An Eventful Few Weeks

"Praise is rising, eyes are turning to You, we turn to You
Hope is stirring, hearts are yearning for You, we long for You
'Cause when we see You, we find strength to face the day
In Your Presence all our fears are washed away, washed away
Hosanna, hosanna!
You are the God Who saves us, worthy of all our praises!"

We just had to share the words of a praise song that lifted our spirits this morning as we worshipped with our church family for Palm Sunday.  The lyrics "Cause when we see You, we find strength to face the day.  In Your Presence all our fears are washed away" ring so true in our lives right now and it is only right that we start this blog post giving praise and thanksgiving to our Heavenly Father who is our strength and our hope and whose faithfulness never ends!

Since our last blog post, we have had an eventful few weeks.  First of all, we spent a fantastic vacation in California with my brother, sister, sister-in-law and nieces and nephews and we absorbed some much needed sunshine.  Olivia enjoyed part of that week with her music department from Glenbard East. She had a wonderful experience and we are grateful that she did not experience any seizures on this trip!  

As you know, during this trip we went to City of Hope for a second opinion.  The Doctor affirmed all of the treatment Art has received thus far, and said that our Doctor at University of Chicago has been very aggressive with the treatment (which we really liked to hear).  We were reminded again of the extent of the cancer throughout Art's liver and the limitations of further treatment, however we did talk about options going forward. 

The City of Hope Doctor recommended that we pursue a treatment in which radioactive beads would be "injected" directly into the liver.  The correct terminology is a catheter directed radio-ablation of liver tumors. (Oh yeah, we're getting pretty good with the medical terms!)  He also said that the best place we can go for treatment is right in our backyard--Northwestern University Medical Center!  Little did he know that Art's cousin, Karl Vos, had mentioned a discussion he had with a Doctor at Northwestern just days before we left for California who was having success with this particular treatment.  This Doctor was in fact part of the same team that the doctor at City of Hope recommended.  Wow!  Karl helped us to get a consult the week we returned from California (it does help to have the same last name!) and we have the ball in motion to progress with this treatment hopefully.  The doctor is very encouraged that Art will be a candidate for this so we ask you to pray for this process of determination and the details and tests which need to be addressed before it can begin.

We left this meeting feeling encouraged.  This feeling was much needed as Art was having a few rough days on the current chemo.  The Doctor at Northwestern in fact said that with further chemo treatments, they would become more toxic to his body.  Art has definitely felt this and so that you are not surprised the next time you see him, we're letting you know that he has finally lost his hair.  This came as a bit of a shock yesterday morning as his hair began to come out in clumps.  Although Art has always said losing his hair would be no big deal, it's an "in your face" reminder of the battle going on inside and it definitely took us by surprise.

We will continue to pursue other chemo options as well with our oncologist at University of Chicago.  We will finish the current treatment plan with two more cycles and a scan most likely in May.

This past week we also remembered the 1-year anniversary of when our dear friend Mark Dykema graduated to glory.  We had the opportunity to honor Mark and give glory to God for his life with Mark's family and friends.  With tears and laughter, we were reminded of the example Mark gave us for "How to Live with Cancer".  For Mark, it wasn't about him.  It was all about the faithfulness of our Heavenly Father who gives life--eternal life--so that even though the earthly battle with cancer was lost, the war was ultimately won and now he lives cancer-free in the presence of our Almighty God.

As Christians, we move into Holy Week where we remember the events leading up to the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.  We realize that not all of our readers are Christians, but we truly hope that all of our readers feel the incredible presence and love of a God who will never leave us alone to fight our earthly battles, whatever they may be.  Any strength that we have in this battle with cancer we know comes from Above, as well as through all of you being the hands and feet of Christ as you support us along the way.

God bless each of you.  You have blessed us.

Praying for strength for each day, and bright hope for tomorrow!

With much love and thanks,

Kris (on behalf of Art, Makenzie, Olivia and A.J.)

Living Between Agony and Beauty

I wish I had better news to share with all of you today.  I'll get right to the point.  Art's scan on Friday revealed growth in the tumors in the liver.  His blood work also revealed another significant rise in his tumor markers.  The doctor explained that the tumor markers are an indicator of future aggressive cancer activity.  The most recent chemo treatment regimes were not successful in shrinking the cancer, although the doctor believes it was still effective in restricting it's growth.  However, these tests indicate that the cancer is becoming resistant to the various types of chemo's.  Since Art's diagnosis, he has received 4 different types of chemo combinations.  We are beginning to run out of chemo options that they know can be effective on this type of cancer.

