Second MRI....ALL CLEAR

Hello All! Well, it's been 3 months since the Praise Party, when we first celebrated and Thanked our God for healing Cyrus. We went in for his 3-month MRI last week...and once again the Dr.'s can say nothing but, "no cancer"...and smile. What an amazing God we serve.

I was encouraged to attend this Dr. appointment with Cyrus by a good friend...I really didn't want to go...cause the last time I'd been to the Dr. with Cyrus, was the beginning of a fierce battle with anxiety, depression and physical sickness that resulted from those things. I was hiding. That morning the Lord spoke to my heart...and the tears began to flow. He spoke through His word in a song: "The word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path. By the word of the Lord were the heaven's made. He spoke and it came to be, the Word of the Lord will stand forever." In hearing this, I knew the results of the MRI...no cancer...He is healed. I had peace, confidence that it would be so.

You see, months ago the Lord pressed upon my heart, to pray for Him to "speak" the command to the cancer in Cyrus's brain...to go no further and to die, to obey the "word" and command of the Lord...just as all creation did and does. He reminded me that He commanded the water of the ocean to come no further than the sand on the seashore. The water obeyed Him. That He commanded all things to be created, and by the word of His mouth, it came to be. So, when I heard those words in a song...I knew that He had done what I had asked.

As we left the Dr.'s office, I felt a "tap on my shoulder" (not literally)....and the gentle revelation of the Spirit to my heart...showing me the work He has been doing in my life over the last several months. "Remember?" He asked.  I did...I remembered how weak, trembling, sick and anxiety-ridden I was the last time I had set foot in that Dr.'s office. I remembered the darkness that followed. And then He asked, "See what I've done through your suffering?" I saw it. A night and day change deep as the depths of my soul. Praise God! He loves us so much that He allows the pains of this life to cripple us, and kill off the parts of us that do not glorify Him. He does a new work. "Being confident of this, that He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus." Phil 1:6

Cyrus is doing well. Currently he is still on the anti-seizure medications...until the aura's cease completely. He will visit the oncologist every 3 months for a new MRI and blood work. He is currently working very hard, selling insurance, and doing a great job at it! Please pray for him as he continues to press forward in this new field of work. It will be a few years before it begins to pay him for the work his is now putting in. We will keep you updated...Thank you for all your prayers and your standing by us in this. We love you all.

Praise Report:
• Our friend and sister in the Lord, Brenda, whom we asked you to pray for, is doing very well after her last treatment for lymphoma. Please keep them in your prayers as they get ready for another PET scan.
• Our friend and sister, Stephanie, who has been undergoing treatments and surgery for breast cancer, is now cancer free! Thank you for all your prayers...please continue to give glory to God in this!

Prayer Requests:
• My precious Aunt who is having a lump on her neck examined and biopsied this week. Peace in her heart and strength in her body.
• A very dear friend who has recently found out that she has a growth in her brain.
• That the Lord would protect and preserve Cyrus's liver and kidney's as his body filters the very strong medications he is still taking.
• Continued healing in Cyrus's brain.
• Financial provision for us as we recover from and adjust to all the changes that have come over the last year.

A PRAISE PARTY!

You're invited to our home on Friday, Nov. 19th @ 7pm to celebrate Cyrus being cancer free. God has acted mightily on behalf of all of our prayers and petitions...and we want to Praise Him and give Him the thanks He deserves. There will be praying, singing and cake! Hope to see you there. We love you all.

Cancer Free

It hardly seems real. Cyrus is cancer free! Yesterday we got the news from the Dr.'s, that his MRI came back clear of all cancer. The before and after scans were compared.....in the before you can see the remaining tumor....in the after, it's apparent that there is no tumor left! The only thing that is left to prove that Cyrus ever even had brain cancer, is the hole in his brain where the tumor once resided, and the scar and lack of hair on his head. I look at his head, where the hair is missing and the scar from both brain surgeries is exposed, and think to myself...what a beautiful marking on my husband! People who don't know him probably think....'what on earth is that guy trying to prove with a hair cut like that!?'....but I think, 'God, You are amazing! Because of that mark on my husband's head, you are and will be more beautiful to so many souls...including mine! That mark stands as a witness of God's amazing hand of mercy and healing!'

