Sandy's appetite has remained at a good level. She has kept a rather full social calendar this month, which is kind of a vacation month, as she didn't teach any classes in June. There has still been plenty of work to do at school, but she has had some much enjoyed flexibility. Please pray for stamina and a clear mind as she teaches a class in July.
She is scheduled for a stent exchange this Thursday; please pray that everything goes smoothly.
In the summer Bible Study I'm doing right now by Priscilla Shirer, we are studying Gideon. He was known, by himself and by others, as a weak and timid man. Yet God saw in Him a mighty warrior, and used Gideon to do the humanly impossible - take an army of 300 and defeat an enemy army of 135,000. We learned that our weaknesses are the keys to unlocking God's strength - this is how weaknesses are blessings, because when we can not do something on our own, God has space to step in and receive glory. He can be prominently displayed to others in our lives BECAUSE OF our weaknesses, yet we often try to hide the weaknesses for fear that they will hinder God's work in our lives and in the lives of those around us. Rather than despising our weaknesses, we can lean into them and look for God's strength. Like Gideon, we need to walk into God-ordained battles even though we don't feel equipped, and even if the enemy is clearly more powerful.
A problem plus my weakness equals failure, but that same problem plus God's strength equals success. On her own, Sandy cannot make anything good come from having cancer. But through God's faithful strength, we are seeing evidence of God working all around her.
Gideon wanted to have as many men as possible on his side to fight the enemy. Doesn't that make sense? Yet God had a different goal. Besides wanting to defeat the enemy, God wanted everyone to be reminded of His presence, His power, and His provision. Our goals may be different than God's goals. But if He calls us to something, we must follow His lead. Perhaps He is taking us through a low spot because that is ultimately the way to a high point.
One more thing that has stood out to me in this week's study is that God's Spirit came upon Gideon before the battle. The author compared this to putting on clothes - God's Spirit put on Gideon as clothing. I've heard, many times, that we are to put on the Spirit of God. And that is a neat word picture. We can picture ourselves putting on God's armor or putting on the fruit of the Spirit. But this idea of God putting US on was new to me. It takes me out of the driver's seat and acknowledges that God is the one calling the shots. He has work to do, and He chooses to do some of it through me. I'm just the physical body that houses God's Spirit. I just go where He leads and say what He says, and let my hands and feet do what He wants to do. So, God has "put on" Sandy, in the midst of this physical weakness, and is purposely arranging her every step to do the work He has decided to do.
Wednesday, June 24, 2015
Thursday, May 28, 2015
Yippee!
Rod and Sandy returned home from MDA late Wednesday night. Thankfully, they avoided the flooding in Texas and "only" had to deal with Dallas traffic.
Tuesday's test results were very good. The cancer marker from the blood test was normal! The scan showed that the tumor, while still there, was darker, which usually indicates that the cancer cells are dying from inside the tumor. The doctor said that is a sign that the chemo is working. The hundreds of you who have been praying may have another theory ;)
The stent is in the right place, though it is showing preliminary signs of blockage. They'll keep an eye on her labs the next several weeks. While she's not eager for another stent replacement, it is a much preferred option over a blockage.
Her bilirubin level has been surprisingly good lately. We hope that continues.
She was successful in convincing the doctor to allow her to wait six months before returning to MDA. In three months, she'll have scans done here in town. If the positive changes continue over the next six months, she will go on a maintenance plan, which may include decreasing dosage, type, and/or frequency of chemo.
We are so thankful! And perhaps even giddy! Let's thank God for these results with the same earnestness with which we have prayed for healing. And let's remember that He is good, period, not good because of these answered prayers.
One more praise - Sandy's appetite has improved!
Thanks for your continued support.
In Sandy's words, "I think God wants me around a little while longer!"
Tuesday's test results were very good. The cancer marker from the blood test was normal! The scan showed that the tumor, while still there, was darker, which usually indicates that the cancer cells are dying from inside the tumor. The doctor said that is a sign that the chemo is working. The hundreds of you who have been praying may have another theory ;)
The stent is in the right place, though it is showing preliminary signs of blockage. They'll keep an eye on her labs the next several weeks. While she's not eager for another stent replacement, it is a much preferred option over a blockage.
Her bilirubin level has been surprisingly good lately. We hope that continues.
She was successful in convincing the doctor to allow her to wait six months before returning to MDA. In three months, she'll have scans done here in town. If the positive changes continue over the next six months, she will go on a maintenance plan, which may include decreasing dosage, type, and/or frequency of chemo.
We are so thankful! And perhaps even giddy! Let's thank God for these results with the same earnestness with which we have prayed for healing. And let's remember that He is good, period, not good because of these answered prayers.
One more praise - Sandy's appetite has improved!
