Trust in the Lord...

Well, another week in the Cherry family - and again, things occur that are unexpected.  We're starting to get used to that, I think. :)

OK, where are we - sorry it takes me so long to get on here - it seems by the end of the day, I don't have the brains to make coherant thoughts, and don't want to post nonsense.  Let's see how this goes...

Adam had three doctor appts. last week - :)  We saw the radiation oncologist last Tuesday - it was kind of surreal - another one of those "twilight zone" experiences.  We were sitting in the office, and I looked at Adam and said "How DID we get in an oncologist's office?"  It just didn't seem real.  The appointment went well - the doctor was AGAIN (answer to prayer) simply wonderful.  He was so KIND, he listened as Adam went through his entire history of events leading us to the office, he asked questions, assured us the questions we were asking were good ones, etc.  It was a pleasure to spend the time with him (even if it wasn't under better cirumstances).  So, Adam and I had a LIST of questions for this doctor regarding radiation - this was, after all, the appointment that was going to answer ALL of our many questions and finally help us to begin moving in a direction...RIGHT?? :)  Well, after the doctor listened to us and looked over Adam's films, he said he WAS NOT RECOMMENDING RADIATION in Adam's case!!!  How amazing - just the night before, Adam's friend, Patrick, had prayed that the radiation oncologist would make it VERY clear what we should be doing (we were somewhat confused re: radiation b/c of being counselled by another doctor NOT to do it) - this certainly made it clear.  He explained that the area that was in question for radiation was not a "stable" area - it had a tendancy to move or swing, so he didn't have a permenant spot to radiate.  He didn't want to randomly radiate and risk radiating other areas of Adam's body.  In addition, he said that Adam was young (he was happy to hear that!) and that radiation can cause possible concerns in terms of cancer 15-20 years down the line - he didn't want to risk that for Adam.  While this isn't the FINAL, FINAL decision (he wants to look at CT scan and talk to surgeon), we're comfortable with this for now.  He's recommending a few more tests to rule out certain things.  On Wednesday, Adam went down to Philly to see the surgeon b/c of the contant "pinching" feeling he had in his stomach, about 2 inches from the incision.  When he arrived, he was told the surgeon was in Belgium, which he hadn't been told when he made the appointment.  That was frustrating for him - the nurse practitioner said she wasn't concerned about the pain since he wasn't spiking a fever or experiencing extreme cramping or pain.  So, Adam went into work that day.  On Thursday, he had an appointment with a family doctor (the one who originally recommended we pray more about the decision to have radiation) - we kept this appointment to follow up with some other questions we had re: his healing.  This doctor was able to determine that the "pinching" pain was an internal incision scar that was healing, which was reassuring.  He's also recommending a few test to rule out some things and will continue to follow up with Adam during his healing.  Again, this appointment went wonderfully -the doctor was again very kind, very encouraging of our questions and concerns and took the time to answer our questions and walk us through some unknowns.

So, where does that leave us?  Once again, we need to CONTINUE to trust the Lord, daily.  Adam looks completely healthy, from the outside, so it's hard to believe that this is something we may be dealing with for the rest of our lives.  It is pretty amazing to me to think that a month ago we were being told Adam had cancer and would most likely need chemo.  Now we're being told he doesn't have cancer and doesn't even need radiation.  That's quite a emotional jump.  I don't think we've process through all of this yet, but it certainly is a process.  God just continues to teach me that He really is in control and that none of this took Him by surprise.  I look back over this past month and, while it was filled with huge emotional ups and downs, I've seen His character up close and personal - so much more than I would have had it just been "normal" life.  He's simply pretty amazing.  He has provided for me and my family in EVERY single way we have needed - financially, emotionally, practically, spiritually.  We've wanted for NOTHING, ever, along the way.  If I needed to talk to someone, someone would call or visit or send a card.  And if no one did, God was there.  If we had questions, there were people to ask.  And if there wasn't, God was there.  If there were tears to cry, there was someone to hold my hand and let me lean on them.  And if there wasn't, God was there.  If things needed to get done, God knew what they were, and provided the people to take care of those things.  If I didn't have the strength to do something, someone would step up.  And if no one did, God did.  If I needed help understanding something, someone would be there.  And if there wasn't, God and His Word was there.  If I didn't know what to pray, someone would pray for me.  And if they didn't, the Holy Spirit would.  If I needed an encouraging word, someone would send me an e-mail.  And if they didn't, God would speak it into my heart.  God provided every single step of the way.  And I know He does that every day, but it certainly was different going through something like this, and watching Him work.  In my heart, I am overwhelmed by the love He poured out on our family through Himself and others around us.  It has been an amazing adventure.

