Dear loved ones, thank you all for your words of encouragement, well wishes, and prayers over the past few weeks.  They have been a blessing to me for sure.  It’s been an interesting 3 weeks since my first cycle of chemo and this season of life remains all encompassing to me and my family.  Each week, each day, even each hour brings a variety of physical tolerance and endurance, as well as emotional highs and lows.  I’ll spare you the gory details but the side effects of chemo are very real, most of the time layered upon one another, incredibly fatigueing, and keeping me at home or very close to home for way too many days in a row (ugh).  I love being at home but not when its the only place I can be (note the rebellious nature). However, the past 5 days have given me some reprieve from the intensity of the side effects (other than the hair loss - a sampling of that can be seen everywhere, visualize a Labrador Retreiver shedding in the spring/summer).  Obviously, the relief during these days are welcomed and allows me a sense of normalcy, regained control for a time, and dare I say it after only 1 cycle- a sampling of victory.  I wake up with some energy, a plan for the day, the ability to ‘manage’ the side effects allowing me some slow miles on nearby walking paths, a little bitty amount of time in the gym, and even a hike and visit to my favorite places in Door County -twice.  The energy I wake up with doesn’t necessarily sustain me throughout the day, I do tire easily on my walks/hike and need a nap almost daily (its a hard-knocks life for me), but I think I’m starting to get used to this low-key life style.  What a blessing to feel some physical restoration and a sense of perseverance as I move into cycle 2 of 6.  It starts this morning.

For those who pray for me and my family, we are greatly blessed by your prayers and I remain convinced that your prayers are in fact our greatest need during this season of trial and suffering.  I hope you don’t mind hearing a piece of authenticity from me, I confess there are days in my own prayer life that I don’t know how/what to pray as I should...that doesn’t necessarily make sense to me either, but I trust in God’s Word and we’re taught that the Spirit Himself intercedes for me and for the saints (you) in accordance to the will of God.  This, by no heavenly measurement, means I’m lacking faith in my Lord and Savior as my inheritance can never perish, spoil, or fade, reserved in heaven for me, and protected by the power of God through faith.  Instead, I praise God that He has built willing prayer warriors to keep me lifted.  Instead, I wait upon the Lord as He restores me to Him through His care, deliverance, feeding, leading to rest, seeks me, brings me back, binds me up, and strengthens me.  I will participate with Him as He teaches me His paths and as He leads me in His truth.

For those who send me words of encouragement and well wishes...thank you as well!  Your confidence in the strength that I somehow reveal has a vital role in my sense of victory and perseverence and I cherish your hope and confidence.