I am sooooo sorry I have not posted since Monday evening; it has been a busy week for a lot of different reasons but that is life, isn't it?!
Be encouraged that Michelle continues to do well, though we have experienced the first of the outward side-effects this week. We are not sure if it is the Taxol or the Aranesp (the drug she was given to boost her hemoglobin) but she began to have some bone pain, mostly in her ribs, hips and back. It could be either drug, since both can cause it, but we are leaning toward the Taxol. It hasn't been all that bad, Michelle would say, and it was at it's worst yesterday. Today it is actually much better. The only other thing she is noticing is she has a bit of a rash forming on her cheeks near her nose, as well as on her nose, but that is fairly minimal and you wouldn't notice if you were not looking for it. All in all, we continue to be amazed at how the Lord is answering all your prayers in withholding so many of the other side-effects that many women experience.
A couple of prayer issues: As I think I said in my previous post, we were a little surprised Michelle's blood counts took a hit so quickly. We are somewhat concerned by that since we still have 10 more weeks and have no idea what they will be on Monday following this weeks treatment. Please pray that the Aranesp does it's job and the rest of her counts remain good. The second concern is that the bone pain has also come this quickly. We were really hoping we would get a few more weeks under our belt before that came, especially since chemo is cumulative in it's effect; which means that would only tend to occur more or get worse as we move along. Please pray that the Lord would hold this back from getting worse!
As I read the above, I feel like I am complaining... things could surely be much worse. Please know we know that; the Lord has been SO faithful to us in SO many ways and we are SO grateful!!! We continue to be joyous in the journey, trusting wholly and completely in Jesus. We are confident He will see us ALL the way through!!! Thank you for all your prayers... the Lord hears you and is answering!!! We love you... - Steve and Michelle -
skip to main |
skip to sidebar
About the Venables
- The Venables -
- We, Steve and Michelle, live in Peoria, AZ, with our kids: Sarah, Steven, Rebekah and Moriah. Steve recently re-entered the world of full-time ministry within the local church, taking on the position of Campus Pastor at Harvest Bible Chapel North Phoenix, and Michelle continues to homeschool ALL FOUR kids!
Trust, Lean, Acknowledge
"Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths." (Prov 3:5-6)
An alternate rendering of "He shall direct your paths" is that the Lord will make your way smooth and/or straight. This can seem so contrary to life experiences, which at times appear to be anything but smooth or straight. Yet, as we trust in the Lord and not in our interpretation or thoughts on what is "happening around or to us", acknowledging that He is in control and nothing escapes His knowledge including the trials of life, relying on Him for even our very next breath, He truly provides "shock absorbtion" for the bumps and potholes of life; and what seemed to be a dramtic turn in the road is nothing more than Him redirecting us down a path for our edification and growth. It is not always easy and many times doesn't seem to make sense, but in the Lord it is ALWAYS for our good.
Trust in, lean on and acknowledge HIM... He will guide you through even the most difficult of times of life. Today, even if you are in the midst of the fiery trial, like Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, in Jesus you will come through it not singed, without even the "smell" of fire on you (Daniel 3:27), purified for greater service unto Him and bringing glory to His name alone.
An alternate rendering of "He shall direct your paths" is that the Lord will make your way smooth and/or straight. This can seem so contrary to life experiences, which at times appear to be anything but smooth or straight. Yet, as we trust in the Lord and not in our interpretation or thoughts on what is "happening around or to us", acknowledging that He is in control and nothing escapes His knowledge including the trials of life, relying on Him for even our very next breath, He truly provides "shock absorbtion" for the bumps and potholes of life; and what seemed to be a dramtic turn in the road is nothing more than Him redirecting us down a path for our edification and growth. It is not always easy and many times doesn't seem to make sense, but in the Lord it is ALWAYS for our good.
Trust in, lean on and acknowledge HIM... He will guide you through even the most difficult of times of life. Today, even if you are in the midst of the fiery trial, like Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, in Jesus you will come through it not singed, without even the "smell" of fire on you (Daniel 3:27), purified for greater service unto Him and bringing glory to His name alone.
Pause and Ponder (Selah):
"Come now, you who say, 'Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, spend a year there, buy and sell, and make a profit'; whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away. Instead you ought to say,'If the Lord wills, we shall live and do this or that.'" (James 4:13-16, NKJV)
At times like the one Michelle and I find ourselves in at the moment, it amazes me how simple life really becomes. Yes, things can seem on the surface complicated when you think of tests, surgery, radiation therapy, possibly chemotherapy; but in actuality, as life becomes more focused on the immediate and more critical, it slows and everything just seems a little more uncomplicated. You can't really make plans for tomorrow, next week, next month, or even next year to some extent; you literally have to live life moment to moment, day to day. This brings about a re-evaluation of ones life, causing that which is truly important to come to the forefront.
It makes me wonder how many times we, even as Christians, fashion our plans, establish where we are heading, and detail out where our life is going and then, once we have come up with it all, ask God to bless OUR endeavors having never sought Him in the process. How much struggle do we bring into our own lives because we didn't first seek Him as we were coming up with our "plans"? I am reminded again that is is okay to make plans in the Lord for our future, but in the end it is the Lord's will that matters most. To paraphrase Henry Blackaby from Experiencing God, we are really here to simply participate in what God is already doing around us!!! As the Word says, don't get caught up looking to tomorrow because you have no control over what it holds and sufficient for the day (today) is it's own trouble (or "stuff" to deal with!). Oh yeah, and don't get hung up looking back at yesterday either because you can't change it!
Keep an eye on where you are heading in the future, yes, trusting in Jesus each step of the way as you make your plans. But be sure, in the midst of the "road trip", to give your ALL today in serving the Lord, giving Him the "steering wheel" as HE guides and directs you into the future HE has planned for you. It is better than anything you could have come up with anyway!!!
At times like the one Michelle and I find ourselves in at the moment, it amazes me how simple life really becomes. Yes, things can seem on the surface complicated when you think of tests, surgery, radiation therapy, possibly chemotherapy; but in actuality, as life becomes more focused on the immediate and more critical, it slows and everything just seems a little more uncomplicated. You can't really make plans for tomorrow, next week, next month, or even next year to some extent; you literally have to live life moment to moment, day to day. This brings about a re-evaluation of ones life, causing that which is truly important to come to the forefront.
It makes me wonder how many times we, even as Christians, fashion our plans, establish where we are heading, and detail out where our life is going and then, once we have come up with it all, ask God to bless OUR endeavors having never sought Him in the process. How much struggle do we bring into our own lives because we didn't first seek Him as we were coming up with our "plans"? I am reminded again that is is okay to make plans in the Lord for our future, but in the end it is the Lord's will that matters most. To paraphrase Henry Blackaby from Experiencing God, we are really here to simply participate in what God is already doing around us!!! As the Word says, don't get caught up looking to tomorrow because you have no control over what it holds and sufficient for the day (today) is it's own trouble (or "stuff" to deal with!). Oh yeah, and don't get hung up looking back at yesterday either because you can't change it!
Keep an eye on where you are heading in the future, yes, trusting in Jesus each step of the way as you make your plans. But be sure, in the midst of the "road trip", to give your ALL today in serving the Lord, giving Him the "steering wheel" as HE guides and directs you into the future HE has planned for you. It is better than anything you could have come up with anyway!!!
1 comment:
Complaining? --- NOT! Thanks for your dedication to keep us all informed of Michelle's condition. By the way, take care of yourself also - sometimes we forget about that as we focus so much on other things. You are a good man and a good husband. Our prayers continue. Love you all. J & S
Post a Comment