getting it out there (some news)

but first, a poem. a carol. 

 Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (1807-1882)

      Christmas Bells

    I HEARD the bells on Christmas Day 

    Their old, familiar carols play, 

        And wild and sweet 

        The words repeat 

    Of peace on earth, good-will to men!

    And thought how, as the day had come, 

    The belfries of all Christendom 

        Had rolled along 

        The unbroken song 

    Of peace on earth, good-will to men!

    Till ringing, singing on its way, 

    The world revolved from night to day, 

        A voice, a chime, 

        A chant sublime 

    Of peace on earth, good-will to men!

    Then from each black, accursed mouth 

    The cannon thundered in the South, 

        And with the sound 

        The carols drowned 

    Of peace on earth, good-will to men!

    It was as if an earthquake rent 

    The hearth-stones of a continent, 

        And made forlorn 

        The households born 

    Of peace on earth, good-will to men!

    And in despair I bowed my head; 

    "There is no peace on earth," I said; 

        "For hate is strong, 

        And mocks the song 

    Of peace on earth, good-will to men!"

    Then pealed the bells more loud and deep: 

    "God is not dead, nor doth He sleep; 

        The Wrong shall fail, 

        The Right prevail, 

    With peace on earth, good-will to men."

We found out yesterday that Josh has another small tumor in his spine. The radiologist feels certain after reviewing the scans from last year, that the tumor has been there all along- which provides me with some comfort as it is not something "new".

The good news is that it is very small- so small it could prove difficult for the surgeon to even find it if he were to operate. He DOESN'T want to operate right now- says he wants to monitor it with scans. If he does operate eventually, the location is much safer and the surgery, in his words, "less complicated".

He told Josh to keep perspective, that this wasn't the worst case scenario kind of situation- not nearly as grave as last years situation.

Our order were to get healthier- he's already pretty healthy- but to step up the exercise and core strength- as two back surgeries would be tough on his body down the road.

So that's it. We were pretty down last night, not expecting the news at all. But all in all, we feel ok. 

I, like most of you, have felt heart broken over this past weeks tragedy.A friend posted this poem/song- and I could not find more appropriate words for the way my heart feels on every front.

But "God is not dead, nor doth He sleep, the Wrong shall fail, the Right prevail".

Thanks be to God.