Strong. Steady, Solid. Smart. Supportive. In other words, the ROCK - That's Philip!
Our world took an unexpected detour on June 8, 2017, when Philip received the news that the “spot” on his lung was cancerous. He had gone to several doctors in the past to see what could be done for his recurring and what we thought was “seasonal” laryngitis- aka - the crud. It finally took an intuitive doctor to order a chest X-ray and find the real culprit of his cough. Since Philip is a non-smoker, who would have suspected lung cancer, right?
A week later we also learned that the cancer in his lung had advanced to his hip bone and into his lymph nodes which, by definition, means stage IV. His type of cancer is called non-small cell Adenocarinoma - a slow-growing type which we believe could very well have been in his lung for many years and we pray will slow down, if not completely stop dead in its tracks!
With so many unknowns in our lives right now, we wanted to share a few of our knowns:
> Philip is in his mid-50s – and still has very few gray hairs on his head. We are ALL jealous!
>We began our year-long 25th Anniversary celebration in January with a spectacular trip to St. John for some diving, snorkeling, and time with dear friends. It's just how we do it...each year we celebrate our marriage for a WHOLE week which began in 1992 with a civil ceremony on December 21st in Baden-Baden, Germany, and culminated with a reaffirmation of our vows on December 27th at a small Lutheran Church in Weilbach, In December, 2017, we will be married a FULL 25 years!
However, of all our milestones in life so far, the one we are MOST proud is launching our three amazing kids into adulthood.
> Erik graduated from Colorado State University School of Business in May and is currently searching for the perfect career opportunity. His experience as a RAMS lacrosse player certainly keeps his head steady and strong under pressure - just like his dad!
>Kahri is returning to Luther College this fall as a junior and is studying Communications/ International Studies. She is currently at Counselor at Good Earth Village in Spring Valley, MN. She definitely has taken an affinity for the hard-working and down-to-earth Midwest values.
>Rebekah is also returning to Luther College this fall as a sophomore and majoring in Anthropology/Journalism. She is the official Wood Carving Instructor at Rainbow Trail Lutheran Camp in Hillside, CO. Rebekah LOVES to cook and we are missing her creative, sometimes Vegan, gourmet meals.
>We also know that we are incredibly blessed and grateful for our church family and Pastor, our parents, caring friends, and lots of brothers, sisters, nephews, nieces, and cousins. THANK YOU all for your outpouring of love, support and prayers!
So, what next? For now, we await test results to let us know if new advancements in genetic gene-receptor's research will be the golden ticket to keeping this invader at bay. It's an ever-changing medical landscape, and our hope is that there will be a treatment plan to address all areas of the cancer and totally snuff it out.
We have always said 10% of life is what happens to us, but 90% is how you deal with it. So, we plan to deal with this thing called cancer with PRAYER, PERSEVERANCE, AND PATIENCE (the "3-Ps" as we often say). Indeed, it will carry us through this new journey we are about to begin…
We also have a song that we SING anytime we have come up against a challenge. We sang it during our backpacking trip to Europe in 1986 and we sang it the day we heard the “C’ word. Maybe you know this hymn?
Surely it is God who saves us.
We will trust in Him and not be afraid
For the Lord is our stronghold and our sure defense
And He will be our Savior.
We will keep you posted on the treatment progress with one very important request - pray for Philip, pray for our family, pray for others with cancer, and pray for the medical community. We truly believe in the POWER of prayer and the MIRACLE of modern medicine - it's the hope that lights the new reality of our lives as we know it in the here and now. Taking it one day at a time….
We love you all so very much!
Philip and Lynn
PS. There are lots of other reasons why Philip is the ROCK - just ask him to tell you a few of his rocky stories.
Also – if you ever need a relaxing song – we have just the one that is helping us stay focused on the many blessings of our lives: “Benedictus” by 2 Cellos.
https://www.bing.com/search?q=benedictus+2+chellos+you+tube&src=IE-SearchBox&FORM=IESR02&pc=EUPP_ (
https://www.bing.com/search?q=benedictus+2+chellos+you+tube&src=IE-SearchBox&FORM=IESR02&pc=EUPP_)
