Story Sharing Circle

Marlene and I are planning to start a Story Sharing Circle this Fall at Fellowship Church, Holland, MI. Friends in West Michigan are invited to join this group that will meet to share life-related stories. The stories are written and spoken for the purpose of learning from each other’s journeys, experiencing community, and gaining spiritual insights that are connected to the Biblical story.

The format for each meetings includes the following components.
--Bible or inspirational story by facilitator or group member (5-10 minutes)
--One-on-one story sharing in answer to a question posed by the group facilitator (5-10 minutes)
--Reading or telling by one or two individuals of their story(ies) to the group (10-20 minutes)
--Affirming, encouraging, empathizing response by group members (5-10 minutes)
--Prayer by facilitator or group member

Participants have freedom to choose their own topics. Stories that are shared may cover any area of life-experience that the narrator is willing to share, from describing single events to reflecting on a life-journey to sharing spiritual convictions.

Examples of starter questions include:
--Memories that you would like to share about your family
--Work and education experiences
--A time when you felt especially powerful or powerless
--Innovations and inventions that have made the biggest impact on your life
--Difficult experiences you have had, and what you have learned from them
--Changes you have seen in churches over the years
--A deeply moving spiritual experience that you have had
--What you would like your children, grandchildren, and future generations to remember about you

The group will function according to these guidelines.
1. Everyone is asked to share a story with up to two people sharing at a single meeting. Anyone may delay sharing until they feel ready. Story content may range from lighthearted to serious and sobering.
2. Participants listen to one another’s stories deeply, empathetically, non-judgmentally, and respectfully. The intent is to accept, understand, and encourage; not to advise, fix, solve or direct.
3. What is said in the circle stays in the circle and will not be passed on to others without explicit permission.
4. Stories may be up to 20 minutes long. They are timed with a “one minute left” indication given to presentations approaching the time limit.
5. Stories are scheduled in advance, written for a specific meeting, and read aloud to the group.
6. After a story, one of the facilitators will coordinate a brief time of group affirmation, connectivity, and blessing.

Marlene and I have recently published our own stories. Burt’s are in a book entitled My Stories of a Road Less Traveled and Marlene’s book is Joy in the Journey. These were done through StoryWorth (storyworth.com), a web-based, life-story sharing site. Writing our stories has helped us realize afresh the many ways that our lives have been blessed and the unique ways that God’s grace has been experienced, often through the most unlikely events and individuals. We look forward to sharing some of our stories and enjoying the stories of others.

If you are in the West Michigan area and interested in participating in the upcoming meetings of the Story Sharing Circle, please contact me for specific information about meeting times and dates. I wonder if there may be interest by friends who are in locations outside of our area to participate in a Story Sharing Circle remotely through video conferencing by means of Zoom or Skype.

Blog: https://bloggerburt.blogspot.com/

Travel

One of our favorite books is by Dr. Seuss, Oh, the Places You’ll Go! The first page says, “You’re off to Great Places! You’re off and away!” We have had the privilege of being off and away to many great places and, Lord willing, we are hoping for more. Our travels usually fit into one of three main categories: overnight get-a-ways (e.g., Shipshewana), road trips (e.g., Route 66), and cruises (anywhere).

Last week’s get-a-way was to Shipshewana, Indiana where we stayed at the Blue Gate Inn. It is one of our favorites, with great breakfasts that include omelets to order and a full buffet. The hotel is next to the Blue Gate Performing Arts Center where we enjoyed a Mark Lowery concert.

This week I am thinking about and continuing to plan possible future travels. We make these plans tentatively and hang on to them loosely. I have as much fun planning as I do with the experiences themselves. So, if a trip does not work, it is okay because we have enjoyed the planning.

There are expressions or maxims related to travel that we have discovered over the years. For example, on a past cruise, the ship had floor mats in the elevators with sayings about travel. Here are some of them.

   Those that travel far know much.

   There are seven seas but infinite possibilities.

   It's not just where you look, it's what you see.

