my room, got down on my knees, and told the Lord that I felt I had a strong mind and body and if He wanted me to go there I would. The rest is history. And I now feel that I would not have done much better than the 21 missionaries that left that field, most due to mental issues. Also, for those of you who know me, know also that I can quote all those verses that apply to this situation. Phil.4, I Pet.5, Matt.6, Jn.14, etc.For all the years behind me I have never really seriously thought of asking someone, or some ones, to pray for me. Perhaps that is one of the issues that I needed to learn from this entire experience. At any rate, I am asking for prayer. Not that God would change the situation, but that He would give me grace to have the peace that passes understanding, as Paul talks about in Phil.4:6,7. I want very much to be a testimony to Jesus' love and grace and faithfulness throughout my time of testing .Knowing that you are praying in that direction will help very much. In fact, just telling you this has helped immensely. I believe James talks about "Confess your faults one to another..." So...here I am, in need of your help. I will keep you posted as to outcome of the testing. The doctor appointment for that is not until Monday the 26th of Feb., or unless he calls sooner. I have one final note for you this time. All good!!! We have been informed by the parents involved that my son Ed, and his wife Tina are expecting in October. And the little story that goes along with it says that while they (Ed and Tina) were discussing the subject, in a way that would keep the news from their daughter, Melanie, that she piped up and said"Baby?!!" Leave it to kids!!! I will say it once more: Thank you so much for your prayers and cards.
In His care,
Steve and Janice

Reminder from Heidi

I just wanted to re-post Dad's e-mail address. I don't remember when I posted it the first time but I am sure it was back in December. Here it is. SJCphotos@juno.com Mom's is janice.m3@juno.com Please feel free to drop them a note. Dad enjoys hearing from people. Especially since he can't really see anyone right now. I know Dad thanks you for your notes and cards, but I want to thank you too. It means the world to him and to us too to know so many people care.
Stay warm!

Blog Notes 2/16/07

Dear Family and Friends,
Well, the activity part of our day is over. I said the other day that wewould travel to see Mom and Dad Maynard(Janice's parents) today. And wedid. Actually we began by going by the eyeglass place to pick out a pair ofglasses.they only had one choice with the kind of ear piece and nose piece that Ilike. Not much different from what I have. Then to the fabric store to get some fabric for a project Janice wasasked to do. Next was the UPS outlet to mail a package. For technicalreasons they could not help us, and said that FED-EX couldn't either. So,off we went to USPS and a long wait. Then lunch at Subway(we ate in thecar), and finally the trip to Geauga county. We stayed at Mom and Dad'sabout 30 minutes. On our way home we stopped at a friends house(whowasn't home) and then home after another stop at Giant Eagle. While I wasat Mom and Dad's I stood most of the time and kept my contamination maskon. They wanted me to sit but I explained that I had been sitting foralmost 4 hours in the car and would like a change. Janice and I were bothglad to be home. It was a good outing for me, even though I did a lot ofsitting. I should be ready for sleeping tonight. I have had troubledropping off at the beginning. Once I have gotten to sleep I'm OK. Today is the first day I have not felt better than the day before. I hopeit is just the sleep thing. I'll ask you to continue praying that the bone marrow test goes well onTuesday. Thanks for all the cards and prayers.
In His care,
Steve and Jan

Blog Notes 2/15/07

Dear Family and Friends,
Well, we managed to get to and from the doctors office without incident
this morning. Some of our streets are still slippery in spots, but not
near as bad as some made it out to be. I'm going to sound like an old
fogy(sp?) but when I was a kid, living in Geauga county, it seems to me
that we had several snow storms that dumped upwards of 8-10" of snow
each year. The people doing the roads DID them, with little or no salt, and
we were just fine. I know its been a little colder than normal,
but....anyway, thats my thought for the day.
The doctor was encouraging about the hemoglobin count saying that the
count will take awhile to come up since they(hospital people) took so
much out of me. I am still a little nervous about the bone marrow test.
That will be the one to tell the truth about whether or not I am back
to normal. I also have those three chemo treatments to get through, so I
would appreciate your prayers in that regard.
Since I have been driving, and since I am allowed a bit more freedom,
Janice and I are going to take a short trip to see her Mom and Dad. We
should be gone about four hours and will probably do lunch in the car
either going or coming.
One more time I will say thank you for your prayers and cards. Knowing
that you care does mean so much!
In His care,
Steve and Jan

