“Kicking back” in Aptos ….
Ed and Diane Hamill visiting from Fresno
Dave’s brother Dan visiting this weekend from Weaverville
Dan’s wife Kathy and her 15-year-old, fun-loving son Joel
Joel taking in the sun rays
A relaxing day on the bay ….
According to Wikipedia ….
In the beginning, various groups in India wrote eight more or less in one stroke as a curve that looks like an uppercase H with the bottom half of the left line and the upper half of the right line removed. At one point this glyph came close to looking like our modern five. With the western Ghubar Arabs, the similarity of the glyph to five was banished by connecting the beginning and the end of stroke together, and it was only a matter of the Europeans rounding the glyph that led to our modern eight.
What is 8?
In physics, the second magic number
There are eight known B vitamins
All spiders, and generally all arachnids, have eight legs
An octopus has eight tentacles
Timothy Leary identified a hierarchy of eight levels of consciousness
The atomic number of oxygen
The Jewish religious rite of brit milah is held on a baby boy’s eighth day of life
Hanukkah is an eight-day Jewish holiday that starts on the 25th day of Kislev
A note played for one-eighth the duration of a whole note is called an eighth note, or quaver
Eight ball billiards is played with 15 balls; the black ball numbered 8 being the most important one
In liquid measurement (U.S. customary units), there are 8 fluid ounces in a cup, 8 pints in a gallon, and 8 tablespoons in a gill
There are eight vegetables in V8 juice
…. and the list goes on and on ….!!
Irene drove herself to and from dialysis this morning and has been preparing all afternoon for family visiting us this weekend. She’s enjoying the longer days of daylight and is looking forward to daylight savings time so she can work outside even more often! She’s been eating candied “ginger” the last couple of days and it appears to give some degree of nausea relief! Yay!!!!!!
So, why all of the emphasis today on number 8? It’s because today is Irene’s 8 month stem cell transplant birthday. It’s hard to believe that the transfusion took place at UCSF on June 15, 2007.
As humans, we tend to measure just about EVERYTHING because it gives context to all
Is it possible to literally EXPLOIT ADVERSITY?
In other words, can one take advantage of an adverse set of circumstances and, instead of becoming a victim of those circumstances, to actually PREVAIL upon them and influence a noteworthy and extraordinary outcome?
Irene enjoyed getting out of the house early this morning and accomplishing several items on her “to do” list. The nausea and itching remained at a low roar so she was able to enjoy the day …. especially her time in the Wisteria Garden. She prepared a wonderful Valentine’s Day dinner this evening and we enjoyed a romantic and amazing sunset on the Monterey Bay. We also had a good conversation reflecting on the incredible journey that she’s on.
By any standard, Irene’s courageous response to her adversity has been remarkable. Our goal has been to share the journey within the context of our faith. Our primary public response has been through the website and ultimately through the recently released book, Irene’s Journey of Faith. The website has been a means of transparency and vulnerability regarding many of the circuitous twists and turns on the trek. We’re trying to get the book into as many patients’ hands and hospital chaplains as possible. We’ve added a new “discussion forum” for people to share their own “journey of faith” story as well as the ability to add prayer requests as they’re led to do so.
Although the Lord gives you the bread of adversity and the water of affliction, your teachers will be hidden no more; with your own eyes you will see them. Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, “This is the way; walk in it.”
Isaiah 30:19b-21
Through it all, our ultimate objective is pointing people to Jesus Christ as the way, the truth and the life. We have much to learn as we walk along Irene’s Journey of Faith. Our purpose isn’t to respond as a victim of this hideous disease, but rather expose it, overcome it, give HOPE to people and glorify God through it. For we know that God
“Because of the Lord's great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.” -Lamentations 3:22-23
