Friday, February 20, 2009

Someone shared this with me after my diagnosis. I have carried it with me ever since, so I can read through it when I need some encouragement. Take a few minutes to ponder on what it really says. It's given me great peace as I've walked this journey.

"There is nothing--no circumstance, no trouble, no testing--that can ever touch me until, first of all it has gone past God and past Christ, right through to me. If it has come that far, it has come with a great purpose, which I may not understand at the moment. But as I refuse to become panicky, as I lift up my eyes to him and accept it as coming from the throne of God for some great purpose of blessing to my own heart, no sorrow will ever disturb me, no trial will ever disarm me, no circumstance will cause me to fret--for I shall rest in the joy of what my Lord is--That is the rest of victory! -Alan Redpath

Thursday, February 12, 2009

He is faithful and worthy to be praised!

God has proven himself faithful to us in the past few weeks of this journey. The Body of Christ has provided a freezer full of meals, sent emails, brought flowers to cheer us, sent cards, visited with us, prayed with us, sent gifts in the mail. There is not a day that somebody doesn't make contact with us. We are definitely overwhelmed by the love of Christ that is being shown to us through the Body of Christ. There are days when all I can do is cry. I've never cried such big tears and they just fall out of my eyes. I wipe them and more fall out. I've never felt such love before and it is overwhelming. We feel the peace that passes all understanding as we walk this path. My heart is so full of peace that some days I feel like it will bust. Our lives are in His his hands. His ways are not our ways. This is truly a walk of faith and trust. Learning to lean on Him in ways never known to us before. We know we are being lifted up to the Father because we have such peace. In the beginning, we asked for prayer that the Lord would increase our faith. He has been faithful!

Monday, February 9, 2009

"The Lord also will be a stronghold for the oppressed,
A stronghold in times of trouble,
And those who know Your Name will put their trust in You:
For you, O Lord, have not forsaken those who seek You!"
Psalm 9:9-10

Tuesday, February 3, 2009

The PET scan shows I have 4 cm size lung cancer. I've never smoked, but lived with two smoking parents. The cancer drained into my spine and began eating my bones. This has happened since October 19 until January 15. We can see the changes on the xrays. The previous two times I threw my back out in early summer, my spine was perfect and that was also in a location higher up in my mid back. So, the time I fell off the steps, the bones had weakened in my lower spine. As my primary care doctor said, "I believe God orchestrated that fall so that you could move on to the next doctor who could get you a diagnosis as to why you're still having nerve pain." It is truly amazing to look back and see how God has worked it all out. So, the recommedation is to begin radiation next Monday for fourteen days on my lower spine that is being eaten up by the cancer. They will also do a CT scan next week using a needle bioposy to get a piece of the lung cancer, so we'll know what kind we're dealing with. The doctor can figure out what chemotherapy he will use and that will start sometime in the next few weeks. We were surprised it was lung cancer since I've never smoked, but we are so grateful that it is small and caught early on.

We covet your prayers and are so thankful for the calls, emails, and prayers that you have lifted to the Father on our behalf in the past few weeks. The Body of Christ has truly surrounded us with His love and we are very grateful.

God has a plan for all of this and of course, I'd never have chosen this path, but we have full assurance that He knows what He is doing. Our lives are His completely and we will rest in His arms as He travels with us in this journey.