Happy 2012

Hebrews 12:2

Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.

     In a few hours we’ll close this chapter of our book titled “2011”. It started out as 365 empty pages. We filled each page with momentous events that happened in 2011. It became a chapter in the history book of our life.

     This chapter of our book contains many memories. Some we’ll look back on and smile; and others we’ll look back on and shed a tear. When we started this chapter of our lives, we didn’t have any idea of how it would end, but we know that God was in control and the author. He already knew that we would have sad times, but He also knew we would have many happy times - times spent with friends and family, the birth of a little grand daughter named Brylee “Hope”, because we never want to forget that there is always HOPE. It was also a year of fear, not knowing what we would be writing on the next page.

     So now we are closing this chapter and writing a new chapter titled “2012”. The first page will not be filled with resolutions, because I probably would not be able to keep them. The first page will have written on it prayers and dreams.  Prayers that lost loved ones will be saved, prayers that the chapter "2012" will contain a page that says Jerry’s cancer is in remission. It will have pages filled with wonderful times spent with family and friends and pages filled with lots of laughter. And my prayer is that your “2012” will be a very happy chapter in your life.

Please continue praying for Jerry. He has had a lot of headaches and nausea. His blood counts and platelets are dropping rapidly. The doctor said that was what they wanted. Jerry says he feels like he has the worst flu you could get and it never goes away.

We want to wish all of our friends and family the greatest of New Years. We love you.

Happy Birthday!

When they do a stem cell transplant they call it the person's Birthday. Jerry now has three Birthdays. His actual birth date, the day he was born again into God's family, and now his transplant birth date, December 29th, when he was given another chance of life.

It was a very emotional day for both of us. It took two hours to do the transplant. They injected 8 syringes of stem cells into his Hickman port line. He has really been sick from the anti-rejection drug.  It has given him a terrible headache and he has been sick at his stomach all day and not able to eat anything. 

We still will not know if the transplant has worked for at least 2 to 3 weeks. Jerry's new immune system should take over and start producing good cells.  Please be praying.

Our son, Neal, was reading "Daily In His Word" by Pastor Paul Chappel from Isaiah 40:21-31.  Paul Chappel said in his devotion  - "God always had control of a situation no matter how bleak it looks to you. Whatever you're facing today, don't focus on the immediate sorrow or problem, but realize God is in control of your situation and will work things out to His glory according to His sovereign plan."

Isaiah 40:31

But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.

Jerry getting the first injection of stem cells

Thawing the Stem Cells and Putting them in the syringes

One of the tags on each syringe showing Bob Rice as the donor

 

The eight empty syringes after the transplant

Jerry receiving his last injection of stem cells

We are so thankful to Jerry's brother, Bob, for this gift of life

and so thankful for God's wonderful love to us.

Happy Birthday, Jerry Rice, and praying you have many many more!!!

Transplant Day

Today is finally the day that we have prayed about and worked toward. They will do the transplant between 11:00 am and 2:00 pm. We are both so anxious.

Jerry has been very nauseous from the chemo they gave him and the anti-rejection drug they are giving him. Also the anti-rejection drug gives him a terrible headache. So please pray that he'll have a better day today.

We will not know if the transplant will work for about 2-3 weeks.

Thanks everyone for all the prayers, love, and support.

God is so good to us.

Psalm 107:8

Oh that men would praise the LORD for his goodness,

and for his wonderful works to the children of men!

My God Is Bigger

The past few days have been very different. I am definitely out of my comfort zone. It's a little bit scary. I'm driving in a place I have never driven in before (Durham traffic can be crazy) and living by myself for the first time in my life. The evening is the very hardest. They will not allow me to stay all night at the hospital with Jerry, so I have to come home to our apartment. 

But we are so thankful, we have a very nice apartment here in Durham.  I really have no complaints. The Lord has been so good to us. 

 I get very mad at myself when I feel afraid. I think about all that Jerry is going through at the hospital. All I have to do is find my way from A to B without getting lost plus find my car each night in the parking garage. (I have watched too many movies - I know what can happen in those parking garages) So on the way out to the parking garage and driving home each night, I sing the song from the Veggie Tales-

God is bigger than the boogie man.
He's bigger than Godzilla,
or the monsters on TV.
Oh, God is bigger than the boogie man.
And He's watching out for you and me.

