Matt. 6:28 "...Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin"

It's wonderful to see the first signs of spring. The daffodils have come up along my front walkway and they are so lovely. I planted these bulbs a couple of years ago and they keep producing these brilliant flowers each year. Praise the Lord for the beauty of His creation.

The fact that the lilies do not "toil and spin" reminds me of how we grow spiritually. God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit are the Ones conforming us to the image of Christ. Our job is to keep our eyes on Jesus and get to know Him. We become less and less and He becomes more and more. Although we may have a long way to go in this transformation, all praise and glory belong to God for doing for us what we could never do for ourselves.

Dear Friends and Family,

I'm so glad that God made a way for us to be in His family through the sacrifice of His Son, Jesus. God gave Jesus a position infinitely superior to all other powers and authorities. That means that I do not need to strive toward a possible victory, but can live a life in Christ that has already won the victory. He who is in me is greater than he who is in the world. Satan must retreat before the name of Jesus and the Word of God. Isn't that wonderful! God is worthy to be praised.

I am really looking forward to my next hospital stay, since my cleaned stem cells will be put back in me. God enabled some researcher or doctor to develop this procedure to extend the lives of people with multiple myeloma. But to get to the cleaned stem cells, I must go through chemo again to kill all the stem cells remaining in my body, since they contain multiple myeloma.

Medical Update:

1) The drug gabapentine is helping the neuropathy in my feet but I still cannot be on my feet for any long period of time.

2) Hopefully, UCSF will have a bed available for me on Monday, February 28th. I'm ready for my cleaned stem cells.

3) When I left San Francisco on February 11th after 2 1/2 weeks in the hospital, they had taken out enough of my stem cells to transplant me twice. These past two weeks at home have been good but quiet. I do not have the strength in my arms and legs that I have had before. I suppose laying in a hospital bed for 2 1/2 weeks, along with the chemo, may have decreased my energy level.

Please pray that God will:

a) Allow a room to be available at UCSF on Monday morning.

b) Protect me from the side effects of the chemo.

c) Let me recognize His presence no matter how I feel physically.

d) Heal my left eye and repair my left optic nerve.

e) Enable my cleaned stem cells to embed themselves in my system and reproduce quickly.

f) Be glorified in every aspect of my journey with my "friend" multiple myeloma.

g) Help me to know Him more and reflect His love for all people.

Thank you so much for your prayers, cards and e-mails. You are very dear to express your love and concern for me. I appreciate it so much.

A dear friend of mine used to sing the song "Day by Day" to her children at bedtime. This is verse two:

Every day the Lord Himself is near me,
With a special mercy for each hour,
All my cares He fain would bear, and cheer me,
He whose name is Counselor and Power.
The protection of His child and treasure
Is a charge that on Himself He laid,
'As thy days, thy strength shall be in measure',
This the pledge to me He made.

Resting in the Father's arms,

Jane