Happy Thanksgiving

Psalm 100

Shout joyfully to the LORD, all the earth.

Serve the LORD with gladness;
Come before Him with joyful singing.
Know that the LORD Himself is God;
It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves;
We are His people and the sheep of His pasture.

Enter His gates with thanksgiving
And His courts with praise.
Give thanks to Him, bless His name.
For the LORD is good;
His lovingkindness is everlasting
And His faithfulness to all generations. (NAS)

As we celebrate Thanksgiving, we just wanted to take a moment and let you all know that we are SO thankful for each of you... for your continued support in prayer and for the many blessings each of you have poured into our lives.

Please take some time today, along with us, to express how thankful we all are to God for His abundant goodness, His overwhelming lovingkindness, and His unfailing faithfulness - and for His amazing love, His saving grace, and His great mercy poured out upon us through His Son, Jesus Christ!!!

Happy Thanksgiving to each of you - as always, we love you! Steve and Michelle

Quick Update

Hi ya'll!

Things seem to be going well with Michelle... she continues to heal from the angiogram, as well as all the other "stuff" she has gone through, and each day she feels a little stronger. The only nagging thing apart from some continuing tenderness from the angiogram is that the "pressure" in her chest is still there. We have no definitive answer as to why she is feeling it but at least we have ruled out any real problems with her heart. So we patiently wait while praising the Lord that it was not her heart!!! Amen...

We will head out tomorrow for SoCal to spend Thanksgiving with family! As I was considering the holiday, 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 came to mind. So often we run around crazily in this life trying to determine what the will of God is for us, as in what He would have us do, where He would have us go, who would He have us involved with, etc.. Have you ever stopped long enough to look to the Word of God with that question in mind - have you ever done a search on the will of God in the bible? If you have, you have found something unique.... it is SO not about those things we think it is! For instance, look at what the above mentioned verse says:

"Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you."

Did you catch it? The will of God in Christ Jesus for us is to rejoice always, pray without ceasing and in everything give thanks!!! So what's the point, Steve? Simply this: As you celebrate Thanksgiving with family this Thursday may you fulfill the will of God in your life, may your day be filled with rejoicing regardless of the peripheral things of life that may be swirling around you, being be punctuated with spontaneous and constant prayer, and may you acknowledge the very foundation of our thankfulness, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, lifting up thanks for all He has done and is doing in your lives!!!

Blessings to you all - we love you! Steve and Michelle

Saturday Evening

Well, it is Saturday evening and I am sitting here preparing things for church tomorrow - what an absolute joy! As it always does, the excitement is building for Sunday morning to get here... there is something about it, isn't there? To be able to come into the Lord's house, whether that is an actual church sanctuary or a converted middle school auditorium (as in our case!), and corporately, with our brothers and sisters, worship the King of Kings, the Lord of Lords, the Creator of Heaven and Earth... Messiah, Immanuel, Savior... Wonderful Counselor, Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace... the Alpha and Omega, the First and the Last... the Almighty God!!! I trust the awe and wonder of being in His presence is still there for you - please, NEVER take these most precious of times for granted!!! Hallelujah... I feel like preaching!

Michelle and Sarah spent the last two days at the Women of Faith Conference here in Phoenix.. they both came home absolutely glowing and giddy about all the Lord did and the wonderful time they had being a "Mary" the last few days - simply sitting at the feet of Jesus. My prayer for them and the ladies who attended with them was that they could put "Martha" aside for a couple of days - it appears the Lord answered that prayer, as He is so faithful to do! From the sounds of it, I may just have to try and crash that party next year...

Michelle is still pretty sore at the insertion site of the angiogram and I don't think the activity of the last two days helped at all. Still, it seems for her it was well worth it all! We go back to the doctor in a little over a week and there really is nothing new to report. Some of the symptoms that sent us to the Cardiologist to begin with still come and go, but we are praising the Lord that it isn't what it could have been. Please pray for her continued healing and that the residual discomfort she feels will completely go away.

Allow me to thank you all again for your prayers... the Lord certainly hears you and is answering in ways that only He can. In it all, His glory and radiance continues to shine through Michelle and her testimony of faith continues to grow and spread to His praise! Please, please, please do not forget to thank Him for His great goodness and graciousness... and worship Him with all that is within you, for He alone is worthy! There is NO ONE and NOTHING like our God!!

Father, our prayer for each who read this is that they would experience your presence more intimately, your power more mightily, and your peace more abundantly than they ever have before! Bless them, keep them, protect them and guide them... in the precious name of Jesus! Amen...

We love you all - Steve and Michelle

Doing Okay

I wanted to take a minute and thank all of you who have e-mailed, called us, or left a message here - it has been encouraging for Michelle and we have both been blessed by your words of encouragement and support. She continues to do pretty good yesterday and thus far this morning, though she is pretty stiff in her right hip area - the point of insertion for the catheter. Still, the discomfort is tempered by the fact that the news could have been A LOT worse and therefore bearable for sure!

Michelle did absolutely nothing once we got home on Tuesday which was doctors orders and she has pretty much taken it easy since - though she did accomplish home schooling the kids yesterday and is back at it this morning. Those of you who know her are not surprised by that, right!? She will be taking it easy the next few days as well, though on Friday and Saturday she and some of the other ladies from the church, including Sarah, are attending the Women of Faith Conference here in Phoenix. That was the biggest issue for Michelle when we were discussing dates for the angiogram, "Will I be okay to go to the conference by Friday?" In the midst of the stress of the moment I couldn't help but chuckle inside!!! I know all the ladies are looking forward to it - especially since Beth Moore is the featured speaker Friday morning and early afternoon! Please pray for Michelle to heal up well enough for it not to be a distraction for her while attending.

Other than that, the journey continues on... please be praying for a couple of friends of ours. One is battling breast cancer right now and is getting ready to start chemo; another is going through the same heart testing Michelle just went through - he is doing so today; a third is currently undergoing treatment for prostate cancer. Our thoughts and prayers are with them - please join us. We love you... Steve and Michelle

Finished and Home

Thank you for all your prayers - the Angiogram went fine, no problems with the procedure at all. We are now home and Michelle is resting comfortably, taking the rest of the day off! She seems to be doing well and is not experiencing any real discomfort which is a blessing...

The results of the test were good - not perfect, but good. Her main arteries are clean and clear and the rest of the heart looks really good. There was only one area that showed any problems whatsoever - it was in an artery that branches off one of the main arteries and it showed about a 30-40% blockage. It is in an area that a stent cannot be used and therefore the only repair would be surgery, which they will not even consider doing unless it is 70+% blocked. Our Cardiologist seemed unconcerned by it at this time and feels that it is 100% manageable, though it could explain why Michelle has been experiencing some of the symptoms she has. We will meet with him again in 2 weeks to go over all the results and determine a course of action, but that will most likely include only some dietary changes (she already eats pretty healthy!) and perhaps some medications if her discomfort persists.

Apart from a perfect test result, this is the best of news and we are praising the Lord for His goodness and graciousness to us - we are thankful for His continued presence in the midst of all Michelle is having to endure, as well as His hands of healing and protection!

I will be posting again soon to let you know how she is recovering from the Angio, as well as bringing you all up-to-speed on all that has happened - both on Michelle's health front and our move to AZ. In the meantime, continue to pray for Michelle's healing from today's procedure and that the Lord would protect her from any of the potential side-effects. We love you all - Steve and Michelle

And the Journey Continues...

Well, I would love to be able to write to you about all the Lord is doing in the church here in AZ (and He IS doing great things!) but at this point I need to share with you an update on Michelle, seeking your prayer.

These past months have been challenging for us as we have made the transition from living in the Midwest and serving in post-prison ministry to living once again in the desert and serving in the local church. Not so much because of the change of location or ministry, both of those have been a huge blessing for us. It has been due to Michelle's continued treatments - continuing to receive Herceptin once every three weeks until here recently and also her almost 7 weeks of radiation treatment. She made it through the radiation treatments just fine, finishing about 4 weeks ago now, though having to deal with some pretty nasty burning from the treatments. In the midst of that, her MUGA Scan results took a dip, dropping to 47.2 and therefore postponing her Herceptin treatments. As we drew closer to another MUGA a few weeks back now, she began to feel some pressure. and at times more acute discomfort, in her chest. Since she has now taken two different drugs as a result of her two bouts with breast cancer that can have adverse effects on her heart, prudence said let's check with a Cardiologist to be sure all is well.

