Two Year Tribute

Click here to read a tribute from Sharon and I on the two year anniversary of Jody's home-going.

Thank you for your prayers for us!

If you have never seen a blog before...

...simply scroll to the bottom of this page to start from the beginning of our story and work your way up. The most recent posts are always at the top.

We love to see your comments! Keep those verses and prayers coming - they are a balm to our soul! Also, every now and then, I'll throw in a "Jody's Blog Diversion" so we can laugh a little together!

[ You can comment on any post. Just click on the "comments" link at the bottom of each article. When posting a comment, you have the option to create an account by clicking the link provided (near the "Login and Publish" button.) However, you do not actually have to create a blog to post a comment. In that case, simply choose "Other", and fill in your name.]

New! Many people have asked how to help us - and we have a terrific suggestion! In lieu of flowers, etc., Jody and I have set up an easy way for you to donate to our favorite charity that benefits our beloved Grace Community Church Missionaries! Since 1994, Jody and I have been passionate about these families serving throughout the world in strategic ministries and it would be a tremendous encouragement as you stand with us in this way! (It's tax deductible, 100% goes to the cause, and it's anonymous.)

Click Here To Donate to Grace Community Church - Music For Missions Designated Fund.

New Blog...

http://mourningtodancing.blogspot.com/

Looking forward to seeing you there!

"It makes the most sense to me to continue the motif that is in my heart... which is to find ways to praise God regardless of my circumstances..."

Fermata, and Link to Sweet Memories

Dear Ones,

Enjoy these photos and videos of my beloved wife, Jody Moreing Frankfurt, who is now with her Lord Jesus Christ, experiencing "fulness of joy"! Ps. 16:11

I praise my Holy God for giving me such an exquisite bride, intimate friend, and eternal love.

I have been praying and thinking about whether or not to keep posting to this blog. My decision is to start another blog soon, that simply shares my heart as I seek to honor the Lord through the mourning process. It seems fitting to put the final fermata on this one. (The final post will simply state where the new blog is.)

My appreciation to all of you who have read, prayed and loved us cannot be expressed properly - except to say that *I know* God will reward your faithfulness to Him, and for all the love you have shown me.

The new heaven and the new earth are of particular interest to my heart as I contemplate being face to face with the Lord, and reunited with my sweet Jody, so I conclude with these verses:

Rev. 21:1-7 Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth passed away, and there is no longer any sea. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, made ready as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne, saying, "Behold, the tabernacle of God is among men, and He will dwell among them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself will be among them, and He will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there will no longer be any death; there will no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain; the first things have passed away." And He who sits on the throne said, "Behold, I am making all things new." And He said, "Write, for these words are faithful and true." Then He said to me, "It is done."

"I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give to the one who thirsts from the spring of the water of life without cost."

"He who overcomes will inherit these things, and I will be his God and he will be My son."

Postlude to Memorial Service

My sweet Jody loved God.

I can tell you that she loved Christ more than me - and that is a fine statement. If a man can find a woman that loves Christ more than anything else in life - he will be blessed.

My Jody was faithful to worship the Lord in private. The fruit of that devotion spilled into our home. It spilled into my life. It spilled into others and spilled into her art. She prayed fervently. She worshipped sweetly. She studied deeply. She gave generously. She loved me selflessly. She served God joyfully. Her heart was fixed on the One Who saved her soul. As a husband I can declare she was in every way the excellent wife.

I praise God for the sound of her unique alto voice - whether singing or speaking - and I was most blessed by her laughter. I love that she loved the eclectic - the unique - the strangely beautiful. I loved the fact that her music could evoke the Apostle Paul, Joni Mitchell, Mahalia Jackson, Darius Milhaud, Nik Kershaw - all at the same time!

I am grateful that God led Jody to compose. I could tell by a certain twinkle in her eye that she had something new to show me... what blessed times.

I can not miss this opportunity to express my appreciation to all of you who have prayed for us, encouraged us, helped us and sacrificially loved us over the last year. My words are terribly inadequate. Forgive me - all of you who I won't mention - May you all be blessed by God with mercies and joy unspeakable for your love and ministry. I know God will reward the seen and unseen for his glory and your benefit.

I must praise God for the gift of the gospel - that guarantees eternal life for those that put their trust in Yeshua, Who according to holy writ is the Messiah, the Lamb of God, the Redeemer of all mankind. believing that -

"He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him"

- we can be assured of heaven and be where Jody is - where there is fullness of joy, and pleasures forever in the presence of Holy God. My wife would desire that you pursue the holiness of God as never before. If you don't know the true God of the scriptures please write and ask me about Him - nothing would honor Jody more than that.

scott@bleachbrosmusic.com

I must praise God for pastors John MacArthur, John Zimmer, Carey Hardy, Phil Johnson and all at Grace Community Church who guard the Truth. It is there we were taught how to pursue a vibrant marriage that would honor the Lord. We learned that if we took care of the depth of our spiritual life, God would take care of everything else. God blessed our marriage beyond measure. My gratitude overflows to God - for Grace Community Church.

I praise God for my family - Frankfurts, Karps, LaPoints, Russells, and Moreings. I trust we will all worship the Savior together one day.

I praise God for Eric and Lorey Persing and Spectrasonics. Thank you for the freedom to be solely focused on my Jody for the last 7 months.

I praise God for the Carrs, Redondos, Sniders, Armstrongs, Halls, both Brown families, Prechodkos - my dear musician friends - missionary friends - Oh how it pains me to leave this list incomplete - but I am humbled by, and so very grateful for you all.

Psa. 62:11-12 One thing God has spoken, two things have I heard: that you, O God, are strong, and that you, O Lord, are loving. Surely you will reward each person according to what he has done.

Thank you my Lord Jesus, for allowing me to be one flesh with such a godly, beautiful, talented treasure that was my bride, Judithe Joanne. To You be the glory, forever and ever, amen.

P.S. I share that God blessed Jody's gravside service and her memorial service in the most incredible ways. I am so humbled by what He has done - even painting the sky just for us. Both services were worship celebrations! My heart overflows. I also appreciate your prayers as I enter into this period of life without my precious one. The grace supplied to me is constantly sufficient. I am taking life one day at a time - God is faithful!

Here is a link to some photos and videos.

Fullness of Joy - Memorial

Psa. 16:7-11 I will bless the LORD who has counseled me, Indeed, my mind instructs me in the night. I have set the LORD continually before me; Because He is at my right hand, I will not be shaken. Therefore my heart is glad and my glory rejoices; My flesh also will dwell securely. For You will not abandon my soul to Sheol; Nor will You allow Your Holy One to undergo decay. You will make known to me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; In Your right hand there are pleasures forever.

Hello Dear Praying Friends,

The days since Jody went home to heaven have been full of emotion and blessing. I have been experiencing the sufficient grace of God at every turn - and I worship Him for the truth of the Word which clearly instructs me. These verses in Psalm 16 remind me of what Jody so often wrote about. I take tremendous comfort knowing that she is actually experiencing His presence; for in His presence is fullness of joy and pleasures forever! What a blessed thought for me at this tender time!

Thank you for your sweet encouragement and tireless commitment to prayer. Words will never do justice to how much I appreciate all of you. Getting everything ready for the Memorial is quite a challenge, but finally date and time are set!

Jody Moreing Frankfurt
Memorial Service
Reception to follow

Friday October 20, 1:00 pm

Grace Community Church
Worship Center

13248 Roscoe Blvd.
Sun Valley, CA
(818) 909-5500

If you have any pictures of Jody, or special memories you would like to write down and share for possible use in the memorial service, please send them to me! I would greatly appreciate it!

Send electronic files to: scott@bleachbrosmusic.com (and be sure to answer the response from my spam filter.) You can also mail to:

Bleach Bros Music
5425 Oakdale Avenue
Woodland Hills, CA 91364

My prayer request at this time is that our great God would be honored and worshipped at the memorial service, and that we will have a blessed time rejoicing in the home-going of my exquisite bride!

