Justin is exceeding our expectations — playing flag football and going to basketball camp this summer.

If I didn’t still have the nightmares, I wouldn’t guess three years of chemotherapy to look at him.

Thank you ever so much for your prayers.

It’s getting super weird out there. Stay strong. Grace be with you.

I can tell you that painful ripple effects remain long after the last chemotherapy infusion.

Without hope in God and a better life to come, there is no hope at all.

And still counting. Justin was not able to have his routine monthly physical exams and blood draws in April and May due to the effects of COVID-19.

I remained calm but extra vigilant about watching for suspicious symptoms.

He continues to struggle with physical strength and stamina. But he also continues to improve little by little, slow but sure.

However, despite chemotherapy drugs being repeatedly injected directly into his spinal and brain fluid, his mind remains sharp as a whip. He continues to surprise me with high level reading comprehension, impressive vocabulary and calculating math problems in his head.

I am incredibly thankful for this, especially since my own mind seems to be growing dull as a butter knife.

I know there are much bigger issues than one little boy’s journey through leukemia, so I thank you for any amount of small or momentary prayer. And I hope you are encouraged by the evidence of Justin’s healing.

God is bigger than cancer. Grace be with us all.

We make up all these “boxes” that “need” to be checked. But do we really think through why we are doing what we are doing?

Maybe we don’t need to take ourselves so seriously.

When I stop to take a good look at my “boxes” I sometimes see where I am putting all this pressure on myself over some stuff that doesn’t really matter.

Just saying, take a minute to check your boxes. You might end up having a better day. 

Today’s curriculum:

Netflix.

Xbox.

Door dash.

Justin remains cancer-free! We met with my favorite member of his oncology team yesterday. She explained his long-term trajectory now that he is one year off treatment!

Justin has one more year of monthly exams and blood draws before he will move into the survivorship program. This is like a dream come true. He will continue to be followed by doctors who understand late effects of chemotherapy and know how to treat them. Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia is the first hospital to pioneer a children’s survivorship program!

This is amazing, wonderful, super-duper news and a result of the research and work of many extremely dedicated, tireless, caring doctors and childhood cancer advocates.

This is the result of a faithful God who does not leave or fail us. He works through the hearts and minds of people to give us medicine, treatment, good hospitals, hope.

To all those out there in the struggle whether it be cancer, loss, pain or fear: hold onto God and hold onto hope.

Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope. Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us. Romans 5:1-5

I just drove by a field that went on forever and had the strangest urge to pull over, get out and run and run and run.

But then what?

I kept driving.

This week, Justin will present his first oral book report/biography research project. I think Justin is drawn to people who are a little touched in the head. 

Today, Justin played his first ever basketball game in a school intramural program. You could not have guessed this kid was, at one time, deathly ill, unable to walk, on chemotherapy for three years and sick and miserable most of that time. But not today, baby, not today!

We have our bumps in the road and tired days, but Justin continues to excel in 4th grade. I spent the first few months having anxiety when he cried every morning about going to school and spent a lot of time going to the nurse’s office. But I never gave up on gently pushing him forward. I know God was gently pushing ME when I felt weak.

And somewhere along the way, Justin changed from being a patient, a cause, a survivor.

He became a kid again. 

And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you. 1 Peter 5:10