The Word of the Week: Encouragement

I had promised this blog update a couple days ago, so I'm a little behind in getting this out, but here goes. The word for this week is encouragement. The Merriam-Webster online dictionary defines encouragement as...

: the act of making something more appealing or more likely to happen

: something that makes someone more determined, hopeful, or confident

: something that makes someone more likely to do something.

Our encouragement came in many forms this week - a visit from my brother, cards from friends, nurses who demonstrate love through their care for my Daddy, a port-a-cath (this was a huge encouragement for my Daddy), meals from a friend, offers to help in many ways, kind words, phone calls, a good test result after many concerning ones, but most importantly, knowing that our Heavenly Father has His hand in all of this. 

Something we are most excited about is the immunotherapy he is getting every two weeks appears to be causing reduction in the size of his measurable tumors. He will have a repeat PET scan in another six weeks, so we will know more then, but this is HUGE! The other awesome development is that my Daddy has been eating some. Up until last weekend, he was only consuming liquids, so this is amazing.

He continues whole brain radiotherapy, which began Wednesday...three days down, seven to go. I am thankful to have the weekend off. The treatments are short, the drive takes longer than the treatment, and he seems to be tolerating it well. 

Thanks to all of you who encourage us with your prayers, thoughts, and deeds. Please continue to pray.

He's Concerned by CeCe Winans

Wow, I needed this affirmation of my Saviour's love! 

Check out this video...http://youtu.be/tqYaovs8WLs

The Good News and The Bad News

On Tuesday, we went to see my Daddy's oncologist who specializes in treating brain metastases. She offered some good news...

the tumors on his brain treated by gamma knife in March are gone,

and some bad news... 

we did not get the MRI results we were hoping for. 

They found 21 new metastases on the brain. The ones treated with gamma knife are gone, so these are all new. Because he has been so weak, he is going to have ten days of whole brain radiotherapy, which should be easier on him initially than gamma knife. Each treatment will take about 15 minutes. It will probably start a week from Monday. His planning appointment for this treatment is next Tuesday. Monday, he has surgery to place a port. Hopefully, this will make his infusions go much more smoothly. We covet your prayers and I wish I had a more encouraging report to give you. 

I am thrilled to have another Father's Day with my Daddy and I definitely do not take that for granted! I am thankful for his heart for others and how he has let Christ shine through his life. He has given my brother, David, and I more than we could ever imagine through his example of Christ-like living. I thank him for showing us Jesus and showing us unconditional love! 

Wasting Away

Each day is a new day. Today was better than yesterday, but maybe I shouldn't compare. I am currently in the day-to-day. It's hard to look too far ahead. I just want to see my Daddy improve, instead of wasting away. Today, though, he was more alert, able to get up and walk with his walker, talk and tease a little more, visit with a friend for a bit, and take a bite of a sandwich (which was a shock...he has not done that for a long time!)

I am constantly seeking Godly counsel, and I ran across a message from John Piper, called "The Glory of God in the Sight of Eternity". http://www.desiringgod.org/conference-messages/do-not-lose-heart

"That is what I mean by saying every moment of your affliction is meaningful. It has meaning. It is doing something. Causing something. Bringing about something glorious. You can’t see this. The world can’t see this. They think, and you are tempted to think, this suffering is meaningless. It’s not doing anything good. I can’t see any good coming out of this. That’s what you feel if you focus on the seen. To which Paul responds, look to the things that are unseen. The promise of God. Nothing in your pain is meaningless. It is all preparing. Working something. Producing something — a weight of glory, a special glory for you. Just for you because of that pain."

Of course, I am praying for complete healing and how God would be glorified through that, but If that is not His plan, then we will continue to glorify Him in the midst of the pain.

2 Corinthians 4:16-18English Standard Version (ESV)

16 So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. 17 For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, 18 as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.