macarisms

Crazy Busy

I read this book some months back and was intending to review it immediately. But then something happened—I got crazy busy! I took on a new ministry role and pretty soon I had a full diary, began skipping exercise, let my good eating habits go, kept myself awake at night thinking about things, and couldn’t even find time to finish a summary/review of what is a fairly short and simple book.

Crazy Busy: a (mercifully) short book about a (really) big problem is a book for Christian leaders that was always destined to be a best-seller. I’ve yet to meet a pastor who doesn’t cry ‘busy’. To be honest, it’s rare to meet anyone these days who doesn’t lay claim to being crazy busy. Busyness is epidemic in our fast-paced, technologically-advanced, opportunity-laden, affluent, western societies. All the ridiculous promises for the future—that we will have so much time on our hands that we won’t know what to do with it—were just that: ridiculous promises. In fact, in some circles busyness is worn as a badge of honour. Unless someone is busy they shouldn’t be taken seriously.

De Young warns of the dangers of busyness…

But if the strain is mental—as is the case for most jobs and for most of us—the negative impact on the body can be huge. So don’t ignore the physical danger of busyness. Just remember the most serious threats are spiritual. When we are crazy busy, we put our souls at risk. The challenge is not merely to make a few bad habits go away. The challenge is not to let our spiritual lives slip away. The dangers are serious, and they are growing. And few of us are as safe as we may think. (p26)

Busyness can blind us to problems that are deep and destructive. Our lives can become joyless as we struggle to keep up with all the demands. It can rob our hearts of the opportunities to reflect, learn, and grow. Discontent can eat away at us as we envy the time, opportunities, and ‘freedoms’ of others. Busyness can cover up deeper problems within our souls. Having our diaries and planners crammed full does not equate to faithfulness or fruitfulness. It only means you are busy, just like everyone else. And like everyone else, your joy, your heart, and your soul are in danger. (p32)

Crazy Busy offers seven diagnoses to consider in understanding the depth of our problems with busyness. The first of these is pride. He strings a list of ‘P’ words together to make his point. These include people-pleasing, proving ourselves, seeking pity, poor planning, a need for power, the problem of perfectionism, seeking prestige, and more. De Young has found one simple question helps him to assess whether pride lies behind his busyness…

Am I trying to do good, or make myself look good? (p39)

The second diagnosis has to do with obligation. Are we trying to do what God doesn’t expect us to do? We need to be reminded often that we are not the Christ; that the gospel is great news of joy—not a demand of all that must be done; that care is not the same as do; that we have different gifts and different callings; that the church is a body with many parts; that prayer is something positive and practical we can do; and that even Jesus didn’t do it all. Above all, we need to remember that it’s not up to us to keep the universe going—God has that covered.

De Young’s third diagnosis focuses on mission creep. He reminds us of the importance of setting and sticking to priorities. Jesus recognised that there were so many good things he could do, but he would not let the good get in the way of his number one priorities. Jesus was not ultimately driven by the needs or the approval of others. He was focused on his divine mission. Not that we are on a mission from God in the same vein as Jesus, but the point is that if Jesus had to set and stick to priorities, then so must we. We simply cannot do everything and nor should we try.

Fourthly, we are warned to stop freaking out about our kids. He reminds us that it’s harder to ruin our kids than we think and it’s impossible to guarantee their future successes. In trying to do more and more for our kids we may be increasing the build up of stress in our lives and theirs. De Young refers to a Galinsky survey of more than thousand children in grades three to twelve. He asked the kids what was one thing they would change about the way their parents’ work was affecting them.

The kids rarely wished for more time with their parents, but much to the parents’ surprise, they wished their parents were less tired and less stressed. (p70)

The fifth diagnosis looks at the impact of the screen and technology. De Young confesses that he used to roll his eyes about technophiles, until he became one!

