Feasting in the Valley

It's been awhile since I've written and it's time to catch you up.  The good news is this... so much has been happening in our lives OTHER than medical issues. I'm happy to catch you up in all areas of our lives.

I mentioned in my last blog that we were about to go on a trip to California.  We did! We left Thursday, February 21st and returned Tuesday, 26th.  We flew into Sacramento and then, on Friday, we drove up to Redding, California and stayed there until Monday.  Our time in Redding was really wonderful and such an blessing. The Lord really encouraged us with good messages, time spent praying, worshiping, etc. I was blessed with many prayers for healing, and I felt the Spirit bless me with peace. I felt lighter, more hope filled.  We also got to take in the incredible beauty of the mountains in Northern California.  God's creation was SO lovely and refreshing to see.  Overall, our time away was a time of rest and renewal to our hearts.  Thank you for praying for the details to work out on this trip.  Those prayers were answered.  I really had enough strength for each day.  Our flights were all on time and manageable.  Really, we just had a wonderful time!  We continue to be grateful to all our friends who participated in sending us...we will NEVER forget this adventure that you gave to us.

Right when we returned I was blessed with a visit from my two sisters who live in Tennessee, Judy and Diane.  They came for a long weekend so we could celebrate Diane's birthday and so they could attend the production of The Prodigals. We had such a great time.  About that same time we had some more visitors, a dear couple from Virginia, Bill and Karen, who drove west to be with us.  They also got to attend The Prodigals show on that Sunday. I was SO thankful for both groups to come...it really was great encouragement!

Monday,  March 4th, my friend Karen took me to my doctor appointment.  I was able to get chemo that day, my counts were up enough.  I also found out that the tumor marker tests continued to show lower numbers, and that was good.  

All of our company went home and the next weekend became a special, historic day in the Carr family.  Our daughter Betsy became engaged to her boyfriend Kevin!  SO exciting!  Our family has known his family for many, many years...we just didn't know that our families would be brought together by marriage.  We're very excited and thankful for the news...God truly has blessed us with a fine young man to join our family.  We are so happy for them!  Ever since the engagement night we have become Wedding Central.    :-)  Trying to get plans in motion and organized.  Busy but good.

Let me just say this...I am SO, SO, SO thankful to God that I am experiencing these precious milestones in our family's history.  I'm so grateful to see our youngest, Mary, graduate from high school the first weekend of May.  I'm so grateful to see our son, Jamie, graduate from college on the second weekend of May.  On June 1st, our daughter Betsy will marry Kevin...our first child to marry.  Quite a lot of historic moments!  All close together!

Everyday of my life I wake up and thank God for another day.  Sometimes I wake up feeling peace and hope and a strength that can only be from the Lord but sometimes I wake up with questions and doubts and weakness.  The big question every morning is the same... "Will I live a long time or go home earlier than I want?"  And every morning there is the same answer...."I don't know." None of us do. What I DO know is that God will stay with me, all day.   Present tense...TODAY...is what we are called to live.  And everyday I choose, one more time, with God's help, to celebrate today and to be grateful for the events that transpire.  He has never failed.  If the day started hard, He somehow turns it around.  What a great God!

All of that is to say...in the midst of my walking "through the valley of the shadow of death" God generously prepares a feast for me "in the present of my enemies".
The feast? 
* I've gotten to visit with dear family and friends...people who drive and fly in from all around and come to sit down and visit with me.
* I was given a trip to California by brothers and sisters in Christ, just because they wanted to lavishly love us the way that God lavishly loves us.
* I have watched The Prodigals continue to develop and for the ministry to increase, without my direct hand. It's so exciting.
*  I went to my last parent-teacher conference...EVER...and got to hear one more time that our daughter is a delight and a joy to be around.  (They're right.) 
* I receive phone calls, text messages, emails and facebook messages...all to encourage me. Most of the time they arrive at the perfect moment (no coincidence at all, folks).
* Our children are about to complete academic degrees, with honors.
* AND...our daughter will marry a wonderful man of God, someone that we've prayed for all her life, and now we know his name.

I am living life!  I am taking in a feast...even though my "enemy" (cancer) is still around.  Is it possible to live life abundantly while you are walking through a valley?  From my front row view, I will say yes! I am not sure I knew that until this season of life. God has taught me to take in life even when things are not all as I'd like them to be.  God continues to overwhelm me with His glorious love, shown in so many ways, even though there is suffering in my life.  If I focus on the suffering,  I might miss the joy along the way... and I don't want to miss a thing.

Let me encourage you to live today with joy.  Even if you are in a valley.  Even if you don't know what's ahead.  God will show you His love in little ways throughout this day, but you have to look around to see it.  You don't want to miss a thing.

God,
   Life is not boring with You. Thank You for blessing our family with abundant Life.  Today is Good Friday.  What an amazing gift You have given us...hope!  We have hope...here on earth, that You are ever Present and will not leave or forsake us.  AND we have hope...beyond this earth, that You made a way for our sins to be wiped out, so we can be forgiven, and Yours.  Thank You.  Please walk with all of us, in our struggles O God.  Help us to keep our eyes on You and not the struggles.  You are so faithful to stay with us and love us completely.  Yay! I praise Your Name Jesus! Thank You!  You're are incredible.
Your daughter forever,
Lisa

P.S. Monday I will see the doctor again and receive chemo. Please continue to pray for strength and healing, for myself as well as my family.