Just What We Need

September 25,2016

Well, here I am again!

It’s Sunday afternoon and I’ve had a blessed and full weekend.   I’m on day four of my five day detox cycle.  This one makes me very irritable and I’d like to apologize to all of you that have had to live with or work with me these last few days.   I’m taking a bulking agent that targets my large and small intestines.  I think I can say I know what it’s like for women on their monthly cycle.  I will forever be more sensitive around females during “that time of the month.”   My hat’s off to you ladies.

Our trip to NYC was a success!  Doctor Isaacs says I am doing great and am on target.  All indicators are neutral or have started to go down.  The cancer cells are mostly inflamed and appear to be larger but are not.  When the supplements target the cancer and begin to break it down, white blood cells rush to the area and it appears to be “worse” before things start looking better.  Actually it’s a good sign that our treatment is working.  The next six months will be critical in attacking this monster.  She upped some of my supplements and added about four or five to my daily intake.  Now I’m taking over 200 supplements a day instead of just under 200.  I know what you’re thinking; when you’re taking that many what’s a few more?”  That’s what I thought too.  Lulu was a bit concerned about the amount of weight I’ve lost, but Doctor Isaacs said that my weight loss was normal for anyone who is eating exactly what their body needs.  In fact, she said, I could lose ten to twenty more pounds and still be just fine.  Not sure, but I think Doctor Isaacs might have been calling me fat! Lol

I continue to feel great most of the time.  I do have my moments and I try to rest more on days that my body is telling me I need it.  Work can be very stressful, but I really try to leave it at work and not take it home with me.  After my encouraging meeting with Doctor Isaacs I have much more resolve to give this treatment all I have and more.  Thank you all so much for believing in me; loving me and my family with your gifts and prayers.  God always comes through just in the nick of time.  When we arrived home we weren’t sure how we were going to make a much needed supplements order, but God used some new and beautiful friends to bless us with just enough to complete our order.  He’s amazing and I love how you are able to be blessed by giving to us in our need.  I am well aware for most of you, to give is a step of faith.  I also know that it’s in those moments when it doesn’t make sense on paper to give and you do it out of obedience, that your biggest blessings come.  I look forward to hearing how you were blessed by your giving to us in our need.  God is faithful and always cares for His own.  He’s worthy of all praise!

Our trip to the Big Apple this time was a variety of new experiences.  We stayed in an apartment instead of a hotel.  We used public transportation instead of taxis most of the time.  We didn’t eat in any restaurants; we shopped at the local market and ate in.  We walked to Whole Foods and ate from their buffet.  We used Uber and ended up being late to the airport and missed our flight home.  We flew back on standby all the way home; never sat together, but met several new people!  We did all this in the attempt to save some money; some things we’ll do again and some not so much.  Our splurge this time was a carriage ride through Central Park.  It started out beautiful with little sprinkles of rain and ended up in a torrential downpour.   We made the best of it and quickly realized we could have been walking in the rain; instead we were semi dry in a covered carriage.  NYC is a true melting pot of color, sights and smells.  I love the city but can only take it a few days at a time.  I loved taking the subway and being among people that live there day in and day out.  I look forward to our next trip in March.

We arrived home very tired Thursday night and then had the eighty year old newlyweds at our door early afternoon on Friday; (the wedding Lulu attended in Michigan the Saturday before heading to NYC.)  It was wonderful having them stay with us until Tuesday.  I love the wisdom and life lived stories people of that age have.  I want to be them someday.  God is good and we were blessed to have them in our home.  Auntie Easter and Freeman we love you both. Thank you for blessing us with your presence.  They were heading to Reno next then to Los Angeles and on to San Diego before driving; stopping along the way back to Michigan where they live.  Keep them both in your prayers for good health, stamina and safely.  They are truly eighty years young and not old! 

What is going on in my head these days? So glad you asked; let me tell you.  I’ve been praying for quite some time for a home group to connect with during this difficult time and God has answered.  We were privileged to attend a startup group last night and are both very excited to see how it will shape up.  Love the hosts and everyone that attended.  All but one couple is new to us including the hosts.  They are all from our church.  Some of them we sit next to every Sunday and didn’t even know each other before last night.  The group is quite diverse in age, back grounds and life experiences.  I love it!  Looking forward to what God will do with this group. 

I’m in a good place right now and continue to go through the Bible daily with The Daily Audio Bible.  This has anchored me and keeps my attention focused on God and His goodness.  I love that it is a worldwide community of people.  Check it out if you can; https://dailyaudiobible.com/ .  You will be blessed.   I am amazed daily at the greatness of God’s love toward me and my family even in the smallest of things.  The last several years leading up to my cancer diagnosis were very hard and extremely lean years for us as a family.  I can go into details, but I’ll spare you for now, except only to say, I can see a bit more why God kept us there for so long.  He was preparing us for this tough battle and we needed to be strong to battle this demon of cancer.  When we are weak He is strong and sustains us through it.  Every day is still a battle but I’m a bit more hopeful and am completely convinced that God has directed us to fight this way.  I love who my family is becoming.  I love who I’m becoming and the list goes on and on.   I’m feeling quite hopeful as I draw closer to His goodness during this time.  I’m learning to lay my life down daily in order to gain it back completely transformed into His image.  What a privilege it is to serve the God of all creation who desires to know us intimately.

Please continue to pray for His provision over the next few months as we move forward more aggressively.  Please share my story and needs with friends, post links on Facebook, share my giving page and blog.  Let’s keep it alive by sharing it again.  It would be nice to be able to pay off the medical bills we are making monthly payments on along with having a surplus in our treatment account.  The monthly stress of figuring out how we’re going to make our supplements orders can be and is tough.  Pray for creative ways of fund raising that won’t take a lot of effort by either one of us.  Dealing with keeping me on track on a daily basis is a full time job and doesn’t leave much time to focus on working to raise money, but we’ll do whatever God gives us the grace to do.  Keep us in your daily prayers; pray a hedge of protection around us continually.  The enemy would like nothing better than to destroy the testimony of God in our lives. 

Have a blessed time as we approach the holidays that will soon be here.  Not looking forward to winter; I’m always cold these days, let alone when the weather gets colder. 

Love you all,

Dave