Dancing through the Minefields

This week marks six months since my bone marrow transplant (and 15 months since diagnosis). My PET scan shows that my cancer is still in remission. This is a huge praise.

In addition to this good news, my latest echocardiogram shows that my heart is doing well. This means the heart failure I experienced during transplant was likely circumstantial instead of chronic. This is great news. I have to return again to Houston in three months for more immunity shots and another PET scan. Please continue to pray the cancer stays away. You can watch our video update here.

Oh give thanks to the LORD, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever! (Psalm 107:1)

My heart is steadfast, O God! I will sing and make melody with all my being! (Psalm 108:1)

The transplant brought numerous trials that we never expected. Through it all, Jenny has been by my side. She was with me in the worst moments and cared for me in countless ways. Whether it was reading Scripture out loud when I was anxious or helping me as my skin burned off, she was there. God is my very present help in times of need and one way he has been present is through Jenny.

We took Christmas photos early this year. While taking photos, Jenny and I were able to dance at the Jacksonville Arboretum. Back in May, I could not walk without Jenny holding me up. But today I’m able to dance and twirl her around. Our hearts are filled with gratitude to God to make this possible. We believe each day is a gift from Jesus.

To all our friends and family, thank you for your prayers and being with us on this journey.

Jenny, I’m so glad I can continue dancing with you through the minefields.

Photo Credit: Victoria Hope Waters

My Three-Month Checkup

Updates

Jenny and I flew to Houston this week for scans and my fourth round of maintenance chemo.
My PET scan is “spotless,” according to my medical team.
I will continue to get chemo through the end of the year, and my next PET scan is three months from now.

Prayer Requests & Praises

It is an immense blessing to have a clear PET scan. Praise the Lord! Thank you for praying!
Please pray for continued clean scans in the months ahead and for protection from infections while I’m immunocompromised.

What I’m Learning

A frequent prayer of mine is that God would teach me to number my days so that I may gain a heart of wisdom. Each day feels more precious than it did before cancer arrived. We want to prioritize time with the Lord, family, friends, and the church.
Investing in eternal matters now carries a weight of glory that feels tangibly heavier and more valuable. I find myself asking questions like, “Is what we are watching worth the time I may have left? Is what I’m doing actually important—or trivial and frivolous? What good works remain that I should pursue if my time is limited?”
God has seen to it that there are good works still left for me to complete. He has prepared them in advance for me. The same is true for you!

So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom.
Return, O LORD! How long? Have pity on your servants!
Satisfy us in the morning with your steadfast love, that we may rejoice and be glad all our days.
(Psalm 90:12–14)

For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.
(Ephesians 2:8–10)

What Has Been Encouraging

Awaiting the results of a medical scan is unpleasant—especially a serious scan. I’ve been encouraged by Psalm 27, which calls the people of God to put away fear and put on trust in the Lord. Even if an army encamps against us, there is no reason to fear when God is our shelter in the day of trouble.
David exhorts us to wait on the Lord and to take up courage. This psalm is a timely word for anyone who is facing the unknown. The Lord knows the future, and our hope is in him.

Though an army encamp against me,
my heart shall not fear;
though war arise against me,
yet I will be confident. (Psalm 27:3)

For he will hide me in his shelter
in the day of trouble;
he will conceal me under the cover of his tent;
he will lift me high upon a rock. (Psalm 27:5)

Normal Isn’t the Right Word

Updates:

Yesterday I received my chemo infusion here in Jacksonville. I’m thankful to be alive and home!
It will take time to know if the bone marrow transplant was effective. That requires a PET scan about every three months.
My next scan is in August. I’ll be taking a break from weekly blogging about our journey and will only provide updates for big events, such as scans or complications.

Prayer Requests and Praises:

Jenny and I are incredibly thankful for all your prayers over the past year. We have two remaining requests for the months ahead:
1. That my chemo treatments would destroy any remaining cancer following the transplant. Please pray that I will live to see my children’s children.
2. That my immunity would continue to increase and that I would avoid sickness. I’m not afraid of the hospital, but it does make things more complicated.
I will be heavily immunocompromised until the end of 2025, and then it will take six more months for my system to return to a normal level.

What I Am Learning:

I’m grateful to the Lord that I was able to preach on Sunday. I didn’t feel well that morning, but the Lord strengthened me and answered your prayers. While preaching, I honestly forgot I was sick. I crashed later that day, but it was such a blessing to be back at First Baptist.

What Has Been Encouraging:

This past year has caused us to think about death more often than usual. It has sharpened our hearts and made us want to spend our time on what matters most.
Since being home, I have experienced many encouraging moments—like returning to church, taking evening walks with Jenny, reading books to our children, and seeing dear friends.
While it will take months for me to return to “normal,” it’s our hope that we are never normal again when it comes to cherishing the precious gifts God has given us.