   A great voyage is a journey that never ends.

   Until you've traveled, you haven't lived.

   Even the shortest journey expands the world.

   Whatever you pack, there's always room for memories.

   Measure a journey by the friends you discover.

   No matter what happens, travel gives you a story to tell.

   The value of travel is the baggage you leave behind.

   You return from a trip, but not from a true journey.

Reflecting on the above sayings brings to mind Bible verses that are relevant for planning future journeys.

“The Lord himself will go before you. He will be with you; He will not leave you or forget you. Don’t be afraid and don’t worry” (Deuteronomy 31:8).

“Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path” Psalm 119:105).

“For He will command His angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways” (Psalm 91:11).

“The Lord will keep your going out and your coming in from this time forth and forevermore” (Psalm 121:8).

“If I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there your hand shall lead me, and your right hand shall hold me” (Psalm 139:9-10).

“So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God” (1 Corinthians 10:31).

Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit”— yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring… you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.” James 4:13-16

To all who are reading this post, whether new or seasoned travelers, I share the following blessing over you and your travels, often referred to as the “Irish Blessing.”

May the road rise up to meet you.
May the wind be always at your back.
May the sun shine warm upon your face;
the rains fall soft upon your fields, and until we meet again,
may God hold you in the palm of His hand.

Blog: https://bloggerburt.blogspot.com/

Evening Prayers

 

I intended to write just one blog about prayer. However, the response from my siblings to that blog has given me reason for further reflection. Roy commented about “someone” getting a detention in the Eastern Christian High School class of ‘65 for praying, “Lord, bless this bunch as we munch on our lunch."

Helen suggested that I write about a nighttime prayer that we said as children:

“Now I lay me down to sleep,
I pray the Lord my soul to keep.
If I should die before I wake,
I pray the Lord my soul to take.”

I remember praying this “Now I lay me…” prayer at bedside on my knees as a child. I wonder if children are still being taught this prayer. I am curious to know if there are adults who continue to use this prayer. I want to take a few moments to reflect on the prayer and the idea of ending the day with a prayer.

The prayer, “Now I lay me down to sleep…,” became popular after being included in the New England Primer. This was one of the first reading textbooks of the American colonies and was published at around 1690 AD. Other similar rhyming prayers are recorded in German and English literature in the early 1600’s and even as far back as 1100 AD.

The prayer appears to have emerged from Scripture and the context of the times. Psalm 4:8 is thought to be the basis for part of the prayer. “In peace I will lie down and sleep, for you alone, Lord, make me dwell in safety.” The time period when the prayer was written included a high infant mortality rate which provided a good reason for children, and their parents, to pray, “If I should die before I wake.” Even in the 1800’s, the child mortality rate was 462.9 per 1,000 or 46%. This is in dramatic contrast to the 2020 rate of seven deaths per thousand.

https://www.statista.com/statistics/1041693/united-states-all-time-child-mortality-rate/

Evening prayers have never been limited to children. There are examples of evening prayers (as well as morning prayers) throughout church history. These are formally referred to as Vespers, Evensong, or as a part of Liturgy of the Hours. Most of these are fairly long (long enough to put this feeble writer to sleep). Here are a few prayers, or excerpts of prayers.

Watch, O Lord, with those who wake, or watch, or weep tonight,
and give Your Angels and Saints charge over those who sleep.
Tend Your sick ones, O Lord Christ.
Rest Your weary ones.
Bless Your dying ones.
Soothe Your suffering ones.
Pity Your afflicted ones.
Shield Your joyous ones.
And all for Your love's sake. Amen.
A prayer of Augustine, 354-430 AD, https://www.beliefnet.com/prayers/catholic/bedtime/watch-o-lord.aspx

I adore You, my God, and I love You with all my heart. I thank you for having created me, for having made me a Christian, and for having preserved me this day. Pardon me for the evil I have done today. If I have done anything good, be pleased to accept it. Protect me while I take my rest and deliver me from all dangers. May your grace be always with me. Amen.  
A Catholic prayer, https://www.ourcatholicprayers.com/evening-prayers.html

