May 28, 2013
The day is growing near for Jeff's follow-up scan. This time, all the pre-authorization's are in place and we are ready. Please be in prayer for us between now and Friday morning (when the scan is set to take place).
Here's where we are now...the cough that has plagued Jeff since his radiation treatment ended is still persistant. The cough was unproductive until about a week ago. The cough changed somewhat at that time and began to sound "wet"...not long after, he did begin to cough stuff up, making him feel better. His doctor prescribed antibiotics and prednisone for him...as of now, we really can't tell that it's helped. Tonight he had a pretty violent coughing spell, during which he pulled a muscle or something in his back. This made it hard for him to breathe without being in pain.
I won't pretend that all this doesn't concern us. It does. However, we trust our God. We trust that He has a plan for our lives and that He is in control. Our resolve to give Him the glory in every situation remains. So that's where we are for now. We are grateful for all the prayers and support that our friends and family have given throughout this ordeal. We truly have an amazing support system around us.
So, I'll change the subject and tell you what else is going on in our lives. I'll start with the youngest...Abbi is finishing up her 7th grade year with excellence. Today, she recieved notification that she will be inducted into the Jr. National Honor Society on Thursday night. She is active in school and church and makes sure that we have plenty to talk about at the dinner table each night! She's a beautiful young lady and we are blessed to watch her grow.
Doran is finishing up his Jr. year and excels in his studies as well. He will be inducted into NHS in the fall. He continues to be an honor student, active on the church praise teams and drama team and our resident source of useless (but interesting) facts.
Zac has recently moved back home with us. We are happy to have him here and are proud to see the man he has become. He continues to work as a night auditor at Wakulla Springs lodge and hopefully by moving home, will be able to save up enough money to return to college soon. He is thoughtful and nice to be around. And now he helps us drive home advice to his younger brother and sister...pointing out to them that we are not as stupid as they think we are! He keeps things musical around the house...often answering random questions with a song!
My photography business is going crazy good right now and God continues to open new doors of opportunity for me. I am toying with the idea of writing a book, however I have decided that God will have to open those doors...I will not be knocking them down. When the time is right, He will give me the words ... He always does.
Jeff has continued to preach throughout this whole ordeal. I feel that his sermons are stronger than ever. He struggles with the cough and it bothers him terribly, but somehow I know that God is using it. His determination to continue inspite of his ailments has been a testimony of God's faithfulness.
I've said this many times in the last few months, but I'll say it again tonight. God is faithful, God is good. He has promised not to leave us or forsake us...He has kept His promise. We can face Friday without fear because we know that He will be there with us. Keep us in prayer...I'll let you know sometime next week what the test results are.
