Like Rolling off a Blog

I’ll bet you’ve heard the formula of how to make God laugh: tell Him your plans. Or better yet … write a Christmas letter (for ’23) claiming no hospital stays. No sooner had those cards gone into the mail than, BINGO, hospital stay!  This year you are getting an e-version of the Christmas card. After all, we can edit it on the fly if necessary! Long story short, December 12 of 2023, I had surgery for a 1-in-a-million cancer: appendiceal. Lord willing, all is now well in that department. If we were to have to choose a word to describe 2024, it might have to be two words. HEALTH (or lack of same) and TRAVEL. When we were wee ones, our parents used to discuss health concerns around the dinner table with visiting family members. Now our own kids and grandkids guess how long it will take before their parents/grandparents start discussing the latest med or malady. There is more to life than that! We began 2024 on a bittersweet note. Mark’s sister, Mary, went home to be with Jesus on Janu...

Prior to the very clear Gospel message giving the reasons why Mary had the hope of heaven, three speakers gave eulogies/memories of their relationship with Mary Alyce (Elfstrand) Wavinak. They all brought laughs and tears. But only one made me have to stifle sobs at the end. The one by her brother Mark.  You can find the video of his remarks HERE .  When we learned of Mary’s stage 4 cancer at the end of October 2023, we did not know she would be gone within 3 months. Please, if you don’t know that you will be in heaven after your last day on earth … talk with someone who knows! 

Who remembers the old TV program, Father Knows Best? Our family watched it from time to time. You just don’t see families like that on TV anymore. Ah, but I digress. It’s been several days since I felt like logging any activity, and frankly I don’t really feel like it right now. But here goes. First off, how can I even begin to enumerate the friends and family who have been praying for me? It is humbling. THANK YOU, each and every one! Secondly, having Mark and Ingrid be my eyes, ears, mouth, during the whole process has been so incredibly helpful. I appreciate them so much! If you are on FB (or perhaps Instagram), you are no doubt up to speed on the happenings of the last five days or so. Thirdly, although they will probably never see this, I want to publicly thank my surgical team and hospital team. God was so good to get me in to a specialty surgeon. This particular surgeon is so well known around the hospital that he has his own set of supplies to treat his patients, lovingly calle...

1. Almighty God knows what I need  2. God has the power to provide peace, comfort, protection, and healing 2. Praying family and friends 3. An expert surgical team 4. A daughter and husband who will give up their time to accompany me before surgery 5.  This stuff … that I’m supposed to start drinking at 5:15 tomorrow morning, and another one at 1 PM … oh my!

Where shall I start? Today has been a gorgeous fall/meteorological winter day! Sunshine. Mild. And God’s hands have been all over my day.  A month or more ago I gathered the Christmas lists for kids and grandkids and had fun pressing links for Christmas presents. Shipping here, there, and everywhere. Then I wrote a short Christmas letter to send to those few with whom we don’t have contact through Facebook. A small group indeed. In that letter, I wrote a line that will probably haunt me for a while: Neither one of us have been hospitalized, praise God! Hmmmmm In early fall, I had begun having discomfort on the right side of my abdomen. No sharp pains, so I wasn’t concerned about appendicitis. But it felt like bloating and pressure, so I started consulting “Dr. Google.” I think we all have a love/hate relationship with Dr. Google. I let it go for a couple of months, and noticed that I could palpably feel a mass deep on my right side. Still no real pain. But right about this time, Ma...

It has been a LONG time, blogging friends! I am more prone to “micro-blog” via Facebook, but this was just too long. Last night was one of those nights I couldn’t stay asleep. Unfortunately, when I’m wide awake in the middle of the night, my default is to check Facebook. I’m sort of glad I did. Although I don’t know the circumstances, I can guess. An acquaintance from long ago had posted that her 30-year-old daughter passed away that day. Crushing. Horrific. No words can help. My first thought was Romans 12:5. Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. But then, when I couldn’t sleep, and I had exhausted what I knew to pray for this heartbroken mama, the words of what’s known as “The Lord’s Prayer” just kept playing on repeat in my head.  About the third time around, I started breaking down the parts of Jesus’ prayer. I don’t ever want to take Scripture out of context or make it say something it doesn’t, so I pray that the Spirit will change whatever words are not ...

