Thursday, January 31, 2008

Update Jan 31 08

three months have gone by. it is hard to believe that january 2008 is history. a lot of other things are history now. a lot of pain that we somehow have to process. can only handle little chunks at a time. it is too overwhelming. need lots of energy to be at the hospital. a hospital that takes up a whole city block, full of people with cancer and all the people that it takes to run a place like that! sometimes it seems like everybody has cancer. in this circle that we are in now, they do.

ray is with renee at the hospital. ray finally made it back yesterday. his tuesday flight was cancelled due to a storm in chicago! how many times has this happened? he rebooked it flying through denver! he did not want to risk going through o'hare. going one hour forward and then two back! more air miles! he would likely have missed his flight anyway, so maybe it is good that it was cancelled. that business deal took almost to the last minute of the deadline to complete.

renee and i planned and cooked a special dinner for ray. something to focus on so as not become too overwhelmed. we have to find little things in the present to focus on.

on new year's eve when i was at home for a few days, a friend of mine and i were talking about different songs that have been a blessing to us . she mentioned "Turn Your eyes upon Jesus". i have been reminded of that quite frequently this past month.

renee is having a ct scan today to determine to what extent the infection in her lungs is gone. tomorrow they will repeat the bone marrow. the results of these tests will determine the next course of action. in the mean time she still has to go every day to get the anti-fungal medication, which can take any where from three to five hours depending on how many tests and other stuff that needs to be done.

more drama out there...several cop cars trying to get through the traffic on 68th...no easy job. fire station and police station both on 68th, the street we live on.

thank you so much for praying. we appreciate it more than words can tell. please continue to pray for our family at home. illness affects the whole family. kara is still agonizing about college/university for next year and is looking for a part time job. justin has his challenges with his job. thankful that he has a job. alayna has her challenges too. is enjoying her studies at u of w, working towards a major in literature. lots of reading to do.

martha
------

Renee and I are sitting in the day hospital while she's getting her infusion of Amphotericin B Liposome. Dr Steinhertz just showed up to tell us that Renee's leukemia has returned again. They will do a bone marrow tap again tomorrow and start a new regimen of treatment. This will be different from previous procedures. They are growing specific cells from her Mom in the lab, but those are not yet ready to go so they are proposing a treatment that will control the leukemia without giving the lung infection a chance to take over.


Here is the plan- (I have no idea how to spell all those medical terms)
Topotikan every 7 days Vineralvin once @ week Thiatempa on Sunday all day. Chemo all week next week. A booster Bone Marrow transplant from her mom on Friday Feb 7. Bummer. Hopefully this will clear her leukemia, without causing GVH disease.

So this delays the real bone marrow transplant at least 8 weeks. It looks like we will be in New York for all of a year! Oh, Pray for healing! For patience! Why? Why? Why?

ray

ps this picture was taken at an Indian restaurant on Sherbrook Street in Winnipeg.

Welcome to New York! Wednesday Jan.30

Wow! What a welcome awaited me! Most men can only dream of such a welcome. My daughter Renee made a wonderful supper of Turkey Scaloppini With Capers and Lemon, Pennslyvania Dutch Noodles, Green Beans With Toasted Hazelnuts and Roasted Pears With Almond Crunch for dessert. Talk about gourmet!

My wonderful wife of almost 37 years greeted me with huge hug and an absolutely wonderful personalized fully spiced welcome home! I'd recommend all marrieds read "Sheet Music" by Dr. Kevin Lehman and "Love and Respect" by Dr. Emerson Eggerichs. There is nothing more wonderful than partners in the grace of life celebrating their love for each other!

This last week in Manitoba was very stressful. It included a roaring grief session in the shower. After 12 years and 12 patents my 2 partners in business staged a takeover while refusing to discuss the details of the one-sided forced buy/sell. When all is said and done, the deal was not so much financially unfair, as it was grief and shock at the process. They started a legal process that gave me 2 options: 1. Buy the Morris operations and sell the Arborg / Teulon operations or 2. Continue the legal process and see what a judge would have to say.

