“Rejoice in the Lord always”

Over the last few weeks, we have continued to see God’s hand powerfully working around us. Although we have not seen major side effects from the treatment, Jonathan has experienced some of the side effects the go along with taking steroids that reduce inflammation in the brain. One of those side effects is insomnia.

4:40 am. At first, Jonathan was not getting much sleep at all, but then he began to wake around 4:40 am no matter what time he went to sleep. God used this to remind him of Philippians 4:4-7 “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice.  Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus”. Our joy in the Lord is not based on our circumstances, but comes from knowing the One who is in control of our lives and finding our delight in Him. We have needed this reminder everyday. As a result, these early morning hours have been a fruitful opportunity instead of an annoyance. 

Jonathan had his third (out of four) chemo infusion this past Wednesday. Other than some tiredness, he has not experienced other discomforts and he has been able to maintain a regular rhythm at work and life in general. We feel very grateful that the Lord has allowed his body to tolerate this treatment so well and know that God has heard your prayers on his behalf.

The lack of strength and control on the left side of his body has continued to be a significant issue. Jonathan is largely unable to use his left arm and leg, making simple everyday tasks (like walking or getting dressed) a challenge. In light of this and other realities that may lay ahead for us, we have taken a proactive approach to plan ahead and make some difficult decisions now that set us up well for the future, while praying and trusting that God knows our tomorrow.

The most urgent of these issues has been to get into a house that resolves the accessibility challenges of our present tri-level home.  Jonathan has actually fallen on the stairs and there is no way to get into our house, get to the bedroom and get to the kitchen without using the stairs.   So we decided to find a house that resolved these complexities.

We have seen God provide in amazing ways.  We listed our house, put a contract on another house, and accepted a contract on our house, all over the Christmas holidays!  We will close on both houses at the end of the month and move February 1.  The house we are moving to will resolve the accessibility issues and set us up well for the future.  So many people have come together to help us prepare for this. From yard work and staging, to our amazing realtor, who has guided us every step of the process.

After the move, our big next step is Jonathan’s MRI on February 2nd and a followup with our neuro-oncologist on February 8th. This should tell us whether the treatment has been effective against the tumor and lay out what is next for us.

Please, pray for our house transition…

Jonathan’s left side strength…

Effectiveness of treatment…

Patience waiting for results…