Thank you sweet friends...

So many of you have emailed, called or texted to ask about my mom. Thank you for loving her, our family and me.

She was discharged from the hospital on Wednesday after her chest x-ray looked better. However today they started her on a new round of antibiotics today because she is still struggling with the pneumonia. They met with an oncologist Monday night and were very encouraged. They like him which is a good good thing - most of you know that she has been treating her cancer non-toxically so far and has been leary to use chemo so it was important that they have a doctor they want to be using. He had them run several more tests on her before she left the hospital and they will go back next Wednesday morning to hear his analysis of the test results and his recommended course of action. It feels like it will be a big deal to take this step - to me anyway. The unknown is scary - her treatment could change they way we are living right now or it might not be a big deal at all. Anyway, on Friday they will meet again with the doctor who saw her in the hospital for the pneumonia - which will hopefully be pretty well cleared up.

On a side note, I managed to pick up a nice little bug that is making my throat feel on fire. Lovely. I suppose it was inevitable between my mom and Matt's mom both being sick. So I now am taking a round of antibiotics myself!

Deep thought for the day: As I was getting ready this morning - thinking how I needed to write this update - I was struck with how hard it is to love people. Not in the way we selfishly think of it being hard to love others - like when people do stupid things, or hurt our feelings or are just generally unpleasant (This part is hard, don't get me wrong.) But hard in the sense that when people we love are hurt or dealing with hard things in life, it hurts our heart and love becomes more than a good feeling or what you say at the end of a phone call. It becomes sacrificing your happiness, your safe and comfortable bubble to enter into the world of your loved one and take on the pain and heartache that is consuming their life. I know you know what I am talking about. You can't really care about anyone else without feeling this part of love. I wish we had a better word to describe it. Yesterday I heard an amazing woman speak about the "Chosen Ache" in our life. The ache that comes because we love. Somedays it seems as though chosen aches are taking over. So many people that I love - that my family loves - are hurting, in a huge multitude of ways. How do you deal with the chosen ache? How do you continue to enter in and be fully there, but still get out of bed, still trust that the Lord is good? How do you believe "Everything in the heavens and earth is yours oh Lord, and this is your kingdom. we adore you as being in control of everything. Riches and honor come from you alone and you are the ruler of all mankind. Your hand controls power and might and it is at your discretion that men are made great and given strength." How do you live in this truth??