So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom. Return, O LORD! How long? Have pity on your servants! Satisfy us in the morning with your steadfast love, that we may rejoice and be glad all our days. Make us glad for as many days as you have afflicted us, and for as many years as we have seen evil. Let your work be shown to your servants, and your glorious power to their children. Let the favor of the Lord our God be upon us, and establish the work of our hands upon us; yes, establish the work of our hands! (Psalm 90:12–17)

A Storm on the Horizon

Updates:

We are home! Our return flight was delayed at least five times, so we ended up arriving at our house around 3 a.m. The trip wiped me out, but I’m recovering!
We’ve started unpacking!
My next chemo treatment is scheduled for July 24th.

Prayer Requests and Praises:

We are thankful to be home. It is surreal.
This Sunday, I will be preaching at First Baptist on my cancer journey and Psalm 34. We’d love to see you there!
The service is at 10:45 a.m. (EST) and you can livestream it at this link if you’re unable to attend: https://fbcjax.com
I discovered I couldn’t fit into any of my dress clothes. This is an answer to prayer because a big concern at the beginning of our transplant journey was potential weight loss. (I also know many folks have wanted me to gain weight for a while!) We went shopping and tried on clothes to make sure I had something to preach in on Sunday instead of gym shorts.
My mysterious water retention continues (also probably contributes to my increase in size), but I’m not alarmed. I’ll continue to be monitored in the weeks ahead.

What I’m Learning:

I’ve been reflecting on Proverbs 10:24–25. This passage teaches how the righteous respond to trials compared with the wicked:

What the wicked dreads will come upon him,
but the desire of the righteous will be granted.
When the tempest passes, the wicked is no more,
but the righteous is established forever.
(Proverbs 10:24–25)

This passage assumes that a storm is coming—for everyone. “When the tempest passes.” There is a storm on the horizon for each of us. I don’t know when yours will arrive, but I know it’s coming.

Before the storm comes, turn to the Lord. Nurture your relationship with Him now by faith, so that when the tempest passes, you will be established forever—and not like the wicked, who are devastated.

Deliverance in this life is a “glimpse” of the deliverance to come in eternal life. And when the wicked are destroyed in this life, it serves as a parable of what will happen in the end times, when Christ judges the world. The righteous will be saved; the wicked will be condemned.

Deliverance from cancer—and from every affliction—is meant to cause us to reflect upon our final state and whether we will be delivered in the end.

What Has Been Encouraging:

After three months, we are finally home. When we walked into our house, it was clear that someone from First Baptist had been here. Posters with handwritten notes from church members are all over our walls!

There are so many, I’m pretty sure we’ll be finding them in different rooms for a while. It will take us some time to read through all the encouragement. We are grateful to be back in Florida with our First Baptist church family.

Heading Home

Updates:

Today was my last day of doctor appointments in Houston before heading home next week. I have swelling in my arms, legs, and face that is mysterious but will not prevent me from traveling.
We have started packing!

Prayer Requests and Praises:

We are planning to return to Jacksonville! Praise the Lord!
For some reason, I continue to retain water. My medical team is monitoring this, but please pray that it ceases. It’s likely a side effect of the transplant and my current chemotherapy.
Lord willing, I will be preaching at First Baptist on July 20th. We would love to see you there!

What I Am Learning

Last week, I mentioned that I’ve been reading about Hezekiah in the book of Isaiah. There’s a story in which he and Jerusalem are surrounded by the Assyrian army. Hezekiah receives several messages from the enemy, yet he turns to God in prayer for deliverance.
One of the ways God answers his prayer is by sending the angel of the Lord to slay the Assyrian army in the night. It was a miraculous, surprise attack.

“For I will defend this city to save it, for my own sake and for the sake of my servant David.” And the angel of the LORD went out and struck down 185,000 in the camp of the Assyrians. And when people arose early in the morning, behold, these were all dead bodies. Then Sennacherib king of Assyria departed and returned home and lived at Nineveh. (Isaiah 37:35–37)

God could have chosen any method to destroy His enemies, but He chose to send the angel of the Lord. This is the same angel who surrounds God’s people today. As Christians, we inherit the promises of Psalm 34:

This poor man cried, and the LORD heard him and saved him out of all his troubles. The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear him, and delivers them. (Psalm 34:6–7)

Hezekiah knew the Psalms. He humbled himself as a poor man, and the Lord delivered him using the very angel mentioned in Psalm 34:7. God will do the same for us today if we turn to Him in faith.