I thank You, my heavenly Father, through Jesus Christ, Your dear Son, that You have graciously kept me this day; and I pray that You would forgive me all my sins where I have done wrong, and graciously keep me this night. For into Your hands I commend myself, my body and soul, and all things. Let Your holy angel be with me, that the evil foe may have no power over me. Amen.
A Lutheran prayer, https://catechism.cph.org/en/daily-prayers.html

Lord God,
Since Thou hast made the night for man to rest as Thou hast created the day for his work, I beseech Thee to give my body a restful night and to grant that my soul may be lifted up to Thee and my heart always filled with Thy love.
Teach me, O God, to entrust all my cares to Thee and constantly remember Thy mercy, so that my soul may enjoy spiritual rest…
Grant, O God, that just as now Thou hast hid all things in the shadows of the night, Thou wilt also bury my sins in Thy mercy, through Jesus Christ my Savior. Amen.”
A prayer of John Calvin, https://tollelege.net/2011/04/25/an-evening-prayer-by-john-calvin/

The above prayers, childhood and adult, include a variety of meditative ways to approach the night. My own pattern involves meditating on selected Bible passages before going to sleep and reflecting on memories of these verses when waking during the night. I currently am drawing from fourteen passages. The following are especially meaningful to me as a way of entering the hours of evening sleep.

Matthew 6:9-13, Luke 11:2-4, The Lord’s Prayer
Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come,
your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.
For yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.

Ephesians 3:16-21
I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord's holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge---that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. 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.

Hebrews 13:20-21
Now may the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, equip you with everything good for doing his will, and may he work in us what is pleasing to him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.

I close this post in wishing you eventide blessings. Whether you enter into the night with a simple, “Now I lay me down to sleep…” or a more theologically sophisticated prayer like that of Augustine saying, “Watch, O Lord, with those who wake, or watch, or weep tonight…;” I pray that…
“The Lord bless you and keep you;
the Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you;
the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace.”
Numbers 5:24-26

 

 

Prayer Before Meals

There is a unique prayer that caught my attention. We were watching the movie, Sister Act (1992), starring Whoopi Goldberg as Sister Mary Clarence. She prays, “Bless us, oh Lord, for these thine gifts which we are about to receive. And uh... yeh, Lord, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of no food, I shall fear no hunger. We want you to give us our day of daily bread. And to the republic for which it stands. By the powers vested in me, I pronounce us ready to eat. Amen.”

I come from a tradition of offering prayers before meals. As a child, we recited, “Dear Lord, bless this food and drink, for Jesus’ sake, Amen.” When in Bible college I learned that one of the reasons for offering thanks (or grace) before meals is because Jesus did so in the Gospels. In Matthew 14:19, for example, it says, “He gave thanks and broke the loaves.” And, in Matthew 26:26, we are told, “While they were eating, Jesus took bread, gave thanks, and broke it.” 

Marlene and I continue the practice of prayer before meals. We generally take turns praying. Whoever fixes the meal, offers the prayer. I admit that I am not always prepared or have not thought through what I am going to say in the prayer. This lack of preparedness has led me to seek out prayers-before-meals that are offered by different Christian groups and to learn from them. Following are representative prayers. Since these are prayers from the distant past, they use some terms that seem archaic today. These include Thy, Thee, Thou, givest, and openest. Most of the sources for these prayers are internet-based and are noted at the end of this post.

