rejoice always

"Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus." 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

That was the first thing I read this morning. The Bible app on my phone has a "verse of the day", and that was today's. It was easier to do at 7am than it is now, but I'm working on it.

If you haven't already heard, we received some very bad news today. My mom's CT scan showed a mass where her pancreas used to be (the part they removed two years ago). This is likely pressing on some nerves and is the cause of her back pain. Mom's been having back pain since October, but after a good CT scan that month and a good MRI 6 weeks ago, it was determined that she likely had a muscular injury. I guess this tumor was just too small to see on Mom's previous scans. Dr. T feels like this is probably the pancreatic cancer recurring. However, he wants to do a biopsy to be sure. Next Tuesday, 1/15, Trish will have a biopsy as well as a nerve block to help with her pain. We should get the results of the biopsy the following day (1/16 . . . Mom's birthday).

Though, given what we know, the outlook looks grim, we continue to believe in miracles (because, hello, God's given us like a hundred of them) and are holding onto hope that this might not be pancreatic cancer. So it's time to rally the troops and pray with us! Pray for healing for mom, pray for wisdom for Dr. Tauer and the rest of her medical team, and pray for peace for our family, especially Jamal and Tekia. Above all, pray that God's glory will be revealed through this journey.

Thank you so much for all your prayers and love. We are so blessed to be loved by so many.