A little over a week ago, Michelle went through an Echo Cardiogram and a Chemical Stress Test and just last Friday we found out the results were not as good as we would have liked. The stress test results show a POSSIBLE blockage and, because of her treatment history over the last 6+ years and her recent radiation therapy, the Cardiologist feels the best course of action is to do an Angiogram this Tuesday morning (11/13) to see what the situation really is. It could be nothing or it could be something... the something could be minor or the something could be more than that - we don't know any more than that at this time. It seems just when we think we are on the other side of things we find ourselves right back in the middle of it all.

Please be praying for Michelle - pray for her health and for strength, comfort and peace... pray for the Angiogram she will have on Tuesday - that it will go well and that the results will show no blockage... pray for our kids as they have to stand by as their mom endures another procedure.... and pray for all of us, that we will continue to glorify God in the midst of the storm! We continue to take great comfort that we serve a God who sees all and knows all... and has our future in His hands!

Thanks for your prayers - we love you all! Steve and Michelle

New Post Coming

WOW... I can't believe it has been since August that I have posted; we are so sorry! We have been busy trying to settle in while hitting the ground running in ministry. I will be uploading a new post soon; there is more news to share and more prayers needed!

Be back soon... we love you! Steve and Michelle

Time Flies

Greetings to those of you still checking here. I am so very sorry we have not posted in so long - yes, it has been busy for us but I feel guilty for not having kept you all up to date. So, please allow me to bring you up-to-speed in short order here and I promise to be regular with my updates.

The home is coming together; all the boxes are empty and, apart from hanging decorations, things are in their place. Well, all except all my books! We are now at the place where we are trying to determine color schemes for the walls and those types of things so I guess you could say we are really getting settled. The kids are loving it here, as are Michelle and I. Thank you for all your prayers on that front...

Michelle is doing well overall. She has now taken two treatments of Herceptin since arriving here, her second being this morning. She also started her radiation treatments this evening - please pray for her in that. She will be undergoing radiation treatments for 6.5 weeks/5 days per week so it will be a long haul. Pray for her endurance as well as to handle the treatments well, with minimum skin irritation. All else seems to be fine with her...

The church is doing well and we are settling into the work there. We are so looking forward to what the Lord has in store for us all - we continue to concentrate on the "depth" of the ministry, wanting it to draw people into deeper, committed walks with Christ, while leaving the "breadth" of the ministry to the Lord (how many will attend). Those who the Lord has surrounded us with here are wonderful; we are blessed to be sure! I also had the blessing of teaching a few weeks back at a church up in Prescott - what a great church it was, full of people hungry for God's word! The teaching time seemed to go well; at least, no one cried heresy or threw anything at me!

Apart from that, things are well. Steven and I have even had the opportunity to play a couple rounds of golf - both of us playing some of the best golf we ever have. In fact, the last time we played Steven shot 79 (wow!!) and I shot 68 (first time ever below par!!!) from the white tees at a course that is not all that easy... as you can see, Steven is about ready to make the move to blues!

Okay, that's a quick update - I will post again soon! Blessings to you all and we love you!!! -Steve and Michelle -

Still Here

To those still checking, howdy!!! We are still here, it has just been an extremely busy week of trying to clean and prepare for our "stuff" to arrive, purchasing things we need, and trying to get some work done!!! Oh, the joys of relocation...

We had our first appointment with Michelle's new Oncologist, Dr. Jean Schulman - we both liked her and are pleased at this point. The facility is a little less "state-of-the-art" compared to Edwards Cancer Center but we are confident we will be well taken care of! Please add Dr. Schulman and her staff to your prayer lists. Michelle's next Herceptin treatment will be Monday, July 16th, which is her birthday. You can send her birthday wishes if you would like at venablesix@gmail.com ! We also setup her consultation appointment with the Radiology Oncologist for the 20th of July, unless we can get in earlier on a cancellation. Pray that we can!

Okay, apart from that, things continue to go well. Our new washer and dryer should show up any moment now (or should I say Michelle's new toys!! ) and the rest of our possessions should be here at 8am tomorrow and in the house hopefully by mid-afternoon! It will be nice to have a little "normalcy" in the home, though we are all content with how things are now. We are thankful for all those who have taken such good care of us here, providing beds, food, etc. and it is at times when you don't have all the "stuff" around that you are reminded that those things are really "gravy" in life. If we had to live like this the rest of the time we would be content - seeing that helps us appreciate even more the many blessings the Lord has lavishly poured into our lives.

Blessings to you all - love you! - Steve and Michelle -

Home!!!

Hi everyone!!!

Just a quick note to let you know we have arrived!!!! It has been a pretty wild few days of travel - what with four kids, two cats, two fish, etc. - but we are safe and sound and have spent the first night in our new home! For those of you who were concerned, Michelle DID like the house so I guess that means I did a good job picking it out!

I will post again soon, we have much to do before our furniture arrives later this week - carpets to clean, floors to mop, holes to patch on the wall, perhaps painting - so everyone is already up and getting ready to head out! We also have to get the car cleaned, it is a mess from the bugs on the outside and the cats on the inside!

We love you all... - Steve and Michelle -

Wheaton to St. Louis to Oklahoma City

Oooook, it has been a busy couple of days - all day overseeing the movers load their truck making sure they only took our stuff and got it all, cleaning rooms as they got cleared, then packing up the Expedition and hitting the road around 6pm. It was a real bittersweet occasion - leaving beautiful Wheaton, which had become home to us, and our dearest friends, the Gracey's, behind while starting the journey to our new city and to our new home that we closed on earlier in the day. The initial part of the ride was pretty quiet to say the least...

We drove to St. Louis last night arriving around 10:30pm, getting situated in the room and getting SOME sleep before getting back on the road today. We drove to Oklahoma City, got checked into the hotel and then drove down to Bricktown (old downtown OK. City) to have some food at the Spaghetti Warehouse - it was great! The drives have been nice, uneventful, but interesting with the cats!! Dogs are so much cooler to travel with!!! Anyway, we are now back at the hotel getting ready to get some sleep before driving to Albuquerque tomorrow!

We are all doing well, thanks so much for your prayers - continue to pray for our journey. Michelle is pretty tired so pray for her as well to get a refreshing nights sleep and to be strengthened as we continue our trip. In relation to comments to our previous post - Greg and Rhonda, we are so sorry we didn't get to see you before we left. We walked down on the 4th and knocked a couple of times but no one came to the door. We didn't want to ring the doorbell in case Rhonda was sleeping... we are praying for you guys!!! AND, Nikki, we miss you a lot too!!!

I will try to post a few photos tomorrow if there is time - in the meantime, we are praying for you, thanks for praying for us! We love you... - Steve and Michelle -

Quick 4th of July Post

Hi to each of you!! Happy Independence Day - 4th of July!!!

I am not sure any of you are still checking here since it's been a while since I posted last!!! Sorry about that, the last week plus has been a bit of a whirlwind! It has been a busy week already, finishing the packing a preparations for relocating the whole family but I think we are pretty much there. We just need to pack some clothes for the trip and then wrap up a few odds-and-ends... the movers show up tomorrow morning to load and we hit the road tomorrow evening, bound for St. Louis - our first stop! Pray for us...

Michelle is recovering a little slower than we thought she would but overall she is doing well. You can pray for strength for the journey - she will need it after all this final push to get ready! She has done so much to prepare us to relocated, I am amazed she is still standing!

Okay, back to wrapping things up so we can have some dinner and get some rest! Blessings to you all, we will post from the road!!! We love you... - Steve and Michelle -

Last "Leg" Complete

Well, Sarah and I made it - we arrived mid-day yesterday and are presently sitting in the living room of my friend and co-laborer, Seth, relaxing before the start of another busy day... not a lot of driving, though, thankfully! We will go over to the title agency later today (11am) to sign the closing documents for our new home, do a walk through at the home in the afternoon (2pm), go to church, and then we have a church gathering afterwards to attend! Then it's back here, go to bed, up early on Sunday (4:30am) and go to the airport to catch a 7:20am flight back to Chicago!!! What a whirlwind of a trip - I love it!!! Don't worry, Sarah is holding up just fine...

