Thanks for your prayers for Dan. I spoke with him today and he is doing well although his platelets
continue to be low (40,000). They are up from last Saturday's level of 33,000 which is good, but the doctor wants him to wait for a month to allow them to increase even more before he has any more chemotherapy. I suppose that is good for
his body to have a break from those caustic drugs. “Breaking News”: His kidney stone seems to have
broken up into little pieces and passed as far as we can determine. He has had no more pain since last Saturday when he first realized something was going on. Hallelujah and thank you Lord for a BIG answer to our prayers. Spring semester is underway and he is toting a full load again. We would appreciate your prayers for the meeting of the Tumor Board next Tuesday at Stanford.
May the LORD our God give these doctors wisdom to determine the best course for Dan at this point. I would love to hear his doctor say one day soon, "Dan, you are cancer free!" May God grant that desire of all our hearts.
2 Peter 1:16-21
For we did not follow cleverly devised myths when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty.
For when he received honor and glory from God the Father, and the voice was borne to him by the Majestic Glory,
“This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased,”
we ourselves heard this very voice borne from heaven, for we were with him on the holy mountain.
And we have something more sure, the prophetic word, to which you will do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts,
knowing this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture comes from someone's own interpretation.
For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.
Thursday, January 31, 2008
Saturday, January 26, 2008
A setback of a different kind- please PRAY
After such good news..........
Dan called this morning to say he had pain in his lower pelvic area. Bob sent him to the ER thinking he had a kidney stone. Sure enough it turns out he has a large stone, lots of pain and a platelet level of 33,000. Platelets that low are not at a critical level, but they are very low. He is resting comfortably with IV pain medication. I told him I wished I could be there and would do whatever I could for him. He asked if I could dissolve kidney stones from a distance and since those powers have not yet been developed in my brain the next best thing (or really the FIRST best thing) is to ask you all to pray for him right now that this stone would pass easily and quickly. Our God is a BIG God and he is doing mighty things in Dan's life and body.
Luke !!: 5-10
“Suppose one of you has a friend, and he goes to him at midnight and says, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves of bread,
because a friend of mine on a journey has come to me, and I have nothing to set before him.’
“Then the one inside answers, ‘Don't bother me. The door is already locked, and my children are with me in bed. I can't get up and give you anything.’
I tell you, though he will not get up and give him the bread because he is his friend, yet because of the man's boldness he will get up and give him as much as he needs.
“So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.
For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.
Dan called this morning to say he had pain in his lower pelvic area. Bob sent him to the ER thinking he had a kidney stone. Sure enough it turns out he has a large stone, lots of pain and a platelet level of 33,000. Platelets that low are not at a critical level, but they are very low. He is resting comfortably with IV pain medication. I told him I wished I could be there and would do whatever I could for him. He asked if I could dissolve kidney stones from a distance and since those powers have not yet been developed in my brain the next best thing (or really the FIRST best thing) is to ask you all to pray for him right now that this stone would pass easily and quickly. Our God is a BIG God and he is doing mighty things in Dan's life and body.
Luke !!: 5-10
“Suppose one of you has a friend, and he goes to him at midnight and says, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves of bread,
because a friend of mine on a journey has come to me, and I have nothing to set before him.’
“Then the one inside answers, ‘Don't bother me. The door is already locked, and my children are with me in bed. I can't get up and give you anything.’
I tell you, though he will not get up and give him the bread because he is his friend, yet because of the man's boldness he will get up and give him as much as he needs.
“So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.
For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.