I hope this brings many of you up to speed.  We're not as good at calling people with updates as we were.  This is truly only a part of the story.  I hope to get some more time to write in the near future.  Thank you for your continued prayers - as I tell many, they are a lifeline for us.

Time flies

Where do the days go? :)  It seems like I blink and another week has gone by.  We're settling into a good family routine - homeschooling is getting into a better routine.  I am so incredibly thankful that while the kids were staying with friends while Adam and I were in Philly that my girlfriend, Beth, continued to school them.  It helped tremendously in terms of helping them maintain some familiar routine and keep me on track somewhat with schooling.  We're slowly catching up and the kids and I are enjoying the time we work together.

I'm going to hit on some general things and try to get specific later in the week.  It's getting late, as it usually is when I get online now.

Adam is planning to go back to work tomorrow for a few hours in the morning.  The kids almost cried tonight when they realized he was going back!!  They have thoroughly enjoyed their time with Daddy over these last few weeks!  It has been a wonderful time to spend together as a family.  Thankfully he's only working a 1/2 day tomorrow, since we have an appt. with the radiation oncologist in the afternoon.  We have lots of questions for this doctor and will hopefully come away with some answers that will help us with decisions we need to make.  We're praying that it's so.  Wednesday is questionable, as of now - Adam's been experiencing some pain in the area of the surgery and would go down on Wednesday for clinic hours if the pain persists - it's been getting a little worse each day - I'm expecting that he'll be down there and not at work on Wednesday.  We have another appt. with another doctor on Thursday afternoon in order to get another perspective on the whole radiation thing - simply gathering information right now and doing lots of praying for wisdom and direction.  My Mom is also checking with a doctor where she works for a "second" opinion of sorts.  We want to know exactly what we should do.  It was kind of neat - I talked to my girlfriend in TN (who I was visiting before everything happened) - she called today to say she was coming up later in the week to help her parents (her Mom just has surgery for breast cancer) and mentioned that last night her pastor called the church together b/c he'd had so many in the congregation mention that they had family/friends serving in the military and so many in the congretation who had family/friends dealing with cancer/serious illness.  The church gathered last night to spend some extended time in prayer - I don't see that as a coincidence as she's coming up to visit starting on Thursday - it will be great to visit and catch up with her :)

I finally got back to the women's bible study that I attended once before the trip to TN.  It was great to be back.  The truths we're learning in this study seem to be hand-picked for me. :) We learned last week about the fruit of the Spirit - peace.  That Christ can be my peace in the storm, in provision, in illness....the lessons for the week were powerful and simply great reminders of how the Lord is there to meet all of my needs, regardless of what they are.  This week we're learning about another fruit - patience.  It was interesting that patience was equated with HOPE - I'd not thought of that before - I'm still working through the study and the truths therein - as they work in my heart and my head....it was a new way for me to think about this...

OK, I'm off for now - simply wanted to "touch base" with everyone - I'm so excited that people continue on this journey - I've had so many share that they are so encouraged when they come to the site - that is definitely an answer to prayer.  There have been so many answers.  I'll write again soon!

And the verdict is...

