Happy Thursday!

I am cancer free! Praise God from whom all blessings flow. The good news is that the tumor grew down instead of out and wider. The wound site should be smaller. I have 29 stitches and swelling at the wound site and towards my left eye. Basic instructions once again are rest, no lifting, no bending over, lots of ice and this time I will make use of the pain killers. Stitches come out in a week and the centipede like scar looks pretty good. I am very grateful for Mary Kay!! As the doc was doing the repair work I began to get a bit restless in the chair on which I was laying as he worked. So I shifted as carefully as I could so as not to disturb his work. Dr. Martinelli asked me if I was doing okay? I replied, “As long as you don’t say oops while you are working I am just fine.”

Psalm 73:24 “You shall guide me with your counsel, and afterward receive me to glory.”

The actual excision of the tumor does not take very long. The closure and the repair work takes a bit of time. The doc was unable to remove the entire tumor the first time, so he went back in and got the rest of it on a second attempt. As he was doing the repair work I began to silently sing the words to the beautiful song, “You are My Hiding Place.” The verse states with the loveliest haunting melody,

“You are my hiding place. You always fill my heart with songs of deliverance. Whenever I feel afraid, I will trust in You. I will trust in You, When the weak say I am strong in the strength of the Lord.”

This beautiful melody and words of faith helped me to remain calm and focus not on the work being done to my body, but on the work of the Spirit being done in my soul. I felt the presence of God calming me and being ever so close. I felt secure in the knowledge that the master Healer was present with me and guiding the skilled hands that removed the cancer and repaired the healthy tissue. Yes, there will be a scar there that will forever remind me of what was there, but Christ carried around the scars left by nails and spears and thorns as a reminder of His sacrifice for our sins, His love for each of us and obedience to His Father.

Take joy in the journey. Wear comfortable shoes, count your blessings and say your prayers. Thank you all, mighty and faithful prayer warriors and friends for all of your prayers today. I felt Gods loving presence through your prayers and the music. Love you all, Bruce, Gaylene, Geni and Travis.

Gcapplenotes@aol.com

I am not moved by what I see. I am not moved by what I feel. I am moved only by what I believe and I believe God.

PS We will be leaving for Mom and Dad’s sometime after lunch tomorrow. I will write again upon our return. Please continue to pray for my Uncle Gene and Aunt Imogene. Thanks again, gc