We did not have the emotional energy at this time of stress to pursue option 2, so, against the advice of my lawyers, we signed the papers under duress. We switched lawyers the day before the deadline. After they managed to negotiate a few changes the signing happened 15 minutes before the arbitrary deadline.

In their original documents I was required to assign all my intellectual property rights to them. Their lawyer had drawn up the agreement so that I would not have any rights to build anything for the next 5 years that would have chains, sprockets, electric motors or anything else that was part of any products ever made in Arborg. They kept insisting they would not make any changes. The break came when their lawyer agreed that the IP and non-competes were absolutely restrictive. Finally they were open to an add-on document that gave a reasonable definition of the IP and non-compete clauses. But their lawyer refused to make changes to the original documents. He left me with the impression that he had never touched a keyboard.


Even though what happened is humanly unforgivable, we need to lean on God's promise of forgiveness and forgive as we have been forgiven. We do not want that root of bitterness in our lives. Bitterness first destroys the bitter. We will continue to suffer the grief of loss and experience pain due to the process and the timing for years to come. Jesus said we must forgive 70 times 7.

I'm reading "The Lord & his Prayer" by N.T. WRIGHT. In it he says: "failure to forgive ... isn't a matter of failing to live up to a new bit of moral teaching. It (is) cutting off the branch you are sitting on. ...if you (don't) live forgiveness, you (are) denying the very basis of your ... existence."

Wednesday, January 30, 2008

Welcome to the New Vidir Morris!

Martha and I look forward to working with the existing team to build an exciting new tomorrow. We have a world of opportunity to expand our product offerings, streamline our processes, contribute to our families and communities, and make our world a better place.

As part of the buy/sell agreement we signed, we agreed that we would change the logo for Vidir Morris. We may also want a name change. Any logo ideas? Name change ideas? Here is an opportunity to re-define ourselves.

I am an ideas man, and I will be looking for a facility to develop an R&D team that will blaze a trail into the future. Who knows where that will take us? The sky is the limit?!


Raymond & Martha Dueck
352.235.4688

Sunday, January 27, 2008

Plett Family gathering

Randall Chair "Noa kaast" afterburner to the gathering in Colorado
Review of who is in each family and what they do. John's family has between 50-100 grand children
Art's Delbert - 50th wedding anniversary coming up 1 ggrandchild
Laureen's book has been accepted for publication. History story book.
Ronald's - Lou reports. No pain right now. Fractured back. Weak bones. Emotional. Mom has high blood pressure. Myron 6 boys. Racheal's son had major operation. Ruthie has MS very cheerful in spite of it. Lendra's husband grew some whiskers. Leon going to Columbia.

Prayer requests. Ronald Renee Ruthie Ralph (heart attack).

Mami sproak Genuine low german. Uncle Walter liked his Peis shotkullash doat up i shoat holli and pull them lap rollers in English

Toante Elma's 80th birthday this year. May 22nd. Make a page for her scrap book.

Myron leads in prayer.

Has God chosen the poor?

George Klassen at Eastview
Each one of us is on a journey. Following the script of our lives. George the earth worker- become pastor of NKMB church but now looking for other options. Taking an extended Sabath with Jesus. Now praying for 2 hours weekly as a group ''Hope Winnipeg" Now director of SOUM school of urban ministry. Working with the poor.
God has chosen the Poor. Abel was the chosen one. the Jesus effect- he was sent for all of us. But he came for the poor. The oppressed. Favoritesim shows up in all families. Equal treatment is not possible. Fairness and justice
Jim Wallace. Found that if this cut out the Bible's emphasis on the poor there was not much left.
Poor in spirit. All have sinned. All broken.
We are quick to do a prayer walk in the slum. What about the burbs?
The poor in Luke are seen as the materially poor. We pass judgment on appearance. I have been part the problem. In the mid 9o's Larry decided to dress shabby and dirty to d go to church. When the pastor hugged him he knew he had found his church.
''your will be done" here on earth now. The Kingdom is among us. Now.
Inner city - the biggest problem is the loss of hope. How will we get hope?
What does it mean- those who have much dont have too much, those who have little don't have too little. Look at our budgets. How much is directed to the poor?
I have a dream- one day there will be food for everyone. Church united. Walls down. Burb churches helping the poor. Partners. Coming alongside the poor.

