For those who have seizures

Let us join in prayer for those that have had seizures, that they may recover fully and discover the trigger that causes these things so that they may manage their lives here on earth for the greater glory. Amen.

This prayer prompted by a seizure event in Kevin Fath's family; his mom and family would benefit from your prayers. Thanks RGB

A prayer: "For Those in Pain"

Lord sometime I want to howl in pain and anger when I hear of the death of some person or child who is innocent of any sin or evil.

I often direct this anger towards you because I don’t know
where else to place it.

I don’t understand how a loving God can stand by and watch this cruel world send its rock slide of pain down upon the innocent.

But that is exactly the point Lord, it isn’t you that sends
the pain, it is something that exists in this world that
is evil.

Something that we cannot describe fully, rolls over the
top of us when we least expect it.

We struggle to understand, but wisdom and insight
fail to be our gifts and we settle back into ignorance,
sorrow and blindness.

That is when we can turn to you for help. The past
is done but the future is pregnant with possibilities.

Our departed loved ones leave behind the sweet
taste of their love in great abundance and it is
this that will redeem our spirits and offer us
succor.

Lord turn us from bitterness and in your wisdom
show us how to spread love and not our sorrow
to the world around us.

Amen


Deacon Tom Coffey
Spring 2008

Lynda Hilborn update - Sunday - 11 May 2008

The following was forwarded to me nearly a month ago (how time flies)...and I am just getting caught up with adding a few requests for prayer to the PGPG blog...this one is certainly a welcome NEW addition to our group... Thanks for sharing Chris R.

RGB
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Hello everyone:

Today is the eve of our departure to Dalhousie University Speech Program for Aphasia, in Halifax Nova Scotia. I thought this would be a good opportunity to send you an update and, as always, solicit your continued prayers.

Although some of you have been on this prayer chain since the first day. Some of you may be receiving this for the first time. For those of you that have been with us for varying periods of this past year, I thank you for your support and prayers. I believe that it has been through these prayers that God has blessed me with the recovery we have seen so far. Although I fully acknowledge she has a long way to go, Lynda has come a long, long way from where she was a year ago.

For those of you that have just recently joined us, may God bless you for your support of us in prayer.

Now for the update:

Since I last provided an update on Lynda’s Birthday (April 13) there has been some improvements in several areas:


* Although we did have her gall bladder removed, it only slightly improved her condition. However, recent test have confirmed that she has two stomach ulcers which are likely causing her the pain she is experiencing.

* Although happy we found these problems it seems almost inconceivable that the other 3 GI doctors that ran so many tests on her didn’t find them.
* The treatment for this is a bit slower than we would like so there will still be issues with this pain for a while.

* We have dropped her sodium intake down to zero. On the surface it appears that she has stopped needing the 24 grams of sodium chloride a day she needed before. She may now be able to sustain her sodium levels by more natural intake.
* Along with the sodium, we have been able to get her off of nearly all medications. She is down to only three medications she has to take routinely. (This is down from 24 medications when I brought Lynda home from the hospital in August)
* She has on a few occasions articulated information which seems to indicate at least a beginning of a return of past memory. I’m excited about that because the past memory will also provide her with her past talents and abilities and minimize those things she has to “relearn”.
* Lynda also routinely indicates an understanding of the fact that “things are not normal”. She also articulates the desire for things to be “normal” again.


Now for the prayer requests:

Praises:


* Portsmouth Christian Schools (the school that Lynda taught in for many years and was actively teaching in at the time she got sick) and several of the individuals and Sunday school classes at our church (Biltmore Baptist) raised a very significant amount of money to help with the expenses for the therapy program we are going to attend over the next several weeks. Their efforts cover more than ½ of the expenses. Praise God for this much needed help.
* We have found what is likely the cause of her biggest physical problem and have a plan to treat it.
* I have a boss and company that are providing the opportunity to go to this therapy program.


Requests:


* The treatment provided Lynda will take away her pain and any physical discomfort.
* The therapy will be a resounding success.
* Lynda will continue to recover her long-term memory and the ability to use it and articulate it properly.
* Safe and expedient travel and great experiences while we are in Canada.
* That God will bless each and every one of you as you continue to pray for and support me and Lynda.


As you know, because many of you have lived this year with us, this has been a tough time to say the least. It has been a roller coaster ride with emotions I never dreamed of experiencing.

As Lynda and I go to Canada to this clinic, I know that in many ways the work we will do will be harder than anything we have ever done before. But the rewards stand to be greater than any task we have ever undertaken. I believe that everything we experienced in the first beautiful 36 years of our marriage has been God’s way of preparing us for this past year and the recovery before us in the years to come.

I looked back at the journal we kept (mainly as part of Jenny’s nightly emails to each of you) and found that May 12, 2007 is the day we were first informed that Lynda had some level of brain damage. It seems very appropriate that the anniversary of that terrible news is the day that we embark on what could be the most important part of her recovery.

I am excited about this opportunity and I know that each of you has contributed in a very large way to my ability to not only survive the past year, but to be able to provide Lynda the atmosphere, treatment and therapy to bring her back as far as she has come. Through these efforts and the grace of God, she has reached a level that will allow this therapy to become fruitful. You have given so much of yourselves to make my job easier at a time when I could not have needed it more.

Thank you seems like such an inadequate word, but it is said with the utmost sincerity.

Thank you!

Chip and Lynda

Maggie n Grayson UPDATE!!!!

thanks to all of your prayers.......here now is maggie may 10lbs 1/2ozs and grayson 12 lbs 1/2ozs

best wishes to all

jill

Sarah Macey's Surgery...INCREDIBLE

From: st macy
Date: Sat, 17 May 2008 04:32:19 +0000


Please forward to anyone you think might be interested.

First and foremost, we are completely overwhelmed by everyone's generosity and response to the messages about Sarah. This morning we were checking e-mail and had prayer after prayer after prayer being offered for her and our family. You are an incredible support to our family and a beautiful testiment to the power of prayer and faith in God!

A special thank you to all from the St. Joseph community. WOW! What a blessing to have you in our lives. Messages from staff, students stopping every hour to pray, classes saying the Rosary, cards and pictures being sent, and the list goes on. We will never be able to thank you enough for what you did and continue to do for us. The Parish, School, and EEC were absolutely incredible with their response of hope and faith for us. That was a true beacon for us.

Sarah went into surgery this afternoon. What had promised to be a "flipping intense surgery" (the surgeon's words this morning - ha) with a lot of potential complications was successfully completed earlier than expected. The surgery had been predicted to be 5-6 hours if things went smoothly, longer if complications. It was about 4 hours. According to the CT scan, the tumor had spread throughout viens and lungs and could potentially be difficult to extract. The surgeon was able to remove all the visible tumors (the lungs will still needed to be treated via chemotherapy). It will probably be Tuesday before she is considered "fully recovered". Chemotherapy will start shortly after that. They inserted a port for the chemo which will reduce the number of times she needs to be stuck with a needle. As pathology reports come in, we will work with the oncology group to develop a treatment plan. We will keep everyone posted on the developments.

Although we still have a long road ahead of us as we wait for pathology reports and develop a game plan of how we will continue to treat Sarah, this is definitely a wonderful surprise compared to what we thought we would be facing based on the scan reports from yesterday. I truly believe that the power of prayer had a lot to do with today's positive outcome. So many people forwarded the message to others that we had prayers being offered by multiple denominations throughout the US, Masses being offered for Sarah, Rosaries being said, etc. Because of your incredible devotions and prayers, Sarah's surgery was smooth and we are looking a a less intense recovery from it.

Thank you!

May God bless you and your families!!

The Macy Family - Steve, Joan, Catherine, Isabelle, and Sarah

Sarah Macey (3yr old) Needs Your Prayers

We wanted to update everyone with Sarah's condition.

Our escapade with Sarah, our 3-year old, started on Tuesday night when we found a bump on her abdomen. After talking with our doctor's office, we thought she might be a little "backed up" since her play had increased with the nice weather but her fluid intake had not. With complaints of a tummy-ache throughout the night, we decided to take her into the doctor's office on Wednesday.

