Happy Thanksgiving

How could I ever count my blessings? There are far too many to count! This Advent season we are going to try a new tradition with the kids to be more intentional about being thankful. Each night during our family worship time, we will write down what we were most thankful for that day and then on Christmas Eve, we will open the jar and look back on all the blessings throughout the month! 

So Happy Thanksgiving to all!

Today I am thankful...

  • ...for a God in heaven who sees me, who hears me, who loves me.
  • ...for Brian.
  • ...for Cameron, Peyton and Charlotte.
  • ...for all my family and friends.
  • ...for my team.

As our pastor reminded us last week, I am so thankful that Jesus is a friend to sinners--that He loves even me, that He loves you and that we can find hope in each new day because of His love poured out for us on the cross. 

When it rains...

As the saying goes, “when it rains, it pours.” About two weeks ago I backed into a rock (had to go up over a curb to find it—oh, yes, Brian was thrilled!) and put a small hole in the back of our bumper. The same day, the sliding door on the van broke. While it was at the shop being repaired, the spring on the garage door snapped and we couldn’t get it to go up (gotta look for those blessings in disguise—at least the van wasn’t parked in the garage!). Of course, it wasn’t just the spring that needed fixed—the whole door needs replaced!

Sometimes it seems like these ordeals come all at once—they bombard us like a storm that blows in without warning. I think that’s how I feel about MS.

About two weeks ago, I had a flare up with my MS. Simply put—my bowl was empty—I ran out of pennies, as Bonnie would say. The physical toll is both immediate and long term. That evening my hands and arms returned, my legs became heavy and balance was an issue. And while these symptoms ease with rest and return only in spurts, the severe fatigue has yet to leave.

It’s my storm in its own right, and lately it feels like it hasn’t just been raining—it’s been pouring. The flu hit the Allerding household this week, too, knocking me down just that much more.

With the physical also comes the emotional… . This flare up has been just like backing into that rock in the parking lot. A jolt. A reminder. Scary. And I feel like I’m the garage door. I need more than a quick fix.

I am reminded I need my Savior, the good and Great Physician.

And I have to mind my pennies. 

In the midst of all this, we attended the funeral of our dear friend, Patty Lemon. It was a beautiful ceremony and at the end, they played the song “It Is Well.” It is one of the songs I wrote about on my very first blog posts. It is a song that will always take me back to the initial diagnosis. When I heard it, I sobbed…tears of joy for Patty. That her mountain has been thrown into the sea. That it is truly well with her soul. That she rests with her Savior now in heaven.

But it reminded me also of the reality of my own life and my resistance to the Holy Spirit’s call as I am sanctified in this storm called MS. So I pray that I will not be bitter or angry or afraid. I pray that I will TRUST, that I will rejoice, that I will pray, that I will give thanks. 

TRUST…that my eyes will be “ever toward the Lord” (Psalm 25:15).

As the song so beautifully puts it,

Far be it from me to not believe

Even when my eyes can't see

And this mountain that's in front of me

Will be thrown into the midst of the sea

Through it all, through it all

My eyes are on You

Through it all, through it all

It is well

And I pray that it might be so... .

 

 

 

Grace (Part III)

Two months ago I began to pray for God to allow me to meet someone else that has MS—someone I could talk to—a friend.

Over the past year and a half of trying to filter through my diagnosis, I have talked to many people. I am so thankful for these people who have loved me through it—friends and loved ones, but none of them have been people who have MS—someone to whom I can ask the hard questions, or reveal my fears and know they understand. At times it is a lonely road.

It’s not until recently that I’ve even had a desire to talk to someone with MS. I think, simply put, I just haven’t been ready. Recently, a doctor asked me about my MS. He said, “Now, I assume you’ve read everything there is to read about it. I’m sure you’re an expert...”

And I had to say, “Actually, no. I haven’t. And no, I’m not.” It’s hard to read about it, to look at the research and the potential ramifications—it’s hard to see what “could be.” This whole thing has been a process.

Recently, however, I’ve felt he push to know more, to learn more, and so I began to pray for a person rather than a website. Several weeks ago, the Lord showered me with His amazing grace in answering this prayer. And in His merciful and loving fashion, He not only brought me someone with MS—he brought me a believer in Jesus Christ.

