Makn Memories

A New Day

After putting the girls in bed I packed up and headed back to overland park so I could be at church to run the bookstore.  Brett and the girls stayed in Paola to attend church with the rest of the family.  I woke up with the promise that today is a new day.  The struggles I faced yesterday are gone.  Kim Joel Brandon Kyle Brett Jillian and Elizabeth attended The Lighthouse Church.  We all were a little worried about how strong we all could be back in the crowd.  They felt the message was created just for their needs.  I know my girls loved being with their BFF Maggie and Alyssa.  I can only speak for myself but it was good to see my brothers and sisters in Christ today.  I know Kim and Joel left church very blessed by the fellowship and prayers and encouragement they received.  These last couple of days seem in limbo.  A free fall of sorts waiting for what Friday will bring. 

The message brought us a song that touched our hearts:

If You say go, we will go
If You say wait, we will wait
If You say step out on the water
And they say it can't be done
We'll fix our eyes on You and we will come
Your ways are higher than our ways
And plans that You have laid
Are good and true
If You call us to the fire
You will not withdraw Your hand
We'll gaze into the flames and look for You

The sermon brought a comforting verse

Philippians 4:8-9  Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble whatever things are just, whatever things are sure, whatever things are loved, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy-meditate on these things.  The things which you learned and received and heard and saw in me, these do, and the God of peace will be with you."

After the service the Elders gathered around Joel & his family to anoint him with oil and lay hands upon him.  They graciously prayed over Joel calling for God's healing power.  They prayed for Gods will and for His hand to be on our family as we go through the days ahead.  Joel kept thinking Mathew 18:19-20 "Again, I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything you ask for, it will be done for you by my Father in Heaven. For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them

We Pray we will not fall to worry and stress about the preparations that need done by Tuesday for the trip.  We pray for safety on our travels and that the hurricane will not stand in the way of our trip.  We pray for rest and clear minds that rely on Jesus and His will for our lives. 

Joel wrote a very special note he wished to share.....but you might grab a tissue before you start!

To my Brothers & Sisters in Christ, I cannot express my gratitude for the support and love you are giving my family and I in this time of need.  You all have truly been there for me and my family and we know you will continue to bless us with your prayers and support.

As everyone knows I am a fairly emotional person, so when you see me crying my eyes out, know that they are tears of joy because of the overwhelming love and support my family and I are receiving from each and every one of you.  I feel as though I have been sheltered during every moment of every day with the many thoughts and prayers each and every one of you have been providing on my behalf. To be a part of such an extended family of Christ loving Christ centered people has been such a blessing to my family and I.  I cannot express the comfort and joy I have in knowing I have such a group of people behind us during each and every step of this new adventure God has put in front of my family.

As you might imagine I am full of uncertainty at this time in regards to a thing or two, but I do know this, whatever happens it will lift up and glorify His name so that others may know Him as their personal Savior.  Our God is such an awesome God and just seeing the way He continues to work in the lives of so many people in so many different walks of life is truly amazing.  Please continue to share your thoughts and stories with me and others of His marvelous works.

I must share with you the recent timing of our Mountain Men hike was a true blessing.  The experience in itself was amazing, but God’s timing was such that I could not have imagined.  As many of you know I lead a fairly busy life.  My family has always been a big priority for me and I cherish every moment I get to spend with them.  The hike allowed my sons and I a chance to get away and experience firsthand, some of the beauty God has placed on this earth.  Our group concentrated on making the experience more than a hike up a mountain, it was a calling out to our sons to become Men.  But what I didn’t realize was what lied ahead of me after returning from the hike.  The changes in the altitude may have helped bring out the realization that I had something going on in my head.  Prior to our trip I had no indication anything out of the ordinary was going on.  Since coming down from the mountains I have experience a constant and increasingly intense headache.  This caused me to seek medical attention and to discover the new challenge God has put in front of me.  In looking back at how the events all have played out, I truly believe God was leading me down a path and watching over me the whole time.  I still hold on to my belief that God is not finished with my journey and He is in control.  Brad gave us all a verse to ponder during our trip.  Joshua 1:9 (NIV) “Have I not commanded you?  Be strong and courageous.  Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”  Little did I know the intimate meaning this verse would take on over the course of the next few weeks.

