Blessings

This week has been filled with blessings! Praise God! On Thursday at school Victoria received her Home Reading Program Bronze Medal for reading 130 books. We are so grateful to the school for the extra help they have given Victoria with her reading, enabling her to catch up on all the school time she missed last year. How blessed Victoria is to be at Belmont Christian College.

Ken and I sat with immense pride at the ceremony, knowing how much effort Victoria herself has put in to doing the extra work. She truly is victorious in every way! Ken's parents were also able to join in this special event.

You may remember a couple of months ago a film crew came to our home and made a video about Victoria's story and the impact of the Starlight Children's Foundation's various programs (The Wish, The Starlight Express Room, the Starlight Captains) has had on her journey. The purpose of the video was to help people at the Starlight Foundation's signature fundraising events, the Five Chefs Dinner, understand the difference their donations can make to a child's life. The Five Chef's cooking at the Sydney dinner included Colin Fassnidge, Matt Moran and Adriano Zumbo!

Ken and I were privileged to be invited to the dinner on Thursday night. Thank you Starlight Foundation for this blessing. It was an amazing experience, starting with me having my hair and make up done. I felt like a princess!

My hair was done by Sloan's, who have an on-going partnership with Starlight, committing to raise money to help grant children's wishes. Thank you so much Georgia for doing an amazing job with my masses of hair!

My make up was done by a makeup artist from, Napoleon Perdis (NP Set). Again I felt like a star.

 I even wore fake eyelashes for the first time in my life - aged 42!!!! What fun.

I had so much fun, and felt so blessed to part of such an amazing night.

Once the hair and make up was done, we were allowed a sneak peek at the Grand Ballroom at the Four Season's Hotel where the event was being held. Almost everything for the event had been donated. Again we are so grateful to the people and businesses that give so readily to make a difference in these children's lives.

The ballroom looked fabulous.

It was a little surreal for Ken and I to see Victoria's photo on the 500 menus and programs at each seat.

The event itself was incredible. Victoria's video evoked many tears and had the desired effect. For anyone wanting to see the video, it will be available after September when all the fundraising dinners have been completed.

We got to meet some wonderful people who generously donated to this cause. It was very humbling to see all these people giving to make a difference for children like Victoria. Thank you, thank you, thank you. And needless to say, the food, all five courses, were sensational!

At the end of the event, Ken received a bottle of wine signed by all the chefs, and I received a bouquet of flowers, Starlight style.

Anyone who has come in contact with Starlight Captains will know they always have balloons and a pump ready to make a creation that brings a smile to children's faces. Well, these flowers and this whole Five Chefs Dinner experience put a huge smile on my face!!!

Ken too has a pretty big grin on his face after an impromptu meeting with Tim Finn in the lift and then having Tim recount the impact of their conversation to all the dinner guests from the stage! Thank you Tim for giving your time and voice to the Starlight Foundation. And for bringing back so many great memories with songs of yesteryear.

Thank you so much to Kerry, Robyn and Jo who so capably looked after our children so Ken and I could spend the night in Sydney and extend this blessing to Friday. We thank God for the many people He has bought into our lives to practically support us in this journey.

So once again God has shown us that there are many blessings amongst the trials and tribulations of life. As it says in Colossians 1:10-12 ...

As you learn more and more how God works, you will learn how to do your work. We pray that you'll have the strength to stick it out over the long haul - not the grim strength of gritting your teeth but the glory-strength God gives. It is strength that endures the unendurable and spills over into joy, thanking the Father who makes us strong enough to take part in everything bright and beautiful that he has for us.

Thank you to everyone who has prayed for our family, and continues to pray for our family as we live to get the most from each day, knowing that our Heavenly Father is faithful.

MRI succesfully done, tumour is stable

Victoria successfully stayed still in the MRI machine today for 20 minutes, providing the pictures required. Hence the back-up MRI booked for next week with the general anesthetic has been cancelled! From this day forward she can do the MRI this way. The whole procedure was over in 2 hours rather than 6 or 7 hours and no fasting required!

The technician said she was one of the best children they had had in the machine in terms of lack of movement. We praise God for the maturity and composure she demonstrated today. Thank you for praying for her to be peaceful and stay still.

Whilst Victoria's port was being de-accessed, Ken spoke to her oncologist and asked if he could have a quick look at the scan now, instead of having to wait a week for the results. He was very obliging and fitted us in between other scheduled appointments.

The oncologist advised us that the tumour is stable. We thank God for this result. We pray that we can all continue this journey with great endurance and patience, daily drawing closer to our faithful heavenly father, to fulfil His purposes for each of our lives. 

Colossians 1:9-12 For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of His will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding. And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every good way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and joyfully giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light. 

Thank you for continuing to stand with us in prayer and claiming Victoria's name over her life: Victoria - conquer, victory; Grace - favour and blessing. 

The next MRI is scheduled for 7th August this year.