 If you have seen some previous Facebook posts, you’ve noticed that I’ve been reacquainting myself with this series by Jack Cavanaugh. The series follows a family from 1620 to present day. Wars. Intrigue. Family highs and lows. I have been thoroughly engrossed in the stories and educated at the same time.  Until this one. I don’t mean to say it isn’t well written. It is. The difference is the timeframe. You see, all the previous novels have harkened back to an era in which I had no personal experience. You know … I didn’t live through it.  This story covers the Vietnam era. I DID live through this one. So it is hitting me in a different part of my gut. It is uncomfortable. Both the story and the feelings it dredges up as I think back over those tumultuous years … for me and for this country. A scant year after the assassination of John F Kennedy, my father determined he would take a last ditch opportunity to enter the Air Force as a chaplain. 35 years of age was the cutof...

Why in the world would I be showing you this silver streak down the top of my head? I’ll admit that I’m vain when it comes to the color of my hair. Kudos to my friends who rock the gray, but I’m not there yet. You see, this particular gray streak is important to me. In July of 2018, I was diagnosed with breast cancer and had a single mastectomy that same month. God is good no matter what. He walked me through that, providing family and professionals along the way. And I got through it without chemotherapy … all hair follicles intact. In December of 2021, I had the obligatory mammogram. The images came back “inconclusive.” A survivor doesn’t like to hear or see those words. So I was scheduled for another mammogram at the beginning of January 2022. “Distortion.”  Now scheduled for a followup ultrasound that same day.  “The radiologist will meet with you shortly.” Oh great… BI-RADS 4A. This is a designation of how concerned the radiologist is that the findings may be cancerous. T...

 In the late 1970s there was a popular TV show (I think it was on PBS) called “Connections.” It explored the gestalt of current events and inventions. A mind boggling, detail heavy, exploration of how we got to where we are. This program came to mind while I was eating my breakfast this morning, staring out at the rain-soaked trees dropping their leaves on the green grass of the far west suburbs of Chicago. How in the world did I get to this exact spot on this exact day? The short answer is “the sovereignty of God.” But a couple of the connections can be listed as Jesus and US veterans. God’s provision for my life and eternity can be directly attributed to Jesus’ death and resurrection. The many connections He had to plan for me to get to the Cross of Jesus included the second major connection … US veterans. When I was 10 years old, my father was a pastor in a very small church in Montana. There were weeks we apparently lived on the good graces of congregants who canned for the win...

From the first televised images to the heroic “let’s roll!” those of us who were of age remember where we were and the shock of the evil that attacked our country 20 years ago today.  Following are the memories of my brother Danny, who was working near the Pentagon that day. I had never heard his entire story and part of it brought me to tears. Danny is a man of character. I am proud to call him my brother. These are his memories as he wrote them. Stand By – Meetings Postponed  On the morning of 9/11/2001 and in Skyline-1 of the Skyline Office Complex, my TMA support teammates and I had seen the pictures and reports of a plane hitting the World Trade Center in NY. It was time for us to make our way to Skyline-6 for a meeting with your client in TRICARE Management Activity (TMA) Information Management (IM). We discussed what we had seen about the World Trade Center as we walked through the underground and then as we sat waiting in one of TMA’s Skyline-6 conference rooms. The me...

 by Rex Eldon Nelson (from an article that appeared in “The Good Old Days” In 1907, I worked as a bridge carpenter for the Utah Uinta Railroad. This was a narrow gauge railroad that ran forty miles up into the Uinta Mountains to the mining town of Dragon. The railroad hauled gilsinite from Dragon, down the mountain, to a loading platform for the Rio Grande Railroad. The Rio Grande ran from Denver to Salt Lake City.  The town of Dragon was home for the railroad workers, as well as the gilsinite miners. When I got word that I had the job in Utah, my wife Nettie and I were staying with her aunt in Grand Junction, Colorado. At the time, Nettie and I had one baby [William Earl Nelson] and another in the oven [Oliver Lescher Nelson]. We were both excited about the job, as I had had no work for a few months and we both disliked having to lean on relatives. The job started as soon as I could arrive, so we packed our things and bundled the baby, and were ready to leave in a few days. [...

