Yep I am still here; haven't dropped off the edge of the earth yet. Hope you who did celebrate, had a wonderful Resurrection Day. Bob, Dan, Ashley and myself headed over to Stanford last Monday and met with a gastroenterologist who works with the transplant team. Good news, Dan's liver does not need to be removed - it is functioning very well. The doctor did recommend that Dan have a surgical consult for a possible partial pancreatectomy after he undergoes the SIRSphere treatment in May/June. Much food for prayer and thought.
A dear friend reiterated to me yesterday that I need to remind you to continue in prayer for Dan' healing and for the upcoming wedding of Dan and Ashley in August. The wedding is a good stress but a stress nonetheless. It is so fun to watch Dan and Ashley plan their wedding and life together. What joy!
In our Daniel study, there are some very interesting observations on prayer. Daniel set his heart to understand and humbled himself before God. An angel tells Daniel that his prayers were heard 21 days ago, but there was a battle going on that prevented this angel from coming to Daniel. What an example of a prayer warrior for us to follow.
Lately I have been convinced that we need to know the Word of God more thoroughly in order to discern truth. After all when a bank teller is being taught to recognize counterfeit money they study "the real thing" so that when a fake comes along they are able to spot it easily. May we discern God's truth according to His Word.
after all we Jews are "the People of the Book". Shouldn't we know the Book?
Dan 10:12 -14
Then he said to me, “Fear not, Daniel, for from the first day that you set your heart to understand and humbled yourself before your God, your words have been heard, and I have come because of your words.
“The prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me twenty-one days, but Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, for I was left there with the kings of Persia,
“and came to make you understand what is to happen to your people in the latter days.
Friday, March 28, 2008
Wednesday, March 19, 2008
Thank You Lord for Your goodness to us
Wow, it has almost been 2 weeks since I have written - time flies these days. Today Bob and I viewed Dan's last scan with 2 local radiologist friends. We were curious about the pancreatic tumor situation and asked them to review the scan with us. The pancreatic tumor is not visible on the scan and we did compare it with Dan's original CT where it was quite visible. The head of the pancreas does have a slight bulge or edema present which could be something, but there is no obvious malignancy there. Shocking is the only word available when looking at Dan's original scan of last June. Gratitude and amazement are the words that come to my mind as we see how far Dan has come in these last 9 months.
Dan and Ashley are coming up for Easter, the day we celebrate the Resurrection of our Lord Jesus. We are having a family gathering in the afternoon minus our Jessica, who is off to Latin America again - Mexico this time. She has been somewhere in Latin America for the last 3 Easters. Hmmmmm.... are we seeing a trend here or what?
On Monday Bob, Dan, Ashley and I will meet with the Stanford transplant team to discuss that option. Should be interesting.
More on that later. Hoping your weekend will be filled with the joy and knowledge of our victory over sin and death through Messiah. He has risen!
The last chapter of Matthew:
After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb.
There was a violent earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and, going to the tomb, rolled back the stone and sat on it. His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow. The guards were so afraid of him that they shook and became like dead men.
The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. Then go quickly and tell his disciples: ‘He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him.’ Now I have told you.”
So the women hurried away from the tomb, afraid yet filled with joy, and ran to tell his disciples. Suddenly Jesus met them. “Greetings,” he said. They came to him, clasped his feet and worshiped him. Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid. Go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me.”
While the women were on their way, some of the guards went into the city and reported to the chief priests everything that had happened. When the chief priests had met with the elders and devised a plan, they gave the soldiers a large sum of money, telling them, “You are to say, ‘His disciples came during the night and stole him away while we were asleep.’ If this report gets to the governor, we will satisfy him and keep you out of trouble.” So the soldiers took the money and did as they were instructed. And this story has been widely circulated among the Jews to this very day.
Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
Dan and Ashley are coming up for Easter, the day we celebrate the Resurrection of our Lord Jesus. We are having a family gathering in the afternoon minus our Jessica, who is off to Latin America again - Mexico this time. She has been somewhere in Latin America for the last 3 Easters. Hmmmmm.... are we seeing a trend here or what?
On Monday Bob, Dan, Ashley and I will meet with the Stanford transplant team to discuss that option. Should be interesting.
More on that later. Hoping your weekend will be filled with the joy and knowledge of our victory over sin and death through Messiah. He has risen!
The last chapter of Matthew:
After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb.
There was a violent earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and, going to the tomb, rolled back the stone and sat on it. His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow. The guards were so afraid of him that they shook and became like dead men.
The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. Then go quickly and tell his disciples: ‘He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him.’ Now I have told you.”
So the women hurried away from the tomb, afraid yet filled with joy, and ran to tell his disciples. Suddenly Jesus met them. “Greetings,” he said. They came to him, clasped his feet and worshiped him. Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid. Go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me.”
While the women were on their way, some of the guards went into the city and reported to the chief priests everything that had happened. When the chief priests had met with the elders and devised a plan, they gave the soldiers a large sum of money, telling them, “You are to say, ‘His disciples came during the night and stole him away while we were asleep.’ If this report gets to the governor, we will satisfy him and keep you out of trouble.” So the soldiers took the money and did as they were instructed. And this story has been widely circulated among the Jews to this very day.
Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
Friday, March 7, 2008
Back in Lodi
As I write Dan and Ashley are heading down the highway back to Biola. Dan received his chemotherapy this afternoon with the doctor decreasing the dose of one of his drugs so that his platelet level won't drop as drastically as before. All his labs look great today. Yesterday we met the interventional radiologist who will be conducting the radioembolization in June. He was very informative and explained the procedure thoroughly and discussed Dan's situation in general. We all came away with feeling like this is the way to go and this doc knows his stuff. So Dan will get 2 more chemotherapy treatments (today and in 3-4 weeks, followed by another CT scan and then proceed with the radioembolization treatment after Biola's semester is finished at the end of May. Wedding plans continue to unfold. We are so happy for Dan and Ashley and their future together! May the Lord continue to do His marvelous work in their lives. Thank you, as always, for your love and prayers. We are so blessed that you are praying.
1 John 4:7-10
Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God.
Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love.
In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.
1 John 4:7-10
Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God.
Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love.
In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.
Wednesday, March 5, 2008
life is fragile, handle with prayer
We are heading out to Stanford in the morning for Dan's appointment with the radiologist for consultation on the radioactive sphere treatment of his liver tumors. Friday Dan will be having an appointment with his regular oncologist followed by a chemotherapy treatment, his first since the beginning of January. His last platelet level was great! We would appreciate your prayers for wisdom and knowing all the right questions to ask.
Also I would ask for your prayers for our dear friend Brian who is one of the pastors at our church. His 44 year old wife suddenly passed away last Friday. Tomorrow is her memorial service and he will be speaking. They have 3 children, 12, 14 and 16. They all need your prayers.
John 11:25-27
Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live,
“and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?”
She said to him, “Yes, Lord; I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who is coming into the world.”
Also I would ask for your prayers for our dear friend Brian who is one of the pastors at our church. His 44 year old wife suddenly passed away last Friday. Tomorrow is her memorial service and he will be speaking. They have 3 children, 12, 14 and 16. They all need your prayers.
John 11:25-27
Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live,
“and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?”
She said to him, “Yes, Lord; I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who is coming into the world.”
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