Now I have a blog, a Facebook Page, a Twitter handle, a Bluetooth headset, an iPhone, an iPad, wifi at work and at home, cable TV, a Wii, a Blu-ray player, multiple email accounts, and unlimited texting. (p78)

We’re warned to take seriously the threat of addiction to all our devices. Multiple lines of instant communication can be a continual distraction to achieving anything productive. Our busyness makes us more prone to descending into trivia and mindlessly tuning out in front of the TV or the internet. It’s hard to be alone when we are ‘on call’ all the time—and being alone is important. We need to ask the hard questions about whether our new technologies are making our lives simpler, or more complicated. What steps should we take to ensure that such things remain our servants and don’t become our masters?

Diagnosis number six reminds us of the necessity of rest. God’s design was that we work and we rest. The danger these days is that we blur these two. Life becomes overwhelming because our days and weeks and years lack rhythm. We take work home with us. Our phones and lap tops are part work/part pleasure. We give lip service to the idea of day off, but we’re never totally on or off. (I confess this is my struggle.) De Young reminds us that we need to work hard just to rest. Breaks need to be planned. Unscheduled time needs to be scheduled. The rhythms of work and rest need planning. (p98)

The final diagnosis is a surprise one. We are busy because we are supposed to be busy. We’re too quick to assume that life was intended to be easy, comfortable, relaxed, calm. The reality is that we are sinful beings living in a complex world. We should expect to struggle with tiredness, illness, confusion, complex relationships, burdens and busyness. Sometimes our problem lies not with the circumstances but with our attitudes to them. We’re caught out, confused, and we don’t know how to respond.

The antidote to busyness of soul is not sloth and indifference. The antidote is rest, rhythm, death to pride, acceptance of our own finitude, and trust in the providence of God. (p102)

De Young’s answer is to point us to Jesus. We are encouraged to spend time ‘at his feet’ listening to his words. We’re called to devote ourselves to the Word of God and prayer. The problem is, when I hear this, it can sound like another busyness burden to add to all the others. And so I need to be reminded that it is God’s word that refocuses and refreshes me. It is through prayer that I can unload my burdens and anxieties upon God. Beginning the day with God helps me to keep perspective. To Do lists, difficult conversations, meetings, preparation and planning, sermons, studies, and everything else, need to be seen from the perspective that only God’s word can provide—eternity. And so I will learn again to humbly ask for God’s wisdom, grace, and strength, to do what he would have me do, for his glory.

Surprised by prayer

As I drove to chemo this afternoon, I asked God to removed my anxiety and help me to be calm through the experience. God’s word tells us to cast our cares on him, and so I did. I also planned to drink lots of water, eat a few lollies, and try to keep my mind on other things.

When I arrived at the hospital, I withdrew some cash from the ATM, and as I walked away a woman on crutches asked me,

“Are you David?”

“Yes I am”, I replied.

She told me that she knew me from university, and had recently been following my blog, and finding it very encouraging. I explained that I was at the hospital for another round of chemo.

“I’ll pray for you,” she said. “Right now.”

I thanked her, amazed at our chance (God-arranged) meeting. And yes, chemo seemed to go much quicker than it had in a quite a while.

More hope

Matthias Media have just informed me that they’ve almost sold out of the first print run of 7000 books, and they’ve ordered the printing of 5000 more. This is great news.

This Easter has been a time of pointing to the hope of eternity. I was able to preach on Good Friday at Stromlo about the faithfulness of God in keeping his promises through Jesus. The crucifixion was no accident of history. It took place according to God’s predetermined plan.

On Saturday I was interviewed at Katoomba Easter Convention about my hope in God amidst the journey with cancer. They promoted the book and I was privileged to write notes in dozens of books being given to friends and family who are struggling with life.

Easter Sunday we took Fiona’s mum to church at St Michaels in Wollongong. After a message on the resurrection I was interviewed by Sandy about my hope in Jesus. Later that afternoon I met with a friend who has been bedridden for years due to debilitating chronic fatigue and its many consequences. We shared together about many things, not least was our common hope for renewed bodies in the resurrection. Sunday night I was interviewed by Kel Richards on 2CH about the real and certain hope we can have because Jesus rose from the dead.

