Hello everyone -- I wanted to write once again and give you a brief update on how Neil is doing, one year to the day after he experienced a TBI from the fall at home, which was 5 weeks after his brain tumor surgery.  We rejoice that the Lord has given him such a great measure of healing -- Neil is able to lead worship and preach and care for people, and carry out many of the administrative tasks of a pastor.  We are so very thankful for this!  Your faithful prayers for Neil and for our family have been heard and answered by God.  Some of the prayers have been answered by God with a "Not yet, my child" response.  We sense that God has lessons for us to learn as we wait for Neil's complete physical healing.  We also know that God may choose, in His wisdom and providence, not to answer our prayers in the way we would desire.   We have relinquished these desires to God, after having wrestled much with this matter -- if God wants him to continue on in life with the daily headaches and muscle pain, then we will rest in this.  We know that Paul's thorn in the flesh was not removed, but rather God told him that His own strength and grace would be sufficient for Paul, in the midst of his weakness.   Daily grace and daily strength -- enough for each day, just like the manna that the Israelites were given each day in the wilderness.  Certainly this situation causes us to depend more and more upon the Lord!   And isn't this the place where He wants His children to be, dependent each day upon Him alone?

Of course you may be wondering what medical treatments we have sought for Neil's tenacious headaches.   Well, you name it, and we have tried it.  We are not kidding!   Medications, injections, trigger point injections, prolotherapy, physiatry, pain centers, headache clinics, neurologists, chiropractors, physical therapy, acupuncture, TMJ treatment, etc..  No relief yet!   So . . . . this Friday, Neil will be having an MRI of his spine done, and next week will be seeing the surgeon who did his cervical neck fusion surgery in 2001.  Perhaps this new MRI and consult with the surgeon will give us some fresh insights into what is causing his constant pain.  His current chiropractor, Dr. Andy Smith, has the mentality of a detective -- he really wants to help us get this figured out, if possible.  How do people do this who don't have the Lord to cry out to for help?   But we do have His mercy and help and we continue to take it a day at a time, trusting that God will show us what to do when we need to know.

So . . . . looking back on the last year, we praise God for His help.  It has been a very rough year, with many adjustments, yet in the midst of it all, we have seen the kindness of our Father God.  Thank you so much for all of your prayers and your love and your support.  The Lord has lifted us up through each one of you, and has drawn us closer to Himself.  Please know that we love you, each of you who reads this, and has extended love and kindness to us.  If you think of us, would you please pray for Neil to be upheld by God and enabled to persevere through the chronic pain each day?   Thank you!  We really do want to honor and glorify Him in the midst of it all.

Holy Week is coming, with the celebration of our Lord Jesus' passion, His death and His Resurrection on our behalf.   We wish you all a blessed Easter week, as you celebrate what the Lord has done for us in Christ. 

With much love and gratitude to God for all of you,

Mary Sue and Neil