Be Magnified Lyrics

Really listen to the words in this song. I have sung this song for a lot of years at church but tooday it really hit me like a ton of bricks as I sat and worried about Gary and him starting back to chemo this week. The line about leaning on the wisdom of man and the line about believing a lie that He can not help me. Remember this song the next time a doctor says that there is no help or that you MIGHT see two Christmases with your kids.

SO MUCH TO BE THANKFUL FOR

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving and I wanted to share with you what I am thankful for....

I am thankful for....

A man that showed me what it was like to be a friend and a lover. Someone who instilled in me self-confidence and helped me realized I deserved love.

I am thankful to my three little girls who are turning into beautiful young ladies who I love to see reach out to others with an innocent excitement. Three little girls that take a simple trip to the grocery store and turn it into an opportunity to brighten busy shoppers' days by making sure no one left without a "Happy Thanksgiving" wish.

I am thankful for family who take the time to help where needed who are there when things get rough. I am thankful for once strained family relationships that have been mended by the immensity of the trials we are in making petty differences seem small.

For a church that I have walked through my ENTIRE adult life with. A church that at whatever cost shows us love and has always been there to help us through bad times and rejoiced with us through good times.

For realizing that I have people who love and care for me -- people who are my friends.

For people who were at one time just casual "kind ladies" to me that sat in front of me at church who have now been there in so many ways to help see me through this difficult year.

For all the people who, while Gary and I have been in the battle for his life, have sent cards and love, a restaurant gift card, or a check that always come just when we need it the most.

For people who listen to the leading of the Lord and have provided for us when things have broken (and things have broken a lot this year) and have in turn made God even more real to my kids and helped them develop a true understanding of how great God is and His provision is always there for us and it comes from areas we least expect.

That in the darkest, most fearful, and most stressful time in my life, God has been more real to me than I could have ever fathomed. I am thankful for every day with my family and friends and that when our time on this earth is done, I will have them in heaven and the fun will really start.

I am also thankful to the people who take the time to read my ramblings and purpose to pray for this family. We could have not made it this year without you!

Hope you all have a happy and blessed Thanksgiving!

Well it has been quit a week for the Schriver family. Monday Gary went in for his weekly blood work and his hemoglobin was at an all time low well into the dangerous level. So they took him straight into the hospital. We thought okay we will be here over night and get out in the morning but that is not what happened his hemoglobin just never came up enough he ended up having to get 4 units of blood a ton of IV bag fluids and 2 units of blood plasma. We were going to take the kids to the hospital today and eat lunch with daddy and let the kids visit but I got a call at 815 this morning and it was Gary and he said that the doc gave him the green light to come home he is not out of the woods by any stretch but he is doing so much better today she said you can get better rest at home and they will follow up with him on Monday and do any more tests from the office. It is a little frustrating not knowing why his levels are doing what they are doing but we try really hard to live life one day at a time and today is a good day and I am going to rejoice :) Last night I came home to be with the girls and give my mom some rest and ten min after I came in I found out that the guest toilet was broken and ten min after that the other bathroom clogged. I will be honest I just about lost it the stress of big man in the hospital and the kids having tough times and everything else adding no working toilets to the house just about sent me over the edge but thanks to friends who made me laugh and my brother and sister in law who came and helped Field the kids and plumber the evening ended with two working toilets and me with my sanity in tact. They will never realize that just coming in and infusing peace into the situation was such amazing help. I am so grateful for both our families you know as years go by you argue and fuss about this or that but since Gary has been sick both our families have circled around us to help us get thru and I am so grateful to all of them. My sister is coming down this evening to help us "Christmas up" the house to help make this Christmas extra special for the girls and make things extra special she is also planning on cooking some stuff for us and if you knew my sister you would know that her cooking is a super huge blessing :) Happy Thanksgiving week to all my friends and family thank you for helping this tired stressed woman survive and thrive I am Thankful for each and every one of you.

Cancer poem

A Facebook friend shared this poem with me and I found it so encouraging and inspirational:

What cancer cannot do
(author unknown)

Cancer cannot
Cripple love, it actually
Makes it overflow

Cancer cannot
Shatter hope, it actually
Clarifies what hope
Is for

Cancer cannot
Corrode faith, it actually
Strengthens
Faith's conviction

Cancer cannot
Conquer the spirit,
Because courage faces
Cancer’s afflictions

Our Monday Morning

We spent this Monday afternoon in the doctors office yet again :(. Gary has been sick all weekend and he was seriously dehydrated and had to go get two shots and a bag of fluids. I pray that this will help him feel well enough to get out of bed he hasn't done that all weekend. Gary is getting really anxious and scared he just cant seem to feel good and he is so worried that this chemo isn't working either and he is also worried that it is and will have to feel this sick for months to come and I dont think his body can handle it. We are in desperate straights for a miracle and soon. Gary has began to pray heal me or take me just do it soon please Lord. As we go into this holiday season please pray that we can forget cancer for a month and concentrate on making miracles with our sweet girls. My girls need this time of magic in their life.
We got big time blessed this week by an anonymous money order in the mail that will help us to get thru December when I really worried we wouldn't. Thank you for continuing to lift this family up in your prayers.I can safely say we cannot make it with out our dear friends and the love they share.

The Drama just keeps on coming

Gary is just now finishing his 4th blood transfusion in the last 3 months. The hospital was undergoing an audit today and they brought them to our room because we have been here 5 times in the last 3 months and surely if there were any defeciencies we would find them lol. I am happy to say that my only complaint against St Vincents is the poor and spotty wi fi and lo and behold the head of the hospital came by and said they were in the planning phase of upgrading the wi fi. Hmm they listen cool :) I told the auditor I can go to McDonalds and be fine but I have to stand on one foot with tin foil to get wifi in some places here :)

The transfusion helped put some color back into big mans face hopefully he will feel better too. He starts back to chemo tomorow and then friday. The kids arent huge fans of this new chemo schedule we were at the hospital probably 20 hours last week and know this week we will surpass the 20 hours. They are okay with daddy being gone they know that he needs this care but they arent real keen about mommy being gone. Mommy is always around I am a costant in their life and lately I havent been able to be very constant. Please pray peace on them this is so hard for grown ups to deal with I cant even imagine being 10 or 12 dealing with this. This last week Merry asked Gary point blank what will happen if this chemo dosent work?? Gary answered her honestly "then the doctors will get worried" she has not been the same since that talk she is a smart girl she knows what that means :(

I do have to tell you of something really really cool this morning. We had gone home with the low fuel light on and the little light that says how long you can drive before empty said 7 miles. As I turned onto the main road I noticed a bunch of traffic and just prayed please God let us get to the gas station and like a minute latter the low fuel light came on and the miles light jumped from 7 to 25 and even though we were in 30 min of stop and go traffic we made it to the gas station with gas to spare. Such an awsome reminder to us that God provided for ALL our needs. I know I should have that lessoon DOWN by know but after updating our checkbook last night I was getting anxious again that we might not get thru the month and then God goes and does this and gently reminds me HE has our back. Thank you Daddy :)

Blessings on all of you this week and thank you for standing with us in prayer and thank you to the people who gathered on saterday to pray for Gary and a friend who both got devesdtating news last week. I can honestly say we could not make it with out all the prayers and love/ THANK YOU