The path of our treatment and progression of the cancer has been exactly as our doctor said it would be.  With each different chemo treatment, the effectiveness decreases.  We have been very fortunate that the cancer initially responded to treatment.  Art has recently surpassed the average life expectancy of his prognosis.  The doctor reminds us of this and we are grateful.  But, of course, in the hearts and minds of those of us who share our lives with Art, this isn't good enough and we want more time. 

Art and I love to watch a TV show called Parenthood (I know some of our readers love it too).  The recent episode where Christina received a cancer-free diagnosis brought me and Art to tears.  We long to hear those words.  But, from the beginning the doctor told us this would not be our path.  We asked all of you to pray for more than what medical research predicts.  And we still ask that you pray for a miracle.

This past year has given us the opportunity to "live with cancer".  A life with cancer is about living between agony and beauty.  Every good moment seems more beautiful than before cancer, because we are acutely aware how quickly this could be taken away.  But we also live with the agony of knowing the direction this could very well be headed, and the pain we may have to look forward to.  We live with agony when we wait for upcoming scans and results.  I live with agony when I see the beautiful love shared between Art and the kids and dread the thought of that being taken away.

We also realize that there are those who live with agony every day, and may not experience the beauty we have felt living with cancer.  Cancer often brings out the best in others, it heals relationships, it gives people an opportunity to share their generosity and love and we are the recipients, it makes us express our love more freely, it makes us and others appreciate the wonderful things in life even more.  There are other challenges people face that may not bring out the beautiful side--life with chronic pain, life with depression, life with a constant medical battle like epilepsy or diabetes, life with addiction, life with heartache, etc.  We hope that this journey is making us more keenly aware of the pain that others deal with on a daily basis.  I saw a quote the other day, "Everyone you meet is fighting a battle you know nothing about.  Be kind.  Always." An important thought we are trying to remember.

We have also been awakened to the idea that God's love and redemption for this world is not just through our fellow Christians.  He has demonstrated His unbelievable love and goodness to us through people of all faiths and backgrounds--Atheists, Hindu's, Protestants, Catholics, and those who really don't know what to believe.  Once again we find ourselves humbled at the lessons God is teaching us in this journey.

Art will start a new chemo cocktail tomorrow.  At our previous doctor visit, the doctor recommended that we may want to consider a second opinion at this point.  We began to think more about that, and in talking with some friends of ours, Pete and Cheryl Jokich, we began to look into City of Hope, a strictly cancer hospital in Los Angeles.  They graciously connected us with the right people to quickly set up an appointment while we are in California visiting my brother's family for Spring Break.  After this latest disappointing news, we feel this is good timing to be gaining more insight into treatment for Art's cancer.  Please pray that we would gain clarity, and not confusion, as a result of this meeting.

We've taken a break from a lot of things--we stepped off of some of the volunteer opportunities and extra-curricular activities we have been a part of.  This allows us more time to "Be Still".  Not only for healing, but for God to step in with surprises.  Whether it be a time for moments with our kids, a fun-filled activity, a nap, a meet-up with friends, or simply quiet time to reflect and cry, we are giving space for God to move in whatever way He deems best for us at this time.  We highly recommend it--cancer or no cancer!

We knew this was going to be a heavy blog post.  We don't want to leave you with an image of us living in sorrow or giving up.  Five minutes after this past doctor appointment, Art was saying things to make me smile and that same night we enjoyed laughs (and tears) at a family dinner with Art's siblings. We are still living with cancer, not dying from cancer.  And that involves a lot of joy!

So, in honor of Art's wonderful sense of humor that so many appreciate, we decided to brainstorm and leave you with the "Top Ten Benefits of Having Cancer".  We hope you can take this list lightly and laugh with us (no judgment please--life's just too short to judge!)  

