Face Forward

No...we haven't fallen off the the face of the earth...and...No, nothing bad has happened.  I have simply been so very busy that I couldn't take the time to compose a blog entry.  Last week was my first week of Nursing School.  I was literally at school every day...some days I was there for 10 hours at a time.  The rest of the time I was caring for my family, at church, or doing homework.  I do think that I remember sleeping and bathing once or twice as well.  It will not be at the same pace for the next two years...it just can't be!

I do want to sincerely apologize to  those of you who were concerned because of my short writing sabbatical.   It makes all the difference in the world to know that people care!  I will try to do better in the future.

Nick has been back to Vanderbilt for chemo a couple of times.  He is still feeling fairly well...although he has had some very severe pain.  Please pray for relief from the pain and wisdom to manage it as we await God's intervention.  This week his doctor elected not to give him the specific chemo that lowers his clotting factors.  For this we are very thankful!

We found out, last Friday, that Amanda is a perfect bone marrow match for him.  That is a miraculous thing!  According to the national statistics there is a slight chance that any family members will match a patient, but we do not serve a God that is bothered by statistics!!  Only Amanda & Megan were tested.  Megan was a partial match. 

If we end up having to do the transplant, it will be during December.  They will re-check him by doing another bone marrow biopsy in about 6 weeks.  If that is completely clear, we may not have to do the transplant.  Please keep praying for wisdom & healing.

Today, Nick was fitted for a back brace.  His orthopedic surgeon says that his fractures will heal, but the brace is needed to protect him from any further damage, and to realign his posture.  It is painful for him, but when he walks with it on his gait appears almost normal.  We are moving in a positive direction.  Please add the restoration of his back, including height, to your specific prayer lists.

Next week he will have to be at Vanderbilt all week long.  We will arrive on Sunday.  Lumbar puncture, chemo, and Dr. visits are on Monday.  I will stay with him until Monday evening.  My Mom will come Monday night to stay and bring him home on Thursday.  She will be the designated chemo escort for most of the week.

Some time in the next few weeks he is going to be a part of a chemo scientific study.  He will be admitted for a few days, receive chemo, and be interviewed about his side effects and the process in general.  All of that treatment will be complementary because of the clinical study. (Just a bit more provision)

I heard from a friend last week that was having a difficult time.  She described her situation as "being at the red sea."  As we all know, the Israelites were freed from Egypt after being protected from the plagues, laden with treasures from the Egyptian people, and headed off toward the promise land...only to be eventually trapped between the red sea and Pharaoh's approaching army.

As I prayed for my friend, all that I believed that I heard God say was to "focus forward."  The Jewish people had been walking in faith and believing for freedom for 400 years.  Now they were experiencing the miracle for which they had been waiting.  Yes, there was a churning sea in front of them.  Yes, there were approaching angry men with orders to slaughter them.  Yes, it did not look good....But....what good would it do to focus on the ill-tempered, armed, swiftly coming destructive force.  Answer:  not one bit of good.  If Charlton Heston and his compatriots portrayed it accurately, people were still grumbling as the sea opened up revealing a dry path of escape.  (I'm pretty sure that they were grumbling because later on in the journey the Bible says that they wanted to go back into slavery so that they could eat some leaks and onions...talk about priorities being messed up.)

I don't know about y'all, but I don't want it to take 40 years for my family to receive the promised outcome.  Yes, we do need to learn from the past, but that is not where our focus needs to be.  We can't change the past, but we can alter the path of our futures.  If there is some sort of big hairy destruction chasing you, don't give it the attention that God deserves.  Face forward and watch for the way of escape to open up.  It is always there.  If you are willing to look you will find it.

1 Corinthians 10:13(NCV)

¹³ The only temptation that has come to you is that which everyone has. But you can trust God, who will not permit you to be tempted more than you can stand. But when you are tempted, he will also give you a way to escape so that you will be able to stand it.

Footnote:  The word that is translated "tempted," can also be translated "tested or tried."