Our theory of constipation changed to one of a possible hernia and a referral for an ultrasound. While at the imaging center, we received word that the swollen abdomen was due to a Wilm's tumor. With films in hand and a lot of questions in our heads, we headed for Children's Mercy - Downtown for admittance. This is what has developed over the past 24 hours:

She has a Wilm's tumor which is a cancerous growth on a kidney. It occurs in children typically between 3-8 years old. The CT scan shows that it has spread into the major viens/arteries to the heart and leg and into her lungs.

On Friday she will under surgery to remove her kidney with the Wilm's tumor and "clean" the veins/arteries. They will also explore to see if there is further spread not seen on the CT scan. She will then undergo chemotherapy to attack the growths in her lungs and potential other sites. A port will be implanted during surgery through which her future labs and meds will be drawn/delivered. We don't have a definite treatment plan until surgery and pathology reports are complete, but the doctor said to expect it to be a year or two for treatment.

We have been humbled by the extraordinary outpouring of support from family, friends, neighbors, and co-workers. It is times like this we realize how blessed we are with such wonderful people in our lives. You may not realize how reassuring your words and actions of support and encouragement are to us. We will never be able to thank you enough. We will keep you posted as to the developments in Sarah's condition. Thank you & may God continue to bless you all!!!

The Macy Family - Steve, Joan, Catherine, Isabelle, & Sarah

All You Need is...Love. Who is Love?

When there is nothing left but God, that is when you find out that God is all you need.

Father, God bless all my friends and loved ones in whatever it is that You know they may be needing this day! And may their life be full of your peace, prosperity and power as he/she seeks to have a closer relationship with you. Amen.

Paul Harvey's Prayer for all of us(a)

'Heavenly Father, we come before you today to ask your forgiveness and to seek your direction and guidance. We know Your Word says, 'Woe to those who call evil good,' but that is exactly what we have done. We have lost our spiritual equilibrium and reversed our values. We have exploited the poor and called it the lottery. We have rewarded laziness and called it welfare. We have killed our unborn and called it choice. We have shot abortionists and called it justifiable. We have neglected to discipline our children and called it building self esteem. We have abused power and called it politics. We have coveted our neighbor's possessions and called it ambition We have polluted the air with profanity and pornography and called it freedom of expression. We have ridiculed the time-honored values of our forefathers and called it enlightenment. Search us, Oh God, and know our hearts today; cleanse us from every sin and Set us free. Amen!'

A Psalm - A Cruel Disease, by Deacon Tom

A Psalm
Cruel Disease

Lord; fate has loaded us with so many disasters
and we try to overcome them but we have little
confidence in our ability.
We struggle to make sense out of the turmoil
that infects us when illness and death
seem to hover closely by us.

We must watch our loved ones suffer
with illness in that even a wise person
can not understand and we feel that we are
without resources.
We writhe in the agony of not knowing why
this illness is so cruel.

Lord our God you know what we have to
contend with.
You know what it is like to see you’re loved
one suffer under the cruel
bludgeoning of senseless pain.
You understand our suffering as friends,
siblings and lovers of the victims.

You made your children, the Hebrews,
emerge from the cruelty of slavery in
Egypt and become a nation.
You saw your son Jesus Christ die
a bitter foolish death on the cross
and through your wondrous grace
rise again to glory.
In all of the dark days of our world
you always have blessed us with
your love. Now we pray for
your children who are terribly ill and
without resources and we ask you to
touch their life with your warmth and
healing presence.

We know Lord that we don't always
see your healing and love as we face
the darkest moments of life, but it is
there.
It is not just healing that we need.
We need to find ways to deal with our
sorrows and live with our cross.
Show us the way out of this senselessness.
Lord you are the divine healer, the
master physician we are you loving children
bless and grace us as you see fit.

Deacon Tom Coffey
Spring 2008

Fake Friends / Real Friends tutorial

FAKE FRIENDS: Never ask for food.
REAL FRIENDS: Is the reason you have no food.

FAKE FRIENDS: Call your parents Mr. / Mrs.
REAL FRIENDS: Call your parents DAD/MOM

FAKE FRIENDS: Never seen you cry
REAL FRIENDS: Cry with you

FAKE FRIENDS: Borrow your stuff for a few days then give it back
REAL FRIENDS: Keep your stuff so long they forget it's yours

FAKE FRIENDS: Know a few things about you
REAL FRIENDS: Could write a book about you with direct quotes from you

FAKE FRIENDS: Will leave you behind if that is what the crowd is doing
REAL FRIENDS: Will kick the whole crowds butt that left you

FAKE FRIENDS: Would knock on your front door
REAL FRIENDS: Walk right in and say 'I'M HOME!'

FAKE FRIENDS: Are for awhile
REAL FRIENDS: Are for life

FAKE FRIENDS: Will talk bad to the person who talks bad about you.
REAL FRIENDS: Will knock the person out that talked bad about you

FAKE FRIENDS: Would ignore this
REAL FRIENDS: Will send this to all their real friends and hope to get it back!

If you were killed today, I'm sorry I wouldn't be able to come to your funeral, because I'd be in jail for killing the person who did it.

The Cup of Hot Chocolate

A group of graduates, well established in their careers, were talking at a reunion and decided to go visit their old university professor, now retired. During their visit, the conversation turned to complaints about stress in their work and lives Offering his guests hot chocolate, the professor went into the kitchen and returned with a large pot of hot chocolate and an assortment of cups-porcelain, glass, crystal, some plain looking, some expensive, some exquisite -- telling them to help themselves to the hot chocolate.

When they all had a cup of hot chocolate in hand, the professor said:
'Notice that all the nice looking; expensive cups were taken, leaving behind the plain and cheap ones. While it is normal for you to want only the best for yourselves, that is the source of your problems and stress.

The cup that you're drinking from adds nothing to the quality of the hot chocolate In most cases it is just more expensive and in some cases even hides what we drink. What all of you really wanted was hot chocolate, not the cup; but you consciously went for the best cups... And then you began eyeing each others cups.

Now consider this: Life is the hot chocolate; your job, money and position in society are the cups. They are just tools to hold and contain life. The cup you have does not define, nor change the quality of life you have. Sometimes, by concentrating only on the cup, we fail to enjoy the hot chocolate we have.

The happiest people don't have the best of everything, they just make the best of everything that they have.

Live simply. Love generously. Care deeply. Speak kindly. Thank the Lord for your blessings in 2008. And enjoy your hot chocolate!

James Bockwinkel

From: bockwig@yahoo.comTo: bockWINkel@aol.comSent: 4/26/2008 3:22:15 P.M. Central Daylight TimeSubj: Special Prayer Reqquest for JAMES

Rick,

James needs more prayers than his mom and dad can provide. Please ask your faithful to say one for James.

Every since late January, James has gone from one cold to another. Even had to go to ER once. Well, two days ago, they finally diagnosed his illness. MONO. Anyone who ever had it knows how it can drag you down. He is in his final semester of his final year with graduation 5/11 and lots of papers and reports due in the next week plus finals. James needs some spiritual uplifting.
Thanks
Uncle George

Paul Walker HARVEST

Paul had a morning full of tests and then another appointment with the tranplant doctor. He signed consent for the additional drug to mobilize his stem cells. They will be harvesting his stem cells with the help of this new drug starting Monday, March 24. They generally harvest enough for two stem cell transplants in case another is needed; however, there is a possibility with his past trouble that they may only be able to harvest enough for one tranplant.

A rather major change is that KU is going back to inpatient transplants for awhile. Assuming the harvest is successful, Paul will be admitted to the tranplant unit on March 31, the first day of his chemo; and will be there for approximately three weeks or until his counts go back up. Last Friday, we talked to another myeloma patient that we had met at the support group. He was to be three weeks behind Paul on the tranplant schedule; but due to Paul's delay, he is now two weeks ahead. Anyway, he was told last Friday, that he would be inpatient. That gave us time to kind of get our heads around this before meeting with the doctor today; at least it wasn't a total surprise. We both feel comfortable with this change and feel that this is another way that God is taking care of us.

Again, thank you for all of your support and prayers. We know they are helping.- Linda(Calvin's grandmother!)

Dustin Carter

http://sports.aol.com/story/_a/with-an-iron-will-he-finds-a-way/20080229222809990001

If you cannot access this story, let me know. It is inspiring to say the least.

