Lance Holland & Family (fighter/survivor)
Mack Huffaker (leukemia fighter)
Mike Lucas (fighter)
Beverly Carter (fighter)
A.J. Wells & Family (leukemia fighter)
Leigh Plagens & Family (survivor)
Ben & Meredith Fox Family (survivors)
Rosemary Green & Family (leukemia fighter)
Riley Hicks & Family (leukemia survivor!)
Tom Lueder & Family (pancreatic fighter)
Presby Dallas Pancreatic Cancer Support Group
Dennis Bailey & family (fighter)
Anabella Manriquez & Family (breast cancer)
Friday, January 28, 2011
Rockwall County Relay For Life
2011 Relay For Life of Rockwall TX
April 29-30 at Cain Middle School
91 days left until Relay!
April 29-30 at Cain Middle School
91 days left until Relay!
Saturday, May 8, 2010
Relay For Life Success
From the Holland camp, this year's Relay for Life was a huge success. Prior to gearing up and heading out for the 12 hour event, Lance Holland received the news that his second scan since the Whipple Procedure was clear of all signs of cancer. Though Dr. Barve indicated that the scan showed some swelling and irritation of his stomach from the surgery, all that Lance heard was that "you have no more cancer".
This was awesome news heading into the Relay for Life event which eventually surpassed $127,000 in fundraising efforts; over $15,000 of which coming from the two Regal Realtors teams participating in honor of Lance Holland, Cissi Scott, and Tammi Osborn. Friends, family, and colleagues gathered for the long haul underneath a 20 by 20 tent decorated with their theme, "Derby Riders for the Cure"; a tribute to the 136th Kentucky Derby to be run on Saturday. The team displayed southern derby cuisine, sweet tea, and dessert for all of the nearly 700 event-wide participants to share. They even "took the cake"; literally. The team won 1st and 3rd place in the cake decorating contest with top honors going to Allie Miller of the team "Regal Winner".
Overall, the event was a great opportunity for Rockwall Community residents to gather together for a common cause that effects so many of them and do something great to help out. The payoff; watching the opening lap of the event where hundreds of purple t-shirts rounded the track leaving nothing behind them except the phrase on the back of their shirts. "SURVIVOR".
Justin A. Holland
May 8, 2010
Thursday, April 15, 2010
Prayer List
Lance Holland & Family (pancreatic fighter)
A.J. Wells & Family (leukemia fighter)
Cissi Scott & Family (survivor!)
Leigh Plagens & Family (fighter)
Ewing Family in Kansas (leukemia - recent loss)
Ben & Meredith Fox Family (survivor & fighter)
Family of Shirley Dodge (recent loss)
Wayne Neal Family in Paris, TX (recent loss)
Brenda Stokley Lanclos & Family in League City, TX (fighter)
Tammy Osborn & Family (breast cancer fighter)
Rosemary Green & Family (leukemia fighter)
Riley Hicks & Family (leukemia survivor!)
Diane McMinn & Family (fighter)
Josh Copes & Family (brain tumor)
Jackie Thoreson & Family (recent loss)
Ethan Tate & Family (leukemia fighter)
Family of Peyton Ricker (recent loss)
Father of Terry Garrett of Rockwall (recent loss)
Family of Bob McDonald of Rockwall (recent loss)
Ed Franza & Family (fighter, recent good news!)
RISD Teacher Families (many affected)
Grandfather of Nick and Katie Gay (recent loss)
Nate Oxford & Family (cancer free!)
Sherri Johnston & Family (breast cancer fighter)
Gary Briscoe & Family (colon cancer)
Cotton Ellis & Family (pancreatic fighter)
Tom Lueder & Family (pancreatic fighter)
Presby Dallas Pancreatic Cancer Support Group
Melissa Stolle (breast cancer survivor)
A.B. Ward & Family (pancreatic cancer fighter)
Linda March & Family (fighter)
Dennis Bailey & family (cancer fighter)
Douglas Marrow & Family (liposarcoma)
Jerry Perry & Family (hodgkin's lymphoma)
Nancy Grubbs & Family (cancer fighter)
Roy Rush & Family (prostate cancer)
Michael Rush & Family (lost battle in 2006)
Karen Rush & Family (leukemia remission!)
Carolyn Lahtinen & Family (ovarian fighter)
Bradley Abbott & Family
In Memory of Virginia Dretzka and Nettie Crow
Glen Davis & Family (kidney cancer)
Bridgette Dear & Family
Tom Phillips & Family
Esther Smith & Family (cancer survivor!)
Anabella Manriquez & Family (breast cancer)
Sheila Murtaugh & Family (cancer fighter)
Carol Mitchell & Family (colon cancer)
James Henderson (prostate cancer)
A.J. Wells & Family (leukemia fighter)
Cissi Scott & Family (survivor!)
Leigh Plagens & Family (fighter)
Ewing Family in Kansas (leukemia - recent loss)
Ben & Meredith Fox Family (survivor & fighter)
Family of Shirley Dodge (recent loss)
Wayne Neal Family in Paris, TX (recent loss)
Brenda Stokley Lanclos & Family in League City, TX (fighter)
Tammy Osborn & Family (breast cancer fighter)
Rosemary Green & Family (leukemia fighter)
Riley Hicks & Family (leukemia survivor!)
Diane McMinn & Family (fighter)
Josh Copes & Family (brain tumor)
Jackie Thoreson & Family (recent loss)
Ethan Tate & Family (leukemia fighter)
Family of Peyton Ricker (recent loss)
Father of Terry Garrett of Rockwall (recent loss)
Family of Bob McDonald of Rockwall (recent loss)
Ed Franza & Family (fighter, recent good news!)
RISD Teacher Families (many affected)
Grandfather of Nick and Katie Gay (recent loss)
Nate Oxford & Family (cancer free!)
Sherri Johnston & Family (breast cancer fighter)
Gary Briscoe & Family (colon cancer)
Cotton Ellis & Family (pancreatic fighter)
Tom Lueder & Family (pancreatic fighter)
Presby Dallas Pancreatic Cancer Support Group
Melissa Stolle (breast cancer survivor)
A.B. Ward & Family (pancreatic cancer fighter)
Linda March & Family (fighter)
Dennis Bailey & family (cancer fighter)
Douglas Marrow & Family (liposarcoma)
Jerry Perry & Family (hodgkin's lymphoma)
Nancy Grubbs & Family (cancer fighter)
Roy Rush & Family (prostate cancer)
Michael Rush & Family (lost battle in 2006)
Karen Rush & Family (leukemia remission!)
Carolyn Lahtinen & Family (ovarian fighter)
Bradley Abbott & Family
In Memory of Virginia Dretzka and Nettie Crow
Glen Davis & Family (kidney cancer)
Bridgette Dear & Family
Tom Phillips & Family
Esther Smith & Family (cancer survivor!)
Anabella Manriquez & Family (breast cancer)
Sheila Murtaugh & Family (cancer fighter)
Carol Mitchell & Family (colon cancer)
James Henderson (prostate cancer)
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
Sad News
Please be in prayer for the family of Shirley Dodge who lost her battle with cancer yesterday. Shirley has been on CSB's prayer list for a while and we are saddened to hear this news. We do, however know, that she has gone on to be with our Maker.
Justin A. Holland
Justin A. Holland
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
How your $100 is going to make a difference for the American Cancer Society:
Help fund a stay at the Hope Lodge. Here families are able to rest comfortably while supporting a loved one through cancer treatment, without spending a single dime on lodging costs.
Supports many programs for cancer patients, including wigs and prostheses
Provides toll free access to 1-800-ACS-2345, the American Cancer Society National Cancer Information Center, where specialists answer questions about cancer treatment and local resources.
College scholarships for childhood cancer survivors
Fund lifesaving research – the American Cancer Society is the single largest non-profit funder of life saving cancer research in the world
Supports many programs for cancer patients, including wigs and prostheses
Provides toll free access to 1-800-ACS-2345, the American Cancer Society National Cancer Information Center, where specialists answer questions about cancer treatment and local resources.
College scholarships for childhood cancer survivors
Fund lifesaving research – the American Cancer Society is the single largest non-profit funder of life saving cancer research in the world
Thursday, March 25, 2010
Personal Message from Lance Holland
Dear Friends and Family,
I wanted to update the blog for you. I tolerated the last two weeks of chemo (Thursdays) with little to no side affects, I have been very blessed for the treatments to be so easy for me. I am scheduled for chemo today and my Dr. started me on iron infusions for three weeks. She said this is due to the all the blood they are taking from me and not to worry about it because it should just make me feel better. I also received an insulin pump this week that I believe will make managing my diabetes a lot easiler. There is alot to it and I have much to learn but I think after a while it will be second nature. My niece Windy came in town Wednesday to spend sometime with me and she will be accompanying me to chemo today. I have been so blessed with friends and family taking me to chemo and the neat thing about that is the experience everyone that takes me touches each of them because to see all the people going though this really open all of our eyes. I am half way there, I can't believe how fast the time goes. I simply can not express how the support I have received has helped me through the tough times. God is so good and my life is better because of our mighty Lord. Please continue to pray for my healing and recovery because its working!!
Lance
I wanted to update the blog for you. I tolerated the last two weeks of chemo (Thursdays) with little to no side affects, I have been very blessed for the treatments to be so easy for me. I am scheduled for chemo today and my Dr. started me on iron infusions for three weeks. She said this is due to the all the blood they are taking from me and not to worry about it because it should just make me feel better. I also received an insulin pump this week that I believe will make managing my diabetes a lot easiler. There is alot to it and I have much to learn but I think after a while it will be second nature. My niece Windy came in town Wednesday to spend sometime with me and she will be accompanying me to chemo today. I have been so blessed with friends and family taking me to chemo and the neat thing about that is the experience everyone that takes me touches each of them because to see all the people going though this really open all of our eyes. I am half way there, I can't believe how fast the time goes. I simply can not express how the support I have received has helped me through the tough times. God is so good and my life is better because of our mighty Lord. Please continue to pray for my healing and recovery because its working!!
Lance
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
Blood Drive for Local 2nd Grader
There is a Blood Drive for Devon Kerr on April 2nd 3-7 pm at
223 Hubbard Dr. Heath (parking lot of Native Outdoors and Heath Hair).
Last month Devon was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL) and currently she is receiving her services from Children's Medical of Dallas. When people asked her parents how they could help, their response was simple, give blood. Devon is a 2nd grader at Amy Parks Elementary.
To sign up early to give blood, following this link:
For more information, please contact:
Cary Scheurer
214.505.3532
scheurerc@hotmail.com
223 Hubbard Dr. Heath (parking lot of Native Outdoors and Heath Hair).
Last month Devon was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL) and currently she is receiving her services from Children's Medical of Dallas. When people asked her parents how they could help, their response was simple, give blood. Devon is a 2nd grader at Amy Parks Elementary.
To sign up early to give blood, following this link:
For more information, please contact:
Cary Scheurer
214.505.3532
scheurerc@hotmail.com
Fundraising Call to Action
Dear Friends,
It's time for the American Cancer Society (ACS) Relay for Life. Relay is the ACS nationwide signature event. Throughout the night, my teammates and I will take turns walking around the track. After all, cancer never sleeps and neither will we. Will you help in the fight against cancer by making a contribution to the American Cancer Society through Relay for Life?
The event takes place on April 30th and May 1st in Heath, TX at Cain Middle School. I will be walking in honor of my father Lance Holland who is currently battling Pancreatic Cancer. I believe that it is because of the research funded by the American Cancer Society that he will be joining us in the Survivors' Victory Lap at Relay. Dad and I appreciate your support. Please try and send your donations to be prior to the event. There is no finish line until we find a cure.
Gratefully,
Justin A. Holland
ja.holland@yahoo.com
“CANCER DOES NOT STOP FOR NIGHTTIME”
RELAY FOR LIFE is not your typical fundraiser. It is an overnight event signifying the journey of a cancer survivor- it is overnight because cancer never sleeps. Relay starts at dusk and ends at the next day’s morning. The light and darkness of the day and night parallel the physical effects, emotions and mental state of a cancer patient while undergoing treatment.
