July 28, 2017: Day 250

The beauty of writing a blog, is to intentionally track progress.  These last few weeks the progress Doug is making seemed so slow,  but then today I could definitely see improvement. Friday was his last day with the physical therapist.  She left a note with recommendations  for exercises for Doug to practice.  While I was making breakfast he started his exercises. Kerry wanted him to walk twice around our kitchen and dining room loop independently 3 times a day.  He got out of his wheelchair by himself, holding the walker and started walking.  I grabbed my phone to video his progress.  He did really well.  He was balanced, moving both legs, not dragging either one.  He looked great.

Tonight I wanted to show him his progress.  I found a video I had recorded before HSCT.  You can see that he is now doing better than he was last October before we left for Puebla.  It was really surprising.  Of course it is important to realize that his skills fluctuate depending on the time of day.  However it really looks like he is making progress.

Doug's wheelchair that folds broke and would not fold down.  His tire also started coming apart.  I ordered a wheel and parts to fix the mechanism that allows it to fold.  I thought I would have to do all the work myself trying to figure out how to fix it.  For the first time in a long time, Doug helped me.  He was able to figure out some things that I could not.  Many years ago this would have been an easy fix for him.  But these past few years his thinking and communicating has been much less clear.  Things that were easy for him he can no longer do.  He also has had problems seeing.  Today, his eyes seemed good and he was able to think through what needed to be done.  It took us at least 3 hours to fix the chair.  He helped me the full time, never having to stop because he was too tired.  He has not done this for quite a while.

By all appearances, it looks like the HSCT is working.  Up and until now Doug has been recovering from the poly-neuropathy.  Now it looks like he is showing improvement from the MS.  Those new stem cells are working. Praise God!

God of Healing, we give thanks for the improvements that Doug continues to make.  Doug's greatest hope is to walk again.  Today we saw the first signs that his walking independently may be a possibility.   We are filled with delight and hope.  We pray the progress continues and that one day he will be walking with minimal or no aide.  In your name we ask it.  Amen.

July 27, 2017: Day 248

We are feeling blessed today.  The hematologist's office called Doug to set-up his first infusion  of retuximab.  We are so relieved and excited.  Better yet, we learned that the reason it has taken the last week to get the appointment is because they have been waiting on insurance approval and they finally got it.  We are so excited to hear that insurance has approved the treatment.  This will save us lots of money. I know that the co-pay will still be high, because apparently it is rated as a class 5 drug with United Health, but compared to paying the full amount or having to travel for the treatment this seems like it will be very affordable.

And so we pray.

God of Constancy and Love, we thank you for your presence and guidance in our lives.  We thank you for leading us to doctors that are willing to support Doug in his treatment.  With each step of this pilgrimage we encounter you in new and striking ways. Today was such a surprise and relief to have the retuximab treatments planned and appointments made.  And now we pray, that the MS is stopped and Doug's improvement will lead to long lasting health and a return to walking.  Amen.

July 26, 2017: Day +247

I asked Doug if there is anything he wanted to add to the blog.  He has not usually been interested in contributing.  But tonight he just wanted to add that the day had been a pretty normal day.  Even though he was alone all day with Trixie, everything went well.  I think it is nice for him that he can have a somewhat normal day.  Normal of course is relative.  What is normal for Doug, is not normal for most of us.  With his disability with MS and then most recently poly-neuropathy normal has been redefined.  The good news is that there is no medical crisis and Doug is not getting worse, he is getting better.  He is not back to where he was before he was ill last winter, but I believe he is going to get there.

Doug was able to be fairly independent taking a shower tonight.  Movement is not easy for him and he needs a shower chair, but he was able to mostly undress, shower and dress himself.  Remember that three months ago he was taking bed baths.  His progress has been constant but slow. I was a little surprised tonight, when he initiated showering on his own and he only needed me to stand by and assist a little.  I am glad he is trying to be more independent and that he is feeling more confident as well.

The other big improvement is that Doug is now able to roll over on his side when laying down.  For months he has not been able to turn over without help or great effort.  The last couple of nights I have noticed that Doug is laying on his side at night. I am so happy about this because he is snoring much less!  But the really good news is this is another sign of the control that Doug is gaining over his body and that he is getting stronger.

Day by day, our prayers continue.

