"In Tragedy Or In Victory" August 24, 2017

"I had a good time visiting and staying with my mom last night. I was glad to be with her and keep her company.

Because I have not written a formal update for a while, and several people have asked, I will update you.

Over the last two years, mom has gone through several forms of chemotherapy, immunotherapy and several trial drugs. None of them have worked. The various forms of therapy, in combination with the drugs and pain killers, have made mom very weak and very sick. And while mom has had a couple days where she feels better than others, she is always in a lot of pain and always very tired.

Since her treatments have not shown significant results, the doctors have told us there is nothing else they can do for her except try to make her comfortable. From what I've been told, the tumor in her abdomen has grown quite large and is wrapped around her liver and spleen. They cannot remove it.

I never thought it would come to this. I had fully expected that the Lord would heal her through His divine power or that He would lead us to a drug that would work for her by now. I never thought I would see my mom in so much pain, frustration and sadness.

But God can still do anything. He can still heal her. He can still lead us to a new form of medication that can help. In Christ all things are possible.

For those of you who know me and my family, you know how our family responds to both tragedy and victory in the face of impossible situations. In both, we never stop believing. We never stop trusting. We never stop hoping.

Some mornings I wake up hoping this was all just a nightmare. I'm always heartbroken to learn it isn't. Most days I feel paralyzed, emotionally and spiritually. But my faith, hope and trust in Christ Jesus is still very much alive.

Our pastor recently reminded us that the Bible isn't full of stories of what "people" can do. It's full of stories of what "God" can do. And our family has seen first hand God's healing power. So my faith, my trust and my hope is in Him. And regardless of how this situation ends, in tragedy or in victory, my love and faith in Christ will not be shaken.

Thank you all for your continued prayers and support. They mean so much to me and my family. Bless you all."

Originally published to Facebook 8/24/17