Wednesday, May 23, 2012

5.23.2012


5.23.2012

MEMORIAL DAY IS NEXT MONDAY when we honor the memory of those who have given their lives in defense of our country and to preserve liberty and freedom. There is hardly a family that does not have a loved who went away to war but now lies buried in Flanders Field with its crosses row on row,  or in some dismal tropical swamp, or in the depths of the changeless sea.
 
 WHEN PAUL`S CLAIM of Roman citizenship was challenged by an officer in the Roman Legion who said , "With a great sum obtained I this freedom." , Paul answered, " But I was born free!" Our citizenship in the greatest nation on earth was secured by our forefathers and mothers who obtained our freedom at a great price and sacrifice so that we might be born free.
 
IN HIS GETTYSBURG ADRESS Lincoln paid tibute to those who died on that battlefield when he said "That we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain- that this nation ,under God ,shall have a new birth of freedom- and that government of the people, by the people , and for the people shall not perish from the earth."
 
THE FRENCHMAN ALEXIS DE TOCQUEVILLE came to America in the 19th centuty for the purpose of discovering the secret of America`s greatness. He concluded, "I sought for the greatness of America in her harbors and rivers and fertile fields, and her mines and commerce. It was not there. Not until I went into the churches and heard her pulpits flame with righteousness did I understand the greatness of her power. America is great because America is good;and if America ever ceases to be good she will loes her greatness."
 
 HOW TRUE IT IS THAT "Righteousness exalteth a nation: but sin is a reproach to any people."(Proverbs 14:34)
 
 LAST WEEK ON THURSDAY, I was scheduled to begin another round of chemotherapy. However, a scan of my right shoulder and upper arm revealed that the cancer had metasticized into my right arm and shoulder. So Monday my oncologists agreed that I need a series of 10 radiation treatments to reduce the growth and the pain. So I received my second radiation treatment this morning (Tuesday). The radiation treatments don`t take long. They just make a little buzz and so far they don`t hurt. They should alleviate the pain in my shoulder and arm.  They will continue to give me the injections of herceptin in the future, but no more chemotherapy. Herceptin is some sort of genetic medication which may inhibit the progression of the tumors.The injections are given through the port in the right side of my chest. THANK YOU for your continuing prayer!

Friday, May 11, 2012

5.11.2012


SEMPLE JOURNEY

This week our whole nation is being encouraged to keep one the 10 Commandments, "Honor thy mother." God Himself has certainly honored motherhood. The Master Designer has ordained that every human being would be born of woman and have a mother. That is no evolutionary accident! That is God`s divine and perfect plan.

The centerpiece of the 10 Commandments, binding the two tablets of the law together, is to honor our fathers and our mothers. This is the one positive commandment with a promise attached, "That thy days may be long upon the land..."

But the greatest honor of all is that God chose a mother to bring the Son of God into the world! Indeed there is no higher calling than that of being a Christian mother and homemaker. There is no greater responsibility and no more rewarding work than that of bringing a precious life into the world and guiding those little ones in the way they ought to go.

Mothers, you are urgently needed for NURTURE and for VIRTUE! To be a Christian mother and homemaker is the oldest and most honorable profession for a woman. A political leader recently drew attention when she said that the wife of a presidential candidate had never worked a day in her life. All she did was raise 5 boys! I think we would all agree that is a fulltime 24/7 365 days a year job!

GOD BLESS YOU, DEAR MOTHERS. You are God`s precious gift to us, and we love you!

When we went to have another round of 3 chemotherapies on Thursday, my white blood count was too low, and the doctor said that I should wait another week. So we will go back next Thursday and have chemo. He said that he will begin a 4-week interval between chemotherapy sessions.

Thank you all very much for your prayerful concern for Betty and me! May the Lord grant each of you a special blessing.

Tuesday, March 27, 2012

3.27.2012
































SEMPLE JOURNEY...

   BREAKFAST BY CANDLELIGHT...for the first time ever! A thunderstorm knocked out our electricity, but Betty was prepared with a supply large candles. As the Lord had said, we had to hold the candles up so that light was given in the house, and Betty could see how to pour the cans of Jevity into the tube in my abdomen for my breakfast!

   CERTAINLY REMINDED ME of letting this little light of mine shine. It is amazing how much total darkness can be dispelled by one little candle. The house was filled with gross darkness. All that seemingly impenetrable darkness could not put out one little candle, but that one little candle chased all the darkness away. That is true of the light of each little candle of our lives. So let our little lights shine! All the darkness in the world can`t put it out.

   THE LORD ALSO SAID that the candle should not be hidden, but should be held up and put on a lampstand so that the whole house can be illuminated. If the light is hidden away, then it does not drive away the darkness. I needed to hold up the candle so Betty could see to pour my breakfast into the tube. We should not hide our lights, but we must hold up our lights so the whole house can be blessed. The light of the world is Jesus! Let us hold Him up so that a world lost in the darkness of sin can see Jesus.