Things seem to be going well at home, though Michelle has still not been able to shake the headache... please pray that the Lord would just remove it!!! I woke thinking this morning that this coming Monday will be the first Monday in 13 weeks that I will not have to do a post about how Michelle is doing after a treatment. Wow... On the relocation front, she continues to pack-up the odds and ends that are left, but we are almost there. Please pray for all the "little" things to get done - thanks! I just have to gear myself up between now and the end of next week to do that drive again... as does Sarah!

Okay, well here is a couple photos from yesterday; we didn't take too many (I think we were a little worn out!!). We love you all!! - Steve and Michelle -

Crossing into Arizona!

New Home - photo 1

New Home - photo 2

Second "Leg" Complete

Sarah and I made it to Albuquerque and are presently resting in our hotel room before the final drive tomorow - it was a good day of driving... 12.5 hours from start to finish! Sarah drove the last 174 miles and did really well so I guess I need to take her to get her license!!! We found ourselves driving in four different states today - Missouri (for 4 miles!), Oklahoma, Texas and New Mexico. As we drove we were able to hear the weather report and they said there would be rain today from Texas, through Oklahoma and Missouri as well. Our reply: ya think?! Yup, there was!!! :-) But we weathered it just fine - pun intended!

Michelle and the kids are doing just fine; her headache is barely there now and she sounded like she was feeling pretty good on the phone. Praise the Lord for that. Quick note to the kids I "left behind" - thank you Rebekah and Moriah for the messages... I love and miss you too!!! Steven, keep holding down the fort and don't break my laptop - love you, buddy!!!

Keep praying for Michelle and the kids at our "old" home and for Sarah and I as we continue our travels! Ok - below are just a couple of photos from the day that started in Joplin, Missouri and ended in Albuquerque, New Mexico... we love each of you SOOOO much! - Steve and Michelle -

Joplin, Missouri

Entering Oklahoma

The World's Largest McDonalds!!!

Entering Texas

Largest Cross in the Western Hemisphere!

Entering New Mexico

Sarah behing the wheel!!!

First "Leg" Down

Greetings to you all from Joplin, Missouri!!!

Sarah and I have completed the first leg of our trip, presently kicking back in our hotel room after a GREAT Mexican dinner. We will rest up tonight since tomorrow holds for us the longest of our three legs - 11 hours of driving (to Albuquerque, New Mexico) not counting stops for gas, food, and those other breaks (!!!). Today's drive was wonderful, though we did hit a few rainstorms. I have posted a few photos from when we passed through St. Louis...

St. Louis Arch

Busch Stadium - Home of the St. Louis Cardinals

Those of you who have known us for more than a few years will feel old when I say Sarah drove 117 miles of the journey. Not just that but she was behind the wheel during the worst downpour we faced today. I will only say she handled it well, though my knuckles were white!!! Driving through the Ozarks was absolutely beautiful, we were both amazed by the sheer awesomeness of God's creation!!!

I spoke with Michelle quite a few times today, she seems to be doing ok. She is still experiencing some mild "pressure headaches", but she definitely sounds like she feels better than the last few days on that front. I'm sure the lack of sleep - she stil is having problems sleeping - and the stress of the upcoming relocation are not helping. We are sure the headaches and sleep isues are residual side-effects of the Taxol treatments so please pray the Lord will help her begin to sleep better and that the headaches will go away. Also pray that she will rest a bit more each day!!!

Okay, enough for now - please pray for Sarah and I as we rest tonight and continue our journey tomorrow. It looks like it will be a wet day for us so pray for our safety, as well as that the truck continues to run well. Along those lines, pray for all those in Texas - like our friends, the Ellis' - who are being hammered by severe weather, especially being deluged by rain! Thanks and we will post again tomorrow provided we get to our destination at a decent hour!!! We love you all... - Steve and Michelle -

First of Thirteen Done

Greeting to you all -

Yesterday (Monday) Michelle took her first "triple-dose" of Herceptin, which she will do every three weeks for basically 13 treatments (39 weeks). If yesterday was any indication, apart from the possible effect the drug can have on her heart function, there was no apparent side-effects - it was just as if she had not taken the drug at all. Praise the Lord for that!!! For those of you who got into the "blog" late, Herceptin is a specific kind of chemo drug that only targets one thing, the HER2-NU receptor gene which can either exist (positive receptor) or not (negative receptor) in cancerous tumors - you are a candidate for Herceptin if you are "positive HER2-NU", which Michelle has been in both instances. What the drug does is "block" the receptor(s) so that any possible cancer cells cannot replicate! They did not have this drug her first go 'round, so we are thankful they do now. Since it is a "targeted" drug, there is typically no apparent side-effects except that they have seen in some cases the heart function being adversely affected, but this has been temporary and usually reverses itself once treatment is completed. This is why Michelle has to have regular MUGA Scans (another one today) to test her heart function... okay, enough "rehashing" old news! Michelle is doing pretty well, other than still having some low-grade headaches and not sleeping well... pray for her on both of those fronts!!

So, in other news - packing continues and we are ramping up for next weeks relocation. In the meantime, Sarah and I leave tomorrow on our road trip West to get my truck out there and leave us just the Expedition here. That way, Michelle won't have to drive one of the vehicles out next week and gives Sarah and I the blessing of making the road trip twice!!! Pray for us!!!!

Okay, gotta go for now - thanks again for ALL your prayers... we are praying for you! Blessings and we love each of you dearly! - Steve and Michelle -

Slow Recovery - Time Crunch

It has not been the easiest of weeks for us; perhaps one of our most difficult to date, taking into perspective all aspects of life as we know it today. The treatment seemed to really hit Michelle hard this week, harder than the past four weeks or so. She has battled headaches and feeling "strange" since Monday afternoon and it's just this morning that she has begun to get some relief. In the midst of that, we continue to pack for the move - we are really beginning to feel the crunch on that end. With me leaving mid-week next week with Sarah, it feels like the move is looming like a big wall right in front of us that we need to climb over. Every time we pack another box or prepare another thing for the move, there is something else to deal with - it's never ending it seems. On top of that, I have the final crunch of gathering info and meeting with people at the church... I know - "Suck it up pal and stop your whining!!", or more sarcastically, "Can I get you some cheese and crackers to go along with that w(h)ine!!" Still, in the midst of it all, God continues to show Himself faithful, being right there to minister to and strengthen us for the moment and for the future.

I woke this morning thinking of the story of Jericho... I saw before my minds-eye the great wall that stood looming before the army of Israel- it must have seemed insurmountable and unconquerable. As they took each and every step of faith (and it took A LOT of faith to keep walking around those walls!!!), each one taken patiently as they patiently made every journey around that walled city, all while patiently waiting on and trusting in the Lord, that massive wall still stood there "mocking" them. Yet, each patient step, each patient circuit moved them one notch closer to where the Lord was leading them; each patient step, each patient circuit prepared them more for what the Lord was going to accomplish in and through them; each patient step, each patient circuit drew them closer to victory in Him! You all know the end of the story - each patient step, each patient circuit led them to the point of shouting in victory (before the victory was even realized - hmmm, there's a sermon for you!!!) as that "mocking" wall came tumbling down! How encouraging that story is to me today - it really is as simple as us diligently taking each step patiently in Him, us doing our part while letting Him sovereignly move in His time and in His way. When we do this, that which seems insurmountable and unconquerable is simply a "house of cards" waiting to tumble before us as we walk in and with Him.

We have seen this time and time again these past weeks and I am thankful to be reminded of it once again today! Though the "walls" that stand before us might at times seem big in the moment, we take great confidence in the FACT that our God is BIGGER still!!! I trust and pray that would encourage some of you today as well.