Please be aware this list is PG-13--there may be some sex and drug references. :)

Top Ten Benefits of Having Cancer

 10.  You can say whatever you feel, and people let it go.  "It's probably all that medication."
   9.  You are never asked to help anyone move, and people snow-blow for you! What a winter for that benefit!
   8.  Best excuse EVER for not working out.
   7.  You get told how great you look all the time.  (In Art's case, he hasn't lost his hair, and he has a permanent chemo-tan.)
   6.  You can make up cool names for yourself like "Chemo-Sabe".  Yes, Art picked that name out for himself.
   5.  For married folks, you can basically get "it" (you know what I'm talking about) whenever you want it.
   4.  First in line for medical marijuana. (Thanks State of Illinois!)
   3.  You can get out of basically any social function you don't want to attend.  "You know, he's just not feeling up to it."
   2.  No one faults you for taking a nap whenever you want.
   1.  You get really great birthday gifts because people think it's your last one! (By the way, Art's birthday is April 3.)

As always, your love, support and kindness continue to overwhelm us, and we know, without us asking, that you will continue to fervently pray for us.

Praying for strength for each day, and bright hope for tomorrow.

Kris (on behalf of Art, Makenzie, Olivia and A.J.)
  

The Battle Continues

This will be a brief update to inform our friends and the many who are supporting us in love and prayer about the results of the scan today.  The scan revealed that the tumors are still relatively stable--some have shrunk a little and some have grown a little.  However, the tumor markers in Art's blood are increasing.  We are still trying to understand the nature of tumor markers, even after the Doctor's explanation today.  What we do know is that tumor markers indicate a level of cancer activity in the body.  When Art was first diagnosed, these markers were very high and they reduced dramatically after initial treatment.  However, they are beginning to climb again and the doctor feels strongly that we need to try and regain control of this. 

Art will begin new treatment next week which will add a fourth chemotherapy to his regime.  He will continue receiving treatment every other week for four cycles, at which time we will have another scan to determine if it's working.  Unfortunately we know the side effects will most likely increase during this treatment phase.

We have to admit that this was not the news we were hoping for.  But, we still have hope for healing and we are trying to remain optimistic.

We continue to covet your prayers for healing.  We are thankful that there are different options for attacking this cancer.  We are thankful that we have such wonderful medical facilities so close to home. We are thankful that we have all of you to share our news with, knowing you will pray and support us.  We are thankful for the assurance that God is holding on to us through this.

We leave you with a couple of verses that mean so much to us.  From Lamentations 3--"The faithful love of the Lord never ends!  His mercies never cease.  They are new every morning.  Great is your Faithfulness!"

And from Philippians 4:  "Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.  And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Jesus Christ."

Praying for strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow.

With much love,

Kris (and Art, Makenzie, Olivia and A.J.)

Grace

Again it has been awhile since we have posted an update on the blog.  I have never been one to write a Christmas letter, but this year it seems timely that we give an update, as well as wish all of you whom we care about so much a wonderful Christmas and New Year.

As in typical Christmas letter fashion, I hope you don't mind if I start out talking a little bit about our kids.  They are an integral part of this journey as well, and they inspire Art every day with laughter and positivity.  They are learning what it means to depend on their heavenly Father and that answered prayers often are not in direct response to a specific request.  They are constantly watching Art to determine his mood and our response to ongoing medical news.  We try and help them to understand as much as possible, while not limiting their minds to a medical prognosis that is not as positive as we would like it to be.  Their simple childlike faith challenges us and is a beautiful example for us to follow. 

Makenzie is mid-way through her Sophmore year at Calvin.  She has definitely settled in there, has declared her major of Communications with a Spanish and Art minor, and is making good friends whom she loves dearly.  She is fierce in monitoring our attitude toward cancer and chemo.  If she sees us getting down or negative, she quickly argues all the reasons we need to be positive.  She is an extremely capable young woman and is a huge help whenever we have the pleasure of having her

at home.  Her laugh dominates our home when she's around and we can't help but join in.  She makes sure we keep up all our family traditions and we love that about her!  She monitors our healthy lifestyle and has recently informed us she's training for a 1/2 marathon in the spring.  Art and I are not runners, so we are blown away by this.  We are so proud of her and are enjoying watching where God is leading her.

Olivia is a Junior at Glenbard East High School.  While she misses Timothy Christian, she has experienced numerous wonderful opportunities at this school.  She has some incredible teachers and is a part of an absolutely amazing choir program.  Her concerts are beautiful and she will be traveling to California over spring break with the entire music program from her school.  I now understand how tragic it is when music programs are cut from schools, because it is such a source of joy for Olivia at school.  Her Director is also a Christian and called us immediately after finding out Art's diagnosis to let us know he and his small group would be praying. Olivia continues to struggle with seizures and has actually experienced a seizure during a concert. Her director assured us that this would in no way limit Olivia's participation and that they would do everything they could to accommodate her and make her safe if this would happen again.  Olivia has a keen eye for giving her Dad the care he needs.  Her sweetest gesture is rubbing his feet with therapeutic lotion to help ease the pain and sensitivity.  Art is her source of laughter and joy and it's a beautiful relationship to watch.

