Update #40

As we begin this Christmas Eve day it feels good to be home and wind down from the last few weeks of busy travel and activity. Unlike other years, I only have a little shopping to do instead of doing most of my Christmas gift buying the day before Christmas. :-)

I am particularly grateful that in spite of the major snowstorm on the East coast, I was able to get in and out of New York City for some very important meetings hosted at the Salvation Army’s International Center for Social Justice. I also had an opportunity to visit with some young colleagues who are doing some amazing things for the Kingdom on Wall Street.

Everywhere I have travelled in the last few weeks, whether Korea, China or New York, I have been asked about Jewel and told that we have been prayed for very much. This is so encouraging.

It has now been four weeks since Jewel had her last chemo. It seems as the cumulative effects of the treatments has produced daily exhaustion. Jewel is very grateful that the chemotherapy is now completed.

Even though Jewel gets very tired she has been able to engage in some light activity. It was great to see Jewel pick me up at the airport when I returned from New York. This feels like a little of our normal activities are returning.

We continue to pray that Jewel gains strength. This is particularly important as she prepares for her daily radiation treatments that begin on December 29^th.

Tonight we are looking forward to going as a family to the Christmas Eve service. It will be the first time in months that our family has been able to go to Church together. On Christmas day we will keep it pretty low key. I will work with Natasha on preparing Christmas dinner. We will then have a short visit with some of my family.

On this Christmas, we want to live in the reality of God’s love for us. I am reminded of a quote of Barbara Brown Taylor

LET US REVEL in the light of that star beneath which the ordinary becomes holy and the holy ordinary, beneath which it becomes exceedingly clear that there is nothing more we must do or be to be loved by God.

Merry Christmas to everyone. Thanks for your love and care.

Yours on the Journey,

Geoff