Well, it's been a day. :)  We got to Philly around 11am for our 11:15 appt. and saw the surgeon at 1:30pm - our lessons in patience continue.  We weren't surprised by what the dr. said and got a few more details, but there are still some unknowns.  The tumor that Adam had is called a desmoid fibromatosis - it is NOT cancer, which is an answer to prayer - that means it will not spread - it won't show up in other parts of his body (ie. brain, lungs, liver, etc).  However, even though it's not cancer, it is an aggressive type of tumor that does have a high rate of recurrance in the same area it was originally found.  While the tumor itself isn't a health issue, the location that it shows up in can potentially be problematic.  So, the dr. is recommending radiation to kill any possible microscopic "arms" that might be present.  So, we have an appt. with a radiation oncologist on Tuesday at CHS - Mercer.  Please be praying for that appt - again for wisdom and understanding of what we're moving into.  Adam is planning to return to work on Monday, full-time, with the understanding that while he's healing (before the radiation begins) he might need a day here or there off to rest up.  His company is open to that arrangement.  Once radiation starts, the dr. will write another note with different guidelines for work.  Once radiation is completed (early December??), Adam will get CT scans every 4 mos for the first year, every 6 mos for the 2nd year, every year for 5 years and every 2 years after that to monitor any possible developments in the future.

So, what does this all mean?  That God answered lots of our prayers!  It's not cancer - Adam's recovery has been going incredibly well - no infections, litttle discomfort, he's been able to rest for these 4 weeks, he has enjoyed this time with the family (as we have too!!) - he wishes he didn't need to go back to work and could enjoy the next 6 weeks home with us. :)  God is watching over all of us and providing for us in ways we couldn't have imagined.  We'll be continuing to pray for healing, wisdom, peace in the storm - and praising Him for the many ways He's answered prayers and worked in our lives and the lives of others!!  One of Adam's close friends suggested last night that he write a book - he said this morning that he had a good portion of it "mapped" out in his head last night. :)  Who knows where this will all lead....

This seems to be a situation where we will need to continue to trust the Lord for - for His provision, His grace, His peace, His healing, His strength, His refuge - not a bad place to be at all.

Oh, and as I was reading my devotional this morning, I noticed that tomorrow, the day AFTER the pathology report and drs. appt, I'll be reading through Jeremiah 33 - which means I'll be reading Jer. 33:3 tomorrow - God continues to speak that verse to me - I'm waiting to see how He fufills that promise of showing me great and mighty things which I do not know when I call out to Him.

Thank you for your prayers today - it was surprisingly a difficult day for me - I was really anxious on the drive down.  But as the day went on, and we started talking to the dr., and we started to get more information, things calmed down a bit.  We're still processing through all of this, obviously - I'm sure the Lord will continue to reveal new things to us as we continue walking with Him.

Info coming

We're home from Philly - it was a long day!  Trying to get settled into the evening with the kids and will hopefully get online after they go to bed to fill everyone in....thanks. (Chris, is this short enough for you? :))

Where to begin?

Wow, how the weeks fly by right now - I keep meaning to get online and write but just can't seem to get to it.  But I don't want to miss the opportunities to share how the Lord is working though our continued journey here.  Life has been incredibly busy since we returned from Philly - that has been good in many respects - Adam's resting each day, getting stronger each day, able to do more and more - he and Gabriel went around the block twice today, he had lunch with a friend last week and attended our church's men's retreat this weekend, which was an incredible opportunity for him.  He really enjoyed the time with friends, time of worship and time of teaching as the Lord continues to work in his heart through this time.  What does it mean to be a radical disciple?  Ask Adam what the Lord is teaching him...:)  We also got back to church this past Sunday which was so wonderful - and the teaching was focused a great deal on healing and bringing glory to the Lord through illness - how appropriate...exactly what we needed to hear.

OK, I'm going to try and remember all the little ways the Lord is revealing His faithfulness and love to our family - there are so many, I hope I remember them.

Back to last Monday, and what I was reading with Rachel - she and I are reading "Jessica's Mother Comes Home" - a book in the Lamplighter series (excellent series of quality books!!)  **Spoiler** :) Jessica's been adopted by Mr. Daniel and he has been considering what it would mean if Jessica's mother comes back into the picture - would he be able to give Jessica up (comparing to the story of Abraham and Issac in the OT)  Daniel struggles with this and brings it to the Lord in prayer.  Something happens in the story that causes him to question and struggle more with how things happen in life.  The Scriptures at the end of the chapter almost brought me to tears as I read them to Rachel - "Ah, Lord God! Behold, thou hast made the heaven and the earth by the great power and stretched out arm, and there is nothing too difficult for thee." - Jer. 32:17 (there's that focus on Jeremiah again that the Lord has been bringing me back to repeatedly throughout this time).  And right under that verse was "Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and shew thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not." - Jer. 33:3  That's the 3rd or 4th time I've read that verse over the last 3-4 weeks...I'm trying to keep up with the Lord and what He's trying to tell me.

