15th April 2013

 

Charlotte and Victoria returned from Camp Quality Junior Camp at Point Wolstoncroft, Lake Macquarie late yesterday afternoon. They had an awesome time and were so well looked after by their companions, pictured with them. We are so grateful to Camp Quality and the opportunities and fun they give us all. Whilst the girls were canoeing, disco dancing and doing lots of craft, we were enjoying 2 days of being a family of four! The house was so quiet and tidy!

 

 

The camp was a great way to start the school holidays, and a week that will be consumed by hospital visits, Tuesday (MRI and physio), Wednesday (OT) and Thursday (Chemo and scan results). It is never dull here.

 

We continue to believe for a good result from the scan. Physically looking at Victoria there is nothing to indicate that there has been any major growth in the tumour.

 

Prayer points

1. Victoria will be well enough to have the general anaesthetic tomorrow for the MRI

2. We will remain in God's peace as we wait for the MRI results and hear the results.

3. Victoria will continue to strengthen physically

 

Many thanks again for your continued prayers and support as we continue to chose to trust God with our daughter.

 

Some food for thought from a book I am reading, Names of God, by Nathan Stone.  In fact I have been stuck on this page (58) for a couple of weeks!!!

"It is in this connection that another aspect of the name El-Shaddai, as the One who fills and makes fruitful, appears. We have already seen that to experience God's sufficiency one must realise one's own insufficiency. To experience God's fullness one must empty self. It is not easy to empty self. It was never easy to do that. The less empty of self we are, the less of blessing God can pour into us; the more of pride and self-sufficiency, the less fruit we can bear. Sometimes chastening can make us realize this. Thus it is that the name Almighty God or El-Shaddai is used in connection with judging, chastening, purging. ..... And as in the case of Naomi, is it not also true of Job that even this "perfect and upright" man was made more upright or whole through sufferings; that he was purged, through chastening, of some imperfections that hindered his fullest blessing and fruitfulness, that this chastening emptied him so completely of self that he could be "filled to the measure of all the fullness of God"? (Ephesians 3:19). He understood this in the day when he said: "Now my eyes have seen you. Therefore I despise myself and repent in dust and ashes" (Job 42:5-6). Then he received power with God to intercede for his friends, and he was filled with double blessings."

 

From on-going personal experience, moving from the Super Miss self-sufficient I was 18 years ago, to the person God is continuingly moulding me into today, I totally agree with Stone, that "It is not easy to empty self". However, with everything we have gone through, I would much prefer to be the person I am now, than that person 18 years ago. Thank you  Heavenly Father, Jesus and Holy Spirit.

 

How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! 1 John 3:1a