Update on Brian Hamilton...

This past week has been very hard. Brian was still not able to take his meds and keep them down. He went in on Thursday to see the oncologist and have blood drawn. It was decided that he would need to have his meds given through an IV. He received a round of the steroids that evening at the doctor's office. Randy & I went to see them Thursday night, and Brian was up sitting in his chair in the living room. He has lost nearly 40 pounds in the past month and a half. He visited with us some, but he has never been a real 'talkative' person anyway. He is having some trouble with his memory also, but (Thank You, Jesus) he does still know who we all are. However, he keeps saying that they don't know if the radiation worked, and the doctor has told him twice that it did not work and that the tumors have grown.

He had a better day on Friday with all the meds in him, and he actually asked for some food to eat. He ate very little, but thankfully was able to keep it all down. Also, on Friday morning Kristina took him in to the hospital and they put in a 'pic' line (IV port). Late Saturday afternoon, the hospice nurse came to give him another round of meds through the IV. She also gave them a pain med cream that can be rubbed onto his wrists to keep him comfortable, and also some medicine for the nausea. His right side has become affected due to one of the tumors, and he has trouble walking. His dad brought over a wheel chair to help move him around.

Kristina is holding up well through all of your prayers and the grace of God. She is at peace with the fact that she knows that God WILL HEAL BRIAN- either here or when He brings him to Heaven. Please continue to pray, especially that God will not take away Brian's knowledge of his family. Pray that God will give Brian peace and some good days to spend with them.

I would like to thank some friends- many of which I don't even know personally.

1. Our Connection Group at FBC- your prayers, calls and emails have been great. Randy & I also appreciate ya'll getting together all the paper goods and cleaning supplies for Kristina. These items will come in very handy.
2. Hunt Elementary School teachers and parents- Thank you so much for all the prayers and meals. This has been a huge blessing to Kristina and the entire family. You all are wonderful!! Also- thanks to the moms in Makayla's class that have invited her over and helped with her after school. She needs to have some 'normalcy' in her little life... and some fun!
3. Christian Life Cathedral- Brian's parents' church- for the prayers and support to the family.
4. First Baptist Church family- a huge thank you for the financial support that has been given to Kristina, not to mention all the prayers. I personally appreciate Jeff Young and Clint Smith for going to visit them and praying with them. I also appreciate Gina Franzke for visiting with me and guiding me in how I can better help and pray for Brian and Kris.
5. Friends- I wish I had time to name each one of you, but I'd hate to leave anyone out. And not just our friends, but friends of each member of the Hamilton and Hutchinson families. Your support, love, and prayers mean so much.

On a personal note, I just want to share what God has done in my life this week. I don't think I can ever remember hearing Him so clearly as I did this week. Of course, I have been consumed lately with thoughts of this situation (from many angles- Kristina's, the kids', Brian's parents) and I just seemed lost as how to process all of it and deal with my emotions. I prayed that God would help me know what I needed to be doing- I was truly overwhelmed. I felt led on Tuesday to contact Gina Franzke (Director of Women's Ministry at FBC) to see if we could get together. We met on Thursday afternoon and by the time we visited for an hour or so and she prayed, I felt like a weight had been lifted off of me. She gave me a devotional workbook called "A Heart that Hopes in God" by Catherine Martin. Friday evening, I sat down and read the introduction and was quickly brought to tears. She tells the story of Horatio Spafford. He lost his four daughters in a shipwreck, and on his way over to England to be with his wife, who survived, the captain of his ship pointed out the place where the ship had sank. He sat down, in the middle of his great loss and grief, and wrote the hymn 'It Is Well With My Soul'. The reason this story touched me so deeply is that this was my dad's favorite hymn and was sang at his funeral (when I was 13 years old). It made an impact on me then, and throughout my life I have always felt comfort the words. Just as Mr. Spafford must have realized that he would someday be reunited with his family, I realized and had peace with the fact that I would someday see my dad again in Heaven. The words to this hymn are powerful. We know He forgives our sin, we know there is Hope in the midst of tragedy, and we can all rest assured that we will be reunited with those we have lost one day in Heaven- provided we are all saved and walking in Him! Well, the Lord really must have wanted to make sure I understood that "It is well" because the praise team sang it in church this morning! They actually sang three songs this morning that spoke to my heart. I don't remember right this moment the titles, but they were SO relevant to all of us.
Thank you, Lord, for that blessing this morning! You are an Awesome God.

Please feel free to visit my blog for news on Brian and Kristina. I will try to keep it updated more frequently. Also- please forward the address: http://hutchfamily5.blogspot.com to those who might want the updates. Thank you again for all of your prayers and support.

Cynthia

..."Do not be afraid, for I have ransomed you. I have called you by name; you are mine. When you go through deep waters and great trouble, I will be with you. When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown! When you walk through the fire of oppression, you will not be burned up; the flames will not consume you. For I am the LORD, your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior." Isaiah 43:1-3