Thankfulness - Day 196

Today is Thanksgiving Day.

Today is the Day
the Lord has made
Let us rejoice
and be glad in it

Today was yesterday
Today is tomorrow
Everyday is the Day
the Lord has made
Let us give thanks
Let us be grateful
Let us look forward
toward the Lord
Keep us always aware
of Him who will guide us
along the path
He has for us.
(c) Cathy Orrick Luders
11.26.2015

Among requests in this morning's prayer time was that Jim would stop getting smaller. He doesn't think he is losing weight, however, his waist size is decreasing and he doesn't want to "waste away to nothing." Before his surgery, he wore 33 x 36 pants and large sweaters; now he wears 32 x 36 or 32 x 34, and depending on the cut, sometimes 31 x 34, and medium sweaters.

Jim still has occasional episodes of dizziness and shortness of breath, but nothing like it was.

Last night, Wednesday, we had Thanksgiving Eve services at Wilton Baptist. It was a good drive down even though the traffic was quite heavy on I-380 and I-80. There was and is much to be thankful for.

Jim has been working on his Christmas sermons. This coming Lord's Day, he will begin advent messages. The first message, on Nov. 29, has to do with prophecies. We enjoy our ministry with Wilton Baptist and hope the Lord will allow us to continue there, at the very minimum, through Christmas.

In a short while, we will travel to Waterloo and have Thanksgiving dinner with Jim's sister, Dianne, who lives in Ankeny, and their aunt, Effie, who lives at Friendship Village. We are looking forward to the visit and hope to play a game of Scrabble before returning home.

Since last writing, we've had our first run-in with snow. Jim got gas for the snow blower and it actually started after a few tries. The heavy wet snow began Friday night, Nov. 20, and stopped late morning on Saturday. He used the snowblower and the shovel on Saturday and was overly tired afterward.

Saturday night we had our family over - Rocky, Christina, Austin and James, for a Thanksgiving gathering - turkey, dressing, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, green bean casserole, scalloped corn, pumpkin pie, homemade potato rolls. All good. All filling.

Sunday morning, Nov. 22, the roads here were good. The roads and sidewalks in Wilton were not cleared, so ice was in many places. I had the day off from work, so we had lunch with Eric and Kathy in Wilton. It was good food -  Jim ate everything he ordered and even a piece of cherry pie - and a good visit.
 

Other things - Day 187

There really isn't anything healthwise to report re: Jim - he is better, the heart monitor will be returned by week's end, the only time he is short of breath is when he has over-exerted himself.
But there are other things, so I thought I'd share them.

We determined we were going to have our annual Christmas Open House this year no matter what. It is set now ... we have most invitations sent out and are working on decorating in and out. It is coming along much better in than out, because the weather is not very cooperative. We do have our outdoor nativity up, however.

We enjoy ministering to the people of Wilton Baptist. The 60.1-mile trip to and from seems to take less time the longer we serve there. We don't know how long we will remain there. Earlier this year after Jim had had his surgery, we talked about being willing to go wherever the Lord sent us. He sent us to United Federated in Lisbon for three weeks in August and then returned us to Wilton Baptist, where we have been since Aug. 30.

The church is searching for a fulltime bi-vocational pastor. Jim was called to be its interim pastor Sept. 27. For the past 3 to 4 weeks, we have considered applying for the open position.

It wasn't until today, Jim felt a tugging from the Lord.  Of the several devotionals he reads, it was from Oswald Chambers'  "My Utmost for His Highest" that he thought God had given him an answer.
I have included it here in its entirety:

"By Myself have I sworn, with the Lord, for because thou has done this thing ... that in blessing I will bless thee..." Genesis 22:15-19

Abraham had reached the place where he is in touch with the very nature of God, he understands now the Reality of God. 

"My goal is God Himself ...
At any cost, dear Lord, by any road." 

"At any cost, by any road" means nothing self-chosen in the way God brings us to the goal.

