Well, today's our last day of vacation. I'm writing to you this morning from the top floor (3rd level) of our rental house overlooking the intracoastal waterway on Topsail Island. This house has been the perfect location for us! The front opens up to the roaring beach and the back opens up to the serene waterway. It's been gorgeous! Each morning we watch the sun rise (I realize that this is too early to be awake while on vacation, but it happened naturally) and each evening we watch the sun set. We joined my parents here on Topsail Island on Monday. This vacation has been desperately needed for my parents. Right before they drove down to the beach, my dad spent 5 hours at Duke Brain Center getting the low-down on what's happening to him and the steps to follow toward his treatment. While there was some encouraging news to be heard, he also had to make the decision to start chemotherapy. The doctors are very confident that this method should work best for his situation. The 3 tumors are continuing to be a threat, and surgery will never again be an option for my dad. They weren't even sure he could be a candidate for chemo, but thankfully he is! I know it sounds out-of-place to praise the idea of chemo, but for my dad, it was his last hope. We all know that it's going to kick his butt over the next year, and MANY things about his life are going to change, but we're confident that the Lord placed this in front of him for the purpose of healing . . . and that's what we're waiting for now. He begins his treatment tomorrow and will go into the hospital twice a month (every 2 weeks) for as long as he needs to until these tumors go away. The very best news out of all of this is that the Lord is completely watching over my parents financially. My dad has been "un-insurable" for several years now b/c his tumors were becoming too much of a threat to the medical world and they completely cut him off (which seems so opposite to me). However, Duke is exhausting ALL their resources for my dad and we just received the news yesterday that they have found insurance for him and that the cost of all his treatments from here on out will be covered! PTL!!!! So instead of paying $40,000 a month for treatment, he is now only responsible for $500 a month! Is that not amazing?? That is ALL the power and control of GOD! I am so thankful!
So, needless to say, he, my mom, and the rest of us really needed this time away together to spend as a family.

The Lord is GOOD!