We covet your prayers and are so thankful to have them; keep praying please! We love you... - Steve and Michelle -

Phase One Complete

Phew... we can't believe 12 weeks have passed and the Taxol plus Herception treatments have been completed; only the Lord could have brought us through so "smoothly", relatively speaking of course!!! HE has been so faithful to hear and answer all of your prayers and to minister to Michelle, the kids, and me as only HE can do!!! This last treatment seems to have hit Michelle pretty hard compared to the last four weeks or so, but I'm not sure that wasn't to be expected when you take into account the accumulation of fatigue from 11 weeks of treatments, having her parents in the 10 days previous (not getting as much sleep as she should have! ), and all the work she has been putting in packing things up for our move. I am amazed she is standing at all... again, only in the Lord's strength and through His sustaining power!! She seems to be doing a bit better today but your prayers for a quick recovery would be much appreciated!!!

Next Monday Michelle will take her first "once every three weeks" Herceptin treatment, which she will be doing for the next 9 months, but that should not cause her any difficulty at all. She will also have another MUGA Scan to check her heart function next Tuesday... so pray for those two things!!!

Apart from those things, all else is on track for our relocation. Still lots of little things to pack up but much is already done... but those "odds and ends" can be real annoying, know what I mean? So many things to remember and do!!! Sarah and I will be driving heading out next Wednesday (6/27) to transport my truck and spend the weekend with the church... we will fly home early on Sunday. So, for all intents and purposes, this is my last full week in the office here! I can't believe the time has gone this quickly and we are so close to relocation; I find myself with a range of emotions and feelings. Still, there is that quiet confidence and assurance that we are right on the path the Lord has for us, so I can't wait to "get on with it"!

Many blessings to you all... I will be posting again soon!!! We love you... - Steve and Michelle -

Thursday Evening Post

Howdy everyone -

Just a quick post to let you know all is pretty much the same as earlier in the week. Michelle is doing well, though she is fatigued both from the chemo as well as working around the house preparing for our move. We are thankful that her parents are in town; they have been a big help as the packing continues. Both the sale of our condo and the purchase of the home we are looking to buy seem to be moving along. On the purchase front, we are still awaiting word from the sellers as to whether they will make some repairs on items that came up during the home inspection. This could be a "deal breaker" so we shall see; either way, we are confident the Lord's will is what will be accomplished. He has truly moved in the midst of all we are dealing with right now in all areas of our lives and we know that He will continue to do so! So, no worries, ya know!!

The current, updated schedule for the next few weeks, as it stands today, has me in town through June 27, with Michelle taking her last Taxol treatment next Monday, having another MUGA Scan as well, and then her first "every three week" Herceptin treatment on the 25th. On June 27th I will drive the truck cross country, taking a couple of days to accomplish it, then flying home on July 1; Sarah will be taking that trip with me. We will then wrap up everything here and the movers will load our "stuff" on July 5. Depending on how long it takes them to load, we will either pull out of here that evening or early the next morning (July 6). Be praying for all that...

As always, continue to pray for Michelle as she wraps up her Taxol treatments next Monday; pray the Lord would strengthen and sustain her, as well as prepare her physically for the trip that is soon to come. Thank you all for your consistent and loving prayer for us; we love you!!! - Steve and Michelle -

Rounding the Final Turn... Heading Down the Back Stretch

One more treatment down, only one more (of the Taxol!) to go... hard to believe we are sprinting down the final straightaway! Michelle once again handled the treatment well with no complications and, as of last night, no apparent side-effects. She was still sleeping when I left this morning so I can't speak for today but, if these past few weeks are any indication, she should be doing pretty well. She definitely has become more fatigued over the last two weeks but she also has not changed her routine (apart from home schooling having come to and end for the summer!) and has added to it packing up all our "stuff". I look at all that needs to be packed and think to myself, "Where did all this stuff come from?!" I mean, we have less than most I think, but I wonder at times if we can get everything packed by the time the movers show up!

Thank you all for praying about finding an Oncologist; we have located one! She sounds like a wonderful woman and it's always good to hear someone who works with your doctor say, "I would put my life in her hands!" So, Michelle's first appointment with her new Oncologist is on July 12th at 9:00am...

On the house front, things continue to move forward though today is a big day on the new home front. We got the report back from the home inspection and there are some things we are kicking-back at the sellers to fix prior to closing escrow. For some reason I have a foreboding feeling about it because I'm not sure how they will react; I know they think they brought their best offer to the table so they may be unwilling to "lose" anymore money. On our side, unless they are willing to do the repairs, none of which are out of line nor unexpected in a 7 year old home, we will not be purchasing it. So, you can pray for that! As far as the condo here, no indication anything is amiss and all should close on-time...

Pray for all the details that need to be worked out when a family moves long-distance; such as, how do we get our second vehicle out there without Michelle having to drive one, forwarding of mail, address changes on bills, etc. It's never-ending and we feel like we just did this... oh, wait, we did just two and a half years ago!

Enough for now... to work! Have a blessed day and remember, Jesus loves you and so do we! - Steve and Michelle -

Sunday Morning

Good morning!!!

Okay, the big question is, "Did you make it to church this weekend??", and the answer had best be yes! I trust and pray the Lord has ministered to all of you and that the same Holy Spirit who moved in our services and lives this weekend has done the same in yours!

Nothing really new to report, all pretty much remains the same as it was the last post. Michelle's parents are in town and we are enjoying having them here. They will be here through next Saturday, leaving Sunday AM early, so we have a lot of free labor when it comes to continuing our packing up... YES!!!

Things continue to move forward on the sale of our condo and the purchase of our new home. I just wired the earnest money yesterday so no turning back now! We are so looking forward to getting on the road and heading out, though leaving will not be easy! We have some wonderful friends here that will be difficult to move away from. I have also really enjoyed spending these past months with the others on staff here in the Chicagoland area, making some friendships that I know will last a lifetime; that too makes leaving a little hard. Still, we know and feel that the Lord has already moved us on, and we it is so comforting to know that we have a "family" waiting to embrace us at the other end of this next step in our journey of walking with Jesus!

So, please continue to pray for the things already mentioned in the previous post; Michelle's last to treatments (at least with Taxol!), our relocation, our kids, and for the Lord to direct us to just the right Oncologist for Michelle! Keep your eyes fixed on Jesus... we love you all! - Steve and Michelle -

Moving Along Nicely

Greetings to all of you!!! Just a quick update on how things are going with us:

Michelle is doing pretty good this week once again. The side-effects are at a minimum and, apart from fatigue and an occasional headache, things are well. Of course, that is very relative... you will still hear her say, if you asked, that she looks forward to feeling "normal" again! Her hair continues to thin out and we are not sure how much more she can lose and still hide the fact that she has very little! We are both amazed she has any at all when we think about how much she has lost over these past weeks. What an answer to prayer... by the time she may be in the situation to have to remove what is left, she will be done with treatments and it can immediately start growing back again. God is truly merciful and gracious, is He not?!

As for our relocation, things are great on that front. As I wrote earlier, our condo sold and everything is going just fine with that. The last hurdle is the appraisal which should not be a problem at all and it should close escrow on June 28th. On top of that, we made an offer on a home and we quickly came to terms with the owner for the purchase... we are homeowners again!!! Phew... we have a place to move into now!!! It is a wonderful home (5 bedrooms with a loft!!!) and we can't wait to move in. We should close escrow on it the day our stuff is being loaded on the moving truck out here in Wheaton. Please pray that Michelle and the kids love the home as much as I do; it is not easy picking a home for your family all by yourself!

As I reflect back on the last couple of weeks I am overwhelmed by the graciousness, goodness, and greatness of the God we serve. No doubt it has been a busy and, at times, trying time. Honestly, there were moments where I felt they were beating me down a bit; but oddly, that was in a good way, because those moments have brought me to another level of trusting in our Lord, an even deeper level, for which I am thankful. At the hardest moments, all I could do was ask for more of His mercy, grace and strength for the journey we find ourselves on; a journey on which I feel so responsible to be the strong, confident leader that my family needs me to be. I have once again found the Lord and His word to be true... "For when I am weak, than I am strong..." (2Cor. 12:10) as He supplies me with His strength. He has shown up in so many tangible ways, as only He can and does! Today we are so encouraged in the Lord; as we have trusted in Him, as we have leaned even closer into Him, He has systematically checked off from our list of things that need to be resolved some truly "big" things!!! Is He amazing or what!!?? Pretty much the last "big" thing, perhaps the biggest actually, is to find a new Oncologist for Michelle. Please pray for us as we set out on that "hunt."