Phil. 3:20-21 For our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ; who will transform the body of our humble state into conformity with the body of His glory, by the exertion of the power that He has even to subject all things to Himself.

P.S. My dear friend Steve Camp has posted a powerful message titled "The Bodily Resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ" and mentions my sweet Jody. I trust you will be blessed to read it.

Romans 8:18, and Update 9/30/06

Update, Saturday 10:30

My beloved is with Jesus. Thank you for your love and prayers. The details of her memorial service will be posted when they are known. Jesus Christ is my Lord, and I love Him, and thank Him for the grace He showed us as my sweet Jody gracefully went to "where we will go from here", to meet the Rose of Sharon, the Son of Man, Holy God, where there is fullness of joy and pleasures forever, no more tears, no more pain, worshipping in perfection in Heaven, where she has worshipfully longed to be.

1Cor. 15:50-58 Now I say this, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. Behold, I tell you a mystery; we will not all sleep, but we will all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet; for the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. For this perishable must put on the imperishable, and this mortal must put on immortality. But when this perishable will have put on the imperishable, and this mortal will have put on immortality, then will come about the saying that is written,

"DEATH IS SWALLOWED UP in victory. "O DEATH, WHERE IS YOUR VICTORY? O DEATH, WHERE IS YOUR STING?"

The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law; but thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your toil is not in vain in the Lord.

In Jesus,

Scott


Rom. 8:18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us.

Dear Ones,

This will need to be a basic straightforward post. Please know that Jody reads or hears everything you mail, post or email. It has strengthened us in ways you cannot imagine!

There is a gathering of family and friends at the St. Joseph's Burbank ICU waiting room - it is on the second floor and you are most welcome to check in there to fellowship and pray. I will come by and give updates as I am able.

Jody is comfortable and resting- yet it appears that she is approaching the final phase of her earthly time with us. It seems - as with so many aspects of our precious life together, that we have been in rehearsal today. Rehearsing our love, our faith, our future - and have been in the Word of God throughout the day focusing on heaven. We always savor the thought of worship in the heavenlies - and the joy of eternally participating! And with no sin! Hallelujah to the Lamb!

Rev. 4:2-11 Immediately I was in the Spirit; and behold, a throne was standing in heaven, and One sitting on the throne. And He who was sitting was like a jasper stone and a sardius in appearance; and there was a rainbow around the throne, like an emerald in appearance. Around the throne were twenty-four thrones; and upon the thrones I saw twenty-four elders sitting, clothed in white garments, and golden crowns on their heads. Out from the throne come flashes of lightning and sounds and peals of thunder. And there were seven lamps of fire burning before the throne, which are the seven Spirits of God; and before the throne there was something like a sea of glass, like crystal; and in the center and around the throne, four living creatures full of eyes in front and behind. The first creature was like a lion, and the second creature like a calf, and the third creature had a face like that of a man, and the fourth creature was like a flying eagle. And the four living creatures, each one of them having six wings, are full of eyes around and within; and day and night they do not cease to say,

"HOLY, HOLY, HOLY is THE LORD GOD, THE ALMIGHTY, WHO WAS AND WHO IS AND WHO IS TO COME."

And when the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to Him who sits on the throne, to Him who lives forever and ever, the twenty-four elders will fall down before Him who sits on the throne, and will worship Him who lives forever and ever, and will cast their crowns before the throne, saying,

"Worthy are You, our Lord and our God, to receive glory and honor and power; for You created all things, and because of Your will they existed, and were created."

We thank God for His merciful love. There are no words I can write at this time that will express how God has been answering prayer after prayer on our behalf. We are grateful to all of you for praying for us and for all of the multitude of helps - God knows - and I *know* He will richly bless you all! Thank you, each and every one of you - so very very much.

"Ten Best" Update - Latest Prayer Requests

Hello Dear Praying Friends,

Top Ten Best Things About Our Trial (in no particular order):

1. We don't need television.
2. There is only today.
3. Our prayer life is revolutionized.
4. Jesus is nearer than we have ever known.
5. Scripture is on fire as we read it.
6. Our love for each other has never been stronger or more beautiful.
   
7. Having nothing is having everything.
8. Heaven dominates.
9. Relationships with everyone deepen.
10. God uses our trial to promote the glorious gospel of Christ.

Jody is resting somewhat comfortably, after another roller coaster ICU ride. We spotted some heart problems early last Tuesday - and we made an orderly move into ICU where the best monitoring is. The Lord provided so much grace!

Before our move to ICU we went forward with a procedure called plueradesis which essentially seals up the pleural space with a drug (Bleomycin), so that fluid will no longer be able to build up there. The procedure is uncommon because installing the necessary chest tube is so invasive. In our case we already had the tube - so it made sense to take advantage of the opportunity. Not long after this procedure, Jody's heart started beating too fast - so we took the necessary steps to protect her - ICU. The amazing news is that they have already removed the chest tube (Wednesday the 27th) and she felt much more comfortable. We just thank the Lord, over and over for His grace and for answering our prayers!

Today around 4:00 am, Jody felt very short of breath as her medications wore off - so we find ourselves in deeper water once again. We still praise our Lord Jesus who is in complete control. She is on ventilator support (via mask) and we hope this is a short term situation, as it's not that comfortable for my beloved.

Please pray that we can find out what is happening in more detail after another ultrasound later today, and possible thoracentesis.

Pray we can get back on a trajectory that sees us back home - we call it "Oakdale take two, with feeling this time!" ;-)

We love all of you so very much and are continually humbled by your prayerful words and encouragements. May God bless you this moment beyond what you can ask or think, for being faithful and fervent!

Psa. 42:5 Why are you in despair, O my soul? And why have you become disturbed within me? Hope in God, for I shall again praise Him For the help of His presence.

Son of Man!

Hello Dear Praying Ones,

Jody had a specific scripture passage on her heart today after we sang "Fairest Lord Jesus" together. The fourth stanza of the hymn reads:

Beautiful Savior! Lord of all the nations!
Son of God and Son of Man!
Glory and honor, praise, adoration,
now and forevermore be thine.

My sweet Jody went on to share from her heart about what an exalted title for Jesus is the "Son of Man". She rehearsed insights she learned from her personal study time in an R.C. Sproul study about the majesty of God - pointing out that the best way to sing those fourth stanza lyrics is to do so with a proper understanding of the heavenly scene at Christ's acension. Here's the passage:

Dan. 7:13-14 I kept looking in the night visions, And behold, with the clouds of heaven One like a Son of Man was coming, And He came up to the Ancient of Days And was presented before Him. And to Him was given dominion, Glory and a kingdom, That all the peoples, nations and men of every language Might serve Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion Which will not pass away; And His kingdom is one Which will not be destroyed.

We had such a glorious time (also with our dear Logan who arrived in the midst of our discussion) talking about our ascended Christ, at the right hand of the Father, in splendor and majesty! Sweet christian fellowship ensued. I have no chance at conveying how privileged I am to be married to this woman.

Not long after this transcendent conversation, our doctors arrived and explained that Jody's low blood counts (anemia), shortness of breath, and pain that brought us back to the hospital were still a mystery to be solved. They also explained that fluid on the left side was re-accumulating. By putting in a chest tube, they could determine if it was being caused by possible bleeding. The procedure revealed that indeed that was the case. (The procedure itself was flawless. Thank you Abba!) Jody will have pain from the tube for a while - and is on medication to alleviate it. Thank you, Lord - for Dr. Schaerf, Dr. Mena, and Dr. Taback and these incredible nurses.

