Since word is getting out and so many of you are concerned, asking—and especially praying; and since I am hard-pressed to respond to each one of you personally, but I sure don’t want to overlook any one of you dear friends; and since I have lost track of who I’ve told what, I’m going to make a public post here.

First, let me tell you how much I love each one of you for your friendship, encouragement, and especially for your partnership in our prayers to God.

But, the pathology results from my 3/18 prostate biopsy are back, and the tissue samples are testing positive for cancer.  

My Urologist had ordered an updated MRI back in January, and it showed some changes from the MRI a year ago. So, he wanted this 2^nd biopsy.

[Flashback: The first biopsy was back in April ’25. Those results came back “irregular, atypical, abnormal cell growth—but benign.” But, in the meantime, my PSA continued to elevate; and a blood sample he had sent off for DNA/genetic analysis came back “high probability of presence of prostate cancer”—hence, a new MRI and biopsy…]

This time, he took ten tissue samples from the area of the MRI image that had changed—six of those samples tested positive for cancer. However, there is an additional concern: the positive areas are labeled “intraductal prostatic adenocarcinoma,” which means [I (Google) think], it is imbedded not only in the tissue, but also in the ducts of the prostate, where it moves from place to place. So, Urologist says, “This is a real problem. This ‘intraductal’ cancer tends to be more aggressive, and we’ll have to treat it immediately. I want to schedule a PET scan to see whether it’s still contained in the prostate, or if it’s migrated to other areas.”

So, he has scheduled a PET scan for 4/8 … so they can see where all it is.

Then there is a follow-up consultation scheduled for 4/13.

We’ll know more after that…

In the meantime, I’ve had lots of time to think and pray over this while waiting for tests, procedures, results, consultations, etc., etc. …

• From the beginning, I have been asking everyone to pray:

“Let the will of the Lord be done” [Acts 21.14].

• At the same time, I’ve been meditating a lot on Deuteronomy 32.4:

“The Rock, His work is perfect, for all His ways are justice.

A God of faithfulness and without iniquity, just and upright is He.”

If His will is done, and if all His work and ways are perfect—then what He works out here will be for my good and for His Glory!

• You know how we often repeat that trite, way-over-worked: “It is what it is.” Well, as trite as it is, there’s a lot of truth in that maxim. Leading up to the MRI, biopsy, and pathology/diagnosis, I would tell people: “It is what it is … I have no idea what it is until I’m told … and I have no control over whatever it is—no control over its coming or going. But, whatever it “is,” I know that it “is” whatever God has appointed it to be and prepared for me. All of our life’s circumstances and events are specifically appointed to us and personally prepared by God’s sovereign Providence and mercy. And He has some ‘good work’ that He’s going to bring to completion through ‘whatever it is’ [Romans 8.28; Philippians 1.6]. And even if there’s pain included in the Providences, “I know my pain will not be wasted; Christ completes His work in me!” [‘Christ is Mine Forevermore’ / Thompson & Robinson].
• In John 9.1-7, as Jesus and His disciples encountered the blind man, His disciples asked: “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” Jesus gave this enlightening perspective to our human brokenness and sin-cursed afflictions: “It was not that this man sinned, or his parents, but that the works of God might be displayed in him.” Every infirmity we suffer sets the stage and provides a black velvet backdrop against which God can display some flash of His Glory! When we are afflicted, God has some Glory He wants to show off! He has some witness He wants to give to His Glory! [See 2 Corinthians 1.1-11.] And His Glory shines through the broken cracks in our clay vessels! “But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us!” [2 Corinthians 4.7; and context].
• Just one more thing… Over the course of my life and ministry, and especially when I have encountered some new and challenging experience [which has been pretty much every day!], I have often thought of Joshua 3. Israel was finally staging to cross the Jordan into the long-awaited Promised Land! Yahweh would lead them in with another miracle: He would part the Jordan like He had parted the Red Sea. But they would be in uncharted territory! They had never been there before. How would they know the way? How could they proceed with confidence that they wouldn’t be overwhelmed and swallowed up by the awaiting enemies? Well, Yahweh gave them a simple GPS: “Follow Me!” “As soon as you see the ark of the covenant, of The LORD your God, being carried by the Levitical priests, then you shall set out from your place and follow it … in order that you may know the way you shall go, for you have not passed this way before” [Joshua 3.3-4]. The Ark of the Covenant was the designated and manifested Presence of Yahweh with them! Which means that, everywhere they set down their foot while following the Ark, Yahweh was already there! Maybe they hadn’t passed that way before—but by the time they got there, Yahweh had passed that way before them, and He was there to meet them with His Presence! And so it is with whatever it is I’ve got. I have always enjoyed relatively good health and well-being … I’ve never passed this way before… but The LORD was already here when I got here, and He’s already in every step and path I have yet to take … purposing, planning, preparing, and providing for my every need! And wherever He leads me and wherever we end up, “But He knows the way that I take; when He has tried me, I shall come out as gold” [Job 23.10].

I’ll keep you updated…