God of Faithfulness and Inspiration, we give thanks for the small moments each day that fill us with joy and gratefulness.  We are thankful for continued healing.  We are thankful for the gift of hope. We feel hopeful when each day our vision for healing and wellness is encouraged and sustained. Amen

July 25, 2017: Day 246

This week, I have been attending Edufest, the Gifted and Talented educational conference in Idaho. The conference days are long.  They require me to leave home by 7 or 7:30 a.m. and I am not getting home until almost 6:00 p.m. I have not been gone this long and left Doug all day since he got home from the hospital.  He had physical therapy yesterday and today.  Friday is his last day for home therapy. Friday will be his final evaluation.  Doug is now able to make his own lunch and look after himself during the day.  He had some company today when his friend Koji came by to visit for which he was very grateful.

It is really good news that Doug can be home all day by himself and be fine.  I no longer worry about him.  I know he can call or text if he needs something. Not long ago, the thought of leaving him would create anxiety for me.  When I allowed myself, I could feel my body holding tension.  I don't feel that now.  I am so grateful that Doug has come this far.

We did not hear anything yet about scheduling Doug's retuximab infusions.  The doctor's office was to call to schedule.  Since I have not heard from them I will call them  tomorrow.  We are anxious to get it started.

Another big thing today, is that it is my daughter Angie's birthday.  Usually I am with her on her birthday, but today our schedule's were too busy.  Next week we are going to go to Las Vegas and be with her and her family and plan on celebrating then. -My sister Kate has given us a time-share for the week and is going to take care of Trixie.  I am looking forward to that time, if not a little concerned about traveling so far with Doug and leaving Trixie.  But, I think Doug is ready for this next step. I am not sure Trixie is.  And I course I can hardly wait to have time with the grand kids. We have much to be thankful for.

And so we pray:

Holy God, we are so grateful for continued healing and the return to a normal life of work and play. We are so grateful for the many blessings we have in our lives and for the small miracles that continue to happen.  We look forward, in hope of continued healing, and in thanksgiving for the small things in our lives that give  us meaning and purpose.  Amen.

July 24, 2017: Day 245

It is hard to believe that it has been several days since I posted.  We spent another long weekend in Cascade.  We took our grandson Cole, foster grandson Jordan, and Trixie our dog with us.  This was a grand adventure taking the whole crew by myself.  Needless to say I had my hands full.  This is probably best described when I decided that I could handle taking everyone fishing up at Horsethief Reservoir because it has an accessible dock.  Imagine this, Trixie is wildly excited with all the smells and people, the boys just want to get their fishing poles in the water.  Of course that means that I have to have to fix their lines, bait the hooks and cast for Jordan. In the meantime I have to assure that Doug is doing OK in the sun. I have to tie Trixie to Doug's scooter.  I forgot to mention all the work it takes for me to load and unload Doug's scooter and get him in and out of the car.  In the midst of all of it, the kids are pulling in grasses and not getting any bites,  Doug is holding Jordan's pole because it needs to be casted out again and I am casting Cole's pole when the game warden comes up behind us and wants to see my license.  It is at this point that I realize I have left my license in the car.  Doug does not have one because he is not fishing, yet he is holding a pole.  I explain, just the boys are fishing, but I can go back to the car with him and get my license...

As I look around thinking, how will I do this. when Trixie, cannot let me out of her sight.  The boys are ready to go and I need to put their poles down, Jordan is four and does not want to stay with Grampa, and I look at the game warden and say, "I have my hands a little full".  He says "Well, you don't have too many poles, I will let you go this time." I said THANK YOU!

It was a really busy weekend!  We had fun swimming, walking, playing in the river, reading, cooking and oh yes, fishing!  I was just a little worn out each night, taking care of everyone. Whew!  But, I was doing my favorite things, being with my family, and I am grateful that Doug is well enough to go out of town.

This week is Doug's last week with Home Health.  He is ending physical therapy .  He has made enough progress that they will no longer offer him services.  The next step will be for Doug to have a physical with his primary care doctor and she is likely to prescribe physical therapy in the community.  I think this will be good for him, however it will be more difficult getting him there 2 to 3 times a week and of course more expensive.  But it is the next step in the journey.

