Anyone can give up, it’s the easiest thing in the world to do. But to hold it together when everyone else would understand if you fell apart, that’s true strength.” ~ Author Unknown

~ DISAPPOINTING WEEKEND! ~
Leah didn’t get to go to the choir competition, nor to church Sunday. She spent her whole weekend on the couch wrapped in your love and prayers with the blanket you gave her . Bouncing back from chemo is taking longer and longer. In the beginning it would take only about a week and then Leah would be her spunky
ol’ self, now it is taking 10 + days… and then it is time again for chemo. She is trying to stay positive, but it is difficult at times. Facing chemo treatments until February isn’t a pleasant thought. Chemo literally takes you to the edge. How could something that is suppose to be so good and lifesaving …be so bad?
Question marks are beginning to form in her mind. I remember in the very beginning she told me,
“Mom, there is going to come a time in this journey that you will have to push me to go on.”
I can’t even imagine what it must be like to be so sick for weeks and weeks. My heart goes out to every cancer patient. It is hard to say, “Keep going, you can make it” when you see the side effects wrecking havoc on your child’s body. But with your unrelenting prayers for Leah I know the Lord will take her through. We have felt those prayers and the comfort of the Lord. It is what keeps us going!!

Diagnosis Day seems like a long, long time ago. We are marching forward to Leah’s graduation day from treatment. We are half way there. And we look forward to Leah’s advanced degree (masters of survival) five years from now. Both of those days will be a time for great joy.

No matter what happens we know His grace is sufficient. His power is made perfect in our weakness. God is good all the time.
Leah, today I pray that God takes the pain away and gives you an extra dose of grace and strength so you can keep pushing on................................
How many times have I heard you say these words…………… “struggle is the proof you have not yet been conquered.”

Love you bunches,
Mother

To all of our family and friends ..... thank you again for praying and caring. And thanks in advance for your prayers as Leah begins her 7th. treatment.

This is an old story … but such a great message.

A man was sleeping at night in his cabin when suddenly his room filled with
light, and God appeared. The Lord told the man he had work for him to do, and
showed him a large rock in front of his cabin. The Lord explained that the man
was to push against the rock with all his might. So, this the man did, day
after day. For many years he toiled from sun up to sun down; his shoulders set
squarely against the cold, massive surface of the unmoving rock, pushing with
all of his might. Each night the man returned to his cabin sore and worn out,
feeling that his whole day had been spent in vain.

Since the man was showing discouragement, the Adversary (Satan) decided to enter
the picture by placing thoughts into the weary mind: "you have been pushing
against that rock for a long time, and it hasn't moved." Thus, giving the man
the impression that the task was impossible and the he was a failure. These
thoughts discouraged and disheartened the man. "Why kill myself over this?" he
thought. "I'll just put in my time, giving just the minimum effort; and that will be good
enough."

And that is what he planned to do, until one day he decided to make it a
Matter of prayer and take his troubled thoughts to the Lord.

"Lord," he said, "I have labored long and hard in your service, putting all my
strength to do that which you have asked. Yet, after all this time, I have
not even budged that rock by half a millimeter. What is wrong? Why am I failing?"

The Lord responded compassionately, "My friend, when I asked you to serve
Me and you accepted, I told you that your task was to push against the rock with all of
your strength, which you have done. Never once did I mention to you that I expected you to
move it. Your task was to push. And now you come to Me with your
strength spent, thinking that you have failed. But, is that really so?

Look at yourself. Your arms are strong and muscled, your back sinewy and brown,
your hands are callused from constant pressure, your legs have become massive
and hard. Through opposition you have grown much, and your abilities now
surpass that which you used to have. Yet you haven't moved the rock. But your
calling was to be obedient and to push and to exercise your faith and trust in
My wisdom. This you have done. Now I, My friend, will now move the rock."

At times, when we hear a word from God, we tend to use our own intellect to
decipher what He wants, when actually what God wants is just a simple obedience and faith in Him.
By all means, exercise the faith that moves mountains, but know that it is still God who moves mountains.
P= Pray
U= Until
S=Something
H= Happens