The RELAY begins in the gentle calm of the afternoon, sometimes with clouds overhead, but nearly always with just a little sun peeking through. A cancer patient hears the words “You have cancer.” The setting of the sun symbolizes the beginning of the diagnosis. Just like friends and family from everywhere come to their loved one once they learn they have cancer, the crowd gathers in support. They collect from every niche and pocket within the university, all standing together, vowing that together they will make it through the journey and together will make a difference. The crowd is determined, committed, and supportive.
The days get darker and this represents the cancer patient’s state of mind as they feel their life may be coming to an end. Candles begin to be lit- showing HOPE for the loved one with cancer- more and more to glow in the night, showing that even in the darkest times, the survivor has HOPE from those who care for them.
As the evening goes on, it gets colder and darker, just as the emotions of the cancer patient. 1:00 a.m. to 2:00 a.m. represents the time when the cancer patient starts treatment. They become exhausted, some sick, possibly wanting to give up. As a participant in the RELAY, you have been walking and feel much the same way. You cannot stop or give up, just as the cancer patient cannot stop or give up. You keep on moving—walking, running, skipping, talking, laughing, and insisting to continue even though it is rough and you are tired.
4:00 a.m. to 5:00 a.m. symbolizes the coming of the end of treatment for the cancer patient. Once again they are tired, but they expect to soon see a brightening sky.
The sun rising represents the end of treatment for the cancer patient. They see the light at the end of the tunnel. The morning light brings on a new day, full of life and excitement for new beginnings for the cancer patient. As a participant, you will feel the brightness of the morning and know that the end of the RELAY is close at hand. You have made it though the night- the hardest part, you are still standing, laughing and awake. Those of you in the early morning understand the importance of sticking together- and seeing it though to the very end.
When you leave the RELAY, think of the cancer patient leaving their last treatment. Just as you are exhausted and weak, so is that person after treatment.
Remember: There is no finish line until we find a cure.
The RELAY begins in the gentle calm of the afternoon, sometimes with clouds overhead, but nearly always with just a little sun peeking through. A cancer patient hears the words “You have cancer.” The setting of the sun symbolizes the beginning of the diagnosis. Just like friends and family from everywhere come to their loved one once they learn they have cancer, the crowd gathers in support. They collect from every niche and pocket within the university, all standing together, vowing that together they will make it through the journey and together will make a difference. The crowd is determined, committed, and supportive.
The days get darker and this represents the cancer patient’s state of mind as they feel their life may be coming to an end. Candles begin to be lit- showing HOPE for the loved one with cancer- more and more to glow in the night, showing that even in the darkest times, the survivor has HOPE from those who care for them.
As the evening goes on, it gets colder and darker, just as the emotions of the cancer patient. 1:00 a.m. to 2:00 a.m. represents the time when the cancer patient starts treatment. They become exhausted, some sick, possibly wanting to give up. As a participant in the RELAY, you have been walking and feel much the same way. You cannot stop or give up, just as the cancer patient cannot stop or give up. You keep on moving—walking, running, skipping, talking, laughing, and insisting to continue even though it is rough and you are tired.
4:00 a.m. to 5:00 a.m. symbolizes the coming of the end of treatment for the cancer patient. Once again they are tired, but they expect to soon see a brightening sky.
The sun rising represents the end of treatment for the cancer patient. They see the light at the end of the tunnel. The morning light brings on a new day, full of life and excitement for new beginnings for the cancer patient. As a participant, you will feel the brightness of the morning and know that the end of the RELAY is close at hand. You have made it though the night- the hardest part, you are still standing, laughing and awake. Those of you in the early morning understand the importance of sticking together- and seeing it though to the very end.
When you leave the RELAY, think of the cancer patient leaving their last treatment. Just as you are exhausted and weak, so is that person after treatment.
Remember: There is no finish line until we find a cure.
Thursday, March 18, 2010
Prayer List
Lance Holland & Family (pancreatic fighter)
A.J. Wells & Family (leukemia fighter)
Cissi Scott & Family (survivor!)
Leigh Plagens & Family (fighter)
Ewing Family in Kansas (leukemia - recent loss)
Ben & Meredith Fox Family (survivor & fighter)
Shirley Dodge & Family (liver fighter)
Wayne Neal Family in Paris, TX (recent loss)
Brenda Stokley Lanclos & Family in League City, TX (fighter)
Tammy Osborn & Family (breast cancer fighter)
Rosemary Green & Family (leukemia fighter)
Riley Hicks & Family (leukemia survivor!)
Diane McMinn & Family (fighter)
Josh Copes & Family (brain tumor)
Jackie Thoreson & Family (recent loss)
Ethan Tate & Family (leukemia fighter)
Family of Peyton Ricker (recent loss)
Father of Terry Garrett of Rockwall (recent loss)
Family of Bob McDonald of Rockwall (recent loss)
Ed Franza & Family (fighter, recent good news!)
RISD Teacher Families (many affected)
Grandfather of Nick and Katie Gay (recent loss)
Nate Oxford & Family (cancer free!)
Sherri Johnston & Family (breast cancer fighter)
Gary Briscoe & Family (colon cancer)
Cotton Ellis & Family (pancreatic fighter)
Tom Lueder & Family (pancreatic fighter)
Presby Dallas Pancreatic Cancer Support Group
Melissa Stolle (breast cancer survivor)
A.B. Ward & Family (pancreatic cancer fighter)
Linda March & Family (fighter)
Dennis Bailey & family (cancer fighter)
Douglas Marrow & Family (liposarcoma)
Jerry Perry & Family (hodgkin's lymphoma)
Nancy Grubbs & Family (cancer fighter)
Roy Rush & Family (prostate cancer)
Michael Rush & Family (lost battle in 2006)
Karen Rush & Family (leukemia remission!)
Carolyn Lahtinen & Family (ovarian fighter)
Bradley Abbott & Family
In Memory of Virginia Dretzka and Nettie Crow
Glen Davis & Family (kidney cancer)
Bridgette Dear & Family
Tom Phillips & Family
Esther Smith & Family (cancer survivor!)
A.J. Wells & Family (leukemia fighter)
Cissi Scott & Family (survivor!)
Leigh Plagens & Family (fighter)
Ewing Family in Kansas (leukemia - recent loss)
Ben & Meredith Fox Family (survivor & fighter)
Shirley Dodge & Family (liver fighter)
Wayne Neal Family in Paris, TX (recent loss)
Brenda Stokley Lanclos & Family in League City, TX (fighter)
Tammy Osborn & Family (breast cancer fighter)
Rosemary Green & Family (leukemia fighter)
Riley Hicks & Family (leukemia survivor!)
Diane McMinn & Family (fighter)
Josh Copes & Family (brain tumor)
Jackie Thoreson & Family (recent loss)
Ethan Tate & Family (leukemia fighter)
Family of Peyton Ricker (recent loss)
Father of Terry Garrett of Rockwall (recent loss)
Family of Bob McDonald of Rockwall (recent loss)
Ed Franza & Family (fighter, recent good news!)
RISD Teacher Families (many affected)
Grandfather of Nick and Katie Gay (recent loss)
Nate Oxford & Family (cancer free!)
Sherri Johnston & Family (breast cancer fighter)
Gary Briscoe & Family (colon cancer)
Cotton Ellis & Family (pancreatic fighter)
Tom Lueder & Family (pancreatic fighter)
Presby Dallas Pancreatic Cancer Support Group
Melissa Stolle (breast cancer survivor)
A.B. Ward & Family (pancreatic cancer fighter)
Linda March & Family (fighter)
Dennis Bailey & family (cancer fighter)
Douglas Marrow & Family (liposarcoma)
Jerry Perry & Family (hodgkin's lymphoma)
Nancy Grubbs & Family (cancer fighter)
Roy Rush & Family (prostate cancer)
Michael Rush & Family (lost battle in 2006)
Karen Rush & Family (leukemia remission!)
Carolyn Lahtinen & Family (ovarian fighter)
Bradley Abbott & Family
In Memory of Virginia Dretzka and Nettie Crow
Glen Davis & Family (kidney cancer)
Bridgette Dear & Family
Tom Phillips & Family
Esther Smith & Family (cancer survivor!)
Thursday, March 11, 2010
Texas Health Resources Support Groups
Our family has been attending the following group. It's really a great resource to talk with others who have been through the same thing you're going through; and have beat it!
Pancreatic Cancer Support Group: This group, for patients and family members affected by pancreatic cancer, provides ongoing support and promotes dialogue and an open forum to ask questions directly to the participating physician. Meets at 6 p.m. on the second Monday of each month in Classroom B on the ground floor of the Fogelson building. For more information, please call 214-345-4054.
List of more SUPPORT GROUPS
Pancreatic Cancer Support Group: This group, for patients and family members affected by pancreatic cancer, provides ongoing support and promotes dialogue and an open forum to ask questions directly to the participating physician. Meets at 6 p.m. on the second Monday of each month in Classroom B on the ground floor of the Fogelson building. For more information, please call 214-345-4054.
List of more SUPPORT GROUPS
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
A Dear Friend Dennis Bailey
Dennis Bailey, current Rockwall County Commissioner of Precinct 3, has recently discovered some discouraging news (as many of us have of recent). I'm encouraging, as always, warrior-like specific prayer for Dennis and his wife Kathie.
According to Dennis' brother-in-law, David Hamilton's report via Facebook on Monday, "The Dr's have found three masses...one in his liver, one in his kidney, and one in his intestines". A biopsy was performed Tuesday which revealed that Dennis' masses are indeed cancerous. Pathology samples have been sent away for testing and treatment decisions will be made upon receipt of the results and identification of the cancer. Doctors have commented that the cancer appears to be non-aggressive. Praise God for that.
Dennis is a dear friend and great ambassador and servant to the Rockwall Community. Please pray for Dennis Bailey and Family for a full recovery. We are all here for you Dennis.
Justin A. Holland
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
Growing, Growing, Growing Prayers
Lance Holland & Family (pancreatic fighter)
A.J. Wells & Family (leukemia fighter)
Cissi Scott & Family (survivor!)
Leigh Plagens & Family (fighter)
Ewing Family in Kansas (leukemia - recent loss)
Ben & Meredith Fox Family (survivor & fighter)
Shirley Dodge & Family (liver fighter)
Wayne Neal Family in Paris, TX (recent loss)
Brenda Stokley Lanclos & Family in League City, TX (fighter)
Tammy Osborn & Family (breast cancer fighter)
Rosemary Green & Family (leukemia fighter)
Riley Hicks & Family (leukemia survivor!)
Diane McMinn & Family (fighter)
Josh Copes & Family (brain tumor)
Jackie Thoreson & Family (recent loss)
Ethan Tate & Family (leukemia fighter)
Family of Peyton Ricker (recent loss)
Father of Terry Garrett of Rockwall (recent loss)
Family of Bob McDonald of Rockwall (recent loss)
Ed Franza & Family (fighter, recent good news!)
RISD Teacher Families (many affected)
Grandfather of Nick and Katie Gay (recent loss)
Nate Oxford & Family (cancer free!)
Sherri Johnston & Family (breast cancer fighter)
Gary Briscoe & Family (colon cancer)
Cotton Ellis & Family (pancreatic fighter)
Tom Lueder & Family (pancreatic fighter)
Presby Dallas Pancreatic Cancer Support Group
Melissa Stolle (breast cancer survivor)
A.B. Ward & Family (pancreatic cancer fighter)
Linda March & Family (fighter)
Dennis Bailey & family (cancer fighter)
A.J. Wells & Family (leukemia fighter)
Cissi Scott & Family (survivor!)
Leigh Plagens & Family (fighter)
Ewing Family in Kansas (leukemia - recent loss)
Ben & Meredith Fox Family (survivor & fighter)
Shirley Dodge & Family (liver fighter)
Wayne Neal Family in Paris, TX (recent loss)
Brenda Stokley Lanclos & Family in League City, TX (fighter)
Tammy Osborn & Family (breast cancer fighter)
Rosemary Green & Family (leukemia fighter)
Riley Hicks & Family (leukemia survivor!)
