They're Home!

Cindy and Caitlin are back home - real home! They're happy to be there, settling in and 'nesting' once more. Their friend Dennis was the next one in Caitlin's room at Sutter, and he's out again now, waiting for a transplant on the 28th. If you're running the CIM, wave at him when you run by!!!
Cindy had a good run yesterday and a nice breakfast with her running buddies. We went to a nice little church this morning. She's really doing great.
The prayer for Caitlin now is this: 100% remission - NO CANCER! I think Cindy said her pet scan is December 1st.
So the news is good, let's keep the prayers going for a complete healing.
This is truly a season of Thanksgiving.
Mary

Back Home

Caitlin now has her "catheter line" out so she is a free woman. She was able to return back home to Plymouth to begin starting a cancer free life. Cindy asked for prayer for Caitlin to emotionally comprehend and accept all that she has been through. My prayer is for joy which comes only from faith. This is a difficult road in recovery especially when the treatment was so brutal. I remembered a story that I shared with Cindy and in this start of a busy holiday season, it might help some of us. so here it goes....
A group of Americans, wanting to journey into the interior of Africa, hired several natives guides to lead the way. The first day went by so smoothly and the Americans realized that they had progressed further than the plan. They went to bed excited about the next day. The second day went even smoother and the Americans realized that they would reach their destination the very next day. They went to bed so happy. On the third day, ready to finish their journey, the Americans were dismayed to see that the camp was quiet. The guides were not preparing to start out on the trail. The Americans pleaded and asked for an explanation. "We've done so well. We are ahead of our schedule. Let's just press on and we will be there today." But the tribesmen just shook their heads and said, "We can't go on. We have travelled so fast that we have to wait for our souls to catch up."
So keep it simple as the holidays get closer, let your souls catch up! Have a wonderful Thanksgiving. Thank you so much for praying for Caitlin.

Happy birthday, Cindy

Friday, Nov. 21st is Cindy's 51st birthday. If you would like to send her an e-mail birthday greeting, her address is:
wayne_cindy@att.net
This morning I e-mailed her and told her that she was no longer a 3-D person but she has turned into a 4-D Spirit led person. 2-Dimensional is pretty boring; 3-D has some depth but WOW... to live a 4-dimensional life? Now that would make a difference. Have a great week getting ready for Thanksgiving!

Reflections of a dying hairdryer: This past week I have been dealing with a faulty hairdryer. Each morning, with a head of wet hair, I remember that my hairdryer is acting up and could die at any moment- a scary thought for someone with my fine hair. So I wiggled a cord one day, pressed a button twice the next and kept a running dialogue in my mind about where to buy a new one, when to buy one, should I buy an expensive or cheaper model. Finally, the dryer stopped and couldn't be revived. In desperation, I opened drawers only to discover that I had a new hairdryer hidden in a dresser drawer. Isn't that what we do about so many things in our life, not just hairdryers? We worry, test out different scenarios, go back and forth on decisions when in reality, God is in control of it all. The new "hairdryer " is already waiting for us to open the drawer and find it. God is just waiting for us to ask Him, go to Him, seek Him for all of the issues in our life. I wish I had opened the drawer at the beginning of the week when the situation started to manifest into a problem. I'm going to apply this to my prayer life this week- turn the issues over to God instead of mulling, stewing, reflecting, trying to find the solution myself. Those of you that see me every day- remind me of this! Janese

Cindy's birthday

Hey everyone- I just wanted to alert you that Cindy's birthday is Friday, Nov. 21. It would be very cool if people would e-mail her a birthday greeting! Here is her e-mail address:
wayne_cindy@att.net Caitlin is so grateful to be out of the hospital. Her Border Collie, Teva, is with her at Grandma Ginny's. Cindy and Caitlin will start gentle walks with Teva. The weather is beautiful so they should just love being outdoors. she will check in for blood tests every day for a while. Thanks for subscribing!

Awesome News!!!

I talked to Cindy this evening and she has great news - Caitlin will be going home (to Grandma Ginny's) tomorrow. Her white cell count was down to -0.2 on Wednesday, then climbed to 5,000 Friday and was up to 20,000 today!!! She's eating (hamburger and carrots!) and feeling better.
So, praise God for her recovery.
Pray that Wayne and Cindy can take her home to Plymouth by Thanksgiving. There's a good chance Caitlin will be well enough, so add some prayer to her hard work and let's see it happen!

Some Good News

I talked to Cindy yesterday and Caitlin was doing a little bit better. She sent a cute picture of Caitlin and Miranda hunkered down together taking a short nap. She hopes to be able to take Caitlin home Sunday or Monday (to Ginny's). Pray that Caitlin continues to improve, pain levels decrease, and she gains strength physically and spiritually. Pray for continued strength and health for Wayne, Cindy, and Miranda. Pray for safety as they all drive between home, hospital, and home #2 and school. Keep Grandma Ginny in your prayers, too, as she continues her own battles with her health.

4 " ' "The LORD bless you
and keep you;

25 the LORD make his face shine upon you
and be gracious to you;

26 the LORD turn his face toward you
and give you peace." '

Leviticus 6:24-26

Time to Step It Up

Greetings!
I received an email from Cindy today. This is crunch time. Caitlin is in a lot of pain as the chemo does its work on her body. Her esophogus lining is down to the raw nerves, so each time she vomits it's incredibly painful. She's on painkillers, so that's helpful, but this sounds awful. Sounds like she'll be dealing with this all this week. Pray for healing, strength, COMFORT, gosh, anything.

My comfort in my suffering is this: Your promise preserves my life.
Psalm 119:49-51
May your unfailing love be my comfort, according to your promise to your servant.
Psalm 119:75-77
Shout for joy, O heavens; rejoice, O earth; burst into song, O mountains! For the LORD comforts his people and will have compassion on his afflicted ones.
Isaiah 49:12-14

Caitlin certainly qualifies as an afflicted one. May God comfort her and heal her quickly. Pray for strength and comfort for Wayne, Cindy, and Miranda as they sit with Caitlin during this difficult time.

Wednesday Update

I talked with Cindy last night to see how Caitlin's transplant went. She said that everything went very well. Caitlin is now through the worst of it and on her way to recovery. No more chemo!!! Cindy said she could feel the presence of everyone's prayers during the procedure. The room was just enveloped in a positive, healing atmosphere.
So, keep up the prayer, everyone! Keep lifting Caitlin up this week as her body fights to recover and produce healthy cells. Pray that Wayne, Cindy, and Miranda continue to stay strong and healthy as the cold and flu season descends upon us. And mostly, praise God that everything has gone so well.

JESUS-DO YOU KNOW HIM?

Our youth leader shared this with our kids today during church and thought that you would enjoy. It is cool to hear who God is all at once!!!

-Ryan

1 Peter 5:6-7

Here is another verse from the team. I want to also share it out to the group.

1 Peter 5:6-7
Humble yourselves, therefore, under God's mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.

Philippians 4:5-8

This was sent to Janese from one of the group members. I wanted to share it out...

Philippians 4:5-8
The Lord is very near. There is no need to worry; but if there is anything you, need pray for it, asking God for it with prayer and thanksgiving, and that peace of God, which is so much greater than we can understand, will guard your hearts and your thoughts, in Christ Jesus.