Our Christmas greeting to you all

Merry Christmas, and A Happy New Year December 2007

2007 started out FUN! We went to my cousin’s cabin near Donner Pass and enjoyed winter with games, snowboarding, skiing and even dog sledding. It was a great mini-getaway. I worked my last shifts at Lodi Memorial Hospital in mid January without really knowing I would be ‘working’ in different hospitals with different ‘patients’. On January 26th, my sister was run over by a shuttle bus in Berkeley and sustained multiple injuries that almost ended her life. For 3 weeks she was on a ventilator, and for 2 of those weeks, was in a drug-induced coma. She has since made an amazing recovery and I have nicknamed her the “Miracle Woman” which all of her doctors agree with. It has been a long, difficult road for her, but God has been faithful to answer our prayers for her physical healing.
Jessica spent her spring semester in Honduras studying the culture, Spanish, and international development. What a great opportunity it was for her to experience living in a Central American country with a host family and study her area of interest. Bob and I visited her for a week, stayed with her ‘familia’, and toured the city of Tegucigalpa plus some of the surrounding countryside. We enjoyed riding the bus just about everywhere we went.
Dan and his girlfriend Ashley were part of a team of Biola students that visited Utah over Easter break to dialogue with students at BYU and share with people of the Mormon faith what Christians believe. At the end of school, Dan vacationed for a few days with Ashley’s family in Yosemite, enjoying the beauty of God’s creation and rest.
On the first day of our family’s vacation at a friend’s condo on the shore of Lake Tahoe, our world abruptly changed. June 19th was a beautiful, crystal-blue day at the lake, but late that night Dan complained of severe abdominal pain that we were sure was from appendicitis. We took him to the local ER where we expected to have our vacation disrupted by an unexpected surgery for Dan. Unfortunately, it turned out to be much worse than that. A CT scan showed he did not have appendicitis, but there were numerous large unusual ‘things’ in his liver and pancreas, which turned out to be malignant tumors. The diagnosis appears to be a very rare pancreatic neuroendocrine carcinoma. He received his first chemotherapy at Stanford Hospital on July 7th. Between the effects of his disease and the side effects from chemotherapy, Dan had a very difficult summer. Fortunately, just before school was to start in the fall, things started looking up. Repeat CT and PET scans have shown that Dan has had a remarkable response to the chemo and the dose has been adjusted so that he is now having few side effects. He has been able to attend college this fall, maintain a 16-unit load (with good grades), live in the dorms, and participate in extra-curricular activities.
We are grateful for your many prayers and God’s great mercy! So many people have helped us out, prayed incessantly for our family, and supported us in so many ways. We are blessed! Keep praying for the tumors to shrink into oblivion! If you want to read more about all this, please go to: www.daninthelionsden.blogspot.com.



To add to our summer madness, Matthew went off to China with Royal Servants two days after we learned Dan had cancer. Despite the uncertainty of Dan’s situation and the general chaos, we decided to let him go as planned. This turned out to be a good decision as he had an invaluable experience there. I had the joy of emailing him in China the news that he passed his AP U.S. history exam. Oh, I wish I could have seen his face. He had a marvelous trip and we are still hearing about it and seeing his pictures. Matt continues to enjoy playing guitar, bass, harmonica, piano, and now accordion. He is a very busy young man. He played soccer, ran cross-country, and was involved with countless school and church activities. He is also enjoying his art and choir classes in this last year of high school.
Bob has been working hard, playing music and had a great time with our church’s mission trip to Mexico in October.
On December 1st, we received the news that Dan proposed to his beloved Ashley and now they are engaged! No date is officially set, but they are aiming for early January ‘09. We are thrilled. For those of you who know them as a couple, you will readily agree they are meant for each other. We had the privilege of having Ashley in our home this summer (she took over Matt’s room, Red Sox sheets and all). I don’t think Dan or any of us would have made it without her help and presence.
Topping it off, my mother has been hospitalized 3 times this year with her last visit a result of a fractured hip. Like I said, I have been in the hospital a lot this year.
As I look back over my calendar, the days have been a blur and I don’t remember much. But what I DO remember is the fact that the LORD our God has seen us through great difficulties and continues to show Himself strong on our behalf. I am learning so much about God, about how the family of God takes care of the hurting and needy ones, about the power of prayer and the Word of God to feed my thirsting soul. In many ways, as crazy as this sounds, the lessons learned and the experiences we have had, temper the trials we have endured. You do not learn many of these precious things unless you walk through the fire with God.
As you can see, for many reasons, we are figuring out the new ‘normal’ in our lives. Matt and Jessica will be graduating in May ‘08, (Matt from high school and Jessica from Biola), and have a few ideas up their sleeves as to the roads ahead for them. Matt would like to follow his sister’s route of attending Calvary Chapel Bible College for a year before heading to perhaps Biola. Jessica is thinking of living with friends and working for a year before pursuing a career or further schooling. Dan will be a senior next year, finishing his degree in film.
This Thanksgiving we were reminded to be very thankful for many blessings and many loved ones in our lives. Most of all we are thankful to be children of the Most High LORD God who looks after His own with tender loving care and sustains us while achieving His plans and purposes in us and through us for His glory.
This Christmas we again marvel that God Himself came to us: Immanuel, God with us, to be our remedy for sin, to do for us what we can never do ourselves – make us holy and righteous in His sight, so we can forever enjoy His presence.
Christmas Greetings and God’s blessings to you from the Howen Family,
Bob, Jamie, Jessica, Dan, & Matt

rjhowen@sbcglobal.net
drbobinlodi@yahoo.com

Dec 15

Yesterday's appointment at Stanford went well for Dan. His platelets are up and he was able to receive his chemotherapy treatment. A few other lab tests have shown up abnormal which is something we need to keep an eye on. The 3rd scan was delivered and hopefully will offer data in the continuum of the destruction of tumor tissue in Dan's organs.
FUN is the word to describe the conversations we all shared (Dan, Ashley, Ashley's mom Terry, and I) during the day about the wedding plans and ideas. Their wedding is sure to be a joyous and creative day. Would you add to your prayers for them the need for Dan to find an internship (for his cinema and media arts major) this summer, hopefully one in sports broadcasting, and hopefully one in football (one of his favorite things, you know)
This morning these final verses from Psalm 31 have been my help:
Blessed be the LORD,
For He has shown me His marvelous kindness in a strong city!
For I said in my haste,
"I am cut off from before Your eyes";
Nevertheless You heard the voice of my supplications
When I cried out to You.
Oh, love the LORD, all you His saints!
For the LORD preserves the faithful,
And fully repays the proud person.
Be of good courage,
And He shall strengthen your heart,
All you who hope in the LORD.

Wednesday Dec 12

Sure feels good to have Dan home for the next 3 or so weeks before he heads back to Biola for his inter-term Spanish class. He and Ashley arrived this afternoon and then she headed on home to Santa Rosa. Tomorrow we drive to our friend's home in Sunnyvale and Dan sees the doctor Friday morning (with the 3rd copy of his CT scan in hand). We are anticipating no problems with his chemo treatment Friday afternoon since Dan continues to feel great. Thanks again and again for your prayers. We are so grateful for those of you who are walking through this with us in prayer. We continue to plead before God's throne for Dan's complete healing and a long, happy and fruitful life for him and Ashley. Pray for them as they begin the planning process for their future. May God grant them wisdom and grace.

Psalm 128
Blessed is everyone who fears the Lord, who walks in his ways!
You shall eat the fruit of the labor of your hands;
you shall be blessed, and it shall be well with you.
Your wife will be like a fruitful vine within your house;
your children will be like olive shoots around your table.
Behold, thus shall the man be blessed who fears the Lord.
The Lord bless you from Zion!
May you see the prosperity of Jerusalem all the days of your life!
May you see your children's children!
Peace be upon Israel!

The Word of God

The Dead Sea Scrolls are definitely worth the ride to see them! We enjoyed the exhibit immensely. The museum will have them on display until Dec 31, and I encourage you, if you have the time to see these amazing documents, please do. How careful the Lord is to preserve His Word and provide documents to confirm their accurate transmission. May we have the same value that God places on His Word and may we take His Word into our hearts every day.

Psalm 18:30-31
As for God, his way is perfect;
the word of the Lord is flawless.
He is a shield
for all who take refuge in him.
For who is God besides the Lord?
And who is the Rock except our God?
Isa 40:6-8
"All flesh is grass,
And all its loveliness is like the flower of the field.
The grass withers, the flower fades,
Because the breath of the LORD blows upon it;
Surely the people are grass.
The grass withers, the flower fades,
But the word of our God stands forever."