There’s always good news and bad news. The best news is that I am the beneficiary of a new (to me) car. That is exciting. More good news: I didn’t go into debt to get it, due to the generosity of our firstborn! More good news: the sun is shining and the temp is hovering around 50 degrees. More good news: I was flattered by some people with whom I was commiserating at the DMV. So here goes the bad news: The other day, when I would have liked to register the new cars and transfer license plates, the line at the DMV was excruciatingly long. So a day later I figured I’d try another facility. Yay! No line! Alas, that was because the facility was CLOSED due to COVID. Since the sun promised to shine today, with mild temps, I decided to return to the original DMV and just stick it out. I can do this!  In these times of virus protocols, the lines are definitely long because of “social distancing.” But I also remembered in previous dealings with the DMV that there are separate lines for lice...

 I am battling (unsuccessfully) a sinus headache this morning. I thought my caffeine would squelch that thing, but no. It’s probably wise not to compose a blog while suffering an annoying pain, but here goes. Almost a year ago, my primary physician told me that I was solidly in the Type 2 diabetic category, with an A1C of 7.4. Having lived with a Type 1 diabetic all my growing up years, and with a Type 2 diabetic for the last 20 or so (my husband), I desperately didn’t want to go on meds to control my rampant blood sugar. Enter low carb eating … or keto. Actually, the two are a bit different. Keto is quite strict as to percentages of types of food one eats. Low carb is just being aware of carb values of foods and keeping consumption of carbs to a minimum. Some people track their carb intake. I started battling what I thought was overweight early in my adult years. What I thought was “overweight” then is now my goal weight!!! And I have serious doubts that I’ll reach it. When I deci...

As with any event or life experience, there is more than one view to be had. Look at the Gospels and discover that four different perspectives of the same era have basic commonalities and yet personal slants. Enter COVID-19. Oh my. What can be said that hasn’t already either raised a panic or an eyebrow of distrust? If you are sitting in an apartment in Italy, you will have a very different view of this virus than if you are sipping coffee in an Idaho cabin. Following are two very different (or maybe not) angles on the corona virus panic of 2020. One is from an avid political watchman. The other is from a medical professional in California. Both have drawn me up short. I need to be aware and possibly wary. But never weary in well-doing. So … where do you land? From an evangelical opinion writer: March 15, 2020 Any real state of fear will bring panic, and once panic is the prevailing attitude of society at large, the herd seeks safety at all cost.  Seeking safety unde...

If my memory serves me, lunches on every Friday of my school career consisted of a non-meat option…presumably in deference to Catholics who had been admonished by the Pope not to eat meat on those days. Additionally, the only time I ever heard of Lent was from either Catholic friends or friends of friends. Giving up something for 40 days, from Ash Wednesday until Easter. Usually, it was meat or chocolate that made the top of the denial list. I did not grow up in the tradition that included meatless Fridays, Ash Wednesday, or observance of Lent. Oddly enough, I have some Protestant friends who just recently decided that this practice might be meaningful to them. “Religion” is a practice. Generally speaking, it is a practice that wants to attain something. Theologians have discussed the difference between “religion” and “Christianity” for quite some time. Law versus grace, and all the nuances of personal accountability. This year, the definition of “Lent” became something I nee...

