Indescribable

One of the many opportunities I have by the very fact that I teach in a Christian school is to share with my students my faith. Many times I do this in the form of a song. Today I shared with them one of my all-time favorite songs from Chris Tomlin. If you have this on cassette, cd, on your MP3 player or some other format, please listen to it as you read these lyrics; crank it up and enjoy, that's the only way to do it.





Indescribable by Chris Tomlin

From the highest of heights to the depths of the sea,
Creation's revealing Your majesty.
From the colors of fall to the fragrance of spring,
Every creature unique in the song that it sings.
All exclaiming...

(Chorus)Indescribable, Uncontainable,
You placed the stars in the sky and You know them by name.
You are amazing God.

All powerful, Untameable,
Awestruck we fall to our knees as we humbly proclaim,You are amazing God.
Who has told every lightning bolt where it should go,
Or seen heavenly storehouses laden with snow?Who imagined the sun and gives source to its light,
Yet conceals it to bring us the coolness of night?
None can fathom...


(Chorus)Incomparable, Unchangeable,
You see the depths of my heart and You love me the same.
You are amazing God.

Praise for Joe

We just found out this afternoon that Joe has been accepted into the inpatient ATG protein study at the National Institute of Health! The NIH has had very good results from this, so the Kennedy’s are very excited. Joe will be in Baltimore until Sept. 15. Please continue to pray for this family. I would also encourage you to give him a call or send a card (via e-mail?) to Joe and his family.

Harsh Baby #3

It's true. Erin is due in late February with a _____. We'll find out soon the gender. We are incredibly excited and I know that Macy and Mia will be so happy to have a little brother or sister. Keep us in your prayers as we prepare for the new little one. As part of our preparations we are moving at the end of next month (Lord willing) to a new house. I know my parents and brother will be happy because we are moving right in between their homes (about 5 miles from both).

Blood Drive for Joe

If you had the chance to REALLY help someone would you? Of course you would! Peachtree Station resident Joe Kennedy, eighteen years old is getting ready to fight a battle with aplastic anemia, a bone marrow failure disease. His church, Saint Luke's Presbyterian is hosting a bone marrow drive on Sunday, September 9th from 8a.m.-1:00p.m. The procedure is a simple cheek swab done by the National Marrow Donor's Program. It cost $25 but, Saint Luke's will pay for the first 50 people. The whole process has been simplified over the years. Please take a little time out of your busy schedule to potentially help Joe and others. It's a tremendous gift to Joe and his family.

To be tested for the marrow registry you need to be between the ages of 18 and 59 ½.

Saint Luke's is also hosting a blood drive done through the Red Cross on Sunday, September 16th from 8a.m.-1:00p.m. Please consider donating because the Atlanta area currently has only a two day supply of blood. Did you know that only ten percent of the U.S. population donates blood? Patients like Joe depend on transfusions to stay alive. You can't realize how important the gift of blood is until you see children hooked up to transfusion machines at AFLAC, Cancer Center & Blood Disorder Services at Children's Healthcare of Atlanta. Thank you for making a difference!

St. Luke's Presbyterian Church
1978 Mount Vernon Drive
Dunwoody, GA 30338
(770)393-1424

Joe Update

Here is the latest about one of my former wrestlers (2007 graduate) Joe Kennedy:

Joe’s numbers continue to fall and are well into the sever category. However, Joe is finding ways to compensate and says he feels very little effect from the severe anemia. He did not need a transfusion last week, but this week he will receive 2 units. Joe had lunch plans today and will be transfused on Wednesday.

Last week Dr. Rapkin said Joe is not getting better and needs to start treatment very soon. So, the wheels are in motion and we have an appointment at the NIH in Bethesda on Tuesday. We have had very positive feedback from many sources about the NIH and also about Dr Young; he’s the aplastic guru that will be treating Joe. On Tuesday we will know if Joe meets the criteria for acceptance into their study, and if so, we’ll be starting treatment very quickly. If he is not accepted into the study, then he will come home to be treated by Dr. Rapkin under the guidance of Dr. Young at the NIH.

Many people have asked about blood donations and marrow testing. We will be having a couple of drives in the near future (1 to 2 months) and will let you know as we get closer. In the mean time, there is a marrow drive at the Marcus JCC in Dunwoody this weekend, here’s a link to the info with times and a map http://www.marrow.org/HELP/Join_the_Donor_Registry/Join_in_Person/drive_details.pl?drive_key=037-4-03740

Here is a graph to give you an idea of what this disease has done to Joe. This data starts on the day we first went to the hospital – 6/26/2007 and continues weekly to today.

Today Joe is:
White 1.65 – used to fight infection. Normal is 3.5 to 11
ANC .21 – measure of the body to withstand infection. Normal is above 1.0
Red 6.1 – energy, delivers oxygen. Normal is 14 to 18
Platelet 14 – used to control bleeding. Normal is 140 to 400
Joe will soon begin fighting this disease and really needs all the support he can get, so please keep praying for him to recover quickly.

Back To School 2007

It's here again. That time of year when I dust off that old math book and start another installment of junior high math instruction. I get rid of all my old papers that are now useless and very unorganized, I put posters back on the walls, straighten and clean off the desks and make great plans and goals for a new school year. "This will be the year," I tell myself. I'm going to really make a difference and plant some seeds. Not just seeds of a lifelong enjoyment in mathematics but a seed of faith. I get to do what many Christian school teachers never get to do. I pray with my kids. I lead them in devotionals. I share my faith with them. I let them share theirs with me. I get to do all this because I work at a wonderful school. Greater Atlanta Christian School is a place like no other. We are celebrating our 40th year with a theme of 'Legacy.' As we look at where our school started and where it is now and where we hope it will be in another 40 years. I have been incredibly blessed and I hope that the legacy I leave will be felt for years to come.