Scripture Verse for your Birthday

Click it out ------> http://www.birthverse.com/MYBIRTHVERSE.CFM

The Cabbie and the Preacher

A cab driver reaches the Pearly Gates and announces his presence to St. Peter, who looks him up in his Big Book. Upon reading the entry for the cabbie, St. Peter invites him to pick up a silk robe and a golden staff and to proceed into Heaven.

A preacher is next in line behind the cabby and has been watching these proceedings with interest. He announces himself to St. Peter. Upon scanning the preacher's entry in the Big Book, St. Peter furrows his brow and says, "Okay, we'll let you in, but take that cloth robe and wooden staff."

The preacher is astonished and replies, "But I am a man of the cloth. You gave that cab driver a gold staff and a silk robe. Surely *I* rate higher than a cabbie."

St. Peter responded matter-of-factly: "This is heaven and up here, we are interested in results. When you preached, people slept. When the cabbie drove his taxi, people prayed."

The Taylor Rozier Cancer Story

Rick,

I am certain someone in your Prayer group is praying for someone with cancer. They might find this story from Incarnate Word Academy in St.L. one of joy. (Good to have some Kleenex handy though for some tears of joy).

Uncle George

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OfrDljSmaEo

Paul Walker Cancer Treatment Update

Paul had labs today and his platelets are starting to go up, so the plan is to start the harvest or collection of his stem cells on Monday, 2/25. The chemo and infusion of his stem cells will be the following week.

We are anxious to get started; but, obviously, somewhat apprehensive.

The central line that he had put in on Friday was a bigger deal than we realized; and the care of it is somewhat involved. Once we start going to the cancer center daily, they will take over its care.

Thanks for your support.-- Linda(Calvin's grandmother!)

Man raised from the dead by prayer.

Article and video here:
http://www1.wsvn.com/features/articles/specialreport/MI75423

Paul Walker UPDATE...UPBEAT~!

In a message dated 2/12/2008 6:15:05 P.M. Central Standard Time, grandmalindawalker@gmail.com writes:

As of last week, the plan was to start harvesting Paul's stem cells the week of 2/18, and then the chemo and transplant the week of 2/25. He had a couple of full days of tests and consultations last Thursday and Friday. Most everything looked good, except his platelet count was low. This could be due to some medications which he is now going to hold or due to an infection. A low platelet count could make the harvest more difficult. At any rate, everything has been bumped back a week in hopes that the platelet count will go up. The really good news is that the results of his bone marrow biopsy show that his plasma cells are now only 2%. In June when he was diagnosed, they were at 10%. In October, when all of the pain started, he was at 70% in some places. At the beginning of January at Mayo, he was down to 5% after a little more than two cycles of the induction drugs....and now 2%. Actually 3% is normal; I always knew that there was nothing normal about him! The most recent skeletal x-rays show that he has compression fractures in his vertebrae that were not present in his 11/20/07 x-rays. This would explain the terrible pain he had in late November and December. The oxycontin is what is now controlling the pain. In the future he may consider having cement injected in the vertebrae. This would possibly help him get off of the pain meds. But first things, first....and that is the transplant.

Anyway, thank you for all of your prayers. They are really working. We will continue to need them in the coming weeks and months.-- Linda(Calvin's grandmother!)

Abbey, died last month

Our 14 year old dog, Abbey, died last month. The day after she died, my 4 year old daughter Meredith was crying and talking about how much she missed Abbey.

She asked if we could write a letter to God so that when Abbey got to heaven, God would recognize her. I told her that I thought we could so she dictated these words:

Dear God,

Will you please take care of my dog? She died yesterday and is with you in heaven.
I miss her very much. I am happy that you let me have her as my dog even though she got sick.

I hope you will play with her. She likes to play with balls and to swim. I am sending a picture of her so when you see her, you will know that she is my dog.
I really miss her.

Love, Meredith.

We put the letter in an envelope with a picture of Abbey and Meredith and addressed it to God/Heaven. We put our return address on it. Then Meredith pasted several stamps on the front of the envelope because she said it would take lots of stamps to get the letter all the way to heaven.

That afternoon she dropped it into the letter box at the post office. A few days later, she asked if God had gotten the letter yet. I told her that I thought He had.

Yesterday, there was a package wrapped in gold paper on our front porch addressed, "To Meredith", in an unfamiliar hand. Meredith opened it. Inside was a book by Mr. Rogers called, "When a Pet Dies."

Taped to the inside front cover was the letter we had written to God in its opened envelope.
On the opposite page was the picture of Abbey & Meredith and this note:

Dear Meredith,

Abbey arrived safely in heaven. Having the picture was a big help. I recognized Abbey right away.

Abbey isn't sick anymore. Her spirit is here with me just like it stays in your heart. Abbey loved being your dog. Since we don't need our bodies in heaven, I don't have any pockets to keep your picture in, so I am sending it back to you in this little book for you to keep and have something to remember Abbey by.

Thank you for the beautiful letter and thank your mother for helping you write it and sending it to me.

What a wonderful mother you have. I picked her especially for you. I send my blessings every day and remember that I love you very much.

By the way, I'm easy to find, I am wherever there is love.
Love,

God

I believe

A birth certificate shows that we were born; a death certificate shows that we died; pictures show that we lived! Relax. And read this slowly.

I believe - That just because two people argue, it doesn't mean they don't love each other. And just because they don't argue, it doesn't mean they do.

I believe - That we don't have to change friends if we understand that friends change.

I believe - That no matter how good a friend is, they're going to hurt you every once in a while and you must forgive them for that.

I believe - That true friendship continues to grow, even over the longest distance. Same goes for true love.

I believe - That you can do something in an instant that will give you heartache for life.

I believe - That it's taking me a long time to become the person I want to be.

I believe - That you should always leave loved ones with loving words. It may be the last time you see them.

I believe - That you can keep going long after you think you can't.

I believe - That we are responsible for what we do, no matter how we feel.

I believe - That either you control your attitude or it controls you.

I believe - That heroes are the people who do what has to be done when it needs to be done, regardless of the consequences.

I believe - That money is a lousy way of keeping score.

I believe - That sometimes the people you expect to kick you when you're down will be the ones to help you get back up.

I believe - That sometimes when I'm angry I have the right to be angry, but that doesn't give me the right to be cruel.

I believe - That maturity has more to do with what types of experiences you've had and what you've learned from them and less to do with how many birthdays you've celebrated.

I believe - That it isn't always enough to be forgiven by others. Sometimes you have to learn to forgive yourself.

I believe - That no matter how bad your heart is broken, the world doesn't stop for your grief.

I believe - That our background and circumstances may have influenced who we are, but we are responsible for who we become.

I believe - Two people can look at the exact same thing and see something totally different.

I believe - That your life can be changed in a matter of hours by people who don't even know you.

I believe - That even when you think you have no more to give, when a friend cries out to you - you will find the strength to help.

I believe - That credentials on the wall do not make you a decent human being.

I believe - That the people you care about most in life are taken from you too soon.

"The will of God will never take you where the Grace of God will not protect you."






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Start the year off right. Easy ways to stay in shape in the new year.

God's Problem Now

God's Problem Now ...

When the graveside service had no more than terminated,
there was a tremendous burst of thunder accompanied by
a distant lightning bolt and more rumbling thunder.

The little old man looked at the pastor and calmly said,

"Well, she's there."

A minister passing through his church

A minister passing through his church
in the middle of the day,
Decided to pause by the altar
and see who had come to pray.

Just then the back door opened,
a man came down the aisle,
The minister frowned as he saw
the man hadn't shaved in a while.
His shirt was kind a shabby
and his coat was worn and frayed,
the man knelt, he bowed his head,
Then rose and walked away.

In the days that followed,
each noon time came this chap,
each time he knelt just for a moment,
A lunch pail in his lap.

Well, the minister's suspicions grew,
with robbery a main fear,
He decided to stop the man and ask him,
'What are you doing here?'

The old man said, he worked down the road.
Lunch was half an hour.
Lunchtime was his prayer time,
For finding strength and power.