Monday morning we had breakfast with friends and discussed a plan to develop a ministry of hope among the ‘cancer community’. This was followed by morning tea with good friends who have just celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary and one of whom turns 90 tomorrow. They too shared their confidence in God for their future.

The last few days have been a change of pace. We’ve been helping my parents pack and clean their house as they prepared to move today into a retirement village on the Central Coast of NSW. It’s tempting to think this will be their final move. However, I realise this simply isn’t true. This will likely be their penultimate transition before they make their final move to glory—with resurrected bodies, to spend eternity with our great God.

Is God’s love unconditional?

I believe if I asked many of my friends whether they thought that God’s love is unconditional, I’d get a mix of responses.

There would be some who’d say, ‘No way!’ They believe that God is the ‘ultimate in condition-imposing beings’. He sets the standards, sets them way too high, and then delights in marking everyone down. This is the God of ‘Do nots’—just look at the ten commandments, then add the hundreds of other laws. This is the God who delights in judgement.

Others would say, ‘No way!’ because they believe that God is all about setting the bar low enough that people can meet it. God rewards the basically good, the religious, the moral, the upright, the disciplined, the churchy, those who aren’t perfect but never cross the ‘line’.

And then there’d be those who’d say, ‘Yes of course!’ God welcomes everybody unconditionally. David Powlison argues that most people think unconditional love means it simply doesn’t matter what they think, believe or do.

Deep down you’re okay; God accepts you as you are. God smiles on you even if you don’t jump through any hoops. You have intrinsic worth. God accepts you, warts and all. You can relax, bask in his smile, and let the basically good, real you emerge. (Seeing with new eyes, p169)

Such diversity of perspectives about God; such confusion about what God wants, how God relates; such contrast in what love means and how it works. How can this be overcome? Is there a path to clarity? Are there answers and can they be known? I say, ‘Yes!’ The Bible cuts through our subjectivity. It does so by spotlighting the significance of the events of Go0d Friday.

This Easter we’re reminded again of the awesome love of God. I want the world to know this love, to embrace it, and live by it. I want people to understand that I don’t preach a message of salvation by works or religion or discipline or ritual or moral goodness. The Christian message is one of acceptance and freedom and mercy and grace. But I need to be careful, lest this message is misunderstood.

God isn’t wet and wimpy, vague and valueless, tepid and tolerant, affirming and all-accepting. The God who demands nothing, ultimately offers nothing. This is a God who can be ignored as irrelevant.

By contrast the true God, revealed through his Word, is loving in a way that is costly and courageous, vigorous and complex, effective and transforming. This love can only be understood in the light of the death of Jesus Christ. There is no better day to search intently into this love of God than Good Friday. On this day, we learn that God’s love is not strictly unconditional.

While it’s true that God’s love does not depend upon what you do, it very much depends on what Jesus Christ did for you. In that sense it is highly conditional. It cost Jesus his life.

… unconditional love? No, something much better, something costly and hard and generous. (Seeing with new eyes, p168)

I’m praying that this Easter we are provoked, troubled, comforted, inspired, and transformed by the love of God.

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. (John 3:16)

Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on them. (John 3:36)

This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. (1 John 4:10)

Learning to be content

I had scans again yesterday— a CT scan of my chest and abdomen. It was easy. Drink a couple of bottles of contrast, strip to my undies, lie on a movable platform, hold my breath, and pass through the nuclear donut! Then off for a coffee and breakfast. This time there was no scanxiety. I slept well the night before and didn’t worry about chasing my results immediately afterwards.

Why was this? Is it just that I’ve grown so used to the multiple procedures? No—if anything, my anxiety with chemo has grown worse over time. Is it that I presumed the results would be good? No—I prayed, and asked others to pray, that there would be no evidence of cancer this time round. But I had also thought about what we’d need to do if the results showed regrowth or metastases.

