The Gathering Place Where Family Matters

Karen’s Update for August 18th, 2015

Several have written to check on us because it has been a while since I sent you an update on my Karen. Both Karen and I deeply appreciate the prayers. However, we don’t want to be invading your very busy lives too frequently. I love to write. I especially love to write about my Karen. So I could send updates much too frequently.

Circle the date and please pray: August 25th, 2015 at 9:00am Karen has a CT scan. This is very important to us as it will show how the mass is responding to the new maintenance chemotherapy. We won’t get the result right away. I promise to pass the results along as soon as we get them.

It’s hard to count up our many blessings: For our couple’s devotions together, we have been reading God’s Word as well as a book especially designed for cancer patients. It really has blessed our lives. Recently we read about how cancer patients will feel deserted and all alone in their dreadful situation. This surely has not been our experience. You, our dear family and friends, are ever reminding us of your love and prayers. From a delicious meal brought to us, to cards, to gifts, to sincere hugs and especially your prayers and encouragements, we do not feel deserted. You folks are so good to us.

Karen has experienced some pretty good days. We were cleared to do an overnight which we really enjoyed together. Karen looked over at me and said, “This is pretty close to normal.” You’ll remember that our pulmonologist told me to keep things as close to normal for her as possible.

Another prayer request: The chemotherapy has left a terrible taste in Karen’s mouth. She wouldn’t even want me to mention it; but I would like to ask you to pray with me that the Lord would take this away from her. Several have given us suggestions of things to try to get rid of the taste. However, our medical team does not want us to experiment with any over the counter suggestions. They have suggested things like hard candy or mouth wash. These do not last very long.

“Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and not be afraid: for the LORD JEHOVAH is my strength and my song.’ He also is become my salvation” (Isaiah 12:2). The Lord Himself is our strength and even the source of our singing. For years it has been all about Him. Cancer hasn’t changed that focus at all. We really need Him in new and very profound ways. It is overwhelmingly difficult to realize that within the dear lady that I love holding in my arms is a wretched cancerous mass that I can neither reach to remove nor can I hire a handyman to unplug it. That’s when I have to remind myself that God Himself is much bigger than any problem, much stronger than any situation, and I can choose to trust Him again today.

What are you facing? How will this verse affect your life today?

“We Are So Blessed!”

Karen’s Update for August 6th, 2015

What a wonderful, wonderful week it has been for Karen and me. We have so enjoyed having family being with us along with very dear friends who drove nearly twenty hours one way to come and see us. All during this time we have received some precious cards reminding us that we are not alone on the journey. Our son-in-law bought cookies and left a very encouraging note with Scripture reminding us of God’s incredible power. Then the lab results came back.

I’ll tell you about the lab results in a moment. We are in touch with dozens of people who are in every stage of cancer and every situation of life. You and I share something in common with every single one of these dear people. What do we share in common? It is the very real truth that we are on a journey that is filled with a mixture of joy and sorrow, happiness and hurts, as well as mountain tops and valleys. Here are a couple of things I am thinking about right now in my stage of life.

1. I need to remember that God’s Word never returns to Him void. Hence I can absolutely trust it and I must obey it (Isaiah 55:11).

2. I need to picture the Shepherd’s hands. He holds His people in His hands and nothing can pluck us out of His hands (John 10:28).

3. I need to learn to consistently praise Him. My situation will constantly change. Our great and awesome God never will change. Therefore I must focus on Him and praise Him (Psalm 108:1).

4. I need to determine to build my life on the Lord Jesus Christ. He truly is the only safe and secure foundation (Matthew 7:24-29).

Oh yes, the labs. What a day. Karen and I walked with the spread sheet from the Cancer Center’s lab to the office of the clinical research nurse. She looked at the spread sheet and then looked at Karen as she said, “Your numbers are absolutely excellent. You are incredible!” We walked to the car about an hour later, held hands and had a little praise service. Tomorrow at 10:00 she will meet with one of the oncologists and then a short time later she will receive the absolute maximum chemo maintenance she can receive for her weight.

Now we pray that this chemo will fight, fight, fight the mass. We thank you so very much for your partnership as we walk along this section of the journey of a lifetime. It is great having you along with us on the journey. Much love from us both.

PS. Karen wants me to tell you that in spite of the chemotherapy and its effects, she soundly beat me in Scrabble by using all of her letters on a double word score. Like the nurse said, “She is incredible!”

“My Dear Lady and the Concept of Normal”

Tuesday July 28th Update

I can remember it like it was yesterday. Though at my age I am beginning to easily forget things, I do remember this very clearly. So after the diagnosis of cancer, one of the Specialists said to me, “For Karen’s sake, we have to keep everything as to close to normal as possible. Her world is being turned upside down. You’ll have to work hard to find those things that will resemble ‘normal.’”

