Update on Abby & Pray for Me, Pray for Others: April 29, 2009

Abby Update

Today is a big day for Abby... and a nerve racking day for Brent and I. Abby's doctor is doing a bone marrow biopsy on her, to look for cancer cells. Normally they do not do this test at the beginning of this phase of treatment, but because of Abby's unfavorable genetic markers, we need to make sure her cancer is still in remission.

She will also have a lumbar puncture (spinal tap) and have chemo injected into her spinal fluid, so they can protect her brain from cancer.

Both procedures can be painful, but Abby should be well sedated for them. Abby has been very hard to sedate in the past, but the medication they plan on giving her this time has worked well before.

We just found out the bone marrow test was going to be done. Brent will be at a meeting that can't be rescheduled, so I will be going alone. It is hard for both of us when he can't be there for the big procedures. He would much rather be there for Abby and me.

Please pray that:

• Her bone marrow and spinal fluid are free of cancer.
• She is pain free during the procedure.
• Her white blood cell count is high enough that she will be able to go out in public and eat her very favorite food (salad)
• For me (Michelle) to be calm before and during the procedure. If I am stressed, it makes ABBY nervous. Kids are so stinkin' smart and Abby reads me like a book. I don't want to make it harder for Abby.

Thank you so much for praying for us. I will be relieved when all of this is finished.

Pray for Me... Pray for Others

Brent: Facebook - Twitter . . . . . . . . . . . Michelle: Facebook - Twitter

Landis prays so sweetly for everyone in our entire family.

Pray for Me... Pray for Others is where we all get to pray for each other. It is obvious, and we don't pretend otherwise, that we cannot give full attention to every request and comment we receive. This feature on Wednesdays is a time we ask YOU for help praying for others, as they pray for you.

Pray for Me... Pray for Others is pretty simple:

1. List a short prayer request for YOU, and a link for more detail if needed.
   
2. Then submit a prayer request for someone else, or some other situation that you know about. Include a link for them if available. Be specific.

Be specific... provide a link for more information if available. I'm sure that other people will be VERY blessed to have you request prayer for them, and include a link to their blog so that those praying can visit them.

Questions? If you have suggestions or feedback to make this work better, don't hesitate to email me: brent@brentriggs.com

Pray for us:

See the list above

Pray for these folks:

Adam - Kayleigh's doctors have no hope for recovery. Please pray for a miracle! http://kayleighannefreeman.blogspot.com/2009/04/42109-please-lord-help-us.html

Amy and Philip - http://ourdailyblessinglife-amyb.blogspot.com/ Please pray that Amy will be healed, that her cancer would be in remission. Pray also that her son, Philip, would be free of seizures and pain. Both Philip and Amy have major surgeries scheduled soon. Dealing with cancer alone is unbelievable difficult. I can't imagine fighting cancer and preparing my son for a major brain surgery. Amy is an incredible mom. Please pray for my precious friend.

Pray for Me... Pray for Others - Instructions:

1. Use the form below to enter your prayer requests. You must enter an "identity", and put something in at least one of the "pray for me" or "pray for others" in order to be included (links to blogs are not required).
   
2. If you link to YOUR blog, please include the following HTML in a post on your blog so that we can create a linked network of prayers (your link will allow others to find us, and be able to participate; make sure you are in HTML mode when pasting this code).
   <a href="http://www.riggsfamilyblog.com"><img src="http://www.brentriggs.com/prayforbadge.jpg" alt="Pray for Me" width="150" height="150" border="0" align="right" longdesc="http://www.brentriggs.com" /></a>We participate in "Pray for Me... Pray for Others" on the <a href="http://www.riggsfamilyblog.com">Riggs Family Blog</a>. Check out <a href="http://www.riggsfamilyblog.com">their blog</a> to add your prayer request. Join a community of friends who care about you, and hope you will care about them.
   
3. Put out an email or post on your blog and encourage everyone you know to come and join us in prayer.
   
4. Look over the list and pray as God leads. Come back and visit the list two or three times today as it will grow all day long.

Remember... if you don't take the time to pray for others, then on what basis can you really expect God to lead others to pray for you? I created this with "community" in mind - pray for you, pray for me, pray for others - so that we are both giving and receiving as a community which is far more spiritually productive than simply wanting everyone to pray on our behalf.

Truth is, many people do not have a community they can ask for prayer. We hope to become that community for them.

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Let me know if you have suggestions or questions about Pray for Me... Pray for Others. If this is a blessing to you, please leave a comment and let us all know.