Pearl Harbor Day

Just got back from being with the newly engaged:) couple -are they CUTE! And her ring is beautiful. Dan has good taste in jewelry and more importantly in choosing a woman after God's heart. I call her my "heart daughter" because I have been praying for Dan's future spouse for many years- so she is the one whom has my heart has been praying for! On the medical front the news is that Dan did not have chemotherapy today due to a low platelet count. He is scheduled to come back next week and be checked out again and hopefully get his chemo dose. Ah yes, the comparison study... well the good folks at Stanford have managed to misplace BOTH CT scans that we have hand delivered to them. So we will bring a third one next Friday and they will attempt again to do the comparison study. Third time's a charm, we hope.
Matt, Jessica and I will go to San Diego tomorrow to see the Dead Sea Scrolls. How exciting it will be to see these scrolls discovered in 1947 and on which have written on them the same words we read today in our Bible. We Jews are known as 'The People of the Book" and this "Book" contains the very words that God gave to men to communicate His truths and His prophetic Word. Over and over God has shown Himself to be the All Knowing God because of the fulfillment of His prophecies. Many times in Scripture He says "Hear" and " Listen". We do well to pay attention and heed His warnings and His commands.
Isaiah 48
“Listen to this, O house of Jacob,
you who are called by the name of Israel
and come from the line of Judah,
you who take oaths in the name of the Lord
and invoke the God of Israel—
but not in truth or righteousness—
you who call yourselves citizens of the holy city
and rely on the God of Israel—
the Lord Almighty is his name:
I foretold the former things long ago,
my mouth announced them and I made them known;
then suddenly I acted, and they came to pass.
For I knew how stubborn you were;
the sinews of your neck were iron,
your forehead was bronze.
Therefore I told you these things long ago;
before they happened I announced them to you
so that you could not say,
‘My idols did them;
my wooden image and metal god ordained them.’
You have heard these things; look at them all.
Will you not admit them?
“From now on I will tell you of new things,
of hidden things unknown to you.
They are created now, and not long ago;
you have not heard of them before today.
So you cannot say,
‘Yes, I knew of them.’
You have neither heard nor understood;
from of old your ear has not been open.
Well do I know how treacherous you are;
you were called a rebel from birth.
For my own name's sake I delay my wrath;
for the sake of my praise I hold it back from you,
so as not to cut you off.
See, I have refined you, though not as silver;
I have tested you in the furnace of affliction.
For my own sake, for my own sake, I do this.
How can I let myself be defamed?
I will not yield my glory to another.
“Listen to me, O Jacob,
Israel, whom I have called:
I am he;
I am the first and I am the last.
My own hand laid the foundations of the earth,
and my right hand spread out the heavens;
when I summon them,
they all stand up together.
“Come together, all of you, and listen:
Which of the idols has foretold these things?
The Lord's chosen ally
will carry out his purpose against Babylon;
his arm will be against the Babylonians.
I, even I, have spoken;
yes, I have called him.
I will bring him,
and he will succeed in his mission.
“Come near me and listen to this:
“From the first announcement I have not spoken in secret;
at the time it happens, I am there.”
And now the Sovereign Lord has sent me,
with his Spirit.
This is what the Lord says—
your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel:
“I am the Lord your God,
who teaches you what is best for you,
who directs you in the way you should go.
If only you had paid attention to my commands,
your peace would have been like a river,
your righteousness like the waves of the sea.

O Happy Day!

Amazing Awesome Announcement!
Beautiful Brilliant Broadcast!
Magnificent Marvelous Message!
Fabulous Fantastic Front Page News
Peachy Prodigious Particularization
Sensational Stupendous Scoop!
Tremendous Terrific Tidings!
Wild Wonderful Words!

Daniel and Ashley are Engaged to be MARRIED!


We are ecstatic!
We are thrilled with our new DILTB (daughter-in-law-to-be) She is a woman of great character
and will be a wonderful wife for Dan.

Lord Jesus may you greatly bless your children Dan and Ashley with a LONG HAPPY & FRUITFUL LIFE TOGETHER!

Pro 5:18 May your fountain be blessed, and may you rejoice in the wife of your youth.
Pro 18:22 He who finds a wife finds what is good and receives favor from the Lord.
Pro 31:10 *A wife of noble character who can find? She is worth far more than rubies.

for a cute pic of the newly engaged see:
http://collect.myspace.com/reloc.cfm?c=18&fuseaction=viewImage&imageID=22501309&friendID=18462372&id=

November 29

Got home yesterday from LA where I spent 3 days visiting with my mom in the hospital. She is doing okay and is now in the rehab unit. I think it will be a slow process of healing and gaining strength. Dan is doing well. He went to his local doc yesterday and I forgot to ask him (until right now) how it went. I am definitely relaxing in my "hoverness". Next Friday at Stanford I will even be leaving early during the day!
Today I learned about a 2 year old with a severe muscle disease called Spinal Muscular Atrophy. Her family's blog just touched my heart so much. Here is a comment I left for them:
I can really identify with the whole hospital/doc/RN scene. I am an RN as well, but we all know God is the only one who knows everything. Life is hard but it is life. I love John's testimony about the sovereignty of God. Only He knows the ultimate purpose and plan each one of us has in His overall plan to bring glory to Himself. It truly is a joy and privilege to be used by Him even though many times we do not like the process we find ourselves going through. The Word of God has been my food, the prayers of believers and their care and compassion have held my arms up, and the power of God has sustained us and is sustaining us through it all. I shall pray for you and I will share your site on my blog.

Her blogsite is:http://blog.hopeforemily.com/

"We are confident that as you share in our sufferings, you will also share in the comfort God gives us." (2 Cor 1:7)

On her site is a You Tube video of a 47 year old man with this disease and his words about his life are so powerful (that is the John I mentioned). It is so hard to imagine having a faith like his, but the truth is, he knows and trusts his Lord. There is much suffering in this world, much suffering. I think the Lord is breaking my heart of my selfishness and pride and apathy so that I can have His heart of compassion and mercy and love. No way that I can alleviate all the ills of the world, but I can do what He would have me do. I can listen to Him and obey in even the small things, every day.

A Picture is Worth a 1000 Words

Psalm 96
Oh sing to the Lord a new song; sing to the Lord, all the earth!
Sing to the Lord, bless his name; tell of his salvation from day to day.
Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous works among all the peoples!
For great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised; he is to be feared above all gods.
For all the gods of the peoples are worthless idols, but the Lord made the heavens.
Splendor and majesty are before him; strength and beauty are in his sanctuary.
Ascribe to the Lord, O families of the peoples, ascribe to the Lord glory and strength!
Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name; bring an offering, and come into his courts!
Worship the Lord in the splendor of holiness; tremble before him, all the earth.
Say among the nations, “The Lord reigns!
Yes, the world is established; it shall never be moved; he will judge the peoples with equity.”
Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice; let the sea roar, and all that fills it;
let the field exult, and everything in it!
Then shall all the trees of the forest sing for joy before the Lord, for he comes,
for he comes to judge the earth.
He will judge the world in righteousness, and the peoples in his faithfulness.

YES! A picture is worth a thousand words. Bob and I viewed the CT scan and although we are not the experts, we could see clearly that the tumor size has decreased and there is more good liver tissue present. It is good to see this with our own eyeballs. We all are so very thankful. We await Stanford’s assessment and comparison of this new scan with their August scan.
Jessica and I drove down to LA yesterday and I am hanging out at the hospital with my mom for a few days. She is just barely standing up and has intermittent shortness of breath. This will be a long and somewhat slow recovery for her, but I am hopeful she will eventually get back on her feet. Please keep our family in your prayers.
This truly has been a tough year. Without your prayers and the LORD God upholding us daily I surely do not know how we would have managed. I just spoke with my sister and we commented on how much we have to be thankful for.
Thank you Lord Jesus, my Messiah, for all your abundant blessings made brighter by the difficult times we have had and are passing through; blessings such as salvation, forgiveness, grace, unconditional love, a wonderful family, many dear friends, the Word of God, church family, God’s power changing me from the inside out, shelter, abundant food, warm clothing, the breath of life. God is good, all the time.

Giving many Thanks to our Great God and King

Great news today on several fronts:
1. My mom had her hip surgery this morning and it went very well.The doctor said her bones are strong and her heart tolerated the procedure without complications. Hallelujah and thanks to the LORD for His mercy endures forever!
2. Dan and Jessica arrived last night safe and sound and are here for a few days!
3. Dan brought home a comparison report finally done by the hospital in Whittier and it shows great improvement and reduction in the tumor size. Numbers wise: the largest tumor in the liver shrank from 10 cm (6/07) to 9.4 x 6.5 cm (8/07) to 5.1 x 3.1 cm (11/07). The other large tumor in the liver shrank from 8.0 cm (6/07) to 3.7 x 4.1 cm (11/07). WOW!

We are thrilled with this progress and know you are too. Keep praying for his FULL and COMPLETE recovery. Pray that for my mom's recovery and that she will know how much our LORD God loves her.
May we live daily giving thanks to our LORD for all He is and does. I thank Him for life, forgiveness, family, friends and all you wonderful prayer warriors of the army of Dan. Blessings to you as you gather with your loved ones. May your day be special.

