well, well, well...what can i say? just this evening, on the way to karate, i found out my great-uncle on my mother's side, the only surviving brother of my maternal grandfather, had surgery to remove a tumor this afternoon and now is in icu on a respirator. uncle dee has been like a grandfather to me for the past few years, not to mention he loved my mother as his own daughter - as my grandfather passed away 11 years ago, unexpectedly, and uncle dee never had any kids.

so, we're getting quick showers and heading off to see him. God, continue to give us all strength...

update: we are now back from seeing uncle dee. thankfully, he's off the respirator, but still on heavy oxygen and in icu. please, please be praying for him to get things right with God. we have signs to hope he's given his heart and life to Him, but are not confident in that fact. just please be praying that he will be confident, whether any of us know it or not. he also has lung cancer, but he is not aware of that just yet. unfortunately, it's a rapidly growing type.