"Bless us, O Lord, and these, Thy gifts, which we are about to receive from Thy bounty. Through Christ, our Lord. Amen." (Preceded and followed by the Sign of the Cross.) Latin Catholic

"The eyes of all wait upon Thee, O Lord, and Thou givest them their meat in due season; Thou openest Thine hand and satisfies the desire of every living thing. Our Father... Lord God, Heavenly Father, bless us and these Thy gifts which we receive from Thy bountiful goodness, through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen." Luther's Blessing and Thanks at Meals

"Come, Lord Jesus, be our Guest, and let Thy/these gifts to us be blessed. Amen." Lutheran

"Be present at our table, Lord. Be here and everywhere adored. These mercies bless and grant that we may feast in fellowship with Thee. Amen." Methodist/Wesleyan

"Come, Lord Jesus, our Guest to be and bless these gifts bestowed by Thee. Amen" Moravian

"Come, Lord Jesus, be our Guest, let this food of ours be blessed. Amen." Australian (any denomination)

"For what we are about to receive, may the Lord make us truly thankful/grateful. Amen." Church of England

"Our Father, for this day, for our friends, for this food, we thank Thee. Amen." Used at some YMCA summer camps

"Gracious God, we have sinned against Thee and are unworthy of Thy mercy; pardon our sins, and bless these mercies for our use, and help us to eat and drink to Thy glory, for Christ’s sake. Amen." Presbyterian

“Almighty God, faithful Father, you have made the world and uphold it by your powerful Word. You provided Israel in the desert with food from on high. Also bless us, your humble servants, and renew our strength by these gifts, which, through our Lord Jesus Christ, we have received from your bountiful, fatherly hand. Give that we may use them in moderation. Help us to put them to use in a life devoted to you and your service, for we do acknowledge that you are our Father and the Source of all good things. Grant also that at all times we may long for the lasting food of your Word. May we so be nourished to everlasting life, which you have prepared for us by the precious blood of Jesus Christ, your Son, our Savior. In his name we pray. Amen.” Canadian and American Reformed

Based on the above, I have written my own prayer before a meal, and it looks like this:

“Bless us, Lord, and these the gifts that you have so generously and graciously given. May we show moderation in our eating and drinking and extravagance in our love and spiritual service. Forgive us our sins and help us to live with joy and thanksgiving through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.”

The above prayers are reminders of our dependence on God, his faithfulness to us, the many ways that he blesses his people, and that we are to give him glory and praise continually. I have enjoyed reflecting on the above prayers and hope that you have as well. May God help us to honor him with our prayers before meals.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grace_(prayer)

https://canrc.org/prayers/7/a-prayer-before-meals

 

Basic English Language Learning

 

B.E.L.L. was the name given to the program that Marlene and I developed for teaching a Basic English Language Learning. It was a ministry of LifeQuest Church to Vietnamese, Cambodian, Bhutanese, Hispanic and other employees of a company in Zeeland, Michigan called Integrated Fabric Resources. We have been asked to provide an overview of BELL for a group from another church. This blog is a summary of my part of the presentation.  

Most of the resources that we developed are available on the BELL web site and its companion site Bells and Whistles. https://sites.google.com/view/english-language-learning/home, https://sites.google.com/view/bellsandwhistles/supplemental-resources

The goal of BELL was to provide training, supervision, and resources for mentors who are helping beginning English language learners. BELL mentors established relationships and support, conducted informal assessments, and provided beginning English tutoring. It was not a formal English learning program. The amount of one-on-one time spent was about an hour a week; most participants did not do homework and outcomes were not measured.  

The remainder of this page summarizes resources that I (Burt Braunius) found especially helpful as an educator who is not a literacy specialist.

ABC English: Books One and Two: The abc English books can be used as primary textbooks in teaching basic English. The goal of these books is to have teachers and students systematically, page by page, work their way through the books at a comfortable pace. The Teacher’s Activity Guide: abc English gives creative ideas for teaching each page in the student book. The abc English books can also be used as a basis for assessing progress. https://www.teachabcenglish.com/book-1-activities.html

Relational Conversation discussion sheets: We used these along with questions and sentence completions to help connect with the lives of students. The idea is to learn about one another and find topics that mentors and students can enjoy discussing together.

These are examples of relational sentence stems regarding background and free time. (The discussion sheet is available through the provided link.)

