Grateful Journal

It was Sunday evening and I was sitting around deciding whether or not I had anything important to post on the blog. This past week was pretty uneventful. It was almost normal. I really did not think I had anything important to tell and then I remembered a letter I had received back in November when we began our journey from my friend and colleague, Joyce. She prayed that we would experience God's presence every day and reminded us to look for Him in the little things that just happen to work for the good. She said she records those things she is grateful for as a reminder of how good God is and how He is constantly taking care of her and making His presence known. God has certainly made His presence known to us these last couple of months and so I thought I would record a few of the things we are grateful for this week.

Maddy still can't go to school, but with Miss Heckel's help, she Skyped a majority of each day this week. We are grateful that Maddy is able to continue to be a part of her first grade class. Maddy still does not have any hair, but she does not even let it phase her. Last Sunday, Maddy announced that she was going to show her classmates her head since they hadn't seen it yet. So, all week, Maddy Skyped without a hat on her head. We are grateful that Maddy is self-confident and courageous. Maddy's strength is what has gotten her Dad and me through these last couple of months. (Pretty impressive for a six year old!) Maddy is handling the current medication she is taking with minimal side effects. We are grateful that God has given the researchers and doctors the knowledge they need to fight this cancer. Since Maddy's counts were still good this week, our family went out to eat supper along with Miss Heckel on Friday. We saw her classmate, Mason leaving the restaurant. He gave her a big hug. We are grateful for the time we were able to spend together with Miss Heckel and for the continued unconditional love of her friends. Maddy had fun going sledding this weekend. We are grateful for the beautiful snow and sunny skies this weekend. Maddy and Julia picked on each other a lot this week. We are grateful that they have each other to pick on. Finally, Maddy continued to receive gifts, cards, thoughts and prayers this week. We are truly grateful for all the support and love we have received since this journey began.

My prayer is that everyone is able to experience God's presence every day and that everyone is able to take the time to be grateful.