We have all felt the pull of our time and attention over multiple responsibilities. This is why mothers are so special, they can multitask!  But even moms grow weary like the rest of us.  At times we feel like all we can focus on is the next big thing we have to do.  Well, God has given us a tool to refocus what we “orbit” and I trust other things may fall in place when we do!

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Next Step

Acts 3:17-21">Acts 3:17-21; Proverbs 11:25">Proverbs 11:25; Matt 10:41, 11">Matt. 10:41, 11:28-30.

What a disservice is done when salvation is made to be all about heaven! Everything God did was to have a relationship with you and He is calling you to a way of life far greater than anything we could imagine!

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Next Step

1. I will surrender to God so times of refreshing may come from the Lord!
2. I will make time to allow God to release His blessings into my life.
3. I will consciously strive less and surrender more.
4. I will look for opportunities to give grace that I’ve received through random acts of kindness.

2 Corinthians 5:16-21

Jesus’ work on the cross demonstrates very clearly how important relationships are to God! Sin damaged your relationship with God and He paid a great price in order to reconcile His relationship with you!  As awesome as that is, we discover today that it doesn’t stop there. There’s a lot more! What an awesome God we serve!

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Next Step

1. I want to be reconciled with God!
2. I will memorize 2 Corinthians 5:17.
3. I will serve each day as an ambassador for Christ!
4. For Christ to better make His appeal through me, I believe God would have me _____________________________________________________________.
5. I will take steps to reconcile a relationship with another person in order to please God.

Today has been four weeks since last radiation treatment! At some point soon, I’d like to transition from talking about me (the temporary) to getting back to writing about the eternal “business” of God for which He has put us on the earth.  Nevertheless, I am dependent upon your prayers and want to keep you informed so you can pray more powerfully and I owe it to many people to also keep them informed about my ongoing doctor’s visits because so many have invested so much in my recovery and in the end, we will all be talking about what great things God has done!

I have gained back almost ten of the 32 pounds I had lost (five this week). I’ve been working out regularly at home with bands and floor exercises but it’s time to get back in the gym. One day I even ran about half of the two mile route Kim and I usually walk.  My walking times for this course are improving from the 40-45 minutes during treatment to last week’s 28:30.  The time I ran wasn’t much faster. Lol!

About the only difficulty I am experiencing is a tear that has developed on the top in the middle of the non-surgical side of my tongue which is kinda sensitive to talking or eating.  I think it’s because all the skin is so new that it’s tender and I must have been a little over-eager in eating. Scheduled to go out for Mexican food with Kim’s work tonight! Lol!

I’ll be preaching this weekend and next with three doctor visits in between. The surgeon, the radiation oncologist and the chemo oncologist will all be keeping close eyes on me (and maybe each other Lol!) for awhile.

By the way, the passage of scripture I am teaching on this week, reminds me of the great value God places on a RELATIONSHIP with each one of us as well as everyone we come into contact with.  When you read it, do you see relationships too?  How does God speak to you through these verses?  What stands out to you?

¹⁶ So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer. ¹⁷ Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! ¹⁸ All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: ¹⁹ that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. ²⁰ We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God. ²¹ God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.  2 Corinthians 5:16-21 (NIV)

Blessings,

Randy

John 15:1-17">John 15:1-17

Have you ever felt the presence of God? What an experience, right?  Well what if we were to experience His presence regularly?  In fact, God intended for us to “Re:MAIN” in a relationship with Him. Today we will explore the reality of how when we remain in Him we experience success and joy!

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Next Step

1. I will redefine “success” by what God would have me invest in.
2. I will Re:MAIN in Jesus to sustain success.
3. I will be rooted in Jesus to bear fruit for His glory.
4. I will take opportunities to love others and experience complete joy.

What a month it’s been!  My faith has been stretched as I’ve attempted things I didn’t think I could do and watched God do them through me!

Opening Day 2012 at Chase Field!

Praises (chronological order)

1. Made it to the baseball game on Opening Day in Phoenix and even ate a big hotdog!   Enjoyed the day with my daughter Carissa and her fiance Zach!  A couple of things I was nervous about were parking and exiting the stadium (the game was a sellout).  In a full parking lot, God saved us a place two spots from the street which also allowed us to exit quickly as well.  Within thirty minutes of the conclusion of the game, we were not only out of the stadium but on the interstate!
2. God gave me a clear strong voice and a message for the community Sunrise Service on Easter Sunday!  What a joy to be used to speak again!
3. We met with Dr. Phillips so he could look at the sores in my mouth that had surfaced and he was very encouraging!. He explained how radiation caused delayed symptoms and why things were getting worse before they began to get better.  This was especially comforting because of how the new sores had similarities with the old cancer.
4. My first day preaching back at TMCC was on April 15.  I didn’t know how my tongue would hold up for three services and the guys did a video recording of the first service in case it was needed but I made it!  I felt that my speech wasn’t quite as clear the third time because of dryness in my mouth but praise God because His strength matched the task!
5. I’ve been able to exercise at home and speed up my walks with Kim.
6. I’ve been able to go into the office for increasing periods of time.
7. My appetite is increasing!
8. My tastes for sweets is returning already!  Cookies and ice cream taste good again!
9. Oh, a final praise is that I got our taxes done . . . a day early! Lol!

