Mountain Top to the Valley

This weekend was a mountain top for our family.

Please continue to pray for us. I know the enemy loves to steal, kill and destroy all that God accomplished and built up in our hearts.

Pray for protection, peace. For additional encouragement from the Lord. Pray for all of us to rest in the Lord and trust Him in all things.

Yea though I walk through the valley, I will fear no evil; for You are with me.

Living and Loving

We came home to discover that my Mac is about to die. It was struggling before, but now it is almost done and dead. We are doing some research and will probably buy a PC so I can use it for some work stuff too and because it will be SO much cheaper than purchasing another Mac. I didn't take a lot of pictures on this trip and I can't load the pictures from the other cameras because my CD drive stopped working altogether while we were gone, so I have included a few pictures from my camera - which it turns out is missing a lot of stuff.

This was a great trip. It did me a lot of good to see the family and my mommy. We were so blessed to be there with everyone giving thanks to God for His abundance in our lives. He is truly merciful and gracious towards us in all things. And for everything He does, we praise His name. I have started (and am almost finished) reading "Don't Waste Your Life" by Katherine's new pastor: John Piper. This book is challenging, convicting and encouraging. I am loving every word and I told Earl it was worth every penny. In the chapter titled Magnifying Christ Through Pain and Death, Piper states,

What a tragic waste when people turn away from the Calvary road of love and suffering. All the riches of the glory of God in Christ are on that road. All the sweetest fellowship with Jesus is there. All the treasures of assurance. All the ecstasies of joy. All the clearest sightings of eternity. All the noblest camaraderie. All the humblest affections. All the most tender acts of forgiving kindness. All the deepest discoveries of God's Word. All the most earnest prayers. They are all on the Calvary road where Jesus walks with His people. Take up your cross and follow Jesus. On this road, and this road alone, life is Christ and death is gain. Life on every other road is wasted. 

Even as we walk on this road, I see such greatness around us. How we still laugh as a family. How we plan parties and cook for forty. How we hug and love and live each day. The few pictures I chose to put up on this post were some that show how great our family lives and loves in the midst of storms that surround us.

Safe and Sound

Yesterday morning came fast at 5am and Earl and I were on our way. After a strange cab ride complete with him sharing that his girlfriend is currently incarcerated after her FIFTH DUI!!!, we were through check-in and security line in less than 15 minutes. We loaded the plane and discovered we had an empty seat next to us. Katherine scooped us up from the Minneapolis airport and we began our drive north. The border patrol didn't even look at our passports (we think it's because Katherine's car has Ontario plates) and by 10:30pm we were in the house giving and getting hugs and gumbo from Grandma. One of the easiest travel days ever.

Today we are going to be doing Thanksgiving preparations - cooking, crafting and shopping. Everyone is still sleeping (except for those who are off to school and work), so I am going to use this opportunity to grab a shower before everyone gets going.

PS - I also have to say that I could not ask for a better husband. He makes being married easy. And I love him!

Overwhelmed By Goodness

Over the past week and a half I have gotten messages from friends from Miami, Southern California, Seattle, New York, Austin, New Orleans, Germany, Tennessee. I have been overwhelmed by the love and support we as a family have received. It has been a difficult road for me. Being so far away has not been easy. Earl and I are getting ready to leave on Tuesday morning. It will be so nice to have my family an arms distance away instead of a couple thousand miles away. 

Thank you to everyone has prayed, shared scriptures and songs, sent well wishes and encouraged us as we walk this path.

We give glory to God and look to Him to continue to supply strength, peace and comfort.

Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you; but rejoice to the extent that you partake of Christ's sufferings, that when His glory is revealed, you may also be glad with exceeding joy. 1 Peter 4:12-13

Strengthened

Today I woke up shortly before 7am and headed out to the Saturday run with the OC Rescue Mission group.  We have officially named ourselves "Hope's Heroes: Gunnar's Runners."  Today we were finishing up week two, which consisted of ten minutes running, five minutes walking, and repeat. I started out with Linda and we got a fast pace going. We both pushed each other and were strengthened by each other's presence to run faster than we had been going. I have been strengthened by the prayers of those who have come alongside our family and been holding up our arms.

What a difference between Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and yesterday and today. I feel so strong and full of hope. When we first found out that something was seriously wrong, I couldn't even bring myself to tell Katherine that I thought it was going to be okay, so I said "Earl says she'll be fine." Which he did say and still believes, but I was so scared that I couldn't put those words together for myself. Today, I say she is going to be fine and it's going to be okay.