'I stay only moments, see,
because the factory is so far away;
as I kneel here talking to the Lord,
This is kind a what I say:

'I JUST CAME AGAIN TO TELL YOU, LORD, HOW HAPPY I'VE BEEN,
SINCE WE FOUND EACH OTHERS FRIENDSHIP AND YOU TOOK AWAY MY SIN.
DON'T KNOW MUCH OF HOW TO PRAY,
BUT I THINK ABOUT YOU EVERYDAY.
SO, JESUS, THIS IS JIM CHECKING IN TODAY.'

The minister feeling foolish,
told Jim, that was fine.
He told the man he was welcome
To come and pray just anytime

Time to go, Jim smiled, said 'Thanks.' He hurried to the door.
The minister knelt at the altar, he'd never done it before.

His cold heart melted, warmed with love,
and met with Jesus there.
As the tears flowed, in his heart,
he repeated old Jim's prayer:

'I JUST CAME AGAIN TO TELL YOU, LORD, HOW HAPPY I'VE BEEN,
SINCE WE FOUND EACH OTHERS FRIENDSHIP AND YOU TOOK AWAY MY SIN.
I DON'T KNOW MUCH OF HOW TO PRAY, BUT I THINK ABOUT YOU EVERYDAY.
SO, JESUS, THIS IS ME CHECKING IN TO DAY.'

Past noon one day, the minister noticed
that old Jim hadn't come.
As more days passed without Jim,
he began to worry some.

At the factory, he asked about him,
learning he was ill.
The hospital staff was worried,
But he'd given them a thrill.

The week that Jim was with them,
Brought changes in the ward.
His smiles, a joy contagious.
Changed people, were his reward.

The head nurse couldn't understand
why Jim was so glad,
when no flowers, calls or cards came,
Not a visitor he had.

The minister stayed by his bed,
He voiced the nurse's concern:
No friends came to show they cared.
He had nowhere to turn.

Looking surprised, old Jim spoke
up and with a winsome smile;
'the nurse is wrong, she couldn't know,
that he's in here all the while

everyday at noon He's here,
a dear friend of mine, you see,
He sits right down, takes my hand,
Leans over and says to me:


'I JUST CAME AGAIN TO TELL YOU, JIM, HOW HAPPY I HAVE BEEN,
SINCE WE FOUND THIS FRIENDSHIP, AND I TOOK AWAY YOUR SIN.

ALWAYS LOVE TO HEAR YOU PRAY,
I THINK ABOUT YOU EACH DAY,
AND SO JIM, THIS IS JESUS CHECKING IN TODAY.'

Sylvia's Requests

We have been praying for Cathy Kinsella's dad for some time...........things are not going well and we really need to not only lift up Bill and Barbara, but also Cathy and her sister.........thanks.
We got back from Pittsburgh last night. I'm going to head back over there on Thursday. Dad is declining pretty quickly, I think it's time to put him actively back on the Prayer Warrior's list... It has been almost two years since he was diagnosed with Multiple Myeloma. At this point he has about 95% bone involvement, meaning just about every bone in his body is cracked, broken or compressed. He is in incredible pain which can be (and has been) controlled with meds but my mom is having a really hard time making decisions: she can't bear for him to be in pain so they increase the meds and he sleeps around the clock (basically in a fetal position) and she can't bear to see that so they lower the meds and he is awake but in terrible pain and she can't bear to see that so they increase the meds... He is in a skilled nursing unit but doesn't qualify for hospice yet because his blood levels, according to the oncologist, are "great." Thankfully there is a terrific social worker and PA always available to mom and dad - I'm just having a hard time being 5 hours away. Anyway, please pray for peace and comfort for my dad (Bill Perfater) and maybe add to that acceptance for my mom (Barbara Perfater.) If anyone would have time to send him (them) a note as a "friend of Sylvia", the address is:

Mr. & Mrs. John W. Perfater (Bill and Barbara)
231 Norman Drive
Cranberry Township, PA 16606

I know most of all, they'd appreciate your prayers! Thanks so much, wishing you a Happy, Healthy 2008!

Love,
Cathy

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The days have been long since aunt Marie's transfer to the skilled/rehab nursing unit at Country Meadows. I ask you to please pray for a compassionate, attentive nurse to be assigned to her care. In accordance with aunt Marie's wishes, rehab will be discontinued after tomorrow and hospice care will be started on Thursday. I was with aunt Marie for a couple hours tonight, making sure she was tucked in and comfortable for the night. Before I left she said, "Sylvia, can't the good Lord just spare just a little bitty space for me in heaven? I really won't take up that much room? Please tell everyone to pray tonight and ask Him to please make just a little space for me". So, I ask you this night to pray with - if it's the Lord's will, to open a little space for her, and for uncle Herman's acceptance..........uncle Herman rarely leaves her side. I told aunt Marie that I thought perhaps uncle Herman was understandably having a tough time letting go.......after 76 yrs, that's not too easy.......uncle Herman was sitting there shaking his head with tears dripping down his cheeks............she said "he doesn't need me anymore".....and he said "I think I would have to disagree with that"...........she just shook her head and said it's time for her to go. It was very hard for me to leave them tonight. Cousin Tara is flying in from NC on Friday - pray for her safe travel. Thanks so much. <3 span="">

Karen Rumore <krumore@yahoo.com>

I have a girl, Jenna, I'd like to add to the list to. She is both a new Mom and a young teenager struggling with the decision of adoption or keeping the baby. Because of the situation, her family has abandoned her, which compounds the difficulty of her decision. It looks as though she wants to keep it, but the logistics seem insurmountable (except for the Lord, that is!)

Because of confidentiality issues, I can't ask for one of your famous card showers (though I'd love to). For anyone who would just like to send an email to me with their name (first is fine) so I can create a list for her of people praying for her, that would be great. Time is ticking and she needs to decide in a matter of days. I can't imagine being a teenage mother, let alone all alone. Blessed Mother, wrap in your mantle of love!

Thank you,
In Christ Our Life,
Karen


AND A GOOD NEWS UPDATE:
Deborah Kochman <debkochman@gmail.com>

Sylvia,

Amy called this evening to tell us that her home pregnancy test was positive!!! We are thrilled but cautiously optimistic - we would all appreciate everyone whispering a little prayer for Amy and this new little one.

Thank you for the update on Aunt Marie...if she wonders at all about "why" - let her know that she and Uncle Herman (and of course the white rose story) were part of our dinner conversation Sunday evening. *hugs*

Best,

Deb

Not sure what nudged me to awaken to check PR at this early hour..........but after reading this prayer request from our friend Keith about his brother and also our friend Ken, I knew why and started praying. When I drove out to Pittsburgh to visit Katie, Meghan's roommate from Penn State who was paralyzed in the car accident - it was Keith and his wife Becky who I stayed with. Keith and Ken are twins and were roommate/friends of Victor at Penn State........Ken lives in CO and is an avid skiier, etc........Please pray for Ken's complete healing from this accident.........thanks. <3 href="http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=1JiJzqXxgxo" title="http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=">http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=1JiJzqXxgxo

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Latest on aunt Marie:
When I arrived today she was in bed.......a bit drowsy as she had just retuned from physical therapy. She awoke when she heard me talking with uncle Herman. "Sylvia, come here. I have to tell you something. Today I stood up for myself. When the aide came in this morning I asked her who my nurse was. She told me Linda. I told her I wanted to see Linda right away. She asked me what was wrong.........and I told her. MY FAMILY BROUGHT US HERE BECAUSE THEY THOUGHT THAT WE WOULD RECEIVE GOOD CARE HERE. WE ARE PAYING A LOT OF MONEY TO STAY HERE AND WE ARE NOT GETTING GOOD CARE. NOBODY CARES. I HAVE A SORE SPINE AND I HAVE BEEN TELLING YOU FOR DAYS. NOBODY DOES ANYTHING. YOU FLOP ME IN BED AND THEN YOU LEAVE. Needless to say the aide went to get "Linda". Aunt Marie said she told Linda the same exact thing. I AM TELLING YOU THAT I WANT YOU TO CHECK MY SPINE AND I WANT YOU TO GET SOMETHING ORDERED FOR IT AND IT BETTER BE PUT ON IN THE MORNING AND AT NIGHT SO THAT I DON'T HAVE PAIN". What aunt Marie is referring to is the skin breakdown in her coccyx area - at the bottom of her spine at her tailbone. It is so red, raw, and sore....soon will open. Aunt Marie nor uncle Herman had any idea that I had already ranted and raved at the director of nursing yesterday before I left. This goes on and there are family members present..........I cannot imagine what those other poor residents do who do not have anyone checking in on them. I commended aunt Marie and told her I am so proud of her for taking the bull by the horn. At least while I was there when I rang for someone to help me get her out of bed to go to the bathroom the response was a bit quicker than previous days......and there was actually a hint of compassion felt. So I thank you from the bottom of my heart and ask you to please continue to pray for angels to surround the two of them.
VICTOR'S DAD:
Victor's dad will be having knee replacement surgery at Coaldale Hospital on January 9th by Dr. Meade (Marilyn, perhaps your Michelle can mention something to him??) - please pray for surgery to go smoothly, that previous medical issues will continue to lie dormant, and that dad will have a quick recovery - HE HAS HIS CARBON COUNTY SENIOR GAMES TO BE UP AND RUNNING IN MAY!!! Would take a lot to keep this guy down! : )
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Update on Ken

I spoke to him today. He is on a great deal of pain medication so that he is able to have movement. He was thrown around a lot (no seat belt) and would be too stiff for any physical therapy.