Wednesday, January 23, 2008

Update Jan 23

Renee and I just got back from the hospital. Picked up three and half thousand dollars worth of medication, paid for by our wonderful Canadian health care, and a falafel for a late lunch. $5.40 for one and it is enough to feed both Renee and I - very yummy and very filling. It was not my goal to make anybody jealous!

The prayer request from the last update has been answered! Renee's platelet and RBC counts finally decided to stay up. Thanks for praying!

Today I'm asking you to pray that the infection in Renee's lung would clear up very soon or shrink to the extent that they can do surgery. She was switched to a different medication and that requires going to outpatient's every day, and to urgent care on weekends. Today they started a very low dose of chemo to make sure the leukemia doesn't come back before the transplant can be done. We are meeting Dr. O'Reilley, the head of the transplant team on Friday.

I was at a care-giver's meeting today, with the dance therapist as a special guest. She plays music and we just do stretches and that kind of stuff, nothing too crazy! It was good to release some of the emotional stress that everybody around here carries in abundance.

Pray for emotional energy for our family to be able to handle this, and the upheaval due to the untimely business deal. That is the reason why I have been writing the updates. Our time in Florida was not as relaxing as it could have been, due to this stuff we had to deal with.

Ray flew home yesterday. He was almost to the airport when I realized he had taken the set of keys with him for the front door that we need when there is no doorman - Saturday evening and all day Sunday and sometimes in between when he goes on a break. So I called Ray and he sent the keys back with the cab driver. He gave me the driver's cell phone number and the cab number. There are a million yellow cabs here! Half an hour and $23 later, I had those keys again. Renee was wondering why it took me so long to get to the hospital, all on account of Ray being so exhausted.

Justin's van (mine but he has taken it over, now that I don't need it) was towed last night. He had to work over-time trying to get the book keeping mistakes fixed and when he got out, the van was gone. The manager gave him a ride home and Kara took him to work this morning. Ray was picking him up and then they have to go get the van from the pound. This always happens when it is frightfully cold.

Martha

Support our favorite charity http://www.thelifelight.com/

Tuesday, January 22, 2008

Our Father

Jesus took the risk of referring to God... He wanted people to discover who the Father really was... When we call God "Father", we are making the same astonishing, crazy, utterly risky claim... Our task is to grow up into the Our Father, to dare to impersonate our older brother, seeking daily forgiveness as we do so: to wear his clothes, to walk in his shoes, to feast at his table, to weep with him in the garden, to share his suffering, and to know his victory... We are bold, very bold, - even crazy, some might think- to say 'Our Father'.
N. T. Wright - The Lord and His Prayer


See Martha's blog buckets-of-tears

Travel Joys

http://www.hotwire.com/ was 1/2 price of everyone else. So I booked with them. When I wanted to change the flight to Wednesday United would not. When I got to the airport the kiosk told me I was one day early and my flight was on Wednesday.
When I checked with the agent she said I had to fly today but the flight was 1-1/2 hrs late. When I got to the gate the plane was leaving early with only 3 passengers on board.
The next flight got cancelled so they put me on the packed 2 PM flight that left at 2:15 for Chicago. That meant I would miss the cancelled 3:03 flight to Winnipeg. Now I'm scheduled to arrive Winnipeg at 1:30am. It takes 16 hours to fly 4hrs. Got to bed at 4am New York time. Breakfast meeting in the morning.

