Family, the holidays, and cancer

It's been one week since my dad was diagnosed with lung cancer.  Initially the news was optimistic, and in a lot of ways it still is, we are hanging in the waiting period of the unknown.  His PET scan revealed two things the doctor doesn't like, one is a hot lymph node, and the other is calcifications on his heart, which could cause a heart attack during surgery.  He goes in for a stress test on Thursday, and if that goes well, he will have surgery on November 25th to remove the lower lobe of his left lung.  His recovery will be long and slow.  If the stress test does not go well, we wait to see what the doctor will do.

I had lunch yesterday with two of my brothers and Mark to decide what to do next.  We decided to all go to Arizona to have Thanksgiving dinner with them on the 23rd.  Which I am looking forward to... but then, there are so many mixed emotions.  This year will be Josh and Kassi's first holidays as a married couple and I wanted to do all I could to make it special for them... instead we are all just trying to see how we can get to Arizona for Christmas to spend it with mom and dad.  With so much unknown, none of us want to live in the regret of not spending all the time we can with them, should something happen between now and next year.

I love the holidays.  I love time with family... the music, the lights.  Pausing to be thankful for all God's amazing blessings; celebrating the birth of our Savior.  God has done so much in my heart this past year working at UGM and becoming more involved in the homeless and poor communities of Portland.  My eyes and heart have been opened to see what so many go through just to survive; God has convicted me deeply of my selfishness in celebrating His gift.  I have become a huge advocate for Advent Conspiracy, and the unselfish nature of giving relational gifts, not just more stuff.  Last year, instead of gifts, we promised our family a trip to the coast, which we weren't able to do until September.  We had an amazing few days away.  Walking on the beach, going to dinner, seeing the sights.  I am reminded so often how incredibly blessed I am to have Mark, Daryn, Kassi, and now Josh (and his family).  That Mark and Cecil are best friends is an amazing gift.  That we can have such fun with our kids now that they are grown... a blessing too incredible for words.

I have also been incredibly blessed with amazing parents.  We were able to spend a week with them at the coast after Josh and Kassi's wedding last summer.  It was a great time of rest and just being together.  While I don't talk with them as often as I should, I think of them every day and my heart is moved deeply as I remember that they chose me to be their's when they adopted me.  I am humbled that God has chosen me for this family; I am humbled that He blessed me with Mark, and has done so much in Daryn and Kassi, and in Josh... I am humbled to have the opportunity to be a part of the LifeChange family at UGM.

This year the holiday's may not be picture perfect for our family... but they will be good.  We have each other... we have this year to make time to be together.  We have an abundance that we are able to give to others from... yeah... God is good... all the time... and all the time... God is good, even in the trials of life.