a long overdue update

Has it really been 6 weeks since my last update? Wow! God is good and continues to give healing and steadily increasing endurance. I had a hiccup with a bad sinus infection a few weeks ago, which went through the family, but we have all come out the other side of that, and all are pretty healthy right now. My energy has been increasing, and was even able to be outside and put up Christmas lights on the house this weekend, for which I am so grateful - our house was the last one on the road to be "in the dark"! I put up our (fake) tree tonight, and we'll finish decorating it tomorrow - no real tre this year as I am not yet 1 full year out from my transplant, and live trees carry bring a potential source of fungal infection into the living quarters, so we will do the plastic thing this year. I am working pretty much full time now, except for the time I am taking off for medical appointments, which are becoming less frequent the closer we get to one year out (Feb. 29th - approahing quickly!) I realized this morning just before our Sunday church service began that today is the 3rd anniversary of my diagnosis - God is so good, and He has brought me so far I just can't say enough about this journey I've been on.
We enjoyed a good time in NJ with my family for Thanksgiving. It was different without Mom - we went out to eat, among other things - but it was good to be together. Our van broke down on the way south (A/C compressor seized up just 1 exit before the Tappan Zee Bridge!), so we rented a vehicle to complete the trip and picked up our van on the way back north. We stopped in NH on the way home for appts. at Dartmouth this past Tue., where I got all clear reports to each of the tests and scans I had done. I will visit again on Dec. 31, as we'll be down in NH tha week to celebrate Christmas with Lisa's folks earlier that week.
What a great time of year to be getting better and "becoming more alive" - this season when we remember the gift of God's Son becoming one of us and bringing peace to the world. Peace to "those who were far away, and to those who were near" (Eph. 2:17), and this peace is ours through our acceptance of the gift of Hos Son. Peace with God, peace with others, and peace with ourselves - all ours because God chose to condescend to us, become like us, live a perfect life, and die in our place. What a wonderful God - what a wonderful Gospel - what a wonderful opportunity to share this message with so many this time of year.
Pray for me as I train the next 2 weeks for a new role as a volunteer with the Amerian Cancer Society as a "patient navigator" - a friend for those who are just beginning their own unexpected journey with cancer. Pray that I will be able to "be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the Reason for the hope that I have", and that my words and actions would show that Hope. It's my hope and prayer that I can use this volunteer opportunity to share the Gospel with many who are confused and hopeless, and realize how numbered their days on this earth really are (they are for every one of us - cancer or not, but sometimes we're forced to admit it!). Keep in touch, and use the opportunities God puts in your path to share the purpose of His gift to you this Christmas season!