Relay for Life

Do we have the best friends, or what? Thank you, Cindy and Emily, for dedicating your walk to me. What a beautiful surprise!

Chalkbot Message

I wanted to post a reminder of Eric's finding in France this summer. Through Lance Armstrong's Livestrong Foundation Eric went online and submitted a message, unbeknownst to me, to be printed on the streets of France during the tour this summer. Consider three weeks worth of riding all over France with continuous messages on the roads. There was no way of knowing if or where a requested message might be printed. Eric didn't even get to ride on all the streets so the odds that he'd come across his submitted message wasn't very likely. Low and behold, though, on the last day with his tour group, he decided to do a final ride to absorb all he could of the Pyrenees. His finding was a small miracle in itself.



"Take a Deep Breath"

Yesterday's solicitation for fasts and prayers on Sunday have brought an onslaught of emails and facebook postings sharing extraordinary support. The kind words and testimonies had me in tears as I tried to explain that if I were to pass sooner rather than later, it would okay. Though it's not what I want or am praying for, we could all know with thousands of fasts and prayers that it really was God's will and my time to work elsewhere. (In fact, it's a little morbidly exciting to ponder what it'd be like -- if I can spy on you all. The Lord knows I love reality tv and would like to be a fly on your walls. hahaha)

But to the point of my writing...my heart was so softened by messages that I was sobbing. Four year old Leyna said, "Mom, take a deep breath." Mom and I lost it -- it was hilarious, but just what I needed.

Like Mom said of Tiff growing up, Leyna can really set the tone in our family.She has the ability to draw out deep emotion in everyone, be it anger, peace, or laughter. Our little angelic devil.

Will you fast?...an email from my Dad and me...

An invitation to Bri’s family and friends . . .

Fri., Oct. 22, 2010

We’re in quite a predicament.  I’m supposed to take chemo every two weeks.  Unfortunately, my white soldier cell and platelet counts are too low to sustain the dreadful, yet life-sustaining chemo. We saw how much the cancer spread after a month of no treatment, so I told him I still want to be as aggressive as possible. In more or less words, doc confessed that he does not expect me to live longer than six months, so while we want to be aggressive, he wants me to have a good quality of life – not living the remainder of my days nauseous and sick.

I’m not upset at him for sharing such news.  He was being forthright like I asked of him and could only speak from his experience.  Though a seasoned oncologist, he’s never had a colon cancer patient survive more than six months once the disease has spread to the liver and lungs, not to mention the bones and brain as is my case.  I am excited to be his first patient to blow that timeline away!

Yep, it’s time for THE miracle and we’re calling in all forces to plead for a full recovery soon.  Let us all rely on one another’s faith, not faltering, and show the doctors that, with God, anything is possible!

Will you join us for a day of fasting and constant prayer this Sunday?

Deepest gratitude and overwhelmingly love for all!

Bri

- - - - - -

This Sunday, as your circumstances permit, we invite you to participate with us in a special fast in behalf of Bri, Eric and the children.  As her parents, Teri and I feel we’re on the brink of a miraculous event in Bri’s life -- fulfillment of priesthood and Fathers’ blessings.  We recognize that we don’t control God’s timing.  Having felt prompted to do so, through this special fast and continued faith and prayers we desire to express our humble faith and trust in Him and pray that we may be found worthy to witness and testify of that which is to come.  We also fervently pray for gifts of the Spirit to be evidenced -- faith to be healed, faith to heal, and the working of miracles.

Where circumstances allow, we also invite you to attend a temple within the next few days to perform any service and to place Bri and Eric’s names on the prayer rolls.

For friends and family who may not have received my e-mail earlier this week, I’ve attached a copy of a talk given in 1953 by Elder Matthew Cowley of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.  Please read and ponder it, praying for similar faith and miracles at this time. 

                                                                                                                                

We gratefully acknowledge continued acts of kindness, thoughtfulness, fasting, prayer and temple worship with Bri, Eric, the children and Teri in your hearts and minds.  Thank you.

Below, I share some scriptural passages that have been on my mind for quite some time.  The last passage, Acts 3:1-13, has rested with me in a powerful manner for several weeks.

We love and appreciate you.

Rick

Mosiah 24:16

And it came to pass that so great was their faith and their patience that the voice of the Lord came unto them again, saying: Be of good comfort, for on the morrow I will deliver you out of bondage.

