Cycle #6 HAS BEGUN!!!

The day is winding down and my last big chemo is FINISHED!!!  Praise the Lord!!!  My hemoglobin had gone up slightly.  All my other counts were good.  After the Dr. examined me he said, "Let's go do some chemo!"  Usually I feel shaky and a bit "woozy" as the chemo starts, but today that was minimal.

Went to lunch after chemo - took our own picture!

My niece, Shaelyn, is in town for a few days so she and my dad came over once the chemo got started.  Steve ran some errands.  So we had a regular chemo party!  That's probably why I didn't notice the side effects!  I was having too much fun. :-)

I came home and rested for an hour.  I could have slept the rest of the day, but I've learned that I need to move around and drink lots of fluids to keep the chemo moving right on out of my system.  I've been outside watching Steve prune trees while I guzzle Gatorade.

As I visited with my fellow chemo-takers today, once again all I could do was praise God for his mercy to me.  I am not deserving of the goodness He has bestowed on me.  One man has lung cancer in both lungs and was on oxygen as he got his first treatment.  Another man has colo-rectal cancer and prostate cancer.  The man beside me has pancreatic cancer and spots on his liver.  His wife had 2 aneurysms 6 years ago, is an invalid, and he cares for her at home.  He was so weak they had to put him in a wheelchair to go for a chest x-ray.  He said he's worried that he will wear out the people he has helping his wife because he can't help - then they will quit.  I felt so sorry for him.  I was drawn again to Ephesians 1:11-12, where it says He...."works all things according to the counsel of his will, so that we who were the first to hope in Christ might be to the praise of his glory.".  I'm no better than any of these other people.  For some reason, God, in his wisdom, has chosen to bless me beyond what I deserve.  And I want the praise to be of His glory.

Our small group is beginning a new study of the book by James Macdonald, Gripped By the Greatness of God.  The first chapter is on the holiness of God and how Isaiah saw (Isaiah 6:1-7) the Lord "sitting on a throne".  James Macdonald says, "Sitting - not pacing back and forth.  Sitting - not wringing His hands.  Sitting - not struggling or searching.  Not God.  Where was He?  He was seated.  He was settled.  He was secure.  He was certain."  The he said he wrote in the margin of his Bible, "'Why so settled and so seated?'  The answer is:  because He is in control.  He knows it.  Everyone in the throne room knows it.  No one is worried." 

Later Macdonald says, "Wow, that sure puts into perspective any burden I carry on my heart.  How difficult could this problem be for God, no matter how monstrous it might seem to me?  What problem would seem large to the One who is sitting on a throne?  My problems are nothing to Him.  He is in control......The Lord is sitting on His throne."

To top this all off, we sang a song in church Sunday that I don't remember singing before.  I'll share some of the words with you to conclude:

Who has given counsel to the Lord?
Who can question any of His words?
Who can teach the One who knows all things?
Who can fathom all his wondrous deeds?
Behold our God, seated on His throne.
Come let us adore Him.

You can download the song from iTunes.  It's "Behold Our God" from the album "Reign" by Sovereign Grace Music.  It's a beautiful tune with wonderful lyrics!  We have a great God.  All we have to do is let Him "do His thing" and it will all be good!

Thanks for your prayers again for today's treatment - my last big one!!! (in case I hadn't mentioned it before! :-))  I will appreciate your prayers for the next two treatments that my blood will stay "on the fence" or be on the good side of the fence.  I am getting very optimistic that I can squeeze by without a transfusion.  It's hard to believe that if the Lord wills, two weeks from today this will all be over!!  You have walked with me through this very long valley.  Your prayer support and emotional support have made it possible for me to stumble through!  And I'm almost at the finish line!  Thank you!!