He also has a bruised liver, partial collapsed lung. Right arm & shoulder are not perfect and is cause for concern. Nerve bundle for that area may have been stretched injured damaged inflamed whatever. The recovery may or may not go well for Ken. Therapy to start now.

He will probably be in the hospital till Sunday or so.

I am leaving Friday night with Ken's friend Al Worthington and son Tim for a Road Trip west. Will hopefully arrive 24 hours down the line. As I said, it was planned before the accident and I am still going to ride out with them. Had considered flying out as soon as I heard but needed to do these last days of work to get away.

Love to all. Thanks for your replies.

Keith
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Good morning Syl,

I am asking for prayers for Gabriella Snyder. We have had her on our prayer line several times before. This time her husband found her on the sofa and was unable to waken her. \She was admtted to LVHC in acute care. They found she has some type of infection in her blood stream. They are trying to find an anti biotic that may stop this infection. This lady has had continued health problems for about two years. Please pray that she will finally get her health in better shape for the New Year and that quick results will be forth coming to clear up this recent infection. Love to you all, By the way would someone e-mail me the schedule for prayer group. I would like to make a real effort to attend this year. Carole Y.


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Please let's continue to keep Becky in our prayers .............. the previous e-mail she is referencing I was not able to open and I had sent it back to Becky..........so know that she is appreciative of our prayers......

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year, Syl! I had sent you an email to thank everyone for their prayers since the hospital changed it's mind and decided to keep me and the Pastoral Care Dept Keep me in your prayers. The past month was very difficult for me and even though the result was good, I'm still feeling "shell-shocked". Love, Becky Chaplain Rebecca BurtDirector, Chaplaincy ServicesEaston Hospital250 S. 21st StreetEaston, PA 18042610 250-4027


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You may remember that Marilyn Cassidy asked us about a week or so ago to pray for Michelle who had just delivered her third child and was having issues with her blood pressure - we need to storm heaven!!!

Hi Loves,
Michelle Gaudioso is NOT doing well. I thought no news was good news, but not so in this case.
Michelle G., my co-worker Susan's sis-in-law, cannot get her bottom # of her blood pressure regulated - it's been consistantly over 100. Now they are going to test her kidneys and heart to see if anything is wrong there. And little Katherine, born Dec. 19, has a bad cold, cannot breathe, so mom has kept her in bed with her for fear of not hearing her baby in case she's in some distress. Surely not good for mom's BP either! Please continue praying for them.

Also, Ramona's father, 88, who was in Cedarbrook Fountain Hill, got pneumonia over Christmas, is now at home in Emmaus with Ramona's sister Amy from NYC providing care for him with hospice nurses. Amy is only part-time, so she will be getting no pay while home. And Ramona's husband, Jeff will have surgery to remove the mass from his rectum on Friday, Jan 4, so please especially pray for him also. That's it for now. Love, Marilyn


Hi Loves,Here are some more requests from Renee. My neighbor, Peggy, is now in Lehigh Center, doing better after breaking her pelvis, and I think somewhat improved with her stomach distention, also, but she still needs our prayers. Thanks.Love, Marilyn

Here are the requests I had mentioned and one more I just found out about. 1. Barbara, who was my boss in the Student Affairs office of PennMed when I was in college, was diagnosed with breast cancer in August. She has had a lumpectomy and four months of chemo and has more surgery and 6-8 weeks of radiation coming up. 2. Mike (from Chestnut Bluffs - Mike and Rocio) has a niece who was just born prematurely. Mike's sister Jackie and her husband Noel struggled (a long time) to have a baby in the first place and then she was delivered about 28 or 29 weeks gestation. Baby is Sloane and is about 2 weeks old and doing okay, but not out of the woods yet. 3. Gina (our neighbor here - the landlord's wife) grandfather is in the hospital with back pain of some unknown cause. I don't know his name - Mr. ? M Tell "the girls" I said hello and thanks for the prayers. Love, Renee

PLEASE BE SURE TO READ THE LAST PR AND START PRAYING FOR DIANE'S MOM ROBERTA. It might give comfort to Diane if you e-mail her to let her know you are praying - or if any of you have had this experience THANKS. <3 href="http://www.blogger.com/" title="http://">http://www.blogger.com/

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Debbie Turks <http://www.blogger.com/>

Syl,

Can you please add Dr. C to the prayer chain. His father was murdered (beaten to death) on Christmas day and was buried on New Years.
It happened in his home and apparently there was no forced entry. He is one of the doctors that I work with. He is really having a hard time with it.

thanks
Debbie
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Connie P Trach <http://www.blogger.com/>

Good news -

My cousin's breast surgery (seems so long ago!) turned out OK - no cancer.
My uncle (her father) who had the heart attack and broken foot is doing OK as well. The foot is taking a very long time
to heal, but he's coming along.

I do have to prayer requests -

My aunt Barney (don't laugh - long story!), mother and wife of those above, was hospitalized early on Dec. 31st with
congestive heart failure. They sent her home on Wednesday and she should do well with meds and diet.
My cousin, on the other hand, is coming just a bit unglued. In addition to her health issues and those of her parents,
her employer is not showing a whole lot of compassion. It just makes everything so much more difficult.
A friend (God knows her name) is being treated for Stage 0 breast cancer. The doctor has assured her that this is very
treatable and that she will be fine, but it is still a very frightening thing for a young mother.
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Aunt Marie was so-so today. She had a lovely young girl who was her aide - I then went out to get her name.....I explained to Jonna that we have had a rough few days with regard to the care, but I definitely felt the care and compassion when I walked in to the room - I told her that I will be letting her superiors know what a great job she was doing. She apologized that we had a bad experience thus far "but you sure made my day - thanks, that really makes me feel good what you said!"......I know it was all of your prayers for someone compassionate to be sent to Aunt Marie. Thanks. Poor Jonna!.....I told aunt Marie that anytime she needs anything she should ask for her! : ) For a few moments aunt Marie ........sort of fades off.......she closes her eyes, her head drops, and she just has a strange look about her.....this happened when she was at the hospital..........I gently rubbed her arm and asked if she was okay.......she opened her eyes slightly and peeked up at me...."yes, I'm fine, don't worry, it's not the end YET!" God love her! I'll be picking up cousin Tara at the Philly airport tonight........aunt Marie is looking forward to seeing her but can't understand why she's coming in! <3 href="http://www.blogger.com/" title="http://">http://www.blogger.com/>
Good Morning Everyone,

I am writing to ask all of you a major favor. Most of you know my mom and dad. Would you please say some prayers for them? Ask God to keep them safe and healthy. Let me share with you a little story.

On New Year's Eve day my mom went missing for over 7 hours. As you all know, she has dementia (Alzheimer's.whichever!) but still works 2 mornings a week, cleaning for the priests of SH in Allentown. Well, Monday morning my dad drops my mom off and goes about his daily routine as they have done for the past 5 years. It turns out my mom didn't need to go in that day as it was a holiday. When the priest offered to give her a ride home, my mom told him not to worry about it and walked out the door. She intended on walking the 3 miles home as she has done before. Well, she made a wrong turn and ended up wandering around downtown Allentown for over 7 hours. She left the rectory around 7:45 am. We found her around 4 pm.

