Content in ALL things.

This is David posting for Shelley. It may look a little different but she wanted to get the message out to everyone so they could go to the power and ask for His will. For those of you who don't know from the last post, we came to Florida to help Shelley's Mom after she fell and broke her leg, and both hips. We have since been on the roller coaster of misinformation and disinformation and frustrations galore to discover that her mother has bone cancer that has metastasized from her bought with breast cancer about 10 years ago.



Needless to say this has really kicked us in our gut. Totally unexpectedly and so many fears (which we know are not from God) concerns and mind numbing thoughts that understandably come at a time such as this especially on the heels of my own mother's death as a result of Cancer.



I am sharing this with you to ask you as our brothers and sisters in the faith to be in prayer for Shelley's mother, and father and Shelley as they face this dreaded disease and seek God's direction and peace.



When we got to Florida, we found that Carolyn had broken her left tibia and right hip. (According to the doctors etc.) then after another CT scan. They discovered that she had broken her femur and BOTH hips. THEN they discovered that she had broken both femurs at the hip on both legs. Needless to say the roller coaster of not knowing for sure was taking it's toll. Then they partially determined that they would do surgery to replace her ball joint and they were going to do it like right away. So apparently the Lord stepped in and said "Excuse me gentlemen who THINK you know everything, just a minute here. You NEED to get some more information". SO they discovered that they could not do the surgery in St. Augusine but needed to do it at a more specialized hospital in Gainsville or Jacksonville. We were praying it was Jacksonville because it is closer and an easier drive but it turned out to be Gainsville. So be it.



They transferred Carolyn on Monday and did some more scans and tests and whatever else they could to make sure they were doing the right thing. Just by act of God, Shelley was talking with an anesthesiologist about the upcoming surgery of her mom and the Doctor mentioned something about the myloma Carolyn had which totally wrecked her head and made her wonder WHAT THE HECK they were talking about. SO Shelley got on her hiking boots and determined to find out. Long story short, they finally got the details that the CT scan had shown multiple lesions all over Carolyn's body (skeleton) and they would be doing a bone biopsy to determine the organ of origination for the cancer. They believe currently that the cancer came from her breast cancer years ago. We should find out definitively Friday or Monday.

According to the Doctors this type of Cancer is incurable. It is hard to type that because I don't think that is in my bible or in God's vocabulary. SO we are asking if God wills it that He cure this one. That blind man never thought He would see either. All I know is Shelley needs her Mom for a lot longer and our noodles need a Grandmother.

Shelley is doing as well as to be expected. She is an only child and as much as I would like to fix this for her I can't. I now since the frustration she must have felt only a few months ago as I was going through the pain of facing my Mother's mortality. She certainly needs your specific prayers to lift her up and give her peace and health. Our own health has suffered as a result of all the stress over the past year. But God is good. We love him so. What a wonderful savior who loves us beyond our comprehension. I don't know how people without Jesus make it through times like these.


Please pray for us all. I am being Mr. Mom with the GOD SENT help of Chelsea. If you didn't know, Chelsea was one of our girls at the Children's home who loved us enough to come and visit and WANTED to, imagine that!!! Her mother was always one of our staunchest supporters and was glad to have her come and see us. It was just one day after she got there that Carolyn fell and the rest is as they say...history.



Our noodles are doing GREAT. It consistently amazes me on a daily basis how smart our girls are. They are SO flexible and adjustable and loving and strong. God knew what He was doing when he gave us to each other. And just a note for all you future adoptive parents... those waiting through the endless days and nights of "I WANT MY BABY NOW!!!" God knows what He is doing, even if we don't. Therefore I defer to my brother Paul and agree with him in what he wrote to our brothers and sisters in Phillipi.




"...for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, to be content. I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound: every where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need.
I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me."

Philippians 4:11-13



Content in all things. This too shall pass. I didn't think I would make it without my Mom and here it is over a month. Time heals all. Our noodles just love to play. I wish I were a noodle again sometimes.



Love to you all,

David, Shelley, Aly, Lili and Bailey.