"Prayer is the easiest and hardest of all things; the simplest and the sublimest; the weakest and the most powerful; its results lie outside the range of human possibilities--they are limited only by the omnipotence of God." --EM Bounds

There is little to report today from Mike's appointment with his oncologist. We were unable to receive any lab readings, due to some trouble the lab had with their equipment. I'm sure we will be called if there is anything to be concerned about.

Our doctor read the report from Houston, and told us he was "pleased with stable". He stated "his role is a little more limited", with MD Anderson following Mike right now, so he just plans to see us back in six weeks, watch the lab results in between, and make sure the tubes are functioning correctly. He went on to working on medical orders for prescriptions, etc., when we asked him about the thyroid issue. He told us having an ultrasound done of that area would be a good idea, so that is scheduled Monday afternoon at the hospital. All in all, he seemed satisfied with everything, and certainly not alarmed by any of it, which was the same reaction we got at MD Anderson.

At some point Mike and I will need to decide when to stop going to Houston...and allowing his oncologist here to completely follow us again. MD Anderson is the one initiating "following" us right now, so it's sketchy for us to know when to cut those ties completely. We know surgery isn't an option for Mike anymore, and neither is radiation, so that isn't something drawing us there anymore. But there is that lingering thought though, that MD Anderson may have cutting edge ideas on chemotherapy, and that thought hangs in our mind. There is also our tie with how the biliary exchange is done down there, verses the way it is done in Little Rock. Leaving that security and comfort behind will be tougher, because it is night and day different.

Anyway, we're grateful for where we're at positionally, at the moment, and just praise God for His protective hand. We are also grateful for your prayers, because those have helped us get up every morning and face each day.

"I wait for the Lord...and in His word do I hope." Psalm 130:5

Every day Mike continues to improve. He is feeling good and is back doing some of the things he enjoys..."working out" at physical therapy, playing with his grandchildren, and playing his drums.

Thursday we have an appointment and labwork with Mike's oncologist here. I expect we will discuss the results from our Houston trip, and the thought, Mike should have his thyroid checked.

We had a little bit of good news this week. Our Cobra payment, which had gone up in cost, is being lowered back to the first quote we received. That saves us approximately $127 per month. And it appears that we will have that insurance coverage possibly through March now, instead of just through February. We still have our backup insurance (CHIP) to cover Mike, when our Cobra policy ends.

Also, the social security disability phone interview went well last Friday, and we were told that there would be a compassion clause attached to Mike's paperwork, to speed up the process. Mike's long term disability insurer is paying for the attorneys fees in filing for this, which is another blessing. So God is caring for all the little details in our lives.

We appreciate your prayers and support very much. You may never realize how important your quick hugs, brief notes, or smiles comfort us, or encourage us forward. When our thoughts and feelings get so scrambled trying to deal with everything; those quick reminders, keep us tethered to hope. Thank you.

Mike and I wanted to let you know we are doing fine, he is feeling well, and we appreciate your continued prayers.

"There come times when I have nothing more to tell God. If I were to continue to pray in words, I would have to repeat what I have already said. At such times it is wonderful to say to God, "May I be in Thy presence, Lord? I have nothing more to say to Thee, but I do love to be in Thy presence." --O. Hallesby "I sought him whom my soul loveth." Song of Solomon 3:1

We have made it safely home from Houston so I thought I would sit down and try to share a little about our trip. I suppose a good word to describe our days there, would be stressful. By the time we made it to Houston Monday morning, Mike was very sick. I was trying my best just to keep him well enough to get there, by attaching drainage bags, pushing fluids, and keeping him on the Levaquin (antibiotic). But in a huge city, with the city celebrating the Martin Luther King holiday Monday, we felt just as far from help there, as we did here. The clinic was closed.

Tuesday, Mike woke up feeling worse. He could barely walk because he was very short of breath so I had to get a wheelchair to get him to the Mays clinic (which was a good ways away from where we were staying). Because of the blockage, we were using drainage bags to help. This complicated things because Mike didn't have the fluids he needed internally to digest his foods correctly. So he became very dehydrated and weak. He managed to do the prep for the CT scan, without getting sick to his stomach, so after that test was finished, we went upstairs and met with the Cardiologist. As soon as the cardiologist took one look at Mike he told us to stay put...he was making a phone call to move up the biliary exchange. We had tried this several times on our own, but wasn't getting anywhere.