All of this is to say that God was so merciful to us - because had we not gone to the ER when we did, we might have found ourselves in a very dangerous situation. More glory to our great God, who continues to miraculously guide each and every step we take! Jody is now resting comfortably, after a yummy dinner. We know we will be in the hospital for several days at a minimum. Although she cannot accept visitors, I will happily come down to the lobby (St. Joseph's, Burbank) to update any of you who drop by. The support we have received from you in this regard has humbled us. Thank you! Our prayer requests...

• Pray that Jody would heal swiftly from this procedure, and that the tube can be removed as soon as possible. Also pray that the source of the original bleeding will heal - and that there will be less fluid accumulation as the chemo does it's work.
• Please pray that we could get back on track towards getting home.
• Jody starts her next round of chemo in about five days. We'll possibly still be here in the hospital - and so we ask for prayer that the next round would be effective, well tolerated by Jody's body - and that she remain in her "Grace Bubble".
• Finally, we are overwhelmed with all the love and care we have been the recipients of! Glory to God! So many ask what they can do - and we are so humbled by this. I am always at a loss for what to say when asked. Jody and I have been discussing this and the Lord put these two things on our hearts.

1. In lieu of flowers etc., Jody and I would be delighted if you would make an anonymous, tax deductible donation to the Grace Community Church "Music For Missions" Designated Fund to benefit our missionaries. We love them so dearly - and they serve faithfully and with excellence all around the world in strategic ministries. You can learn more about our amazing missionaries here.

2. If you feel led, donate blood. This is a wonderful thing to do in general. Jody is B+, but it does not have to be directed to her specifically. Click Here for information on how to do this.

May God bless you all for your constant prayer, love and concern for us!

Eph. 3:20-21 Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us, to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen.

The Rock That Is Higher

Hello Dear Friends,

Jody and I have had a loving week at home. God has given us such a sweet gift of time together at Oakdale. Thank you all for praying for us! We are back in the battle however, and as I type we find ourselves back at the hospital after Jody became very short of breath. I will spare the details because it is enough to say we have been guided by the Lord as we struggle through our time in "short stay" for another thoracentesis, then the ER due to pain, and now back on the oncology floor. Our prayer is that we will be back home today - and we again trust the Lord for every breath.

Again, C. H. Spurgeon's words minister to us - so I share this edited version with you.

Psalm 61:2 "When my heart is overwhelmed: lead me to the Rock that is higher than I."

Most of us know what it is to be overwhelmed in heart. Disappointments and heart-breaks will do this when billow after billow rolls over us, and we are like a broken shell hurled to and fro by the surf. Blessed be God, at such seasons we are not without an all-sufficient solace, our God is the harbour of weather-beaten sails, the hospice of forlorn pilgrims. Higher than we are is He, His mercy higher than our sins, His love higher than our thoughts. A Rock He is since He changes not, and a high Rock, because the tempests which overwhelm us roll far beneath at His feet; He is not disturbed by them, but rules them at His will. If we get under the shelter of this lofty Rock we may defy the hurricane; all is calm under the lee of that towering cliff. Hence the prayer of the text.

O Lord, our God, by Thy Holy Spirit, teach us the way of faith, lead us into Thy rest. The wind blows us out to sea, the helm answers not to our puny hand; Thou, Thou alone canst steer us over the bar between yon sunken rocks, safe into the fair haven. How dependent we are upon Thee - we need Thee to bring us to Thee. To be wisely directed and steered into safety and peace is Thy gift, and Thine alone. This day be pleased to deal well with Thy servants.

We trust God, and praise Him for all of your helps and prayers.

P.S. Today is also the birthday of someone very special to Jody and I. This person brought me into the world, and also came to know Jesus Christ as her Lord about seven years ago. Not bad for a Jewish lady. She is generous, loving, writes beautifully, and can take down 300+ words per minute if she absolutely has to. ;-)

Happy Birthday, Bonnie/Mom. We love you.

There's No Place Like Home

Deut. 32:4 The Rock! His work is perfect, For all His ways are just; A God of faithfulness and without injustice, Righteous and upright is He.

Jody has slept in her own bed the last two nights! She is able to walk around the perimeter of our home for exercise, eat meals at the table, rest comfortably, snack from the fridge, take a shower - and enjoy the endless list of simple comforts of being home. I encourage you to practice listing all the things commonly taken for granted - and praise God heartily for them.

Thank you all once again for your constant encouragement and labor in prayer. I believe we have experienced something akin to a miracle for which we praise God day and night. Here are our latest prayer requests.

Please pray for Jody's strength to continue to increase, and for her healing to progress.

We ask for the Lord's continual protection from the side effects of Jody's treatment. He has been so gracious to us.

We cannot adequately express our gratitude to God for the blessings He has showered us with. We can only fall to our faces in worship of our Great, Loving, Merciful, Holy God.

From Jody: Dear precious friends, it is so wonderful to be home. I continue to be utterly humbled by your prayers on my behalf. I am eternally grateful. Each day is a precious gift from the Lord and a wonderful opportunity to rely on and draw close to Him. I love the Lord so deeply. His praise shall continually be in my mouth.

Psa. 145:8-10 The LORD is gracious and merciful; Slow to anger and great in lovingkindness. The LORD is good to all, And His mercies are over all His works. All Your works shall give thanks to You, O LORD, And Your godly ones shall bless You.

Frankfurt DC to Oakdale Imminent!

Psa. 149:5 Let the godly ones exult in glory; Let them sing for joy on their beds.

There is so much to be thankful for! Tomorrow is Wednesday and we are almost certainly being discharged from the hospital, after twenty four days.

The Lord our Shield has protected my sweet Jody through deep valleys over these weeks - and He has never been nearer. Jody had her last remaining tube discontinued. She is untethered! What a blessing. She has been carefully pursuing her physical therapy. Yesterday, Jody walked for six minutes while the doctors monitored her O2. She did fine! Today she walked the perimeter around the whole floor we're on - and I'm told that that is about five hundred feet.

She shed tears of joy upon feeling the sunlight on her skin yesterday. Today she anticipates all sorts of "new" sensations - taking a shower standing up - being in a car - being back at home etc. When I consider how close Jody was to being in heaven, all I can do is worship God for answering our prayers and letting me enjoy her company at home once again! What a loving and merciful Lord!

So far, Jody has had minimal side effects from the chemotherapy. The therapy seems to be helping some of her symptoms, too. We are so grateful that she can breath well and still has an appetite.

Our next phase at home will involve many days of therapy and appointments - but Jody has an awesome attitude about it. I am so blessed!

Tomorrow night she may be sleeping in her own bed. I can hardly believe I am typing it! Whatever interval of time we have together will be a gift from the Lord. Jody and I realize that we must live every single day as if it were our last. (We all should do that.) We have a new 'game' too. Our 'game' is to see how much praise we can render to God in a single day - no matter what circumstances are swirling around us. It's a great contest - and it really helps keep our heads above water!

Thank you all for praying for us, visiting the lobby and waiting rooms, bringing food, flowers, sending notes, encouraging each other, and serving us in ways that exemplify God's goodness. May each of you be blessed in unspeakable ways!

P.S. We had the opportunity to share our faith directly with one of our doctors. I asked him what he thought about Jesus Christ. He said He was a good man, and that he appreciated Jesus' heritage because he was Jewish. I told him that I was Jewish too (which really threw him because we gave him our gospel music earlier in the week) and we had a moment or so to talk about the difference in our Jewish perspective - primarily that I accepted Isaiah 53 as a disclosure of the Messiah Jesus Christ - and told him to read that book carefully. He said he just might!

Lord, please draw this dear Dr. to yourself through Your Word! I pray in the name of Yeshua, the Lamb of God.

A Time To Heal...

Hello Precious Friends,

Jody and I continue to enjoy life one precious day at a time. As the Word says, "today has enough troubles of it's own". Total dependence on God for everything is so liberating. I wish I had understood this better in the past. While it is important that we make plans for the future, it is so important to simply live right now for God's glory.

