Still Recovering...and Upcoming Events

I am definitely still recovering from the DIEP surgery. I have had many moments of regretting the surgery. I don't know if it was too soon or just because I happen to have gotten sick at the same time. Everyone I spent time with at Christmas got sick, so it wasn't just because my immune system was down, but it hit me so hard I keep blaming the surgery. I still feel about 50% of normal.

It is a new year and so far it's been great. I've had no cancer, no surgeries, no chemo or radiation, not even any doctor's visits. Oh, no miraculous healings either. I still can't drive so have been mostly sitting at home playing with the kids. It's been incredibly peaceful and I'm not stir crazy at all. I think the Lord was trying to show me I don't need to be so busy all the time.

So anyway, toward the end of last year I became hesitant to talk about my healing. I just felt burnt out and maybe I wanted to move on. Then on a trip to Gainesville I heard this heart-breaking story on the radio about a young (single) mother with stage 4 cancer. I absolutely lost it. I was almost convulsing with sobs as I drove and thought about it. God used that to motivate me. He reminded me that He has changed my heart--forever--to really care for, pray for, and minister to, people with cancer. It's part of me now and I'm sort of incomplete when I'm not doing it. I began to pray for more opportunities to share the story He blessed me with. Within about 24 hours I had three new opportunities, all of them unexpected. One will be on Easter. I was invited to share my story at a small local church called Mosaic (http://www.mymosaicchurch.com/). The pastor there was my pastor at Chi Alpha that I went to as a grad student and I gave my normal testimony there way back then. It will be different people but still a great "follow-up" to share the more recent news. The next two opportunities will take me completely out of my comfort zone. One will be for the Joanna Francis Living Well Foundation, which is that local group I attend events for. They are having a fashion show as a fundraiser on Valentine's Day and I will be in it. If you know me well you know I would normally hate to walk down a runway while everyone stares at me. But God has a sense of humor. Back when I was at my prettiest (in college), I wouldn't have hated it as much. But now that I'm at my ugliest (not putting myself down, just saying the truth), I have to strut down a runway and act like I think I look like hot stuff. However, I will be able to do it because I am the least focused on outer beauty that I have ever been. Hopefully feeling blessed on the inside will help a lot. It isn't a direct opportunity to share what God did, but anytime I get attention for surviving cancer the story comes out, and I guess this group is one God needs to be glorified around. Finally, on Feb. 23 I will be getting a makeover for the Tallahassee Magazine Top Salon contest. Basically, all these local hair salons each pick a model who they think deserves a makeover, and we get free clothes from Narcissus, free tooth whitening, a nutritionist, short term gym membership, and some other great perks. The contest is supposed to be how the hair salon improves us, but a lot of the judging goes by the model's personal story. I think last year someone made over a homeless person and she won. The winning salon wins advertising in the magazine and money donated in their name to their favorite charity. Haute Headz is doing mine, so if they win the money will go to the Joanna Francis Living Well Foundation. One of the owners of Haute Headz, Darcy Cavell, is a breast cancer survivor so it all goes together.

Other health issues that need prayer:
My friend, Sarah Allen collapsed today and they think it might be appendicitis. Please be praying for her correct diagnosis, perfect healing and easy recovery!

I mentioned Aly from Texas' scans last time and the results came back cancer-free, woohoo!!!!!

January 9: Alison with the rare stomach sarcoma is going to MD Anderson to see an expert. That just happens to be the same exact day I went last year! You all know my awful experience there so please pray that she gets only good news. She has had two clear scans and doesn't need anything to bring her down. Please pray she will see the right doctor/s, ask the right questions, and know what to do in the future. And keep praying she remains permanently cancer-free.

January 11: Debora Passetti fundraiser at Four Oaks. I'm terrified that the turnout won't be big enough. We are only charging $5/ person so we really need a lot of people to show up. Please pray the right people will come and the family and everyone donating time, talents or money is blessed. Her recent scan came back as improved but not clear and I believe she went off chemo (after 21 weeks of it) and onto Arimidex. Please pray those side effects will be minimal and that God will take the rest of the cancer away immediately. And permanently.

