Red Cells and White Cells and Platelets, Oh My!

Yesterday we made some progress on our landscaping project. The beautiful home that the Lord provided for us three years ago came with mature landscaping. That was a new paradigm for me and Jill as a couple. We have both had previous homes with mature landscaping, but for me the last four homes I have lived in were brand new, and it was up to me (and Jill in the last two) to see that they were landscaped. So, having mature landscaping seemed like a blessing, when we moved in here.  Well, there are good things and not so good things about mature landscaping. In our case, there were four rhododendrons and a hydrangea planted in the foundation bed in the front of the house. Now, if you know much about gardening, you will realize that these are plants that, while slow growing, can become rather large. In fact, our mature plants had grown large enough to cover a good bit of the windows in two of our bedrooms. Our yard maintenance man is a wonderful guy named José. José would do anything to

It's Easter Sunday! He is Risen! On this Resurrection Day, I am struck by the notion that the same Power that resurrected Jesus Christ 2,000 years ago virtually resurrected me this past year. When I was diagnosed with AML in June, 2001, I was told that, without treatment, I would last about two weeks. I thank God that He provided me with 1) the will to live, 2) knowledgeable and dedicated medical practitioners, 3) medical knowledge that He has revealed to mankind for the purpose of alleviating suffering and premature death, and 4) above all else, the grace He has shown me in allowing me to stay a while longer with my loved ones.  Throughout this whole season of my life, I have been struck by the parallels that Jesus has shown me between His life and ministry and my own. I have written about some of them: see Revelation in the night and Time and revelation . Do not misunderstand, I in no way am claiming that I am on a par with Jesus, although I aspire to that. I am simply saying th

It appears that the time is slipping away...again.  I am finding that, as my life and the world's life move closer to "normal," I am remiss in updating this blog. When you have a brush with death, as I have had, your focus changes. For so many months I was unable to do things I wanted to do and things I had planned to do, that now I want to do them all at once.  My vigor is returning, and as it does, I am able to take on projects requiring physical strength and abilities learned over a lifetime. I have built some furniture for my home brew pub. I have repaired a number of the clocks in my collection. (I find it amusing that the one clock I can't seem to get going is an inexpensive battery powered wall clock!) We are beginning to plant in our front bed, which we had cleared of a bunch of overgrown shrubs last summer. I am brewing again.  You will note that most of these activities are things I can do at home, without venturing into the world much. We have begun to do m