amazing grace

Since Thursday (July 24) evening my sister Grace has had this slight fever. I'm not sure if she went to work on Friday but by Saturday she felt better. Certainly she was up to entertaining our Youth Group from church. Then her temp went up again last Sunday, as high as 39. So she checked in at Medical City on Monday. And we suspected dengue, which the tests at the hospital confirmed. Her platelet count last Sunday evening was 167. Normal is 150-400. Monday morning her platelet was 120, Tuesday morning 90, Tuesday afternoon 80, Wednesday morning 70.

Nixon & Joan gave us this weed Monday evening, that could help raise her platelet. We washed and boiled the leaves and Grace drank the tea. She was stronger Tuesday night, eating and drinking well, but Wednesday she again lost her appetite and was a little weaker.

Wednesday evening we were elated to hear that her platelet rose back to 80! The doctors said if it will go up again on the next test, the trend would be upward and she will pull through. This morning, Thursday, her platelet count is now 110. We're now planning to take her home, with Doctor's approval, on Friday afternoon.

Thank you everyone for praying! We really have an amazing God.

THE answer

Funny how the surest way to ease life's questions is not found in the answer to those questions, but is found in remembering and discovering again the One who oversees it all. Like Job, we end up being satisfied not with the answers but with the presence of God in our lives.

On one quiet working day afternoon, I picked up Discovering the God Who Is by RC Sproul, borrowing the book from our OMF Lit Bookshop. It's a book to be read every now and then, because we humans have a tendency to forget.

again

It feels like I've been this way before
So sure, unsure, are you sure?
Trusting yet haltingly, take the next step
Drowning, falling, walking blind
The same sensations of helplessness
Trusting yet haltingly, take the hand
Of the Helper
And let go
Again

brain-dead

...uh...whew...

on the job

One of the things I enjoy about my work is I get the chance to scan, browse and read our books at OMF Literature, just to get a 'feel' for the themes and kinds of books we have published and to understand how to better market them. Right now, I'm going through our Professional Growth titles - books about leadership, working excellently, teamwork in the marketplace, etc. I'm trying to make a chart of the themes/topics we have addressed in our publications and see what else need to be addressed in terms of working - from entering the workplace to retirement (and sometimes even after retirement) - anything possibly connected with working. Let's see what I come up with.

Interestingly, check out the titles (and guess the themes) of two of our books: 9 Things a Leader Must Do and Never Steal a Paper Clip.

my desktop wallpaper

Several friends at the office have already asked about my desktop wallpaper. Thanks to Nixon, who sent me the picture, I have the cast of GI Joe the Movie (coming out in 2009) on my screen. Oh boy, this is one excited boy. I practically grew up with GI Joe - the comic book and even the toy line. On some days, an average of once a month, I would gather with friends and do a GI Joe vs Cobra battle using toys - vehicles, figures - and sewing thread to make sure the shots were more or less accurate. Those games lasted the whole afternoon! Sometimes, for fun, we'd throw in a few Transformers with the Joes and Cobras.

Because GI Joe is a year away, right now I'm looking forward to the Prince Caspian movie. We're skipping Indiana Jones. But we have to watch Lion, Witch and the Wardrobe first. Hopefully this weekend. Then Prince Caspian next week.

I know some of you have watched Prince Caspian already. No spoilers please! Especially you, Glads! :)

wow, i'm checking out my blog!

I'm killing time while waiting for a text message from my wife. Last I visited (and wrote - ok, blogged) my blog was February...well. The disadvantages of not having your own pc? Or no time to blog? I actually have three 'articles' written in a notebook at home that I planned to transfer here, but that was months ago. I'm not even sure what those articles were about. But, yes, time flies fast when you don't have a watch with you. Or a pc.

Faith and life. Several days ago, our dog Hunter sprained his right hind leg. He slipped while chasing his rubber ball. But the dog does not know when to rest his leg so it still hurts. We try to get him to stay put, sit down, rub, rub, just so Hunter will not jump up and down on all three good legs and one bad one...but no, he has to jump anyway! Sometimes I really get frustrated with that dog, sometimes he's just so endearing. Ruth and I have gotten around to calling him our first baby. Sweet, hehe.

Ooops, I changed the title/header. Hmmm, guess I'll be explaining why, in a few months. :)