A.J. is......well, A.J.  He is a constant source of love and sunshine in our home.  He is 12 years old and is in 6th grade at Timothy Christian.  Art and he have ongoing discussions about sports and share a love for sports trivia that often dominate our supper conversations and car rides.  A.J. plays basketball, football and baseball thrown in with some piano lessons to nurture his love for music.  His activities have been the greatest source of diversion for us in this past year.  But, it's his constant smile, infectious laugh, bubbling energy, and ongoing affection to us that keeps us positive and maintains a high degree of happiness in our home.

Art and I continue to work at Republic Services and ABS Graphics.  We have been blessed with incredible bosses and co-workers who are highly sensitive and supportive to our battle right now.  We know God placed us in these positions at these places for a reason.

All right.....now for the cancer stuff.  In about one month it will be a year since Art's diagnosis. We just finished up a 3rd phase of aggressive chemo treatments in the battle against cancer.  After a scan earlier this fall revealed that the cancer has not grown but has not shrunk any further either, we decided to follow the doctor’s recommendation to begin another series of more aggressive chemo treatments. The doctor wanted to attack it as much as possible while Art was strong and feeling good.  Art tolerated these past 8 weeks of chemo quite well.  He continues to experience pain and limitations in his feet, and fights ongoing fatigue and other side effects, but again, we realize the effects could be so much worse.  Art has been able to work and participate in most of our normal activities.  In looking at him, it's often hard to believe this battle is going on inside his body.  We will have another scan December 26, and a follow-up doctor visit on January 3.  We feel encouraged by the consistent lab reports Art receives before every treatment and we have very strong hope for a good report.  As always, we covet your prayers.

I have to admit that sometimes I hesitate to post on the blog, because I know it truly reflects how I’m feeling at a given moment.  In reality, if I read my blog post 1 day later, or even an hour after it’s posted, my feelings may totally change.  Ideally, I’d like to reserve my blog posts for times that I’m feeling really positive, connected to God in prayer and meditation, wise, grateful, strong, joyful, filled with the Spirit, in love with the world and all those in it, assured of a bright future, etc. because we hope to be an encouragement to others as we walk through this.   But, the truth is, whether you have something like cancer or are simply enduring some of the ongoing ups and downs of life, those moments when you feel completely positive and encouraged about everything in your life are often few and far between. 

Throughout this journey, it's our goal to always try to choose joy and happiness even in the tough circumstances.  We don't always feel it, and at some points we are downright miserable (just ask our kids), but we are embracing life exactly where we are, trying to ignore the insignificant stuff that can so easily overcome us, cutting each other some slack because we all have bad moments and make mistakes, and choosing to smile even in the midst of tears.  

So as we share this walk with you, we hope you see and believe that God will give you what you need for each day—that’s what we are finding out.  Our strength and emotions are all over the place, sometimes in the same breath--that’s why we ask you to join us in praying for strength for each day (maybe each moment) and bright hope for tomorrow.

Grace.  That's what the title of this blog is and that is truly what has been evident to us through this past year.  If you see anything by watching us go through this, we hope you will see God's Grace.  That's what's getting us through this and this is our prayer for all of you.  That you would experience God's Grace through every moment of 2014 and that His Grace would be shared with others through you.  We can only attribute the blessings we have received in this journey to God's Grace being showered down on us in so many ways. It is impossible to share all the moments where this has become so clear to us.

One of the most clear moments of God's Grace is in the attitude I see displayed daily in Art.  A little history about my husband--It has always been the little stuff that can really agitate him and get on his nerves.  Well, cancer and chemo is all about a bunch of little stuff affecting your body in weird ways.  In the past, Art would have probably lost it over all the inconveniences, annoyances and strange and painful effects as a result of the cancer and chemo.  He’s amazingly letting so much of that go.  As he has laid next to me in bed many nights wrestling with wires coming out of his chest from the chemo pump, and a fanny pack laying next to him in bed, not knowing how best to assume a comfortable position, wondering what side effects would pop out this time, he rarely complains.  Those were the little things that would have put him over the edge before—and now I stand amazed at the Grace God has given him to be able to handle this.  His patience has increased.  He’s even more patient with the kids and me, and makes it evident how much he appreciates so many moments with us.  My thoughts are often on the big things that I want to accomplish while we can….his thoughts are on the small and beautiful moments that he wants to experience daily.