Blog Notes 2/12/07

Dear Friends and Family,
Well, Janice and I went to the oncologist today and the signals are mixed. The white blood cell count is up where it is supposed to be at this point, the platelet count is good, but the hemoglobin is down slightly. The doctor gave no reason for that. Janice asked if it had to do with my diet and he gave an emphatic"NO!" So, tomorrow or Wednesday I will under go another bone marrow test to see if it is producing properly.I will tell you that I am a little nervous about it because of the hemoglobin results today. I feel better than I have since long before I went to the hospital. I am not back to normal yet but all things considered, I feel great. I would ask you to pray that the bone marrow test yields positive results. The doctor has hinted (on occasion) at atransplant operation, which would be very expensive and done at one of two Cleveland hospitals. I would also have to have medicaid in force if they would even take me. We applied back in December but they told us it would take 4-6 months to be approved. The doctor said I can have visitors now, although I would like to control that for a while. He also said that I am not neutrapenic anymore which means that I can have fresh fruits and veggies again. YEAHHHH!!!I am still pretty much confined to the house. Janice has let me drive several times recently, and that has helped. I do not need to wear my surgical mask anymore for susceptibility purposes. Also, on a lighter note, the other day I noticed that my bald head was not cold even though I was not wearing my usual green(with a shamrock) stocking-ski hat. I have worn it to bed regularly up until last Saturday. I'm doing income taxes today and we will not be as far off as we have been the past several years (Praise the Lord!). Only the Lord knows why. Thanks for listening to me ramble on. Again, we appreciate so very much, your prayers and cards. Thank you so much.
In His care,

Steve and Janice

Blog Notes 2/9/07

Dear Family and Friends,
Today is a special day for my sister, Carol, and me. 48 years ago (can it really be that long ago?) our father passed away. I like to try to remember by calling her (which I did) and just reminiscing a bit. It was a Monday, a little on the cold side when I came home via a neighbor who had been asked to get me by my mother. Mom met me at the door to tell me my father was "gone". That week was very difficult to say the least. I was15, almost 16 when he died, so it was a very influential event in my life. Fortunately, a minister came to our little church who became my"father" image and mentor. It was a big help. As for these days, Janice actually let me drive yesterday and today. We went on short trips and I was able to get the feel of it again. Sort of like riding a bike: once you know how, etc. Heidi was here today as well. She had a hair appointment with a friend, and then stayed for awhile to help Janice with her hair. Her visit was the first long visit from anyone since I came home. I still have to be very careful about "catching" stuff. And emotionally, psychologically, I still get tired rather quickly. I have an appointment with the oncologist next Monday afternoon, and another with the lung specialist on the 20th. I feel very good righ tnow, and I am sleeping very well. I am off the antibiotics so I am a little nervous about where my immune system is. That is why I am being careful. Again, thanks so much for your prayers and cards. And I thank and praise the Lord for His daily provision of grace and mercy.
In His care,
Steve and Janice

Blog notes

Dear Family and Friends,

This note shouldn't be too long since there was not much going on today. I finished the last of my antibiotics this morning. Hopefully I can stay healthy until my next chemo treatment. I spent most of my day at my desk doing some work on IIPet.1 and IICor.5. It was interesting and the time went fairly well. I have also started a book which critiques a book on Evolution. I just wanted to see how my analysis measured up. Janice and I went to the bank and the store this afternoon. It is always good to get out, but I reminded Janice that when I am in the car I am strapped in which is even more confining than the house. So, I play mind games. We are having the cold weather like a lot of you, and we are very thankful that so far we haven't had any serious problems. I have a water pipe that comes in through a room that is without heat in the basement. I have always been concerned that it would freeze. So, we are leaving one door open to that particular room, and the door into the rest of the basement closed. So far so good. We have heard of several places which have not done so well. Please know that your prayers and cards are very much appreciated. We both look forward to seeing you all sometime this summer.

In His care,
Steve and Janice

From Heidi

Just so you know, Dad is writing me e-mails and having me post them for him. However because their computer is older and they don't have a very recent version of Juno or whatever, I can't always get the e-mails to copy correctly. They have all needed some maintenance but this last one has been giving me fits. I have given up, hence the very strange way it came out on the blog. Sorry.

Note from Daddy

Dear Family and Friends,
2-5-07 8:30pm
Janice took me to the oncology doctor today.

They took a sample of my blood and then we saw the doc. He is a short

man from India, Dr.Garg by name, and is well known for his work in the field

of cancer in the area. He also is well liked by those who work with him.

At any rate, basically he said that all the blood numbers are good(going up),

and that he would see me in another week. He wanted to know, and,

of course I told him, that I was feeling good and that all my systems

were working properly. At least they seem to be. My weight is down

some, even from when I was in the hospital. I am trying
to eat as much as possible but I get full quickly. We also talked about
the maintenance chemo treatment I will be getting at the end of the

month. I should be back in the hospital for 7-10 days again. We shall see.
Most of my time at home is spent at my desk, either reading or
studying. I am working on a series which would teach one message

from each book in the Bible except Genesis, and I'm just about finished

with the second of five in Genesis. It is an important book because it lays

the foundation for everything in the Bible. If you do not believe the first twelve
chapters in Genesis, you will not believe much else of importance in
the Bible. Please continue to pray for me as the assault from the flesh and the
Devil continues. Worry and anxiety are thrown my way often. I want to
be faithful, but sometimes its hard. The Lord reminded me of His faithfulness

when I found the verse in Psalms,"What time I am afraid I will trust in Thee."
56:3. Ps.55:22. "Cast thy burden upon the Lord and He shall sustain thee; He
shall never suffer the righteous to be moved." And, lastly
Ps.57:1B."yea,an the shadow of thy wings will I make my refuge, until these
calamities be past." I did watch the Superbowl, and for what it is worth, the

team I was rooting for lost. I like to root for the underdog, and I like to see

a team win. There is no doubt in my mind that Peyton Manning was the MVP.

