Dana's Christian Journey

musings of a thankful cancer survivor

Author: Dana

  • mystery

    —

    Dana

    “’For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be married to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.’ This is a profound mystery – but I am talking about Christ and the Church. However, each of you must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband.” Ephesians 5:31-33

    father_brideI was honored to help my niece get married in Knoxville, Tennessee this past weekend. Both husband and wife graduated from UT, so thankfully their team pulled out a victory the Thursday before the wedding and everyone was happy.

    God does not talk much about how to be a proper football fan (though it would seem that good sportsmanship should be advised), but He does tell us how to live as husbands and wives. In the ‘profound mystery’ it seems God wants a Christian marriage to reflect the beautiful relationship between Jesus and His Church.

    As the Church gladly submits to Christ and loves Him in such a way that shines brightly, so a wife is to respect, honor, and love her husband with a joy that makes everyone take note. And as Jesus has demonstrated perfect love by sacrificing Himself for His Bride the Church, so a husband is to lay down his life for the one he loves.

    When the world witnesses the sacrificial love a man has for his wife and the beautiful loyalty a woman shows her husband, an impression is made. “Why is this marriage different?” the world asks. We answer, “Because of what we’ve experienced! We’ve had a Savior give up His life for us and we will never be the same!”

    “Wives, submit to your husbands as to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the Head of the Church, His Body, of which He is the Savior. Now as the Church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything. Husbands, love your wives as Christ loved the Church, and gave Himself up for her by the washing with water through the Word, and to present her to Himself as a radiant Church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as they love their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. After all, no one ever hated his own body, but he feeds and cares for it, just as Christ does the Church – for we are members of His Body.” Ephesians 5:22-30

  • Providencia

    —

    Dana

    “As soon as the people saw Jesus, they were overwhelmed with wonder and ran to greet Him.” Mark 9:15

    A group of sixteen of us traveled to Ecuador this past June to work with Pastor Manuel and his family in the mountains and valleys of the Andes. Each day construction work and community service took place, with each of us enjoying the fellowship of our humble, hard-working brothers and sisters.

    providenciaOn our last full day in the country, we were happy to accept the invitation of the only Christian family who lived in a small village called Providencia. This family wanted all the children of the community to hear the story of Jesus, so we were able to bring a simple meal, some arts and crafts, and the Gospel.

    The meeting room barely held the sixteen Americans, about fifty children, a dozen or so mothers, and two grandpas. After singing a few songs, I was asked to speak. Being a teacher, I can usually target students that can potentially sabotage the best of lessons; two thirteen-year-old boys were my top candidates. When one returned my wink during the singing, I at least thought they would give the foreigners a chance.

    I shared about the God who created all the beauty of their land and the Father who loved each one of us more than we can imagine. As our leader Melaney interpreted, it was remarkable to watch every single person focus on the message. At the close, I told them I wanted to tell a story about Jesus and asked if a few of the children would help act it out.

    Three girls and three boys raised their hands, including one of the thirteen-year-olds who had earlier caught my eye. We had two college-age kids in our group named Andrew and James; I let our John be the apostle that Jesus loved; and I changed the name of my good friend Mark to Peter as he had the best beard among us.

    I asked everyone to pretend that I was Jesus, who often visited villages just like theirs. I shared that one day several children wanted to meet Jesus, so I asked my six volunteers to stand at the end of the room opposite me. But for some reason, some of Jesus’ closest followers thought Jesus was too busy and too important to greet the children. As Andrew, James, John the Beloved, and bushy-bearded Peter stood with arms folded across their chest preventing the children from coming to my side of the room, the crowd seemed quite distraught.

    I don’t think Jesus ever wore a baseball cap, but I became so aggravated with my apostles that I took off my cap and hit each of them on the head. “What are you doing?” I cried. “Let the children come to me and do not hinder them! Don’t you know the kingdom belongs to ones like these?” Big smiles broke out among all in the house as the kids made it through the barrier and everyone realized that Jesus wants to be a Friend to all. Jesus brings Good News!

    “And they were bringing children to Him that He might touch them, and the disciples rebuked them. But when Jesus saw it, He was indignant and said to them, ‘Let the children come to Me; do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of God. Truly I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it.’ And He took them in His arms and blessed them, laying His hands on them.” Mark 10:13-16

  • graph

    —

    Dana

    I am back in the math classroom this school year and I am happy John Turner is one of my students. Though Taylor, who had me for Algebra II, warned John that I would be tougher on him than anyone else, John reported this week that math was his second favorite class. (It’s hard to beat art.)

    IMG_0753One of our recent lessons was an introduction to charts and graphs. I gave my students an example of a beautiful graph I received from my doctor just a few days ago. Sixteen years ago yesterday, I first learned I had the blood cancer Multiple Myeloma, which still has no known cure.