Psalm 100
A Psalm for giving thanks.
Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth!
Serve the Lord with gladness!
Come into his presence with singing!
Know that the Lord, he is God!
It is he who made us, and we are his;
we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.
Enter his gates with thanksgiving,
and his courts with praise!
Give thanks to him; bless his name!
For the Lord is good;
his steadfast love endures forever,
and his faithfulness to all generations.

November 19 - Dan's blog

Monday, November 19, 2007


Somewhere in the middle
Category: Life

So, after Friday's doctor's appointment, reviewing my CT scan a week before, it seems I'm getting more chemo. After all, the cancer is not gone, so how else to get it gone but more chemo? My PICC line is out, which is nicer on my daily living. So that's good. But I still wait and chug along.

In this distanceless journey, I'm somewhere in the middle. I told someone I was finally seeing the light at the end of the tunnel (not like I'm dying but that this is almost over), because my PET scan was really good. This scan was better, but not as drastic a difference. I thought I might be near the end, but I'm only in the middle. Somewhere. I'll let you know when I'm closer to the edge of the woods.

Nov 18

Nothing really new to report, but I would like to ask for prayer for my mother. Her surgery is scheduled for Wednesday due to some medications she is taking and needs to get out of her system related to clotting. Her heart problems do not make her a great candidate for any surgery, but that is the way it goes. Maybe this is the time of her life when she will realize the Presence of the LORD God and His amazing love for her.
In the midst of all these circumstances of our lives, I praise and worship the Creator who is my Rock and Redeemer forever. I thank Him for His forgiveness freely bestowed on all who open their hearts to receive Him. (John 1:12) His name is Jesus. He is faithful and true and His Word and His Love endure forever.

eloquence from Ashley

So, we’ll wait....

Well, we got Stanford safely, just a little tired. Everything was going on schedule, and then the doctor came in to let us know that the hospital down here didn't send a copy of the CT Scan up north to compare. So...we really didn't get any concrete news. However, Dan took up a personal copy of the scan up there for the doctor to look at. Even from her non-radiologist eye, she could see that the tumors are smaller. Sure we don't know exact numbers and the decrease could be minimal, but even small blessings are blessings.

Anyway, since the chemo is still killing the little buggers, the doctor wants Dan to keep getting treatments. "The most mileage out of the regimen," she said. So, with God's provision, he'll continue chemo until the tumors disappear, stop shrinking or he can't handle the meds anymore. My prayer is that the tumors end up disappearing completely, and that he'll be able to live a normal life eventually. Oh, what a day that would be.

Chemo went well yesterday, nice and fast this time! And his PICC came out! (if you don't know what that is, just be stoked because Dan is). Then, we drove back to school right after.

With Thanksgiving coming up, we have a lot to be thankful for, that's for sure.

Continue praying, God is listening.

November 17

I am sure you are eagerly awaiting news of the CT scan on Dan. We are too. Hurry up and wait. Bottom line is that the docs in southern Cal did not do the tumor size comparison with the scan done in August as was requested and had not even sent the scan to Stanford. The scan does show the presence of tumors in the liver and pancreas, but that is not really new, is it? Dan brought up a scan copy for our records which we gave to Stanford and they are in the process of doing the comparison study. So we wait. Patiently, right. I have been saying recently that I am learning patience. I guess this will show that one way or the other. Dan had a good check up and received his chemotherapy, then he and Ashley drove right back to Biola. My brother commented, "What a champion!" I agree. Good news - the PICC line (a long term intravenous catheter) was removed and his labs continue to be normal. I am sure that first shower without his plastic sleeve on will feel great. It definitely served its purpose, but it is nice to be free of it.
Other "breaking" news: this morning we received a phone call that my mother had fallen and had broken her hip. She is awaiting surgery to pin the bone. Please pray for her. She is not a great candidate for surgery because of her heart problems. Please pray for no complications in her surgery and recovery and that she would know not only the peace of God but the Prince of Peace, Jesus the Glory and Messiah of Israel.
In this time of remembering to be thankful, (something we should be every day), I hope that you will take some time to thank God for His many gifts of life and loved ones.
A friend came by yesterday when we were at Stanford and shared this Psalm with me that so encouraged me. Hope it will do the same for you:
Psalms 112:1-8
"Happy are those who fear the Lord.
Yes, happy are those who delight in doing what He commands.
Their children will be successful everywhere;
an entire generation of Godly
people will be blessed.
They themselves will be wealthy, and their deeds
will never be forgotten.
When darkness overtakes the Godly,
light will come bursting in.
They are generous, compassionate, and
righteous.
All goes well for those who are generous,
who lend freely and conduct their business fairly.
Such people will not be overcome by evil
circumstances. Those who are righteous will be
long remembered.
They do not fear bad news;
they confidently trust the Lord to care for them.
They are confident and fearless and can face
their foes triumphantly."

Psalms 111:10
"Reverence (fear) for the Lord is the
foundation of true wisdom.
The rewards of wisdom come to all who obey Him.
Praise His name forever!"

Nov 15 -request from Ashley

Thursday, November 15, 2007

Bugging God
Category: Life

Dan and I are about to drive to Stanford for an appointment to discuss his progress and what comes next. He's still calm and trusting. I'm still scared and nervous, but I'm starting to remember to be trusting, too.

In all honesty, I have no idea what to expect, what to hope for, what to prepare myself for. I know that God is in complete control of what is going on with the hoodlums lurking in Dan's body. At the same time, I'm scared.

Please pray for Dan, for me, for us.
Pray that the tumors have decreased in size and that the chemo has opened up options.
Pray that whatever treatment is prescribed allows Dan to continue on with school this semester and next, interterm and to go on to an internship this summer.
Pray that the news we hear tomorrow is encouraging and gives plenty of reason to be hopeful. Let the doctor be excited about Dan's recovery.
Pray that we can have the faith to step out into the Lord's arm when we need to.
Pray, still, for total and miraculous healing of the cancer. How awesome would it be for Dan to be a living testimony to God's power?

I know we've asked for prayers before, but I'm asking for more. Please please bug God with these requests. Pray to Him until He gets tired of all of us asking for Dan's remission. Eventually, God will want some peace and quiet and grant us our heart's desires. (Think the widow and the judge)

I'll write when we get back with news. With all hope and great expectancy, I will be writing to you news of great joy!

Ash

Nov 4 prayer request

Hello my dear friends and family, I am writing to you not because I have anything new to report, BUT I do have a special prayer request. Dan will be having a CAT scan this Friday and will be bringing it up to his doctor at Stanford on the following Friday. My prayer is that the scan will show NO CANCER remaining in his body. I know that is a BIG request. We have a BIG LORD God who is the King of the universe. Please join us in asking our heavenly Father for this miracle.

Our Isaiah study is winding down to the last few chapters, but what glorious chapters they are. The first verse and a half of Isaiah 61 is what Jesus quoted in the synagogue as recorded in Luke. He then sat down and stated "Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.” It is His declaration that He is the promised Messiah and has come to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor. How thrilling that the Lord's favor came to this earth and is still available to us to receive. The good news is that Jesus is the LORD's salvation for all who will receive Him. His name in Hebrew is Yeshua which is the contraction of Yehoshua which means "the LORD is Salvation". Freedom is here for those who are captive to sin (that is all of us). The day of vengeance of our God will be accomplished at His second coming. Our LORD God will fulfill all His promises to His people Israel- for the display of His splendor and glory. He WILL establish His kingdom on this earth, and He SHALL reign forever and ever. May we be faithful to listen, trust and obey day by day until that Day.

Isa 61:1 -3
The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me
to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,
to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners,
to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor and the day of vengeance of our God,
to comfort all who mourn, and provide for those who grieve in Zion—
to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness
instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair.
They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the Lord for the display of his splendor.

Oct 26

Dan's day at Stanford on Wednesday started with a lab draw revealing fantastic liver function, electrolytes and bilirubin tests and finished with another round of chemotherapy. In between we saw the doctor and she has scheduled the CAT scan down south in 2 weeks with another appointment in Stanford in 3 weeks. Right now Dan is scheduled for chemo in 3 weeks, but we will need to see the results of the next scan to determine exactly what will be done. All in all Dan's energy level and ability to handle college and life is wonderful. We are soooooooooo happy! Thank you LORD!

