Tuesday, January 22, 2008

Steadfast Belief

From Beth Moore's Praying God's Word Day by Day,
January 21:
WE TEND TO RUN TO GOD FOR TEMPORARY RELIEF. GOD IS LOOKING FOR PEOPLE WHO WILL WALK WITH HIM IN STEADFAST BELIEF.
At this moment, Father, I am choosing the way of truth. I want to set my heart on Your laws (Ps. 119:30). I want to choose the way of truth the rest of my days.
Test me, O Lord, and try me. Examine my heart and my mind, for Your love is ever before me, and I desire to walk continually in Your truth (Ps. 26:2-3). Redeem me, O Lord, the God of truth (Ps. 31:5). Help me remember that nothing and no one can be redeemed without truth: the God of truth!
Show me Your ways, O Lord. Teach me Your paths. Guide me in Your truth and teach me, for You are God my Savior, and my hope is in You all day long
(Ps. 25:4-5).

Oh to be one that He finds walking with Him in steadfast belief! "...You are God my Savior, and my hope is in You all day long".
(I said I was going to enjoy my devotional books!)
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We saw my medical oncologist today. We had a good, lengthy talk with him about options, and we agreed with him on everything. All of my doctors have stated that there is not an effective chemo for squamous cell carcinoma. My dr. doesn't believe it is necessary for me to have chemo since there is no evidence of this cancer having metastasized to any other organs. Also, by all indications my surgeon got it all. There have been no studies with Erbitux as a long term treatment to show that it would effectively do anything long term. Honestly, I have had radiation to my mouth once, and the cancer returned; to my neck twice, and the cancer returned, 8 Erbitux treatments and the cancer returned. There are no guarantees. My dr. offered us the option of seeking other opinions elsewhere. He is the president of Alabama's cancer information board (can't remember the actual name of it). He is responsible for keeping up on all new cancer treatment information so he can relay that information to all the oncologists in Alabama. I wouldn't think there would be anyone else to know much more than he does; though, he is contacting a dr. in Birmingham that will be speaking at their conference in April on head and neck cancer. He will be seeing us again February 14th to report to us what she says. It is his suggestion at this time to go 8 more weekly rounds of Erbitux treatments and then go to once a month treatments with it. There is no precedence for this. As a friend told me tonight, I could be the one to help find a cure for this cancer!
Continue to pray for us to know God's direction.

Thursday, January 17, 2008

I will bless the Lord at all times...Let us exalt His name together

I will bless the LORD at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth. My soul will make its boast in the LORD; The humble will hear it and rejoice. O magnify the LORD with me, And let us exalt His name together. I sought the LORD, and He answered me, And delivered me from all my fears. O taste and see that the LORD is good; How blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him!
Psalm 34:1-4, 8 New American Standard Bible

I saw my surgeon last Tuesday to have my stitches removed. He had already planned to take a little more gum tissue to make sure he removed all of the cancer that was there. I, also, asked him to check a place on the inside of my cheek just to make sure. He called Sunday afternoon to tell me the results. The place on my cheek was fine. Cancer did show up in the gum tissue he removed, but he was able to remove all of the cancer giving me clear margins. So no further surgery to my mouth is necessary. That was all great news. He (and I) will just keep a close watch on the area.

My surgeon, also, gave us the pathology report last week to take to my medical oncologist. I have an appointment to see him next Tuesday to see what my options might be for further treatment. Radiation is not an option. I have already had radiation twice on my neck and to my mouth once. It's usually not repeated after the first time, anyway. So we'll see what the oncologist has to say.

I decided to switch from the CD I had been listening to in the car for the past week. I was just thinking it's just so neat to hear God speak randomly to me through music on the radio when I'm in the car. When I started the car to go back to work after lunch (after just talking to my onc's office and finding out my appt. time), "Voice of Truth" was in process of playing on the radio. I think God is really wanting to impress upon me to not let "voices" from here or there drown out HIS voice to me. Don't ever give up. Keep holding on.

Wednesday, January 2, 2008

A Fresh Beginning

That was the title of the devotional for January 1. It's from a new daily devotional book given to me by my husband for my birthday. It's co-authored by Henry Blackaby. He, also, gave me another daily devotional at Christmas authored by Beth Moore. I know I will enjoy both of them immensely!
The verse for January 1 particularly caught my eye. It is similar to one in an email I got on Monday. After seeing it in yesterday's devotional, I thought I should sit up and take notice. That was probably at least the 4th time, maybe more, these verses have come to my attention in some way or other in the past couple of weeks. God is definitely trying to say something to me through it. After this many repeats in the past few days, it's not meant to be coincidental!

From December 31:
"I am the LORD; that is my name! I will not give my glory to another or my praise to idols. See, the former things have taken place, and new things I declare; before they spring into being I announce them to you." Isaiah 42:8-9

From January 1:
"Behold, I will do a new thing. Now it shall spring forth...I will even make a road in the wilderness and rivers in the desert." Isaiah 43:19
The last sentence of the devotional: "Embrace the fresh beginning God wants to give you."