My dad has never carried the cell phone Chris and I gave him 4 years ago, so he never got the message that my mom was gone until after 10 that morning. He immediately filed reports with the Allentown and Whitehall police departments while Kayla called my sister and I. By lunch, my brother-in-law, John, had left work and he, Donna, Chris, Joey, Jonathan and I were out searching. Kayla joined the search when dad got home from the PD. Someone needed to stay home. After an exhausting few hours of searching, driving around in endless circles, Donna and John finally found her. She had no money, no ID and had been walking continuously all day. She was so disoriented that she didn't even know who Donna and John were. She was headed in the right direction home (on Mickley Road) but was so exhausted none of us believe she would have made it. I just thank God it was not as cold a day as it has been the past few.

It was inevitable this would happen one day and now that it has, new plans need to be put into action. My dad has finally agreed to USE the cell phone we gave him. I have noticed the progression of her disease a lot over the past few months - she can barely finish a sentence because she can't find the words to use. Her vocabulary is pretty much nonexistent. It is truly heart breaking.

Many of you ask me regularly "How's Mom?" when you see me. I thought I'd share the latest info with you - one of the most terrifying days of my life!! I really didn't think I'd see her again!
Again, I ask you to pray for my mom and dad and that God will give all of us the guidance to begin making the type of decisions we need to make!

Thank You,
Love,
Diane
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Hi Loves,

Ramona's husband Jeff's report yesterday was that "the surgery went fine." I hope that means they just removed the mass from his rectum and didn't have to remove anything more. She was not able to wait for him to come out of recovery because, of course, he was taken into surg. later than they expected, and her father, Mr. Trumbore, was in really bad shape, so Ramona's sister was going to pick her up at St. Luke's. Their father deteriorated much more on Friday, and had lesions all over his body. They expected him to pass away last night or today, but I didn't hear anything yet.

I forgot to ask for prayers for Ramona's sister - Amy's boyfriend's mother had part of her vagina removed on Thurs. and that surgery was successful, but please pray for her recovery. And of course, pray for a speedy and complete recovery of Jeff, too. It will be tremendously difficult since he is the driver in their family, and will now be laid up for a couple of weeks.
Their son is in state hosp. still, and he depends on his father for money and cigarettes.

Love, Marilyn

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Cmycross@aol.com <Cmycross@aol.com>
Good evening all,

I just had a call from a friend of mine asking for prayers. Our dear friend Trina Trexler has been on our prayer line before because she has been battling a cancer in the blood stream for two years. She goes for chemo every other month for this cancer. Last week she was diagnosed with Lymphoma. A very aggressive type she was told. She asked to be put on our prayer line especially because her son is getting married in May and she would like to be here to see this happen. Her future daughter in law's mother also has cancer, her name is Susan Sanders. Now the young people are afraid both mothers may not make it until May. A heavy burden, to be going to school (young lady is going to be an astronaut), planning a wedding and trying to spend as much time as possible with mother's they may be losing soon. Both women need prayers for their cancer treatment to go well and the young people for peace and the strength to cope with all that is going on. I also am asking for prayers for my dear friend Dolly Magan, we have prayed for her several times before but she needs God's help to control her health. She has osteoporosis, cholestral problems but her diabetes is so out of control They have tried her on a new experimental drug, also one she had to inject 1/2hr before eating a meal, several different pills and now injections. Nothing seems to bring down and keep the count down. So many people are comforted by our prayers. You are all so faithful. I am so thankful that our Lord put me intouch with you and has taught me the real friendship brought to us by praying for each other. What a wonderful God He is. Love to you all, Carole Y.

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Hi Aunt Syl, we have a prayer request for Perry's co-worker Linda. (Perry's starting his new job tomorrow so this is the office manager from his "old" job...she was at my shower.) Her husband is a firefighter and was killed in a fire this morning. They have a son who is in high school. Obviously this has been very devastating to them. They can use all the prayers they can get. Thank you! Cara

http://wnep.com/Global/story.asp?S=7584157
(the name is spelled wrong in this article...it's Robeson)

http://pahomepage.com/content/fulltext/?sid=3a8740fd299d31f12464ac2e3744c19c&cid=22837

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Just received this from cousin Sharon in CT (Victor's cousin with the five young girls) - she had asked us to pray for the Abissi family a couple weeks ago - mom was dx with cancer. Pray for safe travel for Sharon - she and the girls, along with her brother Nick and his son Jake were in Lansford at Victor's dad's where we all celebrated Orthodox Christmas. Michele took the train from Boston to CT and Sharon was kind enough to pick up Michele and bring her down also so that she wouldn't miss the festivities.........they are on their way back home. Pray also for Michele, that she makes her "T" connection at midnight to get back to school - I just spoke with her and traffic must be pretty heavy as she said it feels like they've been traveling for days! : ) Thanks. <3 href="mailto:pat.walters@gmail.com" title="mailto:pat.walters@gmail.com">pat.walters@gmail.com

>
Hi Sylvia,

I'm writing to ask for prayers for mom. We think she has had one or more TIA's
and Hospice was started over the week-end. I'll be heading to PA sometime this
week.

Thanks,
Pat

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Hi Syl...I have a PR for a cousin of mine...He is 95, His name is Henry. He has been in the hospital since Christmas Eve...His health is failing, had galeblatter surgey and has not fully recovered...Pray that he doesnot suffer and if God is calling he has a peaceful journey. Thanks Julie

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"Kat" is an 11 yr old girl from Alabama who we have previously been asked to pray for.......she has a brain tumor and has been undergoing treatment......let's hope and pray tonight that this is nothing serious. Thanks. <3>

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Nick is a 17 yr old we have prayed for before.........he's currently undergoing treatment at Sloan and has yet another bump in the road.........please pray for this to resolve on its own.....this family has been through a lot.

Prayers are needed. Nick had a great time last night out to dinner. We walked 13 blocks and he ate like a horse. Shortly afterward he started experiencing an all too familiar stomach pain. After a fitful night we ended up in urgent care today. An xray has revealed another bowel obstruction. He is in cat scan right now and I have run back to the room to gather things. He is being admitted and they are watching him overnight before making a decision about surgery. He CANNOT have another surgery! We are going skiing in two weeks and he is sooo behind in school. We need his body to resolve this obstructon on its own ( a possibility). He is down and in pain. Please pray for this to resolve without surgery, honestly I don't think we could take that right now. WE just need this to resolve, please pray! Caryn

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Michele just called.........you may remember we prayed for her friend Lauren Young's grandma "Oma" in May when she became quite ill and was not expected to make it........but surprised everyone and was looking quite good at Lauren's wedding in June..........well Oma was taken to the hospital and is not doing well. Please pray for Oma.

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Frank AND Matthew just lost their wife(and mother)Chris L Christmas Day 2 years ago in a freak Ice Accident and now I just called to CHECK UP on them and theris dog SYD had to be put down.Please whisper a little prayer for them-their struggling-Thanks

Jan's mom Norma in Florida just found out she has a brain tumor-no diagnosison what kind yet-Jan is a Radiation Therapist and her mom is coming "HOME" to be in Pennsylvania to have Radiation Therapy"Consult"for treatment if it's cancer.Please whisper a little prayer that Jan can be strong as her mother goes step by step.

Thanks all you Angels, Maureen

Paul Walker MAYO Marathon

In a message dated 1/4/2008 12:37:01 P.M. Central Standard Time, grandmalindawalker@gmail.com writes:

We made our drive to Mayo in the frigid, windy temperatures on New Year's Day. The car was really blown around, but at least there was no snow. ,We met with our doctor on Wednesday morning ay 9:30 and she had already read through the files that we had hand carried up here. We really liked her and she spent quite a bit of time with us. Then we were off to the races with tests and appointments which really wore Paul out. He had an EKG, urine test, chest X-ray, bloodwork, and an appointment with the social worker on Wednesday. On Thursday, he had a bone marrow biopsy for which he was sedated - Yeah! He also completed his 24 hour urine collection. That pretty much completed all of the necessary tests since we had brought up copies and/or CDs of all of his past tests. He felt up to going out to eat last night which was great.