I'll stop here and briefly explain what we learned from the cardiologist about the blockage found last October in Mike's subclavian artery. It is considered severly blocked. The doctors are amazed Mike doesn't feel any pain or numbness in his left arm. The reason nothing is being done to repair this, (we were told...it can be repaired) is that Mike can not handle the surgery. After what happened last September, with his blood pressure dipping, it would make this surgery very risky for him. So...I guess, nothing will be done on this, unless we're forced down that route. That bit of news was disappointing, but we both tried to keep encouraged and felt grateful Mike doesn't show any symptoms of numbness, or pain in his left arm.

Wednesday, our first visit was to see the radiology group who did the radiation treatments last October/November. They were first pleased that "we got away with doing more radiation." Mike appears to have handled it well. But they quickly pointed out, Mike can have no more, ever again. That option is forever gone to us. They went on to explain that the CT scan didn't show any shrinkage, but they really didn't expect to see any. They had hopes it might shrink enough to open the obstruction area some. There could be a possibility all that is left, is scar tissue, but we don't know that for certain. All Mike's labs looked very good, with the exception of his elevated bilirubin count, due to the blocked tubes. So they were positive and just want to watch it. They would like to do another CT in 3 months, because the radiation may still be active enough to do something more.

The other bit of news they shared from the CT scans, showed that a lymph node in one of the areas near the obstruction, had decreased in size. This surprised us, because nobody had shared with us before, there were any nodes to be concerned about. They went on to tell us that another node was found to have increased in size by a 1/2 centimeter. And went on to say two small spots were found on Mike's lung with this last scan. In addition, they wondered if we had ever had Mike's thyroid looked at, because it was enlarged, but it had been all along. By the time all of this news hit us, we were sort of stunned, not knowing what to think. We next saw the surgeon who repeated the same news, with the same positive reaction. Even with this second set of doctors very positive, and just wanting to take a "wait and see" approach, Mike and I were pretty shook up. We agreed to seeing a thyroid specialist back here, being they didn't really think it was necessary to have any tests done there. It is important to inject here, that Mike's father died of Thyroid cancer seven years ago. So this very suspicion hit us hard. We didn't quite know what to do with all the information. We were pretty confused. Mike physically was ill, and emotionally, our hearts were heavy.

Mike had the biliary exchange done Wednesday afternoon and had a little problem with his blood pressure during that. The tube in the diaphram area of Mike's abdomen is always a little more difficult to change out, and Mike got a little uncomfortable during the procedure. In the beginning, I was made to believe Mike's BP dropped again during the procedure, which required an extra hour of observation, than the usual one hour. But when all the facts came out later, it is looking more apparent that the disposable BP cuff was defective. When a new one was placed on Mike, after the procedure, Mike's BP was fine. Still, they made Mike stay longer in recovery. Mike immediately began to improve once the tubes were replaced.

Before we left town today, we decided to meet with Mike's oncologist from Houston. We teetered on whether to keep this appointment, because this particular doctor hasn't always been positive in the past, and Mike and I didn't think we could handle any negativity from her. But we went on ahead and saw her. She walked in the exam room smiling, and was very positive about the CT results. She explained all of these new issues, as being nothing to really worry about. That they weren't all that concerned about them, and they felt the tumor was stable. She explained that the spots on the lung could be the leftover results of the radiation therapy, or from the fever Mike had. She said the nodes could be from debris from the blocked biliary glands. She didn't discuss the thyroid at all, because it had always been enlarged. She pointed out by showing us the scan pictures themselves, that we really don't know what we're seeing with the tumor in Mike's liver, because the tubes, stints, and obstruction, are all in this tiny area together. She just told us to wait another three months, keep in contact with our local oncologist, and then see her back in April.

