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Film at 11...

A couple of verses to ponder...

Hey, Gang,

Eddie & I were chatting this morning, & that chat prompted me to post these two verses and share a bit of my heart. The verses were always special to me, but have become much, much more so since Nov. 05 when my own oncologist quoted them to me on my first ever visit to him after my cancer surgery. In context, it was a very holy moment that marked forever my spiritual journey & my thinking about intensely difficult medical situations. Enjoy!

Mike

Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.
Isaiah 41:10

But now thus says the Lord, He who created you, O Jacob, He who formed you, O Israel: "Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name; you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire, you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you, for I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel.
Isaiah 41:1-3a

(back to Mike)
Whatever comes our way, we can not only rest, but utterly revel in the presence & promises of our Lord. Would you rather be challenge-free without His presence in your life? Not me. Not Eddie. And, I 'spect, not you either. As followers of Christ, each of us has been called by name; we are His. He will be with us.

Note: God may or may not answer our prayers in the way we pray them. He may or may not "fix" what we're praying about in the way we want Him to "fix" it. But here is truth:

--He has called us by name!

--we are His!
--He will be with us!

And one day, praise God, we will not have to wonder, nor wait on a prayer answer, nor worry about medical stuff, parenting stuff, job stuff, & all the other stuff. Until then, brothers & sisters, press on in complete confidence that our Lord is present with you and that He knows you. After all, what else could we really want? Or need?

And keep praying!
Mike

Inadequate Words Concerning a More Than Adequate God

Before I begin, please know that I am an almost 50 - year -old baby - boomer who does not quite appreciate the power of the computer or has mastered it in the very least of ways. That is why I am grateful for guys like Mike Madaris who somehow got snookered into keeping everyone concerned updated as to the process of my biopsy surgery and subsequent reports.

Overwhelmed. Humbled. Grateful. These words all describe my heartfelt feelings when I think past these past couple of weeks and the time that you have taken to pray for, love, and reach out to my family and me in so many tangible ways. You have been "in the skin"evidence of the sufficiency of God's grace in my life.

Psalm 9:1 - 2 says, " I will praise you, O Lord, with all my heart; I will tell of all your wonders. I will be glad and rejoice in you; I will sing praise to your name, O, Most High."





I am so blessed to have the privilege to know intimately a Sovereign God who is the Creator of everything. He is surprised by nothing and is in control of all of my life's circumstances regardless of how big or small I think they might be.





From the very beginning I have seen my God as work at every turn and His strength is and continues to be perfect.



More later...

Eddie B.

"I'm So Thankful..."

Those are Eddie's words about his situation.

Lymphoma is the diagnosis.

It is a form of cancer. However, if one is going to have cancer, this is a much less-bad form than others. All of the doctors involved are very optimistic, as are the Bakers.

So, here's the process from here onward:
--post-op MRI in the next week or two to check size & shrinkage of the tumor.
(BTW, "shrinkage" was used multiple times today by the doctor...prayer plus medicine is a good combo!)
--the results of that MRI will help determine treatment options.

How to pray?
1. Thank God for medical technology & expertise!
2. Thank God for a clear diagnosis!
3. Thank God that it's lymphoma and not something worse!
3. Pray for Eddie & Carol & the boys as the treatment begins. Hopefully this will be in the next couple of weeks.

There's still a process to go through, but it's a very optimistic process.

Eddie's spirits are great. He said that God has been around every bend in this road. Again, I quote: "I'm so thankful..." (not the typical cancer-diagnosis response; thanks for praying!)

Eddie & Carol send love & appreciation to all of you prayer warriors.

Keep holding them before the throne! Remember, the diagnosis is the beginning of the next part of the journey.

Like Eddie & Carol...and you...I am,
In His Amazing Grip,
Mike

OK, prayer warriors...

...it's time to pray and to prepare to shift gears in our prayers.

Tomorrow at 3:00 p.m., Eddie & Carol will hear the lab results in Jackson.

He was already scheduled to have some post-surgery stuff done, and they have set up an appt. at the same time with the neurosurgeon, who will go over the lab results with them.

I am not being cagey here & withholding results. I don't know them. Neither do Eddie & Carol.