   BETTY HAD A WONDERFUL BIRTHDAY party on Saturday. Our 6 children were all there along with most of our 20 grown grandchildren and their spouses, and a whole passel of our 16 sweet, beautiful, exuberant, energetic, exciting, wonderful great-grandchildren! But Betty was the hit of the day! Our granddaughter Janae Gibson helps me post this blog, and I have asked her to include a few snapshots of the festivities. Our daughter Jill and her husband Jody hosted the event and provided a bounce house and an inflatable slide. Grandmother celebrated her 80th birthday by sliding down the slide with the kids. She is phenomenal...and more beautiful than when I first saw her. God has been so good to give me "the girl of my dreams" for my partner in ministry. It was such a blessing to see her 6 children rise up and give tribute to their mother who so richly deserves it.

THURSDAY MARCH 29th I am scheduled to have a scan at 6am to assess the situation and then probably begin another round of chemotherapy sessions. Thank you all for your continuing prayers!

Tuesday, February 21, 2012

2.21.2012

SEMPLE JOURNEY

   IF YOU ARE a sports fan, then you know what Lin-sanity is, but for those who don`t regularly keep up with sports, Jeremy Lin is a professional basketball player for the New York Knicks. He has suddenly burst on the scene to lead the team to a string of victories, and he is the first Chinese-American to star in the National Basketball Association. (Yao Ming was from China, but Lin was born in the USA.) His ancestral homeland is Taiwan, where many Chinese fled after the Communist took over China. However, his father`s people had been there since 1707.

    JEREMY IS A CHRISTIAN. (His personal testimony can be heard on You-Tube.) His great grandfather had been led to receive Christ a hundred years ago by missionaries to Taiwan, and Jeremy is very open to tell the world that he is a Christian. His Chinese ancestry is causing quite a stir in mainland Communist China as well as Taiwan. The government-controlled press in China plays down his Christian faith, but the Chinese people are beginning to find out. Even some government officials are basking in the glory of this star athlete. Estimates are that there at least 1,000,000 professing Christians in China, but there are restriction on sharing their faith. Lin will be a great encouragement to them, and an influence for Christ that the government will have a hard time restricting. Through his platform in New York, his basketball skills, and his strong Christian testimony, many Chinese young people will be favorably disposed to hear the Gospel. The government may restrict Christian witnessing, but our God is greater and has no restrictions!

   WHEN WE VISITED our oncologist last Tuesday, my blood pressure was so low (78/55) that he decided to put me back in Baylor Hospital again. It was probably caused by a combination of chemotherapy and dehydration, so I received non-stop IVs for about three days. When my BP crept back up above 100, I was allowed to come back home. Our daughter Jenene and her husband Ken came down to stay with us in the hospital. The week before JoNel and Stephen came down and stayed with us, Jim and Becky had come before to stay, Jon and Jill are always here helping on a moments notice, and Jan comes down from Paris every weekend. God is so good to give us such a wonderful, caring, unselfish family! Our grandchildren are always checking up on us and seeing about us. Of course dear sweet wonderful Betty takes such tender loving care of me 24/7. Please remember to pray for her! Our great host of friends are such an encouragement to us. Thank you all for your prayers.

   DON`T TELL ANYBODY, but Betty will celebrate her 80th birthday on the 19th of March. She is the youngest octogenarian you have ever seen! The family is planning a big birthday bash for her on March 17 at Jill and Jody`s house. No one deserves it more. She was a mother to 6 (I said 6!) children, a Pastor`s wife, and she was the Children`s Director when we had a growing bus ministry of several hundred little children! That was one of the greatest works our church has ever done; the number of children`s departments tripled, she enlisted dozens of compatible workers to staff the organization, and the whole children`s area was remodeled and redecorated with attractive bright colors. OH, and did I tell you that she had a full time job as home maker with 6 little children, 6 teen-agers at one time, sent them off to college, planned 4 daughters weddings, sewed innumerable bridesmaids dresses, and time has failed me to tell you of much, much more. Tribute to whom tribute is due! The half has never been told about this wonderful dedicated Christian woman.

Saturday, February 4, 2012

2.4.12


If I WERE PREACHING Sunday, I would preach on John 3:16, and here`s the reason why. Denver quarterback Tim Tebow is known for printing that scripture reference in white on the eyeblack under his eyes when playing a football game. The reference is easily read when the television cameras focus on his face. During the Denver/Pittsburgh football game that was a topic of the TV commentary (even though he didn`t have that reference for that Sunday). These numbers also came up in Tebow`s game statistics: Tebow completed 10 passes for 316 yards, 31.6 average gained per pass; Pittsburgh`s time of possession with the football was 31 minutes 6 seconds; the overtime drew a 31.6 television rating. All of this is a pretty amazing and precise series of "coincidences".

   THE NEXT DAY "John 3:16" was the #1 search request on Google! The Billy Graham Evangelistic Association placed an ad for their website on Google and reported that 8000 people who had searched for John 3:16 had also clicked on their website, Peace with God.net, and by the end of the week, 150 persons had made the decision to accept Christ as Savior and Lord! So if I were preaching this Sunday, I would preach on John 3:16.