It has been a difficult week dealing with all of this. Even when we're at the appointments, the reports read like Greek to us. We couldn't always understand what the report was exactly saying, or what the doctors were trying to tell us. You hear a word or two, and you just mentally or emotionally freeze, and shut down, with fear. Mike and I were not only dealing with him being so sick from the blocked biliary tubes, but we were also dealing with news that seemed to be hurling at us out of the blue. So it has taken a couple of days for us to process all of this.

This has been such a long journey for us, and the stress of dealing with it for so many consecutive days, is wearing on us. I can't begin to share all the things that go through our mind in a day. We do our best at renewing our minds, keeping our focus on God, and try to put one foot down in front of the other. But we're human, and we're tired. Thank you for being patient with us when we don't always think clearly, or act like ourselves. And thank you for continuing to strengthen us with your arrow prayers. Most the time we're grappling to cope, moment by moment, so your prayers are extremely important to us. We continue to give all of this to Jesus, and lay it at His feet. If we've learned anything over these past two years, it is that He is the Only One who is Able, and we surrender to His perfect will in our life.

"It is blessed to know of a place where we can lay our tired head and heart, our heavenly Father's arms, and say to Him, "I can do no more. And I have nothing to tell you. May I lie here a while and rest? Everything will soon be well again if I can only rest in Your arms a while."--O. Hallesby

Dear Friends and Family,

Just wanted everyone to know we have made it safely home from Houston. I will update you this evening, but it's going to take me a little while to write it all down. There were a few things told to us in Houston, that Mike and I had to understand a little better today, before we could update all of you. I'm sorry for the delay.

Thank you for all of your prayers.

Love,
Beverly

We have made it safely home from Houston so I thought I would sit down and try to share a little about our trip. I suppose a good word to describe our days there, would be stressful. By the time we made it to Houston Monday morning, Mike was very sick. I was trying my best just to keep him well enough to get there, by attaching drainage bags, pushing fluids, and keeping him on the Levaquin (antibiotic). But in a huge city, with the city celebrating the Martin Luther King holiday Monday, we felt just as far from help there, as we did here. The clinic was closed.

Tuesday, Mike woke up feeling worse. He could barely walk because he was very short of breath so I had to get a wheelchair to get him to the Mays clinic (which was a good ways away from where we were staying). Because of the blockage, we were using drainage bags to help. This complicated things because Mike didn't have the fluids he needed internally to digest his foods correctly. So he became very dehydrated and weak. He managed to do the prep for the CT scan, without getting sick to his stomach, so after that test was finished, we went upstairs and met with the Cardiologist. As soon as the cardiologist took one look at Mike he told us to stay put...he was making a phone call to move up the biliary exchange. We had tried this several times on our own, but wasn't getting anywhere.

I'll stop here and briefly explain what we learned from the cardiologist about the blockage found last October in Mike's subclavian artery. It is considered severly blocked. The doctors are amazed Mike doesn't feel any pain or numbness in his left arm. The reason nothing is being done to repair this, which we were told...it can be repaired, is that Mike can not handle the surgery. After what happened last September, with his blood pressure dipping, it would make this surgery very risky for him. So...I guess, nothing will be done on this, unless we're forced down that route. That bit of news was disappointing, but we both tried to keep encouraged and felt grateful, Mike doesn't show any symptoms of numbness or pain in his left arm, to force us down this road.

Wednesday, our first visit was to see the radiology group who did the radiation treatments last October/November. They were first pleased that "We got away with doing more radiation." Mike appears to have handled it well. But they quickly pointed out, Mike can have no more, ever again. That option is forever gone. They went on to explain that the CT scan didn't show any shrinkage, but they really didn't expect to see any. They had hopes it might shrink enough to open the obstruction area some. There could be a possibility all that is left, is scar tissue, but we don't know that for certain. All Mike's labs looked very good, with the exception of his elevated bilirubin count, due to the blocked tubes. So they were positive and just want to watch it. They would like to do another CT in 3 months, because the radiation still may be active enough to do something more.

