I am a "Big Plan" guy. I usually spend the final hour or so of my day, when I should be falling asleep to think about what I need to do the following day. I make plans to get up early and read, go for a walk/run, clean up around the house, and prepare for work. Never so much to burden me, and just enough to occupy my chemo-riddled mind from having to think too much.
Unfortunately, fatigue from the poisons coursing through my body usually cause me to oversleep and everything heads south from there. Today, I still managed to get up before 7, which lately is a big step. Since I have to head to the local hospital for out patient Neupogen injections two days a week following chemotherapy in attempt to bolster my blood cell counts, early is usually better for me. These injections also contribute to my fatigue, as it is a side effect.
Another side effect of these injections in a bloody nose. Living in the high desert, during the dry time of the year, I was doing pretty good getting dry nostrils and a bloody nose without assistance, but now it just gets worse. Mostly it occurs at night when I am asleep, why? I don't know. But I wake up and can't breathe through my nose. And the morning clearing...well I will leave that to your imagination. Needless to say, it is getting old fast.
I am thankful that one of the plans that my (x)Wife and I made for our current time apart began today. We are participating in The Bible in 90 Days reading challenge. While we are not associated with any formal group also going through this program, we are holding each other accountable. Of the two of us, I have it easier, since my days are not filled with responsibilities as hers are: home schooling, tending to animals, tending to children, assisting her parents...she amazes me with all she does. She is my hero, now and forever.
Today's reading is the first 16 chapters of Genesis. I am a fan of the Old Testament, mostly because I am a history and law fan. Sure, I understand that now we have grace so the law is no longer in place, but the law is still out teacher of right and wrong. From nearly the very beginning, man has been corrupting God's law.
For example, in Genesis 2:16-17 (KJV) God gives man and woman one law:
"And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die."And in just a couple verses, it is corrupted when the woman is tempted by the serpent in Genesis 3:2-3 (KJV):
"And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden: But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die."The woman added to the command of God. This gave the serpent a little wiggle room to persuade her. When we do not remember fully the commands of God, we can change them in our interpretations to mean what they do not. We need to be vigilant in our understanding.
While the Bible gives us no context as to the amount of time it took for this corruption to occur, I don't imagine it took very long. I know how I am with some things, applying the Spirit of the Law over the Letter of the Law. Mostly with man's laws, and not so much God's, but the concept still applies.
I wish I could remember exactly a quote I once heard about God's law. It was something like God gave man one law, and it was broken. So God clarified things and gave man 10 laws. Man in his wisdom turned these into 3,700 or so laws that made it nearly impossible to heed the original 10.
All I can say to this is I am very grateful for Grace. I have no chance of remembering 3,700 laws and have a hard enough time with the 10.
