Tuesday 3/27 pm

Miles is back home with abdominal pain. So much for 4 full days of school.

Last week I visted with my friend Gerard Baldwin, the last living director and illustrator of the Rocky and Bullwinkle Show. He drew and donated this drawing for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation Gala Auction, scheduled for May 12. His wife Frances may also donate 5 hours of French Tutoring for the auction. They are really lovely people, most enjoyable company.

Tuesday, 3/27 am

Miles is in school today. In the last month he has not been in school for more than 3 days at a time. Last week: Monday and Friday home because of illness. Yesterday: Home again. May this be a week he makes it through Friday.

He is on a new medication that is for his new, third diagnosis - ontop of Type 1 Diabetes and Eosinophilia, this is gastroparesis, a semi-paralysis of the stomach - a complication of diabetes. Very unusual for such a young child - typical only in adult diabetics. If the medication doesn't help, it might be an inaccurate diagnosis. Highly likely he'll go on steroids later this week - which should ease the eosin symptoms, but make his blood glucose go crazy.

ElenaClaire heard from Concordia yesterday. Of some 80 applicants for the Lutheran Student Leadership Scholarship (full tuition), she is one of 8 finalists for the 3 slots. She goes on to the next level: telephone iterviews next week. She's already assured of an $8500 Distinguished Student scholarship there; she is assured of $4000 so far at North Park ($2500 Dean's Award plus $1500 Covenant Ministers' Grant), with vocal scholarship potentially up to $4000 and other financial aid offers to come in early April. Several local scholarships await.

I am of no clear vision on this decision. I have a strong feeling for North Park, having lived there for 2 years while in Seminary. It has fine music and nursing programs. I'd love for her to have the Chicago experience. But Chicago is far away. I don't know if any of the 4 of us could handle such a great distance - esp. the kids. Austin is much nearer, a mere 3 hours away, which is a plus. But it has no nursing program - pre-nursing only. Perhaps 2 years there and then transfer? EC knows no one at North Park, though a dear friend of ours, like an aunt to EC, lives blocks away from campus. She has friends at Concordia and nearby at UT.

Ultimately it is her decision to make and I am confident that God will lead.

Thursday in Kingwood

Last Tuesday evening we took Miles to our regularly scheduled service of healing prayer. He seemed encouraged and blessed by the experience. He had been sick on Monday with EO symptoms but had been well enough to go to school on Tuesday.

He woke up with very good numbers and no EO symptoms on Weds and today and has had a couple of good days. In school three days in a row - which hasn't happened for a while.

He is also seeing his counseling therapist once a week now to help him cope with all this and is also taking painting lessons, which seems to help as well.

We expect to get info from his GI Dr. today about the tests he has had last week, and we are asking for an aggressive plan of treatment, even if it means doing a course of steroids which will complicate his diabetic regimen.

I am gearing up for leading a band as we lead worship this weekend; then on Palm Sunday I am directing a cast that includes myself in a drama I have written that will be halfway through the service and will be the tipping point as the service shifts from Palm to Passion emphasis. The drama takes place at Ground Zero in New York and is one of the best things I have written - based on a Willow Creek piece from years ago called "The Wall". Then Easter comes and EC and I will be in the choir. Alicia is not singing this year because Miles seems to need her to focus on him instead.

Better on Tuesday

Miles is in school today - Thank you Lord. He woke up with no eosinophilic symptoms and a very healthy blood glucose number.

ElenaClaire received the Dean's award scholarship of $2500/yr at NPU. This week about 6 local scholarships will get filed. We expect to know the big picture by the first week of April. Then it all comes down to negotiations.

Christ the King is stepping into Lifeshapes - slowly but with determination and a sense that God is leading.

It's a beautiful day in Kingwood. And my attitude is much improved.

Sick and Tired

It comes down to this: I am fed up with illness. Not mine: Miles'. Eight plus years of dealing with diabetic management is bad enough. This new eosinophilic disorder is terrible. Miles stayed home from school today because he was not well enough to go to school. We know every year going into it that Miles will rack up more then the allowed days missed from school just from diabetic complications. This just adds to the burden.

I'm really tired of it.

Monday Afternoon - Music, Tools, Rodeo

• Here is a neat online tool. I needed to gather some information related to communications at CTK and this provided me with just the tool I needed.

• We had a great day at the Houston Livestock show and Rodeo on Saturday. Ride 'em, Miles!

















• EC received the "Distinguished Student Scholarship" of $8,500 per year at Concordia. Will she go? Hard to say. Other scholarships are out, there and at North Park, waiting on a reply, and more go out next week.

• My friend and colleague Marilyn Johnson and I collaborated on a song entitled "I am the vine". My contribution was the second verse. Written on Tuesday and Wednesday; presented in worship on Sunday, with Alicia and our friend George joining us on harmony vocals. Out of respect for Marilyn's ownership of the song, please do not use without contacting me first.

EC sings: Il mio bel foco

EC sings: "Honor, Honor"

This is one of two songs for a college vocal scholarship audition.