SPOTmail!!

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We start a new unit of study this week titled "Where's My Future Headed?"  Isn't it a little bit funny:  as teens, we were asking that question, and now, as parents of teens, we continue to ask the same question.

We spend a lot of time thinking about, planning for, and working toward the future.  Yet none of us can say with certainty that we know where our future is headed.  The background material for this week is 2 Kings, chapters 18-20.  The lesson comes from the last part of chapter 18 and the first half of chapter 19.  I'm still working on a title. 

Look at 18:28-32.  Is it just me, or does this sound like something we would hear coming out of Libya today?  It is simply amazing -- the more things change, the more they stay the same. 

Pray for the teens this weekend.  Pray for the parents of the teens.  Times like this have great hope for positive things. 

See you Sunday,
Don

Like to volunteer? Well, you can pick your poison!

We've got something for everyone on any weekend you're available!

Big Chill-i Dinner

Big Chill is this weekend (March 19), so be ready to help us serve a lot of kids on Saturday.  We'll open the kitchen at 4 p.m. to begin preparing the chili.  Dinner is served at 6 p.m., so make sure your goodies are at church by then, and, if you're helping to serve, you might want to be on hand by 5:30 p.m. at the latest.  Several of you have signed up to bring desserts -- don't forget we're feeding about 100 kids and a lot of them are teenage boys.  Need we say more?

Church Work Day

April 2 is a church-wide Spring Cleaning day.  We are volunteering as a class to tackle one of the many projects that day.  There's an entire punch-list of items, from cleaning up the landscaping to painting the halls.  A sign-up sheet will be in the SPOTfolder so we know how many will be helping.  Hamburgers and hot dogs will be provided for lunch.

Egg-stravaganza

It's time for Egg-stravaganza!  Can Easter be far behind?  It's the annual Easter party for our community on Saturday, April 16, 9 -11 a.m.  Volunteers are needed to help in this wonderful family ministry.  You can serve in a game room, help with crafts, hide eggs, supervise the chaotic hunt, or donate a gift basket.  As usual, the sign-up sheet is in the SPOTfolder . . . so join in and have some fun!

SPOTlunch

It's been nearly two years since SPOTlunch met at El Maguey's in Concord Plaza.  Just so you can plan ahead, we're headed there again on Sunday, March 27 (that's next week for those of you who don't have your Blackberry handy).  The Mexican cuisine here is more authentic than many, so you'll be in for a treat.  Don't miss it! 

Snacks  

• 3/20    LaRowe
• 3/27    Luther  
• 4/3      Meinhardt

Prayer Requests

• Zenobia's continued recovery
• Thanksgiving that Kevin's sister's job was restored 
• Concord's kids are blessed through Big Chill this weekend 
• Ronda Bradshaw's stepbrother Michael's recovery from abcess surgery
• Church staff dealing with pay cuts and restructuring
• Joe & Patti Endejan's business

Prayer Request

...from Joe and Patti Endejan:

Hi there,

It is not often we ask for prayer requests for ourselves but we would truly appreciate you adding this to your prayers and pass along in your classes/friends/lifegroups at your discretion. 

We know many are having hardships now with the economy and we have been blessed so far that God has always worked it out for us. We know God will get us through, He always has, but we would appreciate the extra prayer support from our family. All we are asking for is prayers for the work to start coming in for Joe, and us to have the strength and wisdom to get us through.  Thank you.

In His Love and Care,

Joe and Patti

The Mid-Week Update!!!

Lesson Recap

Does My Decision Matter

2 Kings 11-17

Bible in Context:  2 Kings 11-17

     In the prior background passages, we saw that both King Joram of Israel and King Ahaziah of Judah fell victim to Jehu's purge of the royal family of Ahab.  Jehu reigned 28 years over the northern kingdom.  Then at his death, Jehu's Jehoahaz became king.  The background passages for this lesson covered Judah's history from the reign of King Ahaziah and Israel's history from the reign of King Jehoahaz to the fall of the Northern Kingdom.

Reforms and Repairs-11:1-12:21:  After the death of King Ahaziah, his mother Athaliah usurped the throne and ruled over Judah for six years.  She sought to destroy all of the descendants of King David who might claim the throne.  She almost succeeded.  One prince, Joash, was rescued and hidden by Jehoiada, a priest of the Lord.  Jehoiada led a successful overthrow of the queen, established Joash on the throne, and then initiated a covenant reform movement. In time, Joash supported the reforms by insisting that repairs be made to the temple and by demanding better accountability for temple finances.  Eventually, however, a threatened attack on Jerusalem by the Arameans forced Joash to empty both the royal and temple treasures to buy a non-aggression policy from the king of Aram.  Joash reigned a total of 40 years in Jerusalem; but his servents conspired against him, and two of them assassinated him.

Gains and Losses-13:1-15:38:  In semi-altering fashion, these three chapters cover the reigns of eight successive kings of Israel, and the three successive kings of Judah.  Embedded in the description of these kings reigns are brief notices about the prophet Elisha's sickness and death and the Lord's grace and mercy toward His people.