 1. I am from...

 2. I work at...

 3. My family is made up of...

 4. I spend weekends... 

 5. My favorite TV program...

https://sites.google.com/view/english-language-learning/processes/planning

Southwest Adult Basic Education Project: This is an online program of Minnesota Adult Basic Education. It aims “to provide adults with educational opportunities to acquire and improve their literacy skills necessary to be self-sufficient and to participate effectively as productive workers, family members, and citizens.” The activities on this site provide multi-leveled stories to read together, along with pre-reading questions, definitions, and post-reading questions.  https://www.readingskills4today.com/level1

Two other areas seem especially important; i.e., developing a student’s personal dictionary and having a relevant way to document lessons (journaling or record keeping). The following links give examples of each of these. https://sites.google.com/view/english-language-learning/processes/planning

https://sites.google.com/view/bellsandwhistles/supplemental-resources

Additional support: Feel free to contact me. bbraunius@yahoo.com

A Wedding Prayer

Petra, our favorite granddaughter, was married this weekend to Daniel Gonzalez in the presence of family and friends at Fellowship Reformed Church, Holland, MI. The officiating pastors were Rev. Ross Dieleman and Petra’s mother, Rev. Lisa Braunius. The spiritually moving wedding ceremony included the couple partaking in communion together. Music was by members of the worship team from Daniel’s church.

A reception was held on the front lawn of Fellowship Church under three large white tents and with a bounce house for kids.  The granddads, Burt Braunius and Garrett Veld were asked to give an opening prayer at the reception. Following is the prayer.

Prayer

We pray for your blessing on Daniel and Petra as we celebrate their marriage with this wedding reception. May their reception of us as their guests, be reciprocated by our desires to receive Daniel and Petra into our hearts and lives throughout the journey of their life together.

As we fellowship and feast with them and with one another, may their lives and ours be guided and grounded in your Word. We pray that you would help Daniel and Petra, as well as us all, to live in commitment to these biblical truths.

• What God has joined together, let no one separate.
• Outdo one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves.
• Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.
• Let love and faithfulness never leave you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart. 
• Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.
• Be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you.
• In the words of Christ, "My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you."
• And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.

We also pray, Lord, that you would care abundantly for Daniel and Petra as is testified to in Psalm 23 where David writes, “I have all that I need” and “my cup overflows with blessings.”  We pray that you would provide them with enough:

·        enough goodness and grace to meet their daily needs, 

·        enough sunshine to brighten their days no matter how challenging they may be,

·        enough rain to bring refreshment and an appreciation of the sun,

·        enough joy to keep them celebrating each day of their shared journey,

·        enough good memories so they will not forget your blessings,

·        enough faith to endure difficulties,

·        enough hope to look forward to whatever the future may hold, and

·        enough love to sacrifice for one another as Christ gave of himself for the church.

 

We pray this benediction on Daniel and Petra.

Now may the God of peace… equip you with everything good for doing his will, and may he work in you what is pleasing to him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.

----------

We are blessed to see the faith and love of this couple. Being at such a wedding is not only witnessing the beginning of a new home and family, but also experiencing God’s faithfulness in being true to his covenant promises, building his church, and expanding his kingdom. Thank you, Lord!

(Scripture references: Mark 10:9, Romans 12:10, Ephesians 5:21, Proverbs 3:3,4, 1 Corinthians 13:4, Ephesians 4:32, John 15:12, Hebrews 13:20,21, Colossians 3:14)

 

Health Update

This is my first post since 2015. It is time for an update. 

For much of the time since then, up until about a year ago, I was dealing with one form of cancer or another, chemotherapies, or surgeries. As I write this, those issues seem to be behind me, and I feel myself to be in excellent health. . .

Though I am missing a big piece of my large intestine because of surgery for colon cancer. The doctor said I did not need that much intestine and I will not miss it. He also took out my appendix without telling me (as far as I can remember);

Though there was a malignant spot on my liver. The doctors removed it and said that the liver was not a bad organ from which to have a spot removed, since the liver is the only body part that regenerates itself. And, because it was difficult to get at the cancerous spot since it was behind the gallbladder, they removed the gallbladder saying, “You’ll never miss it;”

Though on two occasions, incisional hernias developed that required laparoscopic and open surgeries to insert mesh patches. The open surgery finally proved effective;

Though ureter cancer was discovered during a “routine” checkup, making it necessary to remove the right kidney and ureter. Afterward, the doctor said, “The remaining kidney is healthy. No need to change your lifestyle. One kidney is enough.” 

