Hunter Danielle, 11 years old...bone cancer

Date: Mon, 24 Jan 2011 16:50:40 -0800
From: galloway.troy@yahoo.com
Subject: Prayer request
To:

Please pray for Hunter Danielle. She is 11 years old and has bone cancer. Please pass this request on to your friends and prayer chains

Carl...the Gardener

Carl was a quiet man. He didn't talk much. He would always greet you with a big smile and a firm handshake. 

Even after living in our neighborhood for over 50 years, no one could really say they knew him very well. 

Before his retirement, he took the bus to work each morning. The lone sight of him walking down the street often worried us. 

He had a slight limp from a bullet wound received in  WWII . 

Watching him, we worried that although he had survived WWII, he may not make it through our changing uptown neighborhood with its ever-increasing random violence, gangs, and drug activity. 

When he saw the flyer at our local church asking for volunteers for caring for the gardens behind the minister's residence, he responded in his characteristically unassuming manner. Without fanfare, he just signed up. 

He was well into his 87th year when the very thing we had always feared finally happened. 

He was just finishing his watering for the day when three gang members approached him.

Ignoring their attempt to intimidate him, he simply asked, "Would you like a drink from the hose?" 

The tallest and toughest-looking of the three said, "Yeah, sure," with a malevolent little smile. 

As Carl offered the hose to him, the other two grabbed Carl's arm, throwing him down.

As the hose snaked crazily over the ground, dousing everything in its way, Carl's assailants stole his retirement watch and his wallet, and then fled. 

Carl tried to get himself up, but he had been thrown down on his bad leg. He lay there trying to gather himself as the minister came running to help him. 

Although the minister had witnessed the attack from his window, he couldn't get there fast enough to stop it. 

"Carl, are you okay? Are you hurt?" the minister kept asking as he helped Carl to his feet. 

Carl just passed a hand over his brow and sighed, shaking his head. "Just some punk kids. I hope they'll wise-up someday." 

His wet clothes clung to his slight frame as he bent to pick up the hose. He adjusted the nozzle again and started to water. 

Confused and a little concerned, the minister asked, "Carl, what are you doing?"

"I've got to finish my watering. It's been very dry lately," came the calm reply. 

Satisfying himself that Carl really was all right, the minister could only marvel. Carl was a man from a different time and place. 

A few weeks later the three returned. Just as before their threat was unchallenged.

Carl again offered them a drink from his hose.

This time they didn't rob him. They wrenched the hose from his hand and drenched him head to foot in the icy water. 

When they had finished their humiliation of him, they sauntered off down the street, throwing catcalls and curses, falling over one another laughing at the hilarity of what they had just done. 

Carl just watched them. Then he turned toward the warmth giving sun, picked up his hose, and went on with his watering.

The summer was quickly fading into fall. Carl was doing some tilling when he was startled by the sudden approach of someone behind him. He stumbled and fell into some evergreen branches. 

As he struggled to regain his footing, he turned to see the tall leader of his summer tormentors reaching down for him. He braced himself for the expected attack. 

"Don't worry old man, I'm not gonna hurt you this time." 

The young man spoke softly, still offering the tattooed and scarred hand to Carl. As he helped Carl get up, the man pulled a crumpled bag from his pocket and handed it to Carl. 

"What's this?" Carl asked. "It's your stuff," the man explained. "It's your stuff back.

Even the money in your wallet." "I don't understand," Carl said. "Why would you help me now?" 

The man shifted his feet, seeming embarrassed and ill at ease. "I learned something from you," he said. "I ran with that gang and hurt people like you. We picked you because you were old and we knew we could do it But every time we came and did something to you, instead of yelling and fighting back, you tried to give us a drink. You didn't hate us for hating you. You kept showing love against our hate." 

He stopped for a moment. "I couldn't sleep after we stole your stuff, so here it is back." 

He paused for another awkward moment, not knowing what more there was to say. "That bag's my way of saying thanks for straightening me out, I guess." And with that, he walked off down the street. 

