December 27, 2002

Sent: Friday, December 27, 2002 7:11 PM Subject: Prayer

Request and ramble...
Greetings!

I hope this email finds you well. I am emailing you to ask for your prayers.

I just received word that my dad's cancer has returned. As many of you know, his last battle with cancer ended in victory. It was stage 4 cancer and had spread throughout the body. God had other plans. Earlier that year he survived a heart attack. Once again, God had other plans.

Today we learned that he has cancer in his "left" lymph node, they will begin a 4 week cycle of chemo this upcoming Friday. It will be once a week. They also have found a spot on the colon and the liver. They have not confirmed that those spots are cancerous. They are currently taking the necessary actions to find out. One of those tests will not be until January 16. A long wait to find out for something that can spread quickly.

Again, God has His plans. If you are wondering…his name is Bill.

I appreciate you taking the time to get the specs on this prayer request. I thank you ahead of time for your prayers. God has a plan. He has a plan in mind for my dad. A heart attack, stage 4 cancer, cancer revisited?

God is in control. He is the healer, He is the Master Physician…and He has the stripes to prove it. True, cancer revisited can be a mental setback, it is disappointing. No one likes to see anyone go through chemo, or any other "valley" for that matter. But His word says in James, "draw near to God, and He will draw near to you."

He will draw near to you.

To be in His presence… Confidence, Hope, Comfort, Vision, Peace, the list goes on. Is there any place more "right" than to be in His presence? Though we do not always feel it, or can't always see the light at the end of the tunnel, I know that I know That I know that He is there. Let us draw near to Him.

Psalm 23:4 says it all, "You are with me". 4 words that I pray will begin to resonate deep within your soul. He is with you. What a statement? He is all we need.

O, that we could begin to comprehend this. Again, let us draw near to Him.

Well, that is my initial reaction to this situation shared directly with you. I only received word of this an hour ago. I only intended to send you a simple prayer request. But, perhaps one of you needed to be reminded that He is with you.

If your name is on this email list, it is because I value you. Some of you are coming out of or currently going through a "valley". Some of you have recently experienced God's touch, healing. Some of you have already walked through a similar experience as I am. Your cries unto Him are fresh, they come from the depths. They are honest. Your faith is not theory it is reality. Some of your stories I know of personally. What a joy it is to see His faithfulness and glory revealed through you. To me, you are valued. That is why I humbly ask for your prayers for my dad.

Our inheritance is His presence. You are valued!

God bless you and your family! Thanks for lending your eyes to my ramble.