Hello troops!
We’ve had a great weekend with our friends John & Amanda Stamp from Derby, their daughter (Abigail) was married in the summer and as we weren’t able to attend it was great to see the photos and hear all about the day. Our friendship with John & Amanda has always been special going right back to out time at Cliff College together in the 80s. We’ve shared so much over the years and always been able to be honest with each other – we’ve had a laugh, a cry, some wine and some reminiscing over the past 24 hours. Great therapy! We’re hoping to stop with them on Easter Sunday after my auntie’s Ruby wedding; looking forward to it already!
I can’t begin to tell you just how well I feel. In comparison to the first round of chemo I’ve had so much energy this time round. My swallowing remains normal, appetite is fine and the cold sensitivity side effects are lots better too. This is all good news. I really wasn’t expecting to feel this well at this stage. Thanks for your prayers and your National Insurance contributions that fund our wonderful NHS and my treatment.
Went to worship at Wootton New Life this morning, great service, loads of hearty singing and it was wonderful to break bread together at communion. We were looking at Jesus' living water. Ken, Mu, Jez, Teresa, John and Amanda prayed with me, anointed me with oil, and laid hands on me after the service; I really felt cared for and loved. The healing thing is hard. I know God can and does heal. Ken Chambers is evidence of this himself (feel free to tell your story as a comment below Ken!). Just because he can and does heal doesn’t mean he will definitely heal me. That’s not a lack of faith on my part rather a realisation that God’s heart is God’s heart and that his ways are not ours. I honestly don’t know what God has in store for me but I know his promise to walk with me through whatever. I have friends who are convinced I’ll be healed, others who don’t know and still more who don’t really believe in healing at all. The challenge is to live faithfully, positively and with integrity whatever happens.
During the coming week I’m in dissertation land; must get it finished if I can. I’ve loved doing my MA so much, not finishing it would be a shame. I’ve been studying ‘Contemporary Missiology’ how to do mission and be church in the modern world. I’ve found it fascinating from outset and although Teresa’s not so convinced she has supported me 100% and does a great job of proof reading all my tedious assignments. The dissertation needs to be 'in' by 31st March with graduation (all being well) on June 28th which is the day after my birthday. Please pray that I can concentrate, focus and get the blighter finished this week!
I pray you all have a great week, be good and once more thank-you with all my heart for walking on this journey with me. I would hate to be travelling alone.
God Bless. Dave
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5 comments:
Got back ok to the blessed land of Derbyshire, funny thing is we only ended up living in this green and pleasant land due to you Dave & Teresa, then after 12months of being here you guys headed south.....still keep sniffing my armpits to check if there's something you're not telling me. had a fabulous weekend with you guys, basked in the honesty and fulloness that is a weekend with the Redferns. I've had a real sense of sadness and pain since you called me at manchester airport dave, breaking the news, but after a weekend together I get a real sense of hope and peace about you. Just pictured you strapped in one of those kid carriers that dads strap to their back and being carried across the fields, jolted around, going where your dads going, annoying that he's jumping over stiles and out in all weathers, but he knows where he's going and to be fair that's all that matters.
Will give you a call midweek and see how it's going.....how bizarre is life, i'm blogging you whilst amanda is skyping paul in columbia updating him on you....small world, big love, big God, small cancer, Big hope, Big God.....
Johnxxxx
Whoa!
Just got back from a great evening with the kids at Burning Devotions (our youth service) - about 15 there from Lidlington & Wootton. Some fun games, great worship and we watched a short DVD by Rob Bell an American Pastor.
He was telling a story about when he got caught in the rain with his 1 yr old son strapped on his back while out for a hike in the woods (see why I said whoa!) and used the anaolgy to talk about how God is with us through good times and bad. The rain was pouring down and the wind was howling and his son cried out in fear.
God, like a human father, loves to see us happy and filled with joy, but when we are low and things aren't going so well He promises to be with us and protect us. To quote Rob Bell "I'm with you buddy, Daddy knows where we're going and I'll get you home". A simple but moving analogy.
Dave, you continue to be such an inspiration to us, glad to hear you're feeling so well.
May the Lord (& the NHS) continue to heal you.
Loads of love to you all, David
Thanks for your posting yesterday Dave and whoa +++++ at John and David's comments. How miraculous is that. I had to check the times to make sure John didn't write his comment after Davids but no,his was at 7.05 and Davids was at 9.55 Whoa again.
You said for Ken to share his healing as a comment on your blog so here goes with the latest one.
Having had unstable angina diagnosed in Jan 2006 and after many tests he finally had a angiogram (look at the blood supply to the heart under X-ray) in Aug 2006 which showed (90-95% blockage in the right coronary artery,and 2 blockages in the left descending coronary artery of 80% and 95%) He was sent to the John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford for an urgent angioplasty ( Blowing up little balloons in the arteries to squash the blockage and open up the artery with a ittle tube/stent) Kens appointment at the Radcliffe was on the 2nd Oct just 6wks after the diagnosis at Milton Keynes.
While having the procedure the surgeon expressed surprise at the results of the angiogram being performend prior to the angioplasty. In his own words the blockages seemed to have improved! He half heartedly put one stent in the worst one (60%) but doubted if this could have been the cause of the symptoms. The pictures we were given were so different that they could have been from a different person. The only thing that had happened between the 2 angiograms was 6wks of prayer. Not only were the pictures different but the symptoms had gone and in Feb 2007 at his follow-up appointent with a registra who just happened to be a Christian he was discharged with a clean bill of health. The doctor photocopied the relevant letters so that Ken could talk, with medical evidence, of his healing.
In May of 2007 he climbed up a small mountain in France with no ill effects. Praise our wonderful healing God.
Mu & Ken Chambers
God is amazing, on your back Lord, in a rucksack Lord..
"I'm with you buddy, Daddy knows where we're going and I'll get you home".
I don't need to know because he does.
Thanks for listening to the Lord David & John xx
Awesome! What a great analogy ... Interestingly, the 'footprints' story came to me yesterday when thinking about you... I'm sure you know it... how one set of footprints is there in the hard times when Jesus is carrying you.
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