Daniel 3 (verses 12-29) describes how we should stand up to and not bow down to the so called "gods" around us. It has been an encouragement to me to read the example of those 3 young men and their stand before the idolatry of their day - with absolute faith and trust in their LORD God, no matter what:

But there are some Jews whom you have set over the affairs of the province of Babylon—Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego—who pay no attention to you, O king. They neither serve your gods nor worship the image of gold you have set up.”
Furious with rage, Nebuchadnezzar summoned Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. So these men were brought before the king,and Nebuchadnezzar said to them, “Is it true, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, that you do not serve my gods or worship the image of gold I have set up?
Now when you hear the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipes and all kinds of music, if you are ready to fall down and worship the image I made, very good. But if you do not worship it, you will be thrown immediately into a blazing furnace. Then what god will be able to rescue you from my hand?
Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego replied to the king, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter.If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to save us from it, and he will rescue us from your hand, O king. But even if he does not, we want you to know, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up.”
Then Nebuchadnezzar was furious with Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, and his attitude toward them changed. He ordered the furnace heated seven times hotter than usual and commanded some of the strongest soldiers in his army to tie up Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego and throw them into the blazing furnace. So these men, wearing their robes, trousers, turbans and other clothes, were bound and thrown into the blazing furnace. The king's command was so urgent and the furnace so hot that the flames of the fire killed the soldiers who took up Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego,
and these three men, firmly tied, fell into the blazing furnace.
Then King Nebuchadnezzar leaped to his feet in amazement and asked his advisers, “Weren't there three men that we tied up and threw into the fire?” They replied, “Certainly, O king.”He said, “Look! I see four men walking around in the fire, unbound and unharmed, and the fourth looks like a son of the gods.”
Nebuchadnezzar then approached the opening of the blazing furnace and shouted, “Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, servants of the Most High God, come out! Come here!” So Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego came out of the fire,
and the satraps, prefects, governors and royal advisers crowded around them. They saw that the fire had not harmed their bodies, nor was a hair of their heads singed; their robes were not scorched, and there was no smell of fire on them.
Then Nebuchadnezzar said, “Praise be to the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, who has sent his angel and rescued his servants! They trusted in him and defied the king's command and were willing to give up their lives rather than serve or worship any god except their own God.
Therefore I decree that the people of any nation or language who say anything against the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego be cut into pieces and their houses be turned into piles of rubble, for no other god can save in this way.”

long time no blog...

Hard to believe it has been 11 days since I have written to you. First of all I know you are waiting to know how Dan is and he is fine! No infection and the doctor has taken him off one of his meds because his cortisol level continues to be normal. Good news! This week on Wednesday he will have another chemotherapy treatment and Bob will be able to go with us to Stanford since it is his day off.
My days have been a mix of busy and quiet. It has been good for me to sit and be quiet and begin dealing with all the emotions of the past four months. What a blessing it is to have family and friends too that I can share my heart with.
Yesterday I had the privilege of sharing with the boys at juvenile hall for a “church service”. I have 1 hour with them. What difference can I make in their lives in ONE hour? I share my heart and the Word of God. What a joy it was to share with them about Dan and the circumstances of his life. These boys are not much younger than him. I know it hit home. Many of them gave their lives to the Lord. The witness of Dan’s life and faith made an eternal impact on these boys. I shared too from the Word and I told them of my daily need to hear from God through his Word to sustain me through these hard days. We talked about controlling what we can in our lives, our attitudes and actions, and often not our circumstances. We finished by going through the alphabet and calling out the attributes of God, an exercise that I have used many times these past four months to keep my mind on my Lord and who He is. Thank you Lord for the salvation of these young men! Join me in prayer for them as they begin walking in faith and trust in the Lord Jesus.
Paul, a man who had killed Christians before his encounter with the Lord Jesus on the road to Damascus, wrote to the Philippians while he was in jail (these facts did not go unnoticed by the boys):
Phil 1:2-6
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, always in every prayer of mine for you all making my prayer with joy, because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now. And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.
Phil 2:3-11
Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.
Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.
Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Phil. 3:7-14
But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith— that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead. Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.
Phil 4: 4-13
Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.
I rejoiced in the Lord greatly that now at length you have revived your concern for me. You were indeed concerned for me, but you had no opportunity. Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me.

May the Lord strengthen us today to honor and glorify Him in all ways.

Happy Birthday Jessica

Today is Jessica's 22nd birthday and I am here in LA to celebrate with her and do a mini college trip with Matt and some of his friends. A fun trip. It has been awhile since I have written and life is somewhat settling into a routine again. I have officially resigned from the “hidden-hovering-mother” job, which basically means that since Dan has handled the last 2 chemotherapies without incidence and presumably without dangerous neutropenic levels, I do not need to be in LA “hovering”during that low WBC week. Dan had chemo #5 last Friday and the doctor has prescribed an additional treatment before taking another look with a CT scan.
The other night I read all of June and July’s blogs and several good things stood out to me, a few being: God’s faithfulness and presence through the rough seas; friends and family supporting us with much prayer and help; the character and attitudes of Dan and Ashley as we all lived through those difficult days.
Not one of us really knows the bumps on the road ahead, but we are so thankful for the tremendous progress made so far in destroying this insidious cancer in Dan’s body. All I do know for sure is that God is faithful and good and all-powerful, and He not only knows the road ahead, it is in His overall design for our lives.
And that is good enough for me.
In my Isaiah Bible study we have reached the glorious chapter 60. There is a day coming when Messiah will make everything right and His glory will be evident to all. Our LORD God has fulfilled His promises in the past over and over again and He will fulfill His promises for the future times. From prophesying the name of Cyrus 150 years (Isaiah 44 and 45) before he was even born and calling him to overthrow the Babylonians and set Israel free from their Babylonian captivity (which was also foretold ) to the future glory and salvation of all Israel, God’s Word is Truth. How could it be anything else because our LORD God Himself moved men to write its very words? God Himself chose the vehicle of prophecy to prove that He alone is God. (Isaiah 44) We should pay attention, read it and study it. (Isaiah 40) What audacity we humans have when we ignore the Word of the very One who holds our very being together and gives us the air we breathe. He has a glorious plan for each of us if we will but give our hearts to Him. The Word of God is our sure foundation and the means by which He reveals His character, His love, His righteousness and His purpose of redemption to all who will seek Him.
Isaiah 60

Oct 7 - Dan's blogthoughts

Saturday, October 06, 2007


Long time no blog - AKA great news!
Current mood: ecstatic
Category: Life

So I don't know the last time I blogged... but here goes. I told you in my status I would write about the good news, and now it is coming.
As of tomorrow the 7th, I will have been on chemo for three months (minus a week where I had a break, which was nice) but I did start on 7/7/07. Nice, huh. Well, the good news (aside from me handling the last two treatments (3 & 4) very well) is I had a PET scan on the 27th of September. I last had a PET scan on July 28th, and my mom took the new scan home and compared it with the old one. Anyway, she called me, and was crying, saying she was looking at my scan... thanks, mom. My dad took the phone, told me it was good news, and my mom was just being emotional.
Basically, in the first scan, my liver was filled with tumors, forcing it all the way across my abdomen. The new scan showed my liver at about 3/4 of the way across my abdomen, which is normal. So they're shrinkin. :D ALSO, in the first scan, they were lighting up a lot, meaning they were metabolically more active than a sugar-loaded 6 year-old. Second scan: they look as active as an octogenarian couch potato. So that's hot. Praise the Lord, faithful like none other.
I didn't want to write until now, because yesterday was when I found out what is happening next. I got chemo again (round 5) and in three weeks, I will have round 6. After that, I will have a CT scan (which better shows size, as PET shows activity better) to check out the size of those little buggers, and see what to do from there. And with the fantastic combination of me tolerating the chemo well plus the chemo kicking those tumors bununus (buttockses in Hume Lake-ish), I think those tumors could be gone soon.
Thanks to all who have prayed at least once, thanks to all those who prayed daily, thanks to God the Almighty of the universe! I'll admit it's a lot easier to say that when things are going well. But it is more powerful to say it when things are poopy. You know? 'I feel like crap, but praise God anyway, because, quite frankly, He's God.' Wow.
Another thing I remembered in a pondering moment... I remember being frustrated (kinda) that I didn't have a cool testimony. Nothing like, 'I was on the streets addicted to crack' or 'I turned to God when I was about to kill myself'. More like, 'I was born on a Tuesday and in church on Sunday'. Woohoo. But now, God has decided to let me have a testimony more interesting than I've had before. I had a strange form of a rare cancer, random crap happened to my body all the time, and yet, the peace of Christ saturated my soul through it all. He was there through it all, as He had been when I was a healthy, boring-testimonied person. How bout that, huh? God is awesome. Amen.

October 1

Today Bob and I celebrate 24 years of marriage. Thank you Lord for the many blessings you have given us, especially Jessica, Daniel and Matthew. Thank you Bob, aka Mr. Wonderful, for your steadfast love and dedication to me and to our children.

I feel as though I am finally able to take a deep breath and relax. So many of my friends have said to me in the last 3 months, “don’t forget to breathe”! I thought that I was, but today I can say there is an element of relaxation with that breath. We are by no means done walking down this road, but I think it is fair to say a bend in the road has occurred.

How do I tell all you wonderful people how much I appreciate your prayers and encouragement? I have come to know the power of the Body of believers in a very personal way. It is humbling to know that so many are praying for Dan and for our family. Thank you so very much.

As King David rejoiced in the Lord, so do we:

Psalm 21:1-7
O Lord, the king rejoices in your strength.
How great is his joy in the victories you give!
You have granted him the desire of his heart
and have not withheld the request of his lips.
You welcomed him with rich blessings
and placed a crown of pure gold on his head.
He asked you for life, and you gave it to him—
length of days, for ever and ever.
Through the victories you gave, his glory is great;
you have bestowed on him splendor and majesty.
Surely you have granted him eternal blessings
and made him glad with the joy of your presence.
For the king trusts in the Lord;
through the unfailing love of the Most High
he will not be shaken.

