Even in the Valley

 I have been struggling to write this update, because I know several friends who have entered dark valleys of their own lately, and I don't want to seem flippant or unfeeling. But I also know that even in the darkest of valleys - 

our God is still good; our Jesus is still faithful; and His grace is still sufficient!

For the past 9 months or so, my tumors have continued to shrink slowly and it's been a gradual process. I have more energy than I did when I was going through the chemo infusions, but still not as much as I used to before the cancer. My treatment plan has stayed the same, mixing conventional hormone therapy and oral chemo pills with natural remedies and exercise. I get a CT scan every 3 months just to get a visual check on what my insides look like.

But this time, my CT scan results had an additional comment from the radiologist after the usual description of the scan. This time, the doctor added that he could find "no sign of active cancer." Praise the Lord!! That means there are still a few tumors that can be seen, but they are either dead or inactive. My latest bloodwork showed the cancer protein marker is still dropping, which is another unexpected development - well, unexpected for the doctors and oncology team watching this! 

Thank you all so very much for your prayers and support. It has meant so much to us as we have walked through this valley to know that we have so many people lifting us up in prayer. Even though we've now reached a sunnier and smoother part of the valley, I know there are many others who are in their own dark, terrifying valleys. I can testify that even in the valley, God is good, faithful, and true. Even when it seems He's saying "No" to our prayers, He still holds our hands and walks with us. And He still shows us His love for us every day, if we're willing to see it.

The words of this song "Even in the Valley" seem like they were written for my experience. I hope you are blessed by this reminder of the faithfulness of our Jesus!