As I've been reading in my Bible, I wanted to just share a few verses that the Lord has been having me consider and pray through - putting hands and feet on the verses as they move from my head to my heart and into life...

"Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus." 1Thes. 5:16-18.

"My eyes will watch over them for their good, and I will bring them back to this land.  I will build them up and not tear them down; I will plant them and not uproot them.  I will give them a heart to know me, that I am the Lord.  They will be my people, and I will be their God, for they will return to me with all their heart." Jer. 24:6-7  That's one of my constant prayers - that I would have a heart to know Him - I'm watching Him answer that prayer bit by bit.

"May the Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and by his grace gave us eternal encouragement and good hope, encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good deed and word." 2 Thes. 2:16-17.  Wow - I didn't notice all the words here the first time through - that by His grace He's given us eternal encouragement and good hope!!!  A never-ending supply!  So our hearts can be encouraged and so we can be strengthened!  Wow - that's what I want right now - encouragement and strength for the journey!!

"Blessed are those whose strength is in you, who have set their hearts on pilgrimage." Ps. 84:5  I equate pilgrimage with journey, and the journey we're on right now is different than it was a month ago - not a bad place to be, mind you.  Actually in some ways a very good place to be - we're learning things about the Lord that we wouldn't otherwise learn - and again, God hasn't changed - our circumstances have, but that doesn't negate any of the Lord's promises to us and His hand in our lives.

And finally - I don't usually focus on this verse, because it's so frequently quoted, but I read beyond the "regular" verses today, and they were pretty powerful - back to Jeramiah..:) Jer. 29:11-14 -
"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.  Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you.  You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.  I will be found by you," declares the Lord...  Please be praying for us - that we'd be seeking and loving Him with all our heart, mind, soul and strength.

Please continue to pray as we approach Wednesday - "the day" - we're meeting with the surgeon at 11:15am down in Philly to discuss the pathology report and the next step, and also to see how Adam is healing physically.  We've been given some preliminary information, but nothing definite enough to pass along.  Please pray for understanding as the dr. starts to walk us through reports and information, for wisdom to know what to do with that information, for peace as we go through the day.  Lots hinges on that day.

Thanks for continuing to walk with us through this time in our lives - running this race with all of you has been a privilidge and indescribable - the things we've had the opportunity to see from our perspective have been simply incredible and caused us to weep and rejoice in the same breath.  Watching God provide exactly what we need exactly when we need it is so amazing!!  Today, Adam and I really needed some extra encouragement - and what happens?  Our mail is filled with cards from people from all over the country!  I cried reading all the cards - notes from friends in OH, IL, PA, NY (didn't even know these people - friends of our close friends, Dani and Patrick - from the church he used to pastor in NY state - the wife had been through cancer twice and they had some incredibly encouraging words for us - again revealing to us how coverd in prayer we are - by people we don't even know!!) and another card from friends w/a check in it to go out to dinner with - what fun in the middle of everything!! :)  Exactly what we needed.

I wanted to include a link (I hope this works) to a song that I've been listening to a lot recently - Patrick sent the link to me when I was in Philly, saying that he and Dani had been listening to it a lot - it's ministered to me on so many occassions and I hope it does the same for you - it's "Praise You in the Storm" by Casting Crowns - simply click on the title of the track to listen to the song - http://s3.danceage.com/listen/593-Casting-Crowns-939-Lifesong.php - started also listening to Newsboys today - "Lord, I Don't Know" off their He Reigns worship album (thanks Danielle!!) - God continues to provide exactly what we need.

I'll write again as soon as I get a chance - definitely sometime after Wednesday to update everyone!  Til then, all I can say is Thank You!