Don't stop praying for us!!! In fact, don't stop praying or trusting in Him, period!!! We love you all... - Steve and Michelle -

Racing Down the Back Stretch

Today's treatment down, only two to go... we can see the final turn just out ahead of us!!! It is hard to believe we are nearing completion of the first part of Michelle's treatment regimen. Though she will continue on the Herceptin for the remainder of one year, soon we will be able to leave Taxol behind!! Praise the Lord for that even now!!!

Michelle did really well today during treatment; all her counts were good apart form her white count being a little low but not low enough to cause concern in the least. Praise Him for that! She is still having hot flashes and some neuropathy but, all in all, she is continuing to tolerate the treatment very well which is CLEARLY an answer to all the prayers being lifted up on her behalf. Thank you!!!

It was so quiet at the Cancer Center and we were able to just hang out and talk with each other, as well as the nurses. It was nice to have that time, especially after the last week or so of being very busy. We talked a lot about buying a house and what to do on that front; we made some decisions and have now begun to take steps to see what the Lord will do! We are trusting Him for EVERYTHING; how difficult can it be to make available to us just the right house for a God who can create ("bara"- create absolutely) something from nothing??!!

"Lord, You have been our dwelling place (refuge) in all generations.
Before the mountains were brought forth,
Or ever You had formed the earth and the world,
Even from everlasting to everlasting, You are God. " (Psalm 90:1-2,NKJV)

"The earth is the LORD's, and all its fullness,
The world and those who dwell therein.
For He has founded it upon the seas,
And established it upon the waters. " (Psalm 24:1-2, NKJV)

Isn't it great to know that God?! Be encouraged this day by the knowledge that the Eternal God, the One who is from everlasting to everlasting, who created the earth and all that exists, LOVES you and knows your name...hmmm, reminds me of a worship song!

Continue to pray for us and all that is going on... we are continuing to pray for you all! We love you all dearly and can't wait for the next time we can tell you that face-to-face! - Steve and Michelle -

Saturday AM

Good morning... it's 6:45am out here in our future new home and already I think it is already close to 80 degrees outside; aaahhhh, seems like being back in Vegas!!!

It has been a pretty busy week for me. After having Monday off, my worship leader/assistant pastor flew into town late evening Monday for a staff retreat on Tuesday through Wednesday. I got up early Tuesday AM to take him to meet a couple of guys from staff so he could ride up to the retreat with them, while I then took Michelle to her chemo treatment. After the chemo treatment and getting her situated, it was of to the retreat myself... four hour drive! We got home around midnight Wednesday night and spent Thursday doing some work (and the last blog post!) from home until I had to take Seth back to the airport. Then it was up at 3:30am Friday to get ready, leave for the airport, have a couple meetings amongst beginning to do a little home searching, to bed at what effectively was 1:00 AM for me, and, lo and behold, here I sit posting this morning! At 10:00 AM today I will go out with our realtor to look at a slew of homes; pray I find just the right one and have the wisdom to know which one that is. Things guys look for in homes are many times different than what a woman looks for! Like, does it have a large garage and does the backyard have enough grass, and is it big enough, to practice chipping!! Kitchen... hmmm, yeah it had one!

As for Michelle, it has been a pretty good week without much discomfort, no itchiness, and only a day or so of headaches. BUT, a new side-effect showed up. Up to this time she has had only occasional and minor neuropathy (tingling, loss of feeling, numbness with pain) in her fingers and toes, mostly just a little tingling; it has not been troublesome at all. Well, this week her feet have been going numb, like completely numb and tingling. It has not become painful yet, but this is a pretty major step forward in this effect. It could be temporary or a sign of more (worse?) to come. So, add to our growing list of prayers for Michelle that the Lord would minimize this and, even better and more bold, take it away completely!

We are drawing so close to the end of the Taxol treatments, please Lord continue to be merciful to Michelle, as You have been thus far, and sustain her another three treatments with no increase in her side-effects! Thank you, Lord, for all these who are praying for us, bless them this day with an extra measure of your grace, mercy, peace and sense of Your intimate presence in their lives! In Jesus name... Amen.

We love you all... - Steve and Michelle -

Week 9

Greetings everyone -

We trust you all had a wonderful Memorial Weekend; ours was good. I am sorry I haven't updated you sooner but since Monday was a holiday Michelle's treatment was moved to Tuesday and as soon as it was completed I headed to Michigan for a mini-staff retreat.

Week 9 is "in the books" as they say (who are "they", anyway?) and things went pretty smoothly. This treatment seemed to make Michelle a little more swimy in the head by the end of receiving it but, other than that, she did fine. It has been a pretty good couple of days since; not much bone pain, no itchiness on her face, and over all she feels okay. Last night she had a bout of dizziness that made her a little nauseous but she seems to be doing better with that this morning. Her blood counts, while going down, are still in good ranges though her white counts are borderline. Your prayers are being answered on all these fronts so keep praying!!

On another front, it looks like we sold our condo; we will be signing the paperwork today. We took a little less than we wanted to get for it but, in the end, it feels far better to have that behind us than the little bit of extra money we MIGHT have been able to make had we waited... and who knows how long that wait will be. As it is, God's timing is perfect and this should allow us to find our new home, purchase it and have it close at the same time we are moving out there so that we won't have to go into a rental and then move again! So, pray for me as I look at homes this coming weekend; that the Lord would bring us just the right home and everything would work out well. Looking for our new home without Michelle there is an awful lot of pressure... pray for wisdom on that front!!!

As for Michelle, apart from prayer for her blood counts, bone pain, and the other things we have been praying for, please pray for her energy level. Fatigue is becoming a bit of an issue, partly due to the fact that she has not been sleeping well for a few weeks now. Please pray that she would begin to sleep better and that the Lord would continue to strengthen her... only three more treatments to go!!! Blessings to all of you... you are much loved! - Steve and Michelle -

Happy Memorial Day

We wanted to take a quick moment to wish you all a Happy Memorial Day and thank each of you who either are currently or have served in the Armed Forces. Also, those who have lost loved ones or currently have loved ones serving; thank you too! Please know we a thankful for the sacrifices you have made and that you are all in our prayers!

Things continue to go as well as can be expected... Michelle is doing okay though battling an increasing fatigue. Please pray for the Lord's strength and protection for her as we press on toward the finish line!

Apart from that, please just continue to pray for us as we prepare for our relocation; especially the sale of the condo! Please pray fervently for that!!! We love you all... - Steve and Michelle -

Quick Update

Hi Everyone... It has been an extremely busy week so I am sorry for not updating you on things sooner.

It has been a good week on the Michelle front. Apart from being pretty fatigued, the only thing she has really battled this week is the itchiness on her face. It's kind of strange but it is one of the side-effects of the Taxol and, since she didn't take the steroid, it seems she may just have to deal with this now until the end. BUT, the caveat is that she had minimal bone/muscle/skin discomfort this week which has been a wonderful reprieve. Pray that the itchiness diminishes and the other discomfort stay away!!!

Other than that, everyone is fine. Today is the last day of school and the kids are really stoked! In fact, only Sarah really has a class today (as in one class!), so the others are sleeping in!! One exciting piece of news is that Sarah got her SAT test scores back online. She got a perfect 800 on the math (unbelievable!!) and her total score appears to be 2183... WOW!!! We are so very proud of her!!! All of the kids did wonderfully this school year; you know what a tough teacher Michelle can be, yet all of them got all A's from what I understand. Praise the Lord....

Okay, that's it for now... I have to get to work here! Blessings to you all and we love you!!! - Steve and Michelle -

Only Four Left

It's lunch time here and since I didn't have time yesterday I thought I would take my break by writing an update for you all on Michelle's treatment yesterday. For those counting, only four more major treatments to go, where she takes both Taxol and Herceptin. Of course, she will be taking Herceptin once every three weeks for the remainder of a year after these twelve weeks of Taxol; still, from what we hear, apart from the inconvenience of going and sitting there, there are no major side-effects with regards to bone pain, etc. Just that lingering concern about it compromising heart function temporarily while receiving it.

