Gracious is the Lord, and righteous; Yes, our God is merciful. Psalm 116:5

I hope you all had a wonderful weekend. Frank and I had a whirlwind of a weekend being apart for the first time since his treatment began. Momma and I switched places on Friday, and I was home in Memphis with the children. It was an emotional homecoming for us all, and it felt good to be home. We were so busy with baseball and piano, church and other activities that we stayed on the run. The highlight for me was playing "monkey in the middle" in the kitchen. The kids told me I was good at it - a high compliment indeed! A good time was had by all.

Frank and Momma did great in Little Rock. Frank's levels dropped making him Neutropenic. This means he has to be more careful about infection, crowds and diet. His spirits have remained very "up". I am most proud of how involved he has become about his care/treatments. He is drawing up and giving himself his own shots, and flushing his lines all by himself. Go Frank!

Sunday afternoon, Frank's parents came to Little Rock and Momma went home to be with Daddy - what a trooper he has been! Thank you daddy! Frank started running fever and it was creeping up as the evening progressed, so I came back to Little Rock late Sunday to be with him. God was merciful and answered our prayer. His fever is down this morning.

Our visit to the clinic was more informative this time. They said his levels should drop even more today, to zero to be exact. As his levels start to come back up, that's when they'll be looking for the prime time to start collecting. The nurse practitioner thought this wouldn't be until next week. That was a little disappointing, because we were thinking that it would be this week.

We have prayed for God's timing for each phase of this treatment. We are trusting and believe that He knows best. Keep praying for those stem cells to grow!
Frank was able to introduce his parents and my mom to the staff and show them around the hospital. It's been neat to share this experience with them.

Thank you for praying for Jim. His PET scan and doctor appointment was today. We are so thankful to our Lord for a good report. His white count is down because of the radiation, but the PET didn't show any "hot spots" for cancer. Jim and Lisa, we are so happy for you and thrilled with the progress. Please keep them in your prayers that God would bring him into complete recovery and stronger each day. We love you.

We are half way there. We feel God's peace during this process. It is real. I am thankful for the gentleness of God in that when I begin to doubt and fear, He puts someone in my path to encourage me and bring back to the truth. The truth that we are never far from Him, and He has given all we need to live this life with victory. We are never alone. You are never alone. I am so grateful - for Him - and for you.

Love, Peggy