How right that Specialist was that day. Her world did indeed turn upside down within a matter of hours. She has been such a trooper in accepting the life changing situation that suddenly she and her family would experience. Recently she thanked me for something I did for her. She told me that she appreciated me walking through this with her. I held her close and looked into her eyes and very honestly said, “Honey, WE have cancer. It is not just you, it’s us.”

Though we have shared much in life, and even though we are sharing the situation of cancer, it has been difficult for her to find normal. She has always been very healthy, never met her insurance deductible, took very little medication, and seldom went to the doctor. Has that ever changed! In spite of all this, we are still laughing together, worshiping together, serving together, being together, and adjusting to this situation together.

Over the last week or so, it is beginning to happen! Normal! The yucky feeling is somewhat better. The terrible metal taste in her mouth which causes her to be nauseated is better. Her stamina is a little better. Then there was this morning which was so normal. She headed out to run some errands at Target and got groceries without me. She took her time walking around Target and found some wonderful specials at our grocery store (nothing in aisle 9). It has really been a normal day.

She also wants you ladies to know that her hair is just starting to grow back now. Oh if I only had such hope for my hair!

Thank you so much dear friends. Your friendship and encouragement is so very special. On Friday she will turn another year older. It reminds me that none of us know for certain the amount of our days. We can however know the One Who is in charge of our days. It is Karen’s deepest desire that her family and friends would have the joy of knowing Christ as Lord and Savior. Do you know Him?

Karen’s Update July 20th, 2015

“What a Service in the Doctor’s Parking Lot!”

We cannot begin to thank you dear friends for coming along with us on this amazing journey. This morning Karen had a follow up appointment with the thoracic vascular surgeon. He reviewed the x-ray from last Thursday and listened very carefully to her breathing.

He told us that the x-ray of her lung looked clear from the fluid. This particular cancer is noted for the fluid it creates. So we are thrilled that there is no new fluid building up. He said that her breath sounds couldn’t be better. We were so thrilled to hear this. He was very happy to be able to tell us this good news. In fact, he doesn’t want to see her until later in October!

When we got to our car in the parking the lot, we bowed our heads, held hands, and had a good old fashioned prayer and praise meeting! I fully believe that even if the report had been bad, we are instructed to give thanks in everything. However, it surely was a lot easier to give thanks for this good news today than if the news had been bad.

Karen is dealing with some nausea and feeling “yucky” as she puts it. We are grateful that these days will pass by soon. She looks really good and has such a great attitude. Thank you in advance for praying for her.

Karen’s Update July 17th, 2015
“Thank You for Praying”

Karen and I have had the joy of serving together for well over four decades. From the very beginning of our ministry we have been absolutely convinced of the importance and the power of prayer. Even in the situation in which we find ourselves we know that prayer is absolutely essential. When you stop and think about the design of God in commanding His children to pray and then couple that with the understanding that God has a sovereign plan that He will fulfill, it is just absolutely amazing. We thank each and every one of you from the bottom of our hearts for being involved in the sovereign plan of God for Karen and me as you walk along this journey of a lifetime and share in Karen’s battle with cancer.

Today has been another incredible day. All of the labs from yesterday came back this morning confirming that Karen was 100% ready to have her next chemo infusion. After seeing our oncologist we sat together in the beautiful waiting area as our healthcare professionals went through a series of four double checks just to be absolutely sure Karen was getting the right mixture for her weight. We praise the Lord for the medical team that He is put together. Ultimately however we know that each believer is in the hands of God. We are here and wanting to serve as long as the Lord has worked for us to do. When He is ready for us we are more than ready to come home. This genuinely is what Karen talks about as her “win-win situation.”

We’ve been home nearly 4 hours as I’m writing this update for you. Already Karen is beginning to have the adverse taste in her mouth from the chemotherapy. We’re just praying that the Lord will help her symptoms to be less and less and her strength more and more. She will have chemotherapy every 21 days for the rest of her life. So we are asking the Lord to please help her and give first special grace and even special joy as she goes through this new normal of her life.

It just really touched my heart deeply as we were sitting in the waiting area at the cancer center this morning and Karen spoke about her desire to serve the Lord. She is very concerned about several individuals. Some of these dear folks are battling cancer and others are just going through very difficult times. I tend to want to shelter Karen from anything that I perceive is not going to be an encouragement to her. She looked at me this morning and with tenderness in her eyes said, “I want my life to still have value. I have invested in others all of my life. With what time I have remaining I want to be an encourager to others.” It reminded me of what the apostle Paul said in Philippians 1:20-21, “According to my earnest expectation and my hope, that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but that with all boldness and always so now also Christ shall be magnified in my body, whether it be by life, or by death. For me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.” I still want people to encourage my Karen. But don’t be surprised if my Karen ends up encouraging you.

By Sunday she will not be feeling so well and the taste in her mouth will worsen. So before that happens I think I will take her out to dinner tonight. Don’t be surprised if you see me holding her hand. She really is my best friend.