Okay, well, yesterday went real well. Her blood counts were real good except for the annoyance of the her hemoglobin going back down again to 10.7 (12.0 is normal), so she needed to receive a shot of Aranesp again after we thought she was done with it. Even though she didn't take the steroid she tolerated the treatment well. The only thing we can tell that is different, most likely as a result of not taking it, is that her face itches really badly and she developed a mild kind of bumpy rash. Strange...

Today, apart from her face still itching, she is not having any substantial discomfort with regards to bone pain, etc. She hasn't really even had to take any Ibuprofen to speak of which is truly amazing! You all must be praying really hard!!! (Could you please pray as hard for the condo to sell!!! ) Apart from being a bit fatigued and feeling tired, she is doing quite well; praise the Lord! So different than the last few weeks... what a strange journey this can be at times!

Enough for now; I will update you more later. Please continue to pray for Michelle, as you have all been so faithful to do. Pray also for the many "changes" going on for us right now, and especially that the condo would sell so we can have a smooth transition into a new home when we relocate! We love you all... - Steve and Michelle -

"See how great a love the Father has bestowed on us, that we would be called children of God; and such we are." (1 John 3:1; NASU)

Sunday Morning

It's Sunday morning... have you all made it to church yet??? I trust and pray the answer to that is YES!

Just a quick update on some non-Michelle related prayer requests I posted yesterday! First, my dad's surgery went great and when I called yesterday morning to check on him he was out in the backyard giving instructions to my mom on the gardening! The only pain he was feeling was at the incision site itself, no other pain to speak of and he had not even taken any of his pain meds. I made sure to tell him that there were many praying for him and his lack of pain was a direct result of that!! AMEN!!! Second, our friends Walter and Tina had their son, Anthony Daniel (I think that's what they named him if my memory serves me... guys are so bad with those types of things!!!), and everyone is doing just fine. Anthony was 7lbs. 15oz. and 21 inches long, again if I am remembering correctly. Praise the Lord for His miracle of new life!!! Other than that, things are moving along fine at the Venable home. No word yet on the condo, are you all praying??? Michelle had a good day yesterday, we were even able to go for a couple of mile walk to, around, and back from the park near our home (it's a BIG park!).

We are praying for you all and your church services today... may the Lord bless and speak directly to your hearts! The message we heard was on, are you ready for this, suffering! It was a GREAT message taught by one of the assistant pastors, Jeff Donaldson, who himself has had to endure surgery on his brain due to a tumor (Pastor James is in Romania). The text Jeff used as his "launching and foundation" point is below. Be encouraged today... Jesus love you so much, and so do we! - Steve and Michelle -

"For you have been called for this purpose, since Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example for you to follow in His steps, who committed no sin, nor was any deceit found in His mouth; and while being reviled, He did not revile in return; while suffering, He uttered no threats, but kept entrusting Himself to Him who judges righteously;..." (1 Peter 2:21-23; NASU)

The Latest: Part Two

Well, another week has come and gone. In some ways the weeks are just flying by, in others they are not. Another couple of days and we will be down to only four more treatments, which will mean 8 weeks have come and gone... wow! Still, four more weeks seems like a long time! I know many of you can relate to exactly what I am saying... the rest of you just think I am rambling!!!

We finally got Michelle's blood sugar panel back and the results were great. The normal level for when you fast before blood draw is between 69 and 95; Michelle's result was 75. Praise the Lord (!!!), that rules out things like early onset of diabetes at this point. The basic thought at this time is that the steroid she has been taking may be the culprit when it comes to her blood sugar level being elevated on treatment days. She takes the steroid the night before (Sunday evening) to offset any possible side-effects of Taxol, but they have told her to not take it this time. The prayer is that this will have no adverse effect on her ability to tolerate the treatment. If it doesn't, they will just leave that out of her weekly regimen. If it does, it's back to the drawing board to figure a way to mitigate the negative effect. As always, the only thing any of us can do is pray to and trust in the Lord... which all of you have been so faithful in doing on her behalf. Thank you!!!

Other news:

Still waiting to hear back on any progress on the sale of the condo... lets all pray it will be this weekend that the Lord sends a buyer who has money in hand and is ready to move forward with the purchase!

The kids are doing fabulous; they are all VERY excited that there is only one week of school left. What they don't know is after this week packing up begins in earnest!!! Steven has been having a blast caddying over at Cantigny (pronounced "Can tee nee"...not "Can tig nee") and they really like him there. It's one of the "sad" points of moving! Sarah got the highest grade in the English class she was taking at the College of DuPage; her final paper, which was on the Reformation and who she believed had the greatest impact between Luther, Calvin, and Wycliffe, received a 100%! It was a VERY good paper, you should all read it... I won't spoil it for you but she did not pick Luther!!! Rebekah and Moriah, well, they are just wonderful young ladies who are growing up WAY too fast. The Lord truly has blessed us with great children!

Please pray for two people who are dear to us. First, my dad; he had surgery on his back yesterday to shave off some bone from a couple of vertebrae that were pinching nerves and causing all kinds of difficulties. The surgery went well so pray for his recovery. Also pray for our friends, Walter and Tina Karbowski, who are having their second child. They went in last evening and her doctor was going to induce labor; we have not heard anything yet! I have a great story to share about them and us sometime... a real "God story"!

Okay, that's it for now. Blessings to each of you and GET TO CHURCH this weekend! We love you... - Steve and Michelle -

"But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ. Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith; that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death, if, by any means, I may attain to the resurrection from the dead." (Phil 3:7-117; NKJV)

The Latest

Not too much has changed since the last post. Michelle is feeling slightly better, though I can see how fatigued she is when compared to previous weeks day by day. We have not gotten back the results from her blood sugar level panel taken earlier in the week (Wednesday); hopefully we will get those results before the end of the day. She continues to have times of light-headedness and low-grade headaches, so please be praying for that.

On the condo front, we did have one person inquire as to whether we would take a contingent offer. It is a divorce situation, unfortunately, and the wife is looking for a place to purchase but they need to sell their previous home first. We are mulling over whether to go this direction; still pretty early in the "ballgame" to be taking a contingent offer since that kind of slows down showings and, if their home doesn't sale, we could lose some potential buyers along the way. Ugh... this is the part of real estate I hate. Buying with money in hand is fun but trying to sell and deal with this side of things is not!!! The hard part is we asked you to pray, and we were praying, that the Lord would send us a buyer "TODAY", meaning yesterday. So along comes this and we are asking, "Is this really the buyer you are sending our way, Lord?", when it is complicated by the buyers situation and the need for her home to sell? Any thoughts and input would be appreciated!!!

Well, back to work... just took a brief break for a snack and thought I'd update you all! As you walk with the Lord, keep your eyes on the "prize" (Phil. 3:13-14)... love you all! - Steve and Michelle -

"You therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus." (2 Tim 2:1; NASU)

Lingering Effects

Just a quick update/post...

Michelle is continuing to experience lingering effects for longer periods now, especially with bone pain/discomfort and headaches. It is a very draining thing... in her words, I just want to feel normal again. It grieves my heart to hear her say those words and see what she is going through. Please pray the Lord would intervene today, allowing her to be relieved of these things and have a day of feeling as normal as possible. She did have her blood drawn yesterday for the sugar level panel, we should have results either later today or tomorrow morning.

On a different yet personal front, we have listed the condo/manor home we own here in Wheaton and could really use a quick sale. Please PRAY for the Lord's intervention with this as well and that TODAY He would bring a buyer our way!

Lots going on these days with us... so many areas up in the air for us right now. We praise the Lord daily that, in the midst of it all, He is stable and secure; never changing and always working things together for our good! We look forward to the day when we can look back on this time rejoicing on all that the Lord accomplished in and through us, yet we remain focused on praising, pleasing, and shining for Him in the day! Like the chorus from the Salvador song "Shine":

"Lord let me shine
Shine like the moon
A reflection of you
In all that I do
Lord let me be
A light for your truth
Light of the world
I wanna be used, to shine for you"

That is our prayer daily, join us in that! You are each loved dearly... - Steve and Michelle -

Doing Okay

Just a quick update for you all...