The best part of this answer to prayer is the story itself--the way I met her. It is so crazy—so “coincidental” as many would claim, that it could only be written by the hand of God.

These are my favorite answers to prayer—the kind where I could not even try to take credit if I wanted to—the kind where our Savior blows our socks off.

Let me tell you how it happened…

As Brian and I entered the waiting room for my appointment with my neurologist, there was only one other person in the waiting room. She was young and cute and unassuming. She sat quietly with her Bible open.

I immediately thought to myself, Really, God!? Could this be her!? The answer to my prayer sitting like a wrapped present in the waiting room with her Bible open???

So—much to Brian’s dismay, I leaned over and asked this cute little thing: “Excuse me, are you a believer?”

“Yes,” she replied quietly.

So of course, I quickly followed it up with, “…and do you have MS?”

“No,” she replied, dashing my dreams in my moment of glory (although looking back, I’m so glad for her that she does not!). I was immediately disappointed but recognized the chances of finding my new friend with MS, with a Bible open, in the lobby of my doctor’s office was so highly unlikely.

“But…” she continued, “I am here with someone who does. And she is also a believer.”

This girl told me the few details she could—that she had been called in on a day she usually didn’t work to help transport this woman to her appointment. The lady, I learned, was in a wheelchair and this sweet young girl was here to help her.

In the next moment, I was getting called back for my appointment and ripped a piece of paper out to write down my email. “Please give this to her,” I told the young girl. “I have been praying to find someone with MS to talk to. Perhaps she might be the answer to my prayers.”

And then I waited.

And I prayed..

And then I hoped.

And I prayed.

And about a day or so later, Bonnie emailed me.

Bonnie is God’s gift to me-- how else can you describe this sequence of events??? She was the answer to my prayer. It’s called Providence—God’s timing.

And it’s called grace.

She even has red hair! We emailed back and forth for several days and then decided to meet. On my first meeting with Bonnie, I cried a lot and marveled at her courage and faith. She has traveled a much longer and harder road than I have yet traveled. She has secondary progressive MS, which is much more severe than mine. But Bonnie has hope. She has hope in Jesus, and she has a story to tell. 

And I can’t wait to hear more of it.

So for now, I thank God for my new friend, for this bold answer to prayer. 

Amazing grace...how sweet the sound. 

Dear Patty

Today we attended the funeral of a very dear friend, Patty Lemon. When I think of Patty and replay the video of clips and moments in my head that we shared with her, all the memories have one thing in common: laughter. I confess tonight my deepest fear is that I will someday no longer be able to replay that soundtrack in my head. That I might lose the crispness, the reality of it.

I didn't know Patty nearly as long as Brian and so many of her other close friends, but she still left an incredible footprint on my life.  At the service today they read one of her favorite set of verses: 

12 Now we ask you, brothers and sisters, to acknowledge those who work hard among you, who care for you in the Lord and who admonish you.13 Hold them in the highest regard in love because of their work. Live in peace with each other. 14 And we urge you, brothers and sisters, warn those who are idle and disruptive, encourage the disheartened, help the weak, be patient with everyone. 15 Make sure that nobody pays back wrong for wrong, but always strive to do what is good for each other and for everyone else.

16 Rejoice always, 17 pray continually, 18 give thanks in all circumstances;for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

1 Thess. 5:12-18.

I knew we shared a love of God's Word, but I didn't know until today that we shared the love of those particular verses. I have them in a frame, sitting on my kitchen counter.

She truly was a sister in Christ. 

Patty was a woman with plenty of hard things in her life, but one who spent her life rejoicing and impacting the lives of those around her. Today we can rejoice and rest in the assurance that Patty professed Jesus Christ as her Lord and Savior and lived a life bearing fruit as evidence. She can now rest peacefully for all eternity.

So, sweet friend, I first thank God for your presence in our lives, for the blessing of friendship and fellowship and love. And if I could have left you with one more message, it would read something like this...

Dear Patty,

Thank you for your love and for your laughter. Thank you for carrying the sweet aroma of Christ. Thank you for being joyful.

A good time was had by all.

With all my love,

Abbey

Grace (Part II)

I got a message on my answering machine last week. When I heard it, I cried tears of joy.

The nurse at my neurologist's office left a six second voicemail that the radiology report on my MRI looked good--"there don't appear to be any new lesions."

