'Mell the Roses

We had the most gorgeous weather on Monday - pretty unbelievable for January! It was especially appreciated because Monday was Grandpa's funeral. We were blessed and encouraged to see so many people in attendance. The great-grandkids were each given a rose after the graveside service was over. The kids sure looked nice, all dressed up; the roses added a nice touch to some pictures we took as the kids roamed around the cemetery. One of the youngest kids kept walking up to people and asking if they wanted to smell his rose…except he left off the "s" in "smell," so he asked "Do you want to 'mell my rose?" It was cute, and made many people smile or even chuckle. I don't think anyone turned him down on his offer, either.

In the midst of a bittersweet day, as we officially said goodbye to Grandpa, we had the opportunity to 'mell some figurative roses. As I reflected on the day, it was as if God gently whispered that each and every day He has roses for me to 'mell. Am I too busy to notice? Too focused on trials or disappointments to "bother" with 'melling a rose? He doesn't shove a rose in my face, forcing me to 'mell it, but He does offer it to me. Perhaps it is a beautiful sunset (you may prefer beautiful sunrises, but I find it hard to appreciate things at that time of day!), a kind word, a yummy cinnamon roll, the presence of loved ones, new beginnings, or even the realization that since things could be much worse, what we have is a blessing - all around us, every day, there are roses to 'mell.

Sometimes we have to sit still long enough to become aware of the roses being offered to us. It seems that what we focus on will increase - either trials or blessings - but in reality, the frequency doesn't change.  If I choose to focus on the good, I'll begin to notice more and more good that has been there all along. It won't negate the difficult circumstances; it's quite possible to feel both sadness and thankfulness at the same time, possible to see beauty amidst brokenness. 

I'm not ignoring the loss of Grandpa just because I'm telling my kids how he taught me that the human stomach has a special compartment reserved for dessert, so even if you're legitimately too full to finish dinner, you certainly have room for dessert.  And I'm not ignoring the fact that my mom has cancer just because we laugh together and create fun memories and choose to focus on what we have rather than what we don't have. 

You aren't guaranteed tomorrow. It's time to 'mell some roses.

MDA Update, new stent, a few changes, Grandpa

Sandy's trip to Houston for updated scans went pretty well. Her bilirubin was up, and they saw a slight progression of the tumor. (We consider "slight" to be relatively good news - perhaps not what we wanted, but certainly not terrible for a type of cancer considered to be aggressive.) Starting next week, her chemo will use a different drug, and will include a port to administer the drug for 46 hours after the three hours of infusion at the cancer center.

The doctors determined she needed a new stent right away, so this morning she was at Wesley for the replacement. Everything went smoothly - in fact, she was pleased as punch to be released a mere five hours after arriving! Not having to stay overnight makes a world of difference.

While in Houston, Rod received word that his dad was not doing well. Upon arriving back home, Rod right away went to Grandpa's place. Within about an hour, Grandpa died. We are very thankful Rod was able to be there, though it was, of course, difficult.

Life is all about perspective, isn't it? Mom's life right now isn't what she had expected, anticipated, or hoped, but it sure is still full of blessings. She has some struggles physically, at times really big struggles, yet they pale in comparison to much of what she observed in Houston as she watched other patients, many of whom were in wheelchairs and in very poor health. She commented that "there are things worse than death." One thing worse than death is living in fear of death, or living in bitterness because things aren't as we wanted.

Please pray for healing, sufficient energy levels, zero side effects from the new drug, and peace surrounding the death of Rod's dad.

Christmas, New Year, little hospital stay...

Merry Christmas! Happy New Year! We hope you were able to enjoy many blessings this holiday season. We spent time together eating, playing games, and just doing life together.

Sandy continues to have ups and downs, sometimes mere hours apart from each other. She is learning to guard her energy, spending it a little at a time so she can have enough for what is needed.

Many of you have seen the video that our church made. If you have not, or want to see it again, here is the link: https://vimeo.com/115013190

At the church Christmas program, my daughter watched closely as the actors walked through a door that was part of the set. She finally asked me why they didn't just walk around the edge of the set, a few feet away, as that would be easier. It struck me that we're often that way with God. We see what He is doing and we wonder why He is choosing that path rather than the one that seems obviously easier, less painful, and perhaps even more effective. Yet we must trust that God, in His infinite wisdom, HAS chosen the best path, regardless of how it may seem to us. We need to keep walking through that door on the set, willingly playing the role God has assigned to us, trusting that He will bring meaning, value, and purpose out of each of life's circumstances.

Sandy will travel to TX for updated scans/tests/labs in a few weeks. Please pray for safe travels, wise doctors, stamina, peace, and healing.

Last night, due to a lingering fever, fatigue, and general malaise, Sandy's doctor instructed her to go to the hospital for labwork and testing. She was admitted and will be there until at least tomorrow. They are looking into whether she needs a new stent; the preliminary results indicate a possibility of a blocked and infected stent. This is not the way she hoped to spend the end of Christmas break, but we are thankful this was caught before turning into anything worse.