my thought for today...

Someone asked last night at church if I had updated my blog lately....and I haven't given an update of mom and Gary in a while...so I wanted to do that this morning as there as has been some knew developments in the last few days! Last week (on Tuesday I think) Alex told me to plan to go and visit my mom for a few nights...it was the best thing he could of given me for Mother's Day! A couple of days w/ my mom! So the baby and I left on Thursday afternoon and headed to Durham! We had an awesome time shopping on Friday and then went on Saturday morning to get Mani/Pedi's for Mothers Day! Needless to say, it was time to come home WAY TO QUICKLY! While I was there, Gary received a call from the clinic to let him know that a donor has been found and contacted and they have agreed to donate! That is great news...but honestly it comes w/ mixed emotions. It is still so hard to look at Gary and believe that he will not live unless he goes through this process. He looks so great...even w/ no hair...he doesn't look sick! It's hard to believe that he is fixin' to enter this long risky process of bone marrow transplant! I attached the letter he send out on Saturday morning below! Since I left up there on Saturday, he has gone back into the hospital w/ a fever. They started antibiotics and he is doing well...they changed the plans for today to an "in-house" process. He must pass a lot of testing to be able to have the transplant....any "failing" of any of the test will make it unlikely for him to process! So as you can imagine today is vital as to what comes next for him! Please pray, that he and mom will have peace, and that God's will be so clear to them! They simply amaze me...as their biggest concern, is that if they receive bad news...how others will deal w/ it. as in the kids at their church as fasting for him, and their friends are grieving over not getting to see them...which I admit I understand! :) They are concerned how others will respond to "bad news"....it amazes me so much how they..although they don't want bad news, are at complete peace w/ whatever God has planned for them! I am doing my best to follow their guidelines and their standards...God teaches us to look to those we want to be like and do as they do!...well, I'm doing my best to do as they are doing...but I doubt I can ever do it as well as they do!....enjoy the note below! :)


Happy Mother's day...a day late...to all the mommy's who read my blog! Enjoy each new day that the Lord has given you with your children! They are a true gift from God!






Dear Praying Friends:

"...I will sing of Your power; Yes, I will sing aloud of Your mercy in the morning; For You have been my defense and refuge in the day of my trouble. To You, O my Strength, I will sing praises; for God is my defense, my God of mercy." (Psalm 59:16, 17).

Your prayers, for us, continue to be answered! "A SUITABLE BONE MARROW DONOR HAS BEEN FOUND" is what the lady at the Bone Marrow Clinic told us late yesterday afternoon. "We'd like for you to come in early Monday morning to begin an initial work up"

Our immediate response was one of total excitement and then came a mixture of "now we enter into the hard part" and "Lord, we sure need Your help".
A dear friend reminded me of the song Doug Oldham used to sing entitled: We have come this far by Faith where it says "we're leaning on the Lord and we're Trusting in His Holy Word." In Psalm 57:1 we read: "Be merciful to me, O God, be merciful to me! For my soul trusts in You; and in the shadow of Your wings I will make my refuge, until these calamities have passed by." Doesn't that remind you of the song Till the storm passes by? And, doesn't it just thrill your soul when the Word of God, set to music, causes one to look up with praise and gratitude?

Monday will be a full day of labs, lung test, X ray, EKG and an appointment in the afternoon with Dr. Rizzeri (the lead Dr.) for an evaluation. When these tests reveal that I am "ready" they will make more firm arrangements with the donor as to possible dates of "cell transplant". The donor is to be given three dates from which to pick the most convenient and to make arrangements for he/she to be "tested and made ready" as well. This could come together as soon as the first or second week in June. Only God is aware of the timetable at this point.

Shirley does need to return to Charlotte for a few days the last week of May for some medical appointments she has already set up. Whether I will be able to accompany her or not will depend on my then present condition and/or need for more "seclusion". Even when "we" return home there will be the need for being "very" careful as to surroundings and people. I am so grateful we even have the "opportunity" to continue to live for His glory and each other.

Pray that we will be able to remain strong, be at peace with the Dr's decisions, remain in His Word and trusting His hand. You all are so valuable and precious to us and we praise the Lord daily for each one of you.

His Grace continues,
Gary & Shirley