Jody had another IV line removed today. She is completely "unplugged" except for one single chest tube. My sense is that it won't be too long before that is removed. I can barely believe that discussions about going back to Oakdale (our home) are on the table. There are a lot of hurdles to clear first - but it still amazes me how far our Gracious Heavenly Father, our Abba, has brought sweet Jodgees!

She walked on her own (with a walker) from the bed to the door of her room six times today. It is such a blessing to see her regain some of her strength and to spend time amongst the vertical! The chemo has not presented any nausea yet. We are so grateful for that. Appetite remains solid. She had a tummy ache today - but it does not seem to be a big deal.

Please continue to pray...

...that God would use these treatments to wipe out the cancer and it's symptoms.

...that Jody would continue to get stronger and build endurance as she increases her physical activities; walking, sitting, standing etc..

...that there would be no harsh side effects from the treatments. Better yet - that there would be no side effects at all! :-)

And most significantly... for the gospel of Christ to take root in those that have been exposed to our testimony.

Lam. 3:22-23 The LORD'S lovingkindnesses indeed never cease, For His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness.

Special Prayer Request!

Hello Dear Friends,

Our immediate need is for you to pray fervently that Jody will do well with her chemotherapy treatments. Her first round has begun, she is relaxed and we are talking about the goodness of the Lord.

Specifically, pray that the possible side effects - which range from nausea to blood problems - do not present themselves. If they should appear, pray that they would be minimal. Pray that God would protect everything in Jody except the disease. Please pray that God would give Jody an extra measure of grace regarding the likely loss of her hair. We are working with a terrific team of helpful ladies in this regard.

Most of all, please pray that the Lord, our Abba, would be honored as we trust Him and seek to worship Him through these difficult times.

Ps. 34:1-3 I will extol the LORD at all times; his praise will always be on my lips. My soul will boast in the LORD; let the afflicted hear and rejoice. Glorify the LORD with me; let us exalt his name together.

"Miracle Girl" Leaves ICU!

1Cor. 15:57 ...but thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

There is so much on our hearts! God continues to flood our days with grace. Again, we thank you all for your faithful prayers! Here are some of the headlines...

Jody has successfully transitioned out of ICU. Praise the Lord! Thank you Abba, for allowing Jody "yet to remain on" after being so close to heaven. We give You the glory for this incredible development. We are in a new room on a new floor at the hospital - and Jody is resting comfortably after a huge morning. She has been painfully short of breath - but after a procedure on her left lung (thoracentisis #5) she finally has some relief! Praise to Jesus! This relief allowed her to eat her breakfast, lunch and dinner with relative ease. Oh how we take so much for granted! She is sleeping so much better as I type this.

Jody has chosen to fight on. This means we must pursue a far more aggressive treatment path - but we believe that the Lord has led us here in His perfect timing. The treatment will be risky. Please pray for the Lord to *protect* my sweet angel's body as we go forward into the realm of cytotoxic therapies. The goal is to stop the disease that is irritating her heart and lungs, thereby eliminating the accumulation of fluid.

For Your name's sake You will lead us and guide us. God's purposes are perfect and cannot be thwarted. We have seen tremendous blessing and purpose in all that He has allowed us to go through. The future will be no different. His love for Jody surpasses all of ours - and He knows perfectly what is best for her. We will yet trust Him! He is full of Grace, Truth, Power, Wisdom, Honor and Glory!

O may Your glorious name be blessed And exalted above all blessing and praise! You alone are the LORD. You have made the heavens, The heaven of heavens with all their host, The earth and all that is on it, The seas and all that is in them. You give life to all of them And the heavenly host bows down before You.

Precious Times

May God bless all of you faithful friends!

We are grateful for your labor in prayer for us. The Lord has blessed us every hour with His closeness. He encourages us in the deep recesses of the heart as only He can. We imagine ourselves on our faces, hunkered down behind a rock at the foot of the cross; sharing our burdens with the Lord who faithfully bears them, and protects us and keeps us sheltered in His tender care. We are constantly thanking Him for His grace. Every moment we have is provided by the grace of the Almighty.

Jody and I have been given the time to talk about everything that is important to us. It always starts out with our love for Christ and all that He has accomplished. We rehearse our love for each other and talk about favorite memories. We talk about "living today only" - taking one day at a time and trusting God to lead and guide us as he has for two decades. We talk about practical matters too. It has been such a stripped down, honest time. I am told by my dear friend and Pastor John Zimmer that very few ever get the chance to express the things we are expressing to each other - because illness and death can so often be so unexpected and arrive so quickly that there is no opportunity. Some never get the chance. So we see this time as a gift from God and are soaking in every precious second we can. I'll be so bold as to suggest that you do the same with your loved ones as soon as you can.

James 4:14 Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away.

As for an update on my bride, here are some key points. Thank you for praying for us - it is such a precious gift.

• Even though Jody is short of breath - she is building a small measure of stamina. She is more alert overall for longer periods of time and for that we are so grateful. We have not got her out of bed into a chair yet - but she has sat up several times on the edge of her bed. Baby steps!
• She is eating a little better! Even had a dream about food last night! Good sign! :-)
• We've learned that while the visible tumors are shrinking, unseen cancer (too small for scans) is irritating her heart and both lungs. We are being advised to begin stronger chemo and must trust the Lord to help Jody decide if she wants this. It is the hardest decision we have ever faced - but we trust the Lord and know He will faithfully guide us.

Jody sends her most heartfelt love and appreciation to all of you. She especially enjoys receiving mail and blog posts - and is so grateful for them. It is a great way for us to enter in to praise to God as we read. Although Jody has not been able to have visitors, we are so blessed that many friends and family come to the surgery waiting room (at St. Joseph Medical Center Burbank) and fellowship with each other there. I derive so much strength from seeing these dear ones - who wait for endless hours just to get an update from me. For help finding this waiting room, call our dear friend Don Carr and he will assist you. (818-970-1753)

Psa. 18:2 The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, My God, my rock, in whom I take refuge; My shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.

ICU - In Christ Ultimately

Hello Loved Ones!

Before I update you, I must say that it is nothing short of a miracle of God's grace that Jody is still with us today. We have complete and total peace with our difficult situation because we know Jesus Christ as our Savior. Jody deeply desires anyone reading this blog to have this same relationship with Him. She consistently steers all of her communication and prayer in this way. Jody would challenge you to get a new testament and read the gospel of John which emphasizes the deity of Christ!

Jody has had four studies (tests) since my last post and the doctors and nurses continue to keep close watch of my precious angel. There are so many amazing people here in this hospital. There are unbelievable technologies in use. Even so, there are mysteries regarding Jody's situation that only the Lord knows. What I know for sure is that God has given us another day to laugh, cry, love, and appreciate one another as never before - and I am so grateful for every second.

The last two days have started out very strong. Jody's heart was very stable each previous night. The mornings are Jody's best time - she is alert, beaming and very funny! An hour later after taking her meds, her heart rate becomes low, and yesterday she was given heart meds to get back on track. She was immediately exhausted as a result. Additionally, many tests were needed to rule out blood clots. It was a hard day - but God is closer to us then we have ever known or can describe! Test results indicate she can resume physical therapy - no clots except the ones we know about in her left arm. That's good news!

Today, the chemo pill has been held back to see if there is any connection to the heart fluctuations. She has been through so much - and yet she is always gracious and thankful for every treatment, scan, and interruption - and there are lots of those. It's a funny thing - rest is one of the key things she needs - but ICU is not a place to rest. Breathing therapy, physical therapy, blood tests, baths, scans, swallowing evaluations, bed turning, doctor visits, meals... you get the idea. We are so thankful for such skilled doctors and nurses. We are blessed! And I am amazed at how many solid christians work here - even many that go to Grace Community!

