Overwhelmed by Love and Care

Thank you to all of you!!! The love, care, encouragement, tangible help, and prayers have just been amazing!!!! Even just that first weekend, I couldn't believe all the people who contacted me -- including family members who I don't usually have the privilege of talking to on the phone! :) I've just been stunned by the outpouring of love and concern for me and my family. Thank you.

I have still been keeping track of those who have said that they are praying for me. Because that is the greatest gift of all!!! God can do anything. And I know that He is helping me daily. I do not believe the expression (expression, not verse) that God will not give me more than I can handle -- because first of all, God did not give me cancer. And secondly, this is way more than I can handle -- thus creating my deep need and dependence on God. I also know that He is allowing a situation to be set up where His glory is going to be seen by literally hundreds of people as they watch my story unfold and how God will work and already has been working in my life. Anyway, I now have EIGHT PAGES of names listed in my journal -- names of people or even of whole organizations (church prayer chains, etc.) who are praying for me!!! It is incredible to see. And I imagine that there are even others that I don't know about, based on the surprising emails I receive everyday -- even from people that I do not know personally. By the way, I should add here that I apologize if you have written or called and I have not replied. I am working on a "no guilt" philosophy in life though, which is a new thing for me. ;) ha. And I keep reminding myself that my doctor specifically said that I need to keep my focus on myself right now. So although I truly do feel badly that I have not been able to reply to everyone who has contacted me, I am following the advice that has been given -- and I'm working on the "no guilt" part too. ;) But THANK YOU for everything that each of you has done for me -- including all the wonderful supportive and encouraging messages!!!!!!! They mean sooo much to me!!!! :)

I have even received sweet surprises along the way!! Flowers and plants have arrived to cheer up our home. Cards were overtaking our mantle, so my mom has now climbed up on a chair to line them across the top of the built-in shelving unit in our family room. They are a joy to see! I received a little "courage" angel figurine... I've received "bath bombs" from a friend, which have been used regularly this week (hot baths have helped me so much when I've been in extreme pain -- and yes, the doctor did say this is ok)... a calming CD which I've been listening to when trying to find peace... wonderfully soft fuzzy pink slippers, which Kien enjoys trying to swipe from me when they're not on my feet ;) ... coffee and scones appearing at our door this morning... a friend came to paint my toenails, when I said that I haven't been able to bend over to do it and wanted pretty toes while in the hospital :) ... my MOPS group gave me a "prayer shawl" knitted and prayed over by some ladies at a local church, which was then prayed over by my MOPS group before presenting it to me (and I've carried it to some doctor's appointments both for physical warmth and emotional comfort) ...novels to read... the fabulous portrait session I just blogged about separately... and the list goes on!!!! Two boxes are still waiting by the door that I hope to open this evening. I feel so blessed and loved!!!! THANK YOU!!!!!!!

Our church already held one prayer session for me one evening at church last week, as well as others who have prayed over me. And now a group is coming over again tonight to pray over me on the night before surgery. That means the world to me!!!! My back pain has been listed in the church bulletin under prayer requests for a couple months....now that has, of course, morphed into a written prayer request for the reason behind the pain I've been having. I've also seen that my name is on the prayer chain in the weekly announcements of my childhood church. :)

The chains of people praying for me have just been amazing... Like a coworker of Steve who emailed him to say that she had received a prayer request via email from a church she used to attend...which was written by the pastor's wife, including a blog...regarding the mother of one of her students. Of course, that was me. :) So a coworker of Steve (who already knew about my cancer, of course) received a prayer request via email regarding me from one of Kien's teachers at Mother's Morning Out (where he has started attending one morning per week).