Today I am praying for the Dr.'s who are seeing the hand of God at work in Cyrus. Please pray with me for their souls to be saved! That their hearts would not hardened to the Love of God that is extended to them. Pray for their minds not to explain away the miraculous healing upon Cyrus.

This morning I read the most fitting devotional for this day...it is not just for me...it is for you! I pray that following devotional from Streams in the Desert will stir up your hearts and faith in a God who "can do exceedingly abundantly above all we can ask or think to ask!"

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Is anything too hard for the Lord? • (Genesis 18:14)

This is God's loving challenge to you and me each day. He wants us to think of the deepest, highest, and worthiest desires and longings of our hearts. He wants us to think of those things that perhaps were desires for ourselves or someone dear to us, yet have gone unfulfilled for so long that we now see them as simply lost desires. And God urges us to think of even the one thing that we once saw as  possible but have given up all hope of seeing fulfilled in this life.

That very thing, as long as it aligns with what we know to be His expressed will–as a son was to Abraham and Sarah–God intends to do for us. Yes, if we will let Him, God will do that very thing, even if we know it is such an utter impossibility that we would simply laugh at the absurdity of anyone ever suggesting it could come to pass.

"Is anything too hard for the Lord?" No, nothing is too difficult when we believe in Him enough to go forward, doing His will and letting Him do the impossible for us. Even Abraham and Sarah could have blocked God's plan if they had continued to disbelieve.

The only thing "too hard for the Lord" is our deliberate and continual disbelief in His love and power, and our ultimate rejection of His plans for us. Nothing is impossible for Jehovah to do for those who trust Him.

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There are many of you who have given up hope for your heart's desires to be realized. Don't give up on them...bring them before the Lord once again, and leave them at His feet. He is able to do all things and loves to bless His children! Has the absence of granted hopes clouded your view of the true character of our God? As a friend reminded me this week..."He is a good Father! He loves to bless His children and give good things to them!" He is not a cold and calculating God who restricts and punishes with arms crossed and brow furrowed! He is a loving Father, who weeps for us, who dances over us, who rejoices in us! He loves you so much...and has already give you His most precious possession....His Son. "He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?" Romans 8:32

Prayer Requests:

• Pray for: Dr. Manning, Dr. Zucherman, Dr. Smith, Dr. Han to see the glory of the Lord and to receive Him into their hearts.

• Pray for the Lord's amazing works to be high and lifted up in the hearts of all people who are witnessing His awesome work.

• Pray for our friend Saeed who is currently in Iran, setting up an orphanage. 

• Pray for our friend Stephanie who is going through her 2nd round of chemotherapy. She is very sick, and needs our prayers. Praise God that she is now cancer free!

• Pray for our friend Brenda who is also enduring treatments for lymphoma. Praise God that she is now cancer free!

• Pray for my mourning family. My sweet Aunt Lynda went home to be with her Lord last week after a long battle with lung disease, MS, and cancer. Pray for her children and siblings who are grieving her loss. Pray for God's comfort and saving grace for their hearts.

• Pray for God's hand to completely heal and renew that area of Cyrus's brain where the tumor was. Pray that He would command health and continued cancer free reports for Cyrus, and that all predictions of the Dr.'s would be refuted and proved insignificant in the presence of our God and all who witness His work. 

God Bless you all...and Thank you for walking along this steep and narrow path with us. We will continue to keep you updated on Cyrus as he checks in the Dr.'s from this point on. He will have regular MRI's going forward, to check on things. We love you all...and praise God for knitting our hearts together through this trial.

-Jonie

Week 6 -Treatment Finished

Tuesday Cyrus had his last treatment. What a relief to have this finished...although it was nothing as bad as we had imagined! And while it is a relief to have this finished, I find myself in that place again...the place of unfamiliarity, of the unknown, and waiting for the next direction for our lives. We know now, more than ever, that we have no control in this life. We may think we do at times...but as we find in times as these, the human hand really has no real strength to direct our own path. I don't have control. Cyrus doesn't have control. I don't have the answers. But I do know who has my times in His hands....The God of all creation. The same God who created the earth in 7 days by simply speaking a command. The God who created me, who created you and every intricate part of us...He is in control, and He is guiding our paths...and when it comes right down to it, this truly is one of the most blessed truths to grasp as a believer. We will encounter trials, pain, uncertainty, heartbreak and death in this life...and we need not fear these things...for when they do come, He is there. He gives strength to us in that very moment we need it most. There's no use in trying to grasp it in the here and now...because He hasn't given us that grace to project how we might feel in those dark seasons....but we simply must trust in His goodness, and His capability, and His faithfulness to carry us through this life, no matter what it may bring. Even as I write this, I'm struggling to let this truth work itself out in my heart. It's not easy to surrender, but with Him all things are possible!

