It has been an emotional roller coaster the last few weeks. The most recent (and devastating) news concerns our little buddy from Texas Children's - Brennan Scurlock. His cancer is not responding and his family is devastated. Pray for their next steps - for peace, protection and comfort. I keep asking The Lord to make His presence so tangible to his parents who are in so much pain. I believe The Lord can work a miracle at any time, so now is really the time to pray for it.
I have long struggled with (and probably mentioned) why some kids, like my Sophia, are healed and others are not. Why relapses and death occur, I cannot answer. Why The Lord allows babies and their parents to suffer is beyond my level of comprehension. But I have never been mad at God for it. It is just a point of confusion so profound that I just have to cling to my hope in His Goodness. I have put my trust in Christ and I have to keep it there, especially during times like this when the outcome just doesn't match what I have prayed for. It is a long, lonely time to pray for those with chronic illnesses, but I received a verse this morning that restored my hope.
Don't get me wrong, even though I have been asked why I walk this path with these families - so full of pain and heartache - I have never felt like giving this ministry up. It has existed for the last year and I pray The Lord will increase our territory in the spiritual and physical realms so it will continue as a legacy of hope; more than ever I want to encourage people to be on their knees for these kids and families. I know what it is like to walk in their shoes. I don't have all the answers (or very many at that). It's hard when you have to look into the face of a grieving mother and not just want to go home and stay in bed for a week at a time.
So, my part in this ministry has been in dispute. I've been counseled to give it up or get someone else to do the praying. I've been advised to be the CEO of it and let others handle the details. Maybe that will happen but that isn't where my focus is. It became clear to me today that my job, in this ministry to these families, is quite simple. And I believe it is the same for all who would join me on this journey.
I am to rejoice with those who rejoice and I am to weep with those who weep. (Romans 12:15, NIV)
It is really that simple. And it is that simple because the questions we are dealing with in these situations are so complex. When I go to visit a family in the hospital or meet them for ice cream or text with a Mom who needs in encouragement - my job is just to be there, present in that moment. I can give examples of how we made it through if required, but more than that, to provide a level of comfort only someone who has walked in their shoes can provide. My purpose in those situations is to be a minister of light in a very dark place and just by being there, I do that. I know when Jolynne (Anna Grace's Mom) and I met, it was an immediate relief to be able to express my thoughts and feelings to someone who knows EXACTLY what I mean. It has been a lifeline, physically, spiritually and mentally ever since. What a blessed gift of a most Gracious God to give me a friend I can confess to and with. She is a minister of light to me!
I have long struggled with (and probably mentioned) why some kids, like my Sophia, are healed and others are not. Why relapses and death occur, I cannot answer. Why The Lord allows babies and their parents to suffer is beyond my level of comprehension. But I have never been mad at God for it. It is just a point of confusion so profound that I just have to cling to my hope in His Goodness. I have put my trust in Christ and I have to keep it there, especially during times like this when the outcome just doesn't match what I have prayed for. It is a long, lonely time to pray for those with chronic illnesses, but I received a verse this morning that restored my hope.
Don't get me wrong, even though I have been asked why I walk this path with these families - so full of pain and heartache - I have never felt like giving this ministry up. It has existed for the last year and I pray The Lord will increase our territory in the spiritual and physical realms so it will continue as a legacy of hope; more than ever I want to encourage people to be on their knees for these kids and families. I know what it is like to walk in their shoes. I don't have all the answers (or very many at that). It's hard when you have to look into the face of a grieving mother and not just want to go home and stay in bed for a week at a time.
So, my part in this ministry has been in dispute. I've been counseled to give it up or get someone else to do the praying. I've been advised to be the CEO of it and let others handle the details. Maybe that will happen but that isn't where my focus is. It became clear to me today that my job, in this ministry to these families, is quite simple. And I believe it is the same for all who would join me on this journey.
I am to rejoice with those who rejoice and I am to weep with those who weep. (Romans 12:15, NIV)
It is really that simple. And it is that simple because the questions we are dealing with in these situations are so complex. When I go to visit a family in the hospital or meet them for ice cream or text with a Mom who needs in encouragement - my job is just to be there, present in that moment. I can give examples of how we made it through if required, but more than that, to provide a level of comfort only someone who has walked in their shoes can provide. My purpose in those situations is to be a minister of light in a very dark place and just by being there, I do that. I know when Jolynne (Anna Grace's Mom) and I met, it was an immediate relief to be able to express my thoughts and feelings to someone who knows EXACTLY what I mean. It has been a lifeline, physically, spiritually and mentally ever since. What a blessed gift of a most Gracious God to give me a friend I can confess to and with. She is a minister of light to me!