Hallelujah!

Great News!!!!!! Dan had another PET/CT scan done today in Southern California to see if the tumors have been responding to the chemotherapy. I brought a CD of the exam up to Lodi in order to send it along to the Stanford doctors. Bob and I viewed the PET/CT scan tonight and, we are happy to say, the improvement in Dan's liver size and the size of the tumors is VERY obvious! The chemo and our prayers are having a profound effect verifying the doctor's exam 2 weeks ago! We rejoice in what we saw. We did still see some tumor presence in the liver and pancreas but the metabolic activity is much much lower than it was before. It woud be inappropriate to get too specific about the intrepretation of the exam at this time. We need to have the Oncologists and Radiologists at Stanford take a look at this exam and compare it to the old ones to make a final determination next week. Be assured that the clinical picture matches the radiological picture which matches our belief that the LORD is mighty and working on behalf of our Dan. So prayer warriors THANK YOU SO MUCH - WE ARE WINNING THE BATTLE! Keep up the fight!

8 month anniversary*

Thanks to all for your continual prayers for Dan. Tomorrow he gets his second PET/CT scan to check on the metabolic activity, presence and size of the tumors in his liver and pancreas. We are hoping and praying for a substantial decrease in size. I will post the results when available. Dan has now gone through 2 half-dose chemo treatments without spiking a neutropenic fever. That is a great blessing to all of us. Thank you Lord.
I have been staying with my mom and sister and they had two doctor’s visits recently and both doctors were absolutely amazed at my sister Leslie (she was run over by a bus eight months ago today*). “Miracle” they both said and I heartily agree and praise and thank my LORD God for His healing miracle, mercy and grace. May He bring full restoration to her and my mother, body and soul. (Isaiah 53)
I recently was made aware of a West Point cadet, Chris, who was in a serious accident and has been is a coma since early July. Please pray for him and his family.
The pastor’s challenge to us last Sunday was in the realm of idolatry. If you read the prophets of the Bible that subject is a frequent one. Isaiah 44 is such an excellent picture of God’s perspective on the idols of that time.
So what are our idols? Maybe not wood carved statues as in their day, but let us be honest before the Lord and ask Him to reveal those things we hold dearer in our hearts than Him, the One true God, the only One worthy of our worship and praise. ( Exodus 20 )
Have mercy on us Lord and lead us to repentance and true worship.
Isa 44:21-24
“Remember these things, O Jacob,
for you are my servant, O Israel.
I have made you, you are my servant;
O Israel, I will not forget you.
I have swept away your offenses like a cloud,
your sins like the morning mist.
Return to me,
for I have redeemed you.”
Sing for joy, O heavens, for the Lord has done this;
shout aloud, O earth beneath.
Burst into song, you mountains,
you forests and all your trees,
for the Lord has redeemed Jacob,
he displays his glory in Israel.
“This is what the Lord says—
your Redeemer, who formed you in the womb:
I am the Lord,
who has made all things,
who alone stretched out the heavens,
who spread out the earth by myself,

A "Fall" Day

Today is a beautiful fall day in LA: blue skies, puffy white clouds, and crisp air. I just had lunch with Dan, Ashley and Jessica after attending church with them. Dan is tolerating his last chemotherapy treatment without any untoward effects for which we are very grateful. Football is on TV and a football enthusiast is coming over to watch the Sunday games with him - that’s cool. I am staying with my mom who is doing much better and my sister from up north is visiting also. My sister, who is recovering from being run over by a bus almost 8 months ago, is doing great! As we took a walk together yesterday I thanked God for bringing her from the brink of death to walking on her own. Many praises to the Lord for His mercy and healing.
Why do bad things happen? We live in a fallen world to be sure as the pastor was discussing this morning. But we can get stuck on the “why, me?” I thank my husband (of almost 24 years) for helping me answer that question in a conversation we had while we were dating. We were talking about the death of a friend of his, a gifted, young doctor who was involved in a helicopter transport accident of a sick baby. The entire crew was killed. The pilot was drunk. We discussed “why”. Bob so eloquently helped me see that “why” is not the question to ask, because there is no adequate answer this side of heaven. The question should be “in light of these events, what should our thoughts and actions be?”
From that time on, God has graciously helped me to accept difficult situations and not focus on the “why”. “Why” has not been part of my thoughts these last few months as we struggle with Dan’s illness. We are here and it does not matter how or why we got here, but we need to go forward and not get stuck looking back.
I heard an analogy that there is a good reason a car has a large front windshield and a small rear view mirror. You can envision what would happen on the freeway if we kept our focus on our rear view mirror and forgot to look ahead of us. Not to say you never look back in that little mirror, but only to adjust where you are going ahead. Sometimes it is easy to get stuck in the past events and the “whys” of life. God wants us to praise Him in the midst of our life, whatever our circumstances may be, and know He is using all our circumstances to form the character of our Lord Jesus in us and reveal His glory here on earth.
For those of you who want to hear the amazing perspective of a woman who broke her neck 40 years ago at the age of 16 and is living her life as a quadriplegic, please go to the following link and listen as she spoke last week to the student body at Biola University. Her name is Joni Earacksen Tada. (Bring Kleenex)

http://www.biola.edu/news/centennial%2Dchapels/

Verses to ponder:
Romans 5:1-8
Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God.
Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us. You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

2 Corinthians 5:17-21
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men's sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. We are therefore Christ's ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ's behalf: Be reconciled to God. God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

Sept 18

Dan continues to do well at school and with his health, and we are settling in to a new “normal” in our family. It involves thanking God every day for every breath, every moment of life. It involves skipping the small stuff and focusing on what really matters in life – people, eternity, love, relationships and God. It takes but a moment to erase all the small stuff and it happens when you hear your loved one has cancer.
In the past when I have told someone with whom I am sharing the difference Jesus has made in my life, I often used the analogy that if I had a cure for cancer and did not share it, it would be a very cruel thing indeed. Now as a mother of a son who has cancer, I can’t imagine not doing all that is possible to find the best cure and treatment for him. If you told me today “I know and have what will heal Dan” I would be there in an instant.
So it is my earnest desire to share that the Word of God has the “cure” for the problem of sin. Some have found it and it is our great joy and serious responsibility to “give away the cure” to those who will listen, those who recognize themselves as sinners in need of God’s remedy for sin.
Cancer is a terrible disease to be sure as we are finding out firsthand, but it is not as terrible as the consequences of standing before a Holy God, filled with the “disease” of sin and not having received His cure. We all have this “cancer” called sin and we all have access to the only cure, the atoning sacrifice of the Jesus, God’s Messiah and Son. His amazing Love for us is so evident in His mercy, grace and forgiveness which all of us need so greatly.

Sept 15

Hallelujah! We are so thankful that Dan's exam yesterday showed continued improvement in his condition. The doctor was palpating his liver deeply and could not detect the tumors as she had before nor did Dan have any tenderness. In two weeks Dan will have another PET/CT scan to reveal what his liver and pancreas look like on the inside. Labs are good; energy level good (in fact he drove all the way to Sunnyvale the night before). Chemo #4 ( again the half dose) went well and he and Ashley are on their way back to school as I write. The doctor plans to continue this course of treatment for at least two more treatments.
From there only the Lord knows. We watch and pray and are thankful for every step forward and every day of life.

Thursday I gathered with my Bible study for a celebration of "The Feast of Trumpets". Here are some thoughts from that day:

Wake Up!

On Wednesday evening the Feast of Trumpets began, commonly known as Rosh Hashanah, or the New Year. The trumpet blast is typically a call to wake up from our “slumber” and turn to the King of the Universe, our Creator, the LORD God. The tenth day after the Feast of Trumpets is Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement. Traditionally the in-between days are a time to forgive, seek forgiveness and do good deeds (something we should be doing every day of every month). Before 70 A.D. on the Day of Atonement sacrifices were made in the Temple for the sins of the nation of Israel. How is atonement for sin made today?

Leviticus 17:11
'For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it to you upon the altar to make atonement for your souls; for it is the blood that makes atonement for the soul.'

Isaiah 53:10-12:
Yet it was the Lord's will to crush him and cause him to suffer,
and though the Lord makes his life a guilt offering,
he will see his offspring and prolong his days,
and the will of the Lord will prosper in his hand.
After the suffering of his soul,
he will see the light of life and be satisfied;
by his knowledge my righteous servant will justify many,
and he will bear their iniquities.
Therefore I will give him a portion among the great,
and he will divide the spoils with the strong,
because he poured out his life unto death,
and was numbered with the transgressors.
For he bore the sin of many,
and made intercession for the transgressors.

