It has been a year since the rediscovery of my cancer. It boggles my mind when I think about all the things that have happened in these twelve months. I will never forget the atmosphere in the room or the looks on the faces of the doctor, Tom and Tommy when the prognosis was given. The cancer had returned; it was not curable and my time was limited--one to two years. The doctor added, "Unless there is a miracle." So many things went through my mind. That conversation in the doctor's office was the beginning of a new life for us: a life we didn't plan and one that we would not have designed for ourselves. Through the summer my health got progressively worse, as did Tom's until by the fall we were both in pretty bad shape. I was as sick as I have ever been and Tom's stress load was terrible. As at least two neurologists have told us, "Stress and Parkinson's don't mix." But things did not turn out the way we expected when we moved. God worked a miracle and the cancer has been in remission--that reduces the stress on Tom and his condition has more or less stabilized. Even though we both have to keep up with regular doctors' appointments, our health doesn't dictate how we live. It's that "focus thing" again. We try to keep our focus on God and not on the "what ifs" of Parkinson's and cancer.

Tuesday we went to Presbytery and transferred my membership from the Presbytery of Sacramento to the Presbytery of the Mid-South. It was bittersweet. Moving my membership will get me more involved, but it's also the final step in the dissolution of my call in California.
I'm excited about what God might have in store for me here.

If you remember I posed two questions for my talk at Wednesday night supper last week: "How do I/we get there from here?" and "How did I/we get here from there?" There's nothing magical or mysterious about the answer, no new revelation to share. The simple answer for us all at any time, at any age and in any circumstance is to be obedient to God. It means being obedient not just to the Word of God, His commandments or law, but to God because of the relationship God has initiated with us. In some things obedience is the same for all believers, but there are specific ways we each have to come to grips with what God wants of us. I find that to be not only a great responsibility, but a great adventure as well. Our experience is that with obedience comes great blessing. I can't wait to see what is in store for us as we strive to know God's will for us. We have come a long way in a year. Praise God from whom all blessings flow!

Blessings,
Pastor Margaret