So, please pray our ministry of presence and simplicity will grow. That others will join and others will be comforted. There are so many bad moments on this journey, to know you have a friend, who is the light of Christ, walking beside you, is so much more important than most anything. And let's pray for these beloved, precious lambs of God and their families because PRAYER WORKS!
Completed Treatment -
Pray for them to stay cancer and illness free!
Sophia Vogel (5, soft tissue sarcoma behind left eye) – Doing great! <"Team Sophia" on FB>
Sophia Vogel (5, soft tissue sarcoma behind left eye) – Doing great! <"Team Sophia" on FB>
Anna Grace Dennis (7, ependymoma) – Next round of
scans happens tomorrow – pray for peace, safety, no anxiety about pokes and
most of all – clear scans! <"Team Anna Grace" on FB>
Rylee Beard (5, Will's tumors in
bladder/abdomen) – Doing great!
Matthew Lucas (5,
Rhabdomyosarcoma) – Doing great! <"Team Matthew" on FB>
Gunnar
Peterson (5,
Wilm’s Tumor) Pray he continues to recover and stays cancer free! <”Gunnar’s
Team on FB”>
Aiden
Rideout (4, Non-hodgkins lymphoma) Blood work this week, as
well as OT/PT, pray he continues to do so well! <”Prayers for Aiden” on
FB>
Gabbie Howe (12, ependymoma)
Callie
Cheer (3,
AML) – Doing great! <”Cure for
Callie” on FB>
Izzy
Slot (3,
angiosarcoma) All of her side issues are almost all gone! PTL!
She is cancer free, running and jumping – thank God for the miracle He
has worked in her!<”izzyslot” on carepages.com and “Princess Izzy’s Court”
on FB>
Hunter
(2,
Ewing Sarcoma) – Getting better every day!
Pray for his complete healing! <”Cure Baby Hunter” on FB>
Courtney
Pette
(16, lymphoma) –<"Team Courtney" on FB>
Maddie Briscoe (7, neuroblastoma) –<”Prayers for Maddie Briscoe” on FB>
Maddie Briscoe (7, neuroblastoma) –<”Prayers for Maddie Briscoe” on FB>
Natalie
Fraker (5,
astrocytoma) – Making great progress!
Praise for The Lord’s healing and giving her strength. Pray she can make great strides and get off
the vent completely! <” PRAYERSFORNKF” on carepages.com>
Tristan Smit (3, ependymoma) –
Mark Ochoa (2, Wilm's Tumor)
With The Lord (Please
pray for their families)
Ruel
Bobet – Completely
healed on Saturday, February 25th, 2012. Continue to pray for his family, they need
strength only The Lord can provide! <”Sandy Bobet” (his Mom) on FB>
Kory Krowell – Went to be with Jesus on 11/18/11.
Wesley
(1 month old, Rhabdomyoma) – Earned his angel wings
Monday, March 26th, 2012.
<”The Battle for Baby Wes” on FB>
Daniela
Owens (9,
Ewing Sarcoma) – Jesus called her home on Friday, March 23rd,
2012. <”Prayer for Daniela” of
FB>
Fighting
Illness and/or Inpatient
Brennan
Scurlock (1,
neuroblastoma) – They have found more lesions and his tumors are not
responding. Pray for the strength of
this family as they face what is to come. <"Brennan Scurlock" on
FB>
Paige
Poe (16, Lymphoma) – Pray for the side effects to her
chemo to be minimal and her strength to stay high!
Cameron Lindsay (20, sarcoma) – Pray he
recovers from his recent round of chemo and has no side effects this time!
Carli
Simmons (2, Brain Tumor) Inpatient at TCH, receiving
treatment
Thomas
Valerio (11,
rhabdomyosarcoma) Being admitted for his second to last time and only for more
weeks to go! Pray he will remain strong,
no side effects and that the family can release their emotions as they come to
the end of treatment!