I know God is watching out for us. I'm always so amazed at even the little things that God works out for us. Jerry is excited and upbeat about getting the transplant. I am so proud of him. He has one more day of chemo tomorrow and then on Wednesday, they will let him rest. On Thursday they will do the transplant.  Please be praying.

II Timothy 1:7

For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.

Jerry doing physical therapy so he'll be strong
when they do the transplant.

The Door to Hope

The Doors to Duke Hospital's Transplant Center

As we walked through these doors today, we were filled with fear and excitement. We know that God has brought us this far and we know that the transplant is Jerry's hope for the leukemia to go into remission.

We still have battles to fight, but we know God will be with us each step of the way.

Tomorrow will be a different Christmas for us, but it will be a Christmas of hope and dreams for our future.

47 years ago, we shared our first Christmas as boy friend and girl friend. Jerry was just 15 years old. He didn't have much money and so he worked all day Christmas Eve helping deliver milk with one of his neighbors. With the money he bought me a huge pink and white Teddy Bear. I was so excited. Through the years, he has given me many presents, but I will always remember that pink Teddy Bear, because it was a gift of love and sacrifice.

The first Christmas, God gave us a gift of love and sacrifice - His Son, Jesus.

Isaiah 9:6

For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.

Please be praying for us and we want to wish every one  a Merry Christmas!!

Jerry starting his chemo
to get ready for the transplant

Jerry's Brother, Bob, donating
 his stem cells for the transplant





A Wonderful Christmas Surprise

Thank you so much Bro. Weber and the Youth group from Peoples Baptist Church here in Greenville, NC  for coming by our home and Christmas caroling.  You made our  Christmas very special.

We want to thank our friends, family, and church family for their love, gifts, prayers, and support at this Christmas season and special time in our lives.

The Love of a Brother

A brother is a friend provided by nature.
-Legouve Pere

Jerry and his brother, Bob

Growing up together, they were like most brothers. They had their fun times together, playing and pretending and probably had their quarrels like most siblings.  But I believe there is always a special bond between brothers and sisters.

When the doctors decided to try a stem cell transplant to treat Jerry's leukemia, they said a sibling would be the best donor. Jerry's two brothers and two sisters all willingly agreed to be tested to see if they might be a possible donor.

After being tested, Jerry's brother, Bob, was a perfect match to be Jerry's donor.

We all met at the Duke Transplant Clinic today in Durham. After doing a physical on Bob and blood tests today, the transplant oncologist said everything looked good and they were going to proceed with harvesting Bob's stem cells for the transplant. He will be in Durham all week taking injections to build his white cells so they can harvest them on Thursday and Friday.

Our prayer now is that after they harvest them and send them to the lab for checking that they will be suitable for the transplant.

If the cells are good, Jerry will check into Duke University Hospital on Saturday, Christmas Eve, to begin chemo and then on the 29th of December, they will do the transplant.

Please be in much prayer that they will be able to do the transplant. We love you and we are so thankful for all the love, support, and prayers.

Philippians 4:13

I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.



Bob and his wife, Julie



Christmas Magic

John 3:16 

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

I remember the first Christmas I celebrated as a saved person. It was the most specal Christmas. I finally understood the meaning of John 3:16. That God loved me so much that He gave me the greatest gift a person could receive.

The Magic of Christmas

What makes the magic at Christmas Time

What makes it so different than any other time.

Is it the evergreen strung with bright lights,

Or the candles burning all through the night.

Is it the songs that we all sweetly sing.

Or the presents we hope Santa will bring.

Is it the angels, the manger, the star,

The shepherds, the Wise Men who traveled afar?

What makes the magic at Christmas Time?

What makes it so different than any other time?

I think it’s a Baby born on that day.

Who came to give hope and show us the way.

That makes the magic at Christmas Time.

That makes it so different than any other time.

-Patricia Rice

This Christmas will be a different Christmas for us. We will be spending it in the hospital. Next to the gift of Jesus, we will be receiving one of the best Christmas presents we could receive - Jerry a transplant and hopefully a remission of the leukemia.

We love you and please be praying for us. 

Gathering Sunshine

I loved reading stories to our sons while they were growing up. And one of the stories I remember was titled "Frederick". The story was about a little mouse named Frederick. While the other field mice worked  to gather grain and nuts for winter, Frederick would sit on a sunny rock by himself. He would gather sun rays for the cold dark winter days. Another day he gathered “colors,” and then “words.” And when the food ran out during the winter, it was Frederick, the dreamer and poet, whose endless store of supplies warmed the hearts of the other mice, and fed their spirits during the darkest winter days.

