Be of Good Courage

I wondered out loud to Ed last night what we would ever do without Sundays. I can't imagine not having one day a week that is set apart as different than the others. A day when I don't feel guilty about the laundry piles or the dirty floor.

Sometimes Sunday can feel like the busiest day of the week even though we avoid doing our usual work and shopping on that day. There are Sundays that we leave the house before church and don't return home until bedtime.

Yesterday was one of those busy Sundays. We left the house extra early because we needed to pick up our boys who had spent the night at their grandparent's home. After church Ed's mom joined us for lunch. Ed's sister and her family stopped in for a short visit after lunch. I caught a short nap before my friend Regina came over and took our family photo. Then we gulped down some supper and headed to a friend's ordination service. We arrived home late, but as Ed and I were sipping a bedtime cup of tea, I could still say that Sundays are a blessing.

Even with the scramble of getting children ready for church and a two-year-old who does not sit still, the songs, the messages, the Scriptures, and the conversations were soul strengthening. This next week looks crazy. We could have spent the day trying to catch up on work. But far more important was the opportunity to gain an eternal focus and be reminded to cling to our Rock, Jesus Christ.

Ed has decided to have another brain surgery. He knows what is ahead since he did this only ten months ago, but it seems his best option.

Tomorrow Ed goes to the hospital for a draw of his white blood cells. He plans to join a clinical trial in immunotherapy that will attempt to find cells in his immune system that can fight his cancer. Next week, on Tuesday, March 13 they will remove his brain tumor and take it to the lab. If they can find white blood cells that can attack his cancer in the lab, they will try to multiply those cells into huge quantities (a process that could take months) and then give them back to Ed.

This treatment has been successful in some cases, but is still in the experimental stage, especially for brain cancer. There is a lot of unknowns that may hinder the treatment, but at this point, Ed wants to take the first steps and see what happens.

God has been so good to us these past weeks. I still feel very sad that Ed's cancer is growing so rapidly, but I also am finding first hand how it feels to be carried by God over rough trails. We are still finding joy.

I was reading Isaiah 41. I've always loved verse 10, but this time I noticed verse 6. "They helped every one his neighbor; and every one said to his brother, Be of good courage."

This describes our Sunday. This is what many of you have done for us in person or by cards and email. You've reminded us that God is with us. You have assured us of your prayers. You have sent us special Scripture verses and poems.

Thank you so much for your support. You help us know that we are not alone. Please pray with us that Ed's surgery next week can be successful and his recovery speedy.