I am willing to show you these rather unflattering pictures because it’s important to me to keep my faithful, praying friends updated. But I also want to let you all the way into our journey – our struggles, victories, laughter and tears – so we are able to give God the glory that much more when healing and restoration comes from the Lord.

These are the faces of a child with cancer and a mother fighting to stand by his side. And attempting, despite my own physical challenges, to stand well.

Justin’s face is puffy and bloated due to a side effect of chemotherapy. My face is inflamed with some kind of stress related skin thing which can only be due to the side effects of walking through the fire with my son.

Our faces may be temporarily changed, yet our spirits continue to fight. But I don’t believe in my own ability to fight well. I believe in the reality that Jesus is fighting for us.

34 Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us. 35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? 36 As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. 37 Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. 38 For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, 39 Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:34-39

My friends, though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. Our light momentary affliction is preparing us for an eternal weight of glory! (My Paraphrase 2 Cor. 4:16-17)

We WILL NOT lose heart. Grace be with you, my friends.