Home again

Got home from Cleveland late last Wednesday the 16th. Physically, I had probably my worst day on Thursday. Nausea from the chemo resulted in not being able to keep anything in my stomach but, Praise God, I was able to keep a little bit of water down and able to keep my pill regiment in my system when I needed to take medication for pain, etc. Praise God as well for the fact that I was able to make my Thursday afternoon appointment at the St. Rita’s ambulatory care to get my important Neulasta (sp?) shot which is designed to increase my white cell production a week or so down the line when it drops due to chemo. Friday wasn’t much better but I was able to get just a little oatmeal and cereal down without throwing up as well as the water which is vital to make sure I don’t get dehydrated. Saturday was better and I stayed up until the 3rd quarter of the University of Cincinnati/Oregon State game (DVR’ing the rest to watch at 4:00 a.m. in the morning). Yesterday, Sunday, was more normal as I got up and around more and enjoyed the Bengal’s win at Lambeau. Today, Monday, I feel great.
I hope you all know how encouraging the cards and letters have been. I also appreciate the prayers and support from my colleagues at Apollo. The physical goal of being home is to get stronger in preparation for the treatments which lie ahead – the next of which is planned for Cleveland again October 5-7. Spiritually, God is awesome and remains so. I’m going through John MacArthur’s series on James and am challenged and encouraged daily. Yesterday in his sermon, MacArthur took us to Jeremiah 48:11

"‍Moab has been at ease from his youth :He has settled on his dregs, And has not been emptied from vessel to vessel, Nor has he gone into captivity. Therefore his taste remained in him, And his scent has not changed.

The "dregs" mentioned in this verse refer to the sediment left over in the wine making process that settled to the bottom of the wineskins. Obviously good wine does not contain these sediments so the wine making process also included a process by which the wine was continually transferred from one wineskin to another. Each pouring would separate more and more dregs until the final result, after repeated transfers, was wine without the dregs. The Prophet Jeremiah is comparing this process to remove the dregs to the trials God uses in one’s life to remove personal, or in this case, national "dregs". Specifically here, Moab as a nation had not had to endure trials. Their life had been "at ease" for a long time, not having to endure captivity, etc. The result being that the dregs had not been removed and Moab’s "taste" and "scent" had not changed. In other words, sin had not been removed and remained as a negative "taste" and "scent". All of us accumulate "dregs" and frankly, if our lives are without trial and suffering, we’re pretty content about letting those dregs not only exist but accumulate. What a wonderful Savior we have though! He doesn’t want us to have dregs and the negative taste and scent that is the result of dregs in our lives. He provides to us trials as opportunities to have these dregs removed. God is definitely continuing to address these dregs in our lives and Kim and I praise Him for these opportunities. I can definitely relate to the fact that when my life has been relatively "at ease" as Moab’s was, frankly, I don’t spend a lot of time addressing and removing those dregs. Trials, and specifically this current one, is God’s crash course of dregs removal. Please keep us in your prayers as God addresses these sins in our lives as Kim and I pray and hope as well that our brothers and sisters in Christ are addressing and removing them in yours.

In His Love,

Rob