22 down & 13 to go

This countdown is getting into the short rows. I commented to Pop that it is going by fast, he gave me a funny look and said "to you!". He is probably right. I had to laugh.
The day is drawing to a close as we watch Florida basketball struggle against Syracuse. They go down 10 and then come back to tie it up only to fall behind again. They are playing the game hard but its just a struggle .... such is life especially with cancer. It seems you take 3 steps forward then 3 steps back. Made me think about Sid. I was visiting with Sid and Coach earlier tonight. Cool people. Sid as Shannon said in an earlier post was going to get a feeding tube but his platelets haven't been high enough for the surgery. Well .... he let us know tonight that he will go in for the feeding tube tomorrow. He is up beat though and is actually looking forward to getting his nutrition up so that he will feel better. I hope it works. I also found out he will be here about the same time frame as Pop ..... he should finish his treatments around the end of the year. Keep him in your prayers tomorrow .... he is going to have a long day. With Coach the conversation immediately went to football. His nephew is a back judge for the SEC and will be working the Alamo bowl this year. How cool. I also let him know that he could probably tolerate all the medicines and treatments better if he was wearing a Gator hat instead of a FSU hat. Told him it would make him and me feel better at least. He smiled and laughed, I think he was just too tired to fight with me. *L* Doug has disappeared, I think he is up packing and repacking. He is on the starters block to get out of here tomorrow ... I bet he doesn't hardly sleep tonight. He did confess tonight though, that he had a bad spell today and was certain he wasn't gonna make it ..... I didn't ask him what he meant, but from the conversation, whatever happened to him today was not good. I pray he is well enough to go home, he is so looking forward to it.
Well it is quiet around here tonight everyone seemed to turn in early. It has been a good day for Pop. We were unable to get out and walk because of the weather but Pops spirit is good and he is feeling pretty good. He flirted continuously with the nurses when we went back for his appointment. I think they were looking forward to seeing him. At 70, he still has it!*L* Sonya and Shannon were right, it is a pretty neat place. I also concur that Samantha would be perfect for that job, I can't wait till she has the chance to see it.
Now for some serious thoughts I have been having today. Actually they have been running around in my head for the last week or two. I shared a post a while back about the limited power of cancer .... and about the immeasurable power of our God. And my thoughts turn to the power we have within us, the Holy Spirit. Its been promised to us if we follow Christ, make Him our Lord. You know trying to understand the Trinity; the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit and the fact that they are as one. It seems confusing and tough to comprehend. It MUST mean that .... if they are one .... that the power that dwells within us is the same power that created the universe and everything in it. The same power that submitted, and crawled on the altar to die for all of us. If the Father, Son and Holy Spirit are one.....and the Holy Spirit dwells within us .....WOW! That kinda scares me, kinda humbles me, but mostly excites me and leaves a desire to learn more. I began to wonder how this incredible power manifest itself? How can we (or more importantly can we) call on it? Can we can use this power to defeat an ugly sickness such as cancer. Today watching these people I realized ...yes that power is there and it manifest itself ...... as LOVE. Love for one another. These folks loving on one another. Do they still have cancer ... yes! Are they gonna die ...... yes! But aren't we all? It was no longer an ugly sickness but a bond that allowed people to drop their insecurities and just love one another. A fella told me today, (and yes he has cancer) as he was making himself a concoction of nutrients to keep his weight up that "cancer isn't a death sentence, its a life sentence! I didn't know how to live until I was diagnosed with cancer. Now I don't worry about all the small unimportant stuff, I just live!" I was kinda caught off gaurd and didn't know what to say. I had a similar conversation earlier in the week with Toni and here is someone in the Hope Lodge repeating my thoughts I had shared at home in private. It dawned on me that all that "do not worry, do not be discouraged, do not be afraid" talk we read in the bible......there ya go. He's got it! He gets it! Yes that power to conquer all is within us .... and its all about Hope, Faith and Love ... the greatest being Love! All about loving God and loving people! Pretty simple huh?