And so we pray:

God of our Journey, the path lays both behind and ahead of us.  It is time for us to take the next steps. We can only see as far as the bend and so we step forward with hope, anticipation and concern.  We wonder what will come next.  As we walk on, we pray that Doug will continue his healing, we pray that he will continue to strengthen his legs and his walking improve.  And we look forward to hearing when his retuximab infusions will begin.  Amen

July 19, 2917: Day 240

We are filled with relief and joy.  This afternoon Doug got a phone call from the hematologist's office, they are going to do the retuximab infusions.  I have been trying to arrange these infusions for months.  They were suppose to start in January.  Back in February, Dr. Ruiz, from Mexico told us to wait to have the infusions until Doug was completely well.  When he was medically doing better at St. Luke's they did not want to add anything until Doug was out of rehab.  When Doug got home in April, we made an appointment with his primary care doctor and she was supportive of the infusions and said she would help to get us an appointment with a hematologist.  We could not get an appointment until June.  And then at the appointment the hematologist said he would do the infusions if he could talk to Doug's neurologist or a neurologist about the effectiveness of the treatment.  And so I contacted his neurologist and asked our other HSCT friends if they would check with their neurologists.  I was concerned Doug's neurologist would not be supportive.  He told us last October he could not prescribe it because it was not approved in the US for this purpose with people with MS.

The stars aligned today.  Our neurologist must have decided to support the treatment.  Because Doug got a call from the hematologists office to ask him if he wanted the treatment and when he would like to start the infusions. We are so over joyed and relieved. Doug wants to start as soon as possible.

The relief comes from knowing that having the retuximab treatment increases the chances that Doug's MS will stay in remission.  And not having to return to Mexico for the treatment will save us close to $20,000.  It will also be so much easier on Doug if he does not have to travel so far.  Finally, we can begin the last part of this journey.

And so we pray:

God of Compassion and Faithfulness,  our hearts are filled with relief and joy to know that Doug can soon begin the retuximab treatments.  We are so grateful for all the people who have prayed for us and helped us.  We are thankful for the other HSCT patients who reached out to their doctors for Doug's sake. We are thankful for our doctors and their compassion.  Our hearts are filled with gratitude.  Thank you God for hearing our prayers and answering them.  Thank you, thank you, thank you.  Amen

July 18, 2017: Day 239

We are still in a time of waiting.  We have not heard anything Doug's hematologist or the neurologist regarding Doug getting the retuximab infusions.  I will call the hematologist tomorrow and probably have to leave a message to express my concern.  And then I guess if we don't hear anything by Thursday I will call my daughter-in-law to see what she can do. It is just so much more complicated and expensive to go out of state.  I am not sure what will happen with our insurance even if we can find someone to give the infusions if we have to go out of state.

In the meantime, I am continuing to read about pilgrimage.  I was reminded again tonight that a pilgrimage is about making the decision to go on the pilgrimage and to actively seek a new understanding or transformation. Often when you are on a pilgrimage it is not at the beautiful vista or the rolling stream that you have profound moments of understanding.  It is more often at those times of struggle, when you are wondering why you have decided to walk so far or even make this journey. The pilgrim is to continue in faith even when there is no evidence of progress.

In reading  a reflection I get from Richard Rohr this morning, he was writing about faith.  Faith he says is not blind assent or reasoned assent, but faith is essential to spiritual transformation. I am reminded that we must continued on, in the absence of seeming progress.  The destination is approaching even if we cannot see the station. And so we keep on taking the next right step.  After all when you are in the middle of no where what else is a person to do?

And so we pray:

God of faithfulness, how easy it is for us to think that we are in control of things.  How easy it is for us to think we have to have the answers.  How easy is it for us to get caught up in the "what -ifs". What if I do this or do that?  Doug always says the best prayers have feet.  And so we will continue to keep taking the next step, but as we do we will also trust in you.  We will watch in faithfulness to the unfolding of the path before us.  We will, with your grace, not forget that we don't walk alone. And for that, we give thanks.  Amen.

Trixie, our faithful  walking companion and  patient companion in writing the blog.

June 16, 2017: Day 237

As I write this post there are many things I am thinking of that I could write today. I have so many people that I am carrying in my heart that are in need of prayer.  And I am thinking about a recent survey I took, that is linked to identifying how I see and understand God. But, alas, I am reminded that the purpose of this blog is to document Doug's journey to healing and wellness. And so I will try to stay on topic.

