When we saw the email from Donn with this tag line, we wondered why he was doing it. We’d seen the picture of Elizabeth Anne with her great grandparents in Iowa (on the left). She was so full of smiles we could do nothing but smile back. But the “naked baby” picture (on the right) made the smiles all the larger! Naked baby didn’t mean no clothes, but no oxygen tubes! She’s completely off now. No tubes, no tanks. As she comes into her third month, she’s doing super well. Donn and Elizabeth will join Sherry in Phoenix on the weekend of February 22 for a time with her family before her Mom leaves for Arkansas. I have to say I really miss being with the little girl.
Last week was missions teaching week. I did two sessions (What if I run into a demon and Do I have to believe in Jesus to go to heaven?) at Missions Connexion Northwest. Both were well attended, doubling and tripling the chairs. fortunately it was in the unfinished lower floor at Rolling Hills so overflow was no problem. Hearing was! Then I did five Perspectives on World Christian Mission in Post Falls, Richland, Spokane, Boring and Milwaukie. Those along with the weekend class, Interfacing Science and Theology, preaching at Grace, having Nicole and Joy here while David and Sam went to Blue Man Group, and many hours spent in my current crisis, made it an extremely busy week.
One of the ladies from Sherry’s Bible study group discovered she has a very nasty form of cancer, peritoneal cancer. It’s been fascinating to see Sherry’s pastoral gifts coming out as she lead the group in praying for Janet, joining the church prayer group on Sunday between services, then going to minister to her and her husband in the hospital after Monday’s surgery and now leading the Bible study group again. I am super proud of my pretty wife. Her birthday is February 3.
Thursday I leave for Chicago to spend Friday signing 1250 copies of Vintage Jesus (see the website here). It still seems ostentatious to do this. That 1250 pre pub books sold in 10 days still boggles my mind! Maybe spending 6 hours of steady signing is the penalty for being slow in writing on book three! Happily, I’ll get to spend Thursday evening with Linda Cheng, an alum from Taiwan who is doing her second doctorate in psychology at Wheaton. I taught at her seminary. Being with her will bring back many memories of happy times in Taichung, times I sincerely pray will happen again sometime.
I am done with being sixty as of yesterday. Being on Facebook meant a lot more birthday greetings from around the world, especially Lebanon. Birthdays are for the little boy. I wish it could be celebrated properly. Some day. Melissa had cake in the faculty lounge with candles that wouldn’t blow out. I wasn’t doing well, having spent the previous 5 hours investing in a deep crisis situation. I spent 6 hours from 3 to 10 teaching, which is a great thing to do on my birthday. Ray Lubeck brought his class into mine to sing happy birthday. Tamara brought another cake!
There’s so much good, God stuff going on.
Hey, Steve.
I’m sitting in the Portland airport, having just heard that there’s a four hour delay in departure. So I’m wondering what will happen in Chicago trying to drive from O’Hare to Wheaton. Whew!!
I’m very pleased that Kevin’s Adam is doing well. The things that happen to babies are so scary. But the medical advances are amazing. I pray he will be as healthy as Elizabeth Anne.
I forgive you for not letting me know sooner that you’d be in Chicagoland so we could plan to get together! Seriously, I know how these things work, and that your time is limited. But e-mail me if you’ve got a few minutes. I can always drive to Wheaton to grab coffee.
By the way, my youngest brother, Kevin, and his wife had their first baby on December 26. However, the baby is not due until February 20! Adam was born 9 weeks premature, but he’s doing great. He’s already home from the hospital. I thought about your granddaughter, Elizabeth Anne, whenever I’ve held Adam. We’ll see him this weekend for the first time without all the tubes, tanks, and IVs.