Kim and I want to thank everyone for the love and support our family continues to receive.  Your support means so much to us.  Thank you cannot be expressed enough for the way you continue to touch our lives.

I love you all as Brothers and Sister in Christ,

Joel Blackman    

Love,

Kyndra and the entire Blackman family

Weepy and emotional...

I think I can speak for all of us that this morning I woke up emotionally raw and just weepy.  I quickly grabbed for a devotional and my Bible.  Yesterday we all seemed pretty strong.  But we also had a long to do list.  I found comfort in these scriptures:

Psalm 39:7 But now, LORD, what do I look for?  My hope is in you. 

Psalm  28:7 The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and I am helped. 

Isaiah 40:31 Those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength.  They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint. 

Kim and Joel had a devotional together early this morning.  The Lord brought them to

3 John 4 I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth.

Joshua 1:8-9 Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it.  Then you will be prosperous and successful.  Have I not commanded you?  Be strong and courageous.  Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.

After Kyle Jillian and Elizabeth made a feast of Homemade french toast and syrup.  We all gathered to eat together and decided to reread the devotional Kim Joel Brett and I enjoyed yesterday together.  We took turns reading and consequently weeping together.  After regrouping we continue to get ready and made a dent (with help) on the housework.  Every woman knows its easier to leave your house clean to return to!!  Joel Brett Brandon and Kyle headed to the city to help Kyle finish a project interview of a family member.  Kyle chose Nana so the guys took a trip.  While Kim and I took a small nap.  After Kim ran some errands we decided we needed a little laughter to brighten our weepy mood.  So we watched a couple of Anita Renfroe comedy movies to cheer us up. 

Another wonderful meal arrived and we ate and finished our movie.  We found out that Joel's sisters Terry and Cindy will join us in Houston on Sunday September 7th. 

Please pray for our strength.  Pray that we continue to rely on God for our strength.  The devotional we went through reminded  us that as Christians there are no hopeless situations, only those who grow hopeless ABOUT situations.  It is not our strength that God needs.  It is our willingness to use his strength!

Thank you for all your prayers and for the many people who are supporting us through our journey.

Love,

Kyndra and the entire Blackman family

Waiting on a phone call....

I think we can all say we got the rest we were praying for.  As our heads hit the pillows we were out.   Brandon and Kyle went to school this morning and after an hour or so we decided we should find somewhere for the girls to play.  We all had a long to do list.  The girls went to visit Debbie!!! They had missed her soo much it was nice for them to hug her and see her. 

I started this morning in a devotional "What Cancer Cannot Do". 

It led me to Psalm 31:14-15  "I trust in you, O Lord; I say, "You are my God."  My times are in your hands."

Matthew 6:34 "Do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself.  Each day has enough trouble of its own.

I headed into town to run a few errands.  I came back to Kim and Joels and we enjoyed leftovers from all the meals that have been delivered.  The phone call we had been waiting for from the cancer center in Houston came.  They called to tell us that Joel qualified to be treated by them.  We were invited to meet with a neurosurgeon on Friday September 5th at 7:00 a.m.  afterwards Joel will have another MRI.  The neurosurgeon will be able to go over all treatment and surgical options available to Joel.  If a biopsy or surgury is chosen the surgery will be on September 9th.  We possible could stay to September 13th or so depending on treatment options revealed.    We will pack our bags and drive towards Houston on Wednesday the 3rd.  We will likely stop in Dallas and continue the trip on Thursday to Houston.  Please pray for our safe travel.  Jillian and Elizabeth will stay in Overland Park with a Nanny. 

  After the News we all began dialing people to share the latest news.  But then it began to feel overwhelming again.  Brett decided to lead us through a devotional "Everyday Strength A Cancer Patient's Guide To Spiritual Survival by Randy Becton" we found at a christian bookstore.  It is a daily devotional directed to people and their families facing the cancer.  It has a daily scripture and simple prayer to help guide you even if you feel too overwhelmed and you don't even know what to say.

On day two the verse was Matthew 6:34  "Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself.  Each day has enough trouble of its own."   I guess we will have this memorized by the end of this journey!!    And i think the scripture that impacted Kim Joel Brett and I the most today was 2 Timothy 1:7  "For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline."  I think we all lifted up the prayer it ended with. 