The bone/muscle/skin pain returned overnight, though it is a little less than last week it seems. Still, Michelle doesn't feel all that well, so please pray for quick relief. We are trusting that by tomorrow it will be manageable.

Overall, we continue to praise the Lord for the way He is so obviously ministering in the midst of this journey He has us on. We have learned so much about His faithfulness and how He TRULY is a God who is in complete control of all things! Nothing occurs, I mean nothing, that He is not in control of!!! This would include even those things that don't seem to make sense... such as, Michelle's MUGA Scan ejection percentage going up when at best it should have remained the same, OR her blood counts continuing to get stronger and more normal when they should be dropping... truly an amazing God is He!!!

One additional prayer request beyond the usual (blood counts, sickness free, bone pain, and her hair!) has to do with her blood sugar levels. We noticed quite a while ago that on some of her early panels her blood sugar level seemed to be pretty elevated which caused us some concern, but no one else seemed to be concerned so we figured we had enough other things to worry about and just let it go. Well, today Dr. Hantel's nurse called to schedule Michelle for a blood sugar panel today because he is a little concerned with the elevation. This was triggered because he was looking over her file again due to some of the low-grade headaches and "swimmyness" she has been feeling off and on the last few weeks. He believes it might be directly attributable to the steroid Michelle has to take while on the Taxol... if not that, then it is most likely just due to all she is going through. There is a remote (everyone say REMOTE!) chance it could be the onset of a temporary or permanent diabetes due to all the "poisons" she has had pumped into her system from last time and this. Anyway, another of the lessons we have learned is to covet prayer for EVERYTHING. So, please pray that the panel shows nothing abnormal or, at worst, that it is all just directly attributable to the steroid and that they will be able to make the adjustments necessary to minimize it. If they can lower the levels they believe it may reduce some of the side-effects Michelle feels in her head at times.

Thank you again for all your faithfulness to be in prayer for us!!! We so appreciate it and love you all... - Steve and Michelle -

More Done Than Left

Made it back late last night, it was a great weekend at the church. It will be great when we finally relocate; already it feels like home and family!

Well, today was a big day... we now have completed more treatments than we have left to do. Praise the Lord!!! There is many other great pieces of news as well, especially:

1) Michelle's MUGA Scan results came back and her ejection rate actually went up from 51% to 54%... when you consider the fact that Herceptin typically causes some temporary compromise of heart function, the only answer for this is, you guessed it, the Lord answering prayer!

2) Michelle's blood levels remained completely stable without any real drop in any of the levels. Not just that but her hemoglobin count rose to normal levels since after the first treatment. This means no more Aranesp probably for the rest of her treatments!

3) Michelle still has her hair... even though it is getting pretty thin!

We are just in awe of the goodness and grace of God as we consider these things. I cannot explain to you how amazing these things are. Of course, we know the answer don't we! Right now Michelle is dozing next to me on the couch; the bone pain is already starting to come. Please pray that it is not as bad as last week! Also, please don't stop praying for her blood levels and her heart function(s). Thank you for your faithfulness in prayer, it is availing much! More to come soon... - Steve and Michelle -

Friday Update

Howdy everyone -

Just wanted to drop a quick note to you all and let you know that all is well on the Venable front... Michelle is doing well, the kids are one week closer to school being out, and I am out of town once again in our future new home for a weekend of ministry. It's been a busy, busy day of running around in the heat but I have enjoyed every minute!

The rest of my weekend is full of meetings and church so we may not post again 'til Monday... if that is the case, have a blessed weekend and GET TO CHURCH! We love you... - Steve and Michelle -

What a Difference 24 Hours Makes...

Thank you all for your prayers this last 24 hours... Michelle feels 100% better today when compared to yesterday. Though she still has some discomfort it is more than manageable and she was actually able to function normally today. As always, the only answer is that God hears your prayers and is answering them!!!

"The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man (or woman!) avails much."
(James 5:16; NKJV)

Please continue to pray for all the discomfort to subside and that her blood counts remain steady... oh, and that her hair continues to hang in there!! Be blessed today!!! - Steve and Michelle -

Tuesday Troubles

Well, it has been a bit of a trying 24 hours. Michelle's bone pain started quickly, seemingly within about 3 hours of completing her treatment yesterday. It consistently got worse as the evening wore on and through the night so, of course, she didn't sleep well at all. Today it has gone beyond bone pain to being skin and muscle pain as well; in other words, don't touch her! She has been taking Ibuprofen consistently but at best it is taking only the upper edge off of the discomfort. Each week it has been slowly getting a little worse but this week it seems to have taken like 3 to 4 steps forward... please pray for her!

Today we had to go in for another MUGA Scan to test her heart function again. It seems we will be needing to do that every 6 weeks or so while Michelle is taking the Herceptin. We should get the results back sometime this week and, if not, we will find out the results next Monday when we meet with Dr. Hantel for her 3 week checkup. Be praying for those results and also for the appointment... we will need to discuss with him at that time the fact that we will be moving and begin to work with him on identifying an Oncologist to transfer Michelle's care to when we actually relocate.

Lots to do... Thank you for all your prayers on our behalf; please continue to do so, just as we are continuing to pray for you all. Specifically pray for Michelle's discomfort level, for her MUGA Scan results, and for her blood counts to continue to remain steady (or rise!) to the amazement of the nurses and doctors AND to God's glory! Keep your eyes on Jesus!! - Steve and Michelle -

Six Down, Six To Go

Good evening to you all (is anyone out there still reading???) -

Once again, your prayers have been effective and God has shown up as only He can! The nurses seemed to be so amazed and pleased with how well Michelle is doing; her counts either remained absolutely steady or went up. In fact, both of the important white blood counts (WBC-total mature white cell count, Neutrophil-young white cell count) rose! Only one explanation for that and His name is Jesus! Her Hemoglobin count went up slightly too, as did a few others; awesome is the Lord our God!!!

It was quite an interesting thing today... the time just seemed to fly by and we actually enjoyed sitting and talking. In fact, we spent a good amount of the time looking at house listings, mapping them out as to where they were and trying to pare down the list to a manageable number so I can take a look at them this weekend while in our new "home". I'm not sure this is a good thing, me looking for our new home without Michelle there but she says she trusts me... pray for me!

We are rejoicing tonight in the midst of the continuing journey; it's hard to believe we are halfway through... and she still has her hair!!! Okay, not a lot of it compared to when we started but enough to where most people wouldn't notice (Michelle is a magician with a brush and hair spray!!!). Please pray for Michelle as she "recovers" from the treatment today and that the bone pain would not be too bad. Pray that she sleeps well tonight and that she doesn't wind up with headaches this week since she did battle with that a little last week. Oh, and pray she continues to have hair!!! We love you... - Steve and Michelle -

Monday AM

A quick note on Monday morning -

"The earth is the LORD's, and all its fullness,
The world and those who dwell therein.
For He has founded it upon the seas,
And established it upon the waters."
(Psalm 24:1-2; NKJV)

Please be praying that the Lord, who established, fashioned and formed all things, would have His hand upon Michelle as she goes to take chemo again today. This will mark the halfway point; six down, six to go. On one hand, we rejoice in that reality but, on the other, it seems like it took a long time to get here and it is hard to imagine that we have that much more to go. Still, God has sustained us this far and we are confident He will see us through to the end. So praise Him this morning for the Creator, Sustainer, Awesome God that He is... you are reading these very words because of Him!!! He loves you!!! - Steve and Michelle -

P.S. So do we... love you that is!!!

Friday Evening (5/4)

Hi everyone -

I have been beating myself up all day long over the fact that I have not posted more this week; I had every intention of doing so but "life" just kept me from doing so. I know, no excuses... I can hear it echoing in my mind!

It has been a very busy week, though. Steven is caddying at a local golf course and this week he went through training each afternoon for FIVE days (Sunday through Thursday). So, on my way home from the office I would stop at the golf course and wait for him to get done. Most of the time he wasn't done until close to 6:30p and I would have to wait awhile. It was hard but I made due, practicing putting and chipping or hitting a bucket of balls on the driving range. Tough duty, but it was either me or Michelle and, of course, I couldn't make her do it...