Friday, January 25, 2008
Oh HAPPY DAY
Thank You LORD! Tears of joy and thanksgiving have freely flowed today with big sighs of relief, shouts of HALLELUJAH, laughter, hugs and kisses! We met with the doctor today at Stanford and she had a big smile on her face. Dan's CT of a few days ago was compared with the one in November and the news is: the tumors are shrinking, shrinking, shrinking. They look sick and dying and one is almost completely extinct. Bob just highlighted Dan's tumor history to me with a slide show of scans from last June (unbelievably ugly) to January 22 and it is a MIRACLE! The liver looks a normal size and much healthier with only 3 small tumors and even the mass on the pancreas looks smaller. The big ugly tumor which initially measured 10 cm is now down to 2 cm. Dan's doctor will present his case before the tumor board on February 5 and the discussion will be "what next?" There is a possibility of surgical resection of the pancreatic and liver masses or other types of treatment such as chemoembolization or radiofrequency ablation or use of the cyberknife. If all that sounds complicated, it is, and I am glad there will be a group of doctors checking out all the possibilities and making their expert recommendations. There will likely be more chemotherapy to get the MOST good out of that treatment, but the doctor may reduce one of the drugs that has been having the greatest effect on his platelet production. In spite of the low platelets Dan is having no adverse effects and is feeling great. As I write this he and Ashley are already back at Biola getting ready for their next semester which begins Monday.
We shout Praises to our LORD God, Jesus the Messiah of All, for His mercy and love toward us. A HUGE THANK YOU to all who are praying for Dan. The battle plan is working. We are rejoicing!
Psalm 105:1-4
Give thanks to the Lord, call on his name;
make known among the nations what he has done.
Sing to him, sing praise to him;
tell of all his wonderful acts.
Glory in his holy name;
let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice.
Look to the Lord and his strength;
seek his face always.
We shout Praises to our LORD God, Jesus the Messiah of All, for His mercy and love toward us. A HUGE THANK YOU to all who are praying for Dan. The battle plan is working. We are rejoicing!
Psalm 105:1-4
Give thanks to the Lord, call on his name;
make known among the nations what he has done.
Sing to him, sing praise to him;
tell of all his wonderful acts.
Glory in his holy name;
let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice.
Look to the Lord and his strength;
seek his face always.
Saturday, January 12, 2008
the original Daniel in the lion's den
Yesterday our Daniel Bible study reached the well known chapter 6, Daniel in the lion's den. What a great chapter on integrity, implicit (with no qualification or question; absolute) trust in God, and man’s power versus God’s power. A few thoughts on this chapter -
Daniel became distinguished above all the other leaders, because an excellent spirit was in him. And the king planned to set him over the whole kingdom.
Daniel, by his example of integrity, wisdom, and being anointed by God, received favor from the king.
His rivals could find no ground for complaint or any fault, because he was faithful, and no error or fault was found in him. They plotted against Daniel knowing the only way they could destroy him would have to do with his devotion to God. They had the king decree that anyone who prayed to a god or man other than the king in the next 30 days would be cast into the lion’s den.
When Daniel knew that this document had been signed, he went to his house where he had windows in his upper chamber open toward Jerusalem. He got down on his knees three times a day and prayed and gave thanks before his God, as he had done previously.
He prayed and gave thanks to the One he knew and trusted in, the Lord his God. Sustained by God in this difficult hour, Daniel’s intimate knowledge of the Holy One of Israel superseded any fear of man or of death.
Then the king commanded, and Daniel was brought and cast into the den of lions. The king declared to Daniel, “May your God, whom you serve continually, deliver you!”
After a fretful night for the king-
The king declared to Daniel, “O Daniel, servant of the living God, has your God, whom you serve continually, been able to deliver you from the lions?”
Then Daniel said to the king, “O king, live forever!
“My God sent his angel and shut the lions' mouths, and they have not harmed me, because I was found blameless before him; and also before you, O king, I have done no harm.”
Then the king was exceedingly glad, and commanded that Daniel be taken up out of the den. So Daniel was taken up out of the den, and no kind of harm was found on him, because he had trusted in his God.
Daniel trusted and God, the One who created the lions, closed their mouths. The king recognized God’s power and rule over all and NOW decreed:
Then King Darius wrote to all the peoples, nations, and languages that dwell in all the earth: “Peace be multiplied to you,
“I make a decree, that in all my royal dominion people are to tremble and fear before the God of Daniel,
for he is the living God, enduring forever; his kingdom shall never be destroyed, and his dominion shall be to the end.
“He delivers and rescues; he works signs and wonders in heaven and on earth, he who has saved Daniel from the power of the lions.”
So this Daniel prospered during the reign of Darius and the reign of Cyrus the Persian.
