First Days in the Month of May

There I was, mini vans to the left, right, in front of and behind me.  The streets are alive with mini vans, school buses and SUVs because it is the last day of school in the Rancho de Five area.  The shopping baskets moved about Target in a hurried, silent rush with moms picking up last minute things and doing their last quiet, alone shopping trip, well at least for a couple of months.  The Chicky and What a Burger drive through lines, longer than usual.  On a hot May day, the beginning of summer is finally official because in my best Alice Cooper voice, "School's out for summer!"

What is the first day of summer is to so many today  is the first day of chemo for a young friend.  His summer is looking a little different than it did a week ago.  There was vacation plans, camps, and all the fun stuff that summer is filled with.  This young friend has

• He has Childhood Pre-B Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL). 
• The "acute" means that he may have only developed this within the past 2 months or less according to the doctors.
• Pre-B ALL is the most common form of leukemia among children; therefore, it is the one oncologists have the most experience with treating.  The survival rate for children is nearly 80%, and even higher for low-risk cases (which Braden appears to be).
• Everything else looks fine so far -- kidneys, liver, etc.

Please join with his family and friends in praying for Braden, his mom and dad, and his brother and sister.  They are strong believers but sometimes life shakes us so hard we find ourselves knocked to our knees both physically and spiritually.  Our Minister of Music and Arts sent an email to the choir this morning concerning Braden and he ended it with this verse:

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.  Isaiah 40:31

Thanks for praying.