I know you haven't heard from me in a while so I felt I should offer an explanation for my absence.

First of all, my secular job as a highs school choir director takes a lot of my time around the holiday season. It is a joyful time of year but VERY busy. What little time I wasn't with my choir kids, I spent with my own children.

Secondly, during the past couple of months I have been having some health problems. I have had what we thought were sinus headaches for many years. They get worse during the winter months. A few weeks ago, my headaches became unbearable. I missed a few days of work and church and eventually ended up in the emergency room.

After a CT-scan, we discovered that there is a growth on the bone of my sinus cavity in my right cheek. I have been to several doctors and surgeons. They all agreed that there is "something" there and it looks like it has been eating away for a long time.

I will have an exploratory surgery on January 5 to find out what it is. We will know how to proceed after they test the biopsy.

Please keep me in your prayers. I plan to begin writing again now that the pain is less and I seem to have a clear head once again.

God bless.