Alliances and Disaster-16:1-17:41:  Chapter 16 describes the reign of Aha in Judah and the alliance he made with the king of Assyria against the kings of Israel and Aram, who had formed a separate alliance.  As a result of his alliance with the king of Assyria, Ahaz imported idolatrous worship into the temple at Jerusalem.  Chapter 17 includes a description of the reign of Hoshea, Israel's final ruler, and a prophetic explanation of the fall of the Northern Kingdom.  The chapter ends with a narrative about the foreign peoples who were settled in the territory once comprising the Northern Kingdom. 

What words do we use to describe sin?  In using these words, do we attempt to minimize the impact of sin?  Some adults disregard God's laws and live as they choose.  Others are aware of their sin, but try and hide it.  God calls us to examine our lives and quickly repent of our disobedient attitudes or actions. This lesson is not what we would think of as a fun topic.  But it is in the Bible, and is a continuation of our story.

If You Gonna Dance-You Gotta Pay The Fiddler  17:5-20

Payday Someday R.G Lee, (1886-1978) 5-9

      Israel had been entangled in years of increasing and political and social chaos, led by a series of rulers who rebelled against God.  God had promised the judgment was coming because of their disobedience.  Because of this, God allowed/caused the Assyrians to invade the land, capture the capital city of Samaria, and deport the Israelites.  This happened due to their persistent sinfulness. What consequences can we expect if we live in rebellion against God?  Sometimes punishment comes from God.  Sometimes God simply allows the consequences of sin to run their course.

Turn or Burn Charles H. Spurgeon, (1834-1892)  13-15

     God sent prophets and seers to speak warnings to the people urging them to turn away from their sin.  Grace and patience describe Go's warnings  The people rejected the words of God's prophets and seers.  The chased after idols adopting the habits of the pagan nations.  Today we put jobs, relationships, or material things ahead of our relationship with God.  We allow ourselves to be molded and shaped by our culture instead of being God's salt and light in the culture.

Sinners In The Hands of an Angry God Jonathan Edwards, (1703-1758) 18-20

     Because of His anger against their sin, God allowed the nation of Israel to be defeated and taken into exile.  How does our sin impact our relationship with God?  We can be forgiven, but sin always affects our relationship with God and others.  God warns his people today to repent by using warnings that come through His word, through Bible teachers and preachers, and through examples from history.

Conclusion:  Ignoring the Lord's warning regarding disobedience invites the Lord's judgment.

Big Chill-i Dinner

The time is almost upon us!  Big Chill is this weekend, and Saturday we are serving our kids a chili supper!  Doors will be open for those helping with preparation at 4.  Those helping make deserts (keep in mind that we are feeding around 100 kids!) can bring them anytime before dinner.  Dinner will be at 6, so those helping to serve should be in their places by then!

SPOTlunch

 ...will take place the Sunday after next (March 27th).  We will be dining at El Maguey's.  

Church Work Day

 On April 2nd there will be a church-wide spring cleaning day.  We will be volunteering as a class to tackle one of the many projects that day.  A sign-up sheet will be in the SPOTfolder so we know how many will be helping.  A lunch of hamburgers and hot dogs will be provided.

Easter Egg-stravaganza

This annaul event will be held on Saturday, April 16th from 9 to 11.  Volunteers are needed to help in this wonderful family ministry.  You can serve in a game room, serve in a crafts room, hide eggs and supervise the hunt, or donate a gift basket.  As usual the sign-up sheet is in the SPOT folder...so join in and have some fun!

Snacks

• 3/20 the LaRowe
• 3/27 the Luther's  
• 4/3 the Meinhardt's

Prayer Requests

• Continued prayers for Zenobia
• A prayer of thanksgiving that Kevin's sister will not lose her job after all
• Pray that our kids are blessed through the Big Chill this weekend.  Ask God to open their hearts to the passages they will be studying about.  They are Romans 3:24, Romans 8:29, John 3:17, and Romans 10:14.

• Ronda Bradshaw's stepbrother Michael is recovering from abscess surgery on his arm,  The surgery proved to be more complicated than expected.  Please pray for a full recovery. 

   

 

  

  

Zenobia Update!!!

Dear Family and Friends!

So much has happened since the last time I wrote.  After my first surgery, the pathology report came back saying we didn't get a clean enough margin (only .1 mm vs. 2mm).  So I went back for a 2nd surgery and waited for the next report.  This time the margins were great!

But even more importantly, as I quote from my 2nd pathology report "NO RESIDUAL INVASIVE OR IN SITU CARCINOMA"  What does this mean??? It means...

THERE BE NO MO'CANCER!!!

I just can't believe it!