Diane McMinn & Family (fighter)
Josh Copes & Family (brain tumor)
Jackie Thoreson & Family (recent loss)
Ethan Tate & Family (leukemia fighter)
Family of Peyton Ricker (recent loss)
Father of Terry Garrett of Rockwall (recent loss)
Family of Bob McDonald of Rockwall (recent loss)
Ed Franza & Family (fighter, recent good news!)
RISD Teacher Families (many affected)
Grandfather of Nick and Katie Gay (recent loss)
Nate Oxford & Family (cancer free!)
Sherri Johnston & Family (breast cancer fighter)
Gary Briscoe & Family (colon cancer)
Cotton Ellis & Family (pancreatic fighter)
Tom Lueder & Family (pancreatic fighter)
Presby Dallas Pancreatic Cancer Support Group
Melissa Stolle (breast cancer survivor)
A.B. Ward & Family (pancreatic cancer fighter)
Linda March & Family (fighter)
Dennis Bailey & family (cancer fighter)
Monday, March 8, 2010
Lance Update: March 8, 2010
Just wanted to update you all on Lance. He is doing wonderful.
Lance was unable to take his third round of Chemo 2 weeks ago because his White Blood Count was too low. However, his doctor appointment Thursday was great. All counts are back to normal and he will take his Chemo this Thursday. The doctor said that was very normal when you take Chemo every week - nothing to worry about at all.
He looks as "handsome" as ever (if I may say so myself). Justin and I know that he is feeling really good because he has been a little "sassy" lately. That is a good sign for sure. Lance read the book "Fearless", by Max Lucado last week and I can tell everyone for sure that Lance is "Fearless" about the whole Chemotherapy situation. He has the best attitude of anyone I have ever known taking Chemotherapy.
Again, we honestly thank everyone for all that has been done for us. We are just amazed and feel so fortunate to have such a wonderful community to live and work in where others sincerely care about people. We are extremely blessed!
Continue to Pray - It is Powerful...
Love, Saundra Holland
Lance was unable to take his third round of Chemo 2 weeks ago because his White Blood Count was too low. However, his doctor appointment Thursday was great. All counts are back to normal and he will take his Chemo this Thursday. The doctor said that was very normal when you take Chemo every week - nothing to worry about at all.
He looks as "handsome" as ever (if I may say so myself). Justin and I know that he is feeling really good because he has been a little "sassy" lately. That is a good sign for sure. Lance read the book "Fearless", by Max Lucado last week and I can tell everyone for sure that Lance is "Fearless" about the whole Chemotherapy situation. He has the best attitude of anyone I have ever known taking Chemotherapy.
Again, we honestly thank everyone for all that has been done for us. We are just amazed and feel so fortunate to have such a wonderful community to live and work in where others sincerely care about people. We are extremely blessed!
Continue to Pray - It is Powerful...
Love, Saundra Holland
Thursday, February 11, 2010
Lap One
Today is the first (of 24) chemotherapy treatments for Lance. Dad arrived at Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital of Dallas today at about 9:00 a.m. and was warmly received by his nurse and doctor; Nikki & Dr. Barve respectively. In fact, he loves them so much that he brought them both wrapped Valentine's Day presents...chocolate.
He was wearing his "29:11" purple t-shirt, which he's been charged to wear by his family to all cancer treatment related events. "29:11" for the verse in the book of Jeremiah in the Bible which states, "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." The color purple is designated as the "official" color for Pancreatic Cancer Awareness. The back of the shirt is lined with favorite Bible verses of encouragement and strength provided by numerous friends and family members throughout his recovery. He loves his purple shirt.
Besides a minor technical difficulty with the infusion machine (which was replaced), the treatment went without a hitch. His port worked perfectly, he was receptive of the treatment, and handled the chemo like a champ. Dad has a very good outlook on the situation and an extremely positive attitude. He's actually the one keeping all of us positive. So keep up the prayers for our fighters and families. It's working!
Monday, February 1, 2010
prayers...
Lance Holland & Family (pancreatic fighter)
A.J. Wells & Family (leukemia fighter)
Cissi Scott & Family (survivor!)
Leigh Plagens & Family (fighter)
Ewing Family in Kansas (leukemia - recent loss)
Ben & Meredith Fox Family (survivor & fighter)
Shirley Dodge & Family (liver fighter)
Wayne Neal Family in Paris, TX (recent loss)
Brenda Stokley Lanclos & Family in League City, TX (fighter)
Tammy Osborn & Family (breast cancer fighter)
Rosemary Green & Family (leukemia fighter)
Riley Hicks & Family (leukemia survivor!)
Diane McMinn & Family (fighter)
Josh Copes & Family (brain tumor)
Jackie Thoreson & Family (pancreatic fighter)
Ethan Tate & Family (leukemia fighter)
Family of Peyton Ricker (recent loss)
Father of Terry Garrett of Rockwall (recent loss)
Family of Bob McDonald of Rockwall (recent loss)
Ed Franza & Family (fighter, recent good news!)
RISD Teacher Families (many affected)
Grandfather of Nick and Katie Gay (recent loss)
Nate Oxford & Family (cancer free!)
Sherri Johnston & Family (breast cancer fighter)
Gary Briscoe & Family (colon cancer)
Cotton Ellis & Family (pancreatic fighter)
A.J. Wells & Family (leukemia fighter)
Cissi Scott & Family (survivor!)
Leigh Plagens & Family (fighter)
Ewing Family in Kansas (leukemia - recent loss)
Ben & Meredith Fox Family (survivor & fighter)
Shirley Dodge & Family (liver fighter)
Wayne Neal Family in Paris, TX (recent loss)
Brenda Stokley Lanclos & Family in League City, TX (fighter)
Tammy Osborn & Family (breast cancer fighter)
Rosemary Green & Family (leukemia fighter)
Riley Hicks & Family (leukemia survivor!)
Diane McMinn & Family (fighter)
Josh Copes & Family (brain tumor)
Jackie Thoreson & Family (pancreatic fighter)
Ethan Tate & Family (leukemia fighter)
Family of Peyton Ricker (recent loss)
Father of Terry Garrett of Rockwall (recent loss)
Family of Bob McDonald of Rockwall (recent loss)
Ed Franza & Family (fighter, recent good news!)
RISD Teacher Families (many affected)
Grandfather of Nick and Katie Gay (recent loss)
Nate Oxford & Family (cancer free!)
Sherri Johnston & Family (breast cancer fighter)
Gary Briscoe & Family (colon cancer)
Cotton Ellis & Family (pancreatic fighter)
Brain cancer tests a young pastor’s faith
Rising star of evangelical Christianity preaches God’s will for good and ill
DALLAS - Matt Chandler doesn't feel anything when the radiation penetrates his brain. It could start to burn later in treatment. But it hasn't been bad, this time lying on the slab. Not yet, anyway.
Chandler's lanky 6-foot-5-inch frame rests on a table at Baylor University Medical Center. He wears the same kind of jeans he wears preaching to 6,000 people at The Village Church in suburban Flower Mound, where the 35-year-old pastor is a rising star of evangelical Christianity.
Another cancer patient Chandler has gotten to know spends his time in radiation imagining that he's playing a round of golf at his favorite course. Chandler on this first Monday in January is reflecting on Colossians 1:15-23, about the pre-eminence of Christ and making peace through the blood of his cross.
Chandler's hands are crossed over his chest. He wears a mask with white webbing that keeps his head still when metal fingers slide into place on the radiation machine, delivering the highest possible dose to what is considered to be fatal and incurable brain cancer.
This is Matt Chandler's new normal. Each weekday, he spends two hours in the car — driven from his suburban home to downtown Dallas — for eight minutes of radiation and Scripture.
At the hospital, Chandler sees other patients in gowns who get chemotherapy through catheters in their chests and is thankful he gets his in pills before going to sleep at home next to his wife.
Chandler is trying to suffer well. He would never ask for such a trial, but in some ways he welcomes this cancer. He says he feels grateful that God has counted him worthy to endure it. He has always preached that God will bring both joy and suffering but is only recently learning to experience the latter.
Since all this began on Thanksgiving morning, Chandler says he has asked "why me?" just once, in a moment of weakness.
He is praying that God will heal him. He wants to grow old, to walk his two daughters down the aisle and see his son become a better athlete than he ever was.
Whatever happens, he says, is God's will, and God has his reasons. For Chandler, that does not mean waiting for his fate. It means fighting for his life.
‘You had a seizure’
Thanksgiving morning, a normal morning at the Chandler home.
The coffee brews itself. Matt wakes up, pours himself a cup, black and strong like always, and sits on the couch. He feeds 6-month-old Norah from a bottle. Burps her. Puts her in her bouncy seat.
The next thing Chandler knows, he is lying in a hospital bed.
What Chandler does not remember is that he suffered a seizure and collapsed in front of the fireplace, rattling the pokers. He does not remember biting through his tongue.
He does not remember his wife, Lauren, shielding the kids as he shook on the floor. Or, later, ripping the IV out of his arm and punching a medic in the face.
During the ambulance ride, Lauren, 29, looks back from the passenger seat at her husband in restraints.
He is looking at her but through her.
She texts the women in her Bible study and asks them to pray.
At the hospital, Matt comes to.
"Honey, what happened?"
"You had a seizure."
He realizes that their two older children — Audrey, 7, and Reid, 4 — had seen it.
"Are the kids OK?"
Tears well up in his eyes.
"They're fine. They're fine."
He dozes off, wakes up and asks about the kids again. The same exchange repeats itself five times, always ending the same way, with Matt tearing up.
In short order, Chandler is wheeled back for a CT scan, followed by an MRI.
Not long afterward, the ER doctor walks in and sits next to him.
"You have a small mass on your frontal lobe. You need to see a specialist."
It was Thanksgiving. Chandler had not seen his kids for hours. He had collapsed in front of them. For whatever reason, those grim words from a doctor he'd never met did not cause his heart to drop. What Chandler thought was, "OK, we'll deal with that." Getting the news meant he could go home.
A pastor’s appeal
Chandler can be sober and silly, charming and tough. He'll call men "bro" and women "mama." He drives a 2001 Chevy Impala with 144,000 miles and a broken radio. He calls it the "Gimpala."
One of Chandler's sayings is, "It's OK to not be OK — just don't stay there." In other words, your doubts and questions are welcome at The Village Church, but eventually you need to pull it together.
He's also been known to begin sermons with the warning, "I'm going to yell at you from the Bible."
Chandler's long, meaty messages untangle large chunks of Scripture, a stark contrast to the "Eight Ways to Overcome Fear" sermons common to evangelical megachurches that took off in the 1980s. His approach appeals, he believes, to a generation looking for transcendence and power.
His theology teaches that all men are wicked, that human beings have offended a loving and sovereign God, and that God saves through Jesus' death, burial and resurrection — not because people do good deeds. In short, Chandler is a Calvinist, holding to a belief system growing more popular with young evangelicals.
"Matt goes right at Bible Belt Christianity and exposes the problems with it," says Collin Hansen, author of "Young, Restless, Reformed: A Journalist's Journey with the New Calvinists." "He says, 'Enough of this playing around and trying to be relevant and using cultural touch points. Let's talk God's words.'"
Chandler's background does not suggest someone suited to the role. He grew up a military kid, drifting from Olympia, Wash., to Sault Ste. Marie, Mich., Alameda, Calif., and Galveston, Texas.
Chandler was taught that Christianity meant not listening to secular music or seeing R-rated movies. He developed what he calls a small and "man-centered" view of God — that God will bless people who are good. That began to change when a high school football teammate started talking about the Gospel.
After graduating from a small Baptist college, Chandler became a fiery evangelist who led a popular college Bible study and traveled the Christian speaking circuit. He was hired from another church in 2002 at age 28 to lead what is now The Village Church, a Southern Baptist congregation that claimed 160 members at the time.
The church now meets in a newly renovated former Albertson's grocery store with a 1,430-seat auditorium; two satellite campuses are flourishing in Denton and Dallas. Chandler has a podcast following in the thousands and speaks at large conferences.
"What Matt does works because it resonates with the deep longing of the soul the average person can't even identify," said Anne Lincoln Holibaugh, the church's children's ministry director.