What Has Been Encouraging

As we reflect on the past three months, it’s clear we have not walked this journey alone. The Lord has been with us, and He has given us the body of Christ to care for us at every turn.
First Baptist Church members have supported us, prayed for us, and stayed in touch through these tumultuous weeks. Our story is their story—they have walked through the fire with us. The kindness we have experienced is overwhelming. We are eager to return!
Local churches in Houston have also come alongside us in humbling ways. Some didn’t even know us, yet they loved and served us as if we were members of their own congregations.
Jenny and I slipped into a chapel service at MD Anderson this past week. It was a short service between appointments. As we stood at the door, we saw my primary doctor enter the chapel. We quietly sat down beside him as the Scripture was being read. It was a wonderful moment as we prayed together, knowing we both need the Lord’s help.
The community of the saints is one of the great blessings of life. If you’ve stumbled upon this blog and aren’t connected to a local church—don’t miss out! Plan to attend a Bible-preaching church this Sunday. You just might be surprised by how wonderful it can be.

The Black Sky of Suffering

Updates:

I just received my second chemo treatment here in Houston and, Lord willing, plan to have my next infusion in Jacksonville.
My next PET scan is scheduled for August 14th. It will mark 100 days since my transplant.

Prayer Requests and Praises:

We are eager to return to Jacksonville! Please pray that nothing hinders this return.
For some reason, I am retaining water and experiencing swelling in my face, arms, and legs. My medical team is monitoring this, but please pray that it ceases.
I still have not experienced a significant allergic reaction to my new chemo. Praise the Lord!

What I Am Learning

At night, I’ve been reading about Hezekiah from the book of Isaiah. There’s a story where he and Jerusalem are surrounded by the Assyrian army. Hezekiah receives several messages from the enemy claiming they are fully capable of them.
Upon receiving a chilling letter from the Assyrians, Hezekiah recognizes his plight and turns to the Lord:

Hezekiah received the letter from the hand of the messengers and read it. Then Hezekiah went up to the house of the Lord and spread it before the Lord. And Hezekiah prayed to the Lord:

“O Lord of hosts, God of Israel, enthroned above the cherubim, you are the God—you alone—of all the kingdoms of the earth; you have made heaven and earth.

Incline your ear, O Lord, and hear; open your eyes, O Lord, and see; and hear all the words of Sennacherib, which he has sent to mock the living God.

Truly, O Lord, the kings of Assyria have laid waste all the nations and their lands, and have cast their gods into the fire. For they were no gods, but the work of men’s hands, wood and stone. Therefore they were destroyed.

So now, O Lord our God, save us from his hand, that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that you alone are the Lord.”
— Isaiah 37:14–20

I love how Hezekiah spreads out the letter of certain death before God and gives it over to Him. He turns to the Lord, prays, and trusts God to save. These steps outline the same path we must take when we are in trouble. We must lift our eyes to the hills, where our help comes from—the Maker of heaven and earth (See also Psalm 121).

If you’ve never read the full story, start in Isaiah 36. See how God miraculously delivers His people when Hezekiah calls upon His name. God hears our prayers—and yet, He makes an even better promise than the one found in Isaiah 36–37. Jesus offers eternal salvation through His life and death to everyone who calls upon His name:

And it shall come to pass that everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.
— Acts 2:21

What Has Been Encouraging

Last night was the Fourth of July, and we let our kids stay up late to watch the fireworks. We watched from the rooftop of a building downtown in the medical center. I could see many hospital offices and emergency departments—the med center has 21 hospitals.
As we stood watching, Jenny and I reflected on how I had been in the building next door for 30 days. My hospital window didn’t offer nearly the same view. Feeling the wind on the rooftop and watching fireworks with my family—the kids in their firecracker PJs—was a real blessing. I’m thankful to be out of the hospital and prayed for those still inside that familiar building.
I was reminded of a quote I once heard: like a firework, God’s glory shines best against a background of darkness. This is especially true in suffering. Our trials create the black sky upon which God’s magnificence explodes with color.

15 Observations from a Cancer Center

Updates:

We are now in a mold-free apartment!
I continue my chemo treatments with mild side effects. However, I am nauseous most evenings.
This past week was my physical therapy evaluation. I’ve made substantial progress!

Prayer Requests and Praises:

We are very thankful to be in a mold-free place. Two mold companies had pity on us and conducted two different mold tests for free. It’s a real blessing to be together as a family now.
When I started physical therapy, I didn’t think I could walk for six minutes using a walker. Now, I’m able to walk on a treadmill for ten minutes. I received a good report on my reassessment, but my therapists want me to continue training through the month of July.
I still haven’t experienced a significant allergic reaction to my new chemo. I’m very grateful for this — please pray that it continues!

