Last night as I drifted off to sleep, I felt my tongue against my teeth. As I slid my tongue back and forth over my teeth, I thanked God for my tongue. I thanked God for my eyesight, my hearing. I thank God that I'm whole. So many times I find myself upset with different things about my appearance. Seriously though, how shallow?!
Have you thanked God recently for the "little" things? Last night's experience of Dad almost having a chunk of his tongue removed (he would have lost the fine things - articulation; singing; etc. - and wouldn't have even known about it until after the fact) reminded me that God is the giver of all good things and that includes my tongue.
Wednesday, October 31, 2007
Tuesday, October 30, 2007
PRAISE GOD!
The great thing about this blog is that I can write what I want to send out in e-mails and not feel uncertainty about sending them because you'll only read it if you want to come to my blog.
Just minutes after posting my latest entry that was filled with all kinds of honesty, my mom called with good news. Here's the e-mail most of you already received:
After I sent out the last e-mail, my mom called to say they did a biopsy on his tongue and were concerned that a fungus was attacking it and they would have to cut off a large part of his tongue. PRAISE GOD, that did NOT have to happen. They are 99% sure that it is bacterial and not fungal. Doctors even said the swelling seems to already be diminishing (they were administering antibiotics earlier as a precaution). Doctors only had positive things to say about the procedure. The tube went in just fine.
I cannot describe the relief I feel at this moment. I am in awe of how God continues to answer our prayers. Although it's a roller coaster ride, we always seem to be coming out on top. I am so grateful to have parents who taught me to go to the Bible and prayer for my comfort. Mom just quoted Psalm 100 to me over the phone with this good news.
"Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth. Worship the Lord with gladness; come before him with joyful songs. Know that the Lord is God. It is he who made us, and we are his, we are his people, the sheep of his pasture. Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name. For the Lord is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through generations."
Please continue to pray for no complications as a result of this procedure and for God's mercy to continue.
Just minutes after posting my latest entry that was filled with all kinds of honesty, my mom called with good news. Here's the e-mail most of you already received:
After I sent out the last e-mail, my mom called to say they did a biopsy on his tongue and were concerned that a fungus was attacking it and they would have to cut off a large part of his tongue. PRAISE GOD, that did NOT have to happen. They are 99% sure that it is bacterial and not fungal. Doctors even said the swelling seems to already be diminishing (they were administering antibiotics earlier as a precaution). Doctors only had positive things to say about the procedure. The tube went in just fine.
I cannot describe the relief I feel at this moment. I am in awe of how God continues to answer our prayers. Although it's a roller coaster ride, we always seem to be coming out on top. I am so grateful to have parents who taught me to go to the Bible and prayer for my comfort. Mom just quoted Psalm 100 to me over the phone with this good news.
"Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth. Worship the Lord with gladness; come before him with joyful songs. Know that the Lord is God. It is he who made us, and we are his, we are his people, the sheep of his pasture. Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name. For the Lord is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through generations."
Please continue to pray for no complications as a result of this procedure and for God's mercy to continue.
God and Cancer
My mom called in the middle of small group to tell me that they think my dad's tongue may be dead due to a fungus. They were having a special doctor called in to determine if they need to cut off a large part of his tongue. I could send out an e-mail asking everyone to pray that it not be a fungus. Thing is, everyone is already praying for the situation and God knows. If you're reading this, please pray that it is not a fungus and he doesn't have to lose his tongue. I realize that losing a tongue is not the same as losing your hearing and does not compare to losing your life but my dad is really going to have a hard time with this one.
To be honest, I'm not understanding any of this. It's a HUGE struggle for me right now. I continue to read the Bible and find comfort that God is constant. He remains the same even through these roller coaster moments. Humanly speaking, I cannot get my mind around it. I cannot understand why or how or when or what or anything for that matter anymore. I don't look forward to the holidays as I would usually do. I don't want them to come. I don't want tomorrow to come either. I simply want the simple life back. I used to pop out of bed every morning being the morning person that I am. These days, I have to force myself to get out of bed before the girls wake up. I would sleep the day away if I could. Just a little honesty from the daughter of a cancer patient.