Brain tumor
Tuesday after Thanksgiving. The Chandlers meet with Dr. David Barnett, chief of neurosurgery at Baylor University Medical Center.
The weekend had brought hope: A well-meaning church member who is a radiologist looked at Matt's MRI and concluded the mass was encapsulated, or contained to a specific area.
But Barnett delivers very different news. He saw what appeared to be a primary brain tumor — meaning a tumor that had formed in the brain — that was not contained. It had branches.
"Matt, I think you're dealing with something serious," Barnett says. "We need to do something about it quickly. Go home. Talk it over with your wife. Pray about it."
Chandler is facing brain surgery. He schedules it for that Friday, Dec. 4.
He is scared.
Questions start to haunt him. Am I going to wake up and be me? Am I going to wake up and remember Lauren?
The surgery begins around 2 p.m. A biopsy determines that it is, indeed, a primary brain tumor.
As far as Chandler knows, there is no history of cancer in his family. His tumor, like most others, was likely caused by a genetic abnormality, Barnett says. There's no way of knowing how long it's been there.
The surgeon is aggressive, pushing to remove as much of the mass as possible. It's in a relatively good place in the brain's "silent hemisphere," removed from areas that control most language skills.
The hospital has an intraoperative MRI, which allows surgeons to remove part of a tumor, stop, take a picture, look more closely, then go in and remove more. Barnett uses it twice during Chandler's surgery.
"You cannot be a timid neurosurgeon when you deal with these things," Barnett says later. "Your first shot is your best shot at treating this. I wanted to get as much of the tumor out as humanly possible, but I also wanted to be careful not to permanently injure him. It's a fine balance between the two."
Seven hours after entering surgery, Matt is wheeled to intensive care.
His head is swollen and wrapped in a bandage.
His irises are quivering.
Chandler wakes to Barnett's voice.
"Matt ... Matt ... Who am I?"
He knows the answer. Relief. His left side is numb. His facial expressions are frozen and his voice has no pitch, what doctors call a "flat affect."
This is all good, leading Barnett to believe he pushed hard but not too hard.
Recovery
Each day after the surgery, Chandler gets better, stronger.
"The first four days were just ... not scary, but hard," Lauren says. "I'm wondering, 'How much of this will stay? How much of this will be normal? How much of this will be the new normal?'
Tuesday after surgery. Barnett meets with Lauren and Brian Miller, chairman of the church's elder board. The final pathology results are not in, but Barnett shares what he knows — the tumor was malignant, fast-growing and mean.
Though he removed what he could see, such tumors send tiny fingers of cells beyond their borders — and eventually a branch will reach back and grow another brain tumor, Barnett says.
Barnett asks Lauren and Miller to keep the diagnosis to themselves for a week so Matt can concentrate fully on recovering from surgery.
On Dec. 15, Barnett shares the pathology results with the Chandlers. Tumors are designated by grade — with Grade 1 being the least aggressive and Grade 4 being the most.
Chandler's tumor is a Grade 3.
The average life expectancy in such cases, Barnett says, is approximately two to three years. The doctor says later, in an interview, he believes Chandler will live longer because of the aggressive surgery, treatment and Chandler's otherwise good health.
There's also a chance that "God smiles upon us" and the cancer goes into remission for years, says Barnett, a devout Christian.
Before the meeting ends, Matt prays that his children and others do not grow resentful.
"Lord, you gave this to me for a reason. Let me run with it and do the best I can with it."
Barnett says later that he's witnessed many tragedies and miracles. He has seen how people handle life-changing moments. He called Chandler's attitude one of the most amazing he's seen.
Chandler says learning he had brain cancer was "kind of like getting punched in the gut. You take the shot, you try not to vomit, then you get back to doing what you do, believing what you believe.
"We never felt — still have not felt — betrayed by the Lord or abandoned by the Lord. I can honestly say, we haven't asked the question, 'Why?' or wondered, 'Why me, why not somebody else?' We just haven't gotten to that place. I'm not saying we won't get there. I'm just saying it hasn't happened yet."
Later, Chandler clarified that. There was one moment when he looked at a Christmas card, saw a picture of a man who chronically cheated on his wife and thought, "Why not that guy?"
Chandler confessed to Lauren that his thoughts were wicked and wrong.
‘This has not surprised God’
Monday, Jan. 4, a month after surgery. Morning breaks with 4-year-old Reid singing "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star" at full volume. Matt sits at his laptop in the dining room, nursing a cup of green tea.
He's preparing to drive to a homeopathic clinic for an infusion of Vitamin C to bolster the immune system, followed by the long drive to downtown Dallas for radiation. He's in the midst of a six-week program of radiation and chemotherapy, to be followed by a break and more treatment.
Chandler never thought such a trial would shake his faith. But until now, that was just hope in the abstract.
"This has not surprised God," Chandler says on the drive home. "He is not in a panic right now trying to figure out what to do with me or this disease. Those things have been warm blankets, man."
Chandler has, however, wrestled with the tension between belief in an all-powerful God and what he, as a mere mortal, can do about his situation. He believes he has responsibilities: to use his brain, to take advantage of technology, to walk in faith and hope, to pray for healing and then "see what God wants to do."
"Knowing that if God is outside time and I am inside time, that puts some severe limitations on my ability to crack all the codes," he says. "The more I've studied, the more I go, 'Yes, God is sovereign, and he does ask us to pray ... and he does change his mind.' How all that will work is in some aspects a mystery."
Since falling ill, Chandler has gotten letters from the governor and pastors in Sudan. He has tried to steer attention to others, including a 6-year-old Arizona girl with cancer.
At church, he has deflected sympathy with reassurances that this is a good thing, that he is not shrinking back. Chandler has preached the last two weekends and is planning trips to South Africa and England. He recently lost his hair to radiation but got a positive lab report last week and feels strong.
"The human experience commonly shared is suffering," said Mark Driscoll, pastor of Seattle's Mars Hill Church and a friend of Chandler's. "If he suffers well, that might be the most important sermon he's ever preached."
Chandler would rather this not have happened. But he is drinking life in — watching his son build sandcastles at the park, preaching each sermon as if eternity is at stake — and feeling a heightened sense of reality.
"It's carpe diem on steroids," he says.
At the dinner table on the sixth day of radiation, new normal looks like this: Reid in Spiderman pajamas. Peanut butter and jelly dipped in honey for the kids, turkey chili for the adults.
And peppermint ice cream.
It is a diaper changed, dishes done.
Matt Chandler takes his chemo pills and goes to bed, grateful for another day.
DALLAS - Matt Chandler doesn't feel anything when the radiation penetrates his brain. It could start to burn later in treatment. But it hasn't been bad, this time lying on the slab. Not yet, anyway.
Chandler's lanky 6-foot-5-inch frame rests on a table at Baylor University Medical Center. He wears the same kind of jeans he wears preaching to 6,000 people at The Village Church in suburban Flower Mound, where the 35-year-old pastor is a rising star of evangelical Christianity.
Another cancer patient Chandler has gotten to know spends his time in radiation imagining that he's playing a round of golf at his favorite course. Chandler on this first Monday in January is reflecting on Colossians 1:15-23, about the pre-eminence of Christ and making peace through the blood of his cross.
Chandler's hands are crossed over his chest. He wears a mask with white webbing that keeps his head still when metal fingers slide into place on the radiation machine, delivering the highest possible dose to what is considered to be fatal and incurable brain cancer.
This is Matt Chandler's new normal. Each weekday, he spends two hours in the car — driven from his suburban home to downtown Dallas — for eight minutes of radiation and Scripture.
At the hospital, Chandler sees other patients in gowns who get chemotherapy through catheters in their chests and is thankful he gets his in pills before going to sleep at home next to his wife.
Chandler is trying to suffer well. He would never ask for such a trial, but in some ways he welcomes this cancer. He says he feels grateful that God has counted him worthy to endure it. He has always preached that God will bring both joy and suffering but is only recently learning to experience the latter.
Since all this began on Thanksgiving morning, Chandler says he has asked "why me?" just once, in a moment of weakness.
He is praying that God will heal him. He wants to grow old, to walk his two daughters down the aisle and see his son become a better athlete than he ever was.
Whatever happens, he says, is God's will, and God has his reasons. For Chandler, that does not mean waiting for his fate. It means fighting for his life.
‘You had a seizure’
Thanksgiving morning, a normal morning at the Chandler home.
The coffee brews itself. Matt wakes up, pours himself a cup, black and strong like always, and sits on the couch. He feeds 6-month-old Norah from a bottle. Burps her. Puts her in her bouncy seat.
The next thing Chandler knows, he is lying in a hospital bed.
What Chandler does not remember is that he suffered a seizure and collapsed in front of the fireplace, rattling the pokers. He does not remember biting through his tongue.
He does not remember his wife, Lauren, shielding the kids as he shook on the floor. Or, later, ripping the IV out of his arm and punching a medic in the face.
During the ambulance ride, Lauren, 29, looks back from the passenger seat at her husband in restraints.
He is looking at her but through her.
She texts the women in her Bible study and asks them to pray.
At the hospital, Matt comes to.
"Honey, what happened?"
"You had a seizure."
He realizes that their two older children — Audrey, 7, and Reid, 4 — had seen it.
"Are the kids OK?"
Tears well up in his eyes.
"They're fine. They're fine."
He dozes off, wakes up and asks about the kids again. The same exchange repeats itself five times, always ending the same way, with Matt tearing up.
In short order, Chandler is wheeled back for a CT scan, followed by an MRI.
Not long afterward, the ER doctor walks in and sits next to him.
"You have a small mass on your frontal lobe. You need to see a specialist."
It was Thanksgiving. Chandler had not seen his kids for hours. He had collapsed in front of them. For whatever reason, those grim words from a doctor he'd never met did not cause his heart to drop. What Chandler thought was, "OK, we'll deal with that." Getting the news meant he could go home.
A pastor’s appeal
Chandler can be sober and silly, charming and tough. He'll call men "bro" and women "mama." He drives a 2001 Chevy Impala with 144,000 miles and a broken radio. He calls it the "Gimpala."
One of Chandler's sayings is, "It's OK to not be OK — just don't stay there." In other words, your doubts and questions are welcome at The Village Church, but eventually you need to pull it together.
He's also been known to begin sermons with the warning, "I'm going to yell at you from the Bible."
Chandler's long, meaty messages untangle large chunks of Scripture, a stark contrast to the "Eight Ways to Overcome Fear" sermons common to evangelical megachurches that took off in the 1980s. His approach appeals, he believes, to a generation looking for transcendence and power.
His theology teaches that all men are wicked, that human beings have offended a loving and sovereign God, and that God saves through Jesus' death, burial and resurrection — not because people do good deeds. In short, Chandler is a Calvinist, holding to a belief system growing more popular with young evangelicals.
"Matt goes right at Bible Belt Christianity and exposes the problems with it," says Collin Hansen, author of "Young, Restless, Reformed: A Journalist's Journey with the New Calvinists." "He says, 'Enough of this playing around and trying to be relevant and using cultural touch points. Let's talk God's words.'"
Chandler's background does not suggest someone suited to the role. He grew up a military kid, drifting from Olympia, Wash., to Sault Ste. Marie, Mich., Alameda, Calif., and Galveston, Texas.
Chandler was taught that Christianity meant not listening to secular music or seeing R-rated movies. He developed what he calls a small and "man-centered" view of God — that God will bless people who are good. That began to change when a high school football teammate started talking about the Gospel.
After graduating from a small Baptist college, Chandler became a fiery evangelist who led a popular college Bible study and traveled the Christian speaking circuit. He was hired from another church in 2002 at age 28 to lead what is now The Village Church, a Southern Baptist congregation that claimed 160 members at the time.
The church now meets in a newly renovated former Albertson's grocery store with a 1,430-seat auditorium; two satellite campuses are flourishing in Denton and Dallas. Chandler has a podcast following in the thousands and speaks at large conferences.
"What Matt does works because it resonates with the deep longing of the soul the average person can't even identify," said Anne Lincoln Holibaugh, the church's children's ministry director.
Brain tumor
Tuesday after Thanksgiving. The Chandlers meet with Dr. David Barnett, chief of neurosurgery at Baylor University Medical Center.