This is AMAZING news!!!

This past Monday, I had an appointment to go over the results. For the first time in over a year, I looked at an MRI with hope. The scars are still there, the MS is still there, but nothing was glowing! No lesions were currently active. I have hope that this medicine is working.

I am so thankful in this--beyond words, beyond what I could ever explain here. And I thank God for his mercies, and I thank God for all of the prayers--the ones I know about and the ones I never will. I am humbled by the Lord's grace in this situation and by the people who so graciously love me through it.

And yet I confess to you the small part of me that stomached the news with a tinge of disappointment. A new lesion could explain the hard days--the way I so often feel. No new lesions is truly amazing grace, and yet I must also now begin to accept my new normal.  How I feel. How I must continue to learn to adjust my lifestyle.

On the way home, I asked Brian if I he thought that meant I  could return to what I was doing before MS. I already knew the answer--I know I cannot. I know I physically and mentally cannot. I know it on the days I try. And yet I just needed to hear him tell me no--that is not what the doctor was saying at all. 

And I am challenged to keep my eyes "ever toward the Lord." To recognize how he is using my MS to grow me and to sanctify me. I have hope that someday I might sit in that room and look at an MRI that is clean--that shows no MS, no scars. That I might say to the doctor--"You see! My God did that!" 

But I am challenged that even if that did happen, I would never go back. The Lord is teaching me to live life more dependently on Him--to grow in my faith. To live a life where I must consider whether each part of my agenda is "worth it" that day--worthy of Him. 

And for now, I pray that I can look at my MRI--scars and all--and say with joy, "You see! My God did that!" 

...so that the works of God might be displayed in me. 

So for now, I am so, so thankful for this wonderful news and a beyond encouraging appointment. 

Thank you, Lord, for this incredible encouragement and for your truly AMAZING grace.

SUPER

In today's world, superheroes reign. In our house, the kids have claimed their own superheroes: Peyton is Superman, Cam is Batman and Charlotte is Wonder Woman. Go to your local store and you'll see all the t-shirts for sale, watch the kids dress up for Halloween or go to the movie theater and see the latest Marvel thrill.

Kaden was released from the hospital this week. It was "super" in every sense of the word.  It was miraculous and phenomenal and breathtaking. It brought me to tears. We went down on Monday for a bell ringing ceremony, marking the end of chemotherapy. It was a celebration worth witnessing. 

Kaden is cancer free!

I rejoice in my heart to a God in heaven who takes the word SUPERHERO to a whole new level. This bell ringing, the end of chemo, an MRI and spinal tap that reveal the cancer has been beaten--it is nothing short of SUPERNATURAL. 

As his name so rightly signifies, Kaden is a fighter. But I am reminded in this sweet moment of victory that what seemed impossible was possible because our Creator allowed it to be. Jesus Christ is the ultimate superhero--without muscles, without a special costume, but rather the willingness to lay aside his supernatural ability to save himself, so that we might be saved despite our sin. 

So while Kaden is certainly our little superman (do you all see that sweet picture of him flying!!??), Jesus is the one to whom our knees should bow. We stand in awe and wonder at this beautiful miracle and thank Him for his remarkable mercies through this journey.

Brian and I were asked to pray at the bell ringing ceremony--(I couldn't have prayed one word without crying, so Brian prayed for us). It was a good reminder of the supernatural power of prayer throughout this process--He began with this:

3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, 4 who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God. 5 For just as we share abundantly in the sufferings of Christ, so also our comfort abounds through Christ.

2 Corinthians 1:3-5

...and he ended by praying for Kaden's salvation from Psalm 91--that he will come to know the Lord:

“Because he loves me,” says the Lord, “I will rescue him;
    I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name.
15 He will call on me, and I will answer him;
    I will be with him in trouble,
    I will deliver him and honor him.
16 With long life I will satisfy him
    and show him my salvation.”

So I thank you all for your prayers and ask that you will continue to pray for this little boy--that he might come to know Jesus as his Savior, that he might never have cancer again, that he would be protected from any future side effects from the chemo and that his story will be told always with the name of Jesus on our lips. 

Finally, I pray that you might recognize the words at the top of my blog from John 9:1-3 in this tiny little boy. The works of God have certainly been displayed in him. May we be ever so thankful and mindful of the work of our Creator. He is a good, good Father. 