And he also carried his offense, even though he did all he could to say it was a
team win. If the quarterbacks had been evenly matched, the score would have
been different. Oh, well! The cold weather here continues to keep people indoors.

I remind myself of that as I look outside. The sun has

been nice at the back door, but I can feel the cold air coming off the

window. One last thought: we made application for Medic-aid some

weeks ago. The approval has not come though and we've been told

that it takes along time(4-6) months. We will need it soon to pay some

bills, and perhaps in the near future for some other "stuff". Please pray

that the Lord would intervene and that the approval would come through

in a timely fashion. Thanks again so much for your prayers and cards.

We do appreciate the encouragement.
In His care,
Steve and Janice

Blog Notes

Dear Family and Friends,
Today is the best I have felt since I have come home. That does not mean I'm out of the woods yet, but it does mean that I am making progress.There are times when I am feeling the "cabin fever". And I would like to be able to sleep better. I try to stay up from early afternoon so that I am sleepy when it is bedtime. Also, to be brutally honest, there are mind games going on that really tax my faith. The Lord gave me a promise the other day to combat my fears:"What time I am afraid, I will trust in Thee", Ps.56:3. I have also given myself a second spiritual project. The first has been one of my "exercises unto godliness", and that is to read the Bible through in a year. With all the time I have I'm quite a ways ahead. The second project is to finish a lesson on each of the books of the Bible, including 5 in Genesis, since it is so foundational to our faith. I finished the outline for the first in Genesis today. It is probably the most difficult since it had to deal with evolution and how the Bible deals with the subject. These lessons, or messages, will be designed for use in regular church services, either AM, PM, or a study time.
Janice took me out for a ride today. We took some of the back roads to see the countryside. It was quite sunny when we started, and since I was feeling good, we decided to stop at Wal-Mart. When we finally got back the weather had changed to blustery, overcast, and cold. I have a doctor's appointment on Monday. That should tell us a lot, and I will be sure to pass on the info to you. We also have a neat football game this weekend. Since I have to be home I will see it in its entirety. BUT, I will not miss out on the spiritual exercise that WOULD be church if I was going to be there. I owe the Lord ....Thanks so much for your prayers and cards. Your care for us at this time means so much.
In His care,
Steve and Jan

Blog-Today

( A picture of Daddy and me. We were celebrating Christmas with the Miller's in Akron. The kind of friends you call family!)

Dear Family and Friends,

Again, many thanks for your prayers and cards. We do covet your prayers especially for God's work in our hearts to give joy and praise during this time. There are some who take the scriptures out of context and turn them into a healing/ positive attitude message, when, in fact there is abundant evidence for the Lord to take His own through the difficulties of various kinds of illnesses. Do we believe the Lord heals? Absolutely!!! But the scriptures are rife with instances of using medicinal forms of healing over a period of time. Granted the medicine was not the same kind as we use, but seemed to work just the same. And they were not just ceremonial! Furthermore, there are two words in the NT for healing. We get our English word therapy from the first one. It seems to be used frequently for the over-time healing, and the use of hands. It is also likely that God's name "Jehovah-rapha" (the Lord that healeth thee) is an early ancestor. The second is difficult to show in English, but I shall try. It would look like this-IAOMAI- and would be pronounced - he-ah-o-my. This word is most often used when referring to instantaneous healings. Jesus replaced an ear, stopped a flow of blood, and gave eyesight in this manner. The larger problem has to do with the "faith" of the person to be healed. There are still some individuals, who, in the name of Christianity, try to perform "healings" for the purpose of gathering crowds. This note is not written for the purpose of denigrating their character. The problem was, and still is, that quite frequently, if the candidate for healing did not"heal", then the healer would pronounce the individual as not having enough "faith"!! A sort of "heads I win, tails you lose" attitude. There are enough instances of Jesus healing someone without this kind of faith that it is unnecessary to reproduce them here. It is enough to say that many of God's dear people have been tricked into thinking its "their fault". Without dealing with any others, we only need go to the last four chapters of II Corinthians to realize that the Apostle Paul perhaps had several physical maladies which not only did not get "cured", but that he actually gloried in the problem because, as he said, " Most gladly therefore, will I glory in my infirmities that the power of Christ may rest upon me!" I hope this little treatise might have been helpful to someone. I received a note to the contrary and wanted to set the record straight, at least for me. Again, thanks for your prayers. I will not tell you I am enjoying this experience, but, I will tell you that I am getting to know the Lord better!!! And that's the important thing. I believe that He is working in my body so that I will have a measure of my strength back eventually.Only He really knows.

In His care,

Steve and Janice