There are some places that embody an almost tangible sadness. Places where the atmosphere is saturated in heaviness. Where it feels like every day is a rainy day with no sign of the clouds clearing. One of these places is a Pediatric Oncology Unit. From the inpatient floor to the clinic for labs and chemo, …
Stability
I struggle with this place that we are now, this place of STABLE disease. There are moments of each day were I feel exceeding joy that Izzy is still alive. That she is in school and playing soccer and enjoying being a child. But those moments are always followed by fear of the future …
Beauty From Ashes – December 23rd
Weeks ago I lay in Izzy's bed late at night talking about Christmas. We talked about baby Jesus and how she wanted Grace, the American Girl Doll. We talked about the animals that were probably in the barn the night He was born and we talked about how Christmas was really about his coming into …
Everyday Kind Of Beautiful
A little over a week ago I found myself in the foothills of southern California in a little town called Ojai. It's the kind of place that's so tiny you can find your way around after five minutes. But it's the kind of place that is so far removed from reality you get lost there …
A Celebration of Unawareness
September. Summer's heat meets Fall's crisp air and school is back in full swing as if it never stopped. I sit out on my deck this chilly Sunday morning with my coffee and my headphones listening to the same old worship song on repeat over and over again. Just this week I received some photos …
The Purple Card
Sunday evening I packed our bags for the week we would spend in Cincinnati. There were bags of clothes, bags of toys, bags of blankets and pillows. I have grown accustomed to the systematic way of packing for these trips. The things you bring to make you feel at home even though when you finally …
Matters Of The Heart
This past week Izzy has carried a nervousness that has been both heartbreaking and expected. She has cried about things that I cannot fix and asked questions I cannot answer. I have tried my best to circle around her inquiries drawing attention away from that which I do not know to that which I do …
Holy Consent
For as long as I can remember I have wanted to change the world. I have longed to help those that have great need, longed to bring justice to places there was none and wholeness to places that were broken. The Lord has given me the heart of compassion, the spirit of an advocate and …
Izzy’s Story
Hospital beds are one-size-fits-all, you know. That's why you can't see her in this picture. But she is there, hidden within the white that engulfs her. I knew something was wrong when I took her to the Emergency Room Sunday. A sharp pain, I told them. It's nothing, they said. I knew it still when …
The Gift of Time
If you haven't already heard or read somewhere I'm happy to share with you that we received great news from Izzy's scans and most other tests this month. She is still No Evidence of Disease and while that doesn't mean the disease is gone it means they are still not seeing any evidence of it …
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