Beads of Courage

Noah's counts pretty much bottomed out today. His white cells are zero, his ANC was nearly zero, and he is going to need blood today. We thought we would wait until just before we headed home (which has changed to Thursday, best case scenario) but his counts are low enough that he is getting an infusion this afternoon. He got to play for about an hour today - rode a tricycle, went to the Lily Pad, watched cars drive under the walkway to the Children's Harbor, then he played there for a bit. By the time we got back to the room for lunch and washed any germs away, he was exhausted and fell right to sleep.
I had a great visit with some of my "sisters" that drove down last night, and Noah had a blast showing out for them. John will come down this afternoon and spend some time with us until he has to get back for service preparations on Wednesday. Please pray for him as he spends so much time driving back and forth from Birmingham to Athens...and praise the Lord for our reliable transportation! I don't know if I've actually posted this on the site, but we were blessed about 2 months ago when some of our friends gave us a van. That's right, GAVE us a van. It's a 2008 Dodge Grand Caravan. And they GAVE it to us. It wasn't even one they just had sitting around that wasn't being used. They went to the dealership and bought it for us. They saw our great need and had the faith to meet it. Oh my word...I can't even begin to describe what a help it has been. The engine in my car had gone out several months prior the Noah's diagnosis, and John's Jeep is great for getting around town and for hauling his trailer, but it still needed a lot of work. With all of the upcoming medical bills, I was stressing about what to do. (We could not afford another monthly payment, or the interest that would come with it.) John had enough faith to tell me, "stop worrying - God will provide." And He did. And we're praying that one day soon, we can pay this forward...and we're working on that. :) That phrase "to whom much is given, much is required" is on my mind. I'm not sure who said it/where it came from...is it biblical? I don't know. But I do know that the level of expectation I've placed on my family is..well...BIG. It's obvious to me that the Lord allows trails and tribulation in order to grow His children, to shape them like a potter shapes his clay. I believe we are being molded and crafted, sanded and scraped for a greater purpose...to resemble Him more. And if this is what it takes to develop my character and move me closer to the likeness of Christ, then so be it. Who am I to question His ways? We have been SO taken care of through this entire journey, I have no doubt that in the future He will provide in ALL ways - physically, materially, spiritually, etc.
And you know I have to close by saying, THANK YOU for your gifts and prayers and encouragement and love and support....we are so glad to be in the family of God.
But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body. For we who are alive are always being given over to death for Jesus' sake, so that his life may be revealed in our mortal body. So then, death is at work in us, but life is at work in you (2 Corinthians 4:7-12).

I'd also like to share about Beads of Courage. A friend posted the video below on Facebook and I wanted to share with everyone who reads our blog. These Beads of Courage program help so many childhood cancer patients; it gives encouragement and hope. Noah is still too young to understand the concept (he just wants to put them up his nose) but I find great satisfaction in having a tangible thing to represent everything he's been through. And one day he will really appreciate them as well. But it needs funding just like any other program like it. You can click on the link above and follow these directions to give specifically to Children's Hospital Oncology Group Beads of Courage program:
1. www.beadsofcourage.org
2. Choose Shop, then Donate
3. Choose donation amt...
4. Location: Just because I care
5. Designate My Donation To: Child in Treatment
6. Write in the Note - Children's Hospital in Birmingham, Alabama - Oncology Group
* Step 6 is crucial to make sure it gets to Children's!