I don't share this about him because cancer has suddenly made him perfect--he isn't!!  :) Our relationships have not suddenly been made problem-free.  Just ask him about our car ride the other day when we thought I was going to lose it.  I guess I share it because we see God giving us what we need, beyond us even knowing we needed it. 

I have to share a text I received from him last week.  I could tell a lot what was on his mind, and I just asked him to share his thoughts and explain what feelings were making the tears come so easily.  I thought he would share with me how anxious he was, or how tired he was from the side effects, or that he was worried and sad about the thought of what the future could bring.  I have to admit those thoughts overcome me at times.  Instead he says, "It isn't sadness as much as my constant struggle with the feelings of blessings I receive that I don't deserve.  I don't know how to get past the humbling feeling.  The kindness and love shown by so many. The thought of our family and how happy I am despite all the "_ _ _ _" going on with me.  The fact that I can still find such joy in our daughters and in our son.  I am amazed by God's Grace.  It makes everything o.k.  I continue to be in wonder at all of it."  That attitude can only be experienced by God's Grace, and the goodness that He works out in the midst of the most difficult times.

We realize that while we have experienced much healing and blessings in this past year, there are those close to us who have experienced great pain and loss and feel the burden of that immensely, especially at this time of the year.  We are certain that they have many moments where they are not feeling blessings beings worked out in adversity.  It may be impossible for them to see God's Grace and Love through the pain right now.  Our hearts ache for you and we can only offer our love, our hearts wide open to listen, and our imperfect words and support to help you through it.

On the top of our thanksgiving prayer list is all of you.  As I close this blog (finally), we cannot express our gratitude enough for all the love we have received from all of you.  We could not get through this without all your support and your prayers.  We wish all of you beautiful moments with those you love, an overwhelming awareness of God's Grace and His amazing Love for you, and true joy that encompasses both good and difficult times.

God bless you.  You have truly blessed us.

Praying for strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow.

With much love,

Kris (and Art, Makenzie, Olivia and A.J.)

It's Been Awhile

I have to start out by saying that I know it's been awhile since we have posted.  I guess my reasoning (excuse) for that is we have been trying to live a somewhat "normal" life for the past couple of months.  Every time I think about posting, I let something else take priority.  Cancer ruled our lives for the first 6 months of this year and I guess we are using this summer to catch our breath.  When I finally sat down to write an update, I re-read all of our blog posts.  In some ways it almost caused me to panic remembering the pain, emotions and loss experienced during the first half of this year.  In other ways it was a reassurance of God's presence in this journey.  We were always aware of God's goodness and His love for us, which was demonstrated daily. 

As most of you know, Art's scan in June revealed that the cancer has shrunk although it is still present throughout the liver.  It has shrunk enough for his liver to be functioning within normal range and Art has not been experiencing pain and swelling in his abdomen.  The doctor was ecstatic.  I have to admit that although I knew this was good news, I said to the doctor that we were hoping and praying it would be gone (even though the doctors have always told us the chances of this were slim to none).  For the first time, the doctor really explained how bad of shape Art was in when he came in to his office in January.  Although this was hard to hear, we better understand the doctor's response.  We are thrilled that Art is feeling so much better with little side effects right now from the cancer itself.

Art had a few weeks when he received no treatments.  He enjoyed a time of renewed energy.  He felt so good! But, the doctor didn't want to wait long before he put Art on a new chemo regime.  Art had been on three types of chemo. He took Art off of the most toxic and powerful chemo--the one that caused the greatest side effects--and he is leaving Art on the other two.  The doctor is hoping that this can keep the cancer from growing, and possibly shrink it more.  Art will have a scan in a couple of months to determine if this regime is working to stabilize the cancer.  The greatest side effect from this treatment has been pain in Art's feet.  It can make walking and standing difficult.  Although there is a constant battle with fatigue, the pain in his feet is a daily reminder of the battle going on in his body and his physical activity is limited--kind of tough with an 11 year old son who would like to play basketball and football all day!  But again, we are grateful that the ongoing side effects are currently not more severe.  Art is exercising again, and we were actually able to take some short hikes and a canoe trip on a mini-vacation to Starved Rock.

