SNOW!!!

Yesterday Mom and Dad made it safely to Hopkins for Mom's chemo treatment. After receiving almost 3 FEET of snow over Fri. evening into Sat. afternoon, it was hard to say what the roads would look like by Monday morning. Mom and Dad left home on Mon. at 3:00AM allowing themselves LOTS of extra time and arrived at Hopkins at 6:00AM (2 hrs. before their appt.).

Since Mom's treatments are every 28 days, she meets with Dr. Giuntoli each time she goes now. He shared that the CA-125 level had gone down from 460 to 417. Please continue to pray that these numbers would decrease. Dr. G ordered a CT scan to be done in 3 weeks.

PRAISES:
~safe trip Hopkins and back
~decrease in CA-125 level

PRAYER FOR:
~continued decrease in level

THANK YOU for continuing to pray on behalf of our family!


This photo is actually from the JANUARY snow (NOT the February blizzard)! Dad used his tractor to plow out his own driveway in addition to other driveways in the community.

He is our HOPE!

Tomorrow, Mom and Dad will head to Hopkins for the 2nd treatment with the new drug they're using

I ask that you continue to join with my family in praying for my mom. We have MUCH to be thankful for, and below are our praises and prayer requests:

PRAISES:
-WONDERFUL time with family at Christmas (as you can see from the pics from the post below)
-minimal side effects

PRAYING FOR:
-God to work through the doctors and chemo to heal Mom's body
-peace to flow through Mom and Dad's hearts and minds


Let us hold unswervingly to the HOPE we profess, for he who promised is faithful.
Hebrews 10:23

Now faith is being sure of what we HOPE for and certain of what we do not see.
Hebrews 11:1

But blessed are those who trust in the Lord and have made the Lord their HOPE and confidence.
Jeremiah 17:7

There are three things that will endure – faith, HOPE, and love – and the greatest of these is love.
1 Corinthians 13:13

Through Christ you have come to trust in God. And because God raised Christ from the dead and gave him great glory, your faith and HOPE can be placed confidently in God.
1 Peter 1:21

We wait in HOPE for the Lord; he is our help and our shield. 21 In him our hearts rejoice, for we trust in his holy name. 22 May your unfailing love rest upon us, O Lord, even as we put our HOPE in you.
Psalm 33:20-22

Praise the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits-- 3 who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases, 4 who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion, 5 who satisfies your desires with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's.
Psalm 103: 1-5

Though you have made me see troubles, many and bitter, you will restore my life again; from the depths of the earth you will again bring me up. 21 You will increase my honor and comfort me once again.
Psalm 71:20-21

When God and Cancer Meet by Lynn Eib

Last spring, I gave Mom a book called "When God and Cancer Meet" by Lynn Eib after seeing some excerpts from the book on a website. When I told my friend, Lin, about this book, she told me she was actually already aware of the author and that Lin's daughter and Lynn Eib's daughter knew each other from college! Small world! BUT WAIT...it gets smaller! Later, Lin tells me that Lynn Eib is coming to speak at a local church...and the church just happens to be the SAME church where Dave and I started attending over the summer!

So anyway, I can't say enough positive things about Lynn Eib's book and her ministry. Over Christmas break, I read When God and Cancer Meet for myself on our way down to NC. WOW...I was so glad I had brought my highlighter! Below are excerpts from the book and some of the scriptures she shared.


I see cancer as a very deep pit, but I believe that the love of God is deeper still. pg. 9

God doesn't need great odds to heal us.

When life hands you moments you just don't deserve, surrender to and trust in a faithful God. pg. 40
Forever, O LORD, Your word is settled in heaven. 90 Your faithfulness continues throughout all generations. (Psalm 119: 89-90)

I don't understand what God is doing---or even not doing---in your life right now. The only thing I do know to do is to walk by faith and not by sight. What we see doesn't make sense, but we can't see it all. Only God can. I trust Him that He will be faithful in this life and all things will be fair in the next life. pg. 39

Let God be God.
Let Him be the unfalteringly faithful God, willing to strengthen us for any and every circumstance.
Let Him be the incredible sovereign God, wise enough to know and when to answer any and every prayer.
Let Him be the mighty awesome God that He is, powerful enough to heal us at any and every level---powerful enough to heal in body, mind, and spirit. pg. 14

Never forget we have a God who loves to do the improbable and specializes in the impossible---things like healing Guy of incurable cancer, filling him with peace when worry would have been so much easier, and turning his sour heart into a heart of joy. pg. 16

Sometimes you may get more than you can handle in your own strength. That's okay. Whatever has happened to you has not taken God by surprise or caught Him off guard. He's prepared for the battle and will equip you with whatever you need not to become a victim of this giant called Cancer, instead to become a victor over it! pg. 29



Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, (Eph. 3:20)

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. (Romans 8:28)

11 For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. 12 Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. 13 You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. (Jeremiah 29:11-13)

I can do everything through him who gives me strength. (Philippians 4:13)

Do not be afraid, for I have ransomed you. I have called you by name; you are mine. 2 When you go through deep waters and great trouble, I will be with you. When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown! When you walk through the fire of oppression, you will not be burned up; the flames will not consume you. (Isaiah 43:1-2)

I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world. (John 16:33)

Don't worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. 7 If you do this, you will experience God's peace, which is far more wonderful than the human mind can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus. (Phillipians 4:6-7)

Christmas 2009

Christmas dinner





Christmas breakfast


Dad trying out Wii Golf


Mom trying out Wii bowling









Ryan hadn't seen Missy since July and had lots of lovin' to catch up on!

Mom's Favorite Song

He Knows My Name

I have a Maker
He formed my heart
Before even time began
My life was in his hands

I have a Father
He calls me His own
He'll never leave me
No matter where I go

He knows my name
He knows my every thought
He sees each tear that falls
And He hears me when I call

This day last year....

we were sitting at Johns Hopkins in a waiting area while Mom was in surgery for over 10 hours. My mom's brother and his wife waited with us as well as our close friends, Mack and Kendra. This evening we were with Mack and Kendra on Dec. 26 again, yet instead of waiting for reports from the surgery like last year, we were enjoying time together as we laughed at a Tim Hawkins DVD and played the Wii in the comfort of home!

Happy Birthday, Dad!!!!

Yes, today is Dad's birthday! December is a big birthday month for our family...Lisa's (my sister) is on the 2nd, Dave's is on the 6th, Dad's on the 12th, and Ryan's (Lisa's son) on the 13th!

Yesterday Mom and Dad received the therapy boots that will allow Mom to do her therapy everyday at home for the lymphedema in her legs. The best part is that insurance covers it too! So now she won't need to go to her therapy sessions 2-3 times a week in Ocean View, and there are 2 boots so it only takes 45 min. at home instead of 1 hr, 30 min with the therapist (only 1 boot).

Also, Mom and Dad went to Hopkins on Thursday for a CT scan since the CA-125 numbers had gone up. The next day they were called and told that it appears that there is a platinum resistance so the chemo will be changed, and she will receive it every 28 days.

Mom has been feeling pretty good and has even been able to do all her Christmas shopping! December looked alot different for Mom last year, and we are so thankful she can enjoy the holidays this year! (Click here for the post from last year)

Another praise report is that God has provided so that my sister's family can stay at their current residence and will not have to move as originally thought, and Ali will be able to stay at the same school. This time last year, Lisa's family had just moved to Florida so that John could start a Master's program in ministry at Southeastern Univ. Today he graduates from the program, and as Lisa points out, "what has been accomplished this year is about so much more than a masters degree." Now he has one year to complete his thesis.