So here's the hymn I've been holding to today from the Bible reading this morning:
Great is Thy faithfulness, O God my Father;
There is no shadow of turning with Thee;
Thou changest not, Thy compassions, they fail not;
As Thou hast been, Thou forever will be.
Great is Thy faithfulness!
Great is Thy faithfulness!
Morning by morning new mercies I see.
All I have needed Thy hand hath provided;
Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me!
Summer and winter and springtime and harvest,
Sun, moon and stars in their courses above
Join with all nature in manifold witness
To Thy great faithfulness, mercy and love.
Pardon for sin and a peace that endureth
Thine own dear presence to cheer and to guide;
Strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow,
Blessings all mine, with ten thousand beside!
Great is Thy faithfulness!
Great is Thy faithfulness!
Morning by morning new mercies I see.
All I have needed Thy hand hath provided;
Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me!
I do believe this and hold to the verses from Lamentations. At the same time, I'm human and it hurts to see my dad go through all of this.
To be honest, I'm not understanding any of this. It's a HUGE struggle for me right now. I continue to read the Bible and find comfort that God is constant. He remains the same even through these roller coaster moments. Humanly speaking, I cannot get my mind around it. I cannot understand why or how or when or what or anything for that matter anymore. I don't look forward to the holidays as I would usually do. I don't want them to come. I don't want tomorrow to come either. I simply want the simple life back. I used to pop out of bed every morning being the morning person that I am. These days, I have to force myself to get out of bed before the girls wake up. I would sleep the day away if I could. Just a little honesty from the daughter of a cancer patient.
So here's the hymn I've been holding to today from the Bible reading this morning:
Great is Thy faithfulness, O God my Father;
There is no shadow of turning with Thee;
Thou changest not, Thy compassions, they fail not;
As Thou hast been, Thou forever will be.
Great is Thy faithfulness!
Great is Thy faithfulness!
Morning by morning new mercies I see.
All I have needed Thy hand hath provided;
Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me!
Summer and winter and springtime and harvest,
Sun, moon and stars in their courses above
Join with all nature in manifold witness
To Thy great faithfulness, mercy and love.
Pardon for sin and a peace that endureth
Thine own dear presence to cheer and to guide;
Strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow,
Blessings all mine, with ten thousand beside!
Great is Thy faithfulness!
Great is Thy faithfulness!
Morning by morning new mercies I see.
All I have needed Thy hand hath provided;
Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me!
I do believe this and hold to the verses from Lamentations. At the same time, I'm human and it hurts to see my dad go through all of this.
Third Dad Update 10-30-07
My dad is currently entering surgery (7:30 p.m.; Tuesday night). His tongue and glands are severely swollen. Doctors are concerned that without the surgery, he will not be able to breathe and could die in the middle of the night. They are placing a breathing tube down his throat. Please play this will be successful so they do not need to do a more drastic surgery. Additionally, they will be placing a feeding tube into him as he will not be able to receive nutrition while this breathing tube is in.
This is quite discouraging. The past few days he has been weak but feeling well. To have all this is overwhelming. I know our God is strong. I know he works miracles. I also know NOTHING is impossible with him and that includes healing my Dad. (I watched Facing the Giants this afternoon which gave me great comfort emphasizing that point.) It's hard to think about the pain he is enduring at the moment and all that he and my mom are having to go through. They are not able to step back for a moment to get their bearings to cope. I am. Please pray for my dad and my mom.
Please pray that he will be able to come through this quickly and that this cancer can be beat!
This is quite discouraging. The past few days he has been weak but feeling well. To have all this is overwhelming. I know our God is strong. I know he works miracles. I also know NOTHING is impossible with him and that includes healing my Dad. (I watched Facing the Giants this afternoon which gave me great comfort emphasizing that point.) It's hard to think about the pain he is enduring at the moment and all that he and my mom are having to go through. They are not able to step back for a moment to get their bearings to cope. I am. Please pray for my dad and my mom.
Please pray that he will be able to come through this quickly and that this cancer can be beat!
Another Dad Update 10-30-07
They are admitting my dad to the hospital. His white blood count is still near 0 and he has a sore throat and a fever of 101. She said that his tongue is also swollen. They need to admit him to see what is going on. With this darn cancer, it is just one thing after another. He was feeling pretty good the last couple of days, too. Please pray for him.
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