On Friday, I made a decision to forgo my chemo treatment. On Thursday I got a chest x-ray and it showed pneumonia. My immune system, being compromised due to the chemo, isn’t working properly. Would wearing a mask in public have prevented this? (Which I didn’t. I don’t like the attention they draw.) Maybe. The…
Logan: Good news: Logan’s surgery was successful. The entire tumor was removed. He was released from OHSU and returned to his home this last Friday. Pray for continued healing as he recovers with the help of his family. Myself: Good news: I just received lab results and found that this second round of chemo is doing its…
God has a wonderful plan for your life. That’s what I was told many years ago by Campus Crusade For Christ. The suffering piece, though, didn’t get mentioned as part of the plan in one of their most famous and popular tracts of all time. Well, the fact is, we will all suffer at some point in our…
A number of years ago I had a conversation with a home schooling parent whose family lived out of state. She told me she had a notebook of documentation that served as “evidence” of what she was doing as a homeschooler. Every minute was accounted for. She was supposed to log 6 to 7 hours…
Last November when I started the first chemo regiment, I insulated myself, a decision based on a combination of factors- a suppressed immune system, the flu season, and a non-functional gastro system that my oncologist was unable to resolve. This led to malnutrition resulting in significant weight loss, extreme fatigue, body ache and generalize malaise….
My youngest daughter, Katelyn, was over to our home last week to watch the movie, Free Solo, with me. This outstanding documentary follows Alex Honnold, the first climber to climb Yosemite’s El Capitan Wall, a 3,000.00 foot assent, without ropes or safety gear. This climb up El Capitan would be the first of it’s kind. One misstep…
The saying, “He who pays the piper calls the tune” is true when it comes to accreditation. Years ago, I was contacted by a top leader within the Oregon Department of Education. He wanted to travel up from Salem and meet with me to discuss the possibility of Basic Skills becoming a charter school. Soon…
For almost 30 years Basic Skills offered a diploma program designed to help parents home school their children through high school. However, we are no longer accepting new students. As expected, we’re getting questions about replacement programs. To help you find an option that’s a good fit for your family, I’ve decided to write a…
I’ll start with the present and work backwards, I started chemo therapy this last Friday, April 5. I’m scheduled for two or three cycles (two or three months) with a review afterwards for possibly doing a stem cell transplant. Because I have multiple organ involvement, heart involvement being the most serious, my case is riskier…
“God won’t give you more than you can handle.” “When God closes a door, he opens a window.” “You’re never more safe than when you’re in God’s will.” You’ve probably heard or read something like the above. Maybe you’ve said something close to one of these in the hopes of comforting and encouraging someone. I…