Carl looked down at the sack in his hands and gingerly opened it. He took out his retirement watch and put it back on his wrist. Opening his wallet, he checked for his wedding photo. He gazed for a moment at the young bride that still smiled back at him from all those years ago. 

He died one cold day after Christmas that winter. Many people attended his funeral in spite of the weather. 

In particular the minister noticed a tall young man that he didn't know sitting quietly in a distant corner of the church. 

The minister spoke of Carl's garden as a lesson in life. 

In a voice made thick with unshed tears, he said, "Do your best and make your garden as beautiful as you can. We will never forget Carl and his garden." 

The following spring another flyer went up. It read: "Person needed to care for Carl's garden." 

The flyer went unnoticed by the busy parishioners until one day when a knock was heard at the minister's office door. 

Opening the door, the minister saw a pair of scarred and tattooed hands holding the flyer. "I believe this is my job, if you'll have me," the young man said. 

The minister recognized him as the same young man who had returned the stolen watch and wallet to Carl. 

He knew that Carl's kindness had turned this man's life around. As the minister handed him the keys to the garden shed, he said, "Yes, go take care of Carl's garden and honor him." 

The man went to work and, over the next several years, he tended the flowers and vegetables just as Carl had done.

During that time, he went to college, got married, and became a prominent member of the community. But he never forgot his promise to Carl's memory and kept the garden as beautiful as he thought Carl would have kept it. 

One day he approached the new minister and told him that he couldn't care for the garden any longer. He explained with a shy and happy smile, "My wife just had a baby boy last night, and she's bringing him home  on Saturday .." 

"Well, congratulations!" said the minister, as he was handed the garden shed keys. "That's wonderful! What's the baby's name?" 

"Carl," he replied.. 

Sylvia's Requests...van bibber update

Hello everyone........thank you for storming heaven for David VanBibber - Nina just sent this update - God is good.....please keep praying!  

Hi Sylvia,

This just came through this morning.

Nina

For all of you prayer warriors out there: The Lord heard our prayers and bumped up the appt to see Dr. Wolin a whole week (1/18). I was discouraged at first to think, "only a week" but then I remembered that every good thing comes from above and not to grumble or complain. They have started working on the authorization for the treatment and I have an appt scheduled with Dr. Sundaram on Fri 1/21. My prayer is that this is the last wrap up appointment with my primaryOncologist to iron out all of the details for the treatment. Just so you know that my account hasn't been hacked I attached what the Lord has been bringing to me from Psalm 119 about preserving my life: 3 times its according to your Word, 2 times for Righteousness, 2 promises and 2 laws/precepts. I then came to the reality that it had nothing to do with me and everything to do with His will and his plan for all of this. Psalm 119:25 I am laid low in the dust; preserve my life according to your word. Psalm 119:37 Turn my eyes away from worthless things; preserve my life according to your word. Psalm 119:40 How I long for your precepts! In your righteousness preserve my life. Psalm 119:50 My comfort in my suffering is this: Your promise preserves my life. Psalm 119:88 In your unfailing love preserve my life, that I may obey the statutes of your mouth. Psalm 119:93 I will never forget your precepts, for by them you have preserved my life. Psalm 119:107 I have suffered much; preserve my life, LORD, according to your word. Psalm 119:149 Hear my voice in accordance with your love; preserve my life, LORD, according to your laws. Psalm 119:154 Defend my cause and redeem me; preserve my life according to your promise. Psalm 119:156 Your compassion, LORD, is great; preserve my life according to your laws. Psalm 119:159 See how I love your precepts; preserve my life, LORD, in accordance with your love. Psalm 143:11 For your name’s sake, LORD, preserve my life; in your righteousness, bring me out of trouble. With all love,David Van Bibber

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Visit our community site: Van Bibber Family Helping Hands

Hi Syl,

    Please say a prayer for Katie.  She was in Brooklyn last nightand fell  on black ice.  She went to LVH today she fractured her elbow.  She need to see an Ortho doc tomorrow.please pray we get a appt early am.  She has a 2pm flight out of Philly for a weeklong Arbonne convention in Vegas.  Please pray for safe travel for both of us.  We are on diff flights and diff airlines.

