come.be.well

I have not updated in so long! Everyone keeps asking how I’m doing and I say “I’m good!”
And I am! But I do have news!
My last scan showed VERY minimal activity in the places it was active when we started. It showed an over 50% shrinkage in size as well! Apparently, the size is not really important, it’s the activity level. Mine went from 5 (highest possible) to a 2 (1 is none)🙌🏼
So not the end, but we’re getting so close!! I will continue treatment until June/July of 2024.
I appreciate all of your love and prayers. Thank you so much to those of you who check in regularly. I see you🫶🏼

Treatment day! Having a little quiet recover time the afternoon of treatment has been amazing🙌🏼
Huge shoutouts to my tribe for making the rest possible. Cici, Kiki, Mama and my amazing hubs. Love you guys more than you know🫶🏼🫶🏼

📣UPDATE📣
Got my first set of scan results since starting treatment.

In the oncologist’s words- it looks like I have had a “phenomenal” response to treatment 🙌🏼🙌🏼

There are still some lingering spots we’ll continue to treat (will continue the same treatment plan for about 9ish more months).

Thank you for all the prayers and support. We’re not done yet, but SO much closer🙌🏼

GOD IS GOOOOOOD🙌🏼🫶🏼

Scan day🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼

Have you ever thought about this? The the God of the universe- the One who created and cares for ALL things- delights in you?

Think about it today. He is in charge of all creation. His to-do list is infinite. Yet YOU are the center of his attention. He delights in YOU. He rejoices in the fact that you exist. And he cares for you more than you know. That is a powerful thought. It gives me chills🙌🏼

Be well🫶🏼

This is my daughter’s (she’s 5) glow baby, or “gobaby.” She has carried this thing everywhere- and I mean EVERYWHERE- since she was about 8 months old. Last week she went to a sleepover and left her on her bed. When I asked her about it she said “I’m growing up, I don’t need to take her.” Cue the tears, right?!😭

As school is right around the corner I feel that all too familiar sadness creeping in. The sadness about my babies going out into this big ole world, about not seeing them all day every day, and for the morning snuggles I’ll miss. All of this sadness can truly be overwhelming if I let it.

But then I am reminded what the Word says about being sad and mourning the past. I encourage all of you sending babies off to school, or those struggling with growing babies. Jesus is there to comfort us- to bring us His peace. Jesus said in John 14:27, “I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid.” These babies are not ours anyway. They are His and He has them in the palm of His hands. And their futures are so bright. Let’s look forward to what is to come instead of mourning the loss of the past.
‭Ecclesiastes 7:10 says, “Say not, ‘Why were the former days better than these?’ For it is not from wisdom that you ask this.”

Lots of prayers going out to all of you in this bittersweet season🫶🏼🙏🏼
Much love. Be well

“And when I get to that city I cannot see
I'll know that even this valley was a golden stream.
Fill my cup, Lord
Run it over
Give me love, give me joy
Give me peace”

I love this song by Andrew Ripp. But today this line stood out to me. Instead of being brought down by my circumstances, I am choosing to see that this valley as a golden stream 🙌🏼

“You prepare a feast for me in the presence of my enemies. You honor me by anointing my head with oil. My cup overflows with blessings.”
‭‭Psalms‬ ‭23‬:‭5‬ ‭

Happy Sunday✝️💜

I read something that stopped me in my tracks. It shook me really. The author said that living a life for Christ is also living a life of loss. Wow. Those words hit me to my core. I think a lot of times, whether it’s by your church, friends and fam, or society, God is presented in a way that if you’re following him your life should be all sunshine and rainbows.

Hang with me. I’m not saying there won’t be blessings. There will be. It will be an amazing life. It just won’t be one without sorrows. The Word says in 2 Corinthians 9:8
“And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work.”

Jesus promises so many things to us, but he does not promise that we will not have trials and sorrows. In fact, His Word says we will. In John 16:33 the Lord says, “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” There is encouragement there. He tells us not to worry, even though we will have trouble, because He has already overcome. In the end, no matter what our earthly life looked like, ultimately we will win with eternal life. “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” John 3:16.

I challenge you to come to this realization now. It can be a hard life of following Christ if you expect everything to be perfect. When you expect this, your view of God is skewed, and when bad things happen you can be dissapointed or even angry with Him (ask me how I know😅). We need to realize that, despite the trials, loss, sadness, pain, and even “no” in answer to some prayers in this life, God is still GOOD. Man, it will completely change our lives🙌🏼

Much love. Be well🫶🏼

Back to regularly schedule programming today👏🏼

Yesterday was treatment day. When I met with the NP, she was concerned about a blood clot so we had to hold off treatment until I could have that checked.

No blood clot 🙌🏼 getting back on track with treatment #6!

A few days ago, I started thinking about how hard Thursdays would be for me once summer is over and all my child helpers are back to work. I thought, man it would be nice if treatment was on Fridays. But they wouldn’t let me just change it. Yesterday I was angry for the inconvenience. Today I feel so grateful that God cares about even the small things in our lives. He heard my desires and gave me a little wink. Treatments will now be on Fridays and I won’t have to worry so much about my kids🙌🏼❤️

Delight yourselves in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart. Psalm 37:4

Today I had a kink in my treatment plan. I left the office feeling annoyed and grumpy. After some prayer (and wise words from friends and family😉) I realized that maybe the kink is ordained.
🙌🏼Maybe God has a bigger plan.
🙌🏼Maybe there’s a wonderful reason for the kink.

How we react to our circumstances shows where our trust really is. It gives us an insight to who we’re giving control- God or ourselves. Needing to take a hard look at where mine is today.

Much love friends. Be well🫶🏼