Thank you for your faithful prayers. Words fail to describe my pleasure in knowing that God is being glorified by your loving intercession for us. Here are the latest issues for prayer.

• Please pray Jody will be able to sit in a chair tonight! (Therapy goal.)
  
• Jody's heart rate is not always regular. We are watching it closely.
  
• Pray that she would regain a solid appetite.
  
• The CT from yesterday shows that Jody has fluid around her other (left) lung. Several things can cause this - but it is a significant concern.
  
• Please pray that Jody will continue to regain strength as we prepare to graduate from the ICU.
• Please pray for discernment as we assess our future treatment options with our oncologist Friday. It is so hard to know what Jody will be able to tolerate after enduring the intensity of the last ten days.
  

Finally, pray with us that we can live every hour as our last. In such an hour, we want to be testifying to the hope of eternal life with Christ in heaven. We want to make the most of every moment. We want to fight the disease. Most of all, we want to see our Lord Jesus Christ honored now and forever.

Here's an article to consider.

John 1:1-14 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being. In Him was life, and the life was the Light of men. The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it. There came a man sent from God, whose name was John. He came as a witness, to testify about the Light, so that all might believe through him. He was not the Light, but he came to testify about the Light. There was the true Light which, coming into the world, enlightens every man. He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. He came to His own, and those who were His own did not receive Him. But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God. And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.

John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.

Praise From ICU

Prov. 12:25 Anxiety in a man's heart weighs it down, But a good word makes it glad.

During our time in ICU, we have experienced very difficult hours. But this is a good report!

God has blessed today - and we are overwhelmed with joy even as we go through the deepest trial of our lives. By God's grace, Jody has been weaned from the heart fluid tube, the respirator, and the sedation she was on. Her vitals are stable and her kidneys and liver have rebounded!

We are hoping to get continued good reports like this that would allow Jody to graduate from ICU, but for that - as in everything - we trust the Lord.

Her throat is very sore and she can't drink for a couple hours - but she is looking forward to her first treat - ice chips! We can hardly wait for 5:00 pm today when we can give them to her. There are no words to express our gratitude for your labor in prayer on our behalf! The Lord, Jesus Christ is our Rock and Salvation. This must be brief... off to the ice chip ceremony!

All praise to You, Father God!

Exodus 15:26 I, the LORD, am your healer.

The Nearness of God

Dearest Loved Ones,

Psa. 73:28 But as for me, the nearness of God is my good; I have made the Lord GOD my refuge, That I may tell of all Your works.

Please dear reader, prepare for a shock. My sweet darling Jody is in ICU at St. Josephs in Burbank.

The weekend was so beautiful as we shared precious time together at home. Enjoying the news from my last post, we rejoiced in the One who made us. Jody was not breathing well and looking forward to her lung treatment on Monday. After the procedure, a nurse noticed swelling of Jody's left arm.

This led to rapid shift in events. In the course of treating what turned out to be partial blood clots, and ruling out primary causes, multiple scans, tests, procedures, drugs etc., Jody's health became critical due to severe pericardial effusion (fluid around the heart). It all happened so fast.

I know this is a shock - especially in light of the good news from last week. But God is in control and I trust our Savior to guide Jody and me through this - and to comfort us all as we work our way through every hour. I will yet praise Him.

Because of the nature of ICU, we are unable to have you visit Jody in ICU - but you can certainly feel welcome to come to the various waiting rooms, lobby etc. to pray with us and fellowship together through this most critical and difficult time.

Rom. 11:36 For "WHO HAS KNOWN THE MIND OF THE LORD, OR WHO BECAME HIS COUNSELOR? Or WHO HAS FIRST GIVEN TO HIM THAT IT MIGHT BE PAID BACK TO HIM AGAIN?" For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever. Amen.

Psa. 121:0 A Song of Ascents.

I will lift up my eyes to the mountains; From where shall my help come? My help comes from the LORD, Who made heaven and earth. He will not allow your foot to slip; He who keeps you will not slumber. Behold, He who keeps Israel Will neither slumber nor sleep. The LORD is your keeper; The LORD is your shade on your right hand. The sun will not smite you by day, Nor the moon by night. The LORD will protect you from all evil; He will keep your soul. The LORD will guard your going out and your coming in From this time forth and forever.

Moving in the right direction!

This has been an amazing time since my last post. First of all, God has seen fit to give Jody relief from all the itching and skin problems. Thank you for praying! She is 90% better on that front and we are so grateful for the reprieve from this troubling side effect. Your prayers for us have been answered! Glory to God!

While that's been happening, Jody has also been unusually short of breath which makes her feel fatigued and uncomfortable. So much so that last weekend, we paid a visit to the ER. Everything turned out fine - but in the process of ruling out various causes (SVC syndrome, blood clot etc.) we had a CT Angiogram done. As the Lord would have it, our oncologist took the opportunity to compare this scan with our PET/CT from May. Because these scans are of different types - there is some difficulty in doing such a comparison - but the good news is that:

Jody's primary mass known to be 6 cm in the March MRI and May PET/CT scans, is now "about a half inch smaller" which is approximately 4.8 cm. We can hardly believe it! The two green spheres represent the ratio between 6.0 and 4.8. We stand in awe of God - so grateful for this good message from Him!

There is another small "met" in the chest we've been watching that is "either the same size, or slightly smaller too." Nothing appears to be growing! We can hardly believe it after being so hunkered down the last five months!

On Monday Jody will have another pleural tap to hopefully relieve her shortness of breath - and I ask you to pray that it will really help! (The last one did not really kick in the relief we were hoping for.)

Jesus Christ, our merciful Savior and compassionate King, shall be rendered all the praise the Frankfurt household can muster! He is the one who has answered the cry of our hearts and given us a tremendous sense of hope today!

Psa. 103:2-5 Bless the LORD, O my soul, And forget none of His benefits; Who pardons all your iniquities, Who heals all your diseases; Who redeems your life from the pit, Who crowns you with lovingkindness and compassion; Who satisfies your years with good things, So that your youth is renewed like the eagle.

Peirasmos...

1Cor. 10:13 No temptation* has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it.

* 3986. peirasmos; an experiment, a trial, temptation: temptation(12), testing(2), trial(2), trials(4), which was a trial(1).

One of the comforts of following Christ and loving the Word are promises like this. I am so grateful that this verse promises not only a limit to testing - but a way out of every trial and temptation to sin. I ask the Lord to make me more and more able to take the escape route!

Our testing presently centers around the side effects from Jody's medication. It causes a rash on her body that is very uncomfortable, to say the least. (Ice is our new best friend!) The drug also affects her appetite and sometimes she struggles to finish meals. Fatigue is also a side effect we are experiencing. There is not much we can do except endure.

It is one of those self imposed problems - based on the idea that the side effects are worth the potential benefits - and we are trying to hang in there long enough to see if this drug will truly help. Please pray for Jody to endure this part, and that indeed God will work powerfully through it. As I mentioned in the previous post - we are enjoying a season of encouraging news - but these side effects dull our ability to relish it. So again, we throw ourselves at His feet and trust God - who is Faithful and True.

God bless you for praying for us! If you would, please remember these friends and family enduring their own deep trials and/or cancer battles:

My precious nephew Danny; my friends mother Yoko; our friends Emarie and Pat D.; and our friend Nina who is enduring the recent loss of her husband.

P.S. As an aside, this article is fascinating... (John Piper takes on the topic "If God Governs Disease Why Should We Try to Eradicate It?") A great biblical perspective is rendered and I found it very interesting.

Psalm 34:8

O taste and see that the LORD is good; How blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him!

The week is not over yet - but many things have happened so I am compelled to ditch my plan to update at the end of the week!