I had the apartment keys in my pockets so I had to send the taxi back to Manhattan to deliver the keys to Martha. Another $25 later she had them.

Renee is getting daily treatments, tests etc in preparation for the bone marrow transplant. Her lungs are still not clear and she is coughing more now. Thanks for praying for her healing. Today they were going to fix her central line, and do a bone marrow tap.


Monday, January 21, 2008

Prayer Of Confession

Gracious Lord, we confess that we dishonor you in our words, thoughts and deeds. Depending on our strength, we stumble. Glorying in our righteousness, we reject you. Turning our faces from you, we desire the things of this world to satisfy us. We pray now, Lord, for you to forgive all our many sins; to cleanse the darkness from our lives, to turn our faces and hearts back towards you. We pray these things in the name of your most precious son, Jesus Christ. Amen.

Sunday, January 20, 2008

If a Man Dies, shall he Live Again?

Job - a Path Through Suffering - Rev Scott Sauls
http://www.redeemer.com/
Job 13:20 - 14:7-17

When suffering comes you will ask one of 2 questions - What is wrong with me? What is wrong with God?
Have I forsaken God? Has God forsaken me?
Eliphaz says - it is all your fault. Buck up. But God said Job was blameless.
Job was mature. He was open to the possibility that he may have sinned.
Brittany Spears- why is the public rejoicing in her meltdown? We compare ourselves favorably to her. We are not as bad as she.
Job asks - has God forsaken me? Why is God hiding his face?
Job's greatest nightmare is the thought of God dumping him. The absence of God is unbearable.
A tree will grow again. Can a man live again? Job dreamed.
We all are going to do hard time.
1. Wounds that will heal us. Pruning. If we prune the apple tree we get apples. Else Nothing.
Jesus learned obedience thru his suffering. 50 tummy crunches can be painful. Later easy.
If you get no pruning you will be shallow and self centered. Job ended up praying for his shallow friends.
2. A hope that won't fail you. The ability to endure pain because of hope for the future. Bob Dylon said, everything is broken. Everything is falling apart. We came to New York because it is one of the most electrifying places in the world. But the stock market will crash. This world is broken. The resurrection is the appetizer. As a 6 year old I thought my parents had died. When they walked thru the door my pleasure knew no bounds.
Heaven once attained
3. God did not leave Job. Even though his innocence was relative -God did not slay him. Jesus took the punishment - death. God turned his face from Jesus so he could turn his face to us.
The one for whom ruin was completly unjust, took our ruin upon himself. Jesus is the true Job. He had wounds all over his body. He gave up all his riches for us. Why? We are God's artwork. His poem. Jesus came to reclaim his art. What is the buyer willing to pay? Jesus paid with his life.

When God says "No"

Better by far is your Presence ... Nothing compares to your love poured into my heart - Mark Altrogge
Better is one day in your courts than 1000's elsewhere
When the darkress closes in Lord -I will say - Blessed be the name of the Lord

http://www.trinityny.org/
When God says "No"
Acts 16:4-10
Troas Times are when things don't work as you envision: times when God says "No". Have you ever been to Troas? Sitting on the dock - God - what's next? Macedonia- the Roman world. Paul learned a lesson
4 things to Learn in Troas

1. Sometimes God shuts down what we want to do because He wants something BIGGER. God wanted Paul to go to Europe. Pronoun change. Paid added Luke. In Troas. God had a bigger plan. Hannah never imagined that her child would become so important.
As a result of Troas:
A. Churches established Philippi, Thesselonica, Berea. Athens, Corinth
B. 5 NT books came from that journey; Phil., 1+2 Cor., 1+2 Thess.
C. Paul picked up
The brilliance of Christianity is that the fog of today will always be burned away by the light of God's tomorrow. G. Campbell Morgan

2. Sometimes God says No because he wants something later. Paul did go to Ephasus later. Deanne and I wanted to start a family in suburbia where there was grass, yards, lawns. 3 years later God asked her if she was willing to take her child to New York. She said yes, and became pregnant. Did God want Moses to lead Isreal out of Egypt? Yes- 40 years later.
Sometimes God says No so he can get us ready.