The weekend had brought hope: A well-meaning church member who is a radiologist looked at Matt's MRI and concluded the mass was encapsulated, or contained to a specific area.
But Barnett delivers very different news. He saw what appeared to be a primary brain tumor — meaning a tumor that had formed in the brain — that was not contained. It had branches.
"Matt, I think you're dealing with something serious," Barnett says. "We need to do something about it quickly. Go home. Talk it over with your wife. Pray about it."
Chandler is facing brain surgery. He schedules it for that Friday, Dec. 4.
He is scared.
Questions start to haunt him. Am I going to wake up and be me? Am I going to wake up and remember Lauren?
The surgery begins around 2 p.m. A biopsy determines that it is, indeed, a primary brain tumor.
As far as Chandler knows, there is no history of cancer in his family. His tumor, like most others, was likely caused by a genetic abnormality, Barnett says. There's no way of knowing how long it's been there.
The surgeon is aggressive, pushing to remove as much of the mass as possible. It's in a relatively good place in the brain's "silent hemisphere," removed from areas that control most language skills.
The hospital has an intraoperative MRI, which allows surgeons to remove part of a tumor, stop, take a picture, look more closely, then go in and remove more. Barnett uses it twice during Chandler's surgery.
"You cannot be a timid neurosurgeon when you deal with these things," Barnett says later. "Your first shot is your best shot at treating this. I wanted to get as much of the tumor out as humanly possible, but I also wanted to be careful not to permanently injure him. It's a fine balance between the two."
Seven hours after entering surgery, Matt is wheeled to intensive care.
His head is swollen and wrapped in a bandage.
His irises are quivering.
Chandler wakes to Barnett's voice.
"Matt ... Matt ... Who am I?"
He knows the answer. Relief. His left side is numb. His facial expressions are frozen and his voice has no pitch, what doctors call a "flat affect."
This is all good, leading Barnett to believe he pushed hard but not too hard.
Recovery
Each day after the surgery, Chandler gets better, stronger.
"The first four days were just ... not scary, but hard," Lauren says. "I'm wondering, 'How much of this will stay? How much of this will be normal? How much of this will be the new normal?'
Tuesday after surgery. Barnett meets with Lauren and Brian Miller, chairman of the church's elder board. The final pathology results are not in, but Barnett shares what he knows — the tumor was malignant, fast-growing and mean.
Though he removed what he could see, such tumors send tiny fingers of cells beyond their borders — and eventually a branch will reach back and grow another brain tumor, Barnett says.
Barnett asks Lauren and Miller to keep the diagnosis to themselves for a week so Matt can concentrate fully on recovering from surgery.
On Dec. 15, Barnett shares the pathology results with the Chandlers. Tumors are designated by grade — with Grade 1 being the least aggressive and Grade 4 being the most.
Chandler's tumor is a Grade 3.
The average life expectancy in such cases, Barnett says, is approximately two to three years. The doctor says later, in an interview, he believes Chandler will live longer because of the aggressive surgery, treatment and Chandler's otherwise good health.
There's also a chance that "God smiles upon us" and the cancer goes into remission for years, says Barnett, a devout Christian.
Before the meeting ends, Matt prays that his children and others do not grow resentful.
"Lord, you gave this to me for a reason. Let me run with it and do the best I can with it."
Barnett says later that he's witnessed many tragedies and miracles. He has seen how people handle life-changing moments. He called Chandler's attitude one of the most amazing he's seen.
Chandler says learning he had brain cancer was "kind of like getting punched in the gut. You take the shot, you try not to vomit, then you get back to doing what you do, believing what you believe.
"We never felt — still have not felt — betrayed by the Lord or abandoned by the Lord. I can honestly say, we haven't asked the question, 'Why?' or wondered, 'Why me, why not somebody else?' We just haven't gotten to that place. I'm not saying we won't get there. I'm just saying it hasn't happened yet."
Later, Chandler clarified that. There was one moment when he looked at a Christmas card, saw a picture of a man who chronically cheated on his wife and thought, "Why not that guy?"
Chandler confessed to Lauren that his thoughts were wicked and wrong.
‘This has not surprised God’
Monday, Jan. 4, a month after surgery. Morning breaks with 4-year-old Reid singing "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star" at full volume. Matt sits at his laptop in the dining room, nursing a cup of green tea.
He's preparing to drive to a homeopathic clinic for an infusion of Vitamin C to bolster the immune system, followed by the long drive to downtown Dallas for radiation. He's in the midst of a six-week program of radiation and chemotherapy, to be followed by a break and more treatment.
Chandler never thought such a trial would shake his faith. But until now, that was just hope in the abstract.
"This has not surprised God," Chandler says on the drive home. "He is not in a panic right now trying to figure out what to do with me or this disease. Those things have been warm blankets, man."
Chandler has, however, wrestled with the tension between belief in an all-powerful God and what he, as a mere mortal, can do about his situation. He believes he has responsibilities: to use his brain, to take advantage of technology, to walk in faith and hope, to pray for healing and then "see what God wants to do."
"Knowing that if God is outside time and I am inside time, that puts some severe limitations on my ability to crack all the codes," he says. "The more I've studied, the more I go, 'Yes, God is sovereign, and he does ask us to pray ... and he does change his mind.' How all that will work is in some aspects a mystery."
Since falling ill, Chandler has gotten letters from the governor and pastors in Sudan. He has tried to steer attention to others, including a 6-year-old Arizona girl with cancer.
At church, he has deflected sympathy with reassurances that this is a good thing, that he is not shrinking back. Chandler has preached the last two weekends and is planning trips to South Africa and England. He recently lost his hair to radiation but got a positive lab report last week and feels strong.
"The human experience commonly shared is suffering," said Mark Driscoll, pastor of Seattle's Mars Hill Church and a friend of Chandler's. "If he suffers well, that might be the most important sermon he's ever preached."
Chandler would rather this not have happened. But he is drinking life in — watching his son build sandcastles at the park, preaching each sermon as if eternity is at stake — and feeling a heightened sense of reality.
"It's carpe diem on steroids," he says.
At the dinner table on the sixth day of radiation, new normal looks like this: Reid in Spiderman pajamas. Peanut butter and jelly dipped in honey for the kids, turkey chili for the adults.
And peppermint ice cream.
It is a diaper changed, dishes done.
Matt Chandler takes his chemo pills and goes to bed, grateful for another day.
Friday, January 29, 2010
34 Tips For a Better 2010
Health: (1) Drink plenty of water. (2) Eat breakfast like a KING, lunch like a PRINCE, and dinner like a BEGGAR. (3) Eat more foods that grow on trees and plants and eat less food that is manufactured in plants. (4) Live with the 3 E's -- Energy, Enthusiasm, and Empathy. (5) Make time to PRAY. (6) Play more games. (7) Read more books than you did in 2009. (8) Sit in silence for at least 10 minutes each day. (9) Sleep for 7 hours. (10) Take a 10-30 minute walk daily. And while you walk, smile.
Personality: (11) Don't compare your life to others. You have no idea what their journey is all about. (12) Don't have negative thoughts about things you can not control. Instead, invest your energy in the positive present moment. (13) Don't overdo. Keep your limits. (14) Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does. (15) Don't waste your precious energy on gossip. (16) Dream more while you are awake. (17) Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need. (18) Forget issues of the past. Don't remind your partner with his/her mistakes of the past. That will ruin your present happiness. (19) Make peace with your past so it won't spoil the present.
Society: (20) Call your family often. (21) Each day, give something good to others. (22) Forgive everyone for everything. (23) Spend time with people over the age of 70 and under the age of 6. (24) Try to make at least 3 people smile each day. (25) What other people think of you is none of your business. (26) Your job won't take care of you when you're sick. Your friends will. Stay in touch.
Life: (27) Do the right thing! (28) Get rid of anything that isn't useful, beautiful, or joyful. (29) GOD heals everything. (30) However good or bad a situation is, it will change. (31) No matter how you feel, get up, dress up, and show up. (32) The best is yet to come. (33) When you awake alive in the morning, thank GOD for it. (34) Your inner most is always happy. So, be happy.
Source: Anonymous
Personality: (11) Don't compare your life to others. You have no idea what their journey is all about. (12) Don't have negative thoughts about things you can not control. Instead, invest your energy in the positive present moment. (13) Don't overdo. Keep your limits. (14) Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does. (15) Don't waste your precious energy on gossip. (16) Dream more while you are awake. (17) Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need. (18) Forget issues of the past. Don't remind your partner with his/her mistakes of the past. That will ruin your present happiness. (19) Make peace with your past so it won't spoil the present.
Society: (20) Call your family often. (21) Each day, give something good to others. (22) Forgive everyone for everything. (23) Spend time with people over the age of 70 and under the age of 6. (24) Try to make at least 3 people smile each day. (25) What other people think of you is none of your business. (26) Your job won't take care of you when you're sick. Your friends will. Stay in touch.
Life: (27) Do the right thing! (28) Get rid of anything that isn't useful, beautiful, or joyful. (29) GOD heals everything. (30) However good or bad a situation is, it will change. (31) No matter how you feel, get up, dress up, and show up. (32) The best is yet to come. (33) When you awake alive in the morning, thank GOD for it. (34) Your inner most is always happy. So, be happy.
Source: Anonymous
Thursday, January 21, 2010
1st CT Scan, CLEAR...NO CANCER SIGNS
We just received word that Dad's 1st CT Scan, which precedes his chemotherapy treatment is clear of any signs of cancer growth since the surgery. Thank you for all the continued prayers. Please keep it up. It is working!
The Holland Family
The Holland Family
Prayer Requests...
Lance Holland & Family (pancreatic fighter)
A.J. Wells & Family (leukemia fighter)
Cissi Scott & Family (survivor!)
Leigh Plagens & Family (fighter)
Ewing Family in Kansas (leukemia - recent loss)
Ben & Meredith Fox Family (survivor & fighter)
Shirley Dodge & Family (liver fighter)
Wayne Neal Family in Paris, TX (recent loss)
Brenda Stokley Lanclos & Family in League City, TX (fighter)
Tammy Osborn & Family (breast cancer fighter)
Rosemary Green & Family (leukemia fighter)
Riley Hicks & Family (leukemia survivor!)
Diane McMinn & Family (fighter)
Josh Copes & Family (brain tumor)
Jackie Thoreson & Family (pancreatic fighter)
Ethan Tate & Family (leukemia fighter)
Family of Peyton Ricker (recent loss)
Father of Terry Garrett of Rockwall (recent loss)
Family of Bob McDonald of Rockwall (recent loss)
RISD Teacher Families (many affected)
Grandfather of Nick and Katie Gay (recent loss)
Nate Oxford & Family (cancer free!)
Sherri Johnston & Family (breast cancer fighter)
Gary Briscoe & Family (colon cancer)
A.J. Wells & Family (leukemia fighter)
Cissi Scott & Family (survivor!)
Leigh Plagens & Family (fighter)
Ewing Family in Kansas (leukemia - recent loss)
Ben & Meredith Fox Family (survivor & fighter)
Shirley Dodge & Family (liver fighter)
Wayne Neal Family in Paris, TX (recent loss)
Brenda Stokley Lanclos & Family in League City, TX (fighter)
Tammy Osborn & Family (breast cancer fighter)
Rosemary Green & Family (leukemia fighter)
Riley Hicks & Family (leukemia survivor!)
Diane McMinn & Family (fighter)
Josh Copes & Family (brain tumor)
Jackie Thoreson & Family (pancreatic fighter)
Ethan Tate & Family (leukemia fighter)
Family of Peyton Ricker (recent loss)
Father of Terry Garrett of Rockwall (recent loss)
Family of Bob McDonald of Rockwall (recent loss)
RISD Teacher Families (many affected)
Grandfather of Nick and Katie Gay (recent loss)
Nate Oxford & Family (cancer free!)
Sherri Johnston & Family (breast cancer fighter)
Gary Briscoe & Family (colon cancer)
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
Lance Holland: 01/19/2010
Yesterday we went to dad's first oncologist appointment at Dallas Presby. The people at Texas Oncology were very welcoming and comforting. I think that collectively (as a family) felt very comfortable with the team that they have assembled there to help dad through his recovery process. Dr. Barve asked dad a few routine questions and examined his scar which has "healed VERY well".
