Yesterday, we had a great youth service in the morning and a very nice candlelight service at night. It is so good to see my church family and attend church. God has been so good to me. I am at about 50 days shooting for 100 days to get my full strength back. Actually, I am weeks ahead of schedule. Praise God.
I’m a free man
I just got back from the doctor. All my blood work was so good that I don’t have to go back for a whole month. In addition to that, I got my PIC line out. That means that I don’t have to cover up a line in my arm every time I take a shower. Also I don’t have to flush the lines everyday and I don’t have that line in my arm reminding me that I am fighting cancer. Praise God. Also I don’t have to have an blood work done for a month. No shots, needles for a month. Praise God.
Day 33
Well, I am a third of the way back to normal or day 100. Yesterday felt farther away from normal than that. Most days involve tiredness but I am improving. I am so thankful for being home. Hopefully, I will be able to do more in a few days. I am thankful for all your prayers. Pastor Bob
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The Lazy Chair
Many people have a favorite place that they sit in the living room. In my house it is this new fancy couch that my wife bought. It reclines and oozes around you making sleep a high probability with a near comatose state more likely. In fact the chair is designed so that escape from the chair requires maximum effort thus discouraging one from doing so.
So why am I bringing this up. During my recovery my energy level hasn’t been very high and I find myself getting tired easily and often I end up in the evil recliner and then my day is over. I can’t get out of the chair. I’m done. Nothing else productive gets done.
So what does that mean to you and me? I learned that to overcome the lazy chair, I have to avoid the lazy chair. I don’t give the chair a chance to stop me in my tracks. But your lazy chair may be different than mine. Think of a lazy chair as anything that keeps you from keeping the Lord first place in your life. It is anything that gets you off track with God. It could be staying up late playing video games on Saturday night so that Sunday you can’t get out of bed to go to church. It could be staying up and watching a TV program so that you don’t get up 30 min. early to do your devotion before work. Each of us have to look at our lives to examine where we are and what is holding us back.
I hope you’ll take a look. Pastor Bob
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Day 27- More of the same
I always have big plans. I constantly write lists about things that I want to accomplish everyday. My plans have been shattered this year. Everything was put on hold with my cancer. But I regrouped and keep pastoring and working on my degree. Then the stem cell procedure came up but I planned to accomplish so much when off work. Unfortunately, it hasn’t worked out that way. Each day I am amazed at how little I can accomplish in a day because of lack of energy. Today is no exception. I got up, did my devotion, took a shower and took 2 hour naps. Just no energy. But what is wonderful is that I know that God is still in control. My plans are not necessarily God’s plans. I just have to trust my future to God. He will see me through. So when things don’t go the way you expect, trust God to see you through. Pastor Bob
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Day 25
God demonstrates His love everyday to me but sometimes I overlook it. My recovery remains ahead of schedule and the doctor is happy with my progress. My energy level is improving, my appetite is coming back, my eyes are getting better so I can read, and my brain is starting to work again. Thank the Lord.
I still expected to be in the hospital now but I have enjoyed being home for over a week. Praise God. The temptation is to try to do too much too soon. Continue to pray. God is good. Pastor Bob
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Day 22
With all the hoopla about Black Friday and Cyber Monday it is hard to focus on Thanksgiving. I choose to be thankful this year. I am thankful for my family. My wife has had so much pressure on her with me fighting cancer. She is my rock.
I am thankful for my church. They have lifted me up. Not only my own church but the body of Christ in general has lifted me up. I am thankful for all the cards and phone calls.
I am thankful to live in a free country. I am thankful to be able to worship freely. Everyone can’t do that.
There are so many things to be thankful for but one last thing. I am thankful for my health. I can move around on my own and I am not in the hospital. There are so many aspects of my health that are great. Thanks God for all you have done for me.
Let’s be thankful. God bless you and have a great Thanksgiving Day. Pastor Bob
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Day 21
The Apostle Paul writes to the Corinthian church about so many different issues. One major issues was believers’ involvement in sexual immorality. Paul writes, “We must not put Christ to the test, as some of them did and were destroyed by serpents, nor grumble, as some of them did and were destroyed by the Destoryer.” (1 Cor. 10:9 ESV)
Certainly most would agree that sexual immorality is wrong but how many of us place grumbling in the same breath as a terrible sin. But God does. When we grumble we are complaining about God’s provision instead of being thankful. We need to be thankful. That doesn’t mean that everything goes your way, but you learn to praise God in the midst of the difficulty. That’s what I am trying to do everyday. Be thankful. Pastor Bob
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Day 20- God has a plan
I woke up early as I have a tendency to do since my time in the hospital. I get up and spend time with the Lord. From my time with the Lord, I have a thought for today. The Apostle Paul writes in Ephesians 3:20–21 (NIV), “Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.”
God wants to do more with us than we can imagine. Now I have a pretty vivid imagination and can dream up some pretty wild stuff. Ask my wife. But God wants to do more with us than we can imagine. We haven’t even though up the stuff that God wants to do with us.
The very next chapter, the Apostle Paul writes about the body of Christ and how God wants to build up the body of Christ so that it is strong and in unity. The body of Christ is you and me. God wants us to strong in our faith and understanding so that we aren’t side- tracked by false doctrine. You don’t have to look far today to see false doctrine. When we are in unity with our faith solid in the Lord, watch out. God can do more than we even imagine. I’m looking forward to seeing what God is going to do in my life and yours. God bless. Pastor Bob
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Day 19
What a great day. I am on day 19, shooting for day 100. At day 100, I should start on a maintenance drug program to keep the cancer in check. My strength is slowing coming back. God is so good. Thanks for all your prayers. Pastor Bob
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Pastor Bob 