Thank you for taking a moment or two to check in on us and catch up with what is happening at the current time. Over many years of ministry, Karen and I have seen the loneliness and heartache of those who are going through trials without trusting the Lord and experiencing the encouragement of friends. They are very much alone. Watching and listening to people who do not belong to the Lord and with whom there is very little human encouragement and friendship reminds us of how terribly and horribly empty is the life without the Lord and without friends and family.

It is not so with Michael and Karen. How good is our great and awesome God! He understands our weakness and He holds us close to Himself. What a great blessing it is to be secure in the Lord Jesus. Nothing can separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 8:38-39). Not only do we have the security of the Lord; but Karen and I are rich indeed with the encouragement of precious family and friends. It is a wonderful blessing to have you joining us on this journey.

Today we head back to the hospital at noon. Approximately a half hour later Karen will undergo a procedure that is called a paracentesis. This is a procedure in which a catheter is inserted into the peritoneal cavity to remove fluid that is building up. The peritoneal cavity is the space within the abdomen that contains several organs including the intestines, the stomach, and the liver. We certainly need your prayers and believe me we really appreciate your prayers.

We are thankful for many blessings this morning. Typically Karen had to be drained every two weeks. We have made it to the five week mark which demonstrates that the cancerous fluid is not building up at the same rate. For this we give thanks to the Lord. Karen is also experiencing fluid buildup in her legs and feet. This makes walking and standing very difficult. There are so many things that my dear Karen wants to do; but is unable. The top thing that she wants to be able to do is to be back in her local church worshipping with the family of the Lord. The second thing that is very, very important to her is to be well enough to be able to go to her grandson’s basketball game and watch him play. Don’t be surprised First Baptist Church of Elyria family that the day will come when a lady who is not feeling well will be with me in the service. Don’t even be surprised if there is a home basketball game, early enough in the evening, when a little lady is seated on the bleacher floor side who musters enough air to let out a cheer when her grandson scores.

Oh how much we have for which to be thankful. We have the Lord for strength and so many family and friends for encouragement.