I don’t know how I feel about the term “cancer survivor.” I feel like I dodged a bullet somehow. Yes, I HAD breast cancer. It was removed during mastectomy surgery one year ago this morning. Clear margins. No lymph involvement (that they could discern). I did not need chemotherapy, nor did I require radiation. I am so grateful. Those women (and a few men) who have had the entire package of treatment … now, I might call them survivors. That is tough stuff. The entire process did teach me something about prayer and faith and my relationship with God. When taking a spiritual gifts assessment, my “faith” score is abysmal. But I dare say it went up a few notches since my breast cancer diagnosis. I counted on the prayers of believers—especially those who have been through this before me. They know the emotional roller coaster. They know the potential risks and outcomes. And they “lowered me through the roof” or “dragged me to the Throne Room.” When going in to surgery, I had an uncanny...

From Take Care of My Child…for a While by Joyce Sawyer Later we learned the autopsy showed the cancer had involved the breathing control center. It was a quiet, peaceful way to die. I was so afraid he would choke to death or feel strangled as he had felt so many times before, and had been so frightened. Ricky’s vital organs and cancerous parts were given for research, in hopes some other child would be helped by what was found. We learned another child was in the hospital with that same kind of cancer and was indeed benefiting from the added knowledge. [Rhonda here. If you have been touched by my mother’s story, perhaps you’d like to consider giving a donation to the American Cancer Society or make sure you are listed among those who are Organ Donors. But the most important consideration is … do you know for certain where you will be after you draw your last breath? How about those in your family? Do you know you will see them in heaven? Jesus is the ONLY Way, Truth, and Life. T...

From Take Care of My Child…for a While by Joyce Sawyer …Then on July 11, at about four Sunday afternoon, Dale came in to the living room and said Ricky’s eyes were rolling back and he was having convulsions. Dale was really shaken; it was terrible to watch and we knew death was close now. We planned to have Ricky die at home, but we realized we couldn’t handle this. He needed relief from pain and he couldn’t keep the pills down. He no longer had control of his bodily functions. He needed the help of a doctor and the hospital. Our doctor at McClellan [Air Force Base in northern Sacramento] had moved on Friday, so I called the doctors at Stanford Children’s. Dr. Wilbur was away at a convention and Dr. Long was on vacation. I felt like all our medical supports were gone. Dr. Serota was in Philadelphia and his replacement had not yet arrived at Travis [Air Force Base in Fairfield, California]. I called Mather Emergency, an Air Force hospital east of Sacramento. They said they would try to...

From Take Care of My Child…for a While by Joyce Sawyer More and more it hurt for Ricky to be moved, so he spent more and more time in bed and less in the living room. I called Dan to see if he would like to spend some time with Ricky. He came and slept on the floor in Ricky’s room. He played games and talked and rubbed Ricky’s head, which seems to ease some pain. One afternoon Ricky was on the futon in the living room and he started to scream that he was being choked and he couldn’t get his breath. The doctor just lived one block over and was home at the time. He came right over. He increased the pain medication. After that, Ricky got quiet. But in a little while he was crying again. I asked him what was the matter. “I’m not going to make it, am I?” I told him we had done everything we could; the doctors had done everything they could, and there just wasn’t any way to kill the cancer. But he would go and live with God and be strong and healthy again, and be able to play baseba...

From Take Care of My Child…for a While by Joyce Sawyer Ever since Brandon had been killed, Ricky had been asking for a dog. Since he was back and forth in the hospital, we didn’t see how we could manage it, but we finally promised that when he came home after the operation he could have his dog. As soon as we came home this time, he began asking again, so we started the search in earnest. I didn’t see how I could take care of a puppy and Ricky, too, so the dog had to be housebroken already. Ricky thought he wanted a beagle like Snoopy. One of the teachers at school had some beagle pups, but they weren’t indoor dogs. I said I would call her back. Several other people offered dogs and we said we would check them out. Then Dale walked in at suppertime with the cutest, softest six-month-old Terrier-poo in his arms. Ricky cried, “Benji!” And that’s just who he looked like. I asked Dale where he had found the dog. He said he walked in to the Highlands Pet shop and explained our situ...