Betty

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To Ann Brown, or Nina - In my prayers this morning, David VanBibber and his family came so strongly to  my heart - can you send an update?  I ask our warriors to continue to lift the VanBibber family in prayer - Ann lived with the VanBibber's when she first moved to San Diego - David was recently dx with cancer and they were awaiting test results to see where the primary site was.   Thank you.

The story of Tim and the Deacon

His name is Tim. He has wild hair, wears a T-shirt with holes in it, jeans,
and no shoes. This was literally his wardrobe for his entire four years of
college.

He is brilliant. Kind of profound and very, very bright. He became a
Christian while attending college.

Across the street from the campus is a well-dressed, very conservative
church. They want to develop a ministry to the students but are not sure how
to go about it.

One day Tim decides to go there. He walks in with no shoes, jeans, his
T-shirt, and wild hair. The service has already started and so Tim   starts
down the aisle looking for a seat.

The church is completely packed and he can't find a seat. By now, people are
really looking a bit uncomfortable, but no one says anything.

Tim gets closer and closer and closer to the pulpit, and when he realizes
there are no seats, he just squats down right on the carpet.

By now the people are really uptight, and the tension in the air is thick.

About this time, the minister realizes that from way at the back of the
church, a deacon is slowly making his way toward Tim.

Now the deacon is in his eighties, has silver-gray hair, and a three-piece
suit. A godly man, very elegant, very dignified, very courtly. He walks with
a cane and, as he starts walking toward this boy, everyone is saying to
themselves that you can't blame him for what he's going to do.

How can you expect a man of his age and of his background to understand
some college kid on the floor?

It takes a long time for the man to reach the boy.

The church is utterly silent except for the clicking of the man's cane. All
eyes are focused on him. You can't even hear anyone breathing. The minister
can't even preach the sermon until the deacon does what he has to do.

And now they see this elderly man drop his cane on the floor. With great
difficulty, he lowers himself and sits down next to Tim and worships with
him so he won't be alone.

Everyone chokes up with emotion...

When the minister gains control, he says,

'What I'm about to preach, you will never remember. What you have just
seen, you will never forget.'

'Be careful how you live. You may be the only Bible some people will ever
read!'


I asked the Lord to bless you
As I prayed for you today.
To guide you and protect you
As you go along your way....
His love is always with you,
His promises are true,
And when we give Him all our cares,
You know He will see us through.

Give Scott your prayer this day...

Please Pray that Scott's Brain Cancer is defeated

A good friend of mine from college, Scott, had a brain tumor removed over the holidays.  The biopsy report shows that it is cancerous.  For the next 6 weeks he will be going through chemo and radiation.  So here is hoping for good news the week of Valentine's Day.  Thanks for these prayers as well. Peace and prayers to you and Erin and the kids, Chrissy

Larry Baker...Pancreatic Cancer Fight UPDATE 5

Dateline Jan 10, 2011...

First, Update 5 on Larry Baker.  After the last 6 months of various chem and radiation treatments, it looks like Chris's dad Larry is on the mend.  The MRI's show no signs of cancer or cancerous growth.  Looks like the pancreatic cancer is gone at best and in remission at worst.  So thanks for those prayers from all.

............................older posts follow.....

Hey Rick, This is unbelievable about Kevin!  I am in complete shock. We got the word while on the way back from Texas and visiting with Chris's dad.  Larry is doing extremely well.  He 30% of his pancreas removed, 20% of his stomach, only 2 of 25 lymph nodes show any kind of cancerous cells about.  He started chemo Friday, July 9th.  Keep up the prayers and I will let you know more.  He has 3 weeks of chemo and one week off, then 5 weeks chemo/rad with 3 weeks off.  Then two 3 week sessions of chemo with one week off.  So by Christmas we will all know more. Love, Chrissy

Well, there has been a little development. After meeting with the oncologist and radiologist, Larry is going for both. He starts sometime this week or next. Oncologist very blunt - 6 to 12 months. Radiologist more philosophical in her approach - these are averages and numbers we have to offer, but no one can know for certain. So we will do what we can do. Chris said his dad did not sound well when he spoke with him on Wednesday.