    The graph shows the increase of cancer from December of 2015 to July of 2016. This has happened at least a dozen times over the years and it always requires a change in treatment. In the spring of this year, we changed drugs and the results were not good. Not only did the drug not drive the cancer count down, it was much more difficult on my body.

    This chart shows the average measure for a healthy person is between 10 and 25. By July this count in my bloodstream had grown to 360 so we changed drugs again. As you can see, after one round of the new regimen, my count dropped to 12.1, the measure of a normal person.

    We praise God for His continued goodness and grace. Susan and I never take such good news for granted as we have lost many friends and acquaintances in our Atlanta support group over the years. We thank God first, then so many of you who have faithfully prayed for us. We also thank my doctors and nurses whom I’ve gotten to know quite well over the course of time.

    We will continue this treatment as long as it is effective. Meanwhile, I pray I can be a good husband, father, son, teacher, and grandpa. (If you haven’t heard… it is a lot of fun being a grandpa.)

    “He reached down from on high and took hold of me; He drew me out of deep waters. He rescued me from my powerful enemy, from my foes who were too strong for me. They confronted me in the day of my disaster, but the Lord was my support. He brought me out into a spacious place; He rescued me because He delighted in me.” II Samuel 22:17-20

  • wonder

    —

    Dana

    “May we never lose our wonder; may we never lose our wonder…
    Wide eyed and mystified, may we be just like a child…
    Staring at the beauty of our King.” (‘Wonder’ from Bethel Music)

    boysA new school year is underway and the joys of education are beginning afresh. We had a great summer with the highlight being a child born to Kinsey and Jordan Stanley. Owen Gabriel is a healthy little boy and we are thankful to our Father in Heaven, the Author of life.

    There’s nothing like the miracle of a baby. To think of all that happens in the womb, then to meet a little one for the first time awakens our wonder. A labor and delivery nurse, Kinsey finished her degree to become a midwife last spring. She then passed her boards on Wednesday, June 22 and had the baby on Sunday the 26th. She and Jordan are so happy.

    Karlyn and Susan are also happy. To watch sister or grandmother hold little Owen makes me smile. Of course I enjoy holding babies too, but I think I’m a little more comfortable when they get a bit older.

    Wilkes is almost seventeen months old now and he is so much fun. Often he will see something new and say, “Whoa!” I think he and Owen both live in a state of wonder that holds lessons for us all.

    “Jesus called a little child and had him stand among them. And He said: ‘I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.’” (Matthew 18:2-3) Perhaps Jesus intends to remind us of ‘wonder’ when He calls us to be like children. Our two grandsons don’t worry, they live simply, and they trust those who love them. I want to follow this example.

    “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable then they? Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life? …

    “But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” (Matthew 6:25-27, 33)

  • children

    —

    Dana

    My friend passed away last Thursday afternoon. Mark is with Jesus now, but he will be missed by many throughout the world.

    photoCleaning out an office drawer as we prepare for summer, I ran across this hand-written note from a Kindergarten-age Kinsey, shortly after she and her brother had gotten in trouble for not getting along: “I love you so much dad that I can not be mene to taylor in e more. Love, Kinsey.” Our little girl taught me that a great love for my Father in heaven should impact the way I treat all His children.

    Watching Karlyn walk across the stage a couple of weeks ago brought flashbacks of a ‘little girl’ befriending African children as a world traveler at a young age. As a college student she had opportunity to do the same thing while living in Africa several months. I smile at the passion God has put in her.

    IMG_4816I’ve told John and my 83 seventh grade boys on more than one occasion that I often look at one-year-old Wilkes and wonder what he’ll be like when he’s twelve or thirteen. I told them I also wonder what they will be like when they are as old as Taylor who is now twenty-nine.

    As we close another writing season, I’m reflecting on children – not just my own, but the children of the world. The picture of Jesus that should attract any person anywhere is the smiling Son of Man opening His arms to the little ones while scolding those who thought He was too busy.

    “People were bringing little children to Jesus to have Him touch them, but the disciples rebuked them. When Jesus saw this, He was indignant. He said to them, ‘Let the little children come to Me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.’ And He took the children in His arms, put His hands on them and blessed them.” (Mark 10:13-16)

    When we visit our friends in Ecuador in a couple of weeks, we’re hoping to assist disciples of Jesus to help the children of their land. Please pray for these children. When I wished the Hunters Godspeed as they flew back to Namibia a few days ago, I thought of the beautiful children of Community Hope School and God’s great love for them. John said, “We’ll get all the children to pray for you Dana, as you go through your cancer stuff.” I’m grateful these children have prayed such prayers for many years.

    Children remind us of God. And God reminds us to think highly of children. I pray you have a great summer! Thanks for your friendship and prayers!!

    “He took a child and had him stand among them. ‘Whoever welcomes one of these little children in My name welcomes Me; and whoever welcomes Me does not welcome Me but the One who sent Me.’” Mark 9:36-37

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