The fevers broke and Nick has felt fairly well for the last couple of days. (Thanks for the prayers!!) I can also tell that the back brace has helped. Even when he doesn't have it on, his posture is better than it had been. We still don't have the results from the tests last week, but the pain has also been absent for the last couple of days....so I'm just believing that God took care of whatever it was.
He and I will spend the day at Vandy tomorrow. Then, he and Megan will go back for the day on Thursday. It will be a relatively easy week. At least that is the plan as we know it today.
Pastor Cupples at Love and Truth Church in Jackson frequently asks the congregation, "What is the only constant at Love & Truth Church?" The answer is "change." (Not change in the message of the Gospel, but frequent change in the delivery methods, technology, and physical surroundings.) The question and answer apply so well to our personal lives as well.
The only constants at our household seems to our faith in God and our love for one another. The rest of almost everything else has been nearly constantly changing for the last year now. However, one of the best lessons that I have learned in constant change is to focus on the things that actually matter. Frustration and distraction seem to be the results of focusing on the temporary changes instead of the trustworthy constants.
We serve a God is who the same yesterday, today, and forever. If you think about it...He is the only thing in all of life that never changes.
Changes and all...it is well!
Sunday, September 18, 2011
Wednesday, September 14, 2011
Not For Wimps
Nick has had some problems with elevated temperature and feeling very badly for the last couple of days. We need some answers. We haven't heard from yesterday's test yet, but will hopefully get those answers today.
We also got some less hopeful statistics this week. Again...we don't serve a God that is governed by statistics. So, it's gonna be o.k. However, we are fighting a battle on several different levels: physical, spiritual, & mental. Balancing this trial as an eternal spiritual being, living in a time-limited physical body, controlled by a mind, will, and emotions that are not yet perfected is not for wimps! Let me just tell ya...It's really not for wimps. I can not even imagine going through this without knowing in Whom I have believed. Focus on faith is essential.
It is well.
We also got some less hopeful statistics this week. Again...we don't serve a God that is governed by statistics. So, it's gonna be o.k. However, we are fighting a battle on several different levels: physical, spiritual, & mental. Balancing this trial as an eternal spiritual being, living in a time-limited physical body, controlled by a mind, will, and emotions that are not yet perfected is not for wimps! Let me just tell ya...It's really not for wimps. I can not even imagine going through this without knowing in Whom I have believed. Focus on faith is essential.
It is well.
Monday, September 12, 2011
A Good Answer
We are back at Vanderbilt. It's a familiar routine. Nick is lying in a comfy bed getting chemo. I've been trying to study....but....??#@) In an hour we go down stairs and down the long hall for a lumbar puncture and more chemo. It really has been a fun day. Nick has entertained many a chemo patient with various and sundered quips, one-liners, and impressions. He is in rare form. It is such a joy when he feels good!!
Tomorrow he is having some tests done to find out why he is having intermittent intense pain. We really just need God to take care of it before the tests. "We can't find anything wrong" will be a good answer.
As I typed the words "good answer," the following is what came to mind. It speaks for itself.
but a harsh word stirs up anger.
It is well.
Tomorrow he is having some tests done to find out why he is having intermittent intense pain. We really just need God to take care of it before the tests. "We can't find anything wrong" will be a good answer.
As I typed the words "good answer," the following is what came to mind. It speaks for itself.
Proverbs 15
1 A gentle answer turns away wrath,but a harsh word stirs up anger.
It is well.
Thursday, September 8, 2011
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.
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."
Footnote: The word that is translated "tempted," can also be translated "tested or tried."
Saturday, August 27, 2011
Sweet Gifts
Well...plans changed a little. Glenn ended up taking Nick to Vanderbilt on Thursday. The headache monster had attacked my head. So, I couldn't drive. I think that they had a good time together. A young man can never spend too much time with his wonderful Dad! They talked about Glenn's years in the Navy, and who knows what else???
Nick is going to be fitted for a back brace next week. The brace will keep his back from getting any worse until he is finished with the chemo and steroids. Until then there is nothing that they can do to fix it. We just need to guard it.
Other than seeing the orthopedic surgeon and getting blood (thank you again blood donors) on Tuesday, this has been a relatively uneventful week. Oh, how I am thankful for that!! Peace and freedom from drama are such a sweet gifts!!
I think that I will leave this post at that...Peace and freedom from drama are such sweet gifts!! It is well.
Nick is going to be fitted for a back brace next week. The brace will keep his back from getting any worse until he is finished with the chemo and steroids. Until then there is nothing that they can do to fix it. We just need to guard it.
Other than seeing the orthopedic surgeon and getting blood (thank you again blood donors) on Tuesday, this has been a relatively uneventful week. Oh, how I am thankful for that!! Peace and freedom from drama are such a sweet gifts!!
I think that I will leave this post at that...Peace and freedom from drama are such sweet gifts!! It is well.
Thursday, August 25, 2011
Blood Donors Made a Difference!
Today we are off to Vanderbilt to see the orthopedic surgeon. I imagine that we will need more than our allotted portion of wisdom as we ponder the options that are presented today.
Tuesday of this week Nick received 2 units of whole blood. (Thank you blood donors!!) May I just tell you that the life is truly in the blood. He has had a couple of relatively super days since then. Tuesday his counts were so low that...well...it wasn't good. Then he got the blood, and almost immediately began to feel better. He certainly hasn't done any cartwheels, but he has played games and gotten around much more easily. The difference is palpable. Thank you, God!!