Right now we are gathering sunshine, memories,  and laughter for the months ahead of us. Every time we talk to our family or spend time with them, it's a ray of sunshine that we're going to need in the months ahead of us. On a day when we need to laugh, we can think of something funny that one of our grand kids said or did or a special time spent with family or friends. We're going to need lots of laughter to carry us through the days ahead of us.

We're so excited about the transplant and so thankful for God's goodness to us. We know from reading the literature about the transplant that it will not be an easy road, but we know that we have a good God with lots of people praying.

We love you!

Joshua 1:9

Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid,

neither be thou dismayed: for the LORD thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.

Hope Again

James 1:17

Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above,

and cometh down from the Father of lights,

with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.

After several rounds of chemo that didn't seem effective in destroying the leukemia, Jerry's primary oncologist at Duke and the transplant oncologist have decided at this time that the best option for the treatment of his leukemia is a bone marrow transplant.

He has a preliminary date to check in at the hospital December 23 to begin chemo in preparation for his transplant. His donor is his younger brother, Bobby, who is to report to Duke on December 19. Bobby will also have to go through a physical exam to make sure that he is a suitable donor.

We are very excited about this hope that God has given us. Thank you for your prayers in seeing us through this thus  far and ask that you please continue praying.

We love you!

Christ, Our Solid Rock

My hope is built on nothing less
Than Jesus’ blood and righteousness;
I dare not trust the sweetest frame,
But wholly lean on Jesus’ name.

When darkness veils His lovely face,
I rest on His unchanging grace;
In every high and stormy gale,
My anchor holds within the veil.

His oath, His covenant, His blood
Support me in the whelming flood;
When all around my soul gives way,
He then is all my hope and stay.

When He shall come with trumpet sound,
Oh, may I then in Him be found;
Dressed in His righteousness alone,
Faultless to stand before the throne.

Refrain:
On Christ, the solid Rock, I stand;
All other ground is sinking sand,
All other ground is sinking sand.

"THE SOLID ROCK" written by Edward Mote. A hymn of grace, God's wonderful grace.

The biopsy report was not good today. We talked to Jerry's oncologist at Duke, Dr. Diehl, this evening. He said the leukemia is not any worse, but it is not any better, neither. The chemo has kept down the leukemia blasts, but it is not getting rid of the myoplasia (the baby leukemia cells). Dr. Diehl is going to talk to the transplant oncologist and try to decide what their next step will be. Jerry had an appointment Monday with the transplant center, but we're waiting to hear whether or not they will still want Jerry to keep the appointment.

We know God loves us and He's still a good God. Please keep praying.

December

December in West Virginia

"God gave us memory so that we might have roses in December.”

-James Matthew Barrie (The Creator of Peter Pan)

We love December. Sometimes we are like little children. We love the decorations, the Christmas songs (really I listen to Christmas songs all year long), Hallmark movies, the excitement, and Christmas cookies. We especially like what we celebrate in December - the birth of our Savior.

December can be an emotional month also. It's full of memories of loved ones, of past Christmases, memories of friends. It's also so full of expectations. We are full of expectations of what God has for us and for our future. It will also probably be an emotional month for us because of all the changes that have happened in our lives this past year.

Jerry had his biopsy yesterday. We will not know the results until Friday. We are suppose to call the doctor around 5:00. If the results are good, Jerry will undergo another round of chemo here in Greenville in December and hopefully start the transplant after the first of the year. If the outcome is not favorable, the doctor talked about trying another kind of chemo.

We know that we have a good God who loves us and is in control of our lives.

Please continue praying for the outcome of the biopsy and for God to give the doctors wisdom about the treatment. Waiting is hard sometimes. The nurse from Blue Cross/Blue Shield told us to be patient. She said cancer treatment is a long process, it's not like treating a cold or the flu.

We love you and hope you have the happiest of Decembers full of wonderful memories.

Rejoicing In Hope

.
Romans 12:12

Rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer;

Please continue praying for Jerry's biopsy tomorrow at Duke. We probably will not have the results until Thursday or Friday. 

The Lord has been so good to us and we are so thankful for the prayers and the love from our family and friends.

Thankful for Family

We had a great Thanksgiving. Our oldest son, Scott, and Lisa came in for a visit. It was so great spending time with them. Of course we all ate too much.

Scott and Lisa

Neal and Scott

We have so much to be thankful for. The Lord has been so good to us and we are so thankful for the wonderful family He gave us.