And a cool story.... A good friend of ours (who is almost like family) went to the hospital last Thursday for an exam. And when she walked into the hospital, she saw me and Steve sitting in chairs talking to a doctor. She emailed me later to tell me this story. She said it looked like I was drinking 2 bottles of lemonade. Yup!! And she didn't want to interrupt us. So she just stopped and stood there, praying for me instead of talking to us. One of the hospital volunteers approached her to ask if she needed help. So she explained to the volunteer that her friend was over there and has cancer and that she was praying for me. So the volunteer asked my name, repeated it, and said that she would pray for me as well. :) What a cool story!! I was very blessed to know that my good friend was standing there praying for me as I sat there prepping for my tests at the hospital that day.

But there's always more!!!! This past Saturday, some of the men at church met together in the morning to pray over Steve!!!! They talked together and gave Steve a chance to be able to talk through things too. And then they prayed for him. I was sooo thrilled about this!!!! And one of the preschool Daddies (who belongs to a different church) even came too to support Steve. And at that prayer session, they asked Steve how they could help in tangible ways... and now this coming weekend, a group of men is coming over to work on our yard!!!!! PRAISE GOD!!!!! Our church family has always been family to us -- but now that is being shown even more than ever!!!! We love all of you!!!!! :) I even decided to mention to them an item that is important to me which has been on Steve's "to do list" for quite some time.... and it's now being accomplished for us!!!! We had purchased a child's table and chairs for Kevin, and it is still in the box unassembled, as this is not at the top of Steve's priority list, obviously. In fact, his priorities are quite simply.... support and take care of me.... and spend lots of time researching and researching to find me the best care possible (mostly concerning now what happens post radiation and surgery). What an amazing husband I have!!!

Incidentally, I haven't directly mentioned yet that Steve is not working at all. He did go back to work last Monday morning (the Monday after we first heard the news). But after sending out an email to his whole team about my condition, his boss came to talk to him and after a good talk, he sent Steve home. They all agree that Steve does not belong at work. Praise God!!!!!!! A VP has even called to talk to Steve -- about me -- not about work. And his boss called this week to check in -- never mentioning work, except to tell Steve that he just got a raise and a generous bonus!!!! :) PRAISE GOD!!!!!!

And of course, I can't skip mentioning my mother.... She has basically taken over my job!! I don't know how we could possibly be making it through without her being here taking care of the boys. I absolutely cannot thank her enough. And of course, the boys LOVE having all this Grandma time!!!! :) And it was fun to hear this morning when Steve said that he and my mom are having trouble coping with handling my job -- two of them having trouble handling the job of one. ;) Wow, that sure makes me feel appreciated!! ha! :) And then my dad too!!! He can't stay full-time, like my mom -- but he was here throughout last week to go to all appointments with us. Now he returned this afternoon to be here for my surgery. And then he will come back again next weekend for my birthday. :)

Then.... we haven't even had to cook since this all began!!! We have had so many wonderful friends offering to bring meals!! And in the first few days, friends just brought meals over without even asking! ha!! :) That was awesome!!! And now food just keeps coming and coming!!! And the meals are all fabulous!!!! Does everyone really eat like this at home each night???? This is what I keep wondering. ;) Or do they just make something extra special when it's being brought for someone else???? ;) ha! I hope we're not the only ones who don't normally eat quite this well! Anyway, .... YUM!!!! And in the middle of typing this post (while sitting out enjoying the BEAUTIFUL weather out on our sunroom... while Kevin is at preschool, Kien is at Mother's Morning Out, and my mom is out having a morning to herself), there was a knock at the door with the delivery of tonight's dinner!! :) It was from a friend from my MOPS group - and she even included a fancy birthday cupcake for me with a candle taped to the top of the box!!!! Sooo sweet!!!! :) :)

When I started writing this post, my intent wasn't really to list out everything that everyone has done. And that is partly because I'm afraid I may have skipped something or someone!! So please don't be offended if I did!!! I just had fun writing and writing and thinking about all the love that has been shown to me. I am just overwhelmed and feel soooo supported, loved, and encouraged!!! THANK YOU for blessing our lives!!!!!!!! :) :)