"So, what do you think? With God on our side like this, how can we loose? If God didn't hesitate to put everything on the line for us, embracing our condition and exposing himself to the worst by sending his own Son, is there anything else he wouldn't gladly and freely do for us?" Romans 8:31ff The Message.

Eugene Peterson has blessed us immensely with his rendering of the New Testament in contemporary English. I especially like his paraphrase of Romans 8. A few weeks back, I got up early and read Romans 8 out of the Message, spent some good time in prayer and I remember having a sense of peace all day long. Many things out of the chapter spoke to me that day. I was reminded that our bodies are temporary. One day God will give us new, eternal, spiritual bodies. We will have a glorious body that will not be affected by cancer or any other disease. Our struggle with all that is fallen will be over. In addition, we will inhabit a "new heaven and earth" and will reign with our Lord forever. I was reminded that our life here is a mere preparation for the next. While this life is hard, seemingly unbearable at times, the next life will be as God intends. It was also encouraging as I thought about the extent to which God was willing to go to re-establish a relationship with us. The passage states, "God did not hesitate to put everything on the line for us...". The cross forever answers the question, "Does God really love us?" The phrase, however that spoke most powerfully to me that morning was, "With God on our side...how can we loose." Part of the human condition is our mortality. We like to think we will live forever but hidden somewhere in the edges of our minds is the nagging thought that one day we will die. As we age, or as we are faced with a life threatening disease that thought moves from the periphery to the center of our thinking. Quite honestly, I never had to think much about that possibility. However, all that changed on May 13th, the night of Cindy's surgery. When you hear the word "cancer" suddenly you are faced with some pretty stark possibilities. Your mind begins to ponder things you had never before even considered. And yet Paul is absolutely right. For the Christian, we can't loose. If God allows us to live, we live for Christ. If God calls us home, we get to live with Christ. For now, I will live for Christ but I know one day, I will pass from this life to the next and I will see Jesus in all his resurrected glory. For those of us in Christ we will hear him say, "Well done." That is what sustains me today.

This week is another chemo week. On Thursday in addition to the two drugs Cindy normally receives, she will also get a new drug that is designed to stop any potential spread of her cancer. We are so thankful to God for the good news she received last week from the CAT scan. Our prayer of course is that the cancer will continue to decrease in her body until it is gone! Please continue to pray that Cindy's nausea will be more manageable and she will be able to eat more. She still has not been able to consume enough calories to keep her weight up. She needs to be strong for the fight. I know, however she is doing her best to eat.

Thanks for your prayers and wonderful words of encouragement. When we read your remarks at times we laugh, smile and often cry. Your words are humbling and such a blessing. You are helping to sustain us in a difficult and dark time.

God bless you today,

Kevin