A friend of mine at church last night began talking to me about her study of Jeremiah. She mentioned a conversation in Jeremiah between God and the prophet where God asked the question: "Am I not the same when I'm near or far?" Sometimes it does feel as though God is far away, and sometimes we feel the overwhelming presence of His closeness. Is He not the same in each of these instances? The answer is, yes! Although it's not new information, I needed to hear that. The book of James admonishes us to not be double minded or such that we are like waves tossed to and fro. In order to walk through these "valley of the shadow of death" times in life, we have got to have it settled in our minds that God is with us and for us...even when He is feeling far away. The truth is that He is never far away. We can fully trust Him. It's our feelings that we can not always trust.
It is well.
Tuesday of this week Nick received 2 units of whole blood. (Thank you blood donors!!) May I just tell you that the life is truly in the blood. He has had a couple of relatively super days since then. Tuesday his counts were so low that...well...it wasn't good. Then he got the blood, and almost immediately began to feel better. He certainly hasn't done any cartwheels, but he has played games and gotten around much more easily. The difference is palpable. Thank you, God!!
A friend of mine at church last night began talking to me about her study of Jeremiah. She mentioned a conversation in Jeremiah between God and the prophet where God asked the question: "Am I not the same when I'm near or far?" Sometimes it does feel as though God is far away, and sometimes we feel the overwhelming presence of His closeness. Is He not the same in each of these instances? The answer is, yes! Although it's not new information, I needed to hear that. The book of James admonishes us to not be double minded or such that we are like waves tossed to and fro. In order to walk through these "valley of the shadow of death" times in life, we have got to have it settled in our minds that God is with us and for us...even when He is feeling far away. The truth is that He is never far away. We can fully trust Him. It's our feelings that we can not always trust.
It is well.
Tuesday, August 23, 2011
We Are On The Winning Team
We are back at Vanderbilt today. Nick was supposed to have several procedures done today, but his labs were all too low to make the procedures safe. He couldn't even receive the prescribed chemo because his clotting factors are still tanked, and one of the drugs that he was supposed to get is the one that causes clotting difficulties. What a difficult balance this is! He needs the chemo to kill the bad stuff, but because the good stuff is so impaired he can't get the stuff to kill the bad stuff...so the bad stuff potentially gets a chance to rebound, which further impairs the good stuff. Don't worry (I mean that literally!!) I still know that this is going to be O.K. I'm just a little frustrated by what I see with my natural eyes. I'll be so glad for what I see with my eyes to line up with what I see with my eyes of faith.
As I wrote that litany about "stuff" above, I thought of how Paul ranted in Romans 7 about doing the things that he did not want to do...etc:
Romans 7: 14-25
14 We know that the law is spiritual; but I am unspiritual, sold as a slave to sin. 15 I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. 16 And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. 17 As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. 18 For I know that good itself does not dwell in me, that is, in my sinful nature.[c] For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. 19 For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing. 20 Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it. 21 So I find this law at work: Although I want to do good, evil is right there with me. 22 For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; 23 but I see another law at work in me, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within me. 24 What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death? 25 Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord!
Isn't that just like us?! There are so many times that there are conflicts within me. I know that I am saved, Spirited filled, and redeemed, but there are times that I act or think like the opposing team. Even though our sinful natures show out sometimes...don't ever forget that, if you know Jesus...you are on the winning team. (I've read the end of the Book.)
Nick's body is in the midst of a huge conflict right now, but he is going to come out victorious! In fact, his name, Nicholas, means "victorious warrior." Please continue to pray and speak positive words concerning his victory over this invasion. He is a winner, and so are you. We are on the winning team!
The following scripture was the scripture of the day on www.biblegateway.com:
“When I said, “My foot is slipping,” your unfailing love, LORD, supported me. When anxiety was great within me, your consolation brought me joy.” Psalm 94:18-19 NIV
It spoke to me. It is well.
As I wrote that litany about "stuff" above, I thought of how Paul ranted in Romans 7 about doing the things that he did not want to do...etc:
Romans 7: 14-25
14 We know that the law is spiritual; but I am unspiritual, sold as a slave to sin. 15 I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. 16 And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. 17 As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. 18 For I know that good itself does not dwell in me, that is, in my sinful nature.[c] For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. 19 For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing. 20 Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it. 21 So I find this law at work: Although I want to do good, evil is right there with me. 22 For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; 23 but I see another law at work in me, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within me. 24 What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death? 25 Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord!
Isn't that just like us?! There are so many times that there are conflicts within me. I know that I am saved, Spirited filled, and redeemed, but there are times that I act or think like the opposing team. Even though our sinful natures show out sometimes...don't ever forget that, if you know Jesus...you are on the winning team. (I've read the end of the Book.)
Nick's body is in the midst of a huge conflict right now, but he is going to come out victorious! In fact, his name, Nicholas, means "victorious warrior." Please continue to pray and speak positive words concerning his victory over this invasion. He is a winner, and so are you. We are on the winning team!
The following scripture was the scripture of the day on www.biblegateway.com:
“When I said, “My foot is slipping,” your unfailing love, LORD, supported me. When anxiety was great within me, your consolation brought me joy.” Psalm 94:18-19 NIV
It spoke to me. It is well.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)