In the early days of the blog, each day was monumental.  We celebrated life each day Doug lived. Later we celebrated small improvements of movement, including swallowing and eating.  So many people comment now on how far Doug has come and indeed he has.  But now the improvements are not as obvious. And he himself has to work much harder at making them happen.  At least that is my interpretation. There have been so many different stages of this journey since we first left for Mexico.

I so want Doug to walk and to get around more easily that perhaps that is why it seems like the improvements are coming less quickly. But in truth he is making improvements with his own independence.  Yesterday he was able to get most of his breakfast on his own.  This morning he got up on his own and got dressed and ready for church on his own.  As I write this blog I am reminded that this imiprovment is really huge.  Only 3 months ago when he came home he could do none of these things.  I had to move him, dress, him, bathe him, and take care of all his personal needs.  Only 3 months ago, yes, only 3 months ago.

Today seems like it is a good day to lay back and rest.  We should take in the Sabbath and be refreshed and rejoice.  And for our friends who are in distress, we know that God is with them, caring for them, as God has been with us. It is a good time to trust in the Lord.  And as my friend Vicki shared with me yesterday, I am reminded to be patient, for God will give us the strength we need and our burdens will be lifted.  And with that encouragement for our journey, we give thanks.  Amen

July 14, 2017: Day 235

We had some positive things happen today.  Doug's neurologists office called and we learned that he had called the hematologist on Monday, but was not able to get hold of him and he was waiting for a call back.  His nurse called us, to let us know that they had not forgotten about us.  And so we are praying that this may still work out for Doug to get the retuximab treatments here. We were grateful for the phone call.

Also today, Doug got up twice, by himself and walked alone a short distance.  It is wonderful to see him up walking.  He says he nervous and is afraid of falling, but honestly he looks pretty good when he walking.  The physical therapist told him that his balance is getting better.

And lastly, tonight I went into Boise to listen to my son-in-law play with his band at the Sockeye Grill.  Doug stayed home because it was so hot outside and the heat is very hard on him.  And he was worried about leaving Trixi.   This is the first time I have left Doug at home alone since we came home from Mexico.  The only reason I could leave him alone is because Doug can now do his bedtime routines and get himself into bed by himself.  Three months ago I was having to use the Hoyer to get him out of the wheelchair and into bed. We are so grateful for this progress. And it was so nice for me to have some time to relax, be with friends and listen to good music.

And so we pray:

God who is always faithful and always present, we give thanks for the small blessings of this day.  We are grateful for the hope that we experienced, hearing from Doug's neurologist. And we are thankful for Doug's continued progress, allowing him to stay alone, caring for himself and our dog. And we give thanks for the pleasure of music, time with friends and family and summer nights. Just as we grow weary, it seems we are given just enough sustenance to help us continue on this journy.  For all this we are thankful.  Amen

July 13, 2017: Day 234

The journey sometimes is long and tiring, but we know that the greatest
 strides are often made when we feel like we are in the desert.

Where do the days go?  They seem to march on.  There are always so many things to do for Doug each day and there are always so many things that I have to be planning for and attending to.  I keep hoping the day will come when we can live day to day without the continual tasks or concerns for his health.   Of course I hope that when that day comes, we are not dealing with the progression of Doug's MS.

Today, we went to the eye doctor.  The good news is that Doug's eyes have not changed too much and his doctor will be able to correct his vision to 20-20 vision.  His eye pressures were good.  He does have a small cateract starting on one of his eyes, and his opthamologist believes it may have started with his recent illness.  Hopefully, as he gets stronger, his eyes will get stronger and be able to focus for longer.

We then went and picked out new glasses for him.  He wanted glasses just like the old ones.  I wanted him to have some that are a little more trendy.  They were having a two for one sale and so we both won.

On the way home we had to pick-up more refills of his medications. Instead of having prescriptions that we can pick up one day a month, we are at the pharmacy a least 3 times a month.  He could have the prescriptions delivered by mail, but because of the number of medications he is still taking I have decided it is more important to get them locally where I can talk to to the pharmacists about how he is doing and responding and get support from them.  Hopefully one day in the not to far future, his medications will be less,  and his blood clot will be dissolved.

We still have not heard from the hematologist or the neurologist regarding Doug getting retuximab.  I guess it is time for me to call again tomorrow to see what is happening. It may be time to start seeking other providers.  Finding other options seems really difficult right now and ultimately expensive if we have to leave town to get treatment.

And so we pray.