AND...the report also says that "Skin is also included and is REMARKABLE for a scar" and refers to "adipose tissue REMARKABLE".  I always knew that my tissue/skin was wonderful, but didn't realize my pathologists would feel the same way! (They probably have a different definition of "remarkable" than me, but I reserve the right to interpret as I wish!)

HOWEVER...I do not appreciate them mentioning my "yellow-tan fibroFATTY tissue" or my "FAT necrosis".  Who do they think they are???

So I went home after surgery and recovered for about 4 days, had another infusion of herceptin (causing muscle ache and numbness in my feet unfortunately), and then I had THE APPOINTMENT.

Before I share about the appointment, I digress for a moment.

I used the potty at the hospital for the first time.  It was clean and beautiful, but most of all no one else was in there!  Don't you hate it when someone else is in the restroom, especially when you need to "go #2"? 

Part of my treatment has involved constipation, and part of it has involved diarrhea.  Either that or because I've become lactose intolerant in my 40's, I had some "unfortunate side effects" after drinking a yogurt juice that a.m.

You know how when you sit down, barely move, and the toilet flushes and showers your butt?  Then of course, someone else just HAS to walk in after you thought you had the restroom all to yourself.  You start to feel it coming on, and of course there is NO music to hide the "plop of the poop" or the "fart during the poop".  So you wait til the other person is going potty or is pulling the toilet paper and then you hurry the poop out.  And if that's not long enough, you then pull your own toilet paper out as fast and loudly as you can to cover the "plop-farts".  Relief results, you stand up to wipe and...the flush begins before you're ready, AGAIN!

Don't lie...you know this has happened to you!

As I prepared for the next phase to this wonderful treatment for breast cancer - RADIATION - I asked a friend what this was like.  Here is what she told me.

"You go into this room and they make all kinds of marks on you with a permanent marker and tattoo x's all of you.  Then you lay on a table stark naked on top of empty garbage bags.  They pour this gel around you and 6 people hold up the bag around you until the gel molds." 

My first thought was...they can't hire 6 people just to hold this garbage bag around people all day long.  Do they walk into the hallway and grab another patient's husband sitting in the waiting room?  Or do they find the maintenance man, florist, or pharmacist assistant who isn't doing anything to help?  All I could imagine is 6 random people helping, all in various uniforms and walks of life helping me with this mold, laying there naked all marked up with x's.  For some reason I just wasn't looking forward to the process.

As it turns out, first I undressed top only and put on this round circular cape that tied in the front in only 2 places.  I tried turning around in circles to see if it would spin, but it didn't.

I did go into a big room with another gigantuan machine, laid on a VERY HARD AND VERY COLD table and sat.  I sat and sat in silence while the radiation woman watched me thru blinds, so I decided to make some rapping noises and move my feet to the beat.  She did eventually come in and explain a few things, thankfully.  The garbage bags?  It was one big honkin' blue bag and had my name written all over it on tape.  The gel?  It was a canister of brown gunk that they pour INTO the garbage bag, then taped it so it wouldn't leak out. They quickly brought it over as I lay down and put it under my head with my arms over my head.  The gel felt so good - it was warm and cozy.  The 6 random people?  Well...it only took 2 and they were both women who worked in that department - yeah!!!  Relief!!!!  After a few minutes, the mold started to take shape, and they peeled me out from it kind of like pulling finger jello from a pan (remember that?).  Gosh I wish I had invented this gel stuff...

They told me I would then be rolled inside this circular machine and it was most important that I lay still.  Do these people know how hard it is to lay still, arms above your head (after 2 incisions have been made on your boob and underarm and still healing), body on top of a garbage bag full of gel, stark naked in a cold room?  Apparently not!

Then we went to this room with 5 computer monitors where they asked me when I wanted to come in for my radiation treatments - 5 days a week for 6.5 weeks.  Yup...that's 33 radiation treatments.  All I could focus on was all the names of other patients that were also on these monitors and how much confidentiality was broken!  But I kept going as we tried to fit my 15 minute radiation treatments in amidst all these other wonderful patients.  Before I walked into this appointment I was doing the sky part of a puzzle in the waiting room, and now I felt like a piece of the puzzle of the radiation schedule!  How ironic :)

My first radiation treatment is this coming Wednesday at 9:45am.  I also have another 10.75 months of Herceptin infusions, once every 3 weeks.  My surgeon told me that I didn't need to see her for another year - I wasn't ready to be done with my visits with Dr. Radford!  It was somewhat sad for me to have had such a wonderfully successful surgical experience and my ties with her to already cease!  She said we'd probably see each other in passing at Schnucks or somewhere.

So here I am...on the other side of the chemo ride.  It's such a good place to be!  Thanks to you, your prayers, and all the remaining good stuff that y'all shared with me and my kids...

WE MADE IT!!!! 

Zenobia prayed..."Thank you God for all that you have done for me, and especially for the incredible amount of support, love, and generosity that my friends and family have shown me over the past 5 months.  I could not have survived the cancer ride without them, or without You.  I am so blessed, so very blessed."

Love you all, Zenobia