Your prayers have been rewarded by our most high God! Check this out:

1. We've had great traction accomplishing the scans and appointments this week - our busiest yet - without any glitch.
2. Jody had another successful thoracentesis. We praise the Lord from hearts of dependence!
3. Frozen shoulder therapy is going well. And I get to be partime "coach". How fun is that? :-)
4. Our MRI for brain shows all treated mets responding excellently! We were stunned to hear our neurosurgeon say things like "it looks good in the brain" and "keep doing what you're doing" and "see ya in six weeks". This is huge for us because it reveals how our great God is working on our behalf. We are so grateful and invigorated to press on!
5. Our oncologist is pleased that Jody's blood looks good, and he believes the new drug she's taking is working for her. Jody senses a change too.
6. Our naturopath has widened the menu a wee bit - Jody is so thrilled with the addition of some fish, a little tomato, and a few other flavors in her diet. (I'm pretty happy about it too!)

It is sinking in that honoring the Lord "in whatever circumstance I am" truly is akin to threading a needle - in that God would have me extol His name in exactly the same way whether a trial relents or whether the trial gets tougher. It's all about honoring Him just as our scriptural examples did (Job, Paul, even Jesus). I praise the Lord for what He is doing in our lives. I am so grateful for this time to "exhale" for a moment, and to enjoy a couple of weeks without the constant wondering. Your prayers for us are so appreciated, so needed and are being answered!

From my study of Psalm 34 I came across this comment that Spurgeon quotes from John Ball...

"If thy strength be clean gone, God's power shall be magnified the more in thee, and He hath brought thee low that thou mayest not trust in thyself, but in the living Lord, and that the whole praise of the victory might be ascribed unto Him."

Blessings and Appointments...

Hello Dear Ones!

The Lord, our Omnipotent Savior has tenderly blessed us at every turn. It seems like I can hardly keep up in response to His goodness. The last week has been a whirlwind, and it looks like the next two will be more intense. We take comfort knowing that our Lord is perfectly orchestrating these events for our good and that even our faith to trust Him is His gift to us.

Some of the highlights of this week include:

• Having sweet "farewell" fellowship with (our Sunday school pastor) Carey and Pam Hardy before they drive to their new home and ministry in Winston Salem, NC. This was a great time recounting the last ten years of ministry together, expressing our love for one another. God was so good to allow us that time.
  
  
• Enjoying the opportunity to take Jody to church Sunday was so wonderful - the teaching and worship was incredible and the fellowship with many of our Grace missionaries (who are in town) was so amazing.
  
  
• Answered prayer in that we have begun a new drug for Jody with a complete consensus from our diverse medical team - no small task! Jody literally asked the Lord for a "candy-gram" regarding our decision, and He provided it in the form of an unexpected consensus that "now is the time to go forward" with this molecularly targeted drug. We are beseeching the Lord to use it mightily for His glory and her benefit.
  
  
• Jody has begun physical therapy for her "frozen shoulder" problem under the direction of a great Orthopedic surgeon. We are now enrolled 3x a week with a terrific therapist. Getting started on this was a huge relief.
  

• We humbly thank the Lord for providing for us this week in such a personal, special way through the generosity of His people. God continues to meet our specific needs right on time, and only He could know what those needs are. Praise the Lord!

We ask you to pray for Jody's strength for the next couple of weeks as she has many scans, follow-up appointments, procedures etc. almost every single day. We have tried to consolidate them as best we can but there is no avoiding these important dates. All of them must fit into an already "fully engaged battle plan". God knows, and we trust in Him alone!

Tomorrow we will have another thoracentesis for Jody's lung. We pray that the benefit of this procedure will go smoothly and last longer.

Thank you for your labor in prayer! Words fail to describe how thankful we are to those who intercede for us. May you be blessed beyond what you can ask or think!

2Pet. 1:2-3 Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord; seeing that His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence.

It's time for a blog diversion!

To undertand this series of photographs is to truly have an insight
into the mind of my beloved uber-creative songstress!

__________________________


"Dream Come True" 

Prayer Requests 7-20

Greetings to all of you dear friends that read this blog!

Jody and I continue to be amazed at God's love poured out through all of you! Our prayers have been answered again and again. God proves Himself faithful in our lives every day. We are pursuing Him by His grace, which is all sufficient.

Since Jody's procedure she has been breathing better when we go on our walks. I'm grateful for every bit of normalcy we enjoy. Her shoulder and arm are a source of aches and pain - and our dear No. 5 gave her a shot for it - but unfortunately it didn't help. We are going to see another specialist for that problem today, as well as a follow up meeting with No. 5. We will be discussing many topics at that time and ask for God's wisdom and peace!

Our prayer requests at this time:

• We pray Christ would be represented well as we interact with all these new people we come in contact with...
• That the shoulder/arm pain would be treated correctly and effectively...
• Please pray for wisdom concerning the decision to start a molecularly targeted drug that holds significant promise for Jody. After praying, waiting, and listening we believe the time has come to move forward on this. There are some side effects that may or may not present themselves - please pray with us that it works "exquisitely" for Jody as one doctor said it might - if she is genetically disposed.
  
• Praise God with us that No. 5 is turning out to be a tremendous help. By this I mean that he is truly listening to Jody and working with us. He has brought Jody's case before peer review to get the opinions of colleagues; he offered to contact the doctor that we are pursuing for ablation and it appears he is willing to let us get it done - even though it is not the norm. What a blessing and huge surprise that was!
• Pray that there is good information derived from Jody's recent lab work.
• Pray that Jody and I can worshipfully endure the rigors of the current protocols we are practicing. It is constantly getting more efficient - but no easier to maintain.
• Pray that our communion with the Lord would only continue to get deeper, richer, and sweeter as we pursue Christ-likeness in this trial.

Again, a heartfelt, humble thank you to all who pray. We thrive on your sweet sacrificial service of worship to God as you remember us.

Psa. 84:11 For the LORD God is a sun and shield; The LORD gives grace and glory; No good thing does He withhold from those who walk uprightly.

An Open Letter to Our Dear Nephew...

...Danny, twenty-one years old - who I learned today is facing sudden surgery for a type of male cancer. We covet your prayers for him!

[The "visitor illustration" is largely borrowed from my Sunday school pastor Jonathan Rourke. It has ministered to me greatly.]

...I love you Danny! This too will pass and you will be blessed in every way.

Aunt Jody and I see now that God sent "Mr. Trial" to visit us. When he arrived, he said he'd be moving in for a while. But - he brought gifts in abundance. So many gifts that he had to transport them in a separate truck! All the gifts were from the Lord himself. Gifts of grace, peace, mercy, tenderness, healing and blessing. He has visited us at God's request so that we might fellowship with our sweet Jesus in a way we would have never sought or attained *any other way* - but OH how glorious are these gifts. Indescribable. We would not trade them, or this deeper relationship with our Savior Jesus for *anything*.

As it appears God has sent you this same visitor, we will pray constantly that His peace will be your peace and perseverance. The Lord does all things well, even when he dispenses hardships. But He never does so without a greater purpose in mind - Christlikeness - and He never makes mistakes, and He is about to do the remarkable in *your* life as He grows you as a man of God.

All of that said, I pray He would relent from you having to endure any unwanted circumstance, sweet nephew.

I love you Danny.

Uncle Scott

Textbook...

Nah. 1:7 The LORD is good, A stronghold in the day of trouble, And He knows those who take refuge in Him.

We prayed on the way to the hospital that the procedure would be "textbook".

When the doctor finished the procedure - that's literally what came out of his mouth... "That was a textbook procedure." God has blessed us today with a good outcome!

Jody is home now, and encouraged to go about her "normal" business tomorrow. We are very grateful and hope that in the next day or two Jody will experience the tangible benefit of breathing deeper and easier.

Psa. 73:28 But as for me, the nearness of God is my good; I have made the Lord GOD my refuge, That I may tell of all Thy works.