I think the answer is that God had enabled me to trust him with the process and the outcome. I think I’ve been pushed to put my beliefs in God’s sovereign oversight of all things into practice. I think God has been changing me to gradually learn the secret of being content. As the Apostle Paul wrote in Philippians 4:12-13:

I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all this through him who gives me strength.

Or to paraphrase this for my own circumstances:

I know what it is to be very ill, and I know what it is to be healthy. I have learned (and am learning) the secret of contentment, in any and every situation, whether good scan results or bad, whether living with cancer or without. I can do all this through him who gives me strength.

Here I am, sitting in the same cafe where this cancer journey started. I’ve enjoyed a coffee and a bite to eat. The phone just rang. My results…

No change, still NED, no evidence of disease. I’ve been NED for nearly twelve months. Praise God!

Our new church with a new name

On February 1 this year I took up the position of lead pastor at Central Evangelical Church in Canberra. The previous pastor had resigned in September and the church was seeking a pastor with experience to lead them into the future. It was a big decision as to whether to take on this role. The state of my health loomed large in the equation, but so did the fact that I expected to have to work through many issues facing the church—and some of these weren’t likely to be easy.

Over two months have now past since taking on this role. I’ve moved my chemotherapy back to Mondays in order to maximise the likelihood of being able to make church every Sunday. So far, so good! I’ve just finishing preaching for nine consecutive weeks—something I hadn’t achieved since 2011, before cancer. In fact, I hadn’t done three weeks in a row since then.

We’ve been working through the book of 1 Peter, which has proved most helpful in focusing the church on the things of God. Last Sunday people shared together what they’d been learning from this New Testament letter and it was a great joy to see the impact of God’s word in people’s lives.

Last Sunday we voted as a church to change our name to Stromlo Christian Church. We believed this will help us to engage better with our local community. While it may not have been the wisest thing to push for a name change so early in the transition, we recognised that much would flow from this—websites, advertising, signs, and the like. There was strong support for the new name and this helps us to proceed in unity together.

If you would like to see some of the things that are going on at Stromlo, then you can check out my new blog at jamesfourfifteen.com. I’m using this blog to facilitate communication with the church about issues we are facing, changes we are making, and to share a vision for gospel ministry as we move forward.

Hope in Eternity

Today I received a copy of an Aussie Christian newspaper called Eternity. And there I was on the front cover and page 4. It’s a bit overwhelming to turn the page and see an almost life-size version of my ugly profile staring me in the face! However, I count it a privilege to be able to share something of my story and to point people to the solid hope that can be found in Jesus. God has brought good out of the cancer, as he promised he would (And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. Romans 8:28). I thank him for this.

You can read the article by Joshua Maule online.

You can read a review of the book by Stuart Adamson, a Sydney-based hospital chaplain and pastoral supervisor.

Covering over sin

Love covers over a multitude of sins. Love doesn’t hold a grudge against the perpetrator. But neither does love ignore sin or sweep it under the carpet. Love forgives. Love bears the cost of letting go. Love doesn’t seek revenge or retribution. Love fights the growing seduction of bitterness. Love leaves justice in the hands of the righteous God. Love looks to the cross where the price for sin is paid, so that mercy can be offered.

Thank you God for love.

Relay of hope

It’s been a mega busy weekend. The Relay for Life saw about 5000 people gathered to raise money, have fun, and support people and their families affected by cancer. It’s a carnival atmosphere—and why not—for so many people suffering with cancer, this is a glimmer of light in an otherwise depressing existence.

We were given the privilege of setting up a stall with copies of Hope Beyond Cure. This seemed to fit in almost seamlessly with the overall theme for 2014 being ‘HOPE LIVES HERE’. We gave away about 140 copies of the book, mainly to survivors and carers and sold an additional 40. Please join with me in praying that everyone who reads these words of gospel hope will be moved by God to put their trust in Jesus.

