Gather Friends, I've Missed You But...

Gather friends, I've missed everyone but life is taking over lately.  This year certainly brought its share of bad news.

We are just getting over the inexplicable loss of my cousin's husband in a horrible car accident.  Now we are facing the eminent death of my BIL from lung cancer and other complications including masses around his heart, arteries and liver.  He was rushed to the ER this week after finally relocating from upstate to his home town.  The doctors are not hopeful and gave him two weeks to one month.  He was down to 115 pounds when he landed in the ER.  He is like a brother to me as I have no other.  The sadness is overwhelming.  We are spending as much time at the hospital as we can.

Further, my mom is suffering from more than spinal problems.  While those are serious and will require physical therapy, another worrisome issue was discovered.  My mom has a significant mass by her ovaries in the pelvic region.  She is going for a CAT scan next week to see what it is.  I am worried sick about it.

We canceled our annual vacation because there is no way we can be out of town with all this going on.   We were going to a dude ranch this year and the kids were disappointed but very good about the whole thing. Vacation bible school was a welcome escape this week for me and the kids.  It was a comforting place to pray and have a little relief from all the sadness, worry and stress.

It is likely I will be away from Gather for the most part over the next couple of weeks.  I will stop by when I can to post, view and comment so I can keep in touch with everyone.  I also continue to pray for several Gatherers with their own serious issues right now. All your prayers and positive thoughts are greatly appreciated. 

For all those carefree Gatherers, enjoy the summer sun and fun.  Every day is a precious gift.