This Just In...

When the Lord wants something done... it gets done!

Psa. 138:8 The LORD will accomplish what concerns me; Thy lovingkindness, O LORD, is everlasting...

Our doctor (affectionately referred to as "No. 5") called today, and after reviewing Jody's x-ray from yesterday, has fast-tracked a procedure that will relieve some fluid around Jody's lung. This is an answer to prayer! We have wanted to relieve Jody's main symptom - shortness of breath that occurs during exercise - but were unsure about going forward because of conflicting opinions from previous doctors.

"No. 5" has made it much more clear to us that this is the time. Thank you Lord!

His first choice for the specialist to do the procedure goes on vacation next week - so No. 5 set it up for tomorrow (Friday)! I praise God for this mercy! It's a huge blessing for us.

Please pray that this routine procedure (thoracentesis) goes without a complication... and that Jody can be home to rest in her own bed tomorrow night!

Thank you dear prayer warriors!

Kinetic Shift...

Is. 12:2 Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and not be afraid: for the LORD JEHOVAH is my strength and my song; He also is become my salvation.

We are approaching the seventh month since Jody first had any idea something was wrong with her health. The journey has taken some interesting turns - but none as interesting as those of this last week.

After Jody's radiosurgery, our neurosurgeon provided us with a referral to an oncologist (this would be the fourth) that he said we must see. He warned us that we might have to wait six weeks. By God's grace we were in his office within two weeks (with blessed help from our dear Logan who continues to befriend the P.A.'s and office staff to our advantage.)

He was the right man for us. Skillful, compassionate, and with the ability to articulate clear answers to our questions. He won our trust. After reviewing our case and examining Jody, he made this amazing statement:

"You have been able to change the kinetics of this disease or you wouldn't be sitting here."

I can't describe to you the encouragement that statement is to us, because it underlines the fact that God is working mightily! It also commends Jody personally for her diligence following her difficult regimen. All of it is praise to God as far as I am concerned! We are so thankful.

The good news is - we've found an oncologist to trust, that understands us. The bad news is that he's in Newport Beach. It just did not make good sense to him or us to treat Jody from such a long distance from home. So he referred us to someone much closer to us, but we were concerned that we would never have this "trust connection" with yet another doctor. (Fifth oncologist?!?)

I'm writing now after seeing "No. 5." In my prayers to the Lord today, I begged Him to make it clear how to proceed - because frankly - we were at the end of the line as far as being able to endure these appointments. It was one of those - "If you're gonna do it Lord, I need you to do it now!" prayers. And just like it says...

Psa. 34:6 This poor man cried, and the LORD heard him, and saved him out of all his troubles.

It turns out that our appointment with Doctor No. 5 was a great success and an even further confirmation, encouragement, and help to us! He too was unable to reconcile Jody's overall wellness with the level of disease she is fighting. He wants all of the pathology done again, and more time to go over Jody's case until next week. Then he told us to "keep doing whatever you're doing".

We know we are not "out of the woods" by any means, but God will be praised this day because of these encouraging developments. We attribute it all to His mercy and graciousness - and to your prayers for us! Please keep praying that we continue to trust God's perfect will for our lives - and that His will concerning us is that my sweet Jody would be cancer free someday!

3 John 2 Beloved, I pray that in all respects you may prosper and be in good health, just as your soul prospers.

Eighteen Years Ago Today... (6-21-88)

...I was fortunate enough to marry this fascinating, exquisite woman.

We picked this spot to be wed because of one simple truth we learned here.

Sometime prior to this day, we had sat on a bench, enjoying each others company for what must have been an hour or two - right in front of a tree like just like this (if not the very tree).

Suddenly we realized that we were not alone at all, but were in the presence of a humming bird, darting in and about the tree directly in front of us. As our minds slowly zoomed in on the scene - and we started paying attention - it became evident that in fact there were two hummingbirds, a nest, and baby hummingbirds micro-chirping in the nest.

It was terribly romantic - but even more memorable all these years later is how we can be so unaware of the transcendent details surrounding us - even when they're right there in front of us in plain view. We're so busy most of the time, we miss out.

Dear Lord Jesus, I humbly thank you for blessing me with Jody all of these eighteen years. Even as we live expectantly for Your return, we bless Your name for allowing us to enjoy a wondrous, purposeful life on earth, and that in the company of angels. I am certain I married one.

[Inscribed in our wedding bands is this scripture...]

Rev. 21:6 I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give to the one who thirsts from the spring of the water of life without cost.

Update and Prayer Requests 6/16...

Dear Praying Friends,

Psa. 145:18 The LORD is near to all who call upon Him, To all who call upon Him in truth.

Jody continues to feel well - and has told me that she is feeling better than she has in a while. I am so grateful for every hint that my angel feels better in any way. She has her strength back to the level it was at before the Gamma Knife procedure. Jesus is our loving Savior and is merciful, holy God.

So much has been happening behind the scenes as we seek wisdom for our "next move". Last Monday we met with a hard to reach specialist on our list. He is a doctor who invented many cancer drugs. This meeting straightened out several key pieces of misinformation we received from other doctors. Not to be boring but here is an example:

Two other very well respected oncologists told us that a particular drug would not be a good choice for Jody because it really only works well with "young non-smoking Asian women" with Jody's type of cancer. Well - that was not the story at all. In fact, the molecularly targeted drug apparently works well with female non-smoking lung cancer patients - the majority of which were Asian in the trial typically cited. Subtle language but big difference in meaning!

Anyway, I thank God for every tidbit I can get - and was grateful to meet this doctor. The net result of the appointment is that we have an option back on the table that we had previously ruled out.

On another front, we have made progress towards the ablation procedure we are seeking. It looks like we might have this done in July, Lord willing.

Please pray with us:

• Lord, thank you for allowing Jody to feel so well! Help us to exhibit unwavering trust as You draw us deeper into Your will during this trial - whatever it is we will praise You!
• We ask for wisdom as we plan our next step towards ablation in July.
• We ask for guidance as we consider treatment options previously ruled out. These options are best for someone who has more symptoms - yet Lord - Jody is not in pain. (Thank You!) We will wait on You, Father, to make it clear regarding how, if, and when to proceed.
• We praise You, Father, for all of those who pray for and minister to us. Bless and encourage each one!
• May it be your will to heal my precious wife! You are the Great Physician! Amen!
  

Post Gamma Note From My Beloved...

Hello Dear Friends!

I just wanted to let you know that I'm really doing well!

I was pretty tired for a couple of days but I just rested in bed and listened to John MacArthur tapes as he taught through parts of Matthew. It was an enjoyable time!

Some of you are wondering if I lost any hair during this procedure - and the wonderful answer is NO! :-) Because the radiation was so perfectly and precisely directed at each lesion, hair loss is not an issue at all (the Lord was so gracious to this vain daughter)! I do have some soreness where they actually attached (with screws) a mask to my head. This mask was then attached to the "gamma machine" so that my head could not move at all! The whole experience was truly remarkable.

The Lord was with me every second of the procedure as I listened to hymns and thought about Him! When the doctors came in to re-position me, one of them and I conversed about hymns vs praise choruses. I told him I liked a mix but he was prone to hymns. I was just blown away that I was talking to a believer! Praise God! And all the while my beloved husband, dear Logan, and sweet sister Annie were in the hallway praying and waiting, and resting in Him!

I love Spurgeon's words: "Believe that the deepest afflictions are always the highest joys. The greatest possible privileges lie close to the darkest trials. The more bitter your sorrow, the louder your song at the end. There is a reason, and that reason faith may discover and experience may live on. Our afflictions are the highway that leads us closer to God ... " My trial is leading me closer to our Most High, most loving and gracious Lord, and as challenging as it is, there is no place I would rather be.

