Big Fish

Well, sorry that it has been so long since we posted. I guess we could say life has just been busy.
The long list of our everyday lives has been added to in this Lenten Season. Listen to all this good stuff God has put on our plates:

1. Jody is in Godspell, I get to direct it as a community project. (Fun but I would rather be in it myself)
2. Soccer coaching starts next week for me again.
3. Coaching the Bible Quiz team in the Elementary paid off, we had 5 of the top 7 quizzers in the JR teams, and Nathan qualified and is practicing to go to nationals.
4. At church we are planning to add a new service as a once per month preview starting at the end of April. (That means meetings, planning, practice for a new praise team, communication with congregation and a lot of visioning)
5. As part of planning for growth and a new service we are adding technology to our worship space. (meaning more meetings, planning, discussion, and vision casting, then fund raising)
6. teaching and attending seminars and workshops aimed at church growth, adding services, leadership development, and starting new churches.
7. The church is working on a whole new web page. That means me doing a lot of writing of informational pages.
8. Of course the daily life of church and parishioners, a lot of prayer, and even a couple funerals.

As you can tell, all this is good stuff and we have a lot to be excited about. We would ask that you keep our community, church, and new service in your prayers as we move in faith into something very new.

Ok, that is all just excuses for why we have not written lately and I guess none of it is very good. I tell everyone, there is always midnight to get the important things done. So here I go.
Jody's last couple visits have been, as she says, "boring." That meaning that she has not reached the news that she has been waiting for. Part of her hopes with every appointment that the DR. is going to tell her that she has reached phase two of remission. Yet there is that fear in the back of her brain that is just waiting for a change in the way her body is responding. (I guess this fear has to be a very real part of everyday for anyone who has been diagnosed with cancer. Even if you have been in remission, I can't imagine that the thought of possible reoccurrence could ever completely leave you.) She is still hyper-sensitive to her body. She notices every bump, every tight muscle, every hot spot (not hot flash,) every cramp, pain, and sensation with contemplative awareness.
The good news is that she is still living in trust that God is at work healing her so she has a great measure of peace that undergirds her bodily awareness. And thus the "boring" as she calls it is the fact that the initial shock has worn off and most of life feels like it has returned to normal for her. (although our kids still fill every prayer with prayers for their mothers continual recovery and protection - praise God for thos kids)
So the question remains for most of you, "How is she doing? What have her test results showed?" Well, a week ago she took another FISH test which is a more detailed look at her DNA. This is the test that she took back in December/ January and found out she was 98% abnormal. Well, she is headed in the right direction, but not as fast as we had hoped. We got those results back and found out that she still 63% abnormal. As the eternal optimist I say halleluia we made a 35% improvement. Of course Jody will not be fully elated until she sees that number at 0% and is able to take the next test to confirm a full remission.

What can we say other that all in God's timing? As we continue to thank God for the treatability of this, and catching it at such an early phase, we also pray for patience and to accept what God gives us everyday.

We are praying for each of you as well, that God gives you patience for whatever is going on in your life. May you be filled with peace and hope, and remember that God will carry you through tomorrow.