God chose Daniel not only to endure severe trials, but to also reveal amazing truths about the future, such as the exact time of Messiah’s coming (Daniel 9), the succession of the world’s powers (Daniel 4 & 7), and end time events. Daniel 7 also reveals the Ancient One on the throne approached by a “son of man” who "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." The book of Daniel is such a rich treasure.
We all know life is full of busyness. But the activity that should be a part of our lives, knowing God and seeking to know Him more through prayer and study of His Word, often gets pushed aside by a myriad of the necessary and the unnecessary. But truly, there is only one thing that is necessary (ask Martha).
Brothers and sisters, let us encourage each other to know the Lord Jesus our Messiah, the King of the universe, the true lover of our souls, and once we know Him to pursue a closer, day by day relationship with and knowledge of Almighty God. Then we will be like our brother Daniel, full of integrity, an excellent example to the unbelieving people around us, and one who fears and reverences God, not man. Thank God that He will graciously help us to accomplish this and that His mercies, new every morning, are more than enough for all our trials and sorrows.
Daniel became distinguished above all the other leaders, because an excellent spirit was in him. And the king planned to set him over the whole kingdom.
Daniel, by his example of integrity, wisdom, and being anointed by God, received favor from the king.
His rivals could find no ground for complaint or any fault, because he was faithful, and no error or fault was found in him. They plotted against Daniel knowing the only way they could destroy him would have to do with his devotion to God. They had the king decree that anyone who prayed to a god or man other than the king in the next 30 days would be cast into the lion’s den.
When Daniel knew that this document had been signed, he went to his house where he had windows in his upper chamber open toward Jerusalem. He got down on his knees three times a day and prayed and gave thanks before his God, as he had done previously.
He prayed and gave thanks to the One he knew and trusted in, the Lord his God. Sustained by God in this difficult hour, Daniel’s intimate knowledge of the Holy One of Israel superseded any fear of man or of death.
Then the king commanded, and Daniel was brought and cast into the den of lions. The king declared to Daniel, “May your God, whom you serve continually, deliver you!”
After a fretful night for the king-
The king declared to Daniel, “O Daniel, servant of the living God, has your God, whom you serve continually, been able to deliver you from the lions?”
Then Daniel said to the king, “O king, live forever!
“My God sent his angel and shut the lions' mouths, and they have not harmed me, because I was found blameless before him; and also before you, O king, I have done no harm.”
Then the king was exceedingly glad, and commanded that Daniel be taken up out of the den. So Daniel was taken up out of the den, and no kind of harm was found on him, because he had trusted in his God.
Daniel trusted and God, the One who created the lions, closed their mouths. The king recognized God’s power and rule over all and NOW decreed:
Then King Darius wrote to all the peoples, nations, and languages that dwell in all the earth: “Peace be multiplied to you,
“I make a decree, that in all my royal dominion people are to tremble and fear before the God of Daniel,
for he is the living God, enduring forever; his kingdom shall never be destroyed, and his dominion shall be to the end.
“He delivers and rescues; he works signs and wonders in heaven and on earth, he who has saved Daniel from the power of the lions.”
So this Daniel prospered during the reign of Darius and the reign of Cyrus the Persian.
God chose Daniel not only to endure severe trials, but to also reveal amazing truths about the future, such as the exact time of Messiah’s coming (Daniel 9), the succession of the world’s powers (Daniel 4 & 7), and end time events. Daniel 7 also reveals the Ancient One on the throne approached by a “son of man” who "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." The book of Daniel is such a rich treasure.
We all know life is full of busyness. But the activity that should be a part of our lives, knowing God and seeking to know Him more through prayer and study of His Word, often gets pushed aside by a myriad of the necessary and the unnecessary. But truly, there is only one thing that is necessary (ask Martha).
Brothers and sisters, let us encourage each other to know the Lord Jesus our Messiah, the King of the universe, the true lover of our souls, and once we know Him to pursue a closer, day by day relationship with and knowledge of Almighty God. Then we will be like our brother Daniel, full of integrity, an excellent example to the unbelieving people around us, and one who fears and reverences God, not man. Thank God that He will graciously help us to accomplish this and that His mercies, new every morning, are more than enough for all our trials and sorrows.
Thursday, January 10, 2008
The sun is still shining, even though we don't see it
Dear friends and family,
Gray days, rainy days, cold days.........it must be January! Praise the Lord for the promise of spring.
