From Art:
I talk to people all the time…. Part of my job. Some people I talk to for a long time and some for a brief moment, but still I never seem to be at a loss for words. So when it comes to the turn my life has taken, and people ask me “how are you?" or “are you ok?” Well… I don’t know what to say. I know that the Lord has my best interest in mind. I read about it and have heard about it my whole life. “Not a hair can fall from my head without the heavenly father knowing” or “His eye is on the sparrow.. so I know he watches me” . Very comforting phrases indeed. I do however have to think about my situation and wonder.. Is this really what I am supposed to be going through? Is this your “divine plan” for me and my life?
There is an old adage of “when the world give you lemons.. Make lemonade." More catch phrases in the grand scheme of what is going on. They sound good and are true I suppose, but until you are going through anything traumatic, it is just readers digest stuff. Things were going pretty good for me. My wife and I had both ended a job loss time frame, and we were on our way back to building up what we had lost for a good solid year. Just when you think things are going ok, with kids and school and employment, the Lord taps you on the shoulder and says.. “I have got a little something for you." Now adversity is something that we should learn something from. We are taught this throughout the bible and when it happens to you, it is a different story indeed.
You see I am at the “when life gives you lemons” crossroads here and I am figuring out how to make lemonade. So I try my recipe… Chemo every 3 weeks… sore feet, mouth sores, different food tastes, different smells and tiredness. Throw in a little irritability and plain old crabbiness and there you go. I do not like the taste of this lemonade! I have had lemonade before and it tastes so good and this is not good at all.
So I take a step back to see how I can make this God given adversity into good tasting lemonade. And I think when I was first diagnosed in January--I had received (yes I went back and counted) over 435 emails. All from friends and acquaintances and people I had never heard of. That combined with the cards and phone calls and meals made me think. I was humbled in a way that I had never been. The appreciation and gratitude to so many people combined with friends and family--it's nothing short of amazing!
There it was. My lemonade! The vision of gratitude that my eyes were opened to. I was made to think more. In gratitude for what was around me all the time. A new vision perspective that makes me appreciate the humble nature of life and the many blessings that I have taken for granted. Making lemonade from adversity is not easy, but I have to tell you it tastes so good!
I have to thank so many people and I am really going out on a limb trying to compete with the usual blog writer. I would like to thank Greg and Michelle Bouwer and Kurt and Lynn Jekkals and Kim Keevers-Palmer for the unbelievable job they did on the get together Saturday night!
I also need to thank (and this is fitting because of mother’s day ) a woman who is so many things to so many people but she is everything to me, my wife. I could not have taken my first step in this journey without her and for that I am so thankful. I love her so very much!
From Kris:
I will try and keep this a little shorter since I had a co-writer this time :) It has been an unbelievable week for us. Art received his 5th treatment last Friday. We met with our doctor and he continues to be very pleased with the results he is seeing in Art's blood tests. Art will receive his 6th treatment at the end of this month and then will receive a CT scan at the beginning of June to see where we are at. We feel very encouraged that we will have good news!
Unfortunately it was a tough week for Art in terms of side effects--fatigue, off and on nausea, heartburn, increased mouth sensitivity and pain in his feet. These side effects really wear on Art's emotions. He says he is irritable, but I'm amazed by the good attitude he has been able to maintain. We all have our difficult moments as we deal with this, but we get over these types of emotions much more quickly than we ever have.
As this past week went on, we had more and more beautiful surprises in store. My brother John from California surprised us and flew in to walk the Epilepsy Foundation 5K with us and attend the function for Art Saturday night. My sister and niece and nephew came in that same night from Tennessee. That same day my brother Scott had successful back surgery to relieve some sudden and severe debilitation, and my niece Rachel, a breast cancer survivor, received good news a couple days earlier after another cancer scare. We had a wonderful Saturday morning as we walked the 5K for the Epilepsy Foundation and joined to support others who suffer from epilepsy. We celebrated Olivia having many seizure-free days! We had much to be grateful for and we were already feeling overwhelmed with gratitude.
The culmination of our week came Saturday night as our long-time friends threw a party to support and encourage Art in his fight against cancer. This event blew us away as we visited with family and friends whom we haven't seen in years. We are overwhelmed by the love, support and generosity of the many amazing people God has placed in our lives at different times. It was exhausting and exhilarating at the same time. Thank you, thank you, thank you for an unforgettable evening! Our only regret is that we weren't able to spend more time with each of the many people who attended.
Please join us in thanking God for all the blessings we have received, just in this past week. We ask for your continued prayers as we lead up to a scan in June. For peace in our hearts, for complete removal of the cancer which isn't what the doctors are telling us can happen, for wisdom as we determine the next course of treatment (if necessary). Art told me yesterday that he feels he could be running out of the blessings that are in store for him because of everything we have already experienced. Dare we ask for the blessing of complete healing? And I think we all would say "YES"! Please ask for us.
