Putting the calendar to work

It being half term, yesterday, Pads took a trip to visit Dan, one of his old school pals. He was out for 7 hours, including a trip to the dentist and McDonalds for a donut.
I was looking around Pads room on Monday morning and noticed his certificate from the Ellen MacArthur trip last year. When I suggested he might like to go again, this was recieved with considerable enthusiasm. Then I thought, we should be using that calendar. A while ago, our nurse mentioned the word 'June'. That came as a bit of a shock, to even think that far ahead, but it occurred to us that living for the moment can wear a bit thin. Pads has a couple of dates coming up with the Brain Tumour Support Group and so I've penned these onto his Chick-fil-a calendar. This is positioned right in front of him and now displays some things worth looking forward to.
The dates in the picture are for sticky toffee pudding, which Ally's planning to make for a meet-up tomorrow night... also on Pads calendar, although he's unlikely to eat any of it.

It's arrived!

Pads finally has a chick-fil-a calendar to fill-up that space on his wall - thanks to Renie & Joe, cousins over in Pensylvania. Just one day of January to enjoy, it arrived this morning and caused a lot of hilarity.
Before this we had the task of scraping Pads out of his bed so that he could get to the hospital and have a special blood test, for cortisol levels. He just about made it in before the deadline of 10am, after which the readings would not be correct.
Apart from a good chunk of the afternoon in bed, having 'chased' Reuben around the house before-hand, tonight he was up for another game of Bohnanza!

Point made

Pads spent almost the entire weekend in bed, which is probably where the parents should have been with their colds, but, for them, the 'show must go on'. The medical team said a cold would hit him harder and so it has although there are definite signs of improvement now. He descended for the tutor yesterday and is talking about the possibility of a hot tub later in the week. Today we got him down to meet Ian from Chwarel who are keen to do a piece for radio about us. We don't know what form that will take yet but we have the mic and some formative ideas. Pads coped well with this although some of it was awkward for him. He's implying the others are off doing useful things all day while he gets to crack machinarium puzzles:

Whatever you think of computer games, that is a masterpiece. I said that the most important learning happens in primary and he'd proved more than capable on every front there. He said he missed the last year of primary, so I upped the ante. Every second he's alive he's doing a worthwhile thing, just lying there. After he's gone we'll be left with the aftermath and the memory, now we have the reality, that, on a moment-by-moment basis inspires us and causes us to inspire others, by God's grace. Apart from that, he's got deep insight, and more's the point, spiritual insight.
If anyone in the USA is listening.... (yesterday I wrote this on Chick-fil-A's FB wall but no response yet... - relatives in the US are in pursuit - thanks Renie and Joe!)

For the last 2 years Pads has smirked and giggled at a Chick-fil-A calendar (and we with him). To many people's surprise, he made it to 2012 and now there's a big empty space on his wall... Please can you tell me how can I get hold of one of these?

Finally, I've started a new twitter account for thoughts from family worship. I have used this blog for that in the past but tweeting is a lot more efficient. It's called 1st1st because it's vital to put fellowship with God first in a day, a decision, a life. The latest 'sweet verse' I have the kids learning is 'Seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you' (Matthew 6:33). Sweet verses gain sweets in the mouth and sweetness in the heart which lasts a lot longer ;-)
I dreaded the responsibility of leading family worship and still have my qualms, but the Lord undertakes to bring something vital from the Bible by God's Spirit every time we approach it prayerfully. Even the most familiar passages repeatedly reward us with surprising discoveries of the things of God, if not God Himself.