I’d been invited to speak at the Candlelight Ceremony in the evening. This is the somber part of the event, where we remember those who are no longer with us. But it was a great joy to be able to share a message of hope at this event. I chose to use the letters of the word HOPE to share where I have found hope on this journey…

Health—I find hope in the excellent health care we have available and the continual advances in understanding and treating cancer.

Others—I find hope in the love and care of family and friends. I encouraged all the survivors to express their thanks to those who support them.

Purpose—Soon after my diagnosis a friend encouraged me to use the time God gives me to be a blessing to others. Psalm 90 calls me to number my days—to make each day count.

Eternity—My ultimate hope is in God who raises the dead. I urged people to ask the difficult questions about our meaning, life, death, and eternity.

I’d been given pretty tight constraints about what I could say or not say. So I hope this outline walks the line appropriately. My main aim was to get people thinking.

It was great fun to hear BRB, the Christian rapper. His story makes my cancer journey seem like a walk in the park! What a great thing that God watches over each of us individually. Afterwards BRB said ‘We should take this on the road!’ What do you think… BRB and DMC?! I’m certainly keen to develop ministry among those with cancer and their carers. Perhaps this is the door that God is opening?

Divine serendipity

A friend of mine decided to give his elderly grandfather, who has cancer, a copy of Hope Beyond Cure. His grandfather lives three hours away, but they were meeting up in Lyneham, Canberra, for lunch today and my friend planned to give him a copy of my book. My friend discovered that he could purchase copies of the book at a bookshop in Lyneham, next to the cafe. He bought the last remaining copies of the book and then met his grandfather at the cafe next door.

While they were eating and talking my friend was silently praying that I might just happen to pop in to the coffee shop so that he could introduce me to his grandfather. The problem is that I now work on the other side of Canberra and so I was nowhere near the cafe.

While my friend spent two hours with his grandfather, periodically praying that I’d appear on the scene, the bookshop owner next door decided to call me, to let me know they were out of stock, and ask me to bring some more when I was next around. Since I’d just finished all I had to do in my office, I decided to drive back across town to the bookshop, and give the owner another 60 copies.

After dropping the book in, I thought I might as well to pop into the coffee shop next door just in case I ran into someone I knew. Well, you can guess what happened! My friend rushed over beaming, and asked if he could introduce me to his grandfather. God had answered the prayers of my friend in an extraordinary way.

Thanks God!

Postcards now available

With the Relay for Life coming up this weekend we printed up 5000 glossy double-sided postcards to direct people towards the website hopebeyondcure.com where they can purchase the book and find a range of articles and resources on hope for those who are living with cancer.

Who are the postcards for?

People who want info, but aren’t ready to purchase a book.

Doctors and health professionals to put in waiting rooms, on reception desks, in brochure racks, pinned on notice boards, or to give to patients whom they want to direct to the book.

Churches who can’t keep much stock of the book, but want to have the info on hand when people need it.

Cancer support groups.

Other ideas?

The cards look great so you can be confident in handing them to others. They include the two quotes from the back of the book to give people an idea of what the book is about.

We will post out batches of cards for a fee that includes postage. There will be three bundle sizes available:

100 cards for $20

500 cards for $80

1000 cards for $130

If you would like to order, then you can…

Reply to this post

Use the contact form at hopebeyondcure.com

Email hopebeyondcureATgmail.com

Please share this information with anyone you think may be interested.

Hope lives here

The theme for this weekend’s Relay for Life is…

Hope Lives Here

The Cancer Council exists to offer people hope in circumstances where hope is so easily extinguished. They channel money into research, education, support, resources, help lines, and more. They help to connect people with others on the same difficult journey. And I applaud the hard-working team at Cancer Council ACT for this.