D&C 24: 13

Require not miracles, except I shall command you, except casting out devils, healing the sick, and against poisonous serpents, and against deadly poisons . . .

Morm. 8: 24

(For enhanced understanding of the phrase “in his name,” I suggest study of a book authored by Elder Dallin H. Oaks, “His Holy Name,” printed by Deseret Book.)

And he knoweth their prayers that they were in behalf of their brethren. And he knoweth their faith, for in his name could they remove mountains; and in his name could they cause the earth to shake; and by the power of his word did they cause prisons to tumble to the earth; yea, even the fiery furnace could not harm them, neither wild beasts nor poisonous serpents, because of the power of his word.

The entire chapter of Morm. 9

John 14: 12

. . . He that believeth on me,

the works that I do shall he do also; and

greater works than these shall he do;

because I go unto my Father.

Acts 3:

1 Now Peter and John went up together into the temple at the hour of prayer, being the ninth hour.

2 And a certain man lame from his mother’s womb was carried, whom they laid daily at the gate of the temple which is called Beautiful, to ask alms of them that entered into the temple;

3 Who seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple asked an alms.

4 And Peter, fastening his eyes upon him with John, said, Look on us.

5 And he gave heed unto them, expecting to receive something of them.

6 Then Peter said, Silver and gold have I none; but such as I have give I thee:

                                       In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk.

7 And he took him by the right hand, and lifted him up: and immediately his feet and ankle bones received strength.

8 And he leaping up stood, and walked, and entered with them into the temple, walking, and leaping, and praising God.

9 And all the people saw him walking and praising God:

10 And they knew that it was he which sat for alms at the Beautiful gate of the temple: and they were filled with wonder and amazement at that which had happened unto him.

11 And as the lame man which was healed held Peter and John, all the people ran together unto them in the porch that is called Solomon’s, greatly wondering.

12 ¶ And when Peter saw it, he answered unto the people, Ye men of Israel, why marvel ye at this? or why look ye so earnestly on us, as though by our own power or holiness we had made this man to walk?

13 The God of Abraham, and of Isaac, and of Jacob, the God of our fathers, hath glorified his Son Jesus . . .

Childhood Friends

The greatest of friends are those who you can be separated from for years and yet, whenever you meet up, it's as if no time has passed. Camille, thanks for driving 4 hours to spend an hour laughing and crying with me. I love you.

Serena Visits from Oklahoma

We had such a great time with Serena! She spoiled us all rotten, though, with food and gifts. Besides the gift of her time, my favorite of her gifts was a foot orthotic that I put in my shoes and tie around my calf thatenables me to walk a thousand times better! Serena, I can't thank you enough!

The morning of my colonoscopy -
Poor Serena had to put up with my delirious demands and statements while sedated. Let it be known, though, that I warned her before going in that I always wake up from sedation either mad or sad. I fear I was more on the mean side this time: I demanded to know why I had to wake up, demanded to go to the bathroom where Serena had to dress me, and kept asking for my Twix bar all day (obviously chocolate is often on my mind). The sedative was so strong that I literally slept the day away and got up for dinner, then was still able to sleep through the night.

Picking mini pear-apples
Goofy Leyna. We made a pear-apple pie and Mom pureed most the fruit and dehydrated it to make fruit roll-ups that the kids can't get enough of

Bishop's Pumpkin Farm

just for fun

Hooray for Clean Colons!

After yesterday's colonoscopy, we’re celebrating the great news of normal results! I wish I could have celebrated more yesterday, but I was under such heavy sedation that I could hardly open my eyes all day, and in fact didn't wake up until dinner time and continued to feel drugged through the night. I remember bits and pieces of the morning, but not much. Every two seconds, I was falling back into such a deep sleep that I’d have a vivid dream, and then be abruptly woken by the nurse or Serena, who was my chaperone for the day, saying I had to wake up. I was so frustrated at not being able to sleep! I recall trying to reply or comment on things in my dreams or reality but couldn’t muster the strength for it. Indeed, I was trapped in my body. Why people intentionally drug themselves is beyond me!

Many people told me they were fasting and praying for this tender mercy of good news. To all of you, I LOVE YOU!!! And for all the wonderful individuals in our new ward family who don't even know me, but have brought in meals and flowers, my heart is filled with gratitude for you. The Lord continues to let us know that He's watching over us by sending supportive angels like all of you into our lives. 

Visitors

This weekend was great with visits from Val & Cheri; Gena, Justin & Morgan; and Kristi. Friends are friends forever!