So let’s wake up and receive forgiveness and atonement the only way God has provided – through the perfect Lamb of God, Jesus the promised Messiah, and our names will be inscribed, not just for a year, but for eternity in the Lamb’s Book of Life!
Speaking of “Books”:

Daniel 7:9-10, 13-14
“As I looked, thrones were set in place, and the Ancient of Days took his seat.
His clothing was as white as snow; the hair of his head was white like wool.
His throne was flaming with fire, and its wheels were all ablaze.
A river of fire was flowing, coming out from before him.
Thousands upon thousands attended him; ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him.
The court was seated, and the books were opened.

“In my vision at night I looked, and there before me was one like a son of man, coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was led into his presence. He was given authority, glory and sovereign power; all peoples, nations and men of every language worshiped him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom is one that will never be destroyed.

Revelation 20:11-15
Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away. And there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books.The sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them. And they were judged, each one according to his works.Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire.

Rev 21:22-27
I did not see a temple in the city, because the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and the Lamb is its lamp. The nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their splendor into it. On no day will its gates ever be shut, for there will be no night there. The glory and honor of the nations will be brought into it. Nothing impure will ever enter it, nor will anyone who does what is shameful or deceitful, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb's book of life.

Time for us to "wake up" and know God, His love and His forgiveness. He calls us to be in a right relationship with Him and share this good news with all who will listen.

Monday Sept 10

I am home at last! My mom is doing well at home and Dan's sore throat and runny nose has moved into the stuffy nose phase, but he is getting better. Hopefully by Friday he will be well enough to receive his chemotherapy treatment. This is treatment #4 which is the number of treatments the doctors initially laid out as a plan of action. Probably, Dan will have another PET/CT scan in a few weeks to evaluate the effectiveness of the treatments and what to do next. This is a waiting time and a praying time. Thank you to all who are standing with us in this.
Today I again realized the importance of reading and meditating on God's Word as I read Hebrews 1-4. We Jews are known as "The People of the Book". How important it is to know "The Book"! The following are verses from the beginning of chapter 1 and the end of chapter 4 (It is good in between, too):

In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom he made the universe. The Son is the radiance of God's glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven.

For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. Nothing in all creation is hidden from God's sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account.
Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has gone through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are–yet was without sin. Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.

I am so thankful He knows me and my weaknesses, and gives me the mercy and grace I need so much right now.

September 6

Good evening dear friends and family, I am writing on "Gaga's" (my mom) computer in Altadena. I am here awaiting her arrival home Saturday morning from the hospital which will coincide with my cousin and her husband's arrival as well. Sunday morning I say goodbye and head home to Lodi. I miss my family and friends up there and it will be great to get home, but I have enjoyed seeing loved ones here too.
Most of all I am happy to report that Dan's neutropenic week is over and he did just fine! Thank you Lord and thank you for your prayers. He is getting a sore throat and runny nose, so please pray that it will not interfere with his ability to have his next treatment Friday teh 14th, next week. His energy level is good and he is enjoying his classes and friends. Hallelujah!
Today 1 Peter has encouraged me. it is hard to choose some verses to share, and I encourage you to take some time and read all 5 chapters. Here are a few from the first chapter:
Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade–kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God's power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time.
In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that your faith–of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire–may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.
Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls.
Concerning this salvation, the prophets, who spoke of the grace that was to come to you, searched intently and with the greatest care, trying to find out the time and circumstances to which the Spirit of Christ in them was pointing when he predicted the sufferings of Christ and the glories that would follow. It was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves but you, when they spoke of the things that have now been told you by those who have preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven. Even angels long to look into these things.
Therefore, prepare your minds for action; be self‑controlled; set your hope fully on the grace to be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed.

I do think that the time of His "revealing" may be soon. The prophets are worth studying in depth. Not only do they gives us undeniable evidence of God's hand in their writing through events that only He could predict and have already come true, but He points us to the present day, the gathering of nations against Israel and the abandonment of Truth for lies. Romans 1 speaks of our presnt condition.
May we all have ears to hear Him in these dark days.

Sept. 4

No news! Which is great news! Dan must be doing well and we are thrilled he is at Biola, going to class, doing homework, hanging out with friends and handling the "yuckiness" of chemo. Praise to the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. Blessed is His Name, the Name above all Names, the Name of Jesus (Yeshua in Hebrew). I am thankful for the opportunities to share the faithfulness and unfailing love of the LORD our God with many I encounter. He truly is giving us grace and strength for every moment.
Psalm 33
Sing joyfully to the Lord, you righteous; it is fitting for the upright to praise him.
Praise the Lord with the harp;make music to him on the ten-stringed lyre.
Sing to him a new song;play skillfully, and shout for joy.
For the word of the Lord is right and true; he is faithful in all he does.
The Lord loves righteousness and justice; the earth is full of his unfailing love.
By the word of the Lord were the heavens made, their starry host by the breath of his mouth.
He gathers the waters of the sea into jars; he puts the deep into storehouses.
Let all the earth fear the Lord; let all the people of the world revere him.
For he spoke, and it came to be; he commanded, and it stood firm.
The Lord foils the plans of the nations; he thwarts the purposes of the peoples.
But the plans of the Lord stand firm forever, the purposes of his heart through all generations.
Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord, the people he chose for his inheritance.
From heaven the Lord looks down and sees all mankind; from his dwelling place he watches all who live on earth— he who forms the hearts of all, who considers everything they do.
No king is saved by the size of his army; no warrior escapes by his great strength.
A horse is a vain hope for deliverance; despite all its great strength it cannot save.
But the eyes of the Lord are on those who fear him, on those whose hope is in his unfailing love, to deliver them from death and keep them alive in famine.
We wait in hope for the Lord; he is our help and our shield.
In him our hearts rejoice, for we trust in his holy name.
May your unfailing love rest upon us, O Lord, even as we put our hope in you.

September 2

Matthew 14:22-33
Immediately Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowd. After he had dismissed them, he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone, but the boat was already a considerable distance from land, buffeted by the waves because the wind was against it. During the fourth watch of the night Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake. When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified. “It's a ghost,” they said, and cried out in fear. But Jesus immediately said to them: “Take courage! It is I. Don't be afraid.” “Lord, if it's you,” Peter replied, “tell me to come to you on the water.” “Come,” he said. Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!” Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. “You of little faith,” he said, “why did you doubt?” And when they climbed into the boat, the wind died down. Then those who were in the boat worshiped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.”
These were the verses that the pastor at Dan and Ashley's church focused on this morning. The Lord spoke many things to my heart through this picture of Jesus with His disciples. The disciples obediently were going in the boat in hard wind and waves and in the midst of their difficulties, Jesus revealed Himself to them -"Truly you are the Son of God."
My hope is that I will be faithful and obedient in all I do, say and think. I pray that all who know and love His Name will accurately and faithfully represent the LORD to the world around us.
I know you all want to hear that Dan is doing well! He is! He played drums this morning in worship and Ashley sang and I know many were blessed. Dan is about midway through his neutropenic time and everything is A-okay. We are full of gratitude to our LORD God.

August 30

Dan is still doing great! He practiced tonight with the worship team at his church, so he will be playing his drums on Sunday morning and life doesn't get much better than that! (Okay, a miracle would be better) Classes are going well for him, and not only that, but I found his favorite sunglasses that have been missing for awhile. We thank God for big things and little things. Life is good and life is precious. Today I have been inspired by the life stories of several rabbis over the ages that have earnestly searched the Scriptures, and to their amazement found that Jesus is indeed the Messiah God promised in the prophecies of His Word, from Isaiah 53 to Daniel 9 and Micah 5 and many more. How faithful our LORD God is to reveal Himself when we seek Him.

August 28 and Dan is doing great!

Hey Dan is doing very well - going to classes, living with his buddies and hangin with his friends! Praise the LORD! We are so thankful to our LORD God and all you pray-ers for upholding Dan in your prayers. I am flying to LA tomorrow and will be staying for about a week an a half. One of myy dear cousins will be flying into LA next week so I will get to see her also. I will be checking up on my mom and her progress as well. She is still in the hospital (transitional care unit), getting antibiotics and is now on oxygen. She needs prayer too.This next week will be Dan's nadir, when his white cell count drops, so PLEASE pray the count will not go so low that he becomes susceptible to the bacteria and viruses we all live with and are a part of our environment. This is a crucial week - Thursday to Thursday. Thank you all so much for your steadfast help for us on this journey.
This last Sunday the message at our church centered on James 5:13-16. One particular word that caught my attention was the Greek word “euthymeo” which means:
"to be of good spirits, to be cheerful, to be joyful, be of good cheer, of good courage"
I also looked up the Hebrew usage of 2 similar words in Joshua 1:9
"Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous! Do not tremble or be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.
BE STRONG: to strengthen, prevail, harden, be strong, become strong, be courageous, be firm, grow firm, be resolute
BE COURAGEOUS: to be strong, alert, courageous, brave, stout, bold, and solid
Friends, I need to have this courage and strength. I think we all probably do for whatever situations we find ourselves in.
The other place the Greek word is found is in Acts 27 when Paul is on the Mediterranean Sea in a storm and about to be shipwrecked. He tells the crew and his fellow prisoners to be encouraged because the angel of the Lord told him that even though the ship would be destroyed, all would be saved.
Our present situation feels like a storm at times and though the winds may be blowing and the sea choppy, I believe that we will all come through this storm safely, especially Daniel Christopher Howen. I believe others will be saved spiritually, too. Daily we receive our strength and courage from the Lord and from many of you. Praise His Holy Name for His Presence with us and for the many encouragers He sends along our way.
The key, I think, is “for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go”. As I read the Word of God and the promises He has made for now and for the future, I know I can trust Him, not only to work in our midst, but to be working out His plan and His purposes for all of man and for all of time.