There is no possibility of questioning when God speaks if He speaks to His own nature in me; prompt obedience is the only result. When Jesus says - "Come," I simply come; when He says - "Let go," I let go; when He says-"Trust in God in this matter," I do trust. The whole working out is the evidence that the nature of God is in me.

God's revelation of Himself to me is determined by my character, not by God's character.

"'Tis because I am mean,
Thy ways so oft look mean to me."

By the discipline of obedience I get to the place where Abraham was and I see Who God is. I never have a real God until I have come face to face with Him in Jesus Christ, then I know that "in all the world, my God, there is none but Thee, there is not but Thee."

The promises of God are of no value to us until by obedience we understand the nature of God. We read some things in the Bible three hundred and sixty-five times and they mean nothing to us, then all of a sudden we see what God means, because in some particular we have obeyed God, and instantly His nature is opened up. "All the promises of God in Him are yea, and in Him Amen." The "yea" must be born of obedience; when by the obedience of our lives we say "Amen" to a promise, then that promise is ours.

 We spent the afternoon in Wilton. Today we learned the pastor search committee has invited a man to come in view of a call. He will be preaching Dec. 6. Today Jim shared he was interested in the position.

So it is up to God, as it always is. His will be done.

We covet your prayers for His will, not anyone's wishes, but simply His will.

Updates - Day 183

We'll start with Wednesday, Nov. 4 - Jim had his infected tooth that was diagnosed Nov. 2 removed this morning. Has had no problems with it since.

The following Wednesday, Nov. 11 - Jim had a CT scan of his chest, followed by a 3-month followup visit (even though it has been 6 months since the cancer surgery) with Dr. Parekh at UIHC. Results of the CT scan were good - no apparent reoccuring cancer. That is a blessing. His blood pressure is improving - 97/52. He is to return in 6 months and after that, yearly visits.

Today, Nov. 12 - he had an endoscopy to see how the ulcer was healing. Dr. Gerke said it was not healing, and it may never heal, but he was not overly concerned about it. It's not bleeding either, and as long as it stays that way, good. Perhaps this is what you call an inactive ulcer? He recommends Jim stay on 40 mg of Pantoprazole, once a day, to help it heal.  

Appointments - Day 174

The first of many appointments today was a visit with his primary care physician, Dr. Todd Butler. Weight is 128.6 pounds with clothes on. Blood pressure is 70/46. Jim's plan of action to reduce the frequency of taking Midodrine was curtailed by Dr. Butler, who said he really needs to be taking it three times a daily so it will last all day and raise his blood pressure. Otherwise the medicine only lasts a few hours and is of little benefit. Results of blood work drawn indicated his thyroid is fine and he is a little anemic.

The consultation with his dentist, Dr. John McGrane, resulted in an appointment Wednesday morning at 11:10 to remove the infected tooth. Then, on Tuesday, Nov. 17, at 11 a.m., he will have two fillings repaired.  

Another infected tooth - Day 173

Today, Monday, Nov. 2, Jim had a dental appointment. There was no indication it would be anything but normal, but something was wrong when the hour appointment stretched into 1 1/2 hours. When he returned home, he said he had another infected tooth - upper right this time. Jim said they took 21
x-rays. The tooth needs to come out soon, so we are having a consultation with Dr. McGrane at 2 p.m. Tuesday to determine exactly what to do and when to do it. Another expense.

We spent a good share of the day in Wilton, where we visited with Ron and Jim had an interview with a reporter from the weekly newspaper, Wilton-Durant Advocate News.

Last Tuesday, Oct. 27, Jim had a colonoscopy. He had one tiny polyp, which Dr. Gerke removed. He is to return in 5 years.

He has reduced the frequency of taking the Midodrine (which raises his blood pressure) from three 1/2 tabs daily to one 1/2 tab. He thought the medicine was causing a decrease in potty flow. It appears this plan has helped as the BP has remained good, with no dizziness, and potty flow has increased.

In addition to the 3-month clinic visit with Dr. Parekh on Nov. 11, Jim is scheduled to have an endoscopy Nov. 12 to see how the ulcer is healing.