Dear Dena and Rick, Home safe and sound with Miss Beatrice.  Chris received word this evening that his father came through the surgery.  It was to start at 10 a.m. and he did not go in until after 3:30 p.m.!  Gotta love it. The doctor feels he got all the cancer in the whipple procedure, at least what he could see.  And the amount was not as bad or as much as the first oncologist had stated. Larry is in recovery as of 8:45 p.m. this evening (5/25).  The surgery lasted just over 5 hours.  We will have more information tomorrow (5/26) but the initial hurdle has been surpassed. Without a doubt, it is due the large amounts of prayers being offered by so many.  Our gratitude for your help in this man's healing. Peace and prayers, Christina aka Chrissy

Dear Rick, The surgery did not go well.  Basically the doc got in, saw the cancer had spread to his liver, closed him up and sent him home this evening.  We are still waiting to hear what Larry will decide to do next - chemo, radiation, what are the possibilities and if he will take any of those options.  More prayers please.  Chris was a bit of a mess as you well know - regardless of the relationship you have with a father - good, bad, indifferent, close, distance - the thought of losing him and facing that reality is very tough. Thanks, Chrissy

Christina Bockwinkel Baker

Your prayers are needed for my husband's father, Larry. He has pancreatic cancer, is having surgery Monday that will be high risk for a variety of reasons. Your prayers for Chris, his father and his sisters are greatly appreciated.

Five (5) lessons about the way we treat people

1 - First Important Lesson - Cleaning Lady.

During my second month of college, our professor

Gave us a pop quiz. I was a conscientious student

---

And had breezed through the questions until I read

The last one:

"What is the first name of the woman who cleans the school?"

Surely this was some kind of joke. I had seen the

Cleaning woman several times. She was tall,

Dark-haired and in her 50's, but how would I know her name?

I handed in my paper, leaving the last question

Blank. Just before class ended, one student asked if

The last question would count toward our quiz grade.

"Absolutely, " said the professor.. "In your careers,

You will meet many people.  All are significant.. They

Deserve your attention and care, even if all you do

Is smile and say "hello.."

I've never forgotten that lesson.. I also learned her

Name was Dorothy.



2. - Second Important Lesson - Pickup in the Rain
One night, at 11:30 p.m., an older African American

Woman was standing on the side of an Alabama highway

Trying to endure a lashing rain storm. Her car had

Broken down and she desperately needed a ride.

Soaking wet, she decided to flag down the next car.

A young white man stopped to help her, generally

Unheard of in those conflict-filled 1960's. The man

Took her to safety, helped her get assistance and

Put her into a taxicab.

She seemed to be in a big hurry, but wrote down his

Address and thanked him. Seven days went by and a

Knock came on the man's door. To his surprise, a

Giant console color TV was delivered to his home. A

Special note was attached.

It read:

"Thank you so much for assisting me on the highway

The other night. The rain drenched not only my

Clothes, but also my spirits.  Then you came along.

Because of you, I was able to make it to my dying

Husband's' bedside just before he passed away... God

Bless you for helping me and unselfishly serving

Others."
Sincerely,
Mrs. Nat King Cole.

3 - Third Important Lesson - Always remember those
Who serve.
In the days when an ice cream sundae cost much less,

A 10-year-old boy entered a hotel coffee shop and

Sat at a table. A waitress put a glass of water in

Front of him.

"How much is an ice cream sundae?" he asked.

"Fifty cents," replied the waitress.

The little boy pulled his hand out of his pocket and

Studied the coins in it.

"Well, how much is a plain dish of ice cream?" he inquired.

By now more people were waiting for a table and the

Waitress was growing impatient..

"Thirty-five cents," she brusquely replied.

The little boy again counted his coins.

"I'll have the plain ice cream," he said.

The waitress brought the ice cream, put the bill on

The table and walked away The boy finished the ice

Cream, paid the cashier and left..  When the waitress

Came back, she began to cry as she wiped down the

Table.  There, placed neatly beside the empty dish,

Were two nickels and five pennies..

