Praise God

My family has had a huge answered prayer. My mom went in for a CT scan last week. After her CT scan we do not get the results for a week later. That week is always the worst week for us. Basically my dad and I get zero sleep. We know everything is in God's hands, but we lived and saw what my mom went through with her chemo and radiation and we never want to see her go through that again.

Well the results came back this Monday and the doctor said everything looks great. He said that she can get her port taken out and that she will not have to have another CT scan for 6 months!!!!!!!!!!! She was getting them every 4 months. PRAISE GOD!!!!

Through the past year and a half I have learned so much. It crazy to think what a sickness can change in people's lives. My family has seen God work in so many ways through my mom and the most wonderful witness that she is. While getting her chemo instead of being upset, down on herself or feeling sorry for herself she is witnessing to those around her getting chemo as well.

We have maids that come into our house each week and they do not speak very good English. We had them come in because my mom couldn't clean the house anymore and all of us work full-time. My mom went and bought a spanish-english Bible for them to read and they are asking so many questions about Christ. They knew my mom was sick and when they saw what she was going through they were the most delightful people to be around. It is just really neat to see God work and the people that he puts in our lives. Just think if my mom never got sick she would have probably never been able to witness to these ladies.

Well please continue to pray for my mom. She still loses energy very easily and has a lot of different effects on her body from the chemo. Thanks again for all your prayers and God bless!!!

Marshall/Kilpatrick Family Updates

Friends and Family,

I know that some of you follow this blog to check up on my mom's progress in her battle with colon cancer.  I have finally found a moment to describe a few brief updates and prayer requests.

Mama is back in Louisville, KY receiving treatment.  She wanted so much to have her treatment in Tupelo, MS.  We all thought treatment in Tupelo was God's will for her so that she could be with her family, but God has placed her back in Louisville for reasons only He may know.

You see, there is a shortage of the chemo medications that Mama needs.  She is on three medications via IV infusions bi-weekly for a total of 24 weeks.  Tupelo's cancer center cannot guarantee that she will receive all three medications.  The best they could do was say that they would give her what they have....give her what they have?  Really?  That's it?  This is my mother's life here that we're talking about and there was no way to get her the medication prescribed to help bring healing to her mortal body?  This was very hard for our family to take.

It must be understood that chemo meds are very specifically prescribed.  One med opens the cells, and another med kills cells, and other meds do other specific tasks.  You must have all the meds working together in order to fight the cancer.

So, Mama began looking for doctors in Memphis and Birmingham...anywhere close to the family that would guarantee the treatment.  However, it seems that the best place is Louisville.  Her doctors in Louisville have the medicine and plan to have it for the duration of her treatment.  However, please pray that this shortage might be overcome with an abundance of the proper drugs.  Other families are struggling with this shortage.  We are blessed that Mama had options, and for that we are thankful and praise our Lord!  Our Provider!!!

Mama received her 3rd treatment this week, so 9 more treatments left.  She had a bad day today...very tired and nauseated.  Please pray that the Lord heal her.  He can cure all ailments, by His Spirit living inside her may her mortal body be healed (Rms. 11)

As far as Josh and I, I thought I'd give a very brief update.  We have been extremely busy since day 1 of being in NC.  North Carolina is beautiful.  We have been blessed with a beautiful home and new German Shepherd puppy. The puppy's name is Julie.  She is about 3 mo. old.  Josh is working and flying everyday.  I am working everyday as well, and will begin Master's coursework in the spring.  I got a job teaching high school earth science and biology at a local public high school.  Additionally, I have been given the opportunity to help as an assistant coach for the varsity girls' basketball team.  God is so GOOD!  We have INCREDIBLE neighbors and friends so far, and could not be more richly blessed.

Just wanted to dedicate a post to a few updates.  Thank you for your prayers!  Oh, and yes, to those that have asked...I did have surgery.  I've been having a few health problems, but nothing too serious.  The surgery was on my hand and wrist.  I had about a 1-2 in. ganglion cyst removed on Tuesday.  My sodium has been a little low lately, so please pray that the Lord also bring healing by His Spirit living inside of me to my mortal body as well.  Our God is the Master Physician.  There is peace and comfort knowing that He is always present and never forsakes His children.

"We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit." -Aristotle

I have learned that life is not defined by how much money you make, but by what opportunities have been put before you and how well you take advantage of those opportunities.

Finally I did my first sideline reporting game. I have actually done 2 since my last post. IT WAS AWESOME. I have a lot of learning still to do, but it is very exciting to be doing something that I love.

Throughout my life I always thought I would be a basketball player, but God had a different plan for me in my life. In middle school and high school that is all I wanted to be. I would work every day after school, on the weekends, and even sometimes before school. That is literally all I focused on.

In my Sophomore year of high school that is when I tore my first ACL and Junior Year tore the other ACL. In my junior year that is when I started playing golf and i realized then God had a totally different plan for me. It was hard for me to accept, but I trusted him.

I got a golf scholarship to University of Louisville and redshirted my freshman. Although I never really bloomed into a star player, I learned how to lead a team when you are not the best player. That was some huge learning for me because I always wanted to be the "star".

I began to blossom in my public speaking and eventually got nominated to be President of the Student Athletes. I never thought in my entire life I would be President of all the athletes at Louisville. What an honor. I knew I always wanted to be in front of people, speaking or whatever. I wanted to be apart of God's plan. I absolutely love sports and I knew that is all I ever wanted to be around. I remember practicing when I was younger reporting a game or something like that.

Now when I look back I seriously just can't believe all that God has done for me. He continues to open doors for me that guide me to my dream. I will now be able to do all of Wazoo Sports football and basketball games as their main side line reporter. How awesome is that!!!! God has been so good to me. If He isn't in your heart then He needs to be because you are seriously missing out.

I understand that when bad things happen the first thing you want to do is blame God, instead of blaming God look for what you can learn from that experience. My mom was diagnosed with Colon Cancer last year and it is sooooo awesome what this Cancer has done for people that she loved. She has been such a witness. But that whole story is for another blog.

Well that's all I have...look out for the next blog...God is doing some awesome things in my life and i know He can do the same in yours!!