Al…you have picked up a new recruit in your army. We’ve never met but I’m positive that in one way or another you have helped me with my old Dodge via your service with John at Midwest. My dad is currently fighting within stage IV. It’s not an easy fight- I see this and know. You’re prayer group is growing and we are behind you helping. You and your beautiful family will remain in my daily thoughts and prayers. May God shine his blessing on you all.

Prayers from Kathy Bizal's mom -- Just remember, that God has you in his 'arms' ... and will never let you go. Trust!

Pal Al, Your loved by many. Draw close to God Al and you will find He is there with you even if you can't feel Him. He is in all our circumstances He will never leave you nor forsake you! That's a promise from Him. Praying for peace , strength and healing to you and your family. Love you brother!!

We are thinking of you in your continuing battle. Sending our our best to you for healing. Hugs,
Don and Jackie

Al, we are praying and will continue to pray for your healing and strength through this fight.

Greg and Lori Hart

Hi Al and family. I am a friend of Kathy and John Bizal's. They asked me to pray for you. I wanted to let you know, that I am praying for you and will continue to do so every day. I hope and pray you have mild symptoms to the chemo and that the chemo is succesful. i pray that you are healed of your cancer. Take good care. God bless.

What really helps after chemo is drinking lots and lots of water. Al may not have much of an appetite but keep the water flowing. Prayers continue for you all!

(This is John, having borrowed Jeannine’s phone while she was in the other room…)


They say there’s no rest for the wicked. I say there is no automatic relief that comes with treatment, no instant rest, peace or freedom from pain simply because one follows doctors’ orders. If only there was. Having seen my
Mother succumb to cancer, and knowing that it killed her/-but it didn’t hurt her. Chemo—the cure—did. After one successful chemo round that pushed ovarian cancer away and introduced her to fatigue and fitful nights and a lot of pain, she was able to live more peacefully yet the pain that came bundled with her treatment yet never present in the cancer remained.

When it returned, and her oncologist urged us once again to do battle, she did. She followed his recommendation and allowed the needle back in, feeling certain that it would not arrive in a parade with music and flowers but accompanied by a dirge and pain both day and night.

Until she said, “Stop.” She preferred to have fewer days in relative peace and comfort rather than live longer, enduring debilitating battle. Every. Single. Day.

Losing mom was sad, of course. But her death was sweet and gentle and good. 3 of her 5 children were with her, and on her last day, we were bedside, talking with her assuming she could hear us, reading to her Bible passages that brought her comfort and joy, sang hymns to her that were meaningful in voices we simply will refer to as “sincere,”
And prayed over her and let her know that it was okay to go. Go to not only feel but SEE the face of her loving heavenly Father, and join her beloved mother and the siblings and family who caught their last trains a bit earlier. She was at peace, sure of God’s love and His forgiveness. She was without anxiety, as we promised to take care of dad, lost in his Alzheimer’s. She had a complete, with no important conversation to be had, no troubled relationship to linger unrepaired after she died. She was radiant the night before she died, and she is eternally so now.

So? We don’t know our time, the hour of our death, even simply what will happens ten minutes from now. God gave you this life, Al, and a family born in love and always bearing love for you. Doctors have their plans and proposals. Some care only to fight any speck of cancer, try any treatment, because they are bred to fight. Seek the heart of God. Ask for His spirit to fill you and lead you. And then, if given the opportunity, YOU choose. YOU decide. Pick the path, the best of Doors 1, 2 or 3, then trust your family into God’s embrace even as you can peacefully be engulfed in it.

We want you here. Please stay. God knows our wishes. He knows yours. And somewhere between five minutes and 15 years from now, you’ll see what we can only imagine, rest in grace, bathe in mercy, and KNOW the face of God.

We wish, we want, we do our best but often stumble. We sometimes think we’re acting selflessly when we’re actually running frantically in fear. But.

The one constant? God is with you. And for you. You are His beloved son. You are a father; you know better than I what it is to love your children and dance in joy because they are and always have been your joy. As is Kelly. Imagine your full heart magnified a million-gold. That is how your Father loves you.

And if you are given the opportunity and choice to decide which steps to take and which things in Faith to accept, He will be there with you. And as long as we are given the opportunity, so will we. ❤️🙏 John & Janni

One foot in front of the other. Kelly, I will try o pin my Emily down to stay with Bob. We need “we” time. 💕