You see,  he couldn't  have the sundae, because he had

To have enough left to leave her a tip.


4 - Fourth Important Lesson. - The obstacle in Our Path.
In ancient times, a King had a boulder placed on a

Roadway.  Then he hid himself and watched to see if

Anyone would remove the huge rock.  Some of the

King's' wealthiest merchants and courtiers came by

And simply walked around it..  Many loudly blamed the

King for not keeping the roads clear, but none did

Anything about getting the stone out of the way.

Then a peasant came along carrying a load of

Vegetables.  Upon approaching the boulder, the

peasant laid down his burden and tried to move the

stone to the side of the road.  After much pushing

and straining, he finally succeeded. After the

peasant picked up his load of vegetables, he noticed

a purse lying in the road where the boulder had

been. The purse contained many gold coins and a note

from the King indicating that the gold was for the

person who removed the boulder from the roadway.  The

peasant learned what many of us never understand!

Every obstacle presents an opportunity to improve

our condition.


5 - Fifth Important Lesson - Giving When it Counts...
Many years ago, when I worked as a volunteer at a

hospital, I got to know a little girl named Liz who

was suffering from a rare & serious disease.  Her only

chance of recovery appeared to be a blood

transfusion from her 5-year old brother, who had

miraculously survived the same disease and had

developed the antibodies needed to combat the

illness.  The doctor explained the situation to her

little brother, and asked the little boy if he would

be willing to give his blood to his sister.

I saw him hesitate for only a moment before taking a

deep breath and saying, "Yes I'll do it if it will save

 her."  As the transfusion progressed, he lay in bed

 next to his sister and smiled, as we all did, seeing

 the color returning to her cheek. Then his face

 grew pale and his smile faded.

He looked up at the doctor and asked with a

trembling voice, "Will I start to die right away".

Being young, the little boy had misunderstood the

doctor; he thought he was going to have to give his

sister all of his blood in order to save her. 

sylvia's Requests...

From: Sylvia Pituch

Date: January 2, 2011 7:24:34 PM CST

Subject: Updates and PR

Hello everyone!  Thanks so much for your prayers for Victor (he recovered after the not-even 24 hrs stomach issues - actually Debbie thinks it may have been related to the raw cabbage he was nibbling on as he was chopping it to make the Halushki aka "Cabbage & Noodles" that we traditionally have on New Years Day (yes, with Pork & Sauerkraut that Meghan & Eric brought!).   PTL that Michele just got back to Boston safely from DC on the Megabus (yeah God!!! - thank You for her discounted fare - I think Michele said these back and forth trips on the Megabus will cost her a total of $22 - she's heading back down there on Wed - and will be staying to drive Meghan back and forth to work - which will be a BIG help for Eric) - and speaking of Meghan - she saw her doctor last week who explained the procedure - because the damaged cartlige was so far down, he would have had to "dismantle" her entire foot and put it back together again if he went ahead with Plan A - he wasn't expecting this - so he was able to use some tool to pull out what he could and allowed it to bleed in order to create scar tissue - ??? - HOWEVER - this has eliminated the step of needing to be in a cast for the next four weeks!!!  She can start putting a little pressure on the foot with crutches.   It's still quite sore, and swollen - but her foot looks good considering the long incision on the top of it.  Thank you for your prayers!!  They were answered. 

My grandmother is so-so........most of the time we were there today she seemed "with it" - there are moments when she has garbled speech - almost as if she's thinking of what she wants to say but it won't come out of her mouth.   She cannot have anything by mouth except to sponge her lips as she had difficulty swallowing medication - so tomorrow Speech Therapy will evaluate her.  The kidney dr, Dr. Reichard, said that her kidney functions today were improving.  Guess it will be a few more days in the hospital as they do a couple more tests. 

