One of the services provided in my treatment plan with TN Oncology is the opportunity to connect with a designated therapist/counselor in the Psychosocial Oncology division . The purpose of this meeting is to process all of the changes and “new normals” that come with a cancer diagnosis. I was grateful and looking forward to this chat – whether it would be it a one-time connection, or something ongoing in the future (both were offered).  Our Zoom call appointment began with several disclaimers. The final one stood out most – All of your information will be held completely confidential unless I surmise that you are a threat to yourself or to…

(I’m posting about these events several days after they happened. It’s taken a little extra time to pull this post together because of fatigue and side effects from the chemo).  “He satisfies your desires with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.”(Psalm 103:5) When I’ve read Psalm 103 in times past, and I’ve come to the beautiful place where we are to forget not all His benefits, I’ve tended to center more on the first several . . . He forgives all your sins, heals all your diseases, redeems your life from the pit, etc. I haven’t always connected as much with verse 5, but in this verse, the Hebrew translation…

March Madness is here. And I am married to a man who not only loves anything athletic, but if there was a “Sports Jeopardy” edition, I’d have my money on Dick winning every single time. He knows all of the trivia, all of the rules, and all of the back stories. Additionally, he has learned that, in order to draw me in, he can share anecdotes about the players and then I’ll enjoy watching a game with him. 😃 The coach’s twin boys are on this team. Or See #3 on Vandy’s team? He went to Brentwood Academy (where our girls went). Or The lead scorer’s mom used to play…

When Dick and I were married, December 27, 1980, we stood before our pastor, family, and friends and committed vows to one another.I take you to be my husband (wife)To have and to hold from this day forwardFor better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in healthTo love and to cherish till death do us part On that snowy winter’s night in Dayton, OH, in a church filled with candles and romance, these words were, no doubt, said from deep in our hearts. But the reality is, we had no CLUE that we would indeed live out these vows in the years to come! Marriage isn’t all…

Dick and I are reading through the Psalms – one each day – and this morning Psalm 53 was scheduled. The way we walk through this regular time together with the Lord is this: Dick reads a commentary overview of the designated psalm, I read the psalm in one translation while he is viewing another translation, we compare any word differences that might have stood out to us, and then Dick reads the accompanying devotional from a book we are going through together, In the Lord I Take Refuge by Dane Ortlund. For those of you who have studied the psalms, you know the vast array of topics (from lament to praise,…

I’d like to welcome myself back 😊 . . . after about 10 days of recovery so far. Thank you, Whitney, for stepping in to give wonderful updates during the days I was unable to put two sentences together. Prepping for the surgery was one thing. Knowing what to expect in recovery has been quite another. The only thing I will say is, the recuperation has been more of a physical, mental, and spiritual climb than I could have ever predicted.  In the years when someone would ask me to sign a CD or songbook, often the scripture I would add to my signature was Hebrews 12:2-3. It was a longer reference…

Hi friends, Whitney (Mel’s daughter) here again. We are at the end of day four of Mom’s hospitalization, and the reality of what we expect to be a lengthy recovery is setting in. Mom is making slow but steady progress, and we are seeing God’s hand in the midst of it all. But to be honest, it has been tougher than we imagined. As some of you may know, I’m a registered nurse. So hospitals, surgeries, and recoveries are not unfamiliar territory to me. But when it’s your mom lying in the hospital bed, everything feels different. Mom’s surgery was very extensive. In addition to a total hysterectomy, she also had a…

Hi friends, Whitney here (Mel’s oldest daughter—the photo above is from January, when I was visiting at the beginning of Mom’s cancer journey). Mom asked if I would share a quick update on the blog today as she recovers from surgery, and I am honored to do so. First, the most important news: the surgery went very well. Praise God! After six long hours in the operating room, Dad and I were able to meet with Mom’s oncologist who described the surgery as “outstanding” and exactly what he hoped to accomplish. He shared that they removed two tumors and also a couple places where the cancer had spread. He was able to…

So prepare your minds for action, be completely sober [in spirit—steadfast, self-disciplined, spiritually and morally alert], fix your hope completely on the grace of God that is coming to you when Jesus Christ is revealed. (1 Peter 1:13, Amplified) Tomorrow is the day of my surgery. About 36 hours from right now,  I’ll be in recovery. This will also put me past the halfway point of the complete treatment plan given to me back in December. Tomorrow is a big day! For the past week, I have been intentionally preparing – physically, mentally, emotionally, and most importantly, spiritually.  I’ve watered all the plants. I’ve caught up on the laundry.I’ve cleaned out the…

“We wait in hope for the Lord; he is our help and our shield.” (Psalm 33:20) “May your unfailing love be with us, Lord, even as we put our hope in you.” (Psalm 33:22) “Hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what they already have? But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently.” (Romans 8:24-25) “That is why we labor and strive, because we have put our hope in the living God, who is the Savior of all people, and especially of those who believe.” (1 Timothy 4:10) And one of my favorites right now . . . “He has delivered us from such a deadly…