Angels - Winged and Armed

This blog is intended to be our thank you to all of you for being important members of our “Slay the Beast” team.


We thought that it was important to celebrate God’s faithfulness and healing to our family over the past 14 months and decided to host a house concert party with Steve Bell, a well-known Canadian recording artist.  The house concert theme was “May there always be an angel by your side”.  We wanted to invite all of you to attend.  Unfortunately, space was fairly limited and so we were only able to extend the invitation to some of our local Edmontonian angels.  However, some video links from the night are shared below.  Please feel free to watch and join in on the thanks and celebration!  Here's the introduction video and here is the blessing video.  The words that I spoke to the group are also directed to you as our way of thanking you for being such an important part of our daily lives over the past months, through words, prayer and thoughts.  We continue to be so grateful for you and your ongoing

love and support.


Health update and prayer requests

• We are going through another round of MRI results - which usually take a week and that brings a lot of nervous tension.  Sleepless nights and pitted stomachs rule the day until the MRI update meeting, which happened at 8:30 this morning  The MRI result was quite positive - the MRI looks very stable, which is a good thing at this time!  Very little swelling, which is great because swelling usually means growth.  A little thickening on the outer edges, which is consistent with the last pathology report and is likely dead cancer cells amassing.  I’ll have another MRI in a month but for now, I will continue with another monthly chemo cycle, as it seems to be having a positive effect.  Stay the course at this time.  We are still praying for the MRI that says the beast has gone missing.  We are encouraged to pray with “shameless audacity” - Luke 11:8.  Please join us in this prayer for a “No more beast MRI!!” 
• Celebration - most days are still a gift, with little side effects from treatment.  
• Celebration - a new grandson has arrived to brighten our days - what a gift!  In my opinion, a new grandchild is far better cancer treatment than chemo!  Check out the cutie - Arie Jan - now just 2 weeks old - with big brother Kase.
  
• Next treatment steps - we plan to head to Mexico in February for some additional treatment.  Please pray for successful treatment and good health while there.  And safe travel! 
• Please pray for daily strength for Loretta, my favorite angel by my side.  On the night of my initial diagnosis, I told Loretta that she was the best person for me to travel this journey with.  She continues to be my key angel and is very gracious on a daily basis as she encourages me to take care of myself, challenges me to be better tuned-in to daily living, and is a great prayer support every evening.  She is strong and rock-like and so faithful. She also selflessly carries many of the family and work burdens.  She is patient even when the chemo brain malfunctions at 3:00AM and I turn on loud blaring music in the house while writing this blog (not a good thing at all when she is sleep deprived).  Add all of this to the fact that the man she is living with daily is not the man she married or lived with for the past 35 years and even more needy than usual.  That takes a lot of patience and love, for which I am thankful.  An angel by my side!!  Living with an angel is a good thing but please pray that I don’t clip her wings too much.  Please also pray that she and her accounting staff are able to get through tax season speedily and healthily this year.

• Pray that the beast may be slain!

To read my original blog post about Steve, click here.  


Steve’s recent album “Where the Good Way Lies” is a great album of celebration and gratitude and whole living.  It has been a real blessing and a daily listen for me. Click here to check out Steve's website.