But they will know tomorrow. And the next phase of this journey will commence.

I spoke with Eddie tonight, and his spirits are great, all things considered.

Pray without ceasing! Eddie sends love and thanks to all who are holding him before the throne during these days.
Mike

One of the hardest things to do...

...is to keep waiting.

We are wired as do-ers. Most of us are not very good wait-ers. (Or maybe you're not like me this regard...)

Please know that news will appear here as soon as there is news.

And please...please...please...stay at your post with assigned duty of praying for Eddie, Carol, & the boys. After all, Eddie--not anyone else--is the one awaiting these slow-coming lab results. Meanwhile, Carol's trying to minister to him, while holding down her job at Wm. Carey. Andy's planning his wedding while pursuing his college degree. Austin's prayerfully seeking God's will about life after college graduation next May. Ben's still figuring out how life outside the nest of home--9 hours away--works. In other words, prayer is much needed for the Baker tribe.

So, again, my friends, please keep holding them before the throne. We serve a God Who loves it when we acknowledge our complete & utter dependence upon Him & Him alone. Like in this situation.

Much love and more appreciation than my meager words allow,
Mike

Don't slack off!

I'm well aware that there's no news here.

That's because there's no news from the lab yet!

Please keep praying for Eddie & Carol & the boys. Waiting for medical results is no fun. Waiting this long...for very important medical results....

Thanks for continuing to pray! Please do so.

Personal Update (No Lab Results Yet)

Got to spend some time with Eddie & Carol today. (He came out & watched a bit of Upward Flag Football.)

First, still no lab results. So...R.O.N. *smile*

Eddie looks good and he and Carol are doing well in terms of his spirits & attitude. He said that he greatly appreciates the prayers, the emails, and the comments left here. You are making a difference! Eddie said that God has been incredible to him these past couple of weeks. I attribute that in part to your prayers, so thanks!

A passage from Zephaniah 3 that Eddie said has ministered greatly to him this week:

16 On that day it shall be said to Jerusalem:
“Fear not, O Zion;
let not your hands grow weak.
17 The Lord your God is in your midst,
a mighty one who will save;
he will rejoice over you with gladness;
he will quiet you by his love;
he will exult over you with loud singing.

Keep praying! And thanks!

Tonight's report consists of...

*sound of crickets chirping*

Still no news that I'm aware of.

R.O.N.!!

Stay prayerful!
Mike

R.O.N.

I have an acquaintance who was a long-range recon Green Beret in Vietnam. While out on patrol, they'd check in, and they always hated to hear this phrase: "R.O.N" Short radio code for "Remain overnight". Meaning, no change, keep doing the same thing, stay on the line for another night.

So, prayer warriors, the "update" is, R.O.N. No change. No word from the lab. Please keep praying for Eddie & Carol's patience.

(and for the labwork to get done. Quickly. Accurately.)

Here's hoping that there's an actual news-filled update tomorrow. Until then, R.O.N. And keep praying.

MM

No news yet

Just a quick (non)update...

No word from the lab yet. Please pray for Eddie & Carol's patience. And pray for the lab to get this done quickly. And accurately.

*sigh*

This is the big week...

Sometime in the next couple of days, Eddie & Carol will find out (a) what exactly the tumor is, and (b) what the treatment will entail.

Please pray for peace and patience for the Bakers this week. The trial by medical ordeal continues...But Jehovah Shammah--God Who Is Present--is, well, present. Which is an incredible reality!

Thanks much for mentioning Eddie before the throne!
MM

Note: Please be sensitive to the fact that talking on the phone is almost as tiring as having visitors.

(Believe me, I can't wait to catch up with Eddie and hear all that God's teaching him and discuss football and parenting and such. I was just up at Eddie's alma mater over the weekend...)

But that will all keep until later!

Right now, his focus needs to be on his own situation and the badly-needed rest & healing.

He and Carol do not need to be worried about, well, me or my thoughts nor anyone else's. (note: again, this is Mike speaking, not Eddie & Carol)

Hurry Up & Wait...But Not from the Hospital Any More!!