Aug 25

Whew! It has been a ride! We are in Lodi and I am sitting at the table with my family - feels good. We made the trip to Sunnyvale Thursday night without a hitch. Arrived early Friday morning, slept some and woke up for the day's events. Dan's doctor was very pleased with the progress she could physically palpate on his body. His labs look good and chemotherapy #3 followed. She did reduce his dose and we are hoping and praying and trusting that there will be no side effects and no neutropenic infections in the coming weeks. Today Jess and Dan will drive back and I will stay here a couple days and fly down. God has faithfully given us the strength to live through the last few days of this hectic schedule and Dan the strength to handle his chemo treatment. We are grateful and blessed for his progress and for life itself. An update on my mom: she is still in the hospital receiving antibiotic therapy and her leg is improving. She is getting PT also to help her mobilize. So far the tests have shown no involvement in her leg bone. Thank you all for your prayers for her and for Dan.
The first 19 verses of Psalm 103 meant a great deal to me this morning. I hope they will bless you too.
Praise the Lord, O my soul;
all my inmost being, praise his holy name.
Praise the Lord, O my soul,
and forget not all his benefits—
who forgives all your sins
and heals all your diseases,
who redeems your life from the pit
and crowns you with love and compassion
who satisfies your desires with good things
so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's.
The Lord works righteousness
and justice for all the oppressed.
He made known his ways to Moses,
his deeds to the people of Israel:
The Lord is compassionate and gracious,
slow to anger, abounding in love.
He will not always accuse,
nor will he harbor his anger forever;
he does not treat us as our sins deserve
or repay us according to our iniquities.
For as high as the heavens are above the earth,
so great is his love for those who fear him;
as far as the east is from the west,
so far has he removed our transgressions from us.
As a father has compassion on his children,
so the Lord has compassion on those who fear him;
for he knows how we are formed,
he remembers that we are dust.
As for man, his days are like grass,
he flourishes like a flower of the field;
the wind blows over it and it is gone,
and its place remembers it no more.
But from everlasting to everlasting
the Lord's love is with those who fear him,
and his righteousness with their children's children
with those who keep his covenant
and remember to obey his precepts.
The Lord has established his throne in heaven,
and his kingdom rules over all.

Wednesday Aug 22

Hello everyone. It has been a few days since I have written and I am thinking you are waiting to hear about life in LA. Classes at Biola officially started today but Dan does not have any classes on Wednesdays, so we went to the doctors today. The campus physician and a local oncologist were both apprised of Dan's situation. It was important to have someone locally who can take charge of Dan's care in case of an emergency. Both docs were very kind and we appreciate both of their input. Tomorrow night we head for Palo Alto and on Friday morning Dan will have labs, dr. appt. and chemo. It will be a long haul for all of us. Jessica is coming with us and Saturday we head back to LA after stopping in Modesto to bid farewell to cousin Michael who is on his way to Iraq. I am tired just thinking about all that! So you know what we need prayer for: energy and most of all for this chemotherapy to kill all the cancer cells and have no side effects for Dan. We thank you so much for including Dan in your prayer time with God.
Yesterday I was reading Romans 9-11 and so appreciative of the message to Israel that "all Israel will be saved" in the end times. Chapter 11 ends with these powerful verses:

Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God!

How unsearchable his judgments,

and his paths beyond tracing out!

“Who has known the mind of the Lord?

Or who has been his counselor?”

“Who has ever given to God,

that God should repay him?”

For from him and through him and to him are all things.

To him be the glory forever! Amen.

Sunday August 19

Even though it was a hot and muggy day in LA, acknowledging the worthiness of God and His amazing love for us was at the top of my list. We (Dan, Ashley and her parents, Jess and I) worshipped together at Redeemer Church in La Mirada. It seems when you are in the middle of something hard, worship takes on a different dimension. Every song, every Scripture seems richer and deeper and more alive. Not only that but Dan looks great! He looks stronger and healthier than he has in a long time and we PRAISE GOD for that. He's enjoying being with his buddies at school and church. Chemotherapy is coming up on Friday and we are praying that he will tolerate this round like his first round - a piece of cake. Please pray that as he comes back to dorm life and his classes he will not acquire anything his white cell count cannot handle. Pray for wisdom for our family, the doctors and Dan's friends.

30+ years ago when I first believed in Jesus as my LORD and Savior, I had never read the Bible and I came across this verse Romans 8:28. I thought I was the first one to "discover" this gem and quickly called a friend to share it with. Maybe you have never read this verse. It is truly a great promise to hold in your hand and heart. I am including some of the following verses too. Actually the whole chapter, yes the whole book is definitely worth the read.

Romans 8:28-39
And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.

For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.

And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.

What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us?

He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all–how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?

Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies.

Who is he that condemns? Christ Jesus, who died–more than that, who was raised to life–is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us.

Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?

As it is written:

“For your sake we face death all day long;

we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.”

No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.

For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers,

neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

THANK YOU again for all your prayers - We are so blessed by your love and encouragement. May the LORD our God lavish His grace upon you.

Saturday August 18

I arrived in LA tonight after a not too long drive of singing my heart out to the Lord. Went straight to the hospital to check on my mom and she is getting better but still has a long road ahead. Her leg is still quite painful but the redness is decreasing and after chatting with her doctor, I feel that her situation is under control. Praise God! Thank you for your prayers for her. Dan got moved in and is doing well. I will see everyone in the morning at church in La Mirada. The music I sang with is mostly Scripture set to music (Marty Goetz) and as I sang Isaiah 6 I thought this will be my "Scripture of the Day" to share. Her am I Lord, send me. I believe this is His call for each one of us. May we all hear Him and obey Him. "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom." Proverbs 9:10
Isaiah 6:1-8
In the year of King Uzziah's death I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, lofty and exalted, with the train of His robe filling the temple.
Seraphim stood above Him, each having six wings: with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew.
And one called out to another and said, "Holy, Holy, Holy, is the LORD of hosts, The whole earth is full of His glory."
And the foundations of the thresholds trembled at the voice of him who called out, while the temple was filling with smoke.
Then I said, "Woe is me, for I am ruined! Because I am a man of unclean lips, And I live among a people of unclean lips; For my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts."
Then one of the seraphim flew to me with a burning coal in his hand, which he had taken from the altar with tongs.
He touched my mouth {with it} and said, "Behold, this has touched your lips; and your iniquity is taken away and your sin is forgiven."
Then I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, "Whom shall I send, and who will go for Us?" Then I said, "Here am I. Send me!"

another family in need of prayer

A friend just emailed me and asked us to pray for Richard, a young man of 22, who is on life support following a serious accident. We need to pray for him and for his parents, Alan and Perla. Only God knows what miracles need to happen in each of their lives. May the LORD our God receive the glory. May He sustain them through this valley and give comfort and peace in the midst of the storm. We ask for healing and restoration, for humble hearts and a deep knowledge of God's amazing Love. Thank you for praying for them.

they arrived!

Dan, Jess and Ashley made it to Biola and are in the process of moving in and getting settled. Thank you Lord! I am on my way tomorrow and will stop at the hospital to see my mom and go on to La Mirada. Amazingly, I feel pretty good with Dan being in LA and it surprises me too. Bob and I went to an Elliot Board/Staff get together tonight and I had a wonderful time with good friends. Could it be that God is working in my heart? You bet! I am learning to lean into the curves and go with the flow. Pastor Chuck Smith said years ago (and I have adopted it as my life motto, being married to an ObGyn), "Blessed are the flexible, for they shall not be broken." So all these years of flexibility training are coming in handy now. Again and again I feast on God's Word to sustain my heart:
Isaiah 57:15-19
For this is what the high and lofty One says—
he who lives forever, whose name is holy:
“I live in a high and holy place,
but also with him who is contrite and lowly in spirit,
to revive the spirit of the lowly
and to revive the heart of the contrite.
I will not accuse forever,
nor will I always be angry,
for then the spirit of man would grow faint before me—
the breath of man that I have created.
I was enraged by his sinful greed;
I punished him, and hid my face in anger,
yet he kept on in his willful ways.
I have seen his ways, but I will heal him;
I will guide him and restore comfort to him,
creating praise on the lips of the mourners in Israel.
Peace, peace, to those far and near,”
says the Lord. “And I will heal them.”