3. It might be that God has something else. Somewhere else. Rom 1:11-13 he planned many times. 15:20 ambition to preach where no one else had. Others could preach in Rome.
Testimony by Beth - was into theatre involvement - came to church as a business transaction with God. To ask God's blessing. Always was on the short list. Never got the gig. Finally become a missionary to the theatre industry. Felt like God was trying to kill me. No crucify. God has blessed me since.


Something bigger.

4. Sometimes it is someone other. 1 Peter1:1 - Peter become the apostle to Asia and Bithynia, not Paul
Elijah got upset when the wicked queen wanted to kill him. Someone else become the change agent.
We are not the only one God has called.

If you are in Troas - be encouraged.

Take some initiative - you can't steer a parked car
Be obedient to the direction God gives
When God stops you, have faith that He's got something else in mind.
You don't always need to know why.


This message is for 2 groups of people
1. Those who know God has called them to be change agents for Christ.
2. Those who are afraid to move- sitting- stuck. Let this be your kick to start moving. Then God can give you a vision.


Back to Martha's blog

Saturday, January 19, 2008

Florida

Sure was a good thing for Martha and I to spend some time in Florida.
Tuesday night we joined Sam and Wendy in West Palm Beach for supper at a very nice Italian restaurant.
Wednesday we travelled to North America's oldest city, St Augustine. Built by the Spaniards, it has lot of old Spanish buildings. And a lot of shops in those buildings. We dined at Harry's. The fish dish was OK but the salad horrible. Next time we will dine at Columbia.
After dinner we walked thru town and came upon groups of people praying at various places. We approached one group and found out that about 60 people from the various churches get together at the start of each semester to pray for the colleges and students. We introduced ourselves and before long they were praying for us and Renee.
Thursday we were scheduled to golf but it got rained out. Kim and David invited us to join them for food and fellowship at Houston's in Winter Garden. A really nice restaurant on the edge of one of the many lakes in the Orlando area. All the food is good.
Friday supper was at Conquistadora at the Mission at Howie-in-the-Hills.
Daytime was mostly spent agonizing over business decisions and talking to advisors and lawyers.
Saturday- time to return to New York via Jetblue.
Renee enjoyed her week with Niki and they cooked Christmas dinner in preparation for Krista's arrival Thursday. 3 cousins enjoying time together in New York.
Renee's counts actually went up by themselves this week for the first time since the chemo.
I plan to fly home next week and finalize some business issues.
Ray

Wednesday, January 16, 2008

Update Jan 16, 08

Well, would you believe it? Here I am sitting and listening to the birds instead of the deafening roar of traffic in Manhattan! I am so thankful that Ray and I could have a little break together in Florida. Kara said I didn't need to come home. I needed to go south where it was warmer, she said. Even although it is not shorts weather here this week, it is a lot warmer than Manitoba where I have heard that it is -30 C.

Renee had a cousin coming to stay with her this week. Renee and Niki were sharing an apartment in Vancouver. Krista, another cousin is coming on Thursday. The timing is perfect. Renee is well enough that she can go out and do stuff when she is not at the day hospital, getting micafungin and what ever else needs to be done. It is such a nice change for her to have somebody other than her parents to keep her company. I?m so happy that it worked out this way.

Renee's platelet counts had only dropped from 38 on Friday to 36 on Monday. Thanks for praying that her platelet and hemoglobin counts will go up and stay up, so she won't need transfusions. Red cells were transfused on Thursday and the RBC was still good on Monday. Hopefully it will stay that way.