January 14: My friend Jessica with the lung cancer has a scan scheduled. Each has been showing improvement but that's not enough. Pray for every last cell to be gone.

Let's pray and believe that 2013 will be the year of healing!!!!!!!!!!

Psalm 103: 15-19, "As for man, his days are like grass; As a flower of the field, so he flourishes. When the wind has passed over it, it is no more; And its place acknowledges it no longer. But the lovingkindness of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear Him, And His righteousness to children’s children, To those who keep His covenant, And who remember His precepts to do them. The LORD has established His throne in the heavens; And His sovereignty rules over all."

Prayers for the Week and Foundation

This is a big week for prayers, so please fill the heavens with echos of these requests. In addition, if you have any prayers I can join you with, please comment or email them. It helps if you send the person's name (first only is fine), and updates as they occur.

Alison: The woman we prayed for a few months ago is having a scan tomorrow (Tuesday), then going to Shands to see an expert on Wednesday. She is the one who had the really rare intestinal sarcoma issue. Several years ago she was diagnosed with it and when they opened her up to do the surgery, it looked like someone had thrown handfuls of cancer (like salt) all over her insides. It was really bad but disappeared for years, thanks to much prayer. More of it showed up in May though and she had a surgery, followed by a clear scan. This is the type of cancer that they say can just keep coming back like that and surgery is the only helpful treatment. Please pray this scan is clear and that EVERY scan continues to be clear. Forever. Not one more diseased cell is permitted in her body. It is the temple of the living God and there is no room in there for cancer or other illnesses!

"Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body," (1 Cor. 6:19-20).

Jessica: On the 19th she is having her next scan. She is the one a little younger than me who was suddenly diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer. She is on an alternative type of treatment and with every scan there has been much less cancer. But let's pray that this one shows NO cancer. Since her diagnosis maybe 6 months ago, her father had brain cancer recur and he passed away a few weeks ago. It is a lot for her and her family, much more than anyone can deal with. She is casting the burden back to God and He will help carry her. But I know it's time for some good news. Pray for her to be entirely cancer-free. We are not accepting improvements, because God does His work fully. There is no mention of a partial miracle in the Bible, and we are not looking for anything like that. We are looking for those amazing signs and wonders Jesus promised were coming. This is that time!

John 14:12," I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father."

Psalm 77:14, You are the God who performs miracles; you display your power among the peoples."

Me: In one week I have my regular appointment with Dr. Rassam. I have no complaints to report to him but he will likely do the blood marker tests. I am praising God already that they are lower than ever before!

Psalm 106:8, "Yet he saved them for his name's sake, to make his mighty power known."

Debora: She is the one diagnosed with stage 4 breast cancer, and in about 6 weeks she'll have another scan. I know she has been healed already, and that liver scan (the one of concern) will show evidence of that. Also pray for her fundraiser, which will either be at the start of December or mid-January. We are working out the details but it will be awesome.

“For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you. We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives,”Colossians 1:9 NIV

Cancer Foundations: During my trials with cancer, Yaacov was editing a textbook with a few friends. One of them is an awesome man named Don Compton (from Vanderbilt), who has decided to donate his royalties to a cancer foundation of our choice. First of all, isn't that one of the nicest things you've ever heard? I don't think I've ever even met him. Second of all, we will be praying about which foundation to recommend. I think it should be a national group because he lives in Nashville and we are in Florida. I am so sick of cancer I want to support research in preventing or curing it. Susan G. Komen is obvious but there are pros and cons. FORCE is a group that deals with genetic breast cancer, so that is another. Anyway, if anyone else has thoughts please let me know.