Today we had an appointment at The Gift of Life Transplant House which is where we would probably stay if we decide to have the transplant here. They said that the usual stay for a stem cell transplant is 6-8 weeks. The bedrooms are pretty small with a double and a twin bed in each and a recliner and small desk. TVs are not allowed because they want to encourage mingling and gaining support from others. There are common rooms with TVs and lots of sitting areas. You are provided two sets of towels and sheets and are responsible for your own laundry and cleaning. There are kitchens to cook in and numbered cabinets, freezer space, and refrigerator space. The cost is only $25 a night. It would be pretty close quarters for such a long period of time. Good thing Paul and I like each other.

Anyway, the big decision will still be where to have the transplant. We have been so impressed with Mayo. They really do put the patient first. KU, on the other hand, has a strong pull because of being at home. Hopefully when we meet with the doctor on Monday afternoon to discuss test results, there will be something that will help us make the decision.

We plan on driving home on Tuesday, weather permitting. Right now the weather channel shows snow for Tuesday, but that is still pretty far in the future.

Thanks for all of your prayers and support. We know that they are helping and bring us a lot of comfort. -- Linda(Calvin's grandmother!)

Paul Walker at Mayo Clinic for Tests

In a message dated 1/2/2008 6:17:28 P.M. Central Standard Time, grandmalindawalker@gmail.com writes:

Happy New Year to you too! We are in Rochester at Mayo. We met with the doctor today and Paul had lots of tests; more tests tomorrow and then we meet with the doctor again on Monday. Keep us in your prayers.

Thanks
Linda Walker
Calvin's Grandmother

Maggie and Grayson DOING WELL!

In a message dated 1/3/2008 9:38:17 A.M. Central Standard Time, Siggy52697 writes:

Ah, the power of prayer. Here is an update on my friend Jill's niece and nephew.
God Bless,
Mary Frances ~^~

Thanks to everyone for all of their prayers. Maggie is now 5/11 and Grayson is 6/8.

A New Year's Message

Can I borrow $25?

A man came home from work late, tired and irritated, to find his 5-year old son waiting for him at the door.

SON: 'Daddy, May I ask you a question?'

DAD: 'Yeah sure, what it is?' replied the man.

SON: 'Daddy, how much do you make an hour?'

DAD: 'That's none of your business. Why do you ask such a thing?' the man said angrily.

SON: 'I just want to know. Please tell me, how much do you make an hour?'

DAD: 'If you must know, I make $50 an hour.'

SON: 'Oh,' the little boy replied, with his head down.

SON: 'Daddy, may I please borrow $25?'

The father was furious, 'If the only reason you asked that is so you can borrow some money to buy a silly toy or some other nonsense, then you march yourself straight to your room and go to bed. Think about why you are being so selfish. I don't work hard everyday for such childish frivolities.' The little boy quietly went to his room and shut the door.

The man sat down and started to get even angrier about the little boy's questions. How dare he ask such questions only to get some money? After about an hour or so, the man had calmed down, and started to think: Maybe there was something he really needed to buy with that $25.00 and he really didn't ask for money very often. The man went to the door of the little boy's room and opened the door. 'Are you asleep, son?' He asked. 'No daddy, I'm awake,' replied the boy. 'I've been thinking, maybe I was too hard on you earlier' said the man. 'It's been a long day and I took out my aggravation on you. Here's the $25 you asked for.'



The little boy sat straight up, smiling. 'Oh, thank you daddy!' He yelled. Then, reaching under his pillow he pulled out some crumpled up bills. The man saw that the boy already had money, started to get angry again. The little boy slowly counted out his money, and then looked up at his father. 'Why do you want more money if you already have some?' the father grumbled. Because I didn't have enough, but now I do,' the little boy replied. 'Daddy, I have $50 now. Can I buy an hour of your time? Please come home early tomorrow. I would like to have dinner with you.'

The father was crushed. He put his arms around his little son, and he begged for his forgiveness. It's just a short reminder to all of you working so hard in life. We should not let time slip through our fingers without having spent some time with those who really matter to us, those close to our hearts. Do remember to share that $50 worth of your time with someone you love.



If we die tomorrow, the company that we are working for could easily replace us in a matter of hours. But the family & friends we leave behind will feel the loss for the rest of their lives.

A Christmas Story

It was the day after Christmas at a church in San Francisco. The pastor of the church was looking over the crèche when he noticed that the baby Jesus was missing from among the figures. He hurried outside and saw a little boy with a red wagon and in the wagon was the figure of the little infant Jesus.

So he walked up to the boy and said, "Well, where did you get your passenger, my fine friend?"

The little boy replied, "I got Him at church."

"And why did you take Him?"

The boy explained, "Well, about a week before Christmas I prayed to the little Lord Jesus and I told Him if He would bring me a red wagon for Christmas I would give Him a ride around the block in it."

12/28/2007 Sylvia's UPDATES

The following is an update on Victor's aunt Nell from her husband, uncle Steve - they live in Detroit. We've been praying for Nell..........please continue. And please feel free to send uncle Steve an e-mail (his address is below) to let him know you are praying - I know it will mean so much to him. Thanks. <3>

Sorry for being late on the update but this has been a little difficult the past few days. A couple of days ago, they were starting to wean Nell from theventilator and were down to 8 % and ready to start at 6 %.. Unfortunately, shewasn't quite ready and they had to bump her back up to 10% where she has beenstruggling since. This morning we were having our family conference with theMedical staff . Kathy, Larry, Steve and I were discussing her progress when Dr. Stern said that she was having a problem with her blood counts. Her bloodpressure was low, Hemoglobin and Potassium levels were below normal. He thenmade a decision to send her to Botsford Hospital for more advanced treatment. We all just returned because she is resting comfortable however she will remain in intensive care until her strength comes back. She was receiving a bloodtransfusion while we were there. As of now the prognosis is ok but only timewill tell. Lets pray that when we go back to visit her tomorrow morning, allwill be improved. She is getting excellent care.
Your continued support is very helpful and for that I want to thank you.
Steve
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AUNT MARIE UPDATE

You will just never believe this! Around 1130AM I received a call from the Case Manager saying "your aunt Marie will be discharged today to Country Meadows skilled nursing" - WHAT???.....she explained that the physician who came in to see her this morning said she could be discharged. I told her that before I left this morning I asked for it to be noted in the chart that I wanted a call from the physician - she said she could try to track him down.......I asked if she was aware that aunt Marie was at death's door last night.... She said she can only follow the physician's orders and that aunt Marie would be transported between 2-3 PM. Well, I have to tell you - now don't get me wrong, not by any means is aunt Marie doing "well", but she definitely is much better than last night! She can actually complete a sentence without stopping for three minutes between each word. I am just in amazement. I told aunt Marie I just couldn't believe it........."everyone came to say goodbye to you last night"......her response: "I know. What am I doing wrong???"!!! We got her settled in bed surrounded by her pillows just the way she likes it. She is on the first floor of the assisted living - in the skilled nursing area - and uncle Herman is right upstairs on the second floor. He went up to eat his dinner at 5PM so that he could come down at 530PM to feed aunt Marie. So..................aunt Marie's time to leave this earth is not just yet. I do pray that when it is her time to go that it will be quick and peaceful. Thanks for praying. <3>To: Elaine and Jim Subject: AngelaDate: Fri, 28 Dec 2007 01:48:17 +0000

> She is Sierra Vista Hospital in isolation. She has what they believe to be a > MRSA infection that has gotten into her blood stream. When she was admitted > early this morning, she had 4, I guess you would call them sores, in her legs. > She now has 8 on the legs and 7 in her scalp. She is getting two IV antibiotics > and the doctor told Nancy they will either work or they won't and if they don't > Angela will die. That's it. We need prayers desperately that they work. > For anyone interested: hospital phone number is 520-417-3175. You must ask > for room 118. She is the only one in the room. > > PS Bob has an appointment with the lung guy on January 8 about the mass in > his lung. (That's Nancy's Bob)> > > Fear not; for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to > all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which > is Christ the Lord> Luke chapter 2

Hello all, Mom just called from North Carolina and asked me to send an email with an update. She had talked to Aunt Nancy a little while ago. Angela has 2 new sores today. She also has 2 old sores that are now open and draining. This is what they want them to do. Mom says they are really draining alot. They believe the second antibiotic is starting to work. Aunt Nancy says her color is not so gray today. She also asked the doctor how long Angela would be in the hospital. The reply was a long time. She has to stay in the hospital until this is all completely out of her system. If I hear any more I will pass the word along. Hope everyone I didn't see had a very Merry Christmas. Hope you all have a wonderful New Year.Love,Kristen

Lisa LEFTIE doing Well!