Dan was able to have his chemotherapy treatment on Tuesday even though his platelets did not come up to the desired level. His doctors are now thinking that it would be better to extend his treatment cycle from 3 weeks to 4 weeks in order to allow his platelets to achieve a normal level. He is scheduled for another CT scan on the 22nd and will take that up to to Stanford on the 25th for his appointment with his doctor. As soon as we have any info we will let you know. By the way, my mom continues to make excellent progress in the healing and strengthening of her fractured hip. Thank You Lord.
2 Corinthians 1:2-4
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort,
who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction,
with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.
Gray days, rainy days, cold days.........it must be January! Praise the Lord for the promise of spring.
Dan was able to have his chemotherapy treatment on Tuesday even though his platelets did not come up to the desired level. His doctors are now thinking that it would be better to extend his treatment cycle from 3 weeks to 4 weeks in order to allow his platelets to achieve a normal level. He is scheduled for another CT scan on the 22nd and will take that up to to Stanford on the 25th for his appointment with his doctor. As soon as we have any info we will let you know. By the way, my mom continues to make excellent progress in the healing and strengthening of her fractured hip. Thank You Lord.
2 Corinthians 1:2-4
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort,
who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction,
with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.
Thursday, January 3, 2008
January 3, 2008
Happy New Year, my friends! 2 weeks and 2 holidays later….
We are in the post-holiday recovery mode. The beautiful Christmas decorations are put away (thank you Bob and Matt), and Jess, Ashley and Dan are back at Biola: working (Jess) and possibly working (Ashley) & taking a Spanish class (Dan) plus possibly working (Dan). By the way, Dan finished his last semester, carrying 16 units plus traveling to Stanford every 3 weeks for chemotherapy, with straight A’s. I am impressed – just had to pass that along (hope you don’t mind, Dan).
Dan was scheduled to have another round of chemo today in Whittier, but his platelet level was too low again, so the doctor will check the level again next Tuesday. If they have come up to a reasonable level (100K), he will have his chemo then. Other than that, Dan has been doing great, the wedding plans are progressing, and a year from now there will be a Mr. and Mrs. Dan Howen on the scene. We are all very excited.
Again, please pray for his chemotherapy to do its job of killing the cancer cells completely and for Dan to be able to land a summer internship (He prefers northern California, and sports related (football would be ideal)), which will pave the way for him to graduate in December, a semester early. Thank you again for all your love, concern and prayers.
These have been some of my all-time favorite verses and the word “stayed” in the Hebrew means “to lean against or rest on”. One of my goals for this new year ahead will be to live out these concepts.
Isaiah 26:2-4
“Open the gates, that the righteous nation that keeps faith may enter in.
“You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You.
“Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord God is an everlasting rock.
We are in the post-holiday recovery mode. The beautiful Christmas decorations are put away (thank you Bob and Matt), and Jess, Ashley and Dan are back at Biola: working (Jess) and possibly working (Ashley) & taking a Spanish class (Dan) plus possibly working (Dan). By the way, Dan finished his last semester, carrying 16 units plus traveling to Stanford every 3 weeks for chemotherapy, with straight A’s. I am impressed – just had to pass that along (hope you don’t mind, Dan).
Dan was scheduled to have another round of chemo today in Whittier, but his platelet level was too low again, so the doctor will check the level again next Tuesday. If they have come up to a reasonable level (100K), he will have his chemo then. Other than that, Dan has been doing great, the wedding plans are progressing, and a year from now there will be a Mr. and Mrs. Dan Howen on the scene. We are all very excited.
Again, please pray for his chemotherapy to do its job of killing the cancer cells completely and for Dan to be able to land a summer internship (He prefers northern California, and sports related (football would be ideal)), which will pave the way for him to graduate in December, a semester early. Thank you again for all your love, concern and prayers.
These have been some of my all-time favorite verses and the word “stayed” in the Hebrew means “to lean against or rest on”. One of my goals for this new year ahead will be to live out these concepts.
Isaiah 26:2-4
“Open the gates, that the righteous nation that keeps faith may enter in.
“You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You.
“Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord God is an everlasting rock.
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