In Psalm 90:12 Moses pleads with God: “Teach us to live well! Teach us to live wisely and well!” (The Message) That is our prayer and plea, “Lord, teach us to live!” It would be so easy to just shift into neutral and coast but that is not what we choose!

On Wednesday, July 30, Lois and I drove to Bloomington, Indiana to visit friends and the church we were part of for over ten years. Lois stayed with Tim and Kathy while I attended Indiana Christian Union Council on Friday and Saturday. It was good to worship at Evangelical Community Church again and greet so many people we rarely see. The fellowship and prayer times we shared were precious. I think that’s what Moses had in mind when he asked God for life lived “wisely and well.”

Thanks to some generous gifts Lois was able to make this trip with me and then take a flight from Indianapolis to Des Moines on Tuesday, August 5 so she could be at her third Chemo infusion on Wednesday. The flight and all the connections went well but Lois’ one piece of luggage was mauled in a conveyor belt. Although none of the contents were missing, the suitcase was destroyed. The airline did replace the suitcase!

On Wednesday, Aug 6, Joy and Tony took Lois to Iowa City where her blood work came back with the best numbers we’ve seen! That’s an answer to prayer. The Chemo infusion was proceeding normally until the Eloxatin was finished. Lois wanted to walk to the restroom and couldn’t get her legs to work. The Drs. injected a clot buster and within forty minutes everything was back to normal including her blood pressure. They kept her for an extra hour and sent her home with a stronger blood pressure medication and the now familiar “fanny pack pump.”

On Friday, August 8, a home healthcare nurse came and unhooked the pump and checked all the “vital signs” and found no problems. Once again, prayer and the nausea meds and pain pills controlled all the side effects. Lois is tired when all this is going on and for a couple of the following days but is really doing well.

After putting Lois on the plane in Indianapolis, I went onto the Ohio Christian Union Council and arrived home August 11 late in the evening. This is a very busy “season” for Christian Union and not being with Lois for her third Chemo was hard but obviously part of choosing to “live wisely and well.”