Yesterday I decided I wanted to read Jeremiah 31. I had read a verse somewhere else from the chapter that encouraged me, but I hadn't read the whole chapter, so I opened up my Bible and read.

Thus says the Lord:

"The people who survived the sword found grace in the wilderness-Israel, when I went to give him rest."

The Lord has appeared of old to me, saying: "Yes, I have loved you with an everlasting love; Therefore with lovingkindness I have drawn you. Again I will build you, and you shall be rebuilt, o virgin of Israel! You shall again be adorned with your tambourines, and shall go forth in the dances of those who rejoice. You shall yet plant vines on the mountains of Samaria; the planters shall plant and eat them as ordinary food."

For the Lord has redeemed Jacob, and ransomed him from the hand of one stronger than he. Therefore they shall come and sing in the height of Zion, streaming to the goodness of the Lord-for wheat and new wine and oil, for the young of the flock and the herd; their souls shall be like a well-watered garden, and they shall sorrow no more at all.

And on and on. The whole chapter is so incredible. The Lord is faithful! Today I read Lamentations 3-5 - when I saw this on my reading plan, I was like "Great, Lamentations. Doom and gloom!" but I was so blessed.

Through the Lord's mercies we are not consumed, because His compassion fail not. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness. "The Lord is my portion," says my soul, "Therefore I hope in Him!" For the Lord will not cast off forever. Though He causes grief, yet He will show compassion according to the multitude of His mercies.

Lamentations 3:22-24, 31-32

Mighty to Save

Phew. Today was hard. Harder than yesterday in some ways. I found myself uncontrollably sobbing at different times throughout the day. But I also experienced some incredible moments of peace. This is not "easy." 

Today my mom had a MRI of her brain done. We do not have those results nor do we expect to see anything there that shouldn't be there, but this was done so that we won't be surprised. When they did the MRI of her face/throat they saw the bottom part of her brain and did not see anything there. 

They also met with the oncologist today to begin formulating our plan of attack. There are tentative plans for about 7 weeks of radiation - again depending on the pathology. 

They are going to do a bone scan tomorrow. They do not believe the "cancer" has spread anywhere else, but this is precautionary and to make sure we have all the bases covered. 

Finally, I wanted to share some of the blessings I see already. 

• Number one, my mom lives in Canada and *recently* got her residents card allowing her to receive the national healthcare. None of these expenses are coming out of pocket. This is a huge incredible blessing.
• Secondly, the doctor treating my mom who initialing sent her to the hospital is the father of one of Katherine's high school friends. This has been a blessing because things started moving fast.
• Thirdly, God has kept the momentum going - they are receiving bone scans, MRIs, oncology appointments etc MUCH faster than is typical.

I am thankful and blessed by my husband who has been an immeasurable support for me. For my work and how they have been so kind. For my friends who have sent songs, scriptures, words of comfort and encouragement. The Lord is so faithful to supply ALL our needs. I am thankful for technology and the resources to use the technology when I need to. I am grateful for the Lord. For His word. For His peace, comfort, compassion, grace and mercy. I know He has never given me more than I can handle. I know He has been preparing me for this and He daily provides the measure of strength I need. He is the all sufficient One. 

The Lord thy God in the midst of thee is mighty; He will save, He will rejoice over thee with joy; He will rest in His love, He will joy over thee with singing. Zeph 3:17

My people shall be satisfied with My goodness, saith the Lord. Jer 31:14

Jehovah

Post-Biopsy

I am attaching the latest information from Tony (a few hours old, but the same main information).  First I need to say that I am so grateful for Tony. I am so glad that he is in our lives and holding our family together through this. So so grateful for him. Tony, thank you for everything you have done and everything you continue to do. We are praying for you constantly.

Beth had the exploratory surgery (biopsy) today around noon.  She was in the operating room about two hours.

There is a tumor in her throat and neck.  It is a large, irregularly shaped mass that spans from one side to the other.  We will not know what type of tumor it is until we get back the results of the biopsy.  We do not know how long that will take.  The doctor said it may take weeks.

He said the tumor could be benign...but it could be cancer.   He said the tumor is inoperable because of how it is spread out.  He said if the biopsy comes back negative (not cancer), he will do another biopsy, taking larger samples.  He said, if it came back negative again, he would then remove a larger lump from the tumor and do yet another biopsy.

