Happy anniversary us

Prayer meeting tonight so we opted to celebrate our fourteenth wedding anniversary at lunchtime in the Park Plaza, which was very nice indeed.
But how we need to pray! Was reading something earlier (about a sad attempt at defending New Christian Hymns) which made me think what strange, confusing days these are that we are living in.
After school, Pads went for a CT scan today with his mask fitted and bolted down to be sure that the rays are going to the right spot. From these scans they will plan his treatment. He had to lie on his front with his head clamped for 15-20 minutes, completely prone as he moved in and out of the scanner. He was excellent for the process as he understands the need, although he does not enjoy lying in that position unable to move his head - who would?!
He came home, cleaned out rabbits in afternoon sun(!) and picked a pound of rasberries.
I came up with a wheeze for if Pads gets over concerned about prospects for the changes radiotherapy might have on him. It after writing the thing about the staff making him a Tardis-style countdown chart to monitor his visits. I'll just tell him he's going to 'regenerate'!
Many, many people have said to us, 'I cant imagine what you're going through'. This is always well meant and quite hard to frame an adequate reply. I have tried to tell some that we 'only' have to live it, everyone else has to 'imagine' what it's like, which is, in some ways, harder, since your son getting a malignant brain tumour must rank amongst every parent's worst nightmares. But then again, many many people _have_ experienced things like this and worse. What I am now coming to see is that this is a very humbling experience. What and who exactly are we to be the cause of so much concern and attention? It is actually a privilege to experience so much kindness and to be the subject of so much concerted prayer. In every hard place there's something to soften it. We say to Pads, it's a hard thing but look at all the wonderful things that have sprung from it - even to the point of his chocolate supply being replenished!!! As Paul says, 'All things work together for good to those who love God and who are called according to His purposes' (Rom 8:28). What better lesson could the kids have about the brevity and frailty of life and the need to take every day with gratitude and live it.
I need to say that Moli had a great first day at school. She enjoyed not feeling intimidated, even talking to the students in the year above her. We chose a Christian school for various reasons. Neither of us enjoyed the culture of secondary education and, as a sometime supply teacher, it hasn't got any better. I think this is especially true of learning itself. My hope is that smaller class sizes, a genuine ethos and commitment to learning, as well as a firm Christian ethic, will be conducive to the kids' development. We do not have any illusions that this is 'taking them out of the world', we take the world with us wherever we go.