2 Thessalonians 3:5, "May the Lord direct your hearts into God’s love and Christ’s perseverance."

Updated Prayers for today, Monday and beyond

In case anyone on here is a prayer warrior (I know the answer to that!), there are some upcoming important events for a few of the severe illnesses I'm following. I have been trying to not give away as much identifying info as I did in the past so that's why I'm just using initials:

Today (Thursday) from 6-7 pm we will be praying for DP. She is undergoing chemo and was diagnosed with Stage 4 Breast Cancer a few months ago. She has an upcoming CT scan and Friday is her chemo day. There is a specific prayer we're all praying for her. If you want to join in, email me and I'll forward it to you. Please pray that she will believe not just that God CAN heal her, but that He WILL heal her. Pray for her continued comfort and ease of treatments, and that she will enjoy every moment and blessing around her.

"Jesus replied, 'I tell you the truth, if you have faith and DO NOT DOUBT, not only can you do what was done to the fig tree, but also you can say to this mountain, 'Go, throw yourself into the sea,' and it will be done. If you believe you WILL receive whatever you ask for in prayer." Mth 21:21-22.

Monday we will be fasting and praying for AA.AA has a really crummy case, too. Six years ago she was diagnosed with an extremely rare cancer called endometrial stromal sarcoma. I think there were only 300 cases then or something. It was Stage 4 upon discovery, but she was miraculously healed. When I was first diagnosed, everyone from church told me about her, as the example of how one could be healed. Well, a tumor recently returned and Dr. Crooms removed it (Dr. McAlpine is her other amazing local doctor, woohoo!). There are no tests and very little treatment for this rare condition. Her youngest daughter is 13 now, and this fear of recurrence is the last thing she needs. The last thing anyone needs. I'm particularly saddened by it because the return can make AA lose confidence that she was ever healed in the first place. She is getting another opinion from MD Anderson next week. They're obtaining her slides and reviewing them that way, so we don't know Monday is it. But it's a good day to petition the Lord, in unity, for her true, final healing. There is some debate about whether it is low or high grade, so she would like us to pray that it is low grade. I will be praying for her confidence and peace as she trust the Lord with her health, and that there is no evidence of any sort of disease in her, forevermore.
An elder from church is also a doctor, and he blogged about AA. All the details are here, ipressontothegoal.blogspot.com/2012_05_01_archive.html

Phil 4:6-7, "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus."

A young lady named JH was diagnosed with Stage 4 lung cancer, and felt the Lord guided her away from the traditional treatments. She has no children but desperately wants them, so she had her eggs frozen and recently began a clinical trial for a non-chemo drug. She is having a CT scan on July 26. I don't know what day she'll get the results so that's the day I'll be praying especially hard.

James 5:14-16, "Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer of faith will save the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has GREAT POWER as it is working."

Please pray that all these women will have supernatural peace and belief that God is in control. Pray they will boldly push aside any doubts that they will be healed, and instead embrace the opportunity to be a part of His glorious plan--a plan that involves their true hope, full healing, and awareness of His glory. Pray they will live as though they have already been healed, the way Abraham's faith was credited to him as righteousness. Pray they will persevere in the face of odds, and they would be protected from the evil one who comes to destroy them. Pray this experience will strengthen, rather than ruin them, mentally and physically.

There are three other cases to pray about, but I don't know what they have coming up so I'll wait to post them. For the most part, I don't think it matters when you pray for someone, but if we're joining together for the common purpose it feels right to do it at the same time. "For where two or three come together in my name, there I am with them" Mth 18:20

Whenever I set aside specific times or days to praying for something like that, I fast from food and entertainment when possible. Once in awhile fasting from food makes me very sick, so I take that as a sign to eat. The idea is to stay as focused as possible on the thing you're praying about. Also, when the disciples couldn't drive out a certain demon, some Bible translations say Jesus replied, "this kind can only come out by prayer and fasting.". Some versions don't say the fasting part, so I imagine there's controversy in the original Arameic term. But, I figure we are called to fast at times, and if there is a chance that some situations are dire enough to require fasting, it wouldn't hurt. When I give up a lot of things like that I'm also more attuned to what God wants, so I pray more in synch with Him.

"When you fast, do not look somber like the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show men they are fasting. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full." Mth 6:16