In summary, though within a six-year period I have been diagnosed with three kinds of cancer (this includes surgery for three episodes of basal cell carcinoma on my face) and had all or part of my colon, appendix, liver, gallbladder, kidney, and ureter removed, I feel myself to be in excellent health.

Navigating through the above health issues has reminded me of the "though" phrases in Psalm 46, verses 2-3:

“Though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea,

Though the waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging...”

These "thoughs" are preceded by the words, "God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore, we will not fear..."   And the "thoughs" are followed by, "The Lord almighty is with us... he says, 'be still and know that I am God.'"

As I begin posting occasional blogs, I want to give testimony to the goodness of Almighty God as my refuge, strength. I have learned not to fear and to be still. Thanks be to God!

Thanksgiving

This is the month when we celebrate Thanksgiving Day, and today for Marlene and me is a special day for giving thanks. We met with Dr. Batts, our oncologist, this morning for the results of my CT scan, which followed my final regimen of chemotherapy. His words included phrases like: “the scan showed nothing suspicious,” “there is no evidence of cancer,” and “the cancer is in remission.” We thank God for this good news and thank you for your prayers and other expressions of support.

The next steps are to get lab work done in three month intervals and have a CT scan in six months.

We share the following devotional from Charles Spurgeon (1834-1892) as an expression of our thanksgiving.

"I will praise thee, O Lord." 
Psalms 9:1

Praise should always follow answered prayer; as the mist of earth's gratitude rises when the sun of heaven's love warms the ground. Hath the Lord been gracious to thee, and inclined his ear to the voice of thy supplication? Then praise him as long as thou livest. Let the ripe fruit drop upon the fertile soil from which it drew its life. Deny not a song to him who hath answered thy prayer and given thee the desire of thy heart. To be silent over God's mercies is to incur the guilt of ingratitude; it is to act as basely as the nine lepers, who after they had been cured of their leprosy, returned not to give thanks unto the healing Lord. To forget to praise God is to refuse to benefit ourselves; for praise, like prayer, is one great means of promoting the growth of the spiritual life. It helps to remove our burdens, to excite our hope, to increase our faith.

It is a healthful and invigorating exercise which quickens the pulse of the believer, and nerves him for fresh enterprises in his Master's service. To bless God for mercies received is also the way to benefit our fellow-men; "the humble shall hear thereof and be glad." Others who have been in like circumstances shall take comfort if we can say, "Oh, magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt his name together; this poor man cried, and the Lord heard him." Weak hearts will be strengthened, and drooping saints will be revived as they listen to our "songs of deliverance." Their doubts and fears will be rebuked, as we teach and admonish one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs. They too shall "sing in the ways of the Lord" when they hear us magnify his holy name. Praise is the most heavenly of Christian duties. The angels pray not, but they cease not to praise both day and night; and the redeemed, clothed in white robes, with palm-branches in their hands, are never weary of singing the new song, "Worthy is the Lamb."

1) Psalm 34:2

2) Psalm 34:3, 6

3) Psalm 32:7

4) Psalm 138:5

5) Revelation 5:17

Blessings

I’ve been blessed by having two weeks off from chemotherapy treatments. And, they have been a great two weeks, especially the second week. There were very few side effects during the second week, only a little fatigue. During week two, we traveled to New Jersey for the wedding of our nephew Greg Braunius and to Chicago for a Commissioned Pastor Advisory Team meeting. In addition, my appetite has been good and I’ve been able to be active in some Church Leadership Center meetings and a variety of projects around the house.