Thanks for your continued support.
In Sandy's words, "I think God wants me around a little while longer!"
Tuesday, May 12, 2015
Gray clouds and rays of light
Sandy had a routine stent replacement last week, and heads to MD Anderson at the end of the month for the next set of scans. She is finishing out the semester with a few more final exams, ever thankful she has been able to continue teaching.
God promises to bring good out of all things. We reference that verse (Romans 8:28) often, especially when we desire to bring comfort to others who are in difficult circumstances. As with many other verses though, we have a tendency to assume we understand how God will fulfill His promises. God promises to work things out for our good, but He does not specify a time. Nor does He indicate whether or not we will personally see the good that will come from a specific situation.
Sandy has expressed how grateful she is that God has allowed her to see some of the good He is bringing out of this cancer diagnosis. She has heard from countless former students, all of whom have shared how influential she was in their lives. Friends who lost touch have reconnected. Other friends and family have become more intentional about investing in relationships. People who previously had zero interest in any discussions about faith are more open to hearing what sustains Sandy during difficult times. The list goes on and on.
It is so important to remember each of these evidences of God's promise fulfilled. Throughout the Bible, He tells us to remember. Why? Because He knows how easily we forget - how quickly we become unable to see past what is directly in front of us.
Last week as the kids and I were playing outside, the sky suddenly grew significantly darker than usual. I looked up and saw blue skies - no storm clouds were in sight. Turning around and looking up, I saw a medium-sized gray cloud directly in front of the sun. Most of the sun's rays were blocked from reaching our little part of the world. But as I looked closer, I could see rays reaching out from behind that cloud, stretching past the darkness and into the blue sky. If my eyes followed the rays, I would see blue skies. If I focused on the cloud, all I saw was gray. This only lasted a minute; the cloud slowly moved past the sun. Almost as suddenly as the skies grew dark, they again were fully illuminated.
It was such a cool moment, because the parallel was crystal clear. Sometimes in life we have a dark cloud that all but covers the sun. Sometimes, out of the blue, the light suddenly disappears and we are in darkness. But if we choose to look for the rays of light, we will find them. There will be good that comes, and there will always be things that are good - even if they aren't the things for which we hope.
In time, the cloud will pass. The moments in the dark cannot be replaced or recovered, though they can be redeemed. God is working even in the darkness, and He will bring good from it. So let's choose to remember the times He allows us to see His promises fulfilled - write them down and read them periodically. Share them with others. They may be just what you need to get through times of darkness, when all you can see is the dark cloud covering the sun. Remembering what God has done can shore up our faith when doubt creeps in. Gray clouds don't take the place of the sun - the rays are still shining even if we don't see them.
God promises to bring good out of all things. We reference that verse (Romans 8:28) often, especially when we desire to bring comfort to others who are in difficult circumstances. As with many other verses though, we have a tendency to assume we understand how God will fulfill His promises. God promises to work things out for our good, but He does not specify a time. Nor does He indicate whether or not we will personally see the good that will come from a specific situation.
Sandy has expressed how grateful she is that God has allowed her to see some of the good He is bringing out of this cancer diagnosis. She has heard from countless former students, all of whom have shared how influential she was in their lives. Friends who lost touch have reconnected. Other friends and family have become more intentional about investing in relationships. People who previously had zero interest in any discussions about faith are more open to hearing what sustains Sandy during difficult times. The list goes on and on.
It is so important to remember each of these evidences of God's promise fulfilled. Throughout the Bible, He tells us to remember. Why? Because He knows how easily we forget - how quickly we become unable to see past what is directly in front of us.
Last week as the kids and I were playing outside, the sky suddenly grew significantly darker than usual. I looked up and saw blue skies - no storm clouds were in sight. Turning around and looking up, I saw a medium-sized gray cloud directly in front of the sun. Most of the sun's rays were blocked from reaching our little part of the world. But as I looked closer, I could see rays reaching out from behind that cloud, stretching past the darkness and into the blue sky. If my eyes followed the rays, I would see blue skies. If I focused on the cloud, all I saw was gray. This only lasted a minute; the cloud slowly moved past the sun. Almost as suddenly as the skies grew dark, they again were fully illuminated.
It was such a cool moment, because the parallel was crystal clear. Sometimes in life we have a dark cloud that all but covers the sun. Sometimes, out of the blue, the light suddenly disappears and we are in darkness. But if we choose to look for the rays of light, we will find them. There will be good that comes, and there will always be things that are good - even if they aren't the things for which we hope.
