Despite all the usual nasty-new-cycle-of-chemo-side-effects, Justin recently made it to gym class at school and out to sled with his brothers and friends. We are very grateful for this and continue to pray for ENDURANCE (image from the Bible app).

In just about a week, we will have been on this trip for two years. This is a rollercoaster with mind-numbing, soul-bending climbs and dips and turns and drops. But, unlike most thrill rides, we move at a sedated pace which regresses and stops and even gets stuck in one place. Then we pick ourselves up and inch forward again, ever so slowly, because time has done that painful prolonged thing it does when you are looking forward to a certain event. In this case, the end of a necessary evil. Chemotherapy.

Stress has taken the form of a pain that moves from my chest to behind my left eye until my whole head feels like it’s in one of those clamp tool things in my Pop-Pop’s garage that you had to crank the handle to use. And me and my brothers used to play with it while he smoked cigars and listened to Italian opera really, really loud. I couldn’t understand the words, but I could tell it was very deep stuff.

I know everyone is watching football playoffs but maybe also take a minute to pray. We have come this far by His grace.