The CT scan which was supposed to be this week Friday was rescheduled for yesterday, which was Tuesday. She was coughing a bit, so they decided to do the scan sooner. Pray also that this infection in her lungs will clear up totally.

As far as the business issues go, we have gone through such an extreme range of emotions, from just feeling totally overwhelmed emotionally with the whole situation, frustration with the timing, to extreme anger, and so on and on, with an underlying faith that God is good and a prayer that somehow this too will bring glory to God. Satan was trying to use this to bring us down.

Ray and I again went to Trinity Baptist Sunday morning. We thank God for the dear brother we met there that ministered to us in this time of need. Then later at 6:00 we went to the Redeemer Presbyterian Church with Renee and Niki. The message was the second in a series on the book of Job, about HOW to get through suffering. Ray has the notes of that on his blog, if you are interested in reading more on that.

Thanks again a million for praying. God bless you and keep you.

Martha
359 E 68th Street Apt 2A, New York, NY 10065
Martha 917-751-0421
email ReneeDueck@gmail.com phone Renee (917) 750-4128
Keep up to date by reading Renee's blog at http://reneedueck.blogspot.com/
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=747310337

My blog http://daddydueck.blogspot.com/

Martha's blog http://marthadueck.blogspot.com/

Raymond 352.235.4688

Sunday, January 13, 2008

Miserable Comforters

http://www.redeemer.com/
Dr. Timothy Keller
Why do we suffer?
Where do you get the Comfort you need. Cars have shock absorbers -they dont take away the bumps.
What kind of Comfort we ought to get- bad- better- ultimate comfort
Bad Comfort- Eliphas Calls Job a fool. Where do the upright ever get destroyed. Eli says you must have sown the trouble. Quit weeping. Friend's wife went thru depression- every morning he told her to buck up!
1 Kings 19- Elijah gives up. The angel cooks a meal. If we were only spiritual and moral we would just ask all the questions. We are social and physical very complex.
Eli does not grasp that complexity. Jacob was pathologically doting on Joseph- totally spoiled and murderously split the family. Joseph had a tragic flaw and would have been destroyed. Suffering saved him.
Job is different. Satan wanted to discredit Job. Instead Satan got beat at his own game.
People will say if you are sick - you don't have enough faith-
That- is illogical and moralistic. Eli does not understand the gospel. The Bible is not about people who get rich because they do right.
Mary & Martha- truth and tears sympathy.
Job- has to do some self Counselling
1. Emotionally real- pain heavier than all the sand of the seas- God is shooting me
2. He prays. (Job yells at God) suffering and evil makes life absurd Khmu says similar things. Job prays and the end Job triumphs.
3. He refuses suicide he asks God to take his life bat he knows that that would be no Comfort.
4. God loves me. My joy in unrelenting pain. - I have not denied the words of God. "The Praise of the praise worthy is above all rewards."- Lord of the Rings

Everybody eventually denies the words of the Holy One. Except Jesus. At the end of his life Jesus reaped trouble. He was the true ultimate Job. Rom 8:16
You have what Job didn't have.
Weep with them. Christianity is the only religion that has tears. Substitute
We don't know why we suffer.

What Impresses God

Acts 16:1-5
Character: A Definition

Kharakter: to engrave or to cut or to etch, imprint on a coin as in Ceasar's image

Someone who reflects the image of God. Jesus did that perfectly.

Character is the progressive growth in a Christian's life toward "Christlikeness" as evidenced in his/her relationships and reputation with others. Progressive relational 2 Peter 1:5 add to your faith..

Your relationship with others reflects your relationship w Christ.

Knowledge breeds arrogance 1Cor 8:1-3 no one knows everything. Love God to be known by God.

Source of Timothy's Character - his mother Eunice
married to a Greek. Non believers usually get their way. Not circumcised. Timothy means to honor God. 2 Tim 3:14 he learned the Scriptures from infancy. Start early. Learn from those you know

Taleology- order and beauty created by God.