We love you and Happy Thanksgiving.

Thankful for the Thorns

     I read a story the other day about a lady named Sandra who had went to a florist to get a Thanksgiving arrangement. The clerk had asked her the kind of arrangement she wanted, if she had wanted something festive or something to show that she was thankful for the season.  Sandra had been anything but thankful.

     Sandra had lost an unborn son in a car accident a few months earlier and all she could think of was the resentment she felt. She told the clerk that she wasn't sure what she wanted because the last 5 months had been so terrible and that everything that could go wrong had went wrong.

The clerk said I have just the bouquet for you.

     Before she could go get the bouquet, a customer came in to pick up their order. She said I've came for my "Thanksgiving Special." The clerk went back into the room and came back with a bouquet of long stems covered with thorns, but there were no flowers. The flowers had all been snipped off.

     The clerk put them in a box and the customer paid for their order and thanked the clerk and left. Sandra stood there in amazement. You mean that customer actually paid for that. The clerk said, "Yes, that's the special. I call it the Thanksgiving Thorns Bouquet."

  

     The clerk told Sandra that the customer that was just in there had been through a very rough time 3 years ago. She had lost her father to cancer, her son was into drugs, and she had just had major surgery. She felt she had nothing to be thankful for. The clerk said, "That same year, I also went through a hard time. I lost my husband and spent Thanksgiving alone with no family."

     And so I learned to be thankful for the thorns. It took time for me to learn that dark times are important. I have always enjoyed the 'flowers' of life, but it took thorns to show me the beauty of God's comfort. The thorns make roses more precious. We treasure God's providential care more during trouble than at any other time. Remember, it was a crown of thorns that Jesus wore so we might know His love. Don't resent the thorns.

With tears rolling down her cheeks, Sandra said, "I'll take twelve long-stemmed thorns.

It's hard to thank God for our thorns. We thank Him all the time for the roses, but never for the thorns.

      Yesterday morning I went to church. It seemed like I was having a hard time being there without Jerry. While the choir was singing, I could feel tears welling up in my eyes. I didn't want people to see me cry and so I fought them back. I think it was because I knew how much Jerry would have loved being at church yesterday. It's hard knowing how much he misses being at church and the fellowship.

     When I got home, he could tell I had been having a hard time and he asked me to sit down and talk with him. He started crying and told me that for the first time since he was diagnosed with the leukemia, he is able to  thank God for his disease. While I was at church, he had spent that time praying and reading his Bible.  He had been reading from several selections, including the Psalms, but Romans 8:29 hit home in that Jerry realized how special and privileged he was that God would use the cancer in his life in order to conform him into the image of His Son. He knows he hasn't arrived, but has realized that God is working in his life.

Romans 8:28-29.

And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God,

 to them who are the called according to his purpose.  

For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed

 to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.

So this Thanksgiving 2011, we are praising God for our roses, and thanking Him for our thorns.

Family

"The love of a family is life's greatest blessing."

With the holidays getting closer, we tend to think a lot about our family. We are so thankful for our family. They are always there for us, they love us no matter what, they laugh with us, weep with us, and they are such a part of our lives. We are also so thankful for our church family and the blessing they have been to us through Jerry's sickness.

Family

The holidays are approaching,

Excitement is everywhere.

Thanksgiving first, then Christmas,

And all the holiday cheer.

But best of all is family,

Coming together once again.

Laughing, sharing memories,

Not knowing where to begin.

There may be someone absent,

But their memory will stay

A part of us forever,

And throughout the coming days.

There may be someone new

Who we have welcomed in

To be a part of our clan,

To be loved and cherished within.

The holidays will end,

And we might drift apart.

But we’ll always be a family,

A part of each other’s heart.

-Patricia Rice

                               

 

We love you. Please continue praying for Jerry's treatments and the bone marrow biopsy on November 29 at Duke. If the biopsy looks good, they will be scheduling the physical for the bone marrow transplant. If not, then he will continue with more chemotherapy here in Greenville.

            

The Path

Psalm 17:5

Hold up my goings in thy paths, that my footsteps slip not.

 

The picture on our blog is of Lincoln State Park in Lincoln City, Indiana.  Every fall, we had a tradition of going there and walking the leaf covered paths. We would go late in the afternoon when the park was empty and quiet and walk and just enjoy being together.