Fall days...

Each year Brian looks forward to the Loudonville Fair like it’s a national holiday. This week we had a countdown going!

And it certainly did not disappoint. We made it down for the livestock sale, rode plenty of rides, ate plenty of food (yes, I had an Italian sausage and some fair fries—my fave!), took a nap at Grandma Allerding’s and then went back for more, ending with a double order of Lerch’s Donuts and some cotton candy. Best part of the fair: spending quality time with Grandma and Grandpa Allerding and lots of cousins.

Tonight we spent the evening at our church's Fall Fest, celebrating the fall and enjoying fellowship with family and friends.

I feel like the fall is one of my favorite times of year to spend outside. God’s creation is such a good reminder of His never-ending grace. Each day He paints a new sky and each evening He splashes another myriad of colors on the canvas we call home for this short time. “It looks fake,” I commented to someone this evening—the clouds and the sky. And one is never like the next. Always breathtaking. It is a good reminder that just like the sky, His mercies are new every morning and that He is a BIG, BIG God. 

Grace (Part I)

I am writing to report with abundant thanksgiving that I feel the best I’ve felt since I was diagnosed with MS in June of 2015! This is the week before my monthly infusion (I will go for it tomorrow), and I am not a total emotional and physical mess. Typically, this week would have already entailed a great deal of crying—over the happy, sad and in between, as well as a total lack of energy.

But today, I had energy! I played outside with my kiddos and enjoyed soaking in God’s beautiful creation. When I pause to think how long it’s been since I’ve felt any amount of energy for an extended period of time, I’m overwhelmed by what our bodies can take and the toll it can take in other areas of our lives.

I forgot what I was missing.

What it feels like to not always pretend to feel well.

I am going to report to you in a series of blogs (look for Grace Part II coming soon…) about some of the ways I’ve grown and seen God’s grace over this past year, and more particularly, recently.

I ask that you might pray for my MRI coming up next Monday, October 10th. This will be to determine the effectiveness of the “new” medication (going on 8 months now) and will give us some indication of where to go or not go from here.

My most immediate praise would be the change in weather (i.e. no humidity!!!). The summer heat can have (and did have!) a major impact on symptoms, and I am so thankful for the fall to finally have arrived!

Stuff

Have you taken a visit to Toys R Us recently???  I have to confess that I made my second visit probably in the last twenty years this past month. I left with my head spinning.

I was so overwhelmed by the volume of “stuff.”  I couldn’t even imagine how my children felt—they were literally spinning (in circles!) as they tried to comprehend all the toys that existed in this one, giant building!

I have lamented to my husband for many years that I am constantly overwhelmed by the toys in my house (which I’m now realizing—ashamedly so--is its own mini Toys R Us).  I love our house, but there are really two rooms downstairs for living in outside the kitchen and both are covered in toys. I’m either tripping over toys, breaking up a fight over toys, or cleaning up toys (and yes, I enforce having my children help clean up!).

Based on my own study of Scripture and my own burden of making idols out of “stuff,” as well as an article Brian sent me recently that claims having too many toys can actually create higher levels of stress in moms, I decided I’d had enough. Over the past several months, I’ve been “cleaning” out the toys. It started on a small scale, but the other day I had finally had enough.

While my little ones were at school I took five loads (yes, LOADS) of toys to the basement.  When they returned home, not a word was spoken about the missing toys until after naps when Cammy went behind the couch and noticed a missing basket: “Where did that go? And the stuff in it?” was all he said.  I gave a simple answer that I had just taken the basket away and he moved on with whatever he was doing.

They didn’t even miss five LOADS of toys!!!

For all of you out there condemning me for stunting my children’s growth—don’t worry.  There are still plenty of toys left to play with.  But I tried to focus on ones that encourage imagination and play: their kitchen and work bench where they pretend to have a restaurant or create wonderful “wooden” projects. Building blocks and magnatiles for creating an infinite number of structures and creations. I left the plethora of books and puzzles, as well as their musical instruments where they sing praises to their Father in heaven! They have a coloring table where they play for hours, and I left plenty more I haven’t even mentioned here. They still have PLENTY of “stuff.” I am certain after listing that for you, it’s still too much.

