This morning I checked into the hospital, for another week of chemotherapy. This is the beginning of my third cycle, and it is starting to feel like a routine. If all goes according to plan, I will be here until mid-day on Friday, and then I will have two weeks at home before starting round four.

Since I was last in the hospital, I have had two very pleasant weeks. Other than one night of bad nausea, my side effects were very limited. I also never caught any illness, even though it seemed like everyone else was catching something! Especially this last week has been busy and fun, with lots of opportunities to connect with friends, church members, and family. God has been kind to give these blessings.

One of those occasions was a farewell dinner with my parents. On Wednesday, they started the journey home to Canada. They were here for almost three months, helping us with driving and meals, and spending plenty of time with our kids. Today, they made it home safely to their home in Ontario.

We are still waiting for information from the hospital in Toronto about the possibility of doing my surgery there. In the meantime, I have a backup plan for surgery in Oakland. In either case, the roadmap to surgery involves several tests and scans. Next week, for instance, I will have another PET scan to measure the tumor. I'm thankful to have all of these technologies and facilities available so readily.

This last little while has been a relatively quiet period in my treatment. I missed sending out an update last week, partly because there was so little to report! As time has gone by, the challenge of my treatment has changed. A couple of months ago, the challenge was dealing with piles of new information. Now, the challenge is faithfully persevering as we execute the plan. Patience is a fruit of the Spirit, and this is just another example of how we need his supernatural work in our lives every day.

The Spirit works his fruit in our lives is by drawing our hearts to Christ. Along that line, I have been meditating on this quotation from Amandus Polanus, a professor of theology at the University of Leiden in the sixteenth century. Perhaps it will be encouraging to you as well:

He was wearied by earthly roads, and he made himself our road to heaven. Christ was weakened for us, so that we might stand tall in his strength and say with Paul: “I can do all things through Jesus Christ who strengthens me.”