The other bit of news they shared from the CT scans, showed that a lymph node in one of the areas near the obstruction, had decreased in size. This surprised us, because nobody had shared with us before, there were any nodes to be concerned about. They went on to tell us that another node was found to have increased in size by a 1/2 centimeter. And went on to say two small spots were found on Mike's lung with this last scan. In addition, they wondered if we had ever had Mike's thyroid looked at, because it was enlarged, but it had been all along. By the time all of this news hit us, we were sort of stunned, not knowing what to think. We next saw the surgeon who repeated the same news, with the same positive response. Even with this second set of doctors seeming very positive, and just wanting to take a "wait and see" approach, Mike and I were pretty shook up. We agreed to seeing a thyroid specialist back here, being they didn't really think it was necessary to have any tests done there. It is important to inject here, that Mike's father died of Thyroid cancer. So this suspicion hit us hard. We didn't quite know what to do with all the information. We were pretty confused. Mike physically was ill, and emotionally, our hearts were heavy.

Mike had the biliary exchange done Wednesday afternoon and had a little problem with his blood pressure during that. The tube in the diaphram area of Mike's abdomen is always a little more difficult to change out, and Mike got a little uncomfortable during the procedure. In the beginning, I was made to believe Mike's BP dropped again during the procedure, which required an extra hour of observation, than the usual one hour. But when all the facts came out later, it is looking more apparent that the disposable BP cuff was defective. When a new one was placed on Mike, after the procedure, Mike's BP was fine. Still, they made Mike stay longer in recovery. Mike immediately began to improve once the tubes were replaced.

Before we left town today, we decided to meet with Mike's oncologist from Houston. We teetered on whether to keep this appointment, because this doctor hasn't always been positive in the past, and Mike and I didn't think we could handle any more surprises. But we went on ahead and saw her. She walked in the exam room smiling, and was very positive about the CT results. She explained all of these new issues, as being nothing to really worry about. That they weren't all that concerned about them, and they felt the tumor was stable. She explained that the spots on the lung could be the leftover results of the radiation therapy, or from the fever Mike had. She said the nodes could be from debris from the blocked biliary glands. She didn't discuss the thyroid at all. She repeated that we really don't know what we're seeing with the tumor on the scans, because the tubes, stints, and obstruction, are all in this tiny area together. She just told us to keep in contact with our local oncologist, and then see her back in April.

It has been a difficult week dealing with all of this. Even when we're at the appointments, the reports read like Greek to us. We don't always understand what the report is exactly saying, or what the doctors are trying to tell us. You hear a word or two, and you just mentally or emotionally freeze, and shut down, with fear. Mike and I were not only dealing with him being so sick from the blocked biliary tubes, but we were also dealing with news we weren't expecting to hear. So it has taken a couple of days for us to process all of it.

This has been such a long journey for us, and the stress of dealing with it for so many consecutive days, is wearing us out. I can't begin to share all the things that are my mind. Thank you for being patient with us when we don't always think clearly, or act like ourselves. And thank you for continuing to strengthen us with your arrow prayers. Most the time we're just grappling to cope moment by moment, so your prayers are so important to us. We continue to give all of this to Jesus, and lay it at His feet. If we've learned anything over these past two years, it is that He is the Only One who is Able, and we surrender to His will in our life.

"It is blessed to know of a place where we can lay our tired head and heart, our heavenly Father's arms, and say to Him, "I can do no more. And I have nothing to tell you. May I lie here a while and rest? Everything will soon be well again if I can only rest in Your arms a while."--O. Hallesby

Wednesday Update

My dad's biliary exchange was successful. He is now back in his hotel room resting. The preliminary results from the CT scan show that the mass in his liver is stable. My parents have another scheduled appointment tomorrow morning before their flight home. Thank you for your continued prayers for them. If they find out any additional information, I am sure my mom will update you as soon as she is able.

Amber

Tuesday's update

My dad had his CT scan this morning, but they haven't heard any results from it yet. His bloodwork came back and showed his bilirubin count is slightly elevated which is to be expected. I think overall his doctor was pleased with his bloodwork results, but I don't know what the details were. He has an appointment this afternoon. I think the plan is still to do the tube exchange on Thursday which will put them in a difficult position to catch their flight. Please pray for good results and a smooth exchange and for the flight schedule to be worked out. Dad is already feeling tired and appears dehydrated, so any further delays would be difficult.