Hope is a word that has come to mean so much more to me over the past 28 months. I’ve found hope in my family and friends, the incredible advances of modern medical science, the care of oncology support staff, an improved lifestyle, a renewed attitude, and so much more. My hope has been realised in so many ways—both practical and present. But most of all, I have been able to rejoice in the unfathomable hope that comes through what happened that first ever Easter. My hope—I believe rational and considered—is a hope in resurrection.

This weekend I’m so excited to be able to share something of all this hope with others at the Relay—to be able to meet people, talk with people, walk with people, share the book with people, and more. I’m amazed really that, God-willing, I will even be there.

If you are in Canberra then please pay a visit. It is a fun environment—colourful, music, food, activity—a celebration of life amidst the harsh realities of sickness. I think you will be encouraged by paying a visit, and you’ll likely encourage others by being there.

If you’d like to chat with me, or get a copy of the book Hope Beyond Cure we will have hundreds of copies available. We will be offering them without cost to cancer survivors and carers, and at a discounted price of $10 (RRP $15) to others. Just look for our stall on the edge of the track. I hope to see many of you there. Here are the details:

12 noon to 12 noon
Saturday to Sunday
29 to 30 March
AIS Athletics Track
Bruce, ACT

Another brain fade

A couple of doctors have recommended that I organise some postcards to advertise Hope Beyond Cure. The plan is that they can be left in doctor’s waiting rooms for patients to pick up and find out where they can get copies of the book.

I figured that it would be helpful if I organised a memorable email address where I can be contacted if people want to discuss things further, so I went to the google site and looked up hopebeyondcure@gmail.com. To my utter amazement this email address address had already been taken. How could this happen? As far as I knew the phrase was original. I’d never heard it anywhere else. The idea popped into my head that someone must have seen the book, grabbed the name, and was planning to sell it to me at a profit. Apparently people do things like that! So I send an email to the address with the following words…

Hi there
I’m wondering who has this email address. I am the author of a book by this name!
Dave

Yesterday, I was puzzling over this again. I hadn’t received a reply to my email and it still amazed me that anyone else would go to the trouble to take this address. Then it occurred to me—what if it was me who’d grabbed this gmail address? Had I, perhaps, taken it at the same time that I’d registered the domain name, hopebeyondcure.com, in October last year?

So I went back to the google site, typed in the address, and then began trying passwords. Every time it told me that someone already had this address, until I tried an old password that I hadn’t used in a while… and the email account opened up! It was me who had registered that email address. I set up the account, added it to my email program, and immediately began receiving messages—eleven from google and one from me, that read…

Hi there
I’m wondering who has this email address. I am the author of a book by this name!
Dave

My new babysitting job

I have the privilege of babysitting a friend’s Honda ST1300 for the next couple of weeks. Yes, I understand that babysitting is a big responsibility—after all, babies are precious and they need to be looked after with care and attention. So I will aim it give it what it likes to drink—98 octane premium. I will take it outside for rides and show it a bit of the countryside. I will introduce it to my wife—in fact, she can help me with the babysitting—and to a few friends. Who knows, we might even take it on a cruise with a few other babies.

By the way, if you know of any other babies who need sitting, then I’m only too happy to help. If your baby is called Harley or Duke or Trumpy, then I’m prepared to set aside some extra time to look after it. Not a problem, it’s the least I can do!

A time to read

Various studies and websites have demonstrated the importance and value of encouraging children to read for 20 minutes every day. It doesn’t seem like much, certainly when compared to average times spend watching television, playing on computers, and the like. However, the reality for many children is that it simply doesn’t happen.

Forgetting about children for a minute—what would be the value to adults if we spent 20 minutes a day reading? Let’s look at some stats…

People estimate we could read 1,800,000 words per year.
This is the equivalent of 28 average size books.
We could finish a book every two weeks.
We could cover a broad range of topics and interests.

