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\nI’m due for an update. This week was another mixed bag of blessings and challenges. Youth conference was awesome\u2014nearly 3,000 young people gathered, many trusted Christ as Saviour, many made other great decisions. I managed to be a part\u2014though my brain would debate that fact. Between a lot of praying friends, and probably some adrenalin, the Lord allowed me to lead services, teach youth workers, and preach once\u2014but treatment #9 was knocking on the door the whole time. I wasn’t in my right mind\u2014but that actually works out well when you work with teens, because none of them are in their right minds either. \ud83d\ude42
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\nAfter the conference on Friday, we celebrated Haylee’s 11th birthday\u2014at the American Girl doll store once again. Her brothers just LOVE that! Dana drove and I rested. Then Saturday happened. Crash. I think the last two days, and right now, I’m experiencing the intersection of four major dynamics\u2014 #1\u2014chemo effects, #2\u2014a relatively sleepless month of shingles, #3\u2014two long weeks of intense energy expenditure, and #4\u2014a low white blood count. My body is screaming, “If you don’t stop, I’m going to put you into the hospital.” So, I’m planning to listen. I’m wasted.
\nThis week the plan is to rest and recoup so that treatment #10 doesn’t get postponed. I can feel that I pushed too hard the last two weeks. Thank you for praying for me during youth conference. It was a fantastic event.
\nThree more treatments. That’s both good and horrible at the same time. I’m ready to be done with chemo and to let my body start recovering. Nine times takes a toll that I won’t bore you in describing.
\nGod is good and I’m thankful for it all\u2014the struggle, the blessings, the hard stuff, the down times, and the up times. More later…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"