It is difficult to write this blog with these little voices in the Conley household carrying on a conversation in the background. I have a six year old daughter talking in my ear about how she will need a cough drop every night and she says she is serious. Never purchase the halls brand fruit breezes. They taste too good! Anyway, Kole truly has every right to complain about aches and pains. I have yet to hear him even ask for a band-aid. He is a real trooper. His mom says, though, that he struggles with his attitude from time to time. Too bad an attitude cannot be fixed with a "band-aid". Of course we would all be going around with a band-aid stuck to our foreheads and Johnson&Johnson's stock would skyrocket. Anyway, there are no quick fixes most of the time. There is an amazing fix for our sin through the shed blood of Jesus. Yet, most issues in life especially issues of the heart take a lot of working through.

We spent some time with Kole and the Kellers at the Sprunger (Grandparent) home. We had or at least I had a wonderful time. I especially enjoyed hearing story after story concerning kind and wonderful people who keep reaching out in love to my sister and her family. Janni says it is so humbling to be on the receiving end in such a big way. I guess we will just have to pay all of you back by praying that God will pour out his blessings on everyone of you. Thank the Lord he has kept track of all of your names. Janni has done a good job remembering each person and their kindness shown. She has always had a memory of an elephant. She enjoyed beating her big sister at "memory" time and time again, to my humiliation. I just kept hoping I'd win, for seven years of age advantage should have helped me at least once. Anyway, I am getting to know and love many of you out there by Janni's testimony of your kindness. Her memory is comming in handy during this time. Anyway, God is using you to bring much needed encouragement. Now, to turn around and pass it on.

We talked quite a bit about chemo. It will be a full time job, and then some, for Janni and Steve. Kole will need an amazing amount of care. I will give you an example concerning food preparation. Kole can only consume freshly prepared food. He cannot eat at many restraunts nor eat left-overs. He cannot drink tea unless the tea bag is boiled for a certain period of time. Tea harbors bacteria and two children at St. Jude have died because of it. This caution of course is due to the extreme drop in blood counts. Kole will need our prayers even more than he needs the chemo. The "side-effects" of prayer are wonderful, as we have seen in the past.The doctors were thrilled with how Kole handled radiation.

Keep praying that Kole will gain weight while he is at home. Pray for his appetite to return. His body needs replenishment. That goes for our souls as well. Jesus talks about himself being the nourishing water for our soul. In John 4:10 Jesus talks to this "empty hearted" and "thirsty" woman about "living water". He later says in John 4:13 "Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks of the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life."

A friend of mine at church tonight reminds me of this. She said that her mother had always thought her to be a Christian. She was very moral, went to church, and knew about God. Yet, she only knew of Jesus and did not partake of the living water untill four years ago. It was then that God penetrated her heart and not just her mind. Now, her soul will never thirst again. The empty well of her soul is now overflowing with Christ's living water. It is quite different for her now. She spends much of her time talking to God and desiring to please him above any human being. Her life has had it's share of loss over the last few years and yet she has a smile and a peace that only God could bring.