What a picture of His grace, that even though God knows our sinful ways, He heals us.
It is His work in us all the way - for His glory. Amen

On their way

They (Dan, Ashley and Jessica) are on their way to Biola. Please pray for guidance and strength in the coming days. Dan looked better last night but mornings are always a bit difficult for him. I received this note from a friend who is a surgeon that has worked with the Voice of the Martyrs, an organization that helps many Christians around the world who are being tortured and incarcerated and sometimes murdered for their faith in Jesus Christ:

As I served with VOM I saw many patients who had also suffered greatly.
They taught me a lot as they suffered not from a "natural" disease but from
the disease of hatred and cruelty. They were hated and abused, yes, even
tortured, because they bore the name of Jesus Christ and they refused
to reject Him. Many are lying in prisons, as I type, with no amenities and
not surrounded by loved ones and friends.
Can we stop for a minute and pray for these brothers and sisters?

May we not take for granted the freedoms we have and do what we can to help others who do not enjoy these basic freedoms.

August 16 - Dan's blog and a few words from mom, too

Dan's blog:
Thursday, August 16, 2007


Laughing til it hurts
Current mood: happy
Category: Life

Laughing til it hurts happens to me quite frequently. That's because I have pain in my ribs. It makes it hard to sleep on my sides (and stomach), but that's pretty much all I have to complain about right now.

After the devastation of the last 2 weeks or so, I am doing quite well. Before I left Stanford, I had a CT scan that revealed my tumors have shrank 50%!! So that's really cool. My back spasms just stopped happening in the hospital. I am still pretty limited in my back movement, but I'm getting stronger each day. My mouth sores have gone away, and I can eat normally again. I haven't had a fever since the hospital, and my body chemistry is getting back to normal. Furthermore, tomorrow is a great day for at least two reasons: 1) It starts a chemo-free week when my body can recoup and stuff. 2) I'm coming back to school. Over the summer, it was kind of up in the air whether or not I would be able to come back. But I'm coming back and attempting to go to school while going through chemo. There is a possibility I will have to leave, but I think I'll be fine.

God is good... He was good when I was sick and suffering in the hospital, He is good now, and He will still be good when this is all over. It was interesting: in the hospital, praying was different than I've ever prayed. I was probably in the worst condition I've ever been in my whole life. I know God is a refuge, a strong tower, and the Rock, but in the hospital with my fevers and mouth sores, I really experienced that.

Anyway, I'd better get to sleep so I can be awake for the drive tomorrow. Good night and good tidings. What is a tiding?

Mom's words:
So there you have it! Dan heads to Biola tomorrow with Jessica and Ashley. I will be driving down on Saturday and join them for church on Sunday, meet a new oncologist and the school doctor on Wednesday so Dan will have some available local medical care, just in case. On Thursday night Jessica, Dan and I will drive north and Dan will have chemotherapy at Stanford on Friday. Many miles I know, but we feel that he needs continuity of care especially in light of what he has recently been through. At this point I will be spending some time in the LA area after Dan's chemo treatment to be available should he react severely again. It will be good also to spend some time with my mom while she is in the hospital. For all you family and friends in the LA area I hope we can connect while I am there as well.
Today my Bible study in Isaiah resumed from a summer break and it was so good to review chapters 40-57 and again witness the great plan and purposes the Lord our God has for His people, Jews and Gentiles alike who know and worship Him. He longs for all to know He is the only true God, the Creator of the universe, the Savior of the world. My favorite chapter in Isaiah is 53 and I may have already put it on the blog but it can never be read enough. In fact I am reading a booklet about rabbis who have come to know Jesus as Messiah and when they read and studied this chapter their hearts were opened to see Messiah. Read this and ask yourself who is this chapter speaking of?
Isaiah 53
Who has believed our message
and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?
He grew up before him like a tender shoot,
and like a root out of dry ground.
He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him,
nothing in his appearance that we should desire him.
He was despised and rejected by men,
a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering.
Like one from whom men hide their faces
he was despised, and we esteemed him not.
Surely he took up our infirmities
and carried our sorrows,
yet we considered him stricken by God,
smitten by him, and afflicted.
But he was pierced for our transgressions,
he was crushed for our iniquities;
the punishment that brought us peace was upon him,
and by his wounds we are healed.
We all, like sheep, have gone astray,
each of us has turned to his own way;
and the Lord has laid on him
the iniquity of us all.
He was oppressed and afflicted,
yet he did not open his mouth;
he was led like a lamb to the slaughter,
and as a sheep before her shearers is silent,
so he did not open his mouth.
By oppression and judgment he was taken away.
And who can speak of his descendants?
For he was cut off from the land of the living;
for the transgression of my people he was stricken.
He was assigned a grave with the wicked,
and with the rich in his death,
though he had done no violence,
nor was any deceit in his mouth.
Yet it was the Lord's will to crush him and cause him to suffer,
and though the Lord makes his life a guilt offering,
he will see his offspring and prolong his days,
and the will of the Lord will prosper in his hand.
After the suffering of his soul,
he will see the light of life and be satisfied;
by his knowledge my righteous servant will justify many,
and he will bear their iniquities.
Therefore I will give him a portion among the great,
and he will divide the spoils with the strong,
because he poured out his life unto death,
and was numbered with the transgressors.
For he bore the sin of many,
and made intercession for the transgressors.

Mellow Monday

Dan has gone on 2 walks around the block and made a trip to the grocery store with Ashley. He says he is feeling better than yesterday. Progress is being made. Thank You LORD! We pray that progress is continuing for every cell of Dan's body. My mom is on 2 antibiotics and looking at a 3 week stay in the hospital. There are other family members in the area caring for her, but it is hard for me to be so far away and only be able to pray. So I want to ask all of you to lift her up as you have been lifting Dan up to the throne of the KING of Kings and LORD of Lords. She herself does not believe in our King but I am praying that He will wrap His arms of love around her and bring healing to her body and salvation and comfort to her soul. Our famliy has been through alot this year starting with my sister being hit by a bus in January (she is a walking living miracle). I can't help but believe that the Lord is speaking rather loudly to us in the midst of all these trials. May our ears be inclined to listen for His still small voice. We need Him so.

it is SUNDAY not saturday

I must be tired eh

if friday was a good day saturday is AN AMAZING DAY!

We are HOME! Yes you heard it right. Dan was discharged this morning and we were out of there STAT! And even better they told us the results of their comparison of the first CT and one done this week: there is a "substantial decrease" in the size of the tumors in his liver! Hallelujah! We are thrilled, excited, jumping up and down and praising the LORD our God! Dan will be having his next chemo on the 24th so he will be spending these next 12 days building up his strength and stamina. On another note my mom who lives in southern California just went into the hospital today so please pray for her - she has a second round of MRSA, methicillin resistant staph aureus infection in her leg. It's a bad bug that needs some "big guns" to knock it out. I am pretty tired right now so I hope to rest up myself :) Love and blessings to you all.

Saturday is blood drive day

Today at Temple Baptist there is a blood drive. Dan has received some blood (4 units) during his last stay at Stanford and we are thankful that many of you are replacing that blood and adding to the needs of others requiring blood products. Blood is truly a gift of life for many, and the blood of Jesus is the gift of eternal life for all who receive Him as LORD. Dan continues to do better each day although he continues to have these fevers of unknown origin at night. Today he will be off another antibiotic, have a CT scan to recheck the bowel inflammation, and take his FIRST shower since being in the hospital! The doctors are wanting to let him go home(probably Monday) but checking again on any sources of infection. His WBC's are up to 19.8 which is now higher than normal, but about what he has been running since late June when this all started. Bili is down to 4.1 (normal is below 1.4). So many of you have been praying -THANK YOU! So many of you are holding us up with your love and support and encouragement. Only in heaven will we know the fullness of what God is doing in our midst.
I "met" a brother in the LORD the several nights ago in another area of the hospital (he works here at the hospital) and asked him to pray for Dan. I have this insatiable desire to add to this army of prayer warriors for Dan and have been known to ask complete strangers I run into if they pray and would they pray for my son Dan) I never found out his name and did not see him again until last night. Terry happened to come to Dan's unit last night as I was speaking with a friend and the 3 of us prayed for Dan. Terry was such an encouragement to me. I know God placed him there to again be used by God to speak to me, "trust Me and walk in faith and hope". As the Lord Jesus calmed the wind and the waves, He is calming my heart and growing my faith in Him. How ridiculous we are in our thinking that the LORD God, King of the Universe (at least 150 billion galaxies) cannot be everything we need and perform His perfect will in our lives. All glory and honor and power is His.
1 Tim.6:11-16
But flee from these things, you man of God, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, perseverance {and} gentleness.
Fight the good fight of faith; take hold of the eternal life to which you were called, and you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses.
I charge you in the presence of God, who gives life to all things, and of Christ Jesus, who testified the good confession before Pontius Pilate,
that you keep the commandment without stain or reproach until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ,
which He will bring about at the proper time--He who is the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords,
who alone possesses immortality and dwells in unapproachable light, whom no man has seen or can see. To Him {be} honor and eternal dominion! Amen.