7/18/2013 update

alright, alright.  it's been, once again, WAY too long since our last update so now I've been encouraged (i.e. "shamed") by a good friend of mine who shall remain nameless (craig h*ll) to write an update.  this nameless (craig h*ll) person also called me out publically via e-mail but, in all honesty, I appreciate very much that at least this nameless person (craig h*ll) cares enough about me to want information.  When I last left you I had been released from having to stay close to the Cleveland Clinic and have been at home since.  I received the okay at the 100 day mark after the transplant to go back to teaching as my strength allowed and was back at school in mid April.  As usual, the staff and leadership at Apollo were very kind and helpful, encouraging me to take time off as needed and helping me get my feet back on the ground.  I didn't go back to the classroom since we knew I'd be missing some days but spent my time in our Assessment Center where I tutored kids in a variety of subjects.  I averaged probably 1 1/2 days off per week and was able to finish out the year.  It was tiring but doable.  Our summer starting in June has been spent mostly resting.  I've been weaned off my morning and evening doses of morphine and that has helped my stamina greatly.  For the first 4-5 weeks of summer I was sleeping ALOT during the day as well as getting a good night's sleep at night.  Since reducing my morphine dose (I still take immediate action morphine when needed), I've been able to stay up most days and have gotten into a better routine.  We've been up to the Cleveland Clinic every 4 weeks or so for blood work and consultation with my doctors.  So far, there have been no surprises and I seem to be progressing according to schedule.  Kim and I have gotten to the point of realizing that I probably will never be completely and irreversibly cured of this disease but we are grateful for the present season of having some form of "normalcy" in our lives.

More importantly, I've been able to begin teaching Sunday School again.  I'm currently teaching the book of James and am blessed with the time I've been able to spend in the Word preparing and with my class on Sunday mornings.  My class is SUCH a blessing to me!  They actively participate by asking question and giving input as we study the Word.  My "style" is what it's always been when teaching the Bible:  look at the text first digging deeper and deeper to understand the meaning of the verses in the context of when they were written and who they were written to and then progressing into personal application.  A question we ask ourselves each week is "What do we do with this on Thursday?"  In other words, how are we going to apply what God is/has taught us, what are we going to put off and put on, replacing unrighteous thoughts and actions with righteous ones, and what is God up to in our lives as He gives us understanding and application of the text.  We remind ourselves to:

^22 But ^ybe doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. ^23 For ^zif anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror; ^24 for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was. ^25 But ^ahe who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, ^bthis one will be blessed in what he does.

 

y Matt. 7:21–28; Luke 6:46–49; [Rom. 2:13; James 1:22–25; 2:14–20]

z Luke 6:47

a [John 8:32; Rom. 8:2; 2 Cor. 3:17]; Gal. 2:4; 6:2; James 2:12; 1 Pet. 2:16

b John 13:17

The New King James Version. 1996, c1982 (Jas 1:22). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.

 

God bless everyone.  If we have the privilege of your prayers, I remind you that our desire is that you not focus on my physical needs but that you pray for God to help us seek out the sin He wants to address in our lives and replace it with His thoughts, words and acts.  THAT is what Kim and I both continue to rely on God for and we are comforted by the fact that He has, is and will provide all we need.  We don't know what God's will is for my physical life (or for the lives of any of us for that matter) but we do know that His will is that this trial be used in our lives to bring about growth.  We also continue to be reminded that this growth does not come from simply going through our trial but through obedience.  Please pray that God would help us obey in all situations.

 

In Love,

 

Rob