He said if it cancer... it could be one of several types.  He said, of the types of cancer it could be, lymphoma would be most responsive to treatment... but he does not yet know if it is cancer... or, if it is
cancer, what type.

He said, if it is cancer, he will recommend an aggressive treatment with radiation and/or chemotherapy... depending on the type... and he said he has seen tumors like this respond to treatment... that is, he spoke of a
recent patient with a lymphoma whose tumor was shrunken by treatment.  But again, we don't know it is lymphoma, or even if it is cancer.

Beth was in a lot of pain when she woke up, as they took many samples from her throat, tonsils, etc.  She was, however, communicating a lot with Katherine and me (by pen).

Right now Katherine, Florence and all the girls are on their way over to Auntie Lauel's for supper.  Desley is by Beth's side in the hospital.  I am heading back over there now.

...

As I was typing this I got a call from the oncologist at the hospital who said they are scheduling Beth for an examination tomorrow at the cancer clinic at the hospital to assess what would be needed for aggressive
treatment, should the biopsy results indicate cancer.  I asked him for a better sense of how long it will take to get those biopsy results... and he said he thinks about a week.  They just want to be prepared.

The Unexpected

I had a blog post in the works to update everyone on the Buddy Walk and how wonderful it was, but then the unexpected happened and now we are waiting. And praying.

My mom had gone to the ER over the weekend (you can read her account here) and was pronounced fine, but sick with the flu and sent home. Monday she went to see an ear/nose/throat specialist and he became concerned after finding several lumps in her neck and throat. Tonight they are performing a biopsy on each of these lumps so we can determine exactly what they are. The lumps in her neck are large and they are in the area of her lymph nodes. There are several nodules, including behind her tongue.

There is the possibility that these lumps were caused by inflammation from an infection, but given the size and appearance it would be "unusual" for them to be caused by just an infection. It is more likely that these are a growth of some sort. Dr. Hamid made sure that we understood that it could very well be cancer.

The doctor indicated that if it is simply inflammation from an infection, he should know right away during the procedure based on its appearance.  If they are growths, we will only know if it is benign or malignant from the biopsy.

We don't know how long the results will take, but will of course be updating everyone.

My mom has been put into isolation because she has the flu right now. This means that everyone has to put on a mask and gown when they go to see her and they are currently not allowing anyone under the age of 18 into the hospital because of H1N1, which means that Emily and Hannah are not allowed to see her.  Please be praying for them as this is, understandably, very difficult for both of them.

Thank you all for praying and for showing such support to the family during this time. Tony is currently at the hospital with her. Katherine is home for a few days to help with Emily & Hannah and stuff around the house. Mary may be able to go next week and spend a week or so with her. Then, of course, we are (thankfully) having Thanksgiving in Canada this year and we will be there in two weeks.

Daisy Chain

There is something called a daisy chain that Earl uses in the course of his musicianship. It connects all his pedals on his pedal board, uniting them and powering them. Individually, these pedals are cool and produce a myriad of effects. When they are connected via a daisy chain they can be combined easily and effortlessly and the whole of their sound is greater than the sum of their parts.

As we unite to pray for Daisy Merrick we are becoming a daisy prayer chain. The Lord hears our cries and we are amplified and used in special ways.

Last week, Britt sent out an emergency prayer request because Daisy had an adverse reaction during her chemotherapy appointment. Earl and I found out over the weekend that this was very severe. She became very swollen (three times her body size) and Britt was holding her fearing this was the moment he was going to lose her. It still brings tears to my eyes thinking of how his heart must have stopped.

Here is a recent update from the Pray for Daisy blog:

Thank you so much friends. We believe that your prayers have been powerful and effective. As we revealed a few days ago, Isaiah’s desk-mate at school got sick with the flu. What we did not reveal is that the doctor thought it was Swine Flu. Who knows… they don’t test unless you have to go to the hospital, so it is just a guess by the doctor.

Either way, it was alarming because if Daisy gets any form of the flu it would be very dangerous. So we pulled Isaiah out of school. He did have a low-grade fever for a while which is one of the symptoms of Swine Flu (and a lot of other things, of course), and he also had some of the other possible symptoms.

We had to move him to my the grandparent’s house to minimize the danger for daisy. After two days there, he has no fever today and is feeling great! Thank you for your prayers!