Challenges

1. It’s embarrassing to me that I get tired so easily. I was in the office one afternoon and then paid a visit at the hospital. Being out of the house from 1:00 to 5:30 exhausted me.
2. I am eating a lot more but my weight is still hovering around 170 each morning.  Overall I had lost 32 pounds and have gained back five.
3. I have set a goal to be back in my daily routine during the second week of May!
4. My ears still ring quite loudly but the time I don’t notice is increasing.
5. Eating still takes a lot of time and energy partly because my mouth is a little drier now.  It is difficult to talk during a meal and lunch appointments were an important part of my schedule prior to surgery.   Also, since my tongue is so short, I can’t keep my teeth clean when I eat and I feel self-conscious of the appearance.  Pray that I can stretch out my tongue and not feel so gross when I eat. My mouth is too dry to eat things like bread but I think I’ll try donuts tomorrow!

I’m planning to preach April 29 and May 6 and teach during Stephen Ministry training on April 25.  I work at home but try to go into the office every day to increase my stamina (I love people but it takes a lot of energy to be around them! Lol!).

My first follow up appointments with three different doctors will be April 30 and May 2.  They will watch me very closely for the first year and keep an eye on my for five years.  If nothing shows up by then, I will be declared cancer free!

Thank you again for your life-giving prayers!

Sincerely,

Randy

P.S. Kim and I registered today for the Global Leadership Summit that will be hosted by TMCC on August 9-10!  Look in the upcoming newsletter for details.

Titus 2:11-3">Titus 2:11-3:8

Today’s “Do-Over” depends on surrendering the self-directed life to become God-directed.  When invited in, His Spirit moves in to begin His transformative, life-giving work.  This is called “regeneration” and can lead to widespread revival! Today’s message deals with what God saved us “from” as well as what He saved us “for.”  We will be encouraged to take steps to cooperate with God and not confuse His kindness with “softness.”

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Next Step

1. I will respond to God’s kindness by allowing Him to regenerate me and mercifully save me from my sin!
2. I invite the Holy Spirit to have His way in transforming me from a self-directed to a God-directed life!
3. I will stop my resisting God’s will for my life by saying “no” to ungodliness and worldly passions!
4. I will study Titus 2:11-3">Titus 2:11-3:8 this week to allow God to speak to me about changes He wants to see in my life!
5. I will begin to obey what God has revealed to me!

John 3:1-21">John 3:1-21

What from your past is holding you back from becoming everything God created you to be? The question for you is why are allowing it?  Christianity is known for “grace” but WHAT does that mean and HOW does it work?  There are over a thousand words in the New Testament beginning with the letters “RE”.  Have you thought about what that means for you?  Here’s a five week series examining five words spoken from the heart of God to set you free with a fresh start on life!

Part of "Team Youngblood" who came for my last radiation treatment (Kim, myself, Carissa, and her fiance Zach Plumb).

April 5, 2012

Two of the three ladies who administered my 30 radiation treatments declaring me the "winner" after last treatment on March 30.

Last Friday (March 30) was my 30th and last radiation treatment!  Next up will be follow-up appointments with three different doctors in one month. They will keep a close eye on my for a year and the surgeon will follow me for five years before declaring me “cancer free”.

I was telling people Sunday that my appetite was returning and I had started gaining weight again but this week I have been experiencing more effects from last week’s radiation than I expected. My skin is fine but my mouth has been dry and crusty and swallowing is sometimes difficult (but not as bad as it was!).  My weight has been hovering around 165 (down 32 lbs).  Since my mouth isn’t producing enough saliva (because of radiation and my struggles to drink enough liquids) I have to eat things with moisture (soups and things with gravy).

Easter is this weekend and I will be speaking at the Community Sunrise Service in Veterans’ Memorial Park at 6:00 a.m.  (For more information see svpastors.org).  I am excited for the opportunity to thank many of the people from several different churches who have been praying for me through this trial! I am also thankful that Philip will still be teaching at our three services at TMCC!

My first sermon back at TMCC will be on April 15.  I’m a little nervous about my mental and physical stamina but I am determined to give it a shot!  We will video record the first message in case I am unable to make it at either of the next two. I’m thankful for the confidence that people will understand if the message at their service would have to be video.

Each of the last two days, I’ve spent a couple of hours at the church office and discovered that is my limit right now.  My goal is to be able to get back to regular office hours in May.  I’m finding that when I push myself too far, I feel sick rather than just tired and I really appreciate everyone’s encouragement to “take it easy”.  Honestly, part of the reason I have always worked long hours is because I want people to see me as hard working and not a “lazy preacher”. I don’t know where that came from but it is humbling to accept the reality of my limits right now.

One thing I did that may be dumb was several weeks ago I bought baseball tickets for the Diamondbacks opening day on Friday because it’s something I’ve always wanted to do and I’ve never done it before.  Originally it was supposed to be more than two weeks after my last treatment but things had to be delayed eleven days when my skin blistered.  I have to keep a drink with me wherever I go and since I won’t be driving, I can rest enough in the car.  I think I’ll have to try to eat a hot dog! :p

Sunday’s coming! We celebrate the resurrection and the promises it contains every week but THE DAY at this time for me is very special!  The certainty of the resurrection has certainly been the basis of my courage and hope!

Blessings,

Randy

Proverbs 13:20, 1">Proverbs 13:20, 1 Kings 12

When you are ready for a getaway, there are some major factors that influence your vacation destination.  Do I want some sun, sand, and surf or will I hit the slopes and bundle up in a cabin? Similarly, our life’s overall direction is determined by who is influencing us today.  This morning we will look into how God can give us direction for a life of significance.

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Next Step

1. I will sever ties with those who have a negative influence on me.
2. I will ask God to determine the goal and direction of my future.
3. I will write goals to filter my influences and attain His purpose for my life.
4. I trust God that I exist for a purpose I can fulfill.