Blessings and Bullet Points

   First off, if you are finding time during the holidays to read what you are currently reading here, please let it be known that I am genuinely thankful for you.  You have stumbled upon this blog to keep tabs on the health of a guy that is battling a disease that many battle.  But your checking in here to read this makes me realize once again how blessed I am to not be going through this battle alone.  I have been surrounded and uplifted by so many praying people.  I have been honored with gift cards, with meals, with mail, with kind words, with acts of service that I am simply astounded by when I begin to quantify it all.  I cannot imagine going through what I am going through without the immense support we are witnessing.  So many things...so many things...and they add up to one big thing: God's people are amazing.

• Doug plows my driveway...for free.  
• Steve and Dave battle it out with their snowblowers for the right to clear my sidewalk.  
• Sandy sets up an amazing holiday party and gifts at school for me.  
• Eric makes sure educationally we keep things going well, whether I can answer the bell or not.  
• Don has chauffeured me all week.  
• Pam brought us cookies.  
• My students smile at me...every day.  
• Tom and Dave and Nancy and Gwen and Mel and Loie and Jane and Trevor and Tom and Tim and Jim and Tom and others tell me they are praying for me...and I know without a doubt that they are not just saying so.  
• Elsie lets me off work even though I promised to keep her driveway clear.  
• Noelle sent me a homemade Christmas card.  
• Josh gave me a jar of honey.
• Carter gave me a purple-and-black bracelet ("The black means cancer," he told me.  "But the purple means Jesus because that is a royal color and he is the king and there is more purple than black so purple will win.") Yes, I am wearing the bracelet now.
• Randy tells me he is praying for me, even though his sentences are usually punctuated by words that Christians should not use.  But he also tells me that he sees in me the kind of man he wishes he could be.  
• Sarah gives me a new devotional thought...every day.
• Olivia gives me kiwis...every day. 

   How do I begin to catalog all of this?  I cannot.  Thank you, Jesus.  You have raised up an army of folks that are concerned for my well being.  It is all very humbling.  Faith?  I got it.  It has me.  I see it in action in the people around me.  But faith is not necessary if it is not tested.  Bring it...I am ready.  I have my people behind me.  I have my God with me.  I need nothing else.