Busy days and times flies, yet it still seems to drag along.

Wow, it's already been almost two weeks since my last post. Yeah, the time gets away from me when so much needs to get done. My days have been packed with caring for the kids and our home, coordinating with Daniel's care team, preparing his meds, making his food (more on that in a bit), and spending every chance I can get with him at the hospital. Thanks to my wonderful child care coordinator,  I'm at the hospital one to three times a day,  bringing the kids with me several times a week.

Since the transfusion a few weeks ago (I already mentioned this second one), Daniel's hemoglobin levels have improved. The transfusion brought him from 73 to 103, and then his body brought him up to 112. This is great news! He hasn't needed another since. Any bleeds have been sporadic and fairly minor, praise God. The coagulant seems to be working well still.

Daniel's days are spent getting as much sleep as he can (and sleep has been pretty good), managing mucus from his trache, mouth, and nose with suction (as he can't swallow it), and trying to exercise a bit every day. I got us both new (to us) smartphones and plans so that allows him to be more connected with more data allowances; he's enjoying listening to his podcasts and favorite preachers again.

We're going to try for another home visit tomorrow (the second) depending on how Daniel is feeling. He has been more tired lately. Please pray that this can work out for everyone.

On Sunday, Daniel texted me saying that the nurse said his prepackaged blended food was running low and that he only had two days left! That caught me by surprise as it didn't seem like that long ago when I had checked and he still had several boxes left. We don't want him having the hospital blend as it's mostly sugar and chemicals, so I quickly ordered some more from the States. It usually arrives in a few days but I didn't hear anything. So, after contacting the company and having them make sure it would arrive asap, I still ended up having to make a few days' worth of food for Daniel. This caused a lot of nervousness for the dieticians, so there were several conversations and much time was spent trying to coordinate this temporary solution.

So yes, it's been a busy week. But I have the shipment now and will be delivering it to Daniel this evening (thanks, Leanne C.!).

Big picture, we're still waiting to see progress against the cancer. Daniel lost a tooth last week. It was uprooted by the tumor in his lower jaw. That is where the bleeding has mostly come from. Other teeth are vulnerable too still.

I mentioned to Daniel yesterday how it feels to me like it seems it was a lifetime ago when we had a normal,  disease-free life. This season has just dragged on and on. He heartily agreed.

We know that if God has plans for Daniel still, then nothing can stop Him from fulfilling those plans. Not cancer, and not any of its effects. From our perspective, Daniel still has so much to do to serve the Lord, as a father, husband, manager and campfire leader at Timberline, etc. We don't have the sense or peace that his service is done (though, granted, feelings are of limited value in things like this as they are so fickle). So, we will continue to pray faithfully and fervently, all in the context of knowing that God is sovereign and He definitely knows what He is doing. Please continue to pray with us and for us for a miracle -- we long to see you all give thanks with us for God's mercy and deliverance!

The following passage has been very encouraging for me the past few days. I encourage you to read through it all and reflect on how dire Paul's circumstances were (though we don't know what they were), and how God came through for him for His glory. No, it's not a promise per se, but it does tell us about the God Whom we serve, and encourages us to pray for the (otherwise) impossible.


2 Cor. 1:3-11 (AMP)

3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of sympathy (pity and mercy) and the God [Who is the Source] of every comfort (consolation and encouragement),

4 Who comforts (consoles and encourages) us in every trouble (calamity and affliction), so that we may also be able to comfort (console and encourage) those who are in any kind of trouble or distress, with the comfort (consolation and encouragement) with which we ourselves are comforted (consoled and encouraged) by God.

5 For just as Christ's [own] sufferings fall to our lot [as they overflow upon His disciples, and we share and experience them] abundantly, so through Christ comfort (consolation and encouragement) is also [shared and experienced] abundantly by us.

6 But if we are troubled (afflicted and distressed), it is for your comfort (consolation and encouragement) and [for your] salvation; and if we are comforted (consoled and encouraged), it is for your comfort (consolation and encouragement), which works [in you] when you patiently endure the same evils (misfortunes and calamities) that we also suffer and undergo.

7 And our hope for you [our joyful and confident expectation of good for you] is ever unwavering (assured and unshaken); for we know that just as you share and are partners in [our] sufferings and calamities, you also share and are partners in [our] comfort (consolation and encouragement).

8 For we do not want you to be uninformed, brethren, about the affliction and oppressing distress which befell us in [the province of] Asia, how we were so utterly and unbearably weighed down and crushed that we despaired even of life [itself].

9 Indeed, we felt within ourselves that we had received the [very] sentence of death, but that was to keep us from trusting in and depending on ourselves instead of on God Who raises the dead.

10 [For it is He] Who rescued and saved us from such a perilous death, and He will still rescue and save us; in and on Him we have set our hope (our joyful and confident expectation) that He will again deliver us [from danger and destruction and draw us to Himself],

11 While you also cooperate by your prayers for us [helping and laboring together with us]. Thus [the lips of] many persons [turned toward God will eventually] give thanks on our behalf for the grace (the blessing of deliverance) granted us at the request of the many who have prayed.

Thank you, family and friends, for continuing to pray for us. May God get all the glory.