update 4/29/07

Family & Friends

As I said in my last email, you ALL mean so much to me. Each of you fits into my life and this "story" that's happening right now to me in many different ways. Some of you play big parts and some not so big. But none of your roles are taken for granted and absolutely none go unrecognized. I have been totally blown away by the outpouring of support. The relationships I have been able to build and grow with you all have been amazing. Like I've said before, even an email back and forth between some of you has come to mean the world to me.

Which brings me to one of the reasons for this letter. Many, and I mean many, of you have asked me how I can have such strong faith and believe God for all He's provided. Before I answer that I just want to say this...please forgive me if I offend you. I have not, and never want to be someone who takes my faith and shoves it down someone's throat, BUT, I do believe that I have rightfully earned this little "platform" to stand on right now and I plan to stand with my back straight and tall and not be ashamed for what I believe.

Now to answer the question that many of you have asked....and not only that, many of you have expressed to me how angry you personally are with God for putting me and my family through all this. DO NOT fall into the trap of believing that my disease and everything else that's happened has been caused by God. I think we need to look at the whole picture if you can think this way.

***If you can blame God....that means you believe in God. If you believe in God....that means you need to believe in Satan. If you believe in Satan....that means you can grasp that Satan truly is the one to blame!***

It's actually pretty simple to understand how I can have the faith that I have. I believe that the 'yuck' of this world is brought on by Satan and the free will that we've been given. But God is the one who holds us close no matter what you or I have done or what the situation is.

I basically just got done'preaching' to you all. And I have no intentions to offend anybody. But It has hurt my heart so much to hear all the anger & confusion that many of you hold in your own hearts. So I hope that this can give you a little peace about some things.

"We don't want you in the dark, friends, about how hard it was when all this came down on us in Asia Province. It was so bad we didn't think we were going to make it. We felt like we'd been sent to death row, that it was all over for us. As it turned out, IT WAS THE BEST THING THAT COULD HAVE HAPPENED. Instead of trusting in our own strength or wits to get out of it, WE WERE FORCED TO TRUST GOD TOTALLY - not a bad idea since He's the God who raises the dead! And He did it, rescued us from certain doom. And He'll do it again, rescuing us as many times as we need rescuing. YOU AND YOUR PRAYERS ARE PART OF THE RESCUE OPERATION - I don't want you in the dark about that either." -2 CORINTHIANS 1:8-11

What an unbelievable couple of verses. I read them about a month ago and couldn't believe what they were saying. The part about "you and your prayers being a part of it all"........WOW! That's how I feel about all of you. Thank you doesn't seem like enough. You are a part of my story and I will forever hold you close to my heart. The part that says, "We were forced to trust God totally..." Well, I have great doctor's, BUT, really, it ultimately doesn't matter what they think or do.....I have had no choice, but only a privilege to get to know God more intimately through all this. And the part that claims "It was the best thing that could have happened" is the part that I still wonder about. Don't get me wrong, I have already grown in mighty ways. And there has been so much good out of all of this. But the part that I wonder about is the future...what awesome things are in store for me? I'm just a little excited to see the future:) I can already see how this has been a good thing. Don't get me wrong...so much of it stinks. But I am floored how God can take a situation such as this and use it for good. If you question this, just let me know and I'll blow you away with all the many blessings I have received thus far.:)

The one part that I didn't emphasize in the verses was "AND HE DID IT, RESCUED US FROM CERTAIN DOOM." I didn't emphasize it for two reasons: 1)because I wanted to make sure you listening to my "preaching" for a minute longer:) and 2) because I didn't want to give away the 2nd reason for this email.....

On Friday I spoke with my doctor and got the results of my PET Scan....."HE DID IT!" My doctor told me he has no medical explanation for it, but my scans show no cancer anywhere in my body. "HE DID IT!" When I questioned him, He just joked about not using up all my miracles in one shot. He advised me to keep my mind open to doing everything we had planned - operation, radiation, more chemo. But he really couldn't advise me more until he consulted with more doctors...as he was stumped by my results. "HE DID IT!" Are you blown away? Don't worry, so am I. So let me repeat myself for you and me to hear it again....there is no signs of cancer in my body at all. "HE DID IT!" I have gone from a very rare type of stage 4 cancer being throughout a large part of my body to being cancer
free. "HE DID IT!" " HE DID IT!" HE DID IT!"