You remember the prayer request for Kathy - the young mom-to-be who fell through her attic to the concrete floor of the garage - she is origionally from Allentown - went to St. Paul's, then to Central Catholic - but I believe she then went to Northampton HS - her cousin Kelly - who is the daughter of my friend Nancy Pietrouchie, is coordinating a cookbook fundraiser - the cookbooks are $15 each - all proceeds from the cookbook go directly to Kathy's account for her medical bills.   I know I just passed on the info for the cookbook fundraiser for Wes, but if anyone is interested, let me know.   FROM KELLY:  Now taking orders for the cookbook, "Cooking for Kathy". Every penny we raise will go directly to my cousin and her family to help with her medical costs and living away from home. The price of the books is $15. You could also make a straight donation if you should choose. Any help is greatly appreciated by our entire family. Let me know if you are interested or would like more info.

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And here is a PR from Marilyn: 

Hi Loves,

Lorraine asked for prayers again for her Aunt Patsy Ball, who has been in the hosp. for a couple of months, and two weeks ago she got pneumonia and has not been responsive - doesn't talk, recognize anyone.  Patsy never had advanced directives, so she has been tube fed and on a ventilator.  Her son Tommy, with the mental illness, wants to keep her this way.  Lorraine and her Uncle John and Patsy's three kids were going to meet with the docs this morning to see what the next step is.  Please pray that our dear Lord will have mercy and bring Patsy home to him, and somehow, allow her kids some comfort with the decision.

I will let you know the results of the meeting after I talk to Lorraine tonight.

Also, Michele Ball, married to my nephew Marc, recently heard from her brother, Steve Williams out of the blue, after 10 years.  They spoke for a long time - he is 10 years younger, 30-something, and is in a job as a prison guard for dangerous criminals.  It's out west somewhere, perhaps Wyoming, but I forget.  He wants to change to a less dangerous position, so she said she would ask us to pray that he gets that job some day soon.

I probably have more requests, but I can't think of them now, so I will pray for all of your intentions, and as we always do for each other, we will pray for all the requests of our prayer sisters - those spoken and in our hearts.  Love you, Marilyn

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Please continue prayers for Nick Franca and Joseph Stanton!  Thanks! 

sylvia's Requests...

From: Sylvia Pituch

Date: December 31, 2010 4:53:58 PM CST

Subject: PR for Joanne, my grandmother, and Victor

Victor & I are down in MD - a New Year's tradition with cousins Michael & Debbie - we went out for breakfast this morning - and a few hours later Victor is hit with the stomach bug - we quarantined him in a bedroom with gatorade, Imodium.....and can't say he's doing too much better - wanted to take him home - but that would probably be challenging - then received a call from my mom - my grandma Irene Jebitsch was taken from the Phoebe Nursing home to Lehigh Valley Hospital Cedar Crest - she is still in the ER - she has chronic bladder infections which send her off in another world - I spoke with her nurse about it on Wed night (had been there Sun & Tues - she was so-so) - nurse explained they did a rapid flu test and it was neg and she is on antibiotics by injection but no difference - the dr in the ER explained that she is very toxic and there probably isn't much they can do - mom said I shouldn't come home - just to sit tight until we get more updates - just got a text from my brother Stephen who went over to be with mom and my uncle Jim - he said grandma seems a little more calm since getting IV fluids - she was also dehydrated - (while I was with her on Wed she drank three large glasses of water in the time I was there) - he also said just to stay put and they will keep me updated.  Please pray that Victor's stomach will calm down so that prehaps we can drive home tomorrow afternoon if need be - Michele, Hunter, Meghan, & Eric are alll coming up to MD tomorrow too.........  And pray that grandma will be comfortable.  Thanks! <3

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Happy New Year to all,

    

     Please storm Heaven again for Joanne McLaughlin.  She is back in the hospital with a tear in her stomach that is leaking stomach matter into her system.  She had another procedure done today, but they are also keeping her on heavy duty antibiotics to try to prevent peritonitis.  This is almost 5 months of home a week and then back to the hospital.  If any of you see Msgr Murphy,  Please let him know of Joanne's  newest trial.  All this is from the original surgery.  She has had every complication  that is possible.  I feel so bad for her and her children.  We are all getting very stressed out.  Seems she starts to turn a corner and is back again with more problems.  I don't know how much anesthesia and probing her body can endure.  I sure hope the New Year brings her strength and a new healthy body.  Love to you all,  Carole Y