SURGEONS RELEASED ME TO TRAVEL

I had my last two appointments Tuesday and Wednesday and both surgeons are pleased and I am pleased that they have released me to travel HOME where I belong. We will be in church in Fairbanks this Sunday (Lord willing). We can hardly wait.

Max Pool is improving some each day after his stroke, though his sight is a problem. He is moving his left hand and foot rapidly and on demand. That is wonderful. His speech is very limited to the first two or three words and then he cannot get anything out. Frustrating to him, for sure. Thank you for praying for Max and Carol. Carol is remarkably strong. She has only slept at home 2 nights, spending the other nights on an uncomfortable cot in Max’s room. God is giving grace all around.

Pastor Bob Smith asked me to preach last night at Trinity Baptist Church. Thank you for praying for me. Brother David Duffett is finishing up a Back-To-School Revival at Valley Baptist Tabernacle in Palmer, Alaska, under Pastor Hull. Please remember him in prayer as well.

MAX POOL IS IMPROVING

We just returned from seeing Max Pool in the hospital. He is out of ICU. He is making progress in moving his left foot and hand and is speaking words more clearly than ever. We are praising the LORD and rejoicing. He still has a long way to go, but he is making progress every day.

We had a nice visit with Rick & Debbie Kay today. They drove up from Austin. What an encouragement. Our hearts were refreshed. God is good. . . All the time.

We enter our last week in Texas. We can hardly wait to see our family and the church body. Bible Baptist Church has been so gracious, patient, kind, loving and loyal. I am honored to serve as their pastor by the grace of God. The reunion next Sunday will be a day I shall long remember. Home where I belong. Finally home. Thanks be to God for His unspeakable gift.

Max Pool - possible stroke this morning

At 6:00 am today, Tuesday, the ambulance was called to take Max Pool to Harris Hospital in Fort Worth. We suspect that Max had a stroke. His speech was quite slurred and he was very dizzy. He was quite alert and waved to us as he left for the ambulance. Please pray for him and Carol. Carol’s cell: 817-688-9992.

My surgery has been moved UP an hour to 1:30 PM. It is out-patient and I should be feeling like a brand new man this afternoon. AMEN! Cynthia is praying.

How comforting, in or out of crisis, to KNOW in whom you have believed when you are persuaded that He is able to keep that which is committed unto Him. Praise His holy name.

30,000 kidney stones treated by our urologist

This man has some experience. Dr. Gould is a fine surgeon with compassion, and a busy schedule. Of the 30,000 kidney stones he has treated, he can count on ONE HAND the number that passed by themselves that were as large as mine. (Nothing is too hard for our Lord.)

If God does not choose to push it on its way, I will have surgery early Tuesday afternoon, August 11, to remove it. Though Dr. Gould’s office is an hour away from us, he agreed to do the surgery at the same hospital I had my hip surgery which is much closer and accessible without going on the interstate. My dear Cynthia is doing all the driving and she (and I) prefer the regular roads.

I have been having pain for almost a year, but attributed it to a bad back. The attack last week was painfully similar to the ones in Fairbanks. My doctor says that stone has continued to grow in size over the many months and now is blocking urine flow. The culprit must go, I am ready for its departure. :)

Though there is pain and nauseas and a general feeling of BLAH, this is nothing compared to what I deserve and I take it as from my Father’s hand:

He, whose heart is kind beyond all measure,
Gives unto each day what He deems best,
Lovingly its part of pain and pleasure,
Mingling toil with peace and rest.

Lord willing, Cynthia and I will be home for Sunday, August 23rd, when Bro. Kurt LaBouve will be with us. Can hardly wait. Brings tears to my eyes.

Kidney stone - 1cm in size - Ouch!!

My Tuesday did NOT begin with a mile walk. Rather it began with me crawling from bed to couch to floor . . . and up the wall with a kidney stone. At 4:00 PM, we ended up in ER at the recommendation of my hip surgeon’s nurse.

At that time, we did not know the cause of the pain but suspected an infection of some kind. How relieved to know it was definitely a kidney stone discovered in the CT scan. The “chances” of naturally passing a stone that large (one centimeter) are ZERO. So, this afternoon I will see a Urologist who will go in with a “catcher” and grab the stone and pull it out. What a night of pain . . . and vomiting . . . and loss of sleep. Several of the men at our church know exactly what I am talking about.

So I am back on pain meds to ward off that terrible kidney pain. (All pain medications (even over-the-counter pills) were ended on Saturday night and I had a wonderful Lord’s Day with a new milestone.)

We were scheduled to meet today with the John Hinton family, our missionaries to Brazil, but the infamous kidney stone has postponed that meeting. On Thursday, we will be having dinner with Dr. Don Hodge.

Never a dull moment.

Moment by moment I’m kept in His love;
Moment by moment I’ve life from above;
Looking to Jesus till glory doth shine;
Moment by moment, O Lord, I am Thine.

Never a trial that He is not there,
Never a burden that He doth not bear,
Never a sorrow that He doth not share,
Moment by moment, I’m under His care.