Radiation Leftovers

Justin's hair is beginning to grow back in, but much slower where the radiation was given. So he has an interesting pattern on his head. I can feel that there is hair beginning to grow at the radiation site, but it is about invisible at this point. All the rest is dark brown.

Another thing we have noticed is that certain spicy foods make his tongue sore. The worst one for him is Doritos. He loves those things. And yet when he eats them it hurts. So for now, he has to pass on them.

For a guy who has endured 25 radiation treatments, the above list is not much to complain about.

Writing a Book

Justin is in the process of writing a Christian action/adventure novel. He has been thinking of it for a long time and has finally buckled down and started writing it. I am not going to tell the story, but it is about pain, redemption, choices and forgiveness. A friend of his has some connections in the publishing world, so he hopes it is good enough to go the distance. I have been listening to his ideas for several years, discussing details and playing the devil's advocate on occasion. I know the main character like he is a relative. And let me say...I am very excited to finally see him on the written page. I am an avid reader and I believe this will be a winner!

Comic Relief?

We just moved into our house in mid-December, so we have not met our neighbors yet. But from what we have seen, they are all really nice folks. Well, tonight some of us got a surprise...

Tammy heard something at the front door. It sounded like bumps or thumps. She thought someone was throwing something at the house, but wasn't sure. She went to open the front door and smelled fire...

Lo and behold, we and other neighbors got the old "dog poop in a paper bag" prank done to us. They lit it on fire! We must have caught them in the act, because they left the box of matches on the porch, too. Jason and Justin went around the property to see if they could find them, but the kids were gone.

We decided to call the police, since our porch is wood. Lighting a fire on a wood porch is seriously stupid. I called the non-emergency number and the dispatcher told us that we were not the only ones that had this prank done. The officer was at another home getting a report about the same thing. He came to our house, wrote a report, looked around some, then went off to fight some more dog doo doo crime. Poor guy. What a dumb waste of his time.

Back To Work

After 6 weeks away, I returned to work today. I was a little worried that I would forget things, make big mistakes, or feel like I didn't belong. Of course none of that happened; I jumped right in and after about an hour, it didn't feel like I was away at all. Everyone was so kind to me, happy to have me back, and excited that Justin is doing so well.

I haven't really written about my finances much, but I will say a little bit here. Being without a paycheck for awhile has been a hardship. I won't get a full check for a few weeks, so it is not over yet. Though I was not being paid, my bills were still generating! Rent is still due, and we still have to eat. I am probably going to struggle for many months to catch up. I am usually very frugal, but I have had to be extremely tight since October, to try to get this done. We even skipped Christmas gifts this year to save money.

And here is the honest truth about it. I would have done it over again. I have been SO blessed to have six weeks to spend with my son. That has been worth so much more than money! We were together 24/7 for weeks and got along famously. We had great talks, long walks, big laughs, some painful circumstances, silly times, hard times, amazing activities, shared our dreams, plotted a really good book that is in the works, learned a lot about a lot of things, made some new friends and felt much peace in the storm. What is that worth? Zillions.

So my credit takes a ding, my utilities get behind, I get little texts that my cell bill is due. No big deal. None of that matters in the long run. But my son matters. More than anything.

I have a Provider. God cares for me, for my sons, even for my work and my pay. I need not worry about things. He will walk alongside us all the way, and provide what we need, not just during bad times, but also during the good times. He made a way for us.

Sunday

Justin got a big welcome at church. Everyone was so glad to see him. I think it is really good for people to see Justin in the middle of this trial. He is happy, confident and ready to share with anyone who will talk to him. There is no need to be nervous or upset--he certainly isn't that way. He got to see lots of people who have been encouraging him, praying for him, sending cards and gifts. His old friend Ryan was so happy to see him that he immediately invited us for lunch at his house. It feels to great to be loved by our friends.

All day long we were restless. I finally figured out that my head was telling me to get ready to go back to Iowa City. It was great to know that we don't have to do that anymore! I'm still living out of my suitcase, but plan to deal with that today.

Looking Ahead

Justin is once again looking for work. He loves camp ministry and would love to work in that capacity soon. He will be doing some consulting work for a church that has just purchased a camp right in our area. We are not sure what that will look like, but for now he is scheduling a walk-through and tour, so they can discuss what the camp has, does not have, and what would get it up and running, and used to the best of it's capability. He is really pumped and ready to go. He has a notebook of things to discuss after he observes. It should be fun for him.

Pray that God will give him just the right job. Thanks.

Daily Routine

Now that we are home to stay, we have to figure out what our daily routine is supposed to be. I have noticed that both Justin and I have done very little since we got here. We are used to crashing over the weekend so we can go back to Iowa City. I supposed it will take a week or so to get used to the lack of travel and being home again.

Thanks again, everyone for your cards, gifts, calls, encouragement and prayers. It has been a wonderful thing to be in the midst of all that love and care.