We talked with Dr. Barve about how the next six months are going to unfold. Dad has been accepted in a clinical trial for pancreatic cancer patients with the same stage and classification as dad. As a supplement to his Gemzar treatment, dad will be taking a vaccine shot with every treatment, which will be administered every week for the next six months. His first vaccine begins this Thursday. He will have three vaccines before the Gemzar starts on February 11th; which he'll receive both chemo and the vaccine. The Gemzar is to be administered every Thursday at Dallas Presby for the next six months. The vaccine will continue as long as dad is in remission.
Gemzar is a milder chemotherapy drug, which enables them to administer weekly. He is not expected to lose his hair or tastebuds. He will experience mild nausea which will be treated with an oral perscription. Overall, the appointment was VERY POSITIVE. We all felt good about it, the people were great, the atmosphere was upbeat, and really seemed like a great place to go every week to beat your cancer. On top of that, one of his nurses is a Tri-Delt sorority sister with my wife Neely. She's great and we feel like we have someone on the "inside".
Today, dad went in for a CT scan which will be the first of many in the near future. Early Thursday, we've scheduled a day-surgery to have his port put in, and then over to Texas Oncology for the first dose of vaccine for the clinical trial.
Yesterday, dad looked great. He has a fresh haircut, had great coloration, is getting around just like normal, lost some weight (but not too much weight), and basically looked like he was dressed for work. He's ready. Positive, Faithful, Trusting, and Ready.
We talked with Dr. Barve about how the next six months are going to unfold. Dad has been accepted in a clinical trial for pancreatic cancer patients with the same stage and classification as dad. As a supplement to his Gemzar treatment, dad will be taking a vaccine shot with every treatment, which will be administered every week for the next six months. His first vaccine begins this Thursday. He will have three vaccines before the Gemzar starts on February 11th; which he'll receive both chemo and the vaccine. The Gemzar is to be administered every Thursday at Dallas Presby for the next six months. The vaccine will continue as long as dad is in remission.
Gemzar is a milder chemotherapy drug, which enables them to administer weekly. He is not expected to lose his hair or tastebuds. He will experience mild nausea which will be treated with an oral perscription. Overall, the appointment was VERY POSITIVE. We all felt good about it, the people were great, the atmosphere was upbeat, and really seemed like a great place to go every week to beat your cancer. On top of that, one of his nurses is a Tri-Delt sorority sister with my wife Neely. She's great and we feel like we have someone on the "inside".
Today, dad went in for a CT scan which will be the first of many in the near future. Early Thursday, we've scheduled a day-surgery to have his port put in, and then over to Texas Oncology for the first dose of vaccine for the clinical trial.
Yesterday, dad looked great. He has a fresh haircut, had great coloration, is getting around just like normal, lost some weight (but not too much weight), and basically looked like he was dressed for work. He's ready. Positive, Faithful, Trusting, and Ready.
Nate Oxford
"Praise God, for HE is merciful. We got the results back from Nate's MRIs, and all scans are clear…no cancer. The doctors are very pleased, and were excited to be able to provide this news. When chemo started last January he was given a 15% chance to make it 3 months, and he made it six months before it came back worse than ever. When he began radiation in June and ended at the end of July, he was given six weeks to six months of borrowed time, and here he is…TO GOD BE ALL PRAISE AND GLORY. Nate truly is a miracle from God every day he is alive. I am not saying any of us deserve this, I am, however, saying that God had mercy on us and we will forever give HIM the glory for his healing. We thank all the doctors and nurses who have seen us through this. Many people have spent many hours laboring over him to help him get to this point. We also want to thank everyone around the world for your much needed prayers and for helping us along the way. We have been praying about larger ways to give back and help others, and we will begin on those things in the near future, using what God has done for us as a way to show HIS love to others.
Nate still needs a lot of therapy and attention to help him with his physical and cognitive abilities. He has been making great strides with his walking and talking…and so far we see no reduction in cognitive skills. We work with him every day on this, and he will begin new therapies soon to help him even more. He will go back in three months for another MRI and will continue to do so for a stretch of two years and then every six months for five years. What Nate had was very nasty and it hit him with full intensity trying to steal his life on this earth away from us, but today is a day of victory, and with each day comes new reasons to praise THE LORD even more. God bless you all. Spread the word about HIS mercies.
The Oxford family
Monday, January 18, 2010
Prayers...
Lance Holland & Family (pancreatic fighter)
A.J. Wells & Family (leukemia fighter)
Cissi Scott & Family (survivor!)
Leigh Plagens & Family (fighter)
Ewing Family in Kansas (leukemia - recent loss)
Ben & Meredith Fox Family (survivor & fighter)
Shirley Dodge & Family (liver fighter)
Wayne Neal Family in Paris, TX (recent loss)
Brenda Stokley Lanclos & Family in League City, TX (fighter)
Tammy Osborn & Family (breast cancer fighter)
Rosemary Green & Family (leukemia fighter)
Riley Hicks & Family (leukemia survivor!)
Diane McMinn & Family (fighter)
Josh Copes & Family (brain tumor)
Jackie Thoreson & Family (pancreatic fighter)
Ethan Tate & Family (leukemia fighter)
Family of Peyton Ricker (recent loss)
Father of Terry Garrett of Rockwall (recent loss)
Family of Bob McDonald of Rockwall (recent loss)
RISD Teacher Families (many affected)
Grandfather of Nick and Katie Gay (recent loss)
Nate Oxford & Family (cancer free!)
Sherri Johnston & Family (breast cancer fighter)
A.J. Wells & Family (leukemia fighter)
Cissi Scott & Family (survivor!)
Leigh Plagens & Family (fighter)
Ewing Family in Kansas (leukemia - recent loss)
Ben & Meredith Fox Family (survivor & fighter)
Shirley Dodge & Family (liver fighter)
Wayne Neal Family in Paris, TX (recent loss)
Brenda Stokley Lanclos & Family in League City, TX (fighter)
Tammy Osborn & Family (breast cancer fighter)
Rosemary Green & Family (leukemia fighter)
Riley Hicks & Family (leukemia survivor!)
Diane McMinn & Family (fighter)
Josh Copes & Family (brain tumor)
Jackie Thoreson & Family (pancreatic fighter)
Ethan Tate & Family (leukemia fighter)
Family of Peyton Ricker (recent loss)
Father of Terry Garrett of Rockwall (recent loss)
Family of Bob McDonald of Rockwall (recent loss)
RISD Teacher Families (many affected)
Grandfather of Nick and Katie Gay (recent loss)
Nate Oxford & Family (cancer free!)
Sherri Johnston & Family (breast cancer fighter)
It's in the Valleys I Grow
Sometimes life seems hard to bear,
Full of sorrow, trouble and woe
It's then I have to remember
That it's in the valleys I grow.
If I always stayed on the mountain top
And never experienced pain,
I would never appreciate God's love
And would be living in vain.
I have so much to learn
And my growth is very slow,
Sometimes I need the mountain tops,
But it's in the valleys I grow.
I do not always understand
Why things happen as they do,
But I am very sure of one thing.
My Lord will see me through.
My little valleys are nothing
When I picture Christ on the cross
He went through the valley of death;
His victory was Satan's loss.
Forgive me Lord, for complaining
When I'm feeling so very low.
Just give me a gentle reminder
That it's in the valleys I grow.
Continue to strengthen me, Lord
And use my life each day
To share your love with others
And help them find their way.
Thank you for valleys, Lord
For this one thing I know
The mountain tops are glorious
But it's in the valleys I grow!
(This poem was written by Jane Eggleston who currently lives in Virginia. Her son Jeff states, "She is a wonderful person, loves Jesus and has been the best mother anyone could ever ask for." What a fitting tribute to any mother.)
Full of sorrow, trouble and woe
It's then I have to remember
That it's in the valleys I grow.
If I always stayed on the mountain top
And never experienced pain,
I would never appreciate God's love
And would be living in vain.
I have so much to learn
And my growth is very slow,
Sometimes I need the mountain tops,
But it's in the valleys I grow.
I do not always understand
Why things happen as they do,
But I am very sure of one thing.
My Lord will see me through.
My little valleys are nothing
When I picture Christ on the cross
He went through the valley of death;
His victory was Satan's loss.
Forgive me Lord, for complaining
When I'm feeling so very low.
Just give me a gentle reminder
That it's in the valleys I grow.
Continue to strengthen me, Lord
And use my life each day
To share your love with others
And help them find their way.
Thank you for valleys, Lord
For this one thing I know
The mountain tops are glorious
But it's in the valleys I grow!
(This poem was written by Jane Eggleston who currently lives in Virginia. Her son Jeff states, "She is a wonderful person, loves Jesus and has been the best mother anyone could ever ask for." What a fitting tribute to any mother.)
Friday, January 15, 2010
Lance Holland Update: 01/15/2010
Dad will go to meet with the Oncologist on Monday. The doctor plans to schedule a minor day surgery to put a port in that will remain throughout the chemotherapy process.
We did receive notification today that his first chemo treatment is scheduled to take place on Thursday January 21, 2010. His chemotherapy will be administered once per week for six months from that date.
The family would like to thank everyone who has been involved in dad's healing process thus far. All the visits, calls, cards, and meals are greatly appreciated (I've heard it first hand from mom). The prayers are working; dad is healing well, has been out of the house a few times. We went to Man Church the other night, which was a great lesson for all about how to cope when times are hard. We had lunch today with a friend at Chick-fil-a as well. Again, the prayers are working and the RECOVERY process has begun.
Thank you and God Bless,
JAH
We did receive notification today that his first chemo treatment is scheduled to take place on Thursday January 21, 2010. His chemotherapy will be administered once per week for six months from that date.
The family would like to thank everyone who has been involved in dad's healing process thus far. All the visits, calls, cards, and meals are greatly appreciated (I've heard it first hand from mom). The prayers are working; dad is healing well, has been out of the house a few times. We went to Man Church the other night, which was a great lesson for all about how to cope when times are hard. We had lunch today with a friend at Chick-fil-a as well. Again, the prayers are working and the RECOVERY process has begun.
Thank you and God Bless,
JAH
Thursday, January 14, 2010
Prayer Requests...
Lance Holland & Family (pancreatic fighter)
A.J. Wells & Family (leukemia fighter)
Cissi Scott & Family (survivor!)
Leigh Plagens & Family (fighter)
Ewing Family in Kansas (leukemia - recent loss)
Ben & Meredith Fox Family (survivor & fighter)
Shirley Dodge & Family (liver fighter)
Wayne Neal Family in Paris, TX (recent loss)
Brenda Stokley Lanclos & Family in League City, TX (fighter)
Tammy Osborn & Family (breast cancer fighter)
Rosemary Green & Family (leukemia fighter)
Riley Hicks & Family (leukemia survivor!)
Diane McMinn & Family (fighter)
Josh Copes & Family (brain tumor)
Jackie Thoreson (pancreatic fighter)
A.J. Wells & Family (leukemia fighter)
Cissi Scott & Family (survivor!)
Leigh Plagens & Family (fighter)
Ewing Family in Kansas (leukemia - recent loss)
Ben & Meredith Fox Family (survivor & fighter)
Shirley Dodge & Family (liver fighter)
Wayne Neal Family in Paris, TX (recent loss)
Brenda Stokley Lanclos & Family in League City, TX (fighter)
Tammy Osborn & Family (breast cancer fighter)
Rosemary Green & Family (leukemia fighter)
Riley Hicks & Family (leukemia survivor!)
Diane McMinn & Family (fighter)
Josh Copes & Family (brain tumor)
Jackie Thoreson (pancreatic fighter)
WHAT TO DO WHEN TIMES GET TOUGH?
As delivered by Steve Stroope on 1/13/2010 at Man Church in Rockwall, TX.
Notes from Greg Beauchamp
TRUST GOD - Romans 8:28-32
28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. 29 For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. 30 And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified. 31 What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32 He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?
3 REASONS YOU CAN TRUST GOD
1. God is in Control
Romans 8 - "God works..."