In time, the cloud will pass. The moments in the dark cannot be replaced or recovered, though they can be redeemed. God is working even in the darkness, and He will bring good from it. So let's choose to remember the times He allows us to see His promises fulfilled - write them down and read them periodically. Share them with others. They may be just what you need to get through times of darkness, when all you can see is the dark cloud covering the sun. Remembering what God has done can shore up our faith when doubt creeps in. Gray clouds don't take the place of the sun - the rays are still shining even if we don't see them.
Tuesday, April 7, 2015
Nothing new
It's been a few weeks since the last update, but, medically, there's really nothing new to report! And that is probably good. We enjoyed a fun Easter together with family and a few friends. There is much to be thankful for.
Wednesday, March 25, 2015
Scan results
Quick update - the latest scans show that everything is stable. We take that as good news. The doctors will continue looking at lab work each week to monitor everything. Please pray that chemo is effective and without side effects. There's a chance she'll need to have the stent replaced sooner than expected, but we will see. Happy Wednesday!
Sunday, March 22, 2015
End of Spring Break Update
Sandy had a full spring break week. She made cinnamon rolls with a friend, visited several people, hosted a dinner for cousins, and played with grandkids. And then she came down with a fever. After some lab work came back, her doctor prescribed an antibiotic. Unfortunately, it did not take care of the fever. On Friday, she received a few hours of fluids, and on Saturday she was admitted to St Francis. They anticipate a stay of a couple days as they figure out what is going on and how to fight the infection. Sandy is, understandably, discouraged, because she has better things to do than lay in a hospital bed feeling crummy! She has had several visitors, and continues to be encouraged by the love she is shown. Hopefully she will be home soon.
This week we anticipate receiving the results of her latest scan. I'll post once we have that information.
Thanks for the continued prayers for healing and peace.
Many times we have a plan for our lives - a logical plan that includes the fulfillment of hopes and dreams. We have ideas about relationships, careers, finances, ministry, retirement, and health. Frequently, however, life doesn't end up as we had planned. We talk about moving on to Plan B. Or Plan C. Or Plan ZZZ…! We might be disillusioned, frustrated, or even bitter or angry. Yet I don't think God has a Plan B for our lives, or anything other than The Plan - Plan A.
Before sin entered the world, there was a perfect plan that included perfect health, pleasurable work, and fulfilling relationships. Because sin is all around us, we cannot have the ideal life our heart longs for - at least not on earth. Don't misunderstand me - I am in no way implying that disease or loss is the result of an individual's personal sin. There are instances that include a clear cause and effect, but much of the time there is not a direct link between our actions and our trials.
God knew each event that would occur in Sandy's life. This is not His Plan B. We may not understand how it could be His best for her, but we trust His wisdom and his love. We have already seen positive things come from this journey, which is yet another proof of His faithfulness. Imagine how life might be different if we approached each day believing that the day contained God's best for us - GOD'S best, not our human idea of what is best. Just as a parent lovingly gives a child medicine or says no to one thing in order to provide something better (despite kicking and screaming by the child), God lovingly gives us what is best, regardless of how much (little?) we understand, approve of, or enjoy His plan.
Walking through a storm when you know you're loved by the one who tells the wind and rain what to do makes the storm bearable. It even enables you to see glimmers of a rainbow in the distance. Do you trust Him?
This week we anticipate receiving the results of her latest scan. I'll post once we have that information.
Thanks for the continued prayers for healing and peace.
Many times we have a plan for our lives - a logical plan that includes the fulfillment of hopes and dreams. We have ideas about relationships, careers, finances, ministry, retirement, and health. Frequently, however, life doesn't end up as we had planned. We talk about moving on to Plan B. Or Plan C. Or Plan ZZZ…! We might be disillusioned, frustrated, or even bitter or angry. Yet I don't think God has a Plan B for our lives, or anything other than The Plan - Plan A.
Before sin entered the world, there was a perfect plan that included perfect health, pleasurable work, and fulfilling relationships. Because sin is all around us, we cannot have the ideal life our heart longs for - at least not on earth. Don't misunderstand me - I am in no way implying that disease or loss is the result of an individual's personal sin. There are instances that include a clear cause and effect, but much of the time there is not a direct link between our actions and our trials.
God knew each event that would occur in Sandy's life. This is not His Plan B. We may not understand how it could be His best for her, but we trust His wisdom and his love. We have already seen positive things come from this journey, which is yet another proof of His faithfulness. Imagine how life might be different if we approached each day believing that the day contained God's best for us - GOD'S best, not our human idea of what is best. Just as a parent lovingly gives a child medicine or says no to one thing in order to provide something better (despite kicking and screaming by the child), God lovingly gives us what is best, regardless of how much (little?) we understand, approve of, or enjoy His plan.
Walking through a storm when you know you're loved by the one who tells the wind and rain what to do makes the storm bearable. It even enables you to see glimmers of a rainbow in the distance. Do you trust Him?
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