FROM THE DESK OF . . .
Sunday, July 21 & Monday, July 22, 2024
From the desk of Pastor Ernie Green:
God’s Hand: Read through this and see if you can find God’s hand in any part of it?
On Saturday, August 19, 2023, I woke up and was unable to speak. After a few days and still no voice, Cindy called my Ear, Nose, and Throat Doctor for an appointment. She was told that it would be a couple of weeks before I could get in. Cindy told them that I was a pastor and it was important for me to be able to speak sooner than later. The receptionist asked, are you talking about Pastor Green from St Paul in North Tonawanda? When she was told yes, the receptionist said that her father-in-law was a long-time member of St. Paul, and she got me an appointment in two days. Their doctor scoped me and found that I had a paralyzed vocal cord. He then ordered a CT scan of my neck and chest to find out what caused the vocal cord problem. The radiologist that read the scan determined that I had pneumonia in my left lung, and antibiotics and steroids were prescribed.
After a few weeks of treatment, I still could not speak and I had a persistent cough. I was sent to a pulmonary (lung) doctor who took one look at the CT scan and said, “That’s not pneumonia, that’s a malignancy.” That’s a word you never wish to hear, especially when they’re talking about you. That doctor ordered a PET scan that verified the cancer diagnosis, and he referred me to Roswell for a biopsy. Two days after having the PET scan, my voice returned, just about two months after losing it. Right around this time, I also was diagnosed with covid for the third time.
Once the covid healed, I had the biopsy, and it showed that I had a 4 centimeter, non-small cell, squamous tumor in the lower lobe of my left lung. It was decided that I should begin a regiment of Chemotherapy and Immunotherapy and that began in December. I suffered many side effects from the chemo, and it was so bad that I spent all of Christmas Eve being treated at Roswell. Those treatments lasted until February when another scan was given. The tumor had shrunk from the original 4 centimeters to only 1.1 centimeter. Surgery was then expected, but the surgeons did not believe that they could remove the remaining tumor without removing the entire lower lobe of the lung so that idea was set aside and I started a new round of chemotherapy along with six weeks of radiation (30 treatments).
After all this, the latest CT scan showed that the tumor is now too small to be measured, and I should assume that it is now dead. I am now receiving immunotherapy once a month for twelve months to strengthen my own immune system to fight any cancerous cells that may have migrated from the original tumor. I’ve received the first of those treatments.
Can you spot the hand of God in any of this? Or in most, or all of it? God has worked through all your prayers, and that brought me healing, thank you, all of you!
With a thankful heart, Pastor Ernie Green
All are welcome at St. Paul Lutheran – Please allow God’s love to work in and through you to brighten the lives of members and visitors alike.
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LUTHERAN WOMEN IN MISSION (LWML) NEWS:
The Planet Green Recycle Fundraiser Program continues and again are accepting ALL brands of ink cartridges. You can drop off ALL your empty cartridges in the labeled bin in the Gathering Place.
- For questions on any Lutheran Women in Mission news, you may contact either Bea Hapeman (716 -525-1046) or Marge Stoelting (716-693-7555).
***Mite boxes, Eastern District Newsletter, The LINK etc. can all be found on The Information Center in The Gathering Place.
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ST. PAUL CEMETERY NEW FAUCET: A BIG THANK YOU to John Urban for his help with the faucet at St. Paul Cemetery!
You may remember that St. Paul Cemetery a few years ago had a new faucet put in. The new faucet does not require the water to be turned on and turned off for the off season, but it is consistently available year-round.
We just wanted to take a moment to review how the handle on the new faucet works.
-Remember to express water by pulling the handle all the way to the top. It may take a moment or two for the water to come through the pump.
-When you turn the water off:
- Bring the handle all the way down then
- Bring the handle ¾ of the way up and the water should stop running!
Below is a picture of how the pump should be left:
Please note: If you are not comfortable with this process, you may want to bring a jug of water with you. Thank you.
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Confirmation Class Assignments – God bless our Confirmands!
Next year’s classes, we’ll see you in September! Continue to join us on Sunday and Monday. Nothing ended just because Confirmation classes are finished for the Summer. Thank you for honoring your summer acolyte schedule.