6pm

Good morning! Today is my brother's birthday.  I've missed so many birthdays while being in the hospital or recovering.  Happy birthday Brandon!!  I love you and miss you! I am tired but starting to catch up on my sleep.  Some nights I rest well and other nights I don't.  Last night I didn't rest as well as I had hoped.  I've been doing well eating my bland diet of mostly eggs, toast, bananas, fruit cups, yogurt, chicken and rice.  If I get too adventurous, my digestive system gets mad.  Thank you to everyone who has brought meals and groceries - you all have been such a blessing.  The refrigerator is packed with groceries, and we all know that food means love.  I've loved seeing you all and chatting with you.  Seeing people makes me so happy. My arms are finally starting to heal where my three IVs were.  Thank you for praying for my right arm!  I can get it mostly straight now - praise the Lord!  I was worried I migh...

Hi friends & family! I am home!  I’m so grateful to be home.  I missed my kitties.  They put a smile on my face.  I took a slow 15 minute walk outside this morning, and it felt so good even though I only had enough energy for 15 minutes.  I love being outside.  It was nice and cool.  I loved seeing the sunshine.  After my walk I sat outside on my little patio chair and talked with a neighbor for a while.  I finally started getting some good rest yesterday.  If anyone would like to visit I would love to see you.  Trevor will resume work on Monday.  His company has been so gracious and understanding throughout all of this.  Thank you so much Summerset for giving him the time to care for me in my deep need.  Thankfully he will be working from home, but I’m sure he’d appreciate a babysitter for a little reassurance for an hour here or there.  I’m getting more independent, well, slightly.  Praise God I am fin...

  I t’s been a few days since I put anything on here. It’s been a little hectic getting Laura situated. I’m the type of person that likes to have spotless house when I’m sick. The neatness and lack of clutter keeps me less stressed. Because of this, I’ve been trying to get the condo to the level I would want in her situation.  After we heard that her cancer was upgraded to stage 2 we were told that the marker they did on her blood showed her CEA levels were higher than normal (if I’m saying that correctly). Not the best news. This means that she is more susceptible to cancer. We’re waiting to hear back from the oncologist regarding her genetic testing. The results of that test will influence the treatment following her surgery. There is talk of a possible round of chemo.  Earlier this week we spent a lot of time talking about the sovereignty of God. We focused on praying that we would be made more into His likeness by choosing to trust God’s wisdom and plan that He is re...

A lot has changed in the last 48 hours. We’re home but we still have a long way to go.  I will update everyone tomorrow.  Thank you all for your faithful prayers and support. We are forever in debt to them. 

  After Laura received her initial report that her cancer was stage 1, we received a follow up call that it was actually stage 2. It’s a bit of a bummer, but, we are finding this out when it is already out of her. We met with the oncologist and they have already started a battery of testing to see what steps will be next for Laura. It’s going to be awhile before anything happens. They want Laura to be fully healed from the surgery. We are focusing on this verse: “For thus says the One who is high and lifted up, who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy: “I dwell in the high and holy place, and also with him who is of a contrite and lowly spirit, to revive the spirit of the lowly, and to revive the heart of the contrite. Isaiah 57:15”.  Whatever news might come, our Lord is close, Our God is good.  Keep praying for my brave little toaster. 

My precious family and friends - I have been blown away by your prayers, love, and support.  This journey was entirely unexpected, and I have needed every ounce of love that each of you have so graciously given to me.  You all are God’s gift of love and care from Him to me to carry me through this hard road.  I don’t know how people do any of these things without being carried along by the Lord Jesus and by the prayers of loved ones when you yourself are too unwell to pray and read Scripture for yourself.  I have so many thank you notes to write, but I’m not sure when I will feel well enough to write them.  If you don’t get a note from me, please know that your love and kindness have not gone unnoticed.  Every visit, card, flower arrangement, fan, tea, stuffed animal, ice chip feeding, facial regimen, hair washing, hair braiding, cozy socks, cozy robe, slippers, chapstick, blanket, throat spray, and more have lifted me moment by moment to fight forward. ...

  Laura is fast asleep right now. She needs it so badly. She fell asleep listening to me reading about Tyndale again. It’s currently 1534 and he is living in Antwerp writing his second version of his New Testament translation. Laura had a good, but tired day today. We met with the surgeon and she gave an approval of all we had been praying for regarding her GI function. Everything was firing up perfectly. That means that Laura can start eating soft foods. She now has to be on a low fiber diet. We will get the biopsy back in the next couple weeks regarding the mass that was taken off of Laura’s colon. They did not have a definitive answer to whether or not the mass was cancerous. We wouldn’t be surprised if it were though pretty much every doctor including our surgeon was saying that’s what it looked liked. Her blood results showed much of the same.  I can’t keep my eyes open, I will finish this in the next update.  T