VICTORY!

Posted by Leona Bergstrom

Today we celebrate a victory! My friend, Donna, had her last chemo treatment on her 62nd birthday and was pronounced “cancer-free.” Her long battle, her perseverance and her faith have been exemplary! She gave me permission to share her victory story with you.

Go, girl! We’re celebrating with you.
Leona

Dear Family and Friends,

To everything there is a season, and a time for every matter or purpose under heaven. Ecclesiastes 3:1 Amplified

There is for some a time for cancer, killing cancer cells, battling and persevering.
There is a time of victory when crossing that finish line.
A time for restoring cells, to heal and get strong!
The Lord has won this battle for me and He is the Victor!
Thank you Lord for this next season of Spring when things are new and the old passes away.
The season of restoring, healing and strength.

Yesterday I completed my last and 12th chemo treatment crossing the finish line. I lift my arms up in victory, joy, love and prayer to my Faithful God who has carried me through this journey.
I pray that My life will continue to fulfill His purpose for the remaining years He has for me. I want to tell you again how important your prayers, support, and encouragement have been to our family. When one goes through cancer, it is so important to have a support system and a resource center during the journey.... There are so many people that have taken this cancer journey that are all around us. This journey changes one's life, making one more aware of life around them. THANK YOU for being there for me. The Lord Bless You!

With Love and Thanksgiving,
Donna

Ben Towne

Posted by Terry McNichols

There are no words as I stand in vigil with so great a cloud of witnesses over the deepening pain of the Ben Towne family. The hope-filled post of October 20th documented 3-year-old Ben's journey of six rounds of chemotherapy, surgery to remove a tumor, stem cell transplant, twelve sessions of radiation, twelve antibody infusions, and six courses of oral meds since August 17, 2007. We all collectively held our breaths in prayer for a complete remission. Yet it appears this is not to be.

I have no answers. Only pain for this young family that has been through so much and yet still has more pain to come. In trying to come to terms with my own grief, I come again to the powerful words of Brahms Requiem, Movement 3, English translation, from Psalms 39:4:

Lord, make me to know mine end, and the measure of my days, what it is: that I may know how frail I am. Behold, thou hast made my days as an hand breadth; and mine age is as nothing before thee. Surely every man walks in a vain show: surely they are disquieted in vain: he heaps up riches, and knows not who shall gather them. And now, Lord, what wait I for? My hope is in thee. The souls of the righteous are in the hand of God and there shall no torment touch them.

My mother

Posted by Terry McNichols

My mother turned 83 last month. She weathered her own storm this past year, fighting and beating lymphoma. She lost all of her hair, was nauseated for months, and is now "cancer free" according to her latest PET scan. But the year has not been easy for her.
One thing my mother decided during this year was to stop dying her hair. We have been after her for years, trying to convince her that her natural hair color would be lovely. Her hair has grown in curly, gray and beautiful. As a result, she now looks more like her own mother did in my memory, and probably more like I will look at her age.

In spite of her cancer treatments, my mother managed to continue to sell real estate in Arizona during her ordeal. She was able to cover the costs of her treatment, selling over $1Million in real estate, in a down-turned market! How many 83-year-olds are still working, selling real estate, managing a business, without considering the additional stress of having to deal with cancer treatment? Go Mom! You're quite the woman! We all are proud of your spunk!

Another Father I Admire - Terry

I am honored to provide the link today to a tribute to a father who is going through what no father should have to endure. Please read about our dear pastor, Jeff Towne, written by his wife, as her tribute for Father's Day. This young family has been fighting a horrible battle with their son, Ben's, cancer since last August. Read it here.