Amber

Dad's doctor was able to move his appointment for the biliary exchange up to tomorrow at 1:30. This will help tremendously since he's been feeling a bit ill all day and will also correct any problems with their flight.

Safe Arrival

My parents made it safely to MD Anderson. Most everything is closed there today due to the holiday, so they're letting dad rest in the hotel room for the day unless his symptoms worsen. The are scheduled to do some tests/scans in the morning.

Amber

I wanted to let everybody know Mike is hanging in there. He isn't feeling his best but he's holding his own. He is a little jaundice and nauseated. He is on an antibiotic and his temperature is staying fairly normal. Our goal is to get to Houston and to have them do the biliary tube exchange as soon as possible.

We appreciate your prayers.

"Pray for whatsoever you will. In the name Jesus you have permission, not only to stand in the presence of God, but also to pray for everything you need." --O. Hallesby "That whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give you." John 15:16

Infection

Mike is very sick this evening. Things have become worse quickly. His fever is climbing, he is having chills, and is throwing up. We called MD Anderson earlier today and they weren't able to reschedule Mike's biliary exchange (any earlier than his appointment next Thursday) due to the holiday on Monday. They told us to call them back if infection set in. Well, it looks like infection is setting in. We are doing all the necessary measures, to try and keep things under control until we get down there, but if things get any worse, we may need to head on down to Houston earlier than Monday morning.

We would appreciate your prayers.

Saturday Morning
Wanted to update everyone on Mike. He is doing better this morning. His temperature is normal and the nausea, chills, and vomiting have stopped. We'll continue to monitor things today, and hopefully we'll be able to hold ground until we arrive in Houston Monday at 9:30 a.m. Thank you for your continued prayers.

Mike continues to feel well, although we're beginning to have slight problems with his right biliary drain. We're hoping everything will hold off until we get to Houston Monday morning. The intervention team is very good at taking you in on a moments notice, so they could realistically exchange the tube out Monday, instead of waiting until our appointment Thursday morning.

It has been such a good week. We have had the opportunity to do a couple of things we haven't had the energy, or health to do, in such a long time. It has been nice stepping back into normalcy for a little while.

I wanted to share another blessing Mike and I have noticed recently, that has been a total mystery to us...and can only be explained as coming from God's hand. For months, Mike's heart rate has been high (107-122). There have been all of these questions regarding blockage. Nothing has been done to correct this situation, except he was given medication in October, to take only if his systolic blood pressure reading was higher than 110. Because it rarely is, he hardly ever takes it. Amazingly, we have noticed recently, Mike's heart rate has been dropping back to a more reasonable range (89-95). What a blessing, no matter what the reason is behind it. We're so grateful!

We would appreciate your prayers for this upcoming week, as we head back down to Houston. We are hoping for a good report and for a routine stay (just for our appointments). I'm sure you can imagine the apprehension we have returning. Thank you for continuing to be our support and encouragement.

"Yes, I will bless the Lord and not forget the glorious things he does for me. He forgives all my sins. He heals me. " Psalm 103:2-3

Happy Birthday, Mike!

Mike is feeling great this morning and just left to "work out" at physical therapy. We are celebrating how much better he has been feeling since Christmas. He feels like a new man!

Early Monday morning we head to Houston for repeat CT scans, Xrays, consultation's with doctors, and his biliary exchange. We are praying for a good report.

Thank you for continuing to hold us up by your prayers. You have been such a blessing to us.

"He leads me beside quiet waters, He restores my soul." Psalm 23:2,3

Answered Prayer

We received good news today that Arkansas's CHIP (Comprehensive Health Insurance Pool) program will be able to help us carry medical insurance coverage (for Mike only) once our Cobra insurance ends. We still need to get them some paperwork from Goody's, to proceed with this, and we need to fill out an application, but it doesn't sound like there is going to be any problem with him being accepted.

