good news for today and forever

Dr. Nordlinger greeted us with thumbs up as we walked into the office this morning. She then told us that the tumors had actually shrank by almost half since this round of chemo began. We are doing 3 more rounds of the same chemo and then have another CT scan in early August.
Meanwhile, we will "check Nancy's flanks" through a bone scan and brain scan over the next week or so, just to be sure. Pray that those tests are clear.

So, this is very encouraging news; we had no idea what we'd hear today. We will pop a champagne cork tonite at dinner. Of course the struggle hasn't ended; we realize that we are in a marathon race over unknown terrain, not a short sprint across the finish line as we half-expected a few weeks ago. Ask God to give us wisdom on how to respond, to sustain this effort as we run the race set before us.

I confess I began to weep for joy as we pulled away from the hospital this morning. My tears did not flow just because Nancy's liver was better. You see, this morning HE brought us back to a deep, deep truth. Gregg had left us a devotional classic when he visited on Sunday and we choose to read a section this morning. Adolphe Monod's words reminded me that Jesus has dealt with ALL my sins : "If out of a thousand sins...only one were left unpardoned then that pardon would be useless to us. But our pardon is complete....Jesus Christ did not just make atonement for some sins, he made atonement for sin itself" This morning as I sat in the waiting room I asked God to center us on this truth, to allow us to regain our joy in such a complete salvation. Later, when we left the hospital, I found myself overcome with the thought that NOT ONE OF OUR SINS is left unhealed by the work of the Great Physician. I found myself remembering that there is no promise of complete healing in this life, but I could trust HIS eternal healing from sin for Nancy and me, and long to herald it before the world.

So, please join us in giving thanks that prayer and chemistry have been used to push back the intrusion on Nancy's liver. Ask HIM to help us continue this journey for many long, long chapters. But as you face your own suffering, find your most complete joy, rest and healing in his complete remission of your sins.