   WHEN I WENT to the doctor last Tuesday, my white blood count was so low the Dr. Denham put me in Baylor Hospital. After 3 days of IVs and shots, the count was raised enough to go home Thursday afternoon, and I was feeling much better. I am scheduled to have another round of chemotherapy this Tuesday. I will have 2 chemos by IV infusion, and then I will have the third over a 46-hour period with a portable pump which I will take through the port in my chest. The pump is about the size and weight of a brick, and I must wear it all the time while I`m home.

   THANK YOU for your prayers during these days. (By the way, I think I am strong enough to preach a little, if anyone needs a pulpit supply or Bible study preacher.) God has been hearing and answering your prayers in our behalf. I am so grateful for our wonderful family and sweet friends! Betty has been up all night with me a few times, and I never spend a night alone in the hospital or make a doctor`s visit without family members being with me. God has blessed us with a wonderful family!!

Tuesday, December 27, 2011


A SEMPLE JOURNEY...

More than a month has passed by since we last posted the Semple Journey on Nov. 16, but a lot has happened. I have had 15 radiation treatments and have started a new round of chemotherapy. Dr. Ajani at MD Anderson wanted me to continue herceptin with lapatinib, but FDA has not yet approved the latter for esophageal cancer, so Dr. Ajani has suggested an alternate of irinotecan (125 mg) plus 5fu (1800 mg) for about 9 weeks.

I had increased difficulty in swallowing, so I began the radiation in attempt to shrink the tumor. In December I had surgery to insert a feeding tube into my stomach, and since then have only been fed through that tube. Poor Betty has to feed me 4 times a day plus any medications that I take. As you can imagine, this is an extreme amount of pressure and tension on her. A week after the tube surgery, I had surgery in my larynx in an attempt to at least partially restore my voice and now I can communicate better. I was in Baylor hospital on two occasions for about 2 weeks total. Different members of our family stayed with me in my room 24/7. Thank you sweet beloved family! I had received quite a bit of medication, so I don`t remember everything that happened, but I was glad to come home on Thursday Dec 22 for Christmas. Our grand daughter Jami McKinney came home for the holidays from Galveston where she is studying to be a Physician`s Assistant, and she has stayed with us to help her grandmother get used to this new regimen. Jami has slept on a chair in the hospital and the couch at our house for her Christmas holiday. Thank you Jami!

Tomorrow Jill and Jody will take us, to see Dr. Denham at Baylor Oncology, and we will learn more about future treatments. Dr. Ben Macklin began his ministry with the wonderful people at FBC Stephenville last Sunday, and I am so excited to see what the Lord will do in this new year of 2012!

"I said to the man at the Gate of the Year,
`Give me a light that I may tread safely into the unknown.`
And he replied, `Go out into the darkness, and put your hand
Into the hand of God.
That shall be better than light, and safer than a known way. "
King George VI                                                                                                             December 25, 1939

Wednesday, November 16, 2011

Semple Journey 11.16.2011


SEMPLE JOURNEY

  Having finished the first 9 weeks of chemo, it was time to return to MD Anderson for an evaluation and new prescription from Dr. Ajani on November 10. The liver spot seemed less defined (that is good), but the two tumors in the upper and lower esophagus had grown in spite of the chemo, and had coalesced into a single tumor. So Dr. Ajani said that obviously the two chemos were not working, and we would need to change. He said that we should continue with the Herceptin (a genetic by intravenous infusion)) and add another called medication Lapatinib only if the latter would be covered by insurance. If not, he has an alternative suggestion.

   We went to see the Baylor oncologist, Dr. Denham, yesterday (Tuesday). Jill McKinney took us to the hospital and Her sister, Janae Gibson (accompanied by her 5 month old son, Daniel) stayed with Betty and me and took us home. He advised that I should continue Herceptin while awaiting information from our insurance, so I had an unexpected Herceptin infusion yesterday. He also suggested that we meet with a radiologist in the morning to see if radiation would be advisable. He will also attempt to discuss the options with Ajani at MDA.

   Last Sunday November 13th, in the midst of the morning message, my voice just stopped.  Of course, I had to stop preaching, but by the time of the end of the service my voice had returned enough to pronounce the benediction. I think I was just pushing it too much, and believe I will be able to speak on November 27 when I return to Stephenville.

   Meanwhile, Dr. Ben Macklin from FBC Vernon will preach in view of a call at FBC Stephenville this Sunday November 20. He is a fine young preacher with an earned Ph.D. in Systematic Theology from Southwestern. He has an evangelistic heart and a brilliant mind. He loves people and relates well to the community. Sounds like a perfect fit for that great old church in Stephenville and those sweet, sweet people there. The Pastor Search team is to be congratulated for their diligence, patience while waiting on the Lord, and prayerfulness. The staff is to be commended for their faithfulness and willingness to go the second and third...and 4th miles during the interim, and the wonderful people of FBC have picked up the slack if there was some, and have refused to let down. It has been a joyous journey for me, and I hope so for them too.

   Stephenville High plays in the second round of the playoffs Thursday night in Cowboy Stadium. Deacon Darrell Brown in Stephenville has overnighted 2 tickets for Jordan and me to attend the game. I`ve never been in "Jerry`s World", so I am really looking forward to being there to pull for Stephenville. Thank you Darrell!