This is such an answer to prayer for us, and I can't possibly express how relieved and grateful we are. We hope if you ever hear of someone in our same situation in the future, you will remember to share this with them. I have included a link on our Blog, under "Sites of Interest". There probably is a CHIP program in most US states. Note: The patient would need to apply within 63 days after their Cobra policy ends.

"When God's house on earth is a house of prayer, then God's house in heaven is busy and all potent in its plans and movements then His earthly armies are clothed with the triumphs and spoils of victory and His enemies defeated on every hand. " -E.M. Bounds "My house shall be called the house of prayer." Matthew 21:13

We are hoping to hear more information tomorrow concerning our medical insurance coverage. As we posted last week, we had carried COBRA insurance through Goody's, Mike's former employer. Goody's had closed their distribution center here locally, but kept open their Knoxville, TN distribution center and corporate offices, and came out of Chapter 11 bankruptcy on October 20, 2009. We learned last Tuesday they would be liquidating, and probably closing their doors. National, and Knoxville, TN local news, also reported this.

Where does this leave us? Well, not in a great position. We will continue with our COBRA insurance until it is exhausted. (for how long that is, we do not know) After that, we will try to get medical insurance for Mike, through a program called CHIP (Arkansas Comprehensive Health Insurance Pool- link on this page). We don't understand all the details and requirements yet, but are hopeful it will be a solution.

There are always blessings in life, even in the midst of trials, and one of them is that Mike is scheduled to return to Houston January 19th, for repeat scans, consultations, biliary exchanges, etc. We're grateful these appointments are coming up so quickly, knowing they should be covered under our COBRA coverage, and we're praying for a good report. In addition to this, we are applying as quickly as we can for Social Security Disability for Mike, with attorneys speaking to us the day after we return from Houston.

So we're trying to remain hopeful that everything will work out, and we would appreciate your continued prayers.

"Our eyes are upon Thee." 2 Chronicles 20:12

It seems our insurance coverage isn't as sound as some wanted us to believe. We are getting conflicting information right now on whether our Cobra coverage will continue, if Goody's corporate office closes in Tennessee, which is what we're being told. It certainly is a very stressful situation for us, so we would deeply appreciate your prayers.

"Faith is deliberate confidence in the character of God whose ways you may not understand at the time." by Oswald Chambers

This has been a challenging week, but God's mercy has been new every morning. In a situation like ours, you would think a serious health issue, would be a good fight all in itself. But all along this journey there have been obstacles we've had to find our way around, which have threatened to sap the energy right out of us.

I'm so grateful God has given Mike many good days in a row feeling physically well. If we didn't have that blessing, these other issues we have been dealing with this week, would have been way too much to deal with. God truly knows our limits.

Mike's disability paperwork and his medical insurance coverage have been a constant nightmare. When we're already stressed, almost to the max, physically and emotionally, we have been able to count on these two organizations to try and undo us, almost on a weekly basis. It has been a constant challenge to meet their requirements with so much stress on top of us. And the constant threat of losing their assistance, has taken it's toll some days. I'm just thankful God's protective hand is over us. When there have been times huge mistakes have been made by these agencies, we've had real life "angels" who have cared enough to step in, and intervene on our behalf, and fix it all.

We are hoping to eliminate some of this unnecessary nonsense soon. We have an appointment set with attorneys to look at Mike's disability case in the next couple of weeks, and perhaps we can get help so that loss of insurance for Mike won't be a threat anymore. He needs to be concentrating his full strength on getting well and fighting this cancer....not pushing paperwork back and forth across a desk, or hanging on the line for minutes, trying to speak to just the right person.

Your continued prayers for strength and protection are so deeply appreciated.

"We have to pray with our eyes on God, not on the difficulties." --O. Chambers "Our eyes are upon Thee." 2 Chronicles 20:12

Today Mike and I learned that Goody's Corporate office, in Knoxville, TN, is now liquidating and closing their doors. This could possibly impact Mike's COBRA insurance coverage. We are waiting to learn more information. We would appreciate your prayers.

"We have to pray with our eyes on God, not on the difficulties." --O. Chambers "Our eyes are upon Thee." 2 Chronicles 20:12

The latest we've heard from Goody's, is that our coverage should remain the same. Thank you for continuing to keep this in your prayers.

