Irene was REFLECTING on the day she was discharged from UCSF and came home …. July 20, 2007.  As she walked up the five steps from our garage to the kitchen she slowly but deliberately made the first two steps without incident.  As she attempted the third step her legs collapsed beneath her….Jocelyn and JoAnna held her arms steady, assisting and lifting her up the next three steps….until she was able to stabilize herself….

Here’s the point …. Irene feels that the prayer support she’s been getting from so many compare to what Jocelyn and JoAnna did by helping her up the steps.  She is convinced, with great emotion I might add, that without the prayer intercession of family and concerned friends she would not have made it this far.  God is faithful and thank you for praying!!  By the way, today we celebrate 4 months since Irene’s stem cell transplant!!!

Irene drove herself to dialysis this morning and contended with a brutal headache and nausea for most of the afternoon …. that is, until Shirley Churchill arrived and spent 90 minutes working on the physiology of rousing her system.  By the time Shirley left, Irene’s headache was diminished and the nausea had been somewhat sidelined …. Yay for relief!  Thank you, Shirley!!

The words of this great hymn from yesteryear are so appropriate …. it is Irene’s favorite scripture and hymn combination….

Great is Thy faithfulness, O God my Father;
There is no shadow of turning with Thee;
Thou changest not, Thy compassions, they fail not;
As Thou hast been, Thou forever will be.

Great is Thy faithfulness!
Great is Thy faithfulness!
Morning by morning new mercies I see.
All I have needed Thy hand hath provided;
Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me!

Summer and winter and springtime and harvest,
Sun, moon and stars in their courses above
Join with all nature in manifold witness
To Thy great faithfulness, mercy and love.

Pardon for sin and a peace that endureth
Thine own dear presence to cheer and to guide;
Strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow,
Blessings all mine, with ten thousand beside!

Great is Thy faithfulness!
Great is Thy faithfulness!
Morning by morning new mercies I see.
All I have

Continue reading

Last evening from our master bedroom bay windows we enjoyed the Monte Foundation Fireworks performance that occurred at Sea Cliff State Park Beach.  It’s quite a performance as they launch the display from atop the Palo Alto, a cement ship run aground at the beach more than 60 years ago.

This afternoon our master bedroom was converted into a two hour “treatment center” as Shirley Churchill tenderly administered several physiology techniques intended to rouse Irene’s nervous system and kidneys. Jocelyn later assisted Shirley with some of the methods and practice.

The human body is an amazing essence of God’s created order.  Our human understanding pales in comparison to the infinite, boundless and all knowing God.

King David proclaims….

“I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.”
Psalm 149:14

Irene scuffled with nausea today but once again I am inspired with awe by the way in which she patiently endures the challenge.  Dr. Damon was abundantly clear on our last visit to UCSF….that the nausea is a direct cause from the remaining amyloid in her bloodstream. Knowing the culprit gives us laser beam focus as we pray….

Thank you for being among the throng who prayerfully intercede for Irene’s comfort and relief. It is that prayer that encourages and inspires us.  Below is a photo of the prayerful Churchill clan that dropped Shirley off at our home and played in Capitola Village until she was finished with Irene….If you’re wondering where Ken is, he’s off camera standing next to me!

The annual fireworks exhibition at Sea Cliff Beach is one that we have enjoyed from our deck for the last several years.  We hope that when this time rolls around next year we’ll be celebrating with Irene wholly restored….with no lingering nausea or amyloid.  They’re both unwelcome intruders and simply not invited to the festivity.

Caminando con Fé
Dave

Continue reading

At first glance one would think that the live oak trees in our front yard and photographed below are dead.  After all, it’s October …. and everything is green and in fullness, right?  There’s been no “frost” or any other abnormal weather to blame.

Another kind of phenomenon occurred this year related to our trees. During July and August all of the leaves were eaten from the tree by small, black caterpillars that later morphed into oak moths. Now, it’s been reported that this development occurs every year but it hasn’t been obvious in our trees for at least the last 6 years.  We literally had tens of thousands of caterpillars all over our property and on our house …. it literally looked like Halloween in July and it was quite grotesque!!!  The trees became so barren I was convinced by their physical appearance that they were not coming back to life!!

…. But I was wrong and as Paul Harvey would say, here’s “the rest of the story” …. we now see new foliage forging it’s way back …. very slowly and surely as the leaves begin to reappear ….

In a similar way that the oak trees’  outside appearance seemed to be in severe deficit of fresh growth, Irene’s appearance has also paid a toll in a variety of areas.  But obviously that doesn’t tell the whole story ….

We have hope that slowly Irene’s internal body is recovering, healing and being restored …. and that the external will follow.  As we anticipate the oak trees’ return of complete foliage in the months ahead we hope and pray that Irene’s body will eventually burst forth into full radiance and wholeness.

Speaking to that end, our friends Ken and Shirley Churchill came to our home today but not merely for a social visit …. Shirley was “on mission”!!!!  Ken and Shirley have been among the praying faithful, reaching out to us in many ways behind the scenes.  Not only did Shirley pray with and for Irene today, but she graciously worked with her for over 2.5 hours, using specific physiology techniques to rouse the

Continue reading