Praising in the "Yes!" & "No."

God has been so merciful to us, AGAIN! The bone scan shows, "no evidence of metastatic disease," which means the cancer hasn't spread & there are no tumors in my bones! My family & I thank Him from the bottom of our hearts! We don't accept His mercy lightly & know this is a precious gift from Him!

As I've written from the beginning of this journey, Mike & I commited our lives to Jesus Christ many years ago, & when we did, they became His- not ours. Our Father can use us any way He chooses for His glory & we submit to His will. So, even if the news had been different today, the cry of praise would be the same! I know & love many people with cancer. We don't all receive the same news at the same time, but we still serve a merciful, loving God! Today, He is using a "YES!" over my cancer to bring Him praise, so we praise!

This week we've heard a "YES!" & at the same time some others have heard "No." This has been & is an incredibly difficult week in our country! The murders of 13 soldiers & civilians & wounding of 30 more at Fort Hood is unspeakable! We still trust Him to bring good out of what a man wanted for evil! We praise Him for being a God of love & not hate! For true followers of Almighty God, this brutal act on other human beings is heart wrenching! There will be rewards for the hearts that hold on to God through such wickedness of man!

So, for all our days of "Yes's" & "No's" we proclaim, "Praise!" For the days we hear, "cancer" & the days we hear, "clear", we sing, "Praise!" For the days- all the days- we choose "Praise!" Then, "when we've been there 10,000 years, bright shining as the sun, we've no less days to sing God's praise, than when we first begun!"

Blessings!

CT Scan

The CT Scan results are just in & showing no tumors! God continues in His merciful answers toward Mike & me! The love, support & prayers for us mean more than you can ever, ever know!

Blessings!

1st Post-Treatment Scan

Please pray that God is wide awake early in the morning for my first 2 post-treatment body scans! :) These tests can determine if any remaining cancer cells are forming tumors in my bones, abdomen, chest or liver. Pray, no tumors! Then, I'll meet with the Oncologist Tuesday for full lab work, port flush & results of the scan. So, pray, people! God is so, so, so faithful! He's been with my family & me every step of the way, so there's NO doubt - at all- that He is still at work for us. He's still loving, molding, shaping, honing, carrying & saving us! Wow! Pray that we're faithful in return!

Blessings!

2nd Anniversary!

Congratulations to Tyrel & Taylor on this 2nd wedding anniversary! You're the greatest couple & we pray God's blessings on you every day! Love you!

Punkin' Punkin' Punkin'

Here are a couple of pictures Randi posted on her blog of HaHa & Sweets (Mike & me) with Cason & Braden at their first pumpkin carving with their daddy.

Cason named him, "Punkin' Punkin' Punkin'" & loved blowing out the candle as soon as any of us could light it for him. Braden just loved being there!

(Randi took this picture of me with my post-chemo hair! I thought I'd post it since many, many friends don't recognize me at all!) I really do look so different, but funny how hair - long, short, or any color- doesn't make the "worry" list these days!

Time with these little guys, however, is high priority!

Blessings!

Virginia Beach 10K!

Taylor,
This post is for you, my dear! Running your first 10k as I write is amazing & we're proud of you! You can do it! You've trained & prepared & you're ready!

All of us who know you, know your heart & will is what will get you through! Your hubby is cheering (I can hear him from here!!!) He's just as proud as can be of your determination to do this!

Not all 10k's are created equal in matters of the heart & mind. You, sweet daughter, get it done every day! Sure, we're proud of the run, but way more than that, proud of who you are & how you're living!

Go the distance & finish strong!

Blessings!
-Mom

The Equalizer

It's been said that cancer is the great equalizer. No matter the color of skin, size of paycheck or number of candles on the birthday cake, cancer's not discerning of the next body it attacks. Because of this "equalizing", emotional walls we've built come crumbling down with others who are in the same "cancer boat." I've found that one of the most wide open doors to another person's heart is in a doctor's waiting room, lab or hospital. Maybe I was catching them just before hearing results of a scan, post-surgery, infusion or labs. If my eyes & ears were open to another, emotions would flow from their hearts, to me, a stranger!

I learned from the Lord thru this year to really, really watch & listen to people He put before me. I was sure if I listened to Him, I could be encouraging to other patients as they faced their illnesses. Sure enough, as I was waiting in the ladies' locker room for radiation one day, a lady came in I'd not seen before. She was in her early 50's, about 5 feet tall & very thin. Her face was weathered & worn & her ponytail was windblown from the motorcycle ride she'd made into treatment.

She & I looked different outwardly but shared something far more intimate than outward appearance. We shared cancer. As we sat in that ladies' locker room awaiting radiation, it really didn't matter who we were, where we came from or what we did for a living. It didn't matter how much money we made, who our parents were or what college we attended. We were just two ladies whose lives collided one day.

There is no time to lose in those waiting rooms. There's an acute awareness of time & people & illness. I found out very quickly she had colon cancer. After saying our hello's & determining the kinds of cancer we each had, she stood up & opened her hospital gown to me, revealing her bare, scarred up body. Besides chemo & radiation, she'd had had 24 surgeries in 3 & a half years! Her torso looked like a battle field! It was really unbelievable & incredibly humbling for me to witness such openess from a person I'd not met until moments earlier! For as hard as my journey's been this year, I felt it mild in comparison to her's!

The first thing I did was thank her for trusting me enough to show me her body & scars. As she closed up her gown, I asked her if she knew Jesus. She not only knew Him, but loved & followed Him! She was walking every step of her cancer journey with God & discussed Him openly. She was a strong believer & we had a immediate bond. We had two bonds, actually. The cancer bond & the Lord. The person I thought I'd be encouraging flipped that around in a heartbeat. She lifted my spirits with her great attitude & love for God. Her smile reminded me that God loves all of us. He cares about all people of all colors & walks of life. He saves in all economies.

Ever imagine how colorful heaven will be? I mean all the different people there? I can say with my whole heart, there will be a tattooed, weathered lady I will look up when I get there! She won't be sick anymore & we'll praise our God forever- together- when we have all the time in the world!

Yes, cancer is a great equalizer but it doesn't compare to God's love!

Blessings!