I thank you again for your heartfelt prayers on my behalf!

Love in the Savior,

Jody

The Gamma Praise Report...

C.H. Spurgeon said:

"No net of trouble can so hold us that the Lord cannot free us. Our afflictions may be numerous and complicated, but prayer can set us free from them all, for the Lord will show Himself strong on our behalf."

This is what we have experienced today, and all the praise goes to Jesus Christ our Lord...

Jody is doing extremely well. Here are just a few of the ways God's strength and tenderness manifested itself in our lives today...

1. God gave us amazing grace every minute. We had "smooth sailing" from the time we awoke (about 4:00 am), throughout our entire hospital stay, and until the time we arrived back at the hotel (3:30 pm). Every detail was expertly handled by the medical team. The Lord was our banner, our healer, our strength and joy!
2. Our Neurosurgeon told us exactly what to expect in advance, and by God's grace, everything the doctor predicted came to pass - slightly ahead of schedule!
   
3. Each of the "mets" targeted by today's procedure were successfully treated! Jody will have a follow-up scan in six to eight weeks. They also follow up with scans throughout the year. The Lord has protected my sweet angel in a powerful way today.
   
4. We had several opportunities to share that we were lovers of Jesus Christ with hospital staff - we gave out copies of Jody's music - and lo and behold - the Gamma Team (two other specialists) turned out to be Christians! They recognized the hymns (Jody had instrumental hymns from Offertories playing during the procedure) and said "they had a sing along" in the control room! Praise the Lord!
5. We have a "green light" from our Neurosurgeon to pursue the treatments we were seeking for Jody's body (RFA, etc..) We will trust the Lord for our next move after she has had sufficient rest.

Jody is resting, enjoying some icepacks on her head, and is not showing any signs of swelling or problems that sometimes occur post-op. We are so grateful. She is allowed to return to "normal activity" tomorrow (but we are taking it really easy, and simply traveling home.) What an amazing experience. All the glory goes to our Lord who has been guiding us every moment. Hallelujah to our Holy Lord!

Jody says "God poured out His grace upon me today; your prayers were felt, honored, and I trust rewarded by the Lord of Hosts. I am surprised at how well I feel. Thank you for your faithful prayers!"

Prayer Alert! God has made it clear...

... that Jody is to have stereotactic radiosurgery... and have it soon! God provided a cancellation that allows us to have this procedure much sooner than we could have imagined - and we are so grateful.

We leave town tomorrow night, appointments Friday and maybe Saturday, then the surgery is booked first thing Monday morning, June 5th.

Please pray that:

• The love of God and the gospel permeates us, and is contagious to those we meet.
• Discernment and patience reign while we navigate the medical maze.
• We exhibit strength to honor the Lord by not giving in to the temptation to fear anything other than Him.
• The protection and peace of Christ is manifest at all times while we are there, especially for Jody.
• We receive a skillfully rendered procedure. A team of doctors is required to perform this type of radiosurgery. I pray that they do the best work of their careers when my Jody is there!
• Travel and lodging is straightforward.

Psa. 28:6-7 Blessed be the LORD, Because He has heard the voice of my supplication. The LORD is my strength and my shield; My heart trusts in Him, and I am helped; Therefore my heart exults, And with my song I shall thank Him.

God's mercy in the war room...

Yesterday - after returning home from Alabama - Jody, Logan, Helga and I set up the "war" room - where we could make calls, fax records, analyze options, and most of all pray and thank God for His presence and His leading.

Our goal, mentioned in the previous post, was to discover God's will for who, where, when, and how to get Jody treated as soon as possible. Coming off the holiday weekend added to the difficulty in reaching our targets.

But nothing is difficult when our trust is rightly placed in Jesus Christ, who is almighty God.

We had a tremendous victory yesterday by the grace of God, in that by the end of the day we had made contact with every doctor on our list (except one who is out of the country) - and with the combined talents of my buds Nick and Don (research) along with Logan and Helga, we were able to transmit information and records quickly - all of which added up to us getting a date for radiosurgery with our preferred specialists!

We were able to get additional appointments too - thus making good progress on the molecular targeting agent front. One of those will be today! I praise the Lord for the encouragement and help - He is the "Captain of the heavenly host" - and is in complete control in our time of need. He is so merciful and faithful.

In my study this morning, I came across these words by Spurgeon commenting on Ps. 34:1 as my tears flowed during prayer:

"He who praises God for mercies shall never want a mercy for which to praise."

Thank you, Lord.

"O for grace to trust Him more..."

Hello from Alabama dear ones!

Many wonderful blessings have been ours since we arrived here. God has guided every step! We've had two incredibly helpful consultations. Both exceeded our expectations in ways that were profound.

On arrival we needed supplies, and frankly had low expectations of finding "fancy" organic foods for Jody - I mean - we're in Alabama! But our great Lord took us to the "Fresh Market", not unlike our favorite neighborhood market "Whole Foods"! We walked in and tears began flowing! Folks must have thought we were really odd. It had everything... and the market has only been there a short time! Talk about "beyond what you can ask or think!"

Is. 30:18 Therefore the LORD longs to be gracious to you, And therefore He waits on high to have compassion on you. For the LORD is a God of justice; How blessed are all those who long for Him.

Psa. 27:5 For in the day of trouble He will conceal me in His tabernacle; In the secret place of His tent He will hide me; He will lift me up on a rock.

Matt. 10:29-31 "Are not two sparrows sold for a cent? And yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So do not fear; you are more valuable than many sparrows."

In God's providence, Jody did not have the CT-Guided RFA procedure yet because the Fusion PET/CT revealed metastases that need to be dealt with first. I admit that sounds ominous, but it's really not when you compare our challenges with how great our God is!

Here's the news from the PET/CT Fusion which is by far the best diagnostic technology on the planet. It shows everything stucturally (CT) and metabolically (PET), then fuses those hundreds of images into hundreds of more images with staggering diagnostic detail. In the hands of a radiologist like the one we were blessed to see, you can learn anything you want to - about any part of your health - brain to toes.

1. Jody's mass in the lung has hardly grown in 10 weeks. It was 6.0 cm on diagnoses, and it is 6.2 now. By the standards for this type of cancer, it should be well over 10 cm by now! We praise God.
2. The other lung is perfectly clear. We praise God.
   
3. There are no other metastases ("mets") from the bottom of her lung to her feet. We praise God.
4. Jody is clear through her neck and glands right up to the brain. We praise God.
5. There's a small "met" in a rib that will need to be treated systemically. We praise God.
6. Jody has three isolated, small "mets" in the brain. These are treatable with specialized radiation technologies. We praise God.
   
   Ironically, Jody's only discomfort is her shoulder, which is not involved in cancer at all - just a little bursitis. And for that we praise God!
   

Psa. 16:8 I have set the LORD continually before me; Because He is at my right hand, I will not be shaken.

We'd appreciate your prayers along these lines...

No. 6 is the immediate priority. Please pray we'll find the right "Gamma Knife/Cyber Knife" specialist for her quickly. We have been told that - although serious - these lesions can be remedied in more than 80% of cases that look like Jody's. Lord willing, with those "mets" under control, we'll be able to refocus on CT Guided RFA for the lung.

In our second consultation we learned about all the newest molecular targeting treatments (systemic) for Jody. We will need to get updates on her pathology to find out if she is genetically likely to benefit from these. Please pray that the details in this regard come together quickly.

Jody and I have been blessed with Logan's company during this trip. The three of us have been praying and singing and laughing and crying and doing every normal thing that happens when trials test our faith - but God in His great mercy is here, and "He leads His dear children along." We are so blessed, and His praise shall continually be on our lips!

Is. 49:13 Shout for joy, O heavens! And rejoice, O earth! Break forth into joyful shouting, O mountains! For the LORD has comforted His people And will have compassion on His afflicted.