(Hello Friends.  Below are some thoughts from my sweet wife Laura.  Our boys are blessed to have her as their mother.)

“Faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see” (Hebrews 11:1)
 
As I read this verse I think, “but…God is not a Santa Claus figure who rewards us for believing by simply giving us whatever we ask for.”  The Bible does not support this kind of ‘name it, claim it’ philosophy.
 
As much as I wish that me being “certain” that Luke won’t die young from cancer would be the key to healing him on earth, I don’t believe that’s true.  At the same time, when I ask for God’s healing for Luke, I do pray specifically for his healing in this life.  I pray this way in confidence because I do have faith that Luke’s body will be healed and whole again (i.e. he will have both legs) after his life on earth has ended and he has passed on to spend eternity with Jesus Christ in Heaven.
 
Hebrews 11:6 helps me more fully understand what is written in Hebrews 11:1: “And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who come to Him, must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him.”  The notes in my study Bible further explains that, “faith must have an object.”  So I chose to place my ultimate faith in God over medical treatment or health or happiness or comfort.  And after this life has ended, my reward will be spending eternity with my Father in Heaven.
 
What I am realizing as I walk this cancer journey with Luke is how little I focus on, and live for, God’s eternal future, and how tightly I hold onto this finite, imperfect, sin-stained life on earth.  It’s all I know.  The Bible shows me a different perspective: 
 
“All these people (Abel, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Sarah, Isaac, Jacob, Moses) were still living by faith when they died.  They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance, admitting that they were foreigners and strangers on earth.  People who say such things show that they are looking for a country of their own.  If they had been thinking of the country they had left, they would have had opportunity to return.  Instead, they were longing for a better country – a heavenly one.  Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them.”  (Hebrews 11:13-16)
 
All these people who are mentioned in Hebrews 11 (sometimes known as the ‘Hall of Faith’) lived by faith, placing their confidence in the future God had promised them, even when they did not see these promises fulfilled in their lifetime on Earth.
 
My hope and prayer is for God to help me “live by faith, not by sight” (2 Corinthians 5:7).  Lord, please help me to be thankful for every blessing You give me here on Earth, but not to cling so tightly to this life that I lose sight of the unimaginable future You’ve prepared for me and my family in Heaven for eternity.

Hello Friends.

We continue to be thankful for the many ways God is revealing Himself to us through the generosity of so many.  Whether it's meals, notes, gifts, visitors, or prayer support, we've been overwhelmed.  A few examples:

Jude Pyle came and hung out on Saturday morning.  He's a huge encouragement!

Luke had another round of chemo yesterday.  He's tired.  The road is long.  The regimen calls for a total of 87 treatments over the course of 54 weeks.  He's about 1/3 of the way through...he's now completed 32 treatments in 18 weeks.  He's scheduled for 5 more days of chemo next week.  Plus physical therapy for his leg, schoolwork, and practice on the piano and flute.  Whew!  Please pray for God's healing mercies, for Luke to be completely cancer free as soon as possible.

We can't stop, WON'T stop praying for God to heal our boy.  (James 5:14-16)

God bless,
James & Lu
(for Sam, Jay & Luke)

Hello Friends.

As many of you know, Luke has been looking forward to February 6th for quite some time.  He loves music, and he is very talented musically, so the District Solo & Ensemble competition is important to him.  Today Luke played "The Magic Flute" on his flute in front of a judge, accompanied by a piano, and then he played "Für Elise" as a solo on his piano in front of a different judge.  He was nervous and excited, and he performed very well.  He received the highest rating possible of "1" for both of his performances.  As a result, Luke will have the opportunity to participate in the State competition on March 19th in Chelsea.

Today is Laura's birthday, and our family was able to enjoy dinner, cake, gifts and a movie all together.  Overall, a pretty good day.  We will (hopefully!) all be able to attend church together tomorrow.  We are so thankful.

Can't stop, WON'T stop praying for God to heal our boy.  (James 5:14-16)

God bless,
James & Lu,
(for Sam, Jay & Luke) 

Hello Friends.

Luke had a great time at his recital last night, performing well on both his flute and his piano.  Luke is so talented, and it's really fun watching him doing what he loves.  He also got to hang out with a bunch of his band friends, which was really cool for him.  He did some improv on the piano...you can see a bit of the video here.

Luke was scheduled for chemo treatment on Monday and Tuesday, but his platelet counts had not yet recovered from his last treatment so he was bumped to Thursday (today) and Friday.  Delays like this are very common for chemotherapy patients.  So, he went back in this morning, and his counts were still too low, so now he will have his chemo next Monday and Tuesday, February 8 and 9.  Which means that Luke will be able to perform on Saturday at full strength, rather than feeling lousy and tired.  He's very excited and relieved...platelets don't lie!  (Of course, Luke might not be so thrilled when Monday comes around!)

Thank you so much for your words of encouragement and for your prayers.  We can't stop, WON'T stop praying for God to heal our boy.  (James 5:14-16)

God bless,
James & Lu,
(for Sam, Jay & Luke)
  

Hello Friends.

Today Luke was telling his Physical Therapist that it was his brother's birthday.  She said, "it must be nice to have an older brother."  Luke said, "it is nice...and Jay is not your average older brother!"

We are so proud of Jay.  He is thoughtful, creative, and hilarious.  He prays for Luke every day, and is truly an encouragement and a light in our entire family.

Happy Birthday Jay!

Like Jay, we can't stop, WON'T stop praying for God to heal our boy.  (James 5:14-16)

God bless,
James & Lu,
(for Sam, Jay & Luke)

Chemo delayed until Thursday.  No injections today.  Luke is thrilled!

Also, our railings will be completed by the end of the week.  Thanks for all the help!

Can't stop, WON'T stop praying for God to heal our boy!  (James 5:14-16)

God bless,
James & Lu,
(for Sam, Jay & Luke)