Update 1-31-08

My Dad had night sweats again last night. The hope is that the cancer won't get too aggressive prior to his first dose of maintenance chemotherapy on Monday.

Rod's Dad has been in the hospital for about 1 1/2 weeks now. He had some kidney stones removed and also had some fractures in his back repaired. They have recently done a bone marrow test and are doing blood work to look into the status of the leukemia he is fighting.

Thank you for keeping both of our dads in your prayers.

This morning I wanted to curl up on the sofa and stay there. Thankfully, I already had a morning planned with my MOPS table. When depression calls, it was much healthier to get out and visit with people.

Kids say the ...

Nikelle excaimed to her Daddy tonight that there was great news! "Daddy, Jaycie is going to have a baby!" Daddy's response was "Oh, no." Nikelle corrected him. "It's not 'Oh, no', Daddy. It's Congratulations!"

Thanks, God!

My plan was to go and visit with my parents this past weekend as the girls were better and dad's blood counts were up. Mom called me Friday to ask if it was o.k. if we postponed our visit until later in the day. For the first time in a long time, Dad did not have to expect a visit from the home nurse and he desired to head to the farm. Personally, I thought it was a little cold for the farm but hey, more power to him.

They went out to breakfast in the morning and drove to the farm. Bundled in snowsuit and boots, they took a trek across the farm. A layer of thin ice covering the tall grass gave them each a nice fall. Thankfully, the ice was deceiving and there was no water underneath! They must have spent a good 1-2 hours walking around the property.

When we saw them later in the afternoon, Dad told me that he was on his 7th consecutive day of feeling well (painkillers help in this effort). It was a nice visit. We watched some home videos and had some good conversation. The girls helped Grams make pizza and even had the opportunity to toss the dough in the air.

It was a full afternoon that can make one forget somewhat the gravity of this illness he faces every day. At least for a moment. It was a good visit and I'm grateful he was feeling so much better.

He never dreamed he'd be able to walk that much again and it was very uplifting to him. Thanks, God, for such a good day!

Book Recommendation

“A woman’s disappointment in men, circumstances, God, life, money, kids and the future can cause her heart to wander. If she’s single she may turn to fantasy and self-gratification, hurting her potential to develop a healthy sexual connection with her future husband. If she’s married, she may start comparing her husband with every other man, and when she does, he always comes up short. She may obsess over all that he is not and all that he could be. She may express her desires for him to be different and better, creating criticisms and complaints in almost every conversation. It becomes so serious that she begins to feel entitled to something better, someone who can meet her needs the way she deserves. Unknowingly she betrays her husband with almost every thought of him and someone else she views as superior. And with each comparison comes a greater and deeper disconnection between the two of them and the increasing likelihood that she may fall into an emotional affair or even a sexual one. But even if she does neither, her rejection of her husband destroys the potential for her to experience the fulfillment she longs for.”

A few years ago, my friend, Jaren, recommended that I read the book Every Woman’s Battle by Shannon Ethridge. To say it was eye opening is an understatement. Above is an excerpt from the foreword of this book. Women are emotional beings. We are attracted to men because of an emotional attachment. Shannon explores this in depth in her book. I highly recommend it. It has changed my relationships.

It’s not that I believe men and women cannot be friends. However, I do raise caution in my friendships with men. My time and investment need to be in my husband. Sad to say, there have been times where my time and investment have been more with other male friendships. Upon reading this book, Rod and I discussed it and I am now more aware and conscientious about my friendships and the level I allow them to grow. I attempt to focus on my friendship with the wife in our “couple” friendships and encourage Rod to grow deeper in the friendships with the men.

Honestly, I would say this was an extreme change for me. I’ve always formed friendships with guys easily. Even in grade school and high school, I was their friend while they looked to my friends for the dating relationships. What I’ve found in guarding my heart in this transforming way is that God has blessed me with some truly deepened female friendships. I still have many male friends, but I keep up fences that are there to honor God and show love to my husband and respect for my marriage.

If you are hesitant to agree with me, I’ve been in those shoes. Please let me encourage you to read this book and allow God to speak to your heart. We are now studying it as a small group. Well, the women are studying this and the men are studying Every Man’s Battle by Stephen Arterburn. (Men, highly recommend that one to you.)

I ask the question, is your spouse/marriage worth it?

These Days

It seems like I spend the majority of my time these days between the bathroom and the sofa. I cannot get enough sleep and the toilet bowl calls my name quite often. I was hopeful that some medication my midwife prescribed would help the situation. Although it has made me somewhat more functional during the day, it has yet to completely stop the nausea. Wishful thinking, I suppose. I am hopeful that come March, I will be productive in my life once again. To those women who endure this for the entire nine months (and more than once), you must be saints!