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| Taken at Memory Support Group |
Turning a Corner
Good drivers know to slow down when they can’t see around a corner and accelerate as they come out of the curve to see the road stretching ahead of them. As we entered 2016 we knew we were coming up to a new direction and the events of Holy Week forced us to slow down as the way ahead of us was obscure.
Good drivers know to slow down when they can’t see around a corner and accelerate as they come out of the curve to see the road stretching ahead of them. As we entered 2016 we knew we were coming up to a new direction and the events of Holy Week forced us to slow down as the way ahead of us was obscure.
When I
accepted the call to a half-time interim pastorate for 1st Christian
Church of Albany, Texas, we expected it would be my last, and we began thinking
about the trajectory of the curve ahead of us. I went to Albany (165 miles west
of our home) Friday-Monday, but Candy stayed in Dallas. On Palm Sunday weekend twice
she wandered away from the house in the middle of the night. I drove back to
Dallas as quickly as I could, and Candy spent Holy Week in the hospital.
After an
exhausting battery of tests, she was diagnosed with the early onset of
Alzheimer’s disease. I immediately resigned as interim pastor, and for the
first time in years I neither preached nor led worship on Easter Sunday.
Candy had
planned to fly to Milwaukee to spend spring school break with Rachel and David,
Sam and Elizabeth. Instead, David flew to Dallas to help us with this
unexpected turn in our path, the details of which are just too intricate to
spell out in a Christmas letter.
Most days are
mostly good. We cry some. We laugh a lot. We give thanks for the gifts and
surprises on this journey. Candy is doing well, and the changes in her
medications have been helpful. We are thankful for Dr. Diana Kerwin and the
staff of the Memory Disorders Clinic of Presbyterian Hospital in Dallas for
their excellent care and the home health nurses and physical therapists. For
Elizabeth Kent the counselor who is accompanying us on this journey. For the encouragement
I receive from the memory caregivers support group, also at Presbyterian
Hospital.
We are deeply
thankful for the staff and people of Northway Christian Church with whom we
have been members since my retirement from Central Christian Church. Pastor
Doug Skinner has given us wonderful spiritual support both in his preaching and
personally.
We are
thankful for surprises that have come along the way. I must commend Candy for talking
openly about her diagnosis. The responses of people help us receive each day as
a gift and encourage others who deal with mental health challenges. In one
such conversation Candy became friends
with Cheryl Cook, whom we discovered was the sister-in-law of a good friend of
mine, and now Candy and Cheryl walk and talk together.
Prior to
Candy’s diagnosis we had considered moving to Milwaukee to be close to Rachel
and David, Sam and Elizabeth. Though slowed down by turning this corner, we are
probably accelerating toward that goal in coordination with Candy’s Dad in
Minneapolis and Erik who will stay in Texas as his music career continues to
gain traction. To mix a metaphor, making this turn has a lot of moving pieces
that need to fit together. So we move forward with prayer and patience,
trusting we will be able to discern how God wants all of this to fit together.
As we come
around the curve, we are shifting to Gmail for our email. Email, IM, or text
me, and I will send you our Gmail addresses. The sbcglobal emails will work
while we are in Texas, but you can keep in touch with us by Gmail even as phone
numbers and physical address change.
I know this
is a lengthy discourse, and even though it leaves out a lot of details, we
wanted to inform you of the significant corner we are rounding. We want to give
at least a brief update on the rest of the family too.
Connecting
all of this to Christmas may seem something of a stretch. The annual reviews
that we (and many others) send out at Christmas time do give some perspective
and assurance that God has gone with us on our journey so far, so we are
confident we can continue to trust God to be with us from here forward too.
Matthew (1:23)
interpreted the angel’s announcement to Joseph of the impending birth of Jesus
as a sign of Immanuel – the promise from Isaiah 7:14 that God is with us. So
whether our personal and family journeys or the turmoil of the nation and
world, Christmas assures us that we are not alone, but God is indeed with us.
Merry
Christmas!
Norm for
Candy too
Erik’s Music Career
Erik
continues to play bass for country singer Troy Cartwright, which is accelerating.
He also teaches piano, guitar, bass and performance. Moving out on his own is
one of the major steps in the corner we are all taking on our journey.
Pennsylvania Trip in June
We both went
to Pennsylvania in June for Hannah’s high school graduation. Rachel and David,
Sam and Elizabeth met us there for the festivities. Hannah is a freshman at
Messiah College in Mechanics-burg, PA majoring in Spanish and French education
and runs track. Isaac is a high school junior and almost done with Eagle Scout
and devoted to music with piano and trumpet.
We are
thankful they will be with us for Christmas.
Candy Did Get To Wisconsin
Though not at spring break, Candy did get to
Wisconsin by the end of summer to enjoy time with Rachel and David, Sam and
Elizabeth. Sam is a high school freshman. Both Sam and Elizabeth are active in
music and competitive swimming.
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