A prompt update for a change....

If you have ever been to Cheltenham hospital, you will know that the parking situation is terrible. So we were grateful to the Lord when, just as we drove in to the carpark by the Oncology clinic, a lady was just reversing out of the space nearest the door!

After the normal wait, we were called in to see the Registrar, rather than the consultant. However, that was not a problem - he's the one Sue knows from her Gloucester Hospital days, who took her Groshong line out back in July, and he's a nice chap. It's a blessing to have someone you know, and get on well with, rather than someone you have never seen before.

As expected, it was not a particularly "medical" visit, in the sense that there was no blood test, no blood pressure or temperature test, or (of course) any new scan results. It was more "how are you feeling? how is your appetite? how is the pain?" and so on. We did discuss the pain she often gets in the evenings, and learned that we need to be more regimented in the time she takes her tablets. Strange as it may seem, a 12-hour slow release pain-relief tablet will run out after 12 hours! and if she has had her breakfast early, she will therefore either need to take her morning tablets later, or expect to take her evening ones early!

He was also pleased to note - although Sue was not! - that she has put back on some of the weight she lost earlier in the year. He thought it was a good sign, but I think Sue was disappointed.

So now we await a date for the next scan, probably in about four weeks' time; and then another meeting with the Consultant or the Registrar, in about six weeks, to see what happens next.

As always, we are so thankful that - in the grace and mercy of God, and no doubt due to the prayers of so many brothers and sisters in Christ for us - we are remarkably at peace about the present and the future. It is a joy to know beyond a shadow of a doubt that "our times are in His hands", and a privilege to rest in His love; to be able to ask that His will may be done, and His name glorified, in us and through us.

Still here!

In response to the promptings of several dear friends, I have to apologise for the "all gone very quiet…." situation over the last few weeks. It took me a while to realise that such blog-silence could be interpreted in diametrically opposite ways – either "no news is good news" or "crisis but no opportunity to spread the word about it". Please be assured that if matters did take a turn for the worse I would say! But equally I now realise that faithful prayer requires frequent updates for fervour and freshness; so I will try and make amends in future.

I am pleased to say that Sue is doing well. She still gets tired very easily, and cannot do much; but she is still here (praise the Lord!) and is able to get out from time to time. As anticipated in the last blog entry way back in July, we did get to Hannah's graduation in Manchester, and saw her and her new flat, so that was a blessing - although Sue found the travelling quite tiring (it's about 2.5 hours drive).

She has been to chapel most Sunday mornings over the last eight weeks or so, although she is not strong enough to manage the evening services as well just yet. Now we are having some sunnier weather and warmer evenings we sometimes manage a short and slow walk - and although tired afterwards she can manage further now than she could before. Yesterday we managed her "summer treat" - we drove about 60 miles south to the coast, where she could sit on a deckchair on the sand, with an icecream. She had to walk a couple of hundred yards, and was asleep on the way home, but was glad to have done it.

So physically she is not too bad, and spiritually too - since she started feeling better she has been able to read more, and in recent months has read about William Haslam (Anglican minister 1841 -1905, converted by his own preaching, blessed by the Lord in a revival in Cornwall), Billy Bray, Andrew Bonar, Amy Carmichael, CT Studd, and currently John Newton.

Emotionally there are however "rocky moments". She was for instance quite upset by the recent flooding in the county which UK readers may have heard about - very extensive and with severe disruption to life and property. No floods in 20 years or so in our area, and then twice in a month our garden has had about 15 inches, next door has been within inches of being flooded and the house beyond them flooded twice. A major local water treatment plant was flooded for the first time ever, and so we were without running water for two weeks (relying on water imported in bowsers and literally millions of bottles of water for the three towns affected, and several villages); and in fact the floods were within inches of entering an electricity supply station which would have affected the entire area as well! Compared to many, who lost property and business, we were no more than "inconvenienced"; but Sue found the departure from normality quite hard to deal with. We now have running water again, which is OK for baths/showers/toilets; but we have been told that all water for drinking/cooking/washing-up should still be boiled. Hopefully that will be cleared this week - but it makes you realise what a blessing clean water "on demand" is, and how much gets wasted every day.

But then, don't we all – and all too often – take so much for granted? Do we ever thank the Lord for all His mercies? Indeed, can we ever thank Him for ALL of them (they are so many), let alone enough (they are so abundant)? As the hymnwriter said "All I have needed Thy hand hath provided"; and as Jeremiah said, "It is of the LORD'S mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness." (Lamentation 3:22/23).

And how can we ever – even in eternity – praise Him and thank Him enough for His wonderful love and condescension and mercy and grace? For in the Lord Jesus Christ our greatest need has been met; we have been forgiven and reconciled to Almighty God, through the life and death of His Son.
"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life" (John 3:16)
"But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8)

I know not how a holy God ,
The God Who hates all sin ,
Can look on me with love , although
He knows my thoughts within .
I know not how to face Thee , O
Thou Son of God , the Lamb
In glory and upon thy throne -
For I a sinner am .

I have rebelled and I have sinned ,
Done that which is not right ;
Fallen far short of what Thou dost
Expect in sovereign might .
Deliberate was my sin , O Lord ,
In deed and word and thought ;
I also failed to do those things
Which Thy word said I ought .

I know not how a holy God
Can pardon and forgive ;
Yet words of grace and mercy say
" Repent , believe , and live ! "
I know not how - but this I know
That in Thy word they're found ;
And therefore I by faith may stand
Upon redemption ground .

For on the cross my Saviour died
From sin to set me free ;
His blood was shed that I might live
To all eternity .
He suffered there the wrath of God ,
His Father turned away ;
He paid my debt - and my response ?
To love Him more each day .


What a great, and gracious God, we have!