Michelle is doing okay this week... though she has been pretty fatigued overall this week and has even had some short periods of dizziness today. It is hard not to worry about what that may mean, low blood counts being one of the big concerns. So, like last week, pray that her counts hold steady (or go up!); also pray that her energy returns and that she has no more dizziness. As for other side-effects, they seem to be at a minimum this week except for hair loss; her hair is falling out at a pretty good rate. It's amazing how much hair the human head has on it. With the amount I have seen her lose I would have expected her to be bald by now but most people can't really tell. Of course, she has a few tricks up her sleeve to fool everyone... Anyway, if she is not bald by now, perhaps she will actually make it through without having to shave her head! PRAY!!!

Okay, enough for now... I will try to post over the weekend but, in the meantime, keep your eyes on Jesus!!! As always, I close with "We Love You!" - Steve and Michelle -

Another Treatment Down

Today's treatment went well; uneventful and it was actually the quickest treatment yet. We once again had a different nurse and, like all the others we have had, she was wonderful. We saw our past nurses as well and we are quickly making new friends; funny how that happens even in situations like the one we find ourselves in. Please add these incredible women and one man to your prayer lists, they are such compassionate people who really look out for the interests of their patients.

Well, we asked you all to pray specifically that Michelle's blood counts would go up and guess what... yup, you guessed it (!!!), God answered all of your prayers!!! The only words that I can conjure up right now is are THANK YOU... thank you Jesus, and thank you to each of you. Every count went up except one, and that basically remained steady. Her platelets that we were concerned with were dead on where they need to be; even the nurse couldn't explain why she would have bruising and yet all her counts looked so good!! Of course, we know the answer and now she does too!

So, continue to pray for the Lord to sustain her blood count levels, pray that the neuropathy would go away or at least not get any worse, and pray also that the bone pain she normally experiences would not be all that bad. The Lord is listening to you all, and daily He teaches me through His answered prayer that He is the God Who Sees and Hears!!! Amen... each of you are in our prayers and hearts and you are all greatly loved! - Steve and Michelle -

Sunday Evening

It's Sunday evening around 8:00pm or so... sorry I haven't posted more this week. Sometimes I feel like I am just re-writing the same things over and over; though I know you all probably don't see it that way. Things are going pretty well for us, though it was a very busy week in my new position. Busy but I loved every moment of it!!!

There are some looming symptoms that Michelle seems to be experiencing over the last few days of this week. Specifically, she is feeling some minor neuropathy in her fingers/hands (tingling and numbness) which is one of those side-effects of the Taxol. Also, she was packing some things yesterday, kneeling while doing so, and woke this morning with a bruise a little larger than a quarter on one of her knees. This is very strange because she did not bang it at all so it seems to be just the result of kneeling on it. That could be a sign that her platelets are low which is not a good thing; too low and that means blood transfusion. Lastly, she is beginning to lose her hair in an increasing amount so it doesn't appear it will be too long and she will be without it. All these things we knew were side-effects and possibilities... we were just really praying that it would at least take a few more weeks before we began to see them. Oh, and the "acne rash" on her face continues to come and go as well.

Apart from the above mentioned issues, Michelle is feeling pretty well and continues to have a good level of energy. She is handling everything with the same faith and grace as she did the last go'round and I continue to learn so much from watching her walk with Jesus through this time. No words can describe how proud I am of her and how challenged I am in my own faith to keep my eyes in Jesus, wholly trusting in Him for EVERYTHING... I have learned that to deeper levels through the "teaching" (by example) of my wife.

Please pray for those things I mentioned above, as well as for her blood counts to not dip too low. In fact, let's be bold and pray the Lord would cause them all to go up even from last week! Now that would confound the doctors and nurses and give great glory to the Lord; please make it so, Lord Jesus... but no matter what, we will praise Your name! We love you, Jesus.... and we love all of you too!!! - Steve and Michelle -

Tuesday Update

Well, it's a little late on Tuesday evening and I finally have the opportunity to post an update. Today has been a good day, apart from the expected onset of bone pain. Michelle has pretty much "lived" on Motrin and Tylenol all day trying to not allow it to get too bad; it's bearable which is about the best way to describe it. Even her face (cheeks, jaw, skin) is sore!!! She also has a slight headache this evening which is the last thing she needs with all the bone pain. As she just said a minute ago, she can handle the bone and muscle pain as long as she doesn't have a headache!!! So pray that not only will the bone and muscle pain subside, but also that the Lord would remove and keep away her headache(s).

We are one-third of the way through treatments (4 out of 12) and evaluating things so far we would have to say the Lord has been sooooo gracious with us. We are confident that this is tied directly to your faithfulness in prayer on our behalf... thank you, thank you, thank you!!!

A verse that has really ministered to me this week is found in 1 Timothy: "The aim of our charge is love that issues from a pure heart and a good conscience and sincere faith." (1 Timothy 1:5) I so desire to live this out in my home, in my ministry, and in this world... to the end-goal of all we do is to display the love of Christ, flowing out of me from a heart that is free from impurity, a conscience that is free of guilt, and a faith that is genuine and "without wax" or without guile and conceit! May we all desire this...

We love you all... keep praying! - Steve and Michelle -

One More Done

Greetings this Monday Night!!!

It is a little late so I will be brief... Michelle's treatments today were once again uneventful for the most part and she seems to be doing just fine. Today the toll the treatments take on her it was a little more apparent; a friend who was there with us said she could actually see fatigue kind of work it's way into Michelle as the treatments were administered. It's true; you can almost feel the fatigue at times just by seeing it in her face. Still, in the midst of that, the Lord is there to strengthen her and He shines so brightly through her!

Her blood counts have begun the slow trek downward; almost all were below normal, though not at the level to cause great concern at thins point. The only one the doctor was concerned with at this point was her iron levels.... she is definitely anemic, though not alarmingly. She has to begin taking iron supplements to combat this. So, the biggest pray is on this front. Also pray that the bone pain this week will not be too bad. Lastly, pray that the Lord continues to use this "trial" to His glory, providing us opportunities to minister for Him with those who so need encouragement at the treatment center!

We love you all... we will update you tomorrow!! We are praying for you all!!! - Steve and Michelle -

Friday Evening

Greetings!!!

I know, I know... you are wondering why I (Steve) am posting at a time when the home bible study is going on that meets at our house on Friday evenings. Well, that would be because I am not home; I am out on the road.

One thing we have not posted to the blog, because the focus has been to keep everyone up to speed on Michelle, are some other changes going on in our personal life as a family. So let me do that now... Just this week I started working in a new ministry, actually coming on staff at the church we attend. The time I spent ministering at Koinonia House National Ministries (KHNM) was incredible and changed me in so many ways for good; I am more Christ-like because of my time there and I wouldn't trade-in my season of time at KHNM for anything, but we are so excited that the Lord has called us back to full-time ministry within the local church. We couldn't be more humbled and excited by the privilege to serve the Lord in this way. Which leads to the next big change... the Lord's calling for us to serve again in local church ministry will result in our relocating once Michelle completes her chemo treatments and has a bit of time to recover. I will be serving as the Lead/Campus Pastor for an extension campus of our current church home, Harvest Bible Chapel. While it is hard to leave our home here in Wheaton, we are more than confident, and trusting completely in the Lord, that He has called us to this. That said, it certainly makes for interesting times for us; preparing and planning for relocating, learning all we need to prior to leaving AND working through Michelle's health issues... talk about a group of "stressors"!

I will forward more details in the days and weeks to come but please pray for us as we deal with all the "change" in our lives and that, in the midst of it all, the most important thing, Michelle's health, remains just that.. the most important thing. Speaking of that, Michelle has been a little fatigued this week so pray for her energy level... and more specifically her blood counts! I will write again soon... we love you! Steve

Sorry, Sorry, Sorry

We are so sorry we have not posted sooner... it has been so crazy here this week; lots going on, nothing bad!

Quick update and I promise to post more info soon. Michelle continues to do well, though she is experiencing bone pain again as well as some "blah-ness". Please pray for that to go away and for her blood counts to remain up. All in all, she is doing really well considering, especially when we compare to last time!

We love you all... lots more info to come, we promise! Blessings... - Steve and Michelle -