We now return you to your regularly scheduled life…

Three weeks ago my wife gathered all our extended family together and gave us the news that the pain she had been feeling was in fact caused by her breast cancer having returned and metastasized throughout her upper body. The doctors resist giving a prognosis because they can’t say with any certainty how any individual’s body will respond to the treatments. Maybe years, maybe months.

It’s one of many cruel ironies that the specter of death often hovers closest to those who are most full of life. Yvonne is one of those rare individuals who makes everything all right just by walking into a room – or a life, as she did mine. (I’ve always said that I’ve never understood what lapse of judgment on her part caused her to fall in love with me, but it’s the most wonderful thing that has ever happened to me and I’ve been grateful for it ever since.) If there were any justice in the world, cancer would only happen to grumpy, crotchety, negative people like me.

Yes, it has thrown my faith a curve ball. How can you possibly reconcile something like this with a God who is, as James Moffat translates, the “Divine Yes”? How does this square with my belief that God created us to be, and desires us to be whole people, physically and emotionally as well as spiritually? I don’t know. Do I still believe in God’s goodness? Yes. Do I believe this is a sign of God’s displeasure? No. Do I believe this happened for a reason, that God allowed it or caused it? I don’t know; I tend to think these things just happen, like being caught in a rain storm without an umbrella. Do I have hope? Sometimes, though more often I’m afraid. Still, I believe that all of life - from cradle to grave - is sacred and held in God’s hands. Should it come to that end, though, I also believe that the end of life in this realm of time and space is not utter finality but simply the doorway into the presence of the Eternal.

But it hasn’t come to that. As Yvonne herself keeps reminding us, she’s not dead yet. While there’s life there’s hope, and a battle to be fought, and battles are only won if those who are fighting them believe they can be won; the surest way to lose the battle is to believe it is already lost. We will be grateful for each day we have to live and fight together.

The fullness thereof...

July was an incredibly full month (attested to by the span between posts). On top of the normal 4th of July family get togethers and Newberg’s Old Fashioned Festival – itself an occasion for family get-togethers – this July I hosted Churchbass.org’s annual Bassapalooza at our church, Newberg Friend’s Church. Approximately 25 bassists who are either part of church worship teams or otherwise involved in Christian-oriented musical ministries, gathered on the hottest weekend of the year to worship, fellowship, play with each others’ toys, commiserate, and generally generate as much low-frequency noise as possible – which we did. During the “All Bass Orchestra Jam” I went into the church sanctuary directly above our gathering, and could feel the floor vibrating under my feet. A successful weekend by all counts.


It was very cool that we had people from all parts of the country in attendance, but the highlight for many there was getting to meet Xeno, our Greek Churchbass pastor, for the first time. Yvonne and I had the pleasure of meeting Xeno and his beautiful wife Anna in Greece in 2003, but the others in attendance had only known him through his pastoral postings on Churchbass.org. Xeno got to hang around and spend an extra day with my family and me, blessing us yet again with his grace, humor, wisdom, and wonderful insights into walking with God.


The weekend after Bassapalooza ended, Old Fashioned Festival began, and this year featured local musicians more than they have in the past and I played three times over the weekend with two different groups, Nate Macy and the QLO and Lori Willcuts.

A few days later my oldest and dearest friend (with whom I share vices: he introduced me to latakia, I introduced him to scotch) was in town for a few hours so we were able to share a taste of Dufftown's finest and get caught up again.


And somewhere in there, my baby girl packed up and went to spend a year at Faith Academy in Manila, just when I was looking forward to having some time to spend with her. With number 2 leaving for college and now number 3 out of the country, it's empty nest time. Wow, it's quiet...