Hosanna in the Highest

Hi, Friend,

I had the chance to take my son to church camp in the hills of Watsonville for a couple of days last week. My daughter was already there. What a wonderfully peaceful and relaxing time. It was fun to watch my kids and their friends play and work together, and worship God as they learned more about Him and themselves. There was an incredible worship band, too, and they sang this one song with us, called Hosanna. One of the lines talked about worshipping the Lord as we pass from earth into eternity, then moves into a chorus of Hosannas. As we were singing, my husband's aunt, who has fought a battle with cancer for a long time, came to mind. She had just been moved to a Hospice facility, so we knew her time was near the end, and for some reason, I began to picture her as she entered the presence of her Lord, and how she would soon have the chance to worship Him in person. This morning, on her birthday, she lost that battle with cancer. She left behind a body that was full of disease, that couldn't support her, that was full of pain, and entered the presence of the Perfect One, the Healer, the Creator.

I need you to know that that is what keeps me going. It's called hope. I grow weary of the fight, the things that go with it, never giving up, but just weary sometimes. It has become part of my life, and for the most part, something that I don't overly dwell on, but at the same time, it never goes away. However, through it all I stand on the hope that comes only from a relationship with Jesus. I know that in the good and in the bad times, He is with me, He never changes, He is enough to see me through. This is just life on earth, wonderful at times, but nothing compared to what is in store for us in Heaven. I am sad at the loss of our aunt, but so very happy that she is whole and complete and with Jesus.

As an update, I am in the third week of this seventh round of chemo. I started school last week, still job sharing the position but with a new partner, and really like my class of 26 kids. I'm feeling well, overall, with no new side effects but several regular ones that are irritating, and an overlying feeling of being tired all the time. Matt and I will head to UCSF on September 14th, where I will have CT scans in the morning, and see the good doctor that same afternoon to go over the results as well as those of my blood test. I feel your prayers on a daily basis, and am thankful for those of you who have made me a permanent name on your prayer list. I will ask that those of you that know my husband's family will prayer for his mom and her two sisters as they face the loss of their sister, and for the families as well.

Walking in Hope,
Danene
August 25, 2009