In a message dated 12/27/2007 2:48:44 P.M. Central Standard Time, LisaLeftie writes:
Hello Rick:

I am doing pretty good. Had my first chemo treatment a little over a week ago. Will have them every 3 weeks for a while. Probably will go back to work soon Will talk to my oncologist to find out if its ok.
I had a nice Christmas. Mom cooked, the food was great. Talk to you soon

Lisa

Logan, the Sky Angel Cowboy!

This call to a radio station takes about 3 minutes of your time. Got some time to spare for a GREAT message? Click this link...

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UPDATE: Prayers for Paul Walker WORKING!!!!

UPDATE 12/28/2007

We had an absolutely wonderful Christmas. On Christmas Eve we had Amy, Aaron, and Calvin, Andrew, and Marcia's family for dinner after attending church at 4:00 that afternoon. Amy, Aaron, and Calvin decided to spend the night with us Christmas Eve which was a real treat. Andrew came the next morning for brunch. We spent a relaxing and enjoyable Christmas with the kids.

Paul continues to feel better which is a true blessing. He has been able to almost eliminate the drugs that he takes for breakthrough pain. His extended release oxycontin is handling the pain at this point. He is much more mobile and is actually able to do a few things and enjoy life a little. The pain medication still causes some fuzziness, forgetfulness, and confusion. His hemoglobin is still low which causes a lot of fatigue, and he is still isn't driving; but it is all so much better than it was. He is continuing on short term disability.

We spent today at KU Cancer Center. Paul had labs at 10:30 which ran late, then a 2 hour bone strengthening infusion which ran late, then a 1:00 appointment with his doctor which ran late....so we finally got out a little after 4:00 Anyway, the news was good. His labs all point to the fact that his drug therapy is fighting the myeloma. All of his "numbers" have greatly improved since he started the drugs. On Monday, he started his third cycle of treatment. At this point, it looks as if his stem cell transplant will be at the end of February after his fourth cycle of treatment; but, of course, that is subject to change.

Our appointment at Mayo is January 2 for a consult. We will have to decide then whether or not to have the transplant at Mayo or at KU. KU told us today that their mortality rate for stem cell transplants for myeloma patients is zero which was reassuring. I hope after our visit to Mayo, there will be something that makes the decision easier one way or the other. The Mayo reputation is pretty persuasive, but there are certainly advantages to having the procedure at home.

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UPDATE 12/06/2007
Rick, sorry it has taken so long to get you an update. The last week or so
has been quite eventful.

One of the potential side effects of one of the treatment drugs is blood
clotting. In fact, aspirin is prescribed to help thin the blood. Well, I
still managed to get a clot in my calf. They did a sonagram on the calf (it
is not pregnant) to confirm and then they prescribed a blood thinner called
Coumadin. At this point I believe the clot has disolved but I will still
need to take the Coumadin for a while.

Also, the pain level from the cancer has increased to the point that they
increased my pain med dosage (Oxycodone) from 40 mg to 60.

I am now on a short term medical disibility leave of absence from work which
has been a lifesaver. There is really no way I could be going in to work
these days.

The good news is that after the first month of this drug treatment program,
the Dr. is convinced that it is working. The diagnostics are changing and
pointing in the direction I need them to go. So at this point, it looks
like I am on target for the stem cell transplant, hopefully at Mayo,
sometime early 2008. This is what I have been mostly concerned about - that
the treatment was not working and we were wasting time until we found a plan
that did work. I truly believe that the prayers from you and this group, as
well as others that are praying for me are making a real difference.

God bless you all for the prayers you have contributedd for this cause. I
very truly appreciate them greatly.

Thanks,

Paul Walker
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Update: 12/2/2007
Paul had his second appointment at KU yesterday. He had additional tests run the week before. We had good news and bad news. The good news is that the Revlimid is starting to work on the cancer. The bad news is that he has multiple lytic lesions in his skull (described as punched out holes), and the rest of his bones are thinning. I guess the good news there is that there are not currently lytic lesions on any other bones. He will now be starting monthly infusions of Aredia, a bone strengthener. He is still in a lot of pain. He wasn't sure if he could make it to work today. He is on extended release oxycontin, and they encouraged him to take smaller dosage oxycontin, as needed.

Linda


Update: 11/31/2007

Paul's doctor was not able to get him into Mayo any sooner than the December opening; and in fact, the first opening that they have now is January 2. We change insurance January 1, so I am not sure how that will work out. I am thinking that since Mayo didn't think that it was necessary to get him in earlier, that they don't think it is a crisis - which I am thinking is actually a good sign. Paul is starting on his induction drugs this week. Hopefully they will soon improve his physical symptoms. He is having a lot of pretty severe bone pain even though he is taking hydrocodone. He is not really able to do much besides go to and from work, and that isn't very easy.

We went to KU and had a long consult with a Bone Marrow Transplant doctor and a coordinator on Monday. We got a lot of good, but scary, information. At least we are more informed, and they also gave us a lot of material to read. We still would like to have the transplant done at Mayo, but are keeping our options open at KU. Amazingly, stem cell transplants are done on an outpatient basis. They will not do them unless he has a caretaker 24 hours a day, 7 days a week for the first month. It would be at least two months before he would be able to go back to work, and then probably only part time.

Just thought I'd let you all know the most recent...

Continue with the prayers.

Linda

UPDATE: 10/26/2007

We received the results of Paul's tests from the oncologist. Unfortunately, the myeloma is progressing at a very fast rate. Paul had been having bone pain in his ribs, back and hips since Hawaii. They originally thought that it was due to muscle strains from Hawaii because it came on so suddenly. The most recent tests show that it is myeloma. The doctor is recommending starting immediately on induction drugs to prepare for a stem cell transplant. It usually takes two-four months of these oral drugs to reduce the myeloma before stem cells can be harvested. That is followed by several days of IV high dose chemo therapy, and then the stem cell transplant.

After much research in the last couple of months, we have decided that we would like to go to Mayo Clinic for a consultation and then the stem cell transplant. Unfortunately, they have no openings for consult until December. Our oncologist here is checking with them to see if they can see us sooner. Regardless, Paul will probably be starting the induction drugs very soon. The oncologist says there are very few side effects with these drugs, and that they should improve his symptoms.

Please keep us in your prayers.

Linda

FIRST REQUEST: 9/3/2007

Paul Walker is a longtime friend of mine dating back to our days at Mizzou, where he was president of a business fraternity that I joined. We recently hooked up again, with his wife "Kooch" his college sweetheart. We met for dinner last year and later went to a Mizzou football game. Paul likes to fish, so we tarted making plans to do things occasionally since we are now living in the same area....then this...and the reason I ask for your prayers for Paul...

I am a little overdue on my latest update. Paul finished his 20 radiation treatments on July 26 and has been feeling great. Two weeks ago, he had a visit with his hematologist/oncologist. At that appointment, we found out the results of a cytogenetics test that was done in June. Due to the myeloma, he has doubles of some chromosomes and the absence of chromosome 13. The absence of chromosome 13 points to a more aggressive myeloma with a more unfavorable prognosis. Paul's doctor referred him to KU for a second opinion and stem cell consult. We went to that appointment last Tuesday. The doctor expects the myeloma to need more aggressive treatment within months; originally we had been told that it would probably be years. He has ordered additional staging tests to see how things are progressing. When it looks like things are advancing, the most likely treatment will be several cycles of chemotherapy followed by a stem cell transplant with Paul's own stem cells (autologous) followed a few weeks or months later by a stem cell transplant from a donor (allogenic). An allogenic transplant has many more complications than an autologous transplant.

As I said before, Paul still feels fine. We are enjoying spending lots of time with Calvin who is five weeks old now; and, of course, the cutest and sweetest baby ever. We are also getting ready for our big trip to Hawaii later in September.

Please continue to keep us in your prayers.

Linda