To learn the what- know the whom. If the truth will have credibility there has to be character and good relationships.

Sometimes we substitute things. Foreign Coins. Substitute for foundation character. Some have the ability to make lots of money- when that becomes what you live for- the very thing God gave you becomes a stumbling point. Brains- you figure it all out and that becomes your driving point. Charisma- Hitler had lots of it.

Pursue the gifts God has given you for God's glory. Not your own.

Jer 9:23-24 Let us boast that we know the Lord


Wednesday, January 09, 2008

Painting


This painting is located close to the elevators of the inpatient side of the Pediatric floor. This painting shows the color scheme that was used throughout the 9th floor.

A Day in the PDH

PDH - Pediatric Day Hospital located on the 9th floor at MSKCC in the Bobst Building.

The first stop is always the IV room for a finger poke to determine if any transfusions will be needed that day and to get hooked up with the medication for that day. The waiting area is where you WAIT and WAIT, in between tests or to see the doctor. If you get there late on a Monday you might have a hard time finding a seat. Today Renee needed to be there early. She had a lots of test scheduled. A steady stream of people arrive. Younger children in strollers, older children, teenagers, and young adults in wheelchairs if they are too weak too walk, accompanied by their caregivers and puke buckets and IV poles. The younger ones are mostly going around with their bald heads, or with a few remaining strands of hair, often with big scars from ear to ear if they have had surgery for brain tumors. Parents give each other encouraging smiles as they pass each other.

The wall in the waiting area is adorned with very interesting pieces of 3-D art work done by the children of staff members. Some day I should sneak in there at night to take a picture to put on my blog. The play area is enclosed with a glass wall filled with an assortment of glass jars, vases and lights and a giant glass roof over the whole area including part of the bed area. The bed area is where you get to lie down to sleep or watch TV. This area is always very noisy with so many TV's all being on at the same time. Some days are quieter than others. There are usually a lot of younger children crying, and some are just whiny. The other day there was a toddler sobbing, "why? why? why?" and then with a piercing scream, "NOOOOO!" it was over - whatever the frightening situation was.

Renee needed a platelet transfusion today. They always have to pre-medicate her, and sometimes she still gets hives, which was what happened today. So they had to give her an extra dose of benadryl. Today Renee didn't get a bed. She was in the area where you just get a recliner chair. There is also always lots of kids of all sizes, including a lot of young adults stretched out or curled up in the two person bench seats, depending on their size, in the waiting area of the bed area or the main waiting area , sleeping off the effects of the drugs, often with a puke bucket nearby.

Renee was having a long nap, due to the benadryl and I went to a care giver's meeting. It is good to get together to share our experiences, but it is also kind of draining. One lady kind of dominated the conversation, but she was mostly quite interesting to listen too. One theme that almost everybody had in common was how hard this was on their marriages. I recommended the Love & Respect book. Maybe that book wouldn't help everybody, but it has made a bigger difference in our relationship than any other book we have ever read on marriage. When you are going through so much emotional stress, every little thing gets so blown out of proportion. A lot of marriages break up as result, just when they actually need each other more than ever.

I published this on Ray's blog by mistake, but I don't know if that makes any difference. I'm sure it is so boring that nobody will want to read it anyway.

Martha

Monday, January 07, 2008

Travel

Dont ever fly through Chicago if you can help it.

President George Bush decided to stop in Chicago today so they shut down the world's busiest airport for several hours, causing flight disruptions around the world. My flight 5874 was only delayed for 2 hours. Waiting in the pen at Gate F11 is no fun.

Karalee will pick me up at 7 pm

Tomorrow will be one of the hardest days of my life. Being forced to make major decisions, when you already suffer from trauma of the heart is no fun.

Your prayers are appreciated.

Sunday, January 06, 2008

Update January 6

Dear Friends:

Kara and I ended up going home on the 28th and I came back on the 2nd. Our luggage didn't arrive in Winnipeg until the 30th. On the way back to New York, my bag arrived only half an hour after I did!