I have yet to mention to you in this letter about the miracles that have already happened...because you have heard about them throughout these past four months. But now, I am humbled, again, to be chosen by Him to receive another one. The road for me is not over yet. I am pretty certain that surgery will still happen in the next month or so. Radiation and more chemo may still follow (I will meet with my oncologist on May 8th). But I do know for now, I am planning to take this miracle at face value for what it is...a MIRACLE. Even my doctor has said so himself.

I will make sure to update you after I meet with him and fill you in on what my path will soon be. But until then, please, continue to pray. I am still having slight side effects from my last chemo. And I still have to try to remain healthy for whatever I will be doing in the medical world. Also, my family is still walking down this road with me...so please pray for them.

Thank you for your prayers
Thank you for allowing me to pray for you
Thank you for your support
Thank you for the big things
Thank you for the little things
Thank you for your time
Thank you for being a part of my life
Thank you for being a part of my story
Thank you
Shannon

update 4/24/07

Hi Everyone

Just a quick note to let everyone know that tomorrow is the day for my scans. I go in at 9 and am on the table at 9:30am. These scans will show us what has been happening with the chemos. We are very hopeful that there has been shrinkage and disappearage:) My oncologist will get the results within two days. I will be putting a call into him to discuss everything. I honestly don't know if he will go over it on the phone or if I will have to wail till my next appointment, which will be May 8th...uggh...pray that I will be able to find out sooner. After all this, I will be talking with my surgeon to discuss dates for surgery. Then we will go from there.

I really have no words to express what all of you mean to me. Some of you I have known my whole life, others not so long, and yet others are friends through this wonderful world we call the internet and would be strangers by sight. But I want to express how much of an encouragement you all are. The emails that are sent my way are such an uplifting part of my day. I know I hardly have had a chance to answer many....but please know how much they mean. I look back on them frequently just to find some encouragement when the moment is tough. And the cards and phone call are the same. Each one of you is in my address book for a reason. Please take this as a personal THANK YOU for how you personnally fit into my life.

As I approach tomorrow I want each of you to know that I have peace. God has done so much for me through all of this. Many miracles have already happened. So be encouraged as I go to find out what other miracles He has done for me because "Now to Him who is able to do EXCEEDINLY ABUNDANTLY ABOVE ALL that we ask or think, accordingly to the power that works in us, to Him be glory." -Ephesians 3:20

Shannon

Good Friday's Healing

Jesus bore my sins upon His body on Good Friday. We celebrate this as we get prepared to celebrate Easter in few days.

I am unsure of what is happening in my own body. Cancer has invaded it and the doctors, drugs, my family & friends and myself are trying to get it out! I am at every doctors appointment just anticipating what will come. I have to do everything I can to assure that I am giving it 110% effort to keep on living. I know this horrendous disease does not belong in me.

"Praise the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits-who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases." - Psalm 103:2-3

Many times I find myself going to this verse. It would be easy to claim His physical healing of my cancer. (Which, by the way, is totally within His abilities!) But I am realizing, as I dig deeper into what Psalm 103 is saying, could be that I may not be healed of my cancer while in my earthly home. It might not happen until I see my Savior face to face.

And ultimately, I have learned that I am already healed....Jesus bore all evil upon His body many years ago. There really is no room in His kingdom for things such as cancer. Nor is there room for it in my body. He is always, ALWAYS for me and never against me. This includes this moment in my life. As I wonder what is happening inside my body, I am reassured that He was there before the Enemy tried to invade. He will forever be inside of me regardless of what my body goes through. He has full control of every cell, each drip on medicine, any growth of disease....He has full control.

So whether I am healed physically or not I am finding peace in knowing that I am already healed by what He did for me thousands of years ago on a wooden cross.