On another positive note, Art has never been told so much  how good he looks and what a great tan he has!  They ask "What's your secret?" You can imagine the stunned looks he gets (from those who don't know him well) when he says, "Chemotherapy!"

After the recent scan revealed that the cancer is shrinking but is still present, I had a conversation with my brother about how we were doing since receiving this news.  To me, that's a really tough question filled with all kinds of emotions.  I guess the big question in our minds is, "How do we live with this now?"  The reality is, this is an ongoing fight.  The doctor says the cancer will find it's way around the chemo and when it does he will be prepared to try a different chemo cocktail in hopes that it works.  So, how do you live one day at a time? How do you NOT worry about the future and what this could mean for Art and our family? How do you plan for a future that seems so uncertain?  What is the balance between trusting our heavenly father, having faith in the power of prayer and God's healing, but realizing that we have to live with different expectations and plans.

My brother explained his concern over this post diagnosis and treatment stage.  He's a pastor/chaplain and he has seen how immediately after a diagnosis and initial treatment, the people experiencing it go through a time where basically they are carried through because of the huge outpouring of love and support, the Holy Spirit's power and a major kick of adrenaline.  I definitely think we experienced that and we are forever grateful to all those who prayed us through it and were the physical presence of God's love in our lives. But, it's often after this initial period that spirits can decline and the day to day reality sets in.  I would say we are continuing to work through that.

So, while we are trying to understand and figure out how we are going to live with this, my devotional today provided a beautiful reminder I thought I would share.  "Understanding will never bring you peace.  That's why I have instructed you to trust in Me, not in your understanding.  Human beings have a voracious appetite for trying to figure things out, in order to gain a sense of mastery over their lives.  But the world presents you with an endless series of problems.  As soon as you master one set, another pops up to challenge you.  The relief you had anticipated is short-lived.  Soon your mind is gearing up again; searching for understanding (mastery), instead of seeking Me (your Master).  My Peace is not an elusive goal, hidden at the center of some complicated maze.  Actually, you are always enveloped in Peace, which is inherent in My Presence.  As you look to Me, you gain awareness of this precious Peace."

Sounds easy doesn't it? Not exactly. But, the only way we can learn to live with this is to daily claim God's peace, His grace, His love and His constant presence.  We also pray that the Holy Spirit will give us strength and wisdom as we find the balance between daily trust and choices about how we plan for our future.

Going through this has definitely changed our life perspective.  During this time period where we feel a little more "normal", we find ourselves lapsing back into dwelling on things that are so unimportant, and having our spiritual focus drift.  Art and I both agree how easily we can fall back into our old patterns.  We both agree that although this has been an incredibly difficult journey, we never want to live without the spiritual changes that the Holy Spirit has worked within us, and the fresh perspective we have about the beauty of life, the reality of eternity, the love of our Heavenly Father, and the presence of God's Kingdom here on earth and in the lives of so many who have touched our lives. 

The best thing about this blog is that we can share our thanksgiving and our needs, and we once again covet your prayers.

Please join us in praising God:

• for healing and that the cancer has shrunk and the liver is able to function normally.
• that Art has been able to maintain an incredibly positive attitude and that he still has his wonderful sense of humor that our family is blessed with every day.
• for a new appreciation of every day that God gives us to experience the beauty that surrounds us.
• for the gift of family and friends who give us so many moments of joy and love, in the midst of an ongoing battle.

Please ask God:

• for Art's complete healing!
• for relief from side effects.
• for protection from discouragement.
• that our hearts and minds would stay Christ-centered, and that the Holy Spirit would work mightily in our lives and in the lives of our children.
• that we can be a blessing to others, as we have been so richly blessed.
• for His healing presence and comfort in the lives of my sister and her kids, and in the Dykema family as they continue to experience the loss of wonderful husbands and fathers.
• for His continued strength and healing in the life of our friend Chris Thompson, as he and his family also live with the ongoing reality of life with cancer.

Praying for strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow!

With much love and gratitude,

Kris (on behalf of Art, Makenzie, Olivia and A.J.)

An Update From Makenzie--Calling All Prayer Warriors!

