So many of you have continued to check-in with me and ask how I am doing. I continue to be without any physical symptoms and am grateful for that. Today, I have a prayer request on behalf of someone else whose been supporting me.
Karen is a friend, who I've met through mutual friends. As a brain tumor survivor and a woman of faith, Karen and her husband Tom, have been a great source of both spiritual and technical help for Bob and I. Karen recently learned that she had symptoms that may indicate tumor regrowth and is having surgery tommorow in Dearborn, Michigan.
Here is Tom's note (In italics):
Please pray for God’s peace to fill Karen and the rest of the family as we approach her craniotomy on Thursday, Oct 16! We have all had some very anxious moments over the past week as we start to think as humans about what could happen. When we have taken these anxious moments to Jesus, He has taken them from us and replaced them with His peace! So please continue to lift us up in prayer!!
Our current plans are for Karen to drive up to her parents this afternoon for pre-op tests on Wednesday (MRI, blood work, chest x-ray, EKG). My son and I will drive up Wednesday afternoon/early evening and our daughter will fly into Detroit Wednesday evening from school. Karen is scheduled for her craniotomy at 8am on Thursday, and we are expecting the surgery to last 3-4 hours. She will be in the hospital Thursday and will get out on Friday (we pray) based on our previous experiences. We will stay at her parent’s house this weekend and plan to return to Cincinnati on Sunday.
Specific things to pray for are:
- Travel mercies for Karen this afternoon.
- Travel mercies for our son, our daughter, and I as we travel to Detroit Wednesday.
- To shield us from Satan and his worries, doubts, fears, confusion by placing the whole armor of God on each of us (see scripture below)!
- To prepare the Medical Team for her surgery.
- To prepare the hearts of those who are receiving these emails, but do not yet believe in Jesus!
- For Karen’s complete healing and speedy recovery!
- Continue to praise God!!
- That Karen would come out of surgery with no physical or mental deficits!
- That Karen’s current left foot/leg deficits would be healed.
- For a protective covering over our family relationships in the midst of our stress and anxiousness!
We are in the process of documenting all the places we have seen God since we started on this journey last week. Here are just a few:
1) God directed our daughter to a Christian university where she has a strong faith filled community. He allowed her the time to become firmly established before having to deal with her Mom’s medical trials.
2) The sermon at our Church right after the Dr. called with the results was “In God We Trust”!
3) Karen’s bible study this year is “Believing God”
4) A great friend, a cancer survivor whom we have not seen for some time, saw us after church Sunday and came over to say that God had given her a vision of Karen throughout the service and that she was very weary. She had no prior knowledge of what Karen had just been told and she was very tired and weary!
5) Our Small Group and several other close friends prayed over Karen, our son, our daughter, and myself on Monday evening. What a sweet time with the Lord!! His peace has filled us throughout this journey! We are proclaiming His love and faithfulness!
6) The sweet time with our daughter at college this past weekend! She has a great supportive group of friends.
7) The sermon at our daughter’s church on Sunday was a great message on “Why trials occur to us”. The message was one of hope in Christ! We are participating in the eternal here on earth!
8) Prior to each of Karen’s previous surgeries we have seen a rainbow, and we saw one last evening after our son’s football game!
9) In all of the people that are praying for Karen and our family! There are hundreds and possibly thousands! We are so humbled and so blessed by all of your fervent prayers for Karen’s complete healing.
10) In all of the offers of help! We will surely need help after Karen’s surgery and I will let you know.
11) In those of you that are also facing a trial and are being ministered to by Karen’s testimony. God is so awesome! He wants all of us to run to Him with all of our needs and He does take them on Himself!
12) In those of you who are seeking Jesus! He is chasing after you and wants you to come to Him so, so much!
This is the “short list”, so many more to come!!! Some of you are probably saying, “How can Karen and Tom be at peace when they just heard that the brain cancer may be back?” God is real! He is here with us, all of us!! He can do for you what He is doing for us! If this intrigues you, please call or email us. Please forward this on to anyone you wish to!The Whole Armor of God
Galatians 6:10-20 (NIV)
10Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. 11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. 12For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. 13Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. 14Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, 15and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. 16In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; 17and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, 18praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints, 19and also for me, that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel, 20for which I am an ambassador in chains, that I may declare it boldly, as I ought to speak.Please pray that Karen, Tom and their entire family and medical will be well equipment with Armor of God tommorow and as her healing continues. I will post more on how she is doing as soon as I know more.
To More Faith,
Amy
