On The Way Back

Surfacing a bit today. It's been a long few days but each day brings a bit more hope that 'normal' will return again. I'm eating lightly, taking it easy and enjoying a good book. I am thankful that this is temporary and that I am on the mend.


Our dear friend, Mr. R., continues to struggle. The chemo treatments needed to prepare him for the stem cell transplant have affected the function of his heart. Many of the tests look good but one valve struggles to function. Mrs. S. sits by, prays and waits. They need extra special strength through these days. Their faith is strong but they are weary.

Art print: "Books in Winter"

Artist: Jessie Wilcox-Smith

About Sharing

Sometimes it's just not nice to share what you have. My sweetheart is a wonderful man and he feels so bad that he shared a horrible case of the flu with me. He feels even worse that it hit me harder than him! When my mother and her sister were young they made up a name for stuff like this. I have 'the grobis-macrobis!' I'll be back when I can hold my head up for more than a few minutes without the world spinning around me.

The Next Step

A phone call from the wife of our dear friend this evening brought good news. The second - and final - harvest of stem cells from his sister yielded many more cells than yesterday. More than the medical staff had hoped to receive. Early this evening the second and what should be final part of the transplant process began and is complete. Mrs. I. was able to have the 'lines' taken from the artery in her neck and begin her healing process. The extra, unneeded cells will be frozen for Mr. R. in the event he should ever need more in the future. We are trusting that won't be necessary and that these new cells will firmly take hold in the bone marrow so he will soon return to renewed health. Now - a waiting time of ten days to two weeks before the results will be evident. Mr. R. will have a few more weeks in the hospital before he can go home again. Thank you for your kind prayers for Mr. R. and his sweet wife, Mrs. S. Your kind comments are so appreciated. I will share your loving support with them soon.

No Greater Love

Last night I began to better understand the Scripture that tells us that there is 'no greater love than for a person to give their life for their friend.'* What an incredible treasure we have in the memory of our evening with a large group of family members who gathered around our friend as he prepared for and received the stem cells that had been harvested from his sister. A few hours earlier she had gone through a procedure that was difficult for her - to give the needed healthy cells that her brother so desperately needed for the possibility of return to health. She was a 'perfect match' - and she was desperately afraid of doctors and needles and pain, having never experienced much throughout her life. It was truly a gift of love. Mrs. I. was sitting at the foot of her brother's bed as the nurse came into the room with the bag of stem cells in her hands. Tears poured down her face as she watched her healthy cells begin to flow into his cancer-ravaged body. It was a moving experience, to say the least. She is a small lady and her body could not produce enough cells at one time for her brother's body. He received over half of what he needs so she will return to the hospital this morning and donate the remaining needed cells and the procedure will be repeated once again.

(On a humorous note: The doctors told Mr. R. that he will have the blood DNA of a woman since his new stem cells are from his sister. We teased him last night that we can't wait to see how he changes. We suspect he will love musicals, cry over good movies, love to shop and knit constantly! Things his dear sister is known for. Of course we know that won't happen but it did bring a smile to his face.)

I don't know if the nurses and staff had experienced anything quite like what happened in that room last night. Approval had been given and they were in favor of the gathering around the bedside of Mr. R. They came and went as we sang and prayed and shared. I'm certain they must have sensed something of a blessing as they moved in and out of the room and as we prayed for them, too. Mr. R. had a fever when the procedure began but that didn't seem to hinder the plan. Just before we all left the room for the evening the nurse told us that we had 'prayed his fever away.' There is such a bond when we unite our hearts together for a common purpose - to seek God's touch on a dear friend. By the time goodbyes were said we were hugged by family and friends who just a few hours earlier had been total strangers.

We returned home with a sense of amazement at a number of things:
1. A renewed sense of the way God has made our bodies to work - fearfully and wonderfully.
2. The love one person can have for another - especially a sister for her brother - to go through a painful procedure to give the live-giving cells that can lead to renewed health.
3. How fortunate we are to be part of a group of loving friends who cherish and treasure the privilege to join together to help sustain their faith through difficult times.
4. What a Friend we have in Jesus - oh, the privilege to carry everything to Him in prayer.
5. How simple and amazing it is to give of ourselves and make a difference in the lives of our friends and their family.
6. The bond that can come in a short time when we leave behind pretense and we focus on relationships.
7. Most of all, the amazing grace and love of our Lord Jesus.

How appropriate to sit beside Mr. R's bed and sing together:

"Through many dangers, toils and snares

I have already come.

'Tis grace has brought me safe thus far

And grace will lead me home."**

* John 15:13

**From "Amazing Grace"

Written by John Newton

Stopping By On A Busy Day

I am just dropping in on a very busy day to ask for prayer for a dear friend of ours. We have had the privilege of knowing him and his sweet wife for several years and have walked with them through some of his battle with cancer. This evening he will have a stem cell transplant - the stem cells have been harvested from his sister - and there is risk in the entire process. We have been honored by them with the request to join his sweet wife and their family in the waiting area, to pray and wait with them. My sweetheart is leaving work early today so we can arrive in time to have a special time of prayer together with the two of them before Mr. R. is taken to the surgery area. Please pray with us that the transplant will 'take' and that he will return to health and be able to continue to serve the Lord he loves so dearly. Above all, pray for guidance for the team of transplant doctors and for peace for his family. We serve a great God who cares about Mr. R. more than his wife, his children, his family and his friends.

Construction Zone

It's time to make some changes here! While the changes are happening you may see some things that don't quite come together as smoothly as they should. There may be some experiments that work and some that don't. So - during the process - please be patient. The final outcome will be worth the wait. I promise!

Happy New Year

A new year! We've come this far by faith. And we will continue on, living in faith during the year ahead of us. We have been blessed and we will be blessed again. Of this I'm sure.

I don't make New Year's resolutions anymore - I set goals. Little goals. Goals that are possible. Goals that have a reason for the effort. One at a time goals. Big ones - small ones. Affecting my life with other people. Some only affecting me. Goals that can be seen with my eyes. Goals seen only by my heart. I once read that something can only be a goal if it has a beginning and an end - a recognizable accomplishment. You will know when you've achieved it.

So - I had better get started. I can't achieve it unless I begin. Throughout the year ahead I will share my goals with you. Some only when they have been accomplished. Some will be seen in pictures. Others will only be told.

For you, dear friends, I wish a Happy New Year. From the bottom of my heart.

Goals are dreams with deadlines.

Diana Scharf Hunt