While thankful for the blessings of travel and work, I’m especially blessed by a caring family, church, and medical community. Tomorrow begins what is planned to be the final three weeks of chemotherapy.  The chemo should be followed by a CT scan. Our hope is that the CT scan will show no evidence of cancer. I look forward to updating you in about four weeks.

The song “Blessings” by Laura Story has been good for me recently. The words are below. Click on the following link for the Youtube video. https://youtu.be/1CSVqHcdhXQ

We pray for blessings

We pray for peace

Comfort for family, protection while we sleep

We pray for healing, for prosperity

We pray for Your mighty hand to ease our suffering

All the while, You hear each spoken need

Yet love us way too much to give us lesser things

Cause what if Your blessings come through raindrops

What if Your healing comes through tears
What if a thousand sleepless nights 
Are what it takes to know You're near
What if trials of this life are Your mercies in disguise

We pray for wisdom

Your voice to hear

And we cry in anger when we cannot feel You near

We doubt Your goodness, we doubt Your love

As if every promise from Your Word is not enough

All the while, You hear each desperate plea

And long that we'd have faith to believe

Cause what if Your blessings come through raindrops

What if Your healing comes through tears

What if a thousand sleepless nights 

Are what it takes to know You're near

And what if trials of this life are Your mercies in disguise

When friends betray us

When darkness seems to win

We know the pain reminds this heart

That this is not, this is not our home

Cause what if Your blessings come through raindrops

What if Your healing comes through tears

And what if a thousand sleepless nights 

Are what it takes to know You're near

What if my greatest disappointments

Or the aching of this life

Is the revealing of a greater thirst this world can't satisfy

And what if trials of this life

The rain, the storms, the hardest nights

Are Your mercies in disguise

Next Steps: From Glory to Glory

We had a consultation with Dr. Batts yesterday. This followed a week in which I was receiving hydration and potassium infusions every day, either at the Cancer Center or Holland Hospital. Our conversation with Dr. Batts focused on next steps for my cancer treatment. Because I was only able to tolerate 3 of the 6 scheduled chemo treatments, the final two treatments have been cancelled.

We will now take two weeks off for recuperation before resuming treatments: 3 weeks on, 2 weeks off, 3 weeks on. That tentative schedule begins on September 8 and ends on October 26.

The doctor said that he feels that Burt's cancer was pretty aggressive, and without any further treatment it could easily recur. Hopefully, the next two weeks will result in increasing stamina and appetite, with lessening of the side effects of the latest chemo buildup.

That's the latest at this point in our journey. We continue to be grateful for the medical community and the faith community, who are our staunch companions on the way! In fact, the level of care that I have been receiving has caused me to focus on the biblical phrase, “from glory to glory” (2 Corinthians 3:18). The full Scripture verse reads, “But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.”

Being hooked up to IV bags, pumps, and heart monitors does not seem very glorious. But there is even a beauty to the experiences of this life. There is a glory to cleanliness, compassionate nurses and doctors, caring family and friends, and treatments that fight sickness, brokenness, and discomfort.

There is great hope in knowing that this glory of the present is a foundation and preparation for an even greater glory that is to come. Though we may struggle with some aspects of the present, join me in celebrating lives that are moving from glory to glory.

Moving Forward With Confidence

This is a brief update to my last blog. That blog talked about dealing with conflicting recommendations from our medical oncologists. We have decided to move forward with the course prescribed by our local oncologist, Dr. Batts. This will involve weekly chemotherapy infusions for six weeks, then two weeks off, and then six more weekly treatments.

Even though there are pros and cons for differing approaches, we proceed with confidence. Note however, our hope and confidence transcends that which is offered by the medical community. Following is my paraphrase of the writing of Thomas a Kempis on the topic of confidence.

In you, O Lord God, I place my whole hope and refuge; on you I rest my suffering and sorrow; for I find my life to be frail and fragile; however, I continue to hold on to you.  

Many have offered to help: loyal friends, caring councilors, and compassionate pastors. However, unless you assist, help, strengthen, counsel, instruct, and guard; everyone’s good intentions will fall far short.