Given that the Bible contains approximately 1,200,000 words, we could read it 3 times over 2 years.
Or we could read the Old Testament once, and the New Testament and Psalms twice each year.
Or we could read the whole Bible and more than 9 Christian books every year.
Or—if we read the Bible for an additional 15 minutes—then we could read the whole Bible each year, and at least one Christian book and one general book every month, and still have time for this blog!

Yes, I do know you can make stats say whatever you want, but even with a large measure of miscalculation and exaggeration, you can begin to see what just 20 minutes a day reading could achieve.

So why not take the 20 minute challenge?

A shout out to Officeworks!

Yesterday I took a couple of high res photos to Officeworks for them to create an A frame advertisement. The plan is to use this to draw attention to the book at the Cancer Council Relay for Life in a couple of weeks. Officeworks did a great job AND they did it without charge. How cool is that!

I’m looking forward to the opportunity that the Cancer Council have given me to speak of my hope at their Candlelight Ceremony and to give away copies of the book.

And if any of you are available on the weekend 29-30 March to assist me giving away books, please let me know.

Good on you Australia Post…

Got a call today from Australia Post…

Hello sir. Are you Dave McDonald?

Yes. That’s me.

We found a book that seems to have come loose from its packaging. It had your business card in it.

Excellent! Thank you.

If you give me your address, then I can mail it straight back to you.

Awesome. Thank you so much!

Redeemed from last week’s chemo moment, and I didn’t have to tell her that I’d simply dropped it in the box without any packaging!

A very chemo moment

Today I was in and out of the hospital. A blood test early in the day and back later for chemo. But these weren’t my chemo moments.

That happened in between. I visited my friend Hiep who has a lung cancer like mine. He’s not doing so well because the cancer has spread to his bones in his legs, such that he can no longer walk. He’s praying for a miracle—and so am I. We spent the best part of half an hour together and he spent so much of this time smiling. He has a real joy—a joy that comes from knowing that no matter what may happen to him physically, he has a real hope grounded in God’s promises. He’s looking beyond this life to the life to come with Jesus. I was deeply challenged by our time together. It’s normal for me to get anxious and a bit depressed as I face each chemo treatment, but this time I was determined to be thankful that I had access to medicines that have been working so well. It increased my resolve to remain vertical for the sake of bringing hope to everyone I can. This wasn’t my chemo moment either.

Later I visited a shop near my office and exchanged a bit of silly banter with the bloke behind the counter. I was drinking a can of ginger beer as I walked in and he thanked me for bringing him a drink. I said he was welcome to have a drink, but that I was sick and he mightn’t want to. He asked me if it was serious, and I said it was just cancer. Wow. He then began to open up to me about the horrors of losing his wife to cancer last year. We enjoyed talking, he wished me the very best as I was headed to hospital, and we agreed to catch up again. Just before closing I was able to pop back in and give him a copy of Hope Beyond Cure and he looked so pleased to get it. We will talk again soon. But this wan’t my chemo moment either.

Back in hospital, Hiep had asked me to sign a copy of the book with a message containing his own recommendation and give it to his oncologist. So I grabbed a copy and wrote a message to the doctor. I also wrote in a couple of others and addressed them, put them in envelopes, and attached stamps. I found a post box for the envelopes before heading to the hospital for chemo. I planned to get their early and drop a copy into the oncologist. When I got there I no longer had my copy—it somehow sneaked into the post box without an envelope to join the others. This was my chemo moment! I should get it back in a fortnight!

Multi-media

If it’s worth saying, then it usually needs to be said more than once and in more than one way. This is my philosophy of communication. We simply can’t assume that if we’ve said something once or written it once, that people have therefore got it.

Take speaking at church for example: When an announcement is made before the whole church, does this mean that everyone has got it? Of course not. On any week there will likely only be 75% or so of regulars in attendance. Of these, some will be out with children or youth. One or two could be in the bathroom. Some might be vaguing out with other things on their minds. Others could be distracted by children, off with the fairies, or not grasp the importance or significance of the communication.