Preston
Winslow (4, AML) Pray he is tolerating the chemo well and
his body will respond to the healing and he will be completely healed! www.prestonsleague.com
In
Treatment
Aiden
McSpadden (3,
AML relapse) Has been stable, so they are going to do another bone marrow
aspiration on the 16th to determine where things are. Pray for complete healing! <"Angels
for Aiden" on FB>
Lincoln
Daniel Jones (3,
ALL) – Doing better, pray he recovers fully! <"Pray for Lincoln Daniel
Jones" and "Red Carpet Kids for a Cure" on FB>
Eli
Dirr (5, Relapse of AML) – At home and feeling good but
his counts are low. Has a clinic visit
tomorrow, pray he recovers fast! <”Warrior Eli” on FB>
Tynan
Chapa (5, ALL) Home and doing better – pray for the next
steps to go well! <”Tynan’s Crusade”
on FB>
Sander
Linnet (5, Neuroblastoma relapse) –Pray for no side
effects from the chemo as well as pray for their spirits to be lifted and their
hope to be placed in Jesus Christ, the Healer and Comforter, alone. Pray for wisdom for his medical team and strength
to his body to endure treatment.
Riley
Speed (7, Ewing’s Sarcoma) – Was in the hospital last
week but is at home now – pray she recovers and can continue on her protocol
with no delays! <”Riley’s Road to Recovery” on FB>
Kaylee
Atkins (6, ALL) – Pray she recovers completely and can stay
on track with her protocol! Praise the
Lord for their service and that her daddy is home (he is in the military) <”Praying
for Kaylee” on FB>
Devin Duncan (18, Leukemia) – pray she
is fully recovered and continue her treatment without any interruption or
illness, and that she gets into the college of her choice - UT! < Www.devinduncan112.blogspot.com>
Lucy
Weber (3,
ALL) – Coming down off steroids and has a lot of back pain. Pray for her pain to ease and her clinic
visit this week to be uneventful. <"Team
Lucy" on FB>
Layton (3, ALL) Pray she is doing well! <”Prayers
for Layton” on FB>
Katie
Wagner
(15, Rhabdomyosarcoma) Finished 2 weeks of radiation last Friday as well as 5
days of chemo. She has 1 day of chemo
this week – pray for no side effects and good spirits! <”Wagner
Family support” on FB>
Victoria
Feldman (6, Medulloblastoma) Pray for good numbers and
for no issues from the chemo last week. <”Victory4Victoria” on FB>
Logan
Sinclair (5,
Anaplastic Medulloblastoma) – Been fighting a fever, but was fever free last
night. Pray for him to stay that way and
recover well! <”Pray for Logan Sinclair” on FB>
Nate
Dinoffira (2, Neuroblastoma) Did well with his first radiation
treatment, pray it continues to go so well! <http://supernatedinoffria.blogspot.com/>
Max
Low (12, Leukemia) Doing better and going to
school. Pray it keeps up! <”Mighty
Max Low” on FB>
Lexie
Synder (5, ALL) Doing much better – pray it continues!
<”Lexie vs. Leukemia” on FB>
Raelynn (5, ALL) Pray she has
recovered from her last big round of chemo and she stays illness free!
<”Prayers for our Sweet Baby Rae” on FB>
Liam Wilson (1, neuroblastoma) Halfway through
his treatment, pray it continues to go well with no delays! <”Prayers for
Liam Wilson” on FB>
Holden
Underwood (2,
ALL/MLL) – Pray all goes well with his treatment! <"Holden's Hope"
on FB>
Lance
McClain (ALL)
– Doing well this week! <”TeamLance McClain” on FB>
Ava
Caggino (4,
ATRT Brain Tumor) She is feeling good and so excited to go on her Make A Wish
trip tomorrow! Pray it is a great time
for her family! <"The Ava Caggino Fight Aganist Cancer Page" on
FB>
Charlie
Harris Beard (1,
Leukemia) Doing well! <”Help save Baby Charlie Harries Beard” on FB>
Wyatt
Foster (2,
ALL) Pray all is well and he is
illness free! Also pray for his Mom’s
health issues to be resolved! <http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/wyattfoster/mystory>
Kristina
Barrett (9,
sarcoma in lungs and arm) – No new growth or new tumors from her scans – PTL!
<"Praying for Kristina" on FB>
Shelby Adams (Langenhans Cell
Histiocytosis) – Got chemo yesterday – pray for no side effects! <”Prayers
for Shelby Adams” on FB>
Zayley
Oliver – <”Prayers
for Zayley Jade Oliver” on FB>
Addison
Marshall
(18, ALL) <addiecake on Twitter>
Taylor
Porter (15, AML) <”Team Taylor – Taylor Porter” on
FB>
Kaylea
Stewart (ALL,
6) –<"Kure for Kaylea" on FB>
Hudson
Kadlecek (4,
lymphoma) - <"Hope for Hudson" on FB>
Logan
Brant - Please pray for wisdom and healing! <“Team Logan” on FB>
Kylie
Overton (2,
Brain Tumor) – <”Prayers for Baby Kylie Overton” on FB>
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