Hi everyone! This is Makenzie!! I’m finally home from college for the summer, and it is great to be home. The end of this past year has been rough, as you can imagine. But I just wanted to say a HUGE thank you to all of you for your support, love, prayers, and many, MANY meals and various gifts of love that you have blessed me and my family with. Even though I have not been home with my family through the majority of this trial so far, my parents would tell me about the many ways that they have been blessed by all of you. I could feel the love and support all the way up in Michigan. I know my family is surrounded by such amazing people and we couldn’t ask for a better army fighting with their hearts full of prayer for my dad.

I know my parents have been keeping up with this blog, and you have been able to read about how they have endured this experience so far. From a daughter’s point of view, it’s also not an easy journey. A dad is so much more than just a father, especially Arthur Vos. My dad is a friend… a BEST friend. He is a brother. He is a son. He is a husband. He is Mr. Fixit. He is my foundation. He is the one I run to when I am upset. He’s my biggest fan. He’s a comedian. He is extremely witty. He always knows just what to say. He taught me everything I know, and I have so much more to learn from him. As Father’s day is just around the corner, I am more aware of these traits that make my dad the greatest dad in the world (in my mind of course :) It’s by no means easy seeing my dad go through cancer treatments. It’s also incredibly hard to believe that he is actually sick, because he looks so healthy. But cancer never fails to remind us what his body is really going through when we see the sores on his hands and feet, and the incredible fatigue he experiences. We know that his side effects could be a lot worse, and we are grateful for that every day.

After my dad’s last treatment, the doctor’s decided to take him off of his chemo pills for a while because his hands and feet were so sensitive and they were afraid of infection. This break has allowed my dad to re-energize! He hasn’t been as tired lately, which is a huge confidence booster for our family. But this break from the chemo pills also means that if he has to start getting back into treatment routine again, it’s probably going to hit him like a ton of bricks. For my Dad and my family, this is a little scary to think about, but at least we know what to expect.  We pray that he's finished his last treatment, and that he will be pronounced cancer-free!

I just wanted to remind you all that this Friday at 8:30, my dad will be having a scan to see how the cancer is responding to the treatments. At 11:30, my parents will be meeting with the doctors to talk about the scan. We are asking you all to keep us in your thoughts and prayers as this day approaches, and especially on Friday. We are praying that God blesses us with a miracle this week!

As I reflect on everything my family is facing this week, the fruits of the spirit are evident in my mind. We are asking that you all continue to pray for:

- Unconditional LOVE for each other, even in the midst of stressful and difficult times. Love is one of the greatest medicines and, lucky for dad, he’s got a whole lot coming his way.

- That we continue to find JOY in the little blessings each and every day, because those are the things that make life worth living.

- PEACE in our hearts and our minds, because we know that God already knows what the outcome of this entire tribulation is. And it will be good.

- PATIENCE as we wait for results, and PATIENCE even if we don’t get the results we want.

- KINDNESS to each other, as it has been so hugely shown to us by all of you.

- The ability to remember the GOODNESS of our Lord and all of the countless blessings He has given us that we have seen every day.

- FAITHFULNESS to God even when we have doubts and fears, and continued trust in His FAITHFULNESS that He will continue to keep my family in his hands

- GENTLENESS and the ability to be still and let God fight for us; and the grace to show gentleness to others in the midst of turmoil

- SELF-CONTROL when we are at our wit’s end. And to remember that when life brings us to our knees, we are in the perfect position to pray.

- Strength as my family and I continue to embark on this journey together

- Trust that God has a plan bigger than ours and that He loves us with a love far greater than we can understand

- That my family and I can provide the care that my dad needs. (After all of the many years of my dad taking care of my scraped knees and “boo-boos”, I can finally return the favor!)

- For our family friend Chris Thompson and his family as he continues to recover and live with life after cancer, surgery, and continued maintenance.

- For my Aunt Cindi and my cousins Cori and Jimmy, and for Mrs. Dykema and her kids Ben, Amanda and Abby, as they continue to grieve the loss of my Uncle Jim and Mr. Dykema

- Thankfulness that God continues to bless us and gives us a bright hope for the future

- And finally… A MIRACLE!!

Philippians 4:6-7 seems to be theme of our journey so far. It has revealed itself time and time again to my family in many different ways, so I’d like to leave you with it as you think of my family this week.

 “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Phil. 4:6-7

Makin' Lemonade

Some thoughts from Art and an update from Kris...

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