While Eddie & Carol still have not heard the results of the pathology from the biopsy, there is some good news to report. It appears that they'll be able to leave the hospital this afternoon! Word is that Eddie's spirits are as good as they've been since this whole ordeal began. God is good!

Please continue to pray. Waiting for very serious medical lab results is...not fun at all. Know that your prayers are being felt by Eddie, Carol, & and the boys. (I had a very nice lunch with Andy Thursday, btw.)

In terms of ministry, I might suggest a couple of things. First, while their spirits are great and they're glad to be back home, please remember that Eddie is recovering from a surgical procedure on his head. Remember also that he's awaiting the most significant lab results of his entire life. So carefully consider that visits are tiring for Eddie & Carol. (Example: if only 5% of Temple Baptist members dropped by this week, that's over 200 people...probably a bit much!)

Second, in terms of hands-on ministry, food is probably the best plan for now. I anticipate that food will be coordinated from church to cut down on all of us dropping by. More later...

Please note that the comments about visiting here are Mike's...not Eddie & Carol's. Consider them as suggestions on how to guard Eddie's surgery recovery and how to help him prepare for whatever treatment plan lies ahead.

Thanks so much for your prayers and ministry in the lives of these who minister to so many others.

Not much to report...but prayer still needed

Still no word yet on the lab results. However, the good news is that Eddie is now back in a regular room & out of intensive care. Word is that both he and Carol are hoping to rest today & tomorrow.

Thus, my personal prayers for today:
--That God would grant deep, restful sleep to both of them
--Relatedly, that He would grant peace that passes understanding to their souls & minds during these uncertain days.
--Of course, I continue to pray for clear & conclusive results and a clear treatment protocol.

As soon as more is known, it'll show up here. Thanks so much for holding the Bakers up before the throne! God is good!

MM

TODAY'S A BIG DAY...

Please pray today. The surgeon does the biopsy.

My personal prayer is for a conclusive and accurate result, plus freedom from pain for Eddie following the procedure.

God is able!

**UPDATE (11:00 A.M.)**
Just got word from Jackson that Eddie came through the biopsy surgery fine & is now in recovery. The lab results are the next big hurdle; perhaps as late as early next week. Early indications suggest lymphoma, which is considered a very treatable cancer.

Please keep praying! And thanks for doing so!
MM

So...what's all this about?

About Eddie Baker:
He has served as Recreation Pastor at Temple Baptist Church in Hattiesburg since July, 2000. Eddie has been married to Carol for over 20 years; they met in seminary in Ft. Worth. They have three sons, Austin, Andy, & Ben. Austin & Ben are students at Carson-Newman in Tennessee, and Andy is a student at William Carey here in H'burg.
Eddie graduated from the University of Mississippi and from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary.

About the medical situation:
At the beginning of the summer, Eddie began having dizzy spells. After trying to hang in there for a while & then multiple Dr. visits, he wound up in Jackson for an MRI around his ear. That was negative, but the radiologist noticed a shadow out on the edge of the MRI that concerned him. Another MRI revealed a small tumor on his brain. Additional testing this week found other lesions (not tumors), though a P.E.T. scan & a spinal tap indicated no additional growth in other parts of his body. It is not yet known what the nature of the tumor is, nor what the cause of the other lesions is, but the oncologist remains very optimistic in her prognosis.

What now?
A surgeon will perform a biopsy tomorrow (Thursday, 9/19) in Jackson, and the results of that will indicate what the further treatment will be.

How are they?
Eddie & Carol are in Jackson at St. Dominic's. (Note: visitors are greatly appreciated, but be aware that visitors do add stress & have a tendency to tire the Bakers out.) Their attitude is good and upbeat, all things considered.

How to pray?
Short answer: as the Holy Spirit leads you.
Longer answer:
--for healing
--for peace for all 5 Bakers, plus Eddie's parents & brothers (Carol works at Wm Carey, Andy works at Ashley's Furniture, and Austin & Ben are 8 hours away...)
--for clear, decisive results from the biopsy
--for wisdom for the oncologist & other physicians involved
--generally, for God to be magnified through this situation

THANKS for your prayers on behalf of this choice servant of God & of his family!