The same is true of a weekly email or blog post. Some in-boxes are so full that people have given up on looking at anything. Others glaze over the email coming from the same person with roughly the same information week after week. Some spouses forget that they need to pass things on to their other half. And some simply don’t find the time to read them.

For these reasons, and others, we need to consider the best ways of communicating things at church. Sometimes this will involve a verbal announcement at church, followed up by a notice, memo, email, blog post, leaflet or something else. Things might need to be repeated over more than one week so increase the likelihood of people hearing the news. At other times we might choose not to say things up front at church, so as to avoid clutter. Emails and blog posts are a simple means of getting information out, but they depend on people getting them and reading them, and sometimes they need to be followed up with verbal communication or discussion. Facebook groups can help alert people to things that are happening, as can an up-to-date website.

I want to suggest another means of communication at church which could be a little controversial—good gossip! Spread the word among each other. When I say good gossip, I don’t really mean gossip. There is absolutely no place for God’s people to be telling stories about one another, putting each other down, grumbling, whinging or complaining. This is why the generation of Moses perished in the wilderness. What I mean is helping to keep each other informed, know what’s happening, and be encouraged in our love and service. So when you see that someone is missing from church, why not give them a call, send them a text, pop them a visit, or message them on Facebook—tell them you’ve missed them and let them know what they might have missed.

We need to be patient with one another as we take time to get to know people, work out how things work ‘around here’, discover expectations, learn how to become better listeners, and explore good means of communication.

By the way, if you read this on my other blog jamesfourfifteen.com, it didn’t hurt to read it twice, did it!

Health improvements

In December last year my scanxiety was once again relieved as I was handed the report showing no evidence of disease. Three in a row—thank God the chemo was doing its job. Since then we’ve enjoyed some chemo-free time, spending close to five weeks on the coast. It was wonderful to spend time camping with family. Fiona, Grace, Marcus and I were joined at various times by Matt and Elizabeth, and Luke, Sharon, and Liam. How nice it was to enjoy hammock time with Liam, walks on the beach with Fiona, swims in the ocean, scrabble with family and friends, and the occasional fish.

Things felt better on a number of fronts. On my birthday in August, I declared that I wanted to lose a lot of weight before Christmas. I weighed in at 96.6kg on my birthday and 82kg at Christmas (currently 83.5 and still in the healthy weight range, despite Christmas eating habits!). Special thanks go to Michelle Bridges and her 12 week body transformation. One day early in the holidays, our family and close friends climbed Pigeon House Mountain. I don’t think my lungs have ever been so seriously tested. I thought I was going to keel over on the way up. But I made it to the top! Coming down was way easier, except for the impact on my ankles and knees, and the fact that I could barely walk for days afterwards. Who would have thought? Shuffling round the block two years ago—and now mountain climbing! Thank God.

My feet have continued to give me some grief with the neuropathy and the impact on muscles, tendons and ligaments around the ankles and calves. For this reason Fiona and I have been contemplating getting into some kayaking. Even if my feet aren’t working properly, we could enjoy paddling around rivers and lakes. This Saturday we are going to a ‘try before you buy’ morning with the local Hobie kayak dealer. We’re interested in comparing doubles versus singles, and paddles versus pedals.

My new church responsibilities are seeing me travel to the Weston Creek region of Canberra most days. I’ve contemplated getting on a bicycle and enjoying the paths around the lake each morning and evening. So far I’ve only contemplated it because I will have to find a bike with some suspension if I’m going to enjoy it. My old thing is a bit hard on the body parts!

Last week Fiona and I enjoyed our first mid-week day off ever (I think). Well, 2/3 day off anyway. We went for a drive in the country, taking in Poachers Pantry, and stopping for a pizza in Gundaroo. It was excellent to spend this time on our own together, and we both agreed it would be even better if we were doing it on a motorcycle!

Please join with me in rejoicing at my health improvements. God has been very kind. I’d better go off to the gym now to do my circuit class with a bunch of others who are recovering from cancer.

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