Last evening Zac and Amber needed to go somewhere and asked Mike and I to watch Ethan for a little while. We were having a sweet time, and at one point, I came around the corner and found Mike holding Ethan playfully upside down by his feet, all while Mike was still seated. I was shocked! Then nervous! Then I just grinned! ;) Mike hasn't had this kind of strength in months, and Ethan loved seeing the world from a different perspective. My heart just had a huge smiley face on it!

"What folly to think that all other blessings must come from Him, but that prayer, whereon everything else depends, must be obtained by personal effort! Thank God, I begin to comprehend the Lord Jesus is himself in the inner chamber watching over me, and holding himself responsible to teach me how to approach the Father. He only demands this...that I, with childlike confidence, wait upon Him and glorify Him." A. Murray

At one point during this mornings worship service, I noticed Mike was not only standing during the singing portion of our church service, but he was singing too. All of this taking place after an hour of Sunday School.

You have to understand how big of an improvement this is for Mike. In the past few weeks, since our trip to Houston, he hardly had the energy to attend one Sunday morning function, and he struggled to either sing, or stand....not do both. What a blessing!

Praise God, and thank you for all of your love, encouragement, support and prayers!

"We have to pray with our eyes on God, not on the difficulties." --O. Chambers
"Our eyes are upon Thee." 2 Chronicles 20:12

I'm so thankful for the beautiful, warmer weather we're having today. Mike and I just got back from making several laps on our walk in the court. Just to get out and take some deep breaths, clears our minds and energizes us.

Physical therapy is really helping Mike build his endurance back up, even though he still has a long ways to go, to get back to the stamina he use to have. We plan to continue getting Mike these sessions for as long as possible.

Some of the improvements Mike has been making have been so subtle, they've almost gone without notice. Mike pointed a couple of them out to me in the last few days, and I have to agree, we've overlooked them.

One of these, have been Mike's digestion of food. Before, he had difficulty digesting his meal, or even having any room to comfortably eat dessert later on. Now, he seems to have less indigestion and can always find room for something sweet to eat later on. Another improvement we've paid less attention to, have been the chills Mike use to experience weeks ago, have disappeared. He use to need a heated throw on him whenever he was downstairs watching television or reading. We continue to praise God for all the work He is doing in our lives, and His healing hand in Mike.

"To the only God our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, power, and authority before all time, now and forever." Jude 25

Special Note: I have added a couple of links to the left of this post, for Video and Audio Devotions, from Beth Moore. They appear to have the same title, but they are each different. They have been such a blessing to me, especially her video from December 24th, "When Life Has You Paralyzed" Part 2. I've enjoyed them and thought you might too!

It's a new year, and Mike and I step into it with grateful and trusting hearts. We have so much we're thankful for, but we still have many challenges ahead of us, and so much to lean on God for.

Mike is still doing well. His biliary tubes continue to function as they should, and he still has been protected from catching any viruses. (Praise God) Even so, things are rough for him daily.

Another area of concern has popped up and we need your prayers. We received a notice from our insurance company last month, and they have increased our COBRA payment quite a bit, beginning in February. So this is leaving me scrambling, looking for a job to help with this. We can't be without insurance coverage. I feel it's necessary to make our need a special prayer request, because it is going to take God's hand to work all of this out. He is Lord of the impossible.

We return to Houston January 19th, and will be there for 4 days, while they do more testing, and exchange Mike's biliary drains. These drains are going to require our going to Houston every 2-3 months, to have them changed out, and this really isn't something Mike can go and do alone. It's also serious enough of a procedure, that it would be unthinkable for me to not be present when it's done.

It's obvious the dilemma this puts me in, employment wise. It is going to take an employer sensitive to our situation. I am working on a couple of things which I would very much appreciate your prayers on. Please pray for God's protection, wisdom discerning His will, and courage to speak up and share our story without falling to pieces.

I'm confident that God knows our needs, and will answer prayer. He has been faithful. We just need strength to continue walking forward with our eyes on Him. Thank you for your love, prayers, and support.