What I’m Learning

While receiving treatment, I decided to journal some simple observations. I’ve collected 25 reflections based on what I’ve noticed at the cancer center. Below are 15 of them.

Consider these thoughts written in the spirit of the book of Proverbs. Some are generally meaningful; others are more niche. They’re listed in no particular order — just as they came to me:

There is always someone worse off than you.
The amount of sacrifice Jenny has given is untold — and cannot be properly retold.
When people tell me I am “strong,” they misunderstand the situation.
Not all stem cell transplants are created equal.
“Where you go first matters.” – M.D. Anderson
Facing an unknown future will either increase faith or cause it to buckle.
One hallway in a cancer center may be filled with rejoicing, another with weeping.
Bedside manner boosts confidence in medicine, just as “sweetness of speech increases persuasiveness.”
These are the moments why I married Jenny: not for her beauty, but for her evergreen and ever-serving love.
Suffering should lead its students to depend continually on the Lord.
All my allergic reactions remind me of my frailty — and God’s faithfulness.
A well-timed — and love-motivated — question can open a relationship and change a life. (Theo of Golden)
I visited three cancer centers to try to save my life. The most aesthetically pleasing campus nearly cost me it. The ugliest one may have the greatest chance at saving it. A center’s attractive appearance only matters if it works.
The storms of life are meant to remove the dead branches of self-reliance so we can depend more fully on Christ. (Spurgeon)
“People everywhere love fountains.” (Theo of Golden)

What Has Been Encouraging

This week back home was “Glow Camp” at First Baptist. Our kids are big fans every year, and we were disappointed to miss it. But even though we’re in Houston, some kind and clever folks at FBC made sure to include our children.
Our kids were able to FaceTime into many of the assemblies and teaching sessions. We even had two of the main stage pirate characters visit our house and leave a secret message on our security doorbell! The kids felt so included, they asked to make a poster on poster day. What a blessing!

“And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.” (Acts 4:12)

Stranger than Fiction! (Mold Part 2)

Updates:

Sometimes real life is stranger than fiction! If you’ve been following our journey, you know that in my last update we left our rental house due to mold. In this update, I’m surprised to report that just two days after moving into our new apartment, we discovered mold again! Yes—this is round two.
We checked in advance with the apartment complex and were assured in writing that there was no mold and that the unit would be thoroughly cleaned due to my unfortunate situation as a stem cell transplant patient. After we discovered the mold, however, the landlords denied its existence and treated us very harshly.
After much debate and documentation, the landlords finally agreed to release us from our lease if we choose to leave. We’ve been vigorously searching and have narrowed down our options for a new rental. It’s been challenging—between needing to stay within a specific radius of MD Anderson and finding a space that accommodates our whole family. We’re hopeful to be settled in next week.

Prayer Requests and Praises:

⁃ When I was in ICU, I experienced heart failure. I’ve been seeing a cardiologist at MD Anderson and recently had a follow-up echocardiogram. By God’s grace, my heart has returned to normal and has fully recovered from the sepsis complications. This is a tremendous blessing!
⁃ Please pray that we can secure a final place to stay during our remaining weeks in Houston.
⁃ I’m continuing my chemotherapy treatments and, so far, I haven’t experienced any major side effects. I’m very grateful—please pray this continues!

What I Am Learning:

I’ve been meditating on Psalm 34, and it has brought comfort during this stressful week. It speaks of how God delivers His people from trouble. What struck me afresh is how God delivers the righteous from the wicked. He hears the cries of His people who have been mistreated by unbelievers. Whether it’s sickness, mold, or heartless landlords—God hears our prayers and promises deliverance.
Jesus is the ultimate example of God’s protection and deliverance. He was mistreated more than anyone ever has been or will be. He was mocked, framed, and shown no sympathy by the Pharisees or the Romans. Yet God “kept all His bones” and raised Him from the dead so that we might be forgiven.

This poor man cried, and the LORD heard him and saved him out of all his troubles. (Psalm 34:6)

The eyes of the LORD are toward the righteous and his ears toward their cry. The face of the LORD is against those who do evil, to cut off the memory of them from the earth. When the righteous cry for help, the LORD hears and delivers them out of all their troubles. (Psalm 34:15–17)

Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the LORD delivers him out of them all. He keeps all his bones; not one of them is broken. Affliction will slay the wicked, and those who hate the righteous will be condemned. (Psalm 34:19–21)

What Has Been Encouraging:

Physically, I’m gaining strength each day. My physical therapists are pleased with the progress, and I hope to be walking without a walker by the time we leave Houston. Thank you for praying!
Our plan is to return to Jacksonville in mid-July. I’m so looking forward to preaching at First Baptist on July 20th. Even though I won’t be able to hug you, I hope to see you there!