You, O Lord, are the culmination of all that is good, the height of life, the depth of all that can be spoken. To hope in you is my strongest comfort. 

To you, therefore, I lift up my eyes; in you, the Father of mercies, do I put my trust. Protect and keep me from the dangers, difficulties, and diseases of this corruptible life. 

By your grace, direct me along the way of hope and peace in this life and in the journey toward being at home with you in the place of everlasting brightness and joy.

The Certainty of Uncertainty

Some may remember that today was our scheduled visit to the University of Michigan Cancer Center. We had appointments with two doctors. The first was with my surgeon, Dr. Nathan, for a one month surgery follow-up. The second was with Dr. Veenstra, a medical oncologist, to discuss chemotherapy options.

Dr. Nathan affirmed good progress with post-surgery healing. I can now drive, and I did so for most of the way home from Ann Arbor. I like being in the driver’s seat. It is necessary to wait the normal two more weeks before lifting objects over five pounds. In all areas of life, I like heavy lifting, and I look forward to the physical stuff.

Dr. Veenstra discussed chemotherapy options with us. She first reviewed the recommended approach of our Holland doctor, Dr. Batts. Then she laid out four different protocols and described the rationale for her own preference. Her approach seems more intense than that of Dr. Batts. Because of the differences between the two doctors, we need further discussion with Dr. Batts. I will update this blog after we meet with Dr. Batts on Monday.

Experiencing the differences between the two doctors has helped us to appreciate the importance of being able to live with uncertainty. The norm should be: accept uncertainty while being certain about who God is, who we are, and how we should live. There is strength for facing an uncertain future in the words of Jesus:

“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?

“And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own” (Matthew 6:25-34 [NIV]).

I Don’t Care !?!

I don’t care. There seem to be experiences, feelings, and thoughts about which, to a degree, I don’t care…. and yet, at the same time, to a degree, I do care. And, there are moments when caring and not caring appear to be present, side by side, overlapped, and paradoxically integrated. 

Before going further, the BIG news is that I was discharged from University of Michigan Hospital Cancer Center today. Whoo! Hoo! We left at around 11:30 AM and Marlene got us home by 2:30 PM. How sweet! 

While the surgery was major (liver resection and gall bladder removal), God was with us in so many ways, making this an amazingly successful process. I am still in the early stages of recovery and ask for your continued prayers dealing with nausea, fatigue, and the return of normal digestive functions. Thank you for caring about these things as Marlene and I continue on this journey. 

Now for a few thoughts about caring and not caring.

There were a couple of days when I felt so badly that I didn’t care that family members and work colleagues had driven three hours to visit me. I just wanted them to leave, and I told them so. How strange… not caring about the caring of caring family and friends. And yet, deep down, I did care but I couldn’t bring myself to accept their expressions of caring. Thank you, friends, for loving me in spite of my weakness.

Not caring, took on another face on Saturday night: this one was a beautiful and blessed surprise. I was walking the halls, doing my exercise laps. Off in the distance was the music of a group singing the hymn, “Great is Thy Faithfulness.” Was I imagining this? Was this the sound of Jesus calling me home? I had to know.

As I got closer to the music, it was coming from a patient’s room. About 10 individuals were squeezed in the room singing… nice looking people, men in suits and ties, women in finery. A young man (early 20’s) saw me, stepped out of the room, and said, “We sing to people. Would you like us to come and sing to you?” 

This hit me like a tsunami. Of course I’d love you to sing for me. (Is the Pope Catholic?). Moments later they were in my room, singing “Great is they Faithfulness” and having a word of prayer. I cried a little, sang a little, and praised God a lot. 

This is where the, “I don’t care” part comes in. On that Saturday night, I didn’t care about the denominational orientation of this group. Their historical, theological characteristics didn’t matter to me. All that mattered was that they loved Jesus and chose to minister to the sick through song and prayer. They were not like people in the churches that I’ve served and, you know, I don’t care.