Father, I'm overwhelmed.  My burden's too heavy.  Anxieties dominate.  I ask you, God, take my Problems-replace them with Your peace. 

The rest of the day was spent visiting with family and continuing to update family and friends.  John and Shirley brought down delicious barbeque dinner leftovers!  Thank you to the coworkers who immediatly helped us with all lodging arrangements for Kim Joel Brandon Kyle John and Shirley.  Brett and I decided to book a room attached to the hospital so we would have a close room for naps and breaks. 

Please pray that our decisons we will have to make at the treatment center will be in God's will.  That we will not follow our emotions but what His plan is for Joel and his treatment.  Pray we will all be able to keep our anxieties undercontrol and that we will rely on God to provide for our daily needs. 

We love you all, we can feel your prayers,

Kyndra and the Blackman family

August 28, 2008

Did you get any sleep?

I think we all can agree that after our prayers together before bed we all prayed for rest and comfort.  And though God answers our prayers some of us still woke up through the night.   Seeking the Lord and his word.  The most encouraging feeling is to receive a text from each other with a bible verse that the Lord used to speak to each of us. 

Kim texted me Jeremiah 29:11-14  "For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.  Then you will call upon Me and go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you.  And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart.  I will be found by you, says the Lord , and I will bring you back from your captivity, I will gather you from all the nations and from all the places where I have driven you, says the Lord, and I will bring you to the place from which I cause you to be carried away captive."

My morning devotion brought me to Philippians 4:6-7  " Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let you request be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus."

I started to memorize that passage with my friend Dawn a few months ago, and I called her after taking the girls to school I felt so overwhelmed.  Letting anxiety take a hold.  But Dawns encouraging phone call helped me relax and rely on that verses truth.  I listened to the song on the radio that says "this is what it means to held how it feels when the sacred is torn from your life and you survive, this is what it is to be loved and to know that the promise was when everything fell we'd be held"  I realized this morning even though I know God's promise for that I have never felt helpless enough to just let him hold me.  But when everything around seems to be spinning and there is no longer a floor or ceiling we know we won't hit bottom He will catch us in an embrace of love. 

9:30 a.m Neurological surgeons office.  After a clipboard full of paper work.  Which we couldn't keep straight if the questions were about Joel, Kim or even what day it was we finished and waited.  Brett and I came into the appointment to be note takers and to be second ears so that all the information between all of us would hopefully be absorbed and understood.  We filled another waiting room with family spilling over.  Even Nana (Shirley's mom ) and Butch ( Shirley's Brother) made it to support Joel.    Nerver having faced cancer or illness our family couldn't even guess what to expect.  While we all hoped to leave with answers to all our questions we quickly began to understand one thing.  No one but God really has a clue what is going on right now.  I have a list of really big names of possibilities it could be. All with various treatment and diagnostic tests that could be run.    It was determined that a CT scan would be done from the neck down to look for the possibility of cancer being in another part of his body ( and if so a biopsy would be done from that area as opposed to the one in the brain ).

The doctor gave Joel a few new prescriptions to help manage the pain and nausea. Which became the strongest and worse it has been thus far.  We started a notepad just to keep track of it all!! We returned to John and Shirley's home so Joel could rest and Kim and I drove to the pharmacy to fill the prescriptions.  Though neither of us were paying much attention and almost passed it!! We came back to enjoy lunch at John and Shirley's.  The time passed quickly and we were all loading up again to return for the CT scan.  However the prescriptions had not yet given Joel any relief and his heartburn also began to cause him troubles.  After a few more clipboards the doctors were able to take Joel back to lay him to down to help him feel well enough to have the test.  Unfortunately a CT requires Joel to take something he is allergic to so they had to give him some steroids to help with the allergy. 

We parted ways to our own homes to wait for the CT scan results.  The CT showed that no other masses were detected in any other parts of Joel's body.  Though it is not a guarantee it did give us an answer. 

We are seeking another opinion on treatment and testing.  The need for a spinal tap has been postponed for now.  The results for that test take weeks to come back and we all decided we did not want to wait that long before deciding on treatment and diagnosis plans.  We will be waiting to hear from them hopefully tomorrow and will also be hearing from them more on Tuesday. 