Additionally, Daisy’s white blood cell count and her platelet count have both gone up!! Praise the Lord! We really sense and believe that your prayers to God have sustained and protected us.

Tomorrow (Thursday), Daisy is supposed to have Chemo again. Last week she had a radical reaction to one of the medicines. It was a really scary moment and it seemed like we were close to losing her. It was horrific. Beyond expression. I really thought she was going to die right then. In light of that event, the doctors are still trying to decide how to proceed and we are concerned. Please pray that we and the doctors would have wisdom and know exactly what to do.

Also, she was very fearful of her Chemo treatments, because of the needle accessing her chest, before the horror of last week. Now, she can’t even imagine going back. Neither can we really. She really, and we really, need prayer not to be ruled by fear.

2 Timothy 1:7

For God has not given us a spirit of timidity, but of power and love and discipline.

Philippians 4:6-8

6Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.

7And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

8Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things.

John 14:27 (Jesus speaking)

Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful.

Temporary Home - Edited

This morning was day 2 of the OC Rescue Mission Running Club.  We may have settled on a name: Gunner's Runners.  One of the volunteers, Beth, brought her Weimaraner, Gunner, along for the runs. He is seven years old and in need of some exercise. A sweet dog we are all starting to fall in love with. Everyone was excited to be back out running this morning. It was cool and foggy this morning - pretty neat running weather. Everyone is already improving in their abilities. It was very neat to hear from various people that they have never done this before: "I can't believe I ran all three sets of 5 minute running this morning" and "We went 2 miles today!" There was a lot of excitement this morning!

Carrie Underwood's third album just came out today. I eagerly downloaded it this morning after the run and synced it to my iPhone and left for work. Exept, I forgot my headphones at home so I can't listen to it. But one of the main reasons I was so excited for this album is her song: Temporary Home. Temporary Home is a song about more than just foster kids, single mothers and dying grandfathers. It is about how this world is our temporary home and we are passing through to eternity. As much as I was excitedly waiting for her album to drop today, I am anticipating heaven so much more!

Tomorrow we are going to a luncheon at Olive Crest. My boss, Paul, is on the board of directors for Olive Crest. I am excited for this luncheon and so glad that our firm partners with such a great organization. Paul and his family serve as respite foster parents and have had numerous children through their home. Go to their website and check them out. Pray for them as they continue to serve those in need and pray for homes for all these children.

Running With A Mission

At the beginning of 2009, we revamped our work mission statement at the firm I work for. One arm of the firm we created was a charitable service committee. We meet once a month and have established multiple projects for the firm to take part in: food drive for the OC Rescue Mission, Buddy Walk for DSAOC, supplying Bibles for James 1:27 Ministries, and a running class with the OC Rescue Mission. We will have our own booth and play games at the Buddy Walk next Sunday. This should be a lot of fun, although contributions were down by 2/3 of last year's amount last I heard. These contributions fund the staff's salaries and are going towards building a pediatric clinic in the OC area. In case you feel so inclined, you can donate here.

Now, tomorrow morning, bright and early, I will be driving to the OC Rescue Mission and meeting up with 2 coworkers, a client of ours, and 18 to 20 "students" of the OC Rescue Mission Village of Hope. The Village of Hope is a one- to two-year program for individuals, families, and single parents who are currently homeless. They go through job training, education, counseling, and work at the VOH. One of the partners at my firm, Steve, thought it would be valuable to basically train 20 or so individuals to run a half-marathon. Tomorrow is our first day of training.

We will be spending four mornings a week for the next fourteen weeks working together as a team to prepare to run the Huntington Beach Half Marathon in February 2010. There are a number of ways we feel this will be so beneficial. First of all, the weekly encouragement of going farther and doing something you have never done before. Secondly, on the day of the race, everyone at the starting line is equal. We all put in the effort to train; we all are there with our shirts, shorts and shoes. There is no indicators of class or status. 15,000 people will be running this race. Finally, there is something for saying "I have run a half-marathon, 13.1 miles. What else can I do?" We are hoping to reinforce discipline and teamwork in each student. The director at VOH - Nathan Bates - said that this is the first time any group of volunteers has ever spent such a concentrated and long time with their students. He is thrilled at the idea of what type of ministry could take place.

So, at 6:20 tomorrow morning we begin. We will be taking video footage and pictures to update everyone along the way. Stay tuned!