We are walking a different path this fall. It is not always a peaceful path. It can sometimes be a lonely path. Sometimes it's a scary path, not knowing what is ahead of us. But we know that God is walking that path with us preparing the way.

We want to give you an update on Jerry's progress. Last week he took his third round of vidaza chemotherapy.  It made his blood counts very low. Over the weekend he was very weak and shaky from his blood being so low. Monday, he had to receive a transfusion of 2 pints of blood. He is already scheduled next Monday for another transfusion if his counts are still low. His platelets are also very low. His white blood count is so low that he is considered neutropenic and is unable to be around crowds or be visited by anyone that has an infection or the flu.

November 29, he goes to Duke for another bone marrow biopsy. The biopsy will tell us for sure if the chemo is working or if Jerry has to have more rounds of chemo.

We will probably know the results on December 2.  If the results are good, Jerry has an appointment on December 5 with Duke Transplant Clinic for a complete physical to see if his body can handle a transplant. Then they will present their findings to our insurance company for them to agree that he would be a candidate for the transplant.  If he is, he will undergo another round of chemo here in Greenville in December and then after the first of the year, if everything is good, we'll be able to proceed with the transplant. This is our Greenville oncologist and the two oncologist from Duke conferring together on the treatment.

Please be praying about these things:

   That the biopsy will be favorable

   His physical will not show any other problems

   That Jerry will be able to have the transplant

We love you and appreciate the prayers.

Time

Newburgh, Indiana

Tonight is time change. We change all of our clocks back one hour.

I was thinking how our whole lives are measured by time. 

We have morning TIME - usually a busy time, getting ready for the day. I love getting up early. I can always get a lot done then, because I still have energy. It can also be a special time with God.

 Then there's meal TIME - A very important and favorite part of everyone's day.

And we go through our day and then there's night TIME, which sometimes can be a lonely time when you can't sleep and you think too much.

There's vacation TIME, graduation TIME, work TIME, play TIME, nap TIME, TIME-Out, and I could go on and on.

New Harmony, Indiana

In the Book of Ecclesiastes, chapter 3, God had a time for every purpose under Heaven.

A time to be born - We welcomed little Brylee Hope into the world this year.

A time to die - I had an aunt and a brother that passed away this year.

A time to weep and it seems we have done a lot of that lately.

A time to laugh - which we do whenever we can.

A time to love, a time to heal.......

I'm sure God had a time and a purpose for Jerry's sickness.  And we still have hope that He has a time already planned to heal. 

 

Beaufort, North Carolina



I'm so thankful that God is the Master of  Time.

A Mighty Hunter

Psalm 42:1

As the hart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God.

This week Jerry is having his third round of the Vidaza chemotherapy here in Greenville, It has been a little rough on him, especially with his blood counts being low and not being able to be around anyone. He is considered severely neutropenic right now and very susceptible to infections.

The chemo takes a lot out of him. I miss seeing that sparkle in his eye, but he works hard at keeping his spirit up.

He has really missed seeing the grand kids. They always brighten him up. Also as you know it's deer season. Next to me and his family and preaching - his favorite thing to do is hunting. I keep telling him that next year the deer will just be bigger and have bigger antlers. But I know he misses it. From the opening day until the last day, whenever he got a chance, he would head out in his Ford Ranger more excited than a kid at Christmas. I miss hearing all of his big deer tales and about the one that was just in sight, and how good it made him feel just to be in a tree stand. I also miss taking pictures of all his trophy deer.

A few years ago, I wrote this poem for him.

A Mighty Hunter Is He

A great and mighty hunter is he

Or at least he wants to be.

Every year when the season starts

I know where lies my husband’s heart.

He rises early to dress like a tree

In hopes that the deer won’t be able to see.

I take a shower so I’ll have a good smell.

He takes a shower so he won’t have a smell.

And none of this really makes any sense.

Because then he sprays himself with scent.

And I hear the language about scrapes and grunt.

And about the poor deer who are in a rut.

And all of this I try to understand

And pray he doesn’t fall from his stand.

And whether it’s deer, rabbit, or dove.

I have to share my husband’s love.

But then the season will close at last.

And the camos are a thing of the past.

But watch out Thumper and Bambi too.

Because next season he’ll be a hunting you.

 Written by the wife of a true hunter

-Patricia Rice

.

He knows right now, the most important thing is to get the treatment so he can get the transplant and have a lot more years of seeing grand kids, preaching, and hunting.



November 2003

Please continue praying! We love you!