On Friday Renee got the Micafungin and Pentamidine Inhalation as scheduled. Since her platelet and hemoglobin counts were low, she also got transfusions. It looks like the transplant will be towards the end of January.

Praise God with us for many wonderful answers to prayer. We want to once again thank you for praying. God is so good, his mercies are new every morning.

Please pray for the following and/or whatever God lays on your heart:

  • that everyone in our family will experience the peace and strength and joy and hope that only God can give
  • that we will always remember that
  • God is bigger than our problems;
  • that he can use everything that happens for his glory
  • that we will not say, "Why me?" but "Use me!"
  • that we will be good representatives for Christ
  • for Kara as she needs to fairly soon make a decision about what university to go to in fall
  • that Justin will be able to cope with the pressures of his job
  • that everything will go well with Renee's transplant
  • that Alayna will be able to take the courses she needs to get her degree
  • that we will all experience Philippians 4:6, 7 more and more

Don't worry about anything;

instead, pray about everything.

Tell God what you need, and thank him for what he has done.

If you do this, you will experience God's peace,

which is far more wonderful than the human mind can understand.

His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus."

- New Living Translation

I would also like to ask you to pray for the meeting Ray and his business partners are having on Tuesday as they are making some major plans for the future.

Martha Dueck

Evangalasticity

Pastor Keith Boyd (Dianne) www.TrinityNY.org

Sometimes we do all the wrong things. 4o% of youth are afraid of Christians.

Too often we major in the minors and minor in the majors.

Evangalasticity -When a more mature Christian yields his rights and freedoms on cultural issues in order to preserve unity and uphold God's glory in the world.

Learn to show the love of God. Matth 17v Rom 14 Acts15:17-21 James asks that some cultural issues be upheld. Sacrificed meat. Kosher meat. blood. Because you want to represent Christ to the Jews - stay away from offensive things. Pagans were all immoral. Only the Jews had a pure God and were called to purity. Elders had to have but one wife, to avoid pollution.
Why this purity? These people have been hearing Moses for 15 centuries.

the Galatians could have ignored that.

If people are offended when you drink a Margarita w your Mexican food, go to somewhere where people are not offended.

Matth 17 - Do I have to pay the cultural tax? As a son of the king. Is it my responsibility to pay the custodial tax? No. Does Prince Charles pay for the upkeep of the castle? No. The subjects do. But to prevent them from taking offense, go to my lake, to catch my fish, to get my coin in the lake I made in the universe I made and pay this tax.

Corinthian church has a bunch of questions. Paul says that food sacrificed to nothing is nothing. Eat whatever you want. Let love be your guide.

There is one name by which we must be saved and that is Jesus.

Let us not come across as dogmatic judgemental self- righteous.

Wednesday, January 02, 2008

Golden is 7 months

His parents have known for 2 weeks that he has a very rare disease, not leukemia, that gets treated like leukemia. His mother, Jen, carries him in a front baby sling and sings to him to keep him happy while they wait for the chemo to start. they have to come into the day hospital 3 times a week. She is just past the shock stage and moving to the anger stage.

Scott and Catherine family come from eastern Europe. He is a software engineer. Their daughter Racheal has to come from Westchester 3 times a week for treatment. She shared a hospital room with Renee some time ago.

It seems 1/2 the people coming here for treatment are orthodox Jews where the women wear wigs, and the men wear black rim hats and curled sideburns.

Dr Steinherz is back from his visit to his new grandson in Israel. He said Renee is in remission, but he can't understand why she keeps needing more platelets. She is
getting 150 mg more Micafungin Sodium even though they were not able to find any fungus in her lungs. She still has to come in 3 times a week.

Last night Renee and I went to an independent theatre and saw a 1931 film by Charlie Chaplain. Dinner at Benito2 in Little Italy.


I am excited. My beloved is coming back to New York today!