God of Mercy and Love, come and be with us as we continue this journey.  Encourage Doug in his exercises.  Help him to see a vision of his own wellness and give me strength to continue to seek the healers in our community.  We pray for your healing and your strength for the journey.  Amen

July 12, 2017: Day 233

We are walking in those ordinary times, waiting for the next phase of our journey.  We have come far enough in the journey to know that there are days on the journey, that you must just keep moving.  We are waiting now to hear if Doug's neurologist has contacted the hematologist so that Doug can get the retuximab treatment.  This is an important  part of the treatment that Doug needs to help to assure that the MS does not progress.  And so we walk on...waiting...longing... for answers and looking for reassurance that the progression has ended.

Tomorrow Doug goes to the eye doctor.  He is not seeing well with his current glasses.  He has been seeing an opthalmologist since he was diagnosed with MS.  MS often effect the eyes,  For years now Doug has not been able to read because his eyes loose focus and tire easily.  We pray that his eyes have perhaps improved since his last visit.  We pray that his vision has received some healing.

In reading about pilgrimage tonight, I was reminded that the purpose of a pilgrimage is not only to seek but to also look deeper into ourselves and uncover parts of ourselves that may separate us from God, or separate us from being and developing into our true selves.  This reminded me that as we become inpatient with the loose ends with not having the retuximab treatments started and the uncertainty with how Doug will continue to make progress, that the true purpose of pilgrimage is to be changed.  This change can heal us and help us to become our authentic selves.  Then with God's grace we may offer that healing to others. We can never know how our pilgrimage will end, we only must trust and continue to take the next step.  And so we will.

God of ancient paths and steep stairways and long dusty doorways reveal yourself to us in all the unexpected ways that will help us to grow and to be transformed.  Help us to glimpse the future and fill us with gratitude and grace for all that will be and is to come. Transform and heal us.  Amen

July 11, 2017: Day 232

I got up early this morning so that I could walk Trixie before it got too hot.  It reminded me of the days that I got up and walked early with our old dog Stryder while preparing to walk the Camino de Santiago.  It is wonderful to have a walking partner that is so excited about getting out and walking and the farther we walk the better. As we walked I thought, oh yes, it is time for me to use this time to do a walking meditation. It is time to be quiet and open.  It is time to embrace the beauty of the morning and enjoy the inquisitiveness of my walking partner.

As we walked I began reflecting on a book I am reading called "Wisdom Walking: Pilgrimage as a Way of Life."When beginning this pilgrimage of healing and wholeness, I did not think I would still be writing this blog this frequently eight months after leaving for Mexico.  My idea of what it means to be on pilgrimage contines to be shaped each day as we live into this pilgrimage, this mystery we call life.  I am learning that pilgrimage does not just have to be a place we travel to or walk to. Pilgrimage can be the way we approach life.

As we undertake a pilgrimage we set out with the intention to seek the holy or to open ourselves to the spirit.  We are seekers.  And as seekers we realize that in some ways we are prepared and that we are unprepared for the things we find and experience along the way.  Yet we  keep moving forward being encouraged to trust and to continue to take the next step. We watch for signs and we work through the struggles.  And we are bolstered to continue on as we taste the mystery of life  and glimpse what is possible and what may be.

And in that hope we pray:

God of the mountain tops, God of the valleys, God of the springs of refreshment, and God of promise, we seek that which is bigger than us, we seek truth and life, we seek justice and hope, we seek wholeness and healing.  Open our eyes that we see you in all that we encounter.  Give us strength to take each new step with hope and courage.  And on this journey  we pray for all who travel with us. May we all find healing in the myriad  of forms that it may come in. Amen

July 10, 2017: Day 231

I have not posted in the past 5 days.  Things are fine, we are doing well.  We have just spent the last 9 days in Cascade.  We don't have an Internet connection there and so it makes posting much more challenging.  It was nice to have the time away and not be thinking about all that has happened over the past months.  Not that we can pretend everything is as it was, we can't.  Doug still is struggling in many ways.  But, we could set it aside for a while and focus on family and nature.  That was nice.

I can see improvements that Doug has made since Memorial Day, the last time we were in Cascade.   This time he did not have any falls! He had two the last time.  Also he is able to walk inside with his walker.  Although he was much more confident when he was in his wheelchair.  He was able to get up and down from chairs more easily and able to get into and out of bed more easily and independently.  The progress is slow, but you could see progress.  He was also much more confident being away from home.  Last time he was pretty nervous about leaving home.