Praying for strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow!
With much love and gratitude,
Kris
There is an old adage of “when the world give you lemons.. Make lemonade." More catch phrases in the grand scheme of what is going on. They sound good and are true I suppose, but until you are going through anything traumatic, it is just readers digest stuff. Things were going pretty good for me. My wife and I had both ended a job loss time frame, and we were on our way back to building up what we had lost for a good solid year. Just when you think things are going ok, with kids and school and employment, the Lord taps you on the shoulder and says.. “I have got a little something for you." Now adversity is something that we should learn something from. We are taught this throughout the bible and when it happens to you, it is a different story indeed.
You see I am at the “when life gives you lemons” crossroads here and I am figuring out how to make lemonade. So I try my recipe… Chemo every 3 weeks… sore feet, mouth sores, different food tastes, different smells and tiredness. Throw in a little irritability and plain old crabbiness and there you go. I do not like the taste of this lemonade! I have had lemonade before and it tastes so good and this is not good at all.
So I take a step back to see how I can make this God given adversity into good tasting lemonade. And I think when I was first diagnosed in January--I had received (yes I went back and counted) over 435 emails. All from friends and acquaintances and people I had never heard of. That combined with the cards and phone calls and meals made me think. I was humbled in a way that I had never been. The appreciation and gratitude to so many people combined with friends and family--it's nothing short of amazing!
There it was. My lemonade! The vision of gratitude that my eyes were opened to. I was made to think more. In gratitude for what was around me all the time. A new vision perspective that makes me appreciate the humble nature of life and the many blessings that I have taken for granted. Making lemonade from adversity is not easy, but I have to tell you it tastes so good!
I have to thank so many people and I am really going out on a limb trying to compete with the usual blog writer. I would like to thank Greg and Michelle Bouwer and Kurt and Lynn Jekkals and Kim Keevers-Palmer for the unbelievable job they did on the get together Saturday night!
I also need to thank (and this is fitting because of mother’s day ) a woman who is so many things to so many people but she is everything to me, my wife. I could not have taken my first step in this journey without her and for that I am so thankful. I love her so very much!
From Kris:
I will try and keep this a little shorter since I had a co-writer this time :) It has been an unbelievable week for us. Art received his 5th treatment last Friday. We met with our doctor and he continues to be very pleased with the results he is seeing in Art's blood tests. Art will receive his 6th treatment at the end of this month and then will receive a CT scan at the beginning of June to see where we are at. We feel very encouraged that we will have good news!
Unfortunately it was a tough week for Art in terms of side effects--fatigue, off and on nausea, heartburn, increased mouth sensitivity and pain in his feet. These side effects really wear on Art's emotions. He says he is irritable, but I'm amazed by the good attitude he has been able to maintain. We all have our difficult moments as we deal with this, but we get over these types of emotions much more quickly than we ever have.
As this past week went on, we had more and more beautiful surprises in store. My brother John from California surprised us and flew in to walk the Epilepsy Foundation 5K with us and attend the function for Art Saturday night. My sister and niece and nephew came in that same night from Tennessee. That same day my brother Scott had successful back surgery to relieve some sudden and severe debilitation, and my niece Rachel, a breast cancer survivor, received good news a couple days earlier after another cancer scare. We had a wonderful Saturday morning as we walked the 5K for the Epilepsy Foundation and joined to support others who suffer from epilepsy. We celebrated Olivia having many seizure-free days! We had much to be grateful for and we were already feeling overwhelmed with gratitude.
The culmination of our week came Saturday night as our long-time friends threw a party to support and encourage Art in his fight against cancer. This event blew us away as we visited with family and friends whom we haven't seen in years. We are overwhelmed by the love, support and generosity of the many amazing people God has placed in our lives at different times. It was exhausting and exhilarating at the same time. Thank you, thank you, thank you for an unforgettable evening! Our only regret is that we weren't able to spend more time with each of the many people who attended.
Please join us in thanking God for all the blessings we have received, just in this past week. We ask for your continued prayers as we lead up to a scan in June. For peace in our hearts, for complete removal of the cancer which isn't what the doctors are telling us can happen, for wisdom as we determine the next course of treatment (if necessary). Art told me yesterday that he feels he could be running out of the blessings that are in store for him because of everything we have already experienced. Dare we ask for the blessing of complete healing? And I think we all would say "YES"! Please ask for us.
Praying for strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow!
With much love and gratitude,
Kris
Amen. We are all claiming a miracle
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ReplyDeleteDitto your prayers and Ruth's! Amen
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