Emergency Prayer Request

Hi, everyone. If you haven't read my Facebook notes or my Myspace blog over the past couple of years or so, my Uncle Randy and Aunt Penny in Colorado have gone through some major, serious battles recently. My uncle was supposed to get a bone marrow transplant, but there were complications with politics and hospitals, but they had finally agreed to let him get it. Now, however, before the procedure has been even scheduled, he got some bad news. I just got this e-mail from them today, so I'm copying and pasting it in order that you may all pray for them.



For the last couple of weeks I (Randy) have been very sick. I have also been very weak and my oxygen level has been extremely low (in the 70’s and 80’s). Today (Thursday) I had two doctor’s appointments. The first one was with my primary doctor for a physical. When I saw her, she was very concerned about my low oxygen level. She ordered a CT scan ASAP. She was very worried that something was going very wrong and she wanted to try to find out what it was.

Then later today I had an appointment with my transplant doctor in Denver. During the exam he was also very worried about my oxygen level, along with other symptoms I was having. So he ordered some addition blood test. We then left the office to drive back to Colorado Springs. By the time we got home, there was a call from our transplant doctor telling us to call my cancer doctor right away, and if he wasn’t in, to page him.

My cancer doctor told me that my blood work came back with drastic reductions in my platelets, among with other areas. He told me that they think I have developed leukemia and I need to have another bone marrow biopsy done right away. He is making the arrangements now and wants me in the hospital tomorrow. He then said that I will need to have chemotherapy and then the bone marrow transplant ASAP.

This was a total shock to us. We knew that we were walking a tight rope and could at any time fall off of it, yet we didn’t expect it to happen so fast.

So please keep us in prayer. God is very good and I know He is with us every step of the way.

Love,

Randy & Penny

News!

I'm going to London! It's official, I was accepted to the ILACA study away program for London, spring 2010. More details to come.
Also, I'm doing the Catalyst summer training school through my church. (here's the link if you're really that interested in what I'm doing, if you're not then just keep reading my blog: http://citycentral.org/catalyst/) It's a full-time school where I'll be learning about God, freedom, and outreach while doing a lot of stuff and spending a lot of time in a prayer room. We're going on a mission trip to South Africa for the last couple of weeks! I never thought I'd go to Africa . . .
Well, with all of this going on, I'm going to need to raise money. I most likely won't be able to get a job this summer due to how intensive the school is, so I'll be doing fundraising for Catalyst and then work (a lot!) for London this fall. Pray for me that God will supply all I need, as I know He will. Pray that God will continue to help me trust Him in all of these adventures, scary as they are. The mountains are exciting and great, but also very frightening!

Losing Control

Psalm 13
How long, O LORD ? Will you forget me forever?
How long will you hide your face from me?
How long must I wrestle with my thoughts
and every day have sorrow in my heart?
How long will my enemy triumph over me?
Look on me and answer, O LORD my God.
Give light to my eyes, or I will sleep in death;
my enemy will say, "I have overcome him,"
and my foes will rejoice when I fall.
But I trust in your unfailing love;
my heart rejoices in your salvation.
I will sing to the LORD,
for he has been good to me.

Do you ever have a week which feels like a week before noon on Tuesday? It's been one of those weeks. I feel like a lot is being thrown at me all at once, a lot has been going on around me, and I'm struggling with not adding the stress of what's being thrown at a lot of people I love.
Yet, God is good. He's shown me ridiculous grace with an extra week for a major project. He gifted me with a sunrise from the tallest building in Parkland this morning. He's given me fantastic friends. He provided a way for me go to a university where my professors care about me. I'm not in control, and that's a good thing, no matter how I feel.

Out of My Hands- The Turning

All my restless heart could do is cry
I stepped on out into the night
The tides turned again and nothing felt right
I searched for truth I sought your light
and all my restless heart could do is cry

Chorus:
Everything I held is out of my hands
Everything you bless is not what I’d planned
Not what I’d seen, not what I’d dreamed

My hearts hope will rise and fall with the wind
A gentle breeze will blow me over again
I’m walking unstable

And all the things I held
Were dragging my heart so far down
And the things I’d dreamed were nothing, Nothing as they’d seemed
And then I question you
And doubt you as the God I know
But all over again, you saved me from myself

It’s out of my soul, it’s out of my soul
You saved me from myself, You saved me from myself

Cake, Mickey Mouse, and a Baby Parrot

I feel like I haven't posted a blog in a long time, so I'll write a little before I actually go to what I'm technically being paid to do right now- work.
California was an amazing week, I am so thankful that I got the chance to go for spring break. I have to admit, it wasn't easy. God pointed out to both me and Jason that we have a very strong religious spirit that needs to come out; that is, we are oftentimes stuck with the attitude that we can earn God's grace, and we do a pretty good job of that (we can't do anything to earn God's grace, just to make it clear). It was a challenging week, with a lot of prayer and a lot of frustration. Here's a list of highlights:

*We had amazing homemade layered carrot cake/cheesecake made by Jason's mom's friend. It was glorious.
*Jason's mom made us Easter baskets! We woke up Sunday morning to a pink-themed Easter basket outside my door and a blue-themed Easter basket outside Jason's door. There's a picture on Jason's facebook of us looking super excited with them (sometime when I'm on his computer maybe I'll actually upload pictures on this blog).
*Jason's parents took us to Disneyland! It was my first time, of course, so it was especially fun for me. I think out of all of us, though, Jason's mom seemed to be the most thrilled. She had a huge smile on her face, up until she went with me on Space Mountain that night and got sick. Other than that, the day was wonderful.
*Jason, Jim, and I spent many hours playing Crystal Chronicles, an old Gamecube multi-player semi-rpg. I probably described that terribly. It was a very, very entertaining game, but we need to finish it still. Yes, I spent hours being entertained by a video game. I have a gamer inside of me, she just feels guilty coming out and so most of the time is squelched.
*Jason, Jim, and I went to an In-N-Out. It was my first time. Very, very good.
*Jason, Jim and I (see a trend here?) went to the Getty, a huge, beautiful museum where I got to see very old illuminated manuscripts which I could actually translate part of. I also saw one of the 8 portraits of Edgar Allan Poe in existence. 'Twas fun.
*Jason, Jim, and I went bowling. None of us scored about 100. We then went to Borders and spent almost an hour debating what's considered a "trash" book and drooling over books that we want to read.
*Jason, Jim, and I went to Big Bear to snowboard. Long story involving pain and hatred. I will not go into it here.
*Jason and I visited his friend Allie and her baby Australian parrot. The bird loved Jason. He looked like a pirate (Jason, not the bird). We also played Trivial Pursuit. I think I was winning when we had to leave.
*Jason's mom, Jason, Jim, and I went mini golfing. I'm not so good at mini golfing. I do think I got the slightest bit of a tan from it, though. We all went to the arcade afterward and earned enough tickets for a big die and a green and orange ring made out of like rope. After shooting the ring at each other and realizing that it didn't fit any of Jim's or Jason's fingers, Jason gave me the ring. I'm wearing it now. :)

Okay, so that's probably enough highlights. It was a good trip, and I'm looking forward to going back. I never got a real Becca massage (she does this for a living), and we need to finish Crystal Chronicles, and I need to go to Knotts Berry Farm and the San Diego Zoo. Another trip is necessary.