Fasting Week #11: New Mercy

We conquered week 25 and yesterday we had a quick chemo for week 26, but the effects are still lingering for Cade. We are thankful for new mercies every morning!

Between the time we made our weekly update video and this morning, Cade has had a return of vomiting and sick stomach. We are praying for breakthrough for him, and for his ability to eat and have a calm stomach. He hasn't eaten since Saturday and he needs strength, please pray with us for a return of his appetite and for a stomach that can handle food.

We are thankful for all of the people praying with us, for our team of medical staff, and for family nearby who has helped out so much. This thing takes an entire village, and I am incredibly thankful for ours. Hearing people I've never met talk about praying for my son daily is so humbling, and incredibly encouraging on days like today. Thank you so much.

Here are some of the prayer points we have for this week and next:

1. Please pray for immediate relief for Cade's stomach and for all vomiting to stop right away and finally.

2. Please pray for his weight to go up. I always take so much pride when I see the numbers on the scale creep up with him, but we've lost a few pounds in the past two weeks after five days of treatment and an upset stomach. Please pray God increases his appetite! It is important for his body to have energy for the fight.

3. Please pray for our girls to have joy and peace the last few weeks of summer and for Cade to be able to enjoy playing with them.

4. Our next big chemo group starts July 30th, and we have opted for the full dose of treatment. This always puts fear into my heart, as I anticipate mouth sores and vomiting, suppressed counts and the transfusions that follow. Please pray for courage for all of us, and for Cade's body to build back up between now and then so he can enter that week as ready as possible.

Thank you so much for being part of our network of praying friends all over.

The verse I reference in the video about Cade's flood dream is Nahum 1:7-9:

The Lord is good,

A stronghold in the day of trouble;

And He knows those who trust in Him.

 But with an overflowing flood

He will make an utter end of its place,

And darkness will pursue His enemies.

What do you conspire against the Lord?

He will make an utter end of it.

Affliction will not rise up a second time.

I also stumbled across an interesting sermon/commentary on a psalm written by Charles Spurgeon. I love how truth was truth a hundred years ago, and a thousand years ago. Navigating this kind of soul trial is all brand new to me, and I am leaning on the wisdom of friends around me who have walked down hard roads, and also the wisdom of people in the past who have endured "all things" for the sake of Christ. One of the lines I love most in this sermon was that "the trial that we do not feel is no trial at all". I am recognizing in myself always the temptation to turn off the feelings, or at least put them aside. Chad calls this "turning down the volume" on certain feelings, which is good in some cases and frequently through this journey we've had no choice but to plow ahead. But there are always times when the Holy Spirit has us circle back, and enter in to the pain to let Him counsel us through it. I am reminded of that wonderful portion of Psalm 23, when I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, His rod and His staff comfort me. His rod corrects, His staff guides. He is a good shepherd indeed. 

This is a verse I've been praying over our family this week out of the Passion Translation in Psalm 84:6-7:

Even when their paths wind through the dark valley of tears,

    they dig deep to find a pleasant pool where others find only pain.

    He gives to them a brook of blessing

    filled from the rain of an outpouring.

They grow stronger and stronger with every step forward,

    and the God of all gods will appear before them in Zion.