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Psalm 103 -- A Psalm of David
There is a cancer update at the end of this message. CHIP STAM STEM CELL DRIVE: BE THE MATCH www.carlstam.org/stemcelldrive ===================================== Today's WORSHIP QUOTE is a favorite psalm, Psalm 103. Try reading it aloud. Notice the various themes of the Lord's power, righteousness, providence, goodness, mercy, and love. PSALM 103 — A PSALM OF DAVID 1 Praise the LORD, O my soul; all my inmost being, praise his holy name. 2 Praise the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits- 3 who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases, 4 who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion, 5 who satisfies your desires with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's. 6 The LORD works righteousness and justice for all the oppressed. 7 He made known his ways to Moses, his deeds to the people of Israel: 8 The LORD is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love. 9 He will not always accuse, nor will he harbor his anger forever; 10 he does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities. 11 For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him; 12 as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us. 13 As a father has compassion on his children, so the LORD has compassion on those who fear him; 14 for he knows how we are formed, he remembers that we are dust. 15 As for man, his days are like grass, he flourishes like a flower of the field; 16 the wind blows over it and it is gone, and its place remembers it no more. 17 But from everlasting to everlasting the LORD's love is with those who fear him, and his righteousness with their children's children- 18 with those who keep his covenant and remember to obey his precepts. 19 The LORD has established his throne in heaven, and his kingdom rules over all. 20 Praise the LORD, you his angels, you mighty ones who do his bidding, who obey his word. 21 Praise the LORD, all his heavenly hosts, you his servants who do his will. 22 Praise the LORD, all his works everywhere in his dominion. Praise the LORD, O my soul. — Psalm 103, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION, www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm+103&version;=NIV There are several wonderful hymn settings of this psalm: "Praise, My Soul, the King of Heaven" is a great one. Here are two versions: www.hymntime.com/tch/htm/p/r/a/praisems.htm www.igracemusic.com/hymnbook/hymns/p02.html ==================== THE PLACE OF THE CHOIR IN WORSHIP: PART 1 (Ed Willmington): http://www.wqotw.org/quote.php?date=2010-01-05 THE PLACE OF THE CHOIR IN WORSHIP: PART 2 (Carl Stam): http://www.wqotw.org/quote.php?date=2010-01-12 THE PLACE OF THE CHOIR IN WORSHIP: PART 3 (Donald Hustad): http://www.wqotw.org/quote.php?date=2010-01-19 THE PLACE OF THE CHOIR IN WORSHIP: PART 4 (Ron Man): http://www.wqotw.org/quote.php?date=2010-01-26 ==================== Blessings to all! Chip Stam Director, Institute for Christian Worship School of Church Ministries The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary Louisville, Kentucky www.wqotw.org www.sbts.edu/icw ===================================== HEALTH UPDATE & PRAYER REQUEST FOR CHIP STAM, CANCER PATIENT www.carlstam.org/stemcelldrive ===================================== May 13, 2010 Update PET Scan Wednesday — Good News Dear Friends and Family, Thanks so much for your faithful prayers for my treatment and healing. We continue to be very excited about the success of the stem cell drive: www.carlstam.org/stemcelldrive. Praise God! Longer journal entries and pictures are at www.caringbridge.org/visit/carlstam (click on "journal" or "photos"). WEDNESDAY'S PET SCAN Wednesday morning at 7:30am I went to the Cancer Clinic to get my port accessed and to have my blood drawn for lab work. Moments later I went downstairs to the first floor where they do all the imaging tests. I was the first one there, so there were no delays in getting me ready. The PET scan took about two hours, and honestly, we did not expect to get the results until Friday. I went back to the second floor clinic to meet with the clinicians and to have the doctor inject the chemo drug CYTARABINE into my Ommaya Reservoir (the port under my scalp). While we were waiting for all this to happen, one of the clinicians came into the room with a big smile and with hugs for both of us: "Today's PET scan is much better. The cancer is significantly reduced." You can’t imagine how sweet those words sounded to us. Praise the Lord for His faithfulness. WHAT IS NEXT? The doctor has scheduled one more round of the current chemotherapy "mix," beginning next Monday, May 17 (including a hospital stay on May 19-20). My stem cell transplant is tentatively scheduled to begin on June 14. My brother Billy will come to town that week as my donor (a mismatched sibling). He will be given growth factor injections for several days; then they will get stem cells from him (APHERESIS). The actual infusion of his cells into my body will be during the second week of my hospital stay. The clinicians expect that I will be in the hospital for 4-6 weeks. As you remember, they will watch me closely for the various complications and dangers of Graft vs. Host Disease. STATUS I am feeling OK—body and spirit. Thank the Lord, I have not had problems with nausea. I have been able to eat regularly (small portions, please!). I am dealing with the fatigue by "taking it easy" and feeling free to take lots of regular naps. Some very kind friends have helped with keeping the grass mowed. What a blessing! Much love to all of you! Please keep praying. We know that some rough times are ahead, and we are confident that the Lord is sufficient to give us grace and strength to meet the challenges. In the midst of great uncertainty, we are experiencing a peace and hope that can only come from God (Romans 5:1-5). For this we are very thankful. Don't forget to care for the cancer patients in your families, churches, neighborhoods, and places of employment. Pray that our stem cell drive will provide many, many cancer patients with life-saving options for treatment. In His perfect care, Chip Stam www.caringbridge.org/visit/carlstam =========================== WORSHIP QUOTE OF THE WEEK: To subscribe, unsubscribe, or view a complete index of worship quotes, please visit http://www.wqotw.org. =========================== |