And I assure you...that in the darkest times, He brings the sweetest blessings! He brings Joy...that is not centered on the circumstances of this life.

So, on a practical side...we now wait until Oct. 28th to do the MRI on Cyrus and see what is happening in his brain. Cyrus has transitioned from remodeling, and is officially selling insurance full-time now. I'm relieved that he has a job that is much less taxing to his body. So, if any of you needs a quote for cheaper and better insurance coverage, Cy would be happy to help you out with that. I'm so proud of him for stepping into a new career path...I'm sure it's not easy....but he is doing a great job.


Prayer Requests:

• Please pray for me, that the Lord would hold back the anxiousness that wants to creep in. That I would be re-grounded in Him, and be able to receive the peace that passes all understanding. Please pray for me in the evenings...this is especially a hard time, when things quiet down, and it feels as though we're all alone in our home.

• Please pray for Cyrus as he adjust to a new job. There are lots of new things to learn in this field.

• Please pray for Cyrus to return to feeling his normal self now that treatment is finished. He has had almost no taste, and a few food aversions. He lost his hair on one side of his head.


Praise Reports:

• Dr. says that Cyrus's white blood cell count is right where is should be...which is remarkable for having just finished 6 weeks of treatment.

• Cyrus has stayed healthy through this whole process...even while me and the kids have had at least a couple bugs, he has been resistant to it!

We love you all! Please keep sending us  your encouragement, and reminders of your prayers and support, they mean so much to us! 

Week 5

Jackson on his 4th Birthday.

Week 5 is finished, and only 6 more days of treatment are left...and in one month they will do a new MRI of Cy's brain to see how the remaining tumor was affected by the treatment. Cyrus is doing pretty good still...he is having some short bouts of nausea in the evenings, and aversion to certain foods...but other than these things, he is able to carry on with his normal activities! This is nothing short of a miracle! We praise the Lord for His mercy to us in this season.

I remember sitting in the Oncologists office for the first time, just days before I started having serious anxiety and depression over all of this. After the Dr. listed off all of the awful side effects for us to except from the treatment, I broke down in tears. I was so fearful....imagining all the worse possible scenarios...when came the voice of my Lord, "I'm not going to allow any of that to happen". Oh how I wish I would have been strong enough over the next several weeks to believe and stand on that truth, and know that that voice was the Lord! But over time, as we've watched this play out...that same statement has gone through my head again and again...and I know now, that it was the Lord, speaking to my heart! And He has been faithful to His promises. During this season I'm learning to sort out the Lord's voice, as I struggle with all the other thoughts going through my mind..and what I'm finding is this: when every other thought in your mind is negative, doubting, fearful, and hopeless, and then out of no where you have that one thought that is none of the above, the thought that brings hope, peace and courage in the midst of terror....I have to conclude that this is the Lord. I know my natural mind will always conjure up the worst scenario when it comes to a fearful situation...so if I hear a voice that counters all my fears...I am going to trust it's the Lord speaking, wait on Him to prove it, and than trust even sooner the next time!

Well, here are some updates. Lindsey and Cy's Brother and Wife, Denver & Vanessa, have officially put their roots down in Boise, ID. It's so great to have them here! We've been seeing a lot of them, as they both live only 4 minutes away from us!

We celebrated our Son's 4th Birthday last week! What a boy he is. While we were enjoying his party, and all the sweet family & friends who joined us, I was in awe of how GOOD the Lord has been to us. When we first learned of the tumor in Cyrus's brain, one of my thoughts was, "I'll never be up for planning another joyful event...or enjoying another Birthday, I guess I'll just have to fake my way through it for the kids." But I am telling you, that fear has turned out to be the furthest thing from the truth! I think now, more than ever, I am able to enjoy every opportunity for joy and sharing in good times with those we love...because I realize more now that each of these times is a gift from God! I could never have imagined being joyful again, when this whole thing started...but now, there is more joy, more hope than ever...and I praise the Lord for that!