Psalm 147: 8-9, He covers the sky with clouds; he supplies the earth with rain and makes grass grow on the hills. 9 He provides food for the cattle and for the young ravens when they call.
Lamentations 3:37-38, We can speak and have it happen if the Lord has not decreed it? 38 Is it not from the mouth of the Most High that both calamities and good things come?
To say, “God is kind of in control” will wreck you.
Joseph was sold to slavery by his own brothers, accused of rape, in jail 13 years. To his brothers, he said (Gen 45:8) 8 "So then, it was not you who sent me here, but God. He made me father to Pharaoh, lord of his entire household and ruler of all Egypt.
2. God knows what we do not know
Sometimes benefit does not come this side of heaven. “In this world you will have trouble, but be of good cheer (Philippians).
Jeremiah 29:11, 11 For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”
Isaiah 55:8-9, 8 "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways," declares the LORD. 9 "As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.
We define “GOOD” differently than God. God defines “GOOD” as “conforming to the image of His Son.” We usually define “GOOD” as “comfort.”
What tough times do for us:
1. Clarify our faith. Job says, “Tough he slay me, yet will I praise Him.”
2. Increase our compassion
3. Humble us. If we are not humbled, we begin to think we can exist without God.
4. Gives us opportunities to witness
5. Increases our longing for heaven. This world is not our home.
6. Makes us stronger.
3. God Loves us
Romans 8:31, 31 What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us?
Abraham – God told him he was going to have children – waited 25 years
Moses – God told him he would deliver people from slavery – waited 40 years
Paul – Thorn in the flesh was never removed
Jesus on the cross – Asked God for help – God was silent, hidden and unfair, while also pulling off the most brilliant, loving, merciful act in all of history.
1 Corinthians 10:13, 13 No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.
Notes from Greg Beauchamp
TRUST GOD - Romans 8:28-32
28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. 29 For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. 30 And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified. 31 What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32 He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?
3 REASONS YOU CAN TRUST GOD
1. God is in Control
Romans 8 - "God works..."
Psalm 147: 8-9, He covers the sky with clouds; he supplies the earth with rain and makes grass grow on the hills. 9 He provides food for the cattle and for the young ravens when they call.
Lamentations 3:37-38, We can speak and have it happen if the Lord has not decreed it? 38 Is it not from the mouth of the Most High that both calamities and good things come?
To say, “God is kind of in control” will wreck you.
Joseph was sold to slavery by his own brothers, accused of rape, in jail 13 years. To his brothers, he said (Gen 45:8) 8 "So then, it was not you who sent me here, but God. He made me father to Pharaoh, lord of his entire household and ruler of all Egypt.
2. God knows what we do not know
Sometimes benefit does not come this side of heaven. “In this world you will have trouble, but be of good cheer (Philippians).
Jeremiah 29:11, 11 For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”
Isaiah 55:8-9, 8 "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways," declares the LORD. 9 "As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.
We define “GOOD” differently than God. God defines “GOOD” as “conforming to the image of His Son.” We usually define “GOOD” as “comfort.”
What tough times do for us:
1. Clarify our faith. Job says, “Tough he slay me, yet will I praise Him.”
2. Increase our compassion
3. Humble us. If we are not humbled, we begin to think we can exist without God.
4. Gives us opportunities to witness
5. Increases our longing for heaven. This world is not our home.
6. Makes us stronger.
3. God Loves us
Romans 8:31, 31 What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us?
Abraham – God told him he was going to have children – waited 25 years
Moses – God told him he would deliver people from slavery – waited 40 years
Paul – Thorn in the flesh was never removed
Jesus on the cross – Asked God for help – God was silent, hidden and unfair, while also pulling off the most brilliant, loving, merciful act in all of history.
1 Corinthians 10:13, 13 No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.
"Never let your prayin' knees get lazy..."
Be a best friend, tell the truth, and overuse "I Love You"
Go to work, do your best, don't outsmart your common sense,
Never let your prayin' knees get lazy,
And love like crazy…
Go to work, do your best, don't outsmart your common sense,
Never let your prayin' knees get lazy,
And love like crazy…
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
Pray For Haiti
Many people have been affected (beyond our belief) in Haiti by the devastating earthquake. May our Lord be with victims, families, and rescue personnel. As with all things, we must trust when we do not understand.
JAH
JAH
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
Prayer List: 1/12/10
Lance Holland & Family (pancreatic fighter)
A.J. Wells & Family (leukemia fighter)
Cissi Scott & Family (survivor!)
Ewing Family in Kansas (leukemia - recent loss)
Ben & Meredith Fox Family (survivor & fighter)
Shirley Dodge & Family (liver fighter)
Wayne Neal Family in Paris, TX (recent loss)
Brenda Stokley Lanclos & Family in League City, TX (fighter)
Tammy Osborn & Family (breast cancer fighter)
Rosemary Green & Family (leukemia fighter)
Riley Hicks & Family (leukemia survivor!)
Diane McMinn & Family (fighter)
Josh Copes & Family (brain tumor)
Jackie Thoreson (pancreatic fighter)
A.J. Wells & Family (leukemia fighter)
Cissi Scott & Family (survivor!)
Ewing Family in Kansas (leukemia - recent loss)
Ben & Meredith Fox Family (survivor & fighter)
Shirley Dodge & Family (liver fighter)
Wayne Neal Family in Paris, TX (recent loss)
Brenda Stokley Lanclos & Family in League City, TX (fighter)
Tammy Osborn & Family (breast cancer fighter)
Rosemary Green & Family (leukemia fighter)
Riley Hicks & Family (leukemia survivor!)
Diane McMinn & Family (fighter)
Josh Copes & Family (brain tumor)
Jackie Thoreson (pancreatic fighter)
Monday, January 11, 2010
Lance Holland Update...
Re: http://www.lotsahelpinghands.com/c/621488/
Thanks again to everyone who has signed up to help! And feel free to forward the link to anyone you know who might want to help or just keep up with Lance and Saundra.
Here is our Monday morning update from Saundra:
Lance is getting better everyday. We go to the oncologist on 18th. She will let us know when his first chemo treatment will be.
We will have a port put in for his chemo. The surgeon said it will be just a quick day surgery.
Not sure when they are doing that yet.
--
Visit our community site: http://www.lotsahelpinghands.com/c/621488/
Powered by Lotsa Helping Hands
Thanks again to everyone who has signed up to help! And feel free to forward the link to anyone you know who might want to help or just keep up with Lance and Saundra.
Here is our Monday morning update from Saundra:
Lance is getting better everyday. We go to the oncologist on 18th. She will let us know when his first chemo treatment will be.
We will have a port put in for his chemo. The surgeon said it will be just a quick day surgery.
Not sure when they are doing that yet.
--
Visit our community site: http://www.lotsahelpinghands.com/c/621488/
Powered by Lotsa Helping Hands
Ephesians 6
13 Therefore, put on every piece of God's armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle you will still be standing firm.
Friday, January 8, 2010
Jeremiah 29:11
"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."
Growing Prayer List = More Powerful Prayer
Lance Holland & Family (pancreatic fighter)
A.J. Wells & Family (leukemia fighter)
Cissi Scott & Family (survivor!)
Ewing Family in Kansas (leukemia - recent loss)
Ben & Meredith Fox Family (survivor & fighter)
Shirley Dodge & Family (liver fighter)
Wayne Neal Family in Paris, TX (recent loss)
Brenda Stokley Lanclos & Family in League City, TX (fighter)
Tammy Osborn & Family (breast cancer fighter)
Rosemary Green & Family (leukemia fighter)
Riley Hicks & Family (leukemia survivor!)
Diane McMinn & Family (fighter)
A.J. Wells & Family (leukemia fighter)
Cissi Scott & Family (survivor!)
Ewing Family in Kansas (leukemia - recent loss)
Ben & Meredith Fox Family (survivor & fighter)
Shirley Dodge & Family (liver fighter)
Wayne Neal Family in Paris, TX (recent loss)
Brenda Stokley Lanclos & Family in League City, TX (fighter)
Tammy Osborn & Family (breast cancer fighter)
Rosemary Green & Family (leukemia fighter)
Riley Hicks & Family (leukemia survivor!)
Diane McMinn & Family (fighter)
How can I help?
(excerpts from 15 Helpful Tips for Family, Friends, and Co-Workers)
by Chris McHugh
Keeping in touch is important. Send cards, notes, banners, kids drawings, or any message of hope to show you care. I found receiving "Get Well" cards with the message "While You Recover" to be very important in my Healing.
Form a Relay for Life team. This can show great team support while giving the patient something to look forward to.
Seek out positive survivor stories and share them often with your friend. Everyone who fights cancer needs to know that 8 million Americans are LIVING with cancer today.
Stay connected. Nothing bothered me more than when I would hear "I kept tabs through so-and-so because I just did'nt know what to say". Remember simply saying "I'm here and I care" is better than nothing at all.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
For info on Relay for Life, reference my post on 12/31/09. I'll be posting more info on our family team in the near future. JAH
by Chris McHugh
Keeping in touch is important. Send cards, notes, banners, kids drawings, or any message of hope to show you care. I found receiving "Get Well" cards with the message "While You Recover" to be very important in my Healing.
Form a Relay for Life team. This can show great team support while giving the patient something to look forward to.
Seek out positive survivor stories and share them often with your friend. Everyone who fights cancer needs to know that 8 million Americans are LIVING with cancer today.
Stay connected. Nothing bothered me more than when I would hear "I kept tabs through so-and-so because I just did'nt know what to say". Remember simply saying "I'm here and I care" is better than nothing at all.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
For info on Relay for Life, reference my post on 12/31/09. I'll be posting more info on our family team in the near future. JAH
Be Chemo Savvy:
Tips for surviving chemotherapy from a seasoned chemo survivor.
By Chris McHugh ©
Try to relax while taking treatment. Headphones or good conversation can take your mind off the drugs. Embrace the drug. Don't think of it as toxic, let it do it's work.
Pamper and reward yourself! Even something small is special. Maybe a goal after your chemo journey, like a trip or weekend away. Why wait!? Break up the rounds of chemo with a "chemo-get-away" or "retail therapy" (shopping). You will come back refreshed.
*Important* You will NOT get all of the symptoms listed on the chemo handouts.
When life hands you lemons, drink lemonade! Drink some lemonade or suck on lemon drops. It's really refreshingand I could taste it. Sucking on hard candy when they flush your mediport or line is helpful. Also remember to drink plenty of fluids after treatment.
Cut a fresh lemon in half when scents around the home make you fell "urpsy". The neutralizes the unwanted odors. Also, mild soaps, shampoos, and toothpaste can be found in your local grocery store.
If smells from the kitchen send you running, have someone bring you in a meal. It will allow someone to fell good about helping you out. Eat whatever sounds good or tastes good to you. Now is NOT the time to diet. (Try to remember comfort foods from your youth.
Stay ahead of the nausea. Don't wait to feel sick before taking your anti-nausea drugs. Listen to your nurse or pharmacist for scheduling your medicine. Anti-nausea drugs can cause headaches and constipation. Make a mental note of your week and adjust your next treatment accordingly.
If you are tired, rest and let people help you. Remeber it helps them too, as they feel helpless. When you are over-tired, everything seems worse. Life is worth the fight!
Get many hugs from all. Hugs heal!
This is a "germ free zone"! Wash your hands often when your white cell count is low. It's not a bad idea to have all your guests wash their hands as well.
Talk to others undergoing chemo. It really helps to share information and know that you have the same feelings and symptoms. A support group is a great resource or your hospital's learning library.
The best advice I ever received was "to remember to set short-term goals and take it one day at a time. Do or take whatever you need to get through this time, and most importantly, "Choose Hope."
Courtesy of Chose Hope, Inc.
***These tips and hints ARE NOT intended as a substitute to professional medical advice. If you have any questions or concerns, please consult your physician.
By Chris McHugh ©
Try to relax while taking treatment. Headphones or good conversation can take your mind off the drugs. Embrace the drug. Don't think of it as toxic, let it do it's work.