During Tom's band performance, with the grandkids dancing b
behind him.

As the vacation was coming to an end, once again I had to turn my attention to Doug getting retuximab infusions.  On Thursday, I called his neurologist to see if he would talk talk to the hematologist about getting the infusions and the benefits for Doug in getting them.  He was out of the office. But his nurse was able to contact him and he said he would call the hematologist on Monday.  I am not certain how supportive he will be, I hope that he will recommend the retuximab.  We did not hear anything today, but we can only pray that they will all decide to do the infusions. It would be so much easier on both of us if Doug could get the infusions hear in town and would save thousands of dollars. We also give thanks for our other friends who are reaching out to us and trying to help us find some other options for getting the infusions.  We hope something will work out.

And so we pray:

God of Wisdom, we pray for guidance us as we continue on this journey to wellness and wholeness.  As pilgrims on this road, be with us in the places that seem dark and unknowable and with us in times of joy and celebration.  Strengthen our confidence and trust knowing that no matter what lays in front of us, that you are doing better things for us than we can ask for or imagine. And as we travel on, we give thanks for the pleasure we receive looking out from the mountain tops and we pray for trust and hope the treatment that Doug needs will be made available.  Amen

July 5, 2017: Day 226

Tom's birthday and celebrating the 4th.

It is hard to believe it has been 5 days since I posted.  We left for Cascade on Friday the 30th and plan to stay up here until July 9th.  We don't have wifi up here and sometimes it is really difficult for me to use my phone as a hotspot because the the network is not always consistent here in the mountains.

Yesterday was the 4th of July.  We have my daughter and son-in-law here with us with their kids, including their foster boys now 4 and 5 and their dog.  We are celebrating Trey's 5th birthday and Tom's.  My sister is here too.   Trixie is getting lots of new experiences with the whole family around and another dog. We have learned that she is territorial and every time Cody, our grand dog, comes on the deck she will snarl.  The first day we had a dog fight.  Needless to say we have been doing a lot of dog training these past few days.  She is coming along, a little every day.  They can now be on the deck together but we have to watch her like a hawk.

Celebrating Trey's  (in the center) birthday.

Yesterday was really fun.  We all went to the parade.  It is really down home.  Anyone can be in it. The big event is the fire truck.  It came through spraying everyone in the crowd.  This year there was a truck pulling a long bed trailerwith snow  since there is still snow at the top of the mountains. People  on the  long bed trailer were throwing snowballs at the crowd and the crowd were throwing them back.  The kids caught candy that was tossed and Doug caught a water bottle. Later Angie, Kate and I took the kids on the raft down the river  and pretended we were pirates with the little boys. We saw deer, osprey, fish, and ducks, and played on the sandbars.  Doug stayed home and took care of Trixie. Then we had a barbecue and celebrated Tom's birthday followed by watching the fire works on the lake.  A good time was had by everyone.

At the parade sitting in the back of the pick-up

Doug has been using his walker mostly in our little place.  Getting lots of practice getting up and down from his chair inside, to the deck chair and to his scooter. If he is in the hot sun very long he gets tired.  I think he is frustrated things are not easier for him. Everyday we are going for long strolls on the river.  Trixie has learned to swim and loves it. It is fun to watch her total exuberance. Doug would love to able to be fishing and in the river more.  Hopefully one day he will have more mobility and can do more. We keep working towards that and praying for it.

This evening, Tom's band is playing in McCall.  We will all go up and hang-out for a while, eat pizza and drink beer.  Then the family returns home tomorrow.  It will seem really quiet with everyone gone.  We will have a few days to rest and I will do some long overdue yard work before returning home on Sunday.

Doug, with his new water bottle at the parade

We pray;

God, we give thanks for the many blessing we have as we reflect on this Independence Day.  We give thanks for all the opportunities we have in this country.  We give thanks for lives of liberty and freedom.  We give thanks for family, sunny days and time to relax and rest.   We give thanks for play.
Be with all who suffer this day, for all who live in places of unrest.  Be with all who long for personal independence.  God, bless America, as we continue to live into the dream of freedom and prosperity for all.  Give us hearts for love and peace and help us to carry that love and peace to all that we meet, regardless of who they are or where they live.  In your name we ask it.  Amen

Cole, as Mr. America