A praise & a prayer request: So, concerning the medical bills, before we were allowed to move forward with the surgeries, the hospital required us to pursue medical funding through Ada County (this is what happens when you don't have health insurance). When you apply for assistance with the County, they automatically put a lien on all your real property, and require you to agree to paying back the total amount they cover. Anyway, long story short, the County denied our application....but Praise God! Social Security approved Cyrus and in turn he was approved for Medicaid through Social Security. The great thing about this is that Medicaid is going to cover 100% of Cyrus's medical bills starting in June until now, and moving forward! The only catch is, that his first surgery was in May...which leaves an entire set of surgery bills unpaid for. I'm confident that the Lord has something good here...so we just ask you to pray that the Lord might allow Social Security to move the start date for Medicaid coverage back to May...so that the 1st surgery would be covered as well. Or maybe the Lord has something else in mind...I guess we just need to pray for His provision withing His perfect will. :)

Thank you all for your prayers and your continuous love for us. I can't even begin tell you how much your support has carried us through this so far. Whenever you reach out to us, we see our Heavenly Father reaching out to us, through His amazing Body! We pray that you are all encouraged in knowing that He has and is using you mightily for His glory! Your works are known throughout the world (literally) and God is being glorified because of your desire to love Him and serve Him. Please don't stop praying for us, coming to visit us, or whatever the Lord puts on your hearts. We need you as we continue to pass through this season.

One last note, please continue to pray for Stephanie Lasater, my friend with Breast Cancer, and Brenda, our friend with Lymphoma. Both are currently undergoing surgeries and further treatments...please pray for complete healing in their bodies, and for God to be magnified!

We love you all!
Jonie

Summer Fun

pretty "birdie"

Thea Marie

At the fair

1st day of preschool

Balloon Classic: Daddy and Jackson

First Fair ride

Week 4

4 Weeks down, 2 weeks to go. Cyrus is doing very well. Still no side effects...except a little bit of hair loss in the area where they beam him (the radiation beam that is). The aura's have decreased, and the Dr. says his white blood cell count is actually going UP!

When I think of the horrible thoughts I had envisioned in my mind, of what this season of treatment would look like, I am simply overjoyed by God's amazing mercy! I had imagined this season to be awful, but instead of my worst fears, the Lord has brought miraculous outcomes. This season has been so good...Cyrus is doing so well, and we've enjoyed each other, our family and our friends more because of this trial. No, we don't know the future, but we do know that the Lord has proven Himself faithful to His children, no matter the darkness of the storm surrounding them. He truly is the One who makes the darkness light, who makes the crooked paths straight, who binds up our wounded hearts, who walks with us through the deep waters and stands with us in the fire.  Only He can walk us through this life...and give us Joy, Hope, Peace, Strength, Comfort, and so much more!

"You light a lamp for me. The Lord, my God, lights up my darkness. " -Psalm 18:28

Right now myself, Jack and Thea are all getting over a bug. Please pray that Cyrus wouldn't get it.

Thank you all for lifting up our prayer requests last week! God has been answering! We love you all!

Praise Report:
• My brother found a Dr. who agreed to do surgery on his jaw without any money up front, and for 1/4 of the price the Dr.'s in Sun Valley were quoting!
• Lindsey's move went smoothly and the Lord provided a great apartment for her in West Boise! She loves her new job..and the Lord has provided in amazing specific answers to our prayers. She is already such a huge help and been such a blessing to us!
• Cyrus's aura's have been decreasing and white blood cell count going up!

Prayer Requests:
• Please continue to lift up Brenda and Stephanie, our friends who are battling cancer.
• Please pray as we head into flu season, for protection for Cyrus and for our friends with cancer.
• We are still waiting to find out if we qualify for assistance with the hospital and Dr. bills, please pray for God's provision in this area.
• That the Lord would be glorified in this trial.
• That ours and others' FAITH would be built up as we see God's hand at work.
• Please pray for Vanessa & Denver as they move here this weekend. Vanessa will be working the night shift at St. Lukes Meridian, and is a little nervous about working night shift...please pray that the Lord would help her and her family to adjust smoothly and quickly to the new schedule.  Please also pray for childcare for her girls during the days, while she tries to sleep.