We are balancing the decision of when to biopsy and whether the decision to biopsy should be done here or there or if there are other treatment options that can be done first.  Please pray for God's will in our decisions and for God's guidance with the doctors and technicians who are working with Joel. ( His humor has not lessened if you were wondering)

In fact after dinner when Kim's parents Jack and Barb came over to be with us.  Joel shared a story of his mom Shirley.  Where on a snowy day while working at her church.  She went outside made a pile of snow balls.  Then went inside call "Fire"  then ran outside to use the snowballs on her fellow church coworkers!!!!!  Now we know why Joel is SO feisty !!! 

Please pray we will all keep our laughter through this journey.  We have SO many people to continually thank for helping us get through each day!  We had several people ask if there was anything they could do to help us and after a discussion we decided that there was indeed something people could do. 

A family we know ( i used to babysit for them )  Their family is having a walk to raise money to find a cure for brain caner.  Kathy Goodheart has also been facing this battle and they are having  a benefit walk.  It is on Sunday September 7th, 2008 from 7:00 am to 10:00 a.m The walk will be at Corporate Woods and details will be given on where to meet to walk as a group for Kathy.  The cost is $22 per person and the team # is 141-Goodheart Brigade.

Please visit www. headforthecure.org and you may call Jenna at 913-294-6920 if you have questions about this event.  All must register by September 3, 2008

Thank you and we Love you ALL.  Thank you for your prayers Joel even commented tonight that he can feel them. 

Kyndra and the Blackman family

Makn Memories

Welcome to our new family blog and our newest "adventure".  Many who log on to this blog may wonder Makn Memories sounds odd in your current situation but let me explain.  Makin Memories is our family motto.  No matter where we go or what we do we are always "makin memories".  Brett and I even named our new boat Makin Memories.  ( We joke our next boat could be named Memories made and then our third boat Memory Lost) LOL... 

So here we go...

August 27,2008

I am sure anyone in our family will be able to look back to this day and remember where they were what they were doing when they received the news.  Let me back track Joel, Brett, Brandon Kyle and several men from Kim and Joel's church went on a Mens retreat to Colorado to conquer a mountain hike up Mt. Ida to elevation 13,000 they hiked 13 miles in one day.  Besides Makin Memories Joel returned home with a headache.  Brushing it off to be related to altitude sickness.  After a week of it gradually increasing, Joel sought out his doctor.  Three weeks to the day of the return they decided to do a ct scan as the ibuprofen and Tylenol every couple of hours could not manage the pain of the headaches.  The results from the ct scan showed that there was a mass in the center of his brain.  They immediately scheduled a MRI which John, Shirley (Joel's parents) Cindy Hester (Joel's sister) Brandon Kyle Kim and two of Kim's friends came to the hospital in support with Brett and I.  Terri (Joel's sister came in at the end after a substitute was found for her class room)and Pastor Ryan and Courtney DeBok came to pray with us before we left the hospital.  Afterwords we went out to lunch at applebees where Terri's hubby Tom joined us.  Then we parted ways Brett and I followed Kim Joel and the boys to their home waiting for the results from the MRI.  Joel sought the comfort of a nap while we hung out waiting for the call.  It came and the nurse explained that the mass appeared to be a 2cm tumor in the center of the brain.  The fluid around it was only around the tumor.   They scheduled us an appointment with a neurosurgeon.  Pastor Kirk came out to the house to pray with us.  Needless to say the day seems to drag on.  All of our emotions seemingly were a broken roller coaster which we cant control.  Though we kept the comfort of a few scriptures close to our hearts. (which we texted back and fourth) 

Isaiah 41:10 (NIV) So do not fear:for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God.  I will strengthen you and  help you: I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

Isaiah 43:1-3 (NIV) But now, this is what the LORD says-he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel:"Fear not, for I have redeemed you: I have summoned you by name: you are mine.  When you pass through the waters.  i will be with you: and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you.  When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned, the flames will not set you ablaze For I am the Lord, your God the Holy One of Israel, your Savior"

Thank you Pastor Jeremy for your message on how to conquer fear.  The sermonar was very handy to have in the waiting room!

Thank you for your Prayers.  That is what we need #1. Pray for our strength.  Pray that we all will rely on the Lords strength.  Pray that we will try to stay in the Lords will. 

We love you all ,

Kyndra Blackman and the entire Blackman family

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