Time for Renewal

Time has slipped by and I apologize for not updating this in awhile. Let me try to give you a simple update.

Wed. Jan. 23 - No chemo. White blood cell count was too low.  Calcium went down to 10.2 (good!)

Wed. Jan. 30 - Did get chemo. Calcium went down again to 9.8.  Tumor markers going down too (good). Did not have a hard time with side effects the following days after treatment, which was such a blessing...and answer to prayers. (Yay!)

Wed. Feb.13 - Went in to appt. No chemo again because white blood cell count was too low.  I did get the bone strengthener, Zometa, but she wants me to wait a couple of weeks to let my body rebuild strength again and hopefully my WBC will come up.

God has given me a rest time again and that's okay with me.  Yes, I want to get the chemo...to get in there and fight the cancer, but the blood results show that my body can't bounce back in a week or two after treatment.  There was really great news, even though the white blood cells were low.  The calcium went to 8.9 (anything below 10 is in the normal range). Yay!  Also, there are two tumor marker tests that they take and those numbers came down as well, which is a good thing. Yay again!

God has put this medical pause in my schedule but He has orchestrated other "treatments" to boost my heart, mind, body and spirit.  We have surprise gifts that He sends my way over and over throughout each week.  It is amazing. Hearing from a long distance friend.  Getting tulips from my husband.  Having a 24 hour surprise visit from our oldest son Jesse. Having a "flashmob" group of about 25 friends come into my backyard, singing and dancing to "Celebrate Good Times" and completely surprising me! Every day is an adventure!

We have another huge blessing I wanted to tell you about.  Some dear friends in the Searcy area, in the Nashville area and some other parts of the country have given us a trip to Northern California.  Yes, given.  It is completely incredible.  They all gave collectively to bless us with a getaway trip to a place that I have wanted to visit someday but had not made it there yet.  We are going to Redding, CA, which is north of Sacramento.  It is a beautiful area near beautiful mountains, etc.  But one of the main points of interest for us is to visit a church there that has been a blessing to me in the past few years. I have been blessed to listen to sermons and worship online, to have people pray with me by Skype and to be given words of cheering me forward from some of their members.  They have a strong ministry of encouragement, of worship (24 hour worship rooms) and also a focus of ministry to the sick. 

I hesitate to say that because it sounds like I am wanting to go off to CA to have some kind of worship and prayer experience that I don't have here at home. Well, I guess that's what I am doing but it's not because one church is better or more spiritual than another. It's because the body of Christ Jesus looks different all over the world and He uses His children in different ways.  We are completely blessed with attending an awesome, sweet and strong church....they are mighty warriors and tender, faithful friends.  But, after praying about this, Tom and I felt like the Lord wanted us to get away, for His rest and His renewal, and to experience His Presence in a different place.  I was encouraged to read in the Word the times where Jesus just climbed up a mountain to spend the night there, away from the daily routine He had with the disciples.  He needed rest.  He needed renewal.  That's what I feel like God is giving us through our friends' gift.

Yes, there will be time for healing prayers there.  And yes, I would love for this cancer to disappear from my body. The thing is... I believe God can do that in a quiet mountain city in California, at a prayer time with our elders in our local church, in a sweet gathering of friends in my living room, or just me...by myself...at home...with Him. With medicine, without medicine.  Anywhere He wants. Anytime He wants. Anyway He wants.  There are no limitations.  When you think about some of the ways people were healed...mud and saliva, grabbing a hem, yelling ("Lazarus, come forth!)...there was not a formula with Jesus.  I continue to trust the Lord with my life...healing on earth or healing in heaven.  I will praise His Name no matter what.

SO...we are going to California...to see, to listen, to feel, to experience time with the Lord God we love.
And we are trusting that it will be good...because He is so, so, so good.

We ask for prayers...for safety, for physical strength, for protection against the enemy, for details to be taken care of by the Lord, for amazing "coincidences" to take place....and especially, to just delight in the time we will spend with God on a different mountain.

Father,
Thank You AGAIN for the outpouring of love You have shown us through the hearts and hands of others.  We praise You and thank You for these generous gifts of love.  It does feel like when the woman broke the bottle of perfume on Your precious son, Jesus....it feels extravagant, O God.  We love You and trust You to take us on this adventure.  Thank You for the hope that I have felt in the past few weeks...and the peace, that truly passes understanding.  That's all.  I love You. And, I thank You.  Always and forever.
Your daughter,
Lisa