1. In case you might fear that you are drinking too much coffee, relax and read about the 7 Surprising Health Benefits of Coffee, So Drink Up (not that I need any encouragement to do so!).
2. "Christianity is much more than getting your doctrine right. But it is not less." These are the opening words of Kevin DeYoung's recent post, "Doctrine Matters: Eternal Life Depends Upon It." In a day and age when so many in the church find doctrine dry and boring, these thoughts of DeYoung are definitely worth the few minutes it will take you to read them.
3. Finally, an update on my wife Sharon. According to her surgeon, the surgery of last Thursday to repair her broken femur went well. After getting her pain under control and going through a couple of therapy sessions, Sharon was discharged on Sunday evening. As I climbed out of bed Monday morning, I prayed to God, asking him to help the day to go smoothly. There were several things to work out concerning her care. The first and most important was to get her prescription for lovenox filled. This medication (which is taken by injection) is designed to prevent blood clots from forming. Sharon's surgeon wanted her on this medication given what he had to do in the surgery and given Sharon's inactivity. The problem with this medication is that even with insurance, it would have cost us over $1000. So the doctor prescribed a less expensive alternative. This alternative would have required Sharon to inject herself 3x each day (vs. just once a day with the lovenox). But it was MUCH less expensive. However, as the nurse called to numerous pharmacies, not one carried the drug! Hmmm. So we committed it to prayer. If we had to bite the bullet ... we would do so. But God had something else in mind. It began when a case worker walked into Sharon's hospital room with a coupon. It was a Walmart coupon which would allow us to purchase 25 doses of lovenox for $157 (which sounds like a lot when standing alone ... but sounds like "a litttle" when compared to $1000!). The caseworker had called Walmart to verify the validity of the coupon . . . and they informed her that they would indeed honor it! And since this was five doses less than the doctor ordered, the case worker told us that the hospital would provide five FREE doses at the hospital's convenience pharmacy. SO ... on my mind on Monday morning was the nagging question, would all go smoothly at both the hospital's pharmacy and Walmart? As it turns out, I never made it beyond LGH's pharmacy. When I stepped up to the counter to get the lovenox, the pharmacy tech told me there were 25 doses in the bag. "But I thought I was getting only 5?" I responded. She informed me the script was for 25. So I asked (with a bit of fear in my voice), "How much does this cost?" Her answer almost made me jump for joy, "Ten dollars" was her response. I paid the price, grabbed the bag, and thanked God as I walked out to my car. Wow! We went from over a thousand dollars to $157 to $10! We are so thankful for God's provision in this!
As you think of my wife, please pray for her. This will be a long journey (which has already stretched for nearly three months). And the final outcome as to her leg and knee are yet to be determined.
Thanks for stopping by . . .
pj