Pamper and reward yourself! Even something small is special. Maybe a goal after your chemo journey, like a trip or weekend away. Why wait!? Break up the rounds of chemo with a "chemo-get-away" or "retail therapy" (shopping). You will come back refreshed.
*Important* You will NOT get all of the symptoms listed on the chemo handouts.
When life hands you lemons, drink lemonade! Drink some lemonade or suck on lemon drops. It's really refreshingand I could taste it. Sucking on hard candy when they flush your mediport or line is helpful. Also remember to drink plenty of fluids after treatment.
Cut a fresh lemon in half when scents around the home make you fell "urpsy". The neutralizes the unwanted odors. Also, mild soaps, shampoos, and toothpaste can be found in your local grocery store.
If smells from the kitchen send you running, have someone bring you in a meal. It will allow someone to fell good about helping you out. Eat whatever sounds good or tastes good to you. Now is NOT the time to diet. (Try to remember comfort foods from your youth.
Stay ahead of the nausea. Don't wait to feel sick before taking your anti-nausea drugs. Listen to your nurse or pharmacist for scheduling your medicine. Anti-nausea drugs can cause headaches and constipation. Make a mental note of your week and adjust your next treatment accordingly.
If you are tired, rest and let people help you. Remeber it helps them too, as they feel helpless. When you are over-tired, everything seems worse. Life is worth the fight!
Get many hugs from all. Hugs heal!
This is a "germ free zone"! Wash your hands often when your white cell count is low. It's not a bad idea to have all your guests wash their hands as well.
Talk to others undergoing chemo. It really helps to share information and know that you have the same feelings and symptoms. A support group is a great resource or your hospital's learning library.
The best advice I ever received was "to remember to set short-term goals and take it one day at a time. Do or take whatever you need to get through this time, and most importantly, "Choose Hope."
Courtesy of Chose Hope, Inc.
***These tips and hints ARE NOT intended as a substitute to professional medical advice. If you have any questions or concerns, please consult your physician.
Wednesday, January 6, 2010
A Message From Saundra Holland...
Thank you to my wonderful son and daughter-in-law Neely for your love and support. We are so fortunate to have you here with us during this time.
I would also like to express my sincere thanks and love to our wonderful family, great friends, and church family at The First Christian Church of Rockwall for your loving support and help you all have shown to us since Lance's diagnosis and surgery. The cards, prayers, phone calls and wonderful meals are very much appreciated during this time. Your support has allowed me to give 100% of my time to my dear Lance for a 100% recovery for him.
Special thanks to my sister Terri Ferguson for devoting her entire Christmas break away from her family in Wharton and staying with me and helping me with Lance during his hospital stay and for her love and support. I thank God daily for you all and appreciate your continued prayers.
With Love,
Saundra
I would also like to express my sincere thanks and love to our wonderful family, great friends, and church family at The First Christian Church of Rockwall for your loving support and help you all have shown to us since Lance's diagnosis and surgery. The cards, prayers, phone calls and wonderful meals are very much appreciated during this time. Your support has allowed me to give 100% of my time to my dear Lance for a 100% recovery for him.
Special thanks to my sister Terri Ferguson for devoting her entire Christmas break away from her family in Wharton and staying with me and helping me with Lance during his hospital stay and for her love and support. I thank God daily for you all and appreciate your continued prayers.
With Love,
Saundra
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
Udated Prayer List
Lance Holland & Family (pancreatic fighter)
A.J. Wells & Family (leukemia fighter)
Cissi Scott & Family (survivor!)
Ewing Family in Kansas (leukemia - recent loss)
Ben & Meredith Fox Family (survivor & fighter)
Shirley Dodge & Family (liver fighter)
Wayne Neal Family in Paris, TX (recent loss)
Brenda Stokley Lanclos & Family in League City, TX (fighter)
Tammy Osborn & Family (breast cancer fighter)
Rosemary Green & Family (leukemia fighter)
Riley Hicks & Family (leukemia survivor!)
A.J. Wells & Family (leukemia fighter)
Cissi Scott & Family (survivor!)
Ewing Family in Kansas (leukemia - recent loss)
Ben & Meredith Fox Family (survivor & fighter)
Shirley Dodge & Family (liver fighter)
Wayne Neal Family in Paris, TX (recent loss)
Brenda Stokley Lanclos & Family in League City, TX (fighter)
Tammy Osborn & Family (breast cancer fighter)
Rosemary Green & Family (leukemia fighter)
Riley Hicks & Family (leukemia survivor!)
Monday, January 4, 2010
The power of prayer at work...
Thanks to everyone who continues to pray. In my opinion, yesterday (Sunday) was my dad's best day since surgery. He was in VERY good spirits, looked/felt great, good mood, active in conversation, and starting to heal well. I attribute this to a good rest on Saturday night. He might have been a bit tired from my traditional "after-midnight call" on New Year's Eve to wish him a Happy Birthday (47th fyi). At this point, I think we are starting to scale back on visitors at the house so that the healing process can fully take place and that he receives the proper rest and relaxation needed for that to happen. Needless to say, I feel that your prayers are working and that he's well on the road to full recovery and ready to fight. We have an appointment set for January 18th to meet with the Texas Oncology doctors so dad can start to prepare for chemotherapy.
Updated Prayer List (1/4/10):
Lance Holland & Family (pancreatic fighter)
A.J. Wells & Family (leukemia fighter)
Cissi Scott & Family (survivor!)
Ewing Family in Kansas (leukemia - recent loss)
Ben & Meredith Fox Family (survivor & fighter)
Shirley Dodge & Family (liver fighter)
Wayne Neal Family in Paris, TX (recent loss)
Brenda Stokley Lanclos & Family in League City, TX (fighter)
Tammy Osborn & Family (breast cancer fighter)
Pray. Pray. Pray.
to send a request, e-mail: ja.holland@yahoo.com
JAH
Updated Prayer List (1/4/10):
Lance Holland & Family (pancreatic fighter)
A.J. Wells & Family (leukemia fighter)
Cissi Scott & Family (survivor!)
Ewing Family in Kansas (leukemia - recent loss)
Ben & Meredith Fox Family (survivor & fighter)
Shirley Dodge & Family (liver fighter)
Wayne Neal Family in Paris, TX (recent loss)
Brenda Stokley Lanclos & Family in League City, TX (fighter)
Tammy Osborn & Family (breast cancer fighter)
Pray. Pray. Pray.
to send a request, e-mail: ja.holland@yahoo.com
JAH
Thursday, December 31, 2009
About the Whipple Procedure
"The Whipple procedure (pancreatoduodenectomy) is the most common operation performed for pancreatic cancer and may be used to treat other cancers such as small bowel cancer. Surgeons remove the head of the pancreas, most of the duodenum (a part of the small intestine), a portion of the bile duct and sometimes a portion of the stomach. After the pancreatoduodenectomy, the surgeon reconstructs the digestive tract" (Mayo Clinic).
Wednesday, December 30, 2009
Can't keep a good man down...
Well, I guess that eight days away from the real estate business can really get a guy jonesin for some MLS updates (sarcasm). If it were me who had just had my stomach cut open and been pampered for a week by nurses, I'd probably still be milking it; not dad. Neely (my wife) and I were over at my parents for dinner last night and dad was propped up in his chair with the wireless laptop looking at real estate listings on MLS. And, to top that, he may be the first person in the history of real estate to get two (2) listings on the same day he was in the hospital recovering from a major surgical procedure. I guess it's just a testament that he's putting this thing behind him and going on with a normal life. Cancer is quickly taking a back seat to the good life. The after effects of the surgery are that he's still got a considerable amount of pain and little appetite. So if you're a condition-specific prayer warrior, pray for a full healing of the scars and pain. That will get him back up and around hustling those real estate deals.
I'm amazed at the rapid response to the blog. Thank you to everyone for the prayers and well wishes. Keep them flooding in and remember to let me know if you have other prayer requests. Though I created this blog for my dad, it would be selfish not to use the "traffic" of the site to create more opportunities for prayer.
Prayers and Praise: Lance Holland (pancreatic cancer), A.J. Wells (luekemia), The Ewing Family in Kansas (recent loss of family member to cancer), Cissi Scott (cancer free).
JAH
I'm amazed at the rapid response to the blog. Thank you to everyone for the prayers and well wishes. Keep them flooding in and remember to let me know if you have other prayer requests. Though I created this blog for my dad, it would be selfish not to use the "traffic" of the site to create more opportunities for prayer.
Prayers and Praise: Lance Holland (pancreatic cancer), A.J. Wells (luekemia), The Ewing Family in Kansas (recent loss of family member to cancer), Cissi Scott (cancer free).
JAH
Tuesday, December 29, 2009
Update: December 29, 2009
For those who do not know or have not heard, my father was diagnosed with cancer about three weeks ago and underwent a major surgery last Monday. He has spent the last eight days at Presbyterian Hospital of Dallas recovering from a surgery called The Whipple Procedure. The results of the procedure were conclusive that dad has Pancreatic Cancer (Stage II-B). The cancer is classified as "R1" which means that the cancerous mass was fully resected during the surgery and that there are signs of microscopic cancer cells which will be treated with chemotherapy doses of Gemcitabine(pronunciation: jem-SITE-a-been). They were able to get all of the cancer mass and all of the lymph nodes in the area out. His chemotherapy will be administered once per week for six months starting in late January after his body has healed from the surgery.
Dad came home from the hospital today and is now resting in the comfort of his own home without the interuption of nurses and doctors every thirty minutes. I was there at lunch and he's up watching TV in the living room and even walking around the house a bit. He is still very sore (as you can imagine) and is looking forward to a speedy recovery. He's determined to have his body in the best possible shape before starting chemo.
The most important part of this entire situation is that dad is both full of optimism and faith in God. He has relied on our Lord throughout this entire process and we will all continue to lean on the comforting presence of God as this continues. Dad is a positive God-fearing man and is determined to look this thing in the face and defeat it. We, as a family, are very trusting that God's will is in effect and will prevail. Dad, the doctors, our family, and wonderful friends have formed a team that will work together to stay positive and beat cancer.
If you have messages that you'd like to relay to my dad, please feel free to e-mail me directly at ja.holland@yahoo.com. In addition, if you are currently directly impacted by the effects of cancer (i.e. yourself, family member, or friend). Please tell me about it. I would like to include everyone on the Cancer Sucks Blog; because the power of prayer is awesome. Our God is awesome and the more people that read this will pray. So please, tell me about prayer requests you have as well in your own lives.
My first prayer request is for A.J. Wells, who is the little brother of one of my greatest friends in the world, Richard Wells, Jr. A.J., who is 3 years old, is currently undergoing some serious doses of chemotheraphy to treat Luekemia. He is fighting hard and I ask everyone to place him on your prayer list so that this brave little boy can beat Luekemia.
Dad came home from the hospital today and is now resting in the comfort of his own home without the interuption of nurses and doctors every thirty minutes. I was there at lunch and he's up watching TV in the living room and even walking around the house a bit. He is still very sore (as you can imagine) and is looking forward to a speedy recovery. He's determined to have his body in the best possible shape before starting chemo.
The most important part of this entire situation is that dad is both full of optimism and faith in God. He has relied on our Lord throughout this entire process and we will all continue to lean on the comforting presence of God as this continues. Dad is a positive God-fearing man and is determined to look this thing in the face and defeat it. We, as a family, are very trusting that God's will is in effect and will prevail. Dad, the doctors, our family, and wonderful friends have formed a team that will work together to stay positive and beat cancer.
If you have messages that you'd like to relay to my dad, please feel free to e-mail me directly at ja.holland@yahoo.com. In addition, if you are currently directly impacted by the effects of cancer (i.e. yourself, family member, or friend). Please tell me about it. I would like to include everyone on the Cancer Sucks Blog; because the power of prayer is awesome. Our God is awesome and the more people that read this will pray. So please, tell me about prayer requests you have as well in your own lives.
My first prayer request is for A.J. Wells, who is the little brother of one of my greatest friends in the world, Richard Wells, Jr. A.J., who is 3 years old, is currently undergoing some serious doses of chemotheraphy to treat Luekemia. He is fighting hard and I ask everyone to place him on your prayer list so that this brave little boy can beat Luekemia.
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