I intend to continue to purge the play room and liberate myself and my children from the confines of too many things. 

The process truly has been freeing.

I heard a story a few years back about a grandma who allowed her children to really play when they came to her house. She didn’t worry too much about the breakables and the precious things—“It’s just stuff,” she told them.

That story has stuck with me, and while it’s been a slow process in my own life—and the toys are just one example of my liberation, I know I must continue to pray that the Lord will allow me not to become too wrapped up in the things of this world—of having more than my neighbor, of keeping up with the Jones’s. 

What a challenge.

But for now—what a relief!  

Fall Reading...

Have you ever heard the saying, “You are what you eat?” It makes me think of Philippians 4:8...

Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable--if anything is excellent or praiseworthy--think about such things.

We aren’t just what we eat. We are what we watch, what we talk about, what we THINK! This verse has challenged me in the realm of TV, in the realm of my activities and especially in the realm of what I read. So I thought I’d share some of the books that have impacted me in the past year or so—ones I am currently reading or ones I know have impacted me greatly. Books that I pray are "excellent or praiseworthy"--that I might "think about such things." 

Here are a few:

·         A Praying Life by Paul E. Miller – a life changer—this one challenges you to take a look at different areas of your prayer life

·         Loving God with all Your Mind by Elizabeth George – all about choosing to speak God’s TRUTH to yourself on a daily basis

·         Shepherding a Child’s Heart by Tedd Tripp – can’t wait to dig into this one after attending his conference a few weekends back! The title speaks to the topic!

·         Morning Devotions by Susannah Spurgeon: Free Grace and Dying Love – challenging and beautiful daily devotions 

·         If I Were God, I’d End all the Pain by John Dickson – for the soul who struggles to reconcile the darkness of this world with our great and awesome Father

·         The Freedom of Self-Forgetfulness by Tim Keller – a quick yet incredibly deep and profound read

·         Lead…for God’s Sake! By Todd G. Gongwer – for the leader, the businessman, the coach, the just about anybody!

But don’t forget…the greatest TRUTH of all is the Word of God. As I’ve said before (and stolen from someone much brighter than I am), I pray it might be your “magnificent obsession.” I love the way God tells us His word will never return void:

…so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.

Isaiah 55:11

Thankfulness

"What are you thankful for today?" is one of the questions I often ask my kids on the drive to or from school. It's amazing how easy it is to go through a day without thanking God for the gifts He's so graciously provided. 

So here's my list today:

1. Laughter: pee your pants, belly hurts kinda laughter. The kind you don't necessarily get everyday but wish you did. 

2. My kiddos: Cam, P-Man, and Charley...

3. God's Creation: I'm lovin this NO HUMIDITY stuff where the sun still shines and bakes its rays into your skin, where the butterflies still dance from one leaf to the next, but when the wind blows, it also cools you--sends a chill from the outside in that beckons fall to come and stay awhile.  

Summer's humidity was a constant reminder of my limitations. There were days I didn't even want to move or where I simply could not bear to take the kids outside. And so I am thankful today for Ohio, and the fall, and pumpkins, and even for the reminder that just like Creation, we are in the grip of our Father's hands. As he beckons in the new season outside, may he also call forth new growth inside of me. 

AWE

Do you ever stop to think just how big God actually is? It’s like capturing eternity—something that has always plagued me and thankfully reminded me of my humanness, my inability to comprehend the magnificence of our God.

I often ask God to reveal himself to me—that I might see Christ in the details of the day. As I sit and type to you now, I can look out the window and see the wind moving the trees, the breath of God poured out upon Creation. I see freshly planted grass that will grow from a tiny seed into fertile, green ground where my children will run in their bare feet. I think of the sunset last evening—even the air itself looked pink—painted by the hands of our awesome Creator. In Isaiah we are reminded of His massiveness: “In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord, high and exalted, seated on a throne; and the train of his robe filled the temple” (Isaiah 6:1).

Just the train of his robe filled the temple!!!

We cannot comprehend God. And—darn it—aren’t we so arrogant to think we can? How often do I make God so small and myself the center of it all?

I was challenged this weekend at a seminar on shepherding my children to help them grow up to fear the Lord.

To fear the Lord! To appreciate and grapple with his magnificence. To not only fear him in the basic sense of the word but to appreciate him, to be in AWE of Him, to worship Him with an unequivocal devotion because He is God and we are NOT!

This quote discussed in our Sunday School class puts it much better than I:

“THE problem is clear: People are too big and God is too small. The answer is straightforward:  We must learn to know that our God is more loving and more powerful than we ever imagined. Yet this task is not easy. Even if we worked at the most spectacular of national parks, or the bush in our backyard started burning without being consumed, or Jesus appeared and wrestled a few rounds with us, we would not be guaranteed a persistent reverence of God. Too often our mountain-top experiences are quickly overtaken by the clamor of the world, and God once again is diminished in our minds. The goal is to establish a daily tradition of growing in the knowledge of God.”

-Ed Welch, When People are BIG and God is Small

I am challenged this week, and, oh yes—for this lifetime (which again is but a vapor in comparison to eternity)—to constantly remind my children of how BIG our God is. We are reminded in Matthew 19:26 that “with God all things are possible.”

And as I remind my sweet little babies of the awe and wonder of their God, may I constantly speak the same Truth to myself.

Oh, Lord, I am not worthy. And yet…

“This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.” 1 John 4:10

Last Round

Today Kaden is heading to the hospital for his LAST (yes, I said last!) round of chemo. We are reminded of how powerful our God is and pray for His continued mercy poured out on this little boy and his family. We pray specifically that the Lord will protect his hearing, keep him from any more seizures or infections, give Kaden comfort and his parents strength and endurance for the days ahead. May they know and feel the presence of God.

Cookies and Milk

Mama Allerding can cook. She makes one mean vegetable soup! Better yet—she can bake! And the best part of all: she taught her boys (meaning my husband included) how to bake, too! Brian’s latest peach pies: let's just say INCREDIBLE!

His older brother, Tim, is quite the baker, as well. My favorite is undoubtedly his molten lava cake recipe. Brian told a story the other day about Tim baking cookies that got me to thinking. He was laughing about how Tim cannot eat cookies without a glass of milk.

Brian always tells people, “One time I called him at like 10:00pm, and said, ‘What ya doing?’ And he told me, ‘I’m at the store—I made some cookies and we didn’t have any milk!’”

Brian gets to laughing every time—shaking his head as he pictures Tim rushing to the store at 10pm for his glass of milk.

You can’t have cookies without milk.

And it got me to thinking about the Gospel.  Everything is so politically correct these days. Don’t talk politics and don’t talk religion with your friends. And if you do, don’t you dare start using the name of Jesus!

But wait… Don’t talk religion with my friends? How, then, could I ever be called a friend? Will they get to the gates of heaven and look at me and say, “You knew all that time?? Why didn’t you tell me???”

So we must tell.  We are called to tell. And we must use the name of Jesus.

It’s like having cookies without milk.

You can’t have heaven without Jesus.

***

Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”

John 14:6

Praise!

Thank you to all who have been praying for Kaden. He is doing much better overall, and today we learned that the seizures were NOT caused by an undetected tumor or his shunt. We are praising God for this answered prayer! They will continue to do tests and monitor him closely. Please continue to pray for this little boy and his family through this long process. We are reminded today that we do not always know why or how or what. We must rely on the Lord!

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding.

Proverbs 3:5

PLEASE PRAY!

Please pray for Kaden and his parents. He was life-flighted back to Nationwide after having seizures today while at home. We are reminded tonight that we do not know HOW, but we do know WHO to turn to during this time. May our Lord Jesus Christ, be their source of healing and provision.

God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble... . He says, "Be still and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth."

Psalm 46

Kaden Update

I wanted to take a post and give everyone an update on Kaden (I am still updating every few days under the "Prayers for Kaden" tab, as well). 

He is on his way through the 5th round of chemo, with one more round to go! With a bit of a hiccup last evening with his central line (almost having to go to surgery to repair it but ultimately being able to fix it without), we first need to pray for no infection. This is critical when his numbers are low and he is at such high risk.

Then, here is the big one:

LET'S PRAY FOR AN APPETITE!!!

In order for them to get some time at home, we need the little guy to have a big appetite! Please pray for this, as well as energy and endurance for Jen and Tim--that the light of Christ might light their way through the darkness.

"Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path."

Psalm 119:105