Prayer Requests...

Readers,
please pray for our family in this next week as we reign in the new year.

Tomorrow (Sunday December 28th), I'm headed to my grandmothers for christmas at her house. My relationship with my Grandpa has bee strained for awhile however, I'm not anticipating much there. My real concern comes with the fact that I will be seeing my sister for only the 3rd time since April, and spending the first amount of significant time with her boyfriend in the year and a half they have known one another. He came into our lives in such an untraditional manner. I've been praying for the opportunity to get to know him, and show him the love and acceptance Christ has shown me. Yet, now it is happening and I don't feel ready to extend grace and forgiveness to him in the manner I know I must, whether he asks for it or not. It boils down to this: My sister has chose this Man to be a part of her life. Of all the things I have disagreed with, and still do, he has cared for her these last several months and has shown a genuine affection for my sweet nephew. I must allow him to be a part of my family in order to truly repair my relationship with my sister. And while I don't want to....at the same time I want to accept this man as a permanent fixture in hers and my nephews lives. Pray for me to be honesty cordial, accepting, and loving, not to just be putting on a show. Pray I do not allow bitterness, anger, and pride crawl up in my heart during what is suppose to be a beautiful celebration of the day the world received such a wonderful gift.

2nd:
December 30th, tuesday morning: My Dad enters for surgery to have a feeding tube placed. This is in anticipation of the nausea and severe pain he will have as a result of chemotherapy and radiation to his throat. Pray the surgery would go smooth and safe, that he would heal quickly, and this measure to prevent dehydration and malnutrition would work. While it is a surgery and I worry, I'm glad they are doing it. 8 years ago when my Uncle was diagnosed with the same cancer, they did not take this step, and the treatment made him so sick, and so sore, he nearly starved to death, and became severely dehydrated. The treatment nearly took his life and he quit treatment early so he could spend his last few months feeling well and enjoying his time with his family. This feeding tube may give my Dad the strength he needs to endure the harsh treatment that will kill off the cancer cells

34d: December 31st: My dad is having a PET scan. THey are scanning from the bridge of his nose, down to his pelvis. This is to check and see if/where the cancer has spread. Right now we know he has a tumor at the base of his tongue, and it has spread/metastisized into his local lymph nodes. Since the cancer is in his lymph nodes it can and possibly has spread throughout his body, since the lymph nodes are an intricate system that spands your entire body. we are praying that the cancer has NOT spread past his throat structures as this would make it so much more serious than it already is.