It's Sunday night and I'm in the chair after a busy day. Played and sang at church this morning. It was so nice to have Janette come and play with me. We just love playing together. We go way back; I used to babysit her. Phenny, Max and Robin sang as well. It was good to sing today, even though it took a lot out of me. In my weakness He is strong. I'm really understanding that verse more and more. It was good to see Doris in the crowd as well, and John and Wanda, Janette's parents. I sang a song by Brian Doerksen, "Your Faithfulness," and the words were hard to sing, about not knowing what each day will bring, not knowing when and how I'll die, etc., but relying on God's faithfulness to get me through. I heard a little boy crying and his father took him out – it was Janette & Stephen's son. They asked him why he was crying and he said the song was too sad and it made him cry. He's only four years old. It's as if he understood at a deeper level than we would think a four year old capable of, and that he was crying for everyone there, and perhaps for me. Many in the congregation were crying (I didn't know it until later), and then gave me a standing ovation at the end of the song. I didn't need a standing ovation; He needs one. He is the one who gives the strength to live and go on living. I want that strength. I want to focus more on God and less on my situation. That needs to be my new goal.

Our church family is so encouraging to us; it's hard to believe it somehow. They've only known us for a year now, but we feel like it's been years. After lunch, Doug and I picked up Max and we went walking at Willie Wonka's while a speedskating competition was happening on the rink. Oh, to skate that fast. So graceful. One girl fell down during a race, but picked herself up and kept going, even though she continued on the outside lane, knowing that she was no longer able to compete with the regular racers; she had lost too much ground. But she finished skating anyway. I wondered why she hadn't just stopped completely. I guess she didn't want to give up and continued skating parallel to the race. A good analogy, for me, I think. I need to ponder it more. Perhaps a couple of analogists could give me their thoughts.

We then went to Max's and I lay down on her couch for awhile. We were only going to stay a few minutes, but the couch was so comfy, I ended up watching a strange movie on TV. Max was making a roast beef dinner, so we decided to stay and eat dinner with them. Her husband and son arrived home from an out of town hockey game, a bit surprised to see me laying on their couch. I lay on a lot of couches lately; everywhere I go, it seems. Have couch, will lay down kind of thing.

The roast beef dinner was excellent, although Doug didn't eat as he is on a maple syrup cleansing diet for a few days. He watched me eat – two helpings of roast beef. I figured I was supposed to eat roast beef, given that P. called last evening and invited us to a roast beef dinner, but I had declined as Doug wasn't eating food. But when roast beef presented its face again today, I thought perhaps I was supposed to eat this red meat, something I don't eat very much. With the past chemo treatments, I ate red meat the weekend before as well. So, thought I would go with the flow and eat roast. This little piggy had roast beef type of thing. Doug drank maple syrup mixed with lemon juice and cayenne pepper. Yum. He's doing good on this so far. Been on it since Saturday morning. We are certainly a strange couple, or should I say eccentric?

Doug and I just finished watching "Heartland" on CBC TV. One of the characters, a native, looked at the river flowing and said the river didn't think about where it was going or where it came from; it just goes with the flow. That's a good thought – I need to go with the flow. I need to go with the flow of tomorrow. Another chemo treatment, God willing.

My blood test is at 8:15, with treatment at 9:15. Pray that it happens, and that I don't get an allergic reaction to the chemo. I'm starting on a different drug for the next three treatments. They told me that if I get an allergic reaction that it will happen while getting treatment. So, I thought I would ask